Today’s Scrip-Bit   27 December 2021 Hebrews 9:27.

27 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 9:27.     And as it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgement. 

You know it’s laughable that many people don’t know Jesus, and don’t want to know Him either, but they are quick to grab on to the public holiday that His birth has fostered, this Monday in late December. Yes friends, because we celebrated Christ’s birthday on the weekend, which is a normal time off, most workers don’t have to go to work today. And if they do, they receive double and triple time pay and all sorts of other benefits they don’t usually get. But they still don’t want to hear of or acknowledge our Lord and Saviour. 

That’s okay though, because they will eventually pay a serious price for that repudiation of God’s Son, the One He sent to save us from our abominable sins. Many people laugh and mock us when we talk about the eventual consequences of not believing in Jesus and having Him as your Lord and Saviour, conjuring up all kinds of different endings for this earthly life. But yuh know what? If what Jesus says isn’t true, then it doesn’t matter, you would have lived a good life anyway, refraining from sin and evildoing. 

However, supposing, just supposing what Jesus says is true eh, and you don’t accept Him, you will end up eternally damned and separated from Almighty God! What will you do then eh? The sad part is that you won’t be able to do anything, because then it will be too late to change your mind. Once the breath of life has been drained from your earthly body you can’t make any more decisions. And also, if Christ comes back before you die and you haven’t yet accepted Him, then you are also SOL, out of luck. 

Remember Jesus’ parable about the rich man and the beggar Lazarus? The rich man lived high on the hog while he was alive, while Lazarus sat at his gate, with dogs licking the sores all over his body, eating the scraps from the rich man’s table. However, when they died, the tables turned, the rich man went to hell, while the beggar was ‘carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom,’ meaning heaven. 

‘And in hell he, (the rich man) lift up his eyes, being in torment, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham. Have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 

And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he (the rich man) said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldst send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 

Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.’ (Luke 16:23-31) 

And that very fact is borne out by Jesus having risen from the dead, with said news being spread all over the world, and yet so many people are still refusing to believe in Him. Now, that my people, is why we encourage you to accept Christ as soon as possible, like right now, for none of us know exactly when we will depart his earthly life or when Christ will return. Either scenario could happen sooner than we expect, so there’s really no time to lose. The sooner you make that wise decision, the better off you will be. 

You have so much to lose, but even so much more to gain! Because, as the author of Hebrews specifies in his writing: ‘And as it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgement. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look (eagerly wait) for him shall he appear the second time, without (apart from) sin unto salvation.’ (Heb. 9:27-28) Yes friends, we all must die once, then face God’s severe judgement, reserved for the wicked and unsaved. 

However, if we are saved, then we will go to heaven, and face God’s judgement re our earthly works and our motives, and will only lose rewards, not our eternal destiny with Christ. And yuh see how the evil enemy and his fellow evildoers have brought the earth to its knees with all the calamity we’re currently facing? My fellow saints, there is only ONE way to counteract that evil, and that’s by going to God in prayer, seeking divine help and restoration. So let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. 

Altogether now: ‘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!’ 

So what’s it to be eh friends? Are we going to turn from our evil ways so that God can heal our land and forgive us? The ball’s in our court now my people, let’s use it wisely nuh. Much LOVE!

…Christmas…the birth of Christ…is only the beginning of our wonderful salvation story…we should strive to hear more… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   26 December 2021 Psalm 150:6.

26 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 150:6.      Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah.)​

So, Christmas Day is over… but not the Christmas season. Celebrations over the birth of Christ deserve more than one day. Technically it should be three hundred and sixty-five and a quarter days each year, (smile) but in between there we also have His death and resurrection to celebrate. 

In other words, our lives should be just one big celebration of Christ’s coming to earth to bring salvation to those who sat in darkness, in bondage to sin. Yes, that would be the ultimate situation, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep Christ uppermost in our lives, in our hearts, minds and souls, as we make our earthly pilgrimage. That’s what it takes to live the true Christian life, with Christ’s help of course. 

But enough talk, let’s sing a joyful song of praise in honour of Christ’s birthday, most appropriately titled, ‘Joy to the World’ a Christian ditty written by one of the great hymn writers of the 18th century, Isaac Watts 1674-1748. And please, let’s put some spunk in it nuh, make it a li’l bit up-tempo (smile) along with harmony and soul, because it is a song of heartfelt feeling and gratitude. So, let’s open our mouths loud and strong in sacrificial praise as we joyfully declare: 

(Chorus: Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; let ev’ry heart prepare him room and heav’n and nature sing, and heav’n and nature sing, and heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.) Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy. (Chorus) 

No more let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground; he comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found. (Chorus) He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his LOVE, and wonders of his LOVE, and wonders, wonders of his LOVE.’ 

Ah friends, what awesome singing. Who ever heard us must know that we were sincere, because our voices just rang true… and why not since they were filled with joy at the birth of our Saviour! (smile) Yes mih people, the Lord has come to save us, no doubt about that…if we would only allow Him to do it. And I like how the songwriter added, ‘Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.’  

That just recalls the last verse of the Psalms, Psalm 150:6, which so appropriately declares: ‘Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah.)’ Now that’s sort of obvious, anything that has life ought to praise their Creator, giving Him awesome thanks for that life. But Psalm 148, goes one step further when it directs – All creation to praise the Lord. It says: “Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him all, all his angels: praise ye him all his hosts.’ (Ps. 148:1-2) 

And I guess that second verse there is reminiscent of how the angelic host came to earth on that first Christmas morning and sang: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:14) But then, the psalmist also instructed: ‘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. He hath also stablished (established) them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.’ (Ps. 148:3-6) 

Yes friends, even the inanimate objects in the heavens ought to praise Him because they too are wonderfully made by His skillful hands. Then the psalmist turned his attention to the things on earth. ‘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: 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, worthy of praise); his glory is above the earth and the heaven. 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. 148:7-14) 

Oh mih bredrin, the psalmist didn’t leave out anything from either earth or heaven! And consequently, as the scholars explain: ‘it may appropriately be designated as the psalm of universal praise.’ No doubt about that, for all that God made is wonderful and long lasting. Then we have the last part of the song where the author writes: ‘He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his LOVE, and wonders of his LOVE, and wonders, wonders of his LOVE.’ 

Now that recalls the words of John as he introduces Christ in his gospel. He says: ‘And the Word was made flesh (became flesh), and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:14) Wow mih people! What amazing attributes Jesus brought with Him! But grace and truth were not the only ones He brought, He also brought the most important one, that of LOVE! As the songwriter says, ‘the wonders of His LOVE!’ How beautiful is that eh? So beautiful that many of us can’t seem to understand or appreciate it. 

Anyway my fellow saints in Christ, I do hope we all had a good Christmas day, filled with fun and frolic, with friends and family, as much as the Covid virus and the new regulations would allow, (smile) and that during the day, we all took a few moments to ponder what Christ and this awesome day meant to us. For remember, this Christmas Season is all about Christ’s coming to earth to save us from the fires of hell, to give us the option of obtaining heaven through belief in His Holy Name. And we’ll be really foolish if we did not accept that amazing free gift of salvation. Much LOVE!

…grace, truth, LOVE, joy…without those attributes…believers cannot survive in this evil world… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 December 2021 Luke 2:11.

25 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Luke 2:11.     For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS ! 

Well, the Big Day, Christmas Day is here at last and there’s lots of joy in the air. Unfortunately, those who were wishing for the traditional white Christmas have been disappointed because the snow has all melted away and it’s a wet, grey morning, with temps expected to reach about 6 or 8 degrees Celsius. And look at me nuh, the great weather forecaster, who thought that those springlike temps were forever behind us, at least until next spring. (smile) But my people, we need to realize one thing, that in God’s great universe, anything is possible, at any time. 

And in accordance with that maxim, two thousand years ago, when the time was ripe, the Lord sent His only Son Jesus Christ in to the world, born of a virgin, the immaculate conception, as the angel bringing Mary, Christ’s mother, the good news of her finding favour with God explained to her, when she declared: ‘How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 

And, behold, thy cousin (relative) Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:34 -38) 

Oh yes friends, right in that moment the Lord showed that He could do anything; make a barren woman pregnant in her old age, as He did for Sara, Abraham’s wife many centuries back, and make a woman pregnant without knowing a man, so that the child could truly be called the ‘Son of God!’ Glory Hallelujah! The Lord was setting the stage for Christ’s birth on that Christmas day long ago, in addition to the birth of John the Baptist (Elisabeth’s son) who was to be the forerunner of Christ, as his father Zechariah prophesied of God’s goodness and mercy when John was born. 

‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath raised up a horn of salvation (a mighty deliverer, Jesus) for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began (from the ages). That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 

In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring (the Dawn, the Messiah) from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed (became) strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing (manifestation) unto Israel.’ (Luke 2:67-80) 

Oh my brethren, what a mighty dramatist is our God! Who else could set the stage like that for the coming of John the Baptist to preach the coming of Christ. As Luke later states: ‘And he (John the Baptist) came into all the country about Jordan (the surrounding region), preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,’ (Luke 3:3) Meanwhile Matthew, in his gospel, describes John’s entrance in simpler words: ‘And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ (Matt. 3:2) 

Now those were not just idle statements of the gospel writers, for John’s coming had been prophesied long before by the prophet Isaiah, when he declared: ‘The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert the highway for our God.’ (Is. 40:3) And we all know that on this first Christmas day that this other prophecy of Isaiah was also fulfilled. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’ (Is. 9:6) 

And it all climaxed on that cold winter’s night around the town of Bethlehem, another prophecy fulfilled, (Mic. 5:2) where shepherds were watching their flock, when an angel appeared to them and joyfully declared: ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes (bands), lying in a manger (feed trough). And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:11-14) 

Oh friends that’s how the first Christmas day was initiated; with joyful shouts of praise from the hosts of heaven! And yuh notice who the angels came to first with the good news of Christ’s birth? Not the rich and powerful, but the poor and powerless, just like the Lord chose to have His Son born into lowly and humble surroundings, because the tenor of His earthly life was going to be lowly and humble, for that’s whom He came predominantly to save. 

And I know that we usually look at the quotes of our friend Anselm on a Saturday, but since today is Christmas Day, I thought it would be better to get into a li’l of the Christmas story itself and how it came to be. But there is one quote of Anselm’s that I would like to share. It’s long, but very interesting and encouraging. It says: ‘The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of life is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give.’  

Yes my faithful brethren, all those things are true, and when we cap them with the action of LOVE, like Christ did, and still does, then all heaven and earth will sing praises to the glory of God the Father! Like the lowly shepherds did on that first cold Christmas night after they returned from seeing the Christ child. The Good Book describes it thus: they were ‘glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.’ (Luke 2:20) 

So, let’s do like those shepherds this Christmas Day nuh, praise and glorify Almighty God for all the wonderful things He’s done for us through the amazing gift of His most wonderful Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! That’s the only fitting conclusion to this day! Much LOVE!

...joy to the world…the Lord is come…let earth receive her King…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 December 2021 Matthew 2:2.

24 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 2:2.      Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

So it’s Christmas Eve mih people! Just one more day to the Big One. Imagine nuh, tomorrow this time the celebrations, the Christmas festivities will be in full swing. But please, please, let’s remember the ultimate reason for the season, in fact the one and only reason for the season; that’s the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 

And don’t only concentrate on the food and gifts, but spend a few moments considering and contemplating the wonderful present that our heavenly Father gifted us with some two thousand years ago, and how things would have been in an even more disastrous mess, if He hadn’t given us the greatest gift ever, His One Son, Christ Jesus to save us from the bondage of sin! 

But it’s sad that the greatest gift ever given to man has been turned into one of the greatest economic and money-making events in today’s world, with the real reason for Christmas totally forgotten, with people even refusing to say Merry Christmas, but talking nonsense about ‘Happy Holidays!’ Where did the blooming happy holidays come from eh? From the birth of Christ! That’s where! So please let’s give Him the accolades He deserves nuh, and stop trying to remove Him from our society. And then we wonder why our world is in such a calamitous state! 

The answer begins right there; trying to kick God out, being disobedient and ungodly! Remember what He did to Satan when the foolish archangel, a mere creation, tried to overthrow Him in heaven? He kicked him out of the plush job and comfortable surroundings he had, to wander the earth in shame and disgrace and shack up in the fires of hell! Now we, another creation, are listening to that fool and his evil minions and are trying to rid our society of its Maker and Controller. Why do you think we will suffer a fate any different to Satan’s eh? 

And that’s exactly why He sent Jesus to earth, to give us another option beside that offered by his evil highness. But we’re so full of ourselves, figure we’re such hot shots with our high-class civilization, that we no longer need God. What a joke! Can’t we see my brethren, or has Satan blinded our eyes so much to the fact that all we have, all we are and all we have achieved and accomplished have come through the graceful and merciful auspices of Jehovah God Himself? I guess not, otherwise we would not be in such a hurry to move Him out and forget Him. 

Remember the birth of Jesus was so important that three wise men (magi) from far off lands made the long journey to see the li’l baby boy born in the stable, wrapped in swaddling bands, lying in a manger (feed trough). And note what they said: ‘Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.’ (Matt. 2:2) 

Yes friends, other people also knew about the coming of the Messiah, possibly descendants of the Jews, from their sojourn in distant lands through captivity and migration, and it was so important to them that they travelled a far distance to behold the miraculous moment in time. And to top it all off, they brought gifts, expensive and most appropriate for a king; gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

Now, obviously since they were expecting a king to be born, the magi went to Jerusalem, the royal capital of Israel, to Herod the current king to find out His whereabouts. Herod knew nothing about any king being born, but found out through the Jewish leaders where the Messiah was supposed to be born; Bethlehem of Judea. And I like how the Good Book puts it. ‘And he (Herod) sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.’ (Matt. 2:8-12). 

Yuh see mih bredrin, that was our God moving in those mysterious ways of His, His wonders to perform. First having a star guide them to the birth place of Jesus, then a divine revelation not to go back to Herod. And as the scholars explain ‘His star’ (vs 2) could not have been merely a natural phenomenon, since it led the wise men to Jerusalem and later to Bethlehem. It almost certainly was a divine manifestation used by God to indicate the fact and place of the Messiah’s birth.’ 

That’s the gospel truth my people, it was nothing less than our omnipotent God’s divine handiwork! The same way it was shortly after when Joseph, Jesus’ father had a vision to take his family to Egypt because Herod would soon be on the warpath, killing Jewish children under two years of age, in a jealous fit of rage that some uppity Jewish child would want to take his throne away from him and his family. Just like us, Herod didn’t realize that he was just a man, created by a higher being than himself, who could pull victory from seeming defeat. 

Oh my fellow saints, this Christmas Eve day, let’s wake up and see the writing on the wall nuh. The Lord is on His throne in the high heavens, controlling things, and unless we come to our senses and refute Satan and all that he stands for, we will end up just like him; in the fires of Hades, with no chance whatsoever of making it to heaven. So, in wisdom and understanding, let’s go to God in prayer, through our Friday Chant, pleading for His divine help. 

As one strong, confident, sincere 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!’ 

Now, it’s the same as it has always been; if we keep our promises and be obedient to God’s will, then He will answer our prayers in a positive manner. Much LOVE!

…to truly celebrate Christ’s birth…means we must be truly living for Him…                                               

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 December 2021 Isaiah 32:17.

23 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 32:17.     And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

So now it’s Thursday, and only two more days to the Big Day! Are we joyful my people! I certainly hope so because that day, the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ was the beginning of our salvation! Yes, His birth began the whole shebang – that of earthly ministry, crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension, of which we are the eventual and hopefully grateful beneficiaries. 

Ah mih people, without the birth and other actions of Christ, we would still be wallowing in the bondage of sin, with no other option but hellfire and damnation, eternal separation from our heavenly father and Creator. But Jesus gave us another option, one of spending eternity with Him, in righteousness, LOVE and peace. 

And yuh know what? Before Jesus even came to earth in the flesh, the prophet Isaiah made this awesome statement while warning the complacent women of Jerusalem. ‘And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.’ (Is. 32:17) 

Oh friends, all of us are searching for peace, quietness and assurance in this dangerous, evil and ungodly world, and there is only one thing that will ever bring us to that seemingly utopian place; that’s righteousness, doing right before the Lord God Jehovah! It’s not rocket science either nuh, just simple truth. Jesus said it plainly and right up front: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

Yes my brethren, if we make God our priority, put His will above and before anything else, then all that we ever need on this earth, as well as in the time to come will be granted to us. Now that might sound difficult to believe, but there’s only one way to really find out if it’s true, that’s by stepping out in faith and doing as it says. However, a lot of us talk about faith, but so many of us have even less faith than the proverbial grain of mustard seed, and thus are afraid to take a real chance on Christ and His kingdom, preferring to wallow in the sinful mire that’s the world. 

And Cousin Sol in his wisdom, said it thus: ‘Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach (shame or disgrace) to any people.’ (Prov. 14:34). Oh friends, each person is required to do right, but so does a nation or society of people, and as the scholars explain: ‘National righteousness and national sin have opposite effects: exaltation versus reproach.’ And we obviously cannot say that our society is being exalted, but certainly reproached, because of our evil and ungodly deeds. We don’t even follow the laws of our society, which were enacted for our goodness and guidance, enabling us to follow the moral law of God. 

As Bruh Paul said to Timothy. ‘But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers (fornicators), for them that defile themselves with mankind (sodomites), for menstealers (kidnappers), for liars, for perjured persons (perjurers), and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.’  (1 Tim. 1:8-11) 

Oh my fellow saints, ‘the law properly used, benefits unbelievers in pointing out their sin (Rom. 7:7-9) and leading them to Christ (Gal. 3:24)’ And that verse reads: ‘Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified (declared righteous) by faith.’ So, the law is useful in showing us our faults and leading us to Christ and His gospel work. 

Meanwhile, the scholars explain verse 11 thus: ‘The glorious gospel of the blessed God means the gospel about the character of the blessed God. The law reveals man’s sinful character (vs. 9-10), but the gospel discloses God’s salvation from sin and the law’s curse. The blessed God: All blessings and happiness are in God, and He bestows them upon those embracing His gospel.’ 

And that’s exactly what Isaiah was trying to tell his people way back then, that all goodness and mercy comes from God upon those who revere Him and live the way He desires. And if you don’t believe Isaiah, or Jesus, or Cousin Sol, then listen to these other scriptures that reveal the same sentiments. Hear the psalmist from Psalm 119, that long and powerful treatise on God and His word. ‘Great peace have they which LOVE thy law, and nothing shall offend them (cause them to stumble),’ (Ps. 119:165) You definitely can’t argue with that, because it comes from the long experience of the Jewish people with God. 

Now listen to Bruh Paul to the church at Rome, as he talks about Christ being the only judge. ‘Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat (food) and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.’ (Rom. 14:16-17) More corroborating truth! And James, Jesus’ brother, puts it all in a simple nutshell, when he writes: ‘And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.’ (James 3:18) Yes friends, righteousness is not possible unless there is an aura of peace prevailing. 

Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live righteously, and no it’s not easy, but with God’s help, including our Thursday Blessings, we are forging forward seeking the ultimate victory in Christ. And since a blessing is not a blessing unless it’s declared, let’s declare those many blessings which have been generously bestowed on us to do Christ’s work. 

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

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

Now, let’s go out and put those blessings to work in the lives of others, as Jesus so greatly desires of us! Much LOVE!

…blessed are they…which do hunger and thirst after righteousness…for they shall be filled… (Matt. 5:8)  

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   22 December 2021 Isaiah 45:5a.

22 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 45:5a.     I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me:

And then it was Wednesday…one of those cold, dreary looking winter days, that only breed depression and disgust! But thankfully it’s now three days before Christmas, so we have something else to liven up our spirits. (smile) What would we do without Jesus eh, especially in the winter season, when the dull grey days just drag down one’s soul and spirit? And all God’s children gave out a loud and grateful shout: ‘Thank You Lord for Jesus yes! We don’t know what we’d do without Him in every aspect of our lives! Thank You Lord! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’ 

Oh friends, how we ought to LOVE and be everlastingly grateful to our Triune God for all that they have done for us, are still doing, and have promised to do in the future! For no other supposed god takes as much interest in, and is as faithful and LOVING to their people like the One, True and ONLY Living God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! 

All the others are useless, and fall into one or more of these categories; fanciful creations of the human mind, or dead, lifeless objects, which have no power at all, and they usually are creations of Jehovah God anyway, like the human mind. So how can you worship something lifeless, or another created being? It just doesn’t make sense. 

And I like how the Lord, through Isaiah, said it to Cyrus, the Persian king who captured Babylon, when He had him return the captured Jews to rebuild Jerusalem. ‘Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden (held), to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins (armour) of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates (double doors); and the gates shall not be shut; 

I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass (bronze), and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord which call thee by name am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.’ (Is. 45:1-4) Oh how our great God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. Here He is, using a Gentile king, who knows Him not, to fulfill His promise to His people Israel, that they will only be in Babylon for seventy years.. 

The scholars explain. ‘45:1-4. Isaiah continues to emphasize the origin of his message from Chapter 44, stating, Thus saith the Lord. Yahweh Himself has set an open door of conquest before Cyrus. The Persian king is called by the designation anointed ( meshiach, messiah). This is the only place in Scripture where a Gentile is so designated. The term originated with the Israelite custom of anointing kings and leaders. Cyrus is given this title only in the sense that he will deliver the Jews from Babylonian bondage. I have even called thee by name indicates that Cyrus has been deliberately named in advance to reassure the Jews that the God of Israel indeed is still in control of human events.’ 

But that was not the end of God’s message to Cyrus. He made sure that Cyrus knew the following facts. ‘I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west (to its setting in the west), that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil (calamity): I the Lord do all these things…I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. (Is. 45:5-7, 12) 

Ah mih bredrin, the Lord doesn’t make joke with His power and glory nuh. He puts it right out there for you to hear and understand. Oh that many more of us today would hear and understand! And the scholars offer this explanation, re verse 7. ‘The phrase I…create evil refers to physical evil or calamity, rather than moral evil. God is in no way pictured in Scripture as the author of sin.’ 

Yes friends, our God doesn’t create sin, but He does create calamity when there is too much disobedience, like He’s doing these days, when all hell is breaking loose in our world. I know that some of us have the naïve mindset that our ever-LOVING God will never create calamity or disaster…well just ask the Jews nuh! And since He doesn’t change, why would it be any different today when there is so much sin and ungodliness in the world, and when we supposed believers are committing a lot of it? 

My people, the Lord our God is not happy with us. There can be no doubt about that. So anything is possible. Remember He moves in mysterious ways to accomplish His purpose, and unless, and until we return to His fold, repenting of our evil ways, and worshipping Him in sincerity and truth, our world will continue to descend, or rather to plummet to Hades, the only forthcoming relief being the soon, or quick coming of Christ. 

Anyway, for those of us who have sincerely accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, and are doing our best to live for Him, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! 

I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And it helps to remember that if we endure to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than our puny minds can even ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…our world did not appear out of thin air…someone created it…and someone still controls it…His name is Jehovah God… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   21 December 2021 John 3:16.

21 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

John 3:16.     For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

It’s Tuesday friends…! Only four more days to the big one…Christmas Day, when we celebrate the awesome birth, the miraculous and magnificent incarnation of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, where God became man, ‘the Word became flesh,’  through the amazing power of the Holy Spirit, so that we could be saved from our abominable sins, as had been promised many centuries before! Now that’s a big sentence, chocked full of wonderful and amazing information to which this evil world ought to pay much attention, because it all resounds and abounds to our benefit, both now and into eternity. 

With the birth of Christ our heavenly Father decided it was finally time to pull out all the stops and let His creation know exactly who He was, what He stood for, the glory of His kingdom and the awesome LOVE He bore for a prideful, selfish, evil and disobedient people, all through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, through His incredible birth, His martyrdom on the cross of Calvary, and His amazing resurrection, His triumphant victory over death, hell and the grave! 

A better LOVE story has never been, or will ever be written or enacted like that one! Simply because it was written by the Master of LOVE, the true embodiment of the word, the fountain wherein the emotion is created and from which it so generously flows. And it’s all laid out so beautifully and graciously in these few words of our Saviour, as He explains the Father’s reasoning and basic purpose for His coming to earth. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) 

Mama Oh Mama! What beautiful sentiments! In fact, there could be none more beautiful! Why? Because God was doing the ultimate in LOVE; saving His stubborn, recalcitrant, disobedient children from a fate even worse than death, that of eternal separation from Him, the One who created them for fellowship with Himself. Now, you know how badly we feel, the utter grief and heartache that we go through when we lose one of our children, so why wouldn’t our heavenly Father feel the same way when He loses His children eh? 

Remember, we were made in His image, that means He is a living, breathing and feeling soul, with heartfelt emotions just like us, so He also feels pain, anger and grief. Can you imagine the heartache it cost Him to send His ONE Son to earth to die for a bunch of ingrates? And can you imagine how He felt when His Son came to Him three times, pouring out His heart in the Garden of Gethsemane, asking for a reprieve from His imminent sacrificial death on the cross. How His whole being must have trembled when Jesus pleaded: ‘’O my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt. 26:39) 

And not once, but three times, He had to endure that searing pain and say no to His only child. Now we also know how it hurts us sometimes when we have to say no to our children. So just imagine how the Father felt having to condemn His Son to death for people who really didn’t give a damn! And how do you think the Father felt when Jesus cried out to Him, outstretched on the cross in His dying throes eh? 

Don’t you think the Father had to swallow His immense hurt when the words ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ or ‘My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken me?’ reached His ears, knowing full well that that was the first time they had ever been separated, and He had to turn away from Him, and lay the whole weight of the world’s sins on His Son’s shoulders to provide an option for His frail, spineless creation to be saved? 

Yes friends, our great and wonderful God put Himself through a lot of heartache on our behalf, but all we do is repay Him with stubborn disobedience, sinful, immoral living and evil deeds rather worthy of His and our enemy, the devil Beelzebub! We are very quick to complain, but ever so slow to obey. And that kind of behaviour doesn’t work well in God’s kingdom. Remember what the prophet Samuel, told Saul, the first king of Israel, when he lost his kingdom through disobedience? ‘Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken (listen) than the fat of rams.’ (1 Sam. 15:22b) 

And those words still hold true today my people! Our God desires obedience to His laws above and before anything else! That’s why Jesus pleaded with us: ‘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, in this earthly life, God, and the things of God need to come before everything else! We need to give up our will, surrender the free choice He gave us, and choose to follow His will. 

Jesus did it when He acquiesced to the Father’s will and became the sacrifice for our sins. Then He said it loud and clear for us: ‘If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren (brothers), and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.’ (Luke 14:26-27) 

Oh my fellow saints, to be a true disciple of Jesus, we must be willing to forsake everything and everybody for His sake. Being a true disciple of Christ and a purveyor of LOVE, involves sacrifice, ofttimes on a small scale, but also possibly on a large one. The important thing is that we must be prepared to make whatever sacrifice it entails to do Jesus’ work and share His awesome LOVE and compassion. Now, most of the world is not prepared to do that, they prefer to embrace the easy, sinful and depraved lifestyle of the enemy Satan, but don’t worry, they will also reap the rewards of that ungodly life; death and eternal separation from God. 

Meanwhile, for the relatively few of us who choose to follow Jesus, making sacrifices as best we can, living in LOVE and harmony to the best of our ability, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know whose we are, to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. 

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

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

…there are consequences to every decision…let’s think carefully about the consequences…before we make the decisions… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 December 2021 Psalm 60:11.

20 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 60:11.     Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. 

Come on friends, time to roll out and get on with the Monday morning show! The real winter season seems to be finally here, with temps now consistently in the minus category, that means we need to give ourselves some extra time to warm up the cars and ourselves. We can’t be late for work…Jesus was never late for anything, (smile) and as His ambassadors we need to aim for the same heights of diligence and excellence. And I’m only partially joking, because Jesus does want His people to be upstanding and excellent representatives of His kingdom. 

On the other hand though, the traffic might not be as bad as it normally is, since a lot of people might be returning to work from home situations, or have no work at all, because of the new Covid-19 regulations handed down this past week, in an effort to stem the crazy spread of the Omicron variant, which they say might not be as dangerous as its forerunners, but spreads more quickly than them. Whatever our situation though my brethren, we must all be diligent and aware and take the necessary precautions to keep us safe, because this virus doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon, what with all the confusion and disagreement over what it is and how to stem its tide. 

But on an interesting note, a little while ago I was looking through the psalms for something to talk about today and hit upon what I believe is a rather appropriate comparison to our current situation. It’s a situation found in Psalm 60 – A prayer for help against the foe. It seems while Bruh David was doing battle in the north, other enemies attacked in the south, so he had to split up his army and send his mighty warrior Joab to deal with the situation down there. And these were some of the words Bruh David voiced. ‘O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered (broken) us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again (restore us again). (Ps. 60:1) 

And there is ample reason to believe that God is very displeased with us right now and has left us to fight our battles on our own as we so adamantly desired. What with all the sinfulness, ungodliness, irreverence and blasphemy raging all over the world, why should that surprise us. And Bruh David continues: ‘Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.’ (Ps. 60:2) 

Now there is absolutely no doubt that the Lord has made the earth to tremble in the last few years. Please note the unusual amount of earth trembling and shattering things like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes and tornadoes during that time, and also the unusual intensity of them all. And only through God’s mighty hand can the resulting breaches be healed. 

But I like the next verse, as Bruh David shows his prowess also with words. He says: ‘Thou hast showed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment (staggering).’ (Ps. 60:3) Oh friends, has the Lord ever showed us hard things and made us to drink the wine of astonishment! So many tough situations have come upon us recently, not to mention the ongoing Covid virus pandemic, the numerous strife-filled areas of our world, with more coming on board every day. 

Don’t talk about the famines and droughts, the economic disasters, the worldwide poverty in the face of untold wealth and all the inhumanity we are showing to each other. I don’t know if there’s ever been a time when the saying, ‘man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn,’ has ever been truer. 

And I know that many of us don’t think that the Lord has anything to do with the terrible state our world is currently experiencing, but I think that’s a fool’s wisdom. He might not be causing some of the disasters, but He’s surely not putting forth His hand to help us the way we expect Him to. And what else can we expect when we don’t reverence Him and obey His commandments eh, but are instead desperately trying to rid our society of His name and memory? 

But yuh know what, Bruh David despite all his problems and his laments over them, knew exactly on which side his bread was buttered, on the Lord’s side. That’s why he ended the psalm thus. ‘Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.’ (Ps. 60:11-12) And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow saints! Only God can right our world, and only if we acknowledge that He is our Creator and Controller, our God and heavenly Father, the One and Only True and Living God! 

What will it take for us to discover and acknowledge that our bread is buttered on His side eh? Look at the mess man has made and is still making of the world. Are we going to continue to put our trust in man’s evil ways, his greed and perfidy? That’s his deceptive ways, his duplicity and inability to keep promises. I certainly hope not. So, since there’s no time like the present to begin the turnaround, let’s go to fountain of life, that’s God, for help through prayer nuh, sincerely voicing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. 

Altogether now: ‘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 if we are serious and want positive answers to our prayers, then we must keep our promises, else the Lord will just ignore us. Much LOVE!

…to God be the glory…for His goodness to the children of men…who don’t seem to want or appreciate it…                                                                                                                                                           

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 December 2021 Luke 2:14.

19 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Luke 2:14.     Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Ah friends, it’s a chilly Sunday morning with the remains of yesterday’s snowfall still with us. But the sun’s out in full force, not with any heat mind you, (smile) so it’s a good day to worship either in a physical sanctuary or by technological means. And with Christmas day just around the corner, a mere six days, it’s most appropriate for us to begin worship with a traditional Christmas hymn, one from way back in the eighteenth century, titled ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing,’ written by that celebrated hymn writer Charles Wesley. So let’s belt it out with much gusto, in perfect harmony and sincerity, letting heaven know that our hearts are truly focused right now on the birth of our Messiah, Jesus Christ. 

‘Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King: peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies; with the angelic hosts proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!” (Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King”) Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, late in time behold him come, offspring of the Virgin’s womb: veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the ‘incarnate Deity, pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel. [Refrain] 

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die, born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth. [Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King” Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King” 

That was most excellent my fellow believers! Heaven could surely tell that we are sincere in our worship of Christ Jesus, for we sang from the depths of our overflowing hearts of LOVE, praise and adoration for Him! But what does the song mean eh? The website Hymnary.org gives us this insight. ‘This hymn by Charles Wesley was written within a year of Wesley’s conversion. Thus, as Albert Bailey writes, “the inspiration of his newly-made contact with God was still fresh” (The Gospel in Hymns, 100). 

Rather than simply tell the nativity story, Wesley pours theological truths into this text. The first verse tells the story of the angels proclaiming Christ’s birth, and the second and third verse go on to make it very clear why the angels sang. Simply by describing Christ, Wesley tells us the entire Gospel story. We are told of Christ’s nature, his birth and incarnation, his ministry, and his salvific purpose (purpose of salvation, or redemption). 

The Psalter Hymnal Handbook describes the hymn like this: “A curious mixture of exclamation, exhortation, and theological reflection. The focus shifts rapidly from angels, to us, to nations. The text’s strength may not lie so much in any orderly sequence of thought but in its use of Scripture to teach its theology. That teaching surely produces in us a childlike response of faith; we too can sing ‘Glory to the newborn King!’” 

And do we ever have much cause to sing those marvellous words, since Jesus came to earth to bail us out of the terrible sinful mess we were in. So, let’s look at a few of the scriptures that Wesley apparently based this hymn on. The first verse is obviously based on Luke’s telling of the night, or morning of Christ’s birth with all the fanfare by the angelic host around the frightened shepherds out in the fields watching over their flocks. The Good Book says: ‘And suddenly there was with the angel (who brought the good news) a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:13-14) 

Yes friends, the Prince of Peace was born on that fateful day, and it was indeed a day for all of us to celebrate, because as the hymn adds: ‘God and sinners reconciled!’ Mama O Mama! What a beautiful sensation and happening to know that Christ’s birth would finally lead us back into the good graces of our wonderful and ever-LOVING God! 

Bruh Paul wrote it thus to the church at Corinth in his second letter. ‘And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.’ (2 Cor. 5:18-19) 

And the scholars offer this explanation on the topic. ‘5:19. Reconciliation is the act whereby God on the basis of Christ’s death, has eliminated the cause of hostility between Himself and humanity, making possible a complete and maturing fellowship. (The hostility was caused by sin, and was eliminated by the cross). And those who have become reconciled to God have also been given the ministry of reconciliation, which is fulfilled when they engage in soul-winning (vs.19).’ Wow friends! What a joy it is to be reconciled to God, and to be able to also reconcile others to Him! 

Now moving on to the second verse, when the author talks about Christ as ‘late in time behold him come, offspring of the Virgin’s womb: veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the ‘incarnate Deity, pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel, he apparently has these verses in mind. First off, Bruh Paul’s words to the Galatians. ‘But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made (born) of a woman, made (born) under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.’ (Gal. 4:4-5) And isn’t it oh so wonderful to be called the child of God! It surely is! 

And that second stanza also reminds us of these immortal words of John in the opening chapter of his gospel. ‘And the Word was made (became) flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:14) Yes mih bredrin, the Word, that’s Jesus, did become flesh, mortal man like us, and dwelt among us, bringing us some much-needed heavenly grace and truth, which unfortunately, many of us still don’t appreciate and hunger for. 

And the last verse seems to pertain to these other magnificent scriptures. Firstly, Isaiah’s awesome verse: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.’ (Is. 9:6) Then we turn to Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, where he says of God: ‘But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall (grow fat like stall fed calves.’ (Mal. 4:2) What another awesome promise from our awesome God! 

Next comes these words from Bruh Paul to the church at Philippi, speaking of Jesus’ humility. ‘Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made of himself no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:6-8) 

Oh, what a man was our Jesus! Though God, He became flesh and behaved like a servant, humble, sacrificial and obedient, even unto the horrible death on a cross. And those who claim to believe in Him, ought to be much more appreciative of the great sacrifice He made on our behalf. He didn’t have to do it, but the Father who LOVED us so much, asked Him to, and He LOVED the Father so much, that He obediently did the Father’s will. Wish we could only be half as obedient. 

And the last scripture pertaining to that third verse comes from 1 Peter, where he writes to the Christian brethren on the topic of salvation. ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-4) 

Ah mih people, how wonderful is that second birth eh, that being born again by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, then receiving salvation, a certain resurrection through Christ, to dwell with Him in peace and LOVE until eternity! It’s all without comparison. 

Now one thing is for sure, Charles Wesley had a good knowledge of the scriptures, otherwise he could not have written such a complicated and intriguing hymn. How I wish to God that many more of us knew them that well, and would also put them into practical use, for our lives and our world would be in much better shape. Please, let’s make that our immediate resolution nuh…for Christ’s sake, and for future generations.  Much LOVE!

…for our lives to improve…we have to improve…not later…but right now… 

P.S. Yes, it’s long, but also good. (smile) Hope it lifts our spirits, this Advent Sunday. Much LOVE! 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 December 2021 Proverbs 23:7a.

18 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 23:7a.      For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.

And then it was Saturday… and the springtime temperatures have evaporated, just as suddenly as they appeared, only to be replaced by freezing times and the white stuff with which we have a LOVE/ hate relationship. (smile) Oh yes, the snow’s just drizzling down nicely out there this Saturday morning, a week before Christmas. And I guess that’s the way it ought to be in these northern climes. Everybody wants to celebrate a traditional white Christmas, although in recent years there have been several disappointing occasions, as there’s been no snow at Christmastime, just warm temps and/or rain. But I guess that’s life in this ever-changing universe. 

Anyhow, since it’s Saturday, let’s see what interesting quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first quote says: ‘Humor comes from self-confidence.’ Now, I don’t know if that is as true as it sounds nuh, because a lot of people use humour as a means of building their self-confidence. I believe, if you ask professional comics, many of them will agree that originally they were not self-confident, but as they worked on the humourous stuff, their self-confidence increased. And yes, when we make others laugh at our jokes, it does build up our confidence level, because it’s not easy to make a group of people laugh. So, it’s indeed possible to say it the other way: that self-confidence comes from humour. 

Then there’s this quote. ‘Perhaps the turning point in one’s life is realizing that to be treated like a victim is not necessarily to become one.’ Now that’s certainly an interesting comment. And there again, our ability to look at ourselves as victims or not, depends a lot on our self-confidence. And that will definitely be a turning point in our lives whenever we acquire the necessary confidence to stop considering ourselves victims, although the reality might say the opposite. And we have the best example in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

I’m sure that most of the people who witnessed the cruelty meted out to Him, His ‘sufferation’ and eventual crucifixion, considered Him a victim of the Roman state and His Jewish leaders. But Jesus was ever so confident in Himself and His purpose that He never considered Himself a victim, but a victor, because He was victoriously completing the task that the Father had assigned Him. And He really didn’t care what it looked like to the multitude, once He was doing the Father’s work. And so should we be also my fellow believers in Christ! Don’t care what others say or think, once we are doing Christ’s work! 

Jesus said it quite clearly to those around Him, as the Good Book recounts. ‘Therefore doth my Father LOVE me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. This commandment have I received of my Father.’ (John 10:17-18) Ah mih people, how many of us would have died, both literally and figuratively just from the shame and indignity of the public humiliation and cruelty that Jesus suffered. 

That’s why He warned that to be His disciple, we must give up our will, and take up His instead, because in this life, we will suffer trials and tribulations simply because we believe in Him. And when that happens, we need to be exceedingly strong and release the victim mentality, and instead, consider it victory in Jesus’ name. That brings us to this related quote. ‘Don’t be distracted by criticism. Remember–the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you.’ 

And isn’t that the awful truth! A lot of people only feel good when they abuse or put down others. But there again, we have the best example of refuting criticism in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He paid no attention to the naysayers, like the scribes and Pharisees, the hypocritical leaders of the Jewish people, who sought to extinguish the light He was brining to the lives of the suffering Jewish nation. They only cared about their own authority and aggrandizement, and since Jesus was cutting into their sacred power and advantage, they had to take Him down, belittle and criticize Him and His cause. 

But Jesus gave just as good as He got. And when they realized they could not frighten Him into subservience and quitting, like wild animals, they went for the jugular, a disgraceful public death. But little did they know that they were playing right into Jesus hands, for that was why He came, to shed his sinless blood for the salvation of the world. And so friends, in these dangerous, unruly and ungodly times when we are criticized for doing Jesus’ work, we need to raise the level of our faith and ignore it. 

And no, that’s not always easy to do, because ofttimes the scathing criticism comes from those very close to us. But again that’s why Jesus warned we could only be His disciples if we gave up family and friends for His cause. And that takes us to this next quote. ‘None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody – a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns – bent down and helped us pick up our boots.’ 

That’s more godly truth, for remember our Creator made us to be in relationship with Him and each other. Consequently, He never gave any one person all the gifts possible, but spread them around, so that some had some and others different ones, necessitating that we come together and help each other if we want to progress. And it’s why we also have the saying – no man is an island. Because none of us can do it all by ourself, although many times we foolish and selfishly try to, but only suffer heartache and failure. 

And if we look back through our lives, we will all find someone, at some time, who did something in our lives that raised us up, that helped move us up to another level of our destiny. And believe me, those were not chance or coincidental moments, but destiny defining times arranged by our heavenly Father long before we ever saw the light of day. Likewise, we also have destiny defining times in the lives of others, so we cannot afford to be selfish and only interested in ourselves, because with that kind of behaviour, we might probably stop someone else from reaching their God-given destiny. 

And the last quote informs us: ‘Think you can and you can do it. Your thoughts are your life.’ Now we all know that’s the basic truth of life. The first step in accomplishing anything is to believe that we can accomplish it. That gives us an uplifting confidence and the energy to rise to the challenge. And as Cousin Sol says in Proverbs. ‘For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.’ (Prov.23:7a) Yes friends, our actions will generally follow in the direction on which our thoughts are focused. That’s why Jesus said: ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:21) 

So, if our hearts are concentrated on the corrupt and degenerative things of the world, then that’s what our lives will reflect. And if our hearts are concentrated on the things of heaven, which are incorruptible and do not degenerate, then our lives will reflect the truth of Jesus. The choice is ours, and ours alone to make. Please, let’s make the wise one! Much LOVE!

…I set before you life and death…please choose life…so that you and yours may live… 

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

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