Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 December 2023 Nehemiah 8:10a.

25 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

Nehemiah 8:10a.       Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto the Lord:

Well a Merry Christmas to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and families! Let’s hope that this blessed day of our Lord and Saviour’s birth finds you in good health, celebrating with those close to you. Let’s also hope that we did our godly duty by praying for those who can’t celebrate Christ’s birth the way we can due to strife, persecution and/or natural disaster, neither forgetting to send portions of our abundance to those around us who don’t have enough. Remember the scripture in Nehemiah? 

After the scribe Ezra read from the Book of the Law, Nehemiah, the governor, said unto them: ‘This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto the Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:9-10) And this Christmas day my brethren is also holy unto the Lord, so let us be joyful, but not forget those of us who are poor, sick and downtrodden. 

Now, although today is Monday, since it’s such a special Monday in our calendar, with gatherings of faithful believers in the Lord’s sanctuary all over the world, I thought we would treat it like a Sunday. Thus we shall sing and praise our heavenly Father for the great gift of His Son, born this day, some two thousand years ago. And what better way to honour Christ the Lord than with this marvellous old favourite of Christmas, ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ written by Charles Wesley, the great hymn writer and one of the leaders of the Methodist movement of the time. 

And, like so many of these old songs, this one has a rather interesting story, which includes four creative minds over a span of more than a hundred years. Wesley published the song in 1739 with a title of ‘A Hymn of Christmas Day’ and the first line being “Hark how all the Welkin rings, Glory to the King of Kings”, welkin being an archaic English term for the heavens. But then, in 1753, Wesley’s’ friend and colleague, George Whitefield edited the text of the hymn, noticeably changing the first line to what it is today. 

For over a century, the hymn was sung to different tunes, until in 1855, the English musician William Hayman Cummings accomplished a unique feat by marrying Whitefield’s adaptation of Wesley’s hymn to a melody by one of classical music’s most notable composers: the great Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847). And apparently Mendelssohn’s tune was meant to be an instrumental piece, not suited for vocals. But Cummings, who was a well-respected musician himself did it, and thus we have the great Christmas hymn of today. 

So, as always, let’s offer up sincere sacrifices of praise to heaven as we sing this marvellous song, which celebrates the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in a nice mid-tempo version. Singing: ‘Hark! The herald angels sing “Glory to the new-born king Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled” Joyful all ye nations rise Join the triumph of the skies With angelic host proclaim “Christ is born in Bethlehem” Hark! The herald angels sing “Glory to the new-born king.” 

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 man no more may die Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth. Hark! The herald angels sing “Glory to the new-born king.” Hark! The herald angels sing “Glory to the new-born king. Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled” Joyful all ye nations rise Join the triumph of the skies With angelic host proclaim “Christ is born in Bethlehem” Hark! The herald angels sing “Glory to the new-born king” “Glory to the new-born king.” 

Oh my people, what wonderful singing! I’m sure those sacrifices of praise were well received in heaven. Now, here’s an interesting commentary from the Godtube website that breaks down the song in a concise fashion.  It says: ‘Charles Wesley’s hymn offers us a good survey of theology. It mentions many of the names and titles of Christ: King, Lord, Prince of Peace, Sun of Righteousness, Everlasting Lord, Desire of Nations, Incarnate Deity, and Emmanuel. 

After the first stanza’s call to praise “the new-born King,” the following stanzas celebrate the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the resurrection of the body, and the truth of the new birth. Two phrases, in particular, deserve comment: “Mild he lays his glory by” refers to Christ’s willingness to lay aside the glory of heaven to take on human nature and become one of us. “Late in time behold him come” reminds us of Hebrews 1:2 where we are told “in these last days” God has spoken to us through his Son.’ 

And the Lord God Almighty has certainly spoken to us through the gospel of His awesome Son in these evil and ungodly times! Now there are a few scriptures that I want to point out with respect to one particular line in the song. That’s, ‘Born that man no more may die Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth.’ I believe that ties in nicely with these words of Jesus to Martha, Lazarus’ sister when she was querying Jesus about not coming sooner to save her sick brother. 

He says to her: ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this?’ (John 11:25-26) I do hope we believe that my brethren! That first part also ties in with Jesus interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well, when He informs her: ‘Whoever drinketh of this water (from the well) shall thirst again: But whosever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water I shall give him shall be in him a well (fountain) of water springing up into everlasting life.’ (John 4:13-14) Oh friends, again, I do hope that we are as anxious to drink of Christ’s living water as that Samaritan woman was! (smile) 

And as per the last words of the line: ‘Born to give them second birth,’ has to refer to Jesus chat with the Pharisee Leader Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night to ask some perplexing questions. And was Nicodemus surprised when Jesus told him in no uncertain terms: ‘Verily verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) Nicodemus was nonplussed; surprised, confused, bewildered, asking if a man could enter his mother’s womb so he could be born a second time. 

But Jesus clarified the situation for Him. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’ (John 3:5-6) Thus friends, it behooves us to be baptized in water and be reborn of the Spirit of God, if we want to enter His kingdom. And the first thing that means is accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour, for He is the way the truth and the life, and no man comes to the Father but by Him.’ (John 14:6) Matter fixed, this Christmas day!  (smile) 

So, let’s eat, drink and be merry today, celebrating Christ’s birth, ensuring that we’ve been born again and are thus eligible for eternal life in heaven. Much LOVE!

…the LOVE of Christ…should be front and centre today… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ           

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 December 2023 Colossians 3:16.

24 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

Colossians 3:16.        Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Oh friends, it’s Sunday; the most joyful day of the week, when we gather in fellowship in the Lord’s house. And this Sunday is doubly special because it’s also Christmas Eve, the day before we celebrate the glorious birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Mama Mia! Can you imagine the festivities, the church services, the gifts, the decorations, and last but not least, the amount of food that’s going to be devoured over these next few days. I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing that this year Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday, for although it might cause some none church goers to darken the Lord’s sanctuary – those who only attend church at Christmas and Easter.

But then, all the busyness of the season will obviously keep some church goers away from church too. Anyway, we’ll leave that in the Lord’s hands, we’ve come to worship, give thanks and celebrate Christ’s imminent birth, as well as renew and refresh our spirts by hearing the Lord’s word. So, let’s do that nuh, beginning with this wonderful Christmas song, ‘O Holy Night.’ 

And, as so often happens, controversy surrounds many of these old songs. This one was originally written as a French poem by Placide Cappeau, a wine merchant and poet. Although he was never particularly religious, Cappeau was asked in 1843 to write a Christmas poem to celebrate the recent renovation of the church organ in his hometown. He obliged and wrote a poem called ‘Minuit, Chrétien’s’ (Midnight, Christians). Then, in 1847, Adolphe Adam, a French composer and music critic who wrote mostly operas and ballets, composed the music for the song and it was released under the name ‘Cantique de Noël’. Alongside the opera ‘’Giselle’ (1841), ‘O Holy Night’ is one of Adam’s best-known works. 

Finally, in 1855, English Minister John Sullivan Dwight translated the French original into the lyrics we sing today. Along the way, there also seemed to be some controversy with the Catholic church, which didn’t like some of the lyrics. However, no doubt with the Almighty’s help, the song has become a staunch Christmas favourite all around the world. 

And I like how this commentary puts it. ‘There’s truly nothing better than hearing an old-fashioned Christmas song right around the holidays. One of those classic hymns is ‘O Holy Night.’ It brings up such great memories and thoughts of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It was truly a glorious night when Jesus was born. The angels rejoiced and the whole world received their King. God granted us eternal salvation when He sent His Son to die for our sins. Now that I know the story behind this powerful hymn, I’m even more in awe of this song.’ 

And now that we know some of the song’s basic history and how it truly reflects the night Christ was born, let’s offer it up as sacrifices of praise to heaven, in a soulful, sincere mid-tempo version. Singing: ‘O holy night, the stars are brightly shining, It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth; Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn; 

(Chorus: Fall on your knees, Oh hear the angel voices! O night divine! O night when Christ was born. O night, O holy night, O night divine.) Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming; With glowing hearts by his cradle we stand: So, led by light of a star sweetly gleaming, Here come the wise men from Orient land, The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our friend; 

(Chorus) He knows our need, To our weakness no stranger! Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend! Behold your King! your King! before him bend! Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is LOVE and His gospel is Peace; Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother, And in his name all oppression shall cease, Sweet hymns of joy in grateful Chorus raise we; Let all within us praise his Holy name! (Chorus) Christ is the Lord, then ever! ever praise we! His pow’r and glory, evermore proclaim! His pow’r and glory, evermore proclaim!’ 

Oh friends, that was wonderful, but what is the song all about eh? It seems like there is some Biblical inspiration woven into it. Let’s see if we can find a few. And right in the opening line: ‘O holy night, the stars are brightly shining, It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth;’ we right away think of the shepherds watching their flocks on a starry winter’s night outside of Bethlehem, when an angel suddenly appears and tells them: 

‘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 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 2:10-11, 13-14) 

Then, the chorus itself: ‘Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born…’ stirs up this scriptural gem. ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every other name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:9-11) And so it is to this day my fellow believers! Jesus Christ is Lord of All! 

What about this line: ‘Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace.’ We could choose more than one scripture for that, but this one seems to best suit our purpose. ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another: as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13: 34-35) That’s Jesus’ law of LOVE friend, and where there is true LOVE, you’ll surely find peace! 

And we have time for one more Biblical inspiration. Hear this: ‘Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, With all our hearts we praise His holy name.’ And I guess we could also find a couple of scriptures to back that up, but we’ll use this one. The words of Bruh Paul to the Colossians. ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.’ (Col. 3:16) 

Oh my people, that’s exactly what we’ve been doing; admonishing each other in spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord! That does say something for our obedience eh. (smile) But anyway, let’s have a blessed day as we prepare for, and celebrate Christ’s birth, but please, let’s remember to pray for those who won’t be enjoying a merry and joyful Christmas like us. Much LOVE!

… Jesus Christ, the Son of God…at His birth…a trough was His bed…a stable His house…and animals His playmates… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ           

Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 December 2023 Luke 2:14.

23 Dec 2023 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.

And then it was Christmas Saturday! Wow! Already! And though it’s a dark and rainy lazy-day Saturday, and  all the preparations have not been completed, the celebrations are underway! That’s just the way it is. We can’t wait to celebrate Jesus until all the preparations are done! No way Jose! Ah friends, it’s good to be alive and celebrating the incarnate birth of Christ, although I do so with a heavy heart, thinking about all those who are unable to do the same because of strife, disaster or some other negative action. But as we said yesterday, prayer is the first avenue we must always consider when adversity strikes. 

So, in keeping with that philosophy, that eternal truth, let’s turn to our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer and declare (yesss!!!) it with all sincerity. As one voice. ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

And this Season of Christmas, when the Prince of Peace was born, is the ideal time for a prayer like that; one that opens us up to our great and faithful God, and draws us nearer to Him, to enjoy His peace, joy and LOVE, all the elements of this birthday bash! (smile) The biggest birthday bash ever! We even had angels coming from heaven with the good news of the birth of Christ and choirs of heavenly host praising God and singing: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:14) 

Oh my people, if only we could have much more of that peace and goodwill on the earth that those angels sang about some two thousand years ago, what a wonderful place our world would be! But, unfortunately, those things are sadly lacking, while strife, war, chaos and all kinds of negative activity are prevalent on the earth today. How did we ever get so warlike, hateful and negative eh? Only a generation ago, we were fairly peaceful and LOVING…remember the hippy days of a couple of generations ago, when peace and LOVE were revolutionizing the world? When the young people talked about, focused on peace and LOVE and not rebellion and hate and anger as they are doing nowadays. 

Oh, we’ve always had strife in some place or other, and we’ll always have it until Jesus returns and sets up His Millennial reign, but we’ve never had it as widespread as this. Back then, it was easy to count the places where serious strife was occurring, now it’s easier to count the places where serious strife is not occurring. What a mess we’ve made of our world, and ONLY the Good Lord Jehovah can help us fix it. But the sad part of that situation is that many of us are turning away from the Lord God of heaven and earth to follow the evil and ungodly deeds of Beelzebub, and those of us who still profess the faith are not doing enough to stop the exodus and bring unbelievers to Christ. 

We obviously are not doing as Jesus requested, when He said: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:13-16) 

There we have it friends, the majority of us supposed Christians have been neither salt nor light to the world, otherwise our world would never be in such bad shape. Don’t tell me that if the body, the church of Christ went into the world and behaved like we ought to behave, as salt and light, that there wouldn’t be a great improvement in all aspects of our world. We are a large enough body to make a substantial difference! We just have to stop wanting to be as comfortable as possible and enjoy all the amenities available, for the worst kind of Christian is a comfortable one. 

Also stop being afraid of what the world can do to us, instead let’s remember the awesome and faithful promise of God, made through the prophet Isaiah. ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17) And unfortunately it doesn’t seem like enough of us believe that to ramp up our faith and get out there and make a positive impact. 

Neither do we seem to believe these words of Jesus. ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28) And that person who can destroy both body and soul is Almighty God, but it certainly seems like we’re more afraid of Satan and his evil cohorts, who can only destroy our body, instead of God, who can destroy both body and soul. But, for whatever reason(s) our witness, our activity as agents and disciples of Christ has not been of sufficient impact to turn others to Christ in the great numbers that’s necessary. 

So, if we believers are not making a positive impact on the world, what else can we expect but for more people to turn to evil and ungodly ways; to lay up earthly treasure for themselves here on earth instead of in heaven. And there’s no better way to end than with these wise and encouraging words of Jesus. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19-21) 

And yes, too many of us supposed believers are still too enamoured of the wealth and power of the earth and still insist on running it down and storing it up. But when will we learn that in the long run, the wealth of the world is of no real significance eh, for once we die, we cannot carry any of it with us, we just leave it here for our friends and families to fight over, and consequently the lawyers get most of it in the end. My fellow saints, the long and short of the story is that if want to see a better world, to leave a better world for our descendants, then we must get up RIGHT NOW, and start being what Jesus desires and expects of us; being the salt of the earth, the light of the world and stop laying up treasures for ourselves on earth, but in heaven above! Much LOVE!

…only when Christians behave like true Christians… will there be any godly improvements in our world…  

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ          

Today’s Scrip-Bit   22 December 2023   1 Timothy 2:8.

22 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

1 Timothy 2:8.       I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

And you have to block your ears for all the voices around the world shouting, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! The Friday of Christmas weekend!’ Yes friends, it’s going to be a marvellous time, with celebrations galore! Sadly though, there will be many places that won’t have any celebrations because of the serious strife and chaos existing in those places…too many places my people! The birth of Jesus ought to be celebrated all over the world with very few, if any, exceptions. But it’s certainly not going to be like that this year, for, unfortunately, this year will mark the most places without Christmas celebrations, because it’s the year, outside of the years of the two world wars, that we’ve had the most strife, disaster and chaos ever in our world. How ghastly! 

There’s so much unnecessary strife and suffering on the earth at a time when we should all be celebrating the birth of the Prince of Peace. But there’s not much that most of us can do about it,, except celebrate with a modicum of circumspection, and pray for those who are experiencing the unfortunate miseries of man’s inhumanity to man. Pray, that the Lord in His awesome wisdom and mercy will soon bring most, if not all, of those inhumane activities to a peaceful end, for He’s the ONLY One who has the power and wisdom to mitigate those tragic circumstances. 

And what a weekend this will be, with many people taking today off from work and not having to return until next Wednesday, making it a truly long weekend. (smile) But whatever the length of our weekend, please, let’s remember that it’s come about all because of the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Let’s try and keep that fact uppermost in our minds, as we rush around to finish our Christmas shopping and the many other preparations we plan to accomplish before the big day on Monday. 

Yes, you might be tired hearing me say that Jesus is the reason for the season, but it’s ever so necessary to reinforce that fact because the commercial and ungodly world is fast forgetting it, and so it’s up to us faithful believers to keep reminding them of it, or else in another few years it’s totally possible that no one will remember the real reason behind the celebrations of Christmas, and consider it just another holiday period. Amen! End of Sermon! (smile) 

And friends, I’m not only smiling, but also chuckling,. Why? Because we were just talking about prayer, and as I opened the Good Library, it miraculously opened unto the first Book of Timothy, where Bruh Paul exhorts him to prayer. Now is that a coincidence or what? (smile) It might be, but I’d prefer to look upon it as a moment of divine guidance. And if that’s true, then we’ve got to engage in that particular scripture. So please read with me, Bruh Paul’s instructions to Timothy on the subject of prayer. 

‘I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayer, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority (a prominent position); that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all goodness and honesty (reverence). For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not:) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity (truth). I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.’ (1 Tim. 2:1-8) 

Oh my fellow saints, those exhortations of Bruh Paul are ever so important if we truly desire to live a peaceful and reverent life. We need to pray for all of our leaders, from those in the lowest to the highest positions. And the scholars offer some good explanations on the passage. ‘A quiet and peaceful life: The word quiet means “not troubled from without”, that is, intercessory prayer enables good government to ensure that its citizens are not troubled by enemies or forces outside its borders. “Peaceable” means “not troubled from within”, that is, the church’s prayer also aids competent government in maintaining law and order within its own borders.’ 

And if that is truly so friends, then it’s obvious that we have not been praying, or not praying enough for our leaders because there’s lots of strife and violence both outside and within our borders. And the scholars further explain: ‘The translation godliness and honesty is unfortunate, for the exercise of these virtues is not dependent on good government; they can be cultivated even in poor political management and persecution. The text should read, “That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life with the utmost reverence and respect.” This respect is for governmental authority. Respect can best be realized when rulers are competent and rightly discharging their duties. Otherwise, it is difficult to respect rulers when they are incompetent and unjust.’  

Now, is that ever saying something, for there is absolutely no respect for most of our leaders these days because so many of them are incompetent, unjust and also corrupt! I don’t believe I’ve ever seen so many incompetent and corrupt leaders as we have today. And sadly, that’s an avowed fact all over the world. But yuh know what, as Bruh Paul says, prayer is ever so important, and it’s also our biggest privilege, as well as our chief method of communication with our heavenly Father. So  please, let’s use it wisely nuh, by going to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant and laying it all out to the ONLY One who can help us turn things around. 

As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. 

We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And as our prayer implies, if we want divine help, then we first have to set a good example of being faithful believers. It’s as simple as that! Much LOVE!

…three of the most important things in a believer’s life…prayer…prayer…and more prayer…because prayer is basically communicating with our heavenly Father…and we can never have too much of that… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ         

Today’s Scrip-Bit   21 December 2023 Matthew 25:33.

21 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 25:33.       And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Cloudy days are here again…Glory Hallelujah! And no, I’m not raising up or praising cloudy days, but giving thanks that I’m alive for at least one more day, even though it may be cloudy and miserable! Yes friends, each new day that we open our eyes, we ought to give Almighty God much praise and thanks for the breath of life, His magnificent Living Spirit, that’s still flowing through us, for there’s nothing greater than that Spirit of God! And being alive in this joyful and joyous season of Christmas, when we celebrate the incarnate birth of the Son of God, Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, is even more special! 

So let’s bow our heads and raise our voices and sincerely say: ‘Thank You Lord for Jesus; thank You Lord for the Cross of Calvary; thank You Lord for the salvation You initiated because of Your wonderful, unconditional and undying LOVE for us! And we pray it all in Jesus’ name! Amen!’ Ah mih people, we’ve got it so good with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, but we don’t truly understand the ramifications of it all. And I guess we’ll never truly do so until the day that Jesus comes in all His glory and separates the sheep from the goats. 

The Word tells us: ‘When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all the nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred (hungry), and ye gave me meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in. 

Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in  prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred (hungry), and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ (Matt. 25:31-40) 

Yes friends, in as much as we help the poor, sick, downtrodden, or anyone in need of help and succour, we have done it unto our Lord and Saviour, because as He said so sincerely: ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which is lost.’ (Luke 19:10) And that wasn’t only talk, because Jesus acted on it all through His earthly days, as this commentary so eloquently puts it. ‘Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, it was his passion which he devoted his life to. He was constantly surrounded by the lost and he made them feel that though they were lost sheep he was their compassionate shepherd.’ 

Now that’s where Jesus wins every time my people! He always makes you feel wanted, as though you are somebody, despite your humble, lowly or downtrodden place in man’s inequitable society. And that’s how we are also expected to make others feel if we want to be true believers in Christ. Help the sick, feed the hungry, and as the Word mentions so often, look after the widows and orphans. Oh my fellow believers, our God favours the lost and hurting, and pays special attention to them, and if we expect to be numbered with the sheep and not the goats, then our sincere efforts must also be along those lines. For listen to Jesus again, re the separation of the sheep and the goats. 

‘Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred (hungry), and ye gave me no meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord when saw we thee an hungred (hungry), or athirst (thirsty), or a stranger, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.’ (Matt. 25:41-46) 

Very telling words my fellow believers, which ought to admonish and also encourage us to do better, to improve our Christ-like attitude and behaviour, in light of what God’s Word says is going to take place at some future date. Now, let’s hear some explanations from the scholars on that passage of scripture. ‘25:31-46. The judgement of the nations concludes our Lord’s prophetic discourse. This judgement of all nations must be distinguished from the Great White Throne judgement at the end of the Millenium (Jesus’ thousand year reign on earth) The nations are those peoples living through the Great Tribulation on earth at the time of Christ’s return. 

This is a judgement of separation: sheep on the right – goats on the left. At that judgement all nations (better – “all Gentiles”) stand before Christ who then separates the sheep (the saved) from the goats (the lost) in a manner reminiscent of the wheat and tares parable. (Matt. 12:24-43) Note that these are living nations, whereas the Great White Throne judgement is one of the wicked dead whose bodies are resurrected to face the final judgement of the lost. Thus, the saved are invited to come into and share the blessings of His Kingdom: Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom. The basis of their acceptance seems to be their treatment of the least of these my brethren, the saved of the Great Tribulation.’ 

And believe me friends, if we think times are bad now, the days of the Great Tribulation will truly be terrible, with the Anti-Christ in full swing, and if you go through it sincerely living for Jesus, then you will certainly deserve a place amongst the blessed sheep. Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to help us do His earthly work. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! 

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

And now that we’ve activated those blessings, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use them to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!

…whether it’s in the Great Tribulation or now…our Christ-like behaviour…ought always to be front and centre… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ        

Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 December 2023 Psalm 119:176.

20 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 119:176.       I have gone astray, like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

And then it was Wednesday, the second-wind day of our work week, but unlike yesterday, today has more cloud than sunshine, however it’s dry. And one out of two is never bad! (smile) We are also late,  because on most Wednesdays at ten a.m. I go to a small church service lasting about half an hour, consisting on average of around seven people. But it’s a close knit and cozy gathering, without a lot of church rhetoric, more like a discussion group, although we do pray for those who’ve asked the church for prayers, and receive communion. 

And believe me, I sometimes get more out of that small gathering than the big, church service. But that might just me, with my contrary self. (smile) And after that, I had to run around and do a couple of errands before coming home, which made me even later. But here we are at last. (smile) Anyway, enough palaver, let’s get down to brass tacks. Now,  today, we’re going to look at a rather appropriate verse of scripture for these trying and ungodly times. It comes from the longest chapter in the Good Library, Psalm 119. And the verse most expressively and wisely says: ‘I have gone astray, like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.’ (Ps. 119:176) 

And that, my fellow believers, is something that could be said about many of us in these difficult and mind boggling times. Many of us, for whatever reason(s) have gone astray like lost sheep, but deep down in our hearts the Lord’s commandments are still there. We’re just not following them. Consequently, the psalmist, because he’s recognized his mistake, is asking the Lord to search for Him, like a shepherd goes out and looks for a lost sheep, and so bring him back to His fold. 

Oh my people, many of us could surely benefit from that prayer; asking the Lord to search for us and bring us back to Him. Remember what Isaiah said on the subject. ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is. 53:6) Yes, that’s a very good description of our current society. Everyone, including believers, is intent on doing his or her own thing. That’s just the way of today’s world. Rules and regulations are bypassed without even a bat of an eyelash. We seem to truly believe the saying that rules were made to be broken. No wonder our world is in such chaos, for where law and order don’t exist, or are not treated as important, then chaos will prevail, as it’s certainly doing in numerous parts of our groaning planet earth. 

Cousin Sol said it this way in Proverbs: ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic vision or revelation) the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18) And that’s exactly what’s happening today; there’s no prophetic vision or revelation in our society; God’s Word, His moral law, is not recognized by many, and that’s what keeps a society balanced and on the right path. Consequently, if God’s moral law is being disdained and refuted, as Cousin Sol so wisely says, the people will perish. And that’s exactly what’s happening to us right now, we’re perishing, because we have cast off any restraint we had when we followed God’s moral law. 

But the good news my people, is that there’s still hope for us. That old saying, where there’s life there’s hope,’ is oh so true! And most importantly, please remember that we have a Good Shepherd, who is totally interested in us and our whereabouts. His name is Jesus Christ, and in a few days, at Christmas we’ll be celebrating His magnificent incarnate birth. However, when He became a man, He made these bold bit true and faithful statements per our safety and protection. ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth is life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) Then, He went out and did just that; died of us on the cross at Calvary. 

He also said; ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of them.’ (John 10:14) Yes friends, Jesus knows who belongs to Him, and we ought to know that we belong to Him, for He bought us with the price of his precious blood which flowed on Calvary’s hill. (1 Pet. 1:18-19) 

And furthermore, Jesus acknowledged His shepherd’s duties and values towards us, when He told this parable of the lost sheep. ‘How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which was gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth the more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.’ (Matt. 18:12-14) 

How wonderful is that my fellow saints! Our heavenly Father doesn’t want any of us to perish, but we must take the proactive action and seek Him out. He’s always there, but the choice has to be ours; we must want to be a part of His fold. He will never refuse us, but neither will He force us to accept Him against our will. He’s always cognizant of our whereabouts and our state of mind, body and soul, and lurking just in the background, anxiously waiting for our cry for help, so He can quickly jump in and restore us to the beautiful relationship He’s planned for all of His children. But please remember, that although sometimes God invites us, the onus is on us to make the connection, and/or accept the invitation. That’s why He gave us free will. 

And having straightened out those matters, (smile) let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world 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’s also been faithfully promised that those who endure with Jesus down to the very end, will enjoy an even more glorious future than they can ask or imagine! Wow! Hope to se you there! Much LOVE!

…if you’re lost and want help…please cry out to the Good Shepherd…He’ll be there in a jiffy… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ       

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 December 2023 Romans 5:8.

19 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

Romans 5:8.       But God commendeth (demonstrated His own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Oh friends, this Tuesday of Christmas week has turned out to be somewhat contrary. (smile) It’s windy and cold, with a sprinkling of snow on the ground, and a cloudy kind of sunshine overshadowing the whole thing. Apparently, we had a snow warning for last night, but thankfully it did not hit our neighbourhood. But who knows what today will bring weatherwise, so if you’re going out, please be prepared for anything. And also, as we go about our Christmas preparations, let’s remember to always have Christ in mind as being the true reason for the season. We’ve already had the greatest gifts ever; the birth of Christ and His redemption of our sins, now we just have to trust and obey, for there’s no better way, to be happy in this crazy, evil and ungodly world. 

Now here’s a li’l prayer to remind us of all that our wonderful and ever magnanimous God does for us. Please pray with me: ‘The LIGHT of God surrounds me. The LOVE of God enfolds me. The POWER of God protects me. The PRESENCE of God watches over me. Where ever I am, God is there! And ALL is well! Yes ALL is well! Amen!’ And that ought to be a big, heartfelt, sincere ‘Amen’ because of the numerous ways in which Jehovah God surrounds and protects us. Just imagine nuh, we have His LIGHT surrounding us, His LOVE enfolding us, His POWER protecting us, and His PRESENCE constantly watching over us! Wow! We can’t ask for any more than that, because there’s nothing more to be had, that’s everything! 

Ah mih people, if we truly knew and understood how our heavenly Father cares for us, the breadth and depth of His LOVE and compassion, towards us, His most important and favoured creation, we would never, or rather, we’d try our very best not to ever disobey or disappoint Him. And I don’t believe there’s anything bigger and better that He could have done after we fell into the bondage of sin and disobedience than send His ONLY Son to take our abominable sins on His sinless shoulders and sacrifice His life on the cross of Calvary, so that we could be redeemed, be reconciled to Him. How many of us would do anything like that for a bunch of worthless sinners eh? Very few of us, if any! 

However, the Word tells us: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated His own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) And later on in that same letter to the church at Rome, Bruh Paul reiterated his convictions by writing: ‘( Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:39) In other words, nothing whatsoever can ever separate us from God’s LOVE that is to be found in Christ Jesus! 

Meanwhile, Jesus Himself pointed out the great LOVE that the Father has for us, when He said to Nicodemus, the Pharisee who came to Him by night seeking answers to confusing questions. ‘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) 

Now, that’s the kind of LOVE and compassion God has for us! But do we truly believe or appreciate it? No way! Otherwise our lives would not be in such a sad state of disarray, of willful sin and disobedience, and Christ’s church would not be the breeding ground it is, for all sorts of ungodly stuff. Neither would we forget and/or neglect to remember that this season of Christmas, when Christ was born, is the beginning of the story of our marvellous and miraculous redemption, that ends with Christ’s earth-shattering resurrection on that first Easter morn! 

Instead of our current behaviour and lifestyle, we ought to be saying and believing like the psalmist Asaph did in his famous Psalm 73, after being deceived by the prosperity of the wicked, then going into the Lord’s sanctuary and realizing their eventual destruction: ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart (my rock), and my portion for ever… But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:26 &28) 

Oh my fellow believers, if we could only make those things true in our own lives, what a wonderful world we’d have! Drawing near to God, surrendering our all to Him, and faithfully declaring (steups!!!) His mighty works are the things we so badly need right now, so that we can fight the good fight of faith that’s staring us in the face, as Satan ramps up his offensive against the people of God. That’s why James warns and encourages us to: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-10) 

Yes friends, that’s where it all begins; by drawing nearer to God, humbling ourselves in His sight, and overall cleaning up our lives. Now, James ends that passage with a further warning and admonishment, but I’ve kept it separate, because it’s of ever so much importance in our current society. He concludes it thus: ‘Speak not evil one of another brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another.’ (James 4:11-12) 

Ah mih  people, evil speaking, lying, slandering, gossiping and the many other forms of verbal abuse are running rampant in our society because of the proliferation of social media and our technological revolution. And with the recent improvements of Artificial Intelligence, it’s slated to become even worse. The sad part of it all though is because of this technical revolution, we can spread bad and false news without risk of incurring the necessary consequences. Thus, too many of us talk and are judgemental about things we know absolutely nothing about, therefore breeding even more evil in our society. 

And yes, we will all have opinions on all sorts of topics, but please, let’s try and restrict spreading them nuh, especially the ones we know nothing about. That would indeed be a valuable start to cleaning up our gossipy, lying world. Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) 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 my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

Now, let’s go out and do just that nuh; trust our awesome friend Jesus and share His amazing LOVE with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…all talk and no action…gets us nowhere fast… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ      

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 December 2023 Luke 1:60.

18 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

Luke 1:60.       And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

So friends, it’s Monday, which means we have to go to work…so what eh? And although it’s also wet and cloudy like yesterday, this is also the beginning of Christmas week, the celebration of Jesus’ awesome birth, which makes almost everything right with our world! (smile) Look at it this way nuh…next Monday we won’t be going to work but will be celebrating Christmas Day with friends and family. Now doesn’t that marvellous occasion make up for having to go to work today? It certainly does! And we all know anyway, that during Christmas week much work isn’t done in the many offices all around the world. 

No! What with all the office parties and exchanging of gifts and all the other hoopla, Christmas week is perhaps the best week to go to work. (smile) However, in all the excitement and festivities, let’s not forget who and what is the reason for it all; Jesus Christ, His birth and the consequent saving of our sinful souls. So please make time, every so often in our busy schedules to stop, for even a moment, and give Jesus thanks for all that He’s done, is doing and has promised to do for us. End of Sermon! 

And today we’re going to take a look into the birth of John the Baptist. Remember the Lord had made his father Zacharias dumb because he had not believed the words of the angel Gabriel, that he and his hitherto barren wife Elisabeth would have a male child named John in their old age. (Luke 1:5-25) So life rolls along with Zacharias not being able to speak. The Bible then continues the story thus: ‘Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. And her neighbours and her cousins (relatives) heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.’ (Luke 1:57-58) 

Isn’t it wonderful that Elisabeth’s relatives were happy that her barrenness was repealed through the Lord’s great mercy, and consequently rejoiced with her. In those days, it was a time of great joy when a hitherto barren woman became pregnant, because a married woman without children was looked upon as a disgrace to herself and her family. And along with the rejoicing there was also drama, because the Lord is a dramatist, and likes to create drama in even the simplest situations. (smile) 

The Good Library says: ‘And it came to pass, that on the eight day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. and they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. And his (Zacharias’) mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.’ (Luke 1:59-64) 

Yes mih bredrin, our God LOVES His dramatic moments! He could have loosened Zacharias’ tongue and made him say that the child’s name was John. But no, He made him remain dumb until after he had written down the name. Then, and only then, did God cause him to speak. And what was the response to the unusual situation? The Word says: ‘And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these saying (things) were noised abroad (discussed) throughout all the hill country of Judaea. And all they that heard them, laid them up (kept them) in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.’ (Luke 1:65-66) 

Ah friends, when the Lord’s hand is on you in a strong manner, you will certainly be different, not be a normal, everyday, run of the mill person, as were all the prophets and people who manifested God’s Word down through the ages. Look at Noah; he bult an ark because God said so, and everybody laughed at him. But he proved them wrong when the flood came. Abraham left his home and family at the age of seventy-five to go wandering in the wilderness because God said so. Now he is the father of our faith. Bruh Joseph, Bruh David, Bruh Paul, Moses, Job, all had the strong hand of the Lord on them and they all lived extraordinary lives because they followed the Lord’s leading and guidance. 

So why, when we ordinary folks today have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within us, to lead and guide us in the Lord’s directions, are we so stubborn, hard hearted and foolish that we refuse to listen to His awesome and eternal wisdom eh? Who knows? But let’s hope and pray that in this Christmas Season, as the celebrations of Christ’s incarnate birth intensify, that many unbelievers will finally accept Him as their Lord and Saviour, and those of us who already know Him, will increase, or improve our faith in and LOVE for Him, so that we can become the extraordinary people He desires us to become. 

Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, to find the help we need to become more mature Christians. 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. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but 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. 

So Lord, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And the irony of the situation is that the solution to our problem is found in our prayer…turn from our evil ways. Yes friends, that’s always the first step in receiving divine help. And if we’re wise, we’ll do just that! Much LOVE!

…extraordinary people…have the extraordinary hand of God on them… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ     

Today’s Scrip-Bit   17 December 2023 Luke 2:14.

17 Dec 2023 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.

My dear friends, it’s another Sunday in the life; albeit, a dark and rainy one! (smile) In fact, this is the penultimate Sunday before the big day of Christmas. Next weekend will indeed be a big one; Christmas Eve is on Sunday, then we go straight into Christmas Day on Monday, then Boxing day on Tuesday! Wow! 

That means, many of us won’t be working from Friday until Tuesday. That will truly be what we term a long weekend, as well as a spectacular one! And as we move merrily into the Advent and Christmas Seasons, we sing some special songs, that recreate some aspect of Christ’s birth, and today we’ll open our fellowship gathering with this golden oldie titled ‘O Come All Ye Faithful,’ an adaptation of a Latin hymn Adeste Fidelis, meaning “come you faithful ones.” 

The exact origins of the original hymn are not known, and several authors have been credited for it, but in modern English hymnals, the text is usually credited to John Francis Wade, whose name appears on the earliest printed versions. Apparently, Wade, an English Catholic, lived in exile in France and made a living as a copyist of musical manuscripts which he found in libraries and often signed his copies. In 1751 he published a printed compilation of his manuscript copies, including Adeste Fidelis. This is the first printed source for Adeste Fidelis. However, down through the years, there have been several additions and subtractions from the original, as people took poetic license with it. (smile) 

Today though, we’re going to sing what we believe are the four original verses. But before we sing it, listen to the words of this interesting commentary on the hymn. ‘This popular Christmas Hymn harkens to the biblical story of the birth of Christ. It is considered a reference to the shepherds, after hearing the angels singing, coming to Bethlehem to adore their new-born Saviour. Today this hymn signifies and celebrates our coming together in worship to adore the LOVING blessing of Jesus, as He sacrificed himself for our salvation.’ 

And that’s exactly what we’re doing today; coming together to worship and adore Jesus who sacrificed His sinless body and soul for our salvation. So, in full voice, with joyful and sincere hearts and souls, let’s offer up our sacrifices of praise to high heaven. Singing: ‘O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold Him, Born the King of Angels! (Chorus: O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.) God of God, light of light, Lo, he abhors not the Virgin’s womb; True God, begotten, not created: (Chorus) 

O Sing, choirs of angels; sing in exultation O sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above. Give to our Father, Glory in the highest! (Chorus) Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning; Jesus, to Thee be the glory giv’n; Word of the Father, Now in the flesh appearing, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.’ 

And we most certainly ought to do that because He gave us the best present ever; the gift of salvation through His selfless sacrifice! In this evil and ungodly world, there’s no greater gift that can be given. And, like all other gifts, we have to accept it, but unfortunately many of us unwisely choose to refuse it, and for that will suffer serious consequences at a later time. But we’re not here to day to chasten the unbeliever but to celebrate the birth of our wonderful Saviour. So, let’s read the scriptures that the song so beautifully describes. 

Luke writes in his gospel: ‘And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them (stood before them), and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore (greatly) afraid). And the angel said unto them, 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 (cloths), 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 2:8-14) 

Oh friends, what a scary experience to have in the middle of the night out in the fields trying to keep your flocks safe, when, instead of earthly predators, heavenly angels suddenly appear and begin singing up a storm about this newborn baby – a Saviour Christ the Lord! But are we ever happy that those angels came to earth and announced the birth of Christ, because it was one of the most momentous days in the annals of man. And the scriptures continue the story thus: ‘And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even into Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered (marvelled) at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.’ Luke 2:15-20) 

Oh my fellow believers, that’s exactly what we’re doing right now; praising and glorifying our great and wonderful God for the awesome Christmas present He gave to us some two thousand years ago. A present which has so drastically and dramatically changed the world, that it’s never been the same since, and will never be the same again! So, as we prepare for the big weekend next week, let’s not forget the awesome and magnificent reason for the Christmas Season, the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. 

And it’s only fitting that we go home with these uplifting words from this commentary. It says: ‘The encouragement to “come, all ye faithful, . . . to Bethlehem” situates the singer both among the shepherds who rushed to see Christ and in the great continuation of the “faithful” that have travelled to Bethlehem in a spiritual nature for over 2,000 years. Although today, we cannot actually witness Jesus in the manger, we can come to Bethlehem in a symbolic sense. We can be there in our imaginations as we allow the Christmas story to hearten our spirits.’ 

Yes friends, please, let’s allow the Christmas story to comfort and reassure us of God’s goodness, grace, mercy and His undying LOVE for us, His most important and cherished creation! Much LOVE!

…O come all ye faithful…joyful and triumphant…with glad tidings… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ    

Today’s Scrip-Bit   16 December 2023 John 14:6.

16 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

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

And it’s a perfect lazy-day Saturday morning; cloudy, cold and dry. Yes friends, all the elements we need to instigate laziness. (smile) But let’s hope that in that laziness we do take some time to communicate with our wonderful God, who’s given us the breath of life for another day. It’s a good day to spend time talking to our Maker, pouring out our hearts to Him, casting all our cares upon Him, as He’s recommended in His Word. (1 Pet. 1:7) And after emptying our souls to Him, rest quietly to hear what He has to tell us in answer to our doubts and fears. 

Now, it’s been said that that’s one of the believers’ biggest problems and mistakes; talking to God then quickly moving off to other things, instead of waiting to hear what the Lord has to say. Remember, it’s a conversation we’re having with the Father, and a conversation is usually a two way street. So please, let’s not rush off as soon as we finish uttering our cares, but stick around quietly and hear what the Father has to say, for He will say something, and you cannot afford to miss anything the Lord has to say. (smile) 

And, in preparation for that outpouring of our personal cares, let’s raise up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer to heaven, with strong conviction and true sincerity. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

Now, let’s rest a moment and allow what we’ve said to truly sink into our consciousness, as the Lord does quiet our souls and raises our awareness of His LOVING presence. Ah mih people, what a wonderful God we serve! Who else but Jehovah God would make His presence so tangibly felt to His followers eh? Nobody! And He does it all through the power of the third person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit, which dwells within us to lead, guide, comfort, and make known the desires and plans of the Father. 

What an awesome team is our Triune Godhead! The Father plans and directs; the Son, Jesus came to earth and did the dirty, sacrificial work, taking the sins of the whole world on His sinless shoulders; then the Holy Spirit comes along to do the everyday work to enable believers to communicate with the Father and stay safe under the refuge of His mighty wings! You couldn’t find a better team than that friends, that’s why it’s ever so necessary and important to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour, then follow the lead and guiding of the Holy Spirit, who comes to dwell within you, once you’ve accepted Christ as the number One priority in your life! 

And why is that you ask? Because Jesus died to pay for our sins, and only if we accept Him as Lord and Saviour will we be entitled to spend eternity with Him in heaven. Otherwise we’ll be headed straight for hellfire, death and damnation with Satan, meaning eternal separation from God, which is the worst possible thing that can happen to a human soul. Jeus warned us so often of that terrible fact during His sojourn here on earth. For instance, He declared (chuh!!!) to the disciple called Doubting Thomas and also to us in no uncertain words: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) 

What’s in that not to understand eh mih bredrin? Jesus is the ONLY WAY that a human being or soul can get into the presence of the Father. That means, if you don’t accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, then you’ll never even see the pearly gates of heaven, much less enter them! And per the way to get to heaven, Jesus further tells us: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait (narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult, confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life (eternal), and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14)  

Ah friends, what else must Jesus do and say to make us believe that His way is the best option in this world eh? And I like how this commentary explains those two verses. ‘The wide gate of the world promises life and happiness but delivers destruction. The way of Christ requires that we lay our lives down, but in that sacrifice we find a reward of (eternal) life. Sadly, the gate that is wide and the way that is broad is the one most people travel. That way leads to destruction.’ Yes mih bredrin, because the gate to Christ and eternal life is so narrow and ofttimes hard to negotiate, fewer people travel it, and thus are led to their destruction, to eternal separation from God. 

Meanwhile in the gospel of Luke Jesus words on the subject are recorded thus: ‘And he (Jesus) went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that are saved? And he said unto them. Strive to enter in at the strait (narrow) gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek  to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without (outside), and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not, whence are ye (where are you from). 

Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are (where you are from); depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Issac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.’ (Luke 13:22-30) 

Oh my people, if after reading and hearing all of Jesus’ words, we still refuse to accept Him as Lord and Saviour and don’t endeavour to walk the straight and narrow path, then we have no one else but ourselves to blame, when we are thrust out of God’s kingdom and lay there weeping and gnashing our teeth, foolishly thinking that because we were in the upper echelons of society, a power broker, we would automatically get to enter heaven. Unfortunately though, those who were far below us but accepted Jesus and walked the straight and narrow path will be greeted first at the pearly gates. 

Please let this be a lesson to us all: our positions here on earth don’t mean a thing in heaven. What’s important is our personal relationship with Jesus. And if you don’t have one, you’d better get one, RIGHT NOW, before it’s too late! That’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!

…following Jesus is not easy…but it’s the ONLY WAY to heaven… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ   

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries