Today’s Scrip-Bit   3 March 2022 Matthew 11:28.

03 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 11:28.     Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

And a good morning to all you my wonderful Scrip-Bit friends and family out there in the many parts of this crazy and turbulent world! I do hope that your day is going well, that you are filled with the joy, peace and LOVE of Christ Jesus, for that is the ultimate way to live. But I know that’s not always easy because of our constantly changing circumstances, which tend to confuse and muddy the waters of this earthly life. (smile) However, if we want to stay sane and unruffled in the midst of the unprecedented confusion that’s going on around us, we have to get as close to Jesus as possible, and more importantly, stay as close to Him as possible, like white on rice. (smile) 

Why is that you ask? Because it’s only when we are closely aligned with Him that we can successfully handle the trials and tribulations that surround us. Nothing, or no one else but Jesus can give us the confidence and the faithful promises of always walking beside us, of never leaving nor forsaking us, of their indwelling Holy Spirit leading and guiding and comforting us through all the hardships of our earthly journey. 

Jesus Christ is the ONLY ONE who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross to pay for our sins, and who rose again from the grave, thus defeating death and its allies, and thereby giving us the magnificent opportunity to be reconciled with God the Father and rise also from the dead and live forever with Him! No one else can lay claim to such a miraculous feat! Now to me, that means Jesus is someone very worthy to be associated with, to live for…and even to die for! 

And living for Christ is not that difficult if we truly consider it. Listen to how He puts it in His Great Invitation to all who would put their sincere trust in Him. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) 

Mama Mia! Can you find a better invitation than that anywhere in this world my brethren? Obviously not! And the good thing about it is that we know Jesus has the parts and the power to keep all the promises He makes! So why do we refuse to accept His marvellous invitation eh? Especially when we don’t have any better to turn to. Would you consider what Satan offers, better than Christ’s? Not on your life! Because all Satan has to offer is a bunch of lies, deceit, and fraud, with worldly stuff that rots and grows old. 

Listen again, to how Jesus makes His case for hanging out with Him. ‘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 treasures 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) Yes friends, the treasures of this world are not worth losing our souls over, for they eventually rot and turn to dust, even when thieves steal them. (smile) 

Furthermore, as Bruh Paul said to Timothy: ‘For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.’ (1 Tim. 6:7) Now that’s the gospel truth! We came with nothing and will leave with nothing!  Even if they embalm you and put all your worldly wealth in a tomb like the Egyptian Pharaohs did, your spirit will float away to the next life and leave it all behind. So what’s the point of running down earthly wealth. 

And the scholars provide a rather interesting explanation of that verse. They say: ‘Man enters the world at birth possessing nothing, in order to teach him that he will exit the world in the same manner – taking nothing with him. This is a divine means of showing man that since material wealth is relatively insignificant, he should pursue the important things mentioned in verse 11.’ 

Now what are those things you ask? Hear Bruh Paul spell them out. ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things (the LOVE of money, the root of all kinds of evil, the striving for material wealth and the resultant woes they bring); and follow after (pursue) righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness.’ (1 Tim. 6:11) And those are the things which will cause us to store up treasures in heaven, as well as live a good and godly life down here on earth. 

And the scholars explain those things as follows: ‘Righteousness is practical correctness, conforming to God’s will in one’s thinking and acting. Godliness is proper reverence for, and obedience to God. Faith is a trust in God that grows stronger. LOVE is a maturing affection for God and man. Patience is perseverance or steadfastness in life and service. Meekness is gentleness.’ And that’s the way we live for Jesus, in simple, practical and understandable terms! 

Now tell me, is living for Satan in hate, sin, anger, evil, fraud, lies and deceit better than living for Jesus? No way! Especially when Jesus can also give you the worldly wealth without you having to sell your soul, like Satan requires. And whatever Jesus gives you will not diminish or disappear like whatever comes from his Satanic majesty! 

And furthermore, does the evil enemy bestow on you any of these things we call our Thursday Blessings? That’s blessings we don’t deserve, but which Jesus oh so generously bestows on us so we can do His earthly work. Absolutely not! Now let’s declare them in strong voice so that they can take hold in our souls, bodies and spirits, and thus be manifested in our daily lives. 

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

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

And having said that, it’s now time for us to go out and let those blessings bear good fruit…some sixty, some a hundred-fold. Much LOVE!

…living for Jesus…is the only wise way to live life… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 February 2022 Philippians 2:5.

24 Feb 2022 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 2:5.     Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (harmonious living): 

And then it was the pen-ultimate day of the work week, Thursday…sunshiny and cold, like winter is supposed to be! (smile) Ah friends, the weather has been playing such tricks and games on us recently, moving from one extreme to the next with such ease, that we are glad to finally see a dry, but cold sunshiny day, with no precipitation whatsoever. And it’s oh so good that we have Jesus to keep us well-balanced in our emotions and feelings, otherwise the recent see-sawing weather would certainly drive us crazy. 

And as the song’s saying, ‘There’s no God like Jehovah!’ And that’s the gospel truth, for He is the ONLY real God, the ONLY One that’s alive and kicking! All other supposed gods are dead and immobile without any power to move themselves much less to move and impact a world of several billion lost souls. And that, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has done! Done it in spades too! 

He’s turned the world upside down, so much so that His name is now the most LOVED and adored, as well as the most controversial on planet earth. That’s because He makes a substantial and wonderful difference through His Holy Spirit, in the lives He enters. You either LOVE Him completely, with all your heart, mind, body and soul, or dislike Him the same way, like the evildoers do. There’s no in-between where our Jesus is concerned; it’s either one or the other! 

And why has this magnificent transformation taken place in our evil world down through the ages? Because Jesus came to earth two thousand years ago and selflessly sacrificed himself on the cross at Calvary so that man’s sins could be forgiven, and that we could be reconciled back to the Father, our Creator and Controller, from whom we had been long separated by our abominable sinful behaviour. And in return for that, for that selfless obedience, the Father honoured Him like never before.

 Listen as the Good Book tells the story through the words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (harmonious living): Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of 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. 2:5-8) 

Oh friends, what a marvellous example Jesus is to us all with our sinful disobedience! And what all that means is Jesus believed in and preached and practised harmonious living while here on earth. And though He possessed a divine nature, was God in man form, He did not boast about it, ‘made himself of no reputation,’ but in all things put the Father’s will first, even being obedient to dying a horrible, unfair, sacrificial death on the cross for a bunch of ungrateful sinners. 

But the Father asked Him to, because there was no other just and righteous way to absolve mankind of sin without blood being shed to pay the price for our heinous iniquities. And Jesus LOVED the Father so much that He acquiesced to His request despite the terrible ‘sufferation’ He knew He would have to undergo, even to being forsaken and cast aside by the Father as the bearer of the world’s sin, for a couple of days until His triumphant resurrection on that first Easter morn. 

Wow! What a giant is our Jesus! And the Father appreciated Jesus’ great sacrifice so much, that He rewarded Him for His unswerving obedience and selflessness. Hear Bruh tell it nuh. ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every 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. 4:9-11) 

And that my people is why Jesus’ name is so great, so controversial and so compelling – it’s the highest name there is besides the Father’s! And one day, hopefully very soon, every being on planet earth will bow their knees to Him, acknowledge and submit to His sovereignty as Lord, as God, to the honour of the Father! 

Now that’s the good side of the equation, but those unwise people who refuse to bow down and worship Him will be banished, exiled to eternal death and damnation because of their unbelief! It’s as simple as that my people. Either accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, or suffer eternal separation from the wonders of His amazing LOVE and marvellous kingdom. 

And I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to take that chance. I’m going to do my best to stay close to Jesus, as close as white on rice (smile) so that when He comes again, I’m going home with Him and remain with Him forever, for wherever He is, I know that’s the best place to be! 

And now, for all of us who think that way, let’s go home declaring (chuh man!!!) our Thursday Blessings granted to us to do His awesome work down here on earth. 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!’ 

Now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and share those gifts, or the fruit from them, as selflessly and generously with others, as Jesus shared them with us. It’s the only way to glorify His name. Much LOVE!

…there’s no other name that moves and fascinates mankind…like that of…JESUS… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   3 February 2022 Mark 4:40.

03 Feb 2022 Leave a comment

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

Mark 4:40.     Why are ye so fearful? How it is that ye have no faith? 

Once more unto the snow dear friends, once more! Yes, another beautiful snowstorm has inundated us overnight! But thank God, it’s not as bad as the last one a couple weeks ago – at least not yet, because they are calling for 10-20 cm of the darling white stuff to fall between today and tomorrow. In some places there are still high snowbanks from the previous storm, so can you imagine the mess if this one deposits much more than we already have. 

But as I keep saying, that’s why we have Jesus, our Guide and Comfort through the times of storm! Oh give Him some thanks and praise my believing brethren for His most honourable, diligent, compassionate and ever-faithful work in our less than sterling lives! 

And I guess because we are in a time of storm, both literally and figuratively, we ought to talk about that occasion when Jesus showed exactly who and what He was during one particularly rough storm. All three gospels tell the story – Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41, and Luke 8:22-25, but we’ll use Mark’s description for our purposes today. 

Now, he describes it thus: ‘And the same day (after Jesus was finished teaching), when the even (evening) was come, he (Jesus) saith unto them, Let us pass (cross) over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there was also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full (already filling). And he (Jesus) was in the hinder part (the stern) of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How it is that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:35-41) Now that’s an easy question to answer my brethren: Jesus is the One who created the wind and the sea, therefore He is able to tell them to be peaceful and calm! 

Now many of us will make light of the concerns of the disciples, because they had seen Jesus do several miracles, but I know from personal experience out on Lake Ontario, that when the winds and the waves buffet your small boat on a large expanse of water, it’s no fun. 

Oh, on that memorable day, some years ago, I learned from first-hand experience what ‘the shivering of the timbers’ meant, having only read about it before, and at times did fear for my life, as well as the five, mostly inebriated others, who were on the boat with me. (smile) And I daresay that many of the disciples couldn’t even swim, so even though they had seen Jesus do miracles, that was a new situation for them. 

But here are a couple of interesting notes from the scholars. Re 4:40, where Jesus comments on the faith of the disciples, they say that He constantly questions in order to spur people to deeper trust. Then give examples in Mark 2:8, 19, 25, 26; 3:4, 23, 33; 4:13, 21, 30.’ And if you look at those verses, you will indeed see Jesus posing questions that cause His listeners to think seriously about whatever He was saying. 

And per 4:41, they claim: ‘The fear must have been a mixture of reverential awe and real fright – it would be chillingly eerie to witness the instantaneous dissipation of a violent storm.’ No doubt it was! But friends, that’s the kind of person; the immutable, unchangeable, omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present Being, the One and ONLY Living God, that we have as our Lord and Saviour! And right now, in these troubled and trying times of storm, He’s asking us the same questions: why is our faith so small, why are we so fearful, when we have the One who created the universe and all therein as our Guide and Protector? 

Yes, we ought to be anxious when the storms hit us suddenly, but not afraid, because He’s not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, LOVE and a strong and disciplined mind! And an article on the biblestudytools.com website puts it this way. ‘The symbolism behind the story of Jesus calming the storm should bring great encouragement and hope for anyone facing a storm in life.. The apostles were shocked and still lacked faith that Jesus was the Son of God who “Even the winds and water obey.” 

But since we know more about Jesus and His kingdom than the young disciples did, we ought not to be as afraid as we ofttimes are when the storms of life come upon us. Oh, we must be concerned and do whatever is in our power to calm them, but overall, we should know deep down that Jesus is with us, and that as He faithfully promised, will eventually work everything out for our good. What’s the purpose of having Him as Lord and Saviour if we don’t trust him to look after our welfare eh? 

And furthermore, Jesus has been so wonderful to us that He’s even given us tools to handle the storms of life and to help advance His kingdom. We call them our Thursday Blessings. And since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared out loud, let’s do just that nuh. 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!’ 

Oh my people, when we are so abundantly blessed, how can we still live in fear eh? No way! Now let’s go about Christ’s business with diligence and excellence, and use those blessings to care for, comfort and bless others, just as generously as He’s done to us! Much LOVE!

…ONLY Christ…can calm the storms of our lives… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   27 January 2022 Isaiah 1:18a.

27 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 1:18a.     Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:

Oh friends, I don’t have any tongue in cheek words to begin today’s Bit, another cold and mostly sunshiny Thursday. (smile) But I do have some wise and admonishing words from the Lord our God, spoken by the prophet Isaiah to his people Israel, a long time ago, that certainly seem very appropriate to our current situation. It’s a call to repentance. So, let’s read, listen, ponder and contemplate the wisdom of these age old, but ever new sentiments from our God, and then put them into practice. 

Isaiah declares: ‘Wash you, make you clean: put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgement (justice), relieve the oppressed (reprove the oppressor), judge (defend, vindicate) the fatherless, plead for the widow.’ (Is. 1:16-17) 

Yes my brethren, those are indeed wise and powerful words that we all ought to hearken to, because our world has been overtaken by the enemy with his evil doings, and for it to improve, we must turn to the Lord God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and all therein, and cleanse ourselves of the enormous iniquity of which we are guilty. 

Now, here are some interesting comments from the scholars on those verses. ‘1:16-17. Wash does not indicate that the sinner may cleanse himself. Nor does it refer to mere ritual washing. Rather, it indicates that the sinner must accept the cleansing offered by the Lord, a cleansing of the heart resulting in true repentance.’ 

Yuh see my people, we can muddy our waters, but we can’t make them clean again on our own. We have to accept God’s cleansing, which means a sincere turning away from sin, and only through Christ Jesus can we accomplish such a heroic and herculean task. Yes, sin is no joke, like so many of us today consider it. 

Sin is serious business and it’s what’s driving our world right now, not the righteousness of God, as He desires. And with its many alluring enchantments and enhancements it’s not easy to turn away from sin. That’s why we need a power greater than the enemy to help us do it successfully. 

Oh, the Lord knows we’ll always fall into occasional sin because of our natural sinful nature, but with His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, to lead and guide us, we have more than a fighting chance to keep sin to a minimum in our earthly lives. That brings us back to the rest of Isaiah’s declaration. (Wow! I spelled that right!) 

He continues in a less accusatory and judgemental vein, but still not mincing his words. ‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ (Is. 1:18-20) 

Oh friends, our God is willing to sit down and reason with us, if we are willing to admit our sin and change from our evil ways. But if we refuse to come together with Him, but rather to rebel and be disobedient, then we’ll suffer the just punishment for such behaviour. 

And no one has to tell us that’s what’s happening to us right now! We have boldly rebelled against the dictates of the Lord and gone our own sinful way. Consequently, we’re being devoured, and not by the sword alone, through worldwide strife, but also through worldwide sickness, worldwide poverty and economic failure, with worldwide disasters, both natural and man-made, all occurring simultaneously! 

And yet we refuse, stubbornly and adamantly refuse to turn back to God and seek His forgiveness so that we could once more eat of the good of our land. Hn! Foolish pride and unwise belief in one’s own power will lead us to our demise every time. How did Cousin Sol put it? ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov. 16:9) Yes friends, ‘The Lord is sovereign over man’s scheming and planning,’ so we often scheme and plan in vain. 

But enough of me, (smile) let’s listen to what the renowned scholars have to say on the matter. ‘1:18-20. The prophet’s appeal to come and reason together reveals God’s gracious invitation to all men. It literally means to be “reasonable” by repenting and turning to God. Their sin is described as scarlet and red like crimson, referring to their bloodguiltiness before God. 

The term ‘crimson’ also means ‘worm,’ referring to the colourful red dye of the scarlet worm. The eradication of this stain turns it snowy white and is symbolic of the life-changing grace of God, which delivers men from the guilt and condemnation of sin. Thus, the prophet reminds his readers that God stands ready to cleanse and forgive all who will turn to Him.’ 

Glory Hallelujah my people! What a great and remarkable God we serve! And though I’m no prophet, I believe it’s my bounden duty to again remind us of our Creator’s willingness to embrace all those who turn back to Him in sincere repentance. And His awesome Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, said it as plainly and clearly as He could. And we all know Him as a clear and straight-talking person. 

‘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.’ (John 3:16) And we all like to quote that scripture in reference to the goodness of God, but what we fail to realize is that all those who don’t belief in Christ Jesus will ‘perish.’ Yes, that’s what he said…and meant. So, it’s up to us choose whether we believe or not, but please remember there are major consequences attached to each decision. End of sermon! (smile) 

But anyway, for those of us who choose to believe, the Lord has most graciously endowed us with blessings we don’t really deserve, but which help us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. And since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared, let’s declare them right now nuh, in loud, confident, though humble 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 share the fruit of those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord’s shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…sin only looks good on the outside…but inside…it’s as dirty as hell… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 January 2022   2 Timothy 1:7.

20 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

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

2 Timothy 1:7.      For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.

Oh friends, our God is so good and thoughtful that over the last few days He’s opened each day with bright sunshine to help those of us who might be feeling down because of the inclement weather or suffering from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Praise His holy name! And thus, in conjunction with the light and life that Jesus brings, believers should have no problems adjusting to whatever comes against them in these turbulent times.

For just as the prophet Isaiah declared the Lord’s LOVE to the people of Israel, that same LOVE also applies to us right now. And Isaiah’s reassuring message was as follows: ‘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 Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17)

Now, add to that, Bruh Paul’s message to the church at Rome, where he declares: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37) Brother! Does all of that ever provide an airtight cushion of LOVE to protect us from the enemy’s assaults. And all God’s children gave a grateful shout of: ‘Praise the Lord, for His goodness to the children of men!’

And to further encourage us, Bruh Paul continues his message by saying: ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:38-39)

And that should come as no surprise to us my fellow believers since Bruh Paul also told the Ephesians: ‘And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto redemption.’ (Eph. 4:30) That means once we receive Christ as Saviour and His Spirit comes to dwell within us, then we are sealed as belonging to Him, and no one can break that seal.

So there is no real reason to fear anything that comes against us in this life. Yes, we must be careful and concerned, and some fear will always come upon us when life surprises us, but lasting fear should not ever be numbered amongst our many attributes. That brings us to this other most encouraging scripture, more words of Bruh Paul, this time to his protégé Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)

And that’s the gospel truth friends! Through Christ Jesus we have received all the tools we need to run this race of earthly glory in His mighty name! And if you don’t believe Bruh Paul, then hopefully, you will believe Jesus, when He says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)

But some of you remark, that’s all well and good for Him to say so, but how do we do that in real life? Well, I believe if you follow Bruh Paul’s recipe to the Philippians you can certainly accomplish it. Listen up as he details it. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (graciousness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand (He is coming back soon and He is always spiritually near).

Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7) And there you have it my brethren; the way to find the peace of God in this unpeaceful world!

Now, that’s not always easy to do, especially with the evil and ungodly world doing their best to derail our good intentions. Meaning, it only comes through experience, in other words, through plenty practice and perseverance. (smile) But when we continually rejoice, are gracious, thankful and prayerful, with the wonderful fruit of the Spirit thriving in us and manifesting itself in our lives, then obtaining that peace of God should not be a problem.

And on top of all that, our God is so wonderful that He’s also bestowed numerous blessings on those who choose to sincerely follow His will and do His bidding. We call them our Thursday Blessings. And since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been declared, let’s go home declaring (yeah!!!) them right now nuh, so that they can be put in place for godly use.

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!’ 

Now, it’s our duty to go out and share all those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! That’s His ardent desire! Much LOVE!

…fear and faith don’t mix…but only through Christ…can the latter prevail…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   6 January 2022 Psalm 119:105.

06 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 119:105.        Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

The sun’s shining this Thursday morning people! Glory be! Strange things do happen in this world! (smile) Yes, we haven’t seen the sun really shine without cloudy overtones for a while now. Consequently, it’s a good thing we have Jesus, the Light of Life to provide light and guidance in our often dark and dreary world. That’s why the Good Book informs and continually reminds us of these salient facts. ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) What awesome and encouraging truth my brethren! 

And Cousin Sol says it this way in his warning against adultery. ‘For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.’ (Prov. 6:23) And the good thing about that friends, is that it doesn’t only keep thee from the wiles and flattering tongue of a deceitful woman, (smile) but it also guides you in every aspect of life. So, whatever happens in this life you can always find an answer or good guidance in the commandments and laws of Almighty God! 

How wonderful is that eh? We don’t have to run to friends and neighbours for help, but to God first in every circumstance. He might redirect us to friends and families, even foes, but it’s wisest to make Him our first avenue of help and assurance. And if we listen to these marvellous words of Bruh David on the law of God from Psalm 19, we will get a better understanding and appreciation for them. 

He says: ‘The law of the Lord is perfect, converting (restoring) the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (the drippings of the honeycomb). Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in the keeping of them is great reward.’ (Ps. 19:7-11) 

Oh my people, what a true and beautiful treatise on the law of our God! Bruh David spells it out in spades for us: ‘the law is perfect’…but we all know that. (smile) Furthermore, it’s also good for ‘converting the soul’ while ‘making wise the simple.’ How powerful is that eh? The statutes of the Lord are not only right, but they rejoice the heart! 

Wow! And do we ever need stuff that rejoices our hearts in these turbulent and evil times! And in addition to being perfect, the commandment of the Lord is also pure, and thus ‘enlightens the eyes.’ Meanwhile ‘the fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever.’ Please notice the words used so far to describe the quality of the law: perfect, pure, right and clean, while His judgements are ‘true and righteous altogether.’ 

Yes friends, the Lord’s a most righteous and just judge, that’s why He couldn’t simply pardon our sin without it being paid for. Justice had not only to be done, but also appear to be done. So unlike what’s currently happening in our world. Justice isn’t being done, neither is it seeming to be done, so great, powerful and doh care are the workings of the evildoers. But they will all have to deal with the Lord eventually. That’s why Bruh David warns us in Psalm 37. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2) 

That’s gospel truth friends! But enough about evildoers, let’s go back to the goodness of God’s law. (smile) Where were we at eh, before the evildoers intruded? Oh yes, we were talking about the truth and righteousness of the Lord’s justice. And on top of all that, the Lord’s law and justice is also sweet; sweeter even than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb, and thus greatly to be desired, even more so than ‘much fine gold!’ 

Wow! Can you believe it my fellow saints? There’s something that’s sweeter than honey and more valuable and desirable than gold? Yes, the law of our awesome, faithful, merciful, gracious and LOVING God! And why is that eh? Because the Lord expects us to live by His law, His word, His commandments, His statutes, call them what you want. But we can’t live by them unless we read and study them, then put them into action in our lives. That’s the beauty of the Word, it gives us good guidance, and as Bruh David says, it warns us of going down the wrong paths, and great rewards are to be had if we keep it. 

Now how much better can life get eh? Not much really, for our amazing God provides everything we need to live this life and the one hereafter. All it takes is belief and obedience. And sadly, that’s where most of us fall down. Even when we say we believe, we don’t obey. And that’s the crux of the matter. Obedience to God and His law is everything my people! Just look at all the godly people who suffered loss because of disobedience nuh. Saul lost his kingdom. Moses didn’t set foot in the Promised Land, only saw it from afar. Bruh David lost his son with Bathsheba because of his adultery with her, and had strife within his family for ordering her husband’s death. 

So, it’s obvious that we can expect some tough times if we keep disobeying the edicts of Almighty God, especially when we are trying to get rid of Him from our society. Do we think He will just lie down and play dead and allow us to get away with our sinful and criminal acts for ever? Certainly not. Remember His promise in Isaiah: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8) 

That says it all friends! Loud and clear! The Lord God Jehovah will NEVER allow His creation to take control of His universe. I don’t know when or what it will take for us to understand that nuh. And although we’ve come so far in terms of enlightenment and learning, we still cannot save ourselves from ourselves. But we’ve gotten so proud and big for our britches that we won’t even consider the possibility that we don’t know it all, and thus cannot solve all our problems. But God can, if we would turn to Him in sincerity and true repentance, which unfortunately, doesn’t seem likely to happen soon. 

But for those of us who know the truth and are sincerely working to spread it, our God has granted us awesome blessings to help in our devoted cause. We call them our Thursday Blessings, and since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been declared out loud, let’s do just that nuh; declare our Thursday Blessings in strong and sincere voice. 

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!’ 

Now, let’s put those blessings to work in Christ’s service, sharing them just as generously as Christ shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…there’s nothing better in this world…than living for Christ…by His laws… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 November 2021 John 8:32.

25 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

John 8:32.     And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

HAPPY  THANKSGIVING  U.S. of A! 

All praise, honour and glory to our heavenly Father this Thursday morning, my faithful brethren!  It’s Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. Let’s hope that they do not get caught up and lost in the festivities and forget on which side their bread is buttered and spend some serious time considering their Creator because He is the source of all their blessings and also the source of the healing that their nation so badly needs. For their motto ‘One Nation Under God,’ no longer holds true, since they are now as divided and cantankerous as the days before the Civil War a couple hundred years ago, with Almighty God no longer the mainstay in the land. 

And yes, to God the Father all gratitude and thanksgiving should go from all of us, for our awakening, our ability to walk, talk, eat and have a job to go to, for He is an awesome deity, the ONLY true and living God there is! And ALL Jehovah God’s children said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Father for your unconditional and undying LOVE, mercy, grace and faithfulness to us, sinful children of men. We LOVE You and praise Your holy name! Amen!’ 

And so we ought to friends, on account of the heartache that the Lord put Himself through for us, by sacrificing His only Son Jesus Christ so that we could be set free from the overwhelming tentacles of sin. Please note these heartrending words from the Good Book and let them soften our hearts. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) 

Can you imagine that? Sacrificing your only Son to set a bunch of ungrateful sinners free, when they did not seem the least bit interested in you. Hn! But the Lord did it because of His great LOVE for His best creation. However, to be set free from the bondage of sin we must acknowledge and believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Like He said to the Jews at one stage in His ministry. ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.’ (John 8:31-32) 

That means if we really want to be set free from enslavement to sin, then we need to know the truth, and the truth is found in Christ’s written word. So, we have to read the word carefully and study it diligently. That’s the only way to know what it says. Then, most importantly, we need to obey what it says, for knowing and not obeying is sin. A dusty, unopened Bible is of no use to us. We need to always have a well-read one close by, and also have what it says written indelibly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls. 

For remember, the greatest commandment is ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.’ (Matt. 22:37) And you can only truly LOVE the Lord when you know who He is and what He’s about, and you can only discover that when you read His word, His enlightened description of Himself and His ways. 

And just one li’l footnote here to remind us of why He is God. As He says through the prophet Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) It would do us all a whole lot of good if we would just keep those words at the front of our minds as we go about our daily living and don’t bow to the foolishness that Satan and his cohorts are trying to do in the land, like kick God out of our society. 

Satan is a bloody fool, a created being who got too big for his britches! He couldn’t kick God out of heaven, what makes him think he can kick God out of the earth that He created eh? Hogwash! But unfortunately, too many of us are believing Satan’s lies and deceptions and are turning away from God. That’s the worst decision we can ever make my people, for all Satan has to offer is hell fire and damnation, while Jesus has eternal life in heaven with the Father, the Holy Spirit and Himself. 

Now which one seems the best offer eh? Jesus’ obviously! But we fear what the world will say and do, and neither are we willing to put out the effort it takes to live sincerely for Jesus. But friends, if we read and study the Good Book, we will see how it ends, with God’s wrath levied against the evildoers. And believe me, our God might be LOVING, merciful and all those good things, but He’s no pushover, and I don’t think any of us will willingly want to experience His wrath. Just read about the ‘sufferation’ the Jewish people underwent for their disobedience to God, and all those other nations who got too big and proud to follow God. Where are they now eh? On the junk pile of history. 

But that’s a decision each one of must make, so I am pleading with us to make the decision to live for Jesus, because that’s the ONLY wise and sensible one. As Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) likes to say, there are consequences to every decision, but eternal wisdom decrees to: ‘obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.’ You can’t argue with that statement. So, for those of us who have already committed our lives to Jesus, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. 

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

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

Now, let’s rise up and go out and share those blessings just as generously with others as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know, LOVE and glorify Him as we do! Much LOVE!

…if the Son shall set you free…you shall be free indeed… (John 8:36) 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 November 2021 Mark 5:36.

18 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

Mark 5:36.     Be not afraid, only believe.

Grace and peace friends! Grace and peace from our heavenly Father this damp and cloudy Thursday morning in my neighbourhood! But as we know, that unwelcome physical day is no barrier to our living for Jesus, because in that grace and peace He gives us the wherewithal to handle whatever we need to in His awesome name. Ah mih people, God’s grace covers everything, every aspect of our life, and it just keeps overflowing when we stay in touch with Him. In other words, His grace is perfect! 

And when you add His eternal peace to the mix, your life becomes so wonderful, so miraculous and mysterious that you find it hard to believe. But please believe it, because it’s true! With Jesus in our lives, any number can play at any time, unexpected adventure is always in the air, we just have to believe and be prepared, waiting expectantly with bated breath.(smile) For who knows where He will lead us on any particular day? But it’s for sure that wherever He leads, He will also be there to protect, since He’s faithfully promised never to leave nor forsake us. 

And the beauty of the situation is that we only need to believe. And there are so many scriptures which highlight the importance of believing that we ought to look at some of them. Now let’s begin with this one from John’s first epistle, where he says: ‘And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and LOVE one another, as he gave us commandment.’ (1 John 2:23) 

And if you don’t believe John, then listen to Jesus with this seminal, formative, ground-breaking scripture. ‘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.’ (John 3:16) Oh my people, that’s a scripture we all know and quote but obviously don’t truly or fully believe, otherwise there wouldn’t be as many doubts about Jesus as are currently running rampant through our church, and the fear and anxiety that are holding so many supposed believers’ prisoners of doubt. 

Don’t forget Jesus’ words to Martha when He asked that they roll away the stone from her brother Lazarus’ grave, and she balked because of the expected stench that would emanate from the tomb. ‘Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?’ (John 11:40) 

And listen to Jesus again as He was on His way to heal the daughter of a synagogue leader, but tarried a moment to talk to the woman with the issue of blood who had touched the hem of His garment and was made whole. To her He said: ‘’Daughter thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague (affliction).’ (Mark 5:34) And what is faith eh mih brethren? Simply, strong belief in something or someone. That woman believed that if she could only touch some part of Jesus’ garment, she would be healed, and that’s exactly how it turned out. 

But while Jesus was dealing with the woman, the synagogue leader’s people came and told him that his daughter was dead. However, ‘As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.’ (Mark 5:36) Meaning to keep on believing that He would do what He set out to do; that is heal his daughter, which He eventually did. (Mark 5:41-42) 

And how can we not remember Jesus’ memorable words to the disciple Thomas who refused to believe that Christ was risen from the dead until he saw Him and put his hands in the scars of His wounds. When Jesus finally appeared to Thomas, He said to him. ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.’ (John 20:27-29) 

That’s us friends! Jesus is referring to people like us who haven’t seen Him in physical person but still believe in Him and all that He stands for. Then we have that very interesting situation when Bruh Paul and Silas were in prison in Philippi, praying and singing psalms at midnight and a sudden earthquake occurred, broke down the prison doors and set all the prisoners free from their chains… but none escaped. 

And when the jailer found that his prisoners were all accounted for, He turned to Bruh Paul and Silas and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (household).’ (Acts 16:30-31) That’s exactly what he did. After hearing the word of God, he believed! He and his whole household were baptized. (Acts 16:32-34) 

Now, there are many other scriptures encouraging belief, but we’ll end with these words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed (put to shame). For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.’ (Rom. 10:9-12) 

And that’s the truth in spades! The Lord treats ALL who call upon His holy name richly, regardless of who or what you are. One caution here though. The scholars tell us, re ‘Confession made unto Salvation: One is not saved by his mouth’s confession, but rather, the mouth testifies readily of the grace of God in Christ which has been received by faith.’ So the confession of the mouth is just a vehicle for one’s testimony. (smile) 

And one of the many benefits of sincerely believing in Jesus is that He endows us with numerous blessings which enable us to be His ambassadors and do His earthly work. However, since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared, (chuh!!!) let’s declare what we call our Thursday Blessings in strong voice with mucho gratitude. 

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!’ 

Now, it’s our responsibility to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as Christ shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…only believe…only believe…in JESUS…                                                                                                                                

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 November 2021 Psalm 50:14.

04 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 50:14.     Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High:

Well hello there my beautiful Scrip-Bit Family! The grace, peace and LOVE of our great God be upon us this new and exciting day! And it is exciting simply because we are alive and kicking! Could you imagine what we’d be saying if we hadn’t woken up this morning… (smile) I don’t know. But I do know that many of us would not have been happy. Yes, it is good to go to heaven and meet our Saviour, but many of us are just not ready yet, and obviously the Lord isn’t ready for us either, otherwise He would have taken us home. That means He still has important work down here on earth for us to do. 

Therefore, let us declare as the psalmist so appropriately and joyfully did a long time ago…shout it out loud: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) And that should be our motto for each and every day that we draw breath on God’s great and wonderful, though evil and ungodly earth! Yes, friends, with Jesus leading our lives, we ought to be in a joyful mood for most of the day, despite our earthly problems, since He is the Giver and Comforter of our lives. 

And I like how Asaph the psalmist puts it on God’s behalf in Psalm 50 – titled God is the judge. He writes: ‘Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ (Ps. 50:14-15) Oh my people those are two of the basic foundational rules of our faith: Praise God and ask Him for help. One leads to the other. We can’t ask for help unless we give Him thanks and praise, adoration and reverence, acknowledging that He’s the Mightiest of the Mighty! 

Now, it won’t do any harm to look at a few scriptures that uphold that contention, would it? (smile) The prophet Hosea said it thus to his people Israel. ‘O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.’ (Hos. 14:2) 

And what does all of that mean. Listen to the scholars. ‘14:1-3. Calves of our lips: The word ‘calves’ (Heb. par, “a young bull or produce”) is best understood metaphorically, referring to the words that lips produce – in this context praise to the Lord. The nation had used its lips to praise the idolatrous calves; now it will use its lips in praise to the Lord God.’ 

But yuh know what? Sadly, that exact same iniquity can be placed at our feet. In the last thirty or so years we have indeed turned from the God of our fathers to idolatrous worship. Nowadays we worship everything from money to men, and yet we expect our society to flourish and prosper. We obviously have forgotten these most important words of Moses to the Israelites. ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:18) 

And since the Lord our God does not change, it means that that condition still applies to all societies. Yes, societies can seem to get wealthy and opulent, but they never last, because the Good Book tells us in Psalm 127:1. ‘Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep (guards) the city, the watchman waketh (stays awake) but in vain.’ 

It doesn’t take a genius to understand that. Unless a society stands sincerely and securely on the Word of God, whatever it builds doesn’t last. And we are currently experiencing that awesome truth my brethren. Our society is crumbling fast, and the only thing that can stop it from going to hell in a handbasket is our turning back to the Lord our God. Or, as the author of Hebrews so wisely puts it: ‘By him (Jesus) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.’ (Heb. 13:15) 

Oh my people, that’s the wisest move we can make in these deeply troubled and sorrowful times. And it doesn’t take a lot of wisdom to realize it either, for we have tried everything else and nothing’s working for us, the strife, hatred, anger, sickness and misery are becoming worse every day. The only thing we haven’t yet tried is a return to our roots, to the God we used to reverence, adore and worship not so long ago. And these words of Eliphaz, Job’s supposed friend, when he mistakenly implored Job to repent do serve as a wonderful reminder to us today of what’s to be gained in serving the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

Eliphaz said: ‘Acquaint now thyself with him (God), and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles (tents, homes). Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. 

Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense (gold), and thou shalt have plenty of silver. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.’ (Job 22:21-28) 

Oh friends, it’s same basic advice that the Lord gave Joshua and every other prophet to speak unto the people: Honour me and I will make thy way safe and prosperous. But instead, we have chosen to dishonour God, even going so far as to try to get rid of Him from our society. But that‘s only a fool’s pipe dream! The Creator of the universe will never allow His foolish, prideful and arrogant creation to kick Him out of what He created, just like He did not allow that other fool, Lucifer, now known as Satan, the evil one, to kick Him out of heaven. 

So please, let’s wake up, be the wise creation that the Lord boasts of, and realize that our ONLY HOPE is God Almighty. And He is still so good to us, despite our terrible iniquity, because He so dearly LOVES us, that He showers those of us who want to work for Him with magnificent blessings to do that work. But since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s spoken out loud, let’s declare what we call our Thursday Blessings in loud voice to put them into effect. 

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 the corollary to that, is we now must go out and share all those blessings as generously with others as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…the fear (reverential awe) of the Lord…is the beginning of knowledge…but fools despise wisdom and instruction… (Prov. 1:7) 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   14 October 2021 John 10:10b.

14 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

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

John 10:10b.     I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

And is it ever a beautiful looking day out there today my people! Sunshine, blue skies, with the leaves on the trees displaying a myriad of amazing fall colours; red, green, yellow, gold, russet and numerous combinations of them all! It is indeed one of those days when we have to raise our heads, hearts, eyes and hands, and sincerely declare: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! Yes friends, it’s one of those days that’s so beautiful, that despite our many problems, rejoicing comes naturally to our soul! Glory be! 

And when we add the wonder of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to all that, can you imagine the fire that’s set a burning in our spirits and souls! Wow! It’s what really makes life worth living! It’s the abundant life that Jesus spoke of when He said: ‘The thief cometh only but to for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) 

Oh my people, only with Jesus as the cornerstone, the foundation of our lives can we ever hope to attain and enjoy that abundant life which we all so desire. And the abundant life is not just one filled with good earthly things, but even more with wonderful spiritual and heavenly things, like salvation and forgiveness of sins, peace in the midst of the storm, unconditional LOVE, reconciliation to God the Father, justification through the Son and a transfer of His righteousness to us through His demise on the cross. 

Now how can you ever desire or acquire a better life than that eh? No way! And that’s what Jesus’ brings to our lives when we put Him first in all our dealings. Not second or third, but a faraway first! He doesn’t play second fiddle in any band, that’s any life, but always first. And that’s where so many of us fall down; we try to relegate Christ to the least or less important positions in our lives, but still expect to enjoy the abundant life that He alone can provide. That’s utter foolishness friends! 

For only when Christ is truly Number One in our lives, will the abundant life ever flow our way. It’s a built-in requirement of the Father, and who can say Him nay eh? None of us, since He’s the Creator and controller of our universe. And I believe it’s right and wise and proper (smile) that right here, in these turbulent and dangerous times, we should consider the words of the prophet Isaiah as he long ago spoke of the majesty of the Lord. Yes my brethren, it’s in serious times like these that we need to remember who our God really is, so please listen up to Isaiah, when he asks? 

‘Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted (measured) out heaven with the span (9 inches), and comprehended (calculated) the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his councillor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgement (justice), and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop of (in) a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance (in fine dust on balance): behold, he taketh (lifteth) up the isles as a very little thing.’ (Is. 40:12-15) 

Oh my fellow believers, NO ONE assisted the Lord our God in creating the universe and all therein! He is the SOLE CREATOR AND RULER of the universe! And until we, mankind, His creation, wake up and realize that awesome fact, we will forever be holding the proverbial short and heifer dust end of the stick! 

Listen to these explanations from the scholars re the Freedom of God. ‘40:13. God is the only Being in the universe that possesses independence from the Creation. The only limits to God’s freedom are in His own nature and attributes. He is unlimited in His existence. Because His existence relates to His nature rather than His will. God will exist forever. He who exists by reason of His nature rather than His volition (will, choice), must have existed – and must continue to exist – forever. 

Illustration: When God revealed His name to Moses at the burning bush, He called himself “I AM” (Ex. 3:13-15). This name emphasizes God’s self-existence, the fact that He has always existed and always will. Application: Neither anyone nor any outside force will affect God’s relationship to us. He will deal with us according to His nature because He is free from outside influence. (First ref. Gen. 6;17; Primary ref. Is. 40:13; cf. Rom. 12:1).’ 

Yes faithful saints, NOTHING, or NO ONE, will or cannot influence our God, re His dealings with us, or anything else, for He is a law, or rather, the LAW unto Himself. And I don’t know what it will take for us to fully realize and appreciate that fact nuh, so that we can revere and be obedient to His dictates, and thus stay in His good graces. 

And it’s not like we don’t have the example of the Archangel Lucifer trying to overthrow Him, but fought a losing battle and was unceremoniously kicked out of heaven with his foolish minions. So, I just can’t understand why we are allowing that once powerful Lucifer, who is now the powerless Satan, to turn us against our Creator, the same way he deceived our forefathers Adam and Eve. It’s totally non-understandable, non-comprehensible, in fact, totally foolish and stupid, since he has nothing better to offer us. All his glittering stuff is just that, glitter, with no gold! A façade, or frontispiece with no inside. 

So please, let’s ignore his deceitful entreaties like the sickness and plague they are nuh. Instead, let’s look to our heavenly Father who in His LOVING-kindness, bestows numerous blessings on us to do His earthly work, which we refer to as our Thursday Blessings. And since a blessing is not a blessing until it is declared, let’s declare them in strong voice right now: 

Altogether: ‘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 have been so generously blessed, let’s go out and share those blessings just as generously with others, so that they can come to know and LOVE Jesus just like we have! Much LOVE!

…regardless of what the world says…the good and abundant life can ONLY be found…in Jesus…                                                                                                            

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

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