Today’s Scrip-Bit   9 September 2022 Psalm 105:4.

09 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 105:4.       Seek ye the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

Oh friends, it’s Friday, and many of us around the world have already shouted that seminal phrase: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ But unfortunately, many of us around the world are also mourning the passing yesterday of Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II, in her 97th year, having reigned for almost 71 consistent years on the throne of Great Britain, after being unexpectedly thrown into the spotlight by the abdication of her uncle and the death of her father. 

Just the numbers alone say a lot, and regardless of how you felt about the Queen herself, her family or the monarchy, you have to admit that we’ve lost one of the very few strong and steadfast leaders in our crazy world. Much of her power has been eroded over the years, but her diplomacy was legendary, and she was undoubtedly the one steady spoke in the wheel that kept the United Kingdom and many parts of the universe from falling apart or going on dangerous strategic runs. 

Let us pray that her son, King Charles III will keep that steadfastness and diplomacy of his mother going, because we desperately need a lot of that in our leaders, instead of the despotic, autocratic and dictatorial attitudes that are currently prevalent. Our sincere condolences to the Royal Family. We forget that they are people just like us, with the same human frailties and feelings. May the Lord receive you into His glory Queen Elizabeth the second! 

Ah mih people, with strife and hatred prevalent in more places around the world than peace and LOVE, it’s sad and frustrating to lose one of the few people who sincerely tried to keep matters on an even keel. But that’s life, we all have to go home to our Maker one day, and the world goes on in whatever fashion without us. And much to our chagrin, very few leaders in this day and age can be said to have made a positive difference in the lives of their people, and in the world in general. 

It’s interesting to note that the U.K now has a new King, or titular leader, and also a new Prime Minister, or active leader, a female at that. Hopefully that’s a sign for better days to come. In the meanwhile though, all of us plebs, (smile) must continue to do as the psalmist advises in Psalm 105. ‘Seek ye the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth.’ (Ps. 105:4-5) 

Yes friends, seeking God’s face and remembering all that He’s done in our lives is extremely important, especially in times of serious change like our world is currently experiencing. That’s because the Lord God Almighty is the One who has brought us this far, and who will determine our future by our righteousness. 

Remember the promise of God the prophet Jeremiah made to the people of Israel, when they were in captivity in Babylon? ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11-13) 

Oh my brethren, that is exactly what the Lord is saying to us today too. We desperately need to come to Him with full surrender and trust, seek Him with all our hearts, if we want our world to be improved. There are no ifs, ands, and buts about that! Only if we sincerely seek the face of the Lord God Jehovah, turn away from all the evil idols we’re currently worshipping, give up all the ungodly things of the world that are still so much a part of our lives, will we ever find the One, True, Living God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! 

Jesus also made that very clear when He commanded us: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 16:33) All of us know that foundational scripture, yet we refuse to practice it. Instead, we continue running down the things of the world like wealth and power, on our own. That’s the total opposite of what Jesus taught and what the heavenly Father expects. And please don’t think that because you are a Christian you cannot possess a lot of the earth’s wealth and power, because there are a lot of rich and powerful believers in the world, but you just have to do it according to the Lord’s will and timing. 

And it is of the utmost importance that we read, know, inwardly digest and practice these words of scripture from the first epistle of John. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interests), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17) 

Ah my fellow saints, when are we going to stop paying lip service to our God and His will eh? When are we going to begin taking His edicts and promises very seriously eh, and realize that a lot of our current suffering rests on our own sinful and ungodly desires and behaviour? Until we wake up and be transformed in our minds and actions, our world will continue to go down the drain in spectacular fashion. So, having said all of that that, the first thing on our agenda of change, is prayer. So, in confident but humble voice, let’s go to the throne of God, through our Friday Chant and ask for His benevolent help. 

Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that viruses and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the viruses and the unrest in our streets. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. 

And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And if we sincerely want divine help, then we must keep our promises, and have right motives in our hearts. Much LOVE!

…true leaders lead by example…as Jesus did…not by deceit or force…as Satan does… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 July 2022 John 17:15.

13 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

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

John 17:15.       I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

And then it was Wednesday, the middle day of our workweek, when we ostensibly catch our second wind. (smile) Now that only applies to some of us, because many of us never catch a second breath, since the week is usually over by the time we do that. (smile) It’s amazing how some of us allow work, our jobs and positions to dictate all that we do and are. But it ought not to be so, for our main purpose in this world is being a grateful and productive child of God, and our jobs are only incidental to that. 

We must not allow what we do to become who we are for that’s the way of the world. In other words, the world says what you do gives you the importance, power and meaning to your life. But in God’s kingdom it’s entirely different. There you are a child of God, first and foremost, everything else is icing on the cake. That’s why Jesus advised and encouraged us to ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

Yes friends, if we are children of God, then our focus should always be on the things of God and not the things of the world. That brings us to the Christian saying that we are in the world, but not of the world. However, I do like how the article on the subject in the desiringgod.org website revisits that slogan. 

And they quote John 17:14-19. ‘ I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.’ 

It’s obvious that Jesus doesn’t want us to be a part of the world, however, as the article continues: ‘But notice that for Jesus being “not of the world” isn’t the destination in these verses but the starting place. It’s not where things are moving toward, but what they’re moving from. He is not of the world, and he begins by saying that his followers are not of the world. But it’s going somewhere. Jesus is not huddling up the team for another round of kumbaya, but so that we can run the next play and advance the ball down the field. 

Enter verse 18: “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” And don’t miss the surprising prayer of verse 15: “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”  Jesus is not asking his Father for his disciples to be taken out of the world, but he is praying for them as they are “sent into” the world. He begins with them being “not of the world” and prays for them as they are “sent into” the world. So maybe it would serve us better — at least in light of John 17 — to revise the popular phrase “in, but not of” in this way: “not of, but sent into.” 

The beginning place is being “not of the world,” and the movement is toward being “sent into” the world. The accent falls on being sent, with a mission, to the world — not being mainly on a mission to disassociate from this world.’ Now, hopefully that gives us some food for thought, (smile) and makes us realize that as disciples of Christ it’s our bounden duty to go into the world and make others want to come to Him. 

For, as the article concludes: ‘Jesus’s true followers have not only been crucified to the world, but also raised to new life and sent back in to free others. We’ve been rescued from the darkness and given the Light not merely to flee the darkness, but to guide our steps as we go back in to rescue others.’ And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! And I’m chuckling here because that wasn’t where I intended to go, although I’m not sure where I intended to go. (smile) But that’s the interesting thing in writing on scripture; you end up in places that often surprise you. 

Anyway, I believe the article is interesting, and the points very valid. Jesus doesn’t just want us to stay away or get out of the world, for how then would we make disciples of the world? It’s more like we are to dig deeper into it, using all our protective armour and the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit to infiltrate Satan’s kingdom and release the captives being held in the darkness there. That’s why we’ve been given all the tools we have. Not just for us to prance around like hypocritical ninnies and claim we are Christians, but to actually do the work we have been called to do! 

And I don’t know how we cannot truly live for Jesus when He and His words are ever so beautiful. Just listen to how He closes out that prayer nuh. ‘O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: But I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. and I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the LOVE wherewith thou hast LOVED me, may be in them, and I in them.’ (John 17:25-26) 

Now aren’t those extremely beautiful sentiments? Yes! And they are all in our favour, on our behalf! So how could we not LOVE and worship Jesus eh? Only if we are sinful, ungodly ingrates! But for those of us who are just the opposite and do our best to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And lest we forget, if we endure to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. Now, please let that encourage and reassure us to endure to the very end! (smile) Much LOVE!

…Jesus doesn’t ask us to do anything…He didn’t or wouldn’t do… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 March 2022 John 14:15.

10 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

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

John 14:15.      If ye LOVE me keep my commandments.

Oh my people, we’ve been blessed with one more day on God’s glorious earth…with sunshine to boot! What an honour! You can search all the obits and you won’t find our names there, (smile) that’s because the Lord still has work down here on earth for us to do. So let’s get to it nuh, with both diligence and excellence, two hallmarks of Christ’s ministry. 

Yes, friends, these troubled times are desperately crying out for the hand of Jesus, His awesome revitalizing touch, to bring some semblance of calm and peace to them. He is the ONLY ONE who can do that miraculous job! Remember when He simply said to the raging storm on the Sea of Galilee ‘Peace be still,’ (Mark 4:39) and both the wind and the sea obeyed? 

Well, right now He’s asking us to get real serious about the Great Commission He gave us two thousand years ago, that’s spreading His gospel, the good news, the wonderful offer of salvation and eternal life that He sacrificed His sinless self on the cross of Calvary for us to have. 

And that’s because His Word is the only thing that will reverse the tremendous slide that’s recently taken place towards the side of evil and ungodliness, where anger, hate, strife and greed rule the roost, and so many people get annoyed and angry when you call the name of Jesus. Living wrong seems to be the big thrill these days. But as the song asks: ‘What’s wrong with living right eh?’ What’s wrong with living for Jesus? 

To my mind, nothing at all! In fact, it’s the ONLY wise and truthful way to live! And that’s how He is asking us to live in these scary and uncertain times…for Him. As He simply said when He was here on earth: ‘If ye LOVE me keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) Yes my brethren, they are a few simple words, but they carry a rather profound meaning. We can’t truly LOVE Him unless we keep His commandments, do what He asks of us. 

Now, we obviously have not done what He asks of us, at least not the extent we need to, otherwise our world would not be in the sad and sorrowful state it’s currently in. Satan would not have the terrible vise-like, death-grip on our world that he now has. Not enough people have heard of Christ and His good news gospel, neither have we been good enough examples of Christ-like living. 

Sadly, many have been turned off of Jesus because of the hypocritical way we supposed Christians live. We talk one way, but in actual fact live another, like the Pharisees of old, who Jesus called ‘whitewashed sepulchres’ or tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but are thoroughly unclean within. (Matt. 23:27) 

And unfortunately, until the bulk of us believers truly begin living for Jesus, both on the outside and the inside, our words of salvation and eternal life won’t make much difference to the unbelievers, and Satan will retain his vise-like grip on the neck of our world, continually dragging us down to hell with him. 

Oh, I know I’m not painting a pretty picture, but that’s just how it is. It’s the reality of the situation. With all the amazing resources we currently have to spread God’s Word, we ought to be doing better than we are. The problem is that we don’t take Jesus’ words as seriously as we should. Words like ‘seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things (you need) shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

And we forget Jesus’ prayer request to the Father on our behalf. ‘I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.’ (John 17:14-16) 

However, despite Christ’s intervention on our behalf too many of us still seek the things of the world, it’s wealth, power, social standing and other stuff that does not help us in our walk with Christ. And since God has given us free will to do as we please, if we choose to live a life filled with the things of the world, He won’t stop us. 

Sadly, not enough of us are standing up strong for Jesus. Can you imagine the impact that we would have as Christians, if all of us stood up strong and fought tenaciously for Christ? We’d run over the unbeliever, bring them to the realization that Christ is truly the name above every other name, the ONE to whom they must bow and acknowledge as Lord and Saviour! 

But we must wake up, realize that things are in a truly terrible state, then get serious, let the Holy Spirit of Christ fill us up with His unmatched power, put on His spiritual armour and get out there and fight to the death for Him! That’s the only way we will lessen Satan’s power upon this fallen earth. 

And the Lord in His wisdom has given us all the words and tools we need to do His will, amongst them are what we call our Thursday Blessings, so we can’t complain that He’s left us clueless and toolless. (smile) However, we have to invoke them, or declare (steups!!!) them out loud for them to take effect. So, let’s do that right now nuh, in strong and confident voice. 

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

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

And having made those blessed pronouncements, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and help others, share those blessings with them just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so they will want to come to Him and accept His easy yoke and light burden!  Much LOVE?

…our duty is simple…fulfill the Great Commission…and though it’s not easy…God’s given us all we need to do it… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   5 November 2021 Proverbs 15:16.

05 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 15:16.     Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble therewith.

Well, like it’s finally begun friends. I’m talking about the season of frost. That’s when you awaken in the mornings and see your car windshields frozen with ice. And before you go to work or leave work to go home, you have to scrape off the annoying ice, which can ofttimes be very thick and most frustrating to remove. And the presence of frost only means one thing, we’re getting closer to winter and that beautiful white fluffy stuff we so adorably label snow, but which can be ever so dangerous, like the devil, if it gets its claws into you. (smile)  

Like day follows night, the seasons follow each other, another one of God’s many awesome mystical set ups in His amazing universe. But that’s all a part of living in the cold, northern climes. So, you just grin and bear it, and move on with your life. And as always, the Lord does give you the wherewithal to handle whatever He allows to come against you. And though you never really get accustomed to it, or even like it, except you are a skier or someone who likes snow sports, with the joy of Jesus living within you, you can even enjoy it some of the times. 

Take me, for example. When I first came here, I went all over the cold, snowy land with an ice-hockey team from my workplace, and that got me acclimatized to the situation much quicker than if I had just shied away from it. Fast forward some forty something years later, I still find it’s beautiful when it’s nice and clean, but do my best to stay away from it, especially when other human beings are also plowing through it. Anyhow, enough on the snow scene, let’s not encourage it to come any sooner than it will. (smile) 

What I am guided to talk about today is an ungodly and distasteful matter that leads too many of us believers around by the nose, like a chained animal. And Cousin Sol put’s it very nicely in Proverbs, when he declares: ‘Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble therewith. Better is a dinner of herbs (vegetables) where LOVE is, than a stalled ox (fatted calf) and hatred therewith.’ (Prov. 15:16-17) 

And if that isn’t the God-awesome truth, I don’t know what is! For the presence of the Lord within a home, is so wonderful and refreshing, even when there isn’t a whole lot to eat, while hatred within a home where plenty exists, substantially detracts from the very satisfaction that having plenty ought to bring. As the scholars so wisely remind us: ‘15:16. Spiritual riches are better than material riches.’ 

And Cousin Sol touches on the subject again in Proverbs 16 and 17, where he claims: ‘Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right (justice).’ (Prov. 16:8) ‘Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than a house full of sacrifices (sacrificial meals) with strife.’ (Prov. 17:1) And we see it all around us in this world full of plenty. Many of those households are unhappy despite their plentiful material riches, while the poorer households that have a reverential awe of the Lord dwell together much better. 

As Bruh David says in Psalm 133 – The joy of brotherhood. ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.’ (Ps. 133:1) But that can only be accomplished if there is a strong connection with the Lord God Jehovah, and thus the absence of negative things like hatred and envy. Bruh David himself also talks about the value of spiritual over material wealth in that famous Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. There he proclaims: ‘A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of the many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.’ (Ps. 37:16-17) 

And that’s no lie friends, for within the same psalm, Bruh David sincerely advises us to: ‘Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:8-9) That’s a faithful promise of God, so we know that it will eventually come to pass. 

That means we ought to be careful how we live on this ungodly, evil earth and not run down the material wealth it seeks to compromise us with. Instead, we ought to do like Jesus advised: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That’s wisdom in spades my brethren! It’s the wisest decision we can ever make on this earth. 

Let us not forget these marvellous words of Bruh Paul to Timothy either. ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us therewith be content. But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction). For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds of) evil; which while some coveted after, have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith).’ (1 Tim. 6:6-10) 

And we all know that’s the gospel truth, because the LOVE of money (greed) is all around us, especially in these troubled and frustrating times, and everyday it’s leading somebody to ruin and destruction. So please, let’s wake up nuh mih people, and stop selling our souls to Beelzebub for a few worthless baubles and bangles that we cannot take with us when our bodies return to the dust from whence it came. We need to be more concerned about our spiritual self which will live on after the body turns to dust. And we can only do that if we have a right relationship with Almighty God, the Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein. 

Consequently, as Jesus has enabled us to do, let’s take this marvellous opportunity and go to Him in prayer, through our Friday Chant, humbly, but confidently asking for His divine help. As one strong and sincere voice. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. 

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

But please remember, to get that divine help, we need to keep our earthly promises. Much LOVE!

…it’s useless…to have plenty earthly wealth…but no peace of mind… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 October 2021 Mark 5:36.

23 Oct 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.

Saturday, oh Saturday, the day of leisure…and hopefully pleasure! Yes friends, it’s the big day called Saturday, where we party and play and do things we can’t do on workdays, including housework, laundry and grocery shopping. (smile) Yeh, some of us work harder on a Saturday than we do all week at our workplaces. But that’s all a part of our wonderful modern life. On Saturdays, we also turn to the quotes our friend Anselm sent us during the past week and see if we can make sense of them. So let’s get with that task nuh. 

And the first quote tells us: ‘Everyone visualizes whether he knows it or not. Visualizing is the great secret of success.’ And we all do visualize stuff, see it in our mind’s eye, see it the way we would like it to look in reality. But I don’t know if I will call it the secret of success, though it is an important aspect of being successful, because we can’t bring something to pass successfully unless we have some idea of how the project will look and operate. And that falls right into the lap of this next quote, which says: ‘To accomplish great things we must not only act but also dream, not only plan but also believe.’ 

That’s the gospel truth! Dreaming is a part of visualizing, of looking forward to what can be, or what you’d like to see come to pass or accomplish. And after you’ve dreamt about it, looked at it from all different angles, then you formulate a plan to make it a reality. But in all those stages, one thing is absolutely necessary for success, that’s belief that the project will be successful. You must believe it deep down in your heart and soul, else you will not put the necessary energy and effort, the plenty elbow crease, and constant starting over that some projects need to bring them to fruition. 

Belief, strong belief is vital in all we do! The problem though is often the source of our belief, whether it can actually do what it promises, or we believe it can. Note what Jesus said to Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, who came and pleaded for Him to come and heal his sick twelve-year-old daughter. On the way there, Jesus healed the woman with the blood issue who came through the throng and touched his clothing. (Mark 5:21-34) But while He was talking to the woman, Jairus’ people came and said that his daughter had died. However, as soon as Jesus heard it, He said to Jairus: ‘Be not afraid, only believe.’ (Mark 5:37) 

Now what did Jesus mean there eh? Basically, that Jairus was to believe that Jesus would and could do what He had promised, that is heal his daughter. And so it is with us, who claim to believe in Jesus. We must believe in the promises He’s made to give us a good future and a hope, of forgiveness of sins, leading to salvation and life eternal with Him in heaven. 

The problem with belief is that it must be based on something solid, like tying a rope to big, sturdy rock, or a ship to a big anchor. And the sturdiest, safest and surest thing in this world is Jesus! He’s shown how strong, sturdy and reliable He is by His death on the cross, His resurrection and ascension back to heaven, and His sending of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in His place. Wow! You couldn’t get any more reliable than that. 

Meanwhile, the next quote says: ‘Most people are thinking about what they don’t want, and they’re wondering why it shows up over and over again.’ And is that ever so true, for what we focus on is what we usually get. Cousin Sol said it long ago in Proverbs. ‘As a man thinks, so is he.’ (Prov, 23:7) That’s why, if we don’t want to reap negativity, then we need to stop concentrating on the negative aspects of life and instead concentrate on the positive ones, so that we can reap positive actions or results. 

And that segues right into the following quote. ‘Be thankful for what you have, you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never ever have enough.’ Words of heavenly wisdom my brethren! Especially in this society of plenty, where we all have so much stuff, stuff that we don’t use or can’t find, yet we still desire more. It’s a symptom of what we just spoke about; what you concentrate on is what will happen. If you keep thinking about more earthly stuff, then you will go out seeking it. With that kind of mindset you will never be satisfied with or appreciate what you already have. 

That recalls Jesus words from the Sermon on the Mount: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Yes friends, the wise action is to seek God first; above everything else, and He will provide all that you need. Remember Bruh Paul’s words to the Philippians? ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And He is a God who faithfully keeps His promises, as we can see from this last quote: ‘Stop waiting for somebody to elevate your game. You are already equipped with everything you need to manifest your own greatness.’ 

And if you are a believer in Christ Jesus, then that’s the indisputable truth! And you ask in a perplexed manner, what am I talking about? I’m talking about the fruit of the Holy Spirit my people; that’s LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness) meekness, temperance (self-control). (Gal. 5:22-23) Yes, it was all deposited in us when we received Christ, now it’s just left for us to water, prune and nourish those seeds so that they can grow and bear bountiful fruit, so that others can see and also believe. 

As Bruh Paul advises us, ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.’ And it’s not to work for salvation, because you can’t do that, since it’s a free gift of grace from God. (Eph. 2:8) The scholars explain it thus: ‘2:12. Work out your own salvation does not mean that you should work for salvation in order to obtain it. The Greek phrase “work out” denotes the expression, manifestation, or actualization of something one already possesses. The Philippians are to “work out” the salvation God has already wrought in them (vs. 13), carrying it to its logical conclusion. 

God has granted them salvation not just for their own profit, but for the good of others as well. If they work out and manifest the new life divinely worked in them, they will live lives worthy of the gospel (1:27), in harmony with each other (vs. 2), seeking the progress of the gospel. They will also regard one another as more important than themselves (vs.3), be concerned with the needs of their fellows (vs. 4),and make the appropriate sacrifices in obedience to God, as did Jesus, In doing all this they will work out or express the new life they have through Christ.’ 

And it’s the same thing we need to do my fellow saints in Christ, even more so in these desperate and dangerous times we are now living in. If we are to be true believers, then we need to raise the level of our faith and faithful action right now, obviously with God’s help! Much LOVE!

…if you don’t believe in Jesus…the King of Kings…Lord of Lords…the Prince of Peace… and the Son of Jehovah God…in whom then will you believe eh…                                                                                                      

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 September 2021 Colossians 3:2.

04 Sep 2021 Leave a comment

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

Colossians 3:2.     Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.

Saturday, oh blessed lazy Saturday! Are we ever so glad to see you on this Labour Day long weekend. Hope you don’t have too many serious plans for me; except those that include lazing around and frolicking. Yes, I do know that the Covid 19 virus and its dangerous family are still lurking somewhere in the weeds, just waiting to catch and kill gullible, unsuspecting, unprepared folks, but I pray I won’t be one of those, because of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ that’s leading and guiding me. 

And all God’s children gave a grateful shout of ‘Thank You Jesus!’ Yes, friends, there’s an awful lot we have to be thankful to Him for. However, He doesn’t just want word of mouth thanks, but a beautiful showing of it in our behaviour, in our everyday living, as we be the salt of the earth and the light of the world in His glorious name! 

So let’s try and concentrate on living the way He wants us to nuh. Let’s make it our top priority this Labour Day Saturday morning, even when we just lazing around or frolicking, because there is a time for each of those activities. As Cousin Sol so wisely says, as the Preacher. ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.’ (Eccl. 3:1) 

And seeing that it’s Saturday, our purpose today is to check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week. (smile) Listen to this first one: ‘I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.’ And that’s true. We can go almost wherever we want to go, if we want it badly enough. But the problem here, is where do we want to go so badly that we will do anything to get there? 

The truth of the matter is that too many of us want things that don’t really do any good for us, like worldly pleasures and accoutrements, and we just die, ofttimes sell our souls to get them. And that’s not wise my brethren, for as Jesus says: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) And as Bruh Paul further reminds us: ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.’ (Col. 3:1-2) 

In other words friends, we are not to focus on anything, be it good or bad, that will lead us away, and not towards our heavenly Father. And sometimes when we do go astray, this next quote can be helpful. ‘When people care for you and cry for you, they can straighten out your soul.’ Ah mih bredrin, that’s the beauty of having people in your life that care enough to cry and pray for you in those times when you seem to have lost your way. 

Oh, we don’t need a truckload of people praying and crying for us, just a serious and righteous few who will get through to God with their prayers, and to us with their tears! A praying and caring group of people around us is one of the most important assets we can ever have in this sinful and evil world. 

That leads us to these next two quotes which are basically the same. ‘Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.’ ‘That is the definition of faith – acceptance of that which we imagine to be true, that which we cannot prove.’ And indeed, so it is my fellow saints in Christ! As the Good Book tells us: ‘Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1) Faith is having hope in our hearts, believing for things that we do not yet see in reality. And as the quote says above ‘the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.’ 

Wow! How wonderful is that eh? And that’s the way God’s economy works my people! You believe, then you see! Not like the world acclaims: that seeing is believing, and touching is the naked truth! And that’s the unwavering kind of faith we need to believe in Christ Jesus and all the many promises He’s made us. Listen to how God’s Word puts it nuh. ‘Through faith we understand that the worlds (ages) were framed (prepared) by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (are visible).’ (Heb. 11:3) 

That’s the first basis, the very foundation of our faith friends; to believe that God spoke the world into existence, made something from nothing! And if you can’t believe that, then faith in Jehovah God is not possible. For His Word also tells us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) And all God’s children said a loud ‘Amen!’ Yes, my faithful brethren, we do need to say, ‘So let it be!’ Why? Because that’s how it is, how God desires it, and we can’t change it. 

That brings us to this last quote, another interesting one. ‘I believe every one of us is born with a purpose. No matter who you are, what you do, or how far you think you have to go, you have been tapped by a force greater than yourself to step into your God-given calling.’ And if that isn’t the indisputable truth, I don’t know what is nuh! That’s because from the day God created man, He appointed him to a purpose. Adam and Eve were to look after the Garden of Eden, be fruitful and multiply, live in LOVE with each other and have a close relationship with God. 

And though they spoiled the good thing they had, God’s desires and purposes for His most wonderful creation did not change. Hear what He said through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) And God kept that promise in spades, gave us the option for a future and a hope, when He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die in our place, so that we could be reconciled to Him and have eternal life! 

How much more can He do eh? He’s also a God of justice, which means He has to fulfil the law, and the law said, the wages of sin is death, so He couldn’t just pardon us willy nilly, otherwise He wouldn’t be fulfilling His righteous purpose as a judge. If we were to be forgiven and live in everlasting righteousness with Him, some sinless somebody had to pay for all the sins in the world, and Jesus was the only sinless somebody available. That way God satisfied His promises to give us a future and a hope, and also satisfied His eminent position of a righteous judge; that is justice must not only be done, but also seem to be done. 

So, God has done everything He can to bring us back into sincere fellowship with Him, because that was one of His original purposes for creating us. The rest is now up to us; whether we receive Christ as Lord and Saviour, or follow the foolish ex-archangel Lucifer to the eternal damnation. The choice is yours my friends! But as for me and my house…we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh. 24:15) Much LOVE!

…oh faith…please help me to believe what I don’t see…                                                                                                    

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 June 2021 Matthew 6:33.

11 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 6:33.      But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Well, a good Friday morning to all you blessed saints of Christ in the Scrip-Bit Family! May the Lord bless and guide us this fine day that He’s seen fit to grant us. And may we also enjoy it and do His bidding in earnest as we walk in peace and LOVE, and be excellent examples of His awesome grace and mercy, today, and every day that we draw breath! It’s so wonderful to know that as we live this earthly life that Jesus, our Lord and Saviour is looking out for us, every second, every minute, of every day! 

Oh my people, there’s not another caretaker in this world as wonderful as our Jesus! Wow! No wonder Bruh David could confidently say: ‘The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.’ Yes friends, with Jesus running our lives, there is no want for anything that’s necessary. But we need to give Him a reason to be so gracious to us, and we can best do that by surrendering our souls, our hearts, bodies and minds to Him, for He cannot do anything properly for us unless He has control. 

So it’s rather important that we remember His wise advice: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Yes my fellow saints, to get ALL that God has in store for us we must give Him total control of our lives, and then seek His will before anything else! That simply means He must have priority in our lives, be El Numero UNO! Number One! Nobody or nothing else must take precedence before or over Him, His will and word! 

Yes, it seems like a lot to ask of us, but in fact it’s very little, when compared with the many awesome and amazing benefits He provides to those who sincerely live for Him. Just think about what He’s already done for us nuh. He’s given us life for today, and for eternity if we accept His Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Now that alone is more than sufficient to earn our obedience! Unless you prefer to spend your next life in the burning fires of hell with that foolish demon Satan, who believed that he could overthrow the creator of the universe. 

And where did he end up eh? From being a powerful angel in heaven, he was kicked to the nether regions of the earth, to suffer a hellish existence. Is that the kind of life you desire? I certainly hope not. But just remember there are only two options on this subject, Jesus Christ and eternal life in heaven, or Satan and the damnation of hellfire! And if you don’t choose Jesus before your earthly body returns to the dirt from which it was made, then you will automatically be considered to have chosen the stoker of hell fires. 

That means you must make a conscious, definite decision to choose Jesus! Otherwise you are hell-bound! But enough of this hell stuff. (smile) I just want to give you one example of how our great God works, His wonders to perform. Remember Cousin Sol, when he ascended to his Father Bruh David’s throne, the Lord asked him what he desired, and instead of asking for health, wealth, long life and victory over his enemies, he beseeched God for wisdom and understanding to rule his people Israel. 

And that so warmed the cockles of God’s heart that He said to Cousin Sol. ‘Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart; so there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour: so that there shall not be any (anyone) among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen (prolong) thy days.’ (1 Kin. 3:12-14) 

Yuh see friends, that’s the kind of deity we worship; abounding in grace, mercy, generosity and LOVE, especially if we truly seek Him and His will. The problem in today’s world is that too many of us expect to receive good without giving anything good. But friends, nothing in this world is free, somebody has to pay for whatever we receive at some stage of the game. We were set free from the bondage of sin, if we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, and consequently made righteous in the eyes of God, but that’s only because Jesus paid for that privilege with the sacrifice of His sinless life on the cross at Calvary. 

We’ve become such an evil, godless society, a world so entangled in the foolish belief of entitlement, that we can’t see the forest for the trees, can’t see what’s real from what’s false. Please, let’s lose that false sense of entitlement nuh, and realize that we only receive what we work for, what we sow. As Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) likes to say: ‘You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.’ And that’s the gospel truth friends. That principle extends to both God’s kingdom as well as Satan’s. 

So, if you want to get ahead in any of them, you need to sow plenty seeds, be they good or bad. End of story! Now, here we intend to sow good seeds, so we’ll go to the Leader who specializes in sowing good seeds, Almighty God, and we’ll lay our problems before Him and ask for His divine, supernatural help. That means it’s time for our Friday Chant. 

As one strong and sincere voice, fulling believing that our requests will be granted: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife is causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. 

And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’  

And now friends, the only thing standing between us and a positive answer from God, is that example of faithful believers we just promised to set. Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…                                                                    

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 August 2020 Matthew 6:33.

17 Aug 2020 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 6:33.     But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 
 

‘Come leh we go, come leh we go!’ Yeh friends, is Monday morning, and that means is time for many of us to get up and go off to work, as safely and carefully as we can. Some of us have the benefit of being able to work from home, but many of us are not so blessed. And even worse, many of us don’t have a job to go to, and don’t know where and when the next penny or mouthful of food is going to come from, or when they are going to be evicted from their homes and businesses through non-payment of rent or mortgage. 

Ah mih people, these are indeed trying and uncertain times. Times like we’ve never had to deal with before, so there’s no example for us to follow, that’s why we’re making it up as we go and are stumbling at times, making mistakes like we will when the path is not clearly defined or lit. But the important thing is for us to realize that we’re ALL in this together, although we’re not ALL being affected in the same way. Thus it behooves us to work together as much as possible, and help the worse off ones when and where we can, because it’s only with a common goal and destination, and everyone taking our responsibilities seriously, that we’ll ever conquer our problems. That’s my penny’s worth! (smile) 

Let’s move on to a higher power, the Lord God Jehovah, let’s take our concerns to Him through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one strong voice now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. 

We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control. 

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

Yes my brethren, Jehovah God is the ONLY ONE who can truly help us with the many problems we are currently facing. But that will mean a complete turnaround in our attitude towards Him and His Word. And the billion-dollar question is are we ready to sincerely do so? We must be very serious about the matter, not just playing games like we so often do. We will have to give up our evil ways, our worldly lusts, the seeking of worldly treasure, wealth and pleasure. 

That means, as Jesus so wisely advised in His Sermon on the Mount: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:33-34) That should be clear and self-explanatory my people. True believers in Jesus, those who truly accept Him as their King, their Lord and Saviour, who have pledged their allegiance to Him, need to continually seek His kingdom, and its righteousness. Yes, it’s a continual seeking. 

As the scholars explain. ‘6:33-34. The contrast between the spiritual and material is again emphasized. The believer is to seek first the righteousness that is characteristic of God’s kingdom and then all these things (material things) shall be added to him. When our priority is spiritual, God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides. We need not even worry about tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’ 

I don’t know what else to say nuh friends, except to quote Jesus again from earlier on the topic of worrying. ‘Which of you by taking thought (by worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature (height)?’ (Matt. 6:27) And the answer to that friends, is NONE of us! So why do we keep on allowing the enemy to get into our heads and cause us to worry eh? For worrying is like Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, rocking in a rocking chair all day, but not moving anywhere. Worry helps nothing, only cause more problems, by draining away the li’l positive energy we have and turning it into a negative stumbling block. 

So when worry assails us, let’s do like Bruh Paul advises nuh: ‘Casting down imaginations (arguments) and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ (2 Cor. 10:5). In other words, ‘We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought and make it obedient to Christ.’ (NIV). 

‘Taking your thoughts captive simply means gaining control over what you think about yourself and your life. What you put in your mind has an effect on what you think. God has provided a way to overcome unhealthy thoughts and behaviors, and gain the self-control you seek. It’s a matter of taking charge of your life – His way.’ (crosswalk.com) 

So, in a nutshell, we need to stop listening to the devil, control our thoughts and seek God and His righteousness first in our lives. Much LOVE!

…if God is not our number one priority…then our lives are not right… 

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