Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 April 2022 Matthew 28:18.

02 Apr 2022 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 28:18.        All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Sunshine, lollipops and roses! Yes, my Scrip-Bit friends and family, that’s what we’re having this first Saturday morning in April: Sunshine, lollipops and roses! When last have you had that combination of God’s goodness eh? I know some of us have not had it in a long while, but Jesus is saying that today is the day for such rejoicing, in His name and the awesome power of his Holy Spirit! 

Our problem is that we have all we need to celebrate God’s goodness, but we either don’t receive it, or when we do receive it, we don’t manifest it, bring it out like He desires. Today though, we’re going to receive the goodness and grace of God, and also show it to the world! And we’re going to begin by doing what we usually do on Saturdays; that’s check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. 

And the first quote tells us without any reservation that ‘Big thinking precedes great achievement.’ Now there’s nothing to really doubt in that statement, because basic logic declares that our achievements line up in direct proportion to the size and quality of our thinking. That means big achievements can only come from big thinking, while small thinking will only manifest small achievements. And being a follower of Christ Jesus, it’s imperative that we think big and achieve big, for that’s our job. 

Jesus described it in His Great Commission; (Matt. 28:19-20) for us to go out and spread the gospel all over the world. Now that’s a Herculean task, one which we can only accomplish if we open our minds to the power and grace of our Lord and Saviour and accept all that He’s willing to give us, while transforming our thinking (Rom. 12:2) and giving up our selfish desires, that’s taking up our cross and following Him. (Matt. 16:24-26)   Remember His words that preceded the Great Commission: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.’ (Matt. 28:18) 

And we know that He never asks us to do anything without giving us the wherewithal to do it. And that’s exactly what He’s done by anointing every believer with the awesome power of His indwelling Holy Spirit, so that we can be successfully lead and guided to do the great work He desires of us! Oh friends, our God is a great and mighty Deity, the ONLY true and living One, and when we read His word, we see all the big and powerful things He’s done down through the ages. That means unless we think big, we’ll be belittling the power of our God. 

Now, Bruh Paul understood this principle when, after praying for the Ephesians to be strengthened in the inner man, and rooted and grounded in LOVE, he summarily declared: ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.’ (Eph. 3:20) He knew that he was not asking God for too much, because our mighty God could do even more than that. 

And that brings us to the next quote: ‘The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision.’ Now there’s much truth to that quote, if we define sight as someone who knows what to do but does nothing, or has wisdom and insight but don’t action them to the benefit of humanity. In other words, like Jesus said, people who hide their lights under a bushel or basket. And all of us know folks who can do much better than they are doing, but are just wasting their God-given abilities. 

That leads to this quote: ‘Dissatisfaction and discouragement are not caused by the absence of things but the absence of vision.’ I don’t know if I totally agree with that statement nuh, because sometimes our discouragement and dissatisfaction can be caused by the absence of things, but a lot of it can be caused by our lack of vision, not thinking things through properly. 

And I can talk to that quote personally because I have several projects in the works, which I believe I have properly envisioned (smile) but certain practicalities like time, money and faulty equipment are holding them up. And though I am somewhat dissatisfied, I’m not discouraged because I know that they are desires placed in my heart and mind by our great God, and thus, if I don’t give up, they will eventually be fruitful and multiply. 

And it’s why the following quote is oh so important in a believer’s life. ‘The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.’ Now that ought to be the Christian’s Mantra: ‘NEVER GIVE UP!’ For quitting is not in Christ’s vocabulary, He expects us to get back up, no matter how many times we fall. And the truth is that success cannot be truly accomplished or appreciated without some failure. That’s the story of most of those we consider important and world shaking; like the great inventors and power brokers, they all failed several times before they succeeded. 

As they say, there is no success without failure. ‘And Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall.’ The thing about failure is that it builds a good foundation for when we do achieve success. It teaches us how to operate in the future, we learn from our mistakes, and it builds our faith as we go through the adversity of defeat. And remember, you only fail when you stop trying! While you are trying, there’s always the possibility of success. 

And Cousin Sol said it best in Proverbs. ‘For a just (righteous) man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).’ (Prov. 24:16) And according to the scholars, that means ‘the righteous man always recovers, but the wicked man faces permanent destruction.’ Then there’s this appropriate verse from the longest chapter in the Good Book, Psalm 119. ‘It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes.’ (Ps. 119:71)

Yes friends, there’s learning and benefits in afflictions and failures, but we have to sort them out and use them to our benefit. That brings us to this last quote: ‘Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! The Lord has a defined and definite plan for each of us and we can only make our time here on earth worthwhile by consulting Him and then living it the way He’s planned it. Now, I know plenty of us are swayed by what others desire of us, to live their unfulfilled dreams, or their social, political and economic aspirations. 

But please don’t let anyone encourage or force you to live any other life than that which God has crafted for you, be they parents, teachers, preachers or someone you might consider important. If they truly LOVE you and have your best interest at heart, they will encourage you to find out God’s purpose for your life and to live it, regardless of what other circumstances or people might dictate! Too many of us have been encouraged or forced to live lives not designed for us, and thus we have been awfully miserable and lonely in our souls and spirits, despite our outward success. 

In closing, let’s never forget this wonderful verse of scripture that speaks directly to that problem. The words of the prophet Jeremiah on the Lord’s behalf, taken from the NIV or New International Version. ‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ (Jer. 29:11) 

And if we keep that verse at the forefront of our minds, then we will never go wrong. Much LOVE!

…God’s plan for our life…is the best one there is… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 August 2021 Proverbs 24:16.

21 Aug 2021 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 24:16.      For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity). 

And it seems like it’s going to be another glorious summer Saturday in August! O give thanks to our wonderful God for the many wonders of nature He’s created for us to enjoy! Ah friends, the splendour of the bright noonday sun, the exhilarating colours of the heavens, the flowers, the birds, and all the other bright hued components of nature, just prove that our God is not only omnipotent but also has a great eye for beauty, is indeed the artist for the ages! Give Him much thanks and praise! 

And having done that, let’s get down to brass tacks now, checking out the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week. And the first one says: ‘I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.’ Now that’s a statement that ought to be true of all of us my people! We should always try to be true to ourselves and not capitulate to the wishes and desires of others, regardless of who they may be and their position in our society. 

But, unfortunately, it’s a situation to which many of us fall prey. We accept the rightness of others over that of ourselves and go around thinking much less of ourselves than we ought to. Believe me though, the worse thing we can possibly do in this life is to go around disliking ourselves. And as to the more intense sentiment of abhorring ourselves, brother, that should never ever even enter our minds because that just kills all the joy in our souls. 

Remember, you have to be with yourself every minute of every hour of every day, and abhorrence of oneself will certainly play a big and most likely negative part in the formation and structure of your life. Please do not forget the second great commandment as pronounced by Jesus: ‘Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thy self.’ (Matt. 22:39) And if you dislike or abhor yourself, logic dictates that your LOVE for your neighbour will be poor to non-existent. 

Then we have this interesting quote: ‘It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.’ And that’s ever so true! Children are young, malleable and pliable and can much more easily be formed or conformed to the image we desire, than trying to change those already set in their ways. As the saying goes, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. 

Now it’s not that you can’t, but it’s ever so difficult to teach someone set in their ways and thinking new skills, especially if the skillset needed is completely new to them. That’s like teaching older folks to use a computer in these modern times, where almost everything is computerized. But you’ll note how quickly children acquire those same computer skills, because they have nothing else to compare it to, or nothing to throw out before they can embrace it. 

That brings to mind this scripture from Jesus, where he explains greatness. ‘Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 18:3) Meaning that we must all become like children, humble, malleable, teachable and willing to receive and accept His word without a lot of resistance. Just threw that in as a li’l food for thought. (smile) 

Then comes this quote: ‘Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.’ And that’s for certain sure! If you want any kind of power at all, in any sphere whatsoever, you will always have demands made by the very same power you wield! Just look at political leaders, teachers, judges, doctors, etc. They all wield some kind of power, but that same power demands that they do certain things, follow certain rules and behave in certain ways. 

Even dictators, who supposedly can do what they want, are still constrained by that very power in certain circumstances. It’s also true of the lowliest rank of power, like the captain of a kindergarten team. You may pick whom you desire, but you still have rules to follow. (smile) So for those of us who desire power so badly, that we are willing to sell our souls for it, please realize that power itself is a very demanding and ofttimes very intractable (ungovernable) mistress. (smile) 

And the last quote advises: ‘You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.’ Oh, so true, so true, my brethren! And that applies ever so much to Christians, because in Christ, there is NO giving up! Yes my fellow believers, there are no words like defeat or give up in Christ’s vocabulary. You might lose, but you are NEVER defeated, which means you NEVER give up! And Cousin Sol lays it on the line for us: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).’ (Prov. 24:16) 

Yes friends, the believer in Christ may fall many times, but he gets back up every time and continues the good fight in Christ’s name. Hear how the prophet Micah puts it nuh: ‘Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.’ (Mic. 7:8) Truer words were never spoken or written my fellow saints in Christ! We are always expected to stand up again when we stumble, and we can do that because we have the wonderful power of Christ, whereby ‘We can do all things, through Christ who strengthens us!’ (Phil. 4:13) 

But friends, I think it’s also important that we note the other side of the coin, so to speak. Cousin Sol tells us: ‘Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him (it seems like evil in his eyes), and he turn away his wrath from him.’ (Prov. 24:18) 

Oh, I know it’s not easy, but despite our successes, we are not to laugh at out enemy’s demise or calamity because it is liable to displease God, who doesn’t like us crowing or boasting of our supposedly superior efforts and achievements, especially since He is the one that enables us to rise and be successful. So, in closing, let’s remember to never give up, to get back up each time we fall, but also don’t boast or laugh at our enemies’ problems, for our God doesn’t like it. Much LOVE!

…lording it over others…taking pleasure in their stumbling…displeases our God…                                                                                                                             

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 March 2021 Psalm 73:26.

17 Mar 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 73:26.     ​My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (the rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.

Oh friends, it’s such a wonderful feeling to wake up and realize that our heavenly Father has given us another day of life, one filled with His awesome blessings and LOVE! Let’s not misuse such an unbelievable gift nuh, because if we don’t show the proper attitude and gratitude, one day He might just decide not to allow us to wake up to another beautiful day. You know He has the power to do it. And believe me, that would be to our detriment not His. 

So every morning that He’s kind enough to open our eyes to the world, evil though it may be, let’s give Him sincere thanks and praise for that awesome blessing, so that He may continue our earthly journey and empower us to do His work with excellence and powerful faith! And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’ 

And today we’ll talk about something that’s of great concern to so many of us in these very trying times, where many of us are seeing our lives fall apart before our very eyes, and are thus terrified as we slowly and ofttimes with no apparent recourse, journey down the sorrowful path we call failure. Yes friends, the fear of failure in this pandemic time is very real. In fact, many have already suffered, succumbed that terrible indignity through no fault of their own. So how do we combat this real demon that’s stalking so many of us eh? 

To begin, let’s get a few facts about what constitutes failure or what we believe it is, from the writings of Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional. He says: ‘Failure doesn’t mean you are a failure…It does mean you haven’t succeeded yet. Failure doesn’t mean you have accomplished nothing…It does mean you have learned something. Failure doesn’t mean you have been a fool…It does mean you had a lot of faith. Failure doesn’t mean you have been disgraced…It does mean you were willing to try. 

Failure doesn’t mean you don’t have it…It does mean you have to do something in a different way. Failure doesn’t mean you are inferior…It does mean you are not perfect. Failure doesn’t mean you’ve wasted your life…It does mean you have a reason to start afresh. Failure doesn’t mean you should give up…It does mean you must try harder. Failure doesn’t mean you’ll never make it…It does mean it will take a little longer. Failure doesn’t mean God has abandoned you…It does mean God has a better idea.’ 

Oh my people, all those words of Gramps Schuller are gospel truth. What the world terms failure is nonsense, because failure only happens when we give up. But until then, we always have a chance to succeed. And if you’re a believer in Christ Jesus, then it automatically behooves you to NEVER GIVE UP, because there is NO GIVING UP in Jesus! 

When the world says that we’ve failed, all it really means is that we’ve got to start again, try again, for success very seldom comes with the first, second or even third try. Just ask people like Walt Disney, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison. All of them failed numerous times, but they kept on trying, and eventually succeeded. What’s the children’s song? ‘It’s a lesson all should heed, Try, try, try again; If at first you don’t succeed, Try, try, try again; Then your courage will appear, If you only persevere, You will conquer, never fear! Try, try, try again.’ 

That’s the awesome truth of the situation my brethren. Failure wants you to give up, but success calls for you to keep on trying, to persevere, to endure. And yes, many of us know all that stuff, but we have never gone through a time of worldwide sickness and strife like we are now experiencing, so there are no concrete examples to follow, and thus we are at a total loss at where to turn, when everything bad seems to be coming our way. 

‘Fear not,’ friends. Those were the words our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ continually used to those around Him when their faith was low or non-existent. He also said: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.’ (John 14:1) 

And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘14:1. Let not your heart be troubled refers to Peter. Jesus having just told him of his imminent denial of his Lord (13:38). But the larger reference is to all the apostles, through whom Jesus is going to lay the foundation of the church. His comfort also includes instructions about His departure, the sending of the Holy Spirit, the promise of spiritual power, of answered prayer, and of peace, but especially the promise of His return.’ 

And yuh see what a difference the apostles made with only promises, several of which have long come true before our time – like the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, answered prayer, spiritual power and His awesome peace – and we now enjoy them as normal aspects of our Christian heritage. So friends, when we turn to Jesus, failure should not be a part of our makeup, because we know that He never gave up, He fought through all the shame and disgrace and persecution on our behalf, and expects the same of us. 

Remember, we are His ambassadors, and as such, we have to represent him properly. And my fellow believers, there are so many scriptures in the Good book that encourage us to not give up, to stand strong and endure. Let’s look at a couple nuh. Hear Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘For a just man faileth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity). (Prov. 24:16) Yuh see that people? The one who sincerely believes in Jehovah God keeps getting up EVERYTIME he falls. 

Now hear Asaph, the psalmist in his famous Psalm 73 – The mystery of prosperous wickedness, where he found himself envying the wicked their prosperity, until he went into God’s house and understood their end, and thankfully concluded. ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (the rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from (are unfaithful to) thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare (hn,hn) all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:26-28) 

Yes my fellow saints, it is indeed good and wise for us to draw near to God and put our trust in Him, for He’s the Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein, and our fate is in His hands. So now, for all of us who acknowledge that indisputable fact, let’s go home declaring (chuh man!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our most excellent 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 it’s a fact that if we endure to the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So let’s hold on tightly to Jesus my people! Much LOVE!

…keep looking to Jesus…and failure will not overtake you…