Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 February 2023 Matthew 7:12.

11 Feb 2023 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 7:12.       Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Oh boy, is this really a lazy day Saturday! I lazed in bed for as long as I could…and now that I’m up, I’m still feeling lazy. And the dry though cloudy and chilly day out there isn’t giving one much encouragement either. (smile) But life must go on. We must do the work that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has ascribed to us. So here I am, being ever so obedient and writing the Bit, although my flesh feels like rebelling. And since it’s Saturday, we will turn to the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. 

Now he only sent me three quotes this week, one of which we had already received and dealt with last week, which means we only have two quotes to consider today. Glory Be! That means we shall have a short Bit! But I won’t go counting on that nuh, because you never know what or where the Holy Spirit will lead me, and with my natural tendency for being longwinded, anything’s possible. (smile) 

So having set the stage, let’s see what this first quote says: ‘Only people who are not happy with themselves are mean to others.’ Now there’s some truth to that statement, I just don’t know how much. Unhappy people do like to see others unhappy like themselves, but if that statement is totally true, then there are even more unhappy people in our world than we thought, since so many of us are mistreating our fellow beings. And I really don’t know why that is, because in many instances there doesn’t seem to be any need for the mistreatment. 

I don’t know if we’re just so evil-minded these days that it comes naturally. Whatever happened to the Golden Rule as outlined by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount, re asking and receiving? ‘Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 7:12) 

One commentator addresses it thus: ‘The Golden Rule, known also as the Ethic of Reciprocity, is arguably the most consistent, most prevalent and most universal ethical principle in history. Many regard it as the most concise and general principle of ethics. The Golden Rule is found in numerous cultures, religions, ethical systems, secular philosophies, indigenous (Native) traditions, and even in the mathematical sciences (e.g. the golden mean). And because it crosses so many traditions and philosophies, the Golden Rule possesses tremendous moral authority and reveals a profound unity underlying the diversity of human experience. The Golden Rule also emphasizes values of mutuality, interdependence and reciprocity.’ 

Yes, it does cut across all different facets of life, and is something we’ve learned since the devil was a boy; do unto others as you would have them do unto you. But somehow or the other we seem to have lost it in these evil and ungodly years. And why is that eh? Who knows. Possibly because the devil’s influence has been getting stronger and more pervasive in the last generation, while the influence of Jesus has waned. 

And I like this biblical explanation of the principle as outlined by Brannon Deibert on the Christianity.com website. He says: ‘In summary, the Golden Rule encompasses the empathic essence of morality. It is a simple yet powerful way of saying that we should recognize the respective dignity of our fellow man and not forget we all are capable of inflicting immoral actions. This is vital in following the commandments of God and creating a more virtuous world….

With regard to the Old Testament, two main points prevail. Matthew’s reference presents the Golden Rule as encapsulating the teachings of the law and the prophets. Second, even though the Golden Rule addresses human interpersonal relationships, its message is additionally theological. That is, the very character of God guides how we should interact and relate to one another. We are to follow and exercise the Golden Rule because God’s heavenly wisdom teaches self-control, and his virtue teaches kindness. 

This proverb is appropriately called the Golden Rule, for it encompasses in its few words the underlying and guiding principle of all morality. It comprises all the rules of the law with regard to man and all the amplification of those precepts given by the prophets. It instructs us to put ourselves in our neighbor’s place, and guide our behavior accordingly. It assumes, of course, that when we put ourselves in our neighbor’s place, we are wise enough not to make any foolish wishes and good enough not to make any evil ones. The Golden Rule was a vital emphasis on empathy and the reciprocity of morality.’ 

And since we are no longer a moral, but a rather immoral society, it’s obvious that golden principle has become irrelevant. Wow! Did we ever say plenty on that quote! Let’s hope we don’t have nearly as much to say on this second and last one, which advises: ‘If you focus on hurt, you will continue to suffer. If you focus on the lesson, you will continue to grow.’ 

Now three’s much truth in those statements, for whenever we focus on our hurts, we tend to make them last longer. It’s just the natural aspect of life. As Cousin Sol says in Proverbs 23:7. ‘For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.’ Yes friends, as a man thinks, so is he. Whatever we concentrate on, will most likely manifest itself in our lives. So if we concentrate on the hurt, the hurt will stay with us even longer than normal. But if we concentrate on the lesson that the hurt teaches us, we will grow. 

And believe me, there is an invaluable lesson to be learned from every hurt we suffer, from every mistake we make. And that’s the difference between hurting and growing. We cannot allow ourselves to wallow in the mire of self-pity when there’s wonderful growth to be achieved on the other end of the scale. And that’s why so many of us are unhappy and feeling hard done by in these tough and turbulent times; we concentrate on the negative aspects of our situations way too much. It’s time to concentrate on the positive aspects instead. And there are always positives to be found regardless of how bad or negative our situations might seem. 

Remember, we have Jesus, the One who strengthens us in all our undertakings, if we turn to Him for His divine help! And that’s the word for today: turn to Jesus, for there’s no better way! Much LOVE!

… in Jesus…we’ll find EVERYTHING we need, want and desire…

 P.S. I warned you! It’s not any shorter than normal. (smile) Much LOVE!

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 September 2022 Romans 8:31.

10 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

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

Romans 8:31.       ​ What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Well my people, it’s a beautiful late summer Saturday, ideal for lazing. (smile) And earlier on, I enjoyed some lazy time lolling around in my bed, although my back was aching, recommending my getting up. But it was just nice to lie there, contemplating life for a while, thanking the Lord for opening my eyes to another day in which I could enjoy His new mercies and compassions. Now isn’t that a great way to greet the day? It certainly is! A bit of peace and quiet before the busyness of the day gets into your spirit. 

But as they say, good things do come to an end, and eventually I had to get up and be about the Lord’s business, which on Saturdays, means checking out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first quote is very interesting and mind-bending. It says: ‘Change, like healing, takes time.’ That’s the gospel truth friends. A lot of us desire change, but expect it to come as soon as we wish for it, but just like our wounds, physical or emotional don’t heal suddenly or overnight, change doesn’t usually occur in a split instance, although there are instances when it can. 

And I do like what the opening paragraph of an article on change says on the website bibletools.com/ topical verses. ‘What does the Bible say about change and how can it inspire us in times of change? There seems to always be a guarantee in life that change will happen. Change is something we tend to fear and become anxious about because we do not feel in control of life. The good news is that God has a plan for your life that includes hope, future, and prosperity. We need to learn to trust in God and allow the change to grow us to become more like Jesus Christ.’ 

Now that’s the truth in spades my faithful brethren! Why? Because our most faithful and powerful God has promised that change, though inevitable throughout life, with sincere trust and faith in Him it will not deter us from our planned purpose in His will. This foundational verse says it all. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) 

Yes friends, if we believe in Almighty God, then although we might not want or need change, when it does happen, we will not be afraid since we know that in the end, over time, which therefore calls for patience and perseverance, it will all work out for our good through the Lord’s goodness and mercy. That brings us to this next quote. ‘Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.’ That’s wisdom to the nth degree! 

It’s all well and good to desire to change the world, but before we do the big things, most of us are first required to do the small things, like change ourselves. We all have areas in which we can improve, and that’s where we need to begin. It’s like Jesus said, why consider the mote or speck in your brother’s eye, and not the beam or log in your own. (Matt. 7:3) And we all do that at some time or other. But it’s always best to consider what changes we need before trying to change others. And these verses of scripture lead us along the right path to good and consistent change. 

Bruh Paul writes to the church at Rome: ‘And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) And he hit the nail right on the head there, for change can only come through the renewing of one’s mind, or changing the way one thinks, because our mind is the controlling centre of our body, everything passes through there before it becomes a reality. Cousin Sol said it long ago: ‘As a man thinks, so is he.’ (Prov. 23:7) 

And the best change we can ever make in our lives is to become a follower of Jesus Christ, which brings us into an entirely new dimension of life, a spirit-filled experience. Oh yes, once we encounter Christ, it’s whole new ball game. As Bruh Paul says in 2 Corinthians: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) 

Yes mih people, when you come to Christ you become a new person! But note, like we said of healing above, that change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a while for you to understand, accept and put into practice the new aspects of life in Christ. In fact it’s a life journey. Like babies drink milk and soft foods at the beginning of life, so too, as new believers, early on, we handle the easier aspects of our transformation, but as we live out our faith, we daily become more mature in it.  

That allows us to segue into this next quote. ‘If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?’ Those are all good questions my brethren, so let’s see if we can answer them. The first one is the easiest and the best. You don’t need to be for yourself, because Almighty God is always there for you! It says it right there in the scriptures: ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Rom. 8:31) Not a single soul can be against us if God is for us! That’s the living truth! But you first have to be for Him. 

And per the next question; if you’re only concerned with yourself then you’re selfish, and not a sincere believer in Christ Jesus, because Christ didn’t have a selfish bone in His body, else He never would have sacrificed His life for us. And that is where the transformation, the changing and renewal of your mind comes in to play, because to follow Jesus we have to be willing to sacrifice everything we have, even our lives. And as always, the best time to initiate necessary change is RIGHT NOW! If we know we need to change, and how to make it, then there’s no need to put it off for later. The sooner we implement that change, the sooner our lives will improve. 

Then there’s this last quote. ‘Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn’t stop for anybody.’ More glorious, though heart-hurting truth! (smile) Things are continually changing, both inside and outside. One of those changes is that friends leave us, sometimes suddenly, and ofttimes we don’t even know why. But it happens, and we just have to learn to deal with it. And again, LOVED ones die and leave us behind. We grieve, but we must carry on, because the world and life doesn’t stop for anybody. That’s just a fact of life. 

And the best way to handle all the change, all the topsy turviness in our world is to be a sincere follower of Jesus Christ, because He will lead and guide you through all the changes and storms, and comfort and LOVE you when you need it, through the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit that comes to live with you when you accept Him as Lord and Saviour. Wow! That tells us that the best way to handle this life is by having Jesus as the mainstay of our lives! But don’t just take my word for it; try it. you’ll find it’s oh so true! Much LOVE!

…you can’t critique or criticize Jesus…until you try Him… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 December 2021 Joshua 14:12a.

04 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Joshua 14:12a.      Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day;

Oh yes! We’ve made it through another workweek! Thank the Lord! Now it’s Saturday, our lazing time; sleeping late, not rushing to do anything, even bypassing things we earlier felt were so important to do. (smile) That’s what Saturday brings for many of us, especially the ones without young children and a busy household schedule. 

Wish I could say that, because on Saturdays, I have to put on my thinking cap and try to decipher, with God’s help obviously, what the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week means to believers in Christ Jesus. And ofttimes they are quite inciteful and do inspire us to have a better tomorrow. 

So, let’s see what our first quote today says. ‘You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.’ And isn’t that the God-awesome truth! Yes friends, as long as we are alive and able to do stuff, we should never stop learning, because learning is what keeps us alive, not only metaphorically, but also physically, for if we don’t use our faculties they will dry up and we will die. As they say, if you don’t use it, you lose it. And age is no drawback to learning. I just read recently about an eighty something year old woman receiving her first college degree and planning to go on for a second one. 

Now that’s how we ought to be, always planning on something, even though we’re not sure to make it. And I believe one of the best examples of that sort of thinking in the Bible is Caleb, at eighty-five years old, saying to Joshua: ‘Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, than I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said,’ (Josh. 14:12) 

Remember, Caleb and Joshua were two of the dozen spies who checked out the Promised Land at Moses’ behest. And they were the only two who had faith to believe that Israel was able to defeat the inhabitants, and thus were the only two people from those who originally left Egypt, blessed to enter the Land of Promise. That segues nicely into this next quote: ‘Inspiration comes from within yourself. One has to be positive. When you’re positive, good things happen.’ 

I don’t know if inspiration necessarily only comes from within you, but for sure, you must be positive. And when you are, good things usually happen. The opposite is also true: Think negatively, negative things will most likely happen. That’s just the way of the universe. The way God planned it. Cousin Sol wisely said, as a man thinks, so is he. (Prov. 23:7) Now that’s no lie! And as Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say: ‘Something good is going to happen to me today. And something good is going to happen through me today.’ 

It’s always good to keep a positive mindset. Especially if you are a believer in Christ Jesus, for He says that nothing is impossible to Him, and consequently nothing is impossible to those who sincerely believe in Him! Wow! What an encouraging word in these discouraging times! 

Moving on, we come to the following quote: ‘Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory.’ I believe that most of us would agree with that statement, as there are so many moments in our lives that we never paid much attention to at the time they were taking place, but when we look back, we discover that they were indeed precious and memorable. Yes, hindsight is 20-20 vision. But please, let’s stop being so busy and enjoy the moments of our lives as they happen nuh, rather than appreciating them only in hindsight. 

That brings us to this quote: ‘You do not find the happy life. You make it.’ And is that ever so true. We ought not to wait on others to make us happy, otherwise we will often wait in vain. True happiness begins with us. It’s a decision we make to be happy, to be fulfilled, come what may. And the first thing on that road to happiness is having a positive outlook on life, because happiness entails a positive state of mind. 

Then we need to have a good attitude towards the difficulties that come with life. For life is never a smooth, flat ride, but more often a roller coaster, with numerous up and downs, twists and turns. And the best way to get that good attitude is by believing in Jesus! Remember His memorable words to the disciples. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) 

Yes my people, the only way to achieve a true kind of happiness, one that’s not dependent only on our outward circumstances is by having Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. That’s because He enables us to have the inner peace and happiness we term joy, which is oh so essential for living in this dangerous and disastrous world. And our last quote encourages us as it says: ‘Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.’ 

Oh friends, being a ray of light in someone else’s life is ever so important, and it’s not very hard to do. We just have to be a friend, a mentor, or even a simple passer-by to inject a dash of sunshine into another’s life. And yuh know that’s the basic element of being a Christian, a follower of Christ! He said that we were supposed to be the light of the world, and to let our light shine so that others may see it and glorify our heavenly Father. Well, if that’s not being a rainbow in someone else’s dark cloud, then I don’t know what is. 

And all it takes sometimes is just a smile, a kind or encouraging word, or quietly listening as someone pours out their hearts, but being there with some form of help. And having written that last sentence, it just occurred to me how easy it is for us to be a shining light, a rainbow in another person’s life without a whole lot of sacrifice on our part, and yet how many people go around shrouded in dark clouds because we supposed believers are too selfish, too busy or simply can’t be bothered to offer that li’l ray of sunshine we are quite capable of offering. 

So today, my fellow saints, I’m asking us to get serious on the matter of brightening up the lives of others. And do we all need someone to offer us a ray of sunshine in these calamitous times. All we have to do is pay a li’l more attention and let the power of the Holy Spirit play a greater part in our lives. Let’s promise ourselves and our God to do that today nuh, so we can make our world a better and brighter place. Much LOVE!

…being a true Christian isn’t always difficult…it can also be as easy as…one, two, three… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   30 October 2021 Romans 12:2.

30 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

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

Romans 12:2.     And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Another rainy Friday evening, Friday night and Saturday morning. Much rain, but excellent weather for sleeping and also for sleeping in. However, I could not sleep in, much as I wanted to, that’s because I went to bed early, by my standards that is, and after some four or five hours in the bed, the ole body began complaining with aches and pains, so I had to get up, because resting was becoming more problematic than staying in bed. (smile) 

Anyway, here we are talking about too much rain, while so many unfortunate others in other parts of the world are dying from drought and lack of heavenly blessings. But whoever said that life was fair eh? It certainly isn’t. Our God though is fair and just! So, with that good thought in mind, let’s see what quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he tries to inspire us for a better tomorrow. 

And we’ll deal quickly with this one, because he also sent it to us last week. That’s ‘To accomplish great things we must not only act but also dream, not only plan but also believe.’ Back then, we spoke of the importance of dreaming and planning, but more so the overwhelming importance of belief in accomplishing anything at all. Also very important was the source of our belief, or what we placed our belief in. And we gave the example of the synagogue ruler, Jairus, approaching Jesus to ask Him to come and heal his twelve year old daughter. 

But while Jesus was on the way to do it, Jairus’ people came and said that the girl was dead. But as soon as Jesus heard it, He said to Jairus: ‘Be not afraid, only believe.’ (Mark 5:37) Meaning that Jairus was to believe He 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. 

That brings us to this next quote: ‘Nothing is, unless our thinking makes it so.’ I really don’t know what context our friend Anselm means that in, be it physical or mental. As per the physical aspect, I won’t say it’s totally true, because many things exist physically although we don’t think they are. In the mental realm though, a lot of things won’t exist for us, unless we think that they truly are. 

I guess we can use the allegory of philosophical theories, where some believe and even die for them, while others don’t. For the former they exist because they think on and about them, but for the latter they are non-existent, since they don’t spend time thinking about them. And I’m chuckling here because I was just thinking that that quote might fall into the philosophical realm of uncertainty. 

Meanwhile, the next quote tells us: ‘When you visualize, then you materialize. If you’ve been there in the mind, you’ll go there in the body.’ That quote is also similar to one we had last week, re ‘Visualizing is the great secret of success.’ And visualizing is an important part of success. You have to think of and on things, see them in your mind’s eye first, if you ever hope to reproduce them in real form. The world tells us that seeing is believing, but our Christian belief tells us, you must first believe it before you can ever see it, or bring it to reality. 

That’s what great inventors do; they picture something in their minds, then proceed to bring it to reality by whatever means necessary. And it is important to note, that unless you conjure up something in your mind, flesh it out first in your mind, be it a philosophical theory or physical product, you usually can’t bring it to fruition. Because that’s just the process of life, as the last quote says: ‘Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality.’ 

Yes friends, that’s the truth in spades, whatever we continually think about and ponder on will usually come to pass, be it something we make or an attitude that we adopt. Ofttimes we associate it with the words of Cousin Sol, ‘As a man thinks in his heart so is he.’ (Prov. 23:7) And that’s quite true, although that’s not all of the proverb. The verse actually says: ‘For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.’ (Prov. 23:7) There Cousin Sol is referring to someone who tells you outwardly to do one thing, but inwardly he really doesn’t mean it. I believe we call those kinds of people, hypocrites! (smile) 

And I want to share some remarks of an article on the crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study website by Clarence L Haynes Jr. titled ‘3 Reasons Proverbs 23:7 Says ‘As a Man Thinks, So He Is’ The article begins: ‘One of the most amazing gifts that God has given us is the human mind. The ability to learn, think, choose, and reason is the essence of what makes us human. While the ability to think makes us human, it actually goes deeper. Your thoughts become a reflection of who you really are. God certainly understands this, and he speaks to this in various places all throughout his word.’ 

Now that is the indelible truth! Whatever you steadily focus on for a length of time will eventually seep into your soul and become a part of you. That’s why the Bible warns us so much about the way we think; carnally and sinfully as opposed to godly and spiritually. So let’s check out a couple of those important scriptures on the subject. This first one is from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome, where he tells them: ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) 

That means we are to stop allowing ourselves to be conformed to ‘the present thinking, value systems and conduct of this world.’ And why is that? Because they run contrary to the Word of God. And what kind of thinking then are we supposed to embrace? Here are some wise and valuable words on it from Bruh Paul to the church at Philippi. 

‘Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9) 

And we could not end today’s message with better words of advice my faithful saints. So please let’s spend the weekend thinking and meditating on those kinds of things, so that we can have the peace of God in our lives. Much LOVE!

…the human mind…God’s most amazing invention…let’s use it wisely nuh…  

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 15 February 2020 Proverbs 4:23.

15 Feb 2020 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 4:23.    ​Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are (flow) the issues of life.
 
Well friends, here’s hoping you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day and you did the LOVE thing with excellence! The duchess and I had a grand old time, making some more memories to add to the box-load we’ve already made. Oh, it wasn’t anything special, but simple and fun-filled. We went out for brunch, then drove around the city running some errands and while doing that we happened to put in a random CD into the juke box. And oh, did it ever have some glorious old tunes that also brought back memories of when we were young and in LOVE and ardent party-goers. 

Brother! You should have seen the duchess when some tunes came on and her memory flooded back to those youthful days in the Student’s Union back on the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. At one stage I had to tell her; ‘Hold down duchess, hold down! The way yuh carrying on somebody might see you and think I have a mad woman driving out in mih car. As Jeeves would say; just a modicum of circumspection nuh.’ (smile) And that’s our memory for this Valentine’s Day! 

But look at how life changes eh? Now we don’t even know what party is! But that is why I keep saying you have to make the memories when you’re young, because you don’t know what will happen when you get into the autumn and winter of your days. Anyway, it’s Saturday, so let’s turn to the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. 

And the first says: ‘In a gentle way, you can shake the world.’ I’m not sure I understand what he means nuh. Is it that it is best to only shake the world gently, or that we only have the power to shake it gently? If it’s the latter, then that’s definitely not true because there have been so many people down through the ages who have violently shaken the world; like all those famous army commanders including Alexander the Great who conquered the world at a young age, and Napoleon who rose to such great military heights and power from a humble beginning. 

There are also the many dictators down the through the ages, like Hitler and the Russian boys. And even today we have our own group of dictators making stormy waves in the world. And nobody has shaken up the world more than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! So I guess he’s saying that we ought to shake it up gently, not as violently and conspicuously as we’ve done down through the years because it doesn’t do much good anyway. A gentle shake is all we need to get it properly realigned. (smile) I wouldn’t count on that nuh! A little nudge has never done anything to correct mankind’s path! 

Anyway, the next quote sort of complements the first one. ‘There is nothing permanent except change.’ And I guess we can say that’s true because everything and everyone seems to go through changes at some time or other, no one or nothing stays stagnant forever…with one great exception, our magnificent God and His Word. Yes friends, neither our God or His Word ever change, they are steadfast and steady from beginning to the end, whenever that might be, that’s why we can put our total faith and trust in them both and expect to gain victory in this life and the one to come! And all God’s children declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord!’ 

Meanwhile the next quote declares (steups!): ‘Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.’ And that’s gospel truth my people! We learn from the hard knocks of life. The more hard knocks we encounter, the greater bank of information we have from which to learn from. That’s why it’s ever so important to learn from our mistakes, so that we don’t keep making the same ones over and over. But unfortunately we’re all human, made from a frail and fickle, sinful mould, so we often don’t do the wise things and learn from our mistakes, so we end up having to pay the price for not learning. I can personally testify to that! (smile) 

Then there’s this: ‘As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.’ And at no other time in the history of man do we need to be reminded of that as much as today, my people! Oh yes, today we talk a whole lot, but we don’t walk much of that talk. In fact it’s just aimless talk. We seem to talk because we can talk, and we talk much about things of which we know very little, or even nothing! And the Good Book has a whole lot to say about it, but we don’t have the time nor space to get into it today. Read it for yourself. (smile) 

And the last quote says: ‘Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.’ I don’t know if I would use the qualification, very little, but basically, happiness is definitely within our grasp. And it all begins with how we see and approach it, our attitude and desire for it. And it all does begin with our thinking, because that’s where all of our thoughts, attitudes and behaviour begin. As Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) calls it, ‘The Battlefield of the Mind.’ And that’s where the enemy centres His attacks, because he knows that if he can disrupt our minds, our thinking, he can have us do his evil, dirty deeds. 

No wonder Cousin Sol in his awesome wisdom declares (yes!): ‘Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are (flow) the issues of life.’ And the scholars explain: ‘4:23. Heart could often be translated “mind” in the book. Since the Hebrews had no separate word for “mind,” the word “heart” often served to represent the seat of the intellect. The key to the whole man is his mind. Whatever captures the mind captures the man.’ I couldn’t put it any better than that nuh friends: your very life depends on your mind; the greatest piece of machinery the Lord’s ever made! That’s why mankind can still not find out precisely how it works, because he doesn’t have the mental capacity. 

And Jesus, in explaining a parable to the disciples said: ‘For out of the heart (mind) proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.’ (Matt.15:19-20) 

Consequently, Bruh Paul later on emphasized to the Philippians: ‘’Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things.’ (Phil.4:8) 

And that’s our homework for this long weekend in Ontario, where we celebrate Family Day on Monday. Let’s get together with our families and think on the good and noble things of life as Jesus desires of us! Much LOVE!

…as a man thinks…so is he…