Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 February 2023 Luke 15:7.

12 Feb 2023 Leave a comment

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

Luke 15:7.        I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just (upright) persons which need no repentance.

It’s Sunday once again friends, a rather warm and sunny one, which requires us to don our Sunday best and hie ourselves to our local church for another celebration of worship and thanksgiving on this the Lord’s Day. And if you’re worshipping at home through technological means, then it’s quite okay to do so in your jammies. (smile) The important thing is to participate in some form of worship to Almighty God, our Creator and Keeper. 

And though this is not of the utmost importance, I remember when we used to dress to go to church. But nowadays you see all kinds of untidy and somewhat inappropriate dress in church. And granted the Lord will take you anyhow you come, still there is something to be said for putting on a good appearance to go to God’s house. As Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) likes to say: ‘Look your best, Do your best and Be your best!’ And that’s certainly how we ought to be for God. But as we said, He will take us anyhow we come, He just wants us to come to Him, though we ought to show a li’l pride and look good for Him. 

Anyway, today we’re opening with an interesting song, ‘titled ‘Buried Alive’ By Buju Banton from his 2020 Upside Down Album. We all know he was found guilty of some serious wrongdoing and paid a hefty price for it, but since he’s been out of incarceration, like he’s made a complete 360 turn around in his lifestyle and has found Christ as Lord and Saviour. And this song seems to be his testimony. So please let’s do a sweet, up-tempo, harmonious, uplifting reggae version, celebrating with heaven over one sinner once lost, but now found. 

Singing: ‘Oh Lord, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing. I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart’s still beating. Buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart ‘s still beating. 

Now all this time… I’ve been blind… only running against the wind. Friends of mine …pass with time… After living a life of sin. Now many give up, many give in. It’s my determination to win. I survived, the worst of times, I survived. Yeah, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Oh Lord, Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart ‘s still beating.

 Oh, they made a ditch for one, but there would be two, In their attempt to out my life, The wicked things they do. But Jah made I brave, and I can’t care the grave, Oh no, The Lord is my salvation, Of whom shall I fear? Yeah, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Oh Lord, Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart ‘s still beating… 

(One more time) Yes, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Oh Lord, Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart ‘s still beating…my heart’s still beating…my heart’s still beating…my heart’s still beating…’  

Yes friends, that’s one of the wonderful attributes of our Great God, He gives second chances…. even third, fourth and fifth! Once you’re alive and willing to turn to Him, He will NEVER turn you away. And in Jesus’ philosophy, He diligently searches for the lost and brings them home rejoicing. No wonder He said after finding the lost sheep in the parable of that name. ‘I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just (upright) persons which need no repentance.’ (Luke 15:7) 

That just goes to show how much Jesus cares for the lost and is determined to find them, through us, His eyes, ears, feet and hands down here on earth. And I like how Buju refers to the old Jamaican saying, ‘If you dig a ditch, you’d better dig two,’ because whatever you plan to do might just ricochet or rebound back on you like a boomerang. And it’s alleged that Confucius said: ‘Before you embark on a journey of revenge, you’d better dig two graves.’ Meaning one for yourself too, for revenge can ofttimes go awry. 

And Cousin Sol said it this way in Proverbs: ‘Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return (roll back) upon him.’ (Prov. 26:27) It all just goes to show that evil deeds can often have surprising effects on not only the receiver, but also on the doer or giver. Buju is simply saying that those who plotted his demise, failed, and Christ saved Him and gave him another chance, which he gratefully accepted. And now the Lord is his salvation. Of whom shall he fear? Those marvellous words of Bruh David from Psalm 27:1. 

And I like how he says that he doesn’t know what tomorrow may bring, but he’s alive, and there must be a reason for that. Yes my fellow believers, there’s always a reason why the Lord has us down here on earth and not at home in heaven. The words of the song are so scriptural and reflect a serious change of heart. Listen to this: ‘Now all this time… I’ve been blind… only running against the wind. Friends of mine …pass with time… After living a life of sin. Now many give up, many give in. It’s my determination to win. I survived, the worst of times, I survived.’ 

Oh, how I wish that so many more of us supposed believers will manifest that determination in our lives, because that’s what it takes to make a difference for Jesus: NEVER, NEVER GIVING UP! And the best verse of scripture re never giving up and being encouraged is certainly this one where the Lord tells Joshua. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage: be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) Now please my fellow saints, let’s take that verse to heart today and sincerely live by it nuh, because it’s the gospel truth! Much LOVE!

…there’s nothing or no one Jesus LOVES more than…sincerely repentant sinners… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 May 2021 2 Chronicles 20:12b.

05 May 2021 Leave a comment

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

2 Chronicles 20:12b.     …neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

And then it was Wednesday; the mid-week relief moment, the time when we were just getting reaccustomed to the new work week. But that was then…now, Wednesday is the mid-week crisis moment, when we’re wondering how and if we are going to make it through the rest of the week. Life has changed so drastically and unexpectedly during the past year that everything is in a state of turmoil and uncertainty. 

But yuh know what friends, in all the desperation and anxiety, fear and confusion, there is ONE place of safety for all of us, one place that has never, and will never change. That is at the foot of Christ’s cross, or in the waiting arms of our heavenly Father, or in the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit. It simply means that our great God is the definitive place we must turn to for refuge from anything, or anyone, that comes against us in this earthly life. 

And these words from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin magnificently describe the process. The piece is titled: ‘Nobody Can Possibly Help Me.’ And as true believers in Christ, deep down we know that is not true, but it’s just when troubles keep coming relentlessly at us, we tend to lose the faith we need to carry us through the moment. 

But listen to what Ms. Calkin writes: ‘How wonderful! You can shake hands with a king. His name is Jehoshaphat, and his story reads like a letter from someone who feels desperate – maybe like how you feel right now. You don’t know where to turn. Neither did he. Jehoshaphat had no forces to oppose the “great company” marching against him. Standing achingly helpless (as you are), what did he do? He literally threw himself on God. He prayed. “O our God, we have no power to face this vast army attacking us. We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” (You’ll find the story in 2 Chronicles 20.) 

Do you see yourself in the mirror of the story? Do you feel overpowered by a “great company” of temptations? Are you stumbling through confused days and tossing through sleepless nights? What is the answer? Stoic endurance? No. That brings only deeper despair. But you can pray Jehoshaphat’s prayer! His God is your God if your faith is in Jesus Christ. You can plead with God on the grounds of His great power, His promises, and His LOVE. And all the while you can keep your eyes steadfastly on Him. The result? As you trust, you will one day say as Jehoshaphat said, “The Lord has given me cause to rejoice.’ 

And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! In times of difficulty the Lord wants and expects us to cast all of our cares upon him, because He cares for us. Remember, Jesus unequivocally invited us in His Great invitation, to bring our burdens and woes to Him because He can take them from us and lighten our load. So, in spite of how things may seem, once we turn in all sincerity to God, our rocky road will gradually get smoother. As we raise the level of our faith in our Creator and Provider, we get better at handling the problems that we encounter in this earthly life. 

So as the song says: ‘There’s life in Him…There’s Hope in Him…There’s a bright future in Him. So don’t give up now… don’t give in…hang in there until things get better.’ And they will eventually, if we do like Jehoshaphat did; that’s stay with God. And here is the Bible Promise for our story today, Jehoshaphat’s pleading prayer. ‘O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen (nations)? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? 

Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? …O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.’ (2 Chr. 20:6-7, 12) 

Ah friends, the same thing applies to us today: we need to keep our eyes steadfastly focused on God, for that’s where the answer to everything and every question in our lives lie. Like Peter, when he walked on water with Jesus, if we take our eyes off Him and focus on the circumstances and problems then we’ll begin to sink. And if the great king Jehoshaphat could call out to God in such fear and uncertainty, who are we to do differently eh? And yuh see how the situation ended? 

Jehoshaphat and all his people of Judah fasted and prayed, then God sent them a message through Jahaziel: ‘Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s….Ye shall not need to fight in the battle: set (position) yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.’ (2 Chr. 20:15, 17) And the next day the Israelites went out and didn’t lift a hand but ended up victorious, for our great God made the three armies that were coming against them to fight amongst each other and destroy themselves. 

Oh my people, our God has not changed or become weak and immobile. He is still the omnipotent Creator and Provider, and He is telling us the same thing in these trying times: to not fear, leave your life in His powerful hands, just do what we are supposed to do, and He will protect us, because the battle is not ours but His. So let’s remember that in these turbulent times and stand strong and faithful. That’s all God is asking of us. He will do the rest! 

Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to do just that, let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. So 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 just in case you’ve forgotten, (smile) if we endure to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…in spite of what comes against you…stay with God…that’s wisdom for the ages…                                   

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 June 2012 2 Chronicles 32:7

12 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

2 Chronicles 32:7.    Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him.
 
Oh Friends, it’s another new day with new mercies, blessings and also problems. But what we need to fully realize is that problems don’t last forever. We either solve them with God’s help, or they just fritter away through God’s largesse and mercy. The problem though is, (smile) we need a general way in which to handle these problems when they crop up. And a good way to help us do just that is in this Mountain Mover’s Prayer by Dr. Robert Schuller. We’ve shared it before, but like all things which can help us walk the straight and narrow, it’s worth repeating, especially in these times when our world is in such a topsy-turvy, frenzied state. So here goes: ‘Lord, when I face a mountain, do not let me quit. Give me the strength to keep on striving until I climb over, find a pass through, or tunnel underneath. And if my best efforts fail, give me the patience to stay, and the perception to see the possibilities of turning my mountain into a gold mine with your help. Amen.’ There’s the problem-solving attitude we need my people! And in conjunction with our Bit, how can the enemy beat us down eh? ‘Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him.’ Yes Friends, it’s time, or rather it’s imperative that now, when the last days are possibly nigh, that God’s people stand up strong and courageous, faithfully relying on His promises, promises that were all faithfully fulfilled in times past, and will be once again, if and when we rise up as one, one voice, one body, one church of Christ and look to the infallible Jehovah God to help us and fight our battles rather than to fallible, deceitful man. And to prove my point, here’s an example of our God fighting Israel’s battles. Yesterday it was against the Assyrians and their king Sennacherib in the time of King Hezekiah’s reign. Today it’s when Moab came to war against Israel in the time of King Jehoshaphat. When the king heard the news of the approaching army, what was his first act? He prayed for deliverance. ‘And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself (his face) to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.’ (2 Chr.20:3) Oh Friends, seeking our God should always be our first act in all things, especially times of trouble, and not the last, as so many of us do. And all Judah came together to hear the king pray to the Lord and add their pleas too. (2 Chr.20:4-13) Then, as our Lord so often does in such cases, He sent His Spirit upon one Jahaziel, right there in the middle of the gathering. ‘And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid or dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff (ascent) of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook (wadi or stream bed) before the wilderness of Jeruel. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set (position) yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them; for the Lord will be with you.’ (2 Chr.20:15-17) Ah mih people, our God is such a good and great God! He hears and answers when we cry out to Him with clean hearts and right motives! And please note Judah’s reaction to this awesome promise of their God. ‘And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.’ (2 Chr. 20: 18-19) Oh mih breddren, that’s the way we need to praise and worship Almighty God today for all the mercies and blessings which He bestows on us every single day. They might not be as big and awesome as fighting a physical battle for us, but without His help we’d be unable to do much of anything. Now here’s the miraculous ending: ‘And they rose early in the morning and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah, and they were smitten (defeated)’ (2 Chr.20:20-22) Yes Friends, those supposed invaders ended up fighting amongst themselves and destroyed each other. So that when Judah came upon the battlefield, all they saw were dead bodies. None had escaped. And here’s the crowning glory; the spoil from the battle was so much that it took Judah three days to gather it all. And who says our God isn’t a wonderful and upright God eh! Oh my people, just like Judah back then, we in our own troubled times, need to faithfully and diligently walk with the Lord, praise and worship Him because that is our duty, and when we do our duty, He prospers us and keeps us safe from harm. The message is still the same today, as it was way back then. So let’s do what we ought to nuh; be strong, courageous and not fear, for then are we truly invincible and sure conquerors. Much LOVE!…what does the Lord desire of us…praise, thanks, worship, glory, courage and strong faith…