be strong and of a good courage | SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 August 2022 John 14:6.

27 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: attitude, be strong and of a good courage, bind up the broken-hearted, criticism makes you strong, empathy, God hates wrong doing, God is a God of justice, have good success, I am the way the truth and the life, I the Lord love justice, Jesus defeated Satan at his own game, Jesus-the author and finisher of our faith, justice, lazy day Saturday, liberty, life is never easy, make thy way prosperous, negative circumstances are positive opportunities, no man comes to the Father but by me, obligations to be met, preach good tidings unto the meek, shalt not depart out of thy mouth, the Lord hath anointed me, the secret to success, the ups and downs of life, this book of the law, thou shalt meditate therein day and night, to proclaim liberty to the captives, truth, trying times, when life hands you lemons - make lemonade

John 14:6. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

So it’s lazy day Saturday, and we welcome it with open arms! Yes, this one day in the week when some of us can just do as we please, with no pressures from life or jobs or other people around us. For some unfortunate ones though, it’s also a busy day of housework, grocery shopping and other things they cannot do during the already crowded work week. They have my utmost empathy, (smile) for I remember those trying times in my own life, with children to look after, etc. etc.

And the sad part is that in my time there were definitely not as many amenities as they are now. But with faith and perseverance my generation made it through, and now we can simply enjoy lazy Saturday mornings without any outside pressures. Glory be! But chuh! I still have to get myself together though and do the Lord’s work, writing the Bit, based on the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.

So here goes. The first quote tells us: ‘Life is never easy. There is work to be done and obligations to be met – obligations to truth, to justice, and to liberty.’ Now what can we say about that eh? In the first place I won’t say that life is never easy, because it can be very rough and tough at times, but if you’re a believer in, and follower of Jesus, then you will be able to handle the ups and downs of life much better than if He’s not your Lord and Saviour.

Why? Because He gives you all the tools you need to handle the vicissitudes of life. And though there is work to be done in His name – obligations to truth, to justice, and to liberty – with His awesome help we can handle them in a good and timely fashion. It does take faith, perseverance and a tough skin though to live and work for Jesus. But He is indeed the God of truth, of justice and of liberty. As He said in this famous proclamation: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6)

And then we have this awesome verse from Isaiah on the topic of justice. ‘For I the Lord LOVE judgement (justice), I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.’ (Is. 61:8) Yes friends, our God is a God of justice, He hates robbery and wrong doing, and did as promised, made a covenant with His people Israel.

And as per the subject of liberty, listen to Isaiah again. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek (poor); he hath sent me to bind up (heal) the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty (freedom) to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.’ (Is. 61:1)

Wow mih bredrin! What a marvellous God we serve! And He did keep that covenant by sending His Son Jesus, who said it thus: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world though him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) And Jesus did come to save the lost, the sick, the needy, to set us free from the sin and dark rule of Satan, and He did just that when He died on the cross, then rose triumphantly from the dead, defeating Satan at His own game.

That finally brings us to the next quote. (smile) ‘Life imposes things on you that you can’t control, but you still have the choice of how you’re going to live through this.’ Now that’s totally true. Life does its own thing in our lives, much of which we cannot control, but we do have the ability to decide how we handle them. Basically, it’s called our attitude. We can have a good or bad, right or wrong attitude about those uncontrollable things. But when you’re living for Jesus, you will always have the strength and wisdom to know how to handle them, have the right attitude, so that they don’t inflict more damage than is necessary.

That’s what Jesus gives us friends, that’s what He showed us by example with all the suffering, the rejection, the injustice He suffered for our sakes down here on earth. He never complained, just went about His business, trusting in His heavenly Father to make straight His path. And so too, we need to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, when life comes against us, as it most certainly will. Look to him for comfort and strength, wisdom and perseverance to handle the problems. That’s a major benefit of being a member of His fold.

Then we come to this interesting quote: ‘I like criticism. It makes you strong.’ I certainly don’t agree with the first part, (smile) but the second part is very true! Oh, none of us like criticism, especially when we know we’re doing the right thing, but it’s a fact of life, just ask Jesus about it. Not everyone will agree with our moves or motives, and will turn on us, even when we’re trying to help them, like they did with Jesus. But criticism makes us strong, that is if we don’t fall down and stay down because of it.

The first rejection, like the first failure is always the toughest one to handle. But once you get accustomed – oh, I don’t know if we ever get accustomed to rejection nuh, because each rejection hurts, but with Jesus as our foundation and backbone, we’re better able to handle it. And this next quote amplifies that situation. ‘Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.’

Yes my brethren, whatever negative thing happens to us, we must look at it as a positive opportunity to improve ourselves and our circumstances. That’s the only way to rise to higher levels of life. We can’t just wait for positive things to happen because they oftentimes won’t, while negative ones will always show up. It’s like the old cliché; when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Whatever life throws our way, there is always something positive we can learn from it. Even if it’s simply not making the same mistake again. And with all the tools that Jesus gives us, we can certainly take advantage of any negative occurrences that pop up in our lives.

That brings us to this last quote: ‘You never really learn much from hearing yourself speak.’ And that’s only true if you’re a fool and like to talk a lot. However, if you’re a true believer in Christ Jesus, then you can learn even more from hearing yourself speak than listening to others. I’m talking about knowing the Word of God, having it hidden in our hearts, so that when the world or the devil or whoever or whatever tries to come against us, we can speak it and be reassured.

Sometimes too, we can just speak it for no good reason, simply because we want to hear it, or because we LOVE it, because it always makes us feel good, feel strong and reassured. But to do that, we first have to constantly read and meditate on the word, so that it seeps into our subconsciousness, because we can’t speak something we don’t know. And the best way to end today, is with this marvellous scripture that always brings a chuckle to my spirit.

It’s the Lord talking to Joshua when He made him the Israelites’ leader after the death of Moses. He said to Joshua, in no uncertain manner: ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:8-9)

That’s it in a nutshell my fellow saints! That’s the secret to success in this world! And if we’re true followers of Christ, and if we are wise, we will follow it and be successful, for our God does not lie nor lead us astray. Much LOVE!

…in Christ alone…is true success found…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 May 2022 Nehemiah 8:10.

31 May 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: allow nothing to steal your joy in the Lord, As many as I love I rebuke and chasten, be strong and of a good courage, be strong and of good courage, be zealous therefore and repent, became obedient unto death, but of power love and a sound mind, but the will of the Father who sent me, God dealeth with you as with sons, God has not given us the spirit of fear, He tells me that I am His own, He walks with me and He talks with me, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, I am the beloved of god, I seek not mine own will, if ye endure chastening, in god's eyes, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, meditate therein day and night, none other has ever known, scourgeth every son he receiveth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, share His love with the world, spare the rod and spoil the child, strong faith comes from sincere belief and experience, the amazing Spirit of Christ Jesus, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the joy we share as we tarry there, the Lord thy God goes before you, the Lord thy God is with thee, then thou shalt have good success, there's no joy like the joy of Jesus!, this book of the law, this earthly life is all about living for Jesus, tough love, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, what son is he whom the father chasteneth not, whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth

Nehemiah 8:10. …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

And then it was Tuesday, and we’ve successfully navigated through hot and fearful Monday. (smile) That means we can also successfully navigate another pretty hot day on Tuesday. Of course! We can do anything once we have the power and amazing Spirit of Christ Jesus dwelling within us! And no, it’s not always easy, but as the song’s saying, ‘He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells that I am His own, and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known!’

That’s for certain sure my fellow brethren in Christ! There’s no joy in this universe like the joy that emanates from Jesus and fills our souls and spirits when we believe in, trust and surrender ourselves to Him! And that joy doesn’t only manifest itself in gladness, but even more importantly in strength. As the Good Book tells us: ‘for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) Oh yes, when we have the joy of the Lord living in us, then we strong like lion, tough like iron, and fear no man or devil, not even his satanic majesty!

And that’s exactly why the prince of darkness tries to eliminate that joy from our souls and spirits, because then we are weak and pliable and he can get us much more easily to do his evil and dirty deeds. Therefore, it’s ever so important that we allow NOTHING to steal that joy of the Lord which is our strength. And how do we accomplish that in this evil and strife-filled world? One of the ways is by studying God’s word, His many promises and assurances found there, and storing them in our hearts so that we can use them when the enemy tries to get us off of the straight and narrow path that leads to Jesus.

And we’re talking about promises and assurances like this one that Moses decreed to the Israelites way back when, but which still stands strong today. ‘Be strong and of a good courage. Fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go before thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) And that my friends is possibly the first and most powerful scripture we must learn and even more importantly believe! That’s because everything in our Christian faith depends on our believing that our God is good and faithful, LOVING, kind and compassionate and will never leave nor forsake us, come what may!

And until we sincerely believe that our souls and spirits will continually be filled with doubts and fears. That’s the simple fact of the matter. Strong faith only comes from sincere belief and much experience of life under God’s mighty, faithful and compassionate hand! It’s like going to school; the more you study His word and lean on it and Him, then the stronger your faith will become, and doubts and fears, many introduced by the evil enemy, won’t make such a mess of your life.

And just like in school, when you don’t pay attention, or do your homework, you will suffer the consequences, for our heavenly Father LOVES us too much to just let us go astray, to do whatever we want once we give our lives to his awesome Son. And I like how the Good Book puts it. ‘For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?’ (Heb. 12:6-7)

Good question that. If we don’t chasten our children when they do wrong, then we don’t truly LOVE them. And chastening doesn’t mean abusing, but correcting with whatever punishment is necessary. The scholars explain it thus: ‘God’s principle of disciplining His own people is completely congruous (in agreement, harmony) with human practices. This quotation from Proverbs 3:12, stating God’s practice, corresponds to the commands God gave to fathers: “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him chasteneth him betimes (promptly). (Prov. 13:24; cf. 22:15; 23:13). LOVE and corporal punishment are not incongruous; they are two complimentary and necessary aspects of training.’

Consequently, we now have a rather unruly and undisciplined generation. We forgot what our parents told us: ‘if you spare the rod, you spoil the child.’ When we became parents, we did not discipline them as we ought to, foolishly thinking that disciplining them was wrong and abusive. But we were quite wrong, for when any animal is not disciplined it goes astray and creates havoc because of their selfish intents, interests and behaviour. Our parents disciplined us, possibly a li’l too rough and tough, and taught us seriously about God, but we came out much better for it.

And if our God practices tough LOVE, who are we to be different eh? That’s why we’re now suffering the unholy and ungodly consequences of a lost generation. But I’ll leave that alone today, for it’s something that troubles me greatly, because I saw it coming. And now that it’s arrived…well… Chuh! Let’s turn to these words of Jesus on the subject as He spoke to John in the revelation about the church in Laodicea. ‘As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.’ (Rev. 3:19) So be warned.

Now, let’s get back to talking about totally trusting and believing in Christ Jesus and not letting the enemy steal our joy with his lies and deceitful wiles and schemes. And we all know this immortal verse of Bruh Paul to Timothy, although we don’t practice it as thoroughly as we ought to. ‘For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) Yuh see there, discipline is all so important in our dealings with God. Remember what the Good Book says about Jesus: ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:8)

Yes friends, obedience was the hallmark of Jesus’ earthly sojourn. He said it Himself. ‘I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just (righteous); because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the father which hath sent me.’ (John 5:30) And we are required to do the same thing: seek the Father’s will, not our own. Finally, we come to what I believe are the most encouraging and reassuring words in the scriptures; the words the Lord spoke to Joshua when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses.

‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success. Have not I 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. 1:8-9)

Oh my fellow saints, those words are still the best encouragement for today. So please, let’s take them to heart and be strong and courageous nuh, for Jesus desires it of us and the world needs ever so badly to see it from us. And for those of us who are doing our best to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.

As one strong and courageous voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’

Now, let’s go out and enthusiastically show and tell others about the marvellous LOVE and friendship of Jesus, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…this earthly life is all about…living for Jesus…nothing else…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 May 2022 Hebrews 13:5b.

02 May 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a caring and responsible Father, all the days of my life, as I was with Moses, be content with what you have, be strong and of a good courage, cause them to inherit it, ease the pain, fear not, forgive us and heal our land, he shall hide me in his pavilion, he shall set me upon a rock, hear our prayer, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, I will not fear what man can do to me, in the time of trouble, in this will I be confident, it is better to trust in the Lord, Jehovah Rapha, let your conversation be without covetousness, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, one thing I have desired of the Lord, our Father who art in heaven, promised to look after us likea good shepher, receive a positive answer, sincere repentance in our hearts, strong faith in Christ, suffering from negative situations, than to put confidence in man, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, the God who heals, the Lord God Almighty is sitting on His heavenly throne, The Lord is my helper, the Lord is my light and salvation, the Lord is on my side, the Lord is the strength of my life, the Lord thy God goes before you, the Promised Land, though war should rise against me, whom shall I fear

Hebrews 13:5b. for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.

Come Monday, everything will be all right… although it’s opened wet, foggy and cloudy! Yes friends, everything will be all right this first Monday in the month of May 2022, as we step out into this evil and ungodly world to begin another week of work! And why is that you ask? It’s simple: because the Lord God Almighty is still sitting on His throne in the high heavens and He’s promised to look after us like a good shepherd, like a caring and responsible Father.

And what more can we ask eh, since He keeps all of His promises? And this is one of the most important ones, as written by the author of Hebrews. ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.’ (Heb. 13:5)

Wow! What an awesome promise from the Most High God, Creator of the universe and all therein! And it’s a promise that’s been repeated several times in the Good Book, most noticeably by Moses to the children of Israel and the Lord to Joshua when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. And I believe it will do us much good to have a closer look at those scriptures. (smile)

As Moses’ wound down His life, he said to the Israelites about the enemies they would face in the Promised Land: ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: For the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee not forsake thee. And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them: and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:6-8)

So, the promise of never failing nor forsaking His followers is one that’s been in existence from the time the Lord called people like Noah, Abraham and Moses to do His bidding. And then the Lord Himself told it to Joshua after anointing Him leader of the Israelites. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5)

And thus, that marvellous promise has come right down through the ages to all believers, including us at this very important and controversial time, for we were made for a time such as this. And like the author of Hebrews, that promise ought to cause us to feel so reassured of God’s preservation, ‘So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall (can) do unto me.’ (Heb. 13:6)

What a great faith we have my people, when a simple promise can cause such tremendous reassurance! And we all know the magnificent words on the subject from the pen of Bruh David in Psalm 27. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1)

Now those are very good questions, and because of the Lord’s promises, they led Bruh David to further claim: ‘When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’ (Ps. 27:2-3) And likewise friends, we should also feel the same way, be very confident in the promises of our God this day, and every day of our lives.

Then Bruh David wisely continues: ‘One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (delightfulness) of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me upon a rock.’ (Ps. 27:4-5)

Ah mih people, you see that to feel secure in the Lord’s promise, one must also seek His face sincerely, spend time with Him, and get to truly know Him. Reassurance doesn’t just come from hearing the promise, because you can only believe it when you know why it’s so strong and faithful.

And I just LOVE these reassuring words from this other psalmist: In psalm 118 – Thanksgiving for the Lord’s salvation – he boldly proclaims: ‘Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth forever. I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do to me?’ (Ps. 118:4-6)

And my fellow saints, if we are of the same opinion as the psalmist there, then our only respite is to call upon the Lord in these times of distress that so many of us are undergoing. So, let’s do just that nuh, go to God in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, baring our hearts and souls to Him, because He has promised to fix our problems.

Therefore, as one strong, confident but humble voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has 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 wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. 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!’

And as always, if we expect to receive a positive answer from heaven, then what our mouths have said, must align sincerely with our hearts. That’s just the way it is! Much LOVE!

…it is better to put trust in the Lord…than to put confidence in man… (Ps. 118:8)

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 April 2022 John 14:1.

03 Apr 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: be of good cheer, be strong and of a good courage, believe also in me, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, do not be anxious about anything, have not I commanded thee, He had overcome the world, in christ Jesus, in every situation, Jesus shed His blood, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, many are the afflictions of the righteous, on the cross at Calvary, present your requests to God, The God of the day, the Lord delivereth him out of them all, the Lord thy God is with thee, the peace of God which passeth all understading, will guard your hearts and minds, ye believe in God

John 14:1. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

Only two more weeks to Easter friends! That most important and miraculous time in the Christian calendar, which reminds us of the real event two thousand years ago, when on Good Friday, Christ shed His sinless blood on the cross at Calvary to atone for our sins, then three days later, on that first Easter Sunday, rose triumphantly from the grave to ensure our own rising from the grave after death!

Now why would anyone choose not to treasure those two marvellous happenings deep in their hearts and souls, and consequently bow down and worship Jesus for His unfailing LOVE and faithfulness eh? It certainly boggles my imagination. But I guess many of us feel that since Christ did all of that, living for Him should be nice and easy, like a Sunday evening stroll in the park. But the reality is totally different from that because in the world we will have trials and tribulations whether we want them or not, like Jesus assured us in John 16:33.

And also, when you live for Jesus, the enemy comes against you even more than normal, so you can never have a problem free life on this earth. However, as Jesus says in that same verse about tribulation, we should be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. And though being of good cheer despite our problems is possible with Christ’s help, it’s not always easy to do.

So, on this second Sunday before Easter, we are going to open our worship with a song that talks about the good and bad, the ups and downs of life, and how we can handle them in a Christ-like manner. The song was written By Tracy Dartt and made famous by American Gospel singer Lynda Randle. It’s titled ‘God on the Mountain’ Let’s sing a sweet, soulful, heartfelt version, that will remind us of the faith, trust and surrender we need to commit to our wonderful God. And I want to begin with the soul-searching chorus. (smile)

So let’s raise those sacrifices of praise heavenward: ‘[Chorus: And the God on the mountain is still God in the valley When things go wrong, He’ll make them right And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times The God of the day is still God in the night}Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known But when things change and you’re down in the valley Don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone [Chorus: And the God on the mountain is still God in the valley When things go wrong, He’ll make them right And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times The God of the day is still God in the night}

We talk of faith when we’re up on the mountain But talk comes so easy when life’s at its best But in the valley of trials and temptations That’s when faith is really put to the test [Chorus: And the God on the mountain is still God in the valley When things go wrong, He’ll make them right And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times The God of the day is still God in the night The God of the day, is still God in the night…Yes… the God of the good times is still God in the bad times The God of the day is still God in the night The God of the day, is still God in the night…’

And is that ever so true friends; our God is the One and Only True Living God in Existence, and He rules the day and night, as well as the good and bad times. And please don’t ask me why some negative things happen, if God is so good and great, because I don’t know. Furthermore, I’ve stopped searching for answers because I’ve realized that God doesn’t tell us everything, and even if He did, we would possibly not understand it, since His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours. (Is. 55:8-9)

I’ve decided to do as He asks; trust in Him and surrender my life to His omnipotent and compassionate will. And I’ve found that works quite well despite all the ups and downs and good and bad times that make up my life. It’s the only way to have peace on earth my brethren. Because as the song so truthfully points out, it’s easy to talk a big talk when you are on the mountaintop and things are going good. But yuh better believe that it’s a completely different story when you end up in the valley and life is just having a good ole time knocking you around.

To overcome, faith and trust have to become paramount in our lives. And the first thing this entails is changing our thinking, transforming our minds, as Bruh Paul says in Rom. 12:2, for the mind is the battlefield on which all none physical battles are fought. So we have to stop thinking like the world does and start thinking like Christ says we ought to. And we can’t find a better scripture to light up our valley days than these awesome words of Bruh David from Psalm 23 – the Lord is my shepherd, when he confidently declares: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4)

Yes friends, only with that kind of confident faith will we ever survive the valley days, and hopefully make it back to the top of the mountain. And we all know that though Bruh David was Israel’s mightiest king, He suffered many ups and down, both through his mistakes and the normal problems that life bring, but he never stopped trusting in the God of his forefathers, and God rewarded him very highly for it. And here’s another verse from Bruh David we need to have stored up in our treasure chest of scriptures for those hard times. ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.’ (Ps. 34:19)

Now, if you can believe that, you’re on your way! And I just LOVE this scripture when the Lord made Joshua the leader of the Israelites after Moses death. ‘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 that’s telling him! And that’s the fourth time the Lord told him as much in five consecutive verses (Josh. 1:6-9). And He’s saying the same thing to us in these trying times my people: have faith in me, trust in me, I LOVE you and will not let you down. If I sent my only Son Jesus to die for you, why wouldn’t I help you in other things?

But we have to believe. Jesus was always telling people to believe. Like He said to the disciples: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.’ John (14:1) And you can look up the many times He said the same thing to others. It’s all a question of belief in Jesus Christ. the Son of God!

And we’ll end with this practical quote from Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 4:6-7). Now, it could not be put any simpler or more practically than that my fellow saints. It then behooves us to action those sentiments if we want to make it through both the mountain top and the valley of the shadow of death. Much LOVE!

…we already have all the tools for Christian living…we’re just not using them…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 October 2021 Deuteronomy 8:6.

25 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: be quiet and listen to God, be strong and of a good courage, blood sweat and tears, by day in a pillar of cloud, by night in a pillar of fire, forgive us and heal our land, give us wise guidance, God is faithful, God is never late, God will supply all of our needs, God's grace is sufficient, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, heavenly rewards, Jehovah Rapha, know our purpose, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, put our shoulders to the wheel, shall not depart out of thy mouth, sincere repentance in our hearts, temptation will not overtake us, the fruit of our earthly labour, the God who heals, the just in time principle, the Lord thy God goes before you, then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, this book of the law, thou shalt have good success, thou shalt meditate therein day and night

Deuteronomy 8:6. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go before thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’

A good Monday morning to you my faithful friends and neighbours! Grace and peace from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to all those who sincerely trust and believe in Him. And since the breath of life continues to run through our bodies on this fateful Monday, it means that there is still important work for us to do down here in Christ’s name. Some of us know what that work is, and should faithfully put our shoulders to the wheel and do it without complaints, for He will greatly enable us to perform whatever He calls us to do.

Meanwhile, for those of us who don’t know our particular purpose, it’s ever so important for us to seek it out with the Lord’s help, for one day we shall all come before Him to answer for what we’ve done with our lives. And I don’t believe that ignorance of our earthly purpose will be a satisfactory answer. (smile) Remember, heavenly rewards are based on the fruit of our earthly labour, and if we didn’t bear any good earthly fruit, how can we expect to reap heavenly rewards eh?

And how do you find out your earthly purpose, you ask? Simple. Go to God and ask Him. Find a quiet place and some quiet time to spend with Him; read His word, think on it, and talk to Him like you’d talk to a friend, and He will answer your questions. Possibly not all at once, or in a loud voice, but quietly, in your spirit, you will eventually feel a nudging in a certain direction…or it might even be much more than a nudge, a direct command.

But remember too, that after we pose our questions to God, like in every other conversation, we need to be quiet and listen for His response. And that’s where so many of us fail, and complain that God doesn’t speak to us. It’s obvious that if we don’t listen, we can’t hear Him speaking. However, with the impatience of our current society, we expect to receive the answer right away, but that isn’t how our God operates. Unless it’s a dire emergency, He expects us to be patient and contemplative, not rushing around aimlessly like so much of our world is doing.

There’s no need to worry friends. If you ask God for directions, He will give them to you, just in His own time and fashion. Don’t worry about Him being late either. He knows what’s important and when and operates on the just in time principle. From personal experience, I know that’s an aggravating principle, but after the first few times, you’ll realize that God is faithful and will not let you down, He will arrive just in time.

But that means putting your trust in Him, which means spending quality time with Him, getting to know Him as intimately as possible, because trust can only be built through intimacy and sincerity and time spent together. And that trust can’t be built overnight either. It will take time, as much or as little time as you choose to put into the relationship. Remember, our heavenly Father is always there, ready, willing and able to talk to us, and when He feels the need, He will open a conversation with us, but basically, it’s our responsibility to get the ball rolling.

And in building trust, you must learn to rely wholeheartedly on His promises; promises like His grace is sufficient for us (2 Cor. 12:9); Temptation will not overtake us (1 Cor. 10:13); Victory over death (1 Cor. 15:57) To supply us with every need we have (Phil. 4:19) Eternal life. (John 3:16, 10:28) All things work together for good for those who love and serve Him faithfully (Rom. 8:28)

But yuh know what my people? Sincere trust also calls for bravery and courage. And believers need them each and every moment of every day if they are to be faithful to God’s desires. They are not easy to come by in this evil and ungodly world either, but God in His everlasting wisdom has also made provision for that. Remember these words of Moses to the Israelites. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go before thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 8:6)

And that’s gospel truth, for you see how He led the Israelites when He brought them out of bondage in Egypt. The Good Book tells us: ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:’ (Ex. 13:21) But to acquire that bravery and courage, trust and surrender, here’s what the Lord said to Joshua, when He made him leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death.

‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) And therein lies the secret to success in God’s kingdom; learn His Word and put it into action.

That’s it in a nutshell friends. If you don’t know His Word then you can’t keep His commands. And to truly truly know it, you must also have good and frequent communication with the Lord so He can explain the parts you don’t understand. (smile) And communicating with God is called prayer, and there is never a better time for prayer than the moment you think of it. So, since it’s in our thoughts right now, I think it’s appropriate that we approach the Lord in prayer through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, laying out our problems and desires before Him.

As one strong voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.

Now remember that God not only listens to our words but also checks our hearts to see if our motives are right and true, before He answers our prayers. Much LOVE!

…to truly live for the Lord…one must put a sincere effort into it…meaning blood, sweat and tears…like Jesus did…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 October 2021 Psalm 23:1.

21 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a still small voice, abundance, according to his riches in glory, all the days of my life, be ever ready to repel his assaults, be not afraid, be strong and of a good courage, clear direction for my life, curse, divine protection, he leadeth me beside still waters, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, holy spirit, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I shall not want, I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, in the presence of mine enemies, keeps coming relentlessly against us, LOVE, make evil inroads into our lives, my cup runneth over, my God shall supply all my needs, negative word, neither be thou discouraged, our part to play, prosper, reading and studying god's word, stand strong and steadfast, succeed, supernatural wisdom, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, talent, the awesome light of Jesus, the enemy though toothless and powerless, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord thy God is with thee, the world and all its evil minions, thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, this is the way walk ye in it, thou anointest my head with oil, thou mayest prosper, thou preparest a table before me, Thursday Blessings, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, whithersoever thou goest, wise guidance for everyday living

Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Well, it’s definitely not a bright, sunshiny day in my area today. Unfortunately, it’s wet and cloudy. But as we keep reminding ourselves, the physical state, the colour of the day doesn’t really matter, once we have the awesome light of Jesus shining within us, through the amazing Holy Spirit. That means, every day is a bright and shining day for believers. Glory to God!

But it all doesn’t come automatically, we have our part to play in the relationship. The enemy, that’s the world and all its evil minions, though toothless and powerless, still keeps coming relentlessly against us, and if we falter, for even just one moment, he will make evil inroads into our lives. Therefore, we have to be ever ready to repel his assaults, and we can only do that successfully by consistently reading and studying God’s Word, then obeying it.

That recalls the serious words the Lord spoke to Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death. ‘Only be strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper (have success, act wisely) whithersoever thou goest.

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth (shall constantly be in thy mouth); but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou discouraged: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:7-9)

Wow mih bredrin! What marvellous promises! But it’s only our holding to God’s word and the truth of His promises that will make us successful. And after Jesus came, we also got the Holy Spirit to help us. Listening to Him is a real Godsend, for He gives us good and wise guidance for everyday living. It’s like Isaiah said to the Israelites long ago, re turning to the Lord for help: ‘And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.’ (Is. 30:21)

That’s the way the Holy Spirit usually guides us; through a still small voice in our souls and spirits. But as we specified yesterday, it is of the utmost importance to learn to listen to Him, and then follow His wise guidance. And no, living a good and righteous life in this evil and ungodly world is not easy to accomplish, but there again, Jesus doesn’t ever ask us to do something without giving us the wherewithal, the strength and wisdom to do it. That’s why we can confidently say: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13) But we must sincerely believe it, and then put it into action in our lives, otherwise it doesn’t work.

Oh friends, there are some promises of God that are unconditional, and some that are conditional, that means we have to do something to reap that promise, and standing strong and courageous in Christ Jesus is one of them. And when we do that, then promises like this one Bruh Paul made to the Philippians and also to us, will be fulfilled. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) Yes my fellow believers, when we stand strong for Christ, sacrifice for Him, the Lord will gloriously meet our needs in proportion to His unlimited resources, for everything in the world belongs to Him.

As Bruh Paul said to the church at Corinth in his second letter. ‘And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.’ (2 Cor. 9:8) Our spiritual and financial needs will be met if we listen and obey. Furthermore, as Bruh David so confidently stated in our favourite Psalm: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1)

And we see it in his life. Though he made many mistakes, and paid a hefty price for them, he never forsook the Lord, always kept Him first place in his life, and the Lord greatly rewarded him. And He will do the same for each of us my brethren, if we stand strong and steadfast for Him. And I believe this is a most opportune time for us to uplift our faith by repeating those marvellous words of Bruh David.

‘The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ Amen…and Amen! (Ps. 23:1-6)

Yes friends, if those magnificent words of faith didn’t raise your spirits this wet and cloudy morning, I don’t know what will nuh. But for those of us who take it seriously, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.

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

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

And the only way those blessings will benefit us is if we now go out and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…if we believe God…and do what He says…He won’t let us down…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 September 2021 Matthew 11:28.

19 Sep 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: all our sins and griefs to bear, all our sorrows share, be strong and of a good courage, because he hath known my name, because he hath set his love upon me, call unto me, can we find a friend so faithful, come unto me all ye that labour, everything to God in prayer, for my yoke is easy, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, I will answer thee, I will be with him in trouble, I will give you reat, Joseph Medlicott Scriven, my burden light, oh what needless pain we bear, oh what peace we often forfeit, show him my salvation, the indisputable truth, the Lord thy God goes with thee, the Plymouth Brethren, the Sermon on the Mount, trials and temptations, weak and heavy laden, what a friend we have in Jesus, what a privelege to carry, will I deliver him, with long life will I satisfy him

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

Ah mih people, how quickly these days are passing! Would you believe it’s Sunday already? Didn’t we just celebrate it a few days ago? (smile) We might have. But it’s time to gather for worship once again on the Lord’s day, be it physically in His sanctuary, or at home through technological means. And today we will sing a song of hope, that was born out of a sorrowful life. The song is titled ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus,’ and it’s the indisputable truth, but the life of its author Joseph Mendicott Scriven (1819-1886) was not a happy one. Instead, it was filled with many trials and misfortunes that eventually brought him to his knees.

The hymnary.org website tells us that Scriven was an Irish immigrant to Canada. Before he came here, apparently poor health caused him to give up his dream of a military career, and then his fiancée died in a drowning accident in 1844. He moved to Ontario, Canada soon thereafter and became a teacher, but misfortune followed him when his new fiancée died after a short illness in 1855. Poor fellow! And that seemed to be the last straw, for after that his life was never stable, and his eccentricities alienated him from his neighbours.

They say, as a member of the Plymouth Brethren, he went about doing menial tasks for the poor and disabled, trying to live as literally as possible according to the Sermon on the Mount, and during his remaining years obviously needed the solace of the song he had written. But unfortunately, it never seemed to have cured his depression, thus it’s unknown whether he committed suicide or accidentally drowned in Rice Lake in 1886. But despite that sorrowful life, Scriven did leave us a gem of a song.

And it’s worth noting that many of the wonderful songs we sing today came from adversity in the lives of the authors, who took a moment to pen their thoughts, their griefs, their sorrows, and also their hopes in Almighty God, so that we who came after them would have a means of solace in our time of misfortune and grief. So let’s pay some belated homage to Joseph Scriven right now nuh, as we sing those haunting but oh so true words he wrote in his time of need, so long ago. In soulful harmony, let’s raise our voices in sincere sacrificial praise.

‘What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer! – Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer! Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer! –

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Saviour, still our refuge– take it to the Lord in prayer! Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In his arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there. What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! Yes, What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!’

And isn’t that the living truth friends? It most certainly is! We have a wonderful friend in Jesus, and an awesome privilege of taking all our problems to Him in prayer! Wow! The problem though is that we don’t take those amazing benefits of being in communion with Jesus as seriously as we ought to. We either feel that we can handle our problems ourselves, or that Jesus doesn’t have time or the desire to deal with our matters. But that’s the furthest thing from the truth my people. Jesus has the time, and also the inclination to deal with any and all problems we might have.

Why do you think He offered us the Great Invitation eh? ‘Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Now does that sound like someone who doesn’t have the time or the inclination to help His followers? Obviously not! But ofttimes it’s our foolish and stubborn pride that keeps us from going to Jesus for solace and help in our time of need.

And even in olden times the Lord encouraged His people to come to Him. Hear these words from the prophet Jeremiah when the Lord promised a glorious return to the captives from Babylon. ‘Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and might things, which thou knowest not.’ (Jer. 33:3) Yes friends, from the beginning of time the Lord has always been entreating and encouraging us to call on Him, since He is our refuge and fortress and strong tower.

Now listen to how Isaiah puts it on the Lord’s behalf nuh. ‘Can a woman forget her suckling (nursing) child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet I will not forget thee. Behold I have graven (inscribed) thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me.’ (Is. 49:15-16) How much more encouragement do we need to go to God in sincere prayer eh when troubles befall us eh? Jesus engraved us in the palms of His hand when He bore the nails in them on the cross. That’s another promise kept!

And hear what Moses told the children of Israel before he died. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) But that’s exactly why the Israelites spent forty years wandering around in the desert; they were scared and afraid and didn’t believe the promises of God, even after he had parted the Red Sea and allowed them to cross over on dry land, then drowned Pharaoh and the Egyptian army.

Ah my fellow saints, we have it so good it’s not funny! But sadly, we don’t truly believe it, and thus we can’t truly appreciate it, otherwise we wouldn’t be having all this fussing and fighting amongst ourselves and turning away from Jehovah God. And we shall close with these wonderful words of promise from Psalm 91 – God is a refuge and a fortress.

The psalmist ends it with God speaking. ‘Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him. I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. he shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life (length of days) will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.’ (Ps. 91:14-16)

What more can I say eh friends? All the cards are in our hands. Remember we need God much more than He needs us. It’s up to us to go to Him now, for He has already come to us. Much LOVE!

…if you can’t believe the promises of God…what can you believe eh…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 July 2021 Mark 4:40.

11 Jul 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: 50% capacity in churches, a pillar of cloud by day, and lo I am with you always, be strong and of a good courage, by night a pillar of fire, celebrating the Lord's day, don't give up, George Nooks, hit us with hurricane-like force, how is it that ye have no faith, I'll never forsake you, just hold on to Jesus, LOVE, Master carest not thou that we perish, remember His promise, Ride our Your Storm, stage 3 of pandemic opening, standing strong and steadfast, the greatest storm pilot -Jesus, the Lord went before them, the Shekinah glory of God, the violent stroms of life, then shalt thou make thy way prosperous, they'll do you no harm, though the waters be troubled, why are ye so fearful, your morning is coming, your nights of confusion, your ship has lost anchor

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

Awright friends, time to get excited, hopefully we’ll be going into stage 3 of the pandemic reopening next week, meaning we can then have about fifty percent capacity in our churches. Isn’t that good news? It surely is! For the first time in over a year it might make sense to reopen, although I believe some of the pandemic regulations like masks and physical distancing might still be in place. But whatever happens, today is Sunday, which means we ought to be celebrating the Lord’s Day, by gathering technologically, hopefully not for much longer, (smile) to give Him much thanks, sing His praises and glorify His holy name.

And, as we do each Sunday, our opening salvo is a glorious burst of worshipful song. Today’s song of worship is titled ‘Ride Out Your Storm.’ And we could not find a more appropriate song for these rather stormy times we have been recently experiencing. We are going to do the Reggae version, as done by the well-known Jamaican singer George Nooks. So, in an upbeat reggae tempo, with plenty riddim and background vocals, let’s raise our voices in sweet harmony, offering up sincere sacrificial praise to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

‘Don’t give up just ride out your storm. You’ve been in the storm and it seems like forever. And your nights of confusion have been too long. Your ship has lost anchor, and the storm’s got you drifting. Just hold on to Jesus And ride out your storm (Chorus: Ride out your storm, God is there with you, you may not feel him, but you’re not alone. You’re hurting now, but your morning is coming…Lord have mercy, just hold on to Jesus and ride out your storm) Remember His promise, He said I’ll never forsake you, though the waters are troubled, they’ll do you no harm. Don’t give up the battle for your answer is coming, just hold on to Jesus, hold on to Jesus, and just ride out your storm.

Ride out your storm God is still there with you, you may not feel him but you’re not alone. I know you’re hurting now but your morning is coming, Lord have mercy, just hold on to Jesus and ride out your storm. Oh Ride out your storm God is there with you, you may not feel him, but you’re not alone. Although you’re hurting now, your morning is coming, just hold on to Jesus and ride out your storm. You know He’ll never leave you, so just hold on to Jesus, and just ride out your storm. Hold on to Jesus, and ride out your storm.’

Oh friends, that was magnificent! There was no doubt in heaven that we were sincere in singing the praises of Jesus. The problem now is for us to put all that we’ve just said into action, which is much easier said than done. Yes, even for those of us with strong faith, when the violent storms of life hit us with hurricane-like force, it is ofttimes difficult to bring it to the forefront and stand strong on the promises of Jesus. But we have to do it, if we expect to overcome the storms, or merely to ride them out. And today I just want to reacquaint us with some scripture that helps us to do just that.

So let’s start at the beginning, it’s usually the best place. (smile) That means we are going right back to the Old Testament, when the Lord brought the Israelites out of 400 hundred years of bondage in Egypt. Now what does the Good Book tells us about that mighty Exodus? ‘And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, to go by day and night. He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people.’ (Ex. 13:20-22)

And the scholars inform us that ‘This glowing cloud was the shekinah glory of Yahweh (a visible manifestation of God on earth), which later filled the tabernacle (Ex. 40:35) and then Solomon’s temple (1 Kin. 8:10), and finally departed from the temple and the city just before the Babylonian captivity (Ezek. 8-11). This “glory of the God of Israel” will not return to Israel until the Second Coming of Christ (Ezek. 43:1-7), at which time the glowing cloud will once again cover God’s earthly people. But back then, it guided the people through the wilderness, assured them of God’s presence, and protected them from the Egyptians (cf. Ex. 14:19-20).’

Now that alone should be enough to convince us that God is always with us, and will never leave nor forsake us. But I know that we are a stubborn, hard-ears lot, (smile) so listen to Moses to those Israelites who were just as stubborn and hard-ears as us. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them (the enemies they’d meet in the Promised Land): for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) Then Moses said the same thing to Joshua, the new leader, adding at the end ‘fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:8)

And if that wasn’t enough, after Moses died and Joshua took command, the Lord Himself reassured Joshua. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5) But they had to meditate on His word and keep His commandments; ‘for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 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 whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:8-9)

And nothing has changed since then my brethren, except for Jesus coming and giving us even more assurances. Like He promised the disciples and all those who believed on Him and did His work: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) And remember the physical calming of the storm, when they were crossing the Sea of Galilee? The disciples were terribly afraid because the boat was in serious danger of capsizing, but Jesus lay sleeping comfortably in the stern, But they awoke Him and asked ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish?’ (Mark 4:38)

He obviously did, but He knew that there was no cause for worry since He was with them. That’s why after getting up and rebuking the wind, saying to the sea, ‘Peace be still,’ He also rebuked them by asking: ‘Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?’ (Mark 4:39-40) And friends, it’s the same question Jesus asks of us when the storms of life beset us and we become so terrified that we don’t know our A from our E. (smile) ‘Where is your faith? Why is it so small? Haven’t you seen and heard enough about me and My word, and know that I am the eternal calmer of storms?’

Yes my fellow saints, we ought to know better than to be terrified of the storms of life when we have Jesus running the show. So, I hope this li’l review will reassure us, boost our faith, and keep us standing strong and steadfast, so that we can confidently ride them out on the strong and massive shoulders of Jesus. Much LOVE!

…the greatest storm pilot there ever was…Jesus…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 April 2021 Matthew 8:26a.

25 Apr 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: be of good cheer, be strong and of a good courage, celebrate the Lord's Day, Covid-19 virus, cried out for fear, Danielle Bernock, George Nooks, God is there with you, God's mercy endures for ever, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee, it is I be not afraid, just hold on to Jesus, nights of confusion, O ye of little faith, our fear is stronger than our faith, Ride out your storm, stand up strong in faith

Matthew 8:26a. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?

A blessed Sunday to you, my fellow believers in Christ! The days are rolling by ever so quickly in these turbulent times that we don’t even have time to notice them. Some of us would like to hide from our individual problems, and those that are plaguing our world, but that’s not a wise idea, especially if you’re a follower of Christ Jesus. We believers need to stand up strong in faith and fight our battles courageously with the awesome help of our Lord and Saviour. It’s all a matter of faith my people, how mature we are in our belief in Him.

But enough talk, today is Sunday and we are gathered, virtually though it might be, to celebrate the Lord’s Day. So let’s do that nuh, beginning as always, with a song of praise and worship, a song that renews our faith and confidence in the true, living God, He of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And today’s song is meant to do just that. It’s titled ‘Ride Out Your Storm.’

And the version we are singing today is a reggae version made famous by the Jamaican artist, George Nooks. So, as we are wont to do, let’s raise our voices in harmonious, joyful praise, letting heaven and earth know, without any doubt,where our sympathies and beliefs lie, the true, strong and solid foundation on which our faith is built; none other than Jesus Christ!

Altogether now, in an up-tempo, reggae riddim: ‘Don’t give up just ride out your storm. You’ve been in the storm and it seems like forever. And your nights of confusion has been too long. Your ship has lost anchor, and the storm’s got you drifting. Just hold on to Jesus And ride out your storm (Chorus: Ride out your storm, God is there with you, you may not feel him, but you’re not alone. You’re hurting now, but your morning is coming…Lord have mercy, just hold on to Jesus and ride out your storm)

Remember His promise, He said I’ll never forsake you, though the waters are troubled, they’ll do you no harm. Don’t give up the battle for your answer is coming, just hold on to Jesus, hold on to Jesus, and just ride out your storm. Ride out your storm God is still there with you, you may not feel him but you’re not alone. I know you’re hurting now but your morning is coming, Lord have mercy, just hold on to Jesus and ride out your storm.

Oh Ride out your storm God is there with you, you may not feel him, but you’re not alone. Although you’re hurting now, your morning is coming, just hold on to Jesus and ride out your storm. You know He’ll never leave you, so just hold on to Jesus, and just ride out your storm. Hold on to Jesus, and ride out your storm.’

Yes people, our only hope for survival is to hold on tightly to Jesus and ride out our storm, for He is theONLY ONEwho can calm the angry seas. And it’s not like the Lord hasn’t promised never to leave nor forsake us. Hebrews 13:5 in the New Testament reminds of us that. But let’s go right back to the Old Testament nuh, and get it first from Moses, then from the Lord himself. When Moses passed the leadership mantle of the Israelites to Joshua, he told him thus: ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:8)

And if that wasn’t sufficient, when the Lord officially enshrined Joshua as the leader, hear His fateful words to him. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5) And a few verses later, the Lord reminded 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) Strong words indeed my brethren, but also ever-faithful ones.

And before Jesus left us to return to heaven, He made the same promise to the disciples: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the very end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) So it’s not like we don’t have word promises, but we also have actual situations where those promises were kept. We’ll just look at two situations with Jesus and the disciples, situations that we all know about, but unfortunately don’t take them as seriously as we ought to in these perilous times. The first is when Jesus, after feeding the five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes, sent the disciples across the lake in their boat, while He went up into the mountain to pray.

But when the boat was in the middle of the lake, a serious storm arose and began tossing the boat to and fro in a wild manner. Obviously, the disciples became fearful, but Jesus knew their plight and came walking to them on the water. The Good Book tells it thus: ‘And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying it is a spirit (ghost); and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer (take courage), it is I, be not afraid.’ (Matt.14:26-27)

Then we have the episode of Peter going out of the boat and walking on the water towards Jesus. And he was doing very well until he took his eyes off of Jesus, and focused on the wind and the stormy sea, then he became afraid and began to sink and had to implore Jesus to save him, which Jesus did, saying unto him, ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt.’ (Matt. 14:28-31) Unfortunately though friends, that’s how it is with us to this day. We start out strong and confident in Jesus, but as soon as the storm begins to seriously kick up, we take our eyes off of Jesus, lose our faith, get scared and begin to sink.

Then we have the granddaddy of all the examples of losing faith, of not staying focused on Jesus. That time when they were going across the sea in their ship. ‘And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he (Jesus) was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea: and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!’ (Matt. 8:23-27)

What can I say eh friends? After spending so much time with Jesus, and seeing so many miracles, the disciples still showed serious fear, even when He was with them. But here are some interesting words on the subject from commentator, Danielle Bernock, from the Christianity.com website.

‘The significance of Jesus calming the storm is pertinent to what’s happening in our world today and is evidence of God’s love for us. COVID -19 has had a significant impact on our lives. We’re flooded by numerous types of storms daily. These storms are both internal and external. The intense surges of emotion within us are due to our humanity while the chaotic circumstances around us are beyond our control. Right now, many can relate to the disciples’ emotions when Jesus calmed the storm…

There have been many epidemics and even pandemics throughout history, and now we have many skilled scientists in the world. So, it seemed that we were prepared for COVID-19. But as country after country and state after state go into lockdown, the same fear and panic the disciples experienced looms over us. So, when things come upon us suddenly, we find out what’s in our hearts. Like the disciples, fear is coming out of many people’s hearts. It’s an emotion common to being human.

One might say that the disciples were just being human. All of us during this pandemic are feeling our humanity deeply as fear sweeps across the world like a dark cloud. But Jesus was human too. He often took time away to refresh. During the storm, Jesus was sleeping because he was exhausted from ministry.… A good question for us to ask ourselves as COVID-19 rages is, where is our faith? The disciples spent a lot of time with Jesus and saw him perform many miracles. You would think that they’d have a lot of faith. But in their humanity, it became evident they had more faith that the storm would destroy them than in Jesus saving them.

Jesus may have rebuked the disciples for their weak faith, but he didn’t abandon them to let them drown. Instead, he calmed the storm and then continued to teach them who he was and demonstrated what it was to have faith in God. Do we have more faith in the pandemic than in the mercy and grace of God? There is not a disease that Jesus was unable to heal. If the fear in us is stronger than our faith, we can turn to God and he’ll teach us because his mercy endures forever. Feeding on God’s word will build your faith and calm the storm raging within you.’

And we’ll end with those wise words my brethren. But please, please, let’s take time today, and in the upcoming ones, to ponder those questions that Mr. Bernock has posed, for they are very important to our current situation.Much LOVE!

…if we truly believe in Jesus…there is NO storm that we can’t ride out…

P.S.Yes, it’s pretty long (smile), but I think it’s all very worthwhile. Much LOVE!

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 February 2021 Joshua 1:5.

08 Feb 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: and have good success, answer our prayers, as I was with Moses, be strong and of a good courage, be thou strong and very courageous, but of power love and a sound mind, day and night, divided, ease their suffering, fear not, forgive us, God has not given us a spirit of fear, grace and mercy, have I not commanded thee, heal our land, hear our prayer, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee, Jehovah Rapha, mass confusion, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, more evil than the evil one, more hateful than the unbelievers, more interested in the things of the world, omnipotent god, our Father who art in heaven, resentful, shall not depart out of thy mouth, sincere repentance, sincerely living for God, so will I be with thee, standing in faith, the basic necessities are in short supply, the God who heals, the Lord thy God goeth before thee, the Lord thy God is with thee, the Lord's faithfulness, the weekly work cycle, then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, this book of the law, thou shalt meditate therein, to do according to all the law, to the right hand or to the left, turn not from it, turned everything topsy-turvy, when we humble ourselves, when will the pandemic end, wise guidance and direction

Joshua 1:5. As I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

And the weekly work cycle begins again…for those who have jobs that is, and are not sick from the Covid-19 virus. What a way Monday has changed in the last year eh? Back then we would wake up grouchy and miserable, annoyed that we had to go to work in the cold, winter morning. But today, although we are still waking up miserable and grouchy on a Monday morning, (smile) it’s for very different reasons.

Now we’re wondering when the pandemic will end, do we still have a job, will we be able to work from home so we can escape the virus? On top of all that, money, food, clothing and the basic necessities are in short supply, so many of us are also very anxious about how we will get through this day. Yeh friends, what a difference a year makes! The pandemic has turned everything topsy-turvy, upside down, and many of us don’t know if we’re coming or going.

But we believers in Christ Jesus ought to know that, for from way back when, our wonderful and omnipotent God has promised never to leave nor forsake us. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to His word. When Moses was about to die, he spoke these encouraging and reassuring words to the people of Israel. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them (your enemies): for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6)

And Moses commissioned Joshua to be the new leader, calling him in front of all the people, and saying unto him. ‘Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:7-8)

Yes friends, Joshua and the people were encouraged by Moses of the Lord’s faithfulness towards His chosen people. And so should we be also encouraged in the Lord, because we are His children through adoption because we believe in His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. What amuses me though, but also encourages me, is how the Lord also spoke to Joshua after Moses died, promising that He would be with him just like he was with Moses, and nobody would stand up against him all his life. ‘As I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5)

That just shows how important the situation was to the Lord. But then He issued some direct warnings to Joshua, amongst them this reiterated one: ‘Be strong and of a good courage…Only be thou strong and very courageous to do according to all the law…turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth: but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written there: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:6-8)

Oh my people, that is the basic foundation of our faith: meditating on God’s word and obeying it! That’s how we become successful and prosperous. But just like the Israelites back then, we’re not obeying God’s command, so no wonder we’re not prosperous and successful. And just for good measure, the Lord pounded it Joshua’s head one more time. ‘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)

Oh friends, oh friends, how often must the Lord pound it into our heads too, before we begin to follow His commands eh? Look at the state of Christianity nuh! We’re more evil than the evil one, if that’s possible, more divided, resentful and hateful than the unbelievers. Not reading and meditating on the Good Book sufficiently, more interested in the things of the world than the things of God! Yet we expect to be successful. Steups! Now here’s this scripture that puts it in a nutshell. The words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)

Yes my fellow saints, that’s what our wonderful God has given us; power, LOVE, and discipline, the basic things we need to be victorious, along with knowing and keeping His word. So let’s wise up nuh, bring our ways and lives into agreement with His word and will, so that we can be successful and prosperous. And the first step in doing that is turning to God in sincere prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, sincerely pouring out our hearts, seeking grace and mercy.

So altogether, in confident voice: ‘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 many natural disasters that now seem more prevalent than ever.

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!’

Now we have to seriously read, meditate and live according to God’s word, if we want to be successful and prosperous. Much LOVE!

…real success and prosperity…only come from sincerely living for God…

SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 August 2022 John 14:6.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 May 2022 Hebrews 13:5b.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 April 2022 John 14:1.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 October 2021 Deuteronomy 8:6.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 October 2021 Psalm 23:1.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 July 2021 Mark 4:40.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 April 2021 Matthew 8:26a.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 February 2021 Joshua 1:5.

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