Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 November 2023   2 Timothy 2:3.

12 Nov 2023 Leave a comment

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

2 Timothy 2:3.       Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Christ.

And a good Sunday morning to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and families! Hope you all have taken the opportunity to visit the Lord’s sanctuary and fellowshipped with others like yourselves. Obviously, I was unable to do so because of my covid condition, but my thoughts and prayers are nonetheless with all those who are wise enough to go and get their souls and spirits refreshed. Today though, in our special celebration, we’re going to open with a song that’s ever so appropriate for these trying and difficult times. It’s an old but still ever popular 19th century English hymn, titled ‘Onward Christian Soldiers.’ 

The words were written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865, and the music was composed by Arthur Sullivan in 1871. It was written to encourage Christians in their ongoing battles with temptations within themselves and the evil forces throughout the world. And nothing has changed since then. It’s perhaps gotten worse and we possibly need the words and sentiments of this popular hymn even more than ever before. So, let’s raise our sacrificial voices of praise to high heaven in a rousing, revolutionary version of this most encouraging song. 

Singing: ‘Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go! (Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!) At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise! 

[Refrain] Like a mighty army moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod; We are not divided; all one body we, One in hope and doctrine, one in charity. [Refrain] Onward, then, ye people, join our happy throng, Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song; Glory, laud, and honor, unto Christ the King; This thro’ countless ages men and angels sing. [Refrain].’ 

Oh my people, what encouraging sentiments! The way that Christ’s church should be, ONE: both in battle and victory! With all of us marching together in the name of Christ against the evil foe Satan. Unfortunately though, Christ’s church is not one, but split in numerous divisions and directions, with more infighting within it that against the common outside enemy. That obviously weakens the church and what we are able to do in Christ’s name. 

And I just had a sad chuckle at the lines of the song which say: ‘At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee… Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise.’ What a joke that is! Satan’s armies aren’t fleeing anywhere! Hell isn’t quivering in fear. Hell is rejoicing in victory because we believers are not doing as we ought to. We’ve become a soft and comfortable people, who are only interested in the benefits and amenities of this life and no longer desire to make sacrifices or do anything that’s hard in the name of Jesus. 

And that’s why Satan’s having a field day in these modern times. We’ve become more afraid of men, than of God, and thus are not willing to stand up for what we believe is right. But please remember friends, after this life comes the judgement, and when the Lord asks what we’ve done for His kingdom with what He gave us, we won’t be able to make any excuses. We won’t be able to say we were afraid, because He’ll come right back with the many times He’s warned us not to fear, and with this particular scripture: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) 

Please remember too, that to be a true disciple of Christ, one must be wiling to daily take up one’s cross and sacrifice one’s self on His behalf. He won’t necessarily call you to do it every day, but you must nonetheless be prepared for it when He does call. That calls to mind these very appropriate words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3) And that ought to be a reminder for all of us my brethren; that we ought to bear our burdens like good soldiers in Christ’s employ! 

Oh my people, I LOVE comfort just as much as the other person, but comfort doesn’t make us what we ought to be. It’s said that the worst kind of Christian is a comfortable one, and that’s the living truth! When we get all comfortable, we no longer desire to make sacrifices for Christ, the way we ought to. And that’s why the Lord sometimes provides some tough times in our lives to wake us up from the comfortable slumber in which we are ensconced. Listen to these earlier words of Bruh Paul to Timothy on the soldier’s responsibility. 

‘This charge (command) I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophesies which went before on thee (were previously made concerning you), that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away (rejected) concerning faith have made shipwreck (suffered). Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.’ (1 Tim. 1:18-20) 

Ah friends, we are expected to stand strong in faith and to grow in it so that we can become better witnesses for Christ. But so many of us are not doing it, that the witness is falling flat. 

And I guess we can’t end with any better words than these of Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:5-8) 

So please friends, let’s get together and seriously run our races, so that in due course of time we’ll be able to say like Bruh Paul did, we ran a good race, and the Lord will crown us with a crown of righteousness. Much LOVE!

…sincerely living for Christ…requires plenty belly and backbone… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit    13 September 2023 Genesis 41:28.

13 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 41:28.       This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharoah: What God is about to do he showeth unto Pharaoh.

And Wednesday has opened somewhat cool and cloudy, but the sun is valiantly fighting for survival, and who knows how it will turn out? We just have to hope for the best and believe that whatever comes our way, we will be able to handle it with the grace of our great God. And all God’s people said a loud ‘Hallelujah! Amen!’ 

That’s the beauty of living with and for Jesus; nothing that happens will steal our peace or bring us to the point where we lose interest and thus faith in Him. For once He is in our life, we are surely more than conquerors, and can do all things that He desires, through the awesome power of His Holy Spirit. So, one thing believers ought not to fall prey to is the satanic encouraged emotion of fear. For as Bruh Paul so rightly writes to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) 

And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! Our omnipotent God has certainly not given us a spirit of fear! Why would He when He is the supreme ruler of the universe and all therein? Surely, He would not want His followers to be afraid, but rather to be strong and unflappable like Him. (smile) Anyway, with that li’l pep talk for this Wednesday morning, let’s get back to the drama that is Bruh Joseph’s story. Yesterday, we left off where Pharaoh told Bruh Joseph his dream. Today, we’ll pick it up where Bruh Joseph interprets Pharoah’s dream. 

The Good Library tells it thus: ‘And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine (cows) are seven years; and the seven good ears (of corn) are seven years: the dream is one. And the seven thin and ill favoured kine (ugly cows) that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears (of corn) blasted (blighted) with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.’ (Gen. 41:25-27) 

And who says our great God doesn’t move in mysterious ways eh? Who else would have thought to place such a mixed-up dream in Pharaoh’s mind, all to the favour of a young Hebrew man ensconced so unfairly in the Pharoah’s jail? No one but our great and omnipotent God! 

Then Bruh Joseph continued to Pharaoh. ‘This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharoah: What God is about to do he showeth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout the land of Egypt: and there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume (deplete the food) of the land. And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following: for it shall be very grievous. And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice (repeated); it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.’ (Gen. 41:28-32) 

Wow! Imagine this young Hebrew man expounding to one of the most powerful rulers in the world on what his Hebrew God planned to do in the near future. Poor Pharaoh must certainly have wondered what was really happening. But to his credit, he listened intently to Bruh Joseph’s words. 

And so he continued: ‘Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet (discerning) and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers (overseers) over the land, and take up the fifth part (of the produce) of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn (grain) under the hand (authority) of Pharoah, and let them keep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store (a reserve) to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through famine.’ (Gen. 41:33-36) 

Bruh Joseph was certainly in his element, telling the great Pharoah how to handle the affairs of his country. No doubt he was buoyed by the grace of God, the spirit that made him not afraid to speak what God was saying to him. Now that’s how we ought also to be my faithful brethren; unafraid to speak God’s word, regardless of how worldly powerful the person or people with whom we are communicating. And sadly, in these trying and fearful times, many of us believers are indeed afraid to voice the truth(s) of our faith, afraid that we will either be rejected and shunned by our peers, or in some cases actually punished for our faith. 

But remember, as we said earlier, God did not give us a spirit of fear, but one of LOVE, power and a sound or disciplined mind, which means we have to be like Bruh Joseph and stand up bravely and speak whatever truth the Lord desires us to speak to whomever He directs us to speak. And yes, that’s easier said than done, but that’s all a part of our discipleship in Christ. Remember the tough requirements to become a member of that august and awesome group? ‘Jesus said to them all, If any man will come after me (desires to follow me), let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) 

Yes friends, that means every day we draw breath, we’re expected to take up our cross and do like Jesus did, sacrifice ourselves if, when, and where necessary. There can’t be any hemming and hawing or wishy-washy behaviour when it comes to representing Christ to the world at large. And if God decides to spare our lives, tomorrow we’ll continue with the amazing saga of Bruh Joseph, but now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus! 

Altogether: ‘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 my brethren, it’s been promised that if we endure to the end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s plan to meet at the very end with Jesus and enjoy that future nuh! It’s the wisest decision we can ever make! Much LOVE!

…faithful disciples of Christ…are not afraid to speak their truth… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 July 2023 Ephesians 6:11.

19 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 6:11.      Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.

Oh friends, this Wednesday is going to be another glorious summer’s day! It might not be boiling hot, but it’s sunny, nice and cool, just the way I like it! (smile) After being in this climate of changing seasons for so long, it seems like I can’t handle the heat as well I use to it. I guess it’s like the old people would say; after one time is two. And isn’t it amazing that for almost every scenario in our lives today, we can quote something from our fathers and forefather’s generations that tie in so nicely with them. It just goes to show that the basics of life don’t change that much from generation to generation. 

As Cousin Sol so wisely said, writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes: ‘The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.’ (Eccl. 1:10) And that’s basically true, for though we might have some new inventions, our basic behaviour and the things we do through this life are just like the ancients did. Get up, work, eat, sleep, party, be sinful, and hopefully praise God, while LOVING each other, then die. 

It’s only the how, not the why, that’s been changed down through the ages. We have invented ways to live better, but also ways to be more sinful and ungodly, and, unfortunately, the latter behaviour is what’s currently ruling the roost in our world, which is a crying shame! One would have thought that by now, with all of our enlightened accomplishments and vast learning, mankind would have realized that godliness is ever so much better than evil doing and sinfulness. But no, the devil has gotten his evil claws into so many of us, that godliness is running in second place in our world, and a far second place too. 

This however is wholly unacceptable my fellow believers. We cannot allow the evil doers to control our world, especially after all the sacrifices our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ made on our behalf! No! We have to get up, put away our fear, or whatever is holding us back, and attack the enemy full force, mano a mano, not run away from him like scared rabbits, as so many of us are now doing. Jesus stood up staunchly for us, it’s now our turn to stand up staunchly for Him, and He’s already given us all the tools to do the job, the great Commission, that He desires of us. 

And it’s all so easy; tell people about Him and the good things He wants to share with them, and live in a manner that will cause others to want what we have, the intimate relationship with Him. But it does mean putting ourselves out, sacrificing and not always living the easy, carefree, doh care life. And that’s what so many of us supposed believers shy away from. With all the wonderful amenities in our world, it’s become so easy to just relax on our lollies and do almost nothing, but still exist. 

And with the recent upgrade and breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence, brother, we’ll be doing even less than before, because this new invention will even think for us. Are we on our way to obsolescence my people? Who knows, but it ought to give us definite cause for concern, when our society is already filled with all sorts of fakes and untruthfulness, now we’re going to be even less sure if a real person was involved in a particular situation or thing, or whether it was the work of Artificial Intelligence. 

It’s already such a big part of our world, and without proper regulations, it’s only going to get bigger, more pervasive and more distrustful, like all of mankind’s inventions, especially with the evil and untrustworthy minds that are currently at the forefront of our world. And if any serious and worthwhile changes are going to be made in our world, it will have to be through the loud voices of Christians, because we are the only group who seem to want goodness, mercy and the LOVE of God to flourish. 

But that’s our very problem; our voices aren’t being heard, because they’re not plentiful or loud enough to make a difference, and until we make them loud and plentiful, nothing will ever change! That’s why I’m calling on us to rise up today, as one solid and unified body of Christ, His marvellous church, and dare the evil doers to stop us from taking over our heavenly Father’s world! It’s well known that evil doers are basically bullies who take advantage of their strengths, but are basically cowards underneath, and this is indeed a challenge for us believers to get on our horses and ride, ride for Jesus, like we should have been doing long ago! 

And it’s important that we don’t just rush in willy nilly without a proper plan and proper safeguards. That means before we go into battle, we must put on the whole armour of God! As Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11) Then in verse 12, he goes on to explain that it’s not a physical battle we’re fighting, but a spiritual one. However, we still need protection even in spiritual battles, just a different kind. And what’s that you ask? 

Briefly speaking, it’s the truth of Christ girding your waist; the breastplate of righteousness guarding your chest; the eagerness of the gospel of peace on your feet; the shield of faith with which to divert the fiery arrows of the enemy; the helmet or hope of salvation to protect your head; the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God to fell your enemies, and finally prayer, which brings everything under its vital umbrella and without which no battle can be won! 

So we have all that we need to fight the enemy, except the courage and desire to do it. But please, let’s remember that our great ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’  (2 Tim. 1:7) That means the only thing holding us back is our desire to engage the enemy, because we have everything else. And, sadly, that desire must come from deep within each of us, it must be a personal desire to sacrifice on Christ’s behalf. No one can make us do it. 

And for those of us who are willing to put up that fight, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful, irreversible position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘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 if we endure to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So let’s promise ourselves to see it nuh! Much LOVE!

…fighting the good fight for Christ…is the believer’s bounden duty… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 July 2023 Luke 19:10.

10 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Luke 19:10.       For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Oh friends, may the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you this Monday morning as you go out to work! And do we ever need divine help to safely earn a living in these times of serious upheaval and disaster in our world, both man-made and natural. It’s difficult enough when you have Christ and His Holy Spirit leading and guiding you, can you imagine how hard it is for those who don’t know them. That’s why we must make every effort to bring as many people as possible to the knowledge of Christ. It’s the only way any of the pain and suffering so rampant in our world right now will ever be alleviated. 

Remember Jesus strong words on the subject when he had lunch with Zaccheus the publican (tax collector) and he repented and promised to repay any whom he had fleeced. ‘And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:8-10) Yes friends, that was Jesus’ purpose for coming to earth; to save the sick, the lost and the suffering, not so much to save those who consider themselves righteous, like the scribes and Pharisees. 

As we see when he called Levi (Matthew) the publican (tax collector) at his post in the customs department, ‘and said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans (tax collectors) and of others that sat down with them. But their scribes and Pharisees murmured (grumbled) against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans (tax collectors) and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole (healthy) need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance’ (Luke 19:27-32) 

The scholars tell us: ‘Levi (Matthew) was evidently celebrating his new faith, and invited former friends to share in the festivities. But the Pharisees held that it was defiling to have dealings, let alone to eat, with people like Levi and his associates. But Jesus was not dealing with the question of whether there are in fact righteous people who need no repentance. By righteous He refers to the Pharisees, who thought they were righteous, and thus felt they had no need to repent. They were truly self-righteous.’ 

And if you really want to see Jesus’ heart to seek and save the lost, just check out the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. (Luke 15) In each instance the person who lost their possession went looking for the one, the single item that was lost, because they considered it important enough not lose any at all. That’s how Jesus and the Father feel about us lost sinners. Peter specifies it in 2 Pet. 3:9. ‘The Lord …is longsuffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ 

And Jesus agreed with that when He declared: ‘For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ (John 6:38-40) That’s why Jesus left the comfort of heaven to come to earth and sacrifice His sinless life on our behalf. 

And if lost souls were so important to Jesus, then they ought to be very important to us too. Remember when Jesus saw the multitude looking like lost sheep and had compassion on them, then said to the disciples. ‘The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.’ (Matt. 9:37-38) Now we are a part of that labour force my people. The Lord has commissioned us to go out and gather in the harvest of lost and suffering souls so that He could mend them and make them whole. 

And though we do need to concentrate on making an earthly living, we also need to think about saving up treasures in heaven by the way we live for Christ. Yes, it does call for some sacrifices on our part, but the Lord will never ask us to do something without giving us the wherewithal to do it. So, if He’s asked us to bring lost souls to Him, then He’s already imbued us with the power to do it through His Holy Spirit. So lets’ get to it nuh. No more flimsy excuses or fear, for as Bruh Paul told Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) 

Now, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and plead for divine help to right our troubled world. Altogether now: ‘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. 

Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but 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. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us 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 if we want to see good days, then we have to show obedience and turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…Jesus would never have left heaven…if mankind did not need saving…  Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ      

Today’s Scrip-Bit   28 May 2023   2 Corinthians 1:3.

28 May 2023 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 1:3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

Welcome my Scrip-Bit friends and family to the Lord’s sanctuary, on one of the most auspicious Sundays on our Christian Calendar, the Day of Pentecost! Wow! It’s a day of plenty drama, the day that Christ’s Church was officially born. The day that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ kept His promise to the disciples to baptize them with the amazing power of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter or Helper that the Father would send to replace Him. The Spirit that would remind them of all the things He had spoken about to them, and to lead and guide them in doing His earthly work, the Great Commission. 

The Good Library tells the story thus: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord (one purpose or mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (in other (languages) as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:1-4) 

And from that day, the Holy Spirit of God has indwelt ALL believers! That’s about the first thing that happens to you when you put your trust in Christ Jesus and accept Him as Lord and Saviour. And yuh better believe when that information got out into the great crowd from all over the known world, that was then in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Weeks, and they heard the believers speak in their native tongues or languages, they were amazed and wondered what was happening. Some even mocked them, saying that the believers were drunk. 

But Big Peter set them straight, getting up and telling them that they were not drunk at nine o’clock in the morning, but it was the fulfillment of the promise made by the prophet Joel. ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.’ (Acts 2:17) Then Peter went on to explain the rest of Joel’s prophecy and the significance of the day, preaching the greatest sermon of His life and one of the best and most important in the annals of Christianity. 

You can read all about in it Acts 2: 18-47. And the prophecy of Joel can be found in Joel 2:28-32. Please read both passages, so you can become more mature and learned in the scriptures. (smile) And having said all of that, let’s turn to some praise and worship, singing this popular song written by Tracy Dartt in 1974, when, as a builder of swimming pools in California he was experiencing some significant business troubles, his partner gave up his half of the business, leaving him on the brink of bankruptcy. 

And he writes: ‘In the midst of the turmoil, I awakened from a troubled sleep one night. It was two o’clock in the morning. A tune was echoing in my troubled brain. I picked up a tablet and a pencil and began to write, “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.” “Thank You, Lord,” I prayed, “for being God in my valley.” The chorus came, “The God on the mountain is still God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right…” In all, it took about thirty minutes. I again prayed, “Thank You, Lord,” and then settled back down to sleep. 

Morning came, breakfast and prayer time. “Lord, show us Your will.” Then he went off to work, and like a miracle, during the next little while several calls came through for new swimming pools, and they were able to finish all their projects and eliminate all debts without bankrupting the business. As he says: ‘God had taken us through the valley.’ And that’s what He will do for you too my friends, if you stick closely to Him. Now let’s send up some sweet smelling sacrifices of praise by singing a soulful, heartfelt version of that song ‘God on the Mountain,’ which went on to become a number one hit and has been recorded by numerous artists over the years. 

Singing: ‘Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known. But things change, when you’re down in the valley. Don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone. For the God on the mountain, is the 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. 

You talk of faith when you’re up on the mountain. But talk comes so easy when life’s at its best. But it’s down in the valley, of trials and temptations That’s where your faith, is really put to the test. For the God on the mountain is the 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.’ 

And is that ever the gospel truth my friends! It’s the same God we worship if we’re up or if we’re down, and the same one who will eventually work everything out for our good, just like He did for Tracy Dartt, in an unexpected, miraculous fashion. It’s all about sincere faith and trust, and not just talking it, but more importantly living it. And I’m sure if you’ve been walking with Christ for any length of time you can also remember those times when things looked really rough and you had no idea what to do, but in some small and seemingly insignificant manner He put things in motion to make it right. 

And who do you think comforted Mr. Dartt that troubled night, gave him the words of comfort and peace and a song that would make world history? The Holy Spirit, our heavenly Comforter and Helper, that’s who! And there are so many scriptures that encourage us to stand strong and steadfast and trust in the Lord during times of adversity, that we only have time and space for a few. 

Listen to this one by Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4) Now can you beat that for comfort? Obviously not! Because it comes from the God of all comfort. 

Then there is this li’l gem. ‘For the Lord hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ Wow! More comforting scripture from 2 Tim. 1:7. And as always, we’ve saved the best for last. These magnificent words of faith, comfort and trust from Bruh David’s paean or tribute to our wonderful God, Psalm 23. ‘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) 

Oh my people, what more do we need the Good Shepherd to do eh? He’s promised to lead and guide us even in the valley of the shadow of death, so please let’s get out there on this day of Pentecost and sing and be merry and not be afraid, for we have the Creator of the Universe, the God of all comfort, to look after us! Much LOVE!

… when you believe God’s promises…they will be fulfilled in your life… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   21 March 2023 Matthew 5:16.

21 Mar 2023 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Oh my people, it’s so good to be alive on this bright and sunshiny Tuesday morning, despite the chill in the air! There’s something about the shining sun that awakens, or raises up good vibes in our souls and spirits. I guess it’s just the goodness of our great and generous God that comes to the forefront when we see the sun. (smile) That’s why we need to offer a few words of thanks and praise for His wonderful kindness to us, His undeserving children. 

So please pray with me. ‘Lord, we give you thanks for allowing us to see another day on this earth, confused and ungodly as it might be. We ask for the grace and wisdom to allow your Holy Spirit to lead and guide us as we go about our daily tasks, doing your will and not ours. Help us to make a godly difference in our chaotic world. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.’ 

Yeh friends, do we ever need God’s grace and wisdom to be able to make a dent in the stranglehold that the enemy currently has on our world. I don’t know if evil and ungodliness has ever been so pervasive all over the globe as it now is. But it’s our job, as followers of Jesus to help turn that most undesirable situation around. And since evil is so prevalent, I know you’re wondering how we might accomplish such an apparently Herculean task. 

Well, the first thing to realize is that we can’t change it completely or soon, because the power of Satan on earth here is enormous. But we can make valuable inroads into the evil doing both on a small individual scale as well as on a larger scale as the church of Christ. As the communal church we cannot do a whole lot until we are united and not separated and bickering over mostly petty matters. 

And the enemy is using our disunity as a weapon against us, the usual divide and conquer routine. We are fighting amongst ourselves more than against the enemy, and if we spend our resources in internal struggle, then there won’t be much left to fight externally. Now, bringing the church back together is a huge task, which will take time and a lot of serious effort because it’s so divided. But we don’t have to wait for that to happen since individually we can also make a difference. 

Yes friends, as individuals, we simply need to go about our business in our neighbourhoods in a godly manner, be the salt and light that Christ desires us to be. Let’s recall His words, so that they can remind us of our duty. As is His wont, He explained the situation quite simply and clearly, when He said: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt. 5:13) 

And sadly, my fellow believers, for whatever reason or reasons, many of us have indeed lost our salty flavour and are of absolutely no use whatsoever to God’s kingdom. We’ve lost the zeal and passion we once had for Christ, through fear, unfortunate personal situations, or just simple laziness and lack of interest. And men are indeed figuratively trodding us underfoot because of our lacklustre Christian witness. But let’s remember Bruh Paul’s immortal advice and assurance to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) 

Now that ought to keep us grounded and rooted in the power of God. And if, or most likely, when fear does come calling, we send faith to answer it’s call. Jesus said it several times, ‘Fear not, Fear not!’ And He wrapped it up with these mighty words of reassurance. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And I know that’s sound good in theory, but it’s not always easy to do in real life, but when we do encounter fear, then we need to go to God and ask for His help, not just sit around moping, and wallow in the mire of fear. 

So, my fellow believers, it’s of the utmost importance that we regain our saltiness, regain that beautiful flavour we had for Christ, because He also said that ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16) 

Unfortunately too my brethren, we seem to have also lost our light, so obviously we cannot shine for Christ. How sad it is that so many of Christ’s followers have lost both their salt and their light! What then is to become of Christ’s Great Commission eh? Where we are to go into the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them all that Jesus taught us? (Matt. 28:19-20) 

It’s obvious that we can’t do it if we’ve lost both our salty flavour and our bright shining Christian light. Consequently, Christ’s mission to save the world is not doing as well as it ought to, since we, His missionaries and ambassadors, agents and disciples are not doing the job we have signed up to do. That’s why the evil enemy has such vast power on the earth. 

So today friends, I’m asking, pleading with us to get back our salt and light, so that we can do the work we pledged to do when we became Christians. That means replenishing, refreshing, renewing our acquaintance with our heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, then allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in all truth. And there’s no better time for this awakening than in this season of Lent, the time our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ spent in the wilderness, fasting and praying, preparing for His earthly ministry. All heaven would be joyful if we sincerely renewed our commitment to Christ. 

And for those of us who have already done that, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one 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 my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

Now, let’s go out and action those statements, by sharing the LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…without salt and light…we cannot truly live for Christ…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   7 March 2023 Galatians 5:16.

07 Mar 2023 Leave a comment

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

Galatians 5:16.        This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

And now that we’ve skillfully handled intimidating Monday, kicked it into the dustbin of history, (smile) it’s time to turn our attention to easy-going Tuesday, that’s opened up bright and sunshiny though somewhat chilly and windy. And isn’t it surprising that after we’ve been through Monday, all the other days of the week seem like child’s play. 

That’s apparently because it’s the first day of work after a break, and the first of anything usually brings a li’l doubt, trepidation and fear. But since the Lord has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind, (2 Tim. 1:7) we don’t have to feel awed or intimidated by anything that comes against us, even for the very first time! 

And if we remember these words of assurance from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, life won’t seem as fearful and intimidating. He says it very calmy and reassuringly: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as he world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) 

Yes friends, the enemy is always trying to induce or introduce fear into our daily doings, but with Jesus as our solid foundation, the rock on which we’ve built our lives, we have a most potent antidote to the enemy’s wiles and evil schemes. And what’s that antidote you ask? Listen as John describes it in his first epistle. ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:18) 

Oh my people, the great antidote to fear is LOVE; the LOVE of God, which caused Him to send His Son Jesus Christ to die for us on that old rugged cross so that we could be saved from our sins. That LOVE for us was so powerful that our Creator could not resist the call to save us. And Jesus states it so clearly and plainly in this scripture that we all know so well. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) 

Now that’s the measure of God’s LOVE for us His disobedient and lawless children! The Lord must certainly have had a heart bursting, overflowing with compassion for us to do such a revolutionary and unexpected thing. And Jesus confirms the powerful effect that LOVE has, with these immortal words to the disciples. ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) Then He went out and laid down His sinless life for those He considered His friends. 

But please note how you get into that category of friendship with Christ. He said: ‘Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you to do.’ (John 15:14) So you see, to be a true friend of and to Jesus necessitates doing whatsoever He commands us to do. And that’s not always easy, convenient or even makes a lot of sense. But His command is His command, and He won’t command us to do something and then not give us the grace or the anointing to do it. So, even if the command seems farfetched, and out of this world, His divine help will enable us to do it. 

Now that’s where our faith comes in: believing in Him enough to do whatever seems hard, or unreasonable, be willing to make the sacrifice that it entails to be a true disciple of His. And that’s where so many of us fall down. As the old saying goes, our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak. Jesus Himself stated it to the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion, when they couldn’t stay awake and watch with Him. ‘What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt. 26:40-41) 

And indeed, so often we sincerely desire to do stuff, but just can’t dredge up the energy, the fleshly energy to do it. We need to do like Jesus says though, ‘watch and pray that we enter not into temptation,’ because it’s at our weakest, most tired moments that the tempter comes a calling, and when we are most vulnerable to his advances. That’s why in his epistle to the church at Rome, Bruh Paul could write: ‘For that which I do I allow not (don’t understand): for what I would (want to do),that do I not; but what I hate, that I do.’ (Rom. 7:15) 

Yes my brethren, we all suffer from the temptations of the flesh, our basic carnal nature, and oftentimes find ourselves doing the stuff we don’t want to do, while not doing the right stuff we desire to do. And that controversy between our flesh and our godly spirit will always be there while we’re alive on this earth, and thus we need to fight it mano a mano, each and every day. 

And that’s why Bruh Paul advised us re the works of the flesh in his letter to the Galatians. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things ye would. But if ye be led of the spirit, ye are not under the law (carnal mind).’ (Gal. 5:16-18) 

Ah my fellow believers, it’s a constant struggle to fight off the desires of the flesh, some of which Bruh Paul listed in Gal. 5:19-21, then goes on to list the fruit of the Spirit in verses 22-23. I’d strongly suggest we take some time today to refresh our minds on those two subjects, since they play a very big part in our lives, and manifest if we are truly living for Jesus. 

Now, for those of us who are doing our best in that direction, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere 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 my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

Now let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like do! Much LOVE!

…the flesh and the Spirit are natural enemies…but with God’s help…our spirit can certainly win… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 March 2023 Hebrews 11:6.

02 Mar 2023 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 11:6.      But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is (exists), and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Now I don’t know what area my weather forecasting computer is talking about when it says 2C Cloudy, but it’s certainly not my neighbourhood because outside of my place it’s a dry, bright and sunshiny as ever Thursday morning in early March 2023. And let’s hope it stays that way, because I’ve got to go out the street later and run some errands. And since it seems that the Lord was most willing for us to see another beautiful day on planet earth, then we have to keep our promise and continue looking at scriptures that tell us about faith and its relationship to fear and Jesus. (smile) 

Now, yesterday, we looked at several scriptures that showed where faith is of the utmost necessity if and when we choose to serve God. But first let’s see what exactly faith is. The Bible tells us that ‘Faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds (ages) were framed (prepared) by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (are visible)’ (Heb. 11:1-3) 

Yes friends, faith is basically believing for things we don’t see, yet hoping that if it’s the will of God, it will happen. It’s all about trusting God to do what’s right in our lives. And it’s so important that the author of Hebrews informs us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is (exists), and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) And He goes on to name several men of God, who manifested great faith, like Noah, who built and ark just by God’s say so. 

Then there’s Enoch who pleased God so much that he didn’t die, but was simply translated from the earth, simply walked out of it, simply disappeared. (smile) And Abraham, the father of modern-day faith, who picked up his personal family and belongings and went out into the wild, somewhere unknown, simply because a God he did not know told him to do it and made several promises of what would happen if he did. Abraham was even willing to offer up his one son of his old age Isaac, because God told him to, testing his faith. And you can find all those stories of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. 

Now, obviously not all of us will ever reach the level of faith that those heroes achieved, but it’s what we desperately need to work towards if we are to live the victorious life that Christ died for us to have. And the author of Hebrews gives us yet another poignant word on faith, which says: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering (for he is faithful that promised.) (Heb. 10:23) Oh my people we need to steadfastly hold on to our faith in God because our God is ever-faithful, He does not disappoint those who put their sincere trust in Him. 

That doesn’t mean that life will be a bed of roses, and everything we want we will get, but it does mean that most things in God’s will, if it’s in His plan for our lives we will get them. God will not allow anything or anyone but us, to stop our destiny. And sometimes He won’t even allow us to do it, He’ll keep applying the pressure so that we eventually give in and do it His way. I can tell you that from personal experience. For if I had had my way, I wouldn’t be writing the Bit today. But His tenacity eventually forced me to capitulate. (smile) 

And let’s not forget this most important fact: God is not there to please us and make our every whim and fancy come true. We are in existence to please Him, to do His will, to live out the plan He has in store for every life that He creates. Let’s remember that He is the Master and we the slaves, He’s the Father and we the children, He’s the Potter and we the clay, and He can shape us any which way He desires, and we need to go along with His will through staunch and true faith in Him. 

Now here’s this other beautiful scripture on faith versus fear, that comes from the pen of Bruh Paul to his protégé Timothy. He writes: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound  (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) Wow! What an amazing scripture. It shows that from the very get go, the Lord has given us a spirit of faith, not of fear, but like all the other stuff He’s given us, we need to then nourish that faith. It’s like the fruit of the Spirit, the seeds of which we all have planted in our inner man, but we then have to water and nourish them so that they can grow and be manifested in our actions. 

That means, as Gal. 5:22-23 explains: the seeds of LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), meekness, temperance (self-control) were all planted in us the day we accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, and the Holy Spirit then came to dwell within us. But those fruit of godliness and righteousness can’t, or won’t manifest themselves in our behaviour until and unless we water and nurture them and help them to grow into beautiful fruit of the Spirit. And please note that faith (faithfulness) is one of those fruit that needs to be nourished and nurtured by us, if we expect them to show forth in Jesus’ name. 

And I’m chuckling here because time and space have again forced us to close for the day, and we haven’t even spoken about Jesus and the subject of faith in His life yet. But hopefully, if God allows us to see tomorrow, we will get to Jesus yet. That’s a promise! (smile) Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. 

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

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

Now, if we were sincere about those declarations, (ah Lord eh!!!) let’s go out and share them just as generously in helping others as Jesus did with us. Much LOVE!

…faith is of the utmost importance in the Christian’s life…but unfortunately…it can only be learned by hard experience… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   28 November 2022 Luke 9:23.

28 Nov 2022 Leave a comment

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

Luke 9:23.        If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

So it’s Monday! What’s the big deal about that eh? Monday comes around every week, and we face it, with hope, prayer and faith in Almighty God, successfully defeat it and move on to the next day. And the reason why so many of us are in a tizzy come Monday morning is because we don’t make proper preparations for it on Sunday evening. 

Oh friends, the only way to successfully greet a new day is by being prepared for it, having some plan(s) to take it under our wing and control it, rather than have no plans, and allow it to control us. And since we all know that Monday is a day of work, it should be common sense, not rocket science to prepare for it beforehand, so that we’re not aimlessly rushing around looking for stuff on Monday morning. Surprisingly, no other day of the workweek seems to give us as much trouble as Monday, the one we have the most time to prepare for. Perhaps that’s the problem; we have too much time to prepare for it, so we keep putting it off until it’s too late. 

That recalls Cousin Sol’s wise words from Proverbs: ‘He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.’ (Prov. 25:28) And this other Proverb describes the same thing. ‘He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.’ (Prov. 16:32) Likewise this one: ‘The discretion (self-control) of a man deferreth his anger (makes him slow to anger); and it is his glory to pass over (overlook) a transgression.’ (Prov. 19:11) 

Yes my people, self-control is an essential aspect of successful living. In fact, it’s possibly the most important aspect, because if we don’t have it, we won’t be able to do the other necessary things properly. And remember it’s a fruit of the Holy Spirit, which means it will only flourish if we allow the Holy Spirit to water and nurture the godly seed planted in us. And the Bible gives us oodles of scriptures that bear out the importance of self-control, so let’s look at a few, hoping that they will help us in our ongoing battle with life. 

And probably the most famous one is that written to Timothy by Bruh Paul: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) And to both Timothy and Titus, Bruh Paul wrote about the qualities needed for bishops and deacons as well as for ordinary believers and they all include that aspect of self-control. (1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9, 2:1-10). And as well, in his treatise to Timothy on apostasy (turning away from faith in God) Bruh Paul writes that one of the signs would be ‘incontinent men,’ that’s men without self-control. 

Meanwhile Peter in his second epistle writes to the Jewish diaspora regarding growing in grace, in spiritual maturity. ‘And beside this (but also for this very reason), giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue (moral excellence); and to virtue knowledge (spiritual truth); and to knowledge temperance (self-control); and to temperance patience (endurance); and to patience godliness; (2 Pet. 1:5-6) 

Now we can all see that the importance of self-control is no lie by just looking at the terrible state of our current world filled with so much confusion and strife, dissatisfaction, greed and an insatiable hunger for power, most of which is driven by a lack of self-control. 

And if you want it clearer than all that, then listen to Jesus as He discusses the terms of discipleship in His organization. ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) That’s as plain and straightforward as you can get. You have to be bubbling over with self-control to follow Jesus, meaning denying your own desires and instead following His. And there is more to say on the subject, but since I’m aspiring to keep the Bit as short as possible (smile) we’ll leave that for tomorrow, God willing. 

The next step then is to go to God in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn asking for divine assistance. Altogether now: ‘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 for us to get a positive reaction, it’s imperative that we keep our promises and show some improvement in our daily lives. Much LOVE!

…self-control is like body building…you have to exercise it for it to grow… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ      

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 August 2022   1 Timothy 4:8.

19 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 Timothy 4:8.       For bodily (physical) exercise profiteth little: but godliness (the result of spiritual exercise) is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

TGIF friends! TGIF! Yes, thank God it’s Friday and another arduous week of work is almost over, and a glorious weekend is imminent. (smile) And sadly, instead of living for Christ, a lot of us simply live for the weekend, that’s rest from our earthly labour and enjoyment of the worldly pleasures available. No wonder our lives seem so arduous and out of our control. But when we live for Jesus, our lives are never arduous. They might be hard, difficult, even very trying, but never arduous, because arduous implies a lot of our own energy and strength is put into our daily living. 

However, when we make Jesus our number ONE companion, He enables us to work smart, to work with wisdom and not as laboriously as we do on our own. As the song says: ‘With Jesus I know I can make it. No matter what may come my way, I know that I can make it, My life is in your hands.’ And that’s the only way to live this earthly life; with Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, Good Shepherd and Comforter! 

When we surrender our lives to Him, His goodness runs after us. He breaks whatever chains of sin and sadness in which we are entangled. We no longer have to run down life or anything in it, because He provides everything we need. He said it very clearly in His Sermon on the Mount. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

Yes my people, just as the Lord looks after all the other things He created in Mother Nature, He will likewise look after His greatest creation, the human being. And why wouldn’t He eh, when we’re made in His image, and are filled with His breath of life, and He controls all that we are and do? It just wouldn’t make any sense to just ignore and abandon us to the evil enemy Satan, after taking so much time, energy and pride to create us. The problem though is that in this fallen and sinful world, the enemy wields much power and influence and thus wants to frighten us into doing his ungodly will. 

But there again, when we give our lives to Jesus, He imbues us with His Holy Spirit that then fills us with spiritual power to do His will. As Bruh Paul so confidently said to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7). 

Oh my fellow believers, that verse of scripture should be one we hold right at the front of our minds and hearts because in these days of constant fear, where fear seems to be bombarding us from all sides, we need it to keep reminding us that fear is not something that we deal in, that we have a spiritual power in Christ Jesus that overcomes fear. And we do need to exercise that spiritual power just like we exercise our bodies. 

Why, you ask? Listen to Bruh Paul again as he advises Timothy on the subject. ‘For bodily (physical) exercise profiteth little: but godliness (the result of spiritual exercise) is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.’ (1 Tim. 4:8) And that’s the awesome truth my brethren. Spiritual exercise or godliness ‘has unlimited value, since it brings blessings for both now and eternity.’ And who doesn’t want to have a good life now and in the hereafter eh? 

That’s what we all want, but it only comes through strong association with Jesus. However, for any number of reasons, most of them foolish and prideful, and thus sinful, many of us choose not to have an association with Christ Jesus. But that’s the worst decision any human being can ever make, for it deprives them of so many wonderful benefits available under Jesus’ all-encompassing umbrella. 

I don’t like to keep harping on it, (smile) but it’s my job to keep reminding us that without Jesus as the mainstay of our lives, neither the abundant life on earth nor salvation that leads to eternal life in heaven are possible. The only other option we have is that of spending the afterlife with Satan in total damnation and death in hell and eventually the lake of fire where all the damned will be destroyed forever. Now, if you believe that the sinful pleasures of the world are worth that kind of end, then go right ahead and enjoy them. 

But if you don’t like that kind of ending to your life, then you need to put your trust in Jesus Christ right now, for later might be too late. The grim reaper might just come calling sooner than you expected, or Christ might choose to come back today, and if any of those situations occur without you accepting Him as Lord and Saviour, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe. In other words, it’s too late and Satan’s place is where you’ll automatically be headed for. That’s why it’s ever so important to accept Christ as soon as possible. And that’s the end of today’s sermon! (smile) 

Now, let’s turn to the most important and powerful weapon in our arsenal; that of prayer, or communication with our Creator. We’ll do that by declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Friday Chant. As one strong and confident, but humble voice. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. 

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

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

And now it’s time for us to get serious and show the Lord that we are truly faithful believers by our words, deeds and motives, so that He can positively answer our prayer. Much LOVE!

…Jesus…the only wise and sensible choice in this life… 

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

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