21 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great cloud of witnesses, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a true disciple of Christ, a warning, absolutely necessary, an incorruptible crown, be disqualified, bring it under subjection, business, Christian celebrations, compassed about, competes for the prize, corruptible crown, denying the spirituality of the situation, despising the shame, disicpline our bodies, disobeyed your word, disqualified from Christian ministry, divine aid, earthly spiritual journey, ease the pain, Easter celebrations, Easter Monday, encouraged by the enemy, endured the cross, eternal life, every man that striveth for mastery, faith, fall by the wayside, finished my course, flails helplessly, food, for the joy that was set before him, forfeiting rewards, fought a good fight, frustrations, gifts, grace, greed of the world, have a part to play, he that abideth in me, heavenly help, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am the vine, I in him, I keep under my body, I myself should be a castaway, I therefore so run, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus' miraculous resurrection, Jesus' sacrificial death, keep Jesus uppermost in our minds, kept the faith, know ye not, lay aside every weight, lest that by any means, looking unto Jesus, lose sight of the essential facts, LOVE, mass confusion, material selfishness, mercy, not as one that beateth the air, not that we are sufficient of ourselves, one receives the prize, our sufficiency is of God, parties, peace and calm, personal sacrifice, practical advice, pray, run not as uncertainly, run with patience, salvation, self-control, selfless sacrifice of Jesus, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, share a partnership with Christ, sin, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, so fight I, so run that ye may obtain, spiritual strength, spirituality, steal our joy In Jesus Christ, strong faith in Christ, suffering from negative situations, surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, ta perishable crown, temperate, temperate in all things, Thank you Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, the giver of life, the God who heals, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the material world, the race of life, the race that is set before us, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the sin which doth so easily beset us, they which run in a race run all, throne of grace, to think anything of ourselves, traffic jams, trainig for a marathon, truth, turn from our evil ways, we have all sinned, when I have preached to others, wisdom, wise guidance, without me ye can do nothing, work diligently, ye are the branches
1 Corinthians 9:24b. So run, that ye may obtain.
And the Easter celebrations continue unabated on this somewhat cloudy Easter Monday! And why not eh, when we were given the greatest presents ever; salvation and eternal life through Jesus’ sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection! And the other good thing about today is that many of us don’t have to face the traffic jams and all the other frustrations involved in going out to work. And all God’s children said, a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Jesus!’
However, there’s always a warning needed in these Christian celebrations, a warning to not let the material selfishness and greed of the world to make us lose sight of what the celebration is truly about; the LOVE and selfless sacrifice of Jesus! For if we allow them, the material world, staunchly encouraged by the enemy, would just make it all about business, gifts, food, and parties, while denying the spirituality of the situation. So, as we celebrate, let’s keep Jesus uppermost in our minds today and every day, for He is the giver of life, health, wealth, LOVE, mercy, grace…in fact of everything that we enjoy!
Now, to always keep Jesus first place is no easy task, especially when the enemy’s main goal is to steal our joy in Christ, since, as the Bible says: ‘for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) That means if we lose our joy in Christ then we’ll lose our spiritual strength and won’t be able to make the wise decisions we ought to, or have the peace and calm we desire.
And how do we do that? We have to work sincerely and diligently at it. But obviously not by ourselves, for as Bruh Paul writes: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) And Jesus corroborates that when he declares (yesss!!!) that well known statement: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5)
But unlike what some might think, that does not stop us from working towards the goal of spiritual maturity, for we share a partnership with Christ, meaning we both have a part to play. If we do our part, He will do His. But if we don’t do our part, neither will He do His, and we’d be left in the lurch. And what’s our part in all this eh? Here’s one practical bit of advice from Bruh Paul. He writes thus in his first missive to the Corinthians: ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.’ (1 Cor. 9:24)
Yes friends, Bruh Paul is likening our earthly spiritual journey to a race, and in his last communication with Timothy, he uses that same imagery. ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim. 4:7) Likewise, the author of Hebrews views our earthly journey as a race, when he writes: ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witness, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:1-2)
So Jesus is our example for living this earthly life. But yuh know what, if we want to obtain anything positive and/or substantial from this race of life, we have to put out something. Therefore, Bruh Paul continues to the Corinthians. ‘And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate (has self-control) in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown, but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air (flails helplessly): but I keep under my body (discipline my body), and bring it under subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:25-27)
Ah mih people, like a runner training for a marathon, we too have to discipline our bodies and exert ourselves so that we will do well in the race of life. If not, we’ll fall by the wayside and lose the promised imperishable crown that Christ has laid aside for us. As the scholars explain: ‘The point is that the believer must discipline himself to avert being disqualified from Christian ministry, and forfeiting the rewards for such service.’ So we see that running this earthly race is not easy, but with the help of our wonderful God, we can do it, if we put out the necessary effort. And to help us do so, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, pleading for divine assistance.
Altogether: ‘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 from our prayer, we see that there are some necessary steps we must take before divine aid is granted; humble ourselves, pray, sincerely seek God’s face with sincere repentance. So please, let’s get to them right now nuh, so that we’ll get heavenly help asap! Much LOVE!
…as a true disciple of Christ…personal sacrifice is absolutely necessary…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, a good day's work, a great cloud of witnesses, alleviate our problems, ambassadors of Christ, be cast out, be discouraged, be your best, Bible, but of power love and a sound mind, christianity, compassed about, complaining, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, despising the shame, disciples of Jesus, divine aid, do your best, endured such hostility of sinners, endured the cross, faint in your minds, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, follow the example of Jesus, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, for the joy that was set before him, freedom from sin, glorify your father in heaven, good for nothing, heroes of the faith, hold our heads high, holy spirit, humble servants, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joy, lay aside every weight, lest ye be weary, Let your light so shine before men, live up to a high standard, look your best, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, negative vibes, nothing fazed Jesus, originator, perfector, pray, put your best foot forward, repentance, resentment, run with patience, salt lost its flavour, salvation, see your good works, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, sincerely seek your face, sinned and seriously disobeyed your word, spoil our witness, strong faith in Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, the God who heals, the light of the world, the race set before us, the revolutionary feat, the salt of the earth, the sin that doth easily so beset us, the slavery of sin, took it in stride, trodden underfoot, truth, turn from our evil ways, under a basket, ungrateful sinners, wisdom, wise guidance
Hebrews 12:2a. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith;
Another Monday’s on the agenda friends, but I know that we can and will handle it with the quiet aplomb and efficiency that we’ve learned from the masterful example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Nothing that came against Him fazed Him, He just took it in stride. Not even the excessive cruelty He faced on our behalf, caused Him to lose sight of His heavenly Father’s goal; accomplishing the amazing and revolutionary feat of earning freedom from sin’s abject slavery for a bunch of ungrateful sinners.
And that’s how He expects us, His followers, ambassadors and agents on this evil and ungodly earth to behave. Now He doesn’t expect perfection either, because He knows we’re not perfect and will never be until He comes to take us home and changes us, but nonetheless He expects us to always put our best foot forward. As the late Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) used to say: ‘Look your best, do your best and be your best!’
That says it all my people. For as the author of Hebrews so vividly explains it: ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses (those heroes of the faith that went before us), let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (become discouraged.’ (Heb. 12:1-3)
Yes friends, that’s the example we’re supposed to follow. As disciples of Jesus we’re expected to live up to a high standard; so high, that when the unbelievers see us in action, they’ll hold their heads in awesome wonder and want what we have that makes us so joyful, peaceful, LOVING and calm. (smile) So as this new Monday rolls around, and we go out to do the same banal, every day, ofttimes boring tasks, let’s hold our heads high and get on with His business without any complaining, resentment and negative vibes to spoil our witness.
All the time, remembering Jesus’ strong admonitions: ‘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 be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an 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. 5:13-16)
Of course my fellow saints, that’s the kind of strong witness expected of us true and faithful believers of Christ especially in these rather ungodly and sinful times! However, unfortunately, we don’t seem to be doing such a great job of witnessing for Christ, otherwise the devil would not have such a stranglehold on the affairs of the world and Christians would be filled with much more faith, LOVE and joy, not with the fear and anxiety that so many of us now project.
But let’s remember this other admonition from Bruh Paul before we foolishly throw in the towel and give up in the face of the enemies evil strategies. That’s one of the reasons Bruh Paul wrote these telling words 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’s a most important scripture for us to remember today, as we step out into the world, clothed in God’s armour to continue the fight for Jesus’ righteous and just army. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking help in this time of dire need.
Altogether: ‘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 all of that simply means; to get divine aid, we must improve our godly behaviour! So let’s get out there and do it today nuh! Much LOVE!
…all Jesus expects of His followers…is a good, faithful day’s work…everyday…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leader's courage to fulfill his vison, according to his riches in glory, all glory be to God, Anselm, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, baptizing them, be ye likeminded, being of one accord, comes from passion not position, compassed about, deny ourselves, despising the shame, do actions to raise Christ's presence, endured the cross, esteem the other better than yourselves, even unto the end of the world, for His goodness and mercy, get closer to Jesus, giving up our lives for Christ, go ye therefore and teach all nations, Happy New Year, his seed begging bread, I am with you always, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, in lowliness of mind, in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost, let us run with patience, life will remain the same, live high on the hog, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, my God shall supply all my needs, my passion wakes me, passion, prepare to be great through sacrifices, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, showers of blessings, take up our cross, the author and finisher of our faith, the control centre of your life, the indisputable truth, the sinful children of men, the ultimate sacrifice, with so great a cloud of witnesses, your attitude
Philippians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Well, it’s 2022 now my brethren, and I want to wish us all in this most favoured Scrip-Bit family a blessed and happy New Year! Some things will change, but most of life will remain the same, and with Jesus dwelling in our souls and bodies, we will be able to handle whatever comes against us, just like we handled it this past year! All glory be to God my people, for His goodness and mercy to us, sinful children of men!
And like I’ve been saying over the last few New Year’s days, the only resolution we need to make is to get closer to Jesus! Like He promised: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Like Bruh David says in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked: ‘I have been young , and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread.’ (Ps. 37:25) And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers! No righteous believer in Christ will ever beg for bread!
And Bruh Paul’s words to the Philippians reinforces that quite well. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And if all of that doesn’t raise your passion for Christ this New Year’s morning, then I don’t know what will! (smile) Now, since it’s Saturday, let’s turn to the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
And the first one tells it exactly like it is: ‘There are greater things to be achieved in every new year, and each and every one must prepare themselves to be great, not by words of the mouth, but by a lot of sacrifices.’ And that’s the glorious truth friends. As they say, actions speak louder than words! You can’t deny that. And if we really want to live for Jesus, this year of 2022 is going to call for Christians to make a lot of sacrifices in Christ’s name and do numerous actions that will raise His presence in this evil and ungodly world.
Remember Jesus said that if we don’t deny ourselves, give up our will, take up our cross and follow Him, we are not worthy to be called His disciple. (Matt. 16:24) Living for Jesus friends, means making sacrifices for Him, even to the ultimate sacrifice of giving up our life for Him. But thankfully, in our Western society, going to the ultimate sacrifice is not necessary, although it is in some other societies around the world, and those believers there do exactly that.
But out here in our wonderful and entitled society many of us won’t even sacrifice a broken fingernail on Christ’s behalf, but yet we expect to get showers of blessings, and live high on the hog. It won’t happen friends. The only way that Jesus will be glorified in our currently ungodly world is by His followers making much sacrifice, and not the easy, but the tough kind!
That brings us to this next quote: ‘The control centre of your life is your attitude.’ And that’s no lie. Your basic attitude towards life in general, and Christ in particular, controls what you will and won’t do. So, if you have an arrogant, evil, ungodly attitude or mindset, then those are the things to which you will gravitate. On the other hand, if you have a kind, LOVING and godly mindset, you will gravitate to the things of Christ. And this year, my fellow believers, more than ever before, our premier task is to get the unbelievers to change their mindset to one that values and believes in Christ Jesus, for that’s the only way our world will ever improve.
And our problems won’t go away, or even be lessened, until, and unless more of us get together under the glorious umbrella of Christ. Remember Bruh Paul’s entreaty to the Philippians? ‘Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same LOVE, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem the other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but everyman also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ.’ (Phil. 2:2-5)
Yes friends, we all need to come to the thinking of Christ; humble, obedient, LOVING, compassionate and considering the welfare of others more than ourselves, if we ever hope to better this world. That leads us to the next quote: ‘To succeed you have to believe in something with such passion that it becomes a reality.’ And as most of us know, that’s the awesome truth! You can’t succeed at ANYTHING, unless you are so passionate about it, that in your mind and actions, it’s like it has already come to fruition, already become a reality.
And I believe a good analogy is what Jesus said in this Beatitude: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’(Matt. 5:6) Yes mih people to achieve anything, we must be that passionate over it, like we’re hungering and thirsting for it. And that carries us right into the following quote: ‘No alarm clock needed. My passion wakes me.’ Now that’s all a part of the same equation; to succeed takes great passion. So much so that we don’t even need an alarm clock to wake us up in the morning, our passion for our project does that automatically.
And the last quote puts it all together: ‘A great leader’s courage to fulfil his vision comes from passion, not position.’ Oh my brethren until we realize that a leader’s position is not merely a state of power but one of enormous and constant passion, we will never be ready for a leadership role. And the best example we have of that is our Leader, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who withstood all the sacrifice, resentment, rejection and punishment He had to bear, because He was truly passionate about saving us, about saving a sinful mankind, and that was the only way it could be righteously and justly done.
As the Good Book so exultantly declares, admonishes and advises (smile): ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:1-2)
My fellow saints, if we want to be true and sincere followers of Christ, then we have to give up our own desires and follow His; follow His lead, if He is our leader. And remember what He’s called us to do, His last request to His disciples? ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20)
Now isn’t it time we got serious and do what our Leader asks of us? It certainly is, especially with the sad, sick and sorry state that our world is currently in! Much LOVE!
…if you truly know Jesus…you can’t help but LOVE Him…and LOVE those around you…even when it’s difficult to do…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
14 Jan 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of glory, a marathon, a name above every other, blazed the trail, compassed about, compassion, continuing instant in prayer, deliver us, endurance, endured the cross, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, exalted, faithfulness of God, falling into the common rut, finisher, friend of Jesus, from God the Father, gave himself for our sins, grace, greetings, heavenly witnesses, hurry, I make all things new, in god's eyes, January, Jesus is Lord, lay aside every weight, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, Lucifer, make time for God, marked-down trinkets, never leave nor forsake us, New Testament churches, One Year Book of Bible promises, originator, our Lord Jesus Christ, patient in tribulation, peace, perfector of our faith, perseverance, praise, race of faith, rejection, rejoicing in hope, resolutions, rewarded, run with patience, Ruth Harms Calkin, sad, salutations, Seasonal Affective disorder, set before us, shame, share His love, sin, so easily beset us, so great a cloud of witnesses, thanksgiving, that fadeth not away, the author, the beleoed of God, the devil, the fallen angel, the hardest to run, the joy set before him, the miserable month, the most rewarding to win, the race, the race of life, the right hand of the throne, this present evil world, to the glory of the Father, Tuesday Mantra, worry
Hebrews 12:1. Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.
Greetings and salutations this dreary looking Tuesday morning my Scrip-Bit friends and families! And as Bruh Paul liked to say in his letters to the New Testament churches: ‘Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world (age), according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen!’ (Gal. 1:3-5) Yes my faithful brethren, EVERY DAY, we ought to remember the Father and the wonderful things He’s done for us through Christ Jesus and give Him the necessary praise and thanksgiving!
And please don’t tell me it’s too difficult, or you’re too busy and you don’t have time…Make time! You make time for other not so important stuff, but you can’t make time for God, the most important thing, being and element in your life? Steups! Just take a moment and consider your state if He had not shown His amazing LOVE and compassion through the incomparable gift of His Son! You’d be headed straight for hell and the eternal company of Lucifer, the fallen angel and now the deceitful, lying devil!
But through Christ, He’s offered us another option, much better than what we had – eternal life with Him and Christ in heaven – and yuh boldfaced enough to tell me that you can’t make time to spend a few minutes with Him every day! Chuh! Pure foolishness that mih breddren! Anyway, here’s a most appropriate writing for this time of year and our current winter affliction; SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder – from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. And it’s also appropriately titled ‘January.’
Please pray with me: ‘It’s January, Lord – The drab, dreary middle – And my thoughts are as drab As the miserable month. Does everybody hit a January slump Or am I the only one? The first week wasn’t too bad: There were Christmas thank-yous to write A few resolutions to store away The huddle of year-end sales. But thank-you notes bring no returns And resolutions are quickly broken and marked-down trinkets fast lose appeal. When You said “Behold I make all things new” Did You forget January, Lord? Or in January do I sometimes forget You?’
Ah friends, I think the correct answer is more like the last one – we forget the Lord, because He’s promised NEVER to leave nor forsake us, and He always keep His promises. That we know for a fact. So if any forgetting goes on, it’s most surely on our side of the equation. And the strange thing is that the drearier and more downcast the weather and our souls are, the more we need to find consolation in God, not forget or move further away from Him. It’s like when you’re sick, that’s when you certainly need a doctor, and the worse you get, the more you need the medic! You run to Him more than ever then, not away from him.
And it’s the same with our great God; we need Him more than ever when things are not going so good. So let’s think on that some today nuh, and see if we’re falling into that common rut. And we should also think on the Bible Promise from the poem, which is our Bit for today. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.’
Yes friends, we have so many heavenly witnesses looking on at our race of faith, who earlier ran the same race and testified to the LOVE and faithfulness of God, that we need to get serious and put aside any and everything that will hinder us in our own faith walk. And please remember that our race of faith is not a sprint, but a long-distance race, a marathon; one that requires lots of endurance and energy, not merely simple patience. As Bruh Paul said to the Roman church: ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.’ (Rom.12:12)
That’s the kind of belly and backbone we need to run our race friends! And though we have plenty of other believers to look at as examples, the best and brightest is as the Good Book says: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:2)
Oh my people, how can there ever be a better example than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ eh? NEVER! For He is the One who blazed the trail, made the way, didn’t consider the shame or rejection or all the other negative stuff thrown at Him, and finished the race in steadfast and enduring faith! Wow! What a giant is our Jesus! That’s why the Father exalted Him to sit at His right hand of His throne ‘and given Him a name which is above every other name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:9-11)
And likewise my brethren, if we are faithful and run our race with an abundance of the necessary Christian elements, then we too will also be rewarded at the end. As Peter calls it: ‘a crown of glory that fadeth not away.’ (1 Pet. 5:4) So let’s up the ante this cold and dreary-looking winter’s day nuh – and even if you’re in the blazing sunshine too! (smile) Let’s raise the level of our faith so that we can witness for Jesus, like the true salt and light we’re meant to be.
And we can begin doing that by declaring (yeah!) our Tuesday Mantra with strong voice and sincere hearts. As one now: ‘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!’
Then the next move is to actually go out and share Jesus’ wonderful LOVE and amazing friendship! Much LOVE!
…the race of life…the hardest to run…but the most rewarding to win…
26 Nov 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a joy, about God's business, almighty god, at the right hand of God, aura of love, author, Black Friday, catalyst, champions, cheaper, cloud of witnesses, compassed about, confidence, Cyber Monday, despsing any shame, earthly race, easily ensnares us, economic czars, enthusiasm, enticements, example, exciting activity, exhilarating, expectation, faith, finisher, friends, glorious kingdom, God Jehovah, good and faithful servant, greedily, holy spirit, humble servants, in a different guise, in the name of the Lord, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, kaching, keep keeping on, lay aside every weight, lies, LOVE, lures, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my benefit, omnipotent Creator, online shopping, physical stores, race, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, ride the good race, run, run with patience, sales, seeing, selfishly, shop, sin, sincere hearts, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strong voice, surrounded by, taunts, the devil's work, the race set before us, trust, ungodly world, welcome, well done, wiles, wisdom
Hebrews 12:1. Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.
Well a Happy Cyber Monday to all you my wonderful friends and Scrip-Bit family out there in God’s great universe! It is a joy coming to you today in the name of the Lord, but not this early though. (smile) You can thank the medics again for that, because I have an early appointment for a vision test in the city. I’m tempted to cancel it, but the Lord’s telling me that wouldn’t be wise since it’s all for my benefit and no one else’s.
So, ergo, I’m up and about His business this early in the morning. But when and where is it going to end eh? I’m talking about the mad rush for sales that are not really sales, only eye candy to draw you into these business places to spend what you don’t have on what you don’t need. Last Friday was called Black Friday; the day to do the rushing at the physical stores. Today has been aptly named, Cyber Monday; the day for online shopping!
But how much shop can we shop eh people? I know I can’t afford to shop at all! (smile) And what do I really need that’s out there, that’s theoretically much cheaper than at other times eh? NOTHING! I have more stuff than I can already use. Right now I’m in the giving away mode rather than the acquiring one.
But the economic czars are not happy unless their cash machines are continually going, ‘kaching, kaching!’ And they will selfishly and greedily throw out all kinds of enticements to make it happen. But please don’t be taken in by their lures my friends. It’s just the devil’s work at hand in a different guise.
Anyway, it’s Monday, and plenty of us are sad and miserable, so let’s invoke the grace and mercy of our great God Jehovah by declaring our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in strong voice with sincere hearts.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Yeh friends, that’s a powerful call to our omnipotent Creator! And I’m sure we’re all feeling a li’l lighter and brighter in our spirits now because He has allowed His Holy Spirit to work in us the way we asked. So now, let’s get on our horses and ride nuh, ride the good race for Jesus!
As Bruh Paul says in our Bit: ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.’
Yes my believing brethren, we’re all in a race, and the heroes of faith, plus the basic and simple witnesses who have gone before us are looking down on us with great expectation that we should finish it like the champions we’re meant to be. It’s not an easy race to run, but we’ve been gifted with all that we need to successfully run it.
And yuh see, we even different from Bruh Paul; he was running the race, but we’re riding the race, (smile) because we have much improved means of getting around than Bruh Paul had in his day. We can also get the message out further and faster than he could. So although our mode of living and spreading the good news gospel might be slightly different, our big job is still to live it as exemplarily as we can, and spread it as far and wide and forcibly as we have opportunity to.
And the catalyst and example we have for doing all that is none other than our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Listen to Bruh Paul again: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of the God.’ (Heb.12:2)
Yay mih breddren! Jesus set the course of faith and finished it with excellence, despising any shame and other negative stuff that was involved in it. And thus the Lord had Him sit at His right hand after enduring the cross on our behalf without any complaints. Likewise, we are expected to finish our earthly race without too much complaining, looking forward to the great rewards that have been laid up in heaven for those who finish the race successfully.
Jesus is standing at the door to heaven to greet us with a big hug and a bright and exhilarating: ‘Welcome and well done, thou good and faithful servant!’ Just imagine that wonderful greeting in your mind’s eye nuh, and it will help you to keep on keeping on! Much LOVE!
…riding for Jesus…Wow…it’s the most exhilarating and exciting activity on earth…
28 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cloud of witnesses, appointments, at the right hand of the throne of God, author, blazed the trail, blessings, broken resolves, champions, clothing, common sense, compassed about, consistent, control my impulses, despising the shame, discern motives, emotions, endurance, endured the cross, entangling sin, excessive body weight, excuses, failures, faith, faithful Christian, finished the course, firm, flimsy excuses, focusing on the glorious future of jesus, foolish blunders, gave thanks, glad to be alive, God's great earth, gratefulness, heroes of faith, hide from God, impediments, invincible power, is set down, joy, lay aside every weight, lift our voices in praise and thanks, living by faith, looking unto Jesus, magnificent and magnanimous God, martyrs, my hands are on the plough, never quit, new every morning, no leftovers, not looking back, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, One Year Book of Bible promises, originator, patience, penetrating gaze, perfecter, perseverance, race of faith, run the race, Ruth Harms Calkin, self-educated, shame, sin, steadfast, strengthen my will, surrounded, tender mercies, testify, the breath of life, unreached goals, valuable gems, wasted time, Wednesday Wail, wrong choices
Hebrews 12:2. Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Well my faithful brethren, we’ve been treated to yet another glorious day on God’s great earth! Wow! I sincerely hope that we gave much thanks when we awakened to this bright new day, for the Lord deserves our gratefulness for all the blessings He bestows on us, His beautiful children. (smile)
Remember His tender mercies are new every morning; we don’t get yesterday’s leftovers. So please, let’s not forget to lift our voices in praise and thanks every time we open our eyes to a new morn. It is very mete and right to do so.
Now listen to something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that is ever so appropriate to many of us believers. It’s simply called ‘EXCUSES.’
And it says: ‘O God I’ve become a self-educated master Of a thousand polished excuses. Hoping to avoid your penetrating gaze I clutch them to me like valuable gems. When I think I have myself thoroughly covered I’m caught short with the realization That You see right through me. My flimsy excuses are never really hidden.
I find an excuse for all my failures Wrong choices Late appointments Wasted time. I excuse my foolish blunders, my laziness My broken resolves, my unreached goals. I need Your help, Lord! To hide from You is as foolish As the Grand Canyon Attempting to hide from the sky.
O God, my only hope Lies in Your invincible power To make me what I am not yet But what You know I can become. Strengthen my will, Lord. Make me firm, steadfast, consistent. Control my impulses, my emotions. May I keep pursuing and never quit.’
Oh friends, unfortunately many of us believers try to hide or run from God with flimsy excuses, but common sense ought to tell us that we can never run or hide from a Deity that’s omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present, for He sees and hears all. His vision is so powerful that it can see right down into the very depths of our being and discern our motives, good or bad.
So please let’s wise up and stop trying to run and hide from our heavenly Father nuh. We might be able to do it with our earthly fathers, but definitely not with the One above. And to help us do that, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with enthusiasm, sincerity and truth.
As one strong voice 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!’
Oh my people, it’s so good to be alive, to feel that glorious breath of God just flowing through my body, letting me know that I am alive; alive and LOVED! Consequently, I’m not looking back, but focusing on the wonderful future that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has planned for me!
Glory to our most magnificent and magnanimous God! What a wonderful God we serve and worship my people! It never ceases to amaze me.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is the scripture promise attached to the poem above. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’
Oh my brethren, what wonderful words of advice! As we said above, our eyes and hearts ought to be focused exclusively on Jesus! Why? Because He is indeed the originator and perfecter of our faith! He began it all, and He will end it all!
And the first verse of the chapter, that before our Bit, gives us the basic reason for looking unto Jesus. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about (surrounded by) with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside very weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.’ (Heb.12:1)
Yeh friends, the author of Hebrews, which I firmly believe is Bruh Paul, uses the metaphor of a race to describe our earthly pilgrimage. Now hear is how the scholars break down that verse.
’12:1. The present exhortation to run finds its basis in the examples of the champions mentioned in chapter 11. These heroes of the faith are like a cloud of witnesses. As “witnesses: (Gr. marturon) they are sometimes regarded as spectators (Gr. theatai) or as martyrs; yet this Greek word should be understood as referring simply to those who testify or witness. The emphasis is on the witness provided by their living by faith.
The race of faith is described by three modifying statements. First, it is to be run by laying aside every weight. This refers to the impediments that weigh one down, whether clothing or excessive body weight. These things are not inherently wrong, but for the diligent runner or the faithful Christian they must be removed.
Second, it is to be run by putting off the entangling sin. This seems to refer to the one sin above all others that defeats a Christian. This may be a different sin for each individual. Third, it is to be run with patience (Gr. hypomones).
Since patience is not an attribute commonly associated with running, this word would be better translated as endurance (as it is in the cognate verb forms of vv. 2 –3). Endurance and persistence have been on the author’s mind since the end of chapter 10 (cf. 10:32; 36-38; 11:13).’
Now hear some words from the scholars on our Bit. ’12:2. Just as verse 1 establishes some qualities for the entrance into and the actual running of life’s race, so verse 2 directs one’s eyes to the finish line. Jesus is the author and finisher in that He has already blazed the trail and finished the course.’
Oh my people, this earthly race is often difficult to run, and to do it successfully we need to keep our eyes trained on Jesus, because He is the One who first ran the race and successfully completed it. In other words, He laid a path for us to follow. So please, let’s be wise and follow it nuh. Much LOVE!
…only as we stick to the path laid down by Jesus…with endurance and perseverance…can we run life’s race successfully…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but I had a rather late night, which means a late morning too. (smile)
21 May 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bed of roses, alive and kicking, author, backbone, belly, blazed the trail, blessed day, champions, Christian faith, christianity, cloud of witnesses, Colossians, compassed about, complain, deity, despising shame, discouraged, don't worry, emulate, encourage, endeavours for Jesus, endurance, endured the cross, ensnares us, ethical condition, every good work, exciting, exhort, faint, feels great to be alive, filled with the knowledge of God's will, finished the course, finisher, frutiful, give it a try, giving thanks to god, glory hallelujah, God doesn't give us more than we can bear, God will never leave nor forsake us, God works everything out for our good, God's glorious power, God's people, good hands, gospel truth, grow in the image of Jesus, happiness, hostility, human creations, in your patience, increasing in the knwoledge of god, interesting, Jesus Christ, joy, joyfulness, lay aside every weight, leap of faith, light, light at the end of the tunnel, live our lives in faith, longsuffering, Love God, love our neighbours, make this world a better place, mandate, mature, meditiate, misfortunes, morality, negatives, our Lord and Saviour, pains, partakers of the inheritance, patience, peace, perseverance, phenomenal, ponder, possess ye your souls, power of darkness, practical situations, praise Your Holy Name, prayer, prayer for spiritual wisdom, promise to walk worthily, right hand of God, run with patience, serve and worship, setbacks, show Love, sin, sincere effort, sinners, skilful application of God's wisdom, spiritual understanding, spread the word, steadfast and strong, strengthened, thank you heavenly Father, the middle of the week, the patient in spirit, the proud in spirit, the race set before us, the weekend is near, trials, tribulations, true nature of things, uplift, walk worthy of the Lord, walking in Jesus' footsteps, walking in LOVE, wasting our God-given lives, weary, Wednesday, wisdom, wonderful faith, working for Jesus
Luke 21:19. In your patience possess ye your souls.
‘Wednesday, oh Wednesday, oh glorious Wednesday – the middle of the week! A bright light at the end of the tunnel! That means the weekend is near! Glory Hallelujah!’
Yeh Friends, it’s not only on Fridays we should celebrate, but if possible, everyday of the week, for it tells us that we’re alive and kicking through the generous bounty of our great and wonderful God!
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You heavenly Father for allowing us to see another blessed day on planet earth! We bless you and praise Your Holy Name and promise to walk as worthily as we can in the name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen.’
Ah mih people, it does feel great to be alive, doesn’t it? It surely does! Despite all the pains, the setbacks, the misfortunes, the trials the tribulations, I don’t think many of us would prefer to be dead.
We complain a lot about the negatives in this life, but remember it’s the only one we have, and furthermore, the only one we’ll ever get. So let’s enjoy it nuh, especially when we have such a wonderful faith like Christianity to live it under.
Remember what Jesus said in our Bit: ‘In your patience possess ye your souls.’
And if we don’t listen to Him and follow His wonderful example, we’ll just be wasting our God-given lives. And that would be such a tragedy!
And for the last day, I’ll like to bombard us with more scripture that teaches patience, perseverance, endurance, backbone and belly. (smile) No my brethren, you don’t have to tell me, for I know from personal experience, that it’s not easy, a bed of roses, working for and walking in Jesus’ footsteps, but it sure is exciting and interesting!
And you’ll never know how interesting and exciting it is, until YOU give it a try!
It’s all about a significant leap of faith Friends! A leap I enjoin us all to sincerely take today, right now, so that we can all work together to make this world a better place.
For that is what we were commanded to do by our leader, Jesus Christ: SPREAD the Word all over the world; LIVE our lives in true Faith, and above all, SHOW LOVE to our magnanimous and magnificent God and also our neighbours!
Wow! What an awesome mandate! Now let’s hear some scripture that’s supposed to encourage, uplift, exhort and keep us steadfast and strong in our earthly endeavours for Jesus.
Let’s start with Bruh Paul’s message to the Colossians, where he’s talking about prayer for spiritual wisdom: ‘For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
(Scholars note: Wisdom is an accurate perception into the true nature of things. Understanding is the skilful application of his wisdom in practical situations).
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
(Scholars’ note: Patience is persevering through problems, trials, tribulations and so forth. Longsuffering is forbearing the faults and offences of others).
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE).’ (Col.1:9-13)
And the Scholars’ note in verse 12: ‘Light is the ethical condition in which God’s children live, namely, that of spiritual understanding with its accompanying morality and happiness.’
Ah Friends, as I said above, it’s not easy, but working for Jesus is surely interesting! Now here these rich and encouraging verses from Hebrews 12, which we all know, but refuse to take seriously.
‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb.12:1-3)
Yes mih people, we find the best examples of it all in Jesus!
And the scholars’ have this to say: ’12:2. Just as verse 1 establishes some qualities for the entrance into and the actual running of life’s race, so verse 2 directs one’s eyes to the finish line. Jesus is the author and finisher in that He has already blazed the trail and finished the course.
12:3-4. Though chapter 11 provides many champions for believers to emulate, the supreme example of endurance is Jesus Himself.’
And isn’t that the gospel, gospel truth my brethren! His is a very difficult, and possibly impossible example for most of us to emulate, but try we must. Don’t worry though, our God knows exactly what we are capable of, for He made us, and all He really expects of us is a sincere effort in our daily living.
And if we give that sincere effort, then He will help us to mature and grow in the image of His Son. For remember, our wonderful God doesn’t ever give us more than we can bear. And even then, He’s promised to work out everything for our good, when we’re called to do His bidding.
So there’s no need to worry and fret, for our heavenly Father has us in the palms of His hands, plenty better hands than All State, and will never leave nor forsake us. Ah mih breddren, what a marvellous and magnificent Deity we serve and worship! He’s just so phenomenal! I can’t understand how His human creations choose not to work for and follow His directives.
But we His true followers WILL change that won’t we? For sure, as we go about doing good, spreading His Word and living a life of Christian faith, celebrated with joy, peace and LOVE! Now that’s true wisdom!
And we’ll end here for today. You already have much scripture to ponder and meditate upon, so I won’t burden you with any more. I’m so kind and thoughtful, aren’t I. (smile) Please have a blessed day my brethren, walking in LOVE for Jesus! Much LOVE!
…better is the end of a thing…than the beginning thereof…and the patient in spirit…is better than…the proud in spirit… (Eccl.7:8)
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