Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 May 2024 Psalm 92:1.

02 May 2024 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 92:1.       ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:

Oh friends, at long last, warm and sunny days seem to be here again! Thank the Lord! It’s about time we felt some of the sun’s awesome heat to warm our cold hearts, souls, bodies and minds after this long winter season. Granted, it wasn’t that cold, but still the chilly, damp weather is what really gets into the bones and causes all sorts of illnesses and emotional downturns. But with summer seemingly on the way, there is a li’l more LOVE and joy in the society, although not as much as we so badly need. 

And today we’ll take a look at a couple of scriptures about giving thanks to our great God, for all that He’s done on our behalf. And the first scriptures come from Psalm 92, aptly titled  ‘Give Thanks to the Lord.’ So please read with me: ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth (declare) (steups!!!) thy LOVING-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lyre or lute); upon the harp with a solemn (harmonious or melodic) sound. For thou Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.’ (Ps. 92:1-4) 

Oh my fellow saints, it’s so obvious that the Lord deserves our thanks, both morning and evening, and even during the daytime because of His unfailing goodness and mercy to us each and every day! And if, as the psalmist says he has made us glad through His work, then there’s even more reason to give Him praise and thanks! 

And Psalm 147, titled ‘Sing Praise to the Lord,’ gives the same message. ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah): for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely (beautiful). (It surely is!) The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds (sorrows). He telleth (counts) the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite (limitless).’ (Ps. 147:1-5) 

More indisputable truth my brethren! Our God is both great and good, therefore He necessitates praise from His people! Unfortunately though, His people don’t thank him as much as they ought to. Some of us only give thanks on Sundays when we go to church, others don’t even remember to give thanks at all. But please remember as Jeremiah says: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23) 

Oh friends, our wonderful God deserves amazing praise and thanks for the simple reason that we are still alive today, through His great mercies and faithfulness. You know how many people didn’t wake up this Thursday morning? Many! Why? I don’t know. But I’m sure some of them did not waken today because they were not in the habit of giving the Lord the thanks and praise He so richly deserves. It’s mind boggling that we can call on the Lord for all the stuff we want, but when we get it, we forget to give Him thanks and praise. 

My people, we should be thanking our God all through the day: for every good and positive move we make; for every scrape or negative situation that He gets us out of. Praise should be a continual thing in the hearts and lives of the true believer. Why do you think Bruh Paul highly advised us through his letter to the Philippians to ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6) And to the Thessalonians, he said: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5: 16-18) 

Yes my fellow believers, giving thanks and praise to Almighty God is essential in our daily lives, it’s His will for us. One of the reasons He created us is that we could praise and worship Him, and reciprocate his wonderful LOVE like all the other heavenly hosts. He didn’t just make us to beg and badger Him for lustful, ungodly stuff, as some of us seem to think from our ungrateful and rebellious attitudes. Heartfelt thanks is essential for the believer if he or she expects to receive all that God has in store for them. And I don’t know how else to say it but like that. 

Anyway, enough preaching for today.  And the Bit is already late because I had to go down to the hospital for some tests this morning, so let’s keep it short and sweet. (smile) And since it’s Thursday, it means declaring (chuh man!!!) our Thursday Blessings very generously given to us by the Lord to do His earthly work. So 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!’ 

And having made that declaration (awright!!!) it’s now our duty to go out and generously use those blessings, so that others can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…a heart glowing with praise and thanksgiving…is the believers best friend…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit    7 September 2023 Genesis 39:2a.

07 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 39:2a.        And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous (successful) man;

And on this first September Thursday, we’re moving along with the nice summer weather! (smile) I don’t know if it will be as hot as the last few, but it certainly looks bright and beautiful out there! So, let’s give thanks to our heavenly Father for allowing us to see another day on His wonderful but somewhat confused planet, for it’s only through his mercies and compassions, which are new every day, we are not destroyed. Therefore, let’s say it as sincerely as the psalmist did: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) 

Yes friends, it doesn’t make sense to be alive and not enjoy the living, for we don’t know if we’ll wake up tomorrow, or even go to bed alive tonight. (smile) And you know, I believe it’s that attitude that kept Bruh Joseph flourishing in Egypt, despite all the misfortune that unfairly befell him. Now, yesterday we left off Bruh Joseph’s heartfelt and faithful story, when he was sold as a slave by his jealous brothers to a group of Ishmeelite traders, who were going down to Egypt to sell their wares. 

Meanwhile, those envious and despicable older brothers took Bruh Joseph’s coat of many colours, killed a goat’s kid, and dipped the coat in it. Then they rent it, tore it up, and took it to their father Jacob, and brass facedly said, ‘This have we found: know thou (do you know) whether it be thy son’s coat or no.’ (Gen. 37: 32) What gall and deceitfulness of the evil brothers! 

‘And he (Jacob) knew (recognized) it, and said, It is my son’s coat (tunic); an evil (wild) beast hath devoured him: Joseph is without doubt rent (torn) in pieces. And Jacob rent (tore) his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.’ (Gen. 37:33-35) 

Oh my people, when evil gets a hold of us, it does not stop at the first mistake nuh, but it just keeps leading us deeper and deeper into the cesspool of the devil’s delights. And it’s understandable, though repugnant, that the brothers had to lie to their father and keep up the evil façade. But that’s exactly what happens when we embrace the evil of this world. I don’t know if the brothers felt some sort of vengeance against their father for LOVING Bruh Joseph more than them, but in such large, dysfunctional families anything is possible. 

And what’s happening to Bruh Joseph all this time eh? The Bible tells us: ‘And Joseph was brought down into Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.’ (Gen. 39:1) And that’s when Bruh Joseph’s Egyptian sojourn unfurled. And how did it begin? 

Listen up to the Word, which says: ‘And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous (successful) man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper (be a success) in his hand. And Joseph found grace (favour) in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put in his hand (care). 

And it came to pass from the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all he had in the house, and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joesph’s hand (care); and he knew not ought (anything) that he had, save (except) the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person (handsome in form and appearance), and well favoured.’ (Gen. 39:2-6) 

Ah mih bredrin, when the Lord is on your side, He can make even the worst of pagans show you favour and mercy. But please note that the Lord didn’t just show Bruh Joseph favour, in a manner of speaking he earned it by his good attitude and behaviour. And it certainly wasn’t easy for a young, hitherto privileged Hebrew boy to be suddenly cast as a slave into an Egyptian household with an entirely different language, customs and culture. But Bruh Joseph knew that the Lord was with him, and believed the Lord to be faithful, so he kept a good attitude. 

And yuh see what happened? Potiphar his Egyptian master made him overseer over his whole house, which then prospered because the Lord was with Bruh Joseph. And that’s the moral of the story right there my fellow believers: although we find ourselves in very difficult situations and circumstances, that is no reason to give up on our great God, because sometimes, like in Bruh Joseph’s case, He’s merely testing us to see the quality and strength of our supposed faith. 

And even if it‘s not a test situation, our God still expects us to have sufficient faith in Him to know that He will never leave nor forsake us like He’s promised, and that in due time, His time, our situations will be improved. Now that’s what faith is all about; standing strong for Christ, even in the midst of the most dire situations, knowing that He’s a faithful rewarder of all those who come to Him in all sincerity and truth! And we’ll stop for today with Bruh Joseph’s story, for there’s lots more to come, and it gets even better as it progresses! 

Oh my fellow saints, what a mighty and magnanimous God we serve! And just like He gave Bruh Joseph the wherewithal to fight his battles, He’s also generously given us the same for ours. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s activate those blessings right now, by sincerely declaring (steups!!!) them. As one 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!’ 

And having activated those heavenly blessings, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord has shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…the Lord God Jehovah…will never turn away…from those who are faithful to Him… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 July 2023 Joshua 1:9.

13 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Joshua 1:9.       Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.

And after a late night, early morning of constant drizzle, Thursday has opened sunny and cool, but with some cloudy overtones. The computer is saying it’s going to be windy and humid. But in these days of climate change anything is possible, so we just have to learn to handle whatever comes against us weatherwise, like we have learned to handle whatever circumstances come against us in our regular lives. 

And it all begins with knowing, and even more importantly living like Jesus Christ is our true and enabling Lord and Saviour. As he says, without Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:5). But then again, we can do ALL things though Christ who strengthens and enables us! (Phil. 4:13) And don’t forget either that God’s grace is sufficient for all we do, because His strength (power) is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Cor. 12:9) 

Wow! What a mighty force is our God! And He ought to be, since He created the earth, the heavens, the seas and all therein, and also controls everything within them, so that all the hairs of our heads are numbered and not even one grain of it falls of and He doesn’t know it. Neither does even one little sparrow, which is a cheap and seemingly unimportant bird die and the Lord doesn’t know it. (Matt. 10:29-32) 

So, taking all of that into consideration, the question then becomes, why are we who claim to be great believers in Almighty God, with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour are so fearful of the things of the world and the evil that lurks therein? Remember Jesus said quite authoritatively: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28) 

And, if you didn’t know it, the ONLY One who can destroy both our souls and bodies is the Lord God Almighty! That means, if we’re to fear any Being, it’s Jehovah God we should fear! But since He’s our heavenly Father, having adopted us after Christ died and paid for our sins, (Rom. 8:14-15) and therefore LOVES us with a mighty unconditional LOVE, there’s no need to fear Him in the true sense of the word, but to reverence, to honour and obey Him, like children do their fathers. 

But unfortunately, that is something too many of us on this disaster-filled planet are not doing, that’s why our lives are so pitiable and miserable! If we don’t have the LOVE and reverence of God in us, how can we ever live joyful and successful lives eh? Remember, the Bible tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. (Neh. 8:10) 

And remember too, these amazing and wise words from the mouth of the Lord Himself to Joshua. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) 

Oh my brethren that’s all we really need to know yes! Read and constantly meditate on God’s Word, then put it into action in our lives! That’s it in a nutshell! But how many of us even read the Lord’s Word, much less meditate on it, and live it? Not nearly enough! And if you didn’t believe what the Lord said to Joshua back there, then listen to what He followed it up with: ‘Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) 

Mama Mia my fellow saints! What else do we need for God to do for us or to tell us eh, before we can live the way He desires of us? He’s told us to read and study His word, then live it. Then to not be afraid but strong and courageous because He’s with us wherever we go. Then to crown it all, He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for us so that our sin debt could be paid in full and give us the option of spending eternity in His marvellous company…

What else do we need eh? For Him to come and hold each of our hands personally and lead us over the threshold of heaven? Brother! We’ve become such frail, feeble and fearful folks that even when we’ve been given everything we need to live the abundant and successful life that Jesus died for us to have, we’re still mewling and afraid like little children. 

Sorry, I take that back, little children might be afraid, but they have confidence in their parents and elders and follow them anyway. But we obviously don’t have the confidence we’re supposed to have in Christ Jesus, our heavenly Father, neither the Holy Spirit, who all bend over backwards to help us! 

And furthermore, we can’t even stay united as one church, one body of Christ like we should be, but allow the enemy to divide and conquer us with all the foolish divisions and denominations we’ve created and all the petty and selfish things that we foolishly use to keep us apart. When are we going to wake up and realize that unless there is more unity in Christ’s church, that we can never win the war we’re supposed to be fighting? We talk such a good talk, but our walk is woeful in comparison, not nearly as good as it ought to be. 

And though I’m chuckling here at what I’ve written, because I never came out to write it, but apparently was led there by the Holy Spirit, because we definitely do need to wake up and get working for Christ if we ever expect to see positive changes in our world anytime soon. Let’s hope that this will be a wakeup call for many of us, and believers in Christ will begin doing what they need to do: read and study God’s word, then live it with courage and strength of purpose! 

And now, let’s go home declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. As one 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, we desperately need to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…we have all the tools for abundant and successful living…why aren’t we using them to enrich our world like Jesus desires… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 May 2023 Deuteronomy 8:18a.

11 May 2023 Leave a comment

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

Deuteronomy 8:18a.      But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth,

Now is it possible for us to get four consecutive days of glorious sunshine in this wet and cloudy spring season…although the supposed experts are saying that it might be mostly cloudy? And the answer is a very affirmative YES!  Because they don’t control the weather, but our Lord and Saviour Jesus does, and He can cause it to be totally sunny after all. Praise His holy name! 

Yes friends, our great God can do anything He so desires. He desired to create this universe and all therein, and that’s exactly what He did. He desired to give His greatest creation free will, knowing that we could and would abuse it, but He didn’t want a set of robots, so He took the chance on us. And we did abuse His goodwill…and are doing so to this very day…possibly even more so than at any other time of our existence, for now we desire to totally get rid of our Creator. 

What kind of gratitude is that eh? None whatsoever! Especially after He gifted us with the life of His sinless Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for our abominable sins and thus have the option of being reconciled back to him through His awesome grace, mercy and forgiveness. But no, we’ve gotten so big for our britches, falsely believing that all the advancements and great wealth we’ve built up in our society to be our doing, and not rightly the Lord’s, through His guidance and direction. 

Remember Moses’ warning to the children of Israel, about when they went into the Promised Land and got wealthy? ‘Then thine heart be lifted up (you become proud), and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint. 

Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove (test) thee, to do thee good at thy latter end. And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:14-18) 

Now, Moses was talking there to the young group of Israelites who were born in the wilderness during the forty wandering years. That’s because the Lord decreed that none who came out of Egypt beside Joshua and Caleb, not even Moses, would enter the Promised Land, for all their disobedience and disgusting behaviour, despite His amazing LOVING-kindness towards them. 

But sadly, that is exactly what that young group did when they got in there and got wealthy. They forgot Moses’ warnings, and promptly moved away from the God of their fathers, turned to idols and worshipped the gods of the nations around them, whom the Lord had specifically told them not to associate with, because He knew that was exactly what would happen. 

They obviously did not pay heed to these ending words of Moses’ message. ‘And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish, because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord you God.’ (Deut. 8:19-20) And perish they did, every time they turned away from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, they underwent some disastrous calamity. 

And believe me friends, that is exactly what’s happening to us today. Look at the chaos in our current society, it all stems from a rejection of Almighty God! He might not be doing it personally, but He’s certainly not stopping us from destroying ourselves, which we would not be doing, if we were living in the LOVE, mercy and forgiveness that He desires of us. What amazes me though, is that every time the Israelites turned away from God and suffered for it, they eventually turned back to Him and were restored in His fellowship. 

However, our generation is too proud and arrogant to even consider doing that. We were once a godly society, going along very well, then like Satan we got too proud because of the advancements we were making. Next thing we want to kick out God because we think it’s our own doing. Let me remind us though of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, who at one time was the most powerful man in the world. He had a dream and the prophet Daniel warned him of its negative consequences if he continued in a certain line of behaviour. 

Daniel’s parting words were: ‘Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness (by being righteous), and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening (prolonging) of thy tranquility.’ (Dan. 4:27) But the king did not listen, and a year later, while walking in the palace, He ‘spake and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom (a royal dwelling) by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?’ (Dan. 4:30) 

But lo and behold, while the king was speaking, a sentence of madness was right then being pronounced on him, by the Lord God Jehovah. And yes, he was a pagan king, but even pagan kings get power through the hands of the Lord God Jehovah. Remember Daniel’s words when he received the meaning of the king’s dreams. ‘Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his. And he changeth the times and seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up (raises up) kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know (have) understanding.’ (Dan. 2:20-21) 

Yes, whatever happens in the universe comes under the eventual control of Almighty God, regardless of race, creed, colour or culture. That very day, Neb was sentenced to seven years of madness, to eating grass like an ox, ‘until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomever he will.’ (Dan. 4:32) And after seven years of madness, Neb’s senses were reverted, and he praised the Lord God with such enthusiasm. ‘Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgement (justice), and those that walk in pride he is able to abase (humble).’ (Dan. 4:37) 

Oh my people why can’t we learn from the examples of the Israelites and Nebuchadnezzar and turn back to the God of our fathers’, who LOVES us so much that He even sent His Son to die to pay for our sins. It’s the only wise move we can make in these very trying times. And for those of us who are attempting to do just that, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Thursday Blessings, blessings that have been generously bestowed on us by our heavenly Father to help us do His earthly work. 

As one 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, let’s get out into the evil world and use those blessings to make a positive difference in Christ’s name. Remember friends, it all depends on us! Much LOVE!

…the three attributes for man’s wellbeing…obedience…obedience…obedience… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   30 March 2023 Isaiah 42:8.

30 Mar 2023 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 42:8.           I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

Ah mih people, the current weather situation in our world is nothing if not interesting. Take for example, yesterday in my area. It opened bright and sunshiny…that is until the early afternoon, when it began to rain. Then in the midst of the rain, big flakes of wet snow began coming down in showers. Then that stopped, and in the early evening hours the sun came back out bright and sunshiny, the ground was fairly dry with only a bit of snow left there. So, in a few hours we went from one extreme to the next, and then back again! What a life! 

Unfortunately, that’s how life seems to be trending nowadays. You can’t take anything for granted any longer. What was once fairly stable is now unstable, and that includes people, as well institutions and as things like the weather. The only thing that seems to be weathering the strains of time is the Word of God. And so it should, although many of us are either trying to change it to our own benefit, or remove it completely from our lives. 

But there’s a reason why the Word of God found in the Bible has stood the test of time and will continue doing so. That’s because it is the inerrant, true and godly inspired word of our Creator, filled with His wisdom and guidance for earthly living. And if it is godly direction, then it should last till the end of time, ringing with wisdom for each new generation. You know it’s the most maligned book in the universe, but every year it’s also the best-selling tome.  And what’s a tome? 

The dictionary gives the definition of a tome as a large, scholarly book. And yuh better believe there’s no larger and more scholarly book than the Bible, or Good Library. Yes, it’s so scholarly, that it’s a library in itself, containing numerous books within it. (smile) And as we said recently, one truth from the Good Library is worth more than all the wisdom of man. Wow! And man does have a lot of wisdom, that’s just to tell you the wisdom to be found in God’s Word. 

And since the Lord Himself has said through the prophet Isaiah that His thoughts and ways are ever so much higher than man’s, (Is. 55:8-9) it’s only logical to expect His wisdom to outshine that of His finite and frail creation. And that’s why it’s so illogical and foolish for us to try and live life without God, and even more foolish to try to remove Him completely from our society. That just will never happen, as He said quite clearly also through the prophet Isaiah. ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8) 

Now what’s in that clear and simple sentence that we don’t understand eh? The Lord will NEVER allow a finicky, finite creation of His to unseat Him from His throne of power. So why do we still insist on trying to do it eh? Haven’t we learned from the example of Satan, the once mighty archangel Lucifer, who dared to try and usurp the power of God? And what happened to him eh? He and all of his foolish followers were summarily kicked out of heaven to make their sorry way in the dungeons of Hades, with hellfire and damnation, as their just desert! 

And it’s the very same thing that caused Satan to fall that’s causing us to suffer the wrath of God; that’s foolish pride! And if you don’t believe me, then let’s check out the story as told by the prophets. Ezekiel says of Lucifer, the Morning Star. ‘Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; (cherubim: angelic being of the highest order that guard the Lord) and I have set thee so thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 

Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee… Thine heart was lifted up (became proud) because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness (splendour): I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.’ (Ezek. 28:14-15, 17) That’s the same thing that’s happening to us today my fellow believers; because of our great advances in all areas of life, we have become too proud of our achievements, forgetting that it’s with the Lord’s power and help that we have made those advances. 

Meanwhile, Isaiah says of Satan: ‘How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer (Morning Star), son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend unto heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides (farthest sides) of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides (the lowest depths) of the pit.’ (Is. 14:12-15) 

Yes friends, Satan was a mighty angel until He got too proud and desired to overthrow God. Yuh hear all the ‘I will’s’ He proclaimed. But he never attained any of them. Instead, he was kicked out of heaven with his followers and thus became the originator and chief perpetrator of sin. And I like how the scholars describe His modus operandi. ‘Satan’s subtle nature is reflected in the first temptation (Gen. 3:1) (where he deceived Eve), and in his titles “angel of light,” (2. Cor. 11:24) and “him that deceiveth the whole world.” (Rev. 12:9) His present day activities include opposing the will and work of God, counterfeiting the work of God, and destroying all that is good. 

A Christian can overcome Satan when he remembers four basic principles: First, though Jesus is greater than the Devil (1 John 4:4), a Christian must still have a healthy respect for the Enemy; even the archangel Michael did not confront Satan except in the name of the Lord (Jude 9). Second, a wise Christian will evaluate his life and avoid those situations where he is most likely to be tempted  (1 Thess. 5:22). Third, he should resist the Devil by submitting to God (James 4:7-10). Finally, the Christian should always be prepared by wearing the whole armour of God (Eph. 6:13-17)’ 

No my fellow saints, we can’t go wrong if we follow those four basic principles. And thus, having a li’l better knowledge of Satan and his evil self, let’s go home now declaring (chuh!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. As one strong 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!’ 

So, with all those marvellous blessings in our possession, it’s time for us to go out and use and share them just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…Satan’s been defeated twice by Jesus…in whom then will you trust… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   22 December 2022 Luke 2:14.

22 Dec 2022 Leave a comment

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

Luke 2:14.        Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

Well, Thursday, the fourth day of this Christmas work week has opened bright and sunshiny, but if the weather forecasters are right, we will be engulfed by a major snowstorm sometime today. Let’s hope that they are somewhat over-zealous in their forecast and it will not be a storm of major proportions, although many parts of North America have already seen some heavy snowfall and the snow season has just begun. 

But, turning to a more immediate and much better season, that of Christmas, hopefully you’ve already done all your shopping and whatever else is on your to do list, because if the forecast comes true, it will tie up everything in awful knots, with lots of places inaccessible, or dangerously so. And since the reason for this joyful Christmas season, this happy holiday time, is Jesus, it’s only right that we should talk some about Him. And what shall we say eh? 

Let’s see…that He was the biggest and best present ever given to man! Unfortunately, because of lack of hotel space, He was born in a manger, animal stable, in the city of Bethlehem to parents called Mary and Joseph, who had left their little village of Nazareth to answer the census summons of Herod the king. Everyone had to go to their hometown and register, and since Joseph was of the line of David from Bethlehem, he journeyed there with his pregnant wife to do the king’s bidding. 

The big difference in this couple though was that the child Mary carried was not Joseph’s but that of Almighty God, implanted in her womb by the Holy Spirit, so that the Saviour of the world could be born sinless, not of man, but of God. And that was the most important aspect of the whole scenario, because a child born of sinful man could not pay for the sins of men. It needed a sinless soul to accomplish that task. And, unfortunately, Jesus was the only one available who fit the bill. 

But nonetheless, He was born on Christmas day to much pomp and glory from heavenly angels, who told of His birth to the shepherds in the fields watching over their flocks. The shepherds were quite afraid at the sudden coming of a multitude of angels, singing praises to God, saying ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.’ (Luke 2:14) 

Oh yes friends, to bring peace to earth and the goodwill of men to each other, was indeed one of Jesus’ jobs! The prophet Isaiah spoke of Him long before, when he said: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’ (Is. 9:6) 

Wow! That big prophecy come true at Christmas, my people! And isn’t it interesting that the Son of God was born in a stinky animal barn, to poor parents, and the first persons to hear the good news of His birth were poor, ordinary, looked-down-upon shepherds? That’s because God wanted to show that His Son wasn’t coming to be a big-shot, be rich and famous, but to be humble and ordinary, to show that nothing was wrong with being humble and ordinary. 

In fact, the Lord prefers humility to pride and arrogance. Or, as Cousin Sol says in Proverbs, one of the seven abominations to God is a ‘proud look.’ (Prov. 6:17) No friends, our God cannot stand haughty, prideful people because they have no use for Him. That’s why He demotes and debases them with all haste. Unfortunately though, today, in our sinful and ungodly society, pride and arrogance rule the roost! 

Everybody’s avidly searching for individual power, so that they can walk about with pride, then use that power to browbeat others. Today seems to be set once more for the rise of the dictator. And in my early years studying history, I always wondered how people got to be dictators. Well, now I’m seeing it unfurl before my very eyes. Foolish people bow down to arrogant men with a little power, fall for their lies and deceits, which allows them to increase their power, until they are all-powerful and cruelly lord it over the same ones who gave them that power! 

Hn! Echoes of his satanic majesty! But let’s not forget Bruh David’s wise words from Psalm 37: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the herb.’ (Ps. 37:1) That’s the promise of our ever-faithful God, and it will certainly come to pass in His way and time. 

But we have strayed from the Christmas story. (smile) And, per the humble origins of Christ, that was exactly as planned by the Father. Listen to Jesus as He explains His philosophy to the disciples re greatness in His kingdom, after the mother of Zebedee’s children had asked for them to sit on His right and left hand in His kingdom. 

He said: ‘Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion (lord it) over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister (servant); And whosoever will be chief (first) among you, let him be your servant (slave). Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (served), but to minister (serve), and to give his life a ransom for many.’ (Matt. 20:25-28) 

Oh my brethren, Jesus came to serve, not to be served! He wasn’t looking for applause and plaudits from the crowd, but sought to serve and save them from the darkness and evil of Satan’s world. And that’s how we ought also to be as His sincere followers. We can’t allow pride and strife like the world desires, to be numbered amongst our assets, or rather our dysfunctions, if we want to be true disciples of Christ. Peace and humility must be at the top of our list. 

And we’ll stop there for today. Tomorrow, the Lord willing, we’ll continue with the Christmas story, and some of the wonderful things that were born out of it. Now, in strong and sincere voice, let’s declare (yesss!!!) and thus activate, our Thursday Blessings; underserved ones that the Lord has bestowed on us to do His earthly work. 

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

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

And having made that declaration, (awright!!!) it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share those blessings with others, so that they can come to know and LOVE Jesus like we do! Much LOVE!

…the Christmas story…everything else is wrapped up in it… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 August 2022   James 2:18.

11 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

James 2:18.      …show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.

Well, we on the homestretch now friends; it’s Thursday and we counting down to that day we all so look forward to, Friday and the exciting possibilities of the weekend. But we have to get through Thursday before we ever arrive at Friday, so let’s just concentrate on doing that nuh, and let the chips fall wherever they please when Friday comes. As Jesus so wisely said: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34) 

Ah mih bredrin, unfortunately though many of us worry about what will happen tomorrow and thus don’t pay sufficient attention to today. We don’t live a full life on the present day because our thoughts are slanted too much to tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. But yuh know what, some wise person once said, ‘tomorrow never comes.’ And that’s the indisputable truth, for when the day we call tomorrow comes, it comes as today. So, in actual fact, we never live the tomorrows we dream of, it’s always the todays. (smile) 

And the scholars offer this very perceptive explanation. They say: ‘When our priority is spiritual, that’s “seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides. We need not even worry about tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’ 

Yes friends, when we think too much about what might happen tomorrow, we are not able to give enough attention to the things that are happening today. And if you’ve ever sat down and contemplated the number of times those troubles you expect to happen tomorrow actually take place, I’m sure you’ve noticed that they are certainly not as many as we expected. 

So a lot of the stuff we’re concerning ourselves about is merely our projection, our anxiety and worry, and Jesus has already commanded us not to fear or worry. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Then, later on He reiterated the very same sentiments. ‘’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 if we are true followers of Christ then we ought to listen to and believe what He tells us, because He only speaks truth. But too often in this confused and evil world, we allow the enemy to deceive us into thinking that things are so bad that we cannot handle them, or they will never get good and all our fears will come to pass. However, the truth is that as a believer in Christ we can handle ANYTHING that comes against us! For Jesus has promised never to leave nor forsake us, and also that we can do anything through Him, because He strengthens us to accomplish His will! 

But we must truly believe all of that stuff and then put it into action into our lives, otherwise it’s of no real use. We’re talking here about faith in action! And that’s really the only kind of faith there is! You can talk all the talk you want and don’t engage your talk, then it’s not faith. As James, Jesus’ brother so correctly points out. ‘Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.’ (James 2: 17-18) 

Oh my fellow saints in Christ, we must remember that Christianity is simply faith in action! It’s more of a doing, a helping and caring rather than talking concept. Note how Jesus got up every day and went out and did stuff; helped people, healed the sick and suffering, and generally spread His LOVE around to those who needed and wanted it. But He was always doing or going somewhere to do something, except when He was teaching. And remember Jesus also told us that if we had even a li’l bit of faith as a mustard seed, that we could move mountains. (Matt. 17:20) 

But we first have to believe it, then put it into action. And that’s where our Christian faith is falling down. There is not enough action on our part in our society. I’m sure you’re seeing how the evil doers, the iniquity workers are doing their best to control the world, while too many of us supposed believers are merely sitting on the sidelines, scared, or just not interested enough to make a positive difference. But we spout a whole lot of foolishness about being Christians. Steups! 

We clap and shout and sing ‘Praise the Lord’ in church, but outside of the church in the rough and tough places where we’re desperately needed, we’re nowhere to be found. Read the Good Book friends. Jesus didn’t just sit around talking, He was out there in all the places where the hypocrite Pharisees thought He shouldn’t be. But that’s because He came to save the lost, the sick and suffering, not the righteous. And you can’t save people unless you go where they are or have them come to you. 

And that’s exactly what He did, and what He expects of us, His supposed ambassadors down here on earth. And why do you think He was so generous to give us what we call our Thursday Blessings eh? Because we deserved them? Obviously not, but that we could use them to do His work, to help others, teach them of His grace, goodness and mercy, so that they too could come to Him, like we did, and find salvation and relief for their souls. 

So, right now, let’s activate those blessings by declaring (yesss!!!) them out loud. 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, it’s our bounden duty to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as Christ shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…Christians need to stop talking so much faith…and instead…begin doing plenty more faith… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 August 2022 Jeremiah 33:3.

04 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 33:3. Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee mighty (inaccessible) things, which thou knowest not.

And we’re moving right along, no haste, no hurry, but just a steady pace of life and times, as Thursday opens somewhat cloudy. But I have a question for the weather people. What ever happened to the rainstorm we were expected to get last night eh? My computer was pointedly telling me ‘Rain coming.’ In the early evening hours the skies became black like tar, and you’d believe that the whole sky was going to open up and drench and/or drown us with heavenly blessings. But all we got was a mere sprinkle, a dusting of rain, so to speak. 

And this morning, it’s again cloudy out there, with what’s going to happen, no one seems to know. Some other area must have gotten a good downpour, but we certainly didn’t Meanwhile, the earth, the flowers, the trees, and the animals, in other words, Mother Nature is crying out for thirst.

 But my theory on the subject is that the strong winds we’ve recently been experiencing, are blowing away the rain clouds. Yes, we now have stronger than normal winds regularly blowing in our area. And I’m chuckling here because when that happens, I invariably tell the duchess that the wind’s going to blow away the rain. She laughs at me, but I usually turn out to be right. (smile) 

That brings us to these marvellous words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah on the Lord’s behalf, when He promised a glorious return from captivity to His people Israel. The Lord spoke thus: ‘Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee mighty (inaccessible) things, which thou knowest not.’ (Jer. 33:3) 

Now why was that necessary eh? Because Judah had turned away from the Lord God of their forefathers and adopted the paganistic culture of their neighbours and thus He allowed them to be taken into captivity in Babylon. Consequently, God had stopped hearing their pleas for mercy from their captivity in a foreign land. 

Yes friends, when we’ve broken our covenant with the Lord, He stops hearing our requests. As the psalmist so rightly points out: ‘If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.’ (Ps. 66:18) And the scholars tell us that ‘Where there is godless living (Is. 56:11-12), lack of concern for others in their need (Is. 58:6-9) where the characteristics of true religion are explained, carelessness with regard to the clear instruction of the Word of God (35:17),’ then, ‘God cannot honour the one who prays; rather, such a one stands in danger of divine judgement (Zech. 7:8-14).’ 

That’s where the prophet Zechariah talks about the disobedience that led to their captivity. And yuh know what my brethren, those are the very same things that we are guilty of in these supposed modern times. We’ve turned away from God, not doing the things found in His Word, not taking care of each other, being godless and greedy, thus He’s stopped hearing our maudlin, self-pitying and insincere prayers, and allowed us to live on our own, as we so desperately wanted. 

Now look at the results of that foolish decision. Our world is full of strife, war, anger and hatred. Peace, LOVE and righteousness have fled away! Is that the way we truly want to live my people? I very much doubt it. But that means sincerely turning back to God, our Creator and Provider. And why is that? Because as the scholars tell us: ‘Where intimacy of communion exists with God, He answers the call of His own. See Job 13:22; 14:14; Psalms 22:24-25; 91:15; 102:1; Is. 58:9; 65:24).’ 

And yuh know what? All those verses speak about calling on the Lord for help in times of trouble. They tell us that He is the only true help we have in this mish-mash world. So, my fellow saints in Christ, the only way to reverse some of the many problems we are now experiencing is to get back into intimate communion with our heavenly Father. 

And the only way to do that is like Isaiah says: ‘Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke (of sin and godlessness), the putting forth (pointing) of the finger, and speaking vanity (wickedness). And if thou draw out (extend) thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity (darkness), and thy darkness (gloom), be as the noonday. And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought (dry places), and make fat (strengthen) thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.’ (Is. 58:9-11) 

Wow friends, that’s what comes to us when we practice true religion and true intimacy with God! And isn’t it certainly much better than what we’re currently experiencing? Of course! So why are we so foolish, stubborn, pig headed and unwilling to turn back to the God of our forefathers eh? I really don’t know nuh. Is it because the push and pull of Satan and his iniquity workers is so strong that we can’t escape its grasp? I certainly hope not, otherwise crapaud smoke we pipe! 

Oh my people, please remember that our God is stronger than the powerless, deceitful devil, so if we truly want to escape him, we can do it with God’s help. So please, let’s stop making silly, childlike, selfish excuses for the way we are living nuh. And instead try to turn back to a way of life, where, as the Lord promised through Isaiah: ‘And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.’ (Is. 65:24) 

Now isn’t that a most wonderful way to live; getting answers before we even call and hearing us while we are yet speaking? It certainly is! And we can return our lives to that glorious time if we sincerely and diligently use the many undeserved blessings that the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. And what blessings are those you ask? We call them our Thursday Blessings, and we’ll activate them right now by declaring (steups!!!) them out loud. 

As one strong 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!’ 

And now, as true believers in, and workers for Christ, we need to go out and use those blessings to encourage others to come to Him, so they can receive His awesome gifts of LOVE, mercy, grace, salvation and eternal life! Much LOVE!

…we obviously can’t handle our own affairs…so why not try the other option available…that’s living for Almighty God 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 November 2021 John 10:14.

11 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

John 10:14.     I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and are known of mine. 

Then Thursday opened somewhat cloudy in my area – but still with great promise, meaning it can go one way or the other; that’s rain or shine…or even just stay cloudy. (smile) However, the beauty of Jesus and His Holy Spirit that dwells within us, is that they only, and always bring sunshine, no cloud cover whatsoever! Therefore, we can always have some sunshine in our lives when we have Jesus as our reigning Lord and Saviour! Give Him some thanks and praise my people for His wonderful goodness to the children of men! 

Without His life-saving sacrifice on the cross at Calvary, we Gentiles would have been headed straight for Hades. But His sacrificial death and resurrection were life-giving instruments to us; that means we were also given the option of eternal life in heaven, and not that of hell alone. As He said so compassionately in His famous soliloquy on His role as a shepherd. ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and are known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold (flock), and one shepherd.’ (John 10:14-16) 

That other sheep, the other fold, means us, my brethren, who would be given the option of salvation later on, through the zealous work of Bruh Paul’s preaching of the gospel to the Gentile world. Ah friends, Bruh Paul, formerly known as Saul, was very instrumental in persecuting the early Christians, until his journey to Damascus to continue that persecution. On the road, Jesus accosted him and miraculously changed his outlook on life. Listen to the story of his conversion as he told it to King Agrippa. 

‘At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue (language), Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard to kick against the pricks (goads – a sharp stick used to prod cattle to move, so Jesus was telling him it was foolish to resist). And I said, Who art thou Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 

But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear (reveal) unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now send thee. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified (set apart) by faith that is in me.’ (Acts 26:13-18) 

Wow! What a faithful Saviour we have my brethren! Remember He promised to bring us, His other flock unto Him and make one fold. But who ever thought He would set it in motion so miraculously and through Saul, the most feared persecutor of the early brethren? But that’s the way our great God moves – in mysterious ways His wondrous works to perform, to open man’s eyes and bring light to their darkness. 

And the wonderful thing about Bruh Paul is that after his conversion, he was just as zealous in saving Christians, as he was in persecuting them before he saw the light. Oh, how I wish that some of his zeal would rob off on some of us modern day believers, for with it, we could turn this evil and ungodly world upside down. 

Now hear these marvellous words Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus concerning the unity of all believers, which we spoke of earlier on, that’s the joining together of both the Jewish and Gentile believers under Christ’s august leadership. He writes: ‘Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands.’ (Eph. 2:11) And the scholars explain: ‘Uncircumcision was a derogatory term used by the Jews regarding Gentiles because the latter were uncircumcised. Jews called themselves the Circumcision since they were circumcised.’  

And Bruh Paul continues: ‘That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.’ (Eph. 2:12) That basically means that before they became Christians, the Gentiles were aliens from the Jewish nation, who were God’s people, so they had no part in the promises of God, like salvation and all the other godly goodies the Jews had been promised. 

‘But now,’ Bruh Paul writes, ‘in Christ Jesus ye who were sometimes (once) far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ ( able to have a proper relationship with Him). For he (Jesus Himself) is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition (separation) between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances for to make (create) in himself of twain (the two) one new man, so making peace. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain (put to death) the enmity thereby. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.’ (Eph. 2:13-17) 

Wow! What powerful scriptures my fellow saints. And what does it all mean? Listen to the scholars: ‘2:14-15.Who hath made both one: Jesus has formed the two antagonistic groups of Jew and Gentile into a single new party, the Christian church. He did this by removing the middle wall of partition, that is the Mosaic Law. The law was meant to protect Jews from pagan corruptions; but by misconstruing the purpose of the law, the Jews felt superior to Gentiles, who were incensed at this arrogance. So Jesus abolished this enmity (hatred), caused by an abuse of the law, by making the law invalid for His church. Of twain one new man: As above, Christian Jews and Christian Gentiles now compass this “one new man” or Christian church.’  

Yes friends, that’s basically how the Christian church, became one body, from two flocks. And we need to give much thanks and praise for Jesus being compassionate enough to include us Gentiles in His church. And that compassion isn’t only talk, but also action, as we discover through our Thursday Blessings, that He’s so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. And since a blessing isn’t a blessing until it’s spoken out loud, let’s declare them now nuh, in loud, proud and grateful 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!’ 

Our job now is to go out and share those blessings with others just as generously as Jesus shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him, like we do! Much LOVE!

…the only ONE who can bring unity and LOVE to all…Jesus…the Prince of Peace…Lord of Lords…and King of Kings…                                                                                                                       

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 September 2021 Proverbs 3:1.

02 Sep 2021 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:1.     My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.

Oh friends, this cool Thursday morning in early September is another day for us to live gratefully and enjoy the new mercies and compassions of God. And if you have been walking the same old roads that are leading you to sure destruction, and hearing the same old lies from the enemy of your soul, then it’s time to turn to the One who can change all of that, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 

Yes, He’s the One that LOVED us so much that He sacrificed His life that we could be saved from eternal damnation and separation from Almighty God! And yes, that’s a mighty fine thing He did there, the only One who could have accomplished it, for being eternally separated from the Creator of this universe is the worst thing that can ever happen to a human being. So please, it’s not wise to allow that selfless action of Jesus to go unused, to go to waste, by not accepting Him as Lord and Saviour, Redeemer, Prince of Peace and the many other things that He is and stands for. 

But unfortunately, living for Jesus is not a nice easy walk in the park kind of life, for there are pitfalls and tribulations and all sorts of unhappy things can happen along the way. However, we are assured that despite the many problems we may face, there will also be lots of enjoyment and refreshment along the way, and eventually everything will work out for our good. That’s the Lord’s ever-faithful promise! And if you want to hook up with Jesus, you have to believe His many promises; that’s what we call faith! And with faith comes sincere obedience too. 

And these wise words from the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol, as he exhorts us to obedience, should take first place in our hearts if we are to enjoy all the beautiful things that Christ has promised us, ending with salvation, eternal life in heaven with Him and our Triune God. So, let’s check out these most important words from the Good Book that ought to be our guide for daily living. Cousin Sol begins thus: ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.’ (Prov. 3:1) 

Yes my brethren, it’s ever so important that we obey the rules and regulations involved in worshipping and living for Christ! All organizations have rules and regulations for its members to follow, otherwise there will be anarchy, with everyone doing as they please. And Jesus said it loud and clear to the disciples: ‘If you LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) So if you don’t intend to keep God’s commands, then you are just wasting His time and yours. And please remember that God doesn’t really need us nuh, but we definitely need Him. So all of this is for our benefit, not His. 

And one of the major benefits that come from keeping His commandments is this: ‘For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:2) Oh mih people, who doesn’t want all of that eh? We all do! But we won’t get it unless we obey our heavenly Father’s commands. And Cousin Sol continues with his wise words. ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart (mind). (Prov. 3:3) And why should we do that? The answer is quite simple: ‘So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:4) 

Oh people, people, there is always a good reason for accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour and obeying His commandments! It’s not just a disorganized, quickly thrown together thing. It’s taken thousands of years for this plan to come to fruition, and it’s not quite done yet. But for us to be a successful part of it we must do wise, though sometimes hard stuff like ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) 

Oh, how can we ever go wrong when we allow the Creator of the universe to guide our lives eh? No way! But it has to be a constant, continual way of life. Like Cousin Sol says: ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength, refreshment) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:7-8) Wow mih bredrin! Who again doesn’t want those benefits eh? We all do. But they don’t come by just wishing and hoping, but by being continually faithful, obedient and trusting! 

Now hear this next directive from Cousin Sol nuh. ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:9-10) Ah mih people, that’s oh so important in the Lord’s economy, yet so many of us refuse to do it. We stubbornly refuse to give back to the Lord the first portion of what we earn or harvest through His bounty. Yes, it’s through the Lord’s bounty that we gain anything, as Moses reminded the Israelites long ago: ‘Remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth…’ (Deut. 8:18) 

And it’s not like the Lord needs it nuh, but He just wants to see if we really and truly believe Him when it comes to giving. In the Old Testament times they called it a tithe, or a tenth of what you earned. And it was also a means for the priests and people who worked in the church and could not work the land or raise animals, to get food, and to have food to share with the poor and the stranger. 

And it was so important to the Lord that in Malachi, He claimed that the Israelites robbed Him, then challenged them thus: ‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat (food) in mine house, and prove (test) me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’ (Mal. 3:10) 

Yes friends, that’s how generous and faithful our great God is! But we also have to be faithful and trusting by giving back a fair portion of our goods for His work. And believe me, no one that has ever tithed will tell you it doesn’t work! Now it’s not just a matter of giving to get, but it must come from a sincere place in our hearts; a place of true belief and trust. And it does take time to mature in the grace and mercy of God, so all that stuff we’ve spoken about won’t happen overnight, but we do need to make a serious effort to live it. 

And when we do that, Almighty God blesses us even more, bestowing what we call our Thursday Blessings, so that we can do a good job for Him down here on earth. So let’s declare them together now nuh, because they don’t come into effect until they are declared. As one strong 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!’ 

That’s for sure my fellow saints! But now we must go out and share those blessings just as generously with others as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…for an organization to be successful…all members must obey its rules…                                                                                                       

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

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