Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 November 2023 Matthew 24:42.

23 Nov 2023 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 24:42.       Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING U. S. OF A!

Well, a Happy Thanksgiving Day to our Scrip-Bit friends and families in the U.S. of A! I do hope you all have a most blessed and rewarding day, as you gather with your people to give thanks to our great God for all the many wonderful blessings He’s showered down on you all over the years. Unfortunately, the celebration will be marred for some folks because of the tragic occurrence on the Rainbow Bridge Border Crossing between the U. S and Canada at Niagara Falls yesterday morning. Apparently, while going through the crossing from the U.S., a runaway car took off into the air and exploded causing the death of it’s occupants, some injuries to those nearby, and a whole lot of damage to the area. 

That sudden and unexpected occurrence caused the authorities to err on the side of caution, treat it like a terrorist attack and shut down all the border crossings in the area, until further information was forthcoming. That meant some Americans who had come to Canada for the day, were unable to go back home last night, and some of the many Canadians heading south for the holiday were also unable to cross the border. The good news though is that it’s been determined that it was not a terrorist incident and I believe most of the other border crossings have now been opened up, except for the Rainbow Bridge because the damage was so extensive. 

Ah Lord eh! When it’s not one thing, it’s something else yes! That’s why we have to be constantly living for Jesus and ready to meet our Maker at anytime, for we never know when we’ll be called home unexpectedly, or He will return unexpectedly. And Jesus gave us sufficient warning that we should all live prepared, both for the Rapture of the church, and then Christ’s coming to begin His Millennial reign after the Great Tribulation. 

He promised to come back for us: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions (dwellings): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-4) The scholars explain that refers more to the Rapture of the church than to Christ’s coming after the Great Tribulation. 

Meanwhile Bruh Paul made his famous statement on the subject of the Rapture. ‘But I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead). 

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump (trumpet) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (! Thess. 4:13-18) 

Now that has to do with the Rapture and the resurrection for the dead when Jesus comes for the church, and comforts us in knowing that we will be with our LOVED ones in heaven when all is said and done. But then again, no one knows when that will be, which  means we have to be in a state of constant readiness, because Christ can come for His church at any time, and after that the Great Tribulation will ensue for seven years, with Christ finally coming to destroy the evil doers and set up  His Millennial kingdom. 

He gives some warnings re wars and rumours of wars, then famine and pestilence and all sorts of natural disasters. But those are only the beginning of sorrows; for then follows martyrdom, the rise of false prophets and the Antichrist, and the age of iniquity, but also the expansion of the church and preaching of the gospel to all parts of the world…and then shall come the end. (Matt. 24:6-14) Jesus then described the prevailing situation thus: ‘For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.’ (Matt. 24:21) 

Yes friends, those seven years of tribulation will have so much universal suffering and destruction like the world’s never seen before, or will ever see again. That’s why you have to make sure that you are all right with Jesus when He comes for the church in the Rapture. Then Jesus turned His attention to the time frame for those happenings. ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 

But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered the ark. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be… Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.’ (Matt. 24:36-39, 42) 

Oh my brethren, it’s all so simple. In the first coming Christ comes in the clouds for the church, to settle them in heaven. In the second coming, He comes with the church to ,judge the world. And the exceeding chaotic state of our current world, clearly tells us that the time of both situations could not be too far off. Therefore, let us get ourselves prepared, that is, if we want to spend eternity with Jesus, because if He comes at either time and you’re not ready, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe! 

Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to be ready, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

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

Now, it behooves us to go out and use those blessings on God’s behalf, just as generously as He bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!

…the three most important b’s and r’s…be ready…be ready…be ready… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 October 2023 Genesis 49:2.

12 Oct 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 49:2.       Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.

And I can’t believe it’s already Thursday! This week sure has passed very quickly. I guess that’s because Monday was the Thanksgiving holiday and when we’re in holiday or party mode we don’t notice the days fly by. When it’s all work and no play though, it’s a different story. (smile) Anyway, it’s a nice sunny day in my area and life seems to be unfurling as the Creator of the universe planned it. So, let’s give thanks and enjoy what we have, while raising our level of Christian maturity, for many others have much less than we do, and are much contented than we are. 

And with those words of wisdom, (smile) let’s turn to the intriguing story of Bruh Joseph and see what happens in today’s episode. Yesterday we left Bruh Joseph in a state of some displeasure and wonder because His father Jacob had blessed his sons, but in the wrong sequence. He had given the blessing of the first born with his right hand to the younger son Ephraim and the lesser blessing with his left hand, to the oldest son Manasseh. Why? According to Jacob: ‘he (Manasseh) also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.’ (Gen. 48:19) 

So, Bruh Joseph was overruled by his father. And yesterday we noticed where unlike when Isaac been almost blind had wrongly blessed the scheming Jacob, dressed up in hairy goat skins, thinking him to be Esau, Jacob was quite aware of what he was doing, when he blessed Bruh Joseph’s sons in the unconventional order. Why he did it, no one knows for sure, but the scholars have some theories which we promised to share today if God spared life. And since He has blessedly done that, let’s see what the scholars have to offer. 

They say: ‘There is a gentle irony in the fact that on just such an occasion as this Jacob had exercised his guile in his youth (Ch. 27). Once more we have an example of the firstborn’s blessing being given to the younger brother; but in this instance there is no bitterness, resentment, or scheming (cf. Prov. 10:22) They shall be mine has been taken as a form of adoption on the part of Jacob in relation to Manasseh and Ephraim. The purpose may have been to give an inheritance to someone who was not automatically qualified, even though the father already had heirs of his own. 

But they shall be mine may only mean that the grandfather welcomed the two latest additions into the clan which he headed. Or it may mean that the passage simply concerns inheritance, as verse 6 indicates. In that case, Jacob was using his paternal authority to enable Joseph’s sons to inherit directly from their grandfather, rather than from Joseph. This act would honour (his wife) Rachel’s memory by giving her three tribal territories in the Promised Land.’ Even to his dying day Jacob seems to show that amongst his several wives, Rachel was his first and only LOVE. 

Whatever the reason though, Bruh Jospeh’s two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim are to this day numbered among the sons of Israel and when the Promised Land was divided amongst the twelve tribes, their names were featured in the division instead of their father’s. But they are still known as the two Josephite tribes. 

The scholars then inform us that the greater ‘blessing of Jacob on Ephraim became evident during the time of the judges. By this time it had increased in number and power so that it exercised leadership among the 10 northern tribes. Later the name Ephraim became equal to the name Israel (cf. Is. 7:2; Hos. 4:17; 13:1).’ In other words, when you spoke of Ephraim, it came mean all the tribes of Israel. So, Jacob was right in his prognosis of the power of the two of Bruh Joseph’s sons. 

Now, after blessing Bruh Joseph’s two sons, the Bible tells us that Jacob turned to him. ‘And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. Moreover, I have given to thee one portion (shoulder) above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.’ (Gen. 48:21-22) There again, we see how Jacob favoured Bruh Joseph, giving him more inheritance than his siblings. 

And we’ll end today episode with these interesting words from the Good Library. ‘And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.’ (Gen. 49:1-2) And I like that even on his death bed, Jacob was still full of enough spunk and backbone to command his sons’ attention! Then he blessed each son, in the order of their birth. And it’s amazing how all his blessings and prophecies came through. Tomorrow, as always, if God spares life, we’ll check out some of those blessings. 

Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) the underserved favour we call our Thursday Blessings, that have been generously bestowed on us to do God’s 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!’ 

And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) let’s now go out and put those blessings to work in the lives of others as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us! That’s our bounden duty! Much LOVE!

…blessings are not meant to be selfishly kept…but to be generously shared… 

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   8 June 2023 Matthew 9:37.

08 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 9:37.       The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

Well friends this Thursday afternoon I’m faced with a big question: Are the cloudy skies outside indicative of rain as promised by the weather forecasters, or is it only smoke and haze from the forest fires burning in Northern Ontario, like we’ve been getting for the past couple of days? I’d like to think that it’s a foreshadowing of rain, but my computer is telling me that we are having polluted air. So, what do I think or believe eh? 

Oh, the pollution from the forest fires is resonating down here, and it seems even as far as New York City. I could smell the smoke and see the hazy skies sitting on my porch two days ago. And it’s definitely not a good sign when the residue from the fires is travelling so far away and beginning to affect the quality of air some people are breathing. 

Now, I wonder if that’s affecting the asthmatic problems I’m currently having? (smile) I don’t think so, because I’ve been bugged by allergies or something for the past ten days and nothing I do or take seems to make the problems go away. Guess I’ve got to go and see my family doctor. Been trying to get an appointment since yesterday, but haven’t heard back as yet. And that’s another problem in the country, or at least in this Province of Ontario, a lack of family doctors. 

Why? Not many of the graduating doctors are going into family practice because the rewards for the amount of work needed seem insignificant to them. And would you believe that in this supposed first world country there are people who don’t have a family doctor and can’t get one because the few they have are not taking on any new patients. And the government is just talking out of it’s you know what, on the health care issue, trying to make things bad in the public system, so they can have a rigged excuse to get their friends and partners into the private health care system they so badly desire, so they can make even more money than they are currently making. 

But yuh know what? As the good Lord says, this too shall pass. And believe me, it will, and those at the head right now will eventually be the wagging tail of the dog. Our God has promised it, and whatever He promises He delivers on! Amen! 

And now, on a more positive note, I want to share something that I found while going through some old files on my desk last evening. As so often is the case, I don’t know where I got it from, but it’s old because all the other stuff in that particular file was old, many from the early years of the century. However, the information it contains, still rings straight and true in these turbulent and topsy turvy times. 

There is no title, but at the top of the yellow page of paper, it says quite clearly and informatively: ‘The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called failure…a door called confusion…speed bumps called friends…red lights called enemies…caution lights called family. You will have flats called jobs, but if you have a spare called determination…an engine called perseverance…insurance called faith…a driver called Jesus…you will make it to a place called SUCCESS!’ 

Wow! And that’s the God-awesome truth! With so many roadblocks in your way to success, you definitely need to have all those things, especially Jesus as your Guide and Leader, to ever reach your God-given destiny! And that’s exactly what a lot of us supposed believers are lacking in these crucial and very critical last days of the church age; the spare tire of determination, the engine of perseverance, the insurance of faith, and the driver called Jesus. 

Oh many of us have the driver called Jesus, but our spare tires, our engines and our insurance are definitely not up to scratch. Yes friends, we are sadly lacking in those areas, that’s why our witness for Christ is not as good as it ought to be, and it will never get better unless we upgrade those areas in which we’ve fallen behind. Remember, Jesus is only the driver, He goes where we lead Him, and if our spare tires, engines and insurance are not good, then He can’t drive us very far, or on to any rough country roads where the fishing might bring a very good harvest. 

Remember what He said to the disciples: ‘The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.’ (Matt. 9:37-38) And that’s what we are supposed to be friends, labourers in the great harvest of God, obeying the Great Commission, going out and doing our best to bring others to Christ, by the way we walk and talk, the way we live and conduct ourselves amongst the heathen, setting godly examples for the unbeliever. 

And I like what the scholars say about those verses. ‘Verses 37 and 38 constitute one of the great missionary passages of the New Testament. Jesus pictures the world as a great spiritual harvest in need of labourers to gather into the storehouse.’ And indeed it is, and we are the labourers who are supposed to gather the harvest into Christ’s storehouse. But we are not doing such a hot job, are we? Thus, a lot of the harvest is dying, drying up out in the field because we’re not getting to it soon enough to reap it. 

As this commentary says: ‘God uses this analogy to highlight the fact that there are a lot of persons who need to be cared for and brought to God.’ And we all know that there are plenty people searching for answers to all the many and difficult questions in their lives, and we know that the ANSWER to them all is JESUS. But unfortunately, we’re not getting out there sufficiently and offering Him to those who are seeking solace, comfort and reassurance in this most desperate and needy time of man’s existence. 

But that’s our job friends, and if we’re not doing our jobs to the best of our ability, then we’re letting Jesus down. And I can’t stomach that fact. How can we ever let Jesus down after all that He’s so selflessly done for us eh? No way Jose! So please let’s get out there into the great harvest and reap as much as we can nuh, all in Jesus’s name! And it’s not like we haven’t been given the tools to do the job, we have. So let’s declare the Thursday Blessings that have so generously been bestowed upon us to do that very job. 

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

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

And having activated those blessings with our declaration (awright!!!) let’s go out and use them in a most generous manner to turn unbelievers to the good news of Christ. Much LOVE!

…if we don’t bring in the many sheaves of the harvest…heaven will seem somewhat empty…  

P.S. Looks like the Bit might be late again tomorrow, as I just got a mid-morning appointment with my doctor. Today’s was this late because I had a mid-morning church meeting. Chuh! Too many things demanding my time at the wrong time! (smile) Much LOVE! 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 May 2023 Matthew 22:36.

25 May 2023 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 22:36.       Master which is the great commandment in the law?

So, we’ve finally arrived at Thursday, the day before the big day of Friday. But I’m sure many eyes, hopes and thoughts are not on today, but turned to that day of supposed freedom from work. (smile) However, here’s a li’l secret that I’ve learned in my own journey through life; you’re never free from the tyranny of work! You may sidestep it for a while, but it always brings you back to that flurry of activity inherent in making a living and a life worth living. 

And have you noticed that as our society gets more and more amenities and technologies that theoretically are supposed make our life less busy and stressful, we are instead getting busier and more stressed, until we’ve reached the point where stress is the number one illness in the land. Don’t ask me why that is, because I’m not an expert, not one of those qualified to give answers to such deep questions. (smile) But this I do know: our turning away from the God of our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has something to do with the increased busyness and stress that we’re currently experiencing. 

That’s because a majority of us no longer seek His face, and thus cannot enjoy the peace, LOVE and joy that He’s promised to those who seek Him diligently. It’s all very simple yes, and simply spelled out in His Word, the Bible, the Good Library, the Guidebook for earthly living. When our forefathers sincerely followed the Lord, they enjoyed a level of peace, LOVE and joy that most of us in this society have never known. That’s because they acquiesced to His will and His word. And if you don’t believe me, let’s look at a few scriptures that would do us the world of good if we went back to following them. 

First of all, let’s look at the main tenets of our faith, the most important things we ought to do under God’s law. These are the words of Jesus, the Son of God when asked the question in a sarcastic manner by a lawyer, a supposed expert in the law, trying to tempt Him. Oh boy, lawyers seem to have been a two faced, forked tongued, distrustful lot from day one. (smile) 

Anyway, he asked: ‘Master which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:36-40) 

And that was nothing new to them, for it was the same thing Moses had said to their forefathers in the wilderness, after he led them out of bondage in Egypt. ‘Hear oh, Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.’ (Deut. 6:4-5) 

Now, according to Luke’s version of the incident, the expert in the law stood up and tried to test Jesus, by asking, ‘Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?’ (Luke 10:25-26) And the ole crook gave the same answers that Jesus gave in Matthew’s version. ‘And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, (the lawyer) willing (wanting) to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?’ (Luke 10:28-29) 

Oh, the deceit and hypocrisy amongst the ruling elite both then and now! But Jesus went along with the lawyer’s little game, and told him the parable of the Good Samaritan, where the priest, the Levite and a Samaritan passed a robbed an injured Jewish man on the road, and only the Samaritan, the hated cousins of the Jews, stopped to attend to him. (Luke 10:30-35) At the end, Jesus asks the ole crook, ‘Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go and do likewise.’ (Luke 10:36-37 Jesus certainly put him in his place. 

And that’s what happens when we try to play foolish games with God, like turning away from Him, and trying to remove Him and all signs of Him from our society! Remember, He is all powerful, knows everything and sees everything, while we are just His frail and fragile creation from the dust of the earth, to which we all eventually return, who have gotten too big for our britches because of the amazing things we have discovered and invented ONLY through His empowerment! What a sad day it becomes when the created thinks that he is bigger and ‘badder’ than his Creator! 

Don’t we remember all the terrible things that the Lord did to the Jewish people for their stubborn and willful disobedience? The many times their land was besieged and captured by warlike enemies. Don’t forget either when they couldn’t wait on Moses to come down from the mountain with the Ten Commandments and they got Aaron, his brother to make then a golden calf, called it their god and worshipped it. Then eventually Moses had the Levites, kill all of the idolaters. (Ex. 32:25-29) 

Now check out this scripture: ‘And the people spake against God and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth (detests) this light bread (the manna the Lord fed them every day). And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. 

And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld (looked at) the serpent of brass, he lived.’ (Num. 21:5-9) What irony; bitten by a snake, then saved by looking at a snake. Only our God could think up such a life-saving plan. (smile) 

But seriously though my people, can’t we see that the Lord’s chosen people, the Israelites suffered so many calamities because of their consistent disobedience. What else can we expect then from ours but the chaos and destruction that’s happening all around us eh? But as I also keep saying, when the Israelites discovered their error, they were quick to repent and turn back to the God of their forefathers who so LOVINGLY forgave them and restored them to righteousness with Him. 

Now, doesn’t it make sense for us to do like them and repent and turn from our evil ways and allow Him to heal our world, as He has so faithfully promised to do? But how many of us practice that term nowadays eh?  Not a whole lot. That means we’ll continue to go downhill, until we destroy ourselves, for the Lord is certainly not going to lend a helping hand unless we repent and turn back to Him. Anyway, for those of us who are sincerely trying to make that happen, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which have been generously offered by the Lord for us to do His earthly work. 

Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

Now, it’s time to take those underserved blessings and go out and use and share them as generously with others, as the Lord did with us. Much LOVE!

…LOVE and OBEDIENCE…that’s basically all the Lord our God asks of us… 

 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   2 March 2023 Hebrews 11:6.

02 Mar 2023 Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 February 2023   2 Corinthians 3:5.

23 Feb 2023 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 3:5.        Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.

And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week…Wow! Already! This week seems to have passed rather quickly, I guess that’s because of the Family Day holiday on Monday. Today however, although we’re alive and kicking and thankful for the breath of life flowing through our bodies, we need to concentrate on cleaning up the snow from yesterday’s storm. 

Thankfully too, it wasn’t of the killer variety, (smile) but it left enough deposits to make life difficult and dangerous. That reminds me of the ice pellets that kept knocking against the windows all during the storm. And no doubt the morning’s commute was not easy. Let’s hope by the time the evening session happens, most of the roads will be cleaned and salted. 

I don’t know if we would call it a rather auspicious beginning or not to our Lenten Season, but as true believers we have to keep plodding on through all kinds of weather and situations, obviously with the help of the Holy Spirit of Jesus that indwells us. For without Him we can do nothing. And it’s not me saying so, but Jesus, in His famous comment on the vine and the branches. ‘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) 

And that’s the gospel truth my people! Without Jesus we can’t do much of anything, much less do it successfully. And Bruh Paul wisely reminds us of that with these few words from his second letter to the church at Corinth. ‘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 it would do us a great amount of good to remember that and stop thinking that we are so much more than we are, because overwhelming pride and self-reliance are a couple of the many serious problems in our world. 

Now, that’s why this Lenten season, in this year of 2023, one of unknown trials and tribulations, but already with a lot of worldwide disaster in only the first two months, Christians desperately need to get closer, to get right with God, so that we can do the big things it will take to reverse the fortunes of our world. Of course, there must be much sincere praying, and self-searching, of repentance, of meditating on the Word, of fasting, if that will help you get closer, of congregating with other believers and studying the Word, of encouraging each other in these awful times of negativity and desperation. 

Yes, my faithful believing friends, it’s our duty to both spread and then regenerate the Word of the Lord on the earth; be the salt and light that guides it to Christ, salvation and eternal life. And Lent is a time when we renew our souls, bodies and minds so that we can blossom forth at Easter with the amazing resurrection of Christ our Lord and Saviour and take the world by storm! Oh, for certain, Easter is when the monumental glory of God shines forth, when His greatest work on earth was done, when He raised His dead Son from the depths of Hades and caused Him to walk victorious once more on planet earth, as the conqueror of hell, death and the grave! 

But before the good times, before the harvest comes, there must be a dry spell, a season of watching and waiting and hoping and praying that the Lord will energize the harvest and increase it at least a hundredfold. And this is that time of watching and waiting and praying and hoping and giving thanks for God’s enormous and undying grace and mercy. But yuh know friends, nothing much will ever change until we do what God desires of us. And what’s that you ask? 

Moses said it long ago: ‘And now Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear (have a reverential awe of) the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to LOVE him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?’ (Deut. 10:12-13) Yes friends, that’s what the Lord demands of us. Now please note the last three words of that demand: ‘for thy good.’ It’s ever so important for us to realize and totally understand that whatever God asks, or expects of us, it’s ALWAYS FOR OUR GOOD! Not for His benefit, but for ours! 

And after Moses, the prophet Micah also spelled out the Lord’s desire for His people, in somewhat simpler but ever so clear terms when he said. ‘He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to LOVE mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), and to walk humbly with thy God.’ (Mic. 6:8) That’s it in a nutshell my brethren! All our God desires of us is to walk in humble adoration of Him, and live good and just with our fellow man. 

But unfortunately that’s not the way our world turns today. Instead, it is filled with injustice, hate, strife, jealousy, envy, and above all godlessness. No wonder the Lords’ not listening to our selfish prayers, for as James says: ‘Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.’ (James 4:3) Yes my fellow believers, too many selfish, lustful, unwarranted prayers are being floated up to heaven, that’s why so many are left unanswered. 

And unfortunately, those unanswered prayers upset us, but we’ve got to realize that if our prayers are not in God’s will, they won’t be answered, and the truth is that too many of them are not in His will. That’s why we’ve got to buckle down this Lenten season and study, meditate, pray and simply talk to the Father about what’s happening with us, both personally and with the world around us. 

There’s one good and excellent thing though amidst all the confusion; our wonderful God has generously bestowed several blessings on us that we refer to as our Thursday Blessings, which He expects us to use in our work for Him here on earth. So, let’s declare them in loud and sincere voice so that they can be activated. ‘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 blessings in our lives, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share them with others just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…without true LOVE for Christ…we are nothing but empty, broken vessels… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 January 2023 Proverbs 10:22.

19 Jan 2023 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 10:22.        The blessing of the Lord , it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

Oh friends, it’s another rainy and cloudy day in my area…but what’s new about that eh? (smile) Seriously though, I have something to share with you. A friend sent it to me yesterday, and I believe I received it now because it’s rather appropriate for the materialistic and ungodly times in which we’re currently living. I’ve seen it before, and so might some of you, but whether the story is actually true or not, the sentiments it contains are gospel truth. 

So please read with me: ‘Who are the six best doctors in the world. Steve Jobs was the co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Apple Corporation and died in 2011, aged 56, after losing his battle with Pancreatic Cancer. He posted the following observation just prior to his death. Very profound and a realization that only became obvious when he was confronted with his certain demise. Steve Jobs died a billionaire ( $10.2b ) at age 56. This is his final essay: “I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. 

In some others’ eyes, my life is the epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, my wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to. At this moment, lying on my bed and recalling my life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in have paled and become meaningless in the face of my death. You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone bear your sickness for you. 

Material things lost can be found or replaced. But there is one thing that can never be found when it’s lost – Life. Whichever stage in life you are in right now, with time, you will face the day when the curtain comes down. Treasure LOVE for your family, LOVE for your spouse, LOVE for your friends. Treat yourself well and cherish others. As we grow older, and hopefully wiser, we realize that a $300 or a $30 watch both tell the same time. You will realize that your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world. 

Whether you fly first class or economy, if the plane goes down – you go down with it. Therefore, I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends, brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, have sing songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven and earth, that is true happiness! Don’t educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be happy. So when they grow up they will know the value of things and not the price. Eat your food as your medicine, otherwise you have to eat medicine as your food. 

There is a big difference between a human being and being human. Only a few really understand it. You are LOVED when you are born. You will be LOVED when you die. In between, YOU have to MANAGE! The six best doctors in the world are sunlight, rest, exercise, diet, self-confidence and friends. Maintain them in all stages and enjoy a healthy life.’ 

Now, if a man with such educational qualifications, material wealth and power could say those things, who are we not to believe them eh, especially when they are the indisputable truth! But I would just like to add one more doctor to that list: prayer. That’s sincere communication with Almighty God, Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals! Above all of that other stuff we need to put Him FIRST, for it’s from and through Him that we get health, wealth, friends, family, grace, LOVE and mercy! Cousin Sol said it thus in Proverbs: ‘The blessing of the Lord , it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.’ (Prov. 10:22) 

And I believe a scripture that certainly highlights that is this one from when Abraham sent his servant out to seek a wife for Isaac, and he met Rebekah at the well, then she took him home to meet her brother Laban. And while explaining his errand, the servant said: ‘And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels and asses. And Sarah my master’s wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath.’ (Gen. 24:35-36) 

Yes my people, the Lord abundantly blessed Abraham because he did his part and dealt faithfully with the Lord. The same goes for us. We have to play our part in the partnership; that’s do the things that will keep us prayerful, healthy, wealthy and wise, for they won’t simply drop into our lazy and lethargic laps. And sadly, that’s what too many of us are not doing. We’re not communicating sufficiently with God, neither are we living the way we ought to live. 

Tell me nuh, in this busy, go, go, go, fast food society how many of us eat properly eh, have a good diet? And how many of us get sufficient rest and exercise? And how many of us have true self-confidence and genuine friends despite the great swathe that social media has thrown around us? The unfortunate answer to all those questions is that very few of us have it all together! 

But if we don’t communicate with God and do our part to live a healthy life, what’s going to come of us eh? Exactly what’s happening right now, mass confusion: a tragic soaring of entitlement, coupled with a lack of responsibility and drop in our work ethic, which all that lead to an increase in suicides and mental illness, and a lot of early deaths due to unhealthy living. And we have nobody else but ourselves to blame. It’s up to each individual to accept the God-given responsibility and look after ourselves. The Lord can only do so much for us, the rest we need to do for ourselves. 

And to show how wonderful our God is to us, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Thursday Blessings, that He’s so generously bestowed on us so that we can do His earthly work. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

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

Yuh see that friends; we have ALL the doctors we need to live a godly and successful life, but we have to get out there and live it. So please, let’s get up off our fannies and use those blessings for God’s glory nuh! That’s why they were given to us! Much LOVE!

…the doctor can give you medicine for your illness…but if you don’t take it…you won’t get better… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 January 2023 Mark 4:9.

12 Jan 2023 Leave a comment

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

Mark 4:9.        And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let hm hear.

Now what shall we say today eh? That it’s a wet and cloudy morning with a bit of drizzle in the atmosphere. Well, that’s nothing new. ((smile) Neither is the fact that Jesus, our Lord and Saviour is in the wings watching it all and keeping it all under control! That’s one of the many great things about our Jesus: He always has things under control. They might seem out of control to us, but we know that there’s method to His apparent madness, because His thoughts and ways are higher than ours. 

We are just the finite created beings while He is the infinite Creator, that’s why we don’t worry when circumstances come against us, when our whole world feels like it’s falling apart and the unbelievers are holding their heads and bawling. No sir! We, the followers of Jesus, stay calm and unruffled in the storms of life, because we know that we have the most able pilot around…in fact the one who creates and controls the storms, so we can just go about our business, rejoicing and giving thanks to Christ and the Father for their unconditional LOVE, amazing grace and never-ending mercy. 

Wow! And if you agree with and sincerely believe that, then shout out a loud and grateful ‘Glory Hallelujah! Amen!’ (smile) 

Now, here’s an interesting and important parable of Jesus that pertains to faith and belief in Him, to staying strong in His word and bearing good fruit. It’s the parable of the Sower. But before we get into it, let’s get a quick explanation of ‘a parable’ from the scholars. They say ‘a parable is a brief story that makes a comparison. It typically uses an illustration from everyday life to bring out a spiritual truth.’ 

So listen as Jesus weaves this parable to bring out the spiritual truth He desires to share. He said: ‘Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow. And it came to pass, as he sowed, some (seed) fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some (seed) fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 

And some (seed) fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other (seed) fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth some thirty, and some sixty, and some and hundred (fold).’ (Mark 4:3-8) 

Oh friends, don’t you just enjoy Jesus’ parables. No one can spin a tale like Him. He’s definitely the greatest storyteller ever! But His stories are ever so important to mankind. And it’s also very interesting how He ends them with some noteworthy statement, like He did with this parable of the sower. Mark writes: ‘And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let hm hear.’ (Mark 4:9) 

Now, the scholars tell us that that statement ‘goes beyond physical hearing and implies an inner spiritual reception of truth.’ This led the disciples to ask: ‘Why speakest thou unto them in parables?’ (Matt. 13:10) ‘Before Jesus had used parables to illustrate His messages, now they formed the basis of the message.’ 

‘And He said unto them, Unto you is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God (secret or hidden truths): but unto them that are without (outside), all these things are done in parables. That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.’ (Mark 4:11-12) Jesus was referring there to Isaiah’s prophecy about the rejection of His message, that the people should hear but not understand, and see but not perceive.(Is. 6:9-10) 

Then Jesus said unto the disciples: ‘Know ye not (don’t you understand) this parable? And how then will ye know (understand ) all parables?’ (Mark 4:13) Consequently, He explains: ‘The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. 

And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and have no root in themselves, and so endure for but a time: afterward when affliction (tribulation) or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended (caused to stumble). 

And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts (desires) of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground, such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.’ (Mark. 4:14-20) 

Oh my people, we have seen all those types in our walk with God. At one stage some of us might have even been in one of those unfruitful categories, but eventually we truly heard, and now we are good ground, the word has been sown deeply in us, it’s rooted and grounded, and we are bringing forth good fruit! Glory to God! 

And our God is so good that He’s bestowed blessings on us so that we can be even more fruitful. We call them our Thursday Blessings, but they need to be activated by declaring (steups!!!) them out loud. So let’s do that right now. 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 the corollary to that is we use those blessings just as generously as God gave them to us, to go out and bear good fruit for Him! Much LOVE!

…what kind of soil are you…unresponsive, stony, thorny or good…

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

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