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      

Today’s Scrip-Bit   5 January 2023 Hebrews 10:23.

05 Jan 2023 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 10:23.        Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Well, although my computer tells me it’s going to be above freezing again, and partly sunny, I have my doubts, because the day’s opened wet and cloudy and ugly. It’s been constant rain for the last couple of days. Makes you want to sing that old ditty; ‘Rain, rain, go away, and come back some other day.’ But you know what, although the last few days have been dark and ugly, once we have Jesus dwelling in us, everything seems beautiful! That’s the awesome reaction His presence gives us. We can just go about singing and dancing and giving thanks and praise despite our prevailing circumstances. 

Awright, so that might be laying it on a bit too thick, (smile) we do have concerns, and every day is not a walk in the park, but when we hold on tightly to Jesus, we do have peace, our hearts are lightened and our souls gush with joy, simply because He’s with us. The One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, The Lord of Lords and King of Kings, Mighty Warrior, Wonderful Counsellor, The Prince of Peace, who’s kingdom shall never end. The One who’s name is above every other, that all knees must bow to and acknowledge God’s glory in and through Him! 

Wow! Can One body really be all those wonderful things? Oh Yes! Our Jesus can…and He is, because He is the Son of God, our Lord and Saviour: the One who sacrificed His sinless life for us on the cross of Calvary, so that our sins could be forgiven, and we be reconciled to God the Father. The One who’s blood flowed from His side, His hands, His feet and washed our sins clean, washed them white as snow. How could He not be our ALL in ALL eh? Especially now that He’s also our High Priest and heavenly Intercessor, sitting at the right hand of the Father pleading our cases, being able to empathize with our earthly problems because He too experienced them while here on earth. 

That’s possibly one of the greatest reasons why we can place our trust in Jesus; He understands from personal experience! As the author of Hebrews puts it so elegantly: ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16) 

Oh my fellow believers, that says it all! Or, you might say it puts the icing on the cake! (smile) For there’s no better place to seek help than in one who’s already experienced our kind of problems. When we are sick, we go a doctor; to build a house, to a carpenter; to fix our teeth, to a dentist, to help us with prayer, to a pastor, because they are more informed and experienced in those fields. We won’t go to a pastor to help us build our house, or a carpenter to help us when we’re sick. 

However, the beauty of Jesus is that He’s experienced in EVERYTHING! That’s why He should always be the FIRST ONE we go to when we encounter problems, and not the last, like so many of us supposed believers do. He might send us to other mortals for help, but His ear, through sincere prayer, should be the first one to hear of our predicament, or our praise and thanksgiving. And yuh know what amuses, surprises but mostly saddens me, is that we talk so much about Jesus and all the marvellous things He is, has done and can do, but we don’t truly believe them, otherwise we’d revere and worship Him so much more, place every trust in Him, surrender our lives to Him without a doubt in our souls. 

It’s all a lot of blarney, deceptive and misleading talk, because we don’t live out our faith, we don’t hold fast to our profession (confession) of faith like the author of Hebrews advised in that passage above. But that holding fast to our faith is the most important thing we possess, for without our faith we are lost, lost in the darkness and doubt of this evil and ungodly world 

And the author of Hebrews revisits the problem in greater detail later on in his writings, where he admonishes: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:23-25) 

And believe me my brethren, that day is fast approaching, the signs are there, and can, or rather, will come upon us like a thief in the night, unexpectedly, so we had better be ready. And that can only happen if we get serious about our faith in Christ Jesus and do the things we know we ought to do; like prayer, praise, thanksgiving, assembling with each other in holy fellowship, encouraging each other, and above all, LOVING each other like Jesus LOVED us. 

And that’s not merely my admonishment, but His. His own words were: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) The question now my fellow saints is whether or not the world, the unbeliever recognizes us as disciples of Christ? And the general consensus is NO! Because we do not LOVE each other as Jesus LOVED us! 

Can we call what’s happening in Christ’s church LOVE? All the petty bickering, backbiting, resentment, cliques, false teaching, divisions and scandalous behaviour that’s corrupted it, is not LOVE by any stretch of the imagination. His satanic majesty is overjoyed when he looks at the church and sees it so weak and ineffective. He knows then that he has divided and conquered it. But not forever, if we faithful are willing to get serious, to rise up, put on God’s armour and fight tooth and nail to save it. 

And please don’t say we can’t, for remember with Jesus in and with us, everything is possible; we just have to believe and live out that belief. And our God is so wonderful and generous that He’s bestowed many powerful blessings on us, blessings we don’t deserve but are needed to fight the good fight. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s activate them now by sincerely declaring (yesss!!!) them. 

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, having activated those blessings, let’s go out and use them nuh, put them to work, as the Lord desires, as we fight the good fight in Jesus’ name! Much LOVE!

…2023 must be the year Christ’s church…like the phoenix…triumphantly rises from its ashes…and once again…makes a worthwhile difference… 

 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   8 December 2022 Luke 1:38.

08 Dec 2022 Leave a comment

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

Luke 1:38.        And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.

Then Thursday came on board, a mixture of sunshine and cloud, but nice and dry. It’s also another day in the Advent Season, one day closer to that miraculous time of Christmas. And the incarnate birth of Christ was nothing less than a marvellous miracle! A woman becoming pregnant without knowing a man, what else could that be eh? And to be a true believer in Christ, that’s one of the first things we need to believe; that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, with the sperm of God planted in His mother Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit! 

And if you are unable to believe that, then whatever else you believe is of no consequence, for that’s the foundation of the whole Christmas story, and the basis on which Christ was able to die for us, to redeem our sins and give us His righteousness. As the Good Book says: ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:21) Yes friends, if Jesus wasn’t the de facto Son of God, but the son of a man, he would not have the power to pay for our sins, because a man born of a sinful man cannot pay for other men’s sins. 

Remember too that since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, all men have been born with a sinful nature, so how could a son of man pay for our sins eh? Impossible! But since with God all things are possible, He fashioned a rather innovative plan to redeem our sinful souls and reconcile us back to himself. 

And the whole situation is certainly extremely interesting. It all began with God sending the angel Gabriel down to the city of Nazareth in Galilee, where he appears ‘To a virgin espoused (engaged) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came into unto her, and said, Hail (Rejoice), thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ (Luke 1:27-28) 

Now, you can imagine our consternation in such a situation, even in this day when we know so much about God. Just think how Mary, a teenager from a relatively low-level family in a backward town in Galilee felt when the angel approached her with such a joyful greeting. The Good Book tells us: ‘And when she (Mary) saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind (considered) what manner of salutation (greeting) this should be.’ (Luke 1:29) Of course, we would all wonder why the address in such exalted terms. 

‘And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Yahweh Is Salvation). He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:30-33) 

And you know what amazes me most about this whole story? Mary’s reaction! She didn’t go crazy and pull out her hair or shout and carry on. She simply took the whole thing in stride, especially knowing how her life would be terribly affected if she was found with child before she was married. And I just LOVE her cool, reasoned response. ‘Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?’ (Luke 1:34) She just got right down to brass tacks. How can I get pregnant if I don’t have sexual intercourse?

 ‘And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:35) And that’s how Jesus could be sinless, because He was conceived by God, although He was human in every other respect! But Gabriel wasn’t finished with his good news. He continued to Mary: ‘And, behold, thy cousin (relative) Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:36-37) 

Oh my people, another miracle. John the Baptist’s mother Elizabeth had been barren until the Lord stepped in, until it was time for the prophecy as spoken by the prophet Malachi, regarding John the Baptist to be fulfilled. ‘Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.’ (Mal. 3:1) And the scholars tell us that prophecy is uniformly applied to John the Baptist, the only prophet besides Jesus who was the subject of prophecy. 

And Matthew in his gospel also acknowledged it, by writing of John the Baptist. ‘For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, (Is. 40:3) saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ (Matt. 3: 3) You see how our God had everything well planned, with John being born just before Jesus, so their paths could interact to fulfill His prophecy. But the best part of that whole conversation between Mary and the angel Gabriel was her last words to Him. ‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38) 

Oh my fellow saints, that’s what you call mature faith, trust and surrender! And it’s oh so rare to be found in a such a young woman! She didn’t fight it, or throw any tantrums like so many of us would have done! She just calmly accepted the will of the Lord. Oh, how our lives would be so much better if we just accepted His will for our lives like Mary did. And it’s an interesting response, when contrasted with that of Zechariah’s, John the Baptist’s father. When the angel told hm the good news of his wife’s Elizabeth’s pregnancy and the important part his son would play, he doubted and was thus made dumb until the day of John’s christening. (Luke 1:11—25) 

Ah friends, if we’d only believe, if we’d only believe and act on our belief. But there’s still hope for us. And our faithful God has given us the tools to help us believe, build our faith and witness to others. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s activate them by declaring (steups!!!) them right now nuh. 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 use those undeserved blessings to go out and show others how wonderful it is to be a child of God, a follower of Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!

…if God says to jump…our automatic reaction should be…how high Lord… 

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

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