Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 August 2021 Matthew 9:37.

17 Aug 2021 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 9:37.      Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few: 

Oh my people, may the peace and LOVE of God be with us this cloudy and humid Tuesday morning! Life might be rough, but with the Spirit of God flowing through us we can most definitely handle it without too many problems! That’s one of the many benefits that accrue to us when we sincerely accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of our lives! 

So why don’t more people accept Him eh? I really don’t know nuh! Possibly because He desires His followers to live on the straight and narrow road, while many of us desire to live on the broad and winding road that has no boundaries or serious responsibilities. Who knows? That’s why it is important we pay attention to this scripture that Jesus imparted to His disciples when talking about there being few labourers for the enormous task He had in mind. 

 But first, let’s get the context of the situation. The Good Book relates it thus: After removing a demon from a demon- possessed man, and the people marvelled, saying, ‘It was never so seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils (demons) through the prince of the devils (demons -Satan). And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.’ (Matt. 9:32-35) 

Now that’s where we pick up the story. The Good Book tells us of His reaction to the situation He encountered in His travels around the country. ‘But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted (were weary), and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his 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. 9:36-38) 

Oh friends, those were certainly true words back then, and with many more people in the world today than in Jesus’ time, there is an even greater need for labourers in His harvest. And the scholars give us this interesting explanation. ‘Fainted means they were distressed. The observation that they were as sheep having no shepherd is taken mainly from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, of Numbers 27:17. 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 it into the storehouse.’ 

And that’s no lie my brethren, for the amount of people who refuse to receive Christ in this modern day and age is truly amazing, despite knowing and seeing all the good and desirous things He has done, is doing, and has promised to do for mankind! And since I can’t help spoon feeding us, (smile) let’s look at that scripture in Numbers from which they say Jesus’ words were partly taken. It’s just before Moses dies, and the Lord calls him up on to mount Abarim, so that he could see the Promised Land, which he would not enter because of his earlier disobedience. 

‘For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify (hallow) me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.’ (Num. 27:14) That’s when Moses disobeyed the Lord’s command. Instead of speaking to the rock, as the Lord told him, in anger at the constantly complaining Israelites, he struck the rock with his rod to produce water. (Num. 20:1-13) And for that weighty disobedience, the Lord punished him by not allowing him to lead the people into the Promised Land. But in His magnanimity, the Lord did bring him up the mountain to show him the Promised Land in the distance. 

And Moses knowing and accepting his fate, ‘spake unto the Lord, saying, Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd.’ (Num. 27:15-17) 

Ah friends, yuh see the price we pay for sometimes what we consider small disobediences. After all the problems Moses endured while leading the Israelites out of Egypt, he was refused entry into the Promised Land because he smote the rock instead of speaking to it. It produced the same result, water for the people, but it’s ever so important for us to do exactly as the Lord tells us, because He always has a good reason. In this case, I guess He wanted the Israelites to see and experience the power of just His words, having already seen the power of His actions through Moses striking the rock with his rod. 

But whatever the reason, Moses blew it and paid a hefty price. And so too can we, if we don’t pay close attention to what the Lord tells us to do. As we said before, though we might think His instructions can be changed or disregarded, He always has a good reason for them, and we ignore them at our peril. However, after wandering all over, though gleaning good information, (smile) let’s back to our topic, of there being much to harvest, but few labourers to do the work. 

It’s obvious that we do need to pray that the Lord will send forth more of us to do His ever so important work of showing the many needful people in the world, the wisdom of accepting His Son, Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. That brings us to this interesting scripture of Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians, where he calls for prayer. ‘Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course (run free), and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil (the evil one).’ (2 Thess. 3:1-3) 

And that’s our prayer for all of us today; that we be kept safe and sound as we go forward into this evil world to do God’s bidding. And we know that He is indeed a faithful God who will give us all we need to do His will, and won’t allow us to suffer more than we can handle. So there’s no cause for worry. Now let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are. 

Altogether now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ 

And having made that declaration, (steupsss!!!) it now behooves us to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others who don’t know Him, but desperately need Him! Much LOVE!

…a shortage of labourers…causes a lot of the harvest to not be reaped…thus it spoils and dies…unsaved…                                                                                                                        

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 December 2019 Luke 24:49.

21 Dec 2019 Leave a comment

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

Luke 24:49.    And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye (wait) in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
 
Well it’s Christmas Saturday…Thank the Lord! We down to four days now before the Big Day! And plenty people still shopping and baking and cooking and preparing the treats for the festivities, not the ole fella though. (smile) Yes, I’m just taking it easy, going along my normal slow, practical way. Oh I might lend a hand here or there, but the frustrations and busyness of the season won’t affect your humble servant. Thankfully, I’ve left all of that behind. What did Bruh Paul say about not looking back at the past, but looking forward to the future where we don’t have all the hustle and bustle! Yeh friends, that’s become my style now. I don’t get involved in all the confusion. I just relax and try to enjoy Christ in His season. (smile) 

But since it’s Saturday, let’s see what quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week nuh, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Hear this first one: ‘You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.’ And that’s oh so true friends! We don’t necessarily need to see the ending of a thing, just the beginning. And there’s the inherent physical problem that if you don’t start out, you will never get to the end. Like the Chinese Proverb says: ‘The longest journey begins with the first step.’ 

Yeh. You do have to step out, hopefully in faith to make any journey, be it long or short. And if you’re a true and faithful believer, then you have the wonderful promise that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. (Phil. 4:13) Mama Yo! How can you ever beat being a true believer with promises such as those eh? That’s why Christians ought to be the happiest and most effective people in the universe! We don’t have to be afraid of the future, but can embrace it with joy, because of all that our Lord and Saviour Jesus has done for us, beginning with His awesome incarnate birth at this Christmas season! 

Now listen to this next quote: ‘I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.’ And that should be the motto of ALL believers: be true to oneself and to one’s faith! We can certainly notice the ridicule and disdain that the world holds many of us believers in, simply because we believe and profess a lifestyle different to theirs. But if you truly believe, then you ought to stand up for your beliefs. But sadly too many of us supposed believers are scared and afraid to stand up to the world bullies for their faith in Jesus. 

That’s obviously not right my brethren, because all that does is tarnish Jesus’ name even more than it’s already tarnished. The world already considers Christians to be compromising and cowardly. It’s time we stand up strong for Jesus, and there’s no better time to do it than right now in this time of celebration, when His name is on the tongue of so many people, and they might be most receptive to Him. Remember friends, if you don’t stand strong for something, you can fall oh so easily for anything! 

Then there’s this: ‘The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.’ Now I don’t agree with the semantics of that statement, because God has destined all of us to be some kind of body, but that’s not necessarily the person we become, since so many of us don’t follow God’s will. But generally speaking, we become the person we decide to become. And if it’s within God’s will, then so much the better. But if it is outside His will,  then your life won’t ever be right. 

And I can use my own life as a testimony. Now writing the Bit never appeared in even my wildest dreams. But obviously it featured in God’s. (smile) And if I had utterly refused to do His bidding and write it, then I’m sure my life would never have been as blessed as it is now. That doesn’t mean I’ve given up on the dreams He’s placed in my heart. No, absolutely not! I still hold on to them and sincerely believe that He will bring them to pass…just in His own time and fashion. (smile) Otherwise, what’s the point in having dreams at all eh? 

That brings us to this last quote: ‘Some people have power but are powerless.’ And that is so true, especially of supposed believers in Jesus Christ! Friends, we have so much power through Christ that it’s astounding, to say the least. We can do so much because of our faith and trust in Him, but yet we remain powerless and allow the foolish Beelzebub to steal our power. Remember the quote we heard Jesus say yesterday? ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.’ (Matt. 28:18) Those were the words He spoke to the disciples just before He gave them the Great Commission to go out and proselytize the world, then He ascended back into heaven. 

And Mark wrote it down thus: ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (condemned).’ (Mark 16:15-16) And I’ll pause here to interject the scholars’ note. ‘16:16. Only faith, not baptism, is essential for salvation, as the omission of baptism from the last clause above.’ And sadly, that is indeed a rather contentious point amongst believers today, and one that unfortunately keeps the church from truly being one body in Christ. Different denominations hold different views, and it seems that never the two shall meet. But that’s a discussion for another day, just thought I’d point it out. (smile) 

Mark continues: ‘And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils (demons); they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not (never) hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.’ (Mark 16:17-18) Oh friends, we have so much power in us that we don’t use! Hear Jesus: ‘And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye (wait) in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.’ 

And the scholars’ importantly note: ‘24:49. Here is the source of strength for effective evangelism. The promise of my Father stresses that the Spirit’s coming is not an afterthought, but an integral part of God’s eternal will. Endued conveys the picture of one being clothed with God’s enablement. Waiting is part of the necessary preparation for reception of God’s guidance and sanction.’ Yes my people, that’s all so true! And it all began when the Holy Ghost came at the time of Pentecost and filled all believers with the Spirit of Christ! (Acts 2) And that all leads to the facts that there is power in the Word of God, there is power in the name and blood of Christ! 

Oh precious people of Christ, we have so much inherent power, that we ought to be walking and talking and believing powerhouses! And it all stems from Jesus! And the Good Book is filled with scriptures about power and healing and all the other stuff we’ve been granted in Jesus’ name. However, we don’t have time or space to get into them. But please, let’s spend sometime this Christmas season checking them out for ourselves nuh, so that we can use that abundant God-given power to do God’s will powerfully and abundantly in the coming year. That’s our homework for this week! (smile) Much LOVE!

…sing it out…oh there is power in the blood…power in the word…power in the name of Jesus…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 August 2015 Ephesians 5:10.‏

19 Aug 2015 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 5:10.   Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Greetings Friends and neighbours… and a few salutations too thrown in for good measure! (smile) It looks like it’s going to be another cloudy day in my neck of the woods. 

I just wish the rain would fall though, instead of the dark clouds just playing games, for the earth does need some heavenly blessing to successfully stave off the heat and keep Mother Nature green and lovely. 

Oh my people, I do enjoy sitting out on my front porch in the early hours of the morning, just communing quietly with nature, letting the peace of God refresh my mind and throw out all the muck that has clogged it from the day’s activities. 

Sometimes I have to drag myself inside to go to bed, so that I can get up at a reasonable hour to write the Bit. Last night was one of those nights. It was so peaceful and calm out there that I felt like sleeping right there. (smile) 

At one stage I closed my eyes and put my head back against the wall for about thirty seconds, and I’m sure if I had left it there for much longer I would have fallen asleep right there. Hn, hn! 

So, judging from personal experience, I do believe that it would help us all a lot, if before we go to bed, we just find a peaceful place to sit and commune with nature and/or with God, just to release the pressures that have built up in our bodies, souls and minds during the busy day. Just a simple bit of relaxation to forget today, and not think about tomorrow as yet. 

Please try it and see how it works for you. But in the meantime and between time, let’s not forget that today is Wednesday, therefore wailing is the name of the game. So let’s wail on nuh, as one hearty wailer: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! 

Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

Yes my fellow believers, that’s how our souls ought to be trending this Wednesday morning, and hopefully every morning. Oh I know the vagaries of life try to intrude and cause confusion, but if we hold that vision constantly before us, it will faithfully serve us, and we will come up above our problems. 

That brings us to our Bit.‘Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.’ 

Yeh Friends, we’re continuing to look at the scriptures where Bruh Paul is talking to the Ephesians about the ways of the believer. And after telling them that they, we, must be constantly discerning what is and is not acceptable in the sight of the Lord, he continues. ‘And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them. 

For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved (exposed) are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.’ (Eph.5:11-13) 

And the scholars provide some useful explanations for those verses. ‘5:11. Reprove is better translated “expose.” The believer’s duty is expressed here in two ways. Negatively, he is not to have any fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, that is, not to indulge in the sins of the unsaved. 

Positively he is to “expose” (reprove) these sins, that is, bring them to light and show them for what they really are, so that the unbeliever may see their hideous nature and their terrible consequences.’ Are we doing those things Friends? I certainly hope so. 

‘5:12. For tells why the Christian must expose the sins of the lost. If it is shameful even to discuss their iniquities in decent company (c.f. v.3), how much worse is the committing of these sins. Hence the need to bring them to light.’ More food for thought my people! 

‘5:13. This verse may be paraphrased: “All sins that are exposed are made visible by the gospel, for whatever sin is made visible becomes light.” 

Ah mih breddren, sin was bad in Bruh Paul’s time, but nowadays it’s off the charts. If Bruh Paul was alive today, he would certainly hold his head and bawl, for the kind of depravity that exists in these modern times, is certainly mind-boggling. 

But be that as it may, it is our job to try and change it, obviously with God’s help, since we can’t do very much in our own strength. So though it’s certainly an uphill climb, we just have to band our bellies and keep slogging away at it. The one proviso being, never, never to give up! For giving up is not in the vocabulary of Jesus and His believers. 

So today, as we face the sinful world, to try and turn it around, may the great God of our fathers be constantly with us, and grant us His peace, LOVE and understanding, along with the strength and faith necessary to do His bidding, which is to overcome the evil that’s currently strangling our world. Much LOVE!

…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) would say…the best way to live this life…is to obey God and leave all the consequences to Him…gospel truth that my people…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 April 2015 Psalm 22:9 ‏‏‏‏‏‏

28 Apr 2015 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 22:9.     But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.

Aye Friends, welcome to a terrific Tuesday! And some of you grouchily ask, what’s so terrific about it eh? We still have the same trials and tribulations to endure? But Friends, that’s a shortsighted approach to the situation from a negative position.

Think about it this way nuh. The breath of life is still coursing purposely through our finite bodies. That means the Lord still has use for us down here on earth.

And then think about all the new blessings, mercies, forgiveness, compassion and grace that He’s earmarked specially for today, to bountifully shower down on us, so that we can do His bidding successfully. Now if that doesn’t make it a terrific Tuesday, then I don’t know what does! (smile)

Oh my people, we all know that life was never meant to be a bed of roses, there will be struggles and serious difficulties, but remember when we walk sincerely with Jesus Christ, we will be empowered to face all the negativity with a smile and steadfast faith, and also come through it with glowing report cards, much more Christ-like than when it all began. Wow! What a wonderful God we serve and worship my brethren!

Oh Friends, the Lord has done His part, providing all that wonderful stuff for us. The problem though is that we now need to do our part, which is to gratefully and joyously receive His magnanimous offerings. We can be given lots of stuff, but until we accept and receive them, it’s all a wasted effort.

So today, please let’s look on the bright side of life and accept and receive with thanksgiving all that the Lord has offered us. That will certainly make it a terrific Tuesday!

And it also brings us to our Bit. ‘But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.’

Oh Friends, what an encouraging scripture verse! From our very first breath, our Creator placed a little thing, sorry, a mighty emotion called HOPE in our souls. Yes my brethren, from the very beginning, God made sure that we had something strong and versatile to carry us through the rough times that we would most certainly endure in this earthly life.

So much so, that as Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, we’ve become ‘prisoners of HOPE’! And that’s a rather apt description of Christians, for if we don’t hold on tightly to HOPE in Jesus, then crapaud smoke we pipe!

The term itself comes from Zechariah, when he talks about Zion’s future king: ‘Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of HOPE: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’ (Zech.9:12)

Yes my fellow believers, each and every day we need to turn to the stronghold of the Most High God, Jehovah, to replenish the HOPE in our souls! For without that HOPE, we don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell, against Lucifer and his evil minions.

Now Friends, here is some scripture that corroborates all that we’ve been saying. I never planned to include it all, but realized that just pulling a couple verses out of context would not be really helpful. So here goes.

The author of Hebrews is here talking about an anchor of the soul. ‘For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could sware by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily sware by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife (dispute). Wherein God, willing more abundantly (determining) to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability (unchangeableness) of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

That by two immutable (unchangeable) things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the HOPE set before us: which HOPE we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil (the Presence behind the veil).

Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made (having become) a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.’ (Heb.6:13-20)

Oh my people, I know that’s a somewhat convoluted and thus difficult section of scripture to understand, so here is some info from the scholars to help us do so. ‘6:13-18. God’s covenant with Abraham, which involves salvation (Gal.3:15-25), is secure, being based on two immutable things, that is, elements that cannot change.

First, God’s promise is based on His own unchanging Word. He cannot lie, nor will He allow His Word to fail (Matt.5:18; John 10:35; 17:17). Further, His Word was confirmed by an oath. And since He can swear by none greater, He swears by Himself. He rests His Word on His holy character.’

And the scholars continue to explain: ‘6:19-20. Starting at the end of verse 18, the author uses three pictures to demonstrate the security of being in Christ. First, it is described as a safe retreat for the believer, as were the six cities of refuge in the Old Testament to those allowed their protection. (Num.35:6-32).

Second, our HOPE is sure and steadfast as is a well-placed, unbending anchor. Our anchor is not located in the deepest sea but in the highest heaven. The third figure is that of a forerunner. Though the figure changes, the location does not. Our forerunner is likewise positioned in the sanctuary of heaven.

As our forerunner, Jesus is far different from the Old Testament priests. In the sanctuary they could intercede for the people, but they could not lead the people in themselves. As our forerunner, Jesus has opened the way before us, that eventually (and certainly) we might enter in with Him.’

Oh Friends, I know that’s a lot to digest, but I do hope that we take it seriously, and that it brings us all to a greater understanding of God’s Word, for that’s our avowed purpose. Please stay strong and steadfast in Christ; continue to be a prisoner of HOPE. Much LOVE!

…HOPE…it is the heavenly anchor of our souls…and that’s the Lord’s intentional doing…