Today’s Scrip-Bit   17 February 2022 John 14:6.

17 Feb 2022 Leave a comment

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

John 14:6.     Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Oh friends, I can’t handle this fast pace of life nuh, for already it’s Thursday. (smile) And to make matters worse, in the next few days, we are supposed to be getting an abundance of bad weather, ranging from rain to snow and all the other stuff in between. We’ve had the rain overnight, with the current temps around 6 degrees Celsius, but they are calling for freezing rain later in the afternoon. That means the temperature drops, heralding an icy situation. 

Whatever happened to the days when winter was winter eh…and not a combination of all the other seasons? (smile) And yet they claim that climate change is not real. Well, it certainly is! I’ve seen it with my own two eyes since I’ve been in this country. The weather patterns have become less reliable and more unpredictable. But what does the ole fella know eh? He’s just a small fish in a big pond, trying not to get eaten up by the big fish. (smile) 

Oh, I just thought of one thing I know for sure, that Jesus is real! He’s alive and well and walking with me and those who believe in Him every step of the way! Wow! What an honour to have the Creator and Saviour of the universe walking hand in hand with us along our earthly journey, then standing ready to welcome us home to be with Him all through eternity! It’s almost too much to comprehend my fellow believers! But He never said we had to understand, just believe! 

As He so faithfully proclaimed in these scriptures that we all know by heart, but don’t always take to heart. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) Now there’s our reason for living right there in those few words! It’s all about Jesus, the Saviour of the world! 

But ignorant men continually refuse to believe His truthful words. And this next verse is for them: ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:18) Now friends, that verse ought to give all of us pause, cause us to stop right in our tracks and consider if we truly believe, because if we don’t, crapaud smoke we pipe, we are already condemned to hell fire and eternal damnation. 

Yes my brethren, we end up in Hades with the wicked and evil Lucifer simply because we do not believe in Jesus, the One who came to earth specifically to save us from the frightening clutches of the evil imposter. And check out this other verse where He reinforces those statements nuh. ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth (remains) on him.’ (John 3:36) 

Now why would anyone in their right minds want to experience the wrath of God eh, when the only thing more powerful and less menacing than that is His awesome LOVE! I certainly don’t, especially after reading about some of the instances in His Word. But for some unfathomable reason, many of us seem to take the Lord and His Word for a joke, for something that’s not real, a mere figment of our imagination, a way of life to keep us in bondage to religion. 

But the awesome truth is that Jesus came to set us free from the bondage of sin, from the evil clutches of his satanic majesty. That’s the one who has us in bondage, not Jesus who came to set us free. As He said to a group who claimed to believe in Him. ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:31-32) Oh my people, only the truth can ever set us free from anything at all! Lies will keep us forever in bondage. 

And where do we find the truth? In Jesus. Please note His response to Thomas’ query: ‘Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:5-6) And therein lies the solution to ALL our problems my fellow saints. Jesus is the living example for all of us to follow, as the Good Book says, ‘the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith…’ (Heb. 12:2a) So where He leads, we ought to follow. 

And He’s also the truth, the genuine God, the real Mccoy. So, we ought also to believe Him. And per the life, Jesus is the One who enables us to have eternal life, through His atoning death on the cross at Calvary, then His triumphant resurrection on that first Easter morning, two thousand years ago. And John puts it very plainly and simply in his first epistle. ‘And this is the record (testimony), that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (eternal).’ (1 John 5:11-12) Now that is the everlasting truth! 

And since it’s Thursday, it’s time to go home declaring (steups!!!) our Thursday Blessings, so that they can be truly manifested in our lives. As one strong, believing and faithful 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 friends, we don’t truly deserve any of those blessings, but our God is so wonderful that He gave them to us so we can do His earthly work. So please, let’s go out and share them just as generously with others as He so generously shared them with us nuh! Much LOVE!

…to the Lord God Jehovah be all the glory…through Jesus Christ the Son… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 February 2022 Hebrews 13:1-2.

10 Feb 2022 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 13:1-2.      Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Now can you believe it’s already Thursday, and only a few days ago we were wondering if and how we were going to handle Monday. (smile) But these days, though they be turbulent, evil, ungodly and anxiety filled, they certainly are not making joke to move along at top speed. But as they say, time waits on no one, and time is also one thing that never comes back, we can never recoup or recapture it, so we have to make the most of it right when it comes along. Yes friends, we must make the most of the present, because that’s all we have; the past is gone, and the future is promised to no one. 

So, on this damp, cloudy, Thursday morning, let’s look at the last few acclamations that I want to share. And the first one is familiar to us all. ‘I am above and not beneath. The head and not the tail.’ Now that’s exactly where believers are supposed to be; at the head and not the foot. But do we know where that comes from? It comes from a very significant scripture where Moses was informing the people of Israel on the blessings of obedience. 

‘And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto (heed, listen to) the commandments of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them (be careful to observe them). And thou shalt not go aside (turn) from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.’ (Deut. 28:13-14) 

Now please note that we only become the head and not the tail through obedience to God’s commandments, if we don’t stray from the straight and narrow path. So why do so many of us end up being the tail or the foot and not the head eh? It’s obvious: we don’t keep God’s commandments and allow the gods of this world, material stuff and other things to make us turn to the right and the left, and forsake the straight and narrow path for the wide and deadly one. 

And that really goes for every acclamation that we can make; if we don’t believe and live by God’s rules, they won’t any difference in our lives. The basis for acclamations to work is our basic faith and steadfastness in Jesus, doing our best to live the way He desires, otherwise we are just wasting our time. And if we live for Jesus, then this next acclamation will be mighty indeed! ‘I am more than a conqueror, through Christ who LOVES me!’ Now that’s the living truth! As Bruh Paul tells us from that magnificent and oh so encouraging and reassuring chapter 8 of Romans. 

‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:35-39) 

Oh my people, that’s what it means to be all wrapped up and consumed by the LOVE of Christ! Nothing can separate us from it! That awesome LOVE causes us to become conquerors over anything that comes against us! That’s the kind of power we wield when we surrender to Christ and put all our trust and faith in His omnipotent hands and Being! 

Now this last acclamation has its basis in many scriptures, in fact we can say the entire Good Book, since it encourages us to do good from Genesis to Revelation. (smile) However, the acclamation itself is a compilation of sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer). She likes to acclaim: ‘Something good is going to happen TO me today! Something good is going to happen THROUGH me today!’ 

That certainly seems like something we all could declare over our lives every day that we draw breath. I like it because it’s a generous and unselfish prayer. We are looking for good things for ourselves, but like Jesus desires of us, we are also looking to share our good fortune with others. And it reminds me of that awesome scripture in Hebrews 13, which admonishes us thus: ‘Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’ (Heb. 13:1-2) 

And that’s no lie my faithful brethren! We never know who will come into our lives at some time and make a substantial difference. That’s why we need to be good to strangers, for who knows, we might be entertaining angels and we don’t know it. (smile) Remember our God likes to move in mysterious ways, and ofttimes our blessings come from the most unlikely source. 

Anyway, since it’s Thursday, we must declare what we call our Thursday Blessings, if we want them to take root in our lives, because a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared. So 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!’ 

Oh friends, with all of those godly blessings, we now need to go out and use them for the benefit of others, share them just as generously with our fellow man as Jesus shared them with us. That was His awesome purpose behind all that generosity! Much LOVE!

…the mark of a true believer… the good actions…which sincerely come from their heart… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   3 February 2022 Mark 4:40.

03 Feb 2022 Leave a comment

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

Mark 4:40.     Why are ye so fearful? How it is that ye have no faith? 

Once more unto the snow dear friends, once more! Yes, another beautiful snowstorm has inundated us overnight! But thank God, it’s not as bad as the last one a couple weeks ago – at least not yet, because they are calling for 10-20 cm of the darling white stuff to fall between today and tomorrow. In some places there are still high snowbanks from the previous storm, so can you imagine the mess if this one deposits much more than we already have. 

But as I keep saying, that’s why we have Jesus, our Guide and Comfort through the times of storm! Oh give Him some thanks and praise my believing brethren for His most honourable, diligent, compassionate and ever-faithful work in our less than sterling lives! 

And I guess because we are in a time of storm, both literally and figuratively, we ought to talk about that occasion when Jesus showed exactly who and what He was during one particularly rough storm. All three gospels tell the story – Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41, and Luke 8:22-25, but we’ll use Mark’s description for our purposes today. 

Now, he describes it thus: ‘And the same day (after Jesus was finished teaching), when the even (evening) was come, he (Jesus) saith unto them, Let us pass (cross) over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there was also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full (already filling). And he (Jesus) was in the hinder part (the stern) of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How it is that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:35-41) Now that’s an easy question to answer my brethren: Jesus is the One who created the wind and the sea, therefore He is able to tell them to be peaceful and calm! 

Now many of us will make light of the concerns of the disciples, because they had seen Jesus do several miracles, but I know from personal experience out on Lake Ontario, that when the winds and the waves buffet your small boat on a large expanse of water, it’s no fun. 

Oh, on that memorable day, some years ago, I learned from first-hand experience what ‘the shivering of the timbers’ meant, having only read about it before, and at times did fear for my life, as well as the five, mostly inebriated others, who were on the boat with me. (smile) And I daresay that many of the disciples couldn’t even swim, so even though they had seen Jesus do miracles, that was a new situation for them. 

But here are a couple of interesting notes from the scholars. Re 4:40, where Jesus comments on the faith of the disciples, they say that He constantly questions in order to spur people to deeper trust. Then give examples in Mark 2:8, 19, 25, 26; 3:4, 23, 33; 4:13, 21, 30.’ And if you look at those verses, you will indeed see Jesus posing questions that cause His listeners to think seriously about whatever He was saying. 

And per 4:41, they claim: ‘The fear must have been a mixture of reverential awe and real fright – it would be chillingly eerie to witness the instantaneous dissipation of a violent storm.’ No doubt it was! But friends, that’s the kind of person; the immutable, unchangeable, omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present Being, the One and ONLY Living God, that we have as our Lord and Saviour! And right now, in these troubled and trying times of storm, He’s asking us the same questions: why is our faith so small, why are we so fearful, when we have the One who created the universe and all therein as our Guide and Protector? 

Yes, we ought to be anxious when the storms hit us suddenly, but not afraid, because He’s not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, LOVE and a strong and disciplined mind! And an article on the biblestudytools.com website puts it this way. ‘The symbolism behind the story of Jesus calming the storm should bring great encouragement and hope for anyone facing a storm in life.. The apostles were shocked and still lacked faith that Jesus was the Son of God who “Even the winds and water obey.” 

But since we know more about Jesus and His kingdom than the young disciples did, we ought not to be as afraid as we ofttimes are when the storms of life come upon us. Oh, we must be concerned and do whatever is in our power to calm them, but overall, we should know deep down that Jesus is with us, and that as He faithfully promised, will eventually work everything out for our good. What’s the purpose of having Him as Lord and Saviour if we don’t trust him to look after our welfare eh? 

And furthermore, Jesus has been so wonderful to us that He’s even given us tools to handle the storms of life and to help advance His kingdom. We call them our Thursday Blessings. And since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared out loud, let’s do just that nuh. 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!’ 

Oh my people, when we are so abundantly blessed, how can we still live in fear eh? No way! Now let’s go about Christ’s business with diligence and excellence, and use those blessings to care for, comfort and bless others, just as generously as He’s done to us! Much LOVE!

…ONLY Christ…can calm the storms of our lives… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 January 2022   2 Timothy 1:7.

20 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

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

2 Timothy 1:7.      For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.

Oh friends, our God is so good and thoughtful that over the last few days He’s opened each day with bright sunshine to help those of us who might be feeling down because of the inclement weather or suffering from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Praise His holy name! And thus, in conjunction with the light and life that Jesus brings, believers should have no problems adjusting to whatever comes against them in these turbulent times.

For just as the prophet Isaiah declared the Lord’s LOVE to the people of Israel, that same LOVE also applies to us right now. And Isaiah’s reassuring message was as follows: ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17)

Now, add to that, Bruh Paul’s message to the church at Rome, where he declares: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37) Brother! Does all of that ever provide an airtight cushion of LOVE to protect us from the enemy’s assaults. And all God’s children gave a grateful shout of: ‘Praise the Lord, for His goodness to the children of men!’

And to further encourage us, Bruh Paul continues his message by saying: ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:38-39)

And that should come as no surprise to us my fellow believers since Bruh Paul also told the Ephesians: ‘And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto redemption.’ (Eph. 4:30) That means once we receive Christ as Saviour and His Spirit comes to dwell within us, then we are sealed as belonging to Him, and no one can break that seal.

So there is no real reason to fear anything that comes against us in this life. Yes, we must be careful and concerned, and some fear will always come upon us when life surprises us, but lasting fear should not ever be numbered amongst our many attributes. That brings us to this other most encouraging scripture, more words of Bruh Paul, this time to his protégé Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)

And that’s the gospel truth friends! Through Christ Jesus we have received all the tools we need to run this race of earthly glory in His mighty name! And if you don’t believe Bruh Paul, then hopefully, you will believe Jesus, when He says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)

But some of you remark, that’s all well and good for Him to say so, but how do we do that in real life? Well, I believe if you follow Bruh Paul’s recipe to the Philippians you can certainly accomplish it. Listen up as he details it. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (graciousness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand (He is coming back soon and He is always spiritually near).

Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7) And there you have it my brethren; the way to find the peace of God in this unpeaceful world!

Now, that’s not always easy to do, especially with the evil and ungodly world doing their best to derail our good intentions. Meaning, it only comes through experience, in other words, through plenty practice and perseverance. (smile) But when we continually rejoice, are gracious, thankful and prayerful, with the wonderful fruit of the Spirit thriving in us and manifesting itself in our lives, then obtaining that peace of God should not be a problem.

And on top of all that, our God is so wonderful that He’s also bestowed numerous blessings on those who choose to sincerely follow His will and do His bidding. We call them our Thursday Blessings. And since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been declared, let’s go home declaring (yeah!!!) them right now nuh, so that they can be put in place for godly use.

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 our duty to go out and share all those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! That’s His ardent desire! Much LOVE!

…fear and faith don’t mix…but only through Christ…can the latter prevail…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 December 2021 Romans 5:5a.

02 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Romans 5:5a.     And hope maketh not ashamed (does not disappoint); 

Oh friends, unfortunately, Thursday has not opened as nicely as Wednesday did; it’s wet and cloudy, but as always, the wonderful news and Spirit of Jesus lifts us up regardless of the quality of the physical day. And we’ve drawn breath today, so that makes it even more important! That’s why we confidently declare: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ 

Yes mih bredrin, life might not be a bed of roses, but since we have life, we have hope.. ‘And hope maketh not ashamed (does not disappoint); because the LOVE of God has been shed abroad (poured out) in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.’ (Rom. 5:5) Oh my people, what we have in Christ Jesus through His Holy Spirit is more than hope, it’s a certainty of our eternal home and destination. 

But here’s how the bibleref.com website explains it nuh. They say: ‘Paul introduced a challenging idea in the previous verses (1-4): that Christians can see suffering as a cause for rejoicing. He did not mean by this that anyone should necessarily feel happy or enthusiastic about hard circumstances. Instead, those who are saved—who have expressed faith in Christ—can declare to ourselves that this suffering is worthwhile. It provides an opportunity to grow into the people that God is calling us to be. 

He began by showing that suffering produces endurance: a deeper, longer trust in God. This produces character, meaning we more consistently choose to do what honors God. This, in turn, produces hope, where we experience growing certainty that our ultimate destiny is an eternity of good in God’s presence. Now Paul concludes this chain by saying that our hope will never put us to shame. By that, Paul means our hope will be fully vindicated. We will never, in the end, be disappointed for hoping to receive God’s goodness forever.’ 

And of that we can be certain sure my fellow believers, because our wonderful God has already proven His awesome LOVE for us by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross for us while we were yet sinners. Yes, through His shed blood we’ve been justified, sanctified, redeemed, saved from God’s wrath, received salvation, been reconciled to the Father, atoned for and all the other wonderful things we gain by being true believers in Christ Jesus! 

Wow! Which other supposed God has anything better to offer eh? NONE! Because they are not real gods, just wannabe imitations of the One and Only True Living God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! And that’s the indisputable truth! There is no other God but Yahweh, Jehovah, Elohim, whatever name we choose to address Him by! 

That’s why Bruh Paul could also write in his second letter to the church at Corinth, these encouraging words. ‘For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not yea, and nay, but in him was yea. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us is God; Who also hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.’ (2 Cor. 1:19-22) 

Oh friends, the promises of God in Christ Jesus are all yes, yes, yes! Now hear the scholars’ explanation of that passage of scripture. ‘1:20-22. Amen is equivalent to yea. Whether one is a Gentile (yea) or a Hebrew (amen), the promises of God are sure. But the force of Paul’s analogy is that his word is as good as the gospel, because he which establisheth us with you in Christ…is God. 

Sealed us: The sealing of the Holy Spirit has a threefold significance in the New Testament: (1) to indicate ownership (we belong to God, through Christ Jesus); (2) to indicate genuineness; (3) to preserve and keep safe (cf. Eph. 4:30; 2 Tim. 2:19; Rev. 7:2-3). This last idea is amplified with the earnest of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit Himself is the down payment, or pledge , of redemption. The indwelling Spirit is the surety and the “security” of all that is to follow in the final salvation of the believer (cf. Rom. 8:9-11, 23; 2 Cor. 5:5; Eph. 1:14).’ 

What more can we ask eh friends? Nothing really. God didn’t only send Christ to pay for our sins, but He also sent the Holy Spirit to seal us as His personal property. The Good Book tells it thus: ‘For ye are bought with a price: (the blood of Jesus): therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ (1 Cor. 6:20) Yes my people, we belong lock, stock and barrel to God! And He stakes His claim on us by sending His Holy Spirit to indwell us, as well as to give us security and surety of His promises. 

That means our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, consequently, we need to behave in a manner worthy and appropriate of such a high honour. Please, let’s try doing that nuh. We all know what it means and what it takes, but we need to put out a serious effort to make it happen, especially in these tough times. And our God is so good and wonderful that He even gives us the tools, numerous blessings, so we can do just that, and show the world what a magnificent God He is. And since those blessings don’t take effect until we declare them, let’s declare what we call our Thursday Blessings right now nuh. 

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, the onus is on us to go out and share those blessings just as generously with others, as God shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God…whereby ye are sealed…unto the day of redemption… (Eph. 4:30) 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 November 2021 John 8:32.

25 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

John 8:32.     And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

HAPPY  THANKSGIVING  U.S. of A! 

All praise, honour and glory to our heavenly Father this Thursday morning, my faithful brethren!  It’s Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. Let’s hope that they do not get caught up and lost in the festivities and forget on which side their bread is buttered and spend some serious time considering their Creator because He is the source of all their blessings and also the source of the healing that their nation so badly needs. For their motto ‘One Nation Under God,’ no longer holds true, since they are now as divided and cantankerous as the days before the Civil War a couple hundred years ago, with Almighty God no longer the mainstay in the land. 

And yes, to God the Father all gratitude and thanksgiving should go from all of us, for our awakening, our ability to walk, talk, eat and have a job to go to, for He is an awesome deity, the ONLY true and living God there is! And ALL Jehovah God’s children said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Father for your unconditional and undying LOVE, mercy, grace and faithfulness to us, sinful children of men. We LOVE You and praise Your holy name! Amen!’ 

And so we ought to friends, on account of the heartache that the Lord put Himself through for us, by sacrificing His only Son Jesus Christ so that we could be set free from the overwhelming tentacles of sin. Please note these heartrending words from the Good Book and let them soften our hearts. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) 

Can you imagine that? Sacrificing your only Son to set a bunch of ungrateful sinners free, when they did not seem the least bit interested in you. Hn! But the Lord did it because of His great LOVE for His best creation. However, to be set free from the bondage of sin we must acknowledge and believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Like He said to the Jews at one stage in His ministry. ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.’ (John 8:31-32) 

That means if we really want to be set free from enslavement to sin, then we need to know the truth, and the truth is found in Christ’s written word. So, we have to read the word carefully and study it diligently. That’s the only way to know what it says. Then, most importantly, we need to obey what it says, for knowing and not obeying is sin. A dusty, unopened Bible is of no use to us. We need to always have a well-read one close by, and also have what it says written indelibly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls. 

For remember, the greatest commandment is ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.’ (Matt. 22:37) And you can only truly LOVE the Lord when you know who He is and what He’s about, and you can only discover that when you read His word, His enlightened description of Himself and His ways. 

And just one li’l footnote here to remind us of why He is God. As He says through the prophet Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) It would do us all a whole lot of good if we would just keep those words at the front of our minds as we go about our daily living and don’t bow to the foolishness that Satan and his cohorts are trying to do in the land, like kick God out of our society. 

Satan is a bloody fool, a created being who got too big for his britches! He couldn’t kick God out of heaven, what makes him think he can kick God out of the earth that He created eh? Hogwash! But unfortunately, too many of us are believing Satan’s lies and deceptions and are turning away from God. That’s the worst decision we can ever make my people, for all Satan has to offer is hell fire and damnation, while Jesus has eternal life in heaven with the Father, the Holy Spirit and Himself. 

Now which one seems the best offer eh? Jesus’ obviously! But we fear what the world will say and do, and neither are we willing to put out the effort it takes to live sincerely for Jesus. But friends, if we read and study the Good Book, we will see how it ends, with God’s wrath levied against the evildoers. And believe me, our God might be LOVING, merciful and all those good things, but He’s no pushover, and I don’t think any of us will willingly want to experience His wrath. Just read about the ‘sufferation’ the Jewish people underwent for their disobedience to God, and all those other nations who got too big and proud to follow God. Where are they now eh? On the junk pile of history. 

But that’s a decision each one of must make, so I am pleading with us to make the decision to live for Jesus, because that’s the ONLY wise and sensible one. As Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) likes to say, there are consequences to every decision, but eternal wisdom decrees to: ‘obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.’ You can’t argue with that statement. So, for those of us who have already committed our lives to Jesus, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. 

As one strong and confident 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 rise up and go out and share those blessings just as generously with others as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know, LOVE and glorify Him as we do! Much LOVE!

…if the Son shall set you free…you shall be free indeed… (John 8:36) 

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

11 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 November 2021 Matthew 6:21.

10 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 6:21.     For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

And then it was Wednesday…and we have our second wind…we pushing on relentlessly in the name and the power of Jesus, knowing that Friday and the weekend are just around the corner, and we’ll soon have another opportunity to gather, worship and praise our great and wonderful God, while He refreshes us for another fateful week in the trenches of life! 

Brother! Is that a great sentence or what? Reminds me of some of the convoluted ones Bruh Paul writes. So I’m not in such bad company then. (smile) But seriously though, Wednesday, the mid-week workday, is one where we should take a moment to take stock of how our week is going and if we need to make any changes or even ramp up our faith. It’s a suitable time to consider if we are actually doing what we planned, or still just talking the talk, without any, or enough of the walk that’s necessary. 

Remember, we are merely human beings with all kinds of frailties and weaknesses and we can easily get sidetracked by the enemy and the ungodly world. That’s why we need to keep a steady check on how we are progressing, if we are truly storing up heavenly treasures though living this earthly life. Jesus said it quite plainly, as He is wont to do. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19-21) 

And that’s the gospel truth friends! Wherever our treasure is hidden or laid up, there also will be our heart, because our treasure is ever so important to us. That’s why so many of us think of the banks so often. (smile) And why not eh, if all our money is in there, hopefully readily available to us when we need or want it. 

Now let’s check the explanation the scholars offer of those verses. ‘6:19-21. The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term ‘treasures’ implies the accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (either on earth or in heaven). The concept of laying up treasure in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather of rewards for faithful service, as is illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus.’ 

And truly, earthly treasures are not bad in and of themselves, it is when we concentrate all our efforts on accumulating them and don’t have time for God in the unwise pursuit of what Cousin Sol calls ‘vanity’ or futile stuff. Furthermore, if we focus on earthly wealth, we stand a good chance of losing it to moth, rust and thieves. And yet furthermore, (smile) when your earthly days are over, you can’t take any of it with you. As Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy: ‘For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothes) let us therewith be content.’ (1 Tim. 6:7-8) 

The scholars explain. ‘6:7. And it is certain we can carry nothing out (or, “because we are unable to carry anything out”). Man enters the world at birth possessing nothing. In order to teach him that he will exit the world in the same manner – taking nothing with him. This is a divine means of showing man that since material wealth is relatively insignificant, he should pursue the important things mentioned in verse 11.’ And as per ‘6:8. This verse prevents the wrong understanding of verse 7, that material possessions have no place in the Christian’s life. By figure of speech food and raiment stand for all of life’s basic necessities. These are all the believer needs, and having these he can be content.’ 

And my fellow saints, I would certainly be amiss if I did not point out the important things mentioned in verse 11. (smile) Bruh Paul writes: ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things (the LOVE of money and striving for other earthly wealth – vs. 9-10): and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness.’ (1 Tim. 6:11) 

Oh, and will I ever be my sweet self and throw in verse 12 for good measure, (smile) because it so desperately applies to us in these very dangerous and desperate times. Bruh Paul continues to Timothy: ‘Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim. 6:12) Now that’s exactly what we need to do in these perilous times my faithful brethren. 

And if you don’t understand it all, let’s allow the scholars to explain. ‘6:12. The good fight concerns the daily struggle with sin in the Christian life, and the hardships and adversities in the ministry. A genuine believer demonstrates the reality of his faith by being engaged in this warfare. Lay hold on eternal life does not negate the fact that a believer now possesses spiritual life (John 3:36); rather, it speaks of fully realizing or appropriating salvation as the believer matures.’ 

And I so like to spoil us, that I’ll quote John 3:36. (smile) John the Baptist, not John the disciple, is testifying of Jesus: ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth (remains) on him.’ Yes friends, we have salvation and are going to heaven, through God’s free gift of grace, but in the meanwhile we have to make use of all the opportunities, benefits and blessings that that salvation brings to us here on earth. We have to live out our faith. As Bruh Paul said to the Philippians: ‘…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.’ (Phil. 2:12b) 

And these two paragraphs from an article on the subject by Ed Elliot on the medium.com website explains that verse much better than I can. Ed writes: ‘Working out our salvation is very different from working for our salvation. When Paul tells believers they need to work out their salvation, he is simply explaining that the wonderful gift they freely received from God is inside of them. We bring out those beautiful attributes and character traits by faith. Faith is a rest, but it is faith that works, not us. So working out what is on the inside of us happens by faith. 

This process can be frightening in the beginning as a new believer discovers how to live and walk by faith. Some strong trepidation may be present at first when a person decides to trust God as his or her source and peace. I remember how scary it was for me to stop trusting in my natural abilities and trust in God’s Word. This is what Paul is referring to when he mentions “fear and trembling.” He isn’t talking about being afraid of God. Rather, he is helping the new believer to know that in the beginning, it will seem scary to walk by faith. However, it is the only way to see our inner salvation manifest on the outside through our character.’ 

But to do that successfully my brethren, means we have to spend serious time in the Word and with the Lord, as well as with other believers, encouraging and teaching each other. Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that very thing, let’s go home now declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

As one strong voice: ‘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!’ 

And don’t forget that if we endure to the very end that the future will indeed be even more glorious that we ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…why seek finite earthly treasures…when heavenly ones last till infinity…

P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but I had some important errands to run and as always, the best laid plans of mice and men do tend to go astray. (smile) Much LOVE!                                                                                                                   

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 November 2021 Psalm 50:14.

04 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 50:14.     Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High:

Well hello there my beautiful Scrip-Bit Family! The grace, peace and LOVE of our great God be upon us this new and exciting day! And it is exciting simply because we are alive and kicking! Could you imagine what we’d be saying if we hadn’t woken up this morning… (smile) I don’t know. But I do know that many of us would not have been happy. Yes, it is good to go to heaven and meet our Saviour, but many of us are just not ready yet, and obviously the Lord isn’t ready for us either, otherwise He would have taken us home. That means He still has important work down here on earth for us to do. 

Therefore, let us declare as the psalmist so appropriately and joyfully did a long time ago…shout it out loud: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) And that should be our motto for each and every day that we draw breath on God’s great and wonderful, though evil and ungodly earth! Yes, friends, with Jesus leading our lives, we ought to be in a joyful mood for most of the day, despite our earthly problems, since He is the Giver and Comforter of our lives. 

And I like how Asaph the psalmist puts it on God’s behalf in Psalm 50 – titled God is the judge. He writes: ‘Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ (Ps. 50:14-15) Oh my people those are two of the basic foundational rules of our faith: Praise God and ask Him for help. One leads to the other. We can’t ask for help unless we give Him thanks and praise, adoration and reverence, acknowledging that He’s the Mightiest of the Mighty! 

Now, it won’t do any harm to look at a few scriptures that uphold that contention, would it? (smile) The prophet Hosea said it thus to his people Israel. ‘O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.’ (Hos. 14:2) 

And what does all of that mean. Listen to the scholars. ‘14:1-3. Calves of our lips: The word ‘calves’ (Heb. par, “a young bull or produce”) is best understood metaphorically, referring to the words that lips produce – in this context praise to the Lord. The nation had used its lips to praise the idolatrous calves; now it will use its lips in praise to the Lord God.’ 

But yuh know what? Sadly, that exact same iniquity can be placed at our feet. In the last thirty or so years we have indeed turned from the God of our fathers to idolatrous worship. Nowadays we worship everything from money to men, and yet we expect our society to flourish and prosper. We obviously have forgotten these most important words of Moses to the Israelites. ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:18) 

And since the Lord our God does not change, it means that that condition still applies to all societies. Yes, societies can seem to get wealthy and opulent, but they never last, because the Good Book tells us in Psalm 127:1. ‘Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep (guards) the city, the watchman waketh (stays awake) but in vain.’ 

It doesn’t take a genius to understand that. Unless a society stands sincerely and securely on the Word of God, whatever it builds doesn’t last. And we are currently experiencing that awesome truth my brethren. Our society is crumbling fast, and the only thing that can stop it from going to hell in a handbasket is our turning back to the Lord our God. Or, as the author of Hebrews so wisely puts it: ‘By him (Jesus) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.’ (Heb. 13:15) 

Oh my people, that’s the wisest move we can make in these deeply troubled and sorrowful times. And it doesn’t take a lot of wisdom to realize it either, for we have tried everything else and nothing’s working for us, the strife, hatred, anger, sickness and misery are becoming worse every day. The only thing we haven’t yet tried is a return to our roots, to the God we used to reverence, adore and worship not so long ago. And these words of Eliphaz, Job’s supposed friend, when he mistakenly implored Job to repent do serve as a wonderful reminder to us today of what’s to be gained in serving the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

Eliphaz said: ‘Acquaint now thyself with him (God), and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles (tents, homes). Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. 

Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense (gold), and thou shalt have plenty of silver. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.’ (Job 22:21-28) 

Oh friends, it’s same basic advice that the Lord gave Joshua and every other prophet to speak unto the people: Honour me and I will make thy way safe and prosperous. But instead, we have chosen to dishonour God, even going so far as to try to get rid of Him from our society. But that‘s only a fool’s pipe dream! The Creator of the universe will never allow His foolish, prideful and arrogant creation to kick Him out of what He created, just like He did not allow that other fool, Lucifer, now known as Satan, the evil one, to kick Him out of heaven. 

So please, let’s wake up, be the wise creation that the Lord boasts of, and realize that our ONLY HOPE is God Almighty. And He is still so good to us, despite our terrible iniquity, because He so dearly LOVES us, that He showers those of us who want to work for Him with magnificent blessings to do that work. But since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s spoken out loud, let’s declare what we call our Thursday Blessings in loud voice to put them into effect. 

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 the corollary to that, is we now must go out and share all those blessings as generously with others as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…the fear (reverential awe) of the Lord…is the beginning of knowledge…but fools despise wisdom and instruction… (Prov. 1:7) 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   28 October 2021 Proverbs 27:1.

28 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 27:1.     Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of the work week, and some of us are getting excited as the work week winds down, eagerly looking forward to the weekend and all the frivolity it plans to bring. Yes sir, from the beginning of the week, all some of us look forward to is the weekend and what goodies it has in store for us. But I want to pull us up short with some wise advice from Cousin Sol on the matter of thinking too far ahead, without the Lord’s will reckoned in. He says: ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ (Prov. 27:1) 

And that’s wise advice we all should heed my brethren, for none of us knows what lies ahead in each day for us, but we still make golden plans for them. Just check the obits to see how many of us who went to bed last night, presumable hale and hearty, but did not arise this morning. Or how many of us leave to go to work on a morning and don’t ever arrive back home in the evenings. Life is unpredictable and we should not be overly presumptuous and make sumptuous plans for our days. (smile) Now that doesn’t mean we can’t make plans, but plans that consider the will of God in them. 

Here’s how James, Jesus’ brother puts it, referring to it as unchristian conduct. ‘Go to now (come now), ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (make a profit): whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice (boast) in your boasting (arrogance): all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:13-17) 

Yes friends, there’s a lot we can learn from those scriptures; like when we are being foolish and plan as though we control our destiny, or presume we have the resources to control it, when we don’t. Remember all the earth and what’s therein, including us, belongs to the Lord, and He doles it out to whom He wishes in what amount He desires. So, in making plans we must consider Him, at least consult Him and see what He has to say. 

For, as we’ve been told throughout the Good Book and have seen for ourselves, our lives are like a vapour, a column of steam or smoke that appears on earth for a short while, then quickly vanishes without a trace. And since we don’t know when our column of vapour will disappear, we have to take the Creator’s will into our planning as best we can. And the scholars offer these interesting explanations on those verses. ‘4:15. This, or that: This verse teaches that God does have something for Christians to do and that they should plan accordingly. James condemns only elaborate planning that omits God (cf. Prov. 16:9).’ 

And I’ll be charitable here and quote that verse for us. (smile) Cousin Sol says there: ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov. 16:9) That’s because the Lord is sovereign over everything a man does, including his ungodly scheming and planning. As the ole people would say; man plans, but God laughs. And that’s the awesome truth as so many of us have found out to our detriment, when we don’t include God in our earthly plans. 

But let’s get back to the scholars and the last verse of James that we read. ‘4:17. To do good here requires including God in one’s plans. Omitting God is not merely bad planning; it is a sin.’  Now that’s a tough row to hoe, but it does make sense. If you are a Christian, a believer in God, and you know how to do good, but don’t do it, then that should automatically put a black mark against your name. And unfortunately, that happens a lot in our Christian circles today. Too many of us know the good we ought to do, but blatantly and stubbornly refuse to do it. No wonder our world is in such a mess and the unbelievers don’t take us seriously. 

And just in case you don’t believe what James says above there, then listen to this parable about the rich fool from his brother, Jesus. Having said to His listeners: ‘Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.’ (Luke 12:15) He then proceeded to tell them about the rich man whose land brought forth a plentiful crop, and he had nowhere to store it, so he decided to pull down all the old barns and build a bigger one so he could store all his harvest. 

‘And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease; eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided (stored up)? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:19-21) Oh my people, it’s only common sense to be rich to our Creator, who owns everything and gives us everything, including the breath of life that keeps us going. 

And I like the explanation the scholars offer as per ‘12:21. Here Jesus brings out the meaning of verses 16-20. Notice that what Jesus calls for follows quite logically out of His own example (2. Cor. 8:9), as well as out of God’s graciousness toward all who seek Him (Rom. 10:12). Jesus is thus not speaking of a pay-as-you-go faith, but of participating in a relationship in which God already provides what he wishes His people to give back to Him.’ 

And I would not be a good teacher if I did not quote those verses the scholars referenced above there. (smile) It’s going to make the Bit longer, but all of us wiser. So here goes. 2 Cor. 8:9 says: ‘For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.’  In other words, Jesus was, is, and always will be the supreme example of sacrificial LOVE! Meanwhile, Rom. 10:12 tells us: ‘For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.’ 

Yes my people, whomsoever shall call upon the Lord shall be saved, regardless of race, creed, colour or class! So, having read, understood and digested all that scripture, (smile) let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Thursday Blessings; blessings that the Lord has so benevolently bestowed on us to do His earthly work. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

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

It’s now our duty to go out and share those blessings with others just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…true wisdom entails…including God in EVERYTHING we do…                                                                                                                

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