Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 December 2022 Luke 2:10.

23 Dec 2022 Leave a comment

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

Luke 2:10.        And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 

At last it’s Friday! And many shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday’ have gone up around the world! But in my area we’re especially thankful that the major snowstorm forecasted for yesterday never materialized. Praise the Lord! Instead, wind and rain materialized. However, we’re not yet free from the crazy machinations of the weather, for as we speak, freezing rain is coming down outside my window, and who knows how or when it will end.  And believe me, the freezing rain is indeed worse than the snow; have you slipping and sliding any which way, while freezing up on your windshield, often making visibility extremely difficult despite your wipers strenuously working. (smile) 

So, the proviso for yesterday still holds true for today: don’t go out unless you have to! And since the Lord was gracious enough to give us life this Friday morning, I guess we ought to continue with looking at the Christmas story as we promised. Now we ended yesterday talking about the necessity of humility and peace in Jesus’ philosophy, things that the world doesn’t value very highly. The warmongers, the arrogant, and haughty are whom the world celebrates. But not Jesus. In His kingdom you must be humble, seek peace and be willing to serve others! And that’s the example He gave us during His time here on earth. 

Unfortunately though, too many of us supposed Christians display none, or very little of those attributes that Jesus considers so important to His cause. But that’s another sermon for another day. (smile) Let’s get back to the Christmas story. As we said yesterday, the lowly shepherds were the first people to know of the birth of Jesus. Can you imagine this surreal scene. The shepherds are watching over their flocks in the middle of the night, when the Good Book says: ‘And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon (stood before) them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore (greatly) afraid.’ (Luke 2:9) 

And who wouldn’t be afraid eh, if an angel of the Lord suddenly appears in the dark of night with all the Lord’s glory shining round him? And these were mostly unschooled, uneducated, poorer folk, so their fear factor was possibly even higher than most. ‘And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ (Luke 2:10-12) 

And then a heavenly host, a multitude of angels suddenly showed up and began making music, singing and praising God. (Luke 13-14) Can you imagine the shepherds’ predicament? But before we move on, hear this interesting explanation from the scholars on the subject of ‘Swaddling clothes. They were bandage-like strips of cloth wrapped around an infant to ensure that the limbs would grow straight. Not to swaddle a child would be a form of abuse (Ezek. 16:2-4). This wrapping would aid the shepherds in identifying Jesus.’ 

Wow! How different from our procedures today! Wrapping up a child like that now, would probably get you charged for abuse. (smile) However, when all the hoopla had ended and the angels had gone away, the shepherds decided to go to Bethlehem and check out the angel’s news. The Good Book says: ‘And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger (feed trough). And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered (marvelled) at those things told by the shepherds…And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.’ (Luke 2:16-18, 20) 

Ah friends, what a marvellous story! And you’ll notice whom the Lord chose to spread the news of our Saviour’s birth? The poor, lowly shepherds, not the entrenched news media of the day! And they were excited over the news and began praising and glorifying God! That wasn’t the reaction though of the religious leaders and supposedly important people of the society. Anyway, the Lord got the news disseminated the way He desired, and that’s the important thing. (smile) 

But you know one of my favourite verses of scripture deals with Mary and all the things she experienced and heard during Christ’s lifetime. And it’s a simple but very provocative verse. ‘But Mary kept all these things, (that were told by the shepherds) and pondered them in her heart.’ (Luke 2:19) And it wouldn’t be the last time that was written of her. When Jesus was presented in the temple at the eight day, as was the custom, the priest Simeon and prophetess Anna also said wonderful things about Him. ‘And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.’ (Luke 2:33) 

And again, after a visit to Jerusalem, Jesus, as a twelve-year-old had strayed away from the caravan on the way back home, and his parents found Him three days later in the temple ably conversing with the wise men. And we all know Jesus’ answer to His mother’s condemnation. ‘How is it that ye sought me? wist (knew) ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.’  (Luke 2:49-51) 

Ah mih people, Mary’s life certainly was not easy. From the day she accepted the Lord’s offer of bearing the incarnate Son of God, it became a roller coaster ride, unto the very end when she had to look at her first born impaled by big, rusty nails on an old wooden cross. But the Lord in His utmost faithfulness, gave her the wherewithal to handle it, like He gives most mothers the ability to raise their children and handle whatever problems they encounter. Now, let’s go to God, and open up our hearts to Him, through our Friday Chant. 

‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. 

And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And if we want to receive positive answers to our prayers, then we need to do the things we promised. Much LOVE!

…Christmas…a joyful season…despite the many ills in our world… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 December 2021 Luke 2:11.

25 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Luke 2:11.     For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS ! 

Well, the Big Day, Christmas Day is here at last and there’s lots of joy in the air. Unfortunately, those who were wishing for the traditional white Christmas have been disappointed because the snow has all melted away and it’s a wet, grey morning, with temps expected to reach about 6 or 8 degrees Celsius. And look at me nuh, the great weather forecaster, who thought that those springlike temps were forever behind us, at least until next spring. (smile) But my people, we need to realize one thing, that in God’s great universe, anything is possible, at any time. 

And in accordance with that maxim, two thousand years ago, when the time was ripe, the Lord sent His only Son Jesus Christ in to the world, born of a virgin, the immaculate conception, as the angel bringing Mary, Christ’s mother, the good news of her finding favour with God explained to her, when she declared: ‘How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 

And, behold, thy cousin (relative) Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:34 -38) 

Oh yes friends, right in that moment the Lord showed that He could do anything; make a barren woman pregnant in her old age, as He did for Sara, Abraham’s wife many centuries back, and make a woman pregnant without knowing a man, so that the child could truly be called the ‘Son of God!’ Glory Hallelujah! The Lord was setting the stage for Christ’s birth on that Christmas day long ago, in addition to the birth of John the Baptist (Elisabeth’s son) who was to be the forerunner of Christ, as his father Zechariah prophesied of God’s goodness and mercy when John was born. 

‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath raised up a horn of salvation (a mighty deliverer, Jesus) for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began (from the ages). That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 

In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring (the Dawn, the Messiah) from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed (became) strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing (manifestation) unto Israel.’ (Luke 2:67-80) 

Oh my brethren, what a mighty dramatist is our God! Who else could set the stage like that for the coming of John the Baptist to preach the coming of Christ. As Luke later states: ‘And he (John the Baptist) came into all the country about Jordan (the surrounding region), preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,’ (Luke 3:3) Meanwhile Matthew, in his gospel, describes John’s entrance in simpler words: ‘And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ (Matt. 3:2) 

Now those were not just idle statements of the gospel writers, for John’s coming had been prophesied long before by the prophet Isaiah, when he declared: ‘The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert the highway for our God.’ (Is. 40:3) And we all know that on this first Christmas day that this other prophecy of Isaiah was also fulfilled. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’ (Is. 9:6) 

And it all climaxed on that cold winter’s night around the town of Bethlehem, another prophecy fulfilled, (Mic. 5:2) where shepherds were watching their flock, when an angel appeared to them and joyfully declared: ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes (bands), lying in a manger (feed trough). And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:11-14) 

Oh friends that’s how the first Christmas day was initiated; with joyful shouts of praise from the hosts of heaven! And yuh notice who the angels came to first with the good news of Christ’s birth? Not the rich and powerful, but the poor and powerless, just like the Lord chose to have His Son born into lowly and humble surroundings, because the tenor of His earthly life was going to be lowly and humble, for that’s whom He came predominantly to save. 

And I know that we usually look at the quotes of our friend Anselm on a Saturday, but since today is Christmas Day, I thought it would be better to get into a li’l of the Christmas story itself and how it came to be. But there is one quote of Anselm’s that I would like to share. It’s long, but very interesting and encouraging. It says: ‘The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of life is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give.’  

Yes my faithful brethren, all those things are true, and when we cap them with the action of LOVE, like Christ did, and still does, then all heaven and earth will sing praises to the glory of God the Father! Like the lowly shepherds did on that first cold Christmas night after they returned from seeing the Christ child. The Good Book describes it thus: they were ‘glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.’ (Luke 2:20) 

So, let’s do like those shepherds this Christmas Day nuh, praise and glorify Almighty God for all the wonderful things He’s done for us through the amazing gift of His most wonderful Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! That’s the only fitting conclusion to this day! Much LOVE!

...joy to the world…the Lord is come…let earth receive her King…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 December 2021 Luke 2:11.

12 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Luke 2:11.     For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

And as that most momentous day draws nearer, the expectations rise, the preparations become more intense and anxiety filled! Will everything be done in time for the big day? Food and drink prepared, presents bought and wrapped, the house spruced up to reflect the joyful nature of the celebrations, with beautiful strains of appropriate music being heard in every corner. 

And are we shouting ‘Merry Christmas’ instead of ‘Happy Holidays’ to our friends, families and neighbours? Most importantly though, are we keeping Jesus in our mind’s eye as we rush around preparing to celebrate His Birthday? Remember, He, or His birth is the reason for the Christmas season, and thus we ought to have Him uppermost in our thoughts and words. 

But enough talk, let’s get to some singing as we open today’s session of praise, worship and thanksgiving, with rejuvenation of spirit, body and soul being one of the end products. And our song for today is one of our all-time Christmas favourites…an oldie, but a goldie, titled ‘O Come All Ye Faithful.’ Mama Mia! What a beautiful hymn! 

They say it’s an adaptation of a Latin hymn ‘Adeste Fidelis’ and it harkens to the biblical story of the birth of Christ. ‘It is considered a reference to the shepherds, after hearing the angels singing, coming to Bethlehem to adore their new-born Saviour. Today this hymn signifies and celebrates our coming together in worship to adore the LOVING blessing of Jesus, as He sacrificed Himself for our salvation.’ 

So, without further ado, let’s offer up harmonious, soulful, heartfelt sacrifices of praise to our Lord and Saviour for coming to earth in our fleshly form. Altogether now: ‘O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold Him, Born the King of Angels! (Chorus: O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.) 

God of God, light of light, Lo, he abhors not the Virgin’s womb; True God, begotten, not created: (Chorus) O Sing, choirs of angels; sing in exultation O sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above. Give to our Father, Glory in the highest! (Chorus) Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning; Jesus, to Thee be the glory giv’n; Word of the Father, Now in the flesh appearing, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.’ 

Magnifico mih bredrin! Magnifico! There could be no doubt in heaven that we were serious about our sacrifice of praise to our Triune God! And I don’t remember which website I got this information from, but I like it (smile). It says: ‘The encouragement to “come, all ye faithful, . . . to Bethlehem” situates the singer both among the shepherds who rushed to see Christ and in the great continuation of the “faithful” that have traveled to Bethlehem in a spiritual nature for over 2,000 years. Although today, we cannot actually witness Jesus in the manger, we can come to Bethlehem in a symbolic sense. We can be there in our imaginations as we allow the Christmas story to hearten our spirits.’ 

So, let’s hear some of the Christmas Story as related in the Good Book nuh. We all know that Joseph and a pregnant Mary, Jesus’ mother, went up to Bethlehem to be taxed according to the decree of the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus. And while there Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable, because all the hotels, and B&Bs were full. The Good Book tells it thus: ‘And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger (a feed trough) because there was no room for them in the inn.’ (Luke 2:7) 

And for our information, the scholars tell us that ‘Swaddling clothes’ were bandage-like strips of cloth wrapped around an infant to ensure that the infant’s limbs would grow straight.  Not to swaddle a child would be a form of abuse (Ezek. 16:2-4) This wrapping would aid the shepherds in identifying Jesus.’  

Now the Good Book continues the story: ‘And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon (stood before) them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore (greatly) afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all the people. 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes (cloths), lying in a manger (feed trough). And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God, in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:8-14) 

Ah friends, what a wonderful worship session that must have been, with heavenly hosts singing down here on earth! And as we are all wont to do, after hearing some very interesting news, after the angels left, the shepherds decided to check to see if the story was true. The Good Book describes it thus: ‘And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 

And all they that heard it wondered (marvelled) at those things which were told them by the shepherd. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. And all the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.’ (Luke 2:16-20) 

Now that was two thousand years ago, and remarkably, we are still glorifying and praising God for all the things that He has done through Jesus. That sure is wonderful! And we do need to keep on adoring and exalting Him, because He is the greatest thing, the greatest gift ever given to man! 

So, as we leave our worship services today, let’s remember the good news that the angels delivered on that first Christmas Day so long ago, and let’s take it to heart, behave as though it’s the first time we are hearing the story and allow it to fill us with adoration and exaltation for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Much LOVE!

…what would Christmas be without Christ eh…nothing…for it would not exist…                                                                                                                                                  

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