Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 June 2021 2 Timothy 1:7.

18 Jun 2021 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 mind. 

Showers of blessing, Oh showers of blessing! That’s what we are experiencing in my area this Friday morning friends! And are we ever thankful and grateful to know that the good Lord is looking down with oodles of LOVE on our li’l community. (smile) We need to be, because, for whatever reason, He’s not looking down on many others with showers of blessings, but with drought and famine. So when you are blessed, you need to acknowledge it and give grateful thanks! 

Now, today, I’ve been led to offer scriptures on encouragement since our world is in such turmoil and upheaval, both literally and figuratively, and we believers need to remember and hold on tight to the many promises of Christ, that we should not be afraid, but to feel secure in His fold. And the first scripture I want us to look at, is that in Bruh Paul’s second message to Timothy, when the young pastor’s church in the big, turbulent city of Ephesus was undergoing some problematic times, and he was becoming discouraged. 

After reminding Timothy of the faith that ran down through his family; his grandmother Lois, his mother Eunice and in him too, (2 Tim. 1:5) Bruh Paul tells him. ‘Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting (laying) on of my hands.’ (2 Tim. 1:6) Now that’s the same thing I want to do today my faithful brethren: put us in remembrance of the gift of grace which we all got from God, when we received Christ, and which we need to stir up, to refresh, to lay new coals or wood on to relight the fires that once burned so brightly within each of us. 

Remember we are supposed to be the light of the world in Jesus’ place! However, at this current time, because of all the troubles in the world and in the church and the resultant fear, anxiety and insecurity, we have allowed those fires to burn low, or in many cases, to die out completely. But friends, this is the exact time that we believers are expected to stand strong and show the rest of the world the necessity of living for Jesus. And we have the ability and God-given capacity to do that, as Bruh Paul’s next words to Timothy prove. 

‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind. Be thou not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions (share with me the sufferings) of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.’ (2 Tim. 1:7-10) 

Now fellow saints, the long and short of the story is this: From day one, God decided that at some stage his Son Jesus would die to redeem the sins of mankind. And He did this some two thousand years ago on the cross at Calvary and His triumphant resurrection on Easter Sunday, making possible salvation and eternal life. However, to achieve that forgiveness of sin, mankind would have to believe in Jesus and live the way He desired them to through His holy gospel. Believers would also be expected to tell others about the wonderful value and benefits involved in living for Jesus, though the work would not necessarily be easy. 

But since God is a good God and does not ask you to do anything without giving you the wherewithal to do it, He has graced us not with a sense of fear, but of power and of LOVE, and of a sound or disciplined mind. Now, that power comes directly from the Holy Spirit that indwells each believer, and is there to lead and guide us into all truth. Remember Jesus’ words to the disciples before He ascended to heaven, that they should stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. (Acts 1:4) 

Then later on, He further explains: ‘But ye shall receive power, after that (when) the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’ (Acts 1:8) Yes friends, Jesus knew they could not accomplish the Great Commission, evangelizing the world, without the power of the Holy Ghost, which finally descended on them on the upcoming day of Pentecost. (Acts 2) 

Now, that Great Commission was given to ALL believers down through the ages, likewise the Holy Ghost. That means we have the necessary power to do whatever is necessary on Christ’s behalf, as well as His unconditional LOVE for us, which also brings out our feelings of compassion and caring for others, and we can do it all with a sound and well-disciplined mind. So truly, there is no need for us to fear and be anxious about all the confusion circling around us today. 

Remember this promise of Jesus. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Now, if we are true believers in Jesus, that ought to quieten our hearts. 

Then listen to this scripture from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘’For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.’ (Rom. 8-15-16) Yes my fellow believers, the very indwelling of the Holy Spirit makes us children of God! And if we are children of the Most High God, then there is no need to fear anything or anyone in our Father’s universe! 

But since we are imperfect and ofttimes stubborn, hard headed beings, we don’t always do as we ought to, and so things go wrong in our lives. That means we still need to go to our heavenly Father in prayer and ask for His help. Let’s take the opportunity to do that right now nuh, through our Friday Chant. 

As one sincere voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife is causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means 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 both the virus and the unrest in our streets. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Ah mih people, hopefully the Lord will respond positively to our petition, but you know that depends on us keeping our promise to be faithful believers. Much LOVE!

…when believers fear…it doesn’t give unbelievers any encouragement to seek Jesus…                                                                           

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 May 2017 Exodus 34:6.

16 May 2017 Leave a comment

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

Exodus 34:6.   And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

Aye mih people, my sincerest apologies for the Bit’s tardiness today, (smile) but I had one of those real late early mornings, and the ole bod simply refused to get up when I asked it to. But as they say, better late than never. 

And though a light drizzle is falling in my area, making it a somewhat grey morning, we know that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is shining brightly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls! Glory Hallelujah! 

And today, I want to share with us some exciting and reassuring words from Father Bob Colaresi’s opening remarks in the Spring Edition of ‘Between Friends,’ the newsletter of the Friends of the Society of the Little Flower (St. Therese of Liseux). 

He is talking about hope and renewal: ‘Spring is a time of HOPE. God is our God of HOPE. The Gospel is about HOPE – Renewed Life. The celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus speaks to the human drama of dying and rising – always rising to new possibilities, sometimes beyond our imagining.’ 

And isn’t that the indisputable truth my fellow followers of Christ? It surely is! For it was HOPE that our glorious Lord and Saviour was born, died and rose from the grave for us to have; so that we can embrace a new future filled with good things. 

And as the article in the Between Friends Newsletter also says: ‘Spring is a time to reflect on what we need to let go of so we can be alive with God’s grace, possibilities and freedom.’ 

Oh what a profound and true statement my brethren! Spring is not only the time to clean our homes and garages and get rid of unnecessary junk, but it’s also a time to clean our hearts, bodies and souls of the worthless stuff that’s gathered there, and is keeping us from having the true and right relationship with our heavenly Father that we so desperately need to have. 

So I invite us to day to have what we shall call ‘spring thinking,’ where we endeavour to cleanse ourselves of anything that’s not moving us towards God’s will for our lives. 

And one of the ways we can do that is simply by concentrating on the goodness of our God, as enshrined in our Bit. ‘And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’ 

Yeh friends, one of the easiest ways to avoid evil, is to concentrate on good; so that the mind has no place for the lies and deceits of the prince of darkness. But listen to what the Lord told Moses after our Bit. 

‘Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and fourth generation.’ (Ex.34:7) 

Now the end of that statement sounds somewhat harsh, but with the coming of Jesus that was somewhat mitigated, for everybody now has to bear the consequences for their own transgressions. 

But Glory to God, there’s still mercy and forgiveness of sin! And nowhere is God’s goodness spelled out more succinctly than in Bruh Paul’s words to the Ephesians on the terms of grace and faith. 

‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved;) 

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show his grace in his kindness toward us through (in) Christ Jesus.’ (Eph.2:4-7) 

How magnanimous is that eh my precious people! Our wonderful God LOVED us so much, that even when we were dead in our transgressions, He gave us an option to be lifted out of the mire, to rise godly and righteous, through the selfless sacrifice of His most adorable Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 

Wow! I can’t help saying it friends: ‘What a wonderful God we serve and worship! There’s NONE else like Him in all the world! Praise and Bless His Holy Name!’ 

Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, extolling who and whose we are. With strong conviction now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen!’ 

So if that’s what we are about my brethren, then let’s go out now and share it with the rest of the world, as our friend Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!

…spring…the time of resurrection…of cleansing…of new beginnings…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 October 2015 Hebrews 11:1

14 Oct 2015 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 11:1.  Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.

Aye Friends, can you believe it’s Wednesday already? Wow! Our workweek is almost done… Glory to God! 

And I do hope that you were all bright eyed and bushy tailed when you arose this morning. Sorry to say that ole fella was not. I had a rather rude awakening with cramps in both calves that forced me to get up. But thankfully they never lasted long. 

I guess it was just the Lord’s way of getting my attention, since it was the agreed time for me to get up, and I really didn’t want to. He can certainly move in mysterious and devious ways when He is ready. (smile) 

And then when I heard the garbage truck in the area, knowing that I had not even collected the stuff in the house, much less put it out on the curb, I dragged myself to get it done, all the time obstructed by the bag and tubing of my I.V. 

Praise the Lord though that it is supposed to come out today! I couldn’t handle the inconvenience and scratching around the needle in my hand for even one more day. And that’s my story of woe for today! (smile) 

Oh…and since it is Wednesday, that means it’s wailing time. So let’s wail nuh, with sincerity and passion. ‘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!’ 

Oh yes my people, the road lies straight ahead to a glorious future with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Glory to God! What a wonderful opportunity it is to be linked up with Jesus! I don’t understand how so many people refuse it, and some even give it up nuh. 

To me that’s the height of stupidity, because there’s nothing in this ungodly, and evil world that even comes close to the salvation and satisfaction promised by Christ. I guess they don’t have the parts, the patience, the wisdom or the faith to trust their lives to their Creator. 

And on that point, here is a li’l poem from Gramps Schuller (Robert H. Schuller) from the Hour of Power Devotional on that powerful and ever so important topic of ‘FAITH.’ 

Please pray with me: ‘Lord, I believe in the sun, even when it is behind the clouds; in the seed, even when it lies unsprouted under the ground; in faith, even when I have been betrayed; in LOVE, even when I have been rejected; in hope, even when I have been hurt; in God, even when you do not answer my prayers. Amen.’ 

Ah mih breddren , that’s what it means to have faith! That even when we can’t see any movement in the natural, we still know and believe spiritually, that our amazing, gracious and most merciful God is still working behind the scenes on our behalf! That definitely deserves another ‘Glory to God!’ (smile) 

And since we’re talking about faith, I guess the most appropriate Bit for today would be this explanation from Hebrews. ‘Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ 

And the scholars offer this extensive explanation on the subject. ’11:1. Verse 1 is not so much a definition of what faith is, as it is a description of what faith does (cf.11:6). Two truths concerning its activity are stated here. 

First, faith provides substance (Gr. hypostasis). Though broad in its usage, this Greek word normally has the meaning of “assurance” in the New Testament (cf. 3:14; 2 Cor.9:4; 11:17) and this seems to be the best sense here. 

Second, faith provides evidence (Gr. elegchos). It is evidence in the sense of proof that results in conviction. The difference between assurance and evidence would be minimal were it not for the phrase qualifying each: of things hoped for and of things not seen. 

The first involves future hope; the second involves present realities that are unseen. The first includes the hope of the resurrection, the return of Christ, and the glorification of the saints. The second involves unseen realities, such as forgiveness of sin through Christ’s sacrifice and the present intercession of Christ in heaven. Hope is faith relating to the future; conviction is faith relating to the present.’ 

Ah Friends, it’s a long and somewhat involved explanation, but if you take your time and read it, I’m sure you’ll understand what the scholars are trying to say. 

In a nutshell, faith is a spiritual reality that causes us to have hope in Jesus Christ, both in the here and now and in the future! It’s what keeps us going when in the natural things don’t seem to be going or turning out the way we desire. 

However, because of that faith and trust in the promises of Jesus, we KNOW that He is on the case, working things out for our good, to fall into line with the good plan He has for each and every one of our lives. And we certainly can’t ask for more than that! 

So today, please, I implore us to get with the programme; to ramp up our faith and trust in our Saviour. Would He have sacrificed His holy and sinless life, if He didn’t truly LOVE and care for us? I very much doubt it. So now it’s our turn to show our gratitude and faith in the good news of His message. That is heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!

…faith is simply…trust and LOVE…in action…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 December 2014 Jeremiah 31:31

14 Dec 2014 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 31:31. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah. 
 
Oh Friends, it’s a new week! Yeh! And today, Sunday, is the first day in it. So let’s give our wonderful Creator and God big thanks of praise and glory for bringing us safely through the dark, demon-filled night into the bright, brilliant, bountiful and ever so beautiful Son-light of Jesus Christ, our most LOVING Lord and Saviour!
 
And on this auspicious day of the Lord, the Sabbath, let’s joyfully remember the reason for the seasons we’re celebrating; Advent, the eagerly awaited expectation of the Christ child; Christmas, the actual birth of the Christ child.
 
And all God’s people gave out with a heartwarming shout of grateful praise. ‘Thank You heavenly Father, for sending Jesus to sacrifice and atone for our sins. We’re not worthy of Your LOVE, but You still bless us with it because You are a merciful and ever-LOVING God.
 
We praise Your Holy Name, and will endeavour to live lives that are pleasing to You, and glorify You. This we pray in the name of Jesus, whose birth at Christmas gave us hope for a new future, heralded a new era in our lives, and whose death on the cross at Calvary, along with His resurrection and ascension brought Your promise of a new covenant to pass.
 
And we can’t end without saying a big, big thank You to Jesus for selflessly sacrificing His holy and sinless life for us. He didn’t have to do it. But He was obedient to Your will. Help us to be likewise obedient to Your dictates. Thank You Jesus! We bow to Your eternal majesty, and confess that You are indeed Lord of All! Amen.’
 
Ah mih people, that prayer might seem long and disjointed, but the important thing is that it came from the heart, as all prayers ought to, regardless of their length or correctness of language. (smile) And please don’t forget that today is the day for worship, praise and fellowship with both man and God.
 
Please let’s fill God’s sanctuaries with our bodies as well as with joy, thanks and gladness of heart, because our Bit is now in a sure mode of fulfillment. ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah.’
 
Yes Friends, that wonderful promise was set in motion through Christ’s birth and His selfless actions as a young man. We’re now awaiting its culmination through His Second Coming in blazing glory!
 
And today I want to share some important explanations of the scholars, re that covenant, because they are invaluable in helping us to understand it. I don’t know how much I’ll be able to get in, because it takes up almost an entire page of the Good Book.
 
But here goes: ’31:31-34. The new covenant is the culmination of God’s covenant-making with Israel. It may be viewed as a document of God’s prophetic programme and of His policies of administration.
 
As an administrative document, it renders obsolete and succeeds the old Sinaitic covenant that served as the manual of procedure for carrying out the moral, civil, and ceremonial regulations relative to national Israel in the pre-Christian era (cf. Deut.7:6-11; Heb.8:7-13).
 
Some features of the old covenant are carried over into the new covenant: (1) There is in the new covenant a stress on the importance of the unchangeable principles of God’s law.
 
However, these will now be written not on stone but in the hearts of God’s people – they will become part of their inward code for living, and will conform in all respects to the moral law of the Scriptures.
 
Accordingly, the ideal that the old covenant called for (cf. Deut. 6:6-7; 10:16; 30:6) in external commandments will be internalized under the terms of the new covenant.
 
(2) With the establishment of the covenant at Sinai, Israel had become nationally God’s people (Ex. 6:6-7; 19:5-6). As such, they were to be a faithful and obedient people, reflecting His standards in their lives (Deut. 14:1-2; 26:16-19).
 
In a far greater way, the intimacy of the believer with God makes the realization of God’s relation to His people under the terms of the new covenant to be a full and living experience. Moreover, not just the Israelites but all believers (those who know God, v.34) are now called under the new covenant my people. (See 2 Cor.6:16; Gal.3:6-9, 15-18, 26-29; Titus 2:14)
 
These features of vital inwardness and a universality of the knowledge of God stand out as the two great distinctive elements in the new covenant.
 
(3) A third feature that represents continuity with the old covenant, yet superiority under the new covenant is the matter of forgiveness. Although God is said to forgive their iniquity under the administration of the Sinaitic covenant (Ex.34:6-7; Num.14:18; Deut.5:9-10; cf. Ps.86:15; Joel 2:13), in the stipulations of the new covenant, God will remember their sin no more.
 
This feature is a reminder that men in Old Testament times were saved in anticipation of the finished work of Calvary. Under the old economy, believers approached God in their worship experience through human mediators (Ex.20:19); but with the completed redemption by Christ, the members of the family of God now have direct access to God (cf. 1 Tim.2:5-6; Titus 2:11-14, 3:5-7; Heb. 9:1-10:22).
 
Where full forgiveness has been granted, there is no more remembrance of sin. Positionally and experientially, with the living reality of both God’s law in the heart and the indwelling Christ (Col.1:20-27) in the believer, there is not only full and continuous forgiveness of sin (1 John 1:8-9), but full provision for faithful and victorious living.’
 
And we’ll stop there for today. I do hope that some of that explanation does improve our understanding of some of the differences between the old and new covenants. I apologize for some of the big words and terms the scholars use that might have you running to your dictionary. But that’s just the nature of the beast – scholars just use big words because they feel that shows their scholarship. (smile)
 
So basically Friends, the new covenant writes God’s law in our hearts, rather than on outward things like tablets of stone; allows us to go directly to God not through some other human mediator, and in addition to forgiving our sins, now throws them far behind God’s back, never to be remembered again.
 
As I keep saying, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! And whoever rejects Him is a total idiot. Much LOVE!
 
…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…