Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 February 2020 Matthew 7:7.

24 Feb 2020 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 7:7.    ​Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
 

Awright, here we go again, Monday, the first day of the work week. At least I think so, cause I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. (smile) And since we’re a bit on the late side, we hope everybody got to work safe and sound, regardless of flood, fire and storm. (smile) 

Oh I know the Good Lord will protect His saints wherever they are, so I’m not worried, but for the fearful and frustrated few – or should I say many, we still going to offer up our Monday Morning Battle Hymn for help to get us through these troubled and disturbing times. As our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ informed us: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ So let’s ask and knock and see what opens. 

Altogether now in confidence and humility: remember if we want to get good and serious answers, those two attitudes are quite important when we come to the Lord in prayer. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. 

We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. 

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. 

Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ 

Oh my people, yuh feel the blessings? I know you do, because I feel them too! And do I ever LOVE that about out magnificent and magnanimous God; before we’re even finished praying, He begins to work His wonders on and in us! Give Him some thanks and praise my fellow believers, because He’s so wonderful and faithful and so deserving of our praise and worship and exaltation! 

As Bruh David so rightfully proclaimed in Psalm 34: ‘O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.’ (Ps. 34:3) And why would he do that eh? Because as he claims: ‘I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.’ (Ps. 34:4) Yes friends, Bruh David was always seeking the Lord! That’s why, despite his many shortcomings the Lord could still call him His friend and a man after His own heart! 

And so it should be with us; we ought to keep seeking the Lord despite the troubles we encounter and the mistakes we make. The Lord knows our fears, frailties and weaknesses better than us because He made us with them, so He’s not surprised at what we do, but desires us to come to Him in ALL circumstances. That’s the crux of the matter. As Jesus said we must ask if we want to receive. 

And as Bruh David further said: ‘They looked unto him, and were lightened (radiant): and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them’ (Ps. 34:5-7) Yuh see people, when we look to the Lord, call on him in humility, confidence and sincerity, we are never ashamed, and our faces are radiant, expressing the joy and LOVE that’s found in Jesus. 

And the asking and knocking and seeking is very prevalent in the New Testament, so let’s look at a few of those scriptures nuh. Hear Jesus after He cursed the fig tree for not having fruit when it ought to: ‘And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive it.’ (Matt. 21:22) Then, later He spoke the parable of the widow who kept harassing the wicked judge for justice, indicating that ‘men ought always to pray and not faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) 

Oh precious people of Christ, it is ever so important that we don’t ever stop praying, regardless of whatever happens! If you’re a believer, then it’s your bounden duty to pray, because sometimes the Lord is just trying to test our faith by not immediately answering our prayer requests. And as James wisely tells us: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). 

For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8) And those aren’t my words friends, but those of Jesus’ brother James who eventually came to believe that His big brother was who He really claimed to be; the Messiah. 

And John adds his two cents worth: ‘And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.’ (1 John 3:22) Now therein lies the rub my people: we need to live a godly life, if we want to have a successful prayer life. As the scholars tell us: ‘Right living is an important part of successful praying.’ And to add to that, our motives and the things we ask for must be in the Lord’s will, because the Lord looks at the state of our hearts before considering our prayers. 

And what better scripture to close with than this one from Jesus: ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto (for) you.’ (John 15:7) So there you have it my brethren, ask and seek and knock with right motives, with Jesus’ words abiding in our hearts, and we’ll have what we need. Much LOVE!

…Jesus’ words…words to live by…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 October 2013 Matthew 5:7

26 Oct 2013 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 5:7.      Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
 
Well hello there you beautiful believers in Jesus Christ; King of Kings and Lord of Lords! How goes it this wonderful Saturday morning eh? I guess many of you are enjoying a rare morning of sleeping in, that is until your young offspring start clamouring for food and attention. All I can say there though, is better you than me yes. (smile) I went through that many moons ago.
 
Anyway, today I want to share a poem I got from the Between Friends Magazine published by the Friends of the Society of the Little Flower. It comes from an article written by its Director, Father Bob Colaresi. He himself was quoting a Spanish Carmelite Nun, St. Teresa of Avila. She’s different to the society’s patron Saint, St. Therese, also a Carmelite Nun, but of French origin. 
 
It’s claimed that St. Teresa taught this poem. ‘Christ has no body but yours, No Hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
 
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, Yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.’
 
And that Friends, is the gospel truth, because Christ left us here on earth to do His work; to spread the good, exciting news of His gospel; the wonderful rewards of salvation and eternal life, if we embrace His Deity. It’s now our duty to go around the world, with our eyes, feet ears, hands and bodies, be His representative, and let the lost and unfortunate masses know of all that He’s accomplished on our behalf. 
 
But again, to do Jesus’ work successfully, we need physical, mental and spiritual strength backed by divine wisdom, which can only be had by being in tune with Almighty God. Today’s Bit, another Beatitude, tells us: ‘Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.’
 
And that is absolute truth in more ways than one. First of all, like Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer; ‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’ (Matt.6:12) If we don’t forgive we won’t be forgiven. The same goes for mercy; if we don’t show mercy to others, neither will the Lord show us any. It’s basically the universal motto of, you reap what you sow.
 
You cannot be neither merciful nor forgiving and yet expect to receive forgiveness and mercy. Hn! Although that seems to be the prevailing wisdom in our world today. Generally speaking, forgiveness is NOT getting the punishment we deserve, while mercy is getting the good things that we DON’T deserve. 
 
Then we have this take from the scholars: ‘5:7. Those who are merciful…shall obtain mercy has reference to those who have been born again by the mercy of God. Because divine LOVE has been extended to them, they have the work of the Holy Spirit in them producing a mercy that defies explanation by unregenerate men. Jesus Himself became the ultimate example of this when He cried from the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)’
 
Oh Friends, I like that part about ‘a mercy that defies explanation by unregenerate men.’ And that’s the God-awesome truth! For mankind still can’t figure out or understand how Christians can be so merciful and forgiving when faced with serious and troubling circumstances. But it all depends on that Holy Spirit of His Divine Majesty dwelling in us, which shows us the right way.
 
Unfortunately, mankind will never understand the Christian attitude unless and until he wholeheartedly embraces Jesus, and consequently receives that wonder-working Spirit in his own soul. It all bolls down to, NO JESUS, NO HOLY SPIRIT, and therefore no divine understanding!
 
And when we talk about God’s mercy, there’s no better example in receiving it, than Bruh David. Listen to him from Psalm 41, Abuse and Assurance. ‘Blessed is he that considereth the poor (helpless, powerless): the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
 
The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing (his bed of illness): thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness (restore him in his sickbed). I said, Lord be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.’ (Psalm 41:1-4)
 
Oh my people, two things are evident there: One must be kind and/or show mercy to the poor and needy, and secondly, one must confess one’s own wrongdoing to Jehovah God. Bruh David knew that, and tried to live that way. That’s why the Lord was so merciful to him, in spite of all his shortcomings and wrongdoings.
 
Unfortunately though, today, many of us figure that confessing our wrongdoings is for the birds, therefore we lose out on God’s precious grace and mercy. And sadly my people, that’s a fool’s wisdom!
 
Oh Friends, the Lord doesn’t expect us to be perfect, because He never made us that way. But He does expect us to be man and woman enough to own up to our faults and frailties.
 
Please, let’s be brave and admit our wrongs, so we can receive God’s generous grace, forgiveness and mercy. Now that’s truly divine wisdom! Much LOVE!
 
…O give thanks unto the Lord…for He is good…for His mercy endureth for ever… (1 Chr.16:34)