Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 July 2020 1 John 2:2.

19 Jul 2020 Leave a comment

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

1 John 2:2.     ​And he is the propitiation (atonement) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
 

Here we go again friends, it’s church time, by whatever means possible! And aren’t we a faithful group? Even with the churches physically closed, we have not faltered in our worship of Almighty God, we’ve found new and insightful ways to do it. But please let’s not get too swell-headed now, and start beating our chests with pride, for right there we fall into rough waters with the Father, for if it’s one thing He dislikes is pride, because it causes us to believe we don’t need Him, and is that ever the furthest thing from the truth! 

And we have the perfect example in the tribulation of worldwide sickness and strife we’re currently facing and can’t handle. So let’s not get too big for out britches and forget the foolish idea that we don’t need God. And I have to chuckle when I think of the multitudes of people who are praying these days who have never prayed before, or haven’t prayed for a long time. Hn! We’re all feeling the pinch and are slowly but surely coming to the realization that God is very necessary in our society. 

So as Papa James Brown would say: ‘Let’s get on the good foot and worship our great God nuh! Worship Him in Spirit and in truth!’ And we’ll begin by singing a song of praise; a li’l soulful Christian ditty titled ‘I come to the Cross,’ written by Bob Somma and Bill Batstone at the turn of the 21st century. So with the appropriate heart-felt sincerity, let’s offer up our sacrifice of praise in strong voice and soulful harmony. 

‘I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Humbly, I come to the cross. I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Jesus, I come to the cross. Your arms are open, You call me by name, You welcome this child that was lost. You paid the price for my guilt and my shame, Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross. 

I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Jesus, I come to the cross. Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross Your arms are open, You call me by name, You welcome this child that was lost. You paid the price for my guilt and my shame, Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross Jesus, I come to the cross…Jesus, I come to the cross….’ 

And that my people is the best place we can ever go for whatever ails us; right to the foot of Jesus’ cross, for it’s there that He died; died in our place to pay for our sins! Hear how John puts it: ‘My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not (may not sin). And if any man sin, we have an advocate (intercessor) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitiation (atonement) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.’ (1 John 2:1-2) 

Now that’s certainly telling it like it is! Jesus paid for all the sins of the world, once and for all. There’s no more atoning for sins again. And He’s also advocating for those of us who sin! Wow! I guess you’d call that a double play, or a double whammy! As the scholars explain. ‘2:2. Propitiation is here an atoning sacrifice. Jesus bore in His body the punishment due us for our sin; in so doing He ‘propitiated’ God, satisfied God’s just demand that sin be punished. Thus Jesus is both the advocate for sinners (vs.1) and the sacrifice for their sins.’ 

Yes He was the sacrificial lamb, the sinless, flawless lamb who’s shed blood paid for all of our wrongdoing. For as the author of Hebrews declares (yesss!): ‘And almost all things are by the law purged (cleansed) with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.’ (Heb. 9:22) And the scholars tell us: ‘9:22. On the basis of the preceding verses (19-21- where Moses sprinkled blood over the tabernacle and the vessels of the ministry) the author concludes two things: (1) the law seems to require that almost everything be purged with blood; and (2) there is no remission, forgiveness without the shedding of blood.’ 

Thus the unblemished body of Christ was sacrificed so that His sinless blood could be used to pay for our sins. That’s why the cross is so important in our Christian faith, for without it, our sin debts would not have been paid in full. And consequently the Good Book tells us that amongst other things, the blood of Christ washes and cleanses us and our robes (Rev. 7:14); that we overcome the enemy also by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of our testimony…’ (Rev. 12:12) That’s why we can truthfully proclaim that there is power in the blood! 

So when we are seeking mercy and grace and strength, and whatever else we need to live this life, we need to start at the cross of Jesus, for He is both our intercessor, and our sacrifice. And without the cross our faith would be nothing! And we’ll end with these marvellous words of Bruh Paul to the Roman church. 

‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now (having been) justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being (having been) reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (reconciliation.’ (Rom.5:8-11) 

So friends, I’ll tell us once again that Jesus is the answer to ALL of our problems! Much LOVE!

…wisdom decrees that the created…turn to the Creator…in times of need…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 November 2019 Matthew 5:19.

08 Nov 2019 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 5:19.    ​Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal:
 

‘Sunshine makes me feel so happy…Sunshine makes me feel so sad…’ Yeh friends, sunshine has the ability to do both those things. When we see it in the early morning hours, it lifts our spirits, but when it gets too hot, or too cold, as it is now in my neck of the woods, it deflates the spirit somewhat. But let’s be thankful for small mercies nuh, be thankful that there’s a bright sun shining in God’s beautiful sky, instead of any negative precipitation like the rain we’ve been recently having, or the snow that’s in our immediate future. And the ordinary workingman reminds us of just that in his weekend song. 

‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday, and the weekend is upon us! Boy, is that ever the best time of the week! And the sun’s shining to boot…and no snow not falling…not yet anyway. Wow! As Brother James Brown would say: ‘Get on the good foot baby!’ Yes, I’m certainly going to do that, come rain, snow or shine, cause life’s too short to allow the vagaries of the weather to control it. And who doesn’t want to do that, that’s their business, their loss. They don’t know what a good time they passing up nuh. To some of us, it’s okay to work all week, then don’t enjoy the weekend. Well not me nuh! I’m starting right now to enjoy it oui! Come hell or highwater, my weekend going to be a blast! Yes sir! Thank God for Fridays and weekends!’ 

And so should we all, my precious people of God! Because it’s only through His grace and mercy that we can enjoy the fruits of our labour in fairly peaceful surroundings. Unfortunately, a great proportion of humanity are unable to do that, due to strife and wars and other public upheavals. So let’s give some sincere and heartfelt thanks as we declare our weekend song, our Friday Chant.

All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ 

And as I like to remind us each week, Christianity is an action oriented, outgoing association, but not one that just runs hither, thither and yon without a sensible sense of purpose. (smile) That is to say, our Leader, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ has instituted borders and boundaries that we should not cross over since they would just allow the ever-lurking enemy to get a foothold in our lives, something we need to avoid at all cost. So, unlike the ordinary workingman, we don’t rush out and do whatever we want, or whatever feels good, we need to examine our actions in the context of Christ’s boundaries before we do stuff. 

Now sometimes that’s difficult, or it seems to detract from what we’d naturally consider a joyful time. But friends, it’s better to be safe than sorry, for once we get into certain activities or circumstances, they will certainly come back to haunt us, possibly for the rest of our lives. Please, please, let’s remember that all that glitters is not gold, especially in the enemy’s camp. His stuff is not even gold plated, just covered with a thin veneer of gold paint, and gets rusty real quickly! (smile) That’s why Jesus went to such great length to warn us in His Sermon on the Mount: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal:’ What life changing, world beating advice my brethren! 

And it’s not like we don’t know, or have not experienced the theft and/or fraudulent gain of our earthly treasure by others, yet we continue to kill ourselves in order to accumulate earthly wealth and possessions that can be so easily violated. And Jesus doesn’t leave us hanging, He shows us where to store our treasure. ‘But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal.’ (Matt. 6:20) That’s ageless wisdom people! If you have treasure, the best place to store it is where it’s the safest from thieves and rust…and that’s heaven. 

And furthermore, Jesus reminds us: ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt.6:21) Gospel truth friends! Just think about your earthly valuables right now, wherever you have them stored, your mind is always on them wondering if they are safe; in the bank, or under your mattress, or if they are making you more money, increasing in value, in places like the stock exchange. And in these oh so turbulent times, we’re thinking about our earthly treasure more than ever, since matters totally out of our control can cause us to lose it all. 

Listen to the scholars: ‘6:19-21. The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term treasures implies the addition or accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (on earth, or in heaven). The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather as rewards for faithful service, as is illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus.’ Oh friends all the wealth in the world won’t get us into heaven. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong to have earthly wealth, but it’s how we use it. 

Hear Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Charge (command) them that are rich in this world (present age), that they be not highminded (haughty), nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute (give), willing to communicate (share); Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.’ (1 Tim. 17-19) Yeh friends, once we believe in Christ, we must use our earthly treasures to help others, to further God’s kingdom, thus we will store up rewards, treasures in heaven…and you can’t beat heavenly treasures! Much LOVE!

…labour not to be rich…do not overwork…cease from thine own wisdom… (Prov.23:4)

Today​’s Scrip-Bit 17 March 2019 Philippians 2:9.

17 Mar 2019 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 2:9.    Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.

Sunday, O Sunday! Wherefore art thou O Sunday! Thou art the Sabbath: the day of rest, the day of fellowship, praise and thanksgiving, of souls being refuelled with LOVE, confidence and assurance in the promises of the One True God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! What a blessed day you are Sunday, O Sunday! (smile) 

And since we’ve said all that friends, we’ve got to make it come true by going to the Lord’s sanctuary to renew our vows of faith and trust and receive His blessing so that we can keep that faith and trust alive and well for at least another week, before returning to His sanctuary for refuelling. Ah friends, it sure is a steady cycle, but we need it, if we are to keep our faith in Jehovah God strong. 

But enough talk! Right now I want to sing! And today’s song is a thrilling anthem to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! We sung it before on the Bit, but it just rose up in me this week, calling out to be sung once again! (smile)  It’s a gospel song written by one Will Reagan, and I listened to two powerful, moving versions on You Tube; one by Tasha Cobbs and another by Jesus Culture Lyrics. It’s titled ‘There is Power in the Name of Jesus,’ or ‘Break Every Chain.’ 

I’ve taken the liberty to add a couple of extra lines from each version, as well as a li’l touch of my own. I’m sure the original songwriter will also be overjoyed to hear our version this morning. So without further ado, let’s tell the unbelieving world the way it is, as we raise our voices in sweet harmonious gospel song. 

‘O There is power in the name of Jesus There is power in the name of Jesus There is power in the name of Jesus To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain (Repeat) There’s an army rising up There’s an army rising up There’s an army rising up To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain. 

All sufficient sacrifice, freely given, such a price. On our redemption Heaven’s gates swing wide, That’s why we believe that There is power in the name of Jesus There is power in the name of Jesus There is power in the name of Jesus To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain. We believe that there is power, power, wonder-working power in the name of Jesus. 

And that’s why There’s an army rising up There’s an army rising up There’s an army rising up To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain! Oh He’s our Jesus, Jesus – the Mighty Conqueror! That’s why we hear the chains falling, the chains are falling! 

Shout it out! I hear the chains falling I hear the chains falling!  I feel the freedom, freedom from the bondage of sin! Yes! He has set us free, because there is power in the name of Jesus, power in the name of Jesus, power to break every chain, break every chain, break every chain…’ 

Mama Mia! What wonderful singing my faithful brethren! All Heaven was held spellbound by it! A big, proud grin split the Father’s face, as He nodded in approval, raised His closed right fist and said a hearty ‘Yeah!’ Meanwhile, Jesus sat quietly nearby and smiled His shy, boyish smile at the enormous amount of praise we were lavishing on Him. But that shouldn’t surprise us, because He’s always shied away from taking any praise for Himself, diverting it all to the Father. 

And that’s exactly why the Father, in exceedingly great appreciation for His selfless sacrifice and obedience here on earth did what He did: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Eph.2:9-11) 

Oh friends, how could that kind of exaltation not add tremendous power to the name of Jesus eh…to be able to break chains, set us free from the bondage of sin and save our lost souls! And today all I want to do is look at a couple of scriptures which also lift up the name of Jesus. But before we do that listen to this story about me and that song. 

Early one Sunday morning last year, I was on my way home from having an MRI of some part of my body, don’t remember which one, I’ve had so many done over the last few years, but the Tasha Cobbs version was playing on the Gospel Music Machine Radio Show broadcasting from the University of Toronto Radio Station. There was little traffic on the three-lane road, but I got in the right lane, who knows why, but me and Tasha were singing up a storm as we went along. 

All of a sudden I heard a loud bang and the car veered off to the left! And was I ever surprised at those unexpected actions. On checking, I discovered that the right lane I was driving in, ended at the traffic light I’d just gone through, and I’d rammed the right wheel of the car against the curb, as there were now only two lanes. Thankfully there was no damage to the car or myself. But that just goes to show the power of Jesus’ name; it can get you so carried away, that you lose your mental perspective! (smile)  

Now let’s check out some scriptures like I promised. Hear the angel of the Lord to Joseph on the birth of Jesus. ‘And she (Mary) shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins.’ (Matt.1:21) And John says: ‘But as many as received him (Jesus), to them gave he power (the right) to become the sons (children) of God, even to them that believe on his name.’ (John 1:12) 

Yes friends, yuh see the kind of power in Jesus’ name! Believe on it and you become the child of God! Wow! Why then are so many people refusing to believe in Him eh? And we’ll give the last word to Peter when he appeared before the high priest. Filled with the Holy Ghost, he proudly proclaimed: ‘Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:12) That says it all my people! 

As the scholars explain: ‘4:12. The name of Jesus Christ is the centre of contention (vs.7, 10, 12) and ever will be. Salvation for Jew and Gentile alike is exclusively through the name of Jesus Christ (cf. John 14:6).’ And that’s all there is to the argument! So let’s be wise and get on the good foot with Jesus nuh! (smile)  It’s the only option that makes any sense! Much LOVE!

…I am the Way…the Truth…and the Life…no man comes to the Father…but by ME…  (John 14:6) 

P.S. Yes, it li’l bit long and late, but fellowshipping after church kept me back, and shortening it would have lost the special flavour. And if yuh can’t spend a li’l extra time on Jesus’ Word on a Sabbath Sunday…in Lent to boot, then why bother to spend any at all eh? (smile ) Much LOVE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 
​

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 August 2018 Psalm 89:1.

20 Aug 2018 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 89:1.   I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

Rise and shine my people, it’s a brand new Monday, of a brand new work week, and it’s overflowing with brand new mercies and blessings! Glory to God my brethren, for He will never leave us to suffer unnecessarily. Where there is no way, He will make a way! And when it seems we’ll be consumed by the fires of this world, oh friends, He’ll bring us through them unscathed, not even smelling of smoke. 

What an awesome God we serve my fellow believers! And it’s the same with the floods; when they seem ready to overwhelm us, to drown us, He’s promised to bring us through them safely. So what is there for us to be afraid of in this world eh? Absolutely NOTHING! Because the universe belongs to our God, our Father, and He is in total control and will not let evil overcome His children! 

His commitment to that was so strong that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to save us from our evil doings. So if this Monday morning you are troubled, in dismay, or simply tired and down in the dumps, then please join us in singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, for it lifts our spirits and puts us back on the good foot, like Papa James Brown would say. (smile) 

So without further ado, let’s get into it nuh, as one purposeful choir, in strong voice and sincere hearts. ‘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!’ 

Now that’s the antidote for whatever ails us this Monday morning! I’m sure you can feel your spirit rising and your soul being reinvigorated, as the adrenaline courses through your body. That’s the power of the Holy Spirit working in us friends! And with such a marvellous transformation taking place, we subsequently have to go out and work the works of Jesus, with a good attitude and a joyful spirit. 

It’s imperative that we let the world know, not only by our talk, but more importantly by our walk, of the abundant goodness of God and His exceeding faithfulness and their need to come to Him, just as they are, for comfort and succour. Yeh friends, we have to go out and do like the psalmist Ethan says in our Bit. ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever; with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to ALL generations.’ 

Now that’s our bounden duty my fellow Christians! Remember Jesus’ Great Commission to His disciples and to all subsequent believers: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:18-20) 

Yeh friends, as the scholars explain: ‘28:18-20. The triumphant living Lord sends forth His ambassadors to proclaim His gospel throughout the world. The Great Commission is not just an order but a pronouncement of victory (mundus regium Christ) by the risen Saviour through His disciples. All power or authority (Gr. exousia) is now in the hands of Christ, in heaven and on earth. On the basis of that authority and power the Christian disciple is to carry out the Great Commission of the church.’ 

And it’s a joy to go out into this evil world and do that. Why? Listen to the psalmist as he further exalts the Lord, extols His wonderful attributes. ‘Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. Justice and judgement (righteousness and justice) are the habitation (foundation) of thy throne: mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth shall go before thy face. 

Blessed is the people that know the joyful song: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn (our strength) is exalted.’ (Ps.89:13-17) 

Now, with all of that going for us, how can we not be excited and enthused, and delighted to go out and extol the wonders of our God eh? We’d be truly a sorry bunch of ingrates if we felt otherwise. Much LOVE!

…the mercies and faithfulness of our God…can never be surpassed by anyone else…for there is ONLY ONE GOD…the ONE we worship…