Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 November 2018 John 8:36.

24 Nov 2018 Leave a comment

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

John 8:36.    If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Oh friends, it’s Saturday; the day of late sleeping in and of late night parties! Mama Yo! That’s my kind of day! As you can see I’ve availed myself of the first, but doubt I’ll do so for the latter. (smile) Anyway, I do hope you youngsters can avail yourself of both, like I did in my youth. 

 

Come to think of it…that youth now seems like it was a long long time ago, a mere glimmer in my thoughts. And you don’t need to rub it in and tell me that yes, my youth was a long time ago, because no one knows that better than me. (smile) And though my body might be a bit on the aged side, my spirit will remain forever young, thanks be to our great God! Give Him thanks and praise my people, for His wonderful grace, mercy and forgiveness to the undeserving children of men! 

And since it’s Saturday, let’s look at some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week, in his noble effort to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Hear this first one: ‘If you have no critics you’ll likely have no success.’ And that’s basically true, because there are so many people out there who will be jealous of your success that they will find even the smallest and most fake criticism, to try and disrupt your success. 

So if you’re seeking success in this evil world, then make sure you’re ready for and up to criticism. And the more success you have, the harsher the criticism will usually be. 

And the nest quote says: ‘Humans have a light side and a dark side, and it’s up to us to choose which way we’re going to live our lives. Even if you start out on the dark side, it doesn’t mean you have to continue your journey that way. You always have time to turn it around.’ Now the basic premise of the statement is true; we do have dark and light sides, and we can turn them either way, the problem though is the last sentence, concerning time to turn them around. 

Please friends, please note that we don’t ALWAYS have time to turn our lives around, for none of us knows the day nor the hour that Jesus will call us home, or return to earth a second time, and once that happens all bets are over. So I would suggest that if we’re living on the dark side, that we gravitate to the LIGHT, which is Jesus, RIGHT NOW, to avoid getting caught out in the dark. 

For as I keep saying, that’s the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul; forced to endure eternity in the dark with the prince of darkness, the evil one, and not in the light with Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Light! 

And then there’s this: ‘The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.’ Now in a sense that’s true, since the media does spread its controlling tentacles far, wide and deep. 

But have no doubt of this my faithful believers; the Lord God Almighty IS, and always will be, the mightiest power on this earth, His Creation, which He controls with an iron fist. Have you ever seen the media work miracles in your lives? Have they provided food, clothing and shelter when you so badly needed them? But the Lord God has done it all…and more! 

The Lord can make us believe anything He wants us to by merely thinking it. But for some reason, in His ultimate wisdom, He gave us free choice, which allows us to go against His will. The media can’t do that. So although they are powerful, they ARE NOT, the most powerful entity on earth! Matter fixed! 

Now the next quote says: ‘You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.’ And that’s definitely not true! We can have peace with and in Jesus though we are enslaved! Freedom is a much ballyhooed idea that has caused more problems in this world than anything else, and we still are not free, because it seems impossible to be truly free. 

We always need to believe something, or become attached to something or someone, which controls our minds and behaviour, thereby making us not free. But friends, the greatest amount of freedom one can have is by being a believer in Jesus Christ. For as our Bit says: ‘If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.’ 

Oh friends, please be wise and listen to Jesus nuh. He came to earth and sacrificed His sinless life to set us free from the certain death we were heading towards as sinners. As the Good Book wisely declares: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom.6:23) 

And the scholars explain: ‘6:23. Wages: Emphasizes what we deserve. Gift of God: Emphasizes God’s unmerited favour.’ So my brethren, yuh see the great difference between what we deserve and what we can achieve through Jesus! Glory Be! 

And Bruh Paul puts it this way to the Galatians: ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.’ (Gal.5:1) Yes friends, Christ through His death on the cross paid for ALL of our sins, but you need to believe in Him, before you can be set free, for He is the ONLY conduit to that freedom; the greatest and most important freedom in God’s universe. 

Please accept Him in your hearts, minds, souls and bodies today. It will be the wisest decision you have ever made. Much LOVE!

…only in Christ…can a human being enjoy true freedom…freedom from worry…freedom from want…freedom from death…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 December 2013 1 John 1:9

01 Dec 2013 Leave a comment

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

1 John 1:9.    If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 
Oh Friends, can you believe it’s already the first day of December? The days sure are flying fast! Soon it will be Christmas, and then the New Year! And it seems that just recently we were cavorting and carrying on during the lazy, hazy days of summer. (smile)
 
That brings to mind that New Year’s Resolution we made to follow Jesus more closely in this year 2013. Time to check on it again my brethren, and do whatever is necessary to fulfill it.
 
Sorry, but you can’t truly fulfill it in just one month, since following Jesus is a process built on time and constancy of effort. That’s why I’ve been encouraging us to check on it at the beginning of each month.
 
And now that Christmas is upon us, meaning we’ll be busy with all the preparations and shopping, all that stuff is very liable to take us out of Jesus’ orbit and into that of the world. And talking about shopping, let’s chalk up one for Jesus and the sanctity of the family!
 
It seems that a brave and godly woman in Plymouth, New Hampshire, a Sears Homestore owner, refused the Head Office’s request to open at 7.p.m. on Thanksgiving evening, citing her support for families getting together on such a notable holiday.
 
And all God’s people declared a loud and heartfelt, ‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!’  Yes Friends, our God should indeed be praised for that bit of chutzpah on the store owner’s part. 
 
And the commercial nonsense is getting worse daily, for whereas Black Friday usually meant stores opening at midnight, they’re now opening early on Thanksgiving evening, cutting even deeper into the celebrations. Ah Lord eh!
 
And even sadder is the fact that there’s no break between the Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping blitz, it’s all one concerted effort now. Steups! But I’ve got to say a big thank you to our God, because personally I don’t get caught up in all the hoopla.
 
However, the good thing about it all, is if we do stray, get lost and caught up in the idolatry of the worldly events, we have a way out in the godly promise of our Bit. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
 
Now yesterday we were mainly concerned about what John had to say on the matter, today though, we’ll look at what other figures in scripture have to say about the confession of sins. 
 
And we’re going to begin with the wise words of Cousin Sol. ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.’ (Prov.28:13) 
 
Oh my people, that’s such an awesome truth! For when we try to hide our sins, they usually come back to haunt us at the worse time possible. As the old people would say, whatever is done in darkness will eventually come to light, with more disastrous consequences too. That’s another awesome truth, to which most of us can testify from personal experience.
 
Now let’s turn to a man who knew all about sins, righteousness, confessions and cleansing, Bruh David. Listen to him in Psalm 32; The blessedness of forgiveness. ‘Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not (does not charge his account with) iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile (deceit).
 
When I kept silence, my bones waxed (grew) old through my roaring (groaning) all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture (vitality) is turned into the drought of summer.   Selah.
 
I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.   Selah.’ (Ps.32:1-5)
 
Oh Friends, I’m sure that many of us can say the same thing, if we’re truthful. (smile) For when our wrongdoings weigh us down, our spirits usually become deflated and we just don’t feel right in the sight of our holy and righteous God.
 
But please note Bruh David’s solution, the only one that will bring us any peace; confession of our known iniquity to our heavenly Father. For as our Bit so rightly, faithfully and LOVINGLY declares: ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
 
Ah mih breddren, I can’t help but note again, what a wonderful Deity we serve and worship!’ And for being so gracious and merciful to us undeserving sinners, let’s give Him a big, loud, grateful and hearty; ‘Thank You Lord! You’re the BEST! And that’s no lie Friends! 
 
And these comments from the scholars just corroborate my feelings. ‘Psalm 32. The psalm describes the blessedness of forgiveness as no other does. This is the theme of especially the first five verses, which include the happiness of the forgiven man (vv.1-2), the physical and psychological effects of unconfessed sin (vv.2-4), and the simple remedy of confession to receive God’s forgiveness (v.5). On this basis David can experience prayer (vv.6-7), divine instruction (vv.8-9), and personal witness (vv.10-11). 
 
And we’ll end with some more prayerful words from Bruh David, these from Psalm 38; The prayer of a penitent heart, which we recently covered, but is certainly worth hearing again. ‘O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. For thine arrows stick fast in me (pierce me deeply), and thy hand presseth me sore (down). There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest (peace) in my bones because of my sin.
 
For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me… For I am ready to halt (fall), and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin…. Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me. Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.’ (Ps.32:1-4, 17-18, 21-22)
 
So Friends, we know our problems, and we know how to fix them, so please let’s get on with it nuh. That’s not only divine wisdom, but it also warms and pleases the heart of our wonderful, ever-LOVING God. Much LOVE!
 
…for the wages of sin is death…but the gift of God… is eternal life…through (in) Jesus Christ…   (Rom.6:23)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 January 2013 John 4:10

14 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

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

John 4:10.    Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

‘Good morning neighbuh!’ the stocky, middle aged woman greets the younger woman across the fence, as they simultaneously open their front doors and step out on to their respective porches. ‘What’s so good about it eh?’ the younger woman replies in an irritated voice. ‘Oh, but look,’ the other woman enthusiastically answers, ‘the sun’s shining, the birds’ singing, you alive, and you have a steady job to go to.’ ‘So…’ the younger lady churlishly mouths. ‘So you should be happy,’ the neighbour answers.  ‘Steups! You doh know nuh woman,’ comes the reply. ‘Is Monday, and I’m just too tired to go to any blooming work this morning yes!’ Then with a thoughtful frown, she continues. ‘You wouldn’t by any chance want to get dressed and go and do this work for me…this work you so badly want?’ ‘Oh Miss Janice,’ the woman replies, a bit perturbed, ‘you know I couldn’t do your high class work, cause I don’t have your education and training.’ ‘Too bad yes,’ the young woman replies, as she turns on her heel and goes back inside to get ready to go to her high class job, leaving the older lady shaking her head in sad bewilderment, and asking,’ What happen to these young people nowadays eh?’  Oh Friends of mine, I sure hope none of you are to be found numbered amongst that miserable, unmannerly, unappreciative ungodly lot this morning, for it would certainly break Jesus’ heart. Anyway, to get over that surly, grouchy, Monday morning mood, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much verve and gusto. Even fake it if you have to, cause as they say, if you fake it long enough you’ll end up doing it for real. Now as one trilling and thrilling earthly choir, (smile) let’s bombard the heavens with song. ‘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 brethren, I hope all that brought a chuckle, a bit of levity to your soul, raised your adrenalin level, but also encouraged you to get a move on. Now let’s get into our Bit: ‘Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.’ Ah Friends, trust Jesus to tie up the poor woman’s brain. Anyway, yesterday we talked about ‘the gift of God,’ in that passage, and discovered it to be God’s wonderful, unmerited, undeserved grace. Today, let’s check out ‘the living water’ scenario. And that basically means the Holy Spirit. That’s how it was sometimes referred to before Jesus finished His earthly work and returned to heaven. And we all know that the Holy Spirit wasn’t noised abroad to each and every believer before Pentecost, when the Apostles sitting in the upper room suddenly felt this rush as of a mighty wind from heaven. ‘And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:3-4) But that doesn’t mean the Lord’s Spirit wasn’t involved with mankind before that. It came upon all the great leaders, prophets, and whomever the Lord singled out to do His bidding before Christ’s coming. Isaiah talks about it in Chapter 12, re thanksgiving for God’s mercies. ‘Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he has also become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.’ (Is.12:2-3) And Isaiah again refers to it in Chapter 44, the Spirit of God to be on Israel. ‘Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.’ (Is.44:3-4) Now here’s the definitive word on the subject from Jesus Himself, at the Feast of the Passover in Jerusalem. ‘In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly (heart) shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.’ (John 7:37-39) So there we have it Friends, plenty to ponder on this Monday morning as we journey out to continue our LOVE Walk with and for Jesus, in this evil, ungodly world. May He strengthen, and enable us with living water, keep us safe and peaceful, as we do His earthly bidding. Much LOVE!…living water…the Holy Spirit…can only be found at its true source…the fountainhead…Jesus…
 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 January 2013 John 4:10

13 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

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

John 4:10.     Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it was that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Well a good Sunday morning to all you beautiful believers out there in the Scrip-Bit family! And also to you who are joining us for the first time. I sincerely hope that it won’t be  for the last too, because what we’re trying to do here is lift people’s spirits, encourage them to live strong, powerful, meaningful lives here on this evil, ungodly earth, by focussing on the Word of God, His incomparable LOVE and peace, mercy and forgiveness, kindness and compassion! Wow Friends, what a cornucopia of blessings! And believe me, you can’t get all that wonderful stuff from any other source but Almighty God, through belief and trust in His marvellous Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Now yesterday I left us hanging re the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, because it would have run on way too long for our way too short attention spans, especially when it has do with the Creator of our universe. So let’s bring on our Bit, so that we can get rolling. ‘Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it was that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.’ Ah Friends, what a convoluted, confusing statement! No wonder the poor woman didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about. And yesterday I ended by asking if we knew what Jesus meant re ‘the gift of God’ and ‘living water’? Well let’s look first at ‘the gift of God’ by turning to Isaiah, when he talks about God’s suffering servant. ‘Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise (crush) him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail (distress) of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil (plunder) with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.’ (Is.53:10-12) Some powerful scripture that my people! But here is what it means per the scholars: ‘It pleased the lord to bruise (from daka’, “to crush) him refers to the same condition in verse 5 (wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities). Put him to grief reads “pierce” Him in the Dead Sea Scroll copy of the text. His seed refers to those who will come to believe in Him. An offering for sin (asham, ‘guilt offering’) involves the trespass offering described in Numbers 5:5-10. The phrase he shall prolong his days indicates that the Servant’s ministry will not end with His violent death, and certainly implies His resurrection. The pleasure of the Lord refers to God’s ultimate purposes which will be accomplished by the atoning death and resurrection of the Servant. The chapter ends with the glorification and exaltation of the Servant of the Lord. His intercession refers to His high priestly ministry, by which He makes intercession on the basis of His own substitutionary death.’ What a mouthful! But I do hope we understand it better than before. Yes Friends, way back in the Old Testament, centuries before Jesus was born, the Lord divulged His future plans to Isaiah, so that His people had something to hold on to, some assurance that all would be well eventually. If they trusted and had faith in Him, He would work everything out for their good in His own time. And that prophecy was fulfilled many years later by none other than Jesus, whom we know and LOVE and worship as our Lord, Master, Saviour, Prince of Peace, Mighty Counsellor, etc. etc. Now let’s turn to a passage in the New Testament re ‘the gift of God,’ from Bruh Paul, in his epistle to the Romans, re sin coming into the world through Adam and Eve and salvation through Christ. ‘But not as the offense, so also is the free gift (the free gift is not like the false step). For if through the offense of one (Adam) many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.’ (Rom.5:15) Oh Friends, what that basically means is that just like sin came into the world through Adam and was imputed to, covered all his descendants, just so Christ’s death and the salvation He brought is imputed to all believers, through the gift of God’s merciful and undeserving grace. Yes my brethren, that ‘gift of God’ is His wonderful grace, freely given to whomsoever chooses to believe in His Son Jesus Christ. Now isn’t that a most wonderful and superlative gift? It sure is! So please, let’s ponder some on grace today nuh. In fact let’s hunger for it, rise up and accept it in wisdom, faith and truth as we are supposed to. Only then will we realize the full extent of God’s LOVING-kindness and mercy. Much LOVE!…GRACE…the gift of God…with benefits unimaginable…free for the asking…and also free for the taking…
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 January 2013 John 4:10

12 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

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

John 4:10.     Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
 
Oh Friends, the ole fella doesn’t have a catchy, tantalizing intro for us today as the edicts of writing dictate. But I have something even better: a free gift of living water in a land of broken dreams. I have Good News Friends, the best news ever! That the Creator of the universe came to earth as a man and dwelt amongst us here on earth for approximately thirty three years, during which time He taught us about our heavenly Father; what He expects of us. Then this God-man sacrificed Himself on a rugged wooden cross, so that we could be reconciled with the righteous and just God, from whom we’d been long estranged by the abomination termed sin, because of the disobedience of our first parents Adam and Eve. And my people, if that ain’t Good News, then I don’t know what is! Anyway, today we’re going to check out an interesting story between an earthly woman and this God who came to earth as flesh and took the name of Jesus: Salvation, Saviour. One day, as this Jesus journeys overland, note by foot (P2), from Judea to Galilee, He eschews the circuitous route usually taken by other Jews, and instead passes by the city of Sychar (old Shechem) which belonged to the Samaritans. Now the Samaritans were looked down on by the Jews because though originally Jews, they had been bastardized by intermarriage with the pagan tribes that inhabited the land when they originally conquered it. On this particular day, Jesus is tired from walking a long distance in the daytime heat, for though He is God, He has taken on all the attributes of man, except sin. So He sends His disciples to buy food and sits down near this well on a plot of land that the Jews’ forefather Jacob had given to his son Joseph, many generations back. (Gen.33:19; 48:22) Now while Jesus is sitting at the well, waiting for His disciples to return, this Samaritan woman from the nearby town comes to fill her pitcher at the well, whereupon Jesus asks her for a drink since He had no utensils to use for that task. Obviously the woman was shocked, and asked how come He, a Jew, asked her, a Samaritan for water, when the Jews looked down on the Samaritans as scum, and had no dealings with them whatsoever? That brings us to our Bit. ‘Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.’ Wow! Can you imagine the further shock the poor Samaritan woman must have experienced? Not only was a Jewish man actually having a civil conversation with her, but was also talking about giving her ‘living water’! Thus, ‘The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle (livestock)?’ (John 4:11-12) That was rather perceptive on the woman’s part, but she hadn’t really understood Jesus’ words. ‘Jesus answered and said unto her, Whomsoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well (fountain) of water springing up into everlasting life.’ (John 4:13-14) Mama Mia! Imagine that nuh people! Water that will cause you to never thirst again, that would instead keep bubbling up in you forever, like a fountain! Now, I believe if that scene took place today, the woman would laugh the man to scorn, consider him mad or simply a scam artiste, because we have so much intelligence, education and technological savvy at our fingertips, and the laws of nature says that sort of thing just is not possible. But note Friends, this woman two thousand years ago didn’t even bat an eyelash, didn’t miss a beat; ‘The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.’ (John 4:15) Ah mih people, despite all our supposed advances, we’ve become a very cynical society, and if something isn’t completely logical, or can be scientifically proven, we tend to ignore it, or look on it with scorn and distaste. But that woman back there was smart. She wasn’t sure what Jesus was offering, but what ever it was, she wanted it, at that time, primarily because she figured it would cut out the laborious task of coming to the well to fetch water.  But then Jesus unexpectedly changed the subject, telling her to go and bring her husband, to which she replied she had none. And when Jesus told her about her unusual lifestyle – five previous husbands, and a current common-law one, she realized that He was a prophet, otherwise He could not have known about her unconventional situation. (John 4:16-19) Oh Friends, I wonder if we know what Jesus was talking about, re ‘the gift of God, and living water’? I’d surely like to get into it now, but time and space have run out, and I don’t want to give us too much to ponder all at once.  So like all the drama and suspense shows we like to watch, I’ll just keep us dangling on a string till tomorrow, when I’ll reveal it all in living colour. (smile) Seriously though, the rest of stuff I want to talk about would just make the Bit way too long, and I’m very aware of our short attention spans. So till tomorrow, God in favour, please walk safely, and may He bless us and make His countenance to shine on us and give us His everlasting peace. Much LOVE!…not because something doesn’t sound logical…means it isn’t possible…through the eyes of faith…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 June 2012 1 John 4:10

09 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

1 John 4:10.    Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Oh Friends, here it comes; one more morning, one more day, one more ray of brilliant sunshine, to chase the darkness of night away! It’s so refreshing and revitalizing to see a new day dawn. Something about a new day just naturally causes a conscious stream of hope and great expectations to rise in our souls, bringing the thought and belief that something good is going to happen to us that very day. Wow! Looking at the sun come up over the horizon seems to reawaken the Spirit of Jesus in our hearts and minds, giving us the strength, faith and energy to face the new day. For we know that with Jesus on our side, we can face anything that comes our way; we can do all things through Him, who strengthens us. (Phil.4:13) And furthermore, God’s goodness to us, unworthy as we are, is surely a good reason to be excited and appreciative of a new day, for He clearly went out of His way to make sure we had a chance to bypass the ‘sufferation’ for our just desserts: death for our disobedience. ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom.6:23) And the scholars explain: ‘Wages: Emphasizes what we deserve. Gift of God: Emphasizes God’s unmerited favour.’  And why did He provide eternal life for us, even though we didn’t deserve it? Because He LOVED us! As the song says, it was LOVE  that caused our first heartbeat. And as our Bit so succinctly explains: ‘Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.’ Yes Friends, the Lord did it all because of LOVE; the greatest emotion there is and the most significant trait of His amazing and wonderful personality! I only wish there was so much more of it present in our troubled, strife filled world. And God’s LOVE is so great, that the scholars declare; ‘No human LOVE is the standard for understanding God’s great compassion, but God’s own action on man’s behalf.’ God’s LOVE, like all His other attributes, are so much greater than ours, that we can’t even begin to comprehend it. It was such an intense LOVE that He made Jesus pay for our sins. Listen to John earlier on: ‘My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate (intercessor) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.’ (1 John 2:1-2) And that’s the gospel truth Friends! The sins of whoever believes in Jesus have been paid for! And all God’s people shouted: ‘Thank You Lord for Jesus! We praise and worship Your Holy Name!’ Now hear the scholars, re the process of propitiation. ‘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 (v.1) and the sacrifice for their sins.’ Surprisingly though, there are too many fools and unwise men on this earth, who though they know of and about Jesus, still refuse to take Him seriously, still refuse to believe, to put their hope, faith and trust in Him. How sad mih people. They don’t know what they’re missing. Unfortunately they don’t realize the seriousness of the situation; that it’s their eternal destiny they’re playing with. They obviously don’t believe that there’s nothing they can do to gain heaven’s shores, unless it’s through Christ. Listen to Bruh Paul postulate on the subject to the Ephesians: ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them.’ (Eph.2:8-10) And here’s the scholars explanation: ‘The grace of God is the expression of His goodness toward the undeserving. Grace means unmerited favour, and can be expressed by the acrostic “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.” This grace is the basis of our salvation (1.7; 2:8) Illustration: In salvation, men who deserve hell obtain heaven. This cannot be explained apart from God’s grace. Every conversion in Scripture is an example of God’s grace. When Paul (Saul) met the Lord on the Damascus Road, Paul was a persecutor of the church. Yet God made him one of the church’s chief preachers. Application: We need to remember that we are saved, given the Holy Spirit, and allowed to serve God – by His grace. (Gen.6:8; Eph.2:8) Yes Friends, only through the saving grace that flows from a belief in Jesus can we ever attain heaven’s bliss, for He is indeed as He declares: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) Oh my people, it is therefore expedient, rather imperative, that mankind believes in Christ if they want to dwell in heaven, and escape the death and damnation that characterizes Hades. And it’s our responsibility, our duty to spread that fact around the globe, because Jesus doesn’t even want to lose one human to Lucifer’s evil claws. So please, let’s get out there and tell them with a burning passion, let’s convince them to see the bright light shining in the darkness that’s Jesus, their only hope for deliverance. Much LOVE!…a world full of darkness and evil…can only be  saved by believing in Jesus…the eternal day star of heaven…