Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 December 2016 1 Peter 4:12.

02 Dec 2016 Leave a comment

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

1 Peter 4:12.   Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.

Aloha friends, and family, Aloha! Is Friday one more time… And as expected, the place is already hopping in expectation of a wild and wicked weekend, especially with Christmas time in the air. 

Yeh, mih people, all around the place yuh hearing the usual ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Thank God for the weekend in this Christmas season, where we going to eat and drink and party fuh so…and even fall down drunk sometimes too! Thank God for Fridays and the weekend, come Christmas time!’ 

And believe me, this time when we celebrate the birth of Christ, is used to cover a lot of debauchery and licentiousness. But thankfully, we believers know better, we know the true reason for the season; the birth of Christ, and we celebrate it in a much more godly manner, don’t just use it as an excuse to party. 

Anyway, since it’s Friday let’s chant our Friday Chant, which shows a better standard of behaviour in the use of the weekend. As one 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.’ 

Yeh friends, that’s a much better way to spend the weekend, getting some balance and restoration in our souls, without which we won’t be able to do Christ’s work in the excellent manner that He expects from His followers. 

Now let’s get to our Bit, which a lot of believers still can’t fathom. (smile) ‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.’ 

Ah mih people, working for Jesus does not come easy, for at times, much of them unexpected, we are put through the fire to test our mettle, to see how our faith matches up with the words we speak and the behaviour we display. And it’s never easy to welcome these unexpected trials with the joy that is required of us. 

However, as we grow in faith, as we stay in close proximity to Almighty God, taking all our problems to Him, finding joy in tribulation becomes easier. We have to go through it several times before we can truly appreciate the truth and the vitality contained therein. 

Now we’ve heard James’ and Peter’s take on the subject, but no word on trials and tribulations will be worth its salt if it doesn’t contain these fiery words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. 

‘Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience (produces perseverance); And patience, experience (character); and experience, hope: 

And hope maketh not ashamed (does not disappoint); because the LOVE of God is shed abroad (has been poured out) in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.’ (Rom.5:1-5) 

So friends, since we have been justified through Christ, through God’s doing, not man’s, and thus have right standing with Him through reconciliation, we can therefore rejoice in whatever befalls us, because we are sure of God’s deliverance. 

Hn! Hope that makes sense. (smile) That’s why Bruh Paul says we can glory, can boast in all the negative stuff that comes upon us, since they only grow us, make us stronger in our faith, bring us closer to God and more Christ-like, which is our end-goal. 

Now here is the crowning glory of it all, found in the words of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ that He delivered in the Sermon on the Mount. This is the last of the Beatitudes, and I don’t know if Jesus had a special reason for putting it last, possibly because He knew that it would be the hardest one to live by. 

Nonetheless, please listen closely my brethren. ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt.5:11-12) 

And the scholars give us this interesting and uplifting explanation. ‘5:12. Rejoice is the command that grows out of the blessedness of the believer. The phrase Rejoice, and be exceeding glad means even more, exult! 

Great is your reward in heaven focuses attention on the eternal destiny of all things. If God is as real as He claims, if the Bible is true, if heaven is to be gained, then no temporary earthly trouble or persecution can dispossess the child of God of joy in the prospect of the eternal glory that lies ahead.’ 

Oh friends, we know that our wonderful God is real, He is who He claims to be, plus the Bible is true, so no earthly trouble should take away our joy in the salvation of Christ Jesus! 

So let’s go out today and just exult nuh; exult in the glory of God, knowing that our place in heaven is safe and secure! That’s what it means to be a true and mature Christian! Much LOVE!

…mourning may last for a night…but joy comes in the morning…because our faith is strong…and Christ’s salvation is real… 

P.S. I visited our bubba Scotty yesterday afternoon. He is doing much better. He says he’s alive but can’t kick too hard just yet. (smile) So let’s keep on praying for him to make a full recovery very soon. Much LOVE!

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 May 2012 Matthew 7:7

19 May 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational 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.

Oh Friends, today is the one-year anniversary of my prostate surgery. May 19 2011 was indeed a noteworthy day for me, having the scourge of our generation removed from my insides. And thank God so far I am still cancer free! It was by no means an easy go. That night afterwards in the hospital was rough. I remember trying to get up from the bed, and not being able to. Eventually, after several unsuccessful tries and crying out to God, I finally managed to get up. Hn! Neither was the recovery easy, though the wound itself caused fewer problems than the ancillary stuff, like bladder and bowel movements. Now it seems unreal that a year has since passed. But Friends, the knee surgery some six months before and the prostate surgery were certainly two turning points in both my physical and spiritual lives. Through an eye-opening faith, I found peace in both instances and truly learned to talk to and listen to God in those painful, uncomfortable experiences. And to celebrate it all, the Lord guided me to two quotes to share with you today. The first comes from Henry Ford, who enabled us to have that wonderful invention, the motorcar. He says: ‘Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize.’ And that’s very true Friends, as most of us can attest to. Each experience in our lives makes us bigger, and often better people, though at the time we don’t realize it. It’s only in hindsight that we really realize our growth. And it’s something that I can personally vouch for too, because after the two surgeries, then the unexpected death of my mother soon after, my life seems to have moved up the ladder of faith and trust a step or two. Then there’s this quote from another great builder, Robert H. Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. He tells us that God never let’s anything happen to you, unless it’s loaded with opportunities. That’s also gospel truth Friends! For whatever God allows to happen to us, there’s always something good and worthwhile we can take away from it. My surgeries and my mother’s death, all within about nine months, though they appeared to be negative, unfortunate occurrences, yet I took away positive things from them. My faith and trust in God certainly increased, along with a closer personal relationship.  I began talking to Him more and also getting more answers to my prayers. It’s no lie Friends, that when you go through hard times, you develop a greater appreciation for your Creator and definitely realize that He IS REAL! Amongst those things I learned was the reality of our Bit: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ Oh Friends, it wasn’t once or twice that I cried out to God for a bligh in both my spiritual and physical pain! Neither was it once or twice He gave me the bligh! This obviously convinced me of the truth of our Bit; whatever we need, we must ask for it, seek it out or knock confidently on the door behind which it is hidden. But remember, we shouldn’t only go to God for material, worldly stuff, it should also be consistent with His will for our lives, else we won’t get it, or He’ll allow something that will teach us a hard but worthwhile lesson. But ask, seek and knock, we must do. Jesus reiterated that principle after He spoke to the unfruitful fig tree: ‘Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt.7:19-22) Yes my people, it is necessary to ask in prayer, with great faith, for whatever we desire. As Jesus pointed out, faith is the great catalyst, so great that it can cause us to move mountains. And I surely hope that this Bit will encourage all who read it, to get into a closer relationship with God, to fervently seek Him, especially in rough times, and pour out your hearts to Him. He will listen, and He will heal, because He’s the best medical practitioner there is. And finally, when those rough times have passed, don’t simply forget God, but keep seeking and talking to Him, with thanks and praise. Also, please sit and ponder those rough times and try to learn from them. There’s always something we can learn, whether it’s something we should or shouldn’t do. Oh Friends, there’s no need to fear, for the Lord will guide you to where He wants you to be, if you’ll just surrender your all to Him, and walk with Him in trust, faith and LOVE. My brethren, God’s ways are not our ways, therefore we won’t always be happy with the outcome of some situations, but it’s in those unfortunate times where we truly learn that there’s a great and powerful Spiritual Being out there ruling the universe, and if you stay in close contact with Him, overall, your life will certainly be blessed. That’s wisdom at its very best, so please follow it. Much LOVE!…through sincere trust, faith and belief in Jesus…ANYTHING is possible…