Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 July 2015 1 Peter 1:3

15 Jul 2015 Leave a comment

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

1 Peter 1:3.   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Ah Friends, it was just one of those days where the ole fella went to bed at a  Shakespearean early hour. (smile) Three o’clock found me sitting on my porch, but I didn’t stay long because the wind was in a rather frenzied state and had the poor trees dancing to an incredibly fast riddim, and it was also a tad chilly in my shorts and T-shirt.

It’s surprising that nothing seems to have been blown down, for since early evening the wind had been having serious histrionic fits. I had to close a couple of my windows because it was making such a fuss. And it’s still not completely over it’s bad behaviour, but just not as challenging as during the night.

Thankfully though, both the sun and Son are shining quite brightly this Wednesday morning. And since it’s Wednesday, then I guess it’s time for our Wednesday Wail. Please wail with me.

‘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 my people, what a Friend, Lord and Saviour we have in Jesus Christ! Glory to God! I don’t know what we’d do without Him nuh, for He is so LOVING, gentle, kind, compassionate, merciful and forgiving… And that’s just the tip of His attributes. It would take me half the day to name them all.

Yes Friends, having Jesus as the guide, the rudder and compass of our lives is the wisest action we can ever take down here on God’s great earth! I don’t know how I lived, how I existed before I truly let Him into my heart. Oh, He was always there, but lurking in the background, waiting for me to smarten up and surrender my life to Him.

As they say, hindsight is certainly 20-20 vision yes! For in hindsight, I can now see the many occasions on which He lent me a helping hand. Many times when others couldn’t or refused to help, He was the One who stepped into the breach and shored it up.

That’s why, now that I’ve truly bought into His plan, I can say with all sincerity and truth; what a wonderful God we serve and worship! And am I ever so grateful for His LOVE, mercy, comfort and grace which certainly makes this life worth living.

And I know that I’m not alone in that regard because the Lord works His magnanimous works in the lives of ALL who sincerely believe in and honour Him.

That’s why we can agree with Peter when he so wisely declares in our Bit: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.’

Yes my brethren, this new life of ours all stems from the resurrection of Christ. Without His resurrection, there would be no new creation of man!

And as Peter continues:’(We have been raised) To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ (1 Pet.1:4-5)

Oh Friends, what powerful and encouraging words and promises! But all of it indisputable, gospel truth!

Now let’s delve into what it all means with the help of the scholars. ‘1:3 –2:10. The Christian’s destiny: salvation. Salvation means “deliverance.”  Peter’s view of salvation is ultimate salvation, that is, when the believer will be rescued from this world into the presence of God.’

‘1:3-12. The plan of salvation: Peter does not look at time from a Western perspective. The Hebrews regarded the present as so fleeting that in their language they have essentially only two tenses: past and future.’

‘1:3-5. The portrayal of salvation looks to the future. The author of salvation is portrayed as the blessed God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The work of salvation (vv.3-5) is described as to its effect. Hath begotten us again refers to a new stage of life that begins at salvation.

This lively hope has no element of uncertainty, for it is guaranteed by Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. The believer’s inheritance is described as incorruptible (Gr. aphtharton), imperishable or indestructible, and undefiled (i.e. morally untainted). That fadeth not away (Gr. amaranton) means it is not subject to the ravages of time.

Further it is reserved (Gr. teteremenen, perfect tense), that is, it has been preserved in the past and still is in heaven. Kept is a present passive participle – we are secure because we are continually guarded by God, who never relaxes His vigil. Salvation here refers to final salvation, that is, deliverance from the presence of sin and into the presence of God.’

Ah Friends, I do hope that the general descriptions, as well as the more specific ones help us to better understand what salvation is, and all that’s laid up for us in heaven, and also helps to increase our faith by knowing, by being assured that Almighty God, our Creator and Provider is constantly watching over us, and we can have no better security than that.

Now let’s ponder it all, then put it into action as our lives unfold, obviously with God’s help, for it is indeed the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!

…oh what an auspicious, blessed and reassuring day…was that Easter Sunday morn…when Christ triumphantly rose from the grave…and gave us all the hope of future life eternal…with Him in heaven…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 October 2013 Psalm 145:8

12 Oct 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 145:8.    The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
 
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s in a time of famine this Saturday autumn morn! Would you believe he has no words to utter? (smile) And I know some of you are in disbelief, a simple breeze could knock you over now. Yes, it’s strange but true! And please keep quiet in the background children, no smart aleck remarks from the penny section.
 
But Friends, I’m sure that situation won’t last for very long, because the Lord God Jehovah in His abundant grace and mercy will soon fill the void and guide me to what He wants me to write, since it’s His Word that I’m writing about. And mih Friends, when you talk about faithfulness…
 
Chuh! There’s NO ONE like our God in that department! As I keep saying, He’ll never give you a task to do without giving you the necessary tools and parts to perform it to His satisfaction. And I can attest to that from personal experience! How do you think I’ve been able to write the Bit everyday for almost seven years eh?
 
Even if I was exceedingly brilliant, and I’m certainly not that brilliant, it would have been impossible without the Lord’s help; His strength, guidance, wisdom, inspiration and faithfulness every single day! That’s what enables me to do a decent job in His glorious name! 
 
‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise our great and wonderful God!’ Yes my brethren, that definitely called for some thanks and praise.
 
So my people, if today you’re suffering from doubts, anxieties, fear, insecurity, any negative emotions at all, just turn to the Lord in sincere faith, and He will most assuredly help you to overcome whatever negative thing(s) that’s holding you hostage. You have to come to Him sincerely though, with trust, reverence and total surrender. You can’t hold back any part of your being, for with the Lord it’s all or nothing at all!
 
And we have the memorable words of Bruh David from our Bit to prove my point. ‘The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.’
 
Oh my people, every true believer in Jesus ought to be able to testify to that statement, because it’s the backbone, the sure foundation of our faith! Without God’s grace, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and LOVE, where would we be eh? Confused and falling all over each other in the extreme darkness of evil Lucifer’s hell, damned, doomed and condemned to ‘sufferation’ and death.
 
But through God’s unconditional LOVE and all His other positive and winning attributes, He’s provided a way for us to escape Lucifer’s evil claws; to be saved through the sacrificial death of His one and only son Jesus, whose shed blood paid for all our abominable sins. And as believers we know all about that, but today I want us to look at some scriptures that corroborate Bruh David’s words in our Bit.
 
And the first passage comes, as we would say, straight from the horse’s mouth. Here God is talking to Moses, the second time he went up Mt. Sinai to renew the tablets with the Ten Commandments.
 
The Good Book describes it thus: ‘And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him (Moses) there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
 
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 to the fourth generation.’ (Ex.34:5-7)
 
Oh my fellow believers, yuh see all of that comes straight from the Most High God Himself, and not from man! And since we know now that He’s truthful and faithful to fulfill ALL His promises, we can rest assured that whatever He says and/or does, it’s the gospel truth! 
 
Now hear Moses, when the Israelites rebelled against the Lord in the wilderness, and He was tempted to just obliterate them. But through Moses’ timely intercession, He stayed His hand.
 
‘And now, I beseech thee, let the power of the Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children of the third and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.’ (Num.14:17-19)
 
Ah mih Friends, Moses was smart, using God’s own declaration of His mercy, compassion, forgiveness and slow-burning fuse. And the Lord, true to His word, relented, but not before declaring that the old timers who had seen and experienced all the wonders that He did for them out of Egypt and in their travels through the wilderness, NONE of them would ever set foot in the Promised Land, excepting Caleb and Joshua. (Num.14:20-24)
 
And yuh better believe Friends, that’s exactly what happened, all because of their disobedience and rebellious attitude! Only Joshua and Caleb, of the multitude that came out of Egypt ever crossed the Jordan. That’s partly why they wandered in the wilderness for forty years too.
 
So my brethren, let us not be afraid to face our fears, doubts, anxieties and life in general, head on, because we serve and worship an omnipotent, kind, and LOVING Deity, who’s promised to ALWAYS be with, and help us throughout this difficult earthly life, right on to eternity. We can’t ask for more than that. Much LOVE!
 
…when you build your house on the Rock…the sturdy foundation that’s Jesus…it will never fall…in fact, it will last forever… 
 
P.S. Yuh see Friends, I told you that in due time, the Lord would give me something to say. (smile) Oh thank Him for His faithfulness! Much LOVE! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 October 2012 Psalm 139:17

03 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 139:17.      How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
 
Ah mih people, another day is upon us, possibly filled with the same old, same old, but the good thing about being a believer in, and a follower of Christ is that our lives are never the same every day. That’s because Jesus leads us on so many different and interesting adventures, that we never know what to expect from one day to the next. Walking with Jesus is full of ups and downs, but it’s certainly never dull, but always interesting and adventurous. And if you’re following Jesus and your life is not interesting and adventurous, then something is definitely wrong. You’re not following Jesus as closely as you ought to, for when you’re walking closely with the Saviour, wherever you are, there’s always an opportunity to do something good in His Name. Therefore Friends, let’s all take a closer look at whatever is happening around us, so that we can spot those easy to miss opportunities to serve Christ. Now here’s an interesting story, I read in the Toronto Star newspaper, I believe it was back in August. It deals with then President Richard Nixon’s farewell emotional speech on August 9 1974 in the White House, surrounded by his staff, family and friends We all know he left in disgrace, because of the Watergate fiasco. Apparently, as he was about to end, he raised his arm as if to point out the importance of his next words. Then he said: “Always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself.’ Wow Friends! What words of wisdom! The article ends with the thought that Nixon had learned that lesson a little too late, for he had already destroyed himself, through the hatred that he’d perpetrated and inspired. The sad part though my brethren is that too many of us still live our private lives in a world of hate, bitterness, anger and resentment. Those negative emotions are already too prevalent and pervasive in our society, we don’t need them in our private lives too, or else we’ll just end up destroying ourselves like Nixon, but then it will be too late. Consequently, let’s try and learn from his mistake and that of so many others nuh, and put hatred and enmity aside, and instead live in LOVE, the wonderful, uplifting LOVE of Christ! It’s the only answer to the problems that surround us. And we have such a wonderful example of that caring attitude of our God in our Bit today. ‘How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!’ Oh Friends, yuh think Beelzebub really cares about like that? No Way! But our heavenly Father surely does, because every day He blesses us with new mercies and whatever else we need to make a successful pilgrimage down here on earth. And though our earthly journey might be difficult, it is still filled with an inner joy because of His unconditional LOVE and faithfulness. Meanwhile all that ‘thiefing’ joker, Beelzebub wants to do is just steal our joy and drag us down to his abysmal level, living a constantly depressed and miserable live, encompassed by anger, hatred and resentment. Now yesterday we looked at some scriptures that showed us the awesome thoughts and plans the Lord has in store for us. Today we’ll look at a couple more, starting with words of Bruh David from Psalm 40, Praise for answered Prayer. There he joyfully proclaims: ‘Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward; they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.’ (Ps.40:5) And isn’t that the living truth Friends? Our God has done so much through the ages, is still doing a lot, and has lots of great plans for our future. So why should we jeopardize all that beneficence by associating with Lucifer and his evil morons eh? No reason whatsoever my people! The purveyors of evil and darkness can NEVER do for us what the God of LIGHT and LOVE can. Remember whenever LIGHT shows up, it always overtakes, overpowers darkness, which only proves that LIGHT is more powerful than darkness. The crowning glory of all that my Friends is highlighted by these words of our God, spoken through Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is.55:8-9) And that’s how it ought to be my people! A God’s ways and powers must be higher and stronger than those of His subjects, otherwise He’s no god at all, and we don’t need him. And to prove that point, we’ll end with some interesting thoughts from the scholars, re the comparative attributes of God. ‘Psalm 139. The comparative attributes of God contrast human abilities with the divine nature. Everyone has some knowledge, but only God has all knowledge (omniscience). Everyone has presence, but only God has presence at all times everywhere (omnipresence). Every person has some degree of power, but only God has unlimited power (omnipotence). Illustration: Psalm 139 lays a foundation for understanding the comparative attributes. The omniscience of God is seen in verses 1-6. The omnipresence of God is seen in verses 7-11. The omnipotence of God is seen in verses 12-16. Application: A Christian’s response to the comparative attributes of God, should be to surrender to His leadership because He is wise, He is able to protect us, and He knows the true way to life with Himself. (Gen.3:8, Ps.139:1, Eph.1:8) What more can I say eh Friends, than that’s gospel truth, and we should do as it says. Please read the scriptures at the end too, for they are very informative. Much LOVE!…be not wise in thine own eyes…fear the Lord…and depart from evil…It shall be health to thy navel (body)…and marrow (strength) to thy bones…  (Prov.3:7-8)