Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 October 2014 John 15:13

06 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

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

John 15:13.  Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 
 
Oh Friends, like the world renowned Canadian balladeer, Gordon Lightfoot says in his old song: ‘Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.’ And it looks like we’re going to have a rainy day Monday today.
 
But you know what? We don’t have to let those rainy day Mondays, or any other kind of days, get us down, because we have the omnipotent Spirit of the Living God, and the unbridled passion of Jesus living within us, and they can certainly drive away every fear and care! And that’s the gospel truth my people, as so many of us can testify to!
 
So when you get up this morning and come face to face with the gloomy, rainy, chilly weather, please don’t get too upset. It’s just one of those days where the sailing might not be as smooth as you like, but remember Jesus is in the boat with you, and if things get really bad, He will rise and calm the storm.
 
Consequently, on this rainy October morn, let’s all say a loud and cheerful, ‘TGIM! Thank God it’s Monday, and we’re alive to tell the tale!’ (smile) Now before anybody starts chirping and calling me crazy, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty chutzpah, so that the dark clouds hanging over our spirits will disappear.
 
All together now: ‘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!’
 
Wow Friends! That was particularly good for such a rainy, miserable Monday! (smile) That means our faith is getting stronger with each passing day. Glory Hallelujah! And now with our motors running smoothly, let’s get out and show the enemy what’s what, in Jesus’ name.
 
All the while not forgetting those momentous words that Jesus spoke in our Bit: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’
 
And today we’ll continue looking at Bible verses re friends and friendship, beginning with a couple more Friends of God. Here’s what the Good Book says about Moses, after the Israelites, in their impatience and stubbornness had made the golden calf as an idol of worship, (Ex.32) while Moses was up the mountain getting the Ten Commandments.  
 
The Lord commanded him to move the tabernacle from out of the camp, calling it the Tabernacle of the congregation. ‘And it came to pass, that everyone which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
 
And it came to pass, when Moses went out into the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
 
And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
 
And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.’ (Ex.33:7-11)
 
Yes my brethren, the Lord spoke to Moses face to face like a friend, with trust, dignity, faithfulness and integrity! Those are the qualities inherent in true friends. Do we possess those qualities, and do those we consider our friends, possess them? That’s of the utmost importance in these crucial and critical times. Therefore we need to be very careful who we let into our inner sanctuary.
 
That brings us to another Friend of God, Bruh David. The Lord valued Bruh David so highly that after Saul had done wrong by usurping the priest’s duties and offering burnt offerings, (1 Sam.13:9-10) Samuel told him. ‘But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.’ (1 Sam.13:14)
 
Bruh David was described as a man after God’s own heart! Wow! Can you imagine that my people? And note, at a very tender age too. As far as I’m concerned, there can be no higher accolade given to a mortal man. That’s better than being called a friend, because friends don’t always agree or see things the same way. But when you have the heart of God, it means you continually see things the way He does.
 
And what’s important to notice in those relationships my fellow believers, is that neither man was an angel; Moses was considered a murderer and Bruh David an adulterer, but they still found favour in God’s eyes, that means there’s hope for all of us yet. (smile)
 
And we’ll stop there for today… don’t want to disrupt your busy, short attention spans and schedules. (smile) So till we meet again tomorrow, the Lord willing, let’s just go out and sincerely and diligently do our best nuh, because that’s all the Lord asks of us. Much LOVE!
 
…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) says…the best way to live life… is to simply obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…and that’s indisputable truth…

 

 

 

 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 March 2014 Psalm 78:38

22 Mar 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 78:38.    But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
 
Well a good Saturday morning to all you fine folks out there in Scrip-Bit land! I do hope that all is well, and if it’s not, then that you are holding up admirably under whatever is coming against you.
 
It’s never easy to stand strong when it seems like the whole world is against you, but please remember that as children of God, we are empowered to take the good with the bad, by hanging on tightly to Jesus’ hand and all the faithful promises He’s made us. Our problems escalate when we let go of Jesus’ hand and try to do stuff on our own, or run to some other supposedly wise but very fallible man.
 
Regardless of what it takes Friends, we need to hold on to Jesus, because when we do, He will bring us through safely, and possibly even better off than before. But unfortunately too many of us bail out before Jesus has a chance to work. We want immediate satisfaction, but our Saviour doesn’t always work that way. And that immediate gratification, as now eschewed by modern society, is what tends to get us out of Jesus’ grasp.
 
Oh Friends, our God didn’t promise us an easy life, but He did promise a good and fruitful one. And that doesn’t mean having all our needs and wants met when we desire them to be met.
 
Please remember that we are the servants, and He is the Master. The servants cannot tell the Master what to do or how. He can make requests or recommendations, but it is always the Master’s will that eventually prevails. And until some of us learn that hard lesson, we will never be satisfied with the way our God works, and thus come to a real knowledge of Him.
 
And that is why there was ever need to write our Bit: ‘But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.’
 
Yes Friends, many times the Lord had to control, to withhold His anger towards us for our gross disobedience, and not destroy us, as we full well deserved. Today however, we’re not going to concern ourselves too much with our wrongdoing, but rather look at scriptures which corroborate our Bit.
 
And we’ll begin way back when Moses prayed for God’s presence, and the Lord agreed. (Ex.33:12-23) This was the second time Moses went back up Mt. Sinai to receive the tablets with the Ten Commandments, having broken the first set after coming down from the mount and finding his people celebrating in pagan style and worshipping a golden calf. Moses had been gone only forty days, but the Israelites were so impatient, they did their own thing.
 
Anyway, with Moses standing on Mt. Sinai, the second time, the Good Book declares: ‘And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him 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 fourth generation.’ (Ex.34:5-7)
 
Yes Friends, those words were spoken by the Lord Himself, so it’s nothing that mortal man has made up all on his own.  It should thus be a powerful reminder to us that our Lord is wonderful, but He is not a pushover, and He won’t allow us to take advantage of His mercy and LOVING-kindness.
 
The next scripture comes from Numbers, when the Israelites again rebelled against the Lord and He wanted to destroy them, but Moses interceded on their behalf. He reasoned with the Lord that if He destroyed them, ‘then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.
 
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 unto 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.14:15-19)  
 
Oh Friends, I’m chuckling here because Moses ploy of using the Lord’s words back to Him, reminds me of when I was a bachelor, living back in T&T with my Uncle Foster, he would always tell me to do him anything, but don’t give him back his own talk. None of us like others to use what we tell them to later influence our decisions. But that’s exactly what Moses did, and the Lord therefore had no choice but to pardon the Israelites, one more time.
 
And we have space and time for one more scripture, expressing God’s remarkable forgiveness. That comes from the Book of 1 Kings, when Ahab, Israel’s king was on a spree of wickedness, encouraged by his queen, the famous Jezebel. But when the prophet Elijah cornered Ahab and told him of the Lord’s plans to destroy him and his gang of evil doers, Ahab did a 360 degrees turn.
 
The Good Book describes it thus. ‘And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words (of Elijah), that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth and went softly (went about mourning). And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.’ (1 Kin.21:27-29)
 
Ah Friends, you see how gracious, merciful and forgiving our God can be! But remember He’s no pushover, and though He granted mercy to an apparently repentant Ahab, He still intended to destroy the evil doers during the reign of Ahab’s son. And we’ll end with a note from the scholars on Ahab.
 
’21:27-29. Ahab performed the traditional acts of mourning and repentance. Ahab had a complex personality. at times he could respond to divine rebuke and instruction. However, despite God’s long-suffering kindness to him, there is little indication of any spiritual reality in Ahab. God is patient and gracious. (cf. 2 Pet.3:9).’
 
The moral of the story my people, is that God will only pardon for so long, in the face of continued disobedience. So let’s remember that as we go out and try to accomplish His will today. Much LOVE!
 
…surface repentance might bring some relief…but only that which truly comes from the heart will bring everlasting relief…