Today’s Scrip-Bit   29 June 2022 Psalm 63:1.

29 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 63:1.      O God thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 

And so, Wednesday opens somewhat cloudy, but no real signs of rain that the earth and the plants are now dying to receive. Yes friends, the absence of heavenly blessing is becoming crucial for Mother Nature to continue exhibiting her marvellous colours and eye-catching beauty. So, let’s hope and pray that some heavenly water will soon rain down on us and the parched land that is unfortunately afflicted with thirst. 

That brings to mind, Bruh David’s words in Psalm 63, subtitled – God satisfies the thirsting soul. And sadly, ever so many of our souls are thirsty for God! Some of us know that we thirst for God, but others don’t know it. They just know that’s something’s wrong, that something essential is missing from their lives, and they can’t be satisfied with life as they keep searching for that essential missing link. 

Here’s how Bruh David puts it in the psalm with eloquence and heart-felt emotion. ‘O God thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen (looked for) thee in the sanctuary. Because thy LOVING-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hand in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips. When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.’ (Ps. 63:1-6) 

Oh my people, how many of us actually taking refuge in a wilderness – a dry and thirsty land – would write such a glowing testimony to the Lord eh, especially after he had anointed you to be king, but had you running and hiding from the current king like a common criminal? Not many, I can assure you. But Bruh David did, because he felt the awesome power and call of God in his life and from his personal experience with God knew that as Bruh Paul said many eons later: ‘…all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) 

Yes friends, life is not a bed of roses, has never been since our forefathers Adam and Eve got kicked out of the Garden of Eden and sin became an inherent part of our nature, and will only become that way when Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom. But until then, we need to truly believe in Jesus and stand strong and steadfast for Him in this evil and terribly ungodly world. That is our bounden duty as believers and ambassadors, and we must learn to take the good with the bad. As the Father of patience, Job, said so dramatically to his wife: ‘…What? Shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) evil (calamity)?’ (Job 2:10) 

Ah mih bredrin, at times life can surely be a rough and rocky road to tread, but with the amazing LOVE and sacrifices of Jesus working to our benefit, and His Holy Spirit dwelling within us and guiding us over the rough patches, we need not be afraid or worried. Yes, we must be concerned and responsible, but never worried or afraid, because our Lord and Saviour has faithfully promised to take care of us. 

And if you don’t believe me, just listen to these awesome promises of His Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and you shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) 

Now who else but our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has both the boldness and the power to make such an amazing offer eh? Nobody else! And that’s the underlying principle that Bruh David must have known and felt when he wrote Psalm 63. And I do like how the scholars explain the Psalm. 

They say: ‘The location of the writing of the psalm is described generally as in the wilderness of Judah. Unlike many of the psalms written in these dire situations, however, this psalm is overflowing with thanksgiving rather than lament and petition. David declares his longing for spiritual renewal (vs. 1-2), he expresses his thankful mood (vs. 3-6), he gives voice to his trust in God (vs. 7-8), and he announces his hope for the future (vs. 9-11). Enemies are mentioned only in passing (vs. 9-10) 

Mama Mia! What a strong and enduring faith and trust Bruh David had in the God of his forefathers. And what I believe the Lord LOVED so much about Bruh David is that despite his frail and fatal flaws as a man, and all the hardship he was forced to endure, much of it innocently, he never turned away from worshipping and seeking Him, that’s why He could call him His friend and a man after His own heart. (1 Sam. 13:14, Acts 13:22) 

Oh my fellow saints, these are times like Bruh David faced in the wilderness, the enemy is making desperate attempts to steal our joy and peace in the Lord by raining on our parade in so many ways, but like Bruh David, we need to seek our heavenly Father with a hunger and thirst that the enemy cannot ever kill! 

And like Bruh David, we should emphatically declare: ‘Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee (close behind thee): thy right hand upholdeth me. But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion (a prey) for foxes (jackals). But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.’ (Ps. 63:7-11) 

Yes friends, Bruh David hit the nail right on the head there: those that believe in Christ shall rejoice, while those that blaspheme His holy name will end up in Hades, in hellfire! Now for those of us who truly believe and also behave like we believe, (smile) let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our most excellent position in Christ Jesus. 

As one strong, confident and sincere voice: ‘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!’ 

Now, never forget that if we endure to the end, like Bruh David did, that promised future will be even greater than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s hang in there nuh for Jesus’ sake my faithful brethren! Much LOVE!

…truly living for Jesus…oh, it’s such a joy…a joy that no one or nothing can ever steal… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8​ 

Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 June 2022 Hebrews 13:8.

08 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 13:8.       Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. 

And so Wednesday has opened bright and sunny, though somewhat cool, because it’s still officially spring. The problem though is will it stay bright and sunshiny all day long? Unfortunately, these days of climate change have the days being very contrary, beginning one way, then changing to something else, sometimes even changing back and forth within the same day. So, you can never trust what you see when you open your eyes on a morning to be the same throughout the day. But praise the Lord that our great God is an unchanging God! 

Yes friends, that’s one thing we’re very sure of! How do we know that? Because it says so in His Word, very often too. And His Word does not lie! Of course not! As explained in this scripture from the Book of Numbers. ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.’ (Num. 23:19-20) And that from the false prophet Balaam, whom Balak, the king of Moab, had hired to curse the Israelites. 

So, let’s look at a few of the scriptures that talk about the unchanging nature of our God nuh. As one commentator says: ‘God does not change. Why would He? God is perfect in all His ways. You can’t get better than perfect! God’s laws don’t change, they are written in stone for a distinct purpose.’ And that’s so His people can have a strong and steadfast way of life, not one like the weather we’re currently having; wishy-washy, and constantly changing. 

As James, Jesus’ brother writes: ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning.’ (James 1:17) And that’s the gospel truth! One translation puts it thus. ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.’ 

And per the Immutability of God, the scholars say: ‘Since all changes are either for the better or for the worse, God is unchanging because He is perfect and cannot get better nor become worse. The Scriptures describe God’s nature, will, and character as immutable or unchanging. Illustration: To be immutable, however, does not mean to be immobile. God also has the qualities of personality and can act, think, create, and make decision. Application: God is unchanging; therefore Christians can depend on His LOVE and power because God has not changed since biblical times. (First Ref. Ps. 9:7; Primary ref. James 1:17; cf. Lev. 19:2.)’ 

Yes my brethren, the Lord’s our Creator, thus He is much more stable than we could ever be. And as Bruh David declares in Psalm 9: ‘But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgement. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgement to the people in uprightness. The Lord also will be a refuge (stronghold) for the oppressed, and a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.’ (Ps. 9:7-10) Now, if our God can be all those things for those who seek Him, then He must be strong, stable, steadfast and just! 

And I like this verse about God’s unchanging nature from the book of Malachi, when he talks about the nonpayment of tithes. He solemnly declares: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not: therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) And nothing has really changed since then, for many of today’s churchgoers are doing the same thing; not giving their tithes to God. We give money to all sorts of other worthless and fraudulent causes without a murmur, but to give a penny to God’s church it’s like pulling teeth without anesthetic. 

As the scholars explain. ‘These Israelites have done what no man should presume to attempt, namely, to defraud God in tithes and offerings. The payment of tithes and heave offerings was a recognition of their subjection to God and that He owned them and all that they had. To withhold the tithe is to renounce the sovereign authority of God and to be guilty of the same sin as Lucifer in the beginning.’ And there’s no doubt that our current society has renounced the sovereignty of God over it, and thus are guilty of the same sin that Lucifer (Satan) was kicked out of heaven for; abominable pride which led to foolish rebellion! 

But I’m getting off course here, (smile) so let’s move on to the next scripture on God’s unchanging nature, which comes from the book of Hebrews. And it simply but quite clearly and confidently states: ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’ (Heb. 13:8) And if all it says about Jesus in the Good Book is true, then He must be a stalwart, unbreakable, unchanging foundation for us to build on. 

That’s why Jesus characterized Himself as the rock to build on when he told the people. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not: for it was founded upon a (the) rock.’ (Matt. 7:24-25) Oh my fellow saints, when we build our houses on the rock, the foundation that’s Jesus, nothing in this whole wide world can ever beat or break it down, for Jesus is the solid, rock-like foundation of the world! Give Him some much deserved thanks and praise! 

And then there’s this marvellous scripture, the last one, we have time and space for. It comes from Psalm 102 – A cry in distress – and it declares: ‘Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yea, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment; as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and the years shall have no end.’ (Ps: 102:25-27) Now that’s the indisputable truth: the world will grow old and change, even be destroyed, but our God will last forever, because that’s his name and nature… an Everlasting God! 

And for those of us who sincerely believe and are doing our best to live for Him, let’s go home declaring (yeah!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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!’ 

And a last word of encouragement and reassurance, (smile) please remember that if we endure to the very end, then that future will indeed be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…there is only one road to glory…that’s through Jesus… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8​         

Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 May 2022 Psalm 125:2.

11 May 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 125:2.      As the mountains are round about (surround) Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. 

Well, lovely days seem to be here again friends! Glory Hallelujah! But unfortunately, the dandelions, who don’t miss a trick, (smile) are also pushing their weedy yellow heads up through the new green spring grass, causing much dissatisfaction to lawn owners. But although they are considered weeds, I like them, like the bright yellow colour they provide to the fresh spring atmosphere. 

But best of all, with these warmer days arriving, I will now be able to sit on my porch in the afternoons and watch the world go by, as well as sit there in the quiet of the early morning hours and commune with my wonderful Maker. And it’s an interesting communication, because we don’t talk much, we just let the silence wash over us, and the beauty of nature fill our souls with a peaceful joy. 

That’s one thing I miss a lot during the many cold and dreary winter months. And why shouldn’t we just sit in quiet and peaceful companionship eh, when as the song says, ‘All my hope is in Jesus. Thank God my yesterday’s gone, All my sins are forgiven, And I’ve been washed by the blood.’ 

Mama Mia! Life couldn’t get any better than that my people! And that’s what we all get when we accept Christ as Lord and Saviour; forgiven sins and a soul washed and cleansed in His Holy blood. We also receive His awesome peace and joy, and the promise of salvation and eternal life with Him in heaven or wherever He chooses to reside (smile). 

So why do so many of us refuse to accept His invitation to come to Him and lay all our burdens and heavy loads at His feet and receive the rest for both our bodies and souls that He alone can provide? The overwhelming refusal of His Great Invitation just boggles my imagination, for the enemy has nothing to compare with what Jesus’ offers. ‘For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ Satan’s yoke and burden are exactly the opposite of Jesus’ – hard and heavy. So why are so many of us still fighting ourselves and each other to live under Satan’s hard yoke and heavy burden eh? I wish I knew, then I might be able to convince us of the folly of that decision. 

Remember, whatever Satan enables us to have down here, like earthly wealth and power, we cannot take when we depart this life, and we’ll just end up in the fiery halls of hell with him. But the things that we get from Jesus, like peace, joy, LOVE and salvation, we carry them into eternal life with us, to dwell with Him right down through eternity. There’s nothing to compare with that friends! But I guess that our sinful nature is so strong within us that we like to dabble in it, enjoy its fleshly lusts, it’s pride and greed, it’s strife and resentment, as the evil one feeds our minds with his iniquitous thoughts and schemes. 

And yes, we all know that it’s not easy to live a righteous life in this sinful world, constantly bombarded by the enemy’s devious and evil machinations, but if we sincerely turn to Jesus, He will surely help us with those problems. That’s His faithful promise. Bruh Paul wrote it thus to the church at Corinth. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) 

Yes my fellow believers, in simple terms, we all fall under the burden of temptation, but our caring and compassionate God will not allow us to bear more temptation than we can handle. He will either find a way for us to escape it, or give us the necessary tools to endure it. In any case, no temptation will overwhelm us if we put our faith and trust in Jesus. He will give us the wherewithal to handle them all. And these words of encouragement from Psalm 125 – God surrounds his people – just add to our faith and strength in Christ Jesus. 

Please read with me. ‘’They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed (moved), but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about (surround) Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. For the rod of the wicked (the sceptre of wickedness) shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous (the land allotted to the righteous); lest the righteous put forth (reach out) their hands unto iniquity.’ (Ps. 125:1-3) 

That’s gospel truth my people! And please remember what Cousin Sol says about iniquity workers. ‘He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity (trouble): and the rod (sceptre) of his wrath (anger) shall fail.’ (Prov. 22:8) It’s for certain sure that the iniquity workers will eventually be destroyed when the Lord thinks it’s time. So mih bredin, how much more do we need before we believe eh, before we surrender completely to Jesus, our Maker, our God, Creator, Provider, Saviour and Friend? He even went so far as to come to earth as a man and selflessly sacrificed His sinless life so that we could be forgiven, made righteous, be reconciled to the Father and have the option of salvation. 

And we’ll let this awesome truth He spoke linger in our hearts as we wind down today. ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) And He called us friends before He went to His death on the cross on our behalf.  I don’t know what else to say to convince us that Jesus is real and His promises are ever-faithful. As Jesus also said: ‘He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.’ (Matt. 11:15) Words of eternal wisdom from our Saviour. 

Now for those of us who believe and are sincerely trying to live for Jesus, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and confident voice: ‘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!’ 

Now don’t forget that if we endure with Jesus to the end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, please, let’s endure nuh mih people! Much LOVE!

…God has faithfully promised…never to leave nor forsake us…and He keeps all of His promises… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8​       

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 May 2022 Matthew 21:22.

04 May 2022 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 21:22.       And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Oh, it’s been a very persistent drizzle; right from yesterday afternoon, through the night…and believe it or not, (smile) it’s still happening in my neighbourhood! So, this middle day of the week, Wednesday is wet and cloudy. It’s the kind of day we expected in April, you know, April showers that bring May flowers. But it hasn’t worked out that way. It’s May, and we still haven’t seen any flowers. What’s with that eh? But after a somewhat colder than normal April, the trees are now venturing to bud. 

And we’re laying it all at the feet of climate change. Now isn’t it strange that we always find something or someone else to blame for our problems rather than the usual cause, that’s ourselves? For sure! We don’t like to accept blame, even when it’s staring us full in the face. And our society is daily getting worse in that respect. But I’m not going to go any further into that topic, because it’s one fraught with all kinds of pitfalls. (smile) But rather, I’m going to revisit our Bit of yesterday, the reassuring and uplifting words of Jesus on prayer. ‘And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt. 21:22) 

And why is that you ask? Simply because some of the scriptures I had planned to share yesterday never got shared, and I believe they are important enough for us to consider on the subject of prayer. And the first scripture we want to address is this one that Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion, when His heart was heavy and His spirit pretty low. ‘And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.’ (Mark 14:36) 

Yes friends, we need to note there, that although Jesus would have liked to be spared the ‘sufferation’ of the cross, He was willing to bow to the Father’s will. We saw the same thing with Bruh Paul yesterday, when the Lord refused to remove the thorn from his flesh because it showed the Lord’s power more in his weakness. And that’s the same thing we must understand. God will not always answer our prayers, the way we want them, when our problems serve for His greater good. You can see that instead of taking away the ‘sufferation’ of the cross, He gave Jesus the wherewithal to handle it, and likewise with Bruh Paul, He gave him the strength to handle whatever was the annoying thorn in his flesh. 

So please don’t be dismayed if we ask for relief in some way and the Lord provides it in a different way. Remember, whatever we ask for, must be in line with the Lord’s will, and there will be times, when we truly believe we need genuine relief from problems, but facing those problems will accentuate His glory and raise our maturity level, so He might just give us the strength to face them, instead of removing them completely. 

Then there is this very interesting and true statement from Jesus to the disciples, after He came and found them sleeping, instead of watching and praying with Him. He said to them: ‘Watch ye and pray, lest ye fall into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.’ (Mark 14:38) And that’s the indisputable truth my people! Our flesh is easily ruled by our sinful nature, and we need to be in a state of spiritual perception to be able to resist the wiles and evil schemes which the enemy constantly throws at us. 

And the best way to do that is through prayer. For when we are praying, temptation cannot overcome us. Now listen to Jesus again to the disciples after telling them that He was the vine and they the branches. (John 15:5) ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) you.’ (John 15:8) And that relates directly to the fact that we ask for whatever in Jesus’ name, because it’s only through His work on the cross and His name, that we have access to the Father. So only if we are His true agents and ambassadors, living His Word, will using His name work. 

And these words of James, Jesus’ brother, on the topic of prayer, really tell us how important it is in the believer’s life. He says: ‘Is any among you afflicted (suffering)? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.’ (James 5:13-16) 

Yes my fellow saints, prayer should be our number ONE response to everything! As Bruh Paul said to the Thessalonians: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (2 Thess. 5:17) The Lord our God ought to be the first person we tell about any problem. Then He will direct us to the best road to take. As Cousin Sol so wisely and rightly says in Proverbs. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) 

Truer words were never spoken or written my friends! That’s why we can turn to the first epistle of John to read and hopefully learn these most valuable lessons. ‘Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.’ (1 John 3:21-22) 

Now the scholars give us a very good warning about those passages of scripture. ‘We have confidence toward God if our lives are in line with the standard of Christian living set forth by John in the earlier passages. John is not saying that whether a person is right or wrong is simply a matter of how he subjectively feels about himself. That is why John has given so many indicators and commands for Christians to take note of and assess themselves by. And one of the great results of a life lived in purity before God is a life where there is effective prayer. Right living is an important part of successful praying.’ 

And that hits the nail right on the head my brethren! Prayer is non-functional unless we are living right. In other words, right living determines the successfulness of our prayers! And for those of us who are endeavouring to live right, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus! 

Altogether now: ‘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!’ 

And the corollary to that is this: if we endure to the very end, then the future will be even more glorious and marvellous than we can ever ask or imagine! Now doesn’t that give us good reason to endure right down to the very end? It surely does! Much LOVE!

…and this is the confidence that we have in him…that if we ask anything…according to his will…he heareth us… (1 John 5:14) 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8​      

Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 April 2022 Psalm 62:1.

20 Apr 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 62:1.      Truly my soul waiteth (waits silently) upon God: from him cometh my salvation.

Come then friends, let’s celebrate this new day of life, the first Wednesday after Easter, as we ought to. Who knows, this might just be the last one, so let’s go out in a blaze of glory! And if by the Lord’s grace it isn’t, then we can keep on going on out every day in a blaze of joy, because every day is a day that God has made for us to enjoy, despite the problems and difficulties we might face. And as the Good Book so astutely reminds us: ‘The joy of the Lord is our strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) 

So there we have it: joy and strength from our Lord God Jehovah! We can’t ask for much more than that. But it doesn’t come automatically, we have to do our part to receive and live it. And that’s where so many of us are falling down. We expect that joy to come automatically, so we just sit around and wait for it, instead of working to make it a reality. But not even the free gifts of salvation and God’s amazing LOVE come automatically, we have to step out in faith and receive them. 

Remember we’re in a partnership with God, and partnerships mean that each partner has a specific job to do. Well, the Lord’s done His, providing us with salvation and forgiveness of sins, but it’s then left for us to receive it. The Lord can’t receive it for us. And I believe this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin provides a good insight into how our souls and spirit ought to respond to God’s goodness. It’s simply titled ‘At Last.’ 

Please pray with me. ‘At last there is One With whom I am perfectly safe. One who knows thoroughly All the rubbled ruins of my heart. At last I see that all that is Riddled and distorted in me Can still find God-planned fulfillment. At last I need no longer explore The deep, dark forest of my thoughts For there is One who understands me Far better than I understand myself. 

One who stands with me In the thick of battle One who supports me On the slippery ice-created paths. At last I have entrusted myself To One who guarantees my wholeness Someone whose LOVE is immeasurable. In all the world He alone can LOVE me As I need to be LOVED. At last there is One – My Lord and My God!’ 

Oh my people, all of that is the God-awesome truth! But until we come to that reality, the reality of realizing and accepting that the Lord LOVES us so truly and powerfully, we won’t be able to give ourselves to Him, the way we should. Just imagine the powerful LOVE He must have borne us to send His Only Son to die on the cross of Calvary, so that our sins could be forgiven. I don’t think there could be any greater show of LOVE than that! Jesus said it to the disciples: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) 

And that’s the gospel truth! Laying down one’s life for another is the greatest outpouring of LOVE any being can show; be they human, animal, or God! And that’s exactly what Jesus did; lay down His life for us, on the strong recommendation of the Father. So how, in all wisdom, truth and gratitude, can we not turn to Christ and sincerely devote our lives to Him, who died to give us the greatest gifts of all, true salvation and life eternal? And the Bible Promise for today’s poem is also our Bit for today. Now, first I’ll share the NIV (New International Version) used in the Book of Bible Promises, then the real Mccoy (smile) the King James Version (KJV). 

Here’s what the NIV says: ‘My soul finds rest in God alone: my salvation come from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be alone.’ Chuh! It’s true and all that, but it sounds so listless and lifeless! Now compare it to the KJV. ‘Truly my soul waiteth (waits silently) upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense (strong tower); I shall not be greatly moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 62:1-2) 

Now that seems livelier, to evoke more confidence, more passion. How can you down grade the majestic words and sentiments of Bruh David eh? (smile) I find that some of these new versions water down the Word, make it too simplistic, while others with all their explanations make it more difficult to understand. In the end though, I guess the important thing is that we hear, understand and live the true word in whatever form it’s offered. That take us to these reassuring and reaffirming verses of Psalm 33 titled, ‘Praise to the Lord for his creation.’ 

The psalmist writes: ‘Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear (reverence) him, upon them that hope in his mercy, To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: for he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.’ (Ps. 33:18-22) 

Yes friends, our God, our Lord, Our Creator is right there always watching out for us…but we need to accept it and believe it, and then live accordingly. Nothing is going to fall in our laps. As Bruh Paul said to the Philippians, we need to ‘work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.’ (Phil. 2:12) That means, everything we need to become mature Christians has already been provided, we now need to do the work necessary to actually grow up and become Christ-like, because that is the ultimate purpose God has for all of us. 

And earlier on in that same letter Bruh Paul assured them of ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) So there we have it; the Lord has provided all we need to grow to maturity, and He will also keep on helping us to do so until Christ returns. But we need to wake up, get passionate and do our part, if we want to become even a li’l Christ-like! And for those of us who have made that decision, let’s go home now declaring (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our blessed and wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

As one, loud, proud and grateful voice: ‘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!’ 

And as always, let’s remember, that if we endure to the end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. As Jesus said: ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:13) Much LOVE!

perseverance…persistence…endurance…those are the keys to victorious living…to living for Christ… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8      

Today’s Scrip-Bit   30 March 2022   1 Corinthians 15:57.

30 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 Corinthians 15:57.      But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like today’s going to be as magnificent a day as yesterday, because there are dark storm clouds all around the skies. But I have no doubt  that we will persevere in spite of whatever comes against us this Wednesday, the penultimate day of March 2022, be it rain or snow…or even shine. (smile) 

Why? Because we have been anointed as mighty conquerors in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Bruh Paul said it thus: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37) And the prophet Isaiah was even more forceful and confident when he declared many moons ago: ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17) 

That’s why we can be strong and steadfast in our faith my faithful brethren in Christ! Yes, many will rise up against us and try to put us down, try to silence us, even by leading us like lambs to the slaughter, when we speak of Christ Jesus, sharing the good news of His majestic gospel, brimming with forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life, but they will not succeed, because our Lord and Saviour has conquered the prince of darkness and his evil empire through His sacrificial death and resurrection! Glory be! 

And Bruh Paul spelled it out in even greater detail in his first letter to the church at Corinth, where, quoting the prophets Isaiah (25.8) and Hosea (13:14) he told them: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 15:54-58) 

Oh Mama, Mama! What encouraging words my fellow saints in Christ! Yes friends, our work for the Lord will not be in vain, for as the author of Hebrews writes: ‘For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of LOVE, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.’ (Heb. 6:10)  

But there are a couple of scriptural reminders I think we need to hear as regards doing the Lord’s work. The first one comes from Bruh Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, where he reminds them: ‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of (according to) his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings. That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked  and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world.’ (Phil. 2:13-15) 

Now that’s indeed a very interesting scripture, and the scholars offer this explanation to it. ‘2:14. Since God is producing in the Philippians the willing and doing of His good and perfect will (vs.13), there can be no legitimate reason for murmurings and disputings. Not only are they forbidden to complain about the difficulties and persecutions that will befall them in carrying out God’s good pleasure, but quarrelling among themselves is also prohibited.’ And doesn’t that hit the nail on the head? It certainly does! For if God is working in us to do His good will, why then should there be need for complaints and disputes eh? No reason whatsoever!. 

And I like what the scholars say about ‘2:15. If the readers obey the commands of verses 12-14, they will be blameless (that’s innocent of any accusations), and harmless (i.e. morally pure). But due to party strife and bickering, this is now not true of them.’ Wow! The Corinthians were bickering and divided back then just like we are right now. So how in heaven’s name could they be like sons of God in the middle of an evil and wicked generation, without rebuke, like they ought to be, without incurring spiritual damage?  No way! 

And the same thing applies to our current situation of divisions and disputings within Christ’s church. We therefore could not be held blameless and harmless under any circumstances. And the end to that explanation is even better. (smile) ‘The proper place for God’s people is among the lost. For only in such a position can true Christian witness be borne and influence for the gospel be effectively exerted. Yet believers must remain “without rebuke” in that they suffer no moral damage by contact with the unsaved. Then among unbelievers they will shine forth as lights in the world. As stars are readily noticeable in a dark sky, so healthy Christian lives stand out in testimony among the lost and give credence to one’s witness.’ 

Now that certainly calls for another ‘Wow!’ Because it’s the gospel truth! However, it’s not so easily attained, since it calls for lots of sacrifice, LOVE, mercy, grace and forgiveness, even when temptations and tribulations are coming against us like mad. But then, on the other hand, that’s exactly what the Christian life, truly living for Jesus, is all about. And no, Christ doesn’t expect us to be perfect, because He knows that He is the ONLY perfect One, but He does expect us to try our very best. Sadly though, a lot of us supposed believers are not trying hard enough, and many are not trying at all! So how then can we shine forth as bright lights in this evil world, and be good testimony to Christ’s gospel eh? We can’t! 

And this is the last scripture I want to share on the subject of doing God’s will. Bruh Paul said very sternly to the Colossians: ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance (salvation); for ye serve the Lord Christ.’ (Col. 3:23-24) Oh my people, whether we be slave or free, whatever we do in this life, we ought to do it as though we’re doing it to God and not to men, although they might have current dominion over us, because it’s God who will reward us in the end. Please, let’s not forget that and raise the level of our Christian witness as is so necessary in these trying times. 

Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to do all that we’ve spoken of, let’s go home declaring  (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and confident voice: ‘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!’ 

And it behooves us now to endure until the end, because then the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. Much LOVE!

…am I ever looking forward to that more than glorious future…because I intend to be there at the end…hope you are too…  

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8          

Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 January 2022 Philippians 2:14.

12 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 2:14.      Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings:    

Well it’s Wednesday, not bright like the other days, but just as cold. And would you believe I have to go into the great city of Toronto for a medical check-up. Chuh! It’s a pain going there with all the traffic and confusion, and I would just LOVE to cancel it. (smile) But I can’t find any plausible reason to do so, and, like in most of our problems, I am the beneficiary of the check-up, not the medical people. So if I don’t go, I’m not doing them anything, I’m just putting myself in harms way.

And deep down I know that the Lord will look after me, but I guess it’s just my laziness, or desire not to have to go out into the cold. But sacrifices are a part of this life, and furthermore, it’s a sacrifice for my life, not for anyone else’s. So if you can’t sacrifice for yourself, whom are you going to sacrifice for eh? So enough with the complaining, with the hemming and hawing of whether I should go or not. And I guess, under these circumstances we should take a look at what the Good Book says about complaining. Hn, Hn!

Now Bruh Paul says it loud and clear to the Philippians. ‘Wherefore my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of (according to) his good pleasure.

Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world.’ (Phil. 2:12-15)

Yes friends, complaining, grumbling, murmuring, disputing or any such negative sentiment, should not be numbered amongst the Christian’s tool kit. Why is that, you ask? I like how the gotquestions.org website explains it in an article on the subject.

‘Complaining is certainly not a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) and, in fact, is detrimental to the peace, joy, and patience that come from the Spirit. For the Christian, complaining is destructive and debilitating personally and only serves to make our witness to the world more difficult. Who, for instance, would be attracted to a religion whose adherents are dissatisfied with life and who continually grumble and complain?’

Ah mih people, It’s hard enough to get the unbeliever to respond when we’re kind and contented, much less if we’re continually dissatisfied! And the scholars’ offer this explanation re ‘2:14. Since God is producing in the Philippians the willing and doing of His good and perfect will (vs. 13), there can be no legitimate reason for murmurings and disputings. Not only are they forbidden to complain about the difficulties and persecutions that will befall them in carrying out God’s good pleasure, but quarreling among themselves is also prohibited.’

So all of the nonsense that’s going on between us, supposed believers, re the Covid-19 virus and the many other problems is totally unchristian. And that’s one of the major reasons why we can’t solve any of them; no agreement on how to handle the situations. And that will cause problems every time. For it’s only when we agree, to at least disagree, that healing can begin. And is there ever so much disagreement in our world right now!

I don’t know if there’s anything that we even agree on, and it’s causing so many unnecessary fires both literally and figuratively, to be lit and to keep burning incessantly and with much rage. In fact, rage might be the one common denominator in our world today, for we are all up in arms about something, and nobody wants to give an inch.

That means Peter’s words are continually falling on deaf ears: ‘Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling).’ (1 Pet. 4:9) It’s sad, but ever so true, that the amount of infighting that’s going on between, families, organizations, societies, and nations is mind-boggling and most definitely intolerable, if we are to ever defeat our common problems. And it’s also obvious that we have not taken the immortal words of Hebrews to heart: ‘Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’ (Heb. 13:1-2)

Oh friends, we never know who is going to cross our path that will eventually play a large role in our affairs, that’s why it’s so necessary to treat each other with kindness and hospitality, and the only way to bring about some much needed peace and quiet in our tormented and troubled world. Remember what the Good Book says: We are to be ‘blameless and harmless,’ that’s innocent and above rebuke, so we could shine like bright lights in an evil and misguided generation.

That means we are also undoing and disobeying Christ’s desire, when He said: ‘Ye are the light of the world…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14a, 16) And let’s remember that whomever we may be, or whatever our position, our major purpose on this earth is to glorify our heavenly Father!

Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. So altogether now: ‘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!’ 

And my faithful brethren, let’s not forget either, that if we endure to the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! That’s just a li’l something to keep us excited, strong and continually motivated to work for Christ! (smile) Much LOVE!

…unfortunately…we believers…instead of using our light to uncover the world’s darkness…we are allowing the world’s darkness to cover our light…

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8              

Today’s Scrip-Bit   6 October 2021 Ephesians 5:8.

06 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 5:8.     For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord: walk as children of light. 

No more rain…And the sun is finally peeking out…Glory! Oh, the dark clouds are not all gone, but there is a great possibility of light, (smile) much more than we’ve had for the past few days. And that’s exactly how our Jesus comes and shines through our personal darkness. When we think that there is no hope, that the darkness will overwhelm us, He shows up unexpectedly with the bright light of His presence and chases the evil darkness away! Give Him some thanks and praise my faithful brethren for He is indeed a Saviour to those whose lives are consumed by the evil enemy. 

As the prophet Isiah so prophetically declared long ago, re the Prince of Peace: ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath a light shined.’ (Is. 9:2) And that’s one of the most potent and prophetic prophecies ever prophesied! (smile) It heralded the coming of Jesus…the light of the world! 

But the sad news is that, as Jesus said: ‘And this is the condemnation that (the) light is come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (exposed).’ (John 3:19-20) 

And that’s the gospel truth my people! Those of us with evil deeds in our repertoire hate the light and will refuse to accept Jesus because we are afraid that those evil deeds will be exposed, for that’s what light does; it exposes the darkness, the sin, the evil in our souls! And we are not talking about physical light, but spiritual light, ‘light that shines on our hearts.’ 

I like how this article on thebereancall.org website with a conversation between Dave Hunt and T.A. McMahon describes the situation. T. A. McMahon says: ‘And men loved darkness rather than light.  Dave, is this in the statistical manual it talked about earlier? (Referring there to a manual on the power of DNA to operate without words or a language).

Dave Hunt replies: ‘Yeah, they don’t want to know the truth. I would say that whole statistical manual is a witness to this fact; men loved darkness rather than light. Instead of accepting the truth that we are separated from God by sin, that we are rebels in our hearts, that we need to be reconciled to God, we need to recognize that Jesus Christ is God who became a man to die for our sins, paid the penalty for our sins, died for our sins, rose from the dead and we open our hearts to Him and we allow Him to come in and He changes us completely. 

We are born again of the Word of God, Peter says. This Word that brings understanding, the truth that is the light that Jesus brought.  Now, it says they hated me without a cause because the light of Jesus Christ shows up the darkness, the darkness being what? Well, rebellion against God, running to hide from God, not wanting to know the truth and so forth.’ 

Now this passage from an article on the subject on the mtvchurchofchrist.org, further enlightens us. ‘The reason for the world’s LOVE affair with darkness is that it hides sin, or so it is believed. As long as it is dark, as long as there is no light of truth, those in sin can perpetuate their evil. But let one beam of truth pierce the darkness of sin and error, let one ray of goodness break through, and those in darkness scatter like so many roaches exposed to daylight. But the feeling of having hidden sin is only an illusion, for all things are open and naked before God (Heb. 4:13).’ 

And I’ll just insert that verse here. ‘Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight (hidden from his sight): but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (must give account).’ (Heb. 4:13) So, as we well know, there is absolutely no hiding from God, but many of us still foolishly try to retain the illusion. 

The article then continues with this interesting slant. It says: ‘One of the reasons, if not the main reason, those in the world often feel uncomfortable around faithful Christians is that the faithful child of God reminds sinners of their sins. The faithful child of God might well feel uncomfortable around the sinner, as well (Eph. 5:11).’ Oh friends, I surely hope we do feel uncomfortable around evil doers, but nonetheless show them the light of Christ shining through our words and actions. 

And to substantiate all that we’ve said, let’s listen to the words of Bruh Paul to the church at Ephesus on the ways of the believer. ‘Let no man deceive you with vain (empty) words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be ye not partakers with them. For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord: walk as children of light. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.’ (Eph. 5:6-12) 

Yes my brethren, once upon a time we too walked in darkness, but then we saw the light of Christ, and our lives were transformed. And the scholars explain it all thus: ‘5:8. Our knowledge of the truth is attended by moral purity and happiness. 5:10.  Because of constant temptations and solicitations to evil, believers must always be proving or discerning what is and what is not acceptable unto the Lord. 

5:11. Reprove is better translated “expose.” The believer’s duty is expressed here in two ways. Negatively, he is not to have any fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, that is, not indulge in the sins of the unsaved. Positively, he is to “expose” (reprove) these sins, that is bring them to light and show them for what they really are, so that the unbeliever may see their hideous nature and their terrible consequences. 5:12. For tells why the Christian must expose the sins of the lost. If it is shameful even to discuss their iniquities in decent company how much the worse is the committing of these sins. Hence the need to bring them to light.’ 

Ah my fellow saints, I do hope that all the above has now elucidated and enlightened us about walking in darkness and light, (smile) so that we are now capable of making good decisions on it. Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to walk in the light, let’s go home declaring (oh yes!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

Altogether now: ‘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!’ 

And believe me, if we endure until the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine. So please, let’s hang in there my faithful brethren! Much LOVE!

…if light brings truth and happiness…why fool with darkness…which only keeps one trapped in sin and rebellion towards God…                                                                                                     

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8          

Today’s Scrip-Bit   15 September 2021 John 4:24.

15 Sep 2021 Leave a comment

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

John 4:24.     God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.

Another day my people; another day of new mercies and compassions from Almighty God! Wow! What a marvellous God we serve and worship! No other supposed deity puts themselves out to give us new stuff every single day. But our great God Jehovah does! That’s because He LOVES us with the everlasting LOVE of a Father and only desires the best for us! 

And that led to Him sending His sinless Son Jesus Christ to earth to die for the propitiation of our abominable sins. All other false gods expect mankind to sacrifice to and for them, but ONLY the One true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was willing to sacrifice for mankind. And not just a simple unimportant sacrifice, but His most beloved, the apple of His eye, His one Son Jesus. And if that doesn’t tell us the depth of LOVE and compassion that the Lord holds for us, I don’t know what else will nuh. 

The false gods, and the man-made idols that so many of us worship, don’t do a thing for us, and in fact they can’t do a bloody thing for us since they are all dead, inanimate and without life. So how can a dead object do anything for you eh? But the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is alive and kicking, that’s why He can make promises and keep them! So today we are just going to look at a few scriptures that describe our God as a living being. And the first scripture comes from Jesus Himself, when He told the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob: ‘God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.’ (Matt. 4:24) 

Yes friends, our God exists, but not as a being with a body, but as a Spirit. And the scholars give us this explanation re, the Definition of God. ‘4:24. John gives us three descriptions of God. He is Spirit (John 4:24), LOVE (1 John 4:8), and Light (1 John 1:5). God is a spiritual being who is invisible and without a body; He is a divine person who reveals Himself in perfect intellect, emotion, and will: He is the source and personification of all material and spiritual life. 

He is self-existent; He is eternal in relationship to time; He is unlimited in relationship to the immensity of space; He is immutable in His nature; He is the unity of all existence; and He is consistent in His being – that is, He corresponds in actual fact to His nature and attributes as they are revealed to us. (First Ref. Gen. 1:1; Primary Ref. John 4:24).’ 

So you see friends, the only thing our God lacks is a material body. But as a Spirit, it means He can be all places at the same time. And that’s one of the many reasons He’s so valuable to us; He can be with ALL of us ALL of the time. And if we turn to Genesis 1:3, we will find the first and biggest reason why we say that God is alive and kicking. The Good Book tells us: ‘And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.’ Now please tell me, how can a dead God speak eh. One must have life, that’s breath to speak. And it’s oh so worthwhile to know that God spoke everything in the world into existence, except man. 

And if you still don’t believe that God is alive and speaks, then check out Deuteronomy 5, where Moses reminds the Israelites of how they heard God’s voice in the fire at Mt. Horeb on their journey through the wilderness, when He made the covenant with them and gave them the Ten Commandments. Moses recounts: ‘And ye said, Behold, the Lord our God hath showed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth (still lives).’ (Deut. 5:24) 

So God doesn’t only talk to the universe, He also talks to man, whom He created to be in relationship with Him including to talk with Him. But like everything that concerns the ears, you won’t hear God, or anything or anyone else unless you LISTEN! That’s the crux of the matter…LISTENING! And unfortunately, that’s something we don’t do very well at in these modern times. We all desire to talk, to be heard, but we rebel when it comes to listening. 

Just like the church leaders in Jesus’ time weren’t listening to Him when He quoted them the scriptures re marriages in heaven. ‘But as touching (concerning) the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living,’ (Matt. 22:31-32) Ah mih people, if our God is the God of the living then it means that He must also be alive! Glory be! Bless His holy name! 

And though there are several other scriptures I would like to include, because of time and space this is the last one. And it’s a scripture that’s always fascinated me. They are the words of the pagan king of Babylon, Darius, after Daniel walked out of the lion’s den unscathed. He right royally declared: ‘I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men (must) tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power (paws) of the lions.’ (Dan. 6:26-27) 

Now if an idol worshipper can make such a testimony to the power of Almighty God, a God who doesn’t change, why do we have such trouble acknowledging Him and His sovereignty eh? I don’t know, and I won’t venture to comment. (smile) But anyway, here is an interesting part of a commentary from the Christian Science Monitor website – It’s titled ‘A Christian Science perspective: What does it mean that God is a ‘living God’? By Liz Butterfield Wallingford. 

She ends the article by saying: ‘To know God as a truly “living God” goes beyond simply acknowledging that He exists. He is unceasing, unending Life itself. His goodness can’t fade. Our receptivity to His infinite goodness, inherent in our very nature as the reflection of the living God, can’t be diminished. When we wholeheartedly yearn to know God better, to receive the forever-active Christ, to understand that God could never for a second stop expressing His LOVE and goodness in each of us – then we begin to see this spiritual fact increasingly evidenced in our everyday lives.’ 

And that’s totally true my brethren. The more we yearn for the living spirit-filled God and all that pertains to Him, the more we will see real evidence of Him in our everyday lives. So, for those of us who have that eternal yearning for Almighty God, let’s go home now declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting all and sundry know of the wonderful position we now enjoy in Christ Jesus. 

As one strong voice: ‘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!’ 

And yuh better believe friends, that if we endure unto the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So let’s hang in there nuh, and with Jesus’ awesome help live and LOVE for Him! Much LOVE!

…now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible…the only wise (living) God…be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen… (1 Tim. 1:17)                                                                                                                

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