Today’s Scrip-Bit   21 March 2024   2 Corinthians 5:17.

21 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 5:17.       Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Oh brother, I don’t know what to believe anymore nuh; the computer tells me it’s minus 2 Celsius and mostly cloudy, but in my area, it’s sunshiny as ever and somewhat windy. I will take that over the cloudiness any day. (smile) But worse yet, they are predicting 3 centimetres of snow for Friday! Goodbye spring…welcome again winter! But like the world, we won’t believe it until we see it! (smile) And to help us remember that we serve a good and great God Jehovah, let’s check out this interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘NOW.’ Obviously I don’t know whether I’ve shared it before or not, but as always, these poems are always worth sharing again. (smile) 

So please read with me: ‘Lord I don’t ask You to renovate me Nor do I ask You to reconstruct me Or make me over. I don’t even ask You to patch me up Or pare out the bruised spots Or gloss over the tin and tarnish. Rather, dear Lord, I ask You To make a new species – Something that never before existed. Impart to me Your very own Life. After all, Lord It is such a simple thing for You To create something beautiful From a shapeless, chaotic mass. It is such a simple thing for You To divide light from darkness. Please do it for me – now. (And the Lord replied) ‘Child of My Infinite Plan Two thousand years ago All you have asked I did. Please accept it from Me – NOW.’ 

And that’s the gospel truth friends! Two thousand years ago, with the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ Jesus, the Lord recreated, reformed and refashioned man one more time, with Jesus as the foundation of the new process. As the psalmist so truthfully prophesied in Psalm 118, long before Christ’s coming: ‘The stone which the builder refused (rejected) is become the head stone of the corner (chief corner stone). It is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.’ (Ps. 118:22-23) 

The Lord was always one jump ahead of  us my people. He knew the plans He had in mind for us, plans and thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give us an expected end.’ (Jer. 29:11) That’s a future and a hope, so we could live with complete faith and trust in His magnanimity. Therefore, once Jesus came, all the old, unused, thrashy stuff was thrown away. As the Lord’s Word so rightly says in our Bible Promise for today’s poem: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) 

And there we have exactly what the Lord was speaking about in His answer to our pleas for recreation! It’s simple; if you want to be a new man, then all you have to do is believe in Christ Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and the work of recreation will immediately begin. As the scholars explain: ‘When a man comes into vital union with the risen and glorified Lord, he is a “new creation” (cf. John 3:3; 15:5; Rom. 8:1, 9; Gal. 6:14-15) and perceives Christ in a new way. And, Old things are passed away indicates a decisive break with the old life at the moment of salvation. Behold, all things are become new stresses the abiding results of the Christian’s union with Christ (cf. Is. 43:18-19; 65:17; Eph. 4:24: Rev. 21:4-5).’ 

Ah my people, those are all important and very valid scriptures, but we don’t have time to quote them all, so we thoughtfully suggest (smile) that you take a few moments to look them up yourselves. However, since we like to spoon feed you, (smile) we will quote a few of them, beginning with this total gem from Jesus when the Jewish leader Nicodemus came to him by night to ask about His ministry. ‘Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of heaven.’ (John 3:3) 

Right there friends, Jesus shows the overwhelming importance of change, of new life, of new behaviour, if one desires to follow Him. And Bruh Paul opens that magnificent chapter of hope, chapter 8 of Romans, with these most convincing words. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’ (Rom. 8:1) What a marvellous situation that is! When we become new creations in Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and we cease walking after our carnal, fleshly lusts, but instead walk with the leading and guidance of God’s Spirit. 

And as the prophet Isaiah prophesied to the Israelites, and also to us, long before Jesus came: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:18-19) And He did it physically for the Israelites as they wandered through the wilderness, and for us spiritually with the coming of Jesus. And all God’s people gave a grateful shout of: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and peace, good will to men on the earth!’ 

Now that should be our earthly motto, but, unfortunately, Satan rules the earth with his evil doings, and hate and strife currently overwhelm our flailing world. But there is hope my fellow saints. Yes, once there is life, there is hope, in Almighty God! And the hope we have right now rests in what we call our Thursday Blessings. Undeserved blessings generously bestowed by God for us to do His earthly work, and turn this evil planet around. However, to activate them, we must vocally declare (chuh!!!) them. So let’s do that right now nuh. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

And having made that declaration, (yesss!!!) we are now compelled to go out and use those blessing  in a generous manner to help others find Christ and come to LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…becoming a new creation in Jesus…is more important…and much easier…than buying a suit of new clothes…

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ

Today’s Scrip-Bit   31 July 2023 John 3:3a.

31 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

John 3:3a.       Except a man be born again (or from above) he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Monday, O Monday, how I do LOVE thee! Let me count the ways. No friends, I ‘m not losing my marbles by talking about LOVING Monday. There are several good reasons for LOVING Monday; first of all, it’s another new day on God’s great planet earth, and we’ve been chosen by the Almighty to see and enjoy it, plenty others did not get that chance, so we should be very thankful. 

Then Monday is the first day of the work week, the day we’re spiritually the strongest and most confident after fellowshipping with other believers on Sunday, and therefore the day we’re most likely to do our best witnessing for Christ. And Monday is also the day we get back into the swing of things and share our weekend thrills and spills with our co-workers. So Monday is not as bad as we like to make out; it’s just our unpreparedness for it that makes us give it a bad name. 

Now what does the Lord want us to talk about this last day of July 2023 eh? Yes, I did say the last day of July 2023! Can you imagine it? July’s done and over with, which means that the summer’s drawing to a close, with only August left to navigate, then the cold weather is back with us. And I don’t care what anybody says, this year has certainly gone by a lot quicker than the last few have done! (smile) 

And it seems like the Lord wants us to talk about the conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus, because that’s where the Good Library just opened unto. And what was that all about eh? John wrote in his gospel: ‘There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles (signs) that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (or from above) he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:1-3) 

Now let’s stop there for a moment and consider the implications of what we’ve just read. First of all, the scholars tell us that ‘Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, probably because he was afraid of the repercussions from his fellow Pharisees, who didn’t believe in Jesus. Then, Nicodemus accepted Jesus as a teacher and a rabbi from God who worked miracles, but Jesus was not impressed with the depth of Nicodemus’ belief or understanding. Many unbelievers still agree that Jesus was a “great man,” and not the Son of God.’ 

And re Jesus’ statement of being born again, they say ‘it may be translated either “again” or “from above.” And perhaps both ideas should be combined here, to indicate the repetition of an act from another source. Only John uses this expression in the Gospels. This concept of the New Birth includes these implications: (1) It undercuts Jewish dependence on being sons of Abraham (cf. 8:39). (2) It reveals there must be a work of God “from above,” since the Jews considered children (new births) to be God’s blessing. (3) It teaches the necessity of a new beginning.’ 

And since Nicodemus didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about, he questioned: ‘How can a man be born again when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth (wishes), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it cometh, and wither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:4:8) 

Yes friends, we must all be born of the Spirit, have a spiritual rebirth before we can enter God’s kingdom, and the Spirit is like the wind; you can’t tell where it’s coming from or going to, but you know it’s there. Now, poor Nicodemus was even more confused. Thus, he answered and said unto Jesus. ‘How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master (teacher) of Israel, and knoweth not these things. Verily, verily I say unto thee, We speak that (what) we do know, and testify that (what) we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.’ (John 3:9:11) 

And unfortunately, the very same thing is still happening today; so many people are refusing to believe Jesus’ witness, and that’s why our world is in such and evil and ungodly mess. But there is hope for us yet, if we do like Nicodemus and sincerely listen to and accept Jesus. And I like how the scholars check up on Nicodemus’ conversion. They say, he was a member of the ruling Jewish group, the Sanhedrin, like Joseph of Arimathea, and both appeared to be secret disciples of Jesus. 

And they point out that Nicodemus is mentioned three times in the New Testament, all in John’s gospel. In these three passages, John seems to focus on the progression of Nicodemus’ spiritual life. In chapter 3, that we just looked at, he comes to Jesus without any change evident in his life. In John 7:50 a change is observable in that he defends Jesus against the charge of the Sanhedrin. ‘Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them.) Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?’ (John 7:50-51) Then at the Crucifixion, both Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea boldly and publicly stand as disciples of Jesus (John 19:38-39) 

Now that’s how we ought to be my brethren, standing up boldly and publicly for Jesus, if we consider ourselves His followers, not the wishy washy, fearful, doh care attitude that so many of us adopt. And now, to help us improve our less than stellar attitude, let’s go the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, and lay our cares and anxieties before the Lord. 

As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And if we truly want the Lord’s help, then we need to do our part to deserve it. Much LOVE!

… being born again of water and the Spirit….is essential for experiencing eternal life…

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ  

Today’s Scrip-Bit   14 January 2012 Ephesians 4:23.

14 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 4:23.        And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;   

Now that’s more like it! There’s a hint of sunshine in the air, not the total murkiness we’ve suffered for the past couple of  days. Sunshine has been so lacking that lights which are recharged by sunlight have not been coming on because there hasn’t been sufficient sunlight to recharge them. I wonder what’s happening to those who use solar powered equipment in their homes, like on their rooves to provide heat, if they don’t have a large storage of that solar power.

It’s a good thing that we don’t have to worry about our spiritual power, because we have Jesus, the ‘awesomest’ power person there is, rooting for us in everything we do! But first we need to put our trust and faith in Him, believe in what He says, and live the way he directs, otherwise His power won’t work in us. It’s all conditioned upon our sincerely accepting Him as Lord and Saviour and doing His will.

And when we do that…Brother! Such new vistas will open before us, exciting things will begin happening, good changes will be made in our lives, in fact a complete turnaround will take place, and we’ll wonder why we hadn’t accepted Him into our hearts and lives before. As Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17)

Yes friends, when you’ve found Christ, you become a brand new being. As the scholars put it: ‘When a man comes into vital union with the risen and glorified Lord, he is a “new creation,” and perceives Christ in a new way.’ And that’s borne out by the words of Jesus, first to Nicodemus, who came by night seeking information from Him. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3)

It’s a spiritual rebirth my brethren! And unless it happens to us, we won’t see the kingdom of God. It’s as simple as that. And Jesus drives home that point later on when He tells the disciples: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) Now that’s laying it all on the line. And it is the indisputable fact; without Jesus, we are very limited in what we can do.

And when we accept Him as Lord and Saviour, we make a break with the old things of our lives. We have to, because all the old carnal, sinful, fleshly stuff doesn’t work in Christ’s domain. That means a lot of new things, interesting changes must happen in our new life with Jesus, if we are to abide in Him, and He in us. As Isaiah writes: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider ye the things of old.’ (Is. 43:18) And the wonderful thing about it all my people, is that once we come to Christ, our union with Him abides forever!

But here are some interesting words from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians, on some of the practical changes that we make when we come to Christ. ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct of) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:22-32)

Yes my fellow saints, just a few practical changes to make when we accept Christ as Lord and Saviour! (smile) But seriously though, we desperately need to consider how all of the above resonates in our personal lives, because it’s all a big part of our current angry, strife -filled world. And it’s not always easy to differ from the world, but we must, if we are to fulfill Christ’s mandate.

The major aspect though is a change in our mindset, because it’s in our mind that all the battles between the old and new take place. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote: ‘And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.’ (Eph. 4:23) Now, the only way we can do that is through purposeful meditation on God’s word, sincere prayer and the genuine encouragement of other believers. And, since we’ve already pondered the Lord’s word, and encouraged each other, let’s go to Him in prayer now, through our Friday Chant, asking for His divine help and guidance.

As one strong, confident, but humble voice. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Now, please remember that we just portrayed ourselves as faithful believers, and unless we live up to that promise, the Lord won’t answer our prayers. Much LOVE!

…being a new creation in Christ is wonderful…but it’s not always easy…we have to keep at it…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 January 2021 John 3:3.

09 Jan 2021 Leave a comment

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

John 3:3.     ​Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Well here comes Saturday; that lazy, hazy day! And with the worldwide lockdown, there’s even more reason to have a lazy and hazy Saturday since you can’t go anywhere and do much of anything! (smile) But God is good, and He operates on both the good and bad days, so there’s nothing to fear if we have Him uppermost in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls. Yeh friends, if we want to make it through all in one piece in these treacherous and perilous times, then the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob definitely has to be our rock, our anchor, our place of safe refuge, our Good Shepherd. 

And as we always do on Saturdays, let’s look at some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And thank God it seems like he’s stopped putting that unwieldy preface before each quote! (smile) 

And the first quote says: ‘Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.’ Now there is truth to that statement, although I don’t believe that intelligence is only the ability to adapt to change. It’s also a whole lot of other things. But you do need intelligence if you’re going to successfully adapt to change. You need to first be intelligent to know that you must adapt in some things and places, and then be intelligent enough to know which things and places to adapt to. If you don’t, the world will quickly leave you behind. 

But for heaven’s sake, don’t just adapt for adapting sake, or because everyone else is doing it. You just have to look at the state of social media nowadays and see how it’s sucking so many people into bad habits with its ever expanding tentacles and reach! You have to be intelligent enough to know how far to let it take you. 

And the next quote tells us that ‘Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.’ Now I think that’s somewhat contradictory. Granted, foolish people might never want to change, but a wise man, because he is wise, ought to know that change is sometimes very necessary, even though we may not want to make it. So personally, I think that part is wrong. And I can say that from personal experience. (smile) I’m not a great believer in change, especially just for change sake, but I do think I’m wise enough to know that at times I do need to change, although I may not want to. 

And that’s where I think wisdom becomes very necessary. Yeah, they used to tell me that I was living in the 18thcentury, but now I’ve moved up to halfway in the 20th. So you see, I was wise enough to recognize the need for some change, though they had to drag me screaming into it! (smile) And change is especially important if you want to be a true believer in Christ. A couple of scriptures will show us that. 

The first comes from Jesus Himself, when Nicodemus came to Him by night, afraid of the wrath of the Pharisees, and asked how to gain salvation.‘Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’(John 3:3) Yeh friends, that’s the first and wisest change we need to make if we want to follow Jesus! 

And it doesn’t mean entering into our mother’s wombs again, but ‘Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’ (John 3:5-6) And once you’re born again of water and the Spirit, then you need to hear Bruh Paul’s words to the church at Corinth. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) 

Now that’s another time when change is oh so necessary! We have to put away the old, worldly things of our lives and pick up new spiritual practices that fall under Jesus’ guidelines. And I believe that this next quote addresses our problem with all that change very adequately. ‘If you have a purpose which is bigger than you, all your problems will become tiny.’ 

Oh,  all your problems definitely won’t become tiny, but with Jesus as your main man, with His divine help, they will become manageable. But we must have Jesus as our special purpose, a purpose bigger than us, if our problems are to become manageable. That’s just the way life is friends. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Jesus as He talks about the vine and the branches. ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) And if that isn’t telling it like it is, then I don’t know what is nuh? 

Bruh Paul also corroborated Christ’s statement in his second letter to the Corinthians. ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) And if you don’t make that change and start depending on God, then you’re not wise! (smile) 

And the last quote says: ‘The ones who can see the vision when no one else can, and work on it like there is no tomorrow, will succeed. The rest will follow.’ Oh friends, there is much truth in that statement, but the crux of it is the second part. Many of us see visions, know what we ought to do, what the Lord wants us to do, but for whatever reason we refuse or hem and haw until it’s too late to work on it. 

That’s the whole thing about being a Christian my brethren; we not only have a new and different way to live, but we also have to diligently work at it, since we are servants, workers, ambassadors of Christ on this evil earth! He is depending on us to bring about the necessary changes He desires. And truly working at being a Christian is no easy matter since the devil and his evil cronies delight in putting obstacles in our way. That’s why we need to read and know the word of God so that we can put it into use when the enemy comes against us, as he undoubtedly will. 

As Bruh Paul said to Timothy: ‘Fight the good fight of faith…’ (1 Tim. 6:12) As believers, we all have to daily fight the hardships and adversity that comes with the Christian life, show the true nature of our faith, as we daily grow and mature in it, until we can accomplish that balance between faith and works that James talks about. ‘Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.’ (James 2:17-18) 

Oh precious people, it’s great to have faith, but faith is useless if it isn’t put to work. Jesus didn’t come to earth to just have faith, He came to do works, and we are called to do likewise, in His name. So let’s get to it seriously nuh, the world is anxiously waiting for us to show it our true and lasting faith by our sincere works! Much LOVE!

…a believer must be responsive to change…but wisely… 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 June 2020 John 3:3.

06 Jun 2020 Leave a comment

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

John 3:3.    ​Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.
 

‘Beautiful days are here again…Beautiful days are here again…’ Sing it with me please friends: ‘Beautiful days are here again… Beautiful days are here again…. Glory Hallelujah!’ Yeh, the days themselves have recently been physically beautiful, but what’s been happening within them, is a completely different story. 

But as children of God, imbued with His awesome power of word and mind, we need to see it all by faith and not by sight, we have to call it as we want it to be, not as it is. That’s why we’re singing: ‘Beautiful days are here again…Beautiful days are here again… Glory Hallelujah!’ And they will be, in the Lord’s time, as all our current difficulties and troubles will eventually pass – if only to make room for new ones, (smile) but pass they will, that we can be sure of! 

And I know that many of you are just dying to hear what our friend Anselm said this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. So here goes. The first quote advises: ‘Dream bigger. Do bigger.’ I guess the psychological principle is being invoked here, of the bigger you dream, the bigger will be your results and success, as compared to small dreams which reputedly only bring small success. 

Yes, there is this theory that if we want ten, we need to dream for twenty, because we always seem to get less than what we dream for. My only contention with all of that is we also need to realize that the bigger we dream, it’s the more responsibility and work we’ll have to contend with. So if you don’t want those last two, then don’t do the first one. (smile) 

Then there’s this: ‘Little things make big days.’ And we Christians ought to be more aware of that then the rest of the world, because that’s the way our great God usually works in our lives. But then again, that’s why so many of us are lost and can’t fathom why miracles aren’t happening in our lives…because we have this mindset that miracles are big, newsworthy things, when in fact miracles in God’s understanding are small, everyday occurrences. If we look at the small happenings in our lives, we’ll see that on a daily basis the Lord does something that doesn’t all add up in our way of thinking. Those are the daily miracles, the small things we need to look for and appreciate. 

It’s like the Jews who knew a Messiah was coming to save them, but they mistakenly taught that it was a warrior statesman who would rid them of their enemies and slave-like conditions. But in fact it was a simple rabbi coming to sacrifice His life, so that their sins could be forgiven and give them another option besides merely going to hell at death. 

They didn’t want that though, they wanted the now for now physical solution to their earthly life. But unfortunately friends, life doesn’t always go as we desire. So let’s be wise and look for, and appreciate the small things in life nuh, because that’s where we usually find God, more often than in the big things. 

And this next quote should be self-explanatory: ‘Wake up with determination. Go to bed with satisfaction.’ Yes mih bredrin, we ought to wake up determined to do something good for God…and do it too! Each and every day, let’s put in a sincere and genuine effort, and if we can, bring some good work to fruition, so that both God and us can be satisfied with our days efforts, as we lay us down to sleep. That’s how I understand it. (smile) 

And what about this one eh? ‘Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you’re done.’ That’s gospel truth friends, and we need to hear it ever so much, especially in this soft, pampered and fragile society in which we currently live, where everybody gets tired so quickly, and are quick to stop, to give up, when they aren’t seeing any quick positive results. 

But believers are not supposed to be of that ilk. We’re supposed to keep on keeping on, go the extra mile, don’t stop till we’re done! When we’re tired, that’s when we take a deep breath, catch a second wind and get back into the race. There’s no stopping for believers until Christ takes us home…and even then, we’ll be continually celebrating and regaling Him in heaven, so our work is never done…just getting more enjoyable! (smile) 

And as always, we’ve left the best for last. ‘Do something today that your future self will thank you for.’ And the best thing we can ever do for ourselves, today, or any other day that we’re alive, is to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour! Yes friends, it’s what our great God greatly desires of us, that’s why He sacrificed Jesus on Calvary’s cross to pay for our sins. 

Sins that would have caused eternal death and separation from the Almighty, but through Jesus’ sacrificial payment, we now have the option to come to Him in reconciliation and forgiveness and receive the free gift of grace that leads to salvation and eternal life, eternal dwelling with Him in what we call heaven, a place of unimaginable beauty and exceptional living. 

As Jesus so plainly stated to Nicodemus when he came asking for information. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ And when Nicodemus queried Jesus’ answer, He further explained: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth (wishes), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whiter it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:5-8) 

So my brethren, the best thing we can ever do today for our future lives is to be born again! There needs to be a new work from above in our sinful lives, a new beginning; a supernatural spiritual birth is called for if we want to enjoy God’s kingdom. That’s the long and short of the story! Much LOVE!

…eternal life calls for…two births…one earthly…one spiritually…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 September 2015 2 Corinthians 5:17.

20 Sep 2015 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 5:17.  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.

Well Friends, that wonderful day called Sunday has rolled around once more. And we all know what that means; joyful praise and worship, thanksgiving and celebration, encouragement and upliftment in God’s sanctuary, for all those who believe in His glorious Son Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to whom every knee must bow and every tongue declare that He is the Sovereign Lord indeed! 

Oh Glory to God my people, for such a wonderful champion! There’s none else as mighty, as LOVING, as forgiving, merciful and compassionate as Him! 

Those who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ need to have their heads, hearts and souls thoroughly examined for stupidity and/or madness because He is the be all and end all to every human being. There’s nothing we can ever want that won’t be found in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 

Unfortunately though, the Father gave human beings the freedom of choice; the freedom to believe or not to believe in His Son, and with our naturally sinful, disobedient, prideful and rebellious nature, a whole host of humans are foolishly reviling and refusing to believe and put their trust in Him. 

Thank God we are not amongst that ignorant lot my brethren! We believe…and will keep on believing until the very end, because He walked His talk: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 15:13-14)  

Then He went out and showed His great LOVE for us by sacrificing His holy and sinless life on the cross at Calvary, so that we could have salvation and eternal life. Now to prove that we are indeed His friends, we need to do what He’s commanded, otherwise we’re no friends of His. As simple as that. 

Now here’s an interesting quote from our friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. It says: ‘How does one become a butterfly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.’ 

When I read that a few days ago, it brought a chuckle to my soul and I knew that at some time I’d have to share it. But it does make a whole lot of sense. To become a butterfly you must stop being a caterpillar, and if you want to fly so badly, the only way to do that is to stop being a caterpillar. 

And the good thing about that statement my people, is that it applies to almost everything in our lives. If we want to be one thing, we need to stop being something else. We simply cannot be two things at once. And becoming something else is very seldom easy as the lowly caterpillar and many of us can attest to. 

And it’s very applicable to our becoming believers in Christ, as our Bit informs us. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.’ 

That’s indisputable truth my people! To be a true believer in Christ, we must stop crawling through the ungodly things of this world, shed that old caterpillar skin and soar like a brand newborn butterfly into things of heaven! 

Please note what Jesus told Nicodemus when he inquired about salvation. ‘Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) 

So like the caterpillar that goes through a metamorphosis, a significant change to become a butterfly, so too we humans have to go through a significant change to become a true believer in Christ. 

Now it’s not an easy task, especially with all the evil and ungodly bombardments we experience in this world. But with God’s help it can be accomplished, and believe me friends, it’s very worthwhile and rewarding. When we are born again, we develop an entirely new perspective about life, about living for Christ. 

Listen to how Bruh Paul talked about the new life in Christ to the Ephesians. ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph.4:22-24) 

Yes my brethren, as new born believers in Christ we need to renounce our old worldly ways and sins, constantly being changed to become more like Christ every day, seeking the things that are God, and seeing the world from His viewpoint. All of that helps us to develop a new and godly character, so that we can walk in righteousness and truth. 

As Bruh Paul continues to the Ephesian’s. ‘Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph.4:25-27) 

Yes Friends, those are just a few of the things that we need to cut out from our old behaviour, and replace them with their opposite and godly behaviour. And there are many more characteristics of daily living that Bruh Paul advises us to change, which I won’t go through in detail, but you can read for yourself in Ephesians 4:28-32. 

So my brethren, now that we are new creatures, new creations in Christ, let’s act and look the part nuh. We can’t afford to be exhibiting the same ungodly traits and characteristics we showed before we were born again, otherwise we’d be considered hypocritical, like the Pharisees of old, and give Christ a bad name and a less than stellar reputation. 

And we surely don’t want to do that, so let’s grab the bull by the horns, get ourselves together, so that we can be good ambassadors for Christ. That’s everlasting wisdom! Much LOVE!

…to truly live for Christ…means throwing out the old ways of the world…and bringing in the new ways of heaven…