28 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, a man lay down his life for his friends, a mere mortal, against that day, am persuaded that he is able, are freely - inseparably mine, be not faithless but believing, behold who hath created these things, bringeth out their host by number, But God commendeth his love toward us, by the greatness of his might, calleth them all by names, catch our second wind, created by our majestic God, didn't want be on another late bus, divine Love, endure to the end with Christ, expanse of heaven, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, flithily clothed with sin, forever linked to divine destiny, God demonstrated his LOVE for us.', God has chosen me, God has inscribed me in the palms of His hands, God's deep and abiding love, God's thoughts toward me are of kindness and mercy, greater love hath no man than this, halfway home, hands on the plough, he is strong in power, holy spirit, I am not ashamed, I belong to the God of the universe, I do know, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I know whom I have believed, I want to sing and shout, if ye do whatsoever I command you, inscribed in the palms of his hands, insignificant beings, it touched my soul, Jesus Christ, Jesus was willing to sacrifice His sinless life, know with confident certainty, lift up your eyes on high, LOVE, mercy, mere mortals, much I cannot begin to fathom, much I will never comprehend, my life has purpose and dignity, not looking back, not one is missing, not thoughts of calamity, now and throughout all eternity, on an early bus, our minds are too small to comprehend the vastness of the universe, overjoyed to share it, puts our knowledge of God in a different perspective, reach hither thy finger and behold my hnads, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, share the love of the Holy Trinity, so glad to be alive, so utterly overwhelmed I am with the magnitude of God, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the constant certainty, the Creator of all that exists, the firmament sheweth his handiwork, the heavens declare the glory of god, the life of the Son, the love of the Father, the object of His lavish love, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the power of the Holy spirit, the vast indescribable universe, the work of his hands, this I do know, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to a glorious future with Jesus, to give you an expected end, to keep that which I have committed to him, truth, until that day, waiting for words of wisdom, we belong to the God of the universe, we're not insignificant to God, Wednesday Wail, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, wisdom, ye are my friends
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 October 2026 2 Timothy 1:12b.
2 Timothy 1:12b. for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.
Oh my people, please don’t get anxious or traumatized because I’m here with you so early on this cloudy, catch our second wind Wednesday morning! There’s a simple reason for this early bus. (smile) I have to take the duchess to a medical appointment in the early afternoon hours, that means I don’t know when I’ll be back here, and I didn’t want that interruption to cause us to be on another late bus, to have you waiting for the words of wisdom that come from my puny mind with God’s help. (smile)
And today we’ll look at the wonderful poem for October 28, from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s simply titled ‘I Do Know!’ Now, I don’t know whether I’ve ever shared it before, and when I read it just now it didn’t seem familiar, but it certainly touched my soul and I’m overjoyed to share it, and once you read it, you’ll see why. So please pray with me. ‘There is much I cannot begin to fathom concerning the vast, indescribable universe created by our majestic God. There is much I will never comprehend. I want to sing and shout, so utterly overwhelmed I am with the magnitude of God.
But I do know with confident certainty that I belong to the God of the universe – the Creator of all that exists. I know that I, a mere mortal, am forever linked to divine destiny. I know that my life has purpose and dignity. I know that God has chosen me as the object of His lavish LOVE; that His thoughts toward me are thoughts of kindness and mercy; that He has inscribed me in the palms of his hands. I know that all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely, inseparably mine – now and throughout all eternity. This I do know!’
And now you understand why it touched me. It just puts what we know in a somewhat different perspective. And by the way, it wasn’t written in poem form, but in ordinary prose with proper paragraph indentations. (smile) And that might be one of the reasons it’s so effective, because it just flows freely on. And are the sentiments ever so wonderful, beginning with the idea that our minds are too small to comprehend the vastness of the ‘indescribable universe created by our majestic God.’
Now we all know that to be true, as stated in so many scriptures like: ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament (expanse of heaven) sheweth his handywork (the work of his hands).’ (Ps.19:1) Then Isiah declares: ‘Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth (is missing).’ (Is. 40:26) Yes friends, the universe is all God’s creation!
And what about that ‘constant certainty’ that we belong to the God of the universe – the Creator of all that exists? Unfortunately, that’s something a lot of us believers still don’t understand or can’t even imagine, how this great God, Creator of the universe can acknowledge mere mortals like us seemingly insignificant beings. But we’re not insignificant. Certainly not to the God who created us. And because He created us from a deep and abiding LOVE, we are ‘forever linked to divine destiny.’
Wow! And because of that our lives have purpose and dignity, and He has chosen us as objects of His lavish LOVE. What could be more important that that eh? And it’s borne out by one of my favourite scriptures, that from Romans 5:8, where Bruh Paul confidently declares: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrates) his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ What a wonderful God! He didn’t wait for us to clean up ourselves to show His awesome LOVE for us. No! He did it while we were yet filthily clothed with sin!
No wonder ‘His thoughts toward me are of kindness and mercy,’ as He says in His Word. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity) to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) That clearly shows God’s heart for us. But my fellow believers, what can show greater LOVE than ‘inscribing us in the palms of His hands?’ Nothing really! As Jesus says in the gospel of John: ‘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 15:13-4)
Yes, Jesus was so into us, that He was willing to sacrifice His sinless life for those who believe in and willingly follow Him. As He said to Thomas when he doubted. ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless (unbelieving), but believing.’ (John 20:27) And the scripture verse on which the poem was based is a most reassuring one from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’ (2 Tim. 1:12)
So should we also be trusting of Christ for the assurance of salvation on that day when we stand before Him at the judgement seat. And all of the above can only draw us to one conclusion: ‘that all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely, inseparably mine – now and throughout all eternity.’ Now there could be no better feeling, nothing more uplifting and reassuring than knowing that we belong to the Creator of the universe and will share the wonderful LOVE of the Holy Trinity, now and forever!
So with that wonderful feeling of divine LOVE and assurance flowing through our souls, spirts and bodies, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our 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 please remember that to all who endure with Jesus to the very end, an even more glorious future than we can ask or imagine has been promised. So let’s be wise and endure right to the end with our wonderful Lord and Saviour, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…God’s amazing LOVE for mankind…has been shown both in His Word and His actions toward us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: activities curtailed, against that day, am persuaded that he is able, for the which cause I also suffer these things, Friday chant, God has not given us a spirit of fear, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, I do know, I know whim I have believed, I want to sing and shout, lavish love, LOVE, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the indescribable universe, the magnitude of God, to keep that which I have committed to him, to live for Christ, utterly overwhelmed, wake up and smell the coffee, wintry climes
2 Timothy 1:12. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.
Then it was Friday, and we all gleefully shouted: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the work week is finally finished! It’s time to begin the weekend party!’ But not so fast friends, the activities of some of us in the wintry climes will probably be curtailed by flurrying snow this weekend. So please check your weather reports and make sure you are well protected if you do go out. And if you don’t have to go out, then don’t! This is the time of year that that phrase comes in very handy. (smile)
Now here is something else that will also make us smile cheerfully. It’s a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, aptly titled ‘I Do Know.’ So, please read with me. ‘There is much I cannot begin to fathom concerning the vast, indescribable universe created by our majestic God. There is much I will never comprehend. I want to sing and shout, so utterly overwhelmed I am with the magnitude of God. But I do know with confident certainty that I belong to the God of the universe – the Creator of all that exists.
I know that I, a mere mortal, am forever linked to divine destiny. I know that my life has purpose and dignity. I know that God has chosen me as the object of His lavish LOVE; that His thoughts toward me are thoughts of kindness and mercy; that He has inscribed me in the palms of His hands. I know that all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely, inseparably mine – now and throughout all eternity. This I do know!’
Oh my fellow believers, what beautiful and oh so true sentiments! And I like how so many important scriptures are intricately and dextrously weaved into it. However, the question now is do we believe all of that? Do we know it in spades, without any doubt whatsoever? We know that with our finite minds we can never truly comprehend the vastness of the universe, but are we overwhelmed by the magnitude of our mighty God? Do we believe that we are truly ‘linked to divine destiny’ and that our lives have ‘purpose and dignity’ built into them by our heavenly Father?
And do we truly believe that we are the ‘objects of His lavish LOVE’, with wonderful thoughts of kindness and mercy focused in our direction? And what about the fact that He has inscribed us in the palms of His hands eh? Does that ring true in our spirits, bodies and souls? For our sakes I hope so, otherwise we are lost and sadly in great danger in this evil and terribly sinful world. And one last question, possibly the most important; do we know that ‘all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely and inseparably ours – now and throughout all eternity?’
Yes my brethren, that’s the billion dollar question this cold and snowy Friday morning in the middle of November 2022. Do we know the One True God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? The One who created the universe and all therein? The One who LOVED us so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross at Calvary, using His precious, sinless and holy blood to purchase our sin debt in full? Yes friends, that’s the same God who LOVED us so much while we were yet sinners, that He couldn’t wait for us to change, but had to give us a good reason to change, through the coming of His Son Jesus Christ to earth in human flesh to show us what a great and merciful God He truly is.
But enough of my yakking, (smile) let’s see what scriptural promise that poem was based on. And it comes from Bruh Paul’s second letter to Timothy, where he is exhorting the young preacher to endurance. He encourages Timothy early in that section, by telling him: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world (time) began.’ (2 Tim. 1:7-9)
Oh my faithful brethren, the Lord God has purposed our lives through Jesus Christ from even before He created the universe and all therein. That means we’re not placed in these times by chance, but by God’s perfect design, and are expected to do His will for our lives. But finally, here’s the verse on which our poem is based. Bruh Paul goes on to tell Timothy: ‘Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher unto the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’ (2 Tim. 1:11-12)
Now, it’s that last verse on which all of our poem and our lives turn! Are we ashamed of the gospel of Christ, the One we claim to believe in? And are we fully persuaded that He can keep all that we have committed to Him until the day of judgement? I won’t get into it, but leave us all to contemplate our own situations. Here are some thoughts on the subject though from the scholars. ‘Persuaded: The perfect tense indicates that “I was persuaded in the past and remain so now.” That he is able to keep refers to the assurance of salvation which is committed…against that day, when we will stand before the judgement seat of Christ.’
And today is a good a day as any other to ponder what that scripture means in our individual lives. But as a group of believers, let’s go to the throne room in prayer, offering up our Friday Chant with thanksgiving, pleading for divine guidance. Altogether now: ‘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 several viruses 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 viruses and the simmering unrest in our land. 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, the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land that’s threatening to boil over, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now my fellow saints, we need to make the necessary changes in our lives and our hearts, that will convince the Lord that we are serious in what we’ve just prayed. Much LOVE!
…to live for Christ…means to suffer with…and if necessary…die for Him…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
09 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a comparative scenario, a teacher of the Gentiles, against that day, and now abideth faith hope love, are freely - inseparably mine, artificial intelligence, become lazy and standards fall, disobedient degenerates, earthly life, eternal salvation, for I know whom I have believed, God won't allow any interlopers, he is able to keep, His thoughts toward me, I am persuaded, I do know, in god's eyes, in that critical stage right now, inscribed me. in the palms of your hands, lazy and pampered, lose our minds bodies and souls, love your God with all you have, Love your neighbour as yourself, now and throughout all eternity, One Year Book of Bible promises, our relationship with God, our robot friends, pandemic difficulties, prosperous and successful, Ruth Harms Calkin, share His love with the world, start manipulating us, technological society, that which I have committed unto him, the beloved of God, the greatest of these is love, the history of mankind, the life of the Son, the love of the Father, the object of His lavish love, the power of the Holy spirit, thoughts of kindness and mercy, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra
2 Timothy 1:12a. for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.
Well a good Tuesday morning to you my Scrip-Bit friends and family. It’s a tad snowy, but not too bad. And we need to remember that it’s winter in my neighbourhood and that’s what happens in winter; it gets cold and it snows. (smile) And I’m happy to say that after a couple of weeks and much dinero, I’m back on my desktop in my basement office again. But chuh! It’s taken a long while to set it back up. Ah, this technological society eh? It will be the ruin of us, in more ways than one, especially when our A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) gets so good that our robot friends start manipulating us, instead of the other way around.
Yes friends, at some stage of the game, we’re going to get so lazy and pampered by all the stuff that A.I does for us that we’ll completely lose our minds, bodies and souls to it. It’s already happening. I see it when I send messages on What’s App, I don’t have to type in everything, like they read my mind, and on some things they are even more accurate than me. (smile)
Now there is a comparative scenario, our relationship with our God, our Creator. The big difference here is that God is very vigilant and protective of His realm and won’t allow any interlopers whatsoever. So though we try, like Satan did, to use Him for our own ends, it won’t work. He might allow us some leeway, but take over, NO WAY Jose!
We, on the other hand, want to just relax and enjoy life as easily as possible, so every day we are turning over some of our power to other sources. This in no way augurs good for the future, for as the ole people would say, when you don’t use it, you lose it. And that’s gospel truth my people. When we don’t use our faculties we lose them, they keep diminishing until they atrophy completely.
But that’s the history of mankind, of the many powerful and wise societies that have inhabited our planet. Once they get prosperous and successful, they become lazy and their standards fall…and keep falling until the society is no longer a powerhouse or of any international importance. And we are in that critical stage right now, the only difference being that we are inventing machines, not people, to take over. And with the pandemic difficulties and the host of other problems in our world, I don’t know what the eventual outcome will be.
But friends, there is some stuff ‘I Do Know.’ And that’s the title of the poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. I know that you also know these things, so please declare them with me. ‘There is much I cannot begin to fathom concerning the vast, indescribable universe created by our majestic God. There is much I will never comprehend. I want to sing and shout, so utterly overwhelmed I am with the magnitude of God.
But I do know with confident certainty that I belong to the God of the universe – the Creator of all that exists. I know that I, a mere mortal, am forever linked to divine destiny. I know that my life has purpose and dignity. I know that God has chosen me as the object of His lavish LOVE; that His thoughts toward me are thoughts of kindness and mercy; that He has inscribed me in the palms of His hands. I know that all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely, inseparably mine – now and throughout all eternity. This I do know.’
Oh my people, I do hope that we know that we know those things yes, else we’re completely lost, now and forever! If we don’t know the Father’s wonderful and unconditional LOVE, not confidently or consistently steeped in it, then we can’t be a part of the Son’s awesome life, or experience the amazing power of the Holy Spirit. Yes friends, it all begins with the LOVE of the Father, Him wanting to justly reclaim and reconcile us to Himself, then flows through to the other two aspects of our triune Deity.
And we see that so plainly in the words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrates) his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) That’s oh so important to know and believe my friends, for it truly shows the extent of God’s LOVE for His disobedient creation. And I don’t know why it’s so hard for some of us to believe in God’s mighty LOVE nuh, for why else would He send His Son to die on the cross for a bunch of disobedient degenerates eh? It had to be LOVE, the greatest emotion in His arsenal.
How did Bruh Paul put it to the church at Corinth? ‘And now abideth faith, hope, LOVE, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE.’ (1 Cor. 13:13) And so it is my brethren. That’s why Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to LOVE your God with all you have, and to LOVE your neighbour as yourself. (Matt. 22:37-40)
But coming back to the poem above and what we do know, Bruh Paul says it quite assuredly in the Bible Promise that’s associated with the poem. This is his assurance to Timothy. ‘Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’ (2 Tim. 1:11-12)
Oh my fellow believers, we too need to be that assured, not ashamed and very persuaded (smile) that whatever we’ve committed to Jesus, our earthly life, as well as our eternal salvation, that He can keep and guard them to the day when we stand before Him in judgment. That’s the great difference between believers and unbelievers; we are assured that Christ can do all that He says!
And Peter tells us thus: ‘Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.’ (1 Pet. 4:19) Wow, mih bredrin! If our Creator isn’t LOVING and faithful, who is then eh? And because we know whom we have believed and are not ashamed of, we can go home declaring (aw shucks) who and whose we are through our Tuesday Mantra.
Altogether now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
So let’s go and do just that nuh! Much LOVE!
…if you are ashamed…and not assured…then you don’t truly believe…
P.S. Not all my fault that it’s late. I also had a doctor’s telephone consultation thrown into the mix. And as wonderful believers, I know you all understand. (smile) Much LOVE!
21 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mere mortal, a teacher of the Gentiles, according to the will of God, acrimonious contention, against that day, ambassadors of Christ, and am persuaded, Christ's promises are always faithful and true, commit the keeping of their souls to him, commit thy way unto the Lord, compassionate heart, curse, endurance, fearful of the world, fireworks, for I know whom I have believed, forever linked to divine destiny, freely - inseparably mine, Fret not thyself over evildoers, getting along together, God has inscribed me in the palms of His hands, God's treasures, hard slog of everyday politics, he is able to keep, His thoughts toward me, I am not ashamed, I belong to the God of the universe, I cannot fathom, I do know, in well doing, LOVE, magnificent and magnanimous God, negative word, not fleeting but lasting and immortal, now and throughout all eternity, One Year Book of Bible promises, our majestic God, prosper, Rest in the Lord, Ruth Harms Calkin, seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, self-control, spiritual maturity, stand before the judgement seat, succeed, that which I have committed unto him, the Creator of all that exists, the evildoers shall be cut off, the indescribable universe, the life of the Son, the love of the Father, the magnitude of God, the object of His lavish love, the power of the Holy spirit, the things of God, those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, thoughts of kindness and mercy, Thursday Blessings, unity, utterly overwhelmed, wait patiently for him
2 Timothy 1:12b. for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.
And it seems that the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden went off smoothly yesterday, with none of the expected fireworks. Thank God for that! We didn’t need anything else to further complicate the situation.
And yes, there were a lot of nice words spoken about unity and getting along together, but let’s see how that works out in real life nuh, when the newness of it all settles down, and the hard slog of everyday politics begins.
Thankfully too, that all three branches of the government are under the control of the Democratic Party, so there won’t be occasion for the acrimonious contention that existed recently with one party controlling two branches and the other one.
But enough of all of that yes. Let’s pray that situation improves so that the whole world can concentrate on other important stuff, for though the American power is in decline, unfortunately what happens there, still affects most of us.
And there’s plenty stuff that we don’t and never will know, but here are some things that ALL of Christ’s followers and believers ought to know. It comes from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, and it’s appropriately titled ‘I Do Know.’
Please pray with me: ‘There is much I cannot fathom concerning the vast, indescribable universe created by our majestic God. There is much I will never comprehend. I want to sing and shout, so utterly overwhelmed I am with the magnitude of God. But I do know with confident certainty that I belong to the God of the universe – the Creator of all that exists.
I know that I, a mere mortal, am forever linked to divine destiny. I know that my life has purpose and dignity. I know that God has chosen me as the object of His lavish LOVE; that His thoughts toward me are thoughts of kindness and mercy; that He has inscribed me in the palms of His hands.
I know that all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely, inseparably mine – now and throughout all eternity. This I do know!’
Oh my people, can we really proclaim that with the ultimate certainty it deserves? I don’t think so nuh, because too many of us are still too fearful of the world and what it brings, and too in LOVE with the things it offers! And moreover, if we were that certain about the things of God, our lives would not be in the state of utter dismay, division and decline that they are currently in.
The world is still holding too much sway in the lives of believers, and until we let most of it go, we will keep on being miserable and not able to truly appreciate our wonderful God and all the things and plans and good purposes He has for our lives.
Let’s remember that the world is not the only entity that offers wealth and power and status, our great God offers them too, but under a different set up, and you don’t have to strive, kill yourself to achieve them, if He desires you to have them.
And just like we have to bow to the world to get them, so do we have to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness and they will be added unto us. The difference here is that God’s treasures are not fleeting and easily lost, but are lasting and immortal.
And the Bible Promise for our reading, as well as our Bit, explain why we can have that immovable and unbreakable trust in the Lord God Almighty. Bruh Paul is writing to Timothy in his second epistle, exhorting him to endurance, something we badly need to also have in these oh so trying and tiring times.
‘Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’ (2 Tim. 1:11-12)
Oh friends and fellow believers, can we make those statements with heartfelt certainty? I hope so, because to reach spiritual maturity those are things, characteristics that must show out in our everyday lives.
Others must see that we’re not ashamed of Christ, not afraid of the world, but live for Him, because we have committed ALL we have and are to Him, and believe that He will do whatever He says, for His promises are always faithful and true.
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘1:12. Persuaded (Gr. peitho). The perfect tense indicates that “I was persuaded in the past and remain so now.” That he is able to keep refers to the assurance of salvation which is committed…against that day, when we will stand before the judgement seat of Christ.’
Meanwhile, Peter, in his talk of believers being good stewards of God’s grace puts it thus. ‘Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful creator.’ (1 Pet. 4:19)
And Bruh David puts it as only he could: ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass…. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only cause harm). For the evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:5,7-9)
Truer words were never spoken my brethren! So let’s do our best to live by them nuh, so that our lives can truly reflect the LOVE and compassion of God. Now let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!) our Thursday Blessings, which have been so generously bestowed on us so we can help others.
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 everyday! Amen!’
And now, as good ambassadors of Christ, let’s go out and share those blessings just as generously with others, as they were shared with us. Much LOVE!
…oh…the wonders of our great God…how magnificent and magnanimous He is…
01 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a holy calling, a mere mortal, a sound mind, abolished death, afflictions, apostle, ashamed, baptizing, before the world began, bounden duty, bountiful blessing, christ jesus, Christians, climate confusion, comprehend, confident certainty, divine destiny, enjoy the day, eternal life, eternity, fathom, for the which cause, forever linked, Gentiles, glorious day, God has chosen me, God has not given us a spirit of fear, grace, he is able to keep, I also suffer these things, I am not ashamed, I am persuaded, I am with you always, I belong to the God of the universe, I do know, in the name of the Father, in the palms of his hands, indescribable universe, inscribed me, Jesus Christ, lavish love, LOVE, loving family of God, made manifest, mercy, mine, neck of the woods, One Year Book of Bible promises, overwhelmed, partaker of the afflictions, power, prisoner, purpose, realtionship with God, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, share His love, spread the good news, sure confidence, talk the talk, teach all the nations, teacher, testimony, Thanks be to God, that which I have committed, the beloved of God, the end of the world, the friend of Jesus, the gospel, the Great Commission, the Holy Ghost, the life of the Son, the love of the Father, the magnitude of God, the power of God, the power of the Holy spirit, the SON, thoughts of kindness, Timothy, trust, Tuesday Mantra, until that day, vast, walk the walk, whom I have believed, works
2 Timothy 1:12. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.
Oh my people, another glorious day is blossoming in our earthly lives! Thanks be to God!
And would you believe that in my neck of the woods, on the first day of November the temperature is supposed to rise up into the high teens? Wow! Talk about climate confusion!
Anyway, whatever the state of the weather in our particular area, please, lets enjoy the day, because that’s why the Lord made us to see and experience it.
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘I Do Know’. When I read it recently it reminded me so much of our Tuesday Mantra that I had to share it with you.
It says: ‘There is much I cannot begin to fathom concerning the vast, indescribable universe created by our majestic God. There is much I will never comprehend. I want to sing and shout, so utterly overwhelmed I am with the magnitude of God.
But I do know with confident certainty that I belong to the God of the universe – the Creator of all that exists. I know that I am a mere mortal, am forever linked to divine destiny.
I know that God has chosen me as the object of His lavish LOVE; that his thoughts toward me are thoughts of kindness and mercy; that he has inscribed me in the palms of his hands.
I know that all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely, inseparably mine – now and throughout all eternity. This I do know!’
Ah friends, isn’t that a beautiful description of our relationship with Jehovah God? It certainly is!
And if you don’t believe it reminds you of our Tuesday Mantra, then, let’s declare it right now with all the enthusiasm and sure belief that it deserves.
As one beautiful voice now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Mama Mia! Oh what a bountiful blessing to be the beloved of God and the friend of Jesus! It definitely couldn’t get any better than that!
And the writing above just expands on our Mantra; giving more detail of the awesome relationship we have with the Creator and Controller of the universe. Between them both, we ought surely to confidently know and understand who and whose we are – the blessed and LOVING family of Almighty God!
Now here is the promise of scripture for that writing above, it is also our Bit for today. ‘For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’
Oh glory be my precious people! Bruh Paul is confidently proclaiming his trust and sure confidence in the Lord his God to his protégé Timothy. And we should also be able to proclaim it, if we truly believe what we say we believe.
In the verses before our Bit, Bruh Paul lays out his reasoning for his certainty in Christ. ‘For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.
Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions (share with me in the sufferings) of the gospel according to the power of God;
Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world (time) began.
But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light though the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.’ (2 Tim.1:7-11)
What a moving passage of scripture friends! Bruh Paul lays out why he believes what he believes. And the same should apply to all who consider themselves Christians!
Jesus was victorious over hell, death and the grave so that we could have eternal life and light, and it’s our bounden duty as His followers to spread that good news to all and sundry, in each and every part of the world.
So my brethren, if we are assured of salvation through Christ Jesus, then we need to behave like it, and speak it boldly, not be ashamed of our faith, as so many of us tend to be when in the company of unbelievers.
Remember Jesus’ last directive to His disciples: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
Yes precious people of God, that is our Great Commission, which we are able to do because our wonderful God hasn’t ‘given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’
So please let’s manifest those things in our walk of faith today, let’s boldly and gladly, share the LOVE of Jesus with the rest of the world, because only then, can we be considered true believers. Much LOVE!
…true Christians not only talk the talk…but also walk the walk…
P.S. Just one of those late nights and thus late mornings. (smile) Much LOVE!
29 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: . the fountain of wisdom, a faithful Creator, according to the will of God, against that day, and am persuaded, bounden duty, Bruh Paul, cease from anger, children of the Most High God, Christians, commit thy way unto the Lord, divine destiny, do no evil, eternal life, evildoers shall be cut off, for I know whom I have believed, for the which cause, forgiveness, forsake wrath, fret not thyself, God has chosen me, God has inscribed me in the palms of His hands, God's grace is sufficient, God's thoughts towards me, grin and bear it, Hurricane Patricia, I also suffer these things, I am forever linked to divine destiny, I am not ashamed, I belong to the God of the universe, I do know, kindness, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, my life has purpose and dignity, nail scarred palms of Jesus, One Year Book of Bible promises, praising my saviour all the day long, Rest in the Lord, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, sing and shout, that he is able, the assurance of salvation, the judgement seat of christ, the keeping of their souls, the life of the Son, the love of the Father, the magnitude of God, the object of His lavish love, the power of the Holy spirit, the very essence of our beings, them that suffer, this is my song, this is my story, those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, Timothy, to keep that which I have committed to him, wait patiently for him, wisdom
2 Timothy 1:12. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.
Well Friends, it’s a crazy Thursday morning in my neck of the woods. Yesterday we had the tail ends of the rain from Hurricane Patricia, and we might still get some more later, but right now we’re getting some of the tail end winds.
The wind’s a howling out there! I opened my front door just now to pick up the newspaper and the wind fought me to close it back. (smile) I surely am sorry for those who experienced Patricia’s wrath a few days ago. Please, let’s keep them in our prayers.
On a point of interest, my ole right knee is still acting up. Steups! I really don’t understand it nuh. They don’t usually ache for so long. I’ve taken painkillers, rubbed it with stuff, talked with the Lord about it, but still no relief. I guess I just have to grin and bear it and limp along, knowing that God’s grace is indeed sufficient for me to do whatever He desires.
And though I might not like it, I am comfortable with it, especially when added to these facts from the following excerpt from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is titled ‘I Do Know.’
Listen up my people: ‘There is much I cannot begin to fathom concerning the vast, indescribable universe created by our majestic God. There is much I will never comprehend. I want to sing and shout, (I was doing that the other night, (smile), so utterly overwhelmed I am with the magnitude of God.
But I do know with confident certainty that I belong to the God of the universe – the Creator of all that exists. I know that I, a mere mortal, am forever linked to divine destiny. I know that my life has purpose and dignity.
I know that God has chosen me as the object of his lavish LOVE; that his thoughts toward me are thoughts of kindness and mercy; that he has inscribed me in the palms of his hands. I know that all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely, inseparably mine – now and throughout all eternity. This I do know!
Wow mih breddren! Do we know all of that? I surely hope so, for if we are truly children of the Most High God, it is imperative that we know those things!
How can we not know that we are linked to a divine destiny; that our lives have purpose and dignity; that Almighty God has chosen us to lavish His unconditional and everlasting LOVE on us; and all His thoughts towards us are of LOVING-kindness, forgiveness and mercy; and most surely we must know that He has inscribed us in the nail scarred palms of His wonderful Son, Jesus; and all that they have, the power, the life and the glory are ours from now until forever?
All of that is the very essence of our beings as Christians! Oh what a mighty, generous and wonderful Deity we worship my people! Give Him some well-deserved thanks and praise!
And the promise of scripture to which that message is attached is also our Bit for today. ‘For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’ Those are the words of Bruh Paul to Timothy, as he exhorts the young pastor to endurance.
And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘1:12. Persuaded (Gr. peitho): The perfect tense indicates that “I was persuaded in the past and remain so now.” That he is able to keep refers to the assurance of salvation which is committed…against that day, when we will stand before the judgement seat of Christ.’
Oh Friends, do we know whom we have believed? And is it the gracious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? And if we do, I hope we are not ashamed of Him, and are willing to testify loudly on His grace and mercy from the rooftops of every building.
And not only that, but also we are persuaded, confident, assured that He can do what He says; that is grant salvation and eternal life! To be true Christians we need to believe all these things and have them written indelibly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls.
And Peter admonishes, as well as encourages us thus: ‘Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.’ (1 Pet.4:19)
And believe me Friends, if there is nothing else I can vouch for, I can vouch for the faithfulness of our creator, because I have experienced it throughout my life! Oh Glory to Him!
And we’ll end with these well-known, superb words of advice and confidence from Bruh David from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked.
‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:5-9)
Oh my fellow believers, as a Christian, that is the best advice you can ever get! So please, today, let’s take it all to heart and run with it nuh, putting it all into action in our lives, so that we can truthfully testify to God’s greatness and glorify Him in all that we do. For that is our bounden duty and the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…this is my story…this is my song…praising my saviour…all the day long…
17 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mere mortal, a strangle hold, abound to your account, according to his riches, actions, Amen, an acceptable sacrifice, aroma, be glory for ever and ever, behaviour, belief in Jesus, bring us together, Bruh Paul, busy lives, celebrate, Christians, church leaders, cliques, confident certainty, courage, deeds, denominations, desire fruit, differences, different functions, dignity, divide, divine destiny, divisions, dominon, ecstatic joy, evil minions, factions, faith, faithfully worship God, food for thought, fragrant scent, fulfill Jesus' mandate, generosity, giving thanks, glorifying God, God's sanctuary, God's word and will, grateful, Herculean task, holding my breath, hope, I do know, in cahoots with the world, inscribed me. in the palms of your hands, insular, investment, Jesus' church is one body, joy, Jude, keep keeping on, keep us apart, kindness, LOVE, lustful things, majesty, mercy, motives, Now unto God our Father, odour, our Saviour, petty, Philippians, pleasant fragrance, power, purpose, reaping, Ruth Harms Calkin, sad commentary, satisfaction, Scrip-Bit family, selfish, sheer delight, similaritites, sing and shout, soar, sob, sowing, spreading the gospel all over the world, strength, Sunlit morning, thankful, the church at Philippi, the God of the universe, the life of the Son, the Lord loves a generous giver, the love of the Father, the One Day Book of Bible Promises, the power of the Holy spirit, the prince of darkness, the things of the world, the work and treasures of heaven, thoughts, trust, ungodly world, united, uniting Christ's church, unlimited resources, uplifting, well pleasing to God, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, wise God, words, work together
Philippians 4:20. Now unto God our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
A warm and welcome, gracious and LOVING Sunday morning to you my Scrip-Bit Family! (smile) I do hope that you are in the process, or will soon be in the process of getting ready to go to God’s sanctuary to celebrate and faithfully worship Him with other believers, as He desires of His followers.
For as I say every week, Jesus’ church is ONE body, made up of many believers, and in fellowship together we find strength, courage, hope and faith to keep keeping on in this ungodly world. And being ONE body, it means that all the parts, though graced with different functions, NEED to work TOGETHER if we’re to fulfill Jesus’ mandate of spreading the gospel to all and sundry, throughout the entire world. (Matt. 28:19-20)
Unfortunately though, there are too many divisions, cliques, religions, factions, denominations and what have you that divide us. That’s why the prince of darkness and his evil minions have such a strangle hold on the world.
Ah Friends, what a serious splash Christians would make in this world if we were truly joined together, united as ONE! Now I’m sincerely hoping for that, but I’m not holding my breath, because it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen any time soon.
Why? Because we tend to let our differences – many of which are petty, insular and selfish – keep us apart, rather than let our similarities – like our basic faith, trust and belief in Jesus – bring us together. What a sad commentary on our actions and behavior as Christians, my brethren!
But I guess it doesn’t bother our church leaders sufficiently for them to seriously work at uniting Christ’s church. And even if they truly tried coming together, it would be still a Herculean task, because too many of Christ’s supposed flock are in cahoots with the world and the lustful things thereof. Anyway Friends, let that provide ample food for thought today as we go about our too busy lives.
Now here is something much more uplifting, that I couldn’t resist sharing from the One Day Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘The Beautiful Sunlit Morning.’
And these are the wonderful sentiments it declares. ‘Dear God On this beautiful sunlit Morning in May You’ve drenched me With ecstatic joy. I want to sing and shout I want to soar with sheer delight. At the same time I want to sob – So utterly overwhelmed I am With the magnitude of You. O God, I know I do know With serene satisfaction And confident certainty That I belong to the God of the universe – To the Creator of all that exists.
I do know That I, a mere mortal Am forever linked to divine destiny – That my life has purpose and dignity. I do know That You have chosen me As the object of Your lavish LOVE That Your thoughts toward me Are thoughts of kindness and mercy That You have inscribed me In the palms of Your hands.
I do know That all the LOVE of the Father And the Life of the Son And the Power of the Holy Spirit Are freely, inseparably mine – Now and through all eternity. O God On this beautiful sunlit Morning in May I do know.’
Oh what a beautiful declaration of faith that is my people! But how many of us, if we declare it, will then have God sadly shake His head when He looks at motives of our hearts eh? Too many, my people, too many. And that is why Christianity isn’t as strong as it used to be; too many people are not truly motivated by the Word of God, we allow the things of the world to have more sway over us than God’s Word and Will.
We’ll leave that alone for today though. (smile) Let’s concentrate on the promise that the beautiful poem was based on, and is our Bit for today. ‘Now unto God our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’
Now that’s what we’re supposed to be about my brethren; giving thanks to and glorifying our heavenly Father with our words, deeds and actions!
The church at Philippi did that concerning Bruh Paul, because that was the only one that consistently sent him gifts, although he never asked them to. And though he was grateful and thankful for their interest in his well-being, as he told them: ‘Not because I desire (seek) a gift: but I desire (seek) fruit that may abound to your account.’ (Phil.4:17)
He didn’t want them to think that he was just after their money, but rather that their gift was, as the scholars explain: ‘a sure investment in the work and treasures of heaven, each one yielding rich dividends.’
Yes Friends, likewise, when we make sincere investments in the lives of others, those investments will bring forth good fruit on earth, and rich rewards for us in heaven. That’s the basic law of God, re sowing and reaping.
And Bruh Paul continues: ‘But I have all (have received all), and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell (a pleasant aroma), a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 4:18-19)
And the scholars explain those two verses thus. ‘4:18. I have all means that Paul has received their gifts. And abound signifies that he has plenty, since all needs are now met through their generosity. God looks on their gift to Paul as an odour of a sweet smell (a fragrant scent) and a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing.’
‘4:19. Because the Lord is aware of the sacrifice (v.18) the Philippians made in meeting Paul’s need, God will surely supply all their need. God will meet their “need” (1) according to his riches, that is in proportion to His unlimited resources; (2) in glory, that is He will meet their need “gloriously” or “in a splendid manner”, and (3) by Christ Jesus.’
Ah Friends, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! And we’ll end with a benediction that resembles our Bit, but from Jude, Jesus’ half-brother.
‘Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling (stumbling), and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.’ (Jude 24-25)
Much LOVE, my brethren!
…if one wants to receive bountifully…then one must learn to give generously… for the Lord LOVES a generous giver…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 May 2015 Philippians 4:20
17 May 2015 Leave a comment
by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a mere mortal, a strangle hold, abound to your account, according to his riches, actions, Amen, an acceptable sacrifice, aroma, be glory for ever and ever, behaviour, belief in Jesus, bring us together, Bruh Paul, busy lives, celebrate, Christians, church leaders, cliques, confident certainty, courage, deeds, denominations, desire fruit, differences, different functions, dignity, divide, divine destiny, divisions, dominon, ecstatic joy, evil minions, factions, faith, faithfully worship God, food for thought, fragrant scent, fulfill Jesus' mandate, generosity, giving thanks, glorifying God, God's sanctuary, God's word and will, grateful, Herculean task, holding my breath, hope, I do know, in cahoots with the world, inscribed me. in the palms of your hands, insular, investment, Jesus' church is one body, joy, Jude, keep keeping on, keep us apart, kindness, LOVE, lustful things, majesty, mercy, motives, Now unto God our Father, odour, our Saviour, petty, Philippians, pleasant fragrance, power, purpose, reaping, Ruth Harms Calkin, sad commentary, satisfaction, Scrip-Bit family, selfish, sheer delight, similaritites, sing and shout, soar, sob, sowing, spreading the gospel all over the world, strength, Sunlit morning, thankful, the church at Philippi, the God of the universe, the life of the Son, the Lord loves a generous giver, the love of the Father, the One Day Book of Bible Promises, the power of the Holy spirit, the prince of darkness, the things of the world, the work and treasures of heaven, thoughts, trust, ungodly world, united, uniting Christ's church, unlimited resources, uplifting, well pleasing to God, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, wise God, words, work together
Philippians 4:20. Now unto God our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
A warm and welcome, gracious and LOVING Sunday morning to you my Scrip-Bit Family! (smile) I do hope that you are in the process, or will soon be in the process of getting ready to go to God’s sanctuary to celebrate and faithfully worship Him with other believers, as He desires of His followers.
For as I say every week, Jesus’ church is ONE body, made up of many believers, and in fellowship together we find strength, courage, hope and faith to keep keeping on in this ungodly world. And being ONE body, it means that all the parts, though graced with different functions, NEED to work TOGETHER if we’re to fulfill Jesus’ mandate of spreading the gospel to all and sundry, throughout the entire world. (Matt. 28:19-20)
Unfortunately though, there are too many divisions, cliques, religions, factions, denominations and what have you that divide us. That’s why the prince of darkness and his evil minions have such a strangle hold on the world.
Ah Friends, what a serious splash Christians would make in this world if we were truly joined together, united as ONE! Now I’m sincerely hoping for that, but I’m not holding my breath, because it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen any time soon.
Why? Because we tend to let our differences – many of which are petty, insular and selfish – keep us apart, rather than let our similarities – like our basic faith, trust and belief in Jesus – bring us together. What a sad commentary on our actions and behavior as Christians, my brethren!
But I guess it doesn’t bother our church leaders sufficiently for them to seriously work at uniting Christ’s church. And even if they truly tried coming together, it would be still a Herculean task, because too many of Christ’s supposed flock are in cahoots with the world and the lustful things thereof. Anyway Friends, let that provide ample food for thought today as we go about our too busy lives.
Now here is something much more uplifting, that I couldn’t resist sharing from the One Day Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘The Beautiful Sunlit Morning.’
And these are the wonderful sentiments it declares. ‘Dear God On this beautiful sunlit Morning in May You’ve drenched me With ecstatic joy. I want to sing and shout I want to soar with sheer delight. At the same time I want to sob – So utterly overwhelmed I am With the magnitude of You. O God, I know I do know With serene satisfaction And confident certainty That I belong to the God of the universe – To the Creator of all that exists.
I do know That I, a mere mortal Am forever linked to divine destiny – That my life has purpose and dignity. I do know That You have chosen me As the object of Your lavish LOVE That Your thoughts toward me Are thoughts of kindness and mercy That You have inscribed me In the palms of Your hands.
I do know That all the LOVE of the Father And the Life of the Son And the Power of the Holy Spirit Are freely, inseparably mine – Now and through all eternity. O God On this beautiful sunlit Morning in May I do know.’
Oh what a beautiful declaration of faith that is my people! But how many of us, if we declare it, will then have God sadly shake His head when He looks at motives of our hearts eh? Too many, my people, too many. And that is why Christianity isn’t as strong as it used to be; too many people are not truly motivated by the Word of God, we allow the things of the world to have more sway over us than God’s Word and Will.
We’ll leave that alone for today though. (smile) Let’s concentrate on the promise that the beautiful poem was based on, and is our Bit for today. ‘Now unto God our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’
Now that’s what we’re supposed to be about my brethren; giving thanks to and glorifying our heavenly Father with our words, deeds and actions!
The church at Philippi did that concerning Bruh Paul, because that was the only one that consistently sent him gifts, although he never asked them to. And though he was grateful and thankful for their interest in his well-being, as he told them: ‘Not because I desire (seek) a gift: but I desire (seek) fruit that may abound to your account.’ (Phil.4:17)
He didn’t want them to think that he was just after their money, but rather that their gift was, as the scholars explain: ‘a sure investment in the work and treasures of heaven, each one yielding rich dividends.’
Yes Friends, likewise, when we make sincere investments in the lives of others, those investments will bring forth good fruit on earth, and rich rewards for us in heaven. That’s the basic law of God, re sowing and reaping.
And Bruh Paul continues: ‘But I have all (have received all), and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell (a pleasant aroma), a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 4:18-19)
And the scholars explain those two verses thus. ‘4:18. I have all means that Paul has received their gifts. And abound signifies that he has plenty, since all needs are now met through their generosity. God looks on their gift to Paul as an odour of a sweet smell (a fragrant scent) and a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing.’
‘4:19. Because the Lord is aware of the sacrifice (v.18) the Philippians made in meeting Paul’s need, God will surely supply all their need. God will meet their “need” (1) according to his riches, that is in proportion to His unlimited resources; (2) in glory, that is He will meet their need “gloriously” or “in a splendid manner”, and (3) by Christ Jesus.’
Ah Friends, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! And we’ll end with a benediction that resembles our Bit, but from Jude, Jesus’ half-brother.
‘Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling (stumbling), and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.’ (Jude 24-25)
Much LOVE, my brethren!
…if one wants to receive bountifully…then one must learn to give generously… for the Lord LOVES a generous giver…