Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 May 2019 Matthew 10:28.

22 May 2019 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 10:28.   ​And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
 
Aha! It’s Wednesday – the middle of the week already, and we’ve only worked one day so far! Glory to God! Ah mih people, what a holiday on the first day of the week can do for us eh! But on the other hand, many of us are still tired from all the Victoria Day celebrations and are just dying for Friday to come! So reflective of our desire to eat our cake and still have it! (smile) 

Anyway, if Jesus is truly in your heart, then you will be able to do whatever you need to do with diligence and excellence, because He empowers His followers through His Holy Spirit that dwells within them. And as He faithfully promised, will supply all of their needs through His riches in glory! Give Him some thanks and praise for that wonderful promise my people! 

Our Jesus is the BEST! Not only did He sacrifice His life on the cross at Calvary for us, but He’s still advocating, pleading our cases for us before the Father in heaven! Wow! How tireless a worker is He on our behalf! That’s why we need NO ONE but Him! He’s our EVERYTHING; our BE ALL and END ALL! 

And with Him constantly riding shotgun with us, or as the Good Book says, ‘If God be for us, who can be against us eh?’ NOBODY! Because Jesus and us are a majority in EVERY situation! Mama Mia! Is that ever reassuring! It certainly is! 

And I want to stir up the applecart here a bit, with this quote from Joshua Loth Liebman (1907 – 1948), the famous American Rabbi, who penned the Best Seller, ‘Peace of Mind.’ And Liebman is reputed to have said these stirring words: ‘Stripped of all their masquerades, the fears of men are quite identical: the fear of loneliness, rejection, inferiority, unmanageable anger, illness and death.’ 

And is that ever so true friends! Be we rich or poor, powerful or lowly, we ALL experience those fears at some stage in our lives. They are just common to all mankind because of the frailties and weaknesses of our human nature! Yes, we have been given dominion over the earth, but that does not make us God! 

When God decided to give us free will to rule over the earth, He realized that He must retain some kind of control, otherwise we’d all run amok, drunk with such power. So He made it that NONE of us was able to be self-sufficient in all matters. At some stage in life, we all would need to come to Him, our Creator, for help! 

And he who was proud and haughty and arrogant enough to believe he could do it all on his own, then He would be lost in eternal hellfire and damnation, separated from His Creator forever!  What a sad and sorry state of affairs! All because of foolish pride! 

Yes friends, we all have fears, fears which cause numerous problems, sometimes even irreparable problems in our lives. But they don’t have to prevent us from doing our bounden duty, from reaching our God-given destiny. That’s because our great God wants us to call out to Him for help! That’s why He made us frail and incomplete! 

And He’s just there, dying for us to come to Him, waiting with opened arms for His creation to come to Him and sincerely declare: ‘Oh my heavenly father, I need your help!’ That’s all it takes my people! And if you don’t believe me, then hear some words of our Lord, Saviour, and Advocate, Jesus, while He lived here on earth. 

Listen as He advises us to first seek the kingdom of God. ‘Fear not little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’ (Luke 12:32) And to the disciples, re the workers of iniquity: ‘Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered (veiled), that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. 

What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt.10:26-28) 

Yes friends, mankind might be able to kill our physical bodies, but not our souls, and will therefore not prevent our ‘blessed resurrection to life everlasting.’ The only person who can do both is Almighty God! That’s why it’s more important to fear our Creator, not only in reverence, but also in true fear, for He is the ONLY ONE who has the authority to cast men into hell, and not the evil one, who will himself be eventually cast into eternal hellfire. 

And after that Jesus tells them: ‘Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered, Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.10:29-33) 

Oh my faithful brethren, from those verses we learn two things: (1) Our heavenly Father cares for all of His creation, even the lowly sparrows, but He cares for us a whole lot more; His greatest creation. So much so that even the hairs on our heads are numbered. As the scholars say: ‘Here we are reminded of God’s gracious providential care over His saints.’ 

(2) To be an eligible disciple of Christ, we need to publicly confess Him before men! As the scholars explain: ‘In reality, secret discipleship is a practical impossibility. Jesus constantly called for an open confession of Himself by His followers. That our confession is to be before men clearly indicates that a public confession of true Christian faith is a virtual necessity.’ 

So let’s be wise and be of strong faith nuh, so that our fears, legitimate though they may be, don’t prevent us from publicly acknowledging Christ and doing His work in a diligent and excellent manner. And with all of that good stuff written indelibly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, let’s go home now declaring (yes!) to the world our position in Christ as set out in our Wednesday Wail. 

As one proud and sincere voice now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And as I like to remind us, that future will be even more glorious than our puny minds can even imagine! (smile) Much LOVE!

…in our free society…one can’t truly live for Jesus…in secret…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 June 2017 John 10:11.

01 Jun 2017 Leave a comment

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

John 10:11.    I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Well my people, it’s Thursday! Can you believe that the week is almost over? And can you also believe that today is the first of June? The year is almost half over! Hn! Hn! 

This year of 2017 is truly passing by quickly, and I’m sure many of us have not seen one like it before, both personally and internationally. I know I haven’t. What with my sudden and unexpected personal illness and the numerous upheavals and disasters around the globe, highlighted by Donald Trump’s U.S. Presidency… 

Wow! 2017 is certainly shaping up to be a watershed year; a unique, different and rather unconventional one, more so than any we’ve ever seen before. But throughout all the ups and downs friends, the topsy-turvy unpredictable stuff, ONE thing remains constant: the supremacy of our great God! 

Oh, they might try to remove Him from our society, blaspheme His Holy Name, and invoke all sorts of other evil and negative behaviour, but He still reigns supreme! Mama Mia! It is His world! He created it, everything in it, and He is still controlling what happens in and to it. 

It might not seem so to the casual onlooker, but we believers know that He is still sitting on His heavenly throne controlling things in His way and in His time, with His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ sitting at His right hand interceding for us! Glory to God my brethren! 

What a wonderful thing it is to have the sinless, sacrificial Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, advocating on our behalf! We couldn’t have a better and more renowned intercessor! And it’s all been done because of the Father’s great and undying LOVE for us! 

Give Him everlasting thanks and praise for being so merciful and forgiving to us my brethren! Without His incredible grace where would we be eh? Making plans to spend eternity with the evil one. Steups! And how sad and disgusting would that be eh? Horrible really! 

But because of the immense LOVE in God’s heart, He couldn’t allow His most precious creation to simply be lost for all time to the fallen angel Lucifer. He wouldn’t be able to live with Himself if He didn’t give them a lifeline, a way to come back from the brink of the precipice. 

And the only way He could do it and still retain His justice and righteousness is by sacrificing a sinless soul, and the ONLY One who fit that bill perfectly was His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ. 

Now don’t you think that just broke the Father’s heart? Just think about our reaction if we had to sacrifice our only child nuh. There be such wailing and gnashing of teeth that it would be heard all around the world. 

But the Father cared for us so much that He chose to break His own heart over a bunch of ungrateful sinners. What does the old song say? ‘Only a fool breaks his own heart!’ 

But I can tell us that God wasn’t a fool for doing what He did. He was just being His natural kind and LOVING self, showing the LOVING-kindness that He was so well known for. 

And for that we should all be everlastingly grateful and thankful, just falling all over ourselves to give Him praise and thanks for being so wonderful to us, a sinful bunch of frail and foolish people!  

Just look at what our Saviour Jesus says in our Bit. ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ And that He did indeed my faithful brethren! 

Now look at what He said before that. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:7-10) 

And so I ask the million dollar question friends: why aren’t we supposed believers having life more abundantly eh, why aren’t we enjoying it so much more than we currently are? That’s why Jesus said He died for us. 

So it seems like we don’t truly believe Him, for Christians should be the most upbeat and joyful people on God’s great earth. But that’s not how we appear to the rest of the world. Too many of us are fearful, afraid to stand up to the rest of the evil world even though we have the true, faithful and wonderful promises of God to back us up. 

Where is our belly and backbone eh friends? Come on nuh people, if Jesus could give His sinless life for us, the least we can do is stand up and acknowledge His presence in our lives, acknowledge Him as our Lord and Saviour! Steups! 

I’m sure it hurts Him terribly to see us walking around like lost, shepherd-less sheep. I simply don’t understand how we could be so lost and wayward, when we have all the blessings that are entrenched in our Thursday Blessings. 

Let’s declare them now, so that we can be uplifted and come to our senses. ‘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!’ 

There’s NOTHING that we lack friends, so please, let’s go out and share it all with the less fortunate nuh, for that’s why Jesus died…so that we might have life…and have it more abundantly! Much LOVE!

…it’s high time believers cut back on talking the talk…and concentrate more on walking the walk…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 May 2017 Psalm 133:1.

20 May 2017 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 133:1.   Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

And then it was Saturday; beautiful spring time in the northern climes! Wow! We just can’t wait for summer to come, after experiencing those two days of summer weather this past week. 

Everybody was out in their shorts and shirtsleeves, walking, riding, the tops of the convertible cars down, with their hair blowing in the wind. I don’t think we’ll see as much of that today though, because it won’t be so warm. Today is shaping up to be a somewhat lazy, hazy day, at least hopefully for me, although I need to go and get some undecipherable noise on my chariot fixed. 

But however it turns out, since it’s Saturday, let’s look at some of our friend Anselm’s recent quotes, which are always aimed at inspiring us for a better tomorrow. And this week they were short and pithy – to the point – forceful, clever – like: ‘Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value.’ 

And there’s great truth in that simple statement, for success comes in many different forms, and not all of them add value to us or our society. So you can be a successful person, in the eyes of the world, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you are valuable, especially in the eyes of Jesus. All the successful but evil people in this evil world aren’t valuable to Jesus or most of us, for in His realm, true value breeds success, not the other way around. 

And I like this quote. ‘Stop chasing the money and start chasing the passion.’ Oh friends, if more of us supposed Christians would only stop running down the money and the non-lasting wealth of the world, we’d not only be happier, but much more useful in service to Jesus. We run down the world’s riches, but we don’t have time to enjoy them. What we need more in these tough times is sincere passion; a desire to do good and not evil, to work diligently for Jesus rather than for Beelzebub! 

And this last quote is awesome. ‘If you are willing to do more than you are paid to do, eventually you will be paid to do more than you do.’ Words of biblical content my people! Jesus always inspired us to go the extra mile, to put our best foot forward, give more than we are asked, because in due time whatever we sow, we will reap in greater abundance. 

Unfortunately though, that idea of doing more than we’re paid to do has fallen on deaf ears. The treat today, is to do ever less than we’re paid to do, then smirk and think we’ve outsmarted our employer. Oh, we just might do that, but constantly robbing our employer of our paid time will certainly put our jobs in jeopardy. And remember, God is watching our every move, and if we Christians succumb to such fraudulent behaviour, we’ll definitely hear about it later from Him. 

So friends, it’s all to our betterment, if we live a useful, valuable and passionate Christian life. Not foolishly running down the things of the world, which don’t last anyway, and only cause us all kinds of worry and illness from the stress and strain of trying to acquire them. 

And all of that just leads to our wonderful Bit. ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!’ And that’s the living truth my people! 

I don’t know, but something must be wrong with me yes, because I see others living in disunity and resentment and so much negative vibes around them and they seem to enjoy it, to flourish in it. Steups! I could never live so nuh. And as I’ve told my children many a time, if they ever live in such a sad state, I will come back and haunt them! (smile) That’s because there’s NO good reason for brethren, especially blood siblings, to live in continual disunity. 

Now let’s look at an instance in the Good Book pertaining to brethren not living in unity. And it has to do with Lot and Abraham, when their cattle herders were not getting along, because there was not enough land for all the cattle to feed equitably.

‘And Abraham said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.’ (Gen.13:8-9) 

Now doesn’t that make sense friends? It surely does! Why fight amongst each other, when there is ALWAYS some way to mitigate the negativity. We just have to want to badly enough. 

Now hear these words from Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘Be kindly affectioned (affectionate) one to another with brotherly LOVE; in honour preferring one another (giving preference to another)… Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not (do not set your mind on) high things, but condescend to men (associate with men) of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits (estimation)… If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men.’ (Rom.12:10, 16, 18) Such words of wisdom my brethren!

And we’ll close with these famous words from the author of Hebrews. ‘Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’ (Heb.13:1-2)  

Yes friends, it’s all about living in unity…What else can it be about eh? Much LOVE!

…only in unity can our world ever hope to find peace…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 October 2016 Psalm 46:1.

21 Oct 2016 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 46:1.    God is our refuge and strength, a very present (an abundantly available) help in trouble.

So how do we begin this morning eh friends? I don’t have a clue as to how to engage your attention on this cloudy Friday morning in the fall of 2016, except to say: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the workweek is almost done! The weekend is here…

Give God the glory for that, because if the slave master had his way, we’d work seven days a week. Steups! The greedy fool! But thanks be to God for the weekend where we can do as we please… And am I going to live it up? You could bet yuh bottom dollar on that! Just watch me!’ 

Ah mih people, just like us eh? We go from one extreme to the other, from working too hard to partying too hard. But that only causes undue stress, burn out and eventually illness. What we need is some kind of balance in our lives, and our Friday Chant gives us direction on that. 

So let’s chant it nuh. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. 

Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ 

Yes friends, rest, relaxation, fellowship and play are all necessary for us to live full and godly lives, but we need to mix them in the right proportion, don’t over do any of them. And if we find it difficult to get the right mix, the right balance, there is always our great God to turn to for advice and help. 

What does our Bit say: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present (an abundantly available) help in trouble.’ And that’s the living truth in a nutshell! 

Our Creator and Provider is always there for us. In times of trouble we only need to call upon Him with a sincere heart and He will guide us to victory. Remember, He promises never to leave nor forsake us, and He stands by His promises. 

And my brethren, we all have problems that we can’t solve, or handle, so there is no shame or disgrace in turning to the Lord for help. In fact, that’s what He wants us to do; come to Him for every purpose in life, be they big or small. The Lord wants to be an integral part of our lives, involved in EVERYTHING that we do. 

But foolishly, we only want to allow Him to become involved in certain things, the others we want to deal with ourselves. Unfortunately though precious people, the Lord doesn’t work like that. He wants to be involved in ALL or NOTHING AT ALL! 

So please, let’s check our lives and see if there are any areas that we are keeping God out of nuh, and then wisely invite Him to be a part of those areas. Yuh know that might be a part of our problem, why our lives aren’t going right at the moment; God isn’t totally involved in them. 

Now let’s check out some scripture which reinforces our Bit. Hear Moses as he exhorts Israel to obedience. ‘For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh (a God so near) unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call him for? 

And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgements so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?’ (Deut.4:7-8) 

And the answer to both questions friends is NONE! Truly, there is no other God who is so involved, who takes such great interest in the affairs of men! And that’s the way it ought to be. We don’t need a God who is far off, unconcerned about our trials and tribulations, but one who is around when we need help. 

Listen to Bruh David from Psalm 3 – A prayer of confidence in God – as he cries out in despair. ‘Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God.   Selah. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) mine head. 

I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill (mountain).   Selah. I laid down and slept; I awaked: for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3:2-6) 

Oh what a glorious God we serve my people! That’s the kind of confidence He instills in us when we walk obedient to His will! So I really can’t understand why we refuse to walk steadfastly with Him. There is so much to be derived from a genuine walk with Christ, that it would take me a whole day to list them. (smile) 

Now let’s go home with these wonderful words of Bruh David echoing in our minds, souls, bodies and hearts. From Psalm 145 – the Lord is gracious – he faithfully proclaims. ‘The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy (gracious) in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. 

He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The Lord preserveth all them that LOVE him: but all the wicked will he destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.’ (Ps.145:17-21) 

Wow! Oh my fellow believers right there we have the gospel truth in black and white! Please, please, I implore us, let’s take it heart nuh, so that our lives can be fulfilled! Let’s continually praise our wonderful God and bless His holy name at all times, for that is wisdom at its highest level! Much LOVE!

…praise Him, praise Him…Glory Hallelujah…He is LOVE…He is LOVE…

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 March 2015 1 Corinthians 3:11‏‏‏‏

12 Mar 2015 Leave a comment

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

1 Corinthians 3:11.     For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Oh Friends, oh Friends, it seems that a late night has begotten an even later morning. Hn, hn! You know I was up at around five a.m, even before the duchess’ alarm went off. And even if I don’t get up just then, I usually get up and see her safely off to work shortly after six.

But this morning I didn’t even know when she left the bedroom, much less the house. The Lord in His everlasting wisdom obviously realized that I was in no fit shape to write such a profound document as the Bit. (smile) And the ole body obviously needed more rest, so He allowed me to sleep in.

And I was quite surprised when I opened my eyes and saw that it was already eight o’clock. I haven’t gotten up at that hour here at home in ages. But who am I to query the Lord’s wisdom eh? (smile) And the body does feel much better for the unexpected rest. All praise and glory be to Him!

And in this third week of Lent, on this bright and balmy Thursday morning– the sun is shining beautiful and bright outside and it’s not too cold – I want to remind us that this is a season of introspection, where we sit down with God and review our convictions, beliefs, behaviour, and all the other things associated with our lives, which help us to live obedient to God’s will.

This is a time for a spiritual spring-cleaning, where we get rid of all the junk that’s cluttering up our lives and making it difficult, if not impossible to walk sincerely and faithfully with Jesus Christ.

And to help us do that here is this interesting and inspirational quote, which I believe I’ve already shared some time before, but is most worthy of sharing again, from Dr. Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924), an American inspirational author who wrote on success in life and how to achieve it.

Dr. Marden wisely declares: ‘The hopeful man sees success where others see failure, sunshine where others see shadows and storm.’

And isn’t that the living truth, my people! Ofttimes we get lost and caught up in our problems and weaknesses, physical pain and illness, whereby we end up with a general feeling of malaise and disinterest in life. But we can’t allow that state of affairs to exist for long my people, especially if we are followers of Jesus Christ.

We need to get back as quickly as possible to the positive imagery outlined in Jesus’ philosophy and lifestyle. He said He came so that we could have life, and have it even more abundantly. ( John 10:10) And being down in the dumps for too long a period is surely not having life, much less abundantly.

So my brethren, it’s in our best interest to try and get the negative pictures out of our lives almost as soon as they appear, because they are only the wiles and lies of the enemy coming to try and steal our joy in Jesus Christ. We can’t work diligently and sincerely for Jesus if there’s no joy in our souls.

That’s where our Bit comes in. ‘For other foundation can no man lay that that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’

And I want to apologize for saying that yesterday was the last day for the Bit. Lucifer must certainly have gotten in to my mind, for there is till stuff concerning it, to say today. And we’ll kick it off with Bruh Paul writing to the Ephesians about the unity of all believers.

‘For through him (Jesus) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

In whom all the building fitly framed together (being joined together) groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord; In whom ye also are builded (being built) for a habitation (dwelling place) of God through the Spirit.’ (Eph. 2:18-22)

Oh Friends, that scripture is so convoluted, and could be so confusing, that I would be greatly amiss if I didn’t give you some of the fine explanations of the scholars.

‘2:19-20. Now therefore draws a conclusion from verses 14-18: Christian Gentiles are no longer alienated from God, but now enjoy the same intimate relationship with Him and the same spiritual blessings as do Christian Jews.

Three figures express this unity and equality existing between believing Jews and Gentiles. (1) A city: This figure comes the Greek city-state political concept whereby all inhabitants of a particular city-state were fellow citizens enjoying the same privileges.

(2) A family: Since Gentiles have been reconciled to God (v.16) and to His people (v.15), they are now members of the household of God, that is, children of the divine family.

(3) A building: Believing Jews and Gentiles are part of the same divine structure, the church. The church’s foundation is composed of the apostles and prophets, its chief corner stone is Christ, and its superstructure  is composed of Christians.

Oriental architecture placed greater importance on the cornerstone than on the foundation, for it connected the walls and concentrated the weight of the building on itself, thus bonding and holding together the whole structure.’  

‘2:21. Paraphrased, this verse would read, “By whom the whole building, being carefully and harmoniously joined together, rises into a holy temple for the Lord.” Fitly framed together  is translated above as “being carefully and harmoniously joined together.” This implies the harmonious blending of the Jewish and Gentile believers in the church.’

‘2:22. Ye also in Greek, is emphatic. It stresses that Christian Gentiles, as well as their Jewish counterparts, are part of the church. Christians are viewed as a habitation or dwelling place in whom God lives through His Holy Spirit.’

Ah mih people, I know that is a lot of explanation, but I believe we all need it, possibly some more than others, and I do hope that it clarifies any problems we have with understanding the relevant scripture.

Consequently, we’ll end there today, so that we can have time to read, ponder and digest all the wonderful information we’ve shared today. For that’s the only way we can truly become avid and true followers of Jesus Christ.

So my fellow believers, until tomorrow, the Lord willing, may we all walk hand in hand with Him, safely, wisely, LOVINGLY, and at peace with ourselves and all mankind! Much LOVE!

…for the scripture saith…whosoever believeth on Him…shall not be ashamed (put to shame)… (Rom.10:11)

 

 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 October 2013 Matthew 5:7

26 Oct 2013 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 5:7.      Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
 
Well hello there you beautiful believers in Jesus Christ; King of Kings and Lord of Lords! How goes it this wonderful Saturday morning eh? I guess many of you are enjoying a rare morning of sleeping in, that is until your young offspring start clamouring for food and attention. All I can say there though, is better you than me yes. (smile) I went through that many moons ago.
 
Anyway, today I want to share a poem I got from the Between Friends Magazine published by the Friends of the Society of the Little Flower. It comes from an article written by its Director, Father Bob Colaresi. He himself was quoting a Spanish Carmelite Nun, St. Teresa of Avila. She’s different to the society’s patron Saint, St. Therese, also a Carmelite Nun, but of French origin. 
 
It’s claimed that St. Teresa taught this poem. ‘Christ has no body but yours, No Hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
 
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, Yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.’
 
And that Friends, is the gospel truth, because Christ left us here on earth to do His work; to spread the good, exciting news of His gospel; the wonderful rewards of salvation and eternal life, if we embrace His Deity. It’s now our duty to go around the world, with our eyes, feet ears, hands and bodies, be His representative, and let the lost and unfortunate masses know of all that He’s accomplished on our behalf. 
 
But again, to do Jesus’ work successfully, we need physical, mental and spiritual strength backed by divine wisdom, which can only be had by being in tune with Almighty God. Today’s Bit, another Beatitude, tells us: ‘Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.’
 
And that is absolute truth in more ways than one. First of all, like Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer; ‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’ (Matt.6:12) If we don’t forgive we won’t be forgiven. The same goes for mercy; if we don’t show mercy to others, neither will the Lord show us any. It’s basically the universal motto of, you reap what you sow.
 
You cannot be neither merciful nor forgiving and yet expect to receive forgiveness and mercy. Hn! Although that seems to be the prevailing wisdom in our world today. Generally speaking, forgiveness is NOT getting the punishment we deserve, while mercy is getting the good things that we DON’T deserve. 
 
Then we have this take from the scholars: ‘5:7. Those who are merciful…shall obtain mercy has reference to those who have been born again by the mercy of God. Because divine LOVE has been extended to them, they have the work of the Holy Spirit in them producing a mercy that defies explanation by unregenerate men. Jesus Himself became the ultimate example of this when He cried from the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)’
 
Oh Friends, I like that part about ‘a mercy that defies explanation by unregenerate men.’ And that’s the God-awesome truth! For mankind still can’t figure out or understand how Christians can be so merciful and forgiving when faced with serious and troubling circumstances. But it all depends on that Holy Spirit of His Divine Majesty dwelling in us, which shows us the right way.
 
Unfortunately, mankind will never understand the Christian attitude unless and until he wholeheartedly embraces Jesus, and consequently receives that wonder-working Spirit in his own soul. It all bolls down to, NO JESUS, NO HOLY SPIRIT, and therefore no divine understanding!
 
And when we talk about God’s mercy, there’s no better example in receiving it, than Bruh David. Listen to him from Psalm 41, Abuse and Assurance. ‘Blessed is he that considereth the poor (helpless, powerless): the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
 
The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing (his bed of illness): thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness (restore him in his sickbed). I said, Lord be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.’ (Psalm 41:1-4)
 
Oh my people, two things are evident there: One must be kind and/or show mercy to the poor and needy, and secondly, one must confess one’s own wrongdoing to Jehovah God. Bruh David knew that, and tried to live that way. That’s why the Lord was so merciful to him, in spite of all his shortcomings and wrongdoings.
 
Unfortunately though, today, many of us figure that confessing our wrongdoings is for the birds, therefore we lose out on God’s precious grace and mercy. And sadly my people, that’s a fool’s wisdom!
 
Oh Friends, the Lord doesn’t expect us to be perfect, because He never made us that way. But He does expect us to be man and woman enough to own up to our faults and frailties.
 
Please, let’s be brave and admit our wrongs, so we can receive God’s generous grace, forgiveness and mercy. Now that’s truly divine wisdom! Much LOVE!
 
…O give thanks unto the Lord…for He is good…for His mercy endureth for ever… (1 Chr.16:34)
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 July 2013 Proverbs 11:25

21 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 11:25.   The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

Ah Friends, at last some decent summer weather! Yes, it’s still warm, but not hot and humid, now in the mid 20’s instead of the 30’s, with a cool, refreshing breeze to minimize the heat. That’s what we finally had yesterday, and are likely to have for the next few days. All the seasons have their good points, but it’s when they get to the extremes, that they lose the human affection. (smile)

Anyway, here’s a quote I read today in a Jamaica Gleaner Newspaper of two weeks ago. It’s taken from something called ‘The Hands of Poverty,’ by Oliver Lawrence. I don’t know if it’s a poem or a book, because I couldn’t find anything about the title or the author on the Internet.
 
The Gleaner had it under the heading of Today’s Gem. ‘Now from the hands of poverty, I have passed. But from the hands of God, I will never depart. For in Him, my sorrows turned to joy, and my needs, He gladly fulfilled.’
 
And that quote Friends, is indeed a real gem! Those few words tell us how our lives change for the better once we’ve willingly surrendered ourselves to the LOVING embrace of the living God Jehovah. On our own, we’re nothing, but linked to Jesus….oh my, my, then we can move mountains, do the naturally impossible.
 
And turning to our Bit, we glean more everlasting truth, re our association with the ONE TRUE GOD of the universe. ‘The liberal (generous) soul shall be made fat (rich, prosperous): and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.’
 
All of that stems from one law that God designed the universe on; what you sow, the same you shall reap. Therefore my people, if we are generous in what we have and give, then the same generosity, oftimes double in God’s goodness and approval is returned to us.
 
Hear how Bruh David puts it in Palm 41; Abuse and assurance. ‘Blessed is he that considereth the poor (the helpless or powerless): the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing (of illness): thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness (restore him in his sickbed).’ (Ps.41:1-3)
 
Yuh see people, it’s not only material rewards we’re liable to receive, but also physical protection from our enemies and from sickness. And all God’s children declared a loud and thankful, ‘Praise the Lord!’
 
And yuh better believe Friends that He is definitely worthy of much praise, much more than we give Him!
 
Remember too, yesterday, the scholars mentioned Proverbs 22:9, re Bruh Paul’s statement that God LOVES a cheerful giver. (2 Cor.9:7) I don’t know if any of you took the time to look it up, but here it is. ‘He that hath a bountiful (generous) eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.’ (Prov.22:9)
 
And these other wise words of Cousin Sol also fall into that category. ‘He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.’ (Prov.19:17)
 
Yes my fellow believers, when we give generously and willingly, it warms the cockles of God’s heart, because that’s the kind of Being He is, and in return He rewards us for helping those less fortunate than us.
 
Remember too, our God is very interested, is a big booster of the poor, the stranger, the widow, the orphan, the sick, the needy, the powerless and helpless. And anyone who goes out of their way to help any of those unfortunates will be richly blessed by God.
 
But note though, the motives, the state of our hearts must be right, and we mustn’t be only doing the good deeds to get rewards, but feel a genuine need to help the needy.
 
Now hear Bruh Paul as he talks to the Galatians on the subject. ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
 
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (do not lose heart). And as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ (Gal.6:7-10)
 
Oh my brethren, those words spoken so long ago, still hold true even today! That’s because our God and His basic philosophy doesn’t change! From day one, He’s decreed that what we sow, we’ll reap, and that principle will continue until eternity.
 
So please, let’s wise up and start sowing good seeds out of pure and blameless hearts nuh. It’s the only way we’ll bring others to Christ and thus further His kingdom. And just in case you didn’t know or realize it, that’s one of our major purposes here on planet earth. (smile)
 
So let’s get the passion, the LOVE, the enthusiasm, the goodness, the mercy, the forgiveness and all the other positive attributes of Jesus going nuh Friends! For then, and only then, will we become worthy of the title…wise. Much LOVE!
 
…blessed are the merciful…for they shall obtain mercy…  (Matt.5:7)