Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 February 2022 Matthew 10:31.

20 Feb 2022 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 10:31.      Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Oh my faithful saints of Christ, this Sunday morning, please, let’s do as the psalmist advised. Let’s ‘Make a joyful noise unto the Lord…Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Therefore enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps 100:1-5)) 

Yes friends, we could not begin our day of worship with a better introduction, because the earth is the Lord’s and all therein and we desperately need to give Him sincere thanks and praise for all the good things He’s done, is doing, and will continue to do on our behalf. And today we have a marvellous gospel song to sing written in 1905 by lyricist Civilla D. Martin and composer Charles H. Gabriel. It’s the favourite hymn titled ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow.’ 

Now before we sing it, let’s hear the inspiration for this amazing song. The author Civilla Martin says that in the spring of 1905, they were visiting a couple, the Doolittle’s in Elmira, New York. The wife had been bedridden for nearly twenty years, and the husband was a paraplegic who got around in a wheelchair. But despite their afflictions they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. 

On that particular day while visiting, Mr. Martin commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for their secret to such blessed faith. Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: ‘His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.’ Wow! Wish we could all have such simple but extraordinary faith! And according to Mrs. Martin: ‘The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith, gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow’ was the outcome of that experience.’ Glory Hallelujah my faithful brethren! 

So, having learned or refreshed our memories about the inspiration for the song, let’s sing it now in a soulful, mid-tempo riddim, with joy in our hearts and sacrificial praise in our voices, as we come before our wonderful God with sincere thanksgiving. ‘Why should I feel discouraged, Why should the shadows come, Why should my heart be lonely, And long for heav’n and home; When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is he; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me. 

(Refrain: I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free; For his eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me.) “Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear, And resting on his goodness, I lose my doubts and fears; Though by the path he leadeth, But one step I may see; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me. [Refrain] 

Whenever I am tempted, Whenever clouds arise; When songs give place to sighing, When hope within me dies, I draw the closer to him, From care he sets me free; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me. So I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free; For his eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me. Yes, I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free; For his eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.’ 

Oh my people, that was marvellous! And why shouldn’t our faith be strong and confident, when our wonderful God watches over even the small and seemingly insignificant sparrow! Can you imagine then how He watches over us, His most precious and prized creation? We should have no reason whatsoever to doubt His awesome concern for us. But unfortunately too many of us do, that’s why our faith is weak, especially in these turbulent times, when it is supposed to be oh so strong. Please, let’s take a page out of that afflicted couple’s life and raise the level of our faith nuh. 

And it’s said that the words of the song are inspired by the words of Bruh David in the Psalms and Christ in the gospel of Matthew. So let’s take a look at those scriptures now. In Psalm 32 – The blessedness of forgiveness – Bruh David declares of the Lord. ‘I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way in which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.’ (Ps. 32:8-9) 

That reminds me of this command and promise that the Lord gave to Joshua when he became the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper (have success, act wisely) withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:7) And that’s exactly what we need today friends, to stay under the commands of God and not turn from them to either side, because that’s the only way our lives and our world will improve. 

Now let’s look at the words of Christ which they say inspired the writing of today’s song. In the Sermon on the Mount, He is teaching about not worrying about clothes and food and asks: ‘Is not life more than meat (food), and the body more than raiment (clothes)? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?’ (Matt. 6:25-26) We certainly are! 

And then later on, while instructing the disciples, he tells them: ‘And fear them not which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him, (God) which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.’ (Matt. 10:28-31) 

Yes my people, we are indeed of much more value to our heavenly Father than the birds of the air, but the problem is that we must believe it and act positively on it, otherwise the scripture is wasted on us. And it’s in tough and troubled times like what we’re currently experiencing that followers of Jesus need to come up exceedingly strong and fight the good fight in His name. But sadly too many of us are wilting like grass in the noonday sun. 

That’s not acceptable my brethren, because it means we are letting down Jesus, not taking up our cross and truly following Him. And I don’t doubt that He’s sitting in heaven right now contemplating our actions, shaking His head and wondering like He so often did down here on earth: ‘O ye of little faith! Where is your faith?’ 

So please, today, let’s all promise to raise the level of our faith by truly believing in Him, by reading and meditating on His word and staying on the straight and narrow path, not turning to the right nor to the left. That’s the only hope for our world and ourselves! Much LOVE!

…the wide and winding path leads to destruction…but the straight and narrow one leads to Christ…to life everlasting… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 February 2021 1 Corinthians 3:11.

20 Feb 2021 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.

Saturday, oh lazy Saturday! How I do LOVE thee! But I won’t count the ways for there are way too many. (smile) Yeh friends, for many of us, Saturday is the day we can do exactly as we please; laze around on the couch, watch the tube, take our time to do whatever, no rush on anything. But for some others it’s just another busy day in the life. 

And for me, I have to get my head around the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us the past week and try to make some sense of them in terms of our Christian life. And let me tell you, that’s not always easy, but the Good Lord, our Creator and Director, always lends a helping hand. Oh friends, His amazing faithfulness is unfathomable! So let’s ask Him now to lead and guide me as I wend my way through this week’s quotes from Anselm. (smile) 

And the first one is truly interesting. ‘Live the Life of Your Dreams: Be brave enough to live the life of your dreams according to your vision and purpose instead of the expectations and opinions of others.’ Now that is good advice, but only up to a certain point. One caveat is necessary there. We should not live our lives according to the expectations of others, meaning human folks, but we should live our lives and dreams according to the will of God! And you ask why? 

Simply because it’s God who put those dreams and desires in our hearts, in the first place. And secondly, only when we live in the will and way of the Lord can our dreams and efforts meet with true and lasting success. Now those last two words are the most important ones – lasting success. If you live according to anybody else’s will, you might achieve what the world terms success, but it will never last. You’ll always be worried and concerned about it, trying to safeguard it, and you won’t have the peace you need to truly enjoy your achievements. 

Why do you think Jesus told the parable of the two foundation eh, where one man builds his house on the sand and the other on the rock eh? (Matt.7:24-27) Because only the one built on the Rock, Him and his truth, His way of life, is sustainable! Any other is like the house built by the first two pigs in the story of the three pigs and the wolf. The wolf huffed and puffed and blew down the first two houses made of straw and sticks, but could not blow down that made of bricks. 

And the moral of the story is that your materials and foundation must be of the highest quality in erecting anything. And you can never get better materials or a more solid foundation than that found in Jesus. Bruh Paul said it in spades: ‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor. 3:11) Please friends, let’s keep that thought uppermost in our minds as we build our lives and dreams nuh. Wow! That was long! (smile) But I believe the Lord was trying to drive home a most salient point; that without Him, His Leadership and Guidance, our plans are not worth very much and are liable to be brought to naught by the smallest storm. 

And that brings us to this next quote which falls into somewhat of the same vein. ‘Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.’ And that’s ever so true. We must not allow our fears to drive the engines of our lives, but rather the dreams and plans that the Lord has placed in our hearts. For as Bruh Paul so plainly proclaimed to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind (self-control).’ (2 Tim. 1:7) 

That means that although fear will always be present in our lives, once we also have the Spirit of Christ living in us, we will always be able to master fear. Glory be mih brethren! Isn’t it wonderful to know that we don’t have to let fear run and ruin our lives? It surely is. But then again, we have to use the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us to deactivate the fear that naturally comes a calling. As Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, we must do it afraid. For courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the ability to come up over fear. 

And per the desires of your heart, Bruh David clearly said it in Psalm 37. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps. 37:4) And if anybody should know about that, surely it’s Bruh David who led a life strongly dedicated to the Lord. He was not perfect, but the Lord saw His heart was right, and He will do the same for us, if our hearts are right. 

That brings us to this pen-ultimate quote. ‘Take responsibility for your own happiness, never put it in other people’s hands.’ And that’s gospel truth friends! Happiness is OUR responsibility, not anybody else’s! Just on the purely practical level, we can’t place our happiness in any other human being’s hands because they are fallible and untrustworthy. They won’t always do what’s in our best interest but what’s in theirs. As Jeremiah so rightly said: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick): who can know it?’ (Jer. 17:9) 

Oh friends, nobody but the Lord can know the true intents and motives of any human heart. That’s why it’s so important to seek our own happiness, not selfishly, but with the Lord as our number ONE guide and not humans. And Psalm 146 tells us quite plainly: ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man (a human being), in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth (spirit departs, body dies), he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is the Lord his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:’ (Ps. 146:3-6) 

It couldn’t get any better than that my fellow saints in Christ! And the last quote says: ‘Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.’ Now that makes a whole lot of sense, especially in these troubling and worrying pandemic times. For if you can’t control it, why worry about it? For worrying gets you nowhere. And another of sister Joyce’s favourite sayings is that worry is like sitting in a rocking chair, you can sit and rock all day, but you won’t move, you’ll still be in the same spot at the end of the day. 

And if you don’t believe her, then listen to Jesus. ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body more than raiment (clothes)?’ (Matt. 6:25) It surely is. And then Jesus goes on to point out how the birds and the rest of nature survive without worrying, because their heavenly Father takes care of them. 

And hear this most important question He asks His listeners. ‘Which of you by taking thought (worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature (height)?’ (Matt. 6:27) And the obvious answer is NONE of us! So why worry then over something we can’t control? Because we’re scared and faithless. 

And what’s the solution to it all? As usual Jesus gives it in plain and simple language. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That’s the answer to EVERYTHING in this life people: put God FIRST! Much LOVE!

…God will never cede His divine power to anyone or anything…He will remain El Numero Uno forever…you can count on that…  

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 June 2015 Philippians 4:6

09 Jun 2015 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Aye Friends, welcome to another day in the unfolding of God’s great universe! It is unfolding as it should. We might not think it logical or understand it, but all we need to know is that God is still on the throne, and still in control of what He made. His thoughts and abilities are way higher than ours, so our small, finite minds won’t be able to comprehend all that’s going on.

Be not afraid though, for everything is working to plan; God’s plan that is. Just rest in the comfort and reassurance of His tender, forgiving and merciful embrace and allow the Holy Spirit that dwells within you to lead and guide you on the straight and narrow path that leads to our heavenly Father. End of sermon. (smile)

And now, on this wet and cloudy Tuesday morning in my area, here’s a simple but powerful prayer from Gramps Schuller’s (Robert H. Shuller) Hour of Power Devotional titled ‘I WILL MOVE…’ I don’t know if I’ve ever shared it before, because it doesn’t even look familiar to me. Hn! And I’ve been reading the book for several years now.

Anyway, please pray with me: ‘Lord, I want your heart to be in my heart. For in you I come alive, moving ahead from boring death to exciting life! In your promises, I will move from discouragement to hope. In your pardon, I will move from shame to glory. In your power, I will move from weakness to strength. In your providence, I will move from failure to success! Thank you, Lord. Amen.’

Oh my people, what true and wonderful sentiments! That’s just what I was saying earlier; putting your hope and trust in Almighty God is the only wise and sensible way to proceed in this mish-mash thing we call life. Without His involvement in our lives we are simply powerless and rudderless, aimlessly drifting on a tossing sea of sin and sinfulness, which augurs no good whatsoever to anybody.

But with Jehovah God in our lives, as Gramps Schuller so rightfully declares, we keep moving ahead in an exciting life, filled with hope, glory, strength and success!

And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘Glory to God! Praise Him for His wonderful LOVING-kindness to the children of men!’ Yes Friends, that we certainly ought to do, for our God does deserve much reverence and thanksgiving! 

And talking about reverence and thanksgiving, listen to our Bit, which details it marvellously for us. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’

Without a doubt my brethren, the wise way is always to bring everything to God in prayer with much thanks for all that He’s done and still doing for us.

And the scholars offer this information on our Bit. ‘4:6. Be careful for nothing means “don’t worry about anything.” The Lord’s nearness (v.5b) (‘The Lord is at hand’) leads Paul to forbid his readers from worrying. This no summons to irresponsibility or an invitation to dismiss legitimate concern.

The solution to undue anxiety is prayer in everything, “in every matter of life.” The way to be free of anxiety is to be prayerful about everything. While God is eager to hear our requests, they are to be accompanied with thanksgiving.’

Ah Friends, unfortunately too many of us don’t put that advice in to action, therefore we are worried and anxious about all sorts of things. I guess it depends on the level of faith to which we have attained; meaning the greater our faith, the more we submit or adhere to the programme.

Consequently we need to build our faith so that going to God with EVERYTHING in prayer with thanksgiving becomes an automatic action in our lives. And I can tell you from personal example, it works my brethren, it truly works!

You might not always get the answer you want, or even deserve, but if you follow the leading of God’s Spirit that dwells within you, you will seldom go wrong. It won’t always be an easy row to hoe, but it will be definitely interesting and worthwhile.

And in support of our Bit, let’s look at some defining scriptures. First up is Jesus’ profound pronouncement from the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body than raiment (clothing)?’ (Matt.6:25)

And the scholars offer this splendid explanation of that verse. ‘6:25. Jesus now deals with the equally dangerous tendency of those who have few possessions: worry! Take no thought (Gr. me merimnao) means “Do not be anxious.” This word means to be so disturbed about material needs that we distrust God and are distracted from faithfully doing His will.

Anxious care is the direct opposite of faith. Therefore, even the poor are not to worry needlessly about what they should eat, drink, or wear. The question Is not life more than meat, and the body more than raiment? indicates that inner mental stability must come from the spirit of a man and not from outward physical provisions.

To set one’s heart on material possessions or to worry about the lack of them is to live in perpetual insecurity and to deprive oneself of the spiritual blessings of God.’

And isn’t that the gospel truth my people. That’s why so many of us are so insecure. We place too much emphasis on the material things of life; worry too much about them, and work too hard to acquire them. We do need them, but listen to Jesus further on the issue.

‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) And if you are a person of faith, a true believer in Christ, then you will understand that if you do the will of God, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider, will indeed provide for all our material wants and needs.

It’s all a matter of faith, my brethren. Believe and you will not worry, and will be amply provided for. Do not believe, then you will worry, be anxious and stress yourself out, and still not be sure of having all your needs met. And on that most important note, we’ll end today’s message.

Oh Friends, I implore us to have faith, or to raise the level of our faith, so that we won’t have the unnecessary worry and concern that comes with lack of faith. That is the wisdom of both heaven and earth. Much LOVE!

…why walk in worry…when one can walk worry free in faith…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 December 2014 Matthew 6:33

27 Dec 2014 Leave a comment

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

 Matthew 6:33.    But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 
 
And then it was Saturday! Another exciting day in the Christmas season Friends! (smile) Oh I know that many of us are tired from all the Christmas activity and just want to lie down and rest. Well what’s stopping you eh? Just do it.

If the body and soul are crying out for respite, then it’s your duty to give them respite. They can’t continue being stretched and stressed out without losing their power and elasticity. Like a rubber band, the more you stretch and pull them, the loser and less effective they become.
 
Anyhow, here’s an appropriate quote from my Friend Anselm, that’s meant to inspire you for a better tomorrow. And this one comes from Abraham Lincoln. It’s simple but full of wisdom. All it says is: ‘In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.’ And that’s oh so true my people!
 
Now here is Anselm’s take on the subject. ‘It doesn’t matter how long you live, but how much you lived during the time that you were here. So many of us get caught up with age and aging and forget that it’s not about turning back the clock or staying young forever, but trying to get the best feeling that you can out of each moment of your life.
 
Abraham Lincoln was known for being handy with words, so it’s no surprise that he was able to make a quote like this, especially since he was able to pack a lot of life in his 56 years.’
 
Now how much life are we willing to pack into our years eh? It all depends on us my people, for we choose the kind of life we want to live, be it positive or negative, filled with the Word and promises of Almighty God or with the ungodly and lustful things of the world.
 
And the smart money my brethren is always on the things of God, because they have more intrinsic value and last longer than the shallow, bright but flimsy and flaky things of the world.
 
That’s why Friends, I’m encouraging us on this last Saturday in 2014, to sit down and quietly and seriously ponder the direction of our lives. Let’s check on how we spent this past year. Did we do a good, bad or indifferent job? Did we make even some small difference in the world around us? Did we reach the goals we set?
 
And most importantly, did we make any headway in our New Year’s Resolution of following Christ more closely? Have we grown in maturity and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour? Remember, that is the ONLY real resolution you need to make, because once you concentrate on following Christ, everything else falls into place.
 
For as Jesus so rightly says in our Bit, which is taken from the Sermon on the Mount: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
 
Take therefore no thought for the morrow (therefore do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt.6:33-34)
 
Yes my fellow believers, when we seek God FIRST, He makes everything else fall into place for us. Now that doesn’t mean we don’t have to work and pay attention to things, but that we don’t need to strive and worry and feel anxious about our lives and livelihood.
 
As Jesus reminded the disciples before our Bit. ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, for what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not life more than meat (food), and the body than raiment (clothing)?
 
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought (worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature (height)?
 
And why take ye thought for (worry about) raiment (clothing)? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed (clothed, dressed) like one of these.
 
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
 
Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.’ (Matt.6:25-32)
 
Matter finished Friends! Jesus spells it our like it is. If our heavenly Father can look after the things of nature so well, why wouldn’t He look after us, His most important creation, just as well eh? Even Cousin Sol, in all his worldly finery, was no match for the simple lilies of the field.
 
So my people, the life affirming choice is now ours to make. Please, I implore us to use the great wisdom and common sense that’s at our disposal to make the correct one, for the colour and tenor of our earthly lives, as well as where we spend eternity depends on the choice(s) we make today. Nuff said. Much LOVE!
 
…a word of advice…one can never go wrong by choosing Jesus…