Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 December 2018 Psalm 91:12.

17 Dec 2018 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 91:12.   ​They shall bear thee up (lift you up) in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone.
 

Ah mih fellow believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, another Monday has dawned on us and many of us are, or were not ready to handle it. But as our Lord and Saviour said so often to His disciples in His earthly sojourn, ‘Fear NOT!’ Yes, we need not fear because He has given us the two most powerful weapons on this earth, that of words and of prayer! 

Remember He spoke this great universe into existence, and since we’re made in His wonderful image, and have been granted total control of the entire universe, our words therefore contain great power. So let’s be wise and invoke some of them nuh, beginning with enabling declarations, powerful acclamations, encompassing His most faithful promises to us.

 So please declare with me: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps.118:24) ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil.4:13) ‘God will supply ALL my needs through His riches in glory, through Christ our Lord and Saviour!’ (Phil.4:19) ‘If God be for us, who can be against us eh?’ (Rom.8:31) Not a single soul mih people! Not a single evil soul has power over us unless we allow them to! That alone should boost our spirits! 

And this last one that just confirms everything else: ‘And the God of all grace, who has called me to His eternal glory in Christ, after I have suffered a little while, will Himself restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast.’ (1 Pet.5:10) Oh Glory to God my faithful brethren! The same omnipotent power that has allowed some ‘sufferation’ in our lives, is the same tower of grace, mercy and forgiveness who will eventually bring us out of it all and reward us with the glory of heaven, through His magnificent Son, Jesus Christ, who is the author and finisher of ALL things! Wowee, Wowee! (smile) 

Now let’s invoke that other eternal gift, the power of prayer, by declaring our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in strong voice with sincere hearts. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. 

We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. 

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. 

Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ 

Oh friends, oh friends, our wonderful God will NEVER turn down such a heartfelt prayer request! And we know that’s true because we can now feel the adrenaline flowing through our bodies, as His Holy Spirit works His healing and enabling power in us! Give God the praise! 

And friends, the most logical place to continue is with these enlightening and most encouraging words of the psalmist from Psalm 91 – God is a refuge and a fortress. ‘Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation (dwelling place); There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up (lift you up) in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone.’ (Ps.91:9-12) 

And if you think our Bit isn’t important, just check out Matthew 4:6. Those are the very words Satan used to Jesus when he tried tempting Him to throw Himself off the temple roof. And don’t think that the prince of darkness doesn’t know the Good Book nuh; he knows it better than any of us! He knows how, why and when it was written because he plays a very pivotal role in it. And that’s why he has all those li’l tricks up his sleeve, why he can use the Word so deceptively to lead us astray. 

So our best defense is to also know the word, so that when he comes to us with his lies, innuendoes and deceptions, we can wave him off like Jesus did, and contemptuously declare: ‘It is written, Man should not live by bread alone, but by every word that procedeth out of the mouth of God.’ (Matt.4:4) And friends, that wasn’t an original Jesus saying nuh, it was based on Moses’ words to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 8:3. 

And the other two times Jesus rebuked Satan, His words were also based on the Old Testament (Deut. 6:16 and Deut.6:13, 10:20, Josh.24:14). So please don’t think that Jesus just came spouting new stuff. Remember He was a devout Jew and His purpose for coming to earth was to fulfill the words of the prophets written in the Old Testament.  As He said, the Old Testament was written about Him, He saw Himself all over it. (smile) 

So friends, as we run our earthly race, let’s remember how Jesus ran His nuh, and strive to be like Him. It’s the only way that makes sense. He didn’t have it easy either, but He placed ALL His hope and faith in His heavenly Father. And if the Son of God could do that, we mere mortals, born of dust, would be foolish to do otherwise. Much LOVE!

…a word to the wise is sufficient…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 June 2017 2 Corinthians 9:6.

24 Jun 2017 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 9:6.   But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully (with blessings) shall reap bountifully.

And Saturday has rolled around again… But this time it’s a summer Saturday, hopefully a dry summer Saturday, so that we can get outside and do some fun summer things, not have to stay indoors because of rain, like we had most of yesterday in my area. 

That reminds me that my church has a big used clothing and electronics drive today and tomorrow, so we definitely need two sunny days for that to go off well. I also need to find two strong men to help me lift a couple of big, used TV’s out of my basement. Chuh! What’s the world coming to eh? The ole fella can’t even lift up a TV now. (smile) But as they say, after one time is definitely two yes! 

And since it is Saturday, lazy Saturday, let’s meander into some quotes of this week by our friend Anselm, who sincerely aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.  Hear this first one: ‘Don’t let vague fears hold you back from doing what you want. So I have learned to ask myself this: honestly, what is the worst that could happen?’ 

Yes my people, a lot of times we allow some uncertain, hazy, can’t put our finger on it fear to stop us from moving on up. That’s when we need our faith to step in and give us proper guidance. And that fear can ofttimes lead us into this situation. ‘Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.’ Oh do we ever make mountains out of molehills, especially in this selfish and whining society in which we now live! 

And to stop doing that, we need to ‘Cultivate and live in a positive environment. To be able to stay positive it is essential to have influences in your life that support you and lift you up instead of dragging you down. So carefully consider what you let into your mind.’ And also who you let into your life, because the people in your life can influence your mind. 

But then too, we must ‘Add value and positivity to someone else’s life. What you send out you tend to get back from the world and the people in it.’ Now that’s indisputable truth, because it’s just God’s infallible principle of you reap what you sow. So, if we want to get good things in our lives, we need to sow good things into the lives of others. As simple as that my brethren. 

And this is how Bruh Paul says it to the Corinthians in our Bit. ‘But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully (with blessings) shall reap bountifully.’ It couldn’t get any plainer and more straightforward than that friends. 

As the scholars explain: ‘9:6. One’s return is determined by his investment (cf. Prov.11:24; Luke 6:38; Gal.6:7). The expression ‘ep’ eulogiais’ ordinarily translated “with blessings” here has the sense of “generously.” While it does not suggest indiscriminate giving, it does denote “unrestrained” giving.’ 

Yes friends, we don’t have to give willy-nilly, but when we do give, we must give as generously as we can. Our return depends on the size of our investment. The bigger it is, the bigger our return will be. As Bruh Paul continues after our Bit: ‘Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity (compulsion): for God LOVETH a cheerful giver.’ (2 Cor.9:7) 

Ah mih people, Christians ought to take joy in giving, in sharing the blessings our generous heavenly Father has poured out on us. Let’s remember He did not give us all that we have for our use alone, but to share it with the less fortunate. 

And the scholars explain that verse thus:  ‘9:7. Cheerful giver: The giver is to have a willing heart and a sincere desire to participate in the offering. Paul is not so much interested in their money. Nor is God for that matter, as the passage from Proverbs 22:9 indicates. The Greek term ‘hilaron,’ from which the English “hilarious” derives, is best rendered as the English text suggests, “cheerful.” Giving is not a joke. It is serious business, but it is a delightful experience all the same.’ 

And it surely is precious people of God, for when you give from a cheerful and generous heart, you experience a divine feeling, one of helping, of making the heart of someone else glad, which in turn makes your heart glad. Glory to God!  And I guess we ought to see what Proverbs 22:9 says. ‘He that hath a bountiful (generous) eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.’ No doubting that my fellow believers! 

Now listen to Jesus, as He adds His two cents worth to the topic. (smile) ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom (pocket). For with the same measure that ye mete (use) withal (with that) it shall be measured to you again.’ (Luke 6:38) 

Yeh friends, whatever measure you use to give, be it a teaspoon, a tablespoon, or a shovel, the same one will be used to give back to you. And please notice I didn’t say that eh; it was Jesus. So if you don’t believe Him, then I don’t know who you’ll believe. Now, from personal experience, I know that the principle is very true. But you will never know for yourself until you try it. Much LOVE!

…as Granny use to say…the more you give…the more you get…