lose his life | SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 October 2018 John 12:26.

12 Oct 2018 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: angels, another week of work, Beelzebub, boundaries, deny himself, each step I take, eaten by moths, emotional, energy, enjoy it, everlasting life, faithful promise, fall by the wayside, fellowship, fight too hard, for my sake, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's kingdom, gain the whole world, generous help, give in exchange, glory of his father, God the Father sealed, good omen, healthy enjoyment of life, household stuff, if any man serve me, imperishable, in Jesus name, innumerable difficulties, joie de vivre, labour not, let him follow me, lift your spirits, liquid, lose his life, lose his own soul, Lucifer, man hours, mass angry, modicum of circumspection, money wasted, my father will honour him, my servant shall be, natural work, perishable, physical, power, raise a toast, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, rewards, richly blessed, rush hour, safely through, save his life, set up shop, smart money on Jesus, stress and strain, take up his cross, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the inner man, the meat that endures, the meat which perisheth, the outer man, the Son of man, the traffic terrible, the weekend, the work hard, traffic jams, two days off, unproductive time, vengeful, we time to play, what is a man profited, where I am, wisdom, work oriented society, working folks, worldly treasures

John 12:26. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

And then it was Friday, the day so many working folks look forward to! Yeh friends, because it means the end of another workweek is drawing nigh, and we’ll have a couple of days off to ourselves. Although, in this busy, work oriented society, weekends often mean more work, household stuff for those with young and growing families.

Ah Lord eh friends, I don’t know how some people do it five days a week, twice a day nuh! I’m talking about driving, or rather crawling in the constant traffic jams that pervade most big cities every day now. And more cars are being put on the already congested roads everyday, especially in our Province of Ontario, which is a car producing economy. So you can imagine the necessity to sell as many cars as possible.

We certainly can’t continue this way, for now there is no longer a set time for rush hour – rush hour is now all day long! Steups! Yesterday evening I got caught up in the supposed evening rush hour, and brother! Was it ever annoying! I didn’t get grumpy and angry, but did my hip and right foot ever hurt from the constant movement to gas and brakes. Chuh! I tried going a couple of different routes, but they all were backed up too.

I don’t know the solution to the problem nuh, but I’m sure this is not a good omen for our society. What are the great thinkers doing about it eh? I wouldn’t venture to number the amount of man hours and money that’s wasted by so many people spending so much unproductive time on the road, not to mention the stress and strain, both physical and emotional, it places on them.

But yuh know what? It’s Friday, and workingman is still blasting out his song regardless of the innumerable difficulties. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! The work hard…the traffic terrible…and the massa angry and vengeful…But this is the weekend…we time to play! And play we will! Nobody going to stop we now! We fight too hard to get the li’l two days off not to enjoy it. So lift yuh spirits mih people…both emotional and liquid (smile) …and raise a toast to the weekend: Thank God for Fridays and the weekends yes!’

Ah mih breddren, as we remark every week, the workingman does have a sense of joie de vivre (healthy enjoyment of life) but he does go a li’l too far for our liking. He has no boundaries whatsoever, but believers differ profoundly in that respect, because going to the edge of the limb only invites the enemy to step in and set up shop in our souls. And that is the last thing we want to happen. That’s why our song of praise for the weekend, our Friday Chant, is somewhat different, more restrained than the workingman’s.

Please chant it with me now: ‘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, we too need refreshing and nourishing, but with a modicum of circumspection, not giving the enemy any chance to creep in, while still going about Jesus’ business. And if we stand strong and steadfast with Jesus, He will give us the power and energy and wisdom to do what He wants and expects of us!

Hear what He says in His Word: ‘If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.’ What a great and faithful promise my brethren! If we follow our Lord and Saviour, we will be richly blessed!

And He also says: ‘Labour not for the meat (food) which perisheth, but for that meat (food) which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.’ (John 6:27) Yes my people, the earthly food and flesh of man perishes, but the life of our spiritual being continues eternally, which means that’s the important body we need to worry about and keep in good shape, else we’ll fall helplessly by the wayside.

Meanwhile, Matthew reports it this way: ‘Then Jesus said unto his disciples, If any will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for His soul?’ (Matt.16:24-26)

Excellent questions those my fellow believers! What shall we sell our souls for eh? Some of us unwisely sell it to Beelzebub for the perishable treasures of this world. But the smart money is undoubtedly on Jesus as He declares (Chuh! Spelled it wrong again!) ‘For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.’ (Matt.16:27)

Glory be mih people! When Jesus comes again in all His splendour and shining glory, He will indeed reward all those who have been faithful to Him, and thus His heavenly Father! Wow!

Thus, wisdom encourages us to put our eternal souls and spirits in the hand of the Son and the Father, for their rewards are imperishable, and way way better than those of Lucifer, whose rewards perish and are eaten by moths and only last a mortal lifetime. So please let wisdom have its natural work today nuh my brethren! Much LOVE!

…concentrate on feeding the inner man…more than the outer one…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 September 2018 Luke 9:23.

01 Sep 2018 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a better tomorrow, a crowd, Anselm, aspires to inspire, attributes, be of good cheer, bet your bottom dollar, care less what others think of you, cast away, climate change, confetti, conquerors, cooler days, discover the Lord, don't focus on your loss, don't follow the crowd, earthly possessions, eternal life, focus on what you've gained, follow me, following Lucifer, gain the whole world, glory to God, have peace, how far you've come, i have overcome the world, if any man will come after me, in the world, Jesus is always with you, Jesus said to them, kindness, let him deny himself, lose his life, lose his soul, LOVE, maple trees, never leave nor forsake you, never see the stars, not the easiest one, obedience, proud of yourself, resurrection, rewards of eternity, sacrificial death, save his life, smile, take up his cross daily, the Father's will, the hallmark of Jesus, the right path, the wrong direction, the young ruler, throw kindness around, treading the wise path, tribulation, turning brown, walk alone, walking with Jesus, without the dark, you're never alone

Luke 9:23. And he (Jesus) said to them all, If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Cooler days are here again! You can bet your bottom dollar on that friends! Come September, the cool weather just explodes on us. Although in these times of climate change who knows what will happen. Yesterday evening though, I noticed that some maple trees in my area have already begun turning brown in preparation for the long, dry, cold, winter months.

Do they know something that we don’t know! It’s possible. But not to worry, once we’re walking hand in hand with Jesus, we can face anything that comes against us, remember we’re conquerors in His Name! Glory to God!

And with it being Saturday, let’s take a look at some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Hear this first one: ‘Throw kindness around like confetti.’

Mama Mia! And if you’re a sincere follower of Jesus, that is exactly what you ought to be doing, for kindness is, was, and always will be the hallmark of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and if it’s not in your repertoire of attributes, then you’re not a sincere follower.

And this next one says: ‘It is better to walk alone, than with a crowd going in the wrong direction.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! You’re certainly better off alone than with the crowd going in the wrong direction. Some of us will remember being cautioned by our parents: ‘Don’t follow the crowd!’ And that’s usually wise advice, for the crowd is usually taking the easy way out, following Lucifer, and doing what they’re not supposed to do.

So even if you get lonely treading that wise path that leads in the right direction, remember you’re NEVER really alone, because Jesus is ALWAYS with you, faithfully keeping His promises to never leave nor forsake you! Oh, our Jesus is so wonderful! How could we not LOVE Him eh!

And this next quote reminds us to: ‘Remember, for everything you have lost, you have gained something else. Without the dark, you would never see the stars.’ Likewise friends, if we didn’t have rain, we would never appreciate the sun and its brilliant light. So please try to not focus so much on what you’ve lost, but on what you’ve gained through the loss. (smile)

Now hear this tongue breaker: ‘One day it just clicks. You realize what’s important and what is not. You learn to care less about what other people think of you and more about what you think of yourself. You realize how far you’ve come and you remember when you thought things were such a mess that you would never recover. And you smile. You smile because you are truly proud of yourself and the person you’ve fought to become.’

Glory be for that day my brethren! That’s the day when we truly discover the Lord in our hearts! When we truly surrender our lives to Him and realize that He is ALL that really matters! Wow! What an enlightening day that usually is!

And this last quote is the basis for our writing today: ‘Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one.’ And that’s no lie my fellow believers! The right path in this life is following Jesus, but hear what He says in our Bit for those who want to follow Him. ‘And he (Jesus) said to them all, If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’

Now that’s definitely not an easy row to hoe my people! That’s a daily denial of self! Note the young ruler who came to Jesus seeking eternal life. Note his sad, despondent reaction when Jesus told him eternal life would be his, if he sold his many possessions and gave to the poor, then came back and followed him. (Matt.19:16-22)

Unfortunately too many of us feel that way about our earthly possessions. But yuh see what Jesus went through on our behalf? It wasn’t easy for Him, even though He was God in human flesh. Now we most likely won’t go through as much ‘sufferation’ as He did, but we will definitely go through some, most likely more than we desire or care for. (smile)

And Jesus didn’t mince words on the subject. He very clearly informed the disciples, and consequently all who came after, like us: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace: In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)

Wow! What reassuring words my breddren! Though He tells us very clearly that we will face trouble in this evil world, we’re not to worry about it, because He has overcome the world with His sacrificial death and resurrection. And even when trials come against us, if we’re sincerely walking with Him, we’ll find peace; the peace of God, which passes all human understanding, that shall keep (guard) our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:7)

Yeh friends, that peace is so special, that only true believers in Christ can experience it. Hear how Jesus explains it. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Yeh friends, that peace is not of this world, but it comes from the Prince of Peace, so it’s a mighty tool in the lives of believers.

And we’ll close with some more authoritative words of Jesus, re our Bit. ‘For whosoever will (desires to) save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose (loses) his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged (benefited), if he gain the whole world, and lose himself (is destroyed), or be cast away (lost)?’ (Luke 9:24-25)

Now that’s a very good question friends? Do we want to have all the earthly wealth and lose our eternal soul, be separated from our Triune God in eternity? For all our sakes, I hope not. That means we have to seriously buckle down, and each and every day, pick up our cross and walk with it, the way Jesus did with His, in true obedience to His Father’s will. Much LOVE!

…earthly life might be difficult…but the rewards of eternity with God are certainly worth it…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 April 2016 Luke 9:23‏‏

14 Apr 2016 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a compassionate heart, a great family, a magnanimous Deity, a positive outlook on life, abundance, alive and kicking, all praise and glory to God, and follow me, ashamed, be cast away, be gracious to you, blessings, care, clear direction for my life, compassion, courage, creativity, curse, declare blessing, deny ourselves, divine protection, everything is doable, faith, favour, for my sake, fulfillment, gain the whole world, glorify, good friends, good health, he said to them all, hockey, if any man will come after me, in the name of Jesus, Joel Osteen, late mornings, late nights, let him deny himself, lose himself, lose his life, LOVE, loving kindness, may the bless and protect you, may the Lord smile upon you, mercies, negative word, of a truth, on a daily basis, peace, praise, praise the Lord for His goodness, promotion, prosperity, relationship with Jesus, revere, save his life, self-control, self-discipline, selflessness, strength, strong will, success, supernatural wisdom, take up his cross daily, talent, taste of death, terms of discipleship, the kingdom of God, the Son of man, Thursday Blessing, undeserving children of men, victorious living, walking with Jesus, wisdom, with God's help, worship, zeppo

Luke 9:23. And he said to them all, If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Oh friends, oh friends, it’s Thursday, another bright and sunshiny day in my neck of the woods! And on top of that, it’s also supposed to be warmer than yesterday.

Oh, all praise and glory be to our amazing God, who bestows, who showers us with new and wonderful mercies, blessings and LOVING-kindness each and every day!

Wow! How could I not LOVE, worship, praise, revere and glorify such a magnanimous Deity eh!

And all God’s people declared a loud and proud, ‘Praise the Lord, for His goodness to the undeserving children of men!’

Yes my people, we do deserve to praise our heavenly Father for His unselfish care and compassion for us. Just wish that we could show Him and each other the same kind of care and concern. Anyway, since it’s Thursday, it’s time for us to confidently declare our Thursday Blessing…

And with a thoughtful frown, the congregation asks: ‘What yuh talking about eh? Didn’t know we had a Thursday Blessing.’

Well the truth is my precious people, I didn’t know that either until a couple nights ago when I got this zeppo. (smile)

And the story goes like this. As part of my devotions, I read an old devotional written by Bubba (Joel Osteen) in his early days of ministry. It had to be, because it’s old and beat up now, with some of the pages falling apart, and it was already old when I discovered it at my mothers place some years ago and we began reading it everyday, even when we couldn’t remember Bubba’s name. (smile)

It’s called ’30 Thoughts for Victorious Living.’ I don’t know if Bubba even remembers that he wrote something like that, the amount of stuff he’s written over the last few years. But I like it; it serves my purposes, and I will continue to use it as long as I can.

On a point of interest, most of my devotionals are old, but I prefer them to some of the new-fangled stuff that’s out there now.

Anyway a couple days ago I was reading the devotions for the 11^th of the month, which says ‘Declare Blessing’, and the prevailing scripture for that is the blessing instituted by our God long time ago for the Israelites. ‘Say to them, may the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favour and give you His peace.’ (Num.6:24)

And the opening lines of the devotion are: ‘A blessing is not a blessing until it is declared! So today declare a blessing over yourself and others. Speak that blessing in the name of Jesus!’ And then he goes on to declare some blessings.

Now the other day when I finished reading it, it suddenly occurred to me that it would make a good prayer for Thursdays. I thought about a couple of names, like ‘Thursday’s Temptation,’ or ‘Thursday’s Tantrum’ (smile) but eventually ended up with ‘Thursday’s Blessing’ as being more appropriate.

And what I’ve done is basically taken Bubba’s general blessings and individualized them. So please declare with me now my brethren our Thursday Blessing, in a loud, proud, sincere and confident manner.

‘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!’

Yes friends, that’s our Thursday Blessing. I like it, and I do hope you like it too. It’s basically a rework of the Lord’s blessings promised to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 28:1-14.

Now let’s turn to our Bit, some very important words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, re the terms of our discipleship. ‘And he said to them all, If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’

Yes my brethren, the number one rule in following Jesus is to deny ourselves, become selfless instead of selfish, as our world is today. That doesn’t mean we don’t look after ourselves as best we can and do stuff for ourselves, but that we are not the be all and end all of our earthly lives.

Just as Jesus came to serve and save, we too must concentrate on serving and saving, and on a daily basis too, which isn’t always easy. But as I keep saying, with God’s help, EVERYTHING is doable!

And we’ll end with Jesus’ words after our Bit. ‘For whosoever will (desires to) save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose (loses) his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged (benefited), if he gain the whole world, and lose himself (is destroyed), or be cast away (lost)?

For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9:24-27)

And there we have it friends, the self-explanatory, immortal words of Jesus on how we must approach our discipleship. Please, let’s take some time today to ponder our individual relationship with Jesus, re those terms of discipleship. And as always, with God’s help, try to improve them, for that’s the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!

…successfully walking with Jesus…takes lots of time…lots of selflessness…lots of care and consideration for others…

P.S. I know it’s long and late, but please be aware that the hockey playoffs have begun, which means that there’s lots of hockey every night, and thus there will be many late nights and consequently late mornings. (smile) Just bear with the ole fella nuh. He’s got to have a life too yuh know. And once he’s alive and kicking, the Bit will get there…eventually. Much LOVE!

SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 October 2018 John 12:26.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 September 2018 Luke 9:23.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 April 2016 Luke 9:23‏‏

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