Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 August 2023   1 Samuel 2:1a.

12 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

1 Samuel 2:1a.       And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn (strength) is exalted in the Lord:

Oh my people, it’s a classic lazy-day Saturday in my area. It’s dark and cloudy, windy with sprinkles of rain. Ideal for just sitting or lying down and lazing away the day. But, unfortunately, I’ve already had my morning lazy time, so let’s turn to the Father’s business. And we’ll begin by saying our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer…but not in a lazy manner though. We have to pull ourselves up and be sincere and serious, if we want to receive a positive response. 

So, as one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

And it’s amazing how that simple, soul-searching prayer always affects me more than I expect. I guess because it opens up my spirit to the true nearness of God, and shows how easy it is to connect with Him if we truly desire to do so. And since it seems like God spared our lives, (smile) today we’ll continue talking about the prophet Samuel, the first of the great Hebrew prophets, after Moses, and the last judge of Israel, for after him, kings reigned over Israel, starting with Saul, whom Samuel anointed. 

Now, yesterday we saw how Samuel’s mother, barren and socially despised for her unfortunate condition, sincerely prayed to God, ‘with bitterness of soul and sore weeping’ for a man child, whom she promised would be the Lord’s servant all his life. And the Lord granted her petition not only with Samuel, but with three sons and two daughters. That’s the overwhelming generosity of our great God. And Hannah kept het vow to God, for when Samuel was about three years old, she went to Eli the priest with a sacrificial bullock and gave him into the Lord’s service. 

‘And she said (to Eli), Oh my lord, as my soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him. Therefore also I have lent (granted) him to the Lord, as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.’ (1 Sam. 1:26-28) 

Now that was an incredibly brave and faithful move by Hannah, for she had promised that if God gave her a son, she would place him in the Lord’s service for all his life. And she faithfully kept that vow, unlike so many of us who plead with God to do stuff for us and make all sorts of promises, but then never follow through with our promises. Remember though, as Cousin Sol says in Ecclesiastes, the Lord has no pleasure in fools, or those who don’t keep their promises. Better not to promise, than to promise and not pay. (Eccl. 5:4-5) 

But yuh know something friends, we hear a whole lot about Samuel and his great work in God’s service, but I don’t think we hear enough about his mother Hannah, who in his very early years inculcated God’s goodness and mercy into her son, just like Mary, Jesus’ mother disappeared from view for most of his later life, but was very instrumental in raising Him to be the man He became. 

And just like Mary, Jesus’ mother waxed poetic and emotional in song (the Magnificat) after hearing about her impending pregnancy with the Messiah, the Son of God, (Luke 1:-56), likewise Hannah raised up her voice in praise and thanksgiving with this song after God’s miraculous gift of motherhood. 

‘And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn (strength) is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over (smiles at) mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation- There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceedingly proudly; let not arrogancy (arrogance) come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. 

They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased (ceased to hunger): so that the barren hath born seven; (cf. Ps. 113:9) and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lords, and he hath set the world upon them. 

He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn (strength) of his anointed.’ (1 Sam. 2:1-10) 

Oh my brethren, another great song and poetic masterpiece to be found in the Bible, God’s everlasting Word! That’s why it’s the most important and bestselling Book in the universe! And the scholars explain that ‘Hannah owes her strength and newly found success to the Lord’s provision for her. Her psalm (vs. 1-10) praises the Lord for giving her victory in the issues of life.’ 

Now friends, how many of us sincerely praise the Lord when He gives us obvious victory in the issues of our lives eh? Not enough of us, because we have become so accustomed to His largesse, we start taking it for granted and don’t appreciate it as much as we ought to. But we have to change that entitled, unappreciative attitude, especially in these trying and troubled times when we need Almighty God so much more in our lives! And I know Hannah’s song is one many of us didn’t know about until now. 

But that’s why it’s so important to study the Bible, for there are so many hidden gems contained therein. And the beauty of it all is that they all speak to us in different ways, as the Lord sees fit to direct us. So what might pertain specifically to you at one stage of your life, might not pertain to me, and vice versa. And what’s truly amazing is that you can read a passage of scripture several times and get a different perspective on each reading. That’s because it’s God’s inerrant and irreversible truth, written to give us direction in all aspects and situations of life. 

Now, on this cold, dark, rainy lazy-day Saturday, let’s spend some of our lazy time perusing God’s Word and/or simple talking to Him nuh, opening up our hearts and souls to Him like Hannah did; first with sincere prayer over her serious situation, then with praise and rejoicing after He had given her victory. That’s all our God really expects of us yes; to communicate seriously and sincerely with him. Let’s do just that today nuh. It will make a whole lotta difference in our lives! Much LOVE!

…there’s no greater peace, joy and victory to be had…than in sincere communication with our Maker… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 August 2023   1 Samuel 1:10.

11 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

1 Samuel 1:10.        And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore (in anguish).

And in our enthusiastic shout today of: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend’s finally here!’ let’s also be thankful that it’s such a beautiful day too; bright, sunshiny and cool! Wow! You can’t ask for much more than that, a beautiful Friday to end the work week. And we’d better enjoy it too, because in the next three or four weeks we most likely won’t be crowing so loudly on a Friday morning. (smile) 

And what does the Lord want us to talk about today eh? Well, it looks like Samuel, because that’s where the Good Library opened this morning. And what’s there to say about Samuel? The first thing to note is that he was the first prophet to show up in Israel for a long time. The scholars explain that ‘The severity of Israel’s apostasy (turning away from God) (cf. Judg. 21:25) caused a dearth of God’s revelatory work. The condition was perpetuating and self-defeating (cf. Prov. 29:18). By God’s grace the prophetic institution would receive renewed impetus and standardization in the person and work of Samuel (cf. 3:21; 19:20).’ 

So, Samuel was a very welcome and needed person in the early annals of Israel. For as the Book of Judges tells us: ‘In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.’ (Judg. 21:25). Sort of like what’s happening now eh? All of us want to do what we think is right in our eyes, and that’s why there’s so much chaos in the world. That’s why Cousin Sol’s words in Proverbs are also so noteworthy. He correctly proclaims: ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic vision or revelation), the people perish (cast off restraints): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18) 

And is that ever the gospel truth my people, as we are seeing right now in this chaotic, doh-care, do whatever I want day and age! Meanwhile the scholars explain that ‘Vision refers to the divine revelation received by the prophet. Morality is based on adherence to God’s revealed will.’ That tells me that we have very little or no revealed will of God at this time because our moral state is despicable. Our morality is almost non-existent, as few of us seem to consider morals important in these days of anything goes. Our moral compass has fled south, as it were. 

But getting back to Samuel. He was one of those hand-picked from the womb. The story goes that his mother Hannah was barren, unable to have children, and as is usually the case, her husband Elkanah’s other wife made fun of her because she was barren. But one day in the temple of Shiloh where the family had gone to make their yearly worship and sacrifice, she simply couldn’t take it anymore. 

The Bible says: ‘And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore (in anguish). And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but will give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come up on his head.’ (1 Sam. 1:10-11) 

Now that’s a mighty powerful prayer and vow to make to Almighty God, and many of us do it in our desperate circumstances, but also, many of us don’t keep our vows when we get our prayer request. And that’s about the worst thing we can do with God, for as Cousin Sol declares (steups!!!) as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes: ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it: for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl. 5:4-5) 

Thankfully for Israel and for us though, Hannah did keep her vow when the Lord granted her request, and she gave birth to a healthy baby boy whom she named Samuel. And to show how wonderful, faithful, great and generous is our God, the Bible tells us: ‘And the Lord visited (attended to) Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.’ (1 Sam. 2:21) 

Mama Mia! She asked for one son but got three sons and two daughters! That’s the largesse of our great God to those who hold Him dear to their hearts. It’s like Cousin Sol when he became king, asked for wisdom and strength to guide his people Israel, but in addition to what he asked for, the Lord also gave him riches, and honour untold. And there’s much more to be said about Samuel, which we’ll do tomorrow, if God spares life. But we’ll end with this interesting note. 

While Hannah was praying in the temple for a son, she wasn’t talking out loud, ‘she spake in her heart; only her lips moved.’ (1 Sam. 1:13) Thus Eli, the priest, who was sitting nearby thought that she was drunk and confronted her. ‘And Eli said unto her, how long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, No, my Lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 

Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial (a wicked woman): for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.’ (1 Sam 1:14-18) 

Oh friends, yuh see how easy it is to be misunderstood and considered much less than we actually are. So please, let’s not be quick to judge others by what we see, or rather suppose we see on the outside, as is so often the case in these times of quick judgement. But first, please try and get the facts before we say anything negative. or anything at all. Now let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant and ask for divine help with our many problems. 

As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough…  because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. 

And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Now, let’s get to doing what we know we ought to, if we expect to receive divine help! Much LOVE!

…a nation without morality…is a nation destined to perish… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   10August 2023 Matthew 7:7.

10 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 7:7.       Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

And August has now moved into double digits on this cool, sunshiny Thursday morning. So you know what’s not too far ahead… (smile) But yuh know what, the enemy only uses the threat of winter and those cold months to frighten us into reneging on all the promises that we’ve made to Jesus to help Him with His worldwide campaign of salvation. Yes friends, that’s all it is… the devil’s empty threats! 

Remember he is now merely a de-fanged, toothless, loudmouth of a lion, with plenty bark but no bite, having been soundly defeated, in fact totally trounced by Jesus in the battle for the keys of hell, death and the grave. And though we should not let him frighten us with his idle threats, please, I beg you, let’s not discount him totally, because he is still the master of wiles and deceptive schemes, the veritable wolf in sheep’s clothing, who can fool you quite easily, if you’re not on your p’s and q’s. 

Yuh see how he fooled Eve our first mother, with apparently one statement that appeared quite harmless but was very ingenious. The Lord had told Adam and her not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the Garden of Eden, for the day they did, they would surely die. (Gen. 2:17) However, the serpent, the evil Satan was smarter than Eve, and changed the story around telling Eve that she wouldn’t die if she ate of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, but God knew that if she did, ‘then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods (God), knowing good and evil.’ (Gen. 3:5) 

And fool that she was, Eve listened to his glib tongue and ate of the fruit,  then offered it to Adam. And the even bigger fool, who should certainly have known better, he also ate it. And the devil smirked as sin, disobedience to God’s word, then entered the world. And the deceitful enemy hasn’t changed any since then, perchance he’s gotten worse, so please be very careful with any arguments he brings up to you, make sure you take them to God first and verify them with Him, the ultimate decision maker. 

Now, yesterday we left off with a promise to continue our discourse on things that take us away from God and His Word. And having talked about LOVING the things of the world too much, and not those of God enough, not having the peace of Christ, and the loud noises that stop us from hearing the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, here is another problem we encounter in our faith journey. That is, we take the good-looking scriptures and either use them out of context, or use them in the wrong manner. 

And a very good example of that is when Jesus talked about asking and receiving. He said: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocekth it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) And yes, we ought to ask and keep on asking; seek and keep on seeking; knock and keep on knocking, we must never faint or give up in working for Jesus. However, many of us use those instructions in the wrong manner, then get annoyed with God when we don’t get what we asked, sought, or knocked for. 

And James, explains why most of our requests go unanswered. ‘From whence come wars (conflicts) and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts (desires for pleasure) that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill (murder), and desire to have (covet), and cannot obtain: ye fight and war (battle), yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (pleasures). Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will (wants to) be a friend of the world is (makes himself) the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy (yearns jealously)?’ (James 4:1-5) 

Oh my fellow saints, it’s exactly what we were talking about earlier on, our foolish LOVE for the things of the world! And the scholars tell us that ‘James is here emphasizing the strife so common amongst us, stemming from our unsatisfied, selfish desires. Instead of wrestling with God in prayer, these believers are striving with one another.’ And is that ever the gospel truth! Instead of going to God in prayer, too many of us concentrate on fighting with each other. 

And I like how this commentary explains James’ words. ‘Here in this verse, James reveals that when they did ask God for what they wanted, they were simply trying to manipulate Him. Their prayers were not really requests, they were an effort to make God serve their selfish desires.’ And don’t we do that all the time? For sure! We try to get God to do our will instead of us doing His. But let’s remember there are consequences to all our actions, and the only way to avoid most of the negative ones is by being obedient to, and truthful with God, for He knows all and sees all, and we can’t ever fool Him. 

And until we wake up and realize that, we’ll always be at the mercy of the enemy, and thus find ourselves in more negative circumstances than are necessary. Now let’s go home declaring (chuh man!!!) our Thursday Blessings that the Lord so generously bestowed on us so we can do His earthly work. In strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! 

I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

And now friends, having activated those amazing blessings, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share them with others, so that they too can come to know Christ and LOVE Him like we do! Remember that’s our Great Commission! Much LOVE!

…you cannot use scripture successfully…for your own selfish purposes… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ       

Today’s Scrip-Bit   9 August 2023 Isaiah 30:21.

09 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 30:21.       And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left hand.

Oh friends, I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday nuh! The days are flying by so quickly,  leaving me helplessly in their wake, unprepared and not doing any of the things I desire to do. But it’s a beautiful summer’s day in my area though, bright, sunshiny and cool, and if I’m smart, I’ll enjoy it to the last drop, because soon there won’t be any more of these kinds of days. 

In fact, as soon as September begins, with the passing of Labour Day, the cold weather creeps back in and drives the beautiful thoughts and actions of summer away. But that’s just how it is in these northern climes. You know it, but never get accustomed to it, always longing for the sunshine and warm weather. 

Anyway, with the Holy Spirit of Jesus in us and by our sides, leading and guiding us in the good way, we have nothing to worry about, regardless of what comes against us. But that doesn’t happen automatically. No sir. And why not you ask? Because we’re in a covenant relationship with Christ, which means we also have a part to play; that’s to listen to the Holy Spirit and then follow His godly guidance. 

It’s like Isaiah said to the people of Israel, re God’s graciousness and mercy. ‘And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left hand.’ (Is. 30:20-21) 

Yes friends, that’s the way the Holy Spirit operates, guiding us with a still, small voice, that we can only hear if we’re paying attention. However, not paying attention, not listening for that still, small voice is what so many of us supposed believers are doing, that’s why so many of us are going astray, and thus ‘eating the bread of adversity, and drinking the water of affliction.’ The scholars tell us that ‘the reference to the bread of adversity and the water of affliction shows that God teaches us lessons through circumstances when we will not listen to our teachers who call us to walk in the way (i.e., the way of God).’ 

Oh my people, that’s why it’s of the utmost importance to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit if we desire to know the true direction the Lord wants us to follow. That was Jesus’ direction to the disciples when He told them of the Holy Spirit’s coming. He said: But the Comforter (Helper), which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 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 14:26-27) 

And it’s that peace of Jesus that enables us to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. And if we don’t have that peace, then we cannot listen, and thus cannot be taught. And that’s the sad part of Christianity today. Too many of us don’t have the peace of Jesus, and therefore allow the loud noises of the world to drown out the whispers of the Holy Spirit. Our hearts have become hard, by being too much in LOVE with the things of the world, consequently we cannot hear the quiet guidance of God’s Spirit, and then, when we’re overwhelmed by our negative circumstances because of our unwise decisions, we’re quick to blame God. 

But the fault is usually ours, for being too much in LOVE with the deceptive and perishable wealth and things of the world, and not enamoured enough of the imperishable things of God. Remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount about the best way to live. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

Yes my brethren, if we seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness first, God will ensure that we do not lack anything. And remember, He owns the universe and all therein, and if He wants to make you filthy rich, He can, just like He made Cousin Sol the richest and most powerful man ever, although he did not ask for riches or glory, but wisdom and strength to guide his people. And there are many filthy rich and powerful believers out there in the world, so it’s not like we can’t acquire the good things that the world has to offer, but we have to do it through the auspices, the power of God and not of men or of Satan. 

And there’s some more stuff I’d like to talk about, but it will make the Bit too long, (smile) so we’ll leave that until tomorrow, the Lord willing. Now let’s go home declaring (steupsss!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting all and sundry know of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus. 

Altogether 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 there’s this added incentive, that if we endure right down to the very end with Jesus, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Wow! Hope to see you there! Much LOVE!

…without the peace of Christ in our souls…we won’t hear the voice of the Holy Spirit…  

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ      

Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 August 2023 Hebrews 11:6a.

08 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 11:6a.       But without faith it is impossible to please him:

So friends, Caribana done now! And a good thing too, because Tuesday has opened somewhat sunny, but cool and very windy; on the verge of what can be called a windstorm. But life goes on, we’ll still make hay when the sun shines, and when it doesn’t, we’ll do whatever the Lord asks us to do. (smile) Yes friends, we going right down to the wire with Jesus! Let’s never allow that to be a questionable situation! It’s Jesus ALL THE WAY! And all God’s people gave a loud and sincere shout of ‘Jesus! Jesus NOW and FOREVER!’ 

And it’s ever so easy to talk it mih people, but in these rather uncertain and trying times we cannot afford to just talk Jesus, we have to LIVE Him! Sincerely do the things He commanded us to do: Be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. (Matt. 5:13-16) Accept His Great Commission and go forth into all the world and make disciples of all nations, so that the world can know Him and come to Him for help and refuge that we all so badly need. (Matt. 28:19-20) 

And then there’s LOVE!  Yes mih brethren, the Agape or Brotherly LOVE of Christ, that needs to pour out of us in all our dealings with our fellow man. Remember, unless that LOVE is forthcoming, we’re not His true disciples, because He purposely stated that it’s only through the great and sincere LOVE we show to each other, that will mark us as His true disciples. (John 13:35) In truth my fellow believers, the mark of LOVE for Jesus is our chief identifying characteristic. Like the Bible talks about taking the mark of the beast, the Evil One, so we Jesus believers are supposed to take His mark, that of LOVE for each other! 

And it’s so sad, that that LOVE which our world so badly needs right now is in such an abysmal shortage, while the things of the Evil One are flourishing like never before. I don’t know if our world has ever seen a time like this; one of immense greed, selfishness, hate, anger and resentment. A time of widespread self-aggrandizement and power-hunger, where numerous dictatorships are being birthed through evil ramifications and a foolish, doh-care, not interested, led astray populace. A time when there’s war and rumours of war all over the globe, and in almost every nation, a state of dissatisfaction and disenchantment runs high. 

And there’s so much variation in our thinking that it boggles the imagination. There’s thinking running from the extreme left to the extreme right and all the way in between, making the voices so raucous and disunited that only chaos can be the eventual result. That is unless we Jesus’ people step up to the plate and make a significant difference. Do the job that Jesus purchased us with His sinless blood to do; that’s live right and show others the way to Him and eternal life. 

That means living a responsible and diligent life; one of excellence and sincerity; following His example the best way we can, taking suffering and hard times in stride, like He did, learning obedience through the hard knocks like He did, fully knowing that our Lord God Jehovah will never leave nor forsake us, (Heb. 13:5) will be with us through whatever tough times we go through, will make a way for us where there seems to be no way, and eventually will work everything out for our good! (Rom. 8:28) 

Now those are the things, the scriptures we need to take to heart and inculcate in our daily lives, because we know that our God is faithful, and never reneges on a promise. And I guess that’s where it all starts my fellow saints, with our level of trust, of faith and of surrender to God’s clarion call! And I believe these scriptures from Hebrews, clarifies it all. This first one in the chapter on the heroes of faith like Enoch and Noah, Abraham and Moses, specifies the necessity for strong faith to walk sincerely with God. 

‘But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) That’s the first aspect of the situation friends, true belief in Almighty God. Then this second scripture from Hebrews enlarges and enlightens on the first. 

‘And having an high priest over the house of God (Jesus): Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering: (for he is faithful that promised,) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10: 21-25) 

Oh my people, those scriptures just put it in a nutshell for us: the importance of true belief in God and His everlasting faithfulness, especially right now, when the last days seem to be upon us. Then having Jesus as our high priest, our advocate and intercessor in heaven, we stand strong, never wavering, behind Him and all that He desires of us, through gathering together and encouraging each other to live in LOVE and do good works in His majestic name. The name that’s higher than every other name! That’s the ONLY WAY to truly live the Christian life my brethren! 

And now that we’ve retaken Christianity 101 (smile) and our spirits have been lifted and refreshed, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

Now, let’s get out into the evil and ungodly world and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…without true belief and strong unwavering faith…one cannot live sincerely for Jesus… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ     

Today’s Scrip-Bit   7 August 2023 John 15:17.

07 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

John 15:17.       These things I command you, that ye LOVE one another. 

And then it was Caribana Monday; the winding down of the Caribbean Carnival festivities, which I believe is now the official title of the celebrations. But however often you change the name, it will always go down in history as ‘Caribana!’ And to my mind, it was oh so much better back then. But as they say, times change and so do men and boys. (smile) 

So, like we just have to roll with the changes. Meaning that some of us simply getting too old to party the way we used to, and have to sit in our rocking chairs, rock, and smile at the memories of those wonderful early days. And believe me, there were many memories. You could spend a whole day rocking and not cover them all. And plenty of them are not for public consumption either. (smile) 

But who would ever believe that I’ve not been to a Caribana Parade for at least ten years, if not more. And the last couple of times as a disillusioned spectator, because I had to stand up behind a wire fence to watch the mas, couldn’t participate as I was accustomed doing, then couldn’t see anybody I knew to party with, and the mas and the parade itself seemed rather watered down. 

Most importantly though, the old body could no longer handle all the jammings like it did for the first thirty something years. But it’s still a big money maker in the land, and thankfully there were no serious negative actions this year, like there have been over the years. And the new generation of West Indian descendants seem to be taking it to heart, so it should be around for a long time yet. 

And as always, Caribana Monday is a Civic Holiday in the Province of Ontario, which means many of us don’t have to go to work today, meaning more time to party. But please be careful, tomorrow is work, and you can’t afford to book off sick, because your employer will know why. And as the ole people would most likely advise: ‘Sonny boy, ah beg yuh, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’ And that’s certainly wise advice. 

But enough about Caribana now, let’s see what the Good Library has to say today. And it opened today at the Gospel of John, where Jesus is talking to His disciples about keeping His commandments and abiding in His LOVE. He says: ‘If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my LOVE; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his LOVE. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another as I have LOVED you. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained (appointed) you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye LOVE one another.’ (John 15:10-17) 

Now friends, those are some of the most important words that Jesus spoke to His disciples before His crucifixion. And in that speech, are several noteworthy thoughts, sentiments and actions. Let’s look at some of them nuh. First off, the scholars tell us that in those verses. ‘Several results of obedience are indicated here: (1) abiding in His LOVE (vs. 10); (2) full joy (vs. 11); (3) LOVE for one another (vs. 12, 13, 17; cf. 13:34-35); (4) friends, not servants (vs. 14-15); (5) fruit remains (vs. 16); and (6) answered prayer (vs. 16). 

And the most telling example of obedience is Jesus Himself, where He says in vs. 10: ‘…as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his LOVE.’  And Hebrews further tells us that ‘Though he (Jesus) were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.’  (Heb. 5:8) That says it all friends; obedience to God’s law is paramount. And ff you keep Christ’s commandments then His joy will abound in you.  

But above all, LOVING one another is the main ingredient in Christ’s stew. That’s the whole crux of the situation. And our LOVE for each other is the one thing that Jesus continually harped on. It was so important in His scheme of things that He declared (yesss!!!): ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:35) 

Yes my brethren, that’s the distinguishing feature of a disciple of Jesus; LOVE for each other! And if we don’t have it, then we’re no disciple of His. Neither can you be His friend, for friends keep their Lord’s commandments. And He died for His friends, because no greater LOVE can be shown than a man dying for His friends. And it’s also interesting to note that He chose us, He appointed us as His disciples, we did not choose Him. 

And what’s our purpose? To bring forth fruit for His kingdom. It’s simple and to the point. But none of it works unless there’s obedience of the first order to Christ’s wishes. Let’s remember that nuh. And as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) liked to stipulate, partial obedience is still disobedience. So, unless we’re going all the way, we’re wasting our time and God’s! 

Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and ask for help to be true and serious disciples. Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. 

Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And please don’t be misled, if we don’t adhere to our promises and change our evil ways, there will be no answered prayer, divine help will not be forthcoming. Much LOVE!

…the basic foundation of Christianity…obedience and LOVE… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ              

Today’s Scrip-Bit   5 August 2023 Psalm 68:1.

05 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 68:1.       Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

Oh friends, it’s Lazy -day Saturday…and do I ever need it, after a rough outing at the Pan Alive Festival last night in Toronto. What a fiasco that turned out to be, especially after my pardner and I got there early, about six o’clock, when it was officially scheduled to begin. The only thing on time was the box office, an improvement over last year. The doors weren’t even opened, but that was not a big problem because the crowd was still very sparse. I guess they learned from previous experience that it never starts on time. 

Then at 7.15, they promised to begin at 7.30. Somewhere in the eight o’clock vicinity they opened with some Indigenous drumming, and then a Nigerian drummer did his thing. Then as happens every year, they couldn’t find the judges. The first panside didn’t play the first note until 8.30, and then it sounded terrible because they put it through the sound system which wasn’t properly set up for the pans. The whole night we were plagued with reverberations and problems with the sound system, where the pans were concerned. And nobody in the crew thought to do something about it. 

So the next three bands played through it, but then the fifth band, Pan Masters, walked off the stage and they were forced to fix it. That meant the last three bands Pan Masters, Pan Fantasy, and Afro Pan sounded more like they should sound. And as far as I’m concerned, Pan Fantasy mash them up again! (smile) Ah Lord eh? When are we going to learn to plan things properly and have them set up on time? That’s why our reputation for putting on functions is so terrible. 

Anyway, when they got the sound problem fixed for the pans, D.J Bad Lad began playing some old tunes and the partying in the stands truly began, with a crowd that had by then increased substantially. In the beginning I vowed that would be my last Pan Alive Concert, but by the end, at 12 am. I might have changed my mind, (smile) because the vibes are usually beautiful at the pan festival. It’s sad though, that after their boast of putting on the show for fifty something years, they still can’t get it right. 

Enough of my jabbering though. Let’s get serious and invoke our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. As one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

And do I ever need that refreshing of the Lord’s Spirit this Saturday morning. It just reminds me that I’m no longer a spring chicken and I can’t try to burn the candles at both ends at the same time. (smile) And today we’re just going to keep things simple and extol our great God through these marvellous words of Bruh David in Psalm 68 – subtitled – The Triumphant God. 

The scholars tell us that the psalm probably details the moving of the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Obed-edom to the new location on Zion’s mountain in Jerusalem. (2 Sam. 6:2-18) That’s when Bruh David danced before the Lord with all his might; an expression of spiritual joy, although his wife Michal saw his conduct as unbecoming of the king. In the psalm Bruh David reflects on the blessings of God on His people, Israel, and the conquest of her foes. 

Please proclaim with me: ‘Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. Sing unto God: sing praises to his name: extol (praise) him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, (a shortened form of Lord), and rejoice before him.’ (Ps. 68:1-4) 

Yes friends, that’s how we, the righteous of the land ought to extol and praise the name of the Lord! And even when we come griping and complaining to Him, our first words must always be of praise and reverence, of respect for His overwhelming sovereignty, His dominance over the universe He so wonderfully created. In this case, after Bruh David gave thanks and praise, he then proceeded to elucidate the goodness of our magnificent Creator on His people’s behalf. 

Let’s read again: ‘A father of the fatherless, and a judge (defender) of widows, is God in his holy habitation. God setteth the solitary (lonely) in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains (into prosperity): but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.’ (Ps. 68: 5-6) Please note that my people, our God is a defender of the poor, the downtrodden and lonely. He stands up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. So please be careful how you treat any who fall into those categories, for you will have the Lord God Almighty to deal with. 

And Bruh David continues his exaltation of the works of Jehovah God on Israel’s behalf. ‘O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah: The earth shook, the heavens also dropped (rain) at the presence of God: even Sinai (Mt. Sinai) itself was moved at the presence of the God, the God of Israel. Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.’ (Ps. 68:7-10) 

And that’s no lie friends, the Lord always prepares of His goodness for them that fear and reverence Him. So please, on this lazy-day Saturday, let’s take a little of that lazy time and reflect on God’s goodness in our own lives nuh. I guarantee that it will open our eyes wide with surprise at the amount of goodness He has actually bestowed on us, and that will oh so joyfully deepen the beautiful feelings of intimacy we each share with Almighty God! Much LOVE!

…ALL believers enjoy the tremendous goodness of God…it’s just that we don’t acknowledge it like we should… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ            

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 August 2023 Luke 16:29.

04 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

Luke 16:29.       Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

Well, it’s Friday, the beginning of the long Caribana weekend in Toronto! And anybody who’s anybody will be out there playing mas! That means I’m not anybody, because I won’t be out there with them. (smile) Too old for it now, and anyway, it’s not as nice as it used to be back in the earlier years. And the day’s begun nice and sunny, let’s hope it’s not as hot as yesterday, because if it is, we’re going to burn up in the hot sun in Lamport Stadium later today at the Pan Alive Festival. 

But look how life’s changed eh? That’s the only Caribana celebration I attend these days. I don’t even know that it’s Caribana unless someone reminds me. But as the old people would say; after one time is two yes! And that’s the indisputable truth. As you grow older you change in manifold ways, forgetting what lies behind, the childish things you did, and reaching forth to what lies ahead.  But however you shake it, the world still declares (yesss!!!) ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend, party time is here at last! Glory be!’ 

And with a whisper from the Holy Spirit, I remembered that today we’re going to look at the second part of Jesus’ parable about the rich man and the beggar Lazarus. And believe me, this last part might just be the more important aspect of the parable. Why do I say so? Now, a couple days ago we dealt with the first part that told us about the rich man living the sumptuous life, and Lazarus, the poor beggar, sitting at his gate, chowing down on the crumbs from the rich man’s table, while the dogs licked his many sores. Then both of then died. The beggar went to heaven in Abraham’s bosom, while the rich man went to hell. 

From that scenario of hellfire, the rich man looked up and saw Lazarus ensconced in the bosom of Abrahm and begged him to send Lazarus to dip his finger in some cool water and place it on his tongue, because he was terribly tormented. Abraham informed him that that was impossible because of his record on earth; rich, greedy and ungodly, while Lazarus had suffered without cause. And in any case, there was an impassable gulf between heaven and hell so that no one could pass back and forth. 

And what was the rich man’s reply? ‘Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him (Lazarus) to my father’s house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ (Luke 16:27-28) At last he was thinking of others and not only of himself. And that’s what usually happens when we make mistakes and disaster strikes us. It’s then and only then that we think about family and friends who might make the same unwise decisions. 

Unfortunately though, Abraham’s answer wasn’t what he wanted to hear. ‘Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he (the tormented ex-rich man) said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he (Abraham) said unto him (the tormented one), if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.’ (Luke 16:29-31) Ah friends, that says a lot about our reaction to God’s Word and the teaching of the prophets. 

And the scholars note that in vs. 31, ‘If here carries the weight of “since.” They were not paying attention to the light they already had. Hard-heartedness is not necessarily overcome by miraculous signs.’ And you see that very clearly in all the miraculous works that Jesus did, and yet the many who did not believe in Him, whose hearts remained as hard as ever, despite those signs. Oh my people, let’s wake up and realize that after death there is no second chance; no chance then to change our minds and accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. So we have to do it now, while we’re alive and we hear the Word. Otherwise crapaud smoke we pipe! 

And the Book of Hebrews tells us quite plainly. ‘And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for (eagerly wait for) him shall he appear the second time without (apart from) sin unto salvation.’ (Heb. 9:27-28) Yes my fellow saints, we die once, and then the judgement, and Christ comes at some stage bearing salvation. 

Or as the scholars put it: ‘There is no reincarnation: every person gets one chance to prepare. And there’s a comparison between Christ and man. As it is with man, so it was with Christ. As man can die only once, so the Man Christ could die only once as a sacrifice. His relation to humanity would be marred if He had to die more than once. Further, a second comparison seems evident. Beyond death there exists another reality. For man it is the certainty of appearing for judgement: for Christ it is the certainty of appearing with deliverance from condemnation for them that look for (eagerly wait) for him.’ 

I couldn’t have put it any better or clearer friends. And that’s why the second part of the parable is more important than the second; it drives home the reality that we have to make all of our decisions prior to death, or to Jesus’ Second Coming. And now that we fully understand the very important ramifications of that parable, (smile) let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, asking for divine help. 

As one voice.  Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle this unexpected storm properly. 

And please help the rest of us to be responsible and safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And let’s not forget, that before we can see divine favour, there must be a godly improvement in our behaviour! Much LOVE!

if man wants to see heaven…he must accept Christ…before he dies…otherwise he’s hellbound… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ           

Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 August 2023   2 Corinthians 3:5.

01 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 3:5.       Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.

Now, whether you believe it or not, it is indeed the first day of August, a beautiful Tuesday; cool, sunshiny and without a trace of a cloud in the bright blue sky. Ah Lord eh, the good days just fly by so quickly while the cold and ugly-looking ones take their own sweet time to move along. But that’s life, and like all the other aspects of our earthly days, we just have to learn to accept and handle them, obviously with the help of the Holy Spirit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our guide and comfort. 

And I know that talk is cheap, while actions cost a lot more, but worrying and agonizing over the things of life we cannot control won’t make them improve or go away. However, with Jesus in your life, you have the assurance that He will help you handle whatever comes against you. Not that He won’t give you more than you can handle, as so many people mistakeably dispense. For all throughout the Bible you can find passages where the Lord gave His servants more than they could humanly handle. 

Take for instance when Elijah fought and slew all the 450 prophets of Baal, then faced the wrath of Queen Jezebel, who threatened to kill him, he ran for his life a day’s journey into the wilderness and sat down under a juniper tree, and requested of the Lord that he would die. But as it says in 1 Kings 19:1-8, the Lord fed him through ravens and allowed him to rest. 

‘And the angel of the Lord came again a second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat (food) forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.’ (1 Kin. 19:7-8) It’s obvious then that Elijah reached a stage where he just couldn’t handle it anymore, but the Lord looked after him. And that’s what He’s promised to do, for all who sincerely worship Him. 

And I like the examples this commentary by Ron Edmonson gives. ‘David, the great war hero and man after God’s own heart, told the Lord that “troubles without number surround me” and “I cannot see”. He couldn’t see clearly, because he was overwhelmed with the storms of life! Another time David said, “Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.” (Oh how I identify with David there!) Jehoshaphat prayed, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chr. 20:12) It sounds like he was facing more than he could handle on his own.’ 

So it’s not that God won’t give us more than we can handle but what the scripture says is: ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) 

What that verse says is that God won’t allow Satan to bring  more temptation or enticement to sin than we can handle, and when we are tempted or enticed to sin, He will make a way for us to resist it, because He doesn’t want us to fall into Satan’s clutches, but to live the holy life that Christ desires of us. But He will allow stuff to come on us greater than we handle in our own right, because He wants us to come to the end of our rope and realize that He’s our ONLY HOPE! 

And in Bruh Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth, he tells them of his deliverance from suffering and death in Asia. ‘For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble (tribulation) which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure (burdened), above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.’ (2 Cor. 1:8-10) 

Wow! That time of trouble certainly caused Bruh Paul to keep His focus on Almighty God and not himself. And anytime we get into problems we cannot handle, it should also cause us to do the same! Yes friends, our hope lies only in Christ Jesus! For as Bruh Paul later writes: ‘And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:4-5) 

And until we truly believe and action those sentiments my brethren, we’ll always have problems that cause us unnecessary worry and overwhelming anxiety, instead of the quieting peace of Christ. It’s like Christ says: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) And there’s never been a truer word ever spoken my fellow saints! 

So please let’s take it to heart and place all of our trust in the sinless ONE, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, so that we can handle all the vicissitudes of this interesting but eccentric life. (smile) Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. In sincere harmony: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

Now, it behooves us to go out and share that amazing friendship and LOVE of Christ with those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…trust not in fragile and deceitful man… but in the awesome faithfulness and power of Jehovah God…

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ   

Today’s Scrip-Bit   31 July 2023 John 3:3a.

31 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

John 3:3a.       Except a man be born again (or from above) he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Monday, O Monday, how I do LOVE thee! Let me count the ways. No friends, I ‘m not losing my marbles by talking about LOVING Monday. There are several good reasons for LOVING Monday; first of all, it’s another new day on God’s great planet earth, and we’ve been chosen by the Almighty to see and enjoy it, plenty others did not get that chance, so we should be very thankful. 

Then Monday is the first day of the work week, the day we’re spiritually the strongest and most confident after fellowshipping with other believers on Sunday, and therefore the day we’re most likely to do our best witnessing for Christ. And Monday is also the day we get back into the swing of things and share our weekend thrills and spills with our co-workers. So Monday is not as bad as we like to make out; it’s just our unpreparedness for it that makes us give it a bad name. 

Now what does the Lord want us to talk about this last day of July 2023 eh? Yes, I did say the last day of July 2023! Can you imagine it? July’s done and over with, which means that the summer’s drawing to a close, with only August left to navigate, then the cold weather is back with us. And I don’t care what anybody says, this year has certainly gone by a lot quicker than the last few have done! (smile) 

And it seems like the Lord wants us to talk about the conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus, because that’s where the Good Library just opened unto. And what was that all about eh? John wrote in his gospel: ‘There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles (signs) that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (or from above) he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:1-3) 

Now let’s stop there for a moment and consider the implications of what we’ve just read. First of all, the scholars tell us that ‘Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, probably because he was afraid of the repercussions from his fellow Pharisees, who didn’t believe in Jesus. Then, Nicodemus accepted Jesus as a teacher and a rabbi from God who worked miracles, but Jesus was not impressed with the depth of Nicodemus’ belief or understanding. Many unbelievers still agree that Jesus was a “great man,” and not the Son of God.’ 

And re Jesus’ statement of being born again, they say ‘it may be translated either “again” or “from above.” And perhaps both ideas should be combined here, to indicate the repetition of an act from another source. Only John uses this expression in the Gospels. This concept of the New Birth includes these implications: (1) It undercuts Jewish dependence on being sons of Abraham (cf. 8:39). (2) It reveals there must be a work of God “from above,” since the Jews considered children (new births) to be God’s blessing. (3) It teaches the necessity of a new beginning.’ 

And since Nicodemus didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about, he questioned: ‘How can a man be born again when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth (wishes), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it cometh, and wither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:4:8) 

Yes friends, we must all be born of the Spirit, have a spiritual rebirth before we can enter God’s kingdom, and the Spirit is like the wind; you can’t tell where it’s coming from or going to, but you know it’s there. Now, poor Nicodemus was even more confused. Thus, he answered and said unto Jesus. ‘How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master (teacher) of Israel, and knoweth not these things. Verily, verily I say unto thee, We speak that (what) we do know, and testify that (what) we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.’ (John 3:9:11) 

And unfortunately, the very same thing is still happening today; so many people are refusing to believe Jesus’ witness, and that’s why our world is in such and evil and ungodly mess. But there is hope for us yet, if we do like Nicodemus and sincerely listen to and accept Jesus. And I like how the scholars check up on Nicodemus’ conversion. They say, he was a member of the ruling Jewish group, the Sanhedrin, like Joseph of Arimathea, and both appeared to be secret disciples of Jesus. 

And they point out that Nicodemus is mentioned three times in the New Testament, all in John’s gospel. In these three passages, John seems to focus on the progression of Nicodemus’ spiritual life. In chapter 3, that we just looked at, he comes to Jesus without any change evident in his life. In John 7:50 a change is observable in that he defends Jesus against the charge of the Sanhedrin. ‘Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them.) Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?’ (John 7:50-51) Then at the Crucifixion, both Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea boldly and publicly stand as disciples of Jesus (John 19:38-39) 

Now that’s how we ought to be my brethren, standing up boldly and publicly for Jesus, if we consider ourselves His followers, not the wishy washy, fearful, doh care attitude that so many of us adopt. And now, to help us improve our less than stellar attitude, let’s go the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, and lay our cares and anxieties before the Lord. 

As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And if we truly want the Lord’s help, then we need to do our part to deserve it. Much LOVE!

… being born again of water and the Spirit….is essential for experiencing eternal life…

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ  

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