LOVE | SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 September 2023 Genesis 41:28.

13 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a part of our discipleship, a reserve for the land in the time of famine, appoint overseers over the land, buoyed by the grace of God, but of power love and a sound mind, endure to the end, eyes fixed on the prize, eyes fixed straight ahead, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, halfway home, handle it with the grace of God, hands on the plough, I can do all things through Christ, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, look out a man discreet and wise, LOVE, more than conquerors, nothing steals our peace, satanic encouraged emotion of fear, seven years of famine, seven years of great plenty, take up his cross daily and follow me, take up the fifth part of the produce in the good years, thank God, the beauty of living for Jesus, the breath of life, the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh, this is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, what God is about to do he showeth unto Pharaoh

Genesis 41:28. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharoah: What God is about to do he showeth unto Pharaoh.

And Wednesday has opened somewhat cool and cloudy, but the sun is valiantly fighting for survival, and who knows how it will turn out? We just have to hope for the best and believe that whatever comes our way, we will be able to handle it with the grace of our great God. And all God’s people said a loud ‘Hallelujah! Amen!’

That’s the beauty of living with and for Jesus; nothing that happens will steal our peace or bring us to the point where we lose interest and thus faith in Him. For once He is in our life, we are surely more than conquerors, and can do all things that He desires, through the awesome power of His Holy Spirit. So, one thing believers ought not to fall prey to is the satanic encouraged emotion of fear. For as Bruh Paul so rightly writes to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)

And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! Our omnipotent God has certainly not given us a spirit of fear! Why would He when He is the supreme ruler of the universe and all therein? Surely, He would not want His followers to be afraid, but rather to be strong and unflappable like Him. (smile) Anyway, with that li’l pep talk for this Wednesday morning, let’s get back to the drama that is Bruh Joseph’s story. Yesterday, we left off where Pharaoh told Bruh Joseph his dream. Today, we’ll pick it up where Bruh Joseph interprets Pharoah’s dream.

The Good Library tells it thus: ‘And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine (cows) are seven years; and the seven good ears (of corn) are seven years: the dream is one. And the seven thin and ill favoured kine (ugly cows) that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears (of corn) blasted (blighted) with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.’ (Gen. 41:25-27)

And who says our great God doesn’t move in mysterious ways eh? Who else would have thought to place such a mixed-up dream in Pharaoh’s mind, all to the favour of a young Hebrew man ensconced so unfairly in the Pharoah’s jail? No one but our great and omnipotent God!

Then Bruh Joseph continued to Pharaoh. ‘This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharoah: What God is about to do he showeth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout the land of Egypt: and there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume (deplete the food) of the land. And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following: for it shall be very grievous. And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice (repeated); it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.’ (Gen. 41:28-32)

Wow! Imagine this young Hebrew man expounding to one of the most powerful rulers in the world on what his Hebrew God planned to do in the near future. Poor Pharaoh must certainly have wondered what was really happening. But to his credit, he listened intently to Bruh Joseph’s words.

And so he continued: ‘Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet (discerning) and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers (overseers) over the land, and take up the fifth part (of the produce) of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn (grain) under the hand (authority) of Pharoah, and let them keep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store (a reserve) to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through famine.’ (Gen. 41:33-36)

Bruh Joseph was certainly in his element, telling the great Pharoah how to handle the affairs of his country. No doubt he was buoyed by the grace of God, the spirit that made him not afraid to speak what God was saying to him. Now that’s how we ought also to be my faithful brethren; unafraid to speak God’s word, regardless of how worldly powerful the person or people with whom we are communicating. And sadly, in these trying and fearful times, many of us believers are indeed afraid to voice the truth(s) of our faith, afraid that we will either be rejected and shunned by our peers, or in some cases actually punished for our faith.

But remember, as we said earlier, God did not give us a spirit of fear, but one of LOVE, power and a sound or disciplined mind, which means we have to be like Bruh Joseph and stand up bravely and speak whatever truth the Lord desires us to speak to whomever He directs us to speak. And yes, that’s easier said than done, but that’s all a part of our discipleship in Christ. Remember the tough requirements to become a member of that august and awesome group? ‘Jesus said to them all, If any man will come after me (desires to follow me), let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)

Yes friends, that means every day we draw breath, we’re expected to take up our cross and do like Jesus did, sacrifice ourselves if, when, and where necessary. There can’t be any hemming and hawing or wishy-washy behaviour when it comes to representing Christ to the world at large. And if God decides to spare our lives, tomorrow we’ll continue with the amazing saga of Bruh Joseph, but now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus!

Altogether: ‘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 my brethren, it’s been promised that if we endure to the end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s plan to meet at the very end with Jesus and enjoy that future nuh! It’s the wisest decision we can ever make! Much LOVE!

…faithful disciples of Christ…are not afraid to speak their truth…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 September 2023 Genesis 40:23.

11 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a roof over our heads, answer our prayers, hang thee on a tree, humble ourselves, ill-favoured, interpreting dreams, inviting Christ, LOVE, merry go round of life, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, never have a bland day in your life, nightmares, put bread on our table, seven ears of corn, seven well favoured kine, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, that's life, the amazing story of Joseph, the baker, the birds shall eat thy flesh, the butler, the chief butler did not remember Joseph, the heavenly zeppo, the plague of today's society, the thin ears devoured the fat ones, the throne of grace, the work week, to be your Lord and Saviour

Genesis 40:23. Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.

One more time around on the merry-go-round of life we call the work week my people! That means it’s Monday, and the old annoying, banal, same old cycle of going to and from work in the never-ending traffic jams, rears its ugly head again. But as some man once famously said: ‘That’s life!’ And so it is. That’s the way our society is built, so we just have to get accustomed to the forty or fifty-something years of getting up most of those days and going to work, so we can put bread on our table and keep a roof over our heads.

Hn! Hn! The problem there is that we have to make our lives interesting with other interests, beside our work. And the best way to do that is by inviting Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Saviour! Yes friends, I can guarantee when you do that, you’ll never again have a bland, banal day in your life, because Jesus will keep you positively occupied. And if you don’t believe me, then please check Him out and see for yourself. (smile)

And I’m chuckling here, because just now, as I was coming to write the Bit, I kept wondering what we should write on today, and could not come up with anything…that is until I got the heavenly zeppo that we hadn’t finished talking about Bruh Joseph’s amazing story! And that’s how Christ will keep you busy; He will always find something useful for you to do.

So, since I’ve got my marching orders, (smile) let’s return to the colorful and faithful story of Bruh Joseph. The last time we left him, he had just finished interpreting the dream of Pharoah’s butler, where he would be restored to his position in three days. And for the first time Bruh Joseph cried out for help, asking the butler to remember him to Pharaoh when he got out.

And the Good Library continues: ‘When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and behold I had three white baskets (three baskets of white bread) on my head: And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats (baked goods) for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head. And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days: Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.’ (Gen. 40:16-19)

Now can you imagine the consternation and chagrin of the baker! After hearing the good news of the butler’s dream, only to hear the terrible outcome of his. But that’s exactly how it happened. Three days later Pharaoh celebrated his birthday and gave a feast for all his servants, and at that time he restored the butler to his position but hanged the baker as Bruh Joseph had interpreted. And this is the most hurtful part of the story. The Bible says: ‘Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.’ (Gen. 40:23)

And isn’t that the unfortunate way things happen, especially in these unfaithful, greedy, selfish and evil days? Those we help in time of need, immediately forget us when their lives improve. But that should not be the way of the believer in Christ. However, the devil has us so worried and anxious about ourselves and our circumstances in these trying times, that we often can’t be bothered to concern ourselves with the problems of others. And unfortunately, that was Bruh Joseph’s fate. He languished in the prison for two more years, until Pharaoh had a dream, where he stood by the river.

‘And behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed (fine looking, fat cows); and they fed in a meadow. And, behold, seven other kine (cows) came up after them out of the river, ill-favored and lean fleshed (ugly and gaunt); and stood by the other kine (cows) upon the brink (bank) of the river. And the illfavoured and leanfleshed kine (the ugly and gaunt cows) did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine (cows). So Pharaoh awoke.’ (Gen. 41:1-4)

Ah Lord eh! I wish my dreams could be as simple and seldom as Pharoah’s! Unfortunately though, one of the medications I’m on, has this side effect of producing nightmares, and sometimes I wake up even more tired than when I went to bed because of the intensity of the dreams. But hopefully the positive effect of the medication carries greater weight than the negative effects of the dreams. (smile)

Anyway, the Bible continues: ‘And he (Pharoah) slept and dreamed the second time: and behold, seven ears of corn came upon one stalk, rank (plump) and good. And, behold, seven thin ears and (blasted) blighted with the east wind sprung up after them. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank (plump) and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold it was a dream.’ (Gen. 41:5-7)

Now can you imagine yourself dreaming such dreams my brethren, where the blighted and ugly are eating up the fat and good looking? No wonder the Bible tells us: ‘And it came to pass in the morning that his (Pharaoh’s) spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.’ (Gen, 41:8) No doubt Pharaoh was disappointed, and possibly enraged that none of his people could interpret his dream. And we’ll stop there for today in the mouth-watering saga of Bruh Joseph.

It’s time to take our problems to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, so that we can get divine help to solve them. 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 if we expect to get divine help, then we had better come through with our promises of obedience and faithfulness. Much LOVE!

… selfishness and greed…the bane…the plague of today’s society…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 September 2023 Hebrews 4:16.

10 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a joyful time, a passionate and comforting call, come and find mercy at Christ's feet, come boldly to the throne of grace, Daniel Herbert, find grace to help in time of need, free offering of saving grace, go boldly into the world, he is able to succour them that are tempted, he makes the blind to see, Jehovah is the sinner's freind, Jesus fills the throne, LOVE, negative circumstances, poor bankrupt souls, set the prisoners free, the feeling of our infirmities, the sinner lost He came to save, voices of sacrificial praise, we have boldness and access with confidence, we may obtain mercy, without Christ we are nothing

Hebrews 4:16. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

And then it was Sunday once again; the day of the Lord, where believers flock to His sanctuary to participate in fellowship and worship with others of the same beliefs. And what a joyful time that usually is; with singing and praise, thanksgiving, and an overall renewal of the spirit and confidence of God’s people, so that they can go boldly into the world in the upcoming work week and make Jesus known to whomever they meet. And it just so happens that today’s opening song is one which also speaks of going boldly.

It’s most appropriately titled ‘Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace.’ And that’s exactly how we should go to the Father; boldly, that’s confidently, not afraid or cowed, but also with humility and reverence. So, let’s offer up our voices of sacrificial praise in a soulful, heartfelt, mid-tempo version of the song, written by Daniel Herbert (1751 – 1833), a congregational minister who served at Sudbury in Suffolk. It is a passionate and comforting call to all who feel the weight of their sin to come and find mercy at the feet of Christ.

Singing: ‘Come boldly to the throne of grace, Ye wretched sinners come, and lay your load at Jesus feet, And plead what He has done. How can I come? Some soul may say, I’m lame and cannot walk; My guilt and sin have stopped my mouth, I sigh, but dare not talk. Come boldly to the throne of grace, Though lost, and blind, and lame; Jehovah is the sinner’s friend, And ever was the same. He makes the dead to hear His voice; He makes the blind to see, The sinner lost, He came to save, And set the prisoner free.

Come boldly to the throne of grace, For Jesus fills the throne; and those He kills, He makes alive; He hears the sigh or groan; Poor bankrupt souls, Who feel and know, the hell of sin within; Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in. Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in…the Lord will take you in…Yes the Lord will take you in…take you in’ And if you come with a sincere heart, He certainly will take you in my brethren.

Now what is all this talk about coming boldly to the throne of grace, and where does it come from eh? The author of Hebrews stirs it up when he talks about Jesus, our great High Priest. He writes: ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession of faith). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)

And is that ever a most important scripture, my people! Why? Because first it highlights, the similarities between us and Jesus our great High Priest in heaven. Just like we are tempted, so was He down here on earth, but He was without sin. That therefore allows Him to sympathize, or better yet empathize with our weaknesses. You know that we can all sympathize better with others if we’ve been through, or experienced tough situations like theirs.

A lot of times we claim to understand the heartaches and problems of others, but we truly don’t, because we have never experienced their kind of negative circumstance. But Jesus surely experienced our temptations, that’s why He’s qualified to handle our cries for help and succour. And the author of Hebrews tells us that earlier on: ‘For in that he (Jesus) himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour (aid) them that are tempted.’ (Heb. 2:18)

As the song so rightly proclaims: ‘Though lost, and blind, and lame; Jehovah is the sinner’s friend, And ever was the same. He makes the dead to hear His voice; He makes the blind to see, The sinner lost, He came to save, And set the prisoner free.’ And that is the gospel truth my brethren! Jesus Himself said so in John’s gospel. ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17)

Yes friends, that was Jesus’ major purpose for coming to earth: to save poor, lost sinners like you and I. And if you don’t accept His free offer of saving grace then, unfortunately, you are not blessed with godly wisdom. For without Jesus in your heart, and you in His, your eternal destination will undeniably be hellfire and damnation, in cozy companionship with Satan and his evil cronies. Now, if that’s the kind of eternal ending you desire, then go right ahead and refuse Christ’s free offer of saving grace.

It’s like Bruh David writes in Psalm 14: ‘The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.’ (Ps. 14:1a) And believe me, there is an overwhelming abundance of fools on the earth right now! But as for me and my house, we will gladly accept God’s free saving grace, and serve the Lord, now and forever more!

And if you still don’t believe that we can go to God’s throne with confidence, then listen to Bruh Paul, as he explains to the Ephesians about the Unsearchable Riches in Christ. He writes: ‘According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of (in) him.’ (Eph. 3:11-12)

And the scholars offer this explanation of the last verse. ‘This verse affirms that Christians have boldness (freedom of speech before God) and access (the right of entering his presence) with confidence (assurance of being heard by God) by the faith of him (through relying upon Christ to gain God’s ear).’

Yes my fellow saints, ALL that we have from Jehovah God is based on what Christ has done, for without Him, we are NOTHING! Please, let’s never forget that, and thus live accordingly! Much LOVE!

…through Christ’s great sacrificial work on earth…the Father has opened up heaven to all who believe in His Son…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 September 2023 Genesis 39:21a.

09 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: bumps along the way, do not interpretations belong to God, faith walk, God will see us through, God-engineered saga, hang in there, her blossoms shot forth, his God-given role, in God's presence, in the sight of the prison keeper, increase my awareness of you today, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let my muscles relax, LOVE, loving-kindness, out of the land of the Hebrews, Pharaoh's butler and baker, Pharaoh's cup, quiet my soul, shew kindness, shewed him mercy and gave him favour, shine forth valiantly, slow my thoughts, stolen away, that which he did, the going gets tough, the Lord made it to prosper, the Lord was with Joseph, them's the breaks, think on me, threatening dark clouds, took umbrage, trusting in God's faithfulness, various parts of my anatomy, when it shall be well with thee, with a good attitude, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present

Genesis 39:21a. But the Lord was with Joseph,

Oh friends, unfortunately there’s no bright sun shining outside, just a mess of threatening dark clouds. But the day is still young, and who knows what can happen; the mighty sun can still win the battle against those dreary clouds and shine forth valiantly. That’s the attitude, we believers ought to have, one of constant hope and positivity.

And I guess some of you are wondering what I’m doing up so early on a lazy-day Saturday morning? Well, the truth is, by my standards, I went to bed early, and thus after a certain amount of time in bed, the various parts of my anatomy took umbrage that we were still lying there, and they began to act up negatively. And if it wasn’t for my absolute refusal to get up at such an early hour, despite the pain, we would have been up even earlier.

Brother! What a life when you can’t lie in your warm, comfortable bed for more than four hours at a time without having your aches and pains act up and drive you out of that wonderful cocoon. (smile) But as we say, them’s the breaks, we just have to grin and bear it! Anyway, enough of my griping, let’s say our Lazy-Day Saturday prayer with all sincerity and truth.

As one 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 as always, that simple, heartfelt prayer touches my soul and calms me, makes me feel like I’m truly in God’s presence. Now, let’s get to that wonderful, God-engineered saga of Bruh Joseph. Yesterday we left him wrongfully cast into prison for sexual assault on his master Potiphar’s wife, but friends, when the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob writes your story, then you can be sure it’s unlike any other. So, let’s hear how the Bible reveals the story after Bruh Joseph was cast into prison.

It says: ‘But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy (LOVING-kindness), and gave him favour (caused him to be viewed with favour) in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison, and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it (it was his doing). The keeper of the prison looked not to anything (did not look into anything) that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.’ (Gen. 39:21-23)

Oh what a mighty and faithful God we serve my brethren! Yuh see, although Bruh Joseph was innocently undergoing some tough times, the Lord still made his life somewhat easier by causing him to experience the favour of those above him. And you’ll notice that in each instance, he was given power over others, so that he could learn the leadership skills he needed if he was to handle his God-given role properly.

And who says our God isn’t a great dramatist eh? He’s the greatest of the great! In fact, He is the Creator of the genre! Just look at His book, the Bible, there’s no other tome in all of history that has so much drama, from Genesis right down to Revelation, thousands of years of history, it’s filled with pure drama, drama like no man can pen! And if yuh think you’d seen drama in Bruh Joseph’s story, believe me, the best is yet to come.

The Lord writes it that Pharoah’s butler (cup-bearer) and baker offend him, and he places them in the same prison with Bruh Joseph. ‘And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward (were in custody for a while.’ (Gen. 40:4) Now the plot thickens. And the scholars explain that ‘when the captain charged Joseph with them, he gave Joseph control over administrative affairs in the prison, not merely over high-ranking prisoners (cf. 41:12).’

So, we know that Bruh Joseph was literally running the prison, while the captain of the guard merely enjoyed the title and perks that came with the position. But then, as the Lord would have it, both the butler and baker dream a dream the same night about Pharaoh. And when Bruh Joseph came in the next morning, they were totally sad and downcast. And he asked them ‘Wherefore look ye so sadly today? And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.’ (Gen. 40:7-8)

Now the scholars make a significant point here, when in response to the dreams of the perplexed baker and butler, they say that ‘Joseph’s immediate response was do not interpretations belong to God?’ And they point out that God was always the immediate response of his mind and give these references to prove it. (Gen. 39:9; 41:16, 51-52; 45:8) And if you look them up, you’ll see that yes, God was always uppermost in Bruh Joseph’s mind, just like it ought to be uppermost in ours.

Now, let’s take a gander at the dreams of the butler and the baker. The butler dreamed that there was a vine before him: ‘And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes. And Pharoah’s cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days: yet within three days shall Pharoah lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place (position): and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.’ (Gen. 40:10-13)

Now that was certainly good news for the butler, and after interpreting the dream, Bruh Joseph made this request of him. ‘But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.’ (Gen. 40:14:15)

And finally, we have the first recorded complaint of Bruh Joseph in all of his misfortunes. No doubt the unfair situation was eating away at his soul like a venomous cancer, but he never appears to complain about it before. How many of us would have borne such unfair misfortune so doggedly eh? Not many. We would have been up in arms crying out about the unfairness and injustice, the unfair restriction of our rights, and whatever other complaint that came to our minds.

But my fellow saints, sometimes when we’re doing God’s will and the going gets tough, He expects us to hang in there with a good attitude, trusting in His faithfulness, in His promises that he will never leave nor forsake us, and always make a way for us where there seems to be no way. That’s what it means to walk faithfully with God! Much LOVE!

…our faith walk will always have bumps and potholes along the way…but we must be trusting enough…to know that God will see us through those rough periods…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 September 2023 Genesis 39:2a.

07 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: bounden duty, cesspool of the devil's delights, clourage, compassionate heart, creativity, curse, embrace the evil of this world, enjoy the living while you're alive, give thanks to our heavenly Father, God is a faithful rewarder, God's mercies and compassions, he was a prosperous man, I will go down into the grave, Jacob rent his clothes and put on sackcloth, Joseph was a goodly person and well favoured, Joseph's master saw that the Lord was with him, LOVE, made hi overseer over his house, my son mourning, negative word, nice summer weather, Potiphar, supernatural wisdom, the attitude that kept Bruh Joseph flourishing, the evil facade, the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake, the Lord was with Joseph, this is the day the Lord has made, Thursday Blessings, we are not destroyed, we will rejoice and be glad in it

Genesis 39:2a. And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous (successful) man;

And on this first September Thursday, we’re moving along with the nice summer weather! (smile) I don’t know if it will be as hot as the last few, but it certainly looks bright and beautiful out there! So, let’s give thanks to our heavenly Father for allowing us to see another day on His wonderful but somewhat confused planet, for it’s only through his mercies and compassions, which are new every day, we are not destroyed. Therefore, let’s say it as sincerely as the psalmist did: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24)

Yes friends, it doesn’t make sense to be alive and not enjoy the living, for we don’t know if we’ll wake up tomorrow, or even go to bed alive tonight. (smile) And you know, I believe it’s that attitude that kept Bruh Joseph flourishing in Egypt, despite all the misfortune that unfairly befell him. Now, yesterday we left off Bruh Joseph’s heartfelt and faithful story, when he was sold as a slave by his jealous brothers to a group of Ishmeelite traders, who were going down to Egypt to sell their wares.

Meanwhile, those envious and despicable older brothers took Bruh Joseph’s coat of many colours, killed a goat’s kid, and dipped the coat in it. Then they rent it, tore it up, and took it to their father Jacob, and brass facedly said, ‘This have we found: know thou (do you know) whether it be thy son’s coat or no.’ (Gen. 37: 32) What gall and deceitfulness of the evil brothers!

‘And he (Jacob) knew (recognized) it, and said, It is my son’s coat (tunic); an evil (wild) beast hath devoured him: Joseph is without doubt rent (torn) in pieces. And Jacob rent (tore) his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.’ (Gen. 37:33-35)

Oh my people, when evil gets a hold of us, it does not stop at the first mistake nuh, but it just keeps leading us deeper and deeper into the cesspool of the devil’s delights. And it’s understandable, though repugnant, that the brothers had to lie to their father and keep up the evil façade. But that’s exactly what happens when we embrace the evil of this world. I don’t know if the brothers felt some sort of vengeance against their father for LOVING Bruh Joseph more than them, but in such large, dysfunctional families anything is possible.

And what’s happening to Bruh Joseph all this time eh? The Bible tells us: ‘And Joseph was brought down into Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.’ (Gen. 39:1) And that’s when Bruh Joseph’s Egyptian sojourn unfurled. And how did it begin?

Listen up to the Word, which says: ‘And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous (successful) man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper (be a success) in his hand. And Joseph found grace (favour) in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put in his hand (care).

And it came to pass from the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all he had in the house, and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joesph’s hand (care); and he knew not ought (anything) that he had, save (except) the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person (handsome in form and appearance), and well favoured.’ (Gen. 39:2-6)

Ah mih bredrin, when the Lord is on your side, He can make even the worst of pagans show you favour and mercy. But please note that the Lord didn’t just show Bruh Joseph favour, in a manner of speaking he earned it by his good attitude and behaviour. And it certainly wasn’t easy for a young, hitherto privileged Hebrew boy to be suddenly cast as a slave into an Egyptian household with an entirely different language, customs and culture. But Bruh Joseph knew that the Lord was with him, and believed the Lord to be faithful, so he kept a good attitude.

And yuh see what happened? Potiphar his Egyptian master made him overseer over his whole house, which then prospered because the Lord was with Bruh Joseph. And that’s the moral of the story right there my fellow believers: although we find ourselves in very difficult situations and circumstances, that is no reason to give up on our great God, because sometimes, like in Bruh Joseph’s case, He’s merely testing us to see the quality and strength of our supposed faith.

And even if it‘s not a test situation, our God still expects us to have sufficient faith in Him to know that He will never leave nor forsake us like He’s promised, and that in due time, His time, our situations will be improved. Now that’s what faith is all about; standing strong for Christ, even in the midst of the most dire situations, knowing that He’s a faithful rewarder of all those who come to Him in all sincerity and truth! And we’ll stop for today with Bruh Joseph’s story, for there’s lots more to come, and it gets even better as it progresses!

Oh my fellow saints, what a mighty and magnanimous God we serve! And just like He gave Bruh Joseph the wherewithal to fight his battles, He’s also generously given us the same for ours. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s activate those blessings right now, by sincerely declaring (steups!!!) them. As one 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 having activated those heavenly blessings, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord has shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…the Lord God Jehovah…will never turn away…from those who are faithful to Him…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 September 2023 2 Corinthians 5:21.

03 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a full release from the penalty of sin, a kingdom destination, Ah cyar leave Him, chutney soca music, from a sinful life to one of salvation, from hell-bound to hoiliness, from revelry to righteousness, from sin to salvation, full of life but so empty, go tell my enemies, he hath made him to be sin for us, He's my King of Kings, I am under the rock, Jahovah hides me, Jesus is the best thing going, Jesus is the best upgrade, justification, LOVE, never forsake or condemn me, on my way to a fiery end, reconciling the world unto himself, redemption, reighteousness, sanctification, set aside for God's purpoase, the amazing transformation Jesus brings, the kind of difference Jesus makes, the quality of being right in God's eyes, the reason I'm still living, the rock is higher than I, the sweetest gospel music, wallowing deep in a pig pen, we might be made the righteousness of God in him, West Indian gospel, who knew no sin, Yahweh, Yeshua

2 Corinthians 5:21. For he (God the Father) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

And this Labour Day Sunday is indeed a glorious day in my neighborhood, all sunshine and blue skies! A day that makes you want to get up and head for the Lord’s sanctuary so that you can enjoy the wonderful camaraderie involved there, worshipping and singing the praises of our great God, and being refilled with Hs Holy Spirit! But even if your day is not as glorious as mine, it is still the best decision, the wisest decision you can ever make, to get up and join your fellow believers in the Lord’s house.

And as always, we begin with a song of praise, but today we going way down South, to T&T, Trinidad and Tobago for some sweet West Indian Gospel music, the sweetest gospel music there is. (smile) Now, a friend wrote me this past week and sent me two songs by Denyse Plummer, the former soca artiste turned Christian performer, also telling me that we should celebrate Denyse. So mih people, it’s a chutney soca Sunday, the reworking of her earlier hit ‘Na Leaving,’ about all the good things in T&T, into a Christian song titled ‘Ah Cyar Leave Him!’

So, let’s raise the roof with our sacrificial praise, as we tell the world, and heaven too, in no uncertain terms that we can’t leave Jesus. And as the sweet, easy rocking chutney soca music start, we hear a couple bars, then we shout out ‘Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah! From revelry to righteousness…Cyar leave Him. From hell-bound to holiness…Cyar leave Him. From sin to salvation…Cyar leave him. A kingdom destination…Cyar leave Him. There I was, in my glee, wallowing deep in a pig pen, full of life, but so empty, on my way to a fiery end.

But someone told me about a Saviour, who said He LOVES me and He cares. In times of storm He is my shelter, so in His arms you’ll find me there. Yuh see ah cyar live life without Him, He is my King of Kings, He’s the reason I’m still living. Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. Never condemn or forsaken me dread…Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. For God man I living, For God I go dead. There are so few, who made it through, and come from the darkness of this world. But I saw the light, I found the truth. I have more than silver, more than gold. I gave my life over to Jesus, the greatest decision I’ve made. Boy I recommend you try Him, Jesus is the best upgrade.

He came to earth and died on the cross, rose up just like a boss, when yuh see me smiling, He’s the cause. Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. Never condemn or forsaken me dread…Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. For God man I living, For God I go dead. I am under the rock. The rock is higher than I. Jahovah hides me. I am under the rock. Go tell my enemies, that I am under the rock. Jahovah hides me, I am under the rock. I am under the rock. The rock is higher than I. Jahovah hides me. I am under the rock. Go tell my enemies, that I am under the rock. Jahovah hides me, I am under the rock.

From revelry to righteousness…Cyar leave Him. From hell-bound to holiness…Cyar leave Him. From sin to salvation…Cyar leave him. A kingdom destination…Cyar leave Him. Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah! (And we shout again) Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah!’

Oh friends, wasn’t that beautiful? It certainly was. The whole house, including heaven was rocking! The Father was definitely feeling it, because He was up and jiving. He couldn’t be happier hearing such praises shouted out from earth for His Son. Even Jesus couldn’t resist the tantalizing riddims, and you could see Him tapping His feet and drumming His hands on the hand rests of the throne. And yuh better believe that is the kind of difference, the amazing transformation Jesus performs in our lives when we surrender our all to Him!

And furthermore, once we get with Him, it’s impossible to leave Him! No, we just cyar leave him at all at all. Mama Mia! Such is the LOVE and inspiration He inspires in us! Yes friends, Jesus carries us from a sinful life to one of salvation, for He came to earth and died on the cross of Calvary so that our sins could be paid for with the shedding of His precious, sinless blood, and thus be saved from hellfire and damnation. As He said: ‘For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17)

And by dying on the cross, He not only saved us from eternal damnation, but also made us new people and reconciled us to the Father. Hear Bruh Paul tell it nuh. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit (that is), that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.’ (2 Cor. 17-19)

Yes, Christ promoted a reconciliation between sinful mankind and a holy and righteous God. Christ also made us righteous and justified. And what is righteousness. This commentary puts it nicely. ‘In its deeper spiritual meaning, righteousness is the quality of being right in the eyes of God, including character (nature), conscience (attitude), conduct (action), and command (word). Righteousness is, therefore, based upon God’s standard because He is the ultimate Lawgiver (Isaiah 33:22).’ And Bruh Paul writes to the church at Corinth: ‘For he (God the Father) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:21)

Oh mih people, Christ not only paid for our sins through the shedding of His blood, but He also took the whole weight of our sins on His sinless shoulders so we could become righteous in the Father’s sight. And Christ also justified us. And what’s justification? Hear this commentary. ‘Justification is that gracious and judicial act of God whereby a soul is granted complete absolution from all guilt and a full release from the penalty of sin (Romans 3:23-25). This act of divine grace is wrought by faith in the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).’

And what do those scriptures say? ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God. being justified freely (without any cost) by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (a mercy seat) through faith in his blood, to declare (yesss!!!) (demonstrate) his righteousness for the remission (passing over) of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.’ (Rom. 3:23-25)

And Romans 5:1, says: ‘Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ In other words, ‘Christ made justification possible for us by what He did in His death and resurrection. His resurrection was the ultimate sign that the penalty for sin, which was death, had been paid once and for all.’

And that’s not all Christ did for us. Listen to Bruh Paul again: ‘But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us (became for us) wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.’ (1 Cor. 1:30) And we don’t have time nor space to get into those last two, but sanctification is basically being set aside for God’s purposes, while redemption is being saved from sin, which Jesus did in spades…if we’ll only believe in Him.

Now tell me nuh my fellow saints, how can one ever leave a man, or a God like that eh? No way Jose! And for all you computer geeks out there, please remember that Jesus IS the best upgrade! (smile) So please, let’s upgrade to Him today nuh! Much LOVE!

…if you truly believe in Jesus…then despite all your trials and tribulation…you’ll NEVER EVER leave Him…because He’s the BEST THING that there is….

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 September 2023 Nehemiah 2:8b.

02 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: according to the good hand of my God upon me, God's awesome presence, grant him mercy in the sight of this man, He always gives you the wherewithal to do it, I may know you all the more, I sat down and wept, increase my awareness of you today, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let my muscles relax, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, LOVE, mourned certain days and fasted, pause and ponder it, prayed before the God of heaven, slow my thoughts, strengthen our hands and our faith, the gates thereof are burned with fire, the God of heaven he will prosper us, the king granted me, the prayer of Nehemiah, the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, we his servants will arise and build, when God gives you a job to do, your love both surrounds and fills me

Nehemiah 2:8b. And the king granted me according to the good hand of my God upon me.

And another beautiful lazy-day summer Saturday is on tap! Yes friends, this Labour Day weekend, the last of the summer break, promises to be a fine one, so let’s enjoy it to the max, but without confusion and conflict. Let’s be compassionate and kind to all we come into contact with, for that’s the way of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that’s how He lived his life here on earth. And since we are His agents and ambassadors down here, we ought to follow the LOVING example that He set us.

So, to help us do just that, let’s say 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 as always, saying that simple, heartfelt prayer, opens me up, does exactly what it says, slows my thoughts and quiets my soul, so that I am more receptive to God’s overwhelming and awesome presence. So, let’s sit quietly for a moment nuh, and enjoy the peace that comes with that prayer. As the psalmist would say: ‘Selah.’ – pause and ponder it. (smile)

And now that we have paused and pondered our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, and hopefully put some peace and calm in our souls, let’s see what the Lord has for us to talk about today. And the Good Library opened upon the prayer of Nehemiah, the Babylonian king’s cupbearer, after he received the news in Babylon that Jerusalem was in bad shape. He was told: ‘The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction (distress) and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.’ (Neh. 1:3)

And in those olden times, when the walls and gates of your city were broken and burnt, that meant you were easy prey for all and sundry. Now it’s important to note Nehemiah’s reaction to that information. The Bible tells us: ‘And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven.’ (Neh. 1:4)

One wonders why he had such a heartfelt reaction to the situation of his homeland Jerusalem when previously he was not amongst the important personages there. In fact, not much is known about Nehemiah’s early life, but the Lord obviously put it in his heart to remedy the situation, and apparently he fasted and prayed about it for a few months, offering up his famous prayer of repentance, which can be found in Neh. 1:5-11.

This last verse is possibly the most important part of that prayer. ‘O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.’ (Neh. 1:11) And yuh know what my people? Nehemiah could later report to those at Jerusalem: ‘And the king granted me according to the good hand of my God upon me.’ (Neh. 2:8b)

Yes, after seeing Nehemiah’s sad countenance, when he came to deliver his wine, the Persian King, Artaxerxes enquired as to his low spirits. ‘Why is thy countenance (face, expression) sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of the heart.’ (Neh. 2:2) The king was very perceptive. And though Nehamiah was afraid of the king’s reaction, he nonetheless laid out the situation for him, and asked to be allowed to return to his homeland and rebuild the walls and the gates.

Now, one must realize that in those days the king had absolute authority; he could do exactly as he pleased, and asking such a request, if it displeased the king, Nehemiah’s head could easily have rolled without any recourse to justice, for the king was the sole arbiter of justice. But when our God is in control, even the most unlikely things happen my fellow saints. And to the surprise of all, the king granted Nehemiah’s request; gave him the necessary papers to get all he needed and those to provide him free passage and the authority to be governor of Jerusalem while the rebuilding took place.

I don’t know if Nehemiah himself could believe the blessings that were poured out on him, by the king, through the great mercies of God. But he went to Jerusalem, brought order to the chaos that existed there, and completed the task of rebuilding the walls and gates in a record 52 days. ‘So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul (Aug. to Sept) in fifty and two days.’ (Neh. 6:15)

And all that despite serious opposition from three main characters. Sanballat the Horonite ( a Samaritan), Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem, the Arab. Nehamiah writes: ‘When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant , the Ammonite, heard of it (his coming to Jerusalem to straighten things out), it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.’ (Neh. 2:10)

Then later on, when Nehamiah finally got the people to understand what he was all about. He writes: ‘Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion (heritage), nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.’ (Neh. 2:18-20)

Oh my people, yuh see what strong faith in our great God can do? Nehemiah wasn’t afraid of his detractors, for he had the king’s authority, the people’s backing and the Lord’s favour all on his side. And I like how he reproached the three stooges who kept bothering him: ‘The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build.’

Yes my brethren, those same words are still applicable to us today! Our great God is still on our side, and with His awesome help we too can arise and build a great and godly society, but we need to be inspired and be as faithful as the Israelites were back there in the disastrous situation in Jerusalem.

And believe me, we do have a very disastrous situation in our current world, that needs fixing very quickly, and only with God’s help and our unwavering faith will it ever get done! So please, let’s get to it nuh. The Lord is waiting for us to strengthen both our hands and our faith so that we can do His marvellous and oh so necessary work! Much LOVE!

… it doesn’t matter who you are…when God gives you a job to do…He also gives you the wherewithal…the strength and the tools to do it…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 September 2023 Psalm 23:1.

01 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a badge of honour, a future and a hope, busyness, coddling a pent-up rebellion, don't know whether we're coming or going, drunk or sober mind your business, embrace your love and compassion, for His name's sake, Friday chant, get away from alarm clocks, God has our best interest at heart, he leadeth me beside still waters, he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I shall not want, introduce a new flock of believers, labour day weekend, LOVE, Once in a while we can, once in a while we can do what we want to, One Year Book of Bible promises, only God can satisfy our deepest longings, our competitive society, return backsliders to your fold, running on the treadmill of life, show them the error of their ways, simmering unrest, take a break, the constantly spinning merry-go-round of life, The Lord is my shepherd, the shattering pressures, the unexpected storms, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end, wake up and smell the coffee, wise guidance

Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

And as we open our day and say ‘TGIF Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ we are beholding a bright, new, sunshiny day, as well as a new month, that of September, which unfortunately spells the end of the summer vacation season, and a return to work and school. But them’s the breaks, as Job so rightly said, we can’t expect to have all good and no bad, at least what we consider bad. (Job 2:10)

Now, if the weather forecasters are to be believed, September is supposed to come in like a lion with a week of hot temps, and not like the lamb it usually is, bringing cold temps after Labour Day. And this is the Labour Day long weekend, so you know the partying will be plentiful, but I’m pleading with us, to not overdo the celebrations, and as Granny would say: ‘Sonny boy, please, ah beg yuh, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ Yes friends, this weekend, please, let’s all mind our business, and let’s be sober, rather than the former state nuh. (smile)

Now here’s an interesting and encouraging tidbit from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘Once in a While We Can.’ So please read with me: ‘One bright Sunday when I was twelve, I didn’t want to go to church. I wasn’t coddling a pent-up rebellion. I simply pictured a leisurely day away from “have to” things. How to explain and be understood! Finally I just blurted it out as Mother prepared breakfast.

She listened attentively. “Honey,” she said calmly, “we can’t always do what we feel like doing without hurting someone.” That settled it, I thought. I was sorry I had asked. Suddenly I heard. “But once in a while we can do what we want to – just because we want to. You may stay home this Sunday.” The memory of that day is still vivid. Not because I stayed home from church, but because I learned a profound lesson. Once in a while we can!

Once in a while we can get away from alarm clocks, peanut-butter jars, milk cartons… away from the shattering pressures of our competitive society. Once in a while we need to get away from work, family, friends, and pressing commitments. Often we lose the capacity for personal enjoyment. Once in a while we need to walk, think, and meditate. Only God can satisfy our deepest longings. He longs for us to share our private secrets with Him. Once in a while we can.’

And is all of that ever so true my fellow believers! Our world is so competitive, so busy and running 24/7 that we can’t always be running on the treadmill of life and be successful. No! Sometimes we just have to get off of the constantly rolling treadmill, take a break from the constantly spinning merry-go-round and refresh ourselves. Take some time for us to think and walk peacefully, not at the pace our world wants to go. And in those quiet and thoughtful moments, our thoughts ought to be centered on our Creator, Almighty God, the ONLY ONE who can truly satisfy the longings of our troubled and tired souls.

Ah friends, our world is so busy, with most of us busy but going nowhere fast, or nowhere at all. Busyness these days is looked upon as a badge of honour. And it’s the number one excuse for not keeping our promises. ‘Oh, I was so busy!’ Busy doing what? Stuff the world considers important, but God considers unimportant! The world has us running so fast that oftentimes we don’t know whether we’re coming or going. It’s time to stop and consider our priorities my people. That is if we want to make it to the end, all in one piece.

And the only way to do that is by having the Lord God Jehovah as our Number One Priority, while following His will and plan for our lives. Remember what He says in Jeremiah? ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you and expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) Now does the devil have your best interest at heart? No way! He just wants you to do his evil will and couldn’t care less what happens to you, once you do it.

But our great God is different. He always has our best interest at heart, because He truly cares about us. We’re His creation and He wants us to spend eternity with Him, not with the evil Satan. That’s why He went so far as to send His sinless Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross at Calvary so our sins could be bought and paid for with his precious blood. Now doesn’t that spell compassion and care? It certainly does.

And before I forget, (smile) let’s see what’s the Bible Promise for today’s writing. And boy oh boy, it’s these marvelous words of Bruh David, but in the NLV translation. ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green pastures; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honour to his name.’

I’m sorry though friends, that translation doesn’t cut it for me. So, let’s declare (yesss!!!) the real McCoy nuh. ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps. 23:1-3) Now that sounds more like it! And yes, I am biased towards the King James Version! (smile)

Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking help for our many earthly 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!’

And having committed all of that to prayer, it will be in our best interest to keep our promises and improve our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…the Chrisitan life should not be a constant merry-go-round…every so often…we need to come off and take a break…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 August 2023 John 17:16.

31 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a comapssionate heart, as thou hast sent me into the world, can never repay God for His goodness, Christ's church did nothing to rectify so many wrongs, clear direction for my life, curse, divine protection, doh-care attitude, double full moon, embrace Satan's evil ways, even as I am not of the world, get on with the action, I have also sent them into the world, I have given them my word, in Christ's name, light up the world with the truth of Jesus, LOVE, negative word, offer up a plethora of praise and thanks, our sins bought with the price of His precious blood, sanctify them through thy truth, sending Jesus to die on the cross, show the world our good works, stop sitting on the fence, stop talking, summer on the way out, supernatural wisdom, the new moon in the arms of the old one, they are not of the world, they may be one as we are, Thursday Blessings

John 17:16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Well friends, it’s the last day of August, which means summer is on the way out for another year. Chuh! And the cold weather has already begun to show its face with overnight lows of around 15 Celsius. But nonetheless, this Thursday morning has opened with bright sunshine and blue skies. And I did see the double full moon last night. Yay! The big, bright full moon in the arms of the darker one. The bright one at the front, covered about two thirds of the darker one in the back. Something like when the new moon sits in the arms of the old moon. What a genius planner and designer is our great God!

And though life might not be going exactly the way we desire it, it could also be worse, and with His awesome help we can also make it better. So please, let’s give Him some sincere thanks and praise for allowing us to see another miraculous day on His planet Earth! Please pray with me: ‘O God of our forefathers, today we offer up a plethora of praise and thanks for all the good things you’ve done on our behalf down through the years, especially the sending of your Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross at Calvary so our sins could be bought with the price of His precious blood.

We know that was an extreme price you had to pay, but pay it you did because of your great, unconditional LOVE for us, and we thank you sincerely for it, and promise that we will do our best to live up to your Word and make you proud of us. This we pray in the name of your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!’

Oh my brethren, we owe our God so much that we can never repay Him, even if we live several lifetimes. But now is the time when we seriously need to step up to the plate and bat our best innings, because our wonderful world is in such a disastrous and chaotic state and only we believers can effect some sincere and positive change to it. The evildoers are happy with it going down to hell in a handbasket, and we can’t allow that to happen without putting up serious resistance.

That’s our bounden duty! That’s what Christ commissioned us to do; to spread His gospel around the world and behave in a certain manner that would cause others to want what we have; that’s salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. And I don’t like harping on it, but the truth of the matter is that we’re definitely not doing as good a job as we ought to, otherwise our world would not be in the mess it’s currently in. Too many people are turning away from God to embrace Satan’s evil ways because of our lackadaisical, apathetic, doh-care attitude. That’s because too many supposed believers are too enamoured of the things of the world and are behaving like the world.

Remember what Christ said on the matter to the disciples and therefore to us also? ‘If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would LOVE his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.’ (John 15:18-19) Yes friends, Jesus made it very clear that His followers were not of the world, and therefore the world would hate them like they hated Him.

And He felt so strongly about the subject that later on He offered up an ardent prayer to the Father on it, saying: ‘And now I am no more (no longer) in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee, Holy Father; keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. …I have given them thy word, and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (set them apart) through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.’ (John 17:11, 13-19)

It couldn’t be any clearer my fellow believers: we’re supposed to be IN the world, but not OF the world. And if there’s no difference between us and the unbelievers, how can they ever turn to Christ eh? Our behaviour and speech ought to be different to theirs, so that they can see that we have something different, something better and come to desire it.

Ah mih people, so much of the world’s misfortunes have occurred because Christ’s body, His church, has stood by and done nothing to rectify the wrongs being committed. And you know that if you see wrong and do nothing to right that wrong, then you’re just as culpable as those committing the wrong. And as a divided and disunified body, the church of Christ is culpable of a whole lot of wrongs, because we’ve stood aside and watch the evildoers perpetrate them and have done nothing to stop or rectify those wrongs. That means there’s a whole lot of blood on our hands too.

But we can turn the situation around, if we’d only get together, be unified and fight the devil as one, large, whole body, not as small groups or individuals. We need to wake up though and realize the seriousness of the situation, stop sitting on the fence and get a move on for Jesus, if we expect our children and grandchildren to enjoy a better world than we have. Friends, Jesus is waiting, waiting patiently, but anxiously for us to get together and light up the world with His truth! Let’s not keep Him waiting any longer nuh.

And our God is so wonderful that He’s even bestowed undeserved blessings on us so that we can do His earthly work. So, we can’t say that we don’t have the tools to perform our duties. We call them our Thursday Blessings, and we can activate them by simply declaring (yesss!!!) them aloud. So as one 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!’

Now, let’s take those blessings and get out into the world and use them just as generously on others, as the Lord bestowed them on us. Much LOVE!

…it’s time for believers to stop talking…and get on with the action…show the world our good works in Christ’s name…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 August 2023 Matthew 28:20b.

29 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a heart overflowing with faith, a successful walk with Christ, and lo I am with you always, be strong and of a good courage, call his name Immanuel, econoic deprivation, even unto the end of the world, famine drought, gallivant ourselves into action, God be with us, God doesn't require us to strive and stumble, He is faithful that promised, hurry, I long to rest with you, I will fear no evil, LOVE, natural disasters, share His love with my neighbours, shewed him mercy and gave him favour, teach me to experience you, the beloved of God, the Lord was with Joseph, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, without wringing my hands, worry

Matthew 28:20b. …and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

Oh friends, what a beautiful Tuesday morning it is in my area! The sun’s shining brightly in a clear blue sky, the birds are singing, the insects chirping, and everything seems right with the world! (smile) But we know that’s not true. In fact, it’s the opposite, not a whole lot is right with our world. When you consider the overwhelming natural disasters happening all over our world; the wildfires, the hurricanes and tornadoes, the flooding, the drought, famine, economic deprivation and sickness, plus the serious strife caused by man’s greed and inhumanity to his fellow man, how can anything be right eh?

But that’s what we believers in Christ Jesus are here for, to make it better, or as best as we can before our Lord and Saviour returns. But we have to get serious about it, not only talk, but gallivant ourselves into action, helping those in need; that’s the vocation and purpose of Christ’s body, the church. Unfortunately, it’s an area in which we have not been doing as well as we should. But with things as bad as they are right now, it’s of the utmost importance that believers rise to the occasion and help alleviate the serious situation existing in our disaster filled world.

And the best place to begin is always with prayer. So, here’s this month’s prayer from the In Touch Devotional. Please pray with me. ‘Father, all my striving has one goal – to know You. Have mercy on me. I make mistakes, I stumble, but always toward You. Have mercy on me. I confess, Lord, that I long to rest with You. Have mercy on me. Teach me to experience You without wringing my hands. Have mercy on me. Forgive me for scrambling and striving – You’ve never required it. Have mercy on me. You’ve always been here and always will be. Have mercy on me. Amen.’

Yes my fellow believers, two things jump out at me in that prayer; first that our wonderful and merciful God doesn’t ever require us to strive and scramble, because if we dwell sincerely with Him, He always provides for our needs. And secondly, He has always been with us, and always will be. And until that fact becomes a permanent and active part of our lives, our spiritual walk will not be as comfortable and significant as it ought to be. And there are numerous scriptures where the Lord has promised to be with us, so let’s look at a few to remind ourselves of his gracious promise and thus renew our faith and trust in Him.

And the first one comes from way back when, when Moses told the Israelites on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) Then there’s the personal outpouring of God’s favour in the life of Bruh Joesph. Yes, Joseph is one of our three Bros: we just don’t talk about him as much as we do the other two, Paul and David, but he was the forerunner of the Israelite nation in Egypt, and though he suffered much misfortune, the Lord was always with him.

As the Bible records in Genesis. ‘But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.’ (Gen. 39:21) Wherever Joseph went, despite his many misfortunes, he remained faithful to God and God favoured him with steadfast LOVE, so that he was always well looked upon. And it’s the same way the Lord will look upon us with favour and steadfast LOVE if we are faithful to His will.

And Isaiah made this pronouncement about the coming of Jesus, long before it ever happened. ‘Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.’ (Is. 7:14) And what does ‘Immanuel mean? God with us! So the Lord didn’t just talk about being with us, but He sent His Son, God in the flesh to be with us! You can’t get any better than that!

And probably the most in your face and direct promise of God being with us, is when He said to Joshua: ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) And believe me friends, the same promise holds good for each and every sincere believer in Christ Jesus! He is with us wherever we go!

The problem is that we have to believe it, do like Bruh Joseph and have strong faith despite all the unfortunate and unfair things that happen to us. Don’t think that he was not confused and wondering why his brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt, why Potiphar’s wife wrongly accused him of sexual abuse, and why the chief butler forgot for two years to tell Pharaoh about him. But despite all that stuff, he held on to the dream the Lord had placed in his heart, and because of his faithfulness, it eventually came true.

That’s how we have to be my fellow believers; strong in our faith, despite whatever happens that doesn’t sync with what we expect, for our God is faithful. As Hebrews tells us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering: (for he is faithful that promised.)’ (Heb. 10:23) And again there’s this promise through Isaiah to the people of Israel. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) How much more can we ask eh?

Now listen to Zephaniah tell it like it is. ‘The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest (quiet you) in his LOVE, he will joy over thee with singing.’ (Zeph. 3:17) How much reassurance do we need of God’s faithfulness eh? And Bruh David lived it and said it in spades in our favourite psalm. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) And why do you think Bruh David escaped all the times that Saul tried to kill him eh? Because the Lord was with him, and will be with us too if we stick close and faithful to Him.

Now there are many more scriptures where God poured out His promise to be with us, but we’ll close with this one straight from the horse’s mouth as it were. (smile) It’s Jesus promise, when He gives the disciples the Great Commission: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) And if we can’t believe that, then I don’t know what else to say.

Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one 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!’

And it’s now our duty to go out 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!

…the most important aspect of a successful walk with Christ…a heart overflowing with faith…

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

SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 September 2023 Genesis 41:28.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 September 2023 Genesis 40:23.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 September 2023 Hebrews 4:16.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 September 2023 Genesis 39:21a.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 September 2023 Genesis 39:2a.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 September 2023 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 September 2023 Nehemiah 2:8b.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 September 2023 Psalm 23:1.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 August 2023 John 17:16.

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