Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 December 2017 Luke 1:37.

24 Dec 2017 Leave a comment

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

Luke 1:37.     For with God nothing shall be impossible.

And then it was Christmas Eve! Yeh friends, Christmas Eve, the day before Christ’s birth, aren’t you excited? (smile) We should be my people, because it’s around this time two thousand years ago we received the greatest gift ever. The Son of God was born so that He could save sinful man, whom His heavenly Father LOVED with such a great LOVE that He was willing to sacrifice His only Son, so that His human creation could be saved from hell fire and damnation. 

Glory to our Most High God my brethren, for there is no other Deity who would have ever dreamed of doing something like that! So my fellow believers, on this Christmas Eve Sunday, as we gather in God’s sanctuary to praise and worship Him, to give Him thanks and exalt His holy name and receive His mercy, grace, forgiveness, strength and confidence to face the upcoming week, let’s show our sincere gratitude and overwhelming LOVE by singing our hearts out with unspeakable joy and supreme gladness. 

And the song we’re going to offer up in our sacrifice of praise is the old but ever true and much liked standard, ‘O Holy Night.’ Apparently it was originally written in French, but was later translated to English, and has the distinction of being the first Christmas Carol to ever be played on the radio in 1906. So with sincere feeling now, as we raise our voices to high heaven. 

‘O holy night, the stars are brightly shining; It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth! Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born! O night, O holy night, O night divine! Led by the light of faith serenely beaming, With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand. So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming, Here came the wise men from Orient land. 

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our Friend! He knows our need; to our weakness is no stranger. Behold your King; before Him lowly bend! Behold your King; before Him lowly bend! Truly He taught us to LOVE one another; His law is LOVE and His Gospel is peace. Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother And in His Name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, Let all within us praise His holy Name! His power and glory evermore proclaim! His power and glory evermore proclaim!’ 

Oh friends, what beautiful sentiments, filled with eternal truths, while offering loads of assurance for the believer. I sincerely hope that tears of joy were flowing down all our faces as we sang those exquisite words. For how could it be otherwise eh, when we’re celebrating such a joyful occasion? And friends, the whole story of Christ’s birth is so incredible, that only a superior being could have worked it out so efficiently and competently and dramatically. 

That takes us to our Bit:  ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ Those were the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary, Christ’s mother, after he informed her that she would bare God’s Son through the auspices of the Holy Spirit, and that her hitherto barren cousin Elisabeth, in her old age, was also pregnant.  And what I LOVE about Mary is that despite her young age, throughout Gabriel’s information session she never got riled or overly excited. Of course she was somewhat concerned and confused as Gabriel appeared out of the blue and began to lay such weighty matters on her. Her only real question was how was she going to get pregnant without knowing a man? 

And once Gabriel explained, she was fine. ‘The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (One) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:35) I must say that Mary was pretty mature for her age and background. If an angel suddenly appeared now and told that a teenager, she’d either run away screaming in fright, or hurl vicious and angry words at the messenger. But Mary’s response at the end of the conversation was simply: ‘Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38) 

Ah friends, I’m not sure that Mary would have been so relaxed if she had known the immense heartache she would have to face by being the mother of the Son of God. But nonetheless she held up under all the stress and strain of her position fairly well. Obviously the Lord gave her the wherewithal to stand strong and face the adversity, as He does with us all, when He gives us a job to do. 

So fellow believers, on this Christmas Eve Sunday of 2017, with our world in a complete mess, let’s try and spend some serious time contemplating the mystery and the miracle of Christ’s birth, and how it affects our lives today nuh.  And consequently, what we need to do to improve our lives and the lives of those around us, because if we are to be true followers of Jesus, and for His birth, death and resurrection to truly mean something, then we should always be in the process of becoming more Christ-like and setting a good Christian example to others. That’s Christ’s desire and our bounden duty. Much LOVE!

…ALL things are possible with God…you just have to study Christ’s life to see it…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 January 2017 Psalm 73:28.

27 Jan 2017 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 73:28.   But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.

Well, well, finally a touch of blue in the sky! But unfortunately there is also a touch of white on the ground too. I guess we can’t get one without the other these days. 

But that’s okay, we can handle it, and anything else that’s thrown at us, once we get the brilliant light of the SON, which we do every single day. Glory to our great God! 

But you’d also notice that regardless of the weather, the working folks are always rejoicing on Fridays, declaring stuff like: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Slave labour done for two whole, big days! Is we time now to do what we want, when and how we want! 

And we going to start by partying down the place…giving vent to all the frustration that’s built up over the past week! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes, so we can do our thing!’ 

Ah friends, as usual, the world tends to go overboard in the carnality of the weekend. As Jeeves would say ‘a modicum of circumspection’ is needed to temper it. Something more along the lines of our Friday Chant, that we shall now declare. 

‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. 

Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ 

Yeh mih people, unless we get some rest, relaxation and fellowship on the weekend, next week will be even rougher than normal. So I implore us not to party the whole weekend away, like so many of us tend to do, for that just makes life more difficult in the long run. Moderation in all things friends! That should be our motto. 

That brings us to our Bit: ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ 

Yes my people, that was the psalmist Asaph’s conclusion after trying to solve the mystery of prosperous wickedness. And even today we wrestle with that fact that a lot of good people are suffering severe want and need while the wicked are prospering. 

But yuh know what? The Lord has promised to destroy the wicked in His own time, so we don’t need to worry about them, that’s His problem. 

Our number ONE PRIORITY is to get ourselves clearly aligned with the goodness of God, for that’s the ultimate in wisdom! It’s where salvation, eternal life and true prosperity are to be found! 

Listen to the writer of Hebrews. ‘And having a high priest over the house of God; 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 to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works.’ (Heb.10:21-24) 

Yes friends, it’s all there! We have a high priest in Jesus who knows our problems and can identify with them, because He also experienced them while here on earth. So we need to stand strong in faith and LOVE and good works, like He did, and like Him, we’ll eventually receive the promise, for our wonderful God is faithful. 

And if you don’t believe that, then listen to this scripture from Bruh Paul to the Philippians. ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:8-11) 

Wow mih breddren! Yuh see how the Father was faithful to Jesus for His unswerving obedience; exalting His name higher than all names, and causing every knee to bow to Him and every tongue to confess His Lordship. 

Likewise He will exalt us if we are faithful and obedient to Him and His word. The problem though is that the world has so many more colourful and wicked attractions that sing out for out attention, and we tend to gravitate to them, rather than to the things of the Lord. 

But that’s not true wisdom my people. For the wicked will eventually pay for their misdeeds. Please remember that. The Lord has promised it, and He does not renege on ANY promise. 

So please be wise and stand strong and faithful in the Lord God of our forefathers, for that is the zenith of wisdom. Much LOVE!

…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) says…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…better words were never spoken…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 June 2016 John 6:48‏‏

30 Jun 2016 Leave a comment

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

John 6:48.    I am that bread of life.

Well a hearty welcome to you this Thursday morning mih lovelies! The sun is shining in my neck of the woods, and I do hope it’s shining in yours too. But just in case it isn’t, please remember that the Son is ALWAYS shining even in the worst of physical weather and circumstances! 

That’s the wonderful advantage we have over the unbelievers; we know that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is there for us ALL the time! He is just a prayer away… 

And all God’s children heartily and sincerely exclaimed: ‘Glory be to the Lamb that was slain, that was sacrificed on Calvary’s cross for our sins! Long may He reign in our hearts and souls! Amen!’ 

Yeh friends, there’s none other like our wonderful Redeemer Jesus Christ! Couldn’t be, for the world only has room for ONE Prince of Peace, ONE Lord of Lords and ONE King of Kings… and that’s our Jesus, our friend and guiding light! Glory Hallelujah! 

Now I want to share an interesting and very relevant quote from my One More Day Daily Meditations for People with Chronic Illness. I believe I’ve shared it before, but as we say, when it’s nice, you can play it twice, or even thrice! (smile) 

The quote is attributed to one Robert Nathan, but there are so many people out there with that name that I wasn’t able to identify the exact one. 

However, the quote says: ‘Give thanks for sorrow that teaches you pity; for pain that teaches you courage – and give exceeding thanks for the mystery which remains a mystery still – the veil that hides you from the infinite, which makes it possible for you to believe in what you cannot see.’ 

Yes friends, that’s what we call FAITH! And although we don’t like or want to have those negative experiences that cause us hurt and pain, we ought to embrace them because it’s only through experiencing them that we grow in courage and strength, and yes FAITH! 

If everyday was strictly wine, roses and song, we’d have no belly and backbone – we already have precious little of that. 

As the text says: ‘We cannot run away from problems. Tremendous problems must be confronted and resolved. Fears can be overwhelming. Tasks seem endless, and the challenge seems too great. It is comforting to realize we face nothing alone.’ 

And is that ever so true my Christian brethren! We’re never alone! The Holy Spirit of Christ, which indwells EVERY believer, is ALWAYS there to lead and guide us, to strengthen and comfort us in our every need! 

So Christians ought always to be positive people since we have the greatest power in the universe dwelling within us. Unfortunately that’s not the case with a lot of us. Too many believers are scared and fearful to face the days, the troubles and problems that seem to be always confronting them. 

But listen to the energizer at the end of the devotion. ‘I will not allow fear and panic to overtake me today. Courage will open the door to wisdom and peace.’ 

Yes my precious people, we need to believe that as we step out into the crazy, dangerous and ungodly world that currently surrounds us. And to help boost our spirits, and keep us on the straight and narrow path that leads to Almighty God, let’s declare our Thursday Blessings with premium confidence and glorious enthusiasm. 

All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! 

I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’ 

Well said my people, well said! Now let’s act it out in real life nuh. And that shouldn’t be a problem, because as our Bit so confidently states, we follow the person, Jesus Christ, who so truthfully declared two thousand years ago: ‘I am that bread of life.’ 

And indeed He is friends! He gave His physical life for us, so that we could have eternal life, rejuvenating reconciliation with the Father. That’s what He came down from heaven to do. 

Without His selfless sacrifice, we’d have no opportunity for life, because the scripture plainly states that the penalty for sin is death, and we were certainly embroiled in sin until His death cleansed us and set us free. 

Furthermore, NOBODY can get to the Father but through Him! And a lot of people refuse to belief that. But my faithful brethren, Jesus is truly the LIGHT, the LIFE, the TRUTH, and the WAY! 

Let’s never forget that, and keep embracing Him with all our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, for that is indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!

…there is power…absolute power…in the holy name of Jesus…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 February 2014 Ephesians 1:3

04 Feb 2014 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 1:3.    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.  

Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella’s moaning in his cups, crying in his wine, because he only has two more days left in Paradise. ‘Bahhh!’ Then I won’t be able to rise every morning, come out to my balcony and greet my wonderful God and the new day rising above the trees on the eastern horizon.

In two more days, I won’t be able to gaze out at the lush greenery and rejoice in the peace and awe of God’s majesty that it provides my soul. How sad my people. (smile) But as we keep saying, while there is life, there’s always hope, and while I’m alive, I will keep on hoping and praying that the God of my salvation will enable me to live out my days, or some portion thereof, in Sweet Tobago.

If it’s His will, then it will undoubtedly come to pass. But if not, then I will just have to grin and bear it. But in the meantime, I’m making memories so that in whatever physical space or state I might eventually find myself, there will be lots of joyful and entertaining thoughts flowing through my mind. For as we all know, memories are one of the few things which never leave us. So Friends, let’s all try and make as many good memories as possible today nuh, to enliven and enlighten our later years.
 
And mih breddren, I made some excellent ones yesterday. I don’t remember how it all went, but these are the highlights. I took my uncle Foster down to the airport around 9 a.m. to buy his ticket back to Trinidad. We also bought breakfast down there. Oh mih people, Tobago has certainly become a real food industry place; everywhere food is being sold.
 
We dropped him home, then came home ourselves, and had breakfast; fry bake and saltfish, washed down with some cold, gloriously tasting mauby. Hn! Then after writing the Bit, we headed for the beach.
 
In my contrariness (smile) and since I was the only one bathing, I went to Grange Beach, far from the madding crowd, and also close to an area in which I wanted to check out a friend. I was the only person on the beach, and though the tide was coming in, making the water somewhat choppy, I enjoyed myself. And while there, under a clear blue sky, a shower of rain suddenly came down.
 
Now the forecast had called for rain all day, but that was the first time we’d seen any. And Friends, just like there’s nothing sweeter than playing mas in rain, so there’s nothing better than being in the sea during a heavenly downpour! The pellets of heavenly blessing just kept falling on my head, as I laughed and swam, while the Duchess hid out in the car.
 
And since it didn’t make sense to come out of the water and get wet again in the rain, I just stayed there until the rain ended, some ten to fifteen minutes later. By the time I came out, an older Indian gentleman had set up a coconut stall by the side of the road, next to the beach, and since we hadn’t had any coconuts yet, we decided to check them out.
 
They weren’t bad, but the amusing thing is that while enjoying the nuts, the rain came down again. The wife ran back to the car, while I stood out there in my bathing trunks and my already wet towel around my neck, enjoying the coconut and chatting with the gentleman. 
 
Some ten minutes later the rain ended and we headed out to find this friend, whom I’d been unable to find a couple days earlier. But this time with better directions, I eventually found him. His name is Rees Jack. Apparently he suffered a stroke some two months ago, which unfortunately left him with little movement on his right side. But thankfully, otherwise he was mentally and emotionally alert, and still full of the joy of life. We had a short but excellent visit, recalling old times.
 
That reminds me of another old friend that I’d visited two days before. His name is Harvey Anthony, and he’s sort of housebound too, the result of an infected wound on his right foot, which isn’t healing as it should because he’s also a diabetic.
 
Friends, please remember them in our prayers. Ask the Lord to heal and comfort them in their time of trial and need. For remember that prayer is the greatest power on earth, and that the prayer of a righteous person can be very effective.
 
Now after visiting Rees, we stopped in at Cowie’s Bakery in Carnbee, one of the oldest, and in my youth, the most popular bakery in Tobago. And though they now seem to be a shadow of their former selves, with much more competition around, they still have some of the finest baked goods around. Their butter bread is still to die for, while their coconut tart is the best I’ve tasted so far, and their currants roll is still mouth-watering. 
 
After that, the Duchess and I ran around looking for food, but couldn’t find anything to thrill us, and we ended up in the mall, sitting on high chairs at a high table, eating ice-cream and gazing like awe-struck lovers into each other’s eyes. Hn, hn, hn! She might not agree with that description though. Then we came home and sampled the delights from Cowie’s Bakery. Now those were major good memories I made yesterday.
 
And finally let’s turn to our Bit: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.’
 
And my fellow believers, as our Bit so wisely points out, and as I keep asking everyday, how can we not LOVE and serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, when He’s done so much for us, simply because of His great, unconditional LOVE for us undeserving souls? 
 
Yesterday we talked about His redemption, forgiveness and showers of grace, through the shed blood of Jesus. Today let’s continue with a couple more verses of Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Ephesians, outlining how Jehovah God had planned to, and eventually redeemed us.
 
‘Wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence (understanding); Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.’ (Eph.1:8-9)
 
Ah Friends, yuh see again, that all the Lord has done is through His own LOVING-kindness, not through any actions on our part. In fact our actions would normally have caused Him to eradicate us. But His LOVE was so strong and awesome, that it caused Him to come up with a plan to save us from our sinful selves.
 
Now let’s hear the scholars’ comments on those verses. ‘1:8. This verse could be rendered, “He lavished upon us this grace which consists in all sorts of wisdom and prudence (or, insight). The word ‘wisdom’ refers to a knowledge of the true nature of things; prudence has to do with the practical application of this wisdom leading to the right course of action. But the specific “wisdom and prudence” Paul has in view here concerns a future aspect of God’s will, as delineated in verses 9,10.’
 
And re ‘1:9. This verse more precisely identifies that “wisdom and prudence” (v.8) that God lavished on us. This “wisdom and prudence” have to do with God’s making known unto us the mystery of his will. “Mystery” here refers to a divine truth that is incapable of being discovered by human ingenuity and that, until recently, has been kept secret. Why did God disclose this mystery to us? It was according to (because of) his good pleasure which he hath purposed (planned) in himself.’
 
So there we have it my fellow believers! God planned His plan, and when the time was right, laid it out one step at a time to his greatest creation, mankind. So why aren’t we more appreciative and grateful eh? I can’t explain it.
 
I can only say that if we don’t change our sinful ways and turn back to Almighty God soon, then many of us will be left out in the cold, or rather in the eternal ‘sufferation’ of hell fire. And I don’t think that is going to be a fun time. So please let’s err on the side of caution and wisdom. Much LOVE!
 
…to him who obeys the call of disobedience…will the wrath of God surely fall upon…   

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 September 2013 1 John 5:14

25 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

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

1 John 5:14.   And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
 
Oh Friends, for some unknown reason, this Wednesday morning in late September, early fall, the ole fella’s a tad under the weather. The enemy has somehow managed to wangle his way into my subconscious. But the good news though is that it’s not for long.
 
In fact, I’ve just run Him out! (smile) With the awesome help of the Holy Spirit, Beelzebub was just kicked to the farthest part of his dark domain. Thank You Father! And I can now pay close attention to the Word and write the Bit without the enemy’s unwanted intrusions.
 
Oh my people, that’s why we have to be so careful in all our doings in this ungodly world, because the evil one and his evil counterparts are always seeking an opening in our spiritual armour to mount an attack against us, and oftimes we don’t know where or when he’ll appear.
 
Sometimes it’s all of a sudden, at other times he slowly creeps up on us. But if we stand strong and keep a watchful eye, we’ll usually recognize the evil that’s trying to come against us. Then we’ll surely be able to counter it with the assistance of the powerful and wonderful helper, the Holy Spirit of God, which dwells within us for that exact purpose.
 
Ah my Friends, as I have to remark almost every day: ‘What a wonderful God we serve and worship!’
 
And all God’s children said a loud and thankful: ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’
 
And we do need to give Him much thanks and praise. Just look at what our Bit says: ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.’
 
What blessed assurance that is; to know that whatever we ask God for, once it conforms to His will, He will lend a listening ear, give us a serious hearing. 
 
Now let’s turn to some scriptures that have now been languishing for a few days, because there’s been so many others to bring to the fore, and we can’t do them all at once. And we’ll begin with Bruh Paul writing to the Ephesians, talking about his mission to the Gentiles.
 
‘To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold (many sided) wisdom of God, 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. Wherefore I desire (ask) that ye faint not (not lose heart) at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.’ (Eph.3:10-13)
 
Yeh Friends, God’s wisdom is so wide and wonderful, that none of us can ever fully fathom it!
 
Now hear the scholars on those verses. ‘3:10. Paul’s disclosure of this mystery teaches angels (principalities and powers in heavenly places) of God’s wisdom.
 
3:12. 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).
 
3:13. Which is your glory: God will use Paul’s tribulations and sufferings in the ministry to spiritually benefit his recipients. Such edification will then bring about glory on their part in that they praise and honour God.’
 
And that last statement is an indisputable fact Friends! When we truly recognize the plan and purpose of tribulations, both in our own lives and those of other believers, we come to an even greater understanding of God’s actions.
 
Then turning to Hebrews 3, which talks about Christ’s superiority over Moses, the author boldly and rightly declares: ‘For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after (afterward);
 
But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.’ (Heb.3:4-6)
 
Yes my brethren, Christ built the house to which we belong as believers. And we’ll continue belonging to it, as long as we stand firm in faith and rejoice unto the end in the hope that believing accords us.
 
And we’ll make space for one more scripture. (smile) This comes from the end of 1 John 2, where he’s expounding on the children of God and righteousness.
 
‘And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth (practices) righteousness is born of him.’ (1 John 2:28-29)
 
All of that is everlasting truth, my brethren!
 
And the scholars provide these footnotes. ‘2:28. Wishing to please the Lord, and not be ashamed before him at his coming, ought to motivate believers to stand firm, to abide in him.
 
2:29. The idea seems to be that he who practices what is right, being born of God (3:9), need not fear Christ’s coming (v.28). Spiritual rebirth is stressed in John. See 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18; also John 1:13; 3:3-8.’
 
And as always Friends, I encourage us to read the references that the scholars provide, because they do help us in further understanding the scriptures.
 
Now my people, as we hope and pray everyday, that the message uplifts us, and keeps us strong and steadfast in faith in Almighty God, and also causes us to come up a little higher in living and LOVING for Jesus! In His Holy Name we pray. Much, much LOVE, my Christian breddren!
 
…once you know Jesus…everything else pales in comparison…