Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 December 2019 Matthew 5:14.

12 Dec 2019 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 5:14.    ​Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
 

Well hello there my beautiful Scrip-Bit friends and family! Oh… you’re shining bright and beautiful like the morning sun outside my window! Now that’s the way our Lord and Saviour likes to see His people blooming and blossoming in this evil world! Yes, I know you’re thinking that B.S, does indeed baffle brains, but why couldn’t what I’ve just said all be true eh? That’s exactly how followers of Christ ought to be! And a lot of us are…just not enough! 

But we won’t belabour the point, I’ll just share this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, which shows exactly how believers are when Christ is in the house. And it’s titled, quite appropriately, ‘You Cannot Be Hid.’ 

Please pray with me: ‘Lord, I’ve discovered it’s never a secret When You live in a home For You simply cannot be hid. The neighbours soon know You are there Even strangers learn of Your presence. When You are the Great First in a home There is a radiance that speaks of joy There is gentleness, kindness Laughter and LOVE. There is a commotion mixed with contentment There are problems mixed with prayer. Lord, Your own Word says it so vividly: “It was known that He was in the house.” 

Oh Mama Mia people! That says it all so wonderfully! When Jesus is truly in the yard, it must show! If it doesn’t, then He’s not there! And this Christmas season when we celebrate Christ’s birth, let’s make sure that others can clearly see Him in our homes and lives nuh, because that’s the biggest advertising and selling point we could ever have: the light of Jesus shining in our lives. And Jesus Himself said it in the promise for our poem: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.’ 

Wow! What a gospel truth, from the very mouth of our Lord and Saviour! That means, as true believers our lives ought to be exemplary, not wishy-washy and full of compromises. Oh don’t worry, Jesus knows that we’re not perfect, and never will be, but what He desires is the sincere effort on our part. As He further enables and reassures us by these reassuring words. ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) What more assurance can we ask for or need eh friends? 

Please let’s not be like the Pharisees disputing His authority because He witnessed to Himself. Who else could He witness to or by eh, when he was God, the Creator, the Highest of all beings? As the Lord said so emphatically in Isaiah concerning salvation. ‘Look (turn) unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return. That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue swear (take an oath). (Is. 45:22-23) Yes my fellow believers, the Lord could not be more emphatic than that re His sovereignty and overall position in the cosmos! 

So since we are His disciples, His ambassadors in this ungodly and wicked world, our lives ought also to be bright and shining like His was. For, as He continues in Matthew after our Bit: ‘Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt. 5:15) More gospel truth that friends! We don’t light lights then hide the light, so why are we trying to hide the light of Jesus that dwells in us and wants to be set free in the darkness of this world eh? 

No, we have to do like He says: ‘Let your light shine so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16) Now that’s our very raison d’etre, our very purpose for being alive my brethren; to glorify God! That’s why He created us; so that we could worship and glorify Him, praise His holy Name and live just for Him alone! 

But getting back to the heart of the matter, this Christmas season when we’re celebrating Christ’s birthday with lots of lights, please, please, let not the lights be only on the trees and ornaments and buildings, but even more importantly, sincerely shining from our hearts, radiating in our faces and blossoming forth in our LOVING actions! As I said earlier on, the sincere light that shines in our lives is the best testimony we can ever give for Christ! 

Now let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!) our Thursday Blessings which our ever magnanimous God has showered down on us so we can do His work, be bright, shining lights in a dark world. Altogether in full 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 everyday! Amen!’ 

And it pays to remember that those blessings are for us to generously share, like the Lord generously shared them with us, not to selfishly hoard for ourselves. Much LOVE!

…as lights for Christ…we can choose no better time to shine…and shine brightly too…than at Christmas…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 May 2018 Proverbs 3:1.

31 May 2018 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:1.   My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.

At last friends, at long last, a breakthrough! Wow! I can now breathe fairly well through my nose again! Glory to God! You would not understand the difference it makes not having to wake up so often to moisten my dry mouth. 

And I guess that’s why I slept in this morning; the body hasn’t had the luxury of sleeping for several hours undisturbed for a while now. (smile) Let’s hope we don’t regress again, because we were already at this stage last Saturday. 

Yes, it’s time to move on to bigger and better things, like praying for those unfortunate people in Hawaii who are still struggling with the effects of the volcano lava spreading all over, and thanking the Lord that the tropical storm Alberto did not do as much damage to the Southern U.S. as expected, and has now been downgraded. 

Ah Lord eh friends, as the old people would say; in this life, if it’s not one thing, then it’s another. And isn’t that indisputable truth, because we never seem to have a time when something negative is not happening in our lives. That’s why we’ve been admonished to godly obedience in our Bit, because it’s only through intimate association with Almighty God that we can successfully handle the issues of life. 

‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.’ And some are brass-faced enough to ask why they should do that? Well here is why! ‘For length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add unto thee.’ (Prov.3:2) And if you don’t want that, then I don’t know what to say to you, because I believe everyone wants those things. 

And Cousin Sol continues with his exhortations to obedience. ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.’ (Prov.3:3) Wow! What wisdom friends! 

But before we look at why doing those things are considered wise, let’s check out some explanations from the scholars on that verse. ‘3:3. About thy neck: The teachings should be made as much a part of one’s adornment as a necklace. The table of thine heart, that is, the mind.’ 

Yes my people, God’s laws should be so much a part of us, that they come like a necklace around our necks and should also be constantly on our minds. And what’s the benefit of all that? ‘So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov.3:4) I don’t know about you, but I surely want to find favour with God, and to some extent with man. 

Then in his God-inspired wisdom, Cousin Sol pens these words of everlasting truth, which so many of us quote, but don’t really put into practice. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov.3:5-6) Oh mih breddren, what words of truth and wisdom! 

And the scholars explain: ‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning, “rely on, depend upon”; lean not, meaning do not depend on your own native instincts; and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths before you smooth and/or straight.’ 

And normally people would stop there, but I’m not going to, because there’s much more wisdom that we desperately need to follow in the next few verses. ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.’ (Prov.3:7) And you wonder why? ‘Because ‘It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov.3:8) Yuh see friends, following the Lord even brings bodily health and strength! 

And we’ll close with this admonishment, that’s also so important, but which most of us don’t follow to our own demise. ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase:’ (Prov. 3:9) And again you foolishly ask why you should give to God so generously of your earthly possessions? ‘So shall thy barns shall be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov.3:10) 

Ah mih people, remember one of the first rules that God laid down for the Israelites was giving a tithe, ten percent of their income to the church, so that the church could support the priesthood and do His work. And when they followed His command, they prospered. 

But now, we seem to think otherwise and it’s not taught in many churches. But friends, that’s why a lot of us individually, and churches as a whole, are suffering in these difficult times. We consider it difficult or unwise to give God ten percent of what He has given to us. Remember it’s all His, and we are just stewards of it. 

Please note His challenge to the Israelites in Malachi: ‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat (food) in mine house, and prove (test) me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’ (Mal.3:10) 

Oh my people, let’s start back teaching it in our churches nuh. Let’s just try it and see, take up that challenge and see if we can prove the Lord wrong nuh. From personal experience, I guarantee that we won’t! End of sermon. 

Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings that the Lord has so generously bestowed on us, although we don’t deserve many of them. In strong and sincere voice 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!’ 

And if we’re truly sincere, then we’ll go out and share those blessings with the less fortunate as Jesus greatly desires of us. Much LOVE!

…give generously to God…and He will give back to you…much more than you gave…