Today’s Scrip-Bit   9 June 2023   2 Corinthians 12:9a.

09 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 12:9a.        And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weaknesses.

And then it was Friday, with the attendant shouting of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ But in my area the thanking of God was not only because it was Friday and the end of the work week, we had a much more important shout of ‘Thank God for some rain at last!’ 

Yes friends, some time in the morning hours I heard some most welcome raindrops beating against my window pane, and although I had to drive through the drizzle to get to the doctor later on, I was happy to do so, for our land needed some heavenly blessing in the worst way. Let’s hope that some of that heavenly blessing also fell on the areas with forest fires, so that they can be put out more quickly and stop spreading the polluted air like they are currently doing. And all of God’s people said a loud and grateful, ‘Amen!’ 

And as per my ongoing illness, the doctor and I did not see eye to eye on the remedies for it, but you would have been proud of me, I was a well behaved Christian gentleman and just listened quietly to what he had to say, and will try to take his advice, although I don’t believe it will solve my current problems, and simply continue doing my own thing. 

I’m sure of this one thing though, these problems too will pass, for with the Lord guiding me, I will not be sick forever, and even with the illness, I know that the Lord’s grace will help me to get through whatever I need to do. For as Bruh Paul says after he asked the Lord to remove a thorn in his flesh three times. ‘And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weaknesses.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a) 

And believe me, several times I have recently experienced that power in my weakness. I guess it must have been exhibited before, but it’s only lately that I’ve noticed it. (smile) Although I don’t know if I’m quite ready to say like Bruh Paul did: ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me.’ (2 Cor. 12:9b) I doubt that if I will glory in them, but when they do show up, I’ll definitely turn to the Lord for His strengthening power. 

And I certainly haven’t reached this level as yet, where Burh Paul declares (yesss!!!): ‘Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.’ (2 Cor. 12:10) Now, I might suffer the bad stuff for Christ’s sake, and be strong in doing so, but I don’t know if I’ll take pleasure in it. (smile) 

Bruh Paul’s zeal is just too much for me. He was an exception to the rule. And I don’t think that the Lord expects us all to have that level of zeal, but I’m sure that we can all come up higher that we’re currently doing. If we just look around us, I’m sure we’ll see the lack of direction, the loneliness, the searching, the emptiness that so many of our fellow men are currently feeling and experiencing. 

Although we are seem so connected by technology, in actual fact we are very disconnected from each other. Just look on any gathering of individuals and you’ll see most, if not all of them on their cellphones, doing whatever, while their friends and families around them are doing the same thing. So, there’s no communication whatsoever with those directly next to them. And sadly, that’s what’s happening all around the world, despite the many almost instant methods of communication, we’re turning away from each other. 

And when you include the consequences of the Covid 19 pandemic, it just makes matters even worse. And if we ever hope to survive as a strong and vibrant society, we have to get back to the basics of true communication, caring and sharing from deep in our hearts, not the surface stuff that’s going on now. And again, only the LOVE of Christ can bring us back to that place of trust, compassion and kindness that we once had. Thus, it is very necessary, of the utmost importance, for we believers to stir up ourselves, each other and those whom we know are needy in some area. 

We are Christ’s ambassadors, His earthly agents, His hands and feet down here, and He’s expecting us to do much better than we’re currently doing. When He comes back, He expects to find plenty of strong faith on the earth, and that will only happen if we get up and get going. So please, for Christ’s sake, for the LOVE and gratitude we claim to feel towards Him, let’s make the effort to get up and get going nuh. Besides, that’s our bounden duty as believers. 

Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, asking for the help we need to handle our problems and thus make this world a better place for Christ. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need 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. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to 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. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, 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 it’s obvious that if we expect to receive positive answers to our petitions, then we also need to make positive changes in our lives. Much LOVE!

…it takes two to tango…one hand to wash the other…that means….help from God comes with obedience to His will and word…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 June 2023 Matthew 9:37.

08 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 9:37.       The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

Well friends this Thursday afternoon I’m faced with a big question: Are the cloudy skies outside indicative of rain as promised by the weather forecasters, or is it only smoke and haze from the forest fires burning in Northern Ontario, like we’ve been getting for the past couple of days? I’d like to think that it’s a foreshadowing of rain, but my computer is telling me that we are having polluted air. So, what do I think or believe eh? 

Oh, the pollution from the forest fires is resonating down here, and it seems even as far as New York City. I could smell the smoke and see the hazy skies sitting on my porch two days ago. And it’s definitely not a good sign when the residue from the fires is travelling so far away and beginning to affect the quality of air some people are breathing. 

Now, I wonder if that’s affecting the asthmatic problems I’m currently having? (smile) I don’t think so, because I’ve been bugged by allergies or something for the past ten days and nothing I do or take seems to make the problems go away. Guess I’ve got to go and see my family doctor. Been trying to get an appointment since yesterday, but haven’t heard back as yet. And that’s another problem in the country, or at least in this Province of Ontario, a lack of family doctors. 

Why? Not many of the graduating doctors are going into family practice because the rewards for the amount of work needed seem insignificant to them. And would you believe that in this supposed first world country there are people who don’t have a family doctor and can’t get one because the few they have are not taking on any new patients. And the government is just talking out of it’s you know what, on the health care issue, trying to make things bad in the public system, so they can have a rigged excuse to get their friends and partners into the private health care system they so badly desire, so they can make even more money than they are currently making. 

But yuh know what? As the good Lord says, this too shall pass. And believe me, it will, and those at the head right now will eventually be the wagging tail of the dog. Our God has promised it, and whatever He promises He delivers on! Amen! 

And now, on a more positive note, I want to share something that I found while going through some old files on my desk last evening. As so often is the case, I don’t know where I got it from, but it’s old because all the other stuff in that particular file was old, many from the early years of the century. However, the information it contains, still rings straight and true in these turbulent and topsy turvy times. 

There is no title, but at the top of the yellow page of paper, it says quite clearly and informatively: ‘The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called failure…a door called confusion…speed bumps called friends…red lights called enemies…caution lights called family. You will have flats called jobs, but if you have a spare called determination…an engine called perseverance…insurance called faith…a driver called Jesus…you will make it to a place called SUCCESS!’ 

Wow! And that’s the God-awesome truth! With so many roadblocks in your way to success, you definitely need to have all those things, especially Jesus as your Guide and Leader, to ever reach your God-given destiny! And that’s exactly what a lot of us supposed believers are lacking in these crucial and very critical last days of the church age; the spare tire of determination, the engine of perseverance, the insurance of faith, and the driver called Jesus. 

Oh many of us have the driver called Jesus, but our spare tires, our engines and our insurance are definitely not up to scratch. Yes friends, we are sadly lacking in those areas, that’s why our witness for Christ is not as good as it ought to be, and it will never get better unless we upgrade those areas in which we’ve fallen behind. Remember, Jesus is only the driver, He goes where we lead Him, and if our spare tires, engines and insurance are not good, then He can’t drive us very far, or on to any rough country roads where the fishing might bring a very good harvest. 

Remember what He said to the disciples: ‘The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.’ (Matt. 9:37-38) And that’s what we are supposed to be friends, labourers in the great harvest of God, obeying the Great Commission, going out and doing our best to bring others to Christ, by the way we walk and talk, the way we live and conduct ourselves amongst the heathen, setting godly examples for the unbeliever. 

And I like what the scholars say about those verses. ‘Verses 37 and 38 constitute one of the great missionary passages of the New Testament. Jesus pictures the world as a great spiritual harvest in need of labourers to gather into the storehouse.’ And indeed it is, and we are the labourers who are supposed to gather the harvest into Christ’s storehouse. But we are not doing such a hot job, are we? Thus, a lot of the harvest is dying, drying up out in the field because we’re not getting to it soon enough to reap it. 

As this commentary says: ‘God uses this analogy to highlight the fact that there are a lot of persons who need to be cared for and brought to God.’ And we all know that there are plenty people searching for answers to all the many and difficult questions in their lives, and we know that the ANSWER to them all is JESUS. But unfortunately, we’re not getting out there sufficiently and offering Him to those who are seeking solace, comfort and reassurance in this most desperate and needy time of man’s existence. 

But that’s our job friends, and if we’re not doing our jobs to the best of our ability, then we’re letting Jesus down. And I can’t stomach that fact. How can we ever let Jesus down after all that He’s so selflessly done for us eh? No way Jose! So please let’s get out there into the great harvest and reap as much as we can nuh, all in Jesus’s name! And it’s not like we haven’t been given the tools to do the job, we have. So let’s declare the Thursday Blessings that have so generously been bestowed upon us to do that very job. 

Altogether 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 every day! Amen!’ 

And having activated those blessings with our declaration (awright!!!) let’s go out and use them in a most generous manner to turn unbelievers to the good news of Christ. Much LOVE!

…if we don’t bring in the many sheaves of the harvest…heaven will seem somewhat empty…  

P.S. Looks like the Bit might be late again tomorrow, as I just got a mid-morning appointment with my doctor. Today’s was this late because I had a mid-morning church meeting. Chuh! Too many things demanding my time at the wrong time! (smile) Much LOVE! 

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