Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 September 2017 Matthew 19:26.

14 Sep 2017 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 19:26.   But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible.

In the summertime…summertime…summertime… Yeh friends, can you believe that in the middle of September, in my neck of the woods, we’ve been having constant temps in the mid to high 20’s range? 

Wow! This week has been hotter than many in July and August. You can actually feel the sun burning your skin. Now please note, this is just a passing observation, it’s not a complaint, (smile) for we will take that kind of weather any and every time! 

And I now understand why sometimes I wake up tired instead of refreshed. That’s because my medication has me dreaming constantly, and in the dreams I’m always busy doing something. It’s a good thing they are not nightmares, (smile) otherwise I’d go out of my mind. 

And I just noticed an interesting take on dreams on a sticky I have in my Bible. It comes from sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer). And she says: ‘The distance between dreams and reality is called action.’ Now that’s the living truth! 

Now she’s not talking about my medicinally induced dreams (smile) but the things we’d like to achieve, our cherished goals, the desires of our hearts. Unless we get up off our rear ends and put them into action, they will always remain dreams, unrealized ones to boot. 

And I guess many of us have dreams of things we’d like to do for Christ, but we’re not actioning them, so they are still dreams…useless to everyone, including Christ. 

Ah friends, as the ole people would say, to get things done, we’ve got to put our money where our mouth is. And that’s no lie. Until we put sincere and diligent effort into ANYTHING we want to do, NOTHING will get done. 

And having Christ and His Holy Spirit on our side, as our more than willing associates and helpers, then NOTHING is impossible to us… if we seriously and willingly make the effort to put whatever it is into action. 

Note Jesus’ words to His disciples after He told them that ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’ (Matt.19:24) Obviously the disciples were amazed by that statement and were left wondering, who then could get into heaven? 

And in our Bit, our Master had an answer for their problem.‘But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible.’ 

Oh mih people, mih people, until ALL we Christians truly believe that statement deep down in our hearts and souls, and not just pay lip service to it, then our Christian faith and Christ’s LOVE Revolution will not progress as Jesus desires it to. 

Too many of us refuse to put into action the things God puts in our hearts to do because we don’t believe that they can or will ever come to pass. But here’s a personal testimony. Some ten, almost eleven years ago when the Lord came calling about the Bit, I laughed and told Him I didn’t know enough scripture to do something like that. 

But he persisted and eventually I gave in. And the first Bits were merely verses from the Bible, possibly with just a few words from me. But over time, as I have been faithful to His work, the Lord has been faithful to me and helped me until I’ve reached the current level. 

Now, as Sister Joyce likes to say:  I still haven’t arrived, but I’m certainly not where I used to be. And believe me friends, writing this Bit for over ten years now hasn’t been a cakewalk, but the Lord has guided me each and every step of the way. 

Many times I’ve begun by telling you I didn’t know what to write about, but then I’ve ended up writing oodles of stuff. Do you think that was just me and my brilliance? Of course not! It was the Holy Spirit of God inspiring me to do His work. 

And yuh think I was planning to give a testimony this morning? Not at all! But that’s where the Lord led me. So please friends, if the Lord has put anything in your hearts to do that falls under His will, stop hemming and hawing and get to it. For He won’t EVER ask you to do something and then not give you the required tools and help to do it. 

And having said all of that, let’s declare those powerful Blessings of Thursday, which our wonderful God has so magnanimously rained down on us. In full 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!’ 

Now let’s go out and share those magnificent blessings with the less fortunate, as our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ desires. Much LOVE!

…there is unbelievable power in the Word of God…if we would only use it…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 November 2014 Romans 5:8.

05 Nov 2014 Leave a comment

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

Romans 5:8.  But God commendeth (demonstrates) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Well well mih breddren, it’s Wednesday…! We’re halfway home in our workweek race…and we’re winning too! So please don’t let up, keep the pedal to the metal (smile) and just keep on doing whatever has been working for you so far.

Our omnipotent and merciful God is still on the throne, still in control, and He has the lives of all His children in good standing, calmly and blessedly working out His glorious plan for their good.

And all God’s children boldly and gratefully declared: ‘All praise and thanks be to the Lord our God, who in His great unconditional LOVE reconciled us to Himself, through the sacrifice of His son Jesus, while we were yet sinners!’

Oh what a truly wonderful and glorious God we serve and worship, my people!

And if by sad chance, you don’t happen to know that awesome Deity, or don’t know Him well enough, then here’s a li’l something from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional to help you ‘Learn to Know God.’

Please acclaim with me: ‘Dear Jesus, I’ve got to get to know you better. Please help me! I can feel my spiritual and emotional walls crack. I can hear old chains break. I can feel my heart opening like a heavy door whose ancient seals have just begun to break.

I can sense the footsteps of Jesus walking into my life. I am beginning to experience the joy of a soul that is being saved, a life that is being born again. Thank You, Lord! Life’s not fair, but God is good. Amen.’

And if you said that prayer sincerely, then you will indeed feel all those old walls and encumbrances breaking down, falling apart, as Jesus fully enters your life. Wow Friends, our God is truly awesome, truly something else yes! 

And Bruh Paul points it out so clearly in our Bit: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrates) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’

And all God’s children declared a loud and thankful: ‘Glory Hallelujah! All thanks and praise be to the Lamb who was slain for us!’ Yes my people, we can never repay, or thank Jesus enough for dying in our place.

As the scholars explain it: ‘5:8. Christ died for us: His death was vicarious. That is, He did not die merely for our benefit but in our place. His was a substitutionary sacrifice.’

That means we don’t have to die again for our sins; Jesus’ death paid for everything! Glory Be! And that’s why I can’t understand why so many people today are running away from Jesus instead of running towards Him.

But yuh know what my brethren, it all stemmed from the Father’s great LOVE for us! He didn’t have to send Jesus to the cross on our behalf nuh, He could just have left us to wallow in our abominable sins and end up in death and eternal separation from Him.

But His undying LOVE for us, His greatest creation, was so strong, it outweighed the grief, losing us would have caused Him. So in His vast, unending wisdom, He devised a plan to give us access to His holiness, righteousness and justice. Now, offering His One Son as a sacrifice hurt Him too, but He considered it the lesser of two evils.

As Jesus so boldly proclaims in a scripture we all know: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)

Oh Friends, I can’t think of a greater sacrifice than that; a Father giving up His only Son for a bunch of obnoxious, sinful ingrates!

But then again, as Jesus so poignantly declares: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) Then He went out and died for us to prove it.

Friends, Jesus put His money where His mouth was, are we doing the same? I certainly hope so, because there’s a very important addendum to that statement He made above there. ‘Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 15:14)

Yes my fellow believers, we can only be His true friends if we are obedient to His commands! If we are disobedient to His dictates, then we are not His friends. And that’s quite logical. It doesn’t make sense my dying for you, if you won’t live for me.

Now here’s an interesting bit of scripture on the subject from Peter, with which we’ll close today’s proceedings. Peter talks somewhat graphically about Christ’s suffering.

‘Who in his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the shepherd and Bishop (Overseer) of your souls.’ (1 Pet.2:24-25)

Oh my people, please, let’s put that on our plate to ponder on today nuh. Let that image of Christ on the cross be in our mind’s eye today, as we journey through life in this sinful and ungodly world, being His friend, doing as He commands, remembering that it was by His ‘sufferation’ that we were made whole, and given a once in a lifetime chance to return to the safe and LOVING fold of our great God and Creator: Yahweh! Much LOVE!

…friends stand by each other…so let’s stand by Jesus…as He stood by us two thousand years ago…and still stands by us everyday…

P.S. Oh Friends, it’s so short and sweet today! Glory be! So no complaints from the penny section. (smile) Much LOVE!

P.S.S. Would you believe that as soon as I was ready to send out the Bit, the ole computer froze on me. Chuh! It sure is trying to drive me crazy! But with the awesome help of Jesus, I won’t allow it to do so. (smile) Much LOVE!

 

 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 October 2013 Matthew 5:6

24 Oct 2013 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 5:6.     Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
 
Ah mih people, one more day has been added to our years on earth…!
 
And all God’s children loudly and gratefully declared: ‘Thank You most gracious Lord, for allowing us to see another beautiful day here on planet earth! Please guide and bless us, so that we can walk worthy of You. We LOVE You and praise your Holy Name! Amen!’
 
Well Friends, if we’re so thankful, then let’s put our money where our mouth is nuh, by ramping up that project we began yesterday, of trying to change the world. Remember we said we’d take it one day at a time, so that means we have to continue doing it today too, and every day that we draw breath in this world.
 
And just so that you’ll remember what we’re talking about, here’s Johnny Reid, in his Kenny Roger’s sounding voice, to remind us.
 
‘Today I’m gonna try and change the world. I’m gonna take it one day at a time. I’ve made my resolution, opened up my eyes. Today I’m gonna try and change the world.’
 
That’s just the chorus, now here’s the second verse… and it’s not the same as the first. (smile)
 
‘I’m gonna make sure my children know right from wrong. Never turn my back on those in need. Always gonna try to see myself through another’s eyes. Today I’m gonna try and change the world… Chorus.’
 
Yes my brethren, some more ways in which we can try changing the world every day that we’re alive! 
 
And Friends, those things might seem simple, but they are ever so important, for they are the very things we need to deal with if we’re going to change this god-forsaken, ungodly world in which we live.
 
We’re talking about things like making sure our children know right from wrong… Steups! Many parents don’t even know that, so how are they going to teach it eh, even if they could find the time?
 
And then ordinary things like not turning our backs on those in need… Chuh! That’s now a mainstay of our society, for too many of us do it too often. That’s where the servant part, the servant mentality of Jesus comes in. But how many of us supposed Christians want to be servants eh?
 
Not a whole lot, for in spite of Jesus’ command to the contrary, we still prefer to be served rather than serve, because the name implies a derogatory situation, and being served makes us look important in the hypocritical eyes of the world. But Friends, in Jesus’ eyes, that makes us look real foolish, faithless and spineless.
 
And before critically and oftimes harshly judging others, many who are less fortunate than us, let’s first try and put ourselves in their place nuh, and see how we’d like others to see us, if the situations were reversed. We so get off on judging others these days, even though we don’t know them from Adam, or have a clue about their circumstances. That’s certainly a big part of why our world is in such a disastrous mess.
 
However my people, we can’t make any of those worthwhile changes unless we have the words of our Bit buried deep in our hearts, souls and minds. ‘Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’
 
Yeh Friends, it’s another Beatitude from Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount. It seems like we’re dealing with Beatitudes this meeting, so though we’ve done this one already, some 17 months ago, it’s useful to do it again, because every so often we need reminders. (smile) And I’m sure there’ll be new and different stuff than the last time. 
 
Now here’s what the scholars’ have to say about our Bit: ‘5:6. These future possessors of the earth are its presently installed rightful heirs, and even now they hunger and thirst after righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is a proof of their spiritual rebirth.
 
Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which only God can give them. They shall be filled (Gr. chortazo) refers to a complete satisfaction. The Psalmist proclaimed: “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Ps.107:9)’ 
 
And that’s indisputable truth, as many of us can testify to! The problem though is to recognize the dearth, or lack of spiritual depth and then sincerely try to fill it. That means coming to God in humility and hunger of soul, so that He can generously and mercifully fill up that empty space that’s keeping us back from truly enjoying all He has to offer.
 
Remember Jesus’ promise: ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10)
 
That simply shows my people, that we can’t have abundant life, unless Jesus dwells in us abundantly. Let’s ponder on and consider all these things today, then take them all to God in prayer to help us fix whatever needs fixing. That’s wisdom from on high… therefore of the highest order! Much LOVE!
 
…oh to be meek and humble…hungry and thirsty for righteousness…so that our eyes can be opened…and cause us to make a sincere resolution…to try and change the world today…