Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 March 2016 2 Timothy 3:17

12 Mar 2016 Leave a comment

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

2 Timothy 3:17.      That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.

Oh friends, another day on God’s great earth is dawning in our hemisphere, whether we like it or not.  Hn! That’s how God, in His infinite wisdom planned it, and we have no say whatsoever in the matter. The only choice we have is how we live, how we spend this day that the Lord has so graciously granted us. 

We can either live it under the auspices of Beelzebub, enjoying the lusts of the flesh and the material possessions of this evil world. Or we can choose to dwell under the righteous and holy auspices of the Lord God Jehovah, Maker of heaven and earth and all therein. 

Now, I believe that the latter choice is the better one. First of all, the stuff of Beelzebub doesn’t last, can be destroyed by rust and moths etc., plus you can’t take any of it when you depart this life. And besides, a lot of Beelzebub’s work is done through deceit, sleight of hand and mirrors, only giving you the impression that you actually have something good, when in fact you have nothing at all; just a chimerical, illusory state. 

However, with Almighty God, you have the ability to store up treasures in heaven, which you can’t do in hell. And secondly, living under the mighty hand of God also brings new perks each and every day. Glory Hallelujah! You certainly don’t get new blessings every day from the evil prince of darkness; he just tries to steal your soul or keep you locked up in darkness to suit his evil purposes. 

As Jeremiah reminds us in his Lamentations: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam.3:22-23). 

Oh my fellow believers it is so good, so heartwarming and reassuring to see our heavenly Father working diligently for good in our lives every day. And don’t forget, He is the epitome of faithfulness, He will NEVER let us down under any circumstances, which obviously can’t be said about our evil enemy who roams the earth like a roaring lion, looking for those whom he might devour. 

That brings us to our Bit, Bruh Paul’s admonishment to his young protégé Timothy.  ‘That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ 

And how do we get to be like that? By praying, reading and meditating on the scriptures and living the life it espouses. 

As Bruh Paul explains before our Bit: ‘But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.’  (2Tim.3:14-16)  

And the scholars illuminate us thus: ‘3:14-17. Continue literally means “remain.” The things which thou hast learned were his oral instruction in the holy scriptures (the Old Testament, here) by his mother (Eunice) and grandmother (Lois). Inspiration of God (Gr. theopneustos, lit. “God-breathed) describes the unique character of Scripture. It is not only written by men, but authored by God. 

For doctrine means to tell one what to believe. For reproof means to tell one what is wrong. For correction means to tell one how to correct wrong. For instruction in righteousness means to tell one how to live. Perfect (Gr. artios, “proficient, capable”) is having everything needed to do what God wants. Thoroughly furnished means “thoroughly equipped.” God’s inspired Word, properly used and applied, provides all we need for life and ministry.’ 

I couldn’t say it any better myself friends. And many of us were raised like Timothy, with oral instructions in the scriptures from some family member, friend or Sunday school teacher, which means that the Word of God was planted in our hearts early on in our lives, so it’s nothing new to us, however we need to continue studying it, so that we will know how to live a godly life as adults. 

That’s because the Word is a complete set of instructions on how to live this life. We don’t need anything else beside it; just wisely and diligently follow its instructions and we’ll be well covered. I know that many of us might think otherwise, but you’ll never know the truth until you try it. 

Remember in Jesus’ realm, you have to believe it before you see it. That means to have trust and faith in Jesus, regardless of the situation.  Again, that’s how the Lord planned His realm and we have no real say in the matter; is either we accept it or not. And we’d be foolish not to accept it, because there’s no faithfulness to be had in Beelzebub’s realm. The word doesn’t exist in his vocabulary. So that’s not a very wise place to be in. 

Meanwhile, in our Bit, Bruh Paul to a certain extent is reminding Timothy of his earlier words, re the good fight of faith. ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession).’ (1 Tim.6:11-12)  

That’s after he warned him about the pitfalls of listening to false teachers and being contented with whatsoever he had, as well as the erroneous and disastrous ‘LOVE of money.’ 

And we’ll end with some thoughts from the scholars. ‘6:11. Flee these things means shun a LOVE for money (v.10) and the striving for material wealth (v.9) with all its resulting woes. Follow after means pursue. Righteousness is practical correctness, conforming to God’s will in one’s thinking and acting. Godliness is proper reverence for, and obedience to, God. Faith is a trust in God that grows stronger. LOVE is a maturing affection for God and man. Patience is perseverance or steadfastness in life and service. Meekness is gentleness.’  

‘6:12. The good fight concerns the daily struggle with sin in the Christian life, and the hardships and adversities in the ministry. A genuine believer demonstrates the reality of his faith by being engaged in this warfare. Lay hold on eternal life does not negate the fact that a believer now possesses spiritual life (John 3:36); rather, it speaks of fully realizing or appropriating salvation as the believer matures.’ 

So friends, as usual, I’m asking us to ponder all that we’ve read today, then, with God’s help, let us try to improve , to steadily mature as we ought, for that is indeed true wisdom. Much LOVE!

…the Bible is God’s Word to us…still fresh through all the ages…and if we read it…we will find God’s wisdom on its pages…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 November 2014 Isaiah 61:11

07 Nov 2014 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 61:11.   For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

 
Aye Friends, what’s up this damp and chilly Friday morning eh?
 
And the answer immediately comes back: ‘How yuh mean what’s up? It’s Friday…therefore we’re joyful, because the slave labour soon finish for another week! We get to do our own thing for two big, whole days.
 
Wow! That’s why we cry out in grateful praise: TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And our wonderful God will soon give us some relief from the ungodly bondage of 9 to 5! So let’s rejoice and be glad in this day that the Lord has so graciously made and given to us!’
 
And that’s exactly as it ought to be my people. Rejoicing in God’s goodness and mercy should be the norm everyday that we awake with His awesome breath of life pulsating through our mortal bodies!
 
We should be declaring that we have such a joy deep down in our souls that it just makes us want to shout it out; to tell the whole wide world about it! To tell them what an amazing God we serve and worship!
 
To testify about all the wonderful and amazing things He’s done in our lives, is currently doing, and has promised to do in the future! That’s true discipleship and ambassadorial duty for Jesus Christ!
 
And as our Bit – taken from Isaiah’s prophetic declaration of good tidings of salvation to Zion – so wisely and truthfully tells us: ‘For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.’
 
And all God’s children gave a mighty and joyful shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Let all creation give Him thanks and praise! For He is indeed worthy to be praised!’
 
Yes my people, we have to believe God’s Word; see it through our eyes of faith; see a time when our God will cause righteousness and praise to cover the earth. He promises it… and He WILL deliver, because He is ever faithful to keep His promises! He hasn’t broken one yet, since the beginning of time.
 
As the Jermaine Cowan reggae song declares, the Lord will give us: ‘Beauty for ashes… In a shower of grace. Hope for tomorrow – It’s a brand new day. He took away my sorrow. Put a smile on my face. Beauty for ashes… In a shower of grace…’ Yes Friends, that’s the way of our wonderful God!
 
And in Psalm 72 – the reign of the righteous king – one of two authored by Cousin Sol (Psalm 127 is the other), he mirrors our Bit by proclaiming: ‘The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.’ (Ps.72:3)
 
Of a truth my brethren, our great King Jesus Christ will bring about a golden age, one of peace, LOVE and prosperity when the time is right!
 
This at a time when the Lord has removed His anger from Israel, as the sons of Korah proclaim in Psalm 85. ‘Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
 
Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps (make His footsteps into a way).’ (Ps.85:10-13)
 
Oh my people, how beautiful, heartwarming and reassuring are those words!
 
That brings us back to Isaiah’s words, re the future glory of Zion. ‘Violence shall no more (no longer) be heard in thy land, wasting (devastation) nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
 
The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.’ (Is.60:16-19)
 
Oh my fellow believers, how we all wish those times were taking place right now, instead of the exact opposite conditions –devastation and destruction – of our current world order. But we cannot give up on the beauty of that vision; we have to persevere until it comes to pass.
 
As Isaiah reminds us, re the restoration of Zion: ‘For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.
 
I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace (keep silent) day nor night: ye that make mention of (remember) the Lord, keep not silence. And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.’ (Is.62:5-7)
 
So Friends, in accordance with God’s request, let’s not keep silent nuh. Let’s continually make mention of, and give praise to our amazing and merciful God – starting right now, with our Friday Chant.
 
As one voice now: ‘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.’
 
Now let’s go out sincerely believing the Word of the Lord, holding it up always in our mind’s eye, as the eternal vision, and doing whatever we can to help it be fulfilled. That’s all that Jesus asks of us. Much LOVE!
 
…in a world where Jesus reigns supreme…only praise and righteousness are worthy to be present…

 

 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 October 2014 Mark 9:23

15 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

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

Mark 9:23.   Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
 
Ah mih people, the unexpectedness of life eh! That’s why we have to live and enjoy it while there’s still time. I went to bed last night, or rather this morning, at minutes to two, after being outside on my porch with Jesus, silently communing with the Father, as a gentle, latter autumn rain fell in my area.
 
Yes Friends, it was Jesus and I out there, for if we say He lives in us, and He is always with us, walking and talking with us, that means everywhere we go, He is there too. And that’s so comforting and reassuring!
 
So I get to bed at that early hour (smile) – remember Willie Shakespeare’s adage – to go to bed late is to be up early- and a couple of times I wake up to look at the clock radio on the far night table next to the Duchess’ side of the bed. But neither time could I see anything, which left me wondering why she would turn it off or unplug it.
 
But lo and behold, one of those times I sat up and looked around me, only to find that there was darkness all around. For a few seconds I was mystified… then it dawned on me that there was no electrical power. So obviously all the clocks that worked with electrical power were dead, and I had to grope around to find a flashlight to look at one of the battery-operated clocks.
 
Oh I have several clocks in my bathroom and bedroom, and all of them tell a different time. (smile) It was then around 5.30. I looked out the window, and out there everything was dark too. With no other alternative, I simply, and gladly went back to bed. What else could I do without electricity eh? (smile)
 
However, the ole body didn’t surface again until minutes to eight, and then I had to put out the garbage and stuff, because I heard the trucks rolling around the neighbourhood. So it’s not until minutes after eight that I’m starting to write the Bit. Now that’s my story… and I’m sticking to it! (smile)
 
I had some other stuff in mind to open with, but it seems the Good Lord wasn’t in favour of that, so we’ll leave it for another day. Anyway, we’ll continue with our Bit on faith and belief. ‘Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’
 
Yes my brethren, through faith and belief in Almighty God, ANY and EVERYTHING is possible! Please don’t ever doubt that, because we have a God who created the universe and all therein, a God who is omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present!
 
That means He’s all-powerful, as well as being here, there and everywhere at the same time, working out good for those He has called and who sincerely believe in Him. Wow! What a magnificent and magnanimous God we serve my fellow believers!
 
And it’s truly sad that more of us don’t truly believe in His awesome power and LOVING-kindness, for then our lives and world would be so much better!
 
And we’ll continue to check out a couple of instances where faith and belief made a substantial difference in certain people’s lives, as they came to Jesus for help. The first is about the Roman centurion.
 
The Good Book tells it this way: ‘And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy (paralyzed), grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
 
The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant should be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
 
When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
 
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.’ (Matt.8:5-13)
 
Yes Friends, yuh see what faith can do! It can help you move heaven and earth! And per the scholars: ‘8:5-9. The centurion (comparative to a sergeant –major’s rank today) was impressed with Jesus, whom he likened to himself as one under authority. He recognized that in dealing with the realm of sickness and death Jesus had all the power of God behind Him.’
 
And ‘8:10-13: The words from the east and west, are taken form Psalm 107 (with allusions also to Is.49:12; 59:19; Mal.1:11). Here Christ is referring to the ingathering of the Gentiles through the preaching of the gospel, culminating in their final gathering at the time of His Second coming.
 
The children of the kingdom refers to those to whom the kingdom really belongs. Outer darkness refers to the condemnation of the second death. There shall be…gnashing of teeth: There (in that place) is used emphatically to draw attention to the fact that such severe punishment is in fact reality.
 
Even though he was a Gentile, the servant was healed because of the faith of the centurion. The contrast to this incident drawn by Jesus emphasizes the foolishness of Israel’s rejection of Him as Messiah.’
 
And sadly my people, today we are still perpetuating that foolishness of Israel, by rejecting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour! How foolish eh, after all the examples and pratfalls we’ve experienced over the years?
 
Anyway, time and space are against us, so we’ll close with these famous remarks of Jesus to His disciples, when they could not heal the sick youth with the dumb spirit that we talked about yesterday.
 
‘And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible to you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.’ (Matt.17:20-21)
 
There again we have it Friends, Jesus telling us about the importance of prayer and fasting, albeit in a sincere manner. So today, as we tend to Jesus’ business, let’s go forth in faith, hope, LOVE and belief, so that we can make a positive difference in our fallen world, and thus warm the cockles of Jesus’ heart! Much LOVE!
 
…the first step is to simply believe…then the next one is to still believe…then to the others…just keep on believing…

 

  

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 September 2014 Isaiah 40:11

01 Sep 2014 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 40:11.   He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

 Oh my people, it’s Monday – Labour Day Monday!
 
That means many of us fortunately don’t have to go to work today. But it’s not simply a day to party and carry on either. It’s a day that calls for a certain amount of reflection, reverence and lots of appreciation and gratitude to our forefathers who paid a hefty price, even to the extent of their lifeblood, to fight for the rights and freedoms which we now have in the workplace.
 
Many a head was physically bashed in by the cruel Pinkerton private force as they were hired in the early days of the Labour Movement to put down strikes and other calls for a more humane, fair and equitable workplace. So please don’t go taking for granted those benefits and other freedoms we now enjoy at work. Neither should we abuse those hard fought for rights, as so many of us are doing today.
 
Doing any of those irresponsible things shows no respect whatsoever for the rough times and tribulations our forefathers so bravely faced, so that we could work a more respectable eight hour day, five days a week, for a decent wage, under decent conditions, instead of twelve and fourteen hour days, six and seven days a week, for a mere pittance and in disgusting conditions.
 
Remember the big uproar over the wages and conditions of employment created by the recent rash of fires in the garment industry in Bangladesh? Well less than a hundred years ago that was the situation that existed in the West. And don’t fool yuh fat; the heartless, oppressive, money machine will be only too glad to take us back to those bad, old days.
 
And if you look closely, you’ll see that they are underhandedly preparing the way, through all the recent outsourcing of production to the low wage countries, the drastic cuts in wages, in employees, benefits and working conditions. 
 
So for you young ones who think the workplace is simply an arena for fun and frivolity, I’d strongly suggest that you wake up from your fairy tale world, and read about the terrible conditions that workers faced before the advent of Unions and other Labour Organizations, and the harsh and inhumane treatment they suffered to bring us to where we are right now.
 
And with the actions above now in place, means we’re slowly regressing, which further means that we have to stand strong as a group of fellow workers, or else we will eventually find ourselves right back where our forefathers were, for the rich and powerful have no social consciences, and therefore no qualms about taking advantage of the ordinary working man.
 
So this Labour Day, please seriously consider your role and position in the workforce and how all we’ve said currently affects you. Now let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to give a boost to the spirits of those who have to go out and labour under the now 24/7 greedy regime.
 
All together now, in harmony, unison and full voice: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
 
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
 
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
 
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’  
 
That was most excellent Friends, even heaven clapped and gave us a standing ‘O’!
 
But yuh know what, unless we now go out into the world and display those Christ-like attributes, it will all be wasted effort, all for nought!
 
And sadly we don’t have much time for our most encouraging and reassuring Bit which deals with acquiring comfort through trust in the Lord.
 
Listen to some of the verses preceding it. ‘The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever. O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain;
 
O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord your God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him.
 
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is.40:8-11)
 
Oh my brethren, what encouraging and reassuring scripture! Wow! It’s almost too good to be true! However, with our great and wonderful God, unlike with man, whatever the situation, there’s always the possibility that it’s true, because with our God, all things are possible!
 
Now let’s go out today and make Jesus proud; let’s be true and obedient disciples and ambassadors, as He desires of His followers. Much LOVE!
 
…when one truly knows Jesus…one’s heart is filled with unspeakable joy and LOVE…LOVE for God, his neighbour and himself…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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