Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 February 2016 Psalm 103:11

20 Feb 2016 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 103:11.   For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him.

Saturday, oh Saturday! What a great day thou art! And isn’t that the awesome truth friends? It surely is! But what’s even better than that, is that every day that God makes is a great one! Glory Hallelujah! 

That’s because He has great plans for those who LOVE and sincerely seek Him and dispenses His blessings and mercies in abundance to them each and every new day! Glory to God! 

Ah mih people, I can’t impress upon us enough the fact that we worship a most mighty, awesome, generous and ever-LOVING Deity! The ONE and ONLY TRUE and LIVING GOD, Creator of the Universe and all therein! 

Yes Friends, all the other supposed Gods are dead, ours is the ONLY ONE who’s alive and kicking! So why worship something or someone that’s dead eh? No good reason at all my brethren. 

And in response to the quote from our friend Anselm yesterday, here’s one similar to it that another friend sent me. Thanks Keith. 

Listen up: “As you grow older, there are ailments and pains that beset you. Some will stay with you forever. But as you pray and give yourself to God, He gives you ways in which to deal with the aches, and in doing so, He makes them so much less a burden to you that you can still fully enjoy your life.” 

And again I say: What an awesome God we serve and worship! 

Now here’s some more indisputable truth, this time from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. Today’s writing is called ‘The Exception.’ Please pray with me, because we all need to come to this rather significant conclusion. 

‘Lord, too often I demand  From my family and friends More LOVE  More affirmation  More acceptance  Than they are capable of giving. Today, dear God  I ask You to burn this truth  Into the depth of my inner being: Nobody in all the world  Can ever LOVE me  As much as I need to be LOVED – Except You!’ 

Ah mih breddren in Christ Jesus, I won’t even comment and say that that is the gospel truth! (smile) But we do expect a lot more from others than some of them are capable of giving. 

Sometimes we need to remember that they are only flesh and blood, and though made in the image of God Almighty, yet are but frail and not as top of the line like Him. Thus we can only do so much and give so much, even though we may want to do and give more. Our human nature in other words is rather finite and at a very low level. 

As the Lord has so rightly reminded us in His Word: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is.55:8-9) 

Now that’s telling us friends! We can in no way truly comprehend the length and breadth of our incomprehensible God! But some of us still foolishly try. 

Anyway the promise for today’s writing is also our Bit: ‘For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him.’ 

More gospel and indisputable truth my people! The Lord’s goodness and mercy are unlimited towards those who serve and worship Him faithfully. And I can give testimony to that wonderful fact. Oh, all praise and glory be to our magnificent and magnanimous God! 

Hear how Bruh David puts it in Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s mercy – from which our Bit is taken. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps.103:1-5) 

Oh friends, oh friends, how can I not serve and worship and LOVE and revere such a wonderful God eh! And the most important part of all that is ‘forget not all his benefits.’ 

And all God’s children gratefully shouted: ‘Oh praise and thank the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for His undeserved kindness to the children of men!’ 

And that we should truly do my brethren; much more than we actually do, because too many of us forget His benefits, especially when times get rough. 

Now that is something I can’t understand; when times get rough, a lot of us forget or turn away from God. But the truth is, that’s when we most need the affection and caring of our heavenly Father, because ofttimes, He is the ONLY ONE who can set our matters right. 

We tend to quickly forget what the Lord has done for us in the past. But friends, if He’s helped us in the past, why would He refuse to do the same in the present, if we’re still being obedient and faithful to Him eh? No reason whatsoever. 

Remember that we also serve an ever-faithful God, who does not change, is not a chameleon; one moment this, another moment that, but is ever constant. 

Listen to Bruh David again. ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness). He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 

For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him. 

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear (revere) him. For he knoweth our frame (understands our constitution); he remebereth that we are dust.’ (Ps.103:8-14) 

Oh my fellow believers in Christ, in ending, all I ask, is that we too remember that we are mere dust; nothing but dust, and behave appropriately. Much LOVE!

…all flesh shall perish together…and man shall turn again unto dust… (Job 34:15)

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 October 2014 1 Corinthians 2:9

24 Oct 2015 Leave a comment

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

1 Corinthians 2:9.    But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that LOVE him.

So Friends, it’s Saturday and the weekend is well on its way. Hope you have lots of good stuff planned for it, including all the new blessings and new mercies that our omnipotent, most generous and benevolent God is going to shower down on us today. It pays to be grateful and give thanks, especially for stuff which we most definitely do not deserve. So let’s spend a moment in earnest prayer nuh. 

Please pray with me: ‘Heavenly Father, today is a new day and we give you thanks for causing us to see it. We are also thankful for your promises to look after all our needs if we walk in righteousness and obedience to your will. Unfortunately we cannot do this on our own, therefore Lord we ask you to help us stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to you and your LOVING-kindness. This we ask in Jesus name. Amen.’ 

Yeh mih people, isn’t it interesting that we cannot do what God wants us to do without His help? For sure! But there are also many times we can do better in our own strength or even with God’s help, but we don’t. Why? 

Because as our Friend Anselm, who always tries to inspire us for a better tomorrow, says in his quote from yesterday: ‘Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.’ 

And that’s gospel truth my brethren! Although Jesus assured us not fear, too many of us believers are still living fearful lives because we are sorely bombarded with all the cares of the world. Now we have to be concerned about our affairs, but even when times are bad, we don’t have to live in fear. That’s the awesome mark of a true believer in Jesus! That’s what faith and trust in Him is supposed to cure, to suppress. 

Remember what Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome? ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose…. What shall we then say to those things? If God be for us, who can be against us…? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom.8:28, 31, 37) 

Yes Friends, if we sincerely LOVE God, and believe those truths from Bruh Paul to the Roman church, then there is absolutely no need for us to live fearful lives, but lives filled with big dreams, hungry hope and expectant faith that’s based on the solid foundation of the rock that’s our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 

That brings us to our Bit, the same as yesterday, which ramps up even more the surety and confidence we can place in almighty God, our Creator and generous Provider. ‘But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that LOVE him.’ 

Oh my fellow believers, isn’t that a beautiful and assuring statement, showing how much our great God truly appreciates us. As we saw yesterday, He reveals to us the things that matter most to Him through the power of His Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Unbelievers have no idea what He’s all about…but we do. And that’s glorious! 

Now let’s continue where we left off yesterday in this important scripture passage on wisdom being God’s gift. We’ll repeat verse 13 because there are some explanations that are necessary. 

‘Which things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.’ (1 Cor.213-16) 

And we’ll go straight into some scholarly explanations, as there are plenty. ‘2:13. Comparing spiritual things with spiritual: The term comparing occurs only here and in 2 Cor.10:12 where the meaning is clearly “compare.” However, in classical Greek, the term was always used in a sense “to compound” or “to interpret.” 

Probably the most satisfactory interpretation is “combining spiritual things with spiritual words.” After speaking of spiritual “things,” (vv.11-13),  Paul now speaks of the “forms” in which they are conveyed. Spiritual truth is conveyed in language that is given by God’s Spirit.’ 

‘2:14. Natural man (lit. “unspiritual man”) is unreceptive. He does not admit the truth into his heart (cf. Luke 8:13; Acts 8:14; 11:1; James 1:21). As spiritual discernment is generated only by the Holy Spirit, the capacity to know spiritual truth is beyond the innate powers of the natural man. 

Spiritually discerned: The fundamental idea of discerned is that of “examination” or “scrutiny.” It is used only by Paul and Luke, and mostly of “judicial examination.” (cf. Luke 23:14; Acts 4:9; 1 Cor. 9:3; 10:25, 27). On the spiritual plane the natural man does not have the ability to sift the facts.’ 

‘2:15. The difference between the natural man and the spiritual man is primarily that the spiritual man has founded his faith on God’s revelation. He can judge now both earthly and heavenly things. He can discern what is and what is not of the gospel and salvation, and whether a man truly preaches the truth of God.’ 

‘2:16. We have the mind of Christ means that Christians possess the Lord’s own understanding, that is, His thoughts, opinions, judgements, plans, and so on. This answers the question that Paul puts in the same verse. Who hath known the mind of the Lord? The answer is, “We do!’ The term we includes the apostle Paul and to some extent all true believers, though believers today are prudent to acknowledge the superiority of apostolic insight into spiritual matters to that of their own.’ 

Oh Friends, I know that those explanations are somewhat plentiful and heavy, but they are necessary if we hope to properly understand the Word of God, be able to discern truth from falsehood and thus grow in Christ-like maturity. As Bruh Paul tells the Corinthians later on, we can’t always be drinking milk, we need to grow up and eat some solid food, some meat and potatoes from the Word. (smile) 

So please let’s sit down and take our time and read and meditate and ponder on all that’s before us, so that we can learn and truly appreciate all that the Lord’s saying to us. Much LOVE!

…like a human being needs solid food as he/she grows physically…so too do believers need to delve into the more intricate aspects of the Word and understand them…so that they can  grow spiritually in Christ…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 July 2015 Hebrews 10:23‏‏‏‏

11 Jul 2015 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 10:23.    Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Oh Friends, it’s Saturday; sleeping in time for some, but for many others household chores, shopping and looking after young children will possibly make their day more strenuous and tiresome than any of the five days they slog off to work outside the home.

But that’s the unfortunate contradiction of modern day society; we have more conveniences than at any other time in man’s history, which ought to make our lives easier and give us more leisure time, but paradoxically we are also busier and enjoy less free time than our forebears. For sure, life wasn’t as hectic even just one generation ago, but as we supposedly evolve to a higher standard of life, we seem to have less time for ourselves.

Unfortunately, there’s not much we can do about it overnight as a society, but as individuals we can surely scale back the busyness in our lives which is causing us more stress and anxiety and thus increasing mental deprivation and higher rates of suicide, especially among the young.

Ah Friends, contrarily, life is becoming more difficult for many as our civilization evolves and we have to try and manage it as best as we can in our own interest, not the interest of the world and the powers that be. We have to look after ourselves because no one else is looking after the ordinary man who makes up the bulk of the society.

But having said all that, I want to share a quote from our friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. (smile) And in this quote Anselm reminds us to; ‘Always render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be.’

Now that may seem a bit harsh and unfair, but it is what Jesus advocated in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain (two).’ (Matt.5:41)

And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘5:41. In ancient times government agents were in a position to compel forced service upon a subjugated people.  A Roman soldier, for example, could compel a Jewish native to carry his armour or materials for one mile. Jesus now states that if someone compels you to walk a mile, go with him twain. The believer is to be willing to “go the extra mile.” Doing double our duty not only proves our loyalty to human authority, but likewise proves the spiritual intention of our heart.’

Oh my people, I know that many of you are chuckling and shaking your heads at that last sentence because numerous amounts of us nowadays don’t even want to do our simple, single duty, much more double. Hn! We have raised a generation that has no idea of, or use for the word ‘work-ethic.’ And that’s a sad mark on our resume as parents of this current generation.

But yuh know what Friends? We still have hope, we can still turn them around, both to come to Jesus, surrender their lives to Him and also find pride in doing good work. In fact we don’t have much of a choice if we intend to grow the LOVE Revolution of Jesus upon this wicked and ungodly world.

And one of the best ways to do that is by steadfastly and sincerely holding on to the words of our Bit, while working diligently to obtain our godly outcome. ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised ;)’

For sure my brethren! When we stand strong in the Lord and ask for His help to accomplish worthwhile projects, He will faithfully lend us a hand. The Lord has made numerous promises down through the ages and He has kept every one of them, so why should He change now eh? No reason whatsoever, once we keep our half of the bargain.  

Now let’s look at some more scriptures which address our Bit. And here is an interesting one from Bruh Paul to Timothy. He’s talking here about being a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ‘If we suffer (endure), we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he will also deny us: If we believe not (are faithless), yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.’ (2 Tim.2:12-13)

Isn’t that wonderful Friends? Regardless of our faithfulness, our God is ALWAYS faithful, because that’s just His nature. Just like He can’t lie, or help being merciful, forgiving, LOVING and kind.

Meanwhile, Isaiah in the song of praise by the redeemed confidently proclaims: ‘O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsel of old are faithfulness and truth.’ (Is.25:1) Again we see God’s faithfulness recognized and lauded by men of great faith.

And in Psalm 89 – God’s sure promises to David, Ethan the Ezrahite also proclaims with great confidence. ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens…. And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints… O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?’ (Ps.89: 1-2,5, 8)  

And the answer to those last two questions my people is an emphatic ‘NOBODY!’

And we’ll end with these well-known words of Psalm 92 – Praises for the Lord’s goodness. ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord; and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: To show forth (declare) thy LOVING-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lute or lyre); upon the harp with a solemn (harmonious or melodic) sound. For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.’ (Ps.92:1-4)

Yes Friends, if the people of God did not see faithfulness in Him, none of the scriptures we’ve read over the last few days would ever have been written. Now let’s go out there without any doubts whatsoever in our hearts, re the faithfulness of our magnanimous and magnificent God, for that is heavenly wisdom!. Much LOVE!

…wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God…commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing…as unto a faithful Creator…  (1 Pet.4:19)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 June 2015 Psalm 73:26

06 Jun 2015 Leave a comment

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

 Psalm 73:26.  My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (the rock) of my heart, and my portion forever.

And then it was Saturday; hopefully a day of rest and relaxation after a long week of commuting and traffic jams, morning and evening. Hn! But unfortunately, for a lot of us, it is a time to catch up on the housework and grocery shopping that we could not do during the week.

Ah Lord eh! Whoever talked about the lots of recreation time we would have with all the modern inventions and conveniences were sadly wrong, because this modern world is far busier, more intense and stressful that that of our parents. Now they didn’t have the conveniences that we have, but neither did they have to rush around and do all the stuff that we need to do today.

With most mothers working today, baby-sitting has become a major part of the problem, and it still takes time to load and unload the dishwasher, the clothes washer and dryer and clean the house. Then the current economic outlook is not the greatest, and consequently many people are losing their jobs, which creates even more stress and confusion.

Not only that, but the relatively few jobs that are available are mostly part-time, or contractual, with low wages and little or no security. And to make matters worse, the prices of everything, including rent and other accommodation keep going up, while wages are not keeping in step. So we are constantly falling behind in our buying power. No wonder the anxiety, worry, tension and stress in this most advanced and modern society.

What a mess we have made of God’s wonderful world my people! But all is not yet lost Friends. As believers in Jesus Christ we always have hope. As Jeremiah says in his Lamentations: ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.’ (Lam.3:24)

That brings me to an interesting point of view I recently received from my good buddy Anselm, who is always trying to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And he says: ‘To be a champion, I think you have to see the big picture. It’s not about winning and losing; it’s about every day hard work and about thriving on a challenge. It’s about embracing the pain that you’ll experience at the end of a race and not being afraid. I think people think too hard and get afraid of a certain challenge.’

And there is a lot of truth in that point of view, especially in these trying times when the world isn’t looking so rosy.  And remember too Friends, that is how our Lord and Saviour Jesus operated: He worked hard every day, thriving on the challenge of getting others to believe that He was the promised Messiah.

And though the going was often pretty rough, He wasn’t afraid, and never shirked from the challenge that the Father gave Him; to be the sacrificial lamb for the sins of the entire world. That means if we want to be Christ-like, to be transformed into His image, then we too need to step up to the plate and do whatever God has planned for us, without too much whining and complaining. 

And we have a wonderful Bit today that encourages us, that gives us the belly and backbone, the manly parts to stand strong and face the challenges of this earthly life. The Psalmist Asaph said it in no uncertain terms. ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (the rock) of my heart, and my portion forever.’

Oh what an uplifting and soul strengthening declaration that is my brethren! It’s also gospel truth, so it’s therefore something all believers should willingly and excitingly embrace. Ah mih people, we do need lots of gumption and strength to live in this current  fallen world, and there’s no better place or way to get that than from Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider.

And we’ll look at a few scriptures which echo the sentiments of our Bit. Let’s begin with Psalm 84, from the sons of Korah. They enthusiastically declare: ‘How amiable are thy tabernacles (lovely are thy dwellings), O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God… Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will still be praising thee.   Selah.’ (Ps.84:1-2,4)

Oh Friends, is our flesh crying out for the living God? It ought to be, but I have a sad feeling that our flesh is crying out more for the things of the world which moth and rust can destroy. (smile)  

Now listen to Bruh David’s take on the subject from Psalm 42 – An intense longing for God. ‘As the hart panteth after (the deer longs for) the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps.42:1-2)

Yes my people, the souls of believers ought to be seriously thirsting after Almighty God, who created us and still provides for us, each and every day! And please note that all the psalmists agree that our God is a LIVING GOD, not lifeless objects like other supposed deities.

And all God’s children joyfully and gratefully shouted out: ‘All praise, thanks and glory be to the living God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who is the source of all our strength and our fountain of life!’ Words of wisdom and absolute truth my brethren!

And we shall end with the two verses after our Bit. ‘For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed them all that go a whoring from thee (who are unfaithful to thee). 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.’ (Ps.73: 27-28)

Ah Friends, what a wonderful way to end today’s Bit! So please go in the peace, LOVE, wisdom, grace, mercy and forgiveness of our omnipotent Living God! Much LOVE!

…to long for…to hunger and thirst for Almighty God…is the hallmark of a true believer…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 May 2015 James 4:8‏‏

30 May 2015 Leave a comment

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

James 4:8.     Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. 

And then it was Saturday; a supposedly rainy day. But who knows eh? We’ve been promised some showers of blessing for the longest while, but we haven’t seen hide nor hair of heavenly water for at least two, possibly three weeks in my area. It’s been cloudy at times, but not even rain-clouding dark, and the strong winds we’ve recently been having have blown those wispy rain clouds away. (smile)

They remind me of the story of Elijah when he prayed for rain in Israel. On the seventh time Elijah’s servant went to see if any rain was in the offing per Elijah’s prayers, he came back and reported: ‘Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand.’ (1 Kin.18:44)

That was the beginning of an abundance of rain for Israel, but no such luck for us. Anyway, it’s still pretty early in the morning to despair, for with our God’s omnipotent powers anything can happen at any time,  in the blink of an eye.

But here’s an interesting general prayer that we can say every morning when we arise. It’s attributed to Norman Grubb (1895-1993), a British Christian missionary, writer and theological teacher. Please pray with me. ‘Good morning, Christ. I LOVE you! What are you up to today? I want to be a part of it! Thank you, God. Amen!’

Now my people, isn’t that simple and straight to the point? It certainly is. And it does help to get you connected with the Father as soon as you get up, before any evil and negative thoughts can enter your still fragile and not wide awake mind and spoil your day. And that’s all it takes Friends, something short and to the point to get us running on the correct spiritual track.

But before we can get to that, we first have to put into operation the words of our Bit, where we’re born again and can have that kind of ongoing relationship with Almighty God. ‘Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.’

Yes my people, it’s of the utmost importance that we have a close personal relationship with the Father, through the Son, Jesus Christ, while being indwelt by the Holy Spirit. And we can only do that by repenting of our sins, cleansing our hearts and turning over a new leaf, becoming a new creation in Christ.

Now listen to how Peter deals with the matter. ‘Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned (sincere) LOVE of the brethren, see that ye LOVE one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible (perishable) seed, but of incorruptible (imperishable), by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

For all flesh is as grass, and the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the (spoken) word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.’ (1 Pet.1:22-25)

Yes Friends, Peter is there repeating the words of Isaiah 40:6-8, where  mankind is likened to the grass that sprouts up bright and fresh in the morning, but soon withers and dies, especially when the hot sun beats down on it. And that’s the absolute truth!

But unlike that short-lived grass, the word of our Creator lives for ever, through the gospel being preached throughout the earth; the good news of his Son Jesus Christ, who was sacrificed for us on Calvary’s cross, then rose again in glory and ascended to heaven, where He now sits on the right hand of the Father, advocating for us.

Wow! What an omnipotent, but magnanimous God we serve and worship my brethren! It just can’t get any better than that, though a lot of us seem to think otherwise. But as I keep saying Friends, refusing to accept God’s grace and mercy and His free offer of salvation through Jesus Christ, which ultimately leads to eternal life, is the wisdom of a fool. And there surely are a lot of fools in this evil and ungodly world.

Anyway, enough of my carping, or proselytizing (smile), whichever one catches your fancy, and listen instead to an explanation by the scholars on the topic at hand. ‘1:23. Being born again (lit., “having been born again”) refers to all believers having been regenerated by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, which communicates His offer of salvation to mankind. Thus our salvation rests, from the human perspective, upon OUR willing reception of that offer.’

Yuh see Friends, it all depends on us willingly receiving God’s wonderful offer, that’s why I capitalized and highlighted ‘our’ above. The Lord has done His part by putting the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ on the table, so like any contract that is worthless unless there’s offer and acceptance, we now have the opportunity to accept or reject God’s offer.

However Friends, in this case, rejection of the Lord’s offer will bring disastrous and calamitous consequences, namely eternal separation from Him, and eventual death and damnation. So as far as I can see, with my limited human reasoning powers, accepting God’s offer is the wise thing to do.

I’m therefore urging us to do so as quickly as possible, if possible right now, because the time for Jesus’ return is imminent, and once He returns in majestic splendour and awesome might, that offer will be taken off the table…forever. So please take my wise advice and seriously get involved with Jesus. It will be the best decision you’ve ever made. I guarantee it! Much LOVE!

…to be separated from Christ…for all eternity…is the biggest mistake  a man can make…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 March 2015 Proverbs 24:1‏

07 Mar 2015 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 24:1.      Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them.

Well Friends, it’s Saturday morning and the ole fella has a headache. Not a terrible one, but it’s been bothering me for the last couple of days and I just can’t figure out why. The fact of the matter is that I very seldom have headaches, so when I do have one, especially one that lasts more than a day, I get somewhat antsy and jittery, especially when I can’t pin point the reason for it.

But as I keep preaching (smile) them’s the breaks! The show must go on! Only death or some terrible disaster must stop the Bit from going out. And in keeping with that statement, I’ll share my Friend ANSELM’S QUOTE FOR THE DAY- Inspiring You For A Better Tomorrow. This one was from yesterday, and it says: ‘You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.’

And that my Friends is a statement which contains a substantial amount of truth , for generally speaking we don’t treat those who can’t help us in some form and fashion, as good as those whom we believe can be of use to us. And we see this in all walks of life. Look at the rich man; look at how he treats those not in his social class or status.

Too many of them treat the poor, or less wealthy than them as unimportant, and look down their noses at them. But in God’s eyes, the only difference is that one has wealth and the other doesn’t. And your wealth doesn’t automatically make you better than someone else.

The same goes for the well-educated professional, lawyer or doctor. A lot of them seem to think that because of their title and supposed exalted position in society, that they are the cat’s pajamas, and consider themselves better and more important than the normal run of the mill person.

But Friends, the real test of a man’s character is that though he might be better off in terms of wealth, education, power or social status, he still treats every human being with whom he comes into contact, like an important person, without the usual airs and graces too many of us put on.

And look at whom our Saviour Jesus Christ hung out with nuh during His earthly sojourn; the tax collectors, the known sinners and prostitutes, the lowest of the low, which made the uppity social classes scorn him for his choice of friends. But the fact of the matter my people is that we are all human beings, made in the image of our Creator, and there’s no good reason to look down on others less fortunate than us.

In fact, Jesus would expect us to lift that person to our level, treat them with the dignity that we all deserve, rather than demean them and treat them with contempt. So if any of us happens to fall into that category, please let’s work diligently and sincerely on changing it, or else the Lord in His good time, will certainly make us eat humble pie, and we definitely won’t like it. (smile)

And another piece of wonderful advice comes from our Bit: ‘Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them.’ For they are only interested in devising violence and causing trouble.

Now hear these supporting words from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked, which cautions us to avoid wickedness at all cost. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. …

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devises (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:1-2, 7-9)

Words of absolute truth my people! Not hear says sentiments, but hard earned wisdom that Bruh David learned from hard personal experience.

And now hear Cousin Sol’s words of wisdom from his earlier writings on the subject. ‘Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it (do not travel on it), turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except (unless) they have done mischief (evil); and their sleep is taken away (they are robbed of it), unless they cause some to fall.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining (bright) light, that shineth more and more (ever brighter) unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.’ (Prov.4:14-19)

Ah Friends, words of inordinate wisdom there from Cousin Sol! No wonder he was considered the wisest man of his time! And unfortunately my people, nothing has changed between now and then…except perhaps the wicked have become more perverse and flagrant in their wickedness.

And we’ll end with these words of Bruh David from Psalm 26 – Examine me, O Lord, and prove me. ‘I have not sat with vain (idolatrous) persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers (hypocrites). I have hated the congregation of evildoers: and will not sit with the wicked. I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass (go about) thine altar, O Lord: That I may publish (proclaim) with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.’ (Ps.26:4-7)

And that my brethren is how we ought to live this life; refuting wickedness and upholding righteousness, for that is indeed the zenith of wisdom and the only road to eternal life with Christ. Much LOVE!

…Christ does not condone sin, wickedness or evil…so if we want to spend eternity with Him…we can’t condone them either…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 February 2015 Luke 1:37

21 Feb 2015 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.

Well Friends it’s a bright and sunny Saturday in Paradise! However, the ole fella’s not so bright and sunny. I got up this morning feeling like I slept under the bed, (smile) just aching and under the weather. And I’ve been at a loss to understand why, because I was at home resting all day yesterday. I only went out in the evening to get something from the mall and buy some Chinese food. I was gone possibly about an hour at most.

So I can’t explain the unwelcome state of affairs. I even had to cut short my walk along the shoreline of the property this morning because the knees were acting up. So I just came back inside, took some pain medication, had breakfast, then went back to bed, and am only just getting up. And that’s why the Bit is this late.

I’m still not up feeling up to scratch, but God’s work has to be done, and I know that through His wonderful grace He will guide and enable me to write something sensible in His name. What a wonderful God we serve and worship my people! I can’t even begin to sing His praises and His goodness to the undeserving children of men.

Oh Friends, the best thing a human being can ever do is to surrender to Almighty God’s will, put their total trust and faith in Him, because He is the only Being who can truly help us with anything at all, in any kind of situation.

And we’ll go forward with a quote of a couple days ago from my Friend Anselm, Inspiring You For A Better Tomorrow  ‘A good life is when you assume nothing, do more, need less, smile often, dream big, laugh a lot, and realize how blessed you are.’

That’s ever so true my brethren! In other words we don’t let the cares of the world drive us under, but actually put Bruh Paul’s dictum of being content in whatever state we’re in, and putting God First in our lives. That’s the only way we can successfully do what Anselm advises!

And today Friends, we offer you two for the price of one! (smile) Here’s another bit of encouragement from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from His Hour of Power Devotional. Gramps says with wholehearted gratitude and appreciation.

‘Thank you, Father, for the beautiful surprises you are planning for me today. So often in my life, when it looked like the day would be dismal, depressing and dark, an unexpected burst of golden sunshine exploded through a black cloud sending inspiring shafts of warm, beautiful sunshine into my life. Father, it is happening now! I can already feel the power of your LOVE, through Christ my Lord. Amen.’

Oh Friends, are you feeling the power of God’s LOVE coming – no, not simply coming, but bursting through whatever dark cloud is in your life, in the form of bright and beautiful sunshine that is Jesus? I can surely feel it in mine, as I write here, for my mind is now focused on Almighty God, His Word and His Will, not the aches and pains of my body or the worldly cares that surround my life.

That’s the only sensible and successfully way to live my brethren; enveloped in the LOVE of our Creator and heavenly Father, our Controller and Provider. And that is so wonderfully underlined by our Bit: ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’

Gospel truth that my people! And in light of what we’ve just said, that is an entirely logical conclusion, for the creator is usually the controller. When we create things, we’re usually able to control them. So why should we expect anything less from our omnipotent God eh? No reason whatsoever my fellow believers!

And you remember when that rich young man came to Jesus seeking the way to eternal life and Jesus told him to sell all his possessions, give the resulting profits to the poor, them come and follow Him? Well the young man went away sad and downcast because he owned a lot of worldly possessions and he couldn’t conceive of selling it all and giving the rewards to the poor.

That led Jesus to make comments like: ‘Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, 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.19:23-24)

Those statements obviously shocked the disciples, because back then, and even now too, it was thought that the rich were blessed of God and thus saved. But Jesus put that notion to rest with His words. And when the disciples wondered out loud about who could then be saved, Jesus declared: ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt.19:26)

Now note that there was no hesitation or doubt in Jesus’ statement, since He knew for a fact that the Godhead, the Holy Trinity, of which He was a substantial part, could do anything and everything; even squeeze a camel through the eye of a needle. So though it was difficult for a rich person to enter heaven, the Most High God could accomplish it, if He so desired.

Now that doesn’t mean that if you’re rich you won’t go to heaven. It all depends on how you acquired your riches and what you do with them, as well as the state of your heart towards Jesus. But all the riches in the world won’t get you into heaven unless you sincerely believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour!

And we’ll end with a most appropriate scripture that shows exactly how our belief system enables and empowers us in this evil and ungodly world. It focuses on our spiritual father Abraham, after the Lord promised him a child of his loins in his old age.

The Good Book relates it thus: ‘He staggered (wavered) not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded (convinced) that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.’ (Rom.4:20-22)

Yes Friends, it’s all about belief! And now that we have much more information about, and have seen the many mighty works of Almighty God, much more than Abraham ever did, we ought to believe much easier than we actually do. But that’s the choice each individual must make. Remember, our eternal life depends on it.

So let’s be wise and get on God’s right side before it’s too late nuh, because the son of Man can come in His glory at any time, and once He comes, then it will be too late to hang on to His coattails. Much LOVE!

…despite the many major developments of human beings…still, no man can work miracles in his own strength…only the power of Almighty God flowing through him…makes it possible…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 February 2015 Colossians 3:13

07 Feb 2015 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Colossians 3:13.    Forbearing (bearing with) one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Well mih people, is Saturday – serene Saturday! And that description didn’t come from me, but from the duchess. We were sitting outside on the verandah this morning having coffee, and I was admiring the beautiful, peaceful, tranquil scenery, when all of a sudden she pops up with the word ‘serene.’ And it is indeed a very apt description. I was trying to send a couple pictures of the serenity, but I couldn’t figure out how to attach them. That just shows my lack of ability in the new communications revolution. (smile) But I’m not annoyed. I’m happy with what I can do.

Now I’m this late because I promised the lady to take her to get some fish this morning between 9 and 10. So we headed out around nine something for Mt. Irvine where the best fish is supposed to be. We went yesterday evening but they didn’t have what the lady wanted, but said that we should come back today.

But as the Lord would have it, this morning there was still none of what the lady wanted – king fish or red snapper – and you couldn’t talk her into anything else. So we decided to go down to another fish place in Lambeau.

On the way through Carnbee though, I decided to stop at an old school friend’s home, knowing that he had been sick with some foot problems when I saw him last year. The foot’s somewhat better this year, but due to his diabetes it’s giving trouble to heal properly.

Anyway, as we were leaving, he began to regale us with the story of a young man coming through his open door late one night some months ago, ostensibly to kill him. The fellow asked if his name was so and so, and he replied no. He refused to tell him his name because it was quite close to the name the fellow was looking for. In fact the three guys in the posse had stopped at the wrong street. The fellow with the name they were looking for lived a couple streets further down the road.

To cut a long story short, after some feeling out words had passed between them, and seeing the gun under the fellow’s jacket, he set aside his fear and grabbed up his grandmother’s long sword-like knife which was near to him, and jumped up and accosted the intruder, fear and the power of God lending strength to his lame feet.

Eventually though, the intruder backed down and backed out, but as he was going down the stairs, my friend said he felt the urge to just stick the knife in his neck, but wisely he didn’t. Meanwhile, one guy was below his house and the other on his back steps, outside the door, guarding any areas of escape.

Ah Lord eh Friends, yuh see what can happen when yuh sitting in yuh own house minding your own business in these evil times! He almost got shot through mistaken identity. Apparently three guys had come up from Trinidad to make the hit. It’s surely getting like the Wild Wild West, like the early lawless days of the last century.

Anyway, after that I went down to the fish market in Lambeau, where again there was nothing the duchess wanted. So we came back home, about eleven, had breakfast, bake and saltfish, then I obviously had to rest a spell after such an energetic morning. (smile)

And Friends, like we’ve been talking about compassion for the last few days, today we’ll talk about forgiveness, another big virtue we desperately need in this evil, cruel, unforgiving world. And after reading this morning’s take on the subject from the One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings from Ruth Harms Calkin, I just couldn’t leave it out.

Listen closely to these words of indisputable truth from the passage titled ‘FORGIVENESS.’  ‘Forgiveness. What does it do for us? In an amazing way it creates a fresh beginning. It lifts us out of the tangled seaweed of resentment. A miracle is performed! It may not happen in a moment or a day. We may have to forgive at six o’clock on Monday and start over again at two o’clock on Tuesday.

There is no magic wand to simplify forgiveness. Forgiveness is a deliberate setting of our will, often with no emotional high whatsoever. But once having genuinely forgiven, our soul is washed clean. We walk in dignity again. We sense a new vitality. We’re no longer concentrating on hurts; we’re concentrating on God.

If we would only forgive, our lives would undergo transformations beyond our highest expectations. Above all, Jesus Christ would be exalted, for it is his forgiveness that makes the difference. Forgiveness is a beautiful word. It is God’s word passed to us to use freely, joyfully. When we ask for the gift of forgiveness, God always says yes. He gave his Son to make us free, and forgiveness is the secret key to freedom.’

Oh Friends, I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a better, more compact exposition on forgiveness. All of it is absolutely true. Forgiveness is not for the other person or persons, but for you, for us the forgiver! You can be bearing unforgiveness in your spirit and the other person doesn’t know about it, or doesn’t care, so you’re not doing them anything.

You’re just hurting yourself, and the unforgiveness, if kept for a long time, will definitely turn into resentment and then bitterness and hatred. Meanwhile the unforgiven is going about their business like nothing’s happened. You are the only one who’s feeling the negative effects of your actions.

Therefore Friends, it’s absolutely necessary that we do as the promise for the above passage from Bruh Paul says in our Bit and the lead up to it, if we want to have peace in our souls. ‘Put on therefore (dress oneself), as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies (tender mercies, heartfelt compassion), kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering.

Forbearing (bearing with) one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.’ (Col.3:12-13)

Ah mih people, words of absolute wisdom and truth! And yuh know what? We’re going to stop there for today, so that we can all go and ponder, meditate upon, and consider all that we’ve said today and see how it applies to us.

Please, let’s take this to heart and seriously check out ourselves, for a lot of the negative and unfortunate things in our lives are direct consequences of unforgiveness. Much LOVE!

…unforgiveness only hurts or kills the unforgiver…not the unforgiven…

P.S. Oh Friends, through a little perseverance and godly guidance, I eventually managed to attach some pictures of serenity in Paradise for the people I send the Bit directly to by e-mail. Unfortunately I couldn’t do the same for you who read the blog.  Much LOVE!

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 January 2015 Psalm 63:3

31 Jan 2015 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 63:3. Because thy LOVING-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

And then it was Saturday! Oh Friends, I can’t believe that I’ve been here in Paradise for four days now. Chuh! The time’s passing too quickly. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to enjoy it as much as I’d like because I’ve been sick and having car problems.

The car problems have been solved now, and I got up feeling somewhat better this morning, but the heat outside is crazy. It’s supposed to go to something like 78 % F. That’s surely worth a Mama Mia!

The duchess wanted to go up to the hotel for breakfast, so I just dropped her and came back because between the cold and the heat I wasn’t interested in food. My appetite sure has disappeared. All I feel like doing is drinking stuff in a cool place.

As per adventures. Nothing much happened yesterday as I never went anywhere. But people were coming around to fix stuff and whatever. I did have another dip in my waterhole. This time with my shoes on though. Hn, hn! Never thought I’d ever see the day that I went in the sea with shoes.

As they say, after one time is too time yes! But it wasn’t too bad, and I even found a path into the water that was mud and not stones. So I did have my salt water. All praise to His Majesty!

Then my son that lives in Tobago passed by, we had a good visit and the wife and I had dinner on the verandah afterwards. Then I went to bed leaving her watching her favourite soap, Y&R – Young and Restless. It comes on at night on a channel down here, so she’s happy. And once she’s happy my life’s beautiful. (smile)

Right now as I’m writing, some reggae gospel is playing on the radio. And the announcer on the program called ‘Joyride’ is saying that you should LOVE the Lord with all your heart, soul, body and mind. Gospel truth that my people!

And to help us do that this beautiful Saturday morning, here is a poem from our favourite The One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings from Ruth Harms Calkin, this one titled ‘Be Thou Exalted.

Please say with me: ‘”Be thou exalted, Lord In thine own strength; So will we sing And praise thy power.” Yes, Lord, Yes! David’s prayer is my prayer. Be exalted in my day-by-day agenda In my motives and dreams My priorities and goals. Even in my failures, Lord As you turn them into stepping stones Towards spiritual growth.

Be exalted in my worship and praise In my sobbing and singing Be exalted in my secret thoughts My emotional responses. Be exalted in my daily routine The delays, the unexpected emergencies The disappointments that often come. Lord God, As you are exalted In heaven and on earth Be exalted in Your home – my heart.’

Yes my people, that’s where God should be more exalted than anywhere else – in our hearts, where He’s supposed to live. And as they are saying on the radio; ‘It’s the joy of the Lord that has me dancing so!’ And it should. For if there is joy in your heart, especially from the Lord, then you should be very amenable to dancing. (smile)

Anyway, let’s get to our Bit, same as yesterday, but still serving as indisputable truth. ‘Because thy LOVING-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.’

And if you’re a true child of God, then those words should always be present and revolving in your spirit. For God is our Creator, His breath of life is the power that powers us here on earth, and His providence is what keeps us going. So it’s obvious that He should be our NUMBER ONE PRIORITY!

The things of the world are pretty and nice, and some are useful and necessary, but none of them ought to take first place in our lives. That number one spot is reserved for Almighty God. The problem though is that too many of us put the lustful desire for things of the world first, and relegate Jesus to second place, or even further down the totem pole.

That my Friends will only cause you unnecessary problems later on. So please let’s concentrate on putting Jesus FIRST! Remember is just thirty days ago we promised, faithfully resolved to walk closer with Jesus this year of 2015. And sadly, today is the just the last day of January, and many of us have already reverted to our old selves.

That’s not right, nor profitable my brethren. For remember these fateful and wise words of Cousin Sol as the Preacher. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl.5:4-5)

Words of absolute wisdom in all walks of life my people!

Now let’s end with some wonderful words and sentiments of Bruh David from Psalm 138. Pray with me: ‘I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy LOVING-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

In the day when I cried thou answeredest me, and strenghtenedst me with strength in my soul (made me bold). All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth. Yea, they shall sing in (of) the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of God.’ (Ps.138:1-5)

Oh Friends I could not say it any better. So please let’s go out today with those words of praise and thanks riding at the top of our hearts, so that we can not only hear them, but even more importantly, LIVE them. That’s heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!

…God likes to hear our praises…but He also likes to see us live them…living them is just as important… 

P.S. And as the song in the background is saying: ‘Jesus is the best thing, the very best thing that ever happened to me!’ Gospel truth Friends!

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 December 2014 Matthew 6:33

27 Dec 2014 Leave a comment

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

 Matthew 6:33.    But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 
 
And then it was Saturday! Another exciting day in the Christmas season Friends! (smile) Oh I know that many of us are tired from all the Christmas activity and just want to lie down and rest. Well what’s stopping you eh? Just do it.

If the body and soul are crying out for respite, then it’s your duty to give them respite. They can’t continue being stretched and stressed out without losing their power and elasticity. Like a rubber band, the more you stretch and pull them, the loser and less effective they become.
 
Anyhow, here’s an appropriate quote from my Friend Anselm, that’s meant to inspire you for a better tomorrow. And this one comes from Abraham Lincoln. It’s simple but full of wisdom. All it says is: ‘In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.’ And that’s oh so true my people!
 
Now here is Anselm’s take on the subject. ‘It doesn’t matter how long you live, but how much you lived during the time that you were here. So many of us get caught up with age and aging and forget that it’s not about turning back the clock or staying young forever, but trying to get the best feeling that you can out of each moment of your life.
 
Abraham Lincoln was known for being handy with words, so it’s no surprise that he was able to make a quote like this, especially since he was able to pack a lot of life in his 56 years.’
 
Now how much life are we willing to pack into our years eh? It all depends on us my people, for we choose the kind of life we want to live, be it positive or negative, filled with the Word and promises of Almighty God or with the ungodly and lustful things of the world.
 
And the smart money my brethren is always on the things of God, because they have more intrinsic value and last longer than the shallow, bright but flimsy and flaky things of the world.
 
That’s why Friends, I’m encouraging us on this last Saturday in 2014, to sit down and quietly and seriously ponder the direction of our lives. Let’s check on how we spent this past year. Did we do a good, bad or indifferent job? Did we make even some small difference in the world around us? Did we reach the goals we set?
 
And most importantly, did we make any headway in our New Year’s Resolution of following Christ more closely? Have we grown in maturity and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour? Remember, that is the ONLY real resolution you need to make, because once you concentrate on following Christ, everything else falls into place.
 
For as Jesus so rightly says in our Bit, which is taken from the Sermon on the Mount: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
 
Take therefore no thought for the morrow (therefore do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt.6:33-34)
 
Yes my fellow believers, when we seek God FIRST, He makes everything else fall into place for us. Now that doesn’t mean we don’t have to work and pay attention to things, but that we don’t need to strive and worry and feel anxious about our lives and livelihood.
 
As Jesus reminded the disciples before our Bit. ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, for what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not life more than meat (food), and the body than raiment (clothing)?
 
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought (worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature (height)?
 
And why take ye thought for (worry about) raiment (clothing)? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed (clothed, dressed) like one of these.
 
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
 
Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.’ (Matt.6:25-32)
 
Matter finished Friends! Jesus spells it our like it is. If our heavenly Father can look after the things of nature so well, why wouldn’t He look after us, His most important creation, just as well eh? Even Cousin Sol, in all his worldly finery, was no match for the simple lilies of the field.
 
So my people, the life affirming choice is now ours to make. Please, I implore us to use the great wisdom and common sense that’s at our disposal to make the correct one, for the colour and tenor of our earthly lives, as well as where we spend eternity depends on the choice(s) we make today. Nuff said. Much LOVE!
 
…a word of advice…one can never go wrong by choosing Jesus…

 

 

 

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