The Importance of the Jewish Passover to the Christian’s Holy Communion!

17 Apr 2025 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 26:28.       For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins.

At last it’s Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday, according to which religion or geographical area you belong to. Anyway, it’s the second saddest day of the year, after Good Friday. It’s the fifth day of Holy Week and is known for the Celebration of Christ’s Last Supper with His disciples, where He gave us the discipline of Holy Communion to remember Him by. 

That night Jesus also gave the disciples a warning example of the humility He expected from them, and consequently from us by washing their feet. It was one of the lowliest jobs in existence and was usually done by slaves. However, Jesus doffed His clothes and donned a towel and washed their feet letting them see and experience the full meaning of the words He had spoken to them before: ‘But he that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (lifted up)’ (Matt. 23:11-12) 

But sadly that state of affairs doesn’t exist in today’s world nor enough in Christ’s church, for the current attitude is to exalt oneself above others; the higher, the better. Humility is a lost attitude in these proud and arrogant times, and when it’s found, it’s considered weakness and foolishness by the majority of our fellow men. But let’s not forget that Jesus’ kingdom is an upside down one, where you believe before you see, you humble yourself and not exalt it, and several other attitudes that the world considers nonsense. 

Anyway, on that famous night of the Last Supper, Jesus skewed  the usual Jewish Passover meal, when He sat with them in the room He had directed them to go and arrange. When they asked where they were to prepare the meal, He’d said: ‘Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master (teacher) saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples.’ (Matt. 26:18) And they did as instructed. 

The Bible then tells us: ‘Now when the even (evening) was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?’ (Matt. 26:20-22) Can you imagine the consternation that surprise announcement must have made amongst the twelve, with each wondering if it would be them. 

But Jesus answered and said, ‘He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: (Dan. 9:26) but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He (Jesus) said unto him, Thou hast said (said it).’ (Matt. 26:23-24) Now the Bible doesn’t tell us what happened directly after those statements. But the scholars tell us that He that dippeth reveals the personal and intimate nature of the betrayal, and Thou hast said means “yes.” 

After those eye opening comments, the Bible continues: ‘And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it (drink from it all of you); For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.’ (Matt. 26:26-30) 

Yes friends, that’s the advent of what we call Holy Communion, the commemorating or honouring the memory of Jesus, of His sacrificial body and blood when we celebrate it. Now, let’s hear some interesting explanations from the scholars on what we’ve just read. As per ‘Jesus took bread: The head of the Jewish household was accustomed to doing this during the Passover feast. Jesus gave a completely new significance to the action. This is my body: During the Passover feast, the Jewish householder took bread in hand and said, “This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt,” meaning of course, that one represented the other. 

By His words the Lord changed the whole significance and emphasis  of the feast from looking back to the typical redemption from Egypt to faith in the redemption from sin accomplished by His death. The bread and wine were only outward symbols of our Lord’s death. Nothing in the Gospels indicates that these were to be viewed as a means of grace, sacraments, or that they were physically necessary for one’s salvation. Per The cup: Three cups were passed around by the Jewish householder during the Passover meal; the third, which is probably the one referred to here, being known as “the cup of blessing.”  

Then My blood of the new testament taken from the Greek Septuagint version (the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) of Exodus 24:8, with allusions to Jeremiah 31:31 and Zechariah 9:11. The covenant in Exodus 24:8 was sealed with blood. The word testament can also mean a covenant. Shed for many for the remission of sins: Here is a clear statement that the death of Jesus was necessary to enable God to forgive sins. It, in fact made it right or morally justifiable for Him to do so. That day refers to the time when He comes again in glory.’ 

Now, I do hope that we all learned some new and interesting stuff from the scholars explanations. I did. But it’s time to for us to declare (oh no!!!) our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings the Lord bestowed on us do His earthly work. So let’s do that as one loud and sincere voice nuh. ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

That means we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…Holy Communion…serves to remind us…of the overall importance of Jesus…especially His sacrificial death…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   17 February 2022 John 14:6.

17 Feb 2022 Leave a comment

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

John 14:6.     Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Oh friends, I can’t handle this fast pace of life nuh, for already it’s Thursday. (smile) And to make matters worse, in the next few days, we are supposed to be getting an abundance of bad weather, ranging from rain to snow and all the other stuff in between. We’ve had the rain overnight, with the current temps around 6 degrees Celsius, but they are calling for freezing rain later in the afternoon. That means the temperature drops, heralding an icy situation. 

Whatever happened to the days when winter was winter eh…and not a combination of all the other seasons? (smile) And yet they claim that climate change is not real. Well, it certainly is! I’ve seen it with my own two eyes since I’ve been in this country. The weather patterns have become less reliable and more unpredictable. But what does the ole fella know eh? He’s just a small fish in a big pond, trying not to get eaten up by the big fish. (smile) 

Oh, I just thought of one thing I know for sure, that Jesus is real! He’s alive and well and walking with me and those who believe in Him every step of the way! Wow! What an honour to have the Creator and Saviour of the universe walking hand in hand with us along our earthly journey, then standing ready to welcome us home to be with Him all through eternity! It’s almost too much to comprehend my fellow believers! But He never said we had to understand, just believe! 

As He so faithfully proclaimed in these scriptures that we all know by heart, but don’t always take to heart. ‘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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) Now there’s our reason for living right there in those few words! It’s all about Jesus, the Saviour of the world! 

But ignorant men continually refuse to believe His truthful words. And this next verse is for them: ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:18) Now friends, that verse ought to give all of us pause, cause us to stop right in our tracks and consider if we truly believe, because if we don’t, crapaud smoke we pipe, we are already condemned to hell fire and eternal damnation. 

Yes my brethren, we end up in Hades with the wicked and evil Lucifer simply because we do not believe in Jesus, the One who came to earth specifically to save us from the frightening clutches of the evil imposter. And check out this other verse where He reinforces those statements nuh. ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth (remains) on him.’ (John 3:36) 

Now why would anyone in their right minds want to experience the wrath of God eh, when the only thing more powerful and less menacing than that is His awesome LOVE! I certainly don’t, especially after reading about some of the instances in His Word. But for some unfathomable reason, many of us seem to take the Lord and His Word for a joke, for something that’s not real, a mere figment of our imagination, a way of life to keep us in bondage to religion. 

But the awesome truth is that Jesus came to set us free from the bondage of sin, from the evil clutches of his satanic majesty. That’s the one who has us in bondage, not Jesus who came to set us free. As He said to a group who claimed to believe in Him. ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:31-32) Oh my people, only the truth can ever set us free from anything at all! Lies will keep us forever in bondage. 

And where do we find the truth? In Jesus. Please note His response to Thomas’ query: ‘Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:5-6) And therein lies the solution to ALL our problems my fellow saints. Jesus is the living example for all of us to follow, as the Good Book says, ‘the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith…’ (Heb. 12:2a) So where He leads, we ought to follow. 

And He’s also the truth, the genuine God, the real Mccoy. So, we ought also to believe Him. And per the life, Jesus is the One who enables us to have eternal life, through His atoning death on the cross at Calvary, then His triumphant resurrection on that first Easter morning, two thousand years ago. And John puts it very plainly and simply in his first epistle. ‘And this is the record (testimony), that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (eternal).’ (1 John 5:11-12) Now that is the everlasting truth! 

And since it’s Thursday, it’s time to go home declaring (steups!!!) our Thursday Blessings, so that they can be truly manifested in our lives. As one strong, believing and faithful voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

Now friends, we don’t truly deserve any of those blessings, but our God is so wonderful that He gave them to us so we can do His earthly work. So please, let’s go out and share them just as generously with others as He so generously shared them with us nuh! Much LOVE!

…to the Lord God Jehovah be all the glory…through Jesus Christ the Son… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8             

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 May 2021 Psalm 107:6.

06 May 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 107:6.     Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.

Give it up for Thursday friends! Give thanks for the renewed breath of life flowing through us, with the Lord’s new mercies and compassions, fresh off the line, made especially for today! It is certainly an immense pleasure and privilege to do life with Jesus on another new day! Oh, glory be my people! Therefore, like the psalmist of old, we can most definitely declare (steups!) in grateful appreciation: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 107:1) 

Yes, my faithful brethren, we ought to be continually pouring out our thanks to the Lord God for His unending goodness to the children of men! I hate to think what would become of us if His mercies and compassions were not always available to us, despite the inherent sinfulness in our souls. And Psalm 107 is such a magnificent acknowledgement of God’s goodness to mankind that we going to look through it and cull some wonderful scriptures from it. 

Here is the first one: ‘Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.’ (Ps. 107:2) And yuh better believe that is what we ought to be crying out in loud voice and sincere appreciation my brethren, because the Lord went out of His way to redeem us from eternal separation and destruction by sending His sinless Son to die on the cross to atone for our abominable sins! Now isn’t that something to be proud of and everlastingly grateful? It surely is! So why aren’t we proud of Him, and shouting out to all and sundry His wonderful mercies eh? 

Because we are a bunch of proud and arrogant ingrates! And why do I say so? Just listen as the psalmist continues. ‘And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness is a solitary (desolate) way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.’ (Ps. 107:3-7) 

Yuh see that mih people, when Israel found themselves in difficulty from their gross disobedience, they cried out to the Lord and He saved them from their problems. And I like how Asaph puts it in Psalm 50 – God is the judge. Talking about sacrificial offerings of animals, he speaks on God’s behalf. ‘If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer up unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ (Ps. 50:12-15) 

Yeh friends, that’s how the redeemed of the Lord ought to behave! No wonder the author of Psalm 107, takes issue with us and sadly declares (spelled it wrong there too): ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men.’ (Ps. 107:8) We should have no problem in doing that nuh mih bredrin. But unfortunately, we seem to have just such a problem. 

And here’s why the psalmist tell us to give thanks and praises to our great and wonderful God. ‘For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron (prisoners). Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned (despised) the counsel of the Most High:’ (Ps. 107:9-11) 

Oh precious people, those words speak directly to our situation right now. We stubbornly and arrogantly rebelled against God, trying to kick Him out of our society! And what happened? ‘Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.’ (Ps. 107:12) Any fool can see the obvious resemblance there to our current society, where we are suffering all kinds of problems and the more we try to solve them in our own strength, the greater the mess and confusion we’re making. 

So what’s the answer eh? It’s obvious friends: ‘Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder (broke their chains in pieces).’ (Ps. 107:13-14) Yuh know, it still boggles my puny mind, that in all the troubles that we currently facing in this sick and strife filled world, very few of us, and none of the powers that be, are even considering calling unto the Most High God Jehovah for help. We’re only concerned about doing it in our own strength. 

But what about the God of our fathers eh? Have we forgotten so quickly how good He was to them when they called out to Him in troubled times? It certainly seems so. But friends, please believe, that our problems will not be solved until we turn back to the God of our fathers, and do like the psalmist says: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’ (Ps. 107:15) 

And now that we have set us straight on that matter, (smile) let’s go home declaring (oh yeah!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which our magnificent and magnanimous God has seen fit to bless us most generously with to do His earthly work. In one loud and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!  

I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that has ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

Oh my faithful believers, we are ever so blessed, that we can’t truly appreciate it! However, let’s go out now and generously share all those wonderful blessings with others who so desperately need them nuh, for that’s what Jesus desires of us! Much LOVE!

…man’s first responsibility…is to praise God… to give Him thanks…to glorify His holy name…                                  

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 July 2017 Revelation 4:8.

27 Jul 2017 Leave a comment

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

Revelation 4:8.   And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest (cease) not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Well hello there all you beautiful saints in the body of Christ! Top o’ the morn to you! 

The rains have fallen and washed and refreshed the earth, let’s hope the Holy Spirit has done, or will do the same work within each of us on this new day. 

And that’s fill us with the LOVE, mercy, grace and forgiveness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, so that we can do His earthly work with diligence and excellence. For remember, we can’t do much of anything without the Lord’s help, and He expects a lot from us. 

Yuh know friends, it’s so wonderful to serve a God who refreshes and renews us daily to enable us to do His bidding. No other supposed god does that! Only a Deity who sincerely cares for His people does that kind of thing. 

So let’s praise and worship Him nuh, exalt His Holy Name and give Him all the glory He so rightfully deserves as we go through our day, because without His great and genuine compassion, we’d be nothing at all. 

And all the saints of God declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His Holy Name! For He is indeed a wonderful God! May He live and reign forever! Amen!’ 

And we surely don’t have to worry about that last part nuh mih breddren, because our God is the First and the Last, the Alpha and Omega, the Creator of All, and He will most certainly live forever, ruling All creation from His heavenly throne! Glory Hallelujah! 

Ah mih people, I’m chuckling here because it seems that the ole fella is in a worshipful and praising mood this Thursday morning. And so should we all be, since that is one of the reasons why the Lord created us; to serve and worship Him all the days of our lives, even until eternity.

And as out Bit tells us, even those in heaven praise and worship Almighty God! And if you don’t believe me, listen to John the Revelator, as he describes some of what he saw in God’s throne room. 

‘And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne were four beasts (living creatures) full of eyes before (in front) and behind. 

And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast was like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest (cease) not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.’ (Rev.4:6-8) 

Yeh friends, that’s some of what John claims he saw around God’s throne in his vision of heaven. And day and night the beasts worshipped God! 

And the scholars add these explanations. ‘4:6-8.The four beasts or living creatures (lit, “living ones”) are probably angels (cf. Ezek.10:15-22) who guard the throne of God. The eyes symbolize wisdom, and the wings depict movement. They worship God as did the seraphim in Isaiah’s vision (cf. Is.6:1-3). 

The lion represents strength (cf. Ps.103:20), the calf service (cf. Heb.1:14), the face of a man intelligence (cf. Luke 2:52), and the eagle swiftness (cf. Dan.9:21). The angelic vision has a strong allusion to Ezekiel 1:4-14.’ 

Hopefully that enlightens us somewhat to the happenings in heaven, (smile) but we would be even more enlightened if we took the time to read the references that the scholars gave us for their contentions. 

Now let’s continue with John’s vision. ‘And when those beasts (living creatures) give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him, that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (by your will they exist).’ (Rev.4:9-11) 

Yes my people, twenty-four elders also sat around the throne of God on their own thrones, ‘sitting clothed in white raiment (robes); and they had on their heads crowns of gold.’ (Rev.4:4) But when the time comes for worship, they all cast down their crowns and fall on their knees before God. That’s how revered He is. 

Here is what the scholars say about that. ‘4:9-11. All of heaven worship the Father. The angels extol His character, and the elders (church) extol His creative powers. God has the right to rule and the sovereign authority to judge the earth, because He is both holy and the Creator of all.’ Matter fixed mih people! 

Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings with a voice of praise and thanksgiving to the great and powerful and LOVING God who created us and wants us to live an abundant life. 

In strong 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!’ 

Okay saints of Christ, let’s go out now and bless others as Christ has blessed us! Much LOVE!

…man was made to worship God…in all sincerity and truth…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 April 2016 James 1:25

21 Apr 2016 Leave a comment

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

James 1:25.   But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (in what he does.

And then it was Thursday friends! Wow! This week has certainly rushed by quickly, and I’ve just been too busy for my liking. Hn! But the saving grace is that in my neck of the woods, all the days this week were just beautiful! Glory be! No rain, sleet nor snow, just bright sunshine and warm temps. 

And here this nuh, yesterday I was up in the northern part of the city, getting some repairs done to my car stereo, and around 4 pm, while sitting in the passenger seat with the door open, my legs hanging out, I felt the urge to pull up the sleeves of my sweater to feel the sunshine… 

Hn! But five minutes later I had to pull them back down because the sun was burning my arm. Brother! Meanwhile the gentleman repairing the stereo just had a thin vest covering his upper body. And he was white at that, which meant that my extra melanin wasn’t so great after all. (smile) 

I believe though that the sunshiny weather might give way to rain some time today. But that’s okay, at least we had some wonderful consecutive days, and once it’s not the white stuff, I can handle it. Now let’s declare our Thursday Blessings with enthusiasm, sincerity and true conviction. 

‘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!’ 

Oh all praise and thanks and glory be to our awesome God my brethren! For He is indeed the ONE who makes all those blessings we just declared over our lives possible! And yet so many foolish people still refuse to believe in Him. Steups! 

Ah really sorry for them yes. But all we as believers can do is tell them the Good News of Jesus’ Gospel and live our lives in concert and obedience to His holy will. Hopefully, before it’s too late, they will recognize the error of their ways and come to Him for succour, for salvation and eternal life. And I’m done preaching now. (smile) 

Let’s turn to our Bit. ‘But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (in what he does).’ 

Yeh friends, we reviewed that verse in the last couple days and in the scholars’ explanation, they quoted some verses of scripture that were relevant to it. Now I asked us to check out those relevant scriptures, but since our lives are oh so busy, I’m sure not many, if any of us did so, I decided to lay them out today. 

And we’ll go through the scholars’ explanation once more and highlight the verses as we go. ‘1:25. The perfect law of liberty probably refers to the teachings of Christ and His apostles. This law is perfect, since Christ brought to completion the teachings and work of the Mosaic Law…’ 

And here the scholars refer to Matthew 5, Christ’s take on the law. ‘Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill.’ (Matt.5:17) 

Yuh know something friends, this is going to take much longer than I expected yes, because the scholars have some good explanations for every verse here. But that’s the whole point of the matter; to learn and understand as much as possible of the scriptures. 

So here goes the scholars’ explanation for that verse. ‘5:17. Having laid the foundation of the message in the summary statements of the Beatitudes, Jesus now proceeds to show the superiority of His message to that of the law of Moses. 

He makes it clear that He had not…come to destroy the law. That is, the New Testament Gospel is not contradictory to the Old Testament Law; rather it is the ultimate fulfillment of the spiritual intention of the law. Where the law had degenerated into legalism among the Pharisees, Jesus now takes the law beyond mere outward observance to the inner spiritual intention of God.’ 

Ah my people, I hope that resonates soundly with us all, because the same thing is happening today. Legalism, the man-made rules and regulations of our denominations are killing the spiritual side of our faith. 

Like in the days of Jesus, where the Pharisees, the leaders of the faith, were full of outward show but little inner conviction, we are today hearing plenty talk and seeing much legalistic outward show, but there’s little true spiritual obedience to God’s Law. 

Now friends, as supposed believers in Christ, we definitely have to do better than that. No wonder so many unbelievers consider us hypocrites, as Christ did the Pharisees and the other leaders of the Jewish faith. 

We need to paint a true portrait of Christ to the unbelieving and ungodly world. And we can only do that when we are comfortable in our own skins, and have a true conviction of our faith, which leads us to both hear the word and do it. So today, let’s ponder how that reflects in our individual lives nuh, for it’s the only wisdom that’s appropriate for a child of God. Much LOVE!

…Christians are blessed…when they both hear and do…according to God’s Law …and not to man’s…