Today’s Scrip-Bit   31 July 2023 John 3:3a.

31 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

John 3:3a.       Except a man be born again (or from above) he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Monday, O Monday, how I do LOVE thee! Let me count the ways. No friends, I ‘m not losing my marbles by talking about LOVING Monday. There are several good reasons for LOVING Monday; first of all, it’s another new day on God’s great planet earth, and we’ve been chosen by the Almighty to see and enjoy it, plenty others did not get that chance, so we should be very thankful. 

Then Monday is the first day of the work week, the day we’re spiritually the strongest and most confident after fellowshipping with other believers on Sunday, and therefore the day we’re most likely to do our best witnessing for Christ. And Monday is also the day we get back into the swing of things and share our weekend thrills and spills with our co-workers. So Monday is not as bad as we like to make out; it’s just our unpreparedness for it that makes us give it a bad name. 

Now what does the Lord want us to talk about this last day of July 2023 eh? Yes, I did say the last day of July 2023! Can you imagine it? July’s done and over with, which means that the summer’s drawing to a close, with only August left to navigate, then the cold weather is back with us. And I don’t care what anybody says, this year has certainly gone by a lot quicker than the last few have done! (smile) 

And it seems like the Lord wants us to talk about the conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus, because that’s where the Good Library just opened unto. And what was that all about eh? John wrote in his gospel: ‘There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles (signs) that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (or from above) he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:1-3) 

Now let’s stop there for a moment and consider the implications of what we’ve just read. First of all, the scholars tell us that ‘Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, probably because he was afraid of the repercussions from his fellow Pharisees, who didn’t believe in Jesus. Then, Nicodemus accepted Jesus as a teacher and a rabbi from God who worked miracles, but Jesus was not impressed with the depth of Nicodemus’ belief or understanding. Many unbelievers still agree that Jesus was a “great man,” and not the Son of God.’ 

And re Jesus’ statement of being born again, they say ‘it may be translated either “again” or “from above.” And perhaps both ideas should be combined here, to indicate the repetition of an act from another source. Only John uses this expression in the Gospels. This concept of the New Birth includes these implications: (1) It undercuts Jewish dependence on being sons of Abraham (cf. 8:39). (2) It reveals there must be a work of God “from above,” since the Jews considered children (new births) to be God’s blessing. (3) It teaches the necessity of a new beginning.’ 

And since Nicodemus didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about, he questioned: ‘How can a man be born again when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth (wishes), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it cometh, and wither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:4:8) 

Yes friends, we must all be born of the Spirit, have a spiritual rebirth before we can enter God’s kingdom, and the Spirit is like the wind; you can’t tell where it’s coming from or going to, but you know it’s there. Now, poor Nicodemus was even more confused. Thus, he answered and said unto Jesus. ‘How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master (teacher) of Israel, and knoweth not these things. Verily, verily I say unto thee, We speak that (what) we do know, and testify that (what) we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.’ (John 3:9:11) 

And unfortunately, the very same thing is still happening today; so many people are refusing to believe Jesus’ witness, and that’s why our world is in such and evil and ungodly mess. But there is hope for us yet, if we do like Nicodemus and sincerely listen to and accept Jesus. And I like how the scholars check up on Nicodemus’ conversion. They say, he was a member of the ruling Jewish group, the Sanhedrin, like Joseph of Arimathea, and both appeared to be secret disciples of Jesus. 

And they point out that Nicodemus is mentioned three times in the New Testament, all in John’s gospel. In these three passages, John seems to focus on the progression of Nicodemus’ spiritual life. In chapter 3, that we just looked at, he comes to Jesus without any change evident in his life. In John 7:50 a change is observable in that he defends Jesus against the charge of the Sanhedrin. ‘Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them.) Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?’ (John 7:50-51) Then at the Crucifixion, both Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea boldly and publicly stand as disciples of Jesus (John 19:38-39) 

Now that’s how we ought to be my brethren, standing up boldly and publicly for Jesus, if we consider ourselves His followers, not the wishy washy, fearful, doh care attitude that so many of us adopt. And now, to help us improve our less than stellar attitude, let’s go the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, and lay our cares and anxieties before the Lord. 

As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And if we truly want the Lord’s help, then we need to do our part to deserve it. Much LOVE!

… being born again of water and the Spirit….is essential for experiencing eternal life…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   3 July 2023 Psalm 133:1.

03 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 133:1.       Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Yes, my fellow Canadians, it’s Monday, and the Canada Day celebrations continue apace, as we acknowledge the many blessings we have to be thankful for, especially since the afternoon sun has now replaced the early morning rain. That means many of us in this God-blessed country won’t be working today, but getting paid for it. So please, let’s not overdo the celebrating, and instead apply a modicum of circumspection, a sense of responsibility to the situation. (smile) 

Remember, it’s not all wine and roses, for although our country is comparatively a paradise to many others, we do have many serious problems that we need to pay serious attention to, if we don’t want them to blow up in our faces and cause a sad downgrade in this beautiful country of Canada. And today we’re going to have a look at Psalm 133, some very precious and wise words of Bruh David that currently have exceptional relevance to both our country, our world and our faith. 

So please read with me. ‘Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment (oil) upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts (edge) of his garments. As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for ever more.’ (Pl.133:1-3) 

Now that my fellow believers says it all! People living together in harmony are blessed, just like when they are anointed with oil, as Aaron when anointed high priest by Moses. (Ex. 32:22-33) Living in unity is also described by Bruh David as the precious dew that descended upon Mt. Zion where the Lord commanded his blessings for life ever after.  Unfortunately though, instead of moving, or working towards unity, our world and our Christian faith are moving away from it, making resentment, anger and petty differences split us apart. 

Now that’s no way to live! What kind of life can we have if we’re always in disagreement and have unnecessary drama in our lives? We certainly can’t live the abundant live that Christ died for us to have! And sadly, in my many years on God’s great earth I’ve never seen it so divided; nation against nation, as well as serious discontent within numerous nations that’s causing civil wars all around the globe. Not to mention the terrible disunity and disagreement to be found in the lowest but most important level of society, the family. Then there’s the dividing asunder that’s happening within Christ’s church over selfish and petty differences. 

Whatever happened to Jesus’ commandment eh? ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another: as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know you are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) Apparently that has all been thrown through the window, but yet we expect the church to survive and prosper. That’s impossible, for when the Pharisees heard that Jesus was casting out demons, and claimed that He was casting them out through Satan’s power., (Matt. 12:24) Jesus begged to differ. 

And in His awesome wisdom pointed out to them. ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation: and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself: how shall then his kingdom stand?’ (Matt. 12:25-26) It obviously cannot stand! And that’s why the church is falling apart, suffering so much doubt and division, that the subsequent disenchantment is bringing worldwide apostasy, turning many away from the faith. Consequently, we believers are not living the unified life Christ expects of us, nor doing the work He so badly desires of us. 

The author of Hebrews also gave us these simple but amazing words of wisdom pertaining to unity. ‘Let brotherly LOVE continue.’ (Heb. 13:1) Short, sweet, and to the point my people! And we have one of the best examples of that right at the beginning of our faith, where Abram (later Abraham) and his nephew Lot’s herdsmen were having difficulties living together; ‘And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen, for we be brethren.’ (Gen. 13:8) 

Wow! What simple common sense, for strife offers nothing positive, only negative consequences! But how often do we find that kind of wisdom and common sense being exhibited nowadays eh? Not very often, for in our current society, every problem, no matter how simple and easily resolved, has to become contentious or we’re not happy. 

And I like the scholars’ simple but beautiful explanation of the Psalm 133. They say: ‘This psalm is all about the preciousness of family unity. Its blessedness is exclaimed (vs.1) and explained (vs. 2-3). It sanctifies (vs. 2) and solidifies (vs.3)’ What more can we say eh? Not a whole lot, except to reassert the great importance in unity, in godly harmony, whether it be in the lowly family, or betwixt the biggest and most powerful nations. Only in unity and harmony can mankind truly thrive and prosper, and that’s a lesson we’ve got to desperately learn within Christ’s church, and learn it asap, if we ever hope to turn our evil and ungodly world around. 

Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, with sincere and heartfelt pleas for mercy and grace to guide us in these trying times. As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. 

Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And if we truly desire to see divine help, then we will truly turn from our evil ways and aspire to live in harmony with each other. Much LOVE!

…how can two walk together…unless they are agreed… (Amos 3:3) 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 April 2023 Mark 5:36.

24 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

Mark 5:36.      Be not afraid, only believe.

Get to it friends, it’s Monday, the first day of the work week, and hopefully the spiritual renewal and confidence you received yesterday from participating in praise and worship with fellow believers is still running high as you step out to do the Lord’s bidding today, and all this week. (smile) Yes, renewing our trust and confidence in our Creator and refilling our spiritual reservoir are two of the major benefits we receive from going to church. 

However, if you did not get to church yesterday, or you did, but today you’re not feeling up to scratch, your saltiness and light are not at the level you desire, then let’s delve into a few of the many verses of scripture that will put some pep in your step, rebuild your confidence, renew your enthusiasm for Christ and refill your spiritual reservoir. 

And we’ll begin with this favourite verse for the beginning of each day that we enjoy God’s breath of life. ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) Now that’s the number one verse or intention with which we should greet each new day, because the Lord not only desires us to do His will, to worship and praise Him, but most importantly to enjoy doing it. Remember Christ said that He came for us to have life more abundantly, (John 10:10) and what’s the purpose of having an abundant life and not enjoying it eh? No reason whatsoever! 

Now, this next simple but most powerful verse, one of our favourites, should always be close to our lips. It’s these marvellous words of encouragement from Bruh Paul to the church at Philippi. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’  (Phil. 4:13) Wow mih bredrin! What a mighty scripture that is! Let’s not forget it and always keep it ready to awaken our confidence and courage, for we can indeed do ALL things that Christ desires us to do through the strength that He infuses us with! Remember, He never asks us to do something, then not give us the wherewithal, the anointing and the tools to do it. 

Then we have these powerful words of encouragement and truth to the children of Israel, that Moses enshrined in their memory, as well as ours. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go before thee: he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) Now that should be one of our foundation scriptures my people, one that our trust and faith in Almighty God should be based upon and bring us confidence and courage whenever we think of it. 

Just imagine nuh, that the Lord God Jehovah, the Creator and Controller of this amazing universe thinks so much of us that He goes before us to lead the way, to be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths.(Ps. 119:105) There couldn’t be a greater sense of LOVE and compassion than that! And you can’t have words of encouragement and confidence and not include the wisdom of Cousin Sol. Listen to him as he encourages us to keep the Lord’s commandments, in particular wisdom and knowledge. 

‘My son, let not them depart from thine eyes, keep sound wisdom and discretion: so shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace (favour) to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation of (trouble from) the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).’ (Prov. 3:21-26) 

Those are indeed marvellous words of encouragement my fellow believers, but for them to work, we have to do our part. Yes, all those encouraging and confidence building verses call for true trust, surrender and belief on our part…or they will not work in our lives. It’s of the utmost importance that we write them indelibly in our hearts, then believe them and put them to work when our spirits plummet or fear strikes us. The Lord has provided us with all sorts of good stuff, none greater than salvation and eternal life through Christ Jesus. 

But please, let’s remember the incident when Jesus was on His way to heal the synagogue leader, Jairus’ daughter, when He got waylaid by the woman with the issues of blood, who believed that she would be healed if she could just touch His garments, and thus she pushed through the crowd around Him, and it happened just like she believed. That ought to reassure us that belief is a rather important aspect of our faith. But while Jesus was dealing with the lady, there, He heard someone come up to Jairus and say that his daughter was dead. Jesus though quickly turned to Jairus and said: ‘Be not afraid, only believe.’ (Mark 5:36) 

Yes friends, those are the two most important aspects of our Christian faith; courage and belief. And I have left the best for last. Although there are many more encouraging and confidence building scriptures in the Good Library, these are two of my ‘favouritest’, (smile) because they came straight from the horse’s mouth and brooked no arguments. It’s the Lord God Almighty talking to Joshua when he made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. 

‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:8-9) 

And my fellow saints, that is exactly what the Lord our God is saying to each one of us today and every day that we draw breath. That’s our blueprint for success right there, from the Master Architect Himself! But just like it is in constructing a building, if the builder doesn’t follow the architect’s plans, then the building won’t turn out the way He designed it. Likewise, if we don’t follow God’s plans for our lives, we won’t achieve the destiny He planned for us. 

Now, let’s go to the throne of grace with confidence, and through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, ask for divine assistance to fix our world. As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And as always, to receive positive answers from heaven, we need to keep our promises! Much LOVE!

…one must know the word…then follow it…before one can be prosperous and successful… 

P.S. Yes friends, the Bit might seem late and long, but please remember that God and His word are always inspiring… and on time! (smile) Much LOVE!  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   30 January 2023 John 14:6.

30 Jan 2023 Leave a comment

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

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

Oh friends, is it ever great to wake up to some sparkling sunshine, though with a touch of cloud cover! (smile) And are we ever thankful that the weather forecasters were wrong, and so far, we have not gotten the big deluge of snow they had forecasted. Yes, there was a fair amount of wet snow making the place wet and slippery, but there wasn’t that much of the heavy, staying kind. So, this Monday morning’s commute, didn’t have the snow creating havoc as it tends to do. 

And seeing that we are now on the penultimate day of this first month of 2023, I believe it’s as good a time as any to review our new year resolutions and see how we’ve done so far with them…or rather it. And why simply it, you ask? Because remember we only had one resolution for this year, that’s to follow Jesus more closely, to truly try and live for Him, to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world as He desires of us. To put His Great Commission into greater effect, spread His word, His holy gospel to all the world, make disciples of all nations, so that more people would come to know and LOVE Him like we do. 

That’s a big  part our earthly purpose my brethren. And all I want us to do today, is to take a few moments and review our lives this past month based on the terms we’ve laid out above. I think it’s best for us to check on our progress early on to ensure that we are truly moving in the right direction, rather than waiting till later and sadly finding that we haven’t been living up to our resolution. By checking our progress now, we give ourselves sufficient time to correct it, if necessary. 

Oh my fellow believers, please have no doubt that this year of 2023 will be a most important one in both the world and our individual lives. It will be a watershed year, a time to make many new and difficult decisions regarding many aspects of our lives. The buzzword right now is the ‘new normal.’ Our world is at a crossroads, it has changed a lot recently, and is still changing, and this year will see the culmination of many of those changes. And we have to be ready to make the right choices and decisions so that our lives will run smoothly. 

So, it’s obvious that if we don’t have Jesus, our Lord, Saviour, Guide and Leader, truly as the Number One Priority in our lives, we are very liable to make many wrong decisions as the situations in our lives change. That means we have to concentrate a whole lot on Jesus. First of all to sincerely accept that He is indeed as He says: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) And not only that, but also as He so truthfully proclaimed: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) 

And my people, it’s absolutely essential that we live in the light of Jesus more than ever this defining year of 2023, when the shadow of darkness, the powers of the evil one are being built up and solidified with each passing day and doing their best to keep us dominated and chained up in the darkness of their sinful, ungodly way of life. Yes, as Peter so seriously and sincerely warns us: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’ (1 Pet. 5:8) 

And that’s the indisputable truth! Satan’s efforts to ensnare the brethren have been greatly increased, he has upped the ante for our spiritual capture. That’s why it’s also important to do as Peter says: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7) Now that’s also the gospel truth. Our God does care deeply for us, else why did He send His sinless and only Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay for our sins eh? 

Bruh Paul explains it in his letter to the Roman church: ‘But God commendeth his LOVE (demonstrated his own LOVE) toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Wow, my fellow believers! Why would our God do such a selfless and compassionate thing if He didn’t truly care for us, His most precious creation eh? And if those reasons above don’t give us sufficient reason to believe that we desperately need Jesus in our lives, then let’s add these other most relevant reasons. 

Firstly, that He is the Prince of Peace! The ONLY ONE who can cause us to have satisfying peace and calm in the midst of the storms of life. Just think what He can do for our souls, if He can calm the mighty seas and winds by simply saying: ‘Peace be still:’ (Mark 4:39) Then Jesus is also our High Priest and advocate in heaven, working tirelessly on our behalf, constantly lobbying the Father to turn things around for us.  Hebrews tells us: ‘Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made (he had to be made) like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.’ (Heb. 2:17)  

And John talks of Christ’s advocacy in his epistle. ‘My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not (may not sin). And if any man sin, we have an advocate (an intercessor) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation (redemption, atonement) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.’ (1 John 2:1-2) Glory be my people! Jesus is indeed our everything! And now that the basic facts are before us, hopefully they will motivate us to get up and do our best to live passionately for Jesus in this pivotal year of our lives. 

Now, for those of us who sincerely believe, let’s go to the throne of grace with prayer for divine help, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And as always, if we expect to receive positive results from heaven, we must also make positive changes here on earth. Much LOVE!

…JESUS…our Be All…and our End All…We need no one else…

P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but life happened to me, as it does to all of us! (smile) Much LOVE!

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 October 2022 Philippians 4:6.

10 Oct 2022 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 4:6.       Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.​

It’s Monday friends…but Thanksgiving Monday! That means most of us don’t have to face the stress and strain of the bustling early morning hours and the endless traffic jams to go to work. And most of God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank the Lord!’ And I guess on Thanksgiving Day, that’s a most appropriate response. (smile) But what about the other aspects of our lives eh, are we thankful for those; do we offer up thanks for them to our heavenly Father, and if we do, are they sincere, or are we merely paying lip service? 

And did we give even a li’l thanks when we opened our eyes this morning for just being alive? Do we give thanks when we manage the snarled traffic and finally get to work safely? And do we give thanks when we reverse course and get home all in one piece? And what about when our children get home safe from school? Ah friends, it’s the giving of thanks for those seemingly li’l and unimportant things that separate the sheep from the goats, the true believers from the hypocrites. Remember the Lord reads the motives of our hearts before He considers the words of our mouths, and if the former isn’t right, then He won’t even acknowledge the latter. 

And please note that thanksgiving isn’t meant to be a one day a year business, but a continuing daily activity. Today is just the day we put it in a colourful box, tie it up with a pink ribbon, add a big bow, and do a big celebration. But every day of our lives ought to be a day of thanksgiving, from the moment we awaken in the morning till we put our heads back on the pillow at night. That’s because there are so many things during each day for us to be thankful for, and there’s nothing the Lord appreciates more than a simple ‘Thank You Lord,’ when we see His marvellous and miraculous hand at work in our lives. 

The problem though is that we are usually too busy trying to fix our troubles to notice God’s hand at work, and even if we do, we usually take it for granted. Yesterday we said that counting our blessings is the best way to understand the blessed life we truly live, since our blessings usually outweigh our problems by many to one. But taking too much stock of our few problems distracts us from the gratitude for our many blessings. And my fellow believers, the giving of sincere thanks throughout our earthly journey is oh so important that we cannot afford to forget or disregard it. 

So, in keeping with this celebration of thanksgiving, like we did yesterday, let’s get a few reminders on the continual giving of thanks from the many scriptures that have been so blessedly bequeathed to us. They are so plentiful that we can spend a whole lifetime and not cover them all. (smile) Let’s open with Psalm 100 – a call to praise the Lord, a psalm of praise or thanksgiving. 

Please read with me. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5) Now that tells it like it is friends! The Lord made us, we are his people, and in proper reverence to His majesty, sovereignty and goodness to us, we ought to give him much thanks and praise. 

And then there’s this song from Isaiah re Thanksgiving for God’s mercies. Let’s read together again. ‘And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedest me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings (mighty deeds) among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord, for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.’ (Is. 12:1-6) 

Oh my people, what beautiful sentiments! The Lord Jehovah is our salvation, our strength, our comforter and has done mighty deeds on our behalf! Thus, He is entitled to much praise and thanks. And then we have these most encouraging and enlightening words from Bruh Paul to the church at Philippi, as he talks about rejoicing in the Lord. Read with me. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7) 

Yes, my fellow saints, when we lean upon our great God through prayer and thanksgiving when we do His will, He blesses us with divine grace and mercy, and a peace that cannot be found anywhere else. For all His goodness and mercy to us, we therefore ought to be continually shouting His praise and giving Him thanks of the highest nature. And since it all begins with prayer, let’s do just that nuh, go to God in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and pour out our hearts to Him. 

As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’

 On this Thanksgiving Day of 2022, let’s then be aware of the prayer we just offered up to our great God, and if we truly want a positive response, let’s wisely bring our lives into compliance with it and party sensibly, (smile) for tomorrow is work, and as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) warns, we have to look our best, do our best and be our best for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, because that’s what He expects of His followers. Much LOVE!

…the giving of continual sincere thanks to our Creator…is the mark of a true believer… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   26 September 2022 Colossians 3:23.

26 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

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

Colossians 3:23.       And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men.

And after Sunday, the day of rest, peace, relaxation, praise and worship, comes Monday, the first day of the new work week, which for ages has been the nemesis or opponent of millions of workers around the globe. And why is that eh? Who knows? Maybe it’s because we’re just naturally lazy, with a poor work ethic, (smile) and it’s just difficult for us to get back into the swing of things after a couple of days off. 

But yuh know what, of all the days of the work week, Monday should be the easiest one for us to handle. Why? Here are a few reasons. First off, you ought to be well rested after two non-working days. Then, if you are a believer in Christ Jesus, you ought to have gone to church on Sunday, or offered up praise and worship, with prayer and thanksgiving by some telecommunication method, and thus received the Lord’s blessings and renewal of confidence and spiritual strength for the new week. 

Now, all of that should be nice and fresh on Monday morning. And when you add it the Lord’s new mercies and compassions that He provides for each day, then on Mondays we should be the most amazing workers ever, just ready and rearing to go to work, bright eyed and bushy tailed, with Jesus at the forefront of our lives. But unfortunately, that scenario doesn’t usually occur. Instead, Monday is usually our worst day, where we’re still tired from the weekend activities and work is the last thing we want to hear about or do. 

We’re definitely not looking forward to facing another traffic jam, both morning and evening, the road rage and the tiredness, both spiritual and physical that that daily exercise provides. But as they say, if we want to have a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and food on our tables, then the most logical way to get those things is by working. And furthermore, the best way to get through the hours of work is with a good, Christ-like attitude. (smile) 

Now nobody has ever said that was easy, but it is indeed very possible. Yes friends, that’s why Bruh Paul warned the Colossians thus: ‘As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.’ (Col. 2:6) If Jesus is indeed our Lord and Saviour then we ought to walk the way He walked, that’s with a good attitude, sharing LOVE, joy and peace, wherever He went. 

Then later on, in that same letter to the Colossians, he spelled it out more precisely. ‘Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart (sincerity) fearing God. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:22-25) 

That means we are servants of God first and foremost, and ought to behave as such, although we are reporting to men as our earthly masters, with the necessary rewards accompanying both right and wrong behaviour, since the Lord is no respecter of persons. Now, here are a few explanations from the scholars. ‘3:22. Eyeservice is work done only when the master is watching. Christian slaves (servants) were to work hard even when their owners were absent.’ (And that should be a big warning sign, a major red flag to believers in this day and age, as so many of us now mostly perform eyeservice on our jobs.) Singleness of heart means “a sincere disposition.” 

‘3:23. Do it heartily means the slave (servant) is to perform his slave (servant) duties wholeheartedly, doing the best job he can with all his strength.’ Hn! Hn! Now where do we find such a servant nowadays eh – few and far between! ‘A slave (servant) could be enthusiastic in carrying out his menial tasks because they were done, not so much for his earthly master (unto men), but for his heavenly Master (the Lord).’  

‘3:24. The reward of the inheritance (or “the reward which is salvation”): The fact that Christian slaves (servants) will receive salvation from the Lord rather than from men verifies the assertion in verse 23 that they serve Christ not their (earthly) masters.’ Sadly though, if we poll the Christians of today, we’ll find that not many of us are behaving like Bruh Paul said we ought to. And please note, he didn’t just say this to the church at Colossae, but also to the church at Ephesus. (Eph. 6:5-9) 

So you see, this ought to be a worldwide Christian behaviour, but unfortunately it’s not. No wonder Mondays give us so much trouble. Ah friends, if we call ourselves Christians, followers of Jesus, then it’s imperative that our lifestyles and attitudes reflect His to a much greater degree than we’re currently seeing and showing. As supposed ambassadors and agents of Christ our current behaviour is far from satisfactory. 

So please, let’s live what we talk nuh, practice what we preach. If we’re followers of Jesus, then please, please, let’s behave like Him and stop giving Him a bad name that He certainly doesn’t deserve, with our unchristian behaviour. And it all begins with prayer, sincere prayer. So, as one voice let’s offer up prayer through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. 

‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And to receive positive results, our motives and general behaviour have to improve. It’s as simple as that! Much LOVE!

…you can’t talk of Christ…but live for Satan…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 August 2022 Psalm 7:8.

01 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 7:8.      The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.

And then it was Monday again. But thank the Lord, in this goodly land of Canada, many of us don’t have to worry about work because it’s a civic holiday. In Ontario, it’s called Simcoe Day, celebrating the life and times of John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada in 1791 when the Province of Ontario was created, and Toronto was then known as York. 

This holiday on the first Monday in August also provides a good ending for the Caribana Celebrations, with many of the visitors on their way back home, after having a rollicking good time, but with many still here to take in the numerous last lap festivities. So you can imagine what’s happening tomorrow when the work week kicks in again…sick calls galore… Supervisors will possibly be pulling out their hair over the shortage of workers, but there’s not much they can do about it, because it’s just the nature of the beast. Plenty partying will also bring plenty tiredness and therefore plenty unavailability for work. (smile)  

That brings us to these interesting words of our Bit from Psalm 7 – A prayer for deliverance – as Bruh David implores the Lord. ‘The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.’ (Ps. 7:8) Now many of us will say that asking the Lord to judge us before the official judgement day is going a tad too far. Why? Because we know that our level of righteousness and integrity are way below par and are afraid to face the Lord in judgement now, hoping that by the final day we would be in a better position. (smile) 

But friends, the whole purpose of our Christian existence is to live a life that’s pleasing to Almighty God ALL THE TIME! Not simply try and clean it up just before we die. The point is that if we are living a sincere and half-decent Christian life, we won’t be afraid of going before the Lord. We will never be perfect, and He knows that, but it‘s all about the trying, trying to live every day to please Him, and thus earn rewards in heaven, and not have to answer too many difficult, embarrassing and soul crushing questions on the judgement day. (smile) 

And I guess that’s one of the things the Lord liked about Bruh David, he wasn’t afraid to come before Him with anything, despite his less than stellar living at times, which is putting it mildly, for we can instead say, his totally sinful and abominable moments. It’s also very interesting to note that he made those uncomfortable remarks to God three other times in his writings. Listen to them. 

In Psalm 26, he opens by crying out to God: ‘Judge (vindicate) me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide (slip). Examine me, O Lord, and prove (try) me: try (test) my reins (mind) and my heart. For thy LOVING-kindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.’ (Ps. 26:1-3) Oh my people, how wonderful it would be if we were able to make such a remarkable request eh! But, unfortunately, many of us know that we are nowhere near that position, so we obviously shy away from such petitions. 

Meanwhile, in Psalm 35 – A prayer for rescue from enemies – Bruh David again asks for vindication against his enemies. ‘Judge (vindicate) me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me.’ (Ps. 35:24) That certainly speaks to his enormous trust in the God of his forefathers and his confidence in the quality of life he was living. I don’t know how many of us today would be bold and confident enough to go to God and tell Him: ‘Lord vindicate me against my enemies because you know I’m living a righteous life that deserves it.’ 

Then in Psalm 43 – A prayer for deliverance from the ungodly, he opines: ‘Judge (vindicate ) me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance (my salvation), and my God.’  (Ps. 43:1-5) 

Ah friends, yuh see what happens to us when we have a heart filled with sincere LOVE for God? Though our lives might be far from right, we are not afraid to go to God with our problems. And that’s exactly how Bruh David functioned. Despite his many, faults, foibles and frailties, he never stayed away from or feared going to God with his problems. And that’s exactly how we ought to be in these very deceitful, disastrous and trying times, not afraid to consult and communicate with our wonderful Creator. 

So, let’s take this marvellous opportunity to go to Him in confidence right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, laying out our petitions and problems before His heavenly throne. As one sincere and steadfast voice. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

Now it’s time for us to go out and turn from our evil ways! Much LOVE!

…there is no fear in LOVE…perfect LOVE casts out all fear… (1 John 4:18) 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 July 2022 Colossians 3:17.

25 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

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

Colossians 3:17.       And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Oh friends, after Sunday, the first day of the week, comes Monday, the second day, but also the first day of our work week. So, it’s time to put to good use, the confidence and reassurance we received yesterday when we gathered to praise and worship our God. That strengthening and enlightening was made for just such a time as this. (smile) 

We therefore need to get out into the dark and evil world with a gung-ho attitude and shake it up for Christ’s sake. Use all the tools at our disposal to present a true salt of the earth and light of the world image to the unbelievers, to those who live in darkness, in bondage to the sins and lusts of the flesh exalted by Satan and his iniquity workers.

And yes, sometimes these iniquity workers might be our bosses in the working world, and it might be hard to work for, or under them, but here are some verses from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Colossians that we should always remember and try our best to put into action. The first one says: ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:17) 

And the scholars tell us that means: ‘The beneficial influence produced by the indwelling word of Christ is not only to affect public and private worship (vs. 16), but it is also to control ALL areas of a Christian’s life.’ Ah mih people,  in ALL we do, we must behave as though we are doing it unto God. 

And Bruh Paul’s adds another twist to that scenario in these other verses, when he writes: ‘Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness (sincerity) of heart, fearing God. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord God. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:22-25) 

And what does all of that mean? Hear the scholars. ‘Eyeservice is work done only when the master is watching. Christian slaves were to work hard when their owners were absent. Singleness of heart means “a sincere disposition.”  Now that is something we all should pay attention to, because the attitude prevalent in the workplace today is to work as little as possible, but appear to be working when the boss is around. And that’s definitely not the Christian attitude. 

Then they explain ‘Do it heartily means the slave is to perform his slave duties wholeheartedly, doing the best job he can with all his strength. A slave could be enthusiastic in carrying out his menial tasks because they were done, not so much for his earthly master (unto men) but for his heavenly Master (to the Lord).’ 

There again, although we are not slaves, but workers, that is not the attitude of today’s worker. A wholehearted attitude towards work is very rare in today’s world, because what we term the work ethic is dead. We no longer take pleasure in doing a good job. We just want to do it as quickly as possible, and don’t care if it’s well done or not. 

That brings us to ‘The reward of the inheritance (or “the reward which is salvation”). The fact that Christian slaves will receive salvation from the Lord rather than from men verifies the assertion in verse 23 that they serve Christ, not their masters.’ And that’s the gospel truth friends! We serve Christ, not the bosses at our workplaces, and Christ desires a good job, well done, from all His followers. 

And Bruh Paul also wrote the same basic thing to the Corinthians. ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’ (1 Cor.10:31) So whether it’s eating, drinking, working, playing, anything believers do, we ought to do it unto the Lord, for His glory!  It could not get any clearer than that. 

But Peter tries to do it anyhow,  (smile) when he declares: ‘If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (utterances) of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Christ Jesus, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 4:11) 

And I don’t think, as true believers in Christ Jesus, we need more remembrance or encouragement than that to do a good job in our Lord and Saviour’s holy name today as we face another day of work. (smile) So let’s do the acceptable thing, offer up sincere prayer to God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for divine assistance to do His will. 

As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And now, for God to keep His promise, we must keep ours. Much LOVE!

…the blessed stamp of God…should be on everything believers do…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 July 2022 Psalm 18:32.

18 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 18:32.      It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

One more time around the block friends! Yes, if you didn’t know, it’s Monday, time to get out there and labour, labour as unto God. (smile) And I do hope that we are all ready, willing and able to handle our nemesis, our constant opponent, this first day of the work week, who consistently upsets our apple carts, simply because we are not ready to handle it. 

We have not made the necessary preparations to engage in the battle of wits and spirit that Monday always throws up at us, meaning too much partying and worldly things; not going to church and being spiritually refreshed through fellowship with other believers and hearing the Word of God, also not enough physical rest. But those are both essential if we want to present a good, strong front on Mondays and give the enemy a run for his money. 

And that is only possible when we acknowledge these facts that Bruh David lays out in Psalm 18 – Thanksgiving for deliverance, when he confidently proclaims: ‘It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.’ (Ps. 18:32) Oh friends, that is the absolute truth, and until we sincerely believe it and put it into action, we will not be able to conquer anything the enemy sends against us. 

Why do you think we can make the authoritative boast of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors: through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37) Yes, it’s only through the wonderful LOVE of our great and wonderful God that we are made strong, made conquering heroes in Christ! 

And Bruh David ramps it up even more when he continues: ‘He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet (the feet of the deer), and setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms (a bow of bronze can be bent). Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden (held me) up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.’ (Ps. 18:33-35) That’s more absolute truth my people! It is indeed the Lord God Jehovah who enables us to first resist and then defeat the enemy. 

And Jesus reiterates that truth when He says to the disciples. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5) Now that says it all my fellow believers: without Jesus we can do nothing! And if you don’t believe Him, then try doing stuff without Him nuh, and see how far you’ll get. (smile)  

Then Bruh Paul puts it very nicely in his second letter to the church at Corinth. ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) Glory be, ye saints of Christ! And remember what Bruh Paul also said to the Ephesians. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ (Eph. 2:8-9) Oh my people, until we realize, recognize and understand that who we are, most of what we have come from the goodness of God, we’ll never live up to the plan He has set out for us, or reach the pinnacle that He desires us to reach. 

Remember what Jesus said: ‘I am come that they might have life; and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10b) That means if we don’t live for Jesus, abide in Him, and have Him abide in us, then we won’t live the abundant life He died for us to have, thereby negating His sacrificial death, making all His pain and ‘sufferation’ of no use. And what I can’t understand is why in tragic and disturbing times like these, we aren’t turning back to God in greater droves than we currently are, since our own efforts are not helping to diffuse the evil and ungodly situations we’re now facing. 

In fact, our efforts are only making them worse. One would expect in a time like this a revival of God-fearing proportions would be taking place. People would be waking up, like the Israelites used to do, when they found themselves between a rock and a hard place after turning away from the God of their forefathers. But it seems the contrary thing is happening; people are turning away from God, more than they are turning to Him. Unfortunately though, there’s no wisdom in that. Wisdom dictates that if all our efforts are failing, then we try something, or somebody else…like Jehovah God. 

And I guess these words of Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, echo the sentiments that populate our world today. ‘For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men: and the weakness of God is stronger than men.’ (1 Cor. 1:22-25) 

It couldn’t be said any better my friends! That’s why, for those of us who believe, it’s essential to go to God in prayer asking for divine help and guidance. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one sincere voice. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And what must we do after we pray? Wait with eager expectation, while keeping whatever promises we’ve made. Much LOVE!

… In Christ alone my hope is found…He is my light, my strength, my song… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 June 2022   1 Corinthians 9:25a.

20 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 Corinthians 9:25a.      And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). 

Once more Monday has rolled around friends, as it tends to do every seven days, (smile) but let’s hope that this one isn’t too rough because of the lingering effects of yesterday’s Father’s Day celebrations. I know that many of us used it as an excuse to over-indulge in food and drink and general merriment. And it’s not a crime to indulge, as Cousin Sol says in Ecclesiastes. ‘Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely (fitting) for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun (in which he toils) all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion (heritage).’ (Eccl. 5:18)  

Yes friends, eating and drinking and enjoying the fruit of our labour is a God-given heritage, the problem though is over-indulgence in those activities. What we need is moderation in those things that are righteous…not moderation in all things, as some people claim. I like how this commentator writing on the biblereasons.com website puts it: ‘Have you ever heard someone say moderation in all things? If you have, I want you to know it’s false. When talking about moderation we must also remember the word abstinence. There are some things you just can’t do.’ 

And that’s the living truth. You can’t do all the sinful things in moderation and think that’s right. And as the commentator continues: ‘You must have self-control with everything and the Holy Spirit, which lives in Christians will help you. Thank God that we have the ability to do things that some can’t, but be on guard when shopping, watching TV, surfing the internet, drinking caffeine etc. Don’t be obsessed with anything in your life, except for the Lord. Don’t put a stumbling block in front of other believers. Without moderation you can easily fall into sin. Be careful because Satan does all he can to try to tempt us. Do all things for the glory of God.’ 

Now we should indeed do all things for God’s glory, but to tell the truth, I don’t even think we should be obsessed with God, because the word has an inherent negative quality, one clouded with fear, like a phobia or a mania, and it continually intrudes on your thinking so that you can’t think on anything else clearly. But, if however, there is one thing or person we should be obsessed with, it is indeed our heavenly Father. (smile) 

Anyway, we ought to do as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Philippi. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7) 

Yes, my faithful brethren, we Christians should be known for our moderation, that’s graciousness and reasonableness. And if we are at peace with our fellow believers and rejoice always, then we ought to be gracious and reasonable people. And furthermore, we’ll have the peace of God, a divine tranquility enveloping our lives, where fear and worry don’t intrude. Then Bruh Paul goes on to give the Philippians some practical applications to help them in achieving those outcomes. 

He says: ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phill.4:8-9) 

Now, we can’t say we don’t know what things to think on my people, (smile) especially if we truly desire the divine peace of God to be safeguarding our hearts and minds. And we can’t leave out these passages of scripture when talking about moderation, which includes a healthy dose of self-control. Bruh Paul writes thus in his first epistle to the church at Corinth. ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain. 

And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown; but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly: so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (disqualified)’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27) 

And that last verse there is ever so important for preachers and teachers; meaning that every day I have to consider what I do and say, lest after teaching others the word, I don’t have the self-discipline to run a strong race and fight a good fight, and get disqualified, herded with the goats and not the sheep. Now, having learned all of that, (smile) it’s time for us to put it into action. And the first line of action is always prayer. So, let’s go to the throne of grace in confident humility, and, with supplication and thanksgiving, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, lay our requests before the Lord. 

Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And what do we do after making our requests known to God in prayer? We keep our promises and wait expectantly and eagerly in faith for Him to answer…in His own time! Much LOVE!

…heaven on earth is possible…if we will just use the tools God’s given us… 

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

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