Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 August 2021 Philippians 4:13.

18 Aug 2021 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 4:13.     I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

So Wednesday has rolled around once more, in the quickly passing weeks of summer. And I wish someone could tell me why the weeks of winter don’t pass even half as quickly. (smile) They just seem to drag on and on and on. But that’s life in the northern climes, and with the help of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we handle them just the same, though we need to be a bit more careful in the nasty weather. That means with Jesus guiding our lives we can do anything that’s necessary. 

We have that ever-faithful promise from the Good Book, where Bruh Paul writes to the Philippians: ‘Not that I speak of in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.’ (Phil. 4:11-12) 

Yes friends, in these contrary times we believers must be good examples of contentment so that others can learn from us. And yes, contentment is something that’s learned, not in the classroom either, or overnight, but continuously through the hard knocks of life. We have become so accustomed to easy living that we complain about every single thing, and that’s the wrong attitude for believers to have. 

We need to be much more disciplined than we are; being able to tighten our belts in the hard times, or as the old people would say, band we belly when things rough, and then be able to live without airs and graces when the times get good. But it’s all a learning process, an acquired way of living. And what’s the basic underlying factor of our ability to do with or without? Bruh Paul tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13) 

Glory to God my brethren! Yes indeed! Christ is the one who gives us the strength to live that contented life, both in need or in prosperity! Christ is the one who enables us to adapt to the various situations we encounter in this crazy and undisciplined world. Whatever He tells us to do, or wherever He sends us, He gives us the wherewithal to handle whatever comes against us. But the problem is that we don’t pay sufficient attention to Christ’s commands, that’s why we so often find ourselves in hot water, or out of our league. 

Then we blame Him, but we are the ones who need to bear the blame for our lack of obedience to His instructions. Remember Jesus’ warning 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) 

And I like how after all the palaver, Jesus throws in that last statement that clarifies the whole situation: ‘for without me ye can do nothing.’ And that’s a fact friends! Without Christ in our lives, we can’t do much of anything that’s really worthwhile. But with Him running the show, oh brother, we can be supermen, do miracles, show wonders, prophecy, speak in tongues, etc. etc.! That’s why Christ is such a valuable part of our lives. 

And one thing I like about Jesus is that He does not mince words, but tells it straight and true. As He said above, ‘for without me ye can do nothing,’ later on He tells the disciples: ‘Ye are my friends, if ye do what I command you.’ (John 15:14) And earlier on He was just as blunt: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) And again He tells them: ‘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 that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) 

Yuh see friends, our entire discipleship is based on keeping the commands of Christ, which basically boil down to having LOVE for each other, that’s treating each other kindly and with compassion, like Christ treats us. And only as we show that LOVE for each other to the world, will they recognize that we are indeed His disciples. And I’m sad and sorry to say that we are not showing that LOVE for each other to the world as much as we need to. 

That’s why so many are turning away from God, or simply refusing to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour. They see us supposed Christians as merely a bunch of ole hypocrites, who talk a good talk, but don’t walk it, like the Pharisees of old did! And they are quite right! There’s too much infighting, dissension and evil doing within Christ’s church; too many petty differences that breed unnecessary resentment and strife. And until we clean up our own backyard, we can’t fault the neighbours for not wanting to run with us. 

So please my brethren, this time of much strife, sickness and natural disaster, is the perfect time for us to do that, the time to come together and show the real beauty of living for Christ. Remember Christ is depending on us, His ambassadors, His earthly agents to do His work with diligence and excellence, something we are currently not doing. Yes, my fellow saints in Christ, let’s raise the level of our standards nuh, instead of following the world and lowering them. That’s Christ’s desire for us in these trying times! 

Consequently, with that on our minds, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

Oh my, my! And please remember friends, that if we endure to the end, the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! So please let that wonderful thought drive us this Wednesday morning as we go out to do Christ’s work. Much LOVE!

…until you start living for Christ…you will not know how wonderful it is…                                                                                                                       

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 June 2013 Luke 24:49

15 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

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

Luke 24:49:    And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
 
‘Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God! Yes, we’re standing, standing, standing on the promises of God!’
 
Oh Friends, those are such mightily important words in the lives of believers, for they play a role like nothing else does. That’s because in taking such a confident stand, we’re placing our faith and utmost trust in the promises of our God and Creator to control each and every aspect of our lives, surrendering our will to His holy and infinitely wiser one. And that says a whole lot about our level of faith and maturity in Jesus.
 
And I’ll certainly grab hold of this opportune opportunity, (smile) to remind us of some of God’s promises in the anonymous poem I shared not too long ago. I believe we need to hear it again, and thus reawaken and/ or rejuvenate our spirits.
 
Titled ‘God’s Promise’ the poem declares: ‘I will not fear – God is always with me. I will not doubt – God is always in control. I will not despair – God is always good. I will not falter – God is always watching. I will not fail – God is always victorious!’
 
And that’s all awesome truth Friends! And it all began when Adam and Eve had that glorious chance to live in paradise, but blew it because they figured God wouldn’t stand on His promise to kick them out if they disobeyed Him and ate of the tree of good and evil. But He did, and yet still, to this very day, we still don’t take Him seriously when He promises us stuff.
 
The beauty of it all though is that God also keeps His promises of good things and thoughts towards us.  Listen to Cousin Sol confirm this on the day the Ark of the Covenant was taken into the spanking new temple he’d built in God’s honour.
 
‘Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest (peace) unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.’ (1 Kin.8:56)
 
Yes my people, not a single one of God’s promises to Moses and the children of Israel failed to come through, whether they were for good or bad! And since our God or His Word doesn’t change, all those promises, both for good and bad, are still in effect up to this very day.
 
And I can assure us that we’re feeling the effects of some of the bad ones, because we have gone astray from God, just like Israel did so many times and paid a significant price every time.
 
Oh Friends, we have to realize that the Word of God is the awesome, indelible, undeniable, everlasting truth! He doesn’t talk just because He can, or likes to, as so many of us do. And furthermore, He means exactly what He says; if you follow my will, I’ll bless you. But if you don’t, then I’ll cause you to be cursed.
 
It’s simple and straight to the point. One line of action will bring providential results, while the opposite will cause serious problems. And isn’t that the same way we raise our children? So since we’re the Father’s children, all His dictates and directives are appropriate.
 
But enough tongue lashing, (smile) today I want to focus on one particular promise, and a major one too, which stems from our Bit. ‘And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.’ That was Jesus again promising to send the Holy Spirit upon His disciples, just prior to His ascension.
 
Now the Father had also made that fact known long before Jesus ever came to earth. Hear God’s promise through Isaiah that His Spirit would come upon Israel: ”Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, and thou Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
 
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.’ (Is.44:2-4)
 
The prophet Joel also had some foresight re the eventual universal outpouring of God’s Spirit, when he declared: ‘And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the (men) servants and upon the handmaids (maid servants) in those days will I pour out my spirit.’ (Joel 2:28-29)
 
So my brethren, Jesus ‘ promise to send the Spirit after His ascension was not something that He had just planned, but it was the Father’s intention from the very beginning. And we see it being refreshed and renewed in every age, until it finally comes to pass on the Day of Pentecost, fifty days after Jesus ascended. 
 
Listen, as it’s so beautifully and emotionally described in the Good Book. ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord (purpose, mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
 
And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:1-4) 
 
And that finally fulfilled the promises that were made way back when, enabling each new believer to have God’s Holy Spirit dwell in them, leading and guiding them as Jesus desires.
 
Oh Friends, all of you know about the Day of Pentecost and its unusual happenings, but I’m trying here to get us to focus on the idea of  promises coming through; like that awesome one at Pentecost, but even more so on the promises of our heavenly Father that are still coming true.
 
It’s very important that we notice the fulfilment of His promises in our lives, because that’s where, when and how we truly build faith and trust in Him. So today I’m simply asking us to believe in the promises of God and actively seek them out in our lives. They’re happening all around us every day, but we’re either too busy, blind or foolish to notice them.
 
Please, let’s turn that attitude around nuh, because it’s all to our benefit, not God’s. And it does show a high level of wisdom and trust when we can stand boldly, confidently and faithfully on His promises. Much LOVE!
 
…if we can trust in the fickle promises of fickle man…why not the faithful ones of Almighty God…creator of the world and all therein…
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 May 2013 Acts 2:1

19 May 2013 Leave a comment

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

Acts 2:1.     And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord (purpose or mind) in one place.
 
Oh Friends, oh Friends, our wonderful God does move in mysterious ways yes! Remember yesterday I opened by talking about what we were going to do? Well I completely forgot about my own plans. Hn, hn! And that was to attend the First Annual Pentecost Prayer Breakfast held by my church. Praise the Lord!  Now it wasn’t a large gathering, about forty or fifty people, but believe me Friends, there certainly was much joy in heaven as we celebrated. There was good music, so we sang and clapped and danced before the Lord, with spiritual joy, (smile) like Bruh David did when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem. (2 Sam.6:14) We prayed, praised and worshipped, and last but not least, we enjoyed some good food. The food was as varied as the congregation, with North American staples like scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages and pancakes. And I’ve saved the best for last, the West Indian fare of Jamaican style calaloo, called ‘bajie’ in T&T, really spinach, ackee and saltfish, green bananas and fried plantain. And though the plantain wasn’t as ripe as I prefer it, fried plantain is fried plantain. (smile) Obviously all the other ancillary stuff was present, like tea, coffee, juice, fruit and cakes. We even had a multiple choice quiz to see how well we knew the Bible. Here are two of the questions. Which of the following is the most frequently mentioned woman in the Bible: Eve, Sarah, The Virgin May, or Rachel? And who is the most frequently mentioned man, after Jesus Himself in the Bible: Bruh David, Moses, Abraham or Bruh Paul? Ponder them. I’ll give you the answers tomorrow. Oh my fellow believers, a fine time was definitely had by all. The most important aspect though is that God’s people joyfully fellowshipped together in His house -a room off the main sanctuary- and hopefully, no, not hopefully, but surely the Holy Spirit moved some of us, touched some hearts, inspired us to come up higher, just like it moved the disciples two thousand years ago on that fateful Day of Pentecost. I don’t believe any of us went home speaking in tongues though, (smile) but the attitudes and the atmosphere were as close to true Christianity as we can get. Oh, if we could only have more of that, even a li’l more on a regular basis from God’s people, our world would certainly improve by leaps and bounds, and there would also be much more joy in heaven on a regular basis. But in my humble position, all I can do is natter in our ears, and try to set a good example myself, hoping that the Holy Spirit will then convict us and get us going along the right path, the straight and narrow one, at the end of which we shall come face to face with our heavenly Father and all the other saints who have gone home before us. Oh what a day of rejoicing that will be my brethren! But until then, we’ll just have to make do with what we have, which is still a lot. Much like that day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit first came to indwell the apostles and other believers on a permanent basis. Our Bit leads us in to that momentous occasion: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord (purpose or mind) in one place.’ And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4) Ah mih people, that undoubtedly was a real moving experience! The atmosphere was certainly electric, with foreign born residents of Jerusalem hearing the apostles speak in their native languages. ‘And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?’ (Acts 2:7) They were so amazed and ‘confuffled”, wondering what it all meant, even believing that the apostles were drunk. But Peter, fully strengthened by the Holy Spirit got up and preached his famous sermon to the gathered multitude, telling them that it was too early in the day for them to be drunk, but it was the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel. You can read Peter’s speech for yourselves. (Acts 2:17-36) And the Holy Spirit was so convincing through Peter’s words, that when the crowd heard it, ‘they were pricked in their (cut to the) heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord shall call.’ (Acts 2:37-39) Ah Friends, there certainly is enormous power in the Holy Spirit! And that Day of Pentecost was a perfect example, as the Good Book tells us: ‘Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.’ (Acts 2:41-42) Yes my brethren, three thousand souls received Christ on that awesome day and were saved. Glory Hallelujah! Now Friends,  it’s time for us to ponder, to search our hearts and see if we are making proper use of that powerful Holy Spirit that indwells us. Are we using it to improve our Christian walk of faith, our maturity? And just as importantly, are we using it, to the best of our ability, to bring others to a saving grace in Christ? Let’s try and ascertain true answers to those two questions today nuh, then ask God for help to improve in whatever area(s) we need to. Much LOVE!…the power of the Holy Spirit working in man….can do Christ-like things…move mountains, or people…let’s learn to use it to advance God’s kingdom…