Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 March 2024 Matthew 18:35.

13 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 18:35.       So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

‘Sunshine, lollipops and roses…!’ Well, we haven’t really reached the roses part as yet, but we’re certainly having sunshine and lollipops! Ah friends, they’re trying hard to make me believe that spring has actually sprung, and on this 13th day of March with temps already around 15 degrees Celsius, and bright sunshine splays it’s warmth and glorious light all over the neighbourhood, I am getting closer to believing. And yes, during the course of my many years in this climate, I’ve seen strange things happen at strange times, like snow in June, but I’m not quite ready to believe that spring has truly sprung at this early stage of the year. 

In this case, I’m running with the world; I’ll believe it when I see it. (smile) And though I may be able to sit on my porch this afternoon for the first time this year, and watch people pass by, for the walkers will certainly be out today, a stubborn streak of disbelief keeps floating around in me. But I guess them’s the breaks. And I’ll just have to learn to handle it, all the while hoping that climate change proves me wrong (smile) In the meantime let’s see what the Bible has to offer this spring-like Wednesday morning. And it opened unto the parable of the unforgiving servant in the gospel of Matthew. 

Now, unforgiveness is one of the biggest downfalls of our modern society. And in this parable Jesus expands on His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, after He taught them the Lord’s Prayer, which has this seminal statement smack dab in the middle of it. ‘And forgive us our debts (trespasses), as we forgive our debtors (those who trespass against us.’ (Matt. 6:12) Then Jesus follows that up with these memorable words. ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6:14-15) 

Oh my people, that is so plain and without any subterfuge, that even a fool ought to be able to understand it! If we don’t forgive others their trespasses, the Lord will not forgive us our trespasses. That’s so straightforward, yet so many of us supposed believers still hold unforgiveness, and all that it entails, in our hearts against others, yet go to God and ask for forgiveness of our sins! How foolish and hypocritical is that eh! And in order to reinforce the power and importance of the principle of forgiveness Jesus told the parable of the unforgiving servant. 

This servant, one who handled the Lord’s money, owed him some ten thousand talents, which amounts to millions of dollars in today’s money, and when the Lord called for payment, the servant was unable to pay, so the Lord ordered him and his family and all he had to be sold until payment was made. The Bible tells us then, that ‘The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him (prostrated himself), saying Lord have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him (released him), and forgave him the debt.’ (Matt. 18:26-27) 

Now that’s what you call forgiveness! Forgiving millions of dollars’! Wow! That sure was a big-hearted lord! However, the story continues thus: ‘But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence (approx.10 dollars): and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that (what) thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought (begged) him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.’ (Matt. 18:28-30) 

Now that ought to make us hold our heads and bawl, although it’s exactly what happens in our selfish and unforgiving world today. But before we get further into the story, I want to raise one question of my own, one that has me shaking my head every time I hear about debtor’s prison. To my way of thinking, if you throw the debtor into prison until he pays the debt, how can he pay it locked up in jail, if he couldn’t pay it when he was outside? If you’re locked up you can’t work, there’s no way of making money, at least in the jails they had back then. Wouldn’t it be wiser to leave them out and allow them to work and so earn the money to repay the debt? But that’s just my crazy, eccentric way of thinking. (smile) 

Anyway, when the other servants saw the unforgiving attitude of their fellowman, they went and told it to the Lord. Then the Lord called him and said: ‘O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst (begged) me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth (angry), and delivered him to the tormentors (torturers), till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.’ (Matt. 18:32-35) 

Oh friends, that’s what happens when we are forgiven, and don’t forgive! And the moral of the story? The One to whom the insurmountable debt is owed is our heavenly Father. The debts are the sins of the individual sinner, which none of us can ever repay. But instead of placing us in debtor’s prison, the Lord shows great compassion and forgives or cancels our debts, our sins. And per the scholars: ‘The picture illustrates God’s total forgiveness when dealing with our sins at the point of salvation. The debt has been paid by Christ and we are set free from it forever.’ 

And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Thank You Jesus! We LOVE and worship Your Holy Name!’ And if that’s really true, then let’s see us be more forgiving than we currently are nuh. Let’s be big of heart like our heavenly Father. For remember, if you don’t forgive, He won’t forgive you either. Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our marvelous position in Christ Jesus. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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!’ 

Then there’s this proviso, the promise that if we endure right down to the very end with Jesus, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s plan to be there at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!

…forgiveness breeds forgiveness…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   21 February 2024   1 Peter 4:16.

21 Feb 2024 Leave a comment

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

1 Peter 4:16.       Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf (matter).

Oh friends, if I didn’t know better I would swear that spring has sprung! That’s because a short while ago I opened my side door to put out my waste and was greeted by a blast of relatively warm sunshine! Wow! According to my computer it’s already 5 degrees on the plus side, and it’s going up to 8, when normally at this time of year, it’s on the minus side of the centigrade scale. But I’m not complaining about the weather, rather I’m complaining about my right hip that’s suddenly for the last two days making my life a so and so nightmare. Almost every movement of my right leg sends a shooting pain through my hip. Can’t even sleep comfortably on that side. Chuh! 

Then to make matters worse, this morning I woke up with a sore throat. Brother! I had planned on going to church today and doing some other chores, but my sore throat and tender hip nixed that idea right in the bud. Ah Lord eh! You’d think that my physical problems would be with my right eye, on which I had surgery last week, but that’s been fairly wonderful, no real problems with it. But my foolish hip, which bugs me off and on decided to act up at a level it’s never done before. However, I won’t allow those minor aches and pains (smile) to quell my desire for God. 

That’s why I searched our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin until I found this most appropriate writing, titled ‘Fiery Trials.’ So please read with me: ‘God is teaching me incredible lessons regarding growth. I see with undeniable evidence that growth means pruning, and pruning means pain. I confess, I’m actually a coward about pain. I certainly never pray for it. I don’t anticipate or look for it. I do only one thing. I ask God to steady me, since the Bible so clearly states that trials are a part of our lifewalk with Him. 

In all honesty, I would prefer to escape the testing. I don’t like the pain of emotional trauma, which can be so overwhelming and baffling. I don’t like the deep cutting pain that goes on and on without relief. The pain of loneliness frightens me, the pain of losing someone dear to me grieves me. Nevertheless, I am praying for an open heart. I can’t begin to contemplate what fiery ordeals God may choose for my testing and growth, but I do long for my yieldedness to prove my willingness to be conformed to the image of His dear Son.’ 

Wow! How true all of that is! None of us like pain, but it’s all a part of life, especially in the Christian walk when the Lord decides to test our faith. And we’d rather escape the test than go through it. In fact, many of us cringe in fear when we learn that pruning, which equals pain, is an important aspect of our Christian life. And no, it doesn’t seem fair to test us, least of all when we do not expect it. And that’s when we usually get the testing, when we least expect it and under unusual circumstances that most times we cannot handle on our own. 

But that’s the very purpose of the testing; to ofttimes bring us to our knees and show us that we cannot do life successfully without Almighty God in our corner. And all we can really ask for is the  strength and power to bear whatever pain it takes to conform to the image of Christ, which is God’s eventual state for us. And the great part of it all is that God either gives us the strength to handle the test, or helps us escape it through one of His many means and miracles. 

The Bible promises, in Bruh Paul’s words: ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Yes friends, though our God might allow us to undergo temptation, which is as old a the world itself, He will not leave us alone to handle it, but will lend a helping hand in one form or the other. The problem is that we must be big and faithful enough of Spirit, Hope and Trust to understand this. 

As Hebrews so kindly informs and reassures us. ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession of faith). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16) 

What a marvellous scripture my brethren! It tells us that Jesus was tempted with sin like all of us, but never sinned. That means He can sympathize with our frailties, our shortcomings, and we can trust Him to help us. But it all takes a measure of faith. Thus the Bible verse for our writing today, which comes from the first epistle of Peter. ‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch (to the extent that) ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 

If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody (meddler) in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf (matter).’ (1 Pet. 4:12-16) 

Oh my fellow believers, that is indeed some hard scriptures to put into action, but by the grace of God we can certainly do it! It’s all a part of the testing of our faith, that when we suffer for Christ, that eventually we will rejoice with and in Him. That’s the glorious hope of our Christian future. The point is that we never give up, keep hoping and trusting in our great God, who LOVES us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins! Now that ought to mean a whole lot more to us than it does. So please, in these evil and ungodly times, let’s stand up strong and faithful in the promises of the God of our forefathers. That’s the ONLY way to conquer the enemy and make a significant difference in our world. 

Now, let’s declare (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, telling the whole world of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one voice: ‘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!’ 

And if we endure to the very end with Christ, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, let’s plan to meet there at the vey end nuh! Much LOVE!

…true Christianity…is strong faith in action…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 April 2023 Romans 5:8.

13 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

Here’s looking at you with LOVE and great expectations, the first Thursday after Easter! You’ve opened so bright and sunny, and so warm too, about 19 degrees Celsius, that for the first time in many a month I can open my windows and allow the cool fresh air to flow through the house! Wow! What a pleasure! Only those who have ever experienced it, know the wonderful feeling of being able to open windows instead of keeping them tightly shut. But it’s all a part of living in the northern climes, and it does provide for some variable and interesting though not always pleasant times. (smile) 

And in my neck of the woods this is definitely a day to say, with grateful truth: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) Oh friends, it seems like spring is truly and finally here…Praise the Lord! The birds are singing their songs of joy and praise, while flitting about their own lives, and the flora is beginning to turn green again, awaking from its long winter snooze, and let’s hope that that new life is also blossoming in us believers, especially since spring has sprung right at Easter time, when we celebrate the triumphant resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who, having defeated hell, death and the grave, now has the keys to hades in His nail-pierced hands! 

And all God’s people gave a joyful shout of: ‘Hallelujah to the Lamb that was slain for us, whose blood was shed to pay for our iniquity! Sing Hallelujah to His precious and glorious name!’ Yes, my fellow believers, we ought to be so grateful to Jesus for the selfless, sacrificial work He did on our behalf at Easter. No one else could have done it…even if they felt so inclined, for He was the only sinless soul, who could pay for our abominable sins. And yuh know what? We haven’t even spoken of the Father’s great LOVE for us as yet, which caused that marvellous debt repayment. 

Oh my, my! It was indeed the Father’s unconditional LOVE for His sinful creation that got the wheels rolling, and then Jesus’ obedience to, and LOVE for the Father, that eventually made it happen. And oh how great was that rolling of wheels that rolled on to our redemption, forgiveness, justification, reconciliation and sanctification! Ah my fellow saints, that certainly deserves another Wow! Just imagine nuh, that the death and resurrection of one individual could cause all those marvellous things to happen in our lives nuh. And if you don’t believe me, then let’s look at some scriptures that prove it. 

As per redemption, listen to Peter pontificate on the subject. (smile) ‘Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible (perishable) things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (aimless conduct) received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest (revealed) in these last times for you. Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.’ (1 Pet. 1:18-21) 

And all of God’s people said a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Hallelujah! Glory to God in the Highest! Amen!’ And as per forgiveness, Bruh Paul says it loud and clear in Ephesians, speaking of the Father through Jesus. ‘Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children (as sons) by Jesus Christ in himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved (bestowed grace or favour) upon us. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded to us in all wisdom and prudence (understanding).’ (Eph. 1:5-8) 

Yes friends, Almighty God with wisdom and understanding, through His awesome grace, forgave our sins because the shed blood of Jesus paid the requisite up-scale price for them. No one, or nothing else could have paid the horrendous high price involved. So please let’s show our eternal gratitude by living sincerely and enthusiastically for Jesus nuh. He’s sacrificed so much for us. And the scholars offer this interesting note on forgiveness. They say, ‘The word forgiveness literally means “to send off or away.” In Scripture this means separating the sinner from his sin. God accomplishes forgiveness by transferring our sin to Christ on the cross and judging it there. When an individual receives Christ as Saviour, he is forgiven by means of this transfer.’ 

And, as per justification, listen to these marvellous and oh so encouraging words from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Much more then, being now (having been) justified (made right) by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more, (having) being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (reconciliation).’ (Rom. 5:6-11) 

Ah mih people, what a wonderful God we serve! Now which other supposed god would ever make their only Son die for his followers’ wrongdoing eh? NONE whatsoever! Only the mighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has the ability and the LOVE for His people to perform such a miraculous, amazing and LOVING feat! And we should be everlastingly grateful for it, not the offhanded, unconcerned manner so many of us supposed believers exhibit. Anyway, we still have two things to go, reconciliation and sanctification, and since time and space are in short supply, we’ll tackle them tomorrow, God willing, of course. 

And no, the mention of reconciliation above, was not the scripture I want to share. Meanwhile, for those of us who truly are trying to live for Jesus, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which have been so generously bestowed on us to do God’s earthly work. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

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

And now, having activated those blessings, we’re duty bound to go out and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…if it wasn’t for God’s great LOVE for us…we’d certainly be S.O.L… crapaud would certainly be smoking we pipe… (smile) 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 March 2023 Matthew 7:15.

23 Mar 2023 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 7:15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening (ravenous) wolves.

So it’s a wet and cloudy Thursday morning, hopefully a true harbinger of spring and not merely a date on the calendar that announces the beginning of that beautiful season of green. Yes, a couple of days ago, the calendar said that spring had finally sprung, but with the weather situation being so precarious and volatile, who knows what to expect these days. It’s a good thing that we have Jesus on whom to build a solid foundation, One who never changes, but is the same today, yesterday and forever! 

And it’s certainly sad that so many people choose not to believe in Him, after all He’s done for mankind. And like He so simply explained in some of His last words on the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken them unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock (Jesus): And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a (the) rock (Jesus). 

And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.’ (Matt. 7:24-27) 

Oh my fellow believers that is such a serious warning for all mankind, although it’s couched in simple everyday language, because Jesus is in fact saying, if we don’t build our lives on Him, the Rock of Ages, then our lives will not be very fruitful or worth anything. All we do or hold dear will be washed away when the inclement weather comes. However, when we build our lives on His words, then we will prosper and live the abundant life, despite all the inclement weather and disasters that occur. 

But there’s more to it than just believing. Remember Jesus first words in the above scripture: Whoever hears His sayings and does them. Now that’s the crux of the problem. Not only hearing His words, but much more importantly, doing them. So, let’s look at some of the things Jesus said that that we should pay attention to and do. 

The first thing we need to consider are His words re the Strait and Wide gates. He adamantly advised, seriously warned us to: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult or confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14) 

Ah mih people, Jesus is simply saying that we must come through the narrow gate to reach the path that leads to eternal life. Unfortunately though, many are on the wide path that leads to destruction or eternal separation from Almighty God. And even worse, the gate that leads to eternal life is so narrow that only a few people find it. 

Let’s remember though that Jesus is indeed the gate and the way as He said in John 14:6. ‘I am the way the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ And furthermore, God enables men to find that gate as He says in John 6:44. ‘No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.’

 So it’s obvious that if we want to spend eternity with, or even have a relationship with the Father, then it’s necessary to go through Jesus. Let’s understand that right up front. First we have to find the narrow gate and walk along the narrow path to get to Jesus. But then He also said: ‘Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening (ravenous) wolves.’ (Matt. 7:15) 

And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘The warning Beware of false prophets fits appropriately with the concept of the two ways above. Since many are being led in the wrong way, they are obviously being led by the wrong people. False prophets were prevalent in the Old Testament, whereas God’s true prophets were often in the minority.’ 

And I’d like to add that it’s still the same today. Nothing much has changed in that respect. There are still more people preaching falsehood than those preaching the truth. You just have to listen to the numerous people supposedly spouting God’s word, and the different stuff they all are saying. If it’s the truth, everybody should be saying basically the same thing, which they are not. 

And as per false prophets appearing in sheep’s clothing, but are actually ravenous wolves, the scholars say: ‘This is a perfect description of those preachers who have denied or distorted the truth of the gospel. They look like lambs but act like wolves. Their description is similar to that of the great False Prophet in Revelation 13:11)’ Now, I would strongly advise us to take a look at that scripture and see how eerily similar that False Prophet would be to Jesus, being able to do miracles and such, though of an evil nature, but nevertheless quite capable of fooling us. 

Ah friends, there’s more I’d like to say on the above subjects, but we’re already late, and it will get too long, what with our short attention spans, (smile) so we’ll leave that for tomorrow, God willing of course. For those of us though, who are sincerely trying to live for Christ, the Lord has most generously bestowed several blessings on us to enable us to live that life. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare (yesss!!!) them now, that they can be activated. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! 

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

Now, to show our sincerity, let’s go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as Christ shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…living for Christ isn’t easy…but it sure brings deep and lasting joy… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 April 2018 James 1:2.

21 Apr 2018 Leave a comment

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

James 1:2.    My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials).

At last friends, at long last, some of the ice that’s covered the ground from the ice storm a week ago has finally melted…Yay! And we can now see some of Mother Earth’s dirtyish brown grass with specks of green thrown in for good measure. Glory be! 

But not all of the ice has melted, there are still several patches of it all around. And from my kitchen window I can see about three or four solid boulders of ice lying at the side of the road, and the big lump of ice that clogged the entrance to my lane when they cleaned the main road last week is still there, blocking traffic and making it difficult to enter the lane. 

But God is good! Let’s remember that, and a few weeks from now when spring has finally sprung and the leaves and beautiful blossoms are out in all their glory, we’ll look back and laugh at this inconvenience. Hn, hn! Yeh mih people, it’s a good thing the Lord blessed us with short memories. 

However, it’s Saturday, so let’s turn our attention to some of this week’s quotes from our friend Anselm, as he aspires to inspire us to a better tomorrow. Here is the first one: ‘Learn to value yourself, which means fight for your happiness.’ 

Oh my people, too many of us don’t value ourselves highly enough, we have a poor self-image, thus others take advantage of us. Therefore we need to raise our self- image through Bible study and assertive action if we want to control our lives and thus our happiness. And the next quote is basically about the same thing; taking control of our lives. 

‘Don’t let other people decide whether you are going to have a fantabulous or bad day, make that decision yourself.’ Again, too many of us allow others to run our lives and decide what kind of day we’re going to have. That is counter productive friends. We have to learn to stand on our own two feet and make those kinds of decision for ourselves, otherwise we’ll always be at the mercy of others. 

And the final quote says: ‘If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.’ In other words, take a chance! And that is gospel truth! If you never take chances and just stay with the tried and true, the same old, same old, then the same old, same old is all you’ll ever get. 

Our society and our Christian faith was built on our forefathers and the early Christians taking chances, even when it meant running afoul of the authorities and thus possible loss of life. And as we Christians know, whenever we step out to do something for Christ, the enemy will most likely come against us and try to prevent us from doing it. 

But because of Christ’s promises and His power to enable us to do anything, we don’t have to shy away, but press on regardless. And we do that through faith. But faith doesn’t just come like by wishing it. On the contrary it’s something we have to build, through constant hard work and adversity. 

And Cousin Bobby (Bobby Schuller- Hour of Power) says that ‘Faith is not a leap, but an enduring daily trust that God can do the impossible in your life.’ And that’s no lie! Each and every day we awaken we have to learn to keep the trust in God we earned the day before, and to build on it, so that tomorrow it will be even stronger. That’s how we build faith my brethren – from day to day, through whatever trial comes our way. 

That brings us to our Bit, some rather interesting words from James, Jesus’ brother, in his epistle to the Christians dispersed around the world. ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials).’ Now who wants to find trials joyful eh? Nobody! But friends, that’s the only way we’ll grow in faith. 

As James continues: ‘Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ James 1:3-4) Yeh friends, as long as we are believers, our faith will always be tested, and we need to stand fast so that we can grow. 

And the scholars got it right: ‘1:4. The natural response to adversity is to escape it. But God uses trouble to mature His people.’ Oh, we certainly know it’s rough, and do try to escape, but much to our dismay, that’s just part of the life of faith we’re trying live. 

The scholars further tell us: ‘1:2-3. In this epistle on Christian living, James opens with a most crucial topic: the trials of life. These verses describe the various testings – whether from the world and Satan, or from God – into which godly Christians fall (Gr. peripipto). 

These “negative” experiences are to be accepted with great joy, not for the sake of the trial itself but because of the positive work God can accomplish through the testing….It is not merely one’s presence in such trials but one’s victory over them that brings spiritual growth and maturity. Those Christians whom God can use the most are those whom God has bruised the most.’ 

Unfortunately mih people growing in spiritual faith is not easy, as can be seen from the lives of all great men of faith, especially Jesus. But they all kept constantly looking to the heavenly Father for the strength to carry on, and He gave it to them. Likewise, if we look to our heavenly Father for strength and wisdom to carry on in tough times, He WILL give it to us. 

So friends, whatever is coming against us right now, let’s try and think of it in joyful terms nuh, (smile) believing that God is allowing it for a greater purpose than we can imagine, and lean on Him for the help to come through it successfully. He will not disappoint us. That’s His faithful promise! Much LOVE!

…spiritual growth…is based on fleshly suffering…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 April 2017 Psalm 138:7.

27 Apr 2017 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 138:7.   Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me; thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

And then it was Thursday; a beautiful sunny spring day, with temps rising up to the high teens! Yes friends, spring has indeed finally sprung, the birds they are a singing, the trees are budding their new leaves and the grass is getting thick and a rich green. Wow! 

In fact everything is coming up green; new life is sprouting up on the earth just like our Lord and Saviour rose from the dead, alive and kicking on Easter Sunday some two thousand years ago. 

Yes my people, it’s spring, what we call the annual rebirth of life in the northern climes, where birds and animals migrate back to the lush green areas of land that had for some months been more like frozen tundra. 

Even we humans get a new lease on life, our spirits soar, no more thick, heavy clothing with gloves and scarves and hats. It’s like an annual cleansing, which leads to the term spring cleaning, where we go through all our plentiful stuff and discard what is not necessary. 

Likewise friends, I believe that we should take this time to also go through our spiritual selves, see what’s there and then clean our the old and unnecessary, making space for new stuff that will help us mature in our faith walk with Jesus. 

And there is no better time to do this than in the Easter Season, that’s so reminiscent of a new birth, of rejuvenation, of a new beginning! 

So in the next little while, I’d suggest that we all take some time and seriously ponder our spiritual lives, and then ask the Father to help us jettison what’s not necessary, so we can make space for the wonderful new things He has in store for us. 

Let’s be wise and go to Jesus with our heavy burdens, as He commands us to, so that He can joyfully lighten our loads and put us back on the right track, the straight and narrow one. 

And all of that brings us to our Bit, a profound declaration of faith from Bruh David. ‘Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me; thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.’ 

Oh my fellow followers of Christ, can we make such a declaration? We ought to be able to. Those of us who have followed Christ for some time now ought to be strong and mature enough to make such a definitive statement regarding our faith. 

The Lord ought to have worked in our lives by now that we have no doubts whatsoever about His everlasting faithfulness. And as I reminded us yesterday, Bruh David didn’t make all his many declarations of faith through hearsay, but through very personal experiences. 

Now many of us might not go through the intense or serious experiences that He went through, but we’ll all go through stuff that will bring us to our knees, which only a strong and undeniable faith in Jesus Christ will help us to bear without falling apart. 

The sad part of the story is that we don’t like adversity, but adversity is what makes us strong. It’s in times of adversity that our faith springs up and keeps us afloat, keeps a smile on our faces and a strong step in our walk. 

That’s because we know unequivocally that our Lord God is working behind the scenes on our behalf, and the rough times will not last. 

Now here is an interesting exercise for all of us to do. Let’s look back through our lives at all the adversity we’ve faced, and after each strenuous time, let’s consider the growth of our faith. 

Let’s see if the next level of adversity was easier to bear than the one before. That will show if we are truly growing and maturing in our faith, for with each rough time, we should be stronger and more faithful than the last. 

Yeh friends, our eventual destination should be when we can declare the immortal words of Bruh David from Psalm 23 without any signs of doubt or fear. 

‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack). He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters (waters of rest): He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 

Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps.23:1-6) 

Ah mih breddren, I think we’ve reached a pinnacle of faith when, in times of adversity, we can say those words and truly mean them. Now let’s faithfully and sincerely declare our Thursday Blessings, blessings that our great God has so liberally and generously showered down on us. 

‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! 

I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’ 

And please remember that they are not blessings until they have been spoken over someone or something. Now let’s go out and do exactly that nuh, as Jesus requires of us. Much LOVE!

…faith is a relative of hope…and one can’t have hope…unless one is alive…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 April 2016 1 Chronicles 16:34

16 Apr 2016 Leave a comment

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

1 Chronicles 16:34.     O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Well my people in the northern climes, this weekend’s temperatures are supposed to reach into the high teens… And all God’ people declared a loud and thankful ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ 

Yeh friends, I know the frustration that’s been running through our mortal souls for the last couple weeks, with the cold, unseasonable winter weather. But I think spring has finally sprung, and I know that you will be all out in the bright sunshine half-naked, tooling around in your sports cars, revving your motorbikes, getting your tans, and of course the backyards and decks will be crowded, with barbecues blazing, while the beer is being greedily chugged down in large quantities! (smile) 

But please remember Granny’s advice; ‘drunk or sober, mind your business,’ because I know after the long winter hibernation, this sudden summer type weather can go to our heads and have us do foolish things, and thus allow Lucifer to get a foot hold in our souls, which is definitely not a good thing. 

But enough of my rambling, I have something I want to share with you. I recently received a form letter from Fr. Bob Colaresi, the Director of The Monastery of Mount Carmel Society of the Little Flower – the Society that’s associated with St. Therese – and the opening paragraphs were so beautiful, I just had to share them with you. 

The letter begins: ‘Beloved Friend, The heart is our centre. It pumps blood throughout. It beats with LOVE, longing and power. When we give our heart away, it signifies us giving ourselves away to someone. 

In some ways our heart is who we are, especially as women and men created in the “image and likeness of God” Who is LOVE.  We are created from LOVE, in LOVE and for LOVE. We believe in a God Who is recklessly in LOVE with us and longs for union. 

Pope Francis has challenged the Church to celebrate a Jubilee Year of Mercy. Mercy is the heartbeat of God. For reasons hard to explain or understand we re-created a God of judgement. 

Somehow we seem to forget the Good News: that God reveals Himself as Mercy and LOVE – the God who gives us the benefit of the doubt. The God Who is always present with unconditional LOVE – Who never leaves us and always forgives.’ 

Oh friends, what a wonderful description of our amazing God! But do we truly live like we are LOVED and shown mercy by our magnanimous heavenly Father? Of course not! Too many of us simply pay lip service to God’s LOVE and mercy, and only come running to Him when we find ourselves in a heap of trouble from which we cannot extricate ourselves. 

But that’s certainly not wisdom for a true believer. For the true believer, living in the lap and luxury of God’s LOVE and mercy is an everyday, all day thing. It’s not something to embrace only when it suits our convenience, but we should be gloriously wallowing in it all the time, like pigs in mud. (smile) 

That’s when we truly get all the benefits of being in a personal relationship with Christ. Otherwise we are foolishly shortchanging ourselves.  And I don’t know about you all, but I definitely would like to receive all that God has earmarked for me, and the only way to do that is to live continuously in His LOVE and mercy, receiving stuff that we don’t deserve. That is true wisdom! 

And when I went looking for a Bit to match the words and sentiments of Fr. Bob above, I came upon this sentiment of indisputable truth that was ever so appropriate.  And it is also found in numerous places of the Good Book, which means it must be true and important. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.’ 

Now my brethren, if there ever was gospel truth, those words certainly qualify! And I simply cannot fathom why we are turning away from such a wonderful Deity in these turbulent and trying times. If there ever was a time for us to be running to God, it’s NOW!  

Now when we are being rocked by so much strife and disasters, both natural and man-made. Just look at how Japan was turned topsy-turvy by two strong earthquakes in the last couple of days. Only with a strong and true belief in a powerful and living God can we find the strength and wherewithal to overcome that sort of thing. But this modern day, selfish, egotistic society is running away from God instead! Steups! 

Ah Lord eh mih people! Sometimes I feel like I’m banging my head against a brick wall, all to no purpose, because people are not listening, they’re just too giddy, running behind the material things of the world. Anyway, that seems to be my cross to bear, so I’ll just have to bear it as best as I can. (smile) 

Now let’s look at some of the times and occasions where our Bit can be found in the Good Book. The instance we’re using is found when Bruh David brought up the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and the people celebrated and he wrote a glorious psalm of thanksgiving. 

Then later on in 2 Chronicles, when Cousin Sol completed the Lord’s temple and dedicated it, the celebration was amazing. Listen to the Good Book describe it. 

‘It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord. 

So that the priests could not stand to minister (continue ministering) by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.’ (2 Chr.5:13-14)  

Oh friends, we’ve run out of space and time, but yuh see what sincere praise and worship can do? It can cause our God to do miraculous stuff, because He just LOVES it when we praise and worship and glorify His Holy Name! That’s why He made us. 

So in this Easter season, when God gave us the biggest gift of all, eternal life, through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ, please let’s consider ramping up our praise and worship nuh, both as individuals and in fellowship, as the Church, the body of Christ. There could be no better reason. Then we’ll see our magnificent and magnanimous God do amazing and wonderful things in our lives! Much LOVE!

…there’s nothing in this world…to beat God’s LOVING-kindness and mercy…ABSOLUTELY NOTHING…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 March 2016 Philippians 1:29

21 Mar 2016 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 1:29.    For unto you it is given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.

Oh friends, spring has finally sprung in this watershed year of 2016!  Yes, Mother Nature is on the verge of refreshing and renewing herself with new bulbs, leaves, flowers etc! 

And on this Monday morning of Holy Week, I believe that it will be in our best interests if we all did likewise. Let’s spring up today and get back in the fray of godly living with excitement and joy and faith in the good things that God has promised to bless us with. 

Let’s do like Mother Nature, who has no guarantees, but at this time of the year she arises from her dormant state refreshed and reinvigorated, and decides to take the bull by the horns and grow, spring forth in all her greenery, come what may. 

Now that is the attitude we Christians need to adopt; come hell or high water, enthusiastically moving forward with Jesus as He desires of us. Remember, He has promised never to leave or forsake us, to always be with us, and to work everything out for our good, meaning that we have more guarantees than Mother Nature. 

So let’s run this earthly race then without fear and doubts nuh, but with the supreme confidence instilled in us by the Holy Spirit, that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us each and every day of our lives. And to help us do that today, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with that confidence and zest derived from the Holy Spirit. 

All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. 

We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. 

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. 

Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’  

Now that was good friends, though not as spectacular as last week’s rendition, but it did bring a smile to Jesus’ face, and that’s the number one criteria for judging. (smile) 

That brings us to our Bit, which I believe many of you might not like, but it is an integral part of working and living for Jesus. Before we get to it though, let’s try to put it in its proper context. Here Bruh Paul is exhorting the Philippians to steadfastness. 

‘Only let your conversation be as it becometh (conduct be worthy of) the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel. 

And in nothing (no way) terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token (proof) of perdition (destruction), but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.’ (Phil.1:27-30) 

Ah my people, it’s not an easy life being a sincere Christian, but as I keep on saying it’s worth it. Nothing is as rewarding as living and working for Jesus! 

And all God’s children shouted a loud and a proud ‘Glory Hallelujah! All praise and glory be to Jesus!’ 

Now let’s see if we can simplify some of that scripture with this info from the scholars. ‘1:27. Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel means “only conduct yourselves worthily of the gospel” That ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind: That is, the church was to look and act as though she possessed but “one mind” and one way of thinking. To achieve this the assembly must put away their many petty grievances, jealousies, and disunity. 

The manner in which the Philippians are to stand fast in one spirit is by their striving together for the faith, that is, by their standing up for the Christian faith. Like Paul, they too are to expend their lives for the good of the gospel. But proper conduct on their part and unity in the church are essential if they are to benefit the gospel.’ 

And I’m sadly chuckling my brethren as I write that, and the truth of the matter is brought home to me; meaning that in these dreadful and difficult times, we are not working together as Bruh Paul deems necessary for the true furtherance of the Gospel. Instead the petty grievances, jealousies, fears, anxieties and disunity abound in today’s church, no wonder the relative godlessness in our society. 

Oh friends, I don’t how else to say it so that it can make a serious impact, or how often I must say it, but until Christians begin living a true Christ-like lifestyle, show a truly godly example, the world will continue to be run by the powers of darkness, and Christ’s church will take a back seat to it. 

Now that is definitely not what Christ died to make happen, and if we continue the way we’re going, we’ll just make His sacrifice a worthless gesture of LOVE! 

And we’ll end there, because I don’t want to give us too much to ponder on, bearing in mind our short attention spans, especially when it has to do with God. We’ll continue this tomorrow, God in favour. 

Till then, please, please my fellow believers, let’s pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and do better nuh. Remember it’s all for Jesus, whom we claim to LOVE and revere so much. Much LOVE!

…true Christianity means…walking the walk…as well as talking the talk…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 March 2015 Psalm 101:1

21 Mar 2015 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 101:1     I will sing of mercy (LOVING-kindness) and judgement (justice): unto thee, O Lord, will I sing (praises).

Who LOVES you my people? Who really and truly LOVES you? Your heavenly Father of course! The One who created you, who nurtured you in your mother’s womb, who knew you even before you existed, who called and caused you to be reconciled to Him through the LOVING sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ!

Wow! What a Father! There’s none other like Him; not on earth or in heaven! And that’s the gospel truth!

So Friends, on this Saturday morning, where spring has just sprung in the North Country, and hopefully will replace the cold, dead, deadly winter asap, let’s offer a few words of praise and thanks to our Creator, Comforter, Healer and Provider; Almighty God.

Please pray with me: ‘Oh Father in heaven, on this new day that You have created, and has so generously given us Your wonderful breath of life to be able to enjoy it, we give You plenty, plenty thanks and praise for being continually wonderful to us, even though we often don’t deserve Your LOVING-kindness.  Just look at all the new blessings and mercies that you have specially prepared to shower down on us today.

Hn! No other supposed deity would ever dream of doing that. But Your heart is so full of LOVE and largesse … You’re such a magnanimous Deity, that even though we’re far from perfect, You still desire to bless us each and every day. Heavenly Father, You know that our minds are finite, and thus our vocabulary is small, and the best we do is say “Thank You! Thank You! Thank You from the very depths of our souls!”

We know too that we’re lost without You, can do very little without Your help, and we humbly ask that You continue to send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts and souls, so that He can work on us, and cause us to LOVE and worship You with all sincerity and truth, to glorify Your Name, the way You truly deserve. All this we pray on the basis of the shed blood of Your Son, and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.’

Oh Friends, that’s just how I was guided to begin today’s Bit and I do hope that it stirred even a small something in all our hearts, so that it will help us to stay on the tried and true path that leads to Jesus. And though we have a different Bit today, it is still one that encourages us to sing of God’s goodness and LOVING-kindness.

Listen to how Bruh David begins Psalm 101 – A commitment to holy living. ‘I will sing of mercy (LOVING-kindness) and judgement (justice): unto thee, O Lord, will I sing (praises). Ah mih people, that is how we should react to the Lord our great and wonderful God!

And Bruh David continues: ‘I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way, O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect (blameless) heart.’ (Ps.101:2)

Oh Friends and fellow believers in Christ, many of us claim, pray and desire to do just that, but it’s not an easy task to perform, especially in these days of rampant and blatant wickedness constantly hammering and jabbering at us. And please, when we do mess up, when we fall from our righteous pedestals, let us not beat up ourselves, for the Lord knows we are only human, and though we might have the best of intentions, our sinful nature often leads us astray.

And the best example of that is Cousin Sol, once renowned as the wealthiest and wisest man in the world because he sincerely humbled himself before, and trusted in Almighty God. Listen to the Good Book tell it: ‘For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect (blameless, at peace) with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father…. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after (did not fully follow) the Lord, as did David his father.’ (1 Kin.11:4, 6)  

Yes Friends, in Cousin Sol’s old age, he forsook the God of his fathers, and followed the God of his many wives (700) and concubines (300). As Derrick Harriot says in the old reggae tune: ‘Solomon was the wisest man, but he didn’t know the ways of a woman…’ or something to that effect. (smile) It’s hard enough to deal with one woman, what else can you expect from so many eh, but grief and heartache?  

And it’s not like the Lord didn’t warn the Israelites not to marry into the pagan tribes, ‘for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave (clung) unto these in LOVE.’ (1 Kin.11:2b) Yes Friends, the Lord’s wisdom is much greater than ours, so please, let’s listen when He speaks to us, because it is always for our own good.

And we’ll conclude today with some appropriate verses from Psalm 104 – God’s preservation of nature. ‘I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the Lord. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. (Hallelujah) Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps.104:33-35)

So my fellow believers, let’s concentrate on praising and singing the glory of the Most High God nuh, each and every day, for it is indeed mete and right for us to do so. Much LOVE!

…Praise Him, Praise Him…Jesus our Blessed Redeemer…Sing O Earth…His wonderful LOVE proclaim…

 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 April 2014 1 Corinthians 15:57

24 Apr 2014 Leave a comment

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

1 Corinthians 15:57.     But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Oh Friends, it seems like spring has finally decided to stay sprung! Glory Hallelujah!

And I say that because there’s finally some green colour appearing in the previously dead looking brown grass, the temps are staying fairly standard between 7 and 12 degrees Celsius, and when I got up just now I heard some birds singing their early morning praises to their Maker!

 

How wonderful eh! It’s so refreshing and revitalizing to hear the birds singing praises, because they are ever so faithful in it. Sometimes I think the Lord should have made us like the birds, without a mind of our own, for then we would have been much more faithful than we currently are.

 

Unfortunately though, the trees don’t seem to be buying into this optimism that spring is finally getting serious about coming, for there is not one single green bud on any of them. They all still dancing stark naked in the oftimes brisk and cold spring wind.

 

We believer in Jesus Christ however, are filled with oodles of optimism, through, and for the LOVE of God! We are so filled with it that it’s overflowing, and consequently filling others with the wonderful news of this Easter Season, where Christ so triumphantly rose from the dead – Mama Mia! – and in the process defeated the twin evils of death and the grave, and therefore the ruler of Hades, Lucifer.

 

Oh Friends, this Easter Thursday morning, let’s put a big smile on our faces, and release the immense joy that’s in our hearts and souls with a song of praise to our Maker nuh!

 

Like the birds, let’s show Him our great appreciation for designing, putting into action and successfully carrying out His incredible plan of reconciliation, which so LOVINGLY brought us back into right standing with Him.

 

Please pray with me now: ‘Dear heavenly Father, You are so wonderful to Your sinful, undeserving children! We continually make You sad and mad at our misdoings, but You just keep on LOVING us! You keep on granting us Your awesome forgiveness, mercy and grace, blessing us with stuff we definitely don’t deserve.

 

Oh Father, this morning we’re here to tell You that we truly LOVE You! We sincerely worship and adore You! We do magnify Your Holy Name and give You much thanks and praise!

 

Oh gracious Father in heaven, we are especially grateful and thankful for Your most wonderful Son Jesus, who became our Lord and Saviour on that first Easter Sunday two millennia ago, by sacrificing His holy life to pay for our abominable transgressions.

 

Oh Father, we are truly sorry that You had to put such trials and tribulations on Jesus for our sakes, but we know that You are a just and righteous God and cannot just pardon sin; a price, including death and the shedding of blood must be paid for it.

 

And You LOVED us so much, considered us so worthy, that You gave Your Only son, Jesus Christ, the ONLY sinless soul beside Yourself, to pay for our sins!

 

Oh heavenly Father, You know that we can NEVER repay You for that awesome, unconditional LOVE, but we will try our best to live lives down here on earth that will magnify You. Lives that will continue to grow in the holy character of our Saviour Jesus, thus glorifying Your great Name and furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this on the blood of Jesus that was shed for us on Calvary’s cross. Amen!’

 

Oh mih people, mih people! What the Holy Spirit can do in your soul eh! I have to chuckle here, because I never intended to even have a prayer, much less such a long one. But as usual, the Holy Spirit guided me there. In any case, it is right, and also our bounden duty to pray and give thanks and praise to our heavenly Father, especially at this Easter season, when He so faithfully caused us to be reconciled to Him!

 

And believe me Friends, that is no small undertaking or unimportant event! In fact it’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to mankind! If our wonderful, ever-faithful and ever-LOVING Creator didn’t care so much for us, we’d still be wallowing in the misery of our dreadful sins, headed for eternal death and damnation in the foul and vile company of the prince of darkness, Beelzebub.

 

For remember, as the Good Book so pointedly states: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom.6:23)

 

But then Bruh Paul further clarifies the situation to the Corinthians, and consequently us: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave (Hades), where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor. 15:54b-57)

 

Yes my fellow believers, don’t ever forget those memorable, momentous and most important words of our Bit! Let’s plant them deep, deep, deep in the inner recesses of our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, because that is indeed why we are able to laugh, sing and shout ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ this Thursday morning two thousand years after Jesus gave us that everlasting victory!

 

Wow! What a mighty God we serve and worship my brethren! 

 

So as we prayed above, and Bruh Paul so timely reminds us: ‘Therefore my BELOVED brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor.15:58)

 

Absolutely not my fellow believers! So please, let’s stand steadfast and strong this morning, and all the remaining days of our lives, confident in the glory and victory of Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!

 

…oh how could we not LOVE Jesus…the sinless One…who made our sins His own…and LOVINGLY set us free…to some day dwell with Him in heaven…and always faithful be…

 

 

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