Today’s Scrip-Bit   9 May 2024 Matthew 23:12.

09 May 2024 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 23:12.       And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (lifted up).

So we’ve rolled into Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, but in the background we are busy with all the preparations for the celebration of Mother’s Day this weekend. And hopefully it will be a grand old time for the many wonderful mothers in our world. Anyway I’m chuckling here, because I don’t know how many of you realized that I went off on a tangent yesterday on the subject of pride, when I really meant to deal more with Jesus words on the subject of servant hood. But let’s see if we can do that today nuh. (smile) 

As Jesus says in yesterday’s Bit: ‘If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, the servant of all.’ (Mark 9:35) And apparently, according to Matthew, this question came up after the mother of Zebedee’s children, James and John, came to Jesus with a request: ‘Grant that these two my sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 

They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with (His suffering and death): but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren (brothers).’ (Matt. 20:21-24) 

Yuh see people, life back then was no different to what it is now; everybody’s seeking self-aggrandizement by whatever means they can, even to the level that two of the disciples get their mother to go and ask Jesus to make them His right hand people. The Bible then tells us: ‘But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion (lord it) over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 

But it shall not be so among you: but whosever will be great among you, let him be your minister (servant). And whosoever will be chief (first) among you, let him be your servant (slave): Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (served), but to minister (serve), and to give his life a ransom for many.’ (Matt. 20:25-28) 

Yes friends, the whole purpose of Jesus coming to earth was to be crucified and to show us a servant like attitude in our dealings with each other and the world, which He desires to see from His followers. We see that in His words after washing the disciples feet on the night before he was crucified. ‘If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done unto you.’ (John 13:14-15) 

And Bruh Paul immortalized those words in his own way, when he wrote to the Philippians: ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of his privileges): And being found in the fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

Wherefore God also exalted him, and given him the name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:5-11) 

That says it all friends! Despite being deity, Jesus humbled Himself to come to earth and walk amongst mankind as an ordinary, compassionate human being, then sacrificing His sinless life to pay for our abominable sins. And because of that humility and sacrifice, the Father exalted Him above everyone else! Now that corroborates these fateful words of Jesus to the Pharisees when He denounced hypocrisy. ‘But he that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (lifted up).’ (Matt. 23:11-12) 

Yes my fellow believers, humility is the watchword of Christ’s ministry. Now, that doesn’t mean we have to allow others to use and abuse us, but we don’t have to put on unnecessary airs and graces either, and try to show off and boast of our earthly wealth and power. We simply need to get down and dirty whenever it’s called for, to daily pick up our crosses and follow Jesus, wherever He may lead us; knowing that He will never lead us astray. And I sincerely hope that today’s lesson will reverberate very positively in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds and help us deny the foolish boastfulness, power hungry, self-seeking and greedy attitudes of this ungodly and evil world. 

Now let’s declare (awright!!!) and thus activate our Thursday Blessings, so generously given to us by the Lord to do His earthly work. As one 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 having acknowledged those blessings, it now behooves us to go out and use them to help others, in the same generous manner as our great God, so that they can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…without humility…a Christian’s witness is a lie…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 May 2024 Psalm 92:1.

02 May 2024 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 92:1.       ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:

Oh friends, at long last, warm and sunny days seem to be here again! Thank the Lord! It’s about time we felt some of the sun’s awesome heat to warm our cold hearts, souls, bodies and minds after this long winter season. Granted, it wasn’t that cold, but still the chilly, damp weather is what really gets into the bones and causes all sorts of illnesses and emotional downturns. But with summer seemingly on the way, there is a li’l more LOVE and joy in the society, although not as much as we so badly need. 

And today we’ll take a look at a couple of scriptures about giving thanks to our great God, for all that He’s done on our behalf. And the first scriptures come from Psalm 92, aptly titled  ‘Give Thanks to the Lord.’ So please read with me: ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth (declare) (steups!!!) thy LOVING-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lyre or lute); upon the harp with a solemn (harmonious or melodic) sound. For thou Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.’ (Ps. 92:1-4) 

Oh my fellow saints, it’s so obvious that the Lord deserves our thanks, both morning and evening, and even during the daytime because of His unfailing goodness and mercy to us each and every day! And if, as the psalmist says he has made us glad through His work, then there’s even more reason to give Him praise and thanks! 

And Psalm 147, titled ‘Sing Praise to the Lord,’ gives the same message. ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah): for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely (beautiful). (It surely is!) The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds (sorrows). He telleth (counts) the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite (limitless).’ (Ps. 147:1-5) 

More indisputable truth my brethren! Our God is both great and good, therefore He necessitates praise from His people! Unfortunately though, His people don’t thank him as much as they ought to. Some of us only give thanks on Sundays when we go to church, others don’t even remember to give thanks at all. But please remember as Jeremiah says: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23) 

Oh friends, our wonderful God deserves amazing praise and thanks for the simple reason that we are still alive today, through His great mercies and faithfulness. You know how many people didn’t wake up this Thursday morning? Many! Why? I don’t know. But I’m sure some of them did not waken today because they were not in the habit of giving the Lord the thanks and praise He so richly deserves. It’s mind boggling that we can call on the Lord for all the stuff we want, but when we get it, we forget to give Him thanks and praise. 

My people, we should be thanking our God all through the day: for every good and positive move we make; for every scrape or negative situation that He gets us out of. Praise should be a continual thing in the hearts and lives of the true believer. Why do you think Bruh Paul highly advised us through his letter to the Philippians to ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6) And to the Thessalonians, he said: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5: 16-18) 

Yes my fellow believers, giving thanks and praise to Almighty God is essential in our daily lives, it’s His will for us. One of the reasons He created us is that we could praise and worship Him, and reciprocate his wonderful LOVE like all the other heavenly hosts. He didn’t just make us to beg and badger Him for lustful, ungodly stuff, as some of us seem to think from our ungrateful and rebellious attitudes. Heartfelt thanks is essential for the believer if he or she expects to receive all that God has in store for them. And I don’t know how else to say it but like that. 

Anyway, enough preaching for today.  And the Bit is already late because I had to go down to the hospital for some tests this morning, so let’s keep it short and sweet. (smile) And since it’s Thursday, it means declaring (chuh man!!!) our Thursday Blessings very generously given to us by the Lord to do His earthly work. So 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 having made that declaration (awright!!!) it’s now our duty to go out and generously use those blessings, so that others can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…a heart glowing with praise and thanksgiving…is the believers best friend…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 April 2024 John 8:12.

11 Apr 2024 Leave a comment

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

John 8:12.      I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Ah Lord, why couldn’t today be like yesterday eh? Unfortunately, the bright and warm sunshine of Wednesday has been transformed into a wet, bleak, dreary, dark, uninviting Thursday morning. And yesterday afternoon I so enjoyed sitting on my front porch for the first time this year, very comfortably drinking in the activity on the street, whether they were humans, cars, dogs, or simply Mother Nature. That looks though, like it will just be a one day stand, (smile) as the computer is calling for rain today. But that’s okay, we’ll live with it, for we’ll enjoy the sunshine even more after having experienced the rain. As they say, you can’t enjoy the light, until you’ve experienced the darkness. 

And that’s oh so true, especially when speaking of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Before He came, we were totally enshrined in darkness, without any hope of ever getting out of it, but with His miraculous appearance and formidable actions, we did get out of the darkness into His glorious light! Glory be! As Isaiah so gloriously testified: ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath shined the light.’ (Is. 9:2) And that prophesy was certainly fulfilled by the coming of Jesus! 

 As Matthew writes of Jesus’ teaching ministry. ‘Now when Jesus had heard that John (the Baptist) was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw a great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up (has dawned). From that time Jesus began preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’  (Matt. 4:12-17) 

Yes friends, there’s no doubt that Jesus came a to shed light on our darkness. As Luke also writes of Zacharias’ speech at the birth of his son, John the Baptist. ‘And thou, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission (forgiveness) of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring (the Dawn, the Messiah) from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed (became) strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing (manifestation) unto Israel.’ (Luke 1:76-80) 

And we all know that John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus, setting the stage for Him, talking of repentance, of baptism and the forgiveness of sins. The words of John the apostle also attest to those facts. ‘There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of the Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, (own domain), and his own (his own people the Jews) received him not. 

But as many as received him, to them gave he power (the right) to become the sons (children) of God, even to them that believe on  his name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made (became) flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:6-14) Oh my faithful brethren, Jesus was indeed the One sent by the Father to bring us out of darkness into His wonderful light. 

And if you still don’t believe that He is, was, and will always be the Light of this world, then listen to Him say it Himself. He said to the disbelieving religious sect of the Jews, the Pharisees: ‘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 the Pharisees did not believe, because He bore witness of Himself, or as we would say today, was tooting His own horn. But the fact still remains that if Jesus did not come to earth, die on the cross of Calvary to atone for our sins, then rise again on the third day, so we could do the same, we would still be forever shrouded in the darkness of Satan, the evil ruler of this world, who desires to keep us chained to his evil doings. 

But Christ, the Light of the world, came and set us free! Glory Hallelujah! And to make it even better, He told us that when He left this world, that we, His true followers would assume that  mantle. ‘Ye are the light of the world…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14a, 16) And our God is so wonderful that He even gave us the tools, the undeserved blessings to do the job. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare them now, so that they can be activated in our lives. 

As one 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, it’s our bounden duty to go out and put those blessings to work in the lives of others, as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…it’s high time that we Christians behave…like the real salt of the earth…and the true light of the world…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 April 2024 Matthew 11:28.

04 Apr 2024 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 11:28.       Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

And the good vibes of this Easter Season still percolate strongly through our faith on this wet Thursday spring morning in early April. Thankfully, the rain has let up some, and the li’l snow we got has already disappeared. However, the promise of rain is still in the forecast. But as I like to say: ‘Let it rain, let it rain! With Jesus in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, rain cannot stop us from moving forward with Him!’ No sir! For Jesus is our Guide and Leader, our Good Shepherd, who leads us to green pastures, beside still waters and restores or refreshes our burdened and weary souls. 

That means, if we are wise, we will quickly take Him up on His Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Oh friends, there is absolutely no better invitation in all the world! You can bet your bottom dollar on that! 

And Jesus, having died on Good Friday and paid our sin debt in full, then risen on Easter Sunday and proclaimed the awesome power of His resurrection, He now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf, highly exalted for His work on the cross. As the Good Library tells it: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:9-11) 

Wow mih bredrin! Jesus, for His stellar, unselfish work here on earth has been proclaimed King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the name that’s above all names! That means, if possible, He is now even more able to offer us the peace and rest that we so desperately need in these tremulous and turbulent times, than when He first offered that invitation while here with us on Mother Earth. So why are many more of us not turning to Him for the comfort, relief and solace He so readily offers eh? Why instead are so many of us leaving His church, turning away from Him and all the wonderful things He offers? 

I truly don’t know why, neither can I understand why in this age of turmoil and confusion we would run away from the ONE source of true peace and comfort in this evil and ungodly world. My people, please, I plead with us to remember these most important words of Jesus on the subject of peace in this strife-filled world. He says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) 

Right there you have it friends! Jesus’ peace is an entirely different kind of peace from what this ungodly world offers as peace. And furthermore, when you have the peace of Jesus, you don’t have to be worried and anxious about what’s happening in the world, or even in your particular situation, because He will keep you peaceful if you live for Him. And Jesus second quote on peace comes just after He tells the disciples about His upcoming crucifixion, acknowledging that in their fear they would scatter like rats at the presence of a cat. (smile) 

Nonetheless, He comforts them with these words. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And yes, we all know that it’s hard to have peace when we’re undergoing trials and tribulations, but if we put our complete trust in Jesus, surrender our all to Him, He will give us the necessary peace to go about our business without too much worry and anxiety. That’s His absolute promise! And I’m here to testify to it. 

But unfortunately, it doesn’t happen overnight. However, as you draw closer to Jesus; pray, read and understand more of His Word and put it into action in your own life, you find yourself being less and less worried and anxious, because little by little, you’re experiencing His faithfulness in your life. Your faith grows stronger as He slowly raises you from glory to glory! Now that my fellow believers is the least we can ask of our Saviour. But the truth of the matter is that He has a lot more to offer us, if we will only turn to Him seriously and sincerely! 

As He says in His Invitation; you will find rest for your souls, an easy yoke, a light burden, plus stuff like forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life with Him wherever He might be. Now what can be better than that eh? Certainly not our only other option; that of sojourning in hell with Satan and his band of evil doers. But  it’s all up to the individual. The Lord gave us free choice, hoping that we’d choose Him, over Satan. Thus Moses’ exhortation to the Israelites in the wilderness: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) 

It could not be said any clearer than that my fellow saints. Now the ball is in our court. Please play it wisely. And our God is so wonderful that He even bestows on us undeserved blessings to profitably share His Word on the earth. We call them our Thursday Blessings, but there’s one proviso; a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared (yesss!!!). So let’s declare (awright!!!) them right now nuh. 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 having made that declaration (yeahhh!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…why choose sorrowful death…when there’s glorious life to be chosen…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   7 March 2024 Psalm 145:1.

07 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 145:1.        I will extol (praise) thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

And it’s a beautiful Thursday morning in my neck of the woods; sunshine and fairly warm temperatures! What  more can one ask eh? All praise to God who looks after His people with LOVING care! (smile) And for the first time this week I don’t have anywhere to go or anything to do out the street. Glory Be! So I can just take my lazy ole time and do whatever I want to do here at home. So what shall we talk about today eh? Hang on a sec, let’s see where the Good Library opens…

Voila! It opened unto the Book of Psalms! And we will look at Psalm 145, a Psalm of Praise by Bruh David, titled  – God’s Unsearchable Greatness. And is He ever great, and His greatness not understandable or appreciated by the puny minds of His most important creation. But Bruh David had some inclination of the Lord’s greatness, that’s why he writes: ‘I will extol (praise) thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day I will bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.’ (Ps. 145:1-2) 

Yes mih people, that’s what we need to do each and every day that we draw breath on God’s great earth; praise Him, bless His holy name! And why is that you ask? Bruh David tells us as he continues: ‘Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: and his greatness is unsearchable.’ (Ps. 145:3) And though we might not know exactly how great our God is, because of our finite minds, we ought to know that He’s much greater than us, because He made us, with His own hands, and breathe the breath of His life, His Spirit into our bodies, and still controls our every move down here on planet earth. 

And if we cannot comprehend the Lord’s greatness on our own, then He’s told us about it in no uncertain terms through the prophet Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) Now that’s telling us! But some of us still foolishly refuse to believe Him and try to go our own way, but eventually fall so low that we can no longer help ourselves and have to turn to Him in frustration, fear and repentance and ask for His forgiveness, grace and mercy. 

That’s why it’s so unwise to turn away from Almighty God, for when we’re flat on our faces, through disobedience and the tribulations of the world, He is the ONLY One, capable of, and ever-willing to lift us up from the mire and restore our fallen selves and broken dreams. That’s why Bruh David writes for our edification: ‘One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare (steups!!!) thy mighty acts.’ (Ps. 145:4) Now that’s how the Lord’s greatness is supposed to be passed down from one generation to another, and has finally reached us. 

Unfortunately though, our generation, Baby Boomers, or whatever we’re called, is certainly not doing a good enough job in passing it down to our children, the next generation, for too many of them have become ungodly. And why is that eh? Many of us parents have turned away from God, through the many foolish beliefs and ideas that are currently permeating our world, all promulgated by his satanic majesty, and even many of us who claim to believe, are too busy with the things of the world, accumulating earthly wealth and power and whatever, so that the truth of God and His word consequently falls by the wayside. 

It’s like Jesus’ parable of the Sower, where ‘Some (of the seed) fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith (immediately) they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth (no deep roots): And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had not root, they withered away. And some (of the seed) fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up and choked them. (Matt. 13:5-7)  

Or as explained by Jesus: ‘But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon (immediately) with joy receiveth it. Yet hath he not root himself, but dureth (only endures) for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended (he immediately stumbles). He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care (cares) of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.’ (Matt. 13:20-22) 

Yes friends, unfortunately, those two kinds of believers form a large part of our Christian brotherhood today. While what we desperately need are many more where seed fell on good ground and brought forth fruit.’ (Matt. 13:8) Please pay attention though to how Jesus ends the parable, with the warning ‘He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’ (Matt. 13:9)  And per the seed that fell on good ground, Jesus explains: ‘But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth (produces), some an hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.’ (Matt. 13:23) 

Oh my my, that is exactly what these turbulent and unconventional times call for; sincere believers who are helping others to come to Christ and thus be able to enjoy the abundant life that He sacrificed His sinless life for us to have here on earth, with the eventuality of eternal life with Him. And the first step in it all my fellow saints, is to praise God’s name, then live the life that will show the unbelievers that we’re serious and sincere, not the hypocrites that many of them so rightly takes us for. Now let’s go home declaring (yes!!!) our Thursday Blessings, so we can activate the generous blessings that the Lord has bestowed on us to do His 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 that we’ve activated those undeserved blessings, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use them to benefit others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…even if you don’t know Him personally…it’s wise to praise who ever created this awesome universe and all therein…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 January 2024 Isaiah 43:19a.

18 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 43:19a.       Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?

Ah mih people, this cold, cloudy day is already far gone, what with the ole fella’s late arising. (smile) But I do have some good news to share with us regarding Today. It says that ‘TODAY IS MY DAY!’ Yes friends, that’s an undeniable fact! And why is that you ask? Well, let’s read it, or rather declare (yesss!!!) it together. 

‘Today is My Day! God has destined me to be a barrier breaker! He created me to be uncontainable. I have talent and potential given to me by the Creator of the universe. There are seeds of greatness inside of me. Today I choose to break free from a limited mindset and enlarge my vision. Today, God is taking me places that I’ve never even dreamed of before. Today, God is fulfilling His purpose and destiny in my life. Today I will experience His favour like never before in every area of my life.’ 

Now isn’t that good news? It certainly is! And the beauty of it is that EVERY DAY we can say it, because every day is a new Today, and thus it’s applicable to our lives! Wow! What blessed lives we live under God’s eternal and ever-LOVING guidance! The problem though, as with so many other promises of God, is that we have to believe it before we see it. And one of those wonderful promises entails making a way in the desert for us, making new things so that we can forget the old. 

Listen to the prophet Isaiah on the subject. ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons (jackals) and the owls (ostriches): because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth (declare) my praise.’ (Is. 43:18-21) 

What a magnificent promise my brethren! Our great God is always in the process of making things new. Now,  that prophecy of scripture looks toward the coming of Christ and His marvellous work for mankind. And I like what these two commentaries point out. The first says: “Behold I am doing a new thing.” The coming of Jesus to earth is the new thing Isaiah’s prophetic words point to. The ultimate superhighway home to God’s presence, and ultimately, home to Him in heaven eternally.’ Wow! How wonderful is our God to provide a way for us abject sinners to be reconciled back to Him! 

Then this commentary asks: ‘How is God making all things new? By undergoing the passion, Jesus paid the price for our human sin (death) and granted us the opportunity for salvation and relationship with God the Father. Thus, in the context of the film, Christ “made all things new” through his death and resurrection. Jesus died for us, so have we considered living for him?’ Now that last question is one of utmost importance, in fact, the most important question we’ll ever deal with, for it determines where we will spend eternity. 

And if you don’t remember the question (smile) it’s ‘have we considered living for Jesus?’ Yes, the One who died for us on the cross of Calvary, to atone for our sins. That’s indeed the most important question in a human being’s life, and if the answer is not ‘YES!’ then you’re playing foolish games with your soul and your eternal life. For if you’re not living for Christ, then you’re obviously living for Satan, as those are the only two options we have, and living for the latter is utter foolishness for those who live for him will eventually perish in hell fire and be eternally separated from Almighty God! 

And friends, I can’t ever stop reminding us that eternal separation from God is the worst thing that can ever happen to human soul. Please believe that. Oh, I know the sins and pleasures that Beelzebub gets us into nowadays are wonderful, but the pleasure only lasts for a fleeting moment, while eternal damnation will last for much, much longer than that, and when you experience the heat of hellfire, like the rich man Lazarus did in Luke 16:19-31, then you won’t have a chance to change your mind. 

Choosing Jesus as our Champion, right now, today, is the wisest decision we can ever make, because with Him, we’ll live eternally in heaven. And furthermore, He’s already done so much for us, as Bruh Paul wrote to the Corinthians: ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:21) Right there friends, we have the best reason for surrendering our lives to Jesus! Yes, He gave His sinless life for our sinful ones. What can ever be more important than that eh? NOTHING! So why turn to the evil one who’s done absolutely nothing but get us into God’s bad books. That’s the height of foolishness! 

And the great thing about living for Christ is that through the abundant life He died for us to have, you begin reaping rewards right down here on earth. And among those many rewards are what we call our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord’s bestowed on us so we can do His earthly work. And they are even more significant today, because of how we opened the Bit, with ‘TODAY’ being ours. So let’s activate those many undeserved blessings by sincerely declaring (awright!!!) them. 

As one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

Now friends, if with all those blessings under our belt, today isn’t our day, then I don’t know when will ever be our day nuh. So please, let’s go out into the world like blazing lights and salt-filled vessels and share those blessings with others, just a generously as Christ shared them with us. That’s our bounden duty! Much LOVE!

…every day we’re alive is our Day…buoyed by God’s awesome blessings…Wow! 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   21 December 2023 Matthew 25:33.

21 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 25:33.       And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Cloudy days are here again…Glory Hallelujah! And no, I’m not raising up or praising cloudy days, but giving thanks that I’m alive for at least one more day, even though it may be cloudy and miserable! Yes friends, each new day that we open our eyes, we ought to give Almighty God much praise and thanks for the breath of life, His magnificent Living Spirit, that’s still flowing through us, for there’s nothing greater than that Spirit of God! And being alive in this joyful and joyous season of Christmas, when we celebrate the incarnate birth of the Son of God, Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, is even more special! 

So let’s bow our heads and raise our voices and sincerely say: ‘Thank You Lord for Jesus; thank You Lord for the Cross of Calvary; thank You Lord for the salvation You initiated because of Your wonderful, unconditional and undying LOVE for us! And we pray it all in Jesus’ name! Amen!’ Ah mih people, we’ve got it so good with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, but we don’t truly understand the ramifications of it all. And I guess we’ll never truly do so until the day that Jesus comes in all His glory and separates the sheep from the goats. 

The Word tells us: ‘When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all the nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred (hungry), and ye gave me meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in. 

Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in  prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred (hungry), and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ (Matt. 25:31-40) 

Yes friends, in as much as we help the poor, sick, downtrodden, or anyone in need of help and succour, we have done it unto our Lord and Saviour, because as He said so sincerely: ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which is lost.’ (Luke 19:10) And that wasn’t only talk, because Jesus acted on it all through His earthly days, as this commentary so eloquently puts it. ‘Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, it was his passion which he devoted his life to. He was constantly surrounded by the lost and he made them feel that though they were lost sheep he was their compassionate shepherd.’ 

Now that’s where Jesus wins every time my people! He always makes you feel wanted, as though you are somebody, despite your humble, lowly or downtrodden place in man’s inequitable society. And that’s how we are also expected to make others feel if we want to be true believers in Christ. Help the sick, feed the hungry, and as the Word mentions so often, look after the widows and orphans. Oh my fellow believers, our God favours the lost and hurting, and pays special attention to them, and if we expect to be numbered with the sheep and not the goats, then our sincere efforts must also be along those lines. For listen to Jesus again, re the separation of the sheep and the goats. 

‘Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred (hungry), and ye gave me no meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord when saw we thee an hungred (hungry), or athirst (thirsty), or a stranger, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.’ (Matt. 25:41-46) 

Very telling words my fellow believers, which ought to admonish and also encourage us to do better, to improve our Christ-like attitude and behaviour, in light of what God’s Word says is going to take place at some future date. Now, let’s hear some explanations from the scholars on that passage of scripture. ‘25:31-46. The judgement of the nations concludes our Lord’s prophetic discourse. This judgement of all nations must be distinguished from the Great White Throne judgement at the end of the Millenium (Jesus’ thousand year reign on earth) The nations are those peoples living through the Great Tribulation on earth at the time of Christ’s return. 

This is a judgement of separation: sheep on the right – goats on the left. At that judgement all nations (better – “all Gentiles”) stand before Christ who then separates the sheep (the saved) from the goats (the lost) in a manner reminiscent of the wheat and tares parable. (Matt. 12:24-43) Note that these are living nations, whereas the Great White Throne judgement is one of the wicked dead whose bodies are resurrected to face the final judgement of the lost. Thus, the saved are invited to come into and share the blessings of His Kingdom: Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom. The basis of their acceptance seems to be their treatment of the least of these my brethren, the saved of the Great Tribulation.’ 

And believe me friends, if we think times are bad now, the days of the Great Tribulation will truly be terrible, with the Anti-Christ in full swing, and if you go through it sincerely living for Jesus, then you will certainly deserve a place amongst the blessed sheep. Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to help us do His earthly work. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! 

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

And now that we’ve activated those blessings, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use them to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!

…whether it’s in the Great Tribulation or now…our Christ-like behaviour…ought always to be front and centre… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   7 December 2023 Psalm 18:1.

07 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 18:1.       I will LOVE thee O Lord, my strength.

And, due to a somewhat snowy Wednesday night, we have ended up with a snow tinged Thursday morning. (smile) Yes, some snow, not a whole lot, just enough to cover everything, fell during the night hours, but by the time the day opened the roads were mostly clear and the white intruder had begun melting. But we still need to be careful as we go out today, because it’s still wet and possibly slippery. In other words, welcome to a damp and cloudy day! And as always, possibly a li’l more so today because of the wet, gloomy weather, before we step out of the house, we have to ask our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for His protection and guidance as we go about our business. 

For He is the ONLY sure thing we have in this evil and ungodly world! And we have these strong and sure sentiments of Bruh David from Psalm 18, to prove it. He uttered these words in song when the Lord delivered him from all his enemies, especially King Saul. ‘I will LOVE thee O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3) 

We can’t get any stronger or more faithful sentiments than those my brethren! And let’s hope that those are words we all believe, that we have written indelibly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, for without that strong trust in Almighty God, who knows what will happen to us at any given time, on any given day! Only when we have surrendered our all, placed our complete trust in Christ Jesus can we walk in comparative safety. For Jesus is the able pilot of our good ship Life, and He, and He alone can pilot us safely through the storms that most certainly will come upon each of us. 

Remember these word of His: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And yes, I know that’s easier said than done, for when the unexpected troubles and tribulations suddenly come upon us, sometimes we don’t even have time to think before we need to respond to them. But if we walk faithfully with that peace that comes from a strong and intimate relationship with Christ, then He will ensure that we have whatever time we need to think, before responding to our unfortunate situation. 

Yes my people, it’s all about building the kind of faith in Jesus that will allow us to go about our business and His, with a type of peace that only comes from Him. as He says in the gospel of John: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And it’s ever so important to note that Jesus’ peace is way different to what the world touts as peace. His peace is that peace which passes all human understanding. It’s so far above our understanding, so powerful and refreshing, that we who posses it don’t understand it either, but we know that it’s there, indwelling us through the awesome power of the Holy Spirit! 

Wow! And it doesn’t mean that we won’t feel fear, anxiety or any of the other negative emotions when tough times invade our souls, but that we will have the peace of Jesus to handle them without them taking us under. However, in those rough times, we need to stand strong in faith, by remembering all that Jesus has already done for us, and His promise never to leave nor forsake us, (Heb. 13:5) otherwise, all our talk will be in vain. He’s also promised that we won’t ever be faced with spirit-crunching fear because as Bruh Paul told Timothy: ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) 

So you see, we have all the tools to handle the world’s attempts to drive us into the evil arms of Satan. That’s the peace of God which passes all human understanding; the promise of God never to leave nor forsake us, and God’s indomitable, invincible Spirit of power, LOVE and a sound mind! But unfortunately they don’t work unless and until we put them together in that big ball of strong faith required to defeat the enemy and his many attempts to overcome us. That brings to mind this added scripture of promise; the encouraging words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. 

He writes: ‘Who will separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:39) 

Mama Mia! What powerful words my fellow saints! Words that we should all be able to truly espouse in our hearts, bodies and souls, if we want to live the abundant life that Christ died for us to have. Jesus said it thus: ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) There we have it friends, Jesus died so that we can have an abundant life down here as well as in heaven, but unfortunately it doesn’t happen automatically, we have an important part to play in the process: that’s putting all the tools we’ve been granted together to make the whole come right. 

But yuh know what, in addition to those tools, our God is so generous and forthcoming, that He’s also bestowed a number of undeserved blessings on us to use in our advancement of His kingdom. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare (yesss!!!) them now that they can be activated in our lives. As one 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 having activated those blessings, we’re now responsible to go out and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…God’s given us all we need to succeed in life…it’s up to us how we use His gifts… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   30 November 2023 Proverbs 3:1.

30 Nov 2023 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:1.        My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.

Well, the penultimate day of this work week, Thursday, and the last day of this month, November, has chosen to open bright and sunny, though somewhat cold. But this is the winter season, so what do we expect eh? (smile) Let’s at least give thanks for the sunshine, which I didn’t have when I was doing my errands yesterday. But with the Lord’s help we did handle them successfully though. And in the long run, that’s the important thing…We can do whatever the Lord desires us to do because He anoints and strengthens us to do it! All glory be to His blessed name! 

And today friends, all we’re going to do is read, peruse, study and find some useful insights into perhaps one of the most important and insightful passages in the entire Bible. Yes, friends, if we follow these simple, but ever so important commands as outlined by Cousin Sol in Chapter 3 of Proverbs, our lives will be filled with the Lord’s grace, mercy and understanding. So let’s read from Proverbs Chapter 3, verse 1. ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.’ 

Wow! Right there we have the ultimate in fellowship and discipleship. The overwhelming need to remember the commandments of God, if you are a follower of God. Why? ‘For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:2) And aren’t those things that all of us desire? For sure! So we now know the way to find long life, length of days and peace…keep the commandments of God. We therefore have no more excuses. (smile) 

Then the next verse kindly informs us: ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck, write them upon the table of thine heart (thy mind). So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:3-4) There again we have the formula for finding favour in the sight of both God and man; the strong keeping of mercy and truth in our lives; so strong that they become like an adornment, like a necklace around our necks. 

So now we know how to acquire long life, length of days, peace, favour and high esteem. Mama Mia! Are we ever going to go out and acquire them now! But wait a minute, not so fast, there are still a few other things we have to know and consider. (smile) Listen to the two basic, but perhaps the two most important verses in this section. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) 

Yes my brethren, if we practice those three things: trust in the Lord, don’t depend on our own native instincts and acknowledge God, that’s have fellowship and intimacy with Him all through our life, then He will guide our paths, make them straight before us. Now that doesn’t mean we won’t have problems, but when the problems come He will give us the wherewithal to handle them. So how can we ever go wrong if we do those three basic things eh? Never! 

Then there are some other reminders that further build our lives in Almighty God. Hear this one: ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.’ (Prov. 3:7) Now that should be a no-brainer! It’s obvious we cannot put too much trust in our finite and puny understanding, while reverencing the Lord and staying away from evil are all important parts of being a Christian. And Cousin Sol tells us just how following that advice helps us. ‘It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:8) Now good health and strength are things we all desire. So now we know how to get them. (smile) 

And here’s another bit of awesome wisdom: ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:9-10) There we have it friends; if we want to be blessed with abundance, we need to honour God and man and give generously of our firstfruits, not from the remainder. God must ALWAYS come first! 

And having heard all the comparatively easy things to do in this section of scripture, here comes another important but ofttimes difficult bit of wisdom to handle. And Cousin Sol puts it as nicely as possible. (smile) ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of (detest) his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:11-12) 

Ah mih bredrin, we know that’s a hard pill to swallow, but we won’t always do right, and just like our earthly fathers correct us when we do wrong in their sight, likewise the Lord corrects us when we do wrong in His sight, not because He just wants to punish us, but because He LOVES us. Allowing us to do wrong and not correcting us is not LOVE, but and absence of LOVE, more like encouragement to do wrong. 

And the author of Hebrews, using Cousin Sol’s thoughts, puts it like this: ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons). My son despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6) 

Yes my fellow saints, even the best of us have faults and foibles that don’t belong in us, which stop us from becoming more Christlike, which is the Lord’s end plan. Therefore, He has to remove them by disciplining us. So let’s not be upset and disappointed when He chastens us nuh, for it’s only for our good. And He’s such a wonderful God that He’s even bestowed numerous undeserved blessings on us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare (yesss!!!) them out loud now, so that they can be activated. 

As one 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 having activated those blessings, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them on the Lord’s behalf, just as generously as He bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!

…the fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (very) beginning of knowledge…but fools despise wisdom and instruction…(Prov. 1:7) 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   5 October 2023 Genesis 47:10.

05 Oct 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 47:10.       And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.

Well, my dear friends, I’m sorry to report that the awesome sunshine and good weather that’s recently blessed my area looks like it’s reached the inevitable end. Chuh! And it was all going along so nicely… But this first Thursday in October has begun on a somewhat cloudy note, although temperatures will be fairly high. Then, if the forecasters are right, there’ll be some long-needed rain tonight, with more seasonal temperatures tomorrow, in the low to mid-teens. 

And we can’t say that we didn’t have an enjoyable extended summer! But it’s time to get back to reality now, with the cooler, less sunshiny weather. (smile) We always knew it would come eventually, but just not when. And isn’t that just like life…we never know when things will begin or end, which brings us to the amazing story of Bruh Joseph and the unlikely manner in which the Lord birthed the Jewish people. 

And doesn’t the Lord fittingly raise the drama potential by having the children of Israel begin life in Egypt on a deceitful note, reminiscent of their founder Jacob’s name and early life, by pretending to be more cattle herders than sheep herders, on the wise advice of Bruh Joseph? (Gen. 46:33-34) For sure, since it will be something that comes back to haunt them in later years. 

And we pick up the story where Bruh Joseph presents some of his brethren to Pharaoh. ‘Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen. And he took some of his brethren (brothers), even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh. And Pharoah said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers. 

They said moreover unto Pharaoh, for to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore (severe) in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity (competent men) among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.’ (Gen. 47:1-6) 

Ah friends, our God can soften any heathen ruler’s heart to give abundant favour to His people, although in this instance Bruh Joseph had done marvellous, in fact miraculous work, for Pharaoh in stemming the disaster of Egypt during the days of feast and famine. So, it was not totally favouritism, but mostly just reward. Then comes the big moment when Jacob was presented to Pharaoh. 

‘And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharoah: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage (sojourning) are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.’ (Gen. 47:7-10) 

Wow! Jacob, even in his old age, did have backbone and belly to be blessing the mighty Pharaoh twice as he did. And on those first ten verses, the scholars offer these explanations. ‘Joseph’s wise advice in 46:33-34 enabled his brothers to express their desires before Pharaoh, and to receive exactly what they wanted…permission to live in the fertile land of Goshen. Evidently Jacob was not intimidated by Pharaoh; and he blessed Pharaoh in verse 7and 10. When Jacob said his days were few and evil does not mean “sinful,” but “calamitous, constantly confronted by anger, anguish, distress, and tribulation.’ Just like the lives of so many of us today. 

The Bible then tells us: ‘And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph nourished (provided) his father and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread according to their families.’ (Gen. 47:11-12) What a wonderful son, brother and family member Bruh Joseph turned out to be. Even after all his unfair trials and tribulations! 

Can it be that we’re supposed to follow his example through our own trials and tough times?  (smile) Yes friends, it’s all a part of being a good Christian, a good and true disciple of Christ Jesus. And to help us do just that, the Lord has bestowed un us a number of undeserved blessings, which we call our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and activate them right now! And, by the way, we did spell declare (steups) right the first time, but not the second. (smile)  

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 having activated those blessings, we are now beholden to go out and use them in the betterment of the lives of our fellow man, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them upon us! Much LOVE!

…how you end up…is much more important…than how you begin… 

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

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