Today’s Scrip-Bit   26 June 2023 Romans 10:17.

26 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

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

Romans 10:17.       So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Come on friends, let’s do like the early bird that catches the worm, and get out into the turbulent and evil world and begin working for Christ right away. The sooner we get out there, the sooner we can start working for Him, and the better our results will be. Remember how Jesus felt as He went around the cities and villages teaching and healing and preaching the gospel of the kingdom? 

The Good Library tells us: ‘But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted (were weary), and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.’ (Matt. 9:36-38) And that’s also true of today’s harvest my fellow believers. 

Jesus reminds us to pray for labourers, His disciples to go into the world and help the many sick, lost, downtrodden and unfortunate out there to come to Him for refuge and salvation. Like back then, there are not enough people going out to do that, and consequently our world is going to hell in a handbasket. 

The scholars point us to the similarity in Numbers 27, where Moses was taken by the Lord into a mountain and showed the Promised Land, which he was not going to enter because of his earlier disobedience to God’s Word. ‘And Moses spake unto the Lord saying, Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd.’ (Num. 27:15-17) That’s when Joshua was anointed to take Moses’ place. 

And sadly friends, just like then, our world today is teeming with sheep that have no shepherd, and there are comparatively few workers to go out and reap the big harvest that’s there for reaping. And I like how the scholars explain it. They say: ‘Verses 37 and 38 constitute one of the great missionary passages of the New Testament. Jesus pictures the world as a great spiritual harvest in need of labourers to gather it into the storehouse.’ 

And that’s how it truly is! Millions of people are suffering; living in sin and darkness, with little or no opportunity to see the light of Jesus. And that’s why some of Jesus last words or directions to the disciples was the Great Commission. He informed them: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20) And it’s a message that still resonates today!  

That brings up another instance when Jesus refers to the harvesting of souls and the lack thereof of harvesters. He was at the well of Jacob, outside the city of Sychar, talking to the Samaritan woman, and the disciples came from the village and offered Him food. ‘Jesus saith unto them, My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, there are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest. 

And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap whereon you bestowed no labour (have not laboured): other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.’ (John 4:34-38) The scholars point out that Jesus might have been referring to the multitudes who came out of Sychar to see Him because of the Samaritan woman’s testimony. And a lot of people there needed saving too. 

That brings us to this last scripture passage, one of my favourites. Bruh Paul in writing to the Romans about Israel’s rejection of Christ states: ‘For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! …So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ (Rom. 10:12-15, 17) And the scholars tell us that our Bit means, ‘it is not faith in what is heard, but faith that comes about by what is heard.’ 

I also like how Bruh Paul lays it out so logically; you can’t believe unless you hear the word, and you can’t hear the word unless someone comes and tells you about it, and that someone has to be sent. And it’s surely a wonderful thing when we preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! So let’s try and contrate on doing that today nuh my fellow saints. It’s our job to reap the harvest, but sadly, it’s drying up in the field, spoiling for want of harvesters. 

Now let’s approach the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and ask for help to fix our broken world. Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

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

Now friends, let’s do our bounden duty, so God can do His nuh! Much LOVE!

…no harvest can be satisfactorily gathered…unless there are enough labourers to do the job… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 January 2016 Psalm 78:11

18 Jan 2016 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 78:11.    And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had showed them.

Once more friends, once more into the breach on this cold, frosty Monday morning in mid-January! As good soldiers in the victorious army of Christ let’s get a move on! Remember the early bird catches the worm. (smile) The LOVE Revolution calls! And like any good leader, our Field Marshall, Jesus Christ is already at the front lines reconnoitring the enemy’s positions. 

So let’s not be found wanting in these crucial times nuh, let’s get on with the task bequeathed to us; that of spreading God’s Word, His faithful, unconditional LOVE, His tender mercies, His everlasting  grace and His endless forgiveness! 

And all of God’s children declared a loud and proud: ‘Praise the Lord!’ 

And with that bit of energizing, let’s take it one step further by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with even greater pomp and pageantry. (smile) 

As one 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!’ 

Beautiful friends! That was beautiful! Jesus was in His essence as He conducted us. Heaven even gave us a standing O and called for an encore! Mama Mia! What a morning it’s turning out to be! 

Ah mih breddren, we serve such a wonderful God that I don’t know how people can turn away from Him. But sadly they are doing it, and recently in droves too, lured by the glitzy and glamorous come on by Lucifer and his evil minions.  

Unfortunately though, it’s only after they are caught in that evil web that they realize it’s all a façade, a trap from which it is very difficult to break free. They can’t do so without the help of Jesus, and it’s our job to win them back, as well as those who never believed, by the way we walk and talk and glorify His holy name. 

That means we obviously can’t be like the Israelites of old, who turned away from God ‘And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had showed them.’ 

Now that is so mind boggling, I can’t even imagine it! Hn! In spite of all the miracles he did on their behalf, from down in Egypt to the provision of manna and meat in the wilderness, they still turned away from him. They must have been a really hard-headed and stubborn people – just like so many of us nowadays. So God, in His anger, slew some of them and made the lives of the remainder futile and calamitous. (Ps.78:33) 

Now let’s listen in as Asaph continues his story in Psalm 78. ‘When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early (sought diligently) after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.’ (Ps.78:34-35) 

Ah friends, at last they smartened up and learned on which side their bread was buttered.  I ‘ve been hoping and praying that the same thing can happen in our society today; that we can wake up and realize from whence comes our help, our prosperity and good life. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be happening. 

However, we cannot give up hope, for there’s no giving up in Jesus, we just have to continue talking our talk and walking our walk as we have been instructed to do, and the Lord will do the rest. 

And Asaph writes on: ‘Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right (steadfast) with him, neither were they steadfast (faithful) in his covenant.’ (Ps.78:36-37) 

Yes friends, the repentance wasn’t really true, it was just lip service. And I suspect that a lot of that is happening today. Many of us are merely paying lip service to God, while our hearts are truly lusting after the things of the world. Oh precious people, we can’t fool God, because He looks at the state of our hearts, rather than just listen to the words of our lying lips.  

However, He’s such a wonderful Deity that Asaph tells us: ‘But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. How oft did they provoke (rebel against) him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.’ (Ps.78:28-41) 

What a slap in the face eh! In spite of all God’s goodness, His chosen people rebelled against Him several times on the journey through the wilderness. But in His compassion and wisdom, He did not fully destroy them, just made them wander in the wilderness for forty years until all those who had come out of Egypt died. Not even Moses entered into the Promised Land. Joshua and Caleb were the only two of the original lot who did so. 

So my fellow believers in Christ, let’s remember that though the Lord might not destroy us for our constant disobedience, He will find other ways to make us pay.  Much LOVE!

…whatever you sow…is exactly what you will reap…so you can’t sow disobedience and expect to reap salvation…