Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 January 2019 Jeremiah 31:31.

14 Jan 2019 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 31:31.   ​Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Jacob.
 

Awright folks it’s Monday once again…and it’s somewhat cloudy and a tad depressing…so what eh? No big deal, for we are all well equipped to deal with it. We just don’t put out that heavenly power that we possess. We allow the negative thoughts of the new workweek to oppress us and make us anxious. 

Oh my people, instead of letting Monday come up over us, with the help of Jesus, we ought to come up over it! This is a new year and we’re supposed to be coming closer to Jesus, and one of the things that needs to happen is that we become better able to deal with Mondays and all its negative connotations. Right ho! We simply need to be better prepared. 

Anyway, seeing that our God is gracious and merciful and forgiving and kind, He’s given us a way to embrace all that He is and has to conquer those fearful feelings of Monday. It’s appropriately called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn! It’s the undisputed antidote for all that ails us on a Monday morning. So let’s declare it now with some enthusiasm and sincerity. 

In unison: ‘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!’ 

Wowee! Wowee! Just feel the Holy Spirit rise within us now and get all the adrenaline flowing and our own spirits soaring to high heaven! We’re feeling like true conquerors through Him who LOVED us! Yes friends, that’s the power of prayer…especially where two or three are gathered together and agree on it! Mamacita! 

Ah mih people, I hope all of this also puts a smile on our faces and some joy in our souls, because our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was indeed a person who smiled a lot and was always joyful, even through His trials and tribulations. ‘Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)

We obviously don’t have all the parts that He had, but we do have sufficient to keep us joyful throughout our earthly sojourn. And as always, it’s for OUR benefit, not God’s! So why feel bad when you can feel good eh? No reason whatsoever! 

 Now let’s see what the Good Book has to offer us this glorious morning, this awesome day in the life! Give our amazing God some thanks and praise for allowing us to see another bountiful day on this precious earth nuh! 

And the Good Book reminds us today of these faithful words of our God, spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Jacob.

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith the Lord.’ Jer.31:31-32). 

Oh my people, I can’t help but keep on declaring (spelled it wrong): ‘What a wonderful God we serve and worship!’ Even though His people broke their covenant with Him, He was still ready, willing and able to make another one with them; and an even better one.

‘But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts (minds), and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth (disturbs) the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name.’ (Jer.31:33-35) 

Oh Mama Mia! What an awesome and faithful promise from the Creator of the universe my brethren! Only a real FOOL would not accept such an exceptional offer! 

And if you didn’t realize what all of that was about, listen to this explanation from the scholars. ‘31:31 New Covenant: In this prophecy Jeremiah foresees the new covenant (“testament”) that God will make with mankind by extending His grace to the Gentiles. Under this new covenant, God will call out a people for Himself from all the nations of the earth to form the bride of Christ (Rev.21:1-9).

This new an unconditional covenant is better than the old covenant because it rests on the efficacy of Christ’s atonement for the sins of mankind (Heb.8:10-12). First Ref. Jer.31:31; Primary Ref. Luke 22:17-20; cf. Eph.1:10.)’ 

Yes friends, it was all about the coming of Christ, our inclusion into the house of God as His beloved children and the forgiveness of our sins! About the Holy Spirit that now dwells in each and every one of us, to lead and guide us in a godly manner on this ungodly earth!

The same Holy Spirit that just lifted our spirits and made us feel joyful! And yuh want to tell me that our God isn’t faithful and true to ALL of His promises? That’s foolishness, utter rubbish yes man! 

So let’s get out there this Monday and just do Jesus’ work yes and ignore all the chupidness that the world wants to tell us! Cause we are beloved children of God! That’s who we are! Glory Hallelujah! That’s certainly something to celebrate, so let’s do it nuh! Much LOVE!

…that in the dispensation of the fullness of times…he might gather together in ONE…ALL things in Christ…which are in heaven…and which are on earth…even in him… (Eph.1:10)

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 May 2016 Joel 2:28.‏

17 May 2016 Leave a comment

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

Joel 2:28.   And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.

Welcome to another brand new day in the life friends! It means that God still has great plans for us to accomplish, other wise He would have taken us home. 

Now we got through Monday with a smile, so Tuesday should be even easier, especially when it abounds with new mercies and blessings from our wonderful Father in heaven. 

And even if the physical state of your day is rainy, or cloudy like mine, just remember that that physical aspect doesn’t really matter that much, because we ALWAYS have the brilliant spiritual light of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ shining in our hearts. Glory to God! 

And since today is Tuesday, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with plenty verve, sincerity and truth. All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen.’ 

And that’s the gospel truth my people! What the world says and does, doesn’t define us. We are the beloved children of God! That’s who we are. And NOBODY can take that from us! 

Please remember that. Let’s write it indelibly in our hearts, souls, minds and bodies. We are the beloved children of God! Never forget it! 

But please remember too that those great privileges – a child of God, and a friend of Jesus – also carry a great responsibility; sharing Christ’s LOVE with the world. We cannot be true believers or faithful Christians until and unless we are doing that. 

Oh I know I’m preaching to the choir, (smile) but sometimes even the choir needs preaching to. Now let’s get to our Bit. ‘And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.’ 

Yes friends, we’re continuing with the Pentecost story, another great day in the annals of Christianity! Yesterday we began looking at Simon Peter’s great sermon on that most momentous day, and we’ll continue with the same today. 

After quoting the prophecy of Joel and tying it into the Pentecost situation, he then declared: ‘Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of (attested by) God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. 

Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked (lawless) hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up having loosed (destroyed) the pains (birth pangs) of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of (held by) it.’ (Acts 2:22-24) 

Hey people, just imagine Peter pontificating to that crowd nuh. Then he went on to quote Bruh David from Psalm 16:8-11, where he talks about the Lord not leaving his soul or Jesus’ in hell. 

‘Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher (tomb) is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne (Ps.132:11); 

He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell (Hades) neither his flesh did see corruption (Ps.16:10). This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses. 

Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, 

The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. (Ps.110:1) Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ (Acts 2:29-36) 

Wow friends, Peter is surely on a roll! Now here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘2:22-36. The main point of Peter’s sermon is to prove that Jesus is both God and the Messiah (v.36). Peter seeks to prove this through Christ’s miraculous works (v.22), His resurrection (vv.23-32), and His sending of the Holy Spirit (vv.33-35).’ 

And some more scholarly explanations: ‘2:27. Hell is the word Hades and does not refer to the eternal lake of fire but to the intermediate state of the Old Testament dead. In the New Testament the term also refers to the grave. Peter states that David’s words of Psalm 16:10 are a prophecy concerning the immediate resurrection of the Messiah, of whom David is a type.’ 

Ah mih people, the Day of Pentecost was indeed a red letter day in the history of Israel, also in the annals of Christianity, marking the true beginning of the body of Christ, His church. 

So please, as we go about our earthly business today, let’s contemplate the miraculous events that took place on that momentous day in Jerusalem, some two thousand years ago, and let’s also contemplate the part that the Holy Spirit has played, is playing and will play in our own lives, for that is indeed the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!

…the workhorse of the Holy Trinity…the Holy Spirit…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 October 2014 Mark 9:23

16 Oct 2014 1 Comment

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

Mark 9:23.  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Well hello there my beautiful Scrip-Bit Family! Top o’ this Thursday autumn morn to you! What’s the action for today eh? Whatever it is, I do hope that it includes Jesus… in fact has Him at the top of our to do list!
 
Yes Friends, Jesus has to be our Number ONE priority in this sinful, godless world, otherwise we’ll certainly go astray, down that wide path that leads to death and destruction and the evil company of Lucifer. Now that is definitely not an acceptable option!
 
So let’s bow our heads in prayer for a moment, because it is only through consistent communication with our great and wonderful God, that we can find the peace, LOVE, mercy, grace, forgiveness and understanding necessary to endure this earthly pilgrimage.
 
Please pray with me: ‘Oh Father in heaven, today we praise your holy name and give you much sincere thanks for the breath of life that is within us. We know that that is definitely a blessing from you, for without you, there is no life at all.
 
We humbly ask that you lead and guide us today, as we go about our daily tasks, and help us to keep you first in all that we do, because you are the most important person in our lives. Blessed Father, please enable us to function righteously in a godless world, this current world that has unfortunately gone astray from you.
 
Help us to LOVE you as we ought, to SPREAD your Word, and to LIVE out the Faith we find there, in positive, difference making action. This we pray in the holy name of Jesus, your faithful Son, and our Lord and Saviour, who so selflessly sacrificed Himself, spilled His blood at Calvary, so that we could be made right with you. Amen!’
 
Yes mih people, without Jehovah God, we are nothing, since all that we are comes directly from Him! We therefore need to trust in Him, to have secure and sincere faith in His promises and pronouncements, otherwise we’ll be completely lost.
 
This leads to the awesome words of our Bit. ‘Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’
 
Ah Friends, that word ‘believe,’ it’s a helluva word yes! (smile) It just encompasses so much stuff, that it can literally take you hours, perhaps even days, to sit down and ponder what it’s all about.
 
But for us, true believers in, and followers of Jesus Christ, there’s no confusion whatsoever about belief in Him, for he has already proven that He’s faithful in ALL aspects of His Word and promises, plus He sacrificed His sinless life for our sinful ones.
 
ALL the burdens of our sins were placed on Him, and we received His righteousness instead. What could produce more awesome faith building and belief nurturing than that eh mih breddren? Nothing really!
 
And we’ll continue looking at episodes of great faith in the Good Book, turning to one that again greatly impresses Jesus. Listen to the Good Book tell it: ‘Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts (region) of Tyre and Sidon.
 
And behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts (region), and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil (demon-possessed).
 
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought (urged) him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
 
But he answered and said, It is not meet (good, right) to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to the dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
 
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt (you desire). And her daughter was made whole (well) from that very hour.’ (Matt.15:21-28)
 
Yes my brethren, even though Jesus told her what amounted to insults, she still remained full of belief, full of faith!
 
The scholars explain it thus: ’15:26-28. By children the Lord means Jews, and by dogs, Gentiles. His attitude was intended to test the woman’s faith, which was rewarded by a miraculous healing. The term used for dogs (Gr. kuhariois) means little dogs (pets), not wild, scavenging beasts.
 
She replied that such dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ tables. She knew what could be hers, even as a Gentile, and thus became an illustration of millions of Gentiles who would later be blessed by Israel’s Messiah. Great is thy faith: Jesus again commends Gentile belief (cf.8:10).’
 
Oh Friends, if we all had such simple, but sure faith, what a wonderful place our world would be!
 
And we’ll end with one more pronouncement on the subject from Jesus, after He cursed the fig tree and it quickly withered away. ‘And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
 
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt.21:20-22)
 
And Friends, if Jesus says it’s so, then it must be so, since He has no reason to lie!
 
Consequently, my fellow believers, that means we need to go out today, and everyday, boosted with faith in Jesus, so that we can do what is required of us, both as pilgrims in this world and future inhabitants of heaven. That’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
 
…there’s no wise reason not to believe in Jesus… therefore there’s no reason whatsoever…not to keep on believing in Him…