Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 September 2022 Matthew 7:24.

04 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 7:24.       Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his home upon a rock. 

It’s time friends, to gather at the Master’s place to celebrate another Sunday of abundant life with praise, thanksgiving and worship! And do these Sundays ever come around quickly. (smile) But we do enjoy the awesome fellowship and togetherness they engender, as we meet and greet and encourage each other in the Lord God Almighty. There’s nothing like a group of sincere believers singing, praising and worshipping our Creator! It’s so filled with LOVE, joy and peace that unbelievers can’t believe their eyes when they see us worship. 

So, without further ado, let’s begin the celebrations with this wonderful song of praise and thanksgiving written way back around 1837, by the English pastor Edward Mote, (1797-1874) titled ‘My Hope is built on Nothing Less.’ It must be a wonderful song to have stood the test of time. (smile) Oh yes, it is! Therefore, let’s raise our voices in sacrificial praise, with heartfelt sincerity, in a harmonious, scintillating up-beat tempo, because it’s a joyful song. 

‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. (Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.) When darkness veils his lovely face I rest on His unchanging grace In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil. (Refrain) His oath, his covenant, his blood Supports me in the ‘whelming flood When all around my soul gives way He then is all my hope and stay. (Refrain) 

Not earth, nor hell, my soul can move; I rest upon unchanging LOVE. I trust his righteous character, his counsel, promise, and his pow’r. [Refrain] When he shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in him be found, dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand… Oh thank You Lord…You solid rock…’ 

That was most excellent my faithful brethren! It left heaven with no doubt that we truly believe in and appreciate our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, using Him as the foundation stone, ‘the corner stone that the builder refused’ upon which to build our lives. I don’t think we can pay Him a greater compliment than that, especially after He gave up His life so that we could be saved from eternal damnation. And it’s obvious that Pastor Mote had the awesome words of Jesus re the two foundations that one can build upon in this world, at the forefront of his mind when he wrote the song. 

Please read with me, what Jesus taught His followers. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his home upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.’ (Matt. 7:24-25) 

Yes friends, that house was founded upon THE rock called Jesus, so no wind, rain or flood could destroy it, because Jesus is also the Master of the wind, rain and flood. Note how He calmed the storm out on the Sea of Galilee, when the disciples were so afraid that the boat would capsize because of the stormy sea and they would drown, while Jesus was napping unconcernedly in the stern of the boat. 

In answer to their frightful pleas of ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish?’ Jesus got up, no doubt somewhat annoyed that His peaceful nap was disturbed by a bunch of wimps, who hadn’t really learned anything about Him, despite the time they spent with Him. The Good Book says: ‘And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And He said unto them, why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:38-41) 

Now, if they had been paying serious attention to Jesus’ words and deeds they would have realized that He created the winds and the seas, so they would naturally obey Him! In any case, I like these two explanations that the scholars offer re verses 40 and 41. As per 40, where Jesus asks the disciples why they were so afraid and had no faith, they say: ‘Jesus constantly questions in order to spur people to deeper trust. See 2:8, 19, 25, 26: 3:4, 23, 33; 4:13, 21, 30.’ Please look up those references, they are rather interesting and enlightening. 

And as per verse 41, where the disciples were deathly afraid, the scholars say: ‘The fear must have been a mixture of reverential awe and real fright – it would be chillingly eerie to witness the instantaneous dissipation of a violent storm.’ And is that ever the truth. I believe that even today, even with all that we know about Jesus powers, if we saw Him talk to a storm and it quietens right away, we too would be somewhat scared. So we can’t be too harsh and condemning on the young disciples. 

But let’s get back to our major topic, Jesus’ discourse on the two foundations. He continues by saying: ‘And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it.’ (Matt. 7:26-27) Please note friends, that the house didn’t just fall, but great was its fall. That means more important negative stuff happened when the house fell. 

And the scholars offer this interesting explanation on Jesus’ words. They say: ‘In drawing his concluding illustration of the two foundations, Jesus begins with the word therefore. On the basis of all that He has taught and illustrated, He concluded that all who both hear and do His sayings shall be saved. As a great Master Counsellor, Jesus reminded His listeners that hearing His message alone will not change his life. he must both hear and do what Jesus has said. 

The elements of the closing illustration are drawn from the simplicity of nature itself, the rock, the rain, and the winds. The man whose house collapsed was at fault not because he failed to labour, but because he did not lay the proper foundation. The shifting sand represents human opinion and the doctrine of men as opposed to “these sayings” of Jesus.’ 

So it’s obvious friends, that although we may labour long and hard to build our spiritual lives, if we build them on human opinions and the doctrines of men, instead of the strong foundation rock-like sayings of Jesus, our lives will eventually take a big tumble, all because of our unwise actions in building on insecure and shifting sands, as dictated by the prince of darkness and this world. 

And we’ll close today with these fitting words of Bruh David from Psalm 18, sub-titled – Thanksgiving for Deliverance- when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies, including Saul. Bruh David opens the psalm with this joyful proclamation: ‘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) 

Oh friends, if it’s one thing you cannot say about Bruh David, is that he had little faith. (smile) So please let’s get ourselves together and build our faith, so that we can proudly declare like Bruh David did, and live the way Christ desires of us. Much LOVE!

…only two options…build on Satan’s shifting sand…or on the solid rock of Jesus…it’s your choice… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 June 2022 Acts 1:7.

25 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Acts 1:7.       It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power (authority).

Oh friends, our lazy day Saturday is here! And I suppose some of us are so lazy right now that we don’t even have the energy to celebrate it, since we’re just right into the laziness mode. But that’s okay, for it’s a day to do exactly as we want without any constraints or restraints whatsoever. However, that doesn’t give us leeway to be sinful. We can do whatever is right and comely in God’s eyes, according to His marvellous word. On Saturdays though, we do have to check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, and see how they fit into our Christian milieu or environment. 

So, here’s the first one. ‘The power for creating a better future is contained in the present moment: You create a good future by creating a good present.’ And that’s the truth in spades my brethren, since the future is based on the present which we learn to handle by studying the past. In other words, the present is the building block, the foundation of the future, and whatever you sow today is what you will reap in the future. So, if you desire to have a good future, then you must begin by creating a solid foundation for it today. And the best foundation for anything in this universe is Jesus! 

Yes friends, it’s like Jesus said of the man who built his house on the rock, that’s Him, and the rains and the floods and the winds and everything came, but they couldn’t wash away that house that was built on the solid rock that is Jesus. Glory Hallelujah! However, the house that was built on a porous foundation, one that was not Jesus, like sand, chaff, sin, or some such weak material, was immediately swept away. Yes, ‘great was the fall of it.’ 

And that’s what happens to those lives that are not built on the solid rock that’s Jesus Christ; their futures are sad and gloomy and filled with destruction. And if you don’t know the story, then you can find it all in Matthew 7:24-29. So, please read it asap, and if you haven’t yet built your house on Jesus, you better had do that right now yes, because yuh see how that major storm called Covid suddenly came upon us two years ago, and how many houses fell down because they weren’t built on Jesus Christ? As they say a word to the wise is sufficient. 

And the next quote advises: ‘The less you respond to negative people, the more positive your life will become.’ Now that’s a true statement to a certain extent, because not listening to negative people doesn’t automatically make your life positive, it just makes it less negative. Why is that, you ask? Because to have a positive life you must do positive things, not just restrain from negative ones. That’s why this next quote is so important. ‘I believe that you should gravitate to people who are doing productive and positive things with their lives.’ 

And that’s the awesome truth my people! As much as possible we ought to surround ourselves, or get involved with positive and productive people, for in that way some of their positive productivity will surely rub off on us, making our lives even better. And yes, it’s best if we can get around positive, productive Christians, but that doesn’t mean we have to shun positive, productive unbelievers for even they have useful stuff to teach us. We just have to be careful not to allow them to lessen our witness for Christ. In fact, we ought to use that witness to let them know about the wonderful benefits of living for Jesus, and hopefully when they see our faithful witness, they will want to give their lives to Him. 

Yes mih people, there’s nothing as exciting and incentivizing as seeing someone walk their talk. For, as we all know, actions speak more forcefully than words. And that’s why Christianity is not more pervasive throughout the world – not enough incentivizing witness from us, supposed believers. And maybe that’s why Christ’s return is taking so long, as Matt. 24:14 implies. ‘And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.’  

But Christ also told the disciples: ‘It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power (authority). But ye shall receive power after that (when) the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’ (Acts 1:7-8) The long and short of the story friends, is that we are not to concern ourselves with the when of Jesus’ second Coming, which only the Father knows. Our job is to be ready for whenever He comes and keep being good witnesses wherever we are. And how do we do that? 

The next quote intimates one way of doing it, by saying: ‘Change your thoughts and you change your world.’ And that’s no lie. Especially if you’re coming to Jesus as new believer, or intending to become more mature in the faith. That’s why Bruh Paul writes thus to the church at Corinth. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) Yes my brethren, if we want to change our world, the first place we have to consider is our minds, because that’s where all the activity in our life begins and ends. 

Our minds are the battlefield on which we fight life. Therefore, whatever we think is basically what controls our life. If we think evil or wicked thoughts then our actions will most likely be wicked and evil, and the same goes for good and positive thoughts. That’s why Bruh Paul says we need to change our thinking, change our thought patterns when we come to Christ. Our old way of thinking must be put away and be replaced by the new thinking that permeates Christ’s kingdom. And when we make that change in thinking, our lives change for the better, not necessarily for the easier (smile) because then tests are involved to find out if we are truly committed to Christ. 

But there’s no need to worry about that, because with each test, the Lord also gives us the wherewithal to pass it. And then, we are at last in a position to do what the last quote tells us: ‘Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.’ Now isn’t that a wonderful way to live this life? It surely is! What can beat looking up to heaven, with Jesus in your life, and seeing the myriad of heavenly bodies up there, shining brightly with God’s omnipotent help, and imagining yourself as one of those bright lights shining a heavenly light down here on this fallen earth? Nothing my fellow saints! 

Remember Christ died so that we could have abundant life down here on earth; that means a good and enjoyable life, heaven right here on earth, but it doesn’t just fall into our laps, we have to work towards it through living sincerely and diligently for Him. Much LOVE!

…oh, how sweet the name of Jesus sounds…in a believer’s ear…because it drives away…each and every fear… 

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