Today’s Scrip-Bit   26 October 2022 Zechariah 9:12.

26 Oct 2022 Leave a comment

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

Zechariah 9:12.       Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.

So we rolling along on the hump day of Wednesday, which has opened somewhat cloudy, but my genius computer has told me that it will eventually turn out to be a sunny day. And how can I doubt such good news eh? No way! But as always, be it sunshine, snow or rain, I’m thankful for having seen another blessed morning, in my already long life. Hope you are too. 

And though our problems might seem rather overwhelming and unsurmountable at times, and we feel like we don’t want to wake up another day to deal with them, that’s just the enemy playing his usual games with our feelings and emotions. But you know what Jesus said about Satan and his evil doings. ‘The thief cometh not, but for to (except to) steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) 

Yes friends, Jesus came to give us life, and so much life, that it overflows. So why then would we to listen to the enemy and not want to wake to see another day eh?  The truth is, as long as there is life, there’s always hope. Hope that our problems will be solved; hope that our hurts would be comforted and our wounds healed through the great and good auspices of Jesus Christ, the Great Healer, the Great Comforter, and the giver of much Hope, as witnessed by His many other great attributes. 

And you know what they say about hope. ‘Hope is a revolution, a powerful presence that breaks us from the future and transforms today. Jesus’ arrival has brought God’s destiny for humanity crashing into now, in an explosion of life. Into a world marked by death. It changes everything.’ Wow! What a powerful force hope is. And that definition of hope comes from an article by Joshua Ryan Butler, aptly titled, ‘Prisoners of hope.’ 

Now the Good Book also refers to us by that name in the Old Testament writings of the Zechariah. After his people were defeated by the Babylonians and taken into captivity, he comforted and reassured them by talking about the coming of Zion’s future King, Jesus Christ. He passionately declares (steups!!!) to them: ‘Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’ (Zech. 9:12) 

Oh my people, there’s nothing better than being a prisoner of hope in Christ Jesus! For He is the Be All and End All of everything and every life that’s on planet earth. And we saw that He came once to prepare the soil of human life for planting, then sowed the seeds of righteousness and godliness through His Holy Spirit in anticipation for when He comes a second time to reap the fruit of His Spirit that’s grown up beautifully and bountifully on God’s great earth. 

So please, whatever else we might do, let’s not lose hope or give up, because Jesus has faithfully promised to return and take us back to heaven with Him, and ALL of His promises are faithful and true. Listen to this most marvellous one that deals with His coming again. He says to the disciples: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions (dwellings): if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-3) 

Wow! What a mighty promise my fellow believers. That’s why we simply cannot afford to lose hope in Christ, for whatever needs to be done in our lives, He can accomplish it. Why do we think that? Because He told the disciples a little later on: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) 

And that’s the gospel truth! Please believe it fervently my people, for if we don’t, we’re sitting ducks for Satan to just come and pick us off, one by one and immerse us in evildoings, that will only lead us eventually to eternal damnation and the lake of fire, where the devil is slated to go on judgement day. But first, we have to give Jesus the chance, the opportunity to work in our lives by turning to Him in sincere trust and faith, otherwise all our own efforts will be in vain, because, as Jesus puts it so short and telling: ‘for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) 

Now here is this interesting excerpt on the subject ‘Prisoners of Hope,’ from an article by Mark Batterson found on his website markbatterson.com. He writes: ‘The prophet Zechariah declared this double blessing to Jewish prisoners of war, but he called them prisoners of hope. Those are polar opposites, are they not? So which is it—prisoners of war or prisoners of hope? That depends on your perspective, doesn’t it? If you let your circumstances define the way you see God, you are a prisoner of perspective. Or worse, a prisoner of your past mistakes! But if you let God define the way you see your circumstances, you are a prisoner of hope. 

Please don’t let anyone name you except God. You are not the labels people put on you. You are who God says you are! You are the apple of God’s eye. You are the object of His affection. You are more than a conqueror. Israel had experienced a bitter defeat at the hands of the Babylonians. They were at the mercy of their captors, who had defiled their temple and mocked their God. But God reminded them of who would have the last laugh. For their pain, He prescribed the promise of double blessing.’ 

Yes my faithful brethren, our great God, though He chastise us for our wrongdoings, He is still always offering us encouragement. That’s because He LOVES so deeply, and never wants to lose even one of His creations. But for that to happen successfully, we also need to play our part in the partnership; that’s show our sincere hope, faith, trust and obedience to His Word and will for our lives. And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do just that, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

As one strong voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And believe me friends, if we endure with Jesus until the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Mama Mia! That gives us even more cause to endure! (smile) Much LOVE!

…you can’t have faith without first having hope…for faith is based on hope… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ              

Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 December 2021 Psalm 56:3.

11 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 56:3.      What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

And the rains fell…and the land is water-logged and foggy this Saturday morning in the middle of the Advent season, when we’re all looking forward to celebrating the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on Christmas Day, two weeks hence. Let’s remember the reason for the season though; the birth of Christ, and ensure that He is an integral part of our celebrations, not paying attention to just the festivities surrounding His birth. 

As Christians, we must emphasize the keeping of Christ in Christmas! And that’s no joke, because the pagan world is desperately trying to remove Him from the spotlight and simply make it a pagan festival of shopping, binge eating and drinking. But what’s Christmas all about eh? The coming of Christ! And without Him there would be no season, no holidays, no festivities labelled Christmas. And it’s our job as believers to remind the world of that most salient fact. It’s no ‘Happy Holidays’, but a ‘Merry, Merry Christmas!’ 

Now let’s see what quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one says: ‘The most wasted of days is one without laughter.’ And is that the gospel truth or what! A day without laughter is indeed a wasted day, because laughter is one of the best medicines for the soul, in fact for whatever ails you. When you laugh, a positive feeling automatically rises up within you and your troubles seem lessened. Of course they are still there, but they don’t bother you as much. 

And on top of all that laughter is FREE! How can you beat such a wonderful remedy eh? And the Good Book is filled with passages of laughter and joy, the most famous being these endearing words of Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.’ (Prov. 17:22) And the scholars explain that as: ‘A cheerful mind is revitalizing to the entire person.’ That’s for sure! 

And the next quote declares: ‘You must do the things you think you cannot do.’ And I’m here chuckling because that quote applies to me right now. I don’t think I, or rather feel like I can handle the breaking down of the quotes today, because my spirit is at an ebb tide, but I have to handle them…and with God’s help, I certainly will. 

But that just goes to show how the enemy, through our feelings, our emotions, can deceive us and lead us astray, make us think we can’t do certain things, when with Christ’s awesome help we can do anything! That’s why we need the strength, courage, direction and leadership engendered by the Holy Spirit of Christ that dwells within us. 

Then there’s this quote: ‘The job of the conscious is to make the unconscious conscious.’ And I don’t think that’s dealing with the physically conscious or unconscious body but with our mindset, where some of us are simply wandering lost in this dangerous and evil world. And it’s the job of those who have a serious bent, preferably as Christians, to wake up those without a serious cause for living, for life is made for living, and the best life is found when it’s lived for Jesus Christ! And all God’s people said a loud and proud ‘Amen!’ 

Remember what Christ said: ‘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) So there’s no denying that Jesus’ purpose was to give us a better life, not only in heaven, but one starting right here on earth when we accept Him as Lord and Saviour. As Bruh David so rightly declared in Psalm 27: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps. 27:13) 

Yes friends, our God is a good God, and He blesses those who trust and surrender their lives to Him down here on earth. So, let’s look for and expect His goodness to begin right down here in this evil and ungodly world. Wow! And who said I couldn’t do it eh? (smile) The enemy…but as always, he was wrong. 

And the next quote says? ‘The secret of life is to have no fear; it’s the only way to function.’ I don’t agree with that, because there is no such thing as ‘no fear.’ Fear is always with us. It is a human trait, which we can never entirely get rid of, we can lessen it and work around it, but once we are in this world with both physical and spiritual enemies always coming against us, we will always have fear of some kind or other. But the good news is that with Christ in our lives, we can function well even when gripped by fear, for Christ allows us to have courage and overcome our fear. 

There’s no need to fear, or be afraid of fear, for the words ‘fear not’ have been immortalized in the Good Book. One saying has it in there 365 times, one for each day of the year, including a leap year. (smile) Now that’s not true, but it is in there numerous times. And one of Jesus most used phrases was, ‘fear not.’ Check out these passages in the gospel of Mark. 4:39-40; 5:36; 6:50. They all have to do with not being afraid. 

And Bruh David said it best in Psalm 56. ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.’ (Ps. 56:3-4) And he thought that those words were so important that he repeated them in verses 10-11. Please let us believe their importance too. 

Now the last quote tells us: ‘The forces that unite us are intrinsic and greater than the superimposed influences that keep us apart.’ Now that’s very true! For God made us to be in relationships, both with Him and between ourselves, so He made that innate, inherent aspect where we all long for, or feel better when we are in a relationship. That’s why there are friends, LOVERS, families, neighbourhoods, societies, nations; all having that pull to be together rather than being apart. 

So, although the enemy tries to pull us apart through disagreements, hatred and other negative constraints, we always naturally gravitate back to togetherness. And as believers in Christ Jesus, it’s even more important, because we are all one body in Christ, regardless of our race or nationality. As Bruh Paul says to the church at Rome: ‘So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one (individually) members one of another.’ (Rom. 12:5) And to the church at Corinth, he wrote: ‘For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond (slaves) or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.’ (1 Cor. 12:13)

Yes friends, in Christ Jesus we are all ONE, regardless of our background or our heritage. Please, let’s remember that and live like it nuh, not the disunited and dysfunctional way we are currently living. I am sure it breaks Jesus’ heart when He sees it. Much LOVE!

…with Christ…you can…if you believe you can… 

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