Today’s Scrip-Bit   30 January 2024 Luke 9:62.

30 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

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

Luke 9:62.       No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

And on this penultimate day of January 2024…but can you imagine that? January’s finished already! Anyhow, on this last Tuesday in January, where the computer tells us that it will be mostly sunny, and so far it’s been mostly cloudy… Oh, I now see they’ve changed their minds, saying that it will indeed be cloudy. (smile) Poor weather forecasters, it must be extremely difficult to keep up with the constant changes in the recent unusual weather patterns. The sad part is that all of life has now become unusual, eccentric and inexplicable. 

And what a good thing that we have Jesus to keep us well grounded, constant, stable and steadfast, and without much fear! And all God’s people gave a proud and grateful shout of ‘Thank the Lord for Jesus! He is indeed our Lord and Saviour, and without Him, we’d be nothing at all!’ And is that ever the living truth my people! For without the sacrifice of Jesus, and the Father’s saving grace, we’d be headed straight for hellfire and damnation, plus eternal separation from Almighty God, which is definitely the worst thing that can happen to a human soul. 

Yes, I know I keep saying that, but it’s very important that we keep hearing it, so that we can recognize and realize the utmost importance of having Jesus as a strong and serious part of our lives. And to bring home to us how real and serious the situation is, I’ll share this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, aptly titled, ‘The Time Is Now!’ Please read with me: ‘Lord I see with startling clarity That life is never long enough To put You off Until tomorrow. The things that are before Are all too soon behind. I can never pick up The years I’ve put down. If I intend To walk with You tomorrow I must start today.’ 

And that’s the gospel truth my brethren. If we intend to walk with God tomorrow, we most certainly need to begin today. It’s not wise to put it off until tomorrow, for tomorrow never comes, every new day is always TODAY, and if you keep waiting to find God tomorrow, then you’ll be waiting for your entire life and end up never finding Him. And how sad that would be! As the poem so rightly says, all that’s in front of us right now is so quickly gone, like the days of the week, the weeks of the months, the months of the years, even the years themselves. They keep becoming history as quickly as we behold them, sometimes even quicker. (smile) 

And the truth of the matter is that we can NEVER regain the time we’ve lost, that’s why we simply cannot afford to procrastinate and put off things to the never coming tomorrow. Besides, the most important thing in any human being’s life it the receiving of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour! We cannot emphasize that enough, especially in these rough and tumble times of history. And it’s not only me who’s emphasizing the importance of following Christ, but Christ Himself did it, when speaking to the people about the high cost of discipleship. 

The Bible informs us: ‘And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where (nowhere) to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer (allow) me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee: but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9:57-62) 

Yes friends, those seem to be somewhat harsh words from our Saviour, but He’s only emphasizing the fact that when you make life’s small matters more important than God’s work, you are of little use to Him. God must always be our number one priority. Thus that famous proclamation from Jesus: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Oh my people, the importance of those words can never be over emphasized. 

And as the scholars explain about Jesus’ strong reply to the fellow who possibly wanted to stay at home until his father died, ‘Let the dead bury their dead,’ wasn’t meant to be as harsh as it sounded, ‘but rather to emphasize that the time to be about the heavenly Father’s business was now.’ And is that ever the indisputable truth my fellow believers! The time for us to be about the Lord’s business is certainly RIGHT NOW! There’s no time for dilly-dallying, or putting it off for tomorrow, because the devil and his evil cohorts are not dilly-dallying or putting off anything for tomorrow, they are making hay while the sun shines, and that’s RIGHT NOW, and so should we supposed believers in Christ Jesus! 

But, unfortunately, we’re not working as hard and fast as we should, that’s why we keep falling behind the evil doers who are now in strong command of our world. Friends, I don’t know how else to put it, but to say, right up front, we are not doing the job Jesus desires of us as well as we can, and ought to. We are too comfortable in this uncomfortable world. And the worst kind of Christian is a comfortable Christian! That’s because we lose all the enthusiasm to do Christ’s work, especially the part about sacrificing our desires for His wellbeing. And sadly, if we continue along such a wide and destructive path, then crapaud smoke we pipe! That’s all there is to it. 

Now, for those who are trying their best to live sincerely for Christ, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one voice: ‘In God’s eyes, 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 my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And having made that glorious proclamation, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 December 2019 Daniel 6:16b.

10 Dec 2019 Leave a comment

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

Daniel 6:16b.    Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
 

Ah friends, the weather nowadays can be so finicky and capricious, just like… hold that thought mih brother, because in these days of female empowerment, the fairer sex is liable to get all over yuh case. (smile) But seriously though, just two days ago there was snow all over the rooftops and ground, but now there’s little trace of it, because the temperature went up to almost double digits yesterday, thus it ended up being a rainy day, and all the snow was washed away. 

And I must say that I now miss seeing the snow covered rooves of the houses when I look out my window. Imagine that nuh! But that’s the kind of guy the ole fella is; if it’s pleasing to the eye, then say so, although the presence of said thing might be inconvenient and dangerous. (smile) 

And I just want to point out to us today, how unconventional our great God can be. Remember when Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den because he refused to fall in line with King Darius’ decree ‘that every man who shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?’ (Dan. 6:12) Now we all know that was simply a set up to get Daniel thrown into the lion’s den since they knew he would not bow down to any other God save that of his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

And when the king realized that he’d been played by his senior bureaucrats, he was heartbroken, ‘sore displeased  with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured (greatly strived) till the going down of the sun to deliver him.’(Dan.6:14) That shows how important and close Daniel was to the king. But unfortunately he couldn’t do anything about it because no decree or statute of the Medes and Persians could be changed once the king established it. So with a sad heart he watched as Daniel was thrown into the den of lions. 

But here’s what I want us to pay particular attention to; the kings last words to Daniel before he was thrown in. ‘Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.’  Wow! What words of faith and encouragement the Lord placed in the pagan king’s mouth! The king knew of Daniel’s faithfulness to his God, and obviously had heard and seen some of the miracles He wrought in and through Daniel, so his supposedly last words to Daniel were not as far-fetched as they might at first seem. 

Oh my people, how many of us can truthfully say that we serve our great and wonderful God with zeal such as Daniel eh? Not very many; certainly not enough, especially in this current mish-mash world of ours! But NOW friends, NOW is the time when our zeal for the Lord ought to be the highest it’s ever been, because the enemy is getting more powerful every day, and we simply cannot allow that to happen! We simply cannot allow the fear of the world to stop us from fighting tooth and nail for Jesus’ eternal cause. We desperately need to stand on the words of king Darius: that the God whom we serve continually will deliver us in any and every situation! 

It’s all about belief and faith friends! And those two things will bring trust and surrender and courage and confidence! It’s already all inside of us, we now have to water those seeds with faith and let them grow strong and true! If we’re to be victorious in Jesus’ cause, then we have to hunker down NOW, just like the enemy is doing, and fight, fight the good fight in our Lord and Saviour’s name! Nothing less will do! Now it’s not going to be easy, since life’s never easy, but with Almighty God in our hearts and souls remember that everything is possible; we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! 

This is the time when we need the powerful and reassuring Word of God to reassure us. But it can’t do that unless we seriously and continually read, study and write it indelibly in our hearts. Please remember the immortal words of the Lord to Joshua when He appointed him leader of Israel after Moses died. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) 

Oh my faithful brethren, that is the most defining verse in the entire Word of God! Study it, and live it, then you will have good success! It’s clear as day! Please note the importance of the word ‘good’ there, for you can have success by following the enemy, but that’s bad success, a success that never lasts or get’s one into eternal life with God. And that’s simply why so many of us are not leading lives as prosperous as we can; we don’t spend enough serious and sincere time in the Word, and thus we can’t live it as we ought. 

Oh my people, I do hope that my words, or rather the words put into my heart and fingers by the Holy Spirit will be of great encouragement to us today, because we do need to increase our faithfulness and trust, so that we can fight the good fight that’s called for in these most trying and turbulent times! 

Now let’s go home declaring (yeah!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know who and whose we are. In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘In God’s eyes, 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!’ 

Now that should lead us to put on our battle armour and excitedly go out and share Christ’s LOVE and friendship! Much LOVE!

..the time is NOW…the time is NOW…NOW is the time…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 December 2014 Genesis 15:6

06 Dec 2014 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 15:6.  And he (Abraham) believed in the Lord, and he (God) counted it to him for righteousness.  

  
‘Sleeping in, sleeping in – All God’s children are sleeping in, this chilly Saturday morning!’ 
 
Now sing it with me, to the tune of ‘At the Cross.’ ‘Sleeping in, sleeping in – All God’s children are sleeping in, this chilly Saturday morning!’
 
Oh Friends, I really tried. I went to bed around eleven something and had no intentions of getting up before 8 o’clock. Hn! But my old back was screaming so loudly about being in bed for so long, that I finally got up around 6.20. Steups!
 
Ah Lord eh, if it isn’t one thing, it’s another! The truth is that the body is not accustomed to being in bed for such long periods of time. And anyway, my conscience was bothering me a tad, because my late rising would make the Bit considerably late, which I don’t like.
 
And I know too that some of you like to read it early in the morning to get an early morning lift. Yuh see how I’m taking your interest into consideration. (smile)
 
And today we’ll share a very important and timely message from the One Year Book of Bible Promises, entitled ‘The Time Is Now.’ And it says: ‘Lord I see with startling clarity That life is never long enough To put you off Until tomorrow. The things that are before Are all too soon behind. I can never pick up The years I have put down If I intend To walk with you tomorrow I must start today.’
 
And that’s gospel truth, if there ever was any, my Friends! We can’t wait around, put off coming to God, seeking Jesus Christ for the way to salvation and eternal life. We must begin TODAY!
 
For what happens if He suddenly comes back and we’re not prepared eh? Then crapaud smoke we pipe! That’s for sure. Like the five foolish virgins who didn’t by oil for their lamps and were locked out of the wedding feast when the bridegroom came back at a late hour. (Matt.25:1-13)
 
That’s why our parents kept drumming it into our young, stubborn minds to not put off for tomorrow, anything you can do today. And that’s eternal wisdom, my brethren!
 
And the scripture verse for that poem was: ‘Another said, Yes Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say goodbye to my family. But Jesus told him, Anyone who puts a hand to the plough and then looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9:61-62, NLT)
 
More gospel truth, my people! Once we embrace Jesus, there’s no looking back, all roads lead forward to the good life He has planned for us. And to live in union and unison with out wonderful heavenly Father, we must have faith and trust like the Good Book says of Abraham.
 
‘By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went (where he was going).
 
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange (foreign) country, dwelling in tabernacles (tents) with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; For he looked (was waiting) for a city which had foundations, whose builder and maker was God.’ (Heb.11:8-10)
 
Yes Friends, we also have to seek a place that God’s built, and where He resides. Hopefully, that will eventually turn out to be our hearts, minds, souls and bodies. Abraham might well have been looking for a physical entity, but we are definitely seeking a spiritual one.
 
With the coming of Jesus and the imbuing of all believers with the Holy Spirit, we now don’t have to look far to find Jesus, for He is always with us, dwelling deep within us. That should make it way easier for us to live a life fuelled by His dictates.
 
Ah Friends, what enormous faith and trust Abraham showed, when he packed up and left Haran, his family home at seventy five years of age, on only God’s promise, to go to places unknown, to only God knew where! Do we have such faith? We ought to! Are we willing to pack up and move if the Lord so desires? We ought to be!
 
Remember, all God had told Abraham was to pack up and go: ‘And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.’ (Gen.12:2-3)
 
Now imagine yourselves at age seventy-five, hearing that from God, would you pack up and move? I doubt that many of us would do it, especially if we didn’t have a clue about where we were going. But that’s why faith and utmost trust in Almighty God is so important my brethren! Without it, we’re totally lost and alone.
 
So though Abraham wandered sort of aimlessly in the land, naturally with some doubts about how all the Lord’s promises would come true, especially since his wife Sarah and him were way past normal childbearing age, deep down he always knew that there was a Higher Power controlling his fate.
 
And when he enquired of the Lord how all that would happen when he was childless, and had only the son of his servant Eliezer as an heir, the Lord told him: ‘This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
 
And he brought him forth abroad (outside), and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell (count) the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he (God) said unto him, so shall thy seed be. And he (Abraham) believed in the Lord; and he (God) counted it to him for righteousness.’ (Gen. 15:4-6)
 
Yuh see Friends, yuh see what trust, faith and belief in God can do? Our Bit says, God counted it as righteousness. Likewise, we too have to trust in, have faith in and believe the promises of our ever-faithful and trustworthy God, if we want to prosper in this cruel, evil and ungodly world.
 
So today, let’s try and ramp up our faith, trust and believe in Jehovah God nuh, so that we can enjoy the fruit of His faithful promises. That’s not only logic, and common sense my people, but also heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
 
…our purpose here on earth…to LOVE our God…LIVE our Faith…and SPREAD God’s Word…
 
P.S. The Bit’s pretty late Friends, and might be somewhat confusing, but I guess that’s just a reflection of my state of my liver this morning. But as I keep saying, you all know how to pick sense from nonsense. (smile) Much LOVE!