Today’s Scrip-Bit   9 December 2023 Luke 1:37.

09 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

Luke 1:37.       For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Oh, I do hope this lazy-day Saturday turns out like yesterday! Yesterday they promised that it would be mostly cloudy, but by lunchtime bright sunshine was engulfing the whole area, and we had sunshine for a few hours in the afternoon. Today, the forecasters are again calling for cloudy conditions, although with temps in double digits, but let’s hope the good Lord proves them wrong again, at least for a li’l while. (smile) In the meanwhile, as we slowly get up and reacquaint ourselves with life, let’s lift up our Lazy-Day Saturday prayer to heaven in all sincerity and truth. 

As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ And hopefully that prayer brought to our souls, bodies and minds the peace, LOVE and quiet awareness of God’s Spirit that we asked for, and will enable us to live all the more for Him. 

And today, as we are going through the season of Advent, in quiet but exciting expectation of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, I want us to look at how it all began, at how our magnificent God does move in mysterious and miraculous ways. Jesus’ birth was foretold by an angel. The Bible tells the story like this: ‘And in the sixth month, (of John the Baptist’s mother Elisabeth’s pregnancy) the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city in Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused (betrothed, engaged) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail (rejoice), thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind (considered) what manner of salutation (greeting) this should be.’ (Luke 1:26-29) 

And that’s a normal response, or perhaps a better than normal response, for I’m sure, many of us, if as we’re going about our daily chores, we’re suddenly greeted by this spiritual apparition with that abnormal greeting, we’d be scared out of our skins and probably go running out the door. But Mary’s quiet and patient reaction speaks loads about her maturity and faith, though she was only a teenager. She did not react with fear, anger or any other negative emotion, just quietly sat and waited out Gabriel’s message. 

‘And the angel said unto her, fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:30-33) Now can you imagine this young girl, whose life had only just begun, sitting there listening to this spiritual being tell her all those remarkable things that were going to happen to her. Most of us would have been overwhelmed with fretting and worry, but not Mary. She was confused about how such a thing could happen, but did not show any angry or negative reactions. 

The Bible tells us of her simple response. ‘Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (One) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin (relative) Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the hand maid (handmaiden) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:34-38) 

And all I can say to that is Wow! Just imagine that simple, unquestioning response nuh from a young girl who had been probably sheltered all of her young life. No tears, no tearing out of her hear, no apparent fear nor anger or whatever such an important announcement would usually bring. And to make matters worse, she had just recently been engaged and to have a child without being married, especially if it was not her betrothed’s, that would have been certain disaster to all concerned. But Mary was quiet and accepting of her fate, whatever turmoil it might cause in her life. 

And yuh know what, something just occurred to me that’s never really occurred to me before, re Mary’s simple acceptance of God’s outstanding favour. It’s obvious that God vetted all the young women very carefully to see who would and would not cause a scene, and even more likely had Mary in that time and place especially for that purpose, since the prophecy said that the Son of God would be born of a virgin, and had to be of the line of Bruh David. So let’s check out a few of those prophecies nuh, beginning with this one from Isaiah, where he talks about a sign from God. 

‘Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel (God with us).’ (Is. 7:14) Then in chapter nine Isaiah gets a little more explicit, when he writes of the birth of the Prince of Peace. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7) 

And perform it He did my brethren through the incarnate birth of Christ to the virgin Mary in the city of Bethlehem as prophesied by the prophet Micah. ‘But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little  among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel: whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting (the days of eternity).’ (Mic. 5:2) 

Ah mih people, our Lord isn’t like us, He doesn’t do stuff in a vie-ke-vie (T&T slang) or careless, unplanned manner. His stuff is always well ordered and prepared, so that things fit together like a hand in a glove. And such was the birth of Jesus foretold hundreds of years before his actual birth and it all went as prophesied. Now, isn’t it a wonderful thing that our God isn’t vie-ke-vie like us, (smile) else we’d be in even more trouble than we currently are! Much LOVE!

…when God orders our steps…He knows what He’s doing…so stop fighting Him.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ          

Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 December 2022 Luke 1:38.

08 Dec 2022 Leave a comment

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

Luke 1:38.        And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.

Then Thursday came on board, a mixture of sunshine and cloud, but nice and dry. It’s also another day in the Advent Season, one day closer to that miraculous time of Christmas. And the incarnate birth of Christ was nothing less than a marvellous miracle! A woman becoming pregnant without knowing a man, what else could that be eh? And to be a true believer in Christ, that’s one of the first things we need to believe; that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, with the sperm of God planted in His mother Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit! 

And if you are unable to believe that, then whatever else you believe is of no consequence, for that’s the foundation of the whole Christmas story, and the basis on which Christ was able to die for us, to redeem our sins and give us His righteousness. As the Good Book says: ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:21) Yes friends, if Jesus wasn’t the de facto Son of God, but the son of a man, he would not have the power to pay for our sins, because a man born of a sinful man cannot pay for other men’s sins. 

Remember too that since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, all men have been born with a sinful nature, so how could a son of man pay for our sins eh? Impossible! But since with God all things are possible, He fashioned a rather innovative plan to redeem our sinful souls and reconcile us back to himself. 

And the whole situation is certainly extremely interesting. It all began with God sending the angel Gabriel down to the city of Nazareth in Galilee, where he appears ‘To a virgin espoused (engaged) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came into unto her, and said, Hail (Rejoice), thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ (Luke 1:27-28) 

Now, you can imagine our consternation in such a situation, even in this day when we know so much about God. Just think how Mary, a teenager from a relatively low-level family in a backward town in Galilee felt when the angel approached her with such a joyful greeting. The Good Book tells us: ‘And when she (Mary) saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind (considered) what manner of salutation (greeting) this should be.’ (Luke 1:29) Of course, we would all wonder why the address in such exalted terms. 

‘And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Yahweh Is Salvation). He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:30-33) 

And you know what amazes me most about this whole story? Mary’s reaction! She didn’t go crazy and pull out her hair or shout and carry on. She simply took the whole thing in stride, especially knowing how her life would be terribly affected if she was found with child before she was married. And I just LOVE her cool, reasoned response. ‘Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?’ (Luke 1:34) She just got right down to brass tacks. How can I get pregnant if I don’t have sexual intercourse?

 ‘And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:35) And that’s how Jesus could be sinless, because He was conceived by God, although He was human in every other respect! But Gabriel wasn’t finished with his good news. He continued to Mary: ‘And, behold, thy cousin (relative) Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:36-37) 

Oh my people, another miracle. John the Baptist’s mother Elizabeth had been barren until the Lord stepped in, until it was time for the prophecy as spoken by the prophet Malachi, regarding John the Baptist to be fulfilled. ‘Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.’ (Mal. 3:1) And the scholars tell us that prophecy is uniformly applied to John the Baptist, the only prophet besides Jesus who was the subject of prophecy. 

And Matthew in his gospel also acknowledged it, by writing of John the Baptist. ‘For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, (Is. 40:3) saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ (Matt. 3: 3) You see how our God had everything well planned, with John being born just before Jesus, so their paths could interact to fulfill His prophecy. But the best part of that whole conversation between Mary and the angel Gabriel was her last words to Him. ‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38) 

Oh my fellow saints, that’s what you call mature faith, trust and surrender! And it’s oh so rare to be found in a such a young woman! She didn’t fight it, or throw any tantrums like so many of us would have done! She just calmly accepted the will of the Lord. Oh, how our lives would be so much better if we just accepted His will for our lives like Mary did. And it’s an interesting response, when contrasted with that of Zechariah’s, John the Baptist’s father. When the angel told hm the good news of his wife’s Elizabeth’s pregnancy and the important part his son would play, he doubted and was thus made dumb until the day of John’s christening. (Luke 1:11—25) 

Ah friends, if we’d only believe, if we’d only believe and act on our belief. But there’s still hope for us. And our faithful God has given us the tools to help us believe, build our faith and witness to others. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s activate them by declaring (steups!!!) them right now nuh. As one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! 

I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

Now, let’s use those undeserved blessings to go out and show others how wonderful it is to be a child of God, a follower of Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!

…if God says to jump…our automatic reaction should be…how high Lord… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ     

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 February 2021 Acts 4:12.

25 Feb 2021 Leave a comment

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

Acts 4:12.     ​Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

A good Thursday morning to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and family, all over God’s good world! Blessings, and peace, and the grace of our wonderful God be with us this blessed day! Let’s remember that our waking up today was both a privilege and a blessing from our Creator, and therefore not waste this awesome day, regardless of how difficult it might be. For every awesome day we spend in His sight is precious and blessed and there is a divine purpose for our being alive to share it. 

The main aspect being that of sharing His Word, the gospel, the good news of His Son Jesus Christ, which has forgiving, saving and resurrection power! Glory be my faithful brethren! For there’s no other name by which we can be saved from eternal death and damnation than by the name of Christ Jesus! And if you don’t believe me, then listen to the Good Book, when Peter preached the word to the high priest and his compatriots. 

‘Be it known unto you all, and unto all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of (rejected by) you builders, which is become the head of the corner (the chief cornerstone).Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’(Acts 4:10-12) 

Now that’s a very important scripture friends, for if you’re not saved by the shed blood of Jesus, then you’re not saved at all, and therefore your eternal destiny is set with the fallen angel and his other foolish fiends. And I don’t think that any of us would like that to be our forever destination, or those our forever friends. (smile) Therefore it is of the utmost importance that we all are saved by the blood of Jesus, which includes hearing His word, believing it, and then living faithfully by it. 

It’s no easy task in this sinful and evil world, but the wonderful thing about belief in Jesus, is that when you come to Him in true sincerity, He gives you the power, the grace, the anointing to live the life he desires of you. Yes friends, our Lord and Saviour never asks us to do anything without giving us the wherewithal to do it. Bless His holy name! And if you still find it difficult to believe that Jesus is the ONLY source of salvation, then listen to these other scriptures. The Lord promised salvation through His servant from olden times. 

Hear the prophet Isaiah. ‘Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect (chosen one), in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgement (justice) to the Gentiles. He shall not cry (cry out), nor lift up (raise his voice), nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking (dimly burning) flax shall he not quench (extinguish): he shall bring forth judgement (justice) unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgement (justice) in the earth: and the isles (coastlands) shall wait for his law.’ (Is. 42:1-4) 

What a prophecy! And the scholars explain. ‘42:1-4. My servant is identified here as a person rather than the personification of the nation of Israel. With all the traits of King, Prophet, and High Priest, He is none other than the Messiah, Jesus Christ Himself. He is also called mine elect (bechiri, “set apart for a definite purpose”) and the One in whom I have put my spirit. The New Testament quotes this prophecy as being fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 12:18-21). 

The ministry of the Servant of the Lord will be to bring forth judgement (or justice) to the Gentiles and in the earth. His kingdom knows no barriers of nationality or race. Of all the Old Testament prophets, Isaiah saw this fact the most clearly. While Jesus’ early ministry was to the house of Israel, His ultimate commission extended to the Gentiles as well.’ 

And should we ever be glad for that my people, because if it was to the Jews alone, then we would sadly be on the outside looking in. But that just shows the great LOVE that our Creator, our wonderful God, holds for all His creation, not wanting even one of them to be lost to eternal damnation! 

Now hear the angel of the Lord to Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father when he found out that his betrothed, Mary, was with child before they were married. ‘…fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived (begotten) in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (SAVIOUR): for he shall save his people from their sins.’ (Matt. 1:20-21) 

Oh my brethren, so far we’ve been hearing from others about Christ’s purpose, now let’s hear it from Christ Himself, as He told it to the disciples when Thomas voiced doubt as to His going. ‘Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father , but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my father also, and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.’ (John 14:5-7) 

That’s the definitive scripture of them all my precious saints of Christ! Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father, and thus salvation. And furthermore, if, or when we know Jesus, we know the Father and have also seen Him, because Jesus is the spitting image of the Father! Mama Mia! That’s something significant for us to ponder on today. In the meanwhile, let’s go home declaring (awright!) our Thursday Blessings, those tools which the Lord has given us to do His earthly work. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! 

I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

So, if we truly believe, then it’s our bounden duty to put those blessings to work in Jesus’ name! Much LOVE!

…you can’t say you believe in Jesus…and don’t do the things that truly reflect His awesome character… 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 December 2020 Matthew 1:21.

24 Dec 2020 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 1:21.     ​And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins.

By Jove mih bredrin, it’s Thursday; Christmas Eve! The day before Christ’s birth! Wow! Can you imagine the celebrations and otherwise that’s going on around the world right now in anticipation and preparation for that glorious morn, even though it might be somewhat muted this year because of all our unforeseen problems, especially the corona virus pandemic? 

But however yuh take it friends, Christmas is still Christmas, and unless we in real straightened circumstances, we believers in Christ will make every effort to celebrate His awesome and incarnate birth! No pandemic, or political strife, or whatever, is going to stop us from worshipping and giving much thanks to our wonderful God for initiating salvation and eternal life through His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ with His birth! 

Please let the world know it and take serious note! Christians are rising up in the name of Christ! We taking back the world for God the Father through Jesus, the Son! Mama Mia! And when Christians rise up in and through Christ, NOTHING can stop them; certainly not the defanged and ‘detoothed’ evil lion called Satan, since He has no authority or power over us, except what we allow him to have. 

That’s because he was totally defeated at Calvary’s cross by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who summarily took away the keys of hell, death and the grave from his evil highness, and now he’s just like a li’l loopy dog, going home whining with his tail between his legs after he got crushed in the biggest fight of his evil life! Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit! 

Yeh friends, the ole fella waxing philosophical this Christmas Eve morning. (smile) And why not eh, when we celebrating the faithful keeping of a promise made centuries before the actual event occurred? The prophet Isaiah told it to us quite clearly: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7) 

And yuh better believe the beginning of this promise was fulfilled on Christmas day some two thousand years ago, when the Christ child, the incarnate one was born of the virgin Mary. As the angel reassured her husband Joseph: ‘Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived (begotten) in her is of the Holy Ghost. 

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet (Isaiah), saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted (translated) is, God with us.’ (Matt. 1:20-23) 

Oh mih people, what a great and faithful God we worship! That prophecy was made by Isaiah, way back when (Is. 7:14), and though it took a long time to come true, it did eventually. That’s the important thing: our God keeps all His promises, He just doesn’t tell us when He will fulfill them. That means we have to learn to wait in trusting faith, with eager expectation, and there is where we too often break down and fall apart. But as Jesus keeps on saying, ‘only believe, fear not, have faith.’ That’s all we need to do. And yes, it’s not easy, but with Him in our lives, it is certainly doable. 

And I want to elaborate a bit on some of those scriptures with the knowledgeable words of the scholars. ‘1:21-22.Call his name JESUS: The name of the child Jesus (Heb. Yehoshua) means “Jehovah Saves.” This points to the very purpose of Christ’s coming into the world – to save sinners. Placed early in the New Testament, this statement becomes the foundational concept of the gospel. Jesus, by His very name and nature, is the Saviour.’ And as Jesus Himself plainly said: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) 

And that’s it right there in a nutshell friends. Our God LOVED us so much that He wanted to save us from eternal damnation. And the only righteous and just way He could do that, since sins needed to be paid for, was to have His only Son come to earth in human form and pay for them on our behalf. Please note too that ONLY an unblemished, a sinless body could pay for sins, and Jesus was the only person like that. 

So just contemplate for a moment the heartache that the Father felt knowing that to save a bunch of ungrateful sinners, He had no alternative but to place our punishment on His wonderful Son. Now please let that sink into our souls and minds and remind us of how we hurt when our children suffer. Maybe then we’ll realize what a big gift the Lord made to us on that first Christmas Day. 

And as per the scholars, re “Immanuel, which being interpreted (translated) is, God with us: This is a title describing the deity of the person of the Son of God rather than a name actually used by Him. It implies God will come to dwell among His own people, which He did in the person of Christ.’ So friends, the coming of Jesus, His earthly birth, is not be taken lightly, because it marks the beginning of the era of our salvation, something for which we should be eternally grateful. 

And for those of us who are truly grateful for what our Holy Trinity has done, is doing, and will continue to do for us, let’s go home now declaring (awright!) our Thursday Blessings, which have been so magnanimously granted to us to do their earthly work. Altogether now in strong sincere voice, with a thankful Christmas Spirit. (smile) 

‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! 

I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’ 

And since it’s Christmas, a time of celebration, and a time of severe shortage of most things, especially LOVE, it’s even more important than ever that we share those blessings just as generously with others. Much LOVE!

…please remember…that CHRIST…is the ONLY reason…for the season…   

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 December 2014 Luke 1:38

24 Dec 2014 Leave a comment

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

Luke 1:38.   And Mary said, Behold the handmaid, (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. and the angel departed from her.

Well Friends, it’s Wednesday, what’s usually the middle day of the workweek! But fortunately for many of us, it is the last day of this workweek… And all God’s people shouted a loud and grateful, ‘Glory Hallelujah!’

Yes my brethren, that’s because it’s Christmas Eve, the day before the big one, the fateful day on which our most wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, was born, some two thousand years ago. What a momentous occasion my people, one that changed the direction and fate of all humankind!
 
Oh Friends, the birth of God’s Son had to be a wonderful and auspicious moment! Why? Because it meant that our Immanuel, our God was with us in human form, thus adding humanity to His Deity.
 
And I know that many of us are still busy with the preparations for the Great Day tomorrow, but as we go through our motions, please let’s remember the real reason of the season, the real reason why we’re so busy making plans of and for celebration; the birth of Christ!
 
And consequently, let’s try to focus on that, rather than the worldly accoutrements we’re so busy with. Let’s consider what it would have been like if Jesus had not been born, so that we could eventually be reconciled to the Father and thus enjoy His blessed and free gifts of mercy, grace, forgiveness, unconditional LOVE, salvation and eternal life.
 
Oh Friends, whenever I remember or mention those wonderful gifts and attributes of Almighty God, our magnificent and magnanimous Creator, I get all choked up inside, and have to give the Lord a big shout of thanks and praise.
 
Because, just think what our situation would have been like if all that good stuff was not available to us eh, and free to boot. Hn! Our lives would have been totally miserable, and we would have been surely bound for Hades, death, and eternal separation from our heavenly Father!
 
That’s why I say; ‘Thank You Lord! Thank You ever so much for sending Jesus to light the way of darkness, so that we can now look forward to spending eternity in heaven with You, rather than in Hades with Lucifer! Thank You ever so much! We laud and magnify Your Holy Name! Amen!’
 
And today Friends, I just want to highlight the enormous faith of Mary, Jesus’ mother, because I don’t think she gets enough recognition for the great faith she possessed, even before it was such a popular thing.
 
I guess it was partly because she was a woman, living in a very patriarchal society, but without her supreme trust and complete surrender, none of what we’re currently celebrating would be possible.
 
The Good Book tells the story thus: ‘And in the sixth month (of Elisabeth’s pregnancy with John the Baptist) the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused (betrothed, engaged) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
 
And the angel came in unto her and said, Hail (rejoice), thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind (considered) what manner of salutation (greeting) this should be.
 
And the angel said unto her, Fear not Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
 
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
 
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
 
And behold thy cousin (relative) Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:26-38)
 
Now just imagine that scene nuh Friends! You’re a female, Jewish teenager, living in a backwater town in Galilee, most likely without much formal education, engaged to be married, when this angel suddenly shows up with this outlandish proposal.
 
Wow! Would any of us have taken it so easily, so in stride and even accepted the proposition at all? I doubt it. The first thing was how could she get pregnant without lying with a man? Even in today’s advanced society, where there are all sorts of fertility methods, a man’s sperm is still essential for human reproduction.
 
But just supposing getting pregnant without actual intercourse was possible, we still need to remember Mary’s very sensitive position. If she were found pregnant before marriage, despite all her pleas of innocence, all hell would break loose in the small, steadfastly Jewish town.
 
Joseph, her fiancé would be thoroughly shamed, and become a laughingstock of the community. Mary’s family would be totally devastated, and she would possibly be an outcast for life.
 
But strangely enough my people, none of those possibilities fazed her. She did not even ask for time to consider the proposition. And in all of that, she only asked one question; how could she get pregnant without knowing a man?
 
And surprisingly, she seemed quite satisfied with the angel’s answer.  She obviously felt the leading of the Holy Spirit deep down in her soul and responded accordingly.
 
And so my fellow believers, should we also respond with alacrity when we feel the Spirit of God moving in us, although the circumstances may seem rather difficult, and even impossible in the natural realm, because as Gabriel so rightly said to Mary: ‘FOR WITH GOD NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE!’
 
Let’s remember that today Friends, as we go about making preparations to celebrate the incarnate, seemingly impossible birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! It is indeed worthy to ponder, because it generates wisdom and faith of the highest order! Much LOVE!
 
…faith can move mountains…by turning them into molehills…with the help of Jesus … we just have to believe…