Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 June 2024 Jeremiah 29:13.

08 Jun 2024 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 29:13.       And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

And it’s another lazy-day Saturday friends, but a rather windy one in my area. Well what’s new about that eh? Nothing! For this will be the third straight windy day we’ve had this week. And according to my theory, it’s blown away most of the rain we were supposed to have. (smile) So we’ve had a miniscule amount of heavenly blessings, compared to what the weather forecasters had predicted. Yesterday was also pretty chilly, as far as I was concerned. But who knows what’s going on in this crazy times of climate change and inconsistent weather patterns? Only the Good Lord…and He’s not telling. So we just have to grin and bear whatever comes against us, of course with His compassionate help! 

And to accentuate that divine aid, let’s go to Him right now, offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in heartfelt sincerity. 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!’ 

Now, I just LOVE that prayer, because it’s one the Father cannot refuse to answer if our motives are sincere, since it’s one where we are actively seeking His person, His presence, offering up praise and thanksgiving, asking Him to come more deeply into our lives, our souls, bodies and minds. How could He ever refuse our sincere pleas to know and LOVE Him more eh? Never! Otherwise He’d be denying His own word. Remember what He says in Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11-13) 

Yes friends, when we seek the Lord with all of our hearts, we will find Him, and He will listen to our pleas. But the operative words there are ‘with all of our hearts,’ or in true sincerity. That’s the number one requirement for activating heaven’s help – a true and sincere heart. For as Cousin Sol so wisely tells us in Proverbs: ‘Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth (weighs) the hearts. To do justice and judgement (righteousness and justice) is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.’ (Prov. 21: 2-3) 

So though we may think that everything we do is right, remember the Lord judges us by the motives of our hearts, by what is in our hearts, by our earnest and sincere efforts; rather than by what we can accomplish through our actions. And a long time ago, the Lord pointed out this very salient fact to Samuel when he sent him to choose the new king of Israel from amongst the sons of Jesse. When Samuel saw the fine physical attributes of the eldest son, Eliab, he at once thought that he would be the new king. But the Lord immediately stopped him by saying:  ‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused  (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 17:7) It could not get any clearer than that my brethren. 

And later on when Bruh David became king, ‘a man after God’s own heart’ (1 Sam. 13:14) on handing over the building of God’s temple to Cousin Sol, he tells him. ‘And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.’ (1 Chr. 28:9-10) Oh my people wiser words were never spoken from a father to a son. And those are the kind of words we ought to be speaking to our children in these ungodly and lawless days. 

Now, Jesus also mentions God judging our hearts when He says to the Pharisees: ‘Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.’ (Luke 16:15) And we all know that some things considered acceptable to men are disliked by God to such an extent, that they become abominations to Him; obscene, totally revolting, and hated. 

Then, there are Bruh Paul’s words on the subject of God trying our hearts. In recalling his conduct to the Thessalonians, he says: ‘For our exhortation was not of deceit (error), nor of uncleanness, nor in guile (deceit): But as we were allowed of  (approved by) God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth (tests) our hearts.’ (1 Thess. 2:3-4) 

And I like how the scholars explain that verse. They say: “Allowed” means that God had carefully examined Paul and found him to be fit for the ministry, thus entrusting the apostle with this responsibility. “Trieth” means that the Lord examines him daily to see whether he remains fit and can continue in the ministry. This habitual divine scrutiny is the reason Paul seeks to please God rather than men. God, then, is the ultimate cause and motive of Paul’s ministry, not impurity (vs.3), or of covetousness (vs.5).’ 

And there is no better note to end on today than on that my people; the utmost importance of pleasing God and not man, if we expect our witness to be worth anything! Much LOVE!

…the outward appearance of man is deceitful…for it’s in the heart of man…that his true motives lie…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   16 May 2024 Jeremiah 29:13.

16 May 2024 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 29:13.       And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Well, it’s Thursday, the penultimate day of our workweek, and tomorrow we get to celebrate the big day of Friday! I must say that this week has gone by awfully fast… and I’m yet to do any of the things I planned to do. Ah Lord eh! Between the devil and my own laziness and procrastination we’ve had a lazy and unfulfilling time. (smile) But dem’s the breaks! And I have no one else to blame but myself. 

Now, it’s not that I haven’t done anything at all, but not the supposed important things I wanted to do. And that’s just how life and the enemy work together in concert to delay or trip up our best laid plans. That means we have to be strong and steadfast in the Lord and, if necessary, bully our way through the enemy’s lines and get our God-given plans fulfilled. And it’s not like we don’t have the wherewithal to do it. No! We most definitely do! 

Starting with the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, plus all the wonderful and encouraging scriptures found in the God’s Word. Scriptures like: ‘Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) That’s Jesus’ faithful promise. Then Bruh Paul tells us, ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) Then he says; ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) 

And what about this wonderful promise that Bruh Paul offers in his letter to the Philippians? ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) Then you have this awesome scripture of godly strength: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil 4:13) And what about this marvellous promise of God’s provision?  ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) 

Yes friends, that’s wonderful news! God will not stop working in us until Jesus returns. That means we don’t have to fear anything, but we do need to keep up our personal intimacy with Him, through prayer, supplication and thanksgiving, while fellowshipping with other believers, to encourage and build up each other so that we can do the good works that God desires of us. That’s why Jesus told the parable to the end that men ought always to pray and faint (lose heart). (Luke 18:1) 

For prayer is the immediate method of communication between God and man, the method devised by the heavenly Father for us to share our thoughts and desires with Him. Therefore, when we are tempted to lose faith and give up, that’s the very time we have to be strong and steadfast in prayer! No wonder the Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you (listen to you) And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11-13) 

Ah mih people, if there’s one thing Christians ought not to be lacking in is encouragement, for the Lord’s Word, the Bible, is filled with so many encouraging scriptures to keep us alive and kicking in Christ’s employ. The problem though is that we don’t read and study the scriptures enough, consequently we don’t have those warm and faithful words of encouragement stored in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls. Remember, we cannot be encouraged unless encouragement and reassurance lies within us. And the only way to get it there is by putting it there through reading, studying and memorizing the useful scriptures, so when the time comes, they are right at hand to put them into action. 

Now, if we do as we ought, then we don’t have to fear laziness and procrastination, for as the scriptures expound: ‘And God is able to make all grace abound toward you: that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.’ (2 Cor. 9:8) There you go my fellow saints, if we stand strong and steadfast to do the Lord’s will, we will never want for anything. His bountiful grace will supply all we need. And that’s why Bruh David could make this amazing but oh so true statement: ‘The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) That says it all friends. Now we only have to believe it and put it into action. (smile) 

So, let’s get to declaring (yesss!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which have been so generously bestowed on us, by the Father, to do His earthly work. And to activate them let’s declare them loud and strong. ‘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!’ 

And having said that, we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings in the support of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…now set your heart and soul to seek the Lord… (1 Chr. 22:19a)

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 November 2023 Jeremiah 29:13.

11 Nov 2023 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 29:13.       And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

And it’s cloudy and windy on this lazy-day Saturday November 11th , 2023, as we celebrate Veteran’s Day, honouring the many brave souls who fell in the wars of the last century. Not many of them are still alive today, and if they are, they are not doing so well medically, financially or emotionally because down through the years their services had not been properly appreciated nor rewarded. 

And every year we drag out the few remaining veterans before the cenotaphs and other markers of those great wars, and make big speeches and promises, but nothing much still ever happens to improve their situations. But the Lord is in His high heaven and is closely watching down on the affairs of men, and we know that He has a heart for the poor, the marginalized and the downtrodden. So we’ll leave their affairs in His capable hands. 

Now, let’s say our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity of heart. 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 do we ever need to know and be more aware of our great God in these evil and ungodly times, if we hope to come through them as unscathed as possible! Yes friends, in times like these, only a strong attachment to and knowledge of Jehovah God will enable us to overcome all the evil stuff that’s coming against us in droves. The big problem though is that we need to seek the Lord, not the Lord seek us. We desperately need Him, He doesn’t need us. He LOVES us a whole lot, but that doesn’t mean He’ll just roll over and satisfy our every need, like a doting grandfather. Not at all. 

The Lord God Jehovah is a just and righteous God, thus He must act justly and righteously and allowing us to do whatever we want without repercussions is not acting justly and righteously. Thus, He demands that we come to Him, in obedience and reverence, and if we don’t, then we’ll suffer the consequences. It’s as simple as that. And furthermore, it’s so easy to find the Lord if we truly desire to find Him, for He’s always around, not in some far off heavenly place, the way so many of us falsely think. 

And these words from the prophet Jeremiah say it all. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) Now that’s what the Lord has in store for us, but it does not happen automatically. We also have a part to play in this covenant relationship. 

And here’s our part: ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken (listen) unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) There it is in black and white friends, written thousands of years ago but still the definitive way to find Jehovah God: search for Him with all your heart! 

Unfortunately, not enough of us are doing that, either individually or as Christ’s body, the church, and thus we have this great divide between our heavenly Father and ourselves. And we are the ones who are suffering, but we’ve become so stubborn, ignorant and hardhearted that we refuse to seek Him, even though we are been eaten up by the evil doers like the big fishes eat up the small ones. But yet we listen to the lies and the deceits of Satan and run down the material wealth of the world, instead of seeking the righteousness of God’s kingdom. And his evil majesty is laughing as it were, all the way to the bank, because of our foolish and unwise behaviour. 

When are we going to wake up and do what’s right my people? Every day it gets later, with less time left to make the necessary changes. And remember Jesus could come at any time, and once He comes, most likely like a thief in the night, it’s all over. So please, let’s do what we’re supposed to do nuh. We call ourselves Christians, believers in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, members of His august body, the church, that means there are things we need to do to keep it all afloat and successful. And we know what we need to do. So please, please, I plead with us, let’s do it nuh! 

Let’s lift up Christ’s name on high like we promised to do when we first believed. Let’s be the true salt of the earth and the light of the world as He desires of us. Let’s show the world that we’re truly His disciples by the LOVE we show to each other and to the rest of the world. That’s our bounden duty and what Jesus expects of us. Come on my fellow saints, let’s pull up our socks and do better nuh. We all know that there’s more in us than we’re showing, so for Jesus’ sake, let’s up the ante! We desperately need to, if we’re going to turn things around! Much LOVE!

…you’ll find God…if you look for Him in the right places… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit    16 September 2023 Genesis 41:52.

16 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 41:52.       For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

And it’s indeed a cool but wonderful, sunshiny lazy-day Saturday morning friends! Just right for early morning lazing around, which I have already done. (smile) Unfortunately, I can only have so much lazy time in the morning because I have to be about my Father’s work, but once that’s done, I can have as much lazy time as I desire. And with that said, let’s get down to the Father’s business, beginning with our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. 

As one sincere and humble 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!’ 

Wow! And I hope like me, your thoughts have been slowed, your soul quieted, your muscles relaxed and your breath deepened, so that you can get into the presence of our heavenly Father and rest completely in Him. And all God’s people said a loud and heartfelt: ‘Praise the Lord for His goodness to the children of men!’ 

Now let’s get back to that amazing and intriguing saga of Bruh Joseph; a story line that only God, our omnipotent dramatist could have imagined and successfully brought to life. And yes, it seems like it’s never going to end, but it’s ever so important to the founding and the fortunes of the Jewish people. So, yesterday we left off where Bruh Joseph was promoted to Second in command of Egypt through the goodness of the Lord’s hand upon him. 

The Bible then tells us: ‘And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharoah king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls (abundantly). And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and he laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. And Joseph gathered corn (grain) as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left of numbering (stopped counting): for it was without number.’ (Gen. 41:46-49) 

Ah friends, you will have noticed how diligent and businesslike Bruh Joseph was from the time he entered Potiphar’s employ, all through the tough times in jail, and finally that diligence, as well as the experience in handling people, though only as a servant, now served him in very good stead as the second ruler of Egypt. As the saying goes, you can’t be a good leader, unless you are a good follower. And that is exactly why the Lord had him experience those tough times, otherwise he would not have been able to do the job the Lord had planned for him. 

And according to the scholars: ‘Thutmose III gave the following charge to his newly appointed vizier (Prime Minister or Second in Command): “Look thou to this office of vizier. Be vigilant over everything that is done in it. Behold, it is the support of the entire land. Behold, as to the vizierate, behold it is not sweet at all, behold it is bitter as gall.” And I’m sure that was the very truth, for although Bruh Joseph had Pharaoh’s complete blessing, there must have been those who found it irresponsible and downright disgusting to be lorded over by a Hebrew. 

And if it wasn’t his Hebrew background, then simply the fact that the citizens were being told how to handle their food and to bring their grain to the king’s storehouses. You know how we are suspicious of anything or anybody that’s involved in hoarding, especially if some of it belongs to us. But for whatever reason, the job that Bruh Joseph inherited was not an easy one. And he most definitely would not have been able to handle it if the Lord had not put him through the school of the Holy Ghost. 

So my brethren, when the Lord places us in some sore spots, before He promotes us, it’s not that He wants to harm us, but more to test and grow us, so we can be ready for the destiny He’s planned for us. Therefore, it’s essential that we go through those tough times with a good attitude, waiting patiently on God’s timing, and keeping Him first place in our lives, not complaining about why such hard times have befallen us while we’re trying to live right, and getting angry at God. 

Remember there’s always method to God’s madness; always a purpose behind His actions, for He doesn’t do anything willy nilly, without thinking things through right to the very end. As the prophet Jeremiah records: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) And if we claim to believe and trust in Him, then we must be prepared to wait on His timing and go through whatever lessons or hard knocks of life that He chooses to allow to come upon us. That’s the true test of faith and discipleship! 

Now here’s another important aspect of Bruh Joseph’s life in Egypt. The Good Library kindly informs us: ‘And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of the famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh (Making Forgetful): For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim (Fruitfulness): For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.’ (Gen. 41:50-52) Aren’t those names and sentiments behind them just wonderful my brethren? They surely are! 

And I like this commentary on that situation by the scholars. They tell us of Bruh Joseph’s two sons and what their names mean. Then say: ‘The reference to all his toil, and all my father’s house only means that the hardship brought upon him by his brothers was a thing of the past. Ephraim, meaning “Fruitful,” signified God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. What a sweet, pleasant, and thankful spirit he showed in interpreting the events that had transpired in his life! The fulfillment of Pharaoh’s prophetic dreams set the stage for the final scene in the fulfillment of Jospeh’s own dreams.’ 

Mama Mia! And you won’t’ want to miss the upcoming marvellous episodes in Bruh Joseph’s story! So please tune in next time. And until then, please, let’s try and live the faithful life that Bruh Joseph lived nuh, even while undergoing trials and tribulations. Most of us are not suffering the way He did, so we should be able to show more faithfulness. Although, as they say, the worst Christian is a comfortable Christian. But let’s put the lie to that statement nuh! Much LOVE!

…without trials and tribulations…a Christian won’t grow in Christlikeness… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 September 2023 Psalm 23:1.

01 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 23:1.       The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

 And as we open our day and say ‘TGIF Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ we are beholding a bright, new, sunshiny day, as well as a new month, that of September, which unfortunately spells the end of the summer vacation season, and a return to work and school. But them’s the breaks, as Job so rightly said, we can’t expect to have all good and no bad, at least what we consider bad. (Job 2:10) 

Now, if the weather forecasters are to be believed, September is supposed to come in like a lion with a week of hot temps, and not like the lamb it usually is, bringing cold temps after Labour Day. And this is the Labour Day long weekend, so you know the partying will be plentiful, but I’m pleading with us, to not overdo the celebrations, and as Granny would say: ‘Sonny boy, please, ah beg yuh, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ Yes friends, this weekend, please, let’s all mind our business, and let’s be sober, rather than the former state nuh. (smile) 

Now here’s an interesting and encouraging tidbit from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘Once in a While We Can.’ So please read with me: ‘One bright Sunday when I was twelve, I didn’t want to go to church. I wasn’t coddling a pent-up rebellion. I simply pictured a leisurely day away from “have to” things. How to explain and be understood! Finally I just blurted it out as Mother prepared breakfast. 

She listened attentively. “Honey,” she said calmly, “we can’t always do what we feel like doing without hurting someone.” That settled it, I thought. I was sorry I had asked. Suddenly I heard. “But once in a while we can do what we want to – just because we want to. You may stay home this Sunday.” The memory of that day is still vivid. Not because I stayed home from church, but because I learned a profound lesson. Once in a while we can! 

Once in a while we can get away from alarm clocks, peanut-butter jars, milk cartons… away from the shattering pressures of our competitive society. Once in a while we need to get away from work, family, friends, and pressing commitments. Often we lose the capacity for personal enjoyment. Once in a while we need to walk, think, and meditate. Only God can satisfy our deepest longings. He longs for us to share our private secrets with Him. Once in a while we can.’ 

And is all of that ever so true my fellow believers! Our world is so competitive, so busy and running 24/7 that we can’t always be running on the treadmill of life and be successful. No! Sometimes we just have to get off of the constantly rolling treadmill, take a break from the constantly spinning merry-go-round and refresh ourselves. Take some time for us to think and walk peacefully, not at the pace our world wants to go. And in those quiet and thoughtful moments, our thoughts ought to be centered on our Creator, Almighty God, the ONLY ONE who can truly satisfy the longings of our troubled and tired souls. 

Ah friends, our world is so busy, with most of us busy but going nowhere fast, or nowhere at all. Busyness these days is looked upon as a badge of honour. And it’s the number one excuse for not keeping our promises. ‘Oh, I was so busy!’ Busy doing what? Stuff the world considers important, but God considers unimportant! The world has us running so fast that oftentimes we don’t know whether we’re coming or going. It’s time to stop and consider our priorities my people. That is if we want to make it to the end, all in one piece. 

And the only way to do that is by having the Lord God Jehovah as our Number One Priority, while following His will and plan for our lives. Remember what He says in Jeremiah? ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you and expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) Now does the devil have your best interest at heart? No way! He just wants you to do his evil will and couldn’t care less what happens to you, once you do it. 

But our great God is different. He always has our best interest at heart, because He truly cares about us. We’re His creation and He wants us to spend eternity with Him, not with the evil Satan. That’s why He went so far as to send His sinless Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross at Calvary so our sins could be bought and paid for with his precious blood. Now doesn’t that spell compassion and care? It certainly does. 

And before I forget, (smile) let’s see what’s the Bible Promise for today’s writing. And boy oh boy, it’s these marvelous words of Bruh David, but in the NLV translation. ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green pastures; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honour to his name.’ 

I’m sorry though friends, that translation doesn’t cut it for me. So, let’s declare (yesss!!!) the real McCoy nuh. ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps. 23:1-3) Now that sounds more like it! And yes, I am biased towards the King James Version! (smile) 

Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking help for our many earthly problems. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough…   because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. 

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. 

We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And having committed all of that to prayer, it will be in our best interest to keep our promises and improve our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…the Chrisitan life should not be a constant merry-go-round…every so often…we need to come off and take a break… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   15 July 2023 Jeremiah 29:13.

15 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 29:13.       And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

And it’s a cool, cloudy morning, with rain in the offing, but it’s the perfect kind of atmosphere for a lazy-day Saturday my bredrin! Where you don’t need to do anything or go anywhere, but just relax and laze some time away in idle but not evil thinking. (smile) Hopefully though, within that lazy time, we will communicate with our heavenly Father, for although doing nothing is sometimes an option, disregarding Him, is never one! 

And if there’s one thing our heavenly likes better than one on one communication is corporate worship, because it shows Him that there is unity in the body of Christ, and with the general state of the world, that most certainly warms the cockles of His heart. So, let’s communicate with Him right now through our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. 

As one sincere 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!’ 

Oh my people, that prayer never ceases to touch me! I guess because it brings home to me the awesome presence and wonder of our great God spiritually interacting with us with amazing compassion and kindness as we humble ourselves and ask for His grace and mercy. Wow! I hope we realize what an awesome and amazing God we serve, one full of LOVE and tenderness towards His most precious but disobedient creation! 

Yes friends, when you truly seek to know the Lord, you’ll be surprised at the unusual and unexpected places you’ll find Him, see His unerring hand at work. It’ll be so unnatural that you’ll know without a doubt that it’s the hand of God moving in your life! Likewise with little things that will suddenly jump out at you. In the greater scheme of life, they’ll be small and insignificant, but somehow or the other they will make a big impact on you, opening your eyes to miraculous and mysterious ways in which our God moves. 

And one of the reasons I believe we don’t see out God more, or appreciate Him more, is because we tend to look for Him in the big things of life. However, He is more present and available, easier seen in the li’l, seemingly unimportant, everyday aspects of life. And a lazy-day Saturday is just the time to look for Him, to seek Him in all the most unusual and unexpected places. 

Remember what Moses said to the Israelites about repentance and seeking the Lord. ‘But if from thence (their disobedience and idol worship) thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” (Deut. 4:29) And many years later, on the Lord’s behalf, Jeremiah gave the Israelites the same warning, or solution for their problems during their captivity in Babylon. 

‘But I know the thoughts that I have toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord…’ (Jer. 29:11-14) 

Ah friends, the message is still the same today. When we are in distress, when problems overwhelm us, or we’re simply lonely or aimless, whatever the situation, seeking God with our whole hearts is the wisest decision we can make! And how do we seek God with our whole hearts? One commentary gives us this answer: ‘When Jesus gave His life for us on that cross, when God prioritized our salvation above everything else, it wasn’t for us to make Him a side thought. But for us to surrender our lives to Him and embrace the one He has for us. This is how we seek God with our whole heart.’ 

And this other commentary encourages us: ‘God is a God hearing prayer; he listens to the requests of his people, and answers them in his own time and way; which is no small encouragement to pray unto him.’ That’s for sure! If He is our Creator, our Provider, our Heavenly Father and controls all that happens in our lives, it’s only logical and sensible that we need to seek Him out for help in our topsy-turvy lives. 

Seeking and searching are ever so important in our Christian faith my brethren. Jesus set the stage for that when He warned: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Then He followed it up by later declaring (yesss!!!) ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) 

That undoubtedly means that Christians should always be asking, seeking and knocking, looking for the truth in all situations, as well as seeking to open the hearts of others so that they too can know Jesus and seek and serve Him with their whole hearts. Oh my fellow saints, our Christian life is supposed to be one of action, always moving along a path that leads to Jesus, doing our best to personally seek and serve Him, as well as spread the good news of His gospel to the many who have never heard it. 

And we can only do that successfully if we are united, united as one church, one body of Christ. So, let’s begin today by seeking unity amongst ourselves nuh, let’s ask for it, knock on closed doors for it. Let’s desire and actively pursue a unity that will propel Christ’s church to the forefront of this world, its rightful place! Much LOVE!

…to seek…to search…to find…that is the Christian’s duty… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 May 2023 Hebrews 12:2a.

24 May 2023 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 12:2a.       Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith;

Welcome to a somewhat cloudy and cool Wednesday, the middle of our work week, where we try to gain our second wind. And that should not be a problem for many of us this week, because of the Victoria Day holiday on Monday. That means this is only our second working day, but who knows, some of us might have partied so heartily on the weekend that Tuesday was like Monday to us. (smile) That’s the trap we often fall into on these long weekends; party so hearty that we’re even more tired than on a normal weekend. And the older we get the harder it becomes to recover from the extreme tiredness. 

So, we need to do as Jeeves, the P.G. Woodhouse character, so highly recommends: have, or enforce a modicum of circumspection in those matters, so that we don’t go overboard and then find it difficult to recover. And to help us temper those extreme desires, here’s something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. Today’s Poem is simply titled ‘EXCUSES!’ 

So please read with me: ‘O God I’ve become a self-educated master Of a thousand polished excuses. Hoping to avoid Your penetrating gaze I clutch them to me like valuable gems. When I think I have myself thoroughly covered I’m caught short with the realization That you see right through me. My flimsy excuses are never really hidden. I find an excuse for all my failures Wrong choices Late appointments Wasted time. I excuse my foolish blunders, my laziness My broken resolves, my unreached goals. 

I need Your help Lord! To hide from You is as foolish As the Grand Canyon Attempting to hide from the sky. O God, my only hope Lies in Your invincible power To make me what I am not yet But what You know I can become. Strengthen my will Lord. Make me firm, steadfast, consistent. Control my impulses, my emotions. May I keep pursuing and never quit.’ 

And all of God’s children said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’ That’s because, to some extent, we can all see ourselves in those unfortunate and unwise predicaments listed there. We all make excuses for our shortcomings, even when we know deep down that the excuse is either a lie or simply a means to get out of a jam. In fact, someone once said that all excuses are simply lies! Who knows, they might have hit on some truth there. The point is, that although most of us know better, we still tend to make lame excuses for our faults and foibles, not only to our fellow man, but also to God. 

And as the poem quite rightly says it is ever so foolish to do that. Why? Because God sees and knows everything, even before it happens. That’s why it’s ever so non-sensical and laughable to hide from Him. We keep saying He’s omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present. But don’t we know what that means? He’s all powerful, sees everything and is everywhere at once. So it’s downright foolish to hide from Him. And even if it were possible, because of God’s overwhelming LOVE and compassion for us, He desires us to bring everything that troubles us to Him, be they good or bad, big or small, important or unimportant. 

And until we can handle that fact, that awesome truth, we won’t ever have true peace in our spirits. I’m happy that I learned that awhile back, because now I don’t’ try to keep secrets from God, whatever is on my mind I share it with Him. That doesn’t mean He will always approve of what’s on our minds, and will most likely tell us so, but it frees us from having all those secrets pent up like garbage in our souls and spirits that’s constantly percolating there like food in a blender. What did Jesus say, if you know the truth, the truth shall set you free. (John 8:32) And that’s what the truth does, especially between us and God. 

Now, before we can ever achieve the things we asked for help to achieve, that’s: ‘Strengthen my will Lord. Make me firm, steadfast, consistent. Control my impulses, my emotions. May I keep pursuing and never quit.’ Yes, before we can ever get to that point, we first have to acknowledge, believe and set in motion this part. ‘O God, my only hope Lies in Your invincible power To make me what I am not yet But what You know I can become.’ 

Ah mih people, until we recognize God’s awesome power in our lives, we will not become anything close to what He’s planned for us become. Remember what he promised in Jeremiah? ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope) (Jer. 29:11) 

And the best way to come into the promise is by doing what the Bible Verse of Promise for our poem strongly advocates. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradictions (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (be discouraged.)’ (Heb. 12:2-3) 

Yes, my fellow saints, the safest and easiest way to live the Christian life is to keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, the one who began our faith and who perfected it, by grasping tightly the promised joy of His Father, and thus despised the shame of being crucified naked on the cross of calvary, as well as the hostility of all those disgusting sinners whom He came to save. 

It’s not always easy to do, because of the evil powers and circumstances that keep coming against us, but with Jesus’ help, we certainly can stand strong and steadfast, not get weary and not give up. Remember, the words ‘give up’ are not found in Christ’s vocabulary. (smile) And if we don’t, then we too will eventually sit with Him in heavenly places. Wow! 

Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know our marvellous and very enviable position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘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 the next thing is for us to endure until the end, for if we do that, then the promised future will be even more glorious that we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s use that promise to help us endure to the very end with Jesus nuh. It’s wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!

…hope thou in God…for there is no hope in man…whose life withers and dies…like grass in the blazing sun… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 February 2023 Jeremiah 29:11.

19 Feb 2023 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 29:11.        For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).

Well hello there you beautiful believers in Christ Jesus! As you’ve probably guessed, (smile) it’s that blessed day again, Sunday, the day of our Lord God Jehovah! That means it’s time once more to gather in brotherly fellowship and celebrate with worship, praise and thanksgiving, Jehovah’s amazing, unconditional LOVE and mighty deeds to His children!  

And there’s no better time in the lives of believers than when they gather to honour and acclaim our wonderful Creator, for then our faith, hope and dreams are revitalized and our confidence in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is renewed, and we can go out and face the evil world with overwhelming vim and vigour, letting the unbelieving world know that Christ is the answer: the answer to all of life’s questions! 

And today’s song is a gentle reminder to all of us, of where to turn when the problems of life get us down, and our faith is somewhat on the low side. It’s a song by the late Olivia Newton-John titled ‘Let Go – And Let God,’ from her album ‘Grace and Gratitude,’ something we ought to have a lot of because of the awesome grace we receive from God. So, let’s offer up our sacrificial praise this morning in an easy, soulful, heartfelt version of the song. 

Singing: ‘When you can’t find your direction, and your heart won’t guide you home – Let go – and let God. When your dreams are broken in the dust, and you’ve lost the will to trust – Let go – and let God. (Chorus: Let the signs remind you, we are passengers. Let the signs remind you to surrender, to surrender – Let go- and let God. (Background vocals – When you’re holding in, when you’re holding in, when you’re holding in, when you’re holding in.) When your faith is a dying fire, and there’s no spark to feed the flame – Let go – and let God. When your courage fails you, and the well of hope runs dry – Let go – and let God. 

(Chorus: Let the signs remind you, we are passengers. Let the signs remind you to surrender, to surrender – Let go- and let God. (Background vocals – When you’re holding in, when you’re holding in, when you’re holding in, when you’re holding in.) Let the signs remind you -to surrender, to surrender, to Let go – and let God, let go- and let God’ 

Oh my fellow saints, those five words – ‘Let go – and let God,’ are ever so important in lives. In fact, they are very crucial and critical, because we cannot access God’s goodness and mercy unless we let go, unless we surrender our will to His! That’s the only way He can help us. The problem though is that too many of us want to hold on to our will and also have God’s grace and mercy. But unfortunately my brethren, it doesn’t work that way. God has specified many times in the scriptures that it’s either His way or the highway! 

Remember how the prophet Isaiah stated it, when reminding his people, Israel, that God abundantly pardons. He said: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:6-9) 

That puts the whole thing in its proper perspective my people. God calls the shots, not us! He is the Creator, and we are simply the created. And if we know our place, then He will overwhelm us with His goodness and grace, as He said through the prophet Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) 

That’s the second aspect of the situation; God has wonderful plans in store for us, if we will only listen and follow His will. But the truly marvellous and awesome thing about our God is that He forgives, and doesn’t ever turn anyone away. So even if we are bent on doing it our way and encounter problems, if we turn to Him, surrender our will to His, He will enable us to keep on keeping on. 

As the song says, let the signs remind us that we are only passengers, and instead of holding in our doubts, fears, anxieties and whatever negative stuff that’s baffling us, to surrender, to let go and let God handle it, for He is omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present, which means He can handle any and everything! And it’s sad, because God gave us free will, hoping that we would be wise enough to walk this life with Him. However, we’ve taken that free will and abused it, foolishly thinking we could do it all on our own. 

But that’s impossible, because God made us so that we can only live this life successfully with Him as our guide and enabler. And it’s because we don’t walk in His light that we get lost, lose our direction and our courage, while our faith withers, as our dreams lie broken in the dust, our well of hope runs dry and we can’t find a spark to feed the flames of our passion. 

And Jesus said it all, when He read from the Book of Isaiah on the Sabbath Day in His hometown of Nazareth. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised (oppressed), To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.’ (Luke 4:18-19) 

Now that’s what our wonderful God is all about through His Son Jesus! That’s why He allowed Him to be crucified on the cross of Calvary; so that the lost could be found, the blind given sight, those living in darkness, light, those without hope, strong faith, those bound in the captivity of sin, freedom and eternal life. But we must surrender to God’s will, let Him fill that empty space in our souls that He’s reserved especially for Himself, that ONLY He can fill. 

Please realize friends, that God didn’t create us on a whim and a fancy, but on a well thought out plan, that took everything that could possibly happen into account. So He’s not surprised when we get lost and go astray, because He’s already planned for that eventuality; for all eventualities. But the ball is still in our court, we must play our part before He can play His. Much LOVE!

… surrender and repentance must be made…before forgiveness and grace are offered…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   26 November 2022 Psalm 139:17.

26 Nov 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 139:17.       How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

And if I ever truly desired a lazy Saturday, today is it! The ole bones are aching, though the weather is sunny and reasonably warm. And although, by my standards, I went to bed early, my sleep wasn’t of the best quality, unable to find a comfortable position, with all kinds of annoying dreams. But I guess that’s par for the rite of passage called old age. (smile) Anyway, it’s time for us to be about our heavenly Father’s business, we’ve lazed around enough for the morning. 

Now, since it’s Saturday, we need to check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. There were only three this week, so that should make the Bit shorter…I wouldn’t count on it though. (smile) And the first one says: ‘Extraordinary things are always hiding in places people never think to look.’ And that holds a certain amount of truth, for only the bold and courageous will dare to look in unthinkable hiding places for good stuff. 

I only wish I knew the unthinkable hiding places of a couple of things I’ve been looking for over the last few weeks and simply can’t find them anywhere in the house. They’re not extraordinary, but they are important enough that I would like to find them. Seriously though, some of the most exciting finds and adventures are to be found in places where most people would not look. The unbeaten path, though often difficult, and sometimes dangerous, always provides new and exciting finds. That’s because all the good finds on the beaten path have already been found. (smile) 

And if you are truly looking for extraordinary things in unlikely places then Jesus is the One you must turn to, because that’s His specialty, His forte, His strong suit. Now, being in league with Jesus can be very difficult, unless you seriously put your mind to it, for He expects you to surrender your heart, body and soul to Him. Hear how He explained it to the disciples: ‘If any man will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall save it.’ (Matt. 17:24-25) 

Yes friends, that’s a tough row to hoe, but Jesus expects His followers to sacrifice themselves on His behalf, like He did for ours. But the beauty of it all is that when we do surrender our own desires and accept His, He leads us on adventures to extraordinary, exciting places and things like we’ve never imagined! However, they usually require strong faith and some belly and backbone. 

But ask anyone who’s been doing Jesus’ will for any length of time, and they will be able to regale you with extraordinary stories in unexpected places. I can tell you a few myself. And when I think of some of the unexpected places Christ has led me to and brought me out of, I just have to shake my head in awesome wonder and simply say, ‘Thank You Lord!’ 

And the next quote says: ‘I will not let anyone scare me out of my full potential.’ Now that should be a given. We should never allow anyone to scare us out of our God-given destiny, out of the desire to fulfill it completely. Ofttimes our friends and families try to talk us out of what we believe the Lord’s put in our hearts, but if we sincerely believe it, then we must follow the road set before us, despite negative criticism and naysayers. Remember the Lord has a definite plan and destiny for each life He creates. 

As the prophet Jeremiah reminds us: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) So you know that whatever desires God’s put in your heart, they are for good, and He will enable you to bring them to pass. But you have to step up to the plate and do your part. 

And these verses from Bruh David’s magnificent Psalm 139 – The everlasting presence and power of God – ought to add to our belief that the Lord has a very significant and meaningful appreciation for His most magnificent creation. ‘Thou hast beset (enclosed or hedged) me behind and before, and laid thine hand on me…How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.’ (Ps. 139:5, 17-18) 

Oh my people, please, let’s never allow the devil and his evil cohorts to make us believe that our Creator and God doesn’t care deeply for each and every one of us, because it’s a total lie! He only has good intentions towards us! 

And the last quote tells us: ‘If my mind can conceive it, if my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it.’ To a certain extent yes. If it is within the strength of man to do it. But most things our mind conceive of are not doable in our own strength, because our mind is such a powerful and far-reaching instrument. It’s God’s greatest invention, and even after thousands of years of serious and continuous scrutiny, we still can’t fathom its true workings. That’s because the Lord has gifted us with the imagination of things that can only be achieved through His intercession, through us working with Him. 

Now, remember how Jesus, after telling the disciples it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven, turned around and told them: ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) And likewise, this verse from John says it all. It comes from Jesus’ discourse on the branch being unable to bear fruit unless it’s attached to the vine. ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) 

Oh my fellow saints, I just LOVE how our Saviour doesn’t mince words, how He tells it just like it is! And I believe that on this lazy Saturday, it’s wise for us to take some time to ponder those true and down to earth sayings of His, and see how they sit, or reverberate in our own hearts, minds, souls and bodies! We can’t help but benefit from that exercise. Much LOVE!

…only in and through Jesus…can we do great exploits… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   9 November 2022 Jeremiah 29:11.

09 Nov 2022 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 29:11.        For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).

Well friends, it seems like we’re alive for another day! Glory to God! And it also seems to be another glorious sunshiny autumn day in my neighbourhood! More glory to God! Ah mih people, all that we are, and all that we have are directly attributable to our marvellous, merciful, generous, gracious and ever-LOVING God! Please, let’s never forget that. 

And today I want to share an interesting prayer that’s all tied up with the goodness of our omnipotent God, a prayer from Bubba Joel Osteen Ministries that’s been sitting on my desk for ages, supposedly to inspire me, but which I have not even noticed, much less read and invoked for donkey’s years. (smile) I rediscovered it yesterday while cleaning up my desk and thought it would be very useful to us all today; give a kickstart to our day 

And the title of the prayer is most appropriate: ‘TODAY IS MY DAY!’ Oh my fellow saints, let’s remember that today is all we have; yesterday’s past and gone down into the annals of history, and tomorrow is still germinating, so it behooves us to concentrate on today, which is in the palm of our hands. 

So please pray with me: ‘God has destined me to be a barrier breaker! He created me to be uncontainable. I have talent and potential given to me by the Creator of the universe. There are seeds of greatness inside of me. Today, I choose to break free from a limited mindset and enlarge my vision. Today, God is taking me places that I’ve never even dreamed of before. Today, God is fulfilling His purpose and destiny in my life. Today, I will experience His favour like never before in every area of my life.’ And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’ 

Yes mih bredrin, it’s time for us to break free from our limited mindset and pursue the glorious purpose and destiny that the Lord has set out for us in His Master Plan. Remember His promise in Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) 

Oh yes, our God has big, good plans for us, but unfortunately our problem is that we speak of the greatness of our God, but we don’t really believe it, because we don’t think big, don’t truly consider His omnipotence, His awesome power, when talking to Him. But He’s placed talents and greatness in all of us. The main ones being seeds of the fruit of His Spirit that He’s planted in ALL believers, but which we have to allow His Holy Spirt to water and nurture to maturity. 

Bruh Paul listed those gifts to the Galatians as follows. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness, faithfulness, Meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’ (Gal. 5:22-23) Wow! What an array of seeds the Lord has planted in each of us! And that’s not all, there are other spiritual gifts that God has given to His people. Bruh Paul mentions some of them to the church at Corinth in his first letter. 

Listen up and take note. (smile) ‘Now there are diversities (various kinds) of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations (ministries), but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations (activities), but it is the same God which worketh all in all (all things in all of us). But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal (for ALL to profit from). 

For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues (foreign languages); to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing (distributing) to every man severally (individually) as he will.’ (1 Cor. 12:4-11) 

So you see my fellow believers, the many and varied kinds of gifts that our God, through His Holy Spirit imparts to his followers. And He doesn’t give them to us just to keep them locked up, but to shed them forth abroad to bring others to the knowledge and embracing of His Son Jesus Christ, and consequently bring glory to His Holy and Mighty Name – Jehovah! 

The problem is that we, through either fear or simple lethargy, refuse to use the gifts imparted to us by the Holy Spirit in the way they were meant to be used. But ALL of us have some gift(s) beside the fruit of the Spirit that the Lord gave us so that we could use to enlighten others and bring them to Christ. And it would be a crying shame, and big disaster, come the Judgement Day, when the Lord asks us what we did with this or that gift that He had given us, and we look at Him, with astonishment and stammer: ‘Lor…Lord, I didn’t know I had that gift.’ And then He will recall our lives and show us exactly how it was planted in us, but for whatever reason we did not use it to further His kingdom. 

It’s true my people, many of us are walking around carrying worthwhile gifts of God not being used for His glory. And that’s one of the reasons why our world is in such a terrible state, with so many people turning away from God instead of towards Him in this crucial and very critical time of the ages. So please, let’s wake up and do better nuh! Let’s actually walk the talk we’re so good at spouting. These are the times for which we’ve been specifically made my brethren. The Lord chose to put the future of His kingdom in our hands in these critical times, so please let’s not disappoint Him nuh, by not putting His magnificent gifts to work! 

It will be a tragedy if immense proportions if we allow Beelzebub to completely take over the world. But for those of us who are sincerely trying to use what gifts we have, let’s go home now declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting all and sundry know of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus. 

As one strong and sincere 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 if we endure right down to the very end with Jesus, then I can assure us the future we just spoke of will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, let’s work together to make it happen nuh. It’s all for Jesus’ sake! Much LOVE!

…gifts are given to be unselfishly and productively used…not locked away…and/or only used for selfish purposes…

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