Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 February 2019 John 16:33.

16 Feb 2019 Leave a comment

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

John 16:33.   ​These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
 

Aye friends, I thought Saturday was a day for sleeping in? Then how come I’m not still in bed eh? I woke up around six and thought, no, this is way too early to get up. But the Lord or the enemy seem to have different ideas, so I rolled around in the bed until six thirty, finally realizing that I’d lost the fight to go back to sleep. But them’s the breaks! Just means that you will get the Bit a li’l earlier. (smile) 

And since today is Saturday, let’s get to some of our friend Anselm’s quotes of the week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Here is the first one: ‘A calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health.’ You can’t dispute that friends! Calmness of mind is ever so important for making wise decisions as well as boosting health; physical, emotional and mental! 

But then to get that on a regular basis you need to be a follower of Jesus, who is the ONLY person able to give you true peace and stability on a sustained basis. Hear His awesome promise: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) You can’t beat that my faithful brethren! 

And then we have: ‘With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.’ More awesome truth my brethren! But again, the rightness of the strength and thoughts depends on our relationship with Jesus, for as the Good Book notes; Because of His great faithfulness, His mercies, His LOVING-kindness, His compassions are new every morning!  (Lam.3:22-23) So if we’re not in a strong relationship with Jesus, those early morning, every day new strength and thoughts might not be so good. 

Then there is this interesting quote: ‘I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.’ And technically speaking, I suppose that’s usually true, but let me tell you people, if the Lord is in that wind, and wants you to go to a particular place, you can adjust your sails as much as you want, but the only place you’ll end up is where the Lord wants you to. 

That I can tell you from personal experience, and I’m sure many of you have experienced the same thing! In the long run, it’s all about where the Lord wants us. 

And our friend Anselm threw in the Serenity Prayer for good measure this week: ‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.’ And friends, in this turbulent and unsettled world, do we ever need to prayer that pray every day…sometimes several times a day… if we wish to retain our sanity and make good, godly decisions. 

And the last quote says: ‘Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.’ And that’s the gospel truth!

Winning doesn’t provide strength, it only makes one lazier than normal, and content to sit on one’s rear end without any get up and go. You get like Rome and all those other big, splendiferous countries that fell to ruin because they became too fat and flaccid from always winning. 

The truth is that constant winning eventually ruins you instead of making you stronger. However, when you struggle, when you fight hardships mano a mano, then you develop strength! It’s just like lifting weights; you can’t develop muscles without constant weightlifting. 

Likewise, you can’t develop real inner strength without going through hardship and struggles. 

And we all know that this evil, ungodly world ruled by the evil enemy certainly is filled with much hardship and struggle, so you will have trials and tribulation cropping up from time to time. 

However friends, when you walk with Jesus, which is also not an easy thing to do in this world, He will help and guide you through those suffocating and troublesome times. He’ll be like your weight trainer; always beside you, offering encouragement and wise advice, even helping you lift the heavy weights that you find difficult lifting on your own! 

Wow! What a wonderful friend and helpmate is our Jesus! There’s NO other like Him in ALL the universe! Give Him much deserved thanks and praise my people! 

And Jesus said it in no uncertain terms: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ 

Ah friends, I know that will be difficult for us to do, but if we believe in Jesus and His promises, then we can do it. Jesus didn’t take an easy step on this earth, and He never promised that it would be all sunshine and roses for us either. But He did say that if we stuck with Him, He will bring us out safely. 

Now listen to these tough but encouraging words from Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth. ‘We are troubled (hard pressed) on every side, yet not distressed (crushed); we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken, cast (struck) down, but not destroyed: Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.’ (2 Cor.4:8-10) 

Yes my people, even though we suffer much tribulation, we WILL NOT give up, because we have the ultimate promise of Jesus, that if we live and die with Him, we will indeed be resurrected to eternal life, like He was! And you can’t beat that promise in this universe! Much LOVE!

…when troubles come…the wise thing to do…ask Jesus to help you handle them…He’ll NEVER refuse your sincere plea…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 February 2016 Psalm 53:1

22 Feb 2016 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 53:1.   The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

Alas friends and neighbours, it’s Monday; the day which begins the work week… 

And I hear God’s people loudly declare ‘Glory Hallelujah that it’s Monday!’ 

And I have to shake my head to see if I’m dreaming… God’s people happy to see Monday roll around…? Wow! 

A few moments later though, I realized that Lucifer was only playing mind games on me. Chuh! 

What the people had actually shouted was: ‘Oh Lord, yuh mean is Monday already! Yuh mean ah got to go back and slave for massa again! When this every week work thing going to finish eh? Steups!’ 

And that’s a very good question friends. The answer to which is when you retire, get fired, quit the job, or die!  

Now let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn without further ado to boost our spirits as we face another worrisome week of work. 

As one harmonious choir now. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. 

We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. 

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. 

Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’  

Oh my brethren, that wasn’t so great nuh. You could read the displeasure in our choirmaster, Jesus’ serious eyes and face. But being the wonderful Deity that He is, He forgives us, because He knows our frail and fallible human nature. Now let’s go out there with that adrenaline perking in us and do His will despite our shortcomings. 

That brings us to our Bit: ‘The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.’ 

Oh my people, how sad are those statements eh? How can any sensible person even think that eh? Notice it’s in their hearts, the very seat of their decision making that that thought lies, is being generated. 

Now some might say it out loud, while others might just think it and then act on that premise, by perverting the truth that God does exist. Consequently, they become corrupt and do abominable sins. 

And we only have to look around our strife-filled world to see that that’s ever so true. Abomination and corruption are running rampant throughout our entire world, and that my friends cannot foreshadow good things for us and our descendants. 

Now Psalm 53 is a slightly revised version of Psalm 14. According to the scholars: ‘Two major differences are apparent: this psalm substitutes the generic word for God, Elohim, for the personal name of God used in Psalm 14, Yahweh. This was done evidently to give the psalm a wider appeal. Second, verse 5 has been rewritten and has become an encouraging affirmation of God’s protection.’ 

And are we ever in need of anything that affirms and encourages us re God’s protection in these very trying and troublesome times! But above all my brethren, we are not to fear, because that just demeans and belittles our faith; faith that we need to help us stand strong and steadfast against the enemy and his deceitful declarations. 

Now here how Bruh David continues the psalm nuh. ‘God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.’ (Ps.53:2) 

And wonder of wonders, what did He discover? ‘Every one of them is gone back (have turned aside): they are altogether become filthy (corrupt); there is none that doeth good, no, not one.’ (Ps.53:3) 

Now how do you think God felt when He saw such sinfulness and ungodliness in the world back then eh? And how does He feel now, when He performs the same exercise and gets the same basic answer eh? 

Obviously not very pleased or encouraged! No wonder He asks: ‘Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? Who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.’ (Ps.53:4) 

But why would that surprise Him eh, when we’re still like Jeremiah said on His behalf so long ago. ‘For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish (stupid or silly) children, and they have none (no) understanding; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.’ (Jer.4:22) 

And isn’t it amazing, but depressing and disturbing that so many truths from the Old Testament are still true today. Steups! Obviously we have not learned that we cannot continually disobey God and get away with it scot free. 

The calamity which befell so many other great societies who disobeyed and turned away from Jehovah God obviously doesn’t mean anything to us. But friends, the saying that history repeats itself is very true, and we are currently in great disobeying mode, and if we continue thus, we will feel the Lord’s hand upon us, and it won’t be very good. I can guarantee us that. 

Who knows if we aren’t already feeling it, through the many unusual natural disasters, that are blamed on climate change, plus the economic decline and ever increasing poverty and strife that’s now battering our world. 

Hn! I have to sadly chuckle here yes friends, because in all reality the Lord doesn’t have to do anything to bring us to our knees nuh, we are already doing it to ourselves, beginning with our insistence to remove God from the very bowels of our society. 

And we’ll stop there for today, because I don’t want to give us too much to ruminate upon. (smile) But please friends, do ruminate on what we have spoken about today, and let each of us see, of course with God’s help, how we can better our lives, and thus our quickly deteriorating world. For that’s wisdom of immense proportions! Much LOVE!

…if God made us and everything else that exists…how can we hope to survive without His help eh…that doesn’t sound logical at all…