Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 October 2023 Proverbs 24:1.

23 Oct 2023 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 24:1.       Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them.

And a big, bright welcome to Monday! Yes friends, that’s how we ought to greet the first day of our work week, with enthusiasm and great expectations. For, as believers in Christ Jesus, every new Monday that dawns, means we’re alive, we’ve lived through another weekend, and the upcoming week brings with it a stellar hope of unending possibilities, possibilities filled with God’s amazing grace, mercy and bountiful goodness! And we all know that if are walking obediently in God’s plan for our lives, anything is possible at any time, because that’s the kind of God we serve; a God of surprises, of unexpected affection and enormous favour. 

And having said all of that, what shall we talk about today? Well the Good Library opened at an interesting place in Proverbs, where Cousin Sol talks about the wise man’s strength. So let’s investigate that passage and see what we can glean from it nuh. Cousin Sol opens that chapter by advising: ‘Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them. For their heart studieth destruction (devises violence), and their lips talk of mischief (trouble). Through wisdom is a house builded; and by understanding it is established. And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.’ (Prov. 24:1-4) 

Now doesn’t all that sound very familiar? It should, because throughout the Bible we’re warned against evil doing and evil doers, and encouraged to take up wisdom and understanding instead. No wonder, in the very first psalm we’re poignantly warned: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder on) day and night. (Ps. 1:1-2) 

And that was the very same message the Lord God gave to Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh:1:8) Straight from the horse’s mouth my people, no hearsay or telltale gossip! That means it must be true. 

It’s the same warning that the psalmist Asaph talked about in his own life. Thus he writes in Psalm 73: ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I had almost stumbled); my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps. 73:1-3) And that’s exactly what’s happening to so many of us in these troubled times! Too many of us are being jealous of the prosperity of the wicked. That’s why Bruh David tells us in Psalm 37: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2) 

And luckily for the psalmist Asaph, he didn’t completely stumble spiritually, lose his faith and fall in his envy of the prosperous wicked. But as he says later on after experiencing the chastening of the righteous. ‘Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain (kept my heart pure in vain), and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I say I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against (would have been untrue to) the children of thy generation. When I thought to know (understand) this, it was too painful for me (too troublesome in my eyes). Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (Ps. 73:13-17) 

Yes my fellow believers, as the scholars explain: ‘Not until the psalmist entered God’s sanctuary and received a divine perspective on the wicked’s prosperity did he find his answer to the problem (vs. 17-28). He saw the destiny of the wicked (vs. 17-20); therefore he repented of his foolishness (vs. 21-22) and found his happiness solely in a warm and growing relationship with God (vs. 23-28) The point of the psalm is driven home even more dramatically when remembering that Asaph, the author, was a spiritual man who grew up with deeply religious training (1 Chr. 15:16-19; 16:4-7; 2 Chr. 5:12; 29:30).’ 

Oh my fellow saints, if Asaph, one of the highly spiritual and religious men who made music with Bruh David could be tempted to fall into the camp of the wicked through their prosperity, it’s obvious that the same thing could easily happen to many of us who are not so spiritually mature. That’s why we have to be ever so careful and do as the Lord told Joshua, meditate on His word day and night, because that’s the only way we will ever be truly prosperous and successful. 

And Bruh David gave us some more practical tips in Psalm 37: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. 

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For the evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps; 37:3-9) 

Yes my faithful brethren, you couldn’t find more practical advice on how to live this earthly life. That means we need to adopt those principles in our own everyday lives so we can reflect the wisdom that Cousin Sol talks about in Proverbs. ‘A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.’ (Prov. 24:5) And with those words, let’s go to the fountain of wisdom, Almighty God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine help for the many problems that currently beset our world. 

Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And we’ll do well if we take God’s advice and turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…don’t look at what the world offers…but at what God’s kingdom provides… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 October 2023 Ephesians 1:17.

20 Oct 2023 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 1:17. the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

And this morning, as we declare (steups!!!) ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ a gentle rain is falling upon the land, providing some most needful nourishment, for lately, rain is not something we’ve been seeing much in our area. So we are indeed grateful for this heavenly blessing. And on this rainy Friday morning,  I want to share an interesting prayer of Bruh Paul’s in his letter to the Ephesians. We all know that he had some interesting prayers, not so much for blessings in health, material and worldly things but more for spiritual maturity, and this one is a gem. 

So let’s read, as he writes: ‘Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and LOVE unto all saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.’ (Eph. 1:15-17) What a powerful prayer that is my brethren, for it involves our spiritual understanding of Christ and the Father, that we might get to know and understand them better. The scholars term it ‘a disposition consisting of wisdom and revelation in knowing Him.’ 

Yes friends, it’s all about spiritual maturity, which is the Father’s eventual wish for us, for all to eventually be as close as possible to the character of Christ. That’s why we’re going through all the unfair, unjust and distasteful stuff we’re going through; to grow us into the likeness of Christ. And it’s not easy, but as we keep on saying, whatever God desires of us, He gives us the wherewithal to accomplish it. And if He wants us to be like Christ, then He’s given us the tools to do so, we just have to wake up and use them, and above all be committed to accomplishing God’s will for our lives!  That’s where the wisdom and revelation of knowing Him comes in. 

And furthermore, Bruh Paul sweetens the pot by continuing: ‘The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.’ (Eph. 1:18-19) And yes, Bruh Paul can be extremely complicated, as though he’s speaking to scholars, and not ordinary, mostly unlearned people. But that’s the way it is with some very educated persons, they just can’t explain things simply. (smile) 

However, the scholars explain those verses thus. ‘When the figurative terms are removed from the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, the clause means that “your mind’s understanding may be fully enlightened.” This clause further explains verse 17. That ye may know signifies that the believer comes to know three things upon being enlightened: (1) what is the hope of his calling; that is, he realizes how sure and certain is his heavenly destiny; (2) what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints; that is, the illuminated Christian recognizes more and more both the priceless value of his salvation, and what a priceless treasure he is to God; and (3) what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe: perceiving how God’s power has changed him since conversion, he experiences to a greater extent this divine strength in daily living.’ 

Oh my people, what a glorious prayer for both the Ephesians and all believers! That the Lord will help us understand what’s going on in our lives, especially the spiritual aspect, so that we can wake up and more fully understand and believe, then totally surrender our souls and so truly enjoy the life that Christ died for us to have! Now, that’s what the majority of us need to learn and know and put into practice, if we are to ever turn this evil and ungodly world around. Because knowledge and understanding don’t cut it by themselves, action is needed to complete the scenario. 

As James says, ‘Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.’ (James 2:17) And that’s what’s wrong with our world today. We Christians claim to have a whole lot of faith, but our works, our godly actions are very negligible in the great scheme of things, consequently our world has fallen deep into the mire of Satan’s evil and ungodly power. Thus, it’s become of the utmost importance for believers to stop talking as much as we do, and instead, step up our godly actions. 

But getting back to Bruh Paul’s prayer, he’s not done yet nuh. (smile) No, he goes on to explain about the ‘mighty power’ of God. But I believe we’ll leave the rest of it until tomorrow, obviously if God spares life, because it will make the Bit too long, and you know we strive to keep it as short as possible…not that we’re always successful (smile) So let’s consider what we’ve learned today, and try to put it into practice, pray for those we LOVE to be filled with the spirit of wisdom and revelation in Christ Jesus, that we can all truly know Him and all the benefits and riches His saving grace bestows on us. 

Now, let’s go to the throne of grace in confidence, but sincere humility, and through our Friday Chant, ask for divine help to handle our many earthly problems. As one prayerful 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 since the eyes of our understanding have been enlightened, (smile) we now know that the only way to get divine help is by turning from our evil ways and by being obedient to the Word and Will of Almighty God! So let’s do it nuh! Much LOVE!

…to truly understand living for Christ…one must spend serious and sincere time with Him…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit    25 September 2023 Genesis 43:28b.

25 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 43:28b.       And they bowed down their heads and made obeisance (prostrated themselves).

Oh my my, it’s Monday! So what? It’s just another day, except that most of us have to get up and go back out to work after a relaxing and/or a party-hearty weekend. (smile) But that’s nothing new, it’s been happening ever since the devil was a li’l boy, so I don’t see why we get anxious about it every week. With Jesus and His Holy Spirit as our Guide and Leaders, plus the fires of confidence built up in our bellies from Sunday worship, it’s a sure thing that we can handle any and every Monday like the champions we were made to be. So, let’s get out there and do just that nuh! End of Sermon! 

Now let’s reconnect with the exciting and intriguing story of Bruh Joseph. We last saw him when his brothers came down the second time with his younger brother Benjamin. And when Bruh Joseph saw Benjamin, he told his steward to take them to his house, for they would have lunch with him that day. Now the Good Library describes the situation thus: ‘And the men (Joseph’s brothers) were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time we are brought in: that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us as bondmen (slaves), and our asses (donkeys).’ (Gen. 43:18) 

And there’s definitely nothing wrong with that reasoning under the prevailing circumstances. But being Jacob’s sons, they were not quite innocent in the games of life. The Good Library continues: ‘And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: and it came to pass when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. 

And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. And he (the steward) said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon (the brother that was in jail) out unto them. And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet, and he gave their asses (donkeys) provender (feed). And they made ready the present against Joseph came (for Joseph’s coming) at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.’ (Gen. 43:19-25)

 Oh friends the suspense as well as the fear must have been very palatable around them, for although they now knew how the money got in their sacks, they still couldn’t fathom the reason behind it, nor why they had been invited to lunch, at Bruh Joseph’s house, and all they could probably see were further problems down the line. But they had no choice but do like Portia and face up to life. That’s a reference to an old radio soap that ran many moons ago in T&T called: ‘Portia faces Life’ (smile) 

‘And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.’ (Gen. 43:26) Yes friends the great dramatist, Jehovah God, reminds us one more time of the truth of Bruh Joseph’s dream, with his brothers again prostrating themselves before him. Bruh Joseph must have had a small inner chuckle at that, because it was the same dream that got him sold into slavery in Egypt some twenty years previously. And I believe that’s just the Lord’s way of telling us to never refute someone’s dream out of hand. 

‘And he (Joseph) asked them of their welfare (well-being), and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive? And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads and made obeisance (prostrated themselves).’ (Gen. 43:27-28) There we have that bowing down again. The Lord just won’t let us forget it. (smile) 

‘And he (Joseph) lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. And Joseph made haste for his bowels did yearn upon his brother (his heart did yearn for his brother); and he sought where to weep; and he entered his chamber, and wept there.’ (Gen. 43:29-30) And it’s quite understandable that Joseph’s heart yearned for his brother, his mother’s other son, for when he left home at around seventeen, Benjamin was a young pup, but now he was a big, strapping man in his twenties. 

Ah mih people, life hands us so many unexpected twists and turns that it’s only with the help of the Good Lord that we can ever expect to navigate them successfully. That’s why it’s necessary for us to go to the throne of grace right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to seek God’s divine help with our many earthly problems. So as one sincere voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

Oh, my fellow saints, we just said it ourselves; if we want to receive divine help, then we’ve got to turn from our evil ways and sincerely seek God’s face. That’s the only way! Much LOVE!

…when the storms of life surround us…turn them over to Jesus…for He is the only true Storm Calmer…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit    18 September 2023 Genesis 42:3.

18 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 42:3.       And Joseph’s ten brethren (brothers) went down to buy corn (grain) in Egypt.

And as the day follows the night, and the sunshine the rain, likewise Monday follows Sunday, come rain or shine! (smile) Yes friends, that’s just the way it is, how the universe was set up by its Creator, Almighty God. And try as hard as we might, we won’t change it, one day will always follow the next like clockwork. It therefore behooves us to just try and make the best of those days called Mondays. With the Lord’s help, prepare to meet them head on, don’t try to run away from them, for remember, the best method of defence is attack! 

So, with those words of wisdom for this Monday morning, let’s get back to the riveting story of Bruh Joseph in Egypt. We last saw him in the seven years of abundance, during which time the Lord blessed him with two sons by his Egyptian wife Asenath; the first he called Manasseh, ‘for God, said he hath made me forget all my toil, and all my Father’s house.’ (Gen. 41:51) In other words, the hardship brought upon him by his envious brothers was a thing of the past. And the second son, he named Ephraim, ‘For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.’ (Gen. 41:52) 

Now, it’s time to move on to the drama of the seven years of famine. And the Bible informs us thus: ‘And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. And the seven years of dearth (famine) began to come, as Joseph had said: and the dearth (famine) was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharoah for bread: and Pharoah said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph, what he saith to you, do. 

And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore (became severe) in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn (grain); because the famine was so sore (severe) in all lands.’ (Gen. 41:53-57) 

And yuh know what friends, right now there is severe famine in many countries, in many parts of the earth, but the sad part is that those experiencing the famine either have no means, that’s money or transportation, to go and buy food elsewhere, assuming that other countries would even sell it to them. Yes, even in this supposed humanitarian age, and these times of plenty, way too many people around the globe are starving for food and the other basic necessities of life; clothing and shelter. 

But then, all the natural disasters that have recently struck our world; forest fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and earthquakes, pandemics, just to name a few, are only making life increasingly difficult for all of us to handle. And that’s why we so badly need a LOVE REVOLUTION: a powerful uprising of LOVE for God and each other, under the compassionate and protective umbrella of the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! For that’s the only way we will ever break ourselves out of the total mess, the strife, the resentment, hatred, anger and ungodliness in which we’re currently mired. 

Unfortunately though, the soldiers of Satan’s evil empire are fighting us tooth and nail to prevent the LOVE REVOLUTION from being successful. And the only way to counter that is by increasing our godly ardour and valiantly fighting back safely clothed in the full armour of God. So, since we know what to do, let’s get together and do it nuh! Let’s unite as one and batter down the enemy, for it’s what our Lord and Leader, Jesus Christ expects of us. And all God’s people said a loud and positive ‘Amen! So be it!’ 

Now, let’s get back to that famous famine where Bruh Joseph was the man controlling the food. And this is where the drama really gets ramped up. The Good Library records: ‘Now when Jacob saw that there was corn (grain) in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn (grain) in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. And Joseph’s ten brethren (brothers) went down to buy corn (grain) in Egypt. But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief (some calamity) befall him.’ (Gen. 42:1-4) 

Ah mih people, yuh see how difficult it is, if not impossible, to get over the loss of a child, especially a favoured one. It’s obvious that Jacob was still thinking, some twenty years later, about what had happened to his other young son Joseph, and was afraid to let Benjamin, the child of his old age out of his sight. But what Jacob and the rest of us consistently fail to remember is that the life of mankind is strictly controlled by the greatest dramatist and planner in existence, that’s the Lord God Jehovah! And having made that oh so true statement, let’s take this precious opportunity to go to Him, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, for divine help with our many earthly problems. 

As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And since we’ve just said, that to get divine help, we need to humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek God’s face, let’s do just that nuh! Much LOVE!

…Satan can be defeated…but only if God’s people rise up and fight as ONE… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   28 August 2023 Romans 10:15.

28 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

Romans 10:15.       How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.

Hold on children…Yes, children of God…Please hold on securely to Jesus this Monday morning, as the evil one and his ungodly minions get their ammunition together in the workplace, to try and belittle you, to discount your witness and testimony for our Lord and Saviour! But remember our God faithfully promised that ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17) 

Yes my fellow believers, that’s the promise of our faithful God, who’s stating that ‘anyone who is seeking to do evil against believers will fail. Though for a time it may seem that we are defeated in a situation, God assures us the victory.’  So please don’t let the loud mouths pushing Satan’s agenda, to discombobulate or confuse you with their foolishness. You have your own agenda to foster and promote, the Great Commission of Christ. And as the Bible says: ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.’ ( Rom. 10:15) 

Now, that’s what you’re about: beautiful feet spreading the good news and glad tidings of Christ’s gospel, and nothing in this world is more important than that!  And I like this commentary on that scripture. ‘Paul knows that the feet of the gospel preachers are beautiful because of the nature of the gospel. The good news of Jesus Christ sets people free from sin, destruction and eternal judgment. When the truth of the gospel takes root in a person’s life they are given Spirit led freedom to overcome all vices of life.’ 

Wow! That’s why it’s so wonderful to spread the good news of Christ’s gospel! And that’s exactly why the devil doesn’t want us spreading it. He knows that once it gets into your system, your inner man, he’s lost the battle, and he can’t stand losing, it’s like a bitter pill in his mouth, especially after Christ Jesus won the victory over death, hell and the grave, took away the keys to those places and left him a toothless lion just running around with a loud bark, but no bite. 

So today, let’s wind up our faith, raise our confidence sky high with all the scriptures buried deep in our hearts, and unleash them against the enemy and his evildoing cronies, letting them know that they are in a serious spiritual battle and the children of God, the saints of the Most High God are not to be toyed with, or considered to be easy pickings. (smile) Especially not when we’re dressed in our immaculate and impenetrable suit of spiritual armour; the whole armour of God, that allows us to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil. 

No sir! We are indeed invincible when our loins are girded with the belt of truth, our chests protected by the breastplate of righteousness, and our feet shod with the preparation or eagerness of the gospel of peace, and our heads protected by the helmet of salvation. And armed to the teeth with the shield of faith in one hand to quench the fiery arrows of the evildoers, and in the other hand, the mighty two-edged sword of the Spirit, that’s the inerrant and infallible word of God! And as a lagniappe or extra, in our back pockets we have the awesome power of prayer to guide us with all perseverance and longsuffering! (Eph. 6:10-18) 

Now, how can anyone thus prepared for battle be defeated eh? No way Jose! Ah friends, that’s the way we need to go out every day, dressed to the nines with God’s armour, unleashing His amazing word, while filled with His Holy Spirit who leads and guides us in spiritual battle. And yes, it all sounds wonderful and heroic, but the truth is it takes plenty of practice, plenty of sacrifice, plenty humility, and plenty backbone and belly. Like everything we want to be good at, we have to spend a lot of time on it. 

Thus, to be good at spiritual battle means reading, studying and meditating on the word, knowing it, so you can put it into action. Then continually going up against Satan’s temptations and besting him nine times out of ten. And believe you me, when you tell the Lord that you want to be a warrior for Him, He is going to provide you with lots of opportunities to prove yourself. So it’s not an easy task to live and fight for Christ, but it’s very interesting and rewarding. And here are the basic credentials Christ set out for discipleship. ‘If any man will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) 

Yuh see that mih bredrin, following Jesus calls for daily involvement, daily participation in activities on His behalf; be it beating down the devil and his evil cronies, spreading the gospel, or simply being kind and offering an encouraging smile to someone in need. Once you’re a disciple of Christ you’re always on duty, 24/7! And we need to remember that as we go out to do battle today. 

Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, to ask for divine help to handle our many earthly problems. Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. 

Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And as always, to receive divine intervention, we need to improve our covenant behaviour! Much LOVE!

…being a true disciple of Jesus…means putting your best foot forward…as often as possible… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   14 August 2023   1 Samuel 3:7.

14 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

1 Samuel 3:7.        Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.

Monday, oh sweet Monday! It’s so good to see you once again with all your busyness and confusion, your call to work and to spread the gospel of Christ! Like Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome: ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things..’ (Rom. 10:15) Now that’s what we ambassadors of Christ need to go out and do on this sunshiny, but somewhat cool August Monday; take glad tidings of the good news of Jesus with us and share it with those we meet. 

And in our Bit today, let’s continue looking at the life of the prophet Samuel, one of Israel’s early and great prophets. So, what have we learned so far about him eh? From 1 Samuel 1&2, we learned that his mother Hannah was barren and socially despised for her condition, and she prayed fervently to God for a boy child, whom she promised to give into His service all his life. The Lord granted her request, blessing her greatly with three sons and two daughters. 

Hannah kept her promise and when Samuel was around three was given to Eli the priest to bring up in the Lord’s service and she sang her song of praise. But please note that Hannah did not lose sight of God’s grace and her motherly responsibility where Samuel was concerned, for every year that her family went up to Shiloh to make their sacrifice, she brought Samuel a little coat that she had personally made. That’s a nice motherly touch to the story, isn’t it? (smile) ‘And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.’ (1 Sam. 2:21) 

Now, the next installment in Samuel’s story is also rather interesting, showing us how our great God moves in mysterious and unexpected ways. It happened that the priest Eli was growing old and losing his sight, and one night while they slept Samuel heard a voice calling out to him. Thinking that it was Eli, he got up and went to him, but Eli had not called him. That happened three times. The Bible tells us: ‘Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.’ (1 Sam. 3:7) 

However, on the third occurrence Eli perceived that it was the Lord who had called Samuel. ‘Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.’ (1 Sam. 3:9) And as was expected, ‘The Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak for thy servant heareth. And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. 

In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained (rebuked) them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged (atoned for) with sacrifice nor offering for ever.’ (1 Sam. 3:10:14) 

Brother, can you imagine the Lord laying such weighty matters on poor Samuel for his awakening in the Lord’s business, when he was possibly still a teenager, but surely no more than a young adult. No wonder the Good Library continues: ‘And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. 

Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. And he (Eli) said, What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee. And Samuel told him every whit (everything). And he (Eli) said, It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good.’ (1 Sam. 3:15-18) 

Wow! Samuel must have felt the pressure of the tense situation, with the Lord vowing to destroy Eli’s house and take away the favour of the priesthood because of the sinful behaviour of his sons Hophni and Phineas, who made it a well-known habit of sleeping with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Eli had rebuked them, but they paid him no attention and continued their sinful behaviour. (1 Sam. 3:22-25) 

And what Samuel told Eli about the Lord’s retribution, wasn’t news to him, for earlier on a man of God, (a prophet) had come to Eli and warned him of the Lord’s vengeance, where in one day both his sons would die, and his descendants would come begging the new line of priesthood for food and jobs. (1 Sam. 3:27-36) 

Yuh see friends, when the Lord exacts vengeance, He doesn’t do it in small amounts. And that brings us to an interesting explanation of the scholars. Re verse 2:25. ‘The sins of Eli’s sons were not only crimes against their fellowmen (vs. 13-17, 22), but against God Himself. Such conduct could only draw severe judgement (cf. vs. 34 with 4:11). The case of Eli’s sons demonstrates the need for firm parental instruction and supervision, especially in the home of one who ministers in the name of the Lord (vs. 29; cf. 3:13; 1 Tim. 3:4-5).’ 

And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers. The children of the Lord’s teachers and priests ought to set higher standards, but unfortunately, even today, the children of preachers, (P.K’s) are known to be wild and cause a multitude of problems for their parents, rebelling possibly because of that same firm parental instruction and supervision. And tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll delve a little deeper into Samuel’s colourful story. Now let’s go to the throne of grace though our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, pleading for help to handle our many problems. 

Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And we all know that if we expect heaven’s help, then our earthly behaviour must improve. So, let’s start doing that right now nuh! Much LOVE!

…God expects high standards of conduct… from those who serve Him…as well as their families… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   7 August 2023 John 15:17.

07 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

John 15:17.       These things I command you, that ye LOVE one another. 

And then it was Caribana Monday; the winding down of the Caribbean Carnival festivities, which I believe is now the official title of the celebrations. But however often you change the name, it will always go down in history as ‘Caribana!’ And to my mind, it was oh so much better back then. But as they say, times change and so do men and boys. (smile) 

So, like we just have to roll with the changes. Meaning that some of us simply getting too old to party the way we used to, and have to sit in our rocking chairs, rock, and smile at the memories of those wonderful early days. And believe me, there were many memories. You could spend a whole day rocking and not cover them all. And plenty of them are not for public consumption either. (smile) 

But who would ever believe that I’ve not been to a Caribana Parade for at least ten years, if not more. And the last couple of times as a disillusioned spectator, because I had to stand up behind a wire fence to watch the mas, couldn’t participate as I was accustomed doing, then couldn’t see anybody I knew to party with, and the mas and the parade itself seemed rather watered down. 

Most importantly though, the old body could no longer handle all the jammings like it did for the first thirty something years. But it’s still a big money maker in the land, and thankfully there were no serious negative actions this year, like there have been over the years. And the new generation of West Indian descendants seem to be taking it to heart, so it should be around for a long time yet. 

And as always, Caribana Monday is a Civic Holiday in the Province of Ontario, which means many of us don’t have to go to work today, meaning more time to party. But please be careful, tomorrow is work, and you can’t afford to book off sick, because your employer will know why. And as the ole people would most likely advise: ‘Sonny boy, ah beg yuh, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’ And that’s certainly wise advice. 

But enough about Caribana now, let’s see what the Good Library has to say today. And it opened today at the Gospel of John, where Jesus is talking to His disciples about keeping His commandments and abiding in His LOVE. He says: ‘If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my LOVE; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his LOVE. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another as I have LOVED you. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained (appointed) you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye LOVE one another.’ (John 15:10-17) 

Now friends, those are some of the most important words that Jesus spoke to His disciples before His crucifixion. And in that speech, are several noteworthy thoughts, sentiments and actions. Let’s look at some of them nuh. First off, the scholars tell us that in those verses. ‘Several results of obedience are indicated here: (1) abiding in His LOVE (vs. 10); (2) full joy (vs. 11); (3) LOVE for one another (vs. 12, 13, 17; cf. 13:34-35); (4) friends, not servants (vs. 14-15); (5) fruit remains (vs. 16); and (6) answered prayer (vs. 16). 

And the most telling example of obedience is Jesus Himself, where He says in vs. 10: ‘…as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his LOVE.’  And Hebrews further tells us that ‘Though he (Jesus) were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.’  (Heb. 5:8) That says it all friends; obedience to God’s law is paramount. And ff you keep Christ’s commandments then His joy will abound in you.  

But above all, LOVING one another is the main ingredient in Christ’s stew. That’s the whole crux of the situation. And our LOVE for each other is the one thing that Jesus continually harped on. It was so important in His scheme of things that He declared (yesss!!!): ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:35) 

Yes my brethren, that’s the distinguishing feature of a disciple of Jesus; LOVE for each other! And if we don’t have it, then we’re no disciple of His. Neither can you be His friend, for friends keep their Lord’s commandments. And He died for His friends, because no greater LOVE can be shown than a man dying for His friends. And it’s also interesting to note that He chose us, He appointed us as His disciples, we did not choose Him. 

And what’s our purpose? To bring forth fruit for His kingdom. It’s simple and to the point. But none of it works unless there’s obedience of the first order to Christ’s wishes. Let’s remember that nuh. And as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) liked to stipulate, partial obedience is still disobedience. So, unless we’re going all the way, we’re wasting our time and God’s! 

Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and ask for help to be true and serious disciples. Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. 

Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And please don’t be misled, if we don’t adhere to our promises and change our evil ways, there will be no answered prayer, divine help will not be forthcoming. Much LOVE!

…the basic foundation of Christianity…obedience and LOVE… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 June 2023 Acts 1:4.

19 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

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

Acts 1:4.       but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me….

Here we go round the merry-go-round, the merry-go-round, the merry-go-round. Here we go round the merry-go-round, on a Monday morning! Yes friends, the work week has made its way back around again and grabbed us by our proverbial whatever (smile) as it has the inhumane and obstinate habit of doing every week without fail. We simply cannot get away from it because that’s the way our wise and wonderful God planned it.

 So what’s the answer then? Just grin and bear it! Get used to it, learn to enjoy it and use it to enhance your life and lead you to your God-given destiny. That’s what the Lord desires of us. And none of us like the recurring work weeks over a number of years, but you might as well embrace it because it’s not going to change, and even when we return to the dust from whence we came, it will keep coming back every seven days. 

We need to learn and accept that life is mostly the same old, same old, a mostly mundane and unexciting existence, with only a few exciting periods in it. It cannot be exciting every day, though it can be interesting, especially if you’re walking with Jesus, as your Guide and Leader. Then I can assure you that interesting things will happen, but not necessarily every day. 

We have grown so used to the pseudo excitement of the world with all its celebrities and stars and superstars and influencers and social media and all the other foolishness and foolish people who claim to lead such exciting lives, which in many cases is nothing but a blatant lie, as fostered on us by the enemy, trying to make us believe that we too can live that exciting life the rich and famous supposedly enjoy. But it’s all hogwash my people, for nobody can live a life of continual excitement, on the go all the time, else it will kill you before your best due date. 

Did we ever see Jesus rushing all over the place like crazy, like we’re doing these days? No. He took His time in going where He needed to go and in doing what He had to do, and still accomplished a lot more than some of us do, rushing about like there’s a bee under our bonnet. And remember that Jesus had to walk almost every place He went. And that was desert-like territory, with the hot sun blazing down mercilessly on you. 

Can you imagine us doing that now? Of course not! Although with all the road closures and congested roadways, oftentimes we can get to where we want quicker by walking. How many of us are embroiled in traffic jams morning and evening, five days a week eh? Too many of us. But that’s the modern society…and we call it progress. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want to be walking all those distances that Jesus did, although as a young boy going back and fro to school, my regular method of travel was usually by P2 (my two legs). Nowadays, most of us walk for exercise, not as a means of getting from one place to another. One of the reasons why our society is so obese and unhealthy. 

I wish I could show you a map of Jesus’ travels, from Jerusalem in Judea, the south of the country to places like Capernaum in Galilee to the distant north, about 78 miles, all travelled on foot. Just walking from Jerusalem to Jericho, both in Judea, in Jesus’ day was a 15 mile journey. And from Cana to Capernaum, both in Galilee was about twenty miles distance, possibly a day’s journey. So it wasn’t an easy life. But Jesus persevered and did what He had to do to spread His ministry all over the area. 

However, in these modern times, with the advent of technology, many of us don’t even have to leave home to do that, yet we still find it difficult to spread the good news of the gospel and the wonderful kingdom of heaven with eternal life that awaits believers. Just look at the distance Abraham travelled from his original home in Padan Aram when the Lord told him to pack up and leave his father’s house and He would lead him to a land that He would show him. That was from way up in the northern part of the country, right down south to lands bordering Egypt. 

And what about the several missionary journeys Bruh Paul took that carried him all over Europe and Asia, a lot of it on foot. And without those people in the days of the early church, having the faith to expend that energy and willingness to share the gospel, we would never have heard about it, and not gotten the chance to accept it and thus receive salvation and eternal life. 

So please, let’s not complain about the relatively easy time we have today in spreading the gospel. Instead, we should think it a wonderful privilege and be ever so joyful about sharing it. Though one roadblock still exists today like it did back in the early days: we still need the equipping and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We still can’t do it in our own fleshly selves. 

Note what Jesus said to the disciples re the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. ‘Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority); but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.’ (John 16:13) 

And likewise, before ascending back to heaven, Jesus told them not depart from Jerusalem, ‘but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me….But ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’ (Acts 1:4, 6) It just goes to show that though things change, they still remain the same. (smile) We still need the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to successfully share the good news of the gospel. 

Now let’s go to God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking solace and alleviation of our many problems. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

Now, let’s keep those promises we just made, if we want to receive divine help. Much LOVE!

…to truly serve God…sacrifices are necessary… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   17 April 2023 John 14:16.

17 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

John 14:16. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you for ever;

And Monday has come around quite unexpectedly! (smile) It’s also the start of the first full five day workweek for some of us, since we had Good Friday and Easter Monday off. Hope we still remember how to handle it. And if we don’t, then the Holy Spirit will be only too glad to give us a refresher course. You can always count on the Holy Spirit when you find yourself in a jam. Why? Because that’s His job: to lead and guide us in all our endeavours, keeping us in line with God’s will. And I guess that just naturally leads us in to a short refresher course on the Holy Spirt; who He is and how He operates. (smile) 

Now the first thing we need to know about Holy Spirit is that He is a person, one of the persons that make up our Christian Triumvirate Godhead, or as we call it, the Holy Trinity. And that’s one of the basic, or foundation stones of our Christian Faith, which you certainly need to understand and accept if you want to function successfully as a true believer. And our Godhead consists of three induvial beings, each having different jobs and responsibilities, but it’s still ONLY ONE GOD! 

We don’t have the pantheon of Gods that others have. We have God the Father, who, for argument sake, sets the agenda, then there’s Jesus, the Son, who overseers the agenda, and then there’s Holy Spirit, who I think of as the One that does all the hard work, getting down and dirty in the trenches. (smile) And we see a good example of this right at the beginning of recorded time, the Creation, when the Good Book tells us: ‘In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.’ (Gen. 1:1-2) 

That tells us that the Holy Spirit had a hand in the Creation, just like Jesus did. And how do we know that? John in his gospel spells it out very clearly. ‘In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God, and without him was not anything made that was made.(John 1:1-3) Yes friends, John’s telling us that the Father decreed the idea, and Jesus created whatever needed created for Him. That simply shows that all three persons of our Godhead were around at the Creation. 

Then Jesus came to earth to do His thing, to save man from His iniquity, pay for man’s sins, through His death and resurrection, as the Father desired and required for justice and righteousness to be done. Now, we’re at the season of Christ’s resurrection that we call Easter, and Christ is preparing to go back to heaven to the Father. And what is His masterful and amazing promise to the small band of followers He’s accumulated over the three years of His earthly ministry? 

‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:15-18) That’s how kind and considerate our Jesus is! He knew he was going away so He promised to make provision for His followers to keep in touch with Him. 

And later on He reassures them. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, being present with you. But the Comforter (Helper), which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you.’ (John 14:25-26) Oh friends, how can you ever beat our Jesus for thoughtfulness and compassion eh? You simply can’t! 

The basic problem there was that while Jesus was on earth, He could only physically be in one place at one time, but when He returned to heaven, He could send the Holy Spirit to earth to dwell with and in men to remind them of all that He’s said, and also lead and guide them in all righteousness as prophesied by the prophets Jeremiah under a New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34) and Ezekiel, under a New Heart and Spirit. 

Listen to Ezekiel speaking on God’s behalf. ‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you. and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:25-27) 

And as always, the Lord is faithful to keep His promises. That’s when we see Jesus promising to send this new spirit, this new Comforter, a Helper to walk alongside and in them, to lead and guide them in what He desires them to do. Now, that’s only and introduction to Holy Spirit 101, (smile) for time and space are against us. So, we will continue this refresher course tomorrow, God spare life obviously. Let’s go now to our heavenly Father in sincere prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, petitioning His divine assistance for the days ahead. 

Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power and wisdom to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

Now, let’s do as we know we ought to nuh, that’s turn from our evil ways and be faithful believers, so that the Lord can bless us and our land. Much LOVE!  

P.S. Please forgive the lateness of the Bit, but as happens with all of us at some time or other, life happened with me today. (smile) Much LOVE!

…if you’re not following the Holy Spirit’s leading…then you’re not following Jesus…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   3 April 2023 Matthew 26:38.

03 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 26:38. My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry (wait) ye here, and watch with me.

Chuh! Man! Another Monday…another week of work! Why me eh? (smile) And this one will be a rough one because following the joyful festivities of Palm Sunday, it’s Holy Week, and all sorts of unsavoury things are happening in the Christian’s calendar, ending up with the crucifixion of Christ on Friday. We call it Good Friday, but it wasn’t good when it happened. It only turned out good when Christ rose from the dead on Easter Sunday, having won a magnificent victory over hell, death and the grave! 

So, after the fear, the sadness and sorrow of Friday and Saturday, by Sunday evening everyone had gotten their jollies back with the awesome news of Christ’s resurrection making the rounds, just like His birth and death had done! (smile) Now, that resurrection was a most marvellous occasion which we all welcomed, but I guess like Job said, you have to take the bad with good. (Job 2:10) You can’t always expect good and no bad, even though you’re a believer in Christ, because the rain falls and the sun shines both on the good and bad. (Matt. 5:45) 

And as we said yesterday, this Holy Week we’ve got stir up our faith, stand strong and steadfast and follow Jesus to the cross on Good Friday, where He endured ‘sufferation,’ that’s inhumane suffering over and above, with nary a word of complaint. Yes my fellow brethren, our Lord and Saviour, bled, shed His sinless blood and died on that rugged cross to pay for our abominable sins, because our heavenly Father desired it, and that was the only way it could be done justly and righteously. 

Remember, the night before His crucifixion, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed for a reprieve, but first said to Peter, James and John, who were with Him. ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry (wait) ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father. If it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt. 26:38-39) Oh friends, Jesus’ heart was indeed heavy, as He prayed the same thing three times, with no reprieve from the Father. 

Deep down, He knew that He had to take His lumps, and He wasn’t so much afraid of the horrifying death, but more so about His first ever separation from the Father. He knew that once the burden of the world’s sins was placed on His sinless shoulders, the Father would shut Him out since He could not look on the totality of sin. 

As the scholars offer: ‘The prayer for the cup to pass is not due to Jesus’ fear of death. Jesus questions the will of the Father as to the necessity of drinking the cup. While this may refer to death (he tasted death) it is more likely that the cup represents the wrath of God against sin, the divine wrath Christ would incur on the cross as man’s sin-bearer. In the awful anguish of that moment, the sin of the world was poured on Christ, and He became “sin for us” (2 Cor. 5:21). Thus, the Righteous One dies a substitutionary death for guilty mankind.’ 

And that was indeed a mighty step, calling for much selflessness and obedience on Jesus’ part. No wonder Bruh Paul wrote these telling words to the church at Philippi. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of all his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Eph. 2:5-8) 

O, what a marvellous example of a son, our Jesus was! Denying Himself His rightful godly privileges and becoming a mortal man, so that He could do the Father’s bidding. Now none of us can ever reach the level that He reached, but we can all strive to be much better than we presently are. If not for our sake, then at least for Jesus’ sake. Just look at all He suffered on our behalf. Can we not put out the effort to be better disciples, better followers, better ambassadors and agents, with our salt salty as ever, and our lights shining all over the world, as He desires? 

Is that too much to ask friends? I don’t think so. Not after what Jesus went through on our behalf. Doing what He asks is a piece of cake compared to what He went through for us. So please, this Holy Week, let’s step up to the plate and hit some home runs for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ nuh. He rightly deserves our improved play. Now, let’s go to God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for the wherewithal to improve our level of play. (smile) 

Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And we’ll close with this li’l gem of scripture from Bruh Paul’s missive to those same Philippians, which ought to encourage us to get moving for Christ. Bruh Paul writes: ‘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) Yes my fellow saints, once the Lord begins working to remake us into the image of His wonderful Son, He’ll never stop until Jesus returns. So, let’s believe that and keep moving onwards and upwards in Christ, and thus fulfill our godly destiny. Much LOVE!

…we know all what we need to do to live for Jesus…so let’s cut out the foolishness and do it nuh… 

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

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