Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 June 2020 John 3:3.

06 Jun 2020 Leave a comment

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

John 3:3.    ​Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.
 

‘Beautiful days are here again…Beautiful days are here again…’ Sing it with me please friends: ‘Beautiful days are here again… Beautiful days are here again…. Glory Hallelujah!’ Yeh, the days themselves have recently been physically beautiful, but what’s been happening within them, is a completely different story. 

But as children of God, imbued with His awesome power of word and mind, we need to see it all by faith and not by sight, we have to call it as we want it to be, not as it is. That’s why we’re singing: ‘Beautiful days are here again…Beautiful days are here again… Glory Hallelujah!’ And they will be, in the Lord’s time, as all our current difficulties and troubles will eventually pass – if only to make room for new ones, (smile) but pass they will, that we can be sure of! 

And I know that many of you are just dying to hear what our friend Anselm said this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. So here goes. The first quote advises: ‘Dream bigger. Do bigger.’ I guess the psychological principle is being invoked here, of the bigger you dream, the bigger will be your results and success, as compared to small dreams which reputedly only bring small success. 

Yes, there is this theory that if we want ten, we need to dream for twenty, because we always seem to get less than what we dream for. My only contention with all of that is we also need to realize that the bigger we dream, it’s the more responsibility and work we’ll have to contend with. So if you don’t want those last two, then don’t do the first one. (smile) 

Then there’s this: ‘Little things make big days.’ And we Christians ought to be more aware of that then the rest of the world, because that’s the way our great God usually works in our lives. But then again, that’s why so many of us are lost and can’t fathom why miracles aren’t happening in our lives…because we have this mindset that miracles are big, newsworthy things, when in fact miracles in God’s understanding are small, everyday occurrences. If we look at the small happenings in our lives, we’ll see that on a daily basis the Lord does something that doesn’t all add up in our way of thinking. Those are the daily miracles, the small things we need to look for and appreciate. 

It’s like the Jews who knew a Messiah was coming to save them, but they mistakenly taught that it was a warrior statesman who would rid them of their enemies and slave-like conditions. But in fact it was a simple rabbi coming to sacrifice His life, so that their sins could be forgiven and give them another option besides merely going to hell at death. 

They didn’t want that though, they wanted the now for now physical solution to their earthly life. But unfortunately friends, life doesn’t always go as we desire. So let’s be wise and look for, and appreciate the small things in life nuh, because that’s where we usually find God, more often than in the big things. 

And this next quote should be self-explanatory: ‘Wake up with determination. Go to bed with satisfaction.’ Yes mih bredrin, we ought to wake up determined to do something good for God…and do it too! Each and every day, let’s put in a sincere and genuine effort, and if we can, bring some good work to fruition, so that both God and us can be satisfied with our days efforts, as we lay us down to sleep. That’s how I understand it. (smile) 

And what about this one eh? ‘Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you’re done.’ That’s gospel truth friends, and we need to hear it ever so much, especially in this soft, pampered and fragile society in which we currently live, where everybody gets tired so quickly, and are quick to stop, to give up, when they aren’t seeing any quick positive results. 

But believers are not supposed to be of that ilk. We’re supposed to keep on keeping on, go the extra mile, don’t stop till we’re done! When we’re tired, that’s when we take a deep breath, catch a second wind and get back into the race. There’s no stopping for believers until Christ takes us home…and even then, we’ll be continually celebrating and regaling Him in heaven, so our work is never done…just getting more enjoyable! (smile) 

And as always, we’ve left the best for last. ‘Do something today that your future self will thank you for.’ And the best thing we can ever do for ourselves, today, or any other day that we’re alive, is to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour! Yes friends, it’s what our great God greatly desires of us, that’s why He sacrificed Jesus on Calvary’s cross to pay for our sins. 

Sins that would have caused eternal death and separation from the Almighty, but through Jesus’ sacrificial payment, we now have the option to come to Him in reconciliation and forgiveness and receive the free gift of grace that leads to salvation and eternal life, eternal dwelling with Him in what we call heaven, a place of unimaginable beauty and exceptional living. 

As Jesus so plainly stated to Nicodemus when he came asking for information. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ And when Nicodemus queried Jesus’ answer, He further explained: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth (wishes), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whiter it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:5-8) 

So my brethren, the best thing we can ever do today for our future lives is to be born again! There needs to be a new work from above in our sinful lives, a new beginning; a supernatural spiritual birth is called for if we want to enjoy God’s kingdom. That’s the long and short of the story! Much LOVE!

…eternal life calls for…two births…one earthly…one spiritually…

Today​’s Scrip-Bit 20 April 2019 John 3:3.

20 Apr 2019 Leave a comment

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

John 3:3.   ​Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (or from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.
 
Rain, rain go away, come again some other day! Chuh! I like rain, but after experiencing it for my last three days in Tobago then coming back home to it, it’s become a tad much. And the warnings of extensive flooding don’t help. But how to keep us happy eh? 

When we have a lot of sunshine, and it’s hot, we complain. A lot of cold and snow also cause bitter mutterings. And we don’t like it much when it rains on our parade either. (smile) And when you’re sick and feeling lousy, like I am, that state of affairs doesn’t help matters either. So I guess there’s just no pleasing us and we just have to learn to live with whatever Mother Nature supplies. End of story! (smile) 

And since it’s Saturday, let’s see what quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. But first let me apologize for a typo in yesterday’s Bit. I talked about Peter cutting off the high priest’s ear; it was actually the servant of the high priest’s ear he cut off. 

I knew that very well and it was what I intended to write, but somehow or the other didn’t write that. And you can imagine my disgust when a friend wrote and pointed it out to me because I don’t like to make mistakes in the Bit. But I guess that only shows I’m human and thus not infallible. (smile) 

And the first quote says: ‘If you have a strong purpose in life, you don’t have to be pushed. Your passion will drive you there.’ I guess there is much truth to that statement as passion is usually a driving force in our lives.

However, passion alone will not bring us to our destiny, we need other things like wisdom, knowledge, help and perseverance. In other words, blood, sweat and tears must be combined with our passion to provide success! (smile) 

And that segues in nicely to this other quote: ‘You’ve been given the innate power to shape your life…but you cannot just speak change, you have to LIVE change. Intent paired with action builds the bridge to success. You can’t just want it; you have to do it, live it…BE it! Success isn’t something you have; it’s something you DO!’ 

Ah friends, we see there it’s all about the doing, the living, the action! We just can’t sit on our fannies and expect things to change or our lives to be good because we wish it or talk about it. Yes, there is power in our words, but that power needs to drive us to action, to actually doing something to bring about the changes we desire! 

But then we come to this quote that appears to throw a spanner in our wheel: ‘Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.’ So true, so true my people! Whatever we try to do, be it good, bad, or indifferent, things rarely run as smoothly as they should, or as we expect them to. 

But that’s just life! Life that seems to take pleasure in mucking up our best efforts! But that’s where things like patience, perseverance, ‘stick-to-it tiveness,’ and don’t give up come in! And as true believers in Christ, we all know that giving up is not in our vocabulary.

Remember Jesus said that we’d have problems in this evil and ungodly world, but we can handle them with grace and a smile, because He’s already overcome the world. (John 16:33) 

Now here is the last quote: ‘We all have two lives. The second one starts when we realize we only have one.’ And isn’t that the awesome truth my fellow believers? We have one life when we’re born of our mother’s womb, and then a second when we’re born of the Holy Spirit which brings us into serious communication and an intimate relationship with Almighty God! 

Jesus said it quite plainly to the Pharisee Nicodemus who came by night to enquire about Jesus’ awesome power and works. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (or from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ 

Yes friends, to be included in the heavenly realm we all need to be born again of the Spirit as Jesus also told Nicodemus, when, in his confusion, he asked about entering his mother’s womb a second time.

‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.’ (John 3:5-7) 

And the scholars provide this interesting explanation: ‘3:3. Verily, verily (lit. “amen, amen”) occurs only in John’s gospel, and then always for emphasis. Born again may be translated either “again” or “from above.”

Perhaps both ideas should be combined here, to indicate the repetition of an act from another source. John might have said “again” had he wished to indicate repetition of an act from the same source. Only John uses this expression in the gospels. 

This concept of the New Birth includes these implications: (1) It undercuts Jewish dependence on being sons of Abraham (cf. 8:39). (2) It reveals that there must be a work of God “from above” since the Jews considered children (new births) to be God’s blessing. (3) It teaches the necessity of a new beginning.’ 

Yes my brethren, to be able to enter God’s kingdom a spiritual rebirth is absolutely necessary. But it’s also very simple. All we have to do is to believe that Christ died for us on Good Friday, as we commemorated yesterday. And then that He rose triumphantly from the dead and the grave, as we will celebrate tomorrow on Easter Sunday! 

Oh my people, there’s no better time to give our lives to Christ than RIGHT NOW! So let’s BE BORN AGAIN nuh, at this most exciting and emotional time of Easter, as we celebrate Christ’s total victory, His complete annihilation of the evil enemy Satan, ruler of hell, death and the grave! All Heaven will rejoice if we do! Much LOVE!

…eternal spiritual life…calls for spiritual rebirth today…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 December 2017 John 6:47.

09 Dec 2017 Leave a comment

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

John 6:47.   Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

Ah friends, unlike yesterday, my area is somewhat dark and cloudy today… But yuh know what? The awesome light of the Son is shining just as brilliantly as it always does! Up and down this old world, wherever His name is called, His light shines brightly at all times! 

Glory to God! Give Him exceedingly much thanks and praise for LOVING us so much that He gave His most wonderful Son, Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, our Redeemer and High Priest! 

And what better time is there to adore and celebrate Jesus than at Christmas, the time He came to earth in human form, as a beautiful baby boy, to begin the awesome process of redemption! Mama Mia! 

What a great and wonderful God we serve and worship my people! How could we ever think of throwing Him aside eh, of worshipping anyone else, when there’s NO other Deity who’s truly alive, and as great and wonderful, as LOVING and caring of mankind as Him? 

Give Him innumerable praise and thanks my brethren, exalt His Holy Name, for He is the ONE, TRUE and LIVING GOD; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein! 

And now that we’ve praised and raised up our wonderful God, this Saturday morning, let’s turn to some quotes from our friend Anselm, who sincerely aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this week he’s picked some simple, basic but very powerful and truthful quotes. 

Hear this first one: ‘The less you respond to negative people, the more peaceful your life will become.’ And that’s no lie! The less you have negative people in your life, the less controversy there’ll be. Listen to this: ‘Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.’ 

What an awesome truth my people! The sun, moon and the truth can only be hidden for so long until they burst forth in splendour and reality. It’s only a matter of time friends. As Jesus said, ‘And you shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ (John 8:32) 

And this one is interesting: ‘If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough.’ True! What’s the point of having dreams if we know we can easily meet them. But we have to be careful not to make our dreams too big, that they indeed scare us from trying to implement them. There’s got to be some circumspection in those dreams. 

And I’ve saved the best for last: ‘Life is a gift. Never take it for granted.’ How very true that is my brethren! Our lives can be put out at such short notice, even in the midst of our youth, that we ought never to take it lightly. We see it so often, especially in these tumultuous times, one moment we’re here, then the next, we’re not. 

So we have to cherish this earthly life and use it wisely. But then too friends, we also have to be cognizant of the life after this earthly sojourn; eternal life, whether we’ll live forever, or be thrown into outer darkness with Lucifer and his evil cohorts. And therein lies the big question, how do we achieve or acquire eternal life? 

And the question is answered simply, but truthfully in our Bit, in the words of Jesus. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life.’ 

It’s oh so simple people! So simple that some of us think it’s too simple to be true. But believe me, it is true! If you’ll read Jesus words in the Good Book, they are usually very simple and straightforward, except perhaps His parables. And He’s made this most important aspect of life as easy as possible so that ALL can obtain it, regardless of level of understanding or education. 

And we all know the great reason behind it all, found in the corollary to our Bit. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Yes friends, that’s the long version. (smile) 

Now let’s go back to after our Bit, where Jesus gives a more detailed explanation. ‘I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.’ (John 6:48-51) 

Obviously His listeners back then didn’t understand Him. ‘The Jews therefore strove (quarreled) among themselves, saying how can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ (John 6:52) 

But all Jesus was really saying was that instead of them having to make continual animal sacrifices for their sins, He would pay for their sins and all the sins forevermore with the sacrifice of His flesh. And that He certainly did my people! 

So please, let’s take life a little more seriously than we seem to do these days nuh, especially our eternal life, for what we do on that front now, will mean EVERYTHING in the long run. Much LOVE!

…who gave His life…so that we could have life…life eternal and everlasting…JESUS…Glory to God…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 October 2017 John 5:24.

31 Oct 2017 Leave a comment

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

John 5:24.   Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgement); but is passed from death into life.

Looks like it’s going to be a somewhat cloudy day outside, but on the inside…it’s surely going to be bright and sunny! 

Oh friends, how can life be anything else but sunny and wonderful eh, when we have the Holy Spirit of Jesus dwelling within us and riding shotgun on the outside? Every breath we take, and every move we make, He is right there in us and beside us. 

Oh glory to God for His Saviour Son Jesus Christ, and His holy comforter, Holy Spirit! With those two around us, we need NOTHING or NOBODY else to see us through both this earthly and the heavenly eternal life to come! Glory Hallelujah! 

That’s why Bruh Paul could confidently proclaim to the church at Philippi: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:19). 

The Philippians had sent Paul a gift of money and other treats, for which he was grateful, and in return he was assuring them that God would look kindly upon their generosity towards him. 

The scholars offer this explanation of that verse. ‘4:19. Because the Lord is aware of the sacrifice (v.18), the Philippians made in meeting Paul’s needs, God will surely supply all their need. God will meet their “need” (1) according to his riches, that is, in proportion to His unlimited resources; (2) in glory, that is, He will meet their need “gloriously” or “in a splendid manner”; (3) by Christ Jesus.’ 

Yes my fellow believers, once we live under the mighty umbrella of Almighty God, He will satisfy all our wants and needs. And long before Bruh Paul ever came around, Bruh David declared that truth in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. 

‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever (always, all the day) merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed. 

Depart from evil and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord LOVETH judgement (justice), and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.’ (Ps.37:25-28) 

And that is gospel truth my brethren! Our great God is very faithful and kind to those who serve and worship Him! I can personally testify to that, as I experience it EVERYDAY when I come to write the Bit. 

No way could I be doing it for almost eleven years without His wonderful help. So please don’t be foolishly led astray from under His all-encompassing LOVE. 

And if you don’t believe Bruh David, Bruh Paul, or me, then listen as Jesus, the Son of God, our Lord and Saviour, assures us of the very same thing in our Bit. 

‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgement); but is passed from death into life.’ 

Now what can be more joyous than that eh friends? Nothing really! To know that when we believe in Christ our lives will rise to such a higher level is the utmost in joy. As this quote I got from somewhere, so rightly tells us: ‘Joy is the most reliable evidence of God’s presence!’ 

Mama Mia! What indisputable truth and heavenly wisdom are contained in those few words! For it’s only when God truly reigns in our souls that we can ever experience true joy in this crazy, evil, strife-filled, sinful, godless world! 

And if after all of that, you still are not convinced of God’s goodness and great LOVE for mankind, then listen to these immortal words of Jesus; His raison d’être; His purpose, the reason why He came to be. 

‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) 

And all God’s people declared a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Thank you yes Lord! Thank you for sending Jesus Christ to save us! We LOVE You, honour, worship and obey You. In Jesus’ name. Amen!’ 

Yes friends, no greater gift has ever been bestowed on mankind! And wonder of wonders, the gift is free and ever so easy to obtain! 

Hear Jesus again, as He reiterates the truth, efficacy and simplicity of our Bit: ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:18)  

Oh my people, my people, it’s oh so simple! For some though, just too simple. But God, in His eternal wisdom, knew that the best way to bring us to Him would be to make it as simple and easy as possible. 

All it takes is belief in Jesus Christ being the Son of God. Are you going to throw away that wonderful gift of salvation and eternal life with Jesus over simple belief? I certainly hope not. 

Now, for those of us who truly believe, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, telling all the world, in sincerity and truth, who and whose we are. 

‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen!’ 

And now it’s time to action those statements! Much LOVE!

…only as believers…SHARE the LOVE of Christ…will the world…ACCEPT the LOVE of Christ…

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 October 2017 John 5:24.

30 Oct 2017 Leave a comment

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

John 5:24.   Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgement); but is passed from death into life.

So my people, if yesterday was Sunday, then today is our favourite day – Monday! Hn, hn! Well…it should be one of our favourite days, because it’s the beginning of a new workweek, and we don’t know what wonderful delights awaits us out in God’s great universe. (smile) But sadly, it’s become the day that many of us LOVE to hate! 

And why is that eh? Possibly because it means we have to leave the nice, warm, soft cocoon of our homes and go out into the evil world and fight the traffic, Lucifer’s henchmen, and ofttimes our Christian brethren too. And if we haven’t gotten sufficient rest, relaxation and rejuvenation over the weekend, then we will be grouchy and miserable on any and every Monday morning. 

However, we do have something to alleviate that Monday morning grouchiness, it’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. It’s designed to raise our spirits and get us up and running, so we can go out and fight the good fight for Jesus. So let’s sing it out loud nuh, with lots of faith and hope. 

As one strong choir: ‘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!’ 

Wow friends! What a difference that song makes, when we sing it with a strong sense of purpose! It does indeed lift our spirits, gets the adrenaline flowing and our motors purring like a well-oiled machine. Well then, what are we waiting for eh? Let’s get out there and give the heathen heck, in Jesus name! Show them what it means to be a real Christian, not the hypocrite kind! 

And how do we do that? By modelling Jesus – sharing His LOVE, FORGIVENESS, MERCY, GRACE and whatever else it takes to wake up the unbeliever to the fact that Jesus is their ONLY HOPE of true survival in this godless and wicked world. 

And how do we know that? From the words of absolute truth that Jesus spoke in our Bit.  ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgement); but is passed from death into life.’ 

Ah friends, what life changing words! Thankfully we have heard Jesus’ word and believed in the One who sent Him; our heavenly Father! That’s why we shall have eternal life and shall not be judged, be condemned to Hades, like the unbelievers will. Glory to God for His goodness to the children of men! 

Unfortunately though, a lot of the children of men don’t appreciate God’s goodness, therefore they continue to wallow in their wickedness and misery. And remember what Bruh David says about the state of the wicked in Psalm 11 – In the Lord put I my trust. 

‘The Lord trieth (tests) the righteous: but the wicked and him that LOVETH violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares (burning coals), fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest (a burning wind): this shall be the portion of their cup (their portion to partake of). For the righteous Lord LOVETH righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright (the upright beholds his countenance).’ (Ps.11:5-7) 

Yes my brethren, that’s what the Lord has in store for the wicked unbelievers. Let’s hope we are not being counted amongst that lot, and instead are working hard to bring that kind to wise acceptance of Jesus, for that’s a major part of our earthly duty. Please remember friends, that we are Jesus’ hands and feet here on earth, His ambassadors, the ones others look to for wise direction in matters of spiritual life and death. 

So let’s get on with our tasks today like excellent, upstanding representatives of Christ nuh, not the wishy-washy, doh-care attitude that so many of us present to the world. That only hurts Christ’s image, brings derision and disbelief to His LOVE Revolution and truly makes us the hypocrites so many think we are. Much LOVE!

…stand up, stand up for Jesus…ye soldiers of the cross…till every foe is vanquished…and Christ is Lord indeed…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 September 2016 John 5:24.

04 Sep 2016 Leave a comment

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

 John 5:24.   Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgement); but is passed from death into life.

Well well my faithful believers in Jesus Christ, we’ve been blessed once again to see the start of a new week!

And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful ‘Praise the Lord!’ 

But my brethren, we can, and we will do better than that this Sunday morning, the Lord’s Day. Let’s offer up the sacrifice of praise and worship and thanksgiving from our lips, as we sing the old but still beautiful and soulful song, ‘I believe.’ 

With heartfelt sincerity and true belief, let’s sing. ‘I believe for every drop of rain that falls  A flower grows  I believe that somewhere in the darkest night  A candle glows  I believe for everyone that goes astray  Someone will come to show the way  I believe  I believe  I believe above the storm the smallest prayer  Will still be heard  I believe that someone in the great somewhere  Hears every word  

Every time I hear a newborn baby cry  Or touch a leaf  Or see the sky  Then I know why I believe  Every time I hear a newborn baby cry  Or touch a leaf  Or see the sky Then I know why I believe  (Why I believe).’ 

Ah friends, that touched a sore spot in my soul! Hope it did in yours too. It just goes to show how the small and simple things of creation can play a big part in our spiritual lives. 

Now the story goes that ‘I believe’ was commissioned in 1953 by a lady named Jane Froman, who was troubled by the Korean War so soon after World War 2. She asked these four guys, Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl and Al Stillman to compose a song that would offer hope and faith to the populace. And it certainly does! 

Froman seems to have introduced it on her T V. programme, and it became the first hit song ever introduced on the tube. It’s been recorded numerous times by different artists and consequently, over the ensuing years, has become both a popular and religious standard.  

And since it has touched a sore spot in our souls, I believe that it has made us very receptive to God’s word this Sunday morning, as we go to church to hear it preached, and praise Him in fellowship with other believers. 

Oh my people, we all need to get our weekly fix of fellowship and worship, which leaves us refreshed and uplifted, encouraged and strong, ready to face another week of fighting in the trenches. Without that fix friends, we won’t be able to withstand the trials and tribulations that will come against us. 

So please, let’s not deny ourselves that most necessary washing and cleansing and rejuvenating that occurs when we fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary on a Sunday morning. In other words, please, let’s get up and get out to church! It’s the best thing we can do, the best gift we can give ourselves today. End of sermon. (smile) 

That brings us to our Bit: ‘ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgement); but is passed from death into life.’ Yeh friends, it all turns on that simple but beautiful, life changing and life-giving word ‘belief!’ 

Here Jesus is talking to the Pharisees about the Son’s relationship to the Father, after they desired to kill Him because He healed a sick man on the Sabbath.  It’s so simple; if we hear His word and believe in the Father who sent Him, then we’ll face no judgement and embrace everlasting life. Wow! What a wonderful opportunity! 

But the foolish, self-righteous Pharisees refused to believe. And there are a lot of people like them to day still, who in spite of all the proof available, still refuse to believe. But that’s their hard luck! You can’t make anyone believe, even when they are in possession of all the facts. 

Now let’s look at a couple of other Scriptures where Jesus placed the all-important emphasis on belief. And we all know the famous lines following these two verses, where Jesus was talking to Nicodemus. 

‘And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:14-16) 

There again my people, in two consecutive verses Jesus reiterates the power of, the necessity for belief. And He’s still saying it today! But in this evil and ungodly world people are not paying attention to His word. We still are following the foolishness of Lucifer. 

Steups! What a pity! Life could be so wonderful if we’d all, or at least a majority of us would truly believe in Jesus. But I guess them’s the breaks. We all reap what we sow. And if we don’t sow belief in Jesus, then I guess we won’t reap eternal life. 

And we’ll close with these immortal words of Jesus to Martha, after her brother Lazarus had died. ‘Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ (John 11:25-26)  

Ah friends, Jesus was again signifying there His power to give eternal life! And what was Martha’s reply? ‘She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.’ (John 11:27)  

Yes precious people of God, Martha was smart, she believed! Now what about us eh, do we believe too? And I mean truly believe, not merely paying lip service. I sincerely hope that we do, because it will mean the difference between enjoying eternal life in Christ’s presence, or everlasting death with Beelzebub!

Personally, I don’t think there’s any doubt about the wise and sensible choice. Hope you recognize and make it too. Much LOVE!

…as for me and mine…we WILL believe in Jesus…