Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 March 2023 Hebrews 11:6.

02 Mar 2023 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 11:6.      But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is (exists), and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Now I don’t know what area my weather forecasting computer is talking about when it says 2C Cloudy, but it’s certainly not my neighbourhood because outside of my place it’s a dry, bright and sunshiny as ever Thursday morning in early March 2023. And let’s hope it stays that way, because I’ve got to go out the street later and run some errands. And since it seems that the Lord was most willing for us to see another beautiful day on planet earth, then we have to keep our promise and continue looking at scriptures that tell us about faith and its relationship to fear and Jesus. (smile) 

Now, yesterday, we looked at several scriptures that showed where faith is of the utmost necessity if and when we choose to serve God. But first let’s see what exactly faith is. The Bible tells us that ‘Faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds (ages) were framed (prepared) by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (are visible)’ (Heb. 11:1-3) 

Yes friends, faith is basically believing for things we don’t see, yet hoping that if it’s the will of God, it will happen. It’s all about trusting God to do what’s right in our lives. And it’s so important that the author of Hebrews informs us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is (exists), and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) And He goes on to name several men of God, who manifested great faith, like Noah, who built and ark just by God’s say so. 

Then there’s Enoch who pleased God so much that he didn’t die, but was simply translated from the earth, simply walked out of it, simply disappeared. (smile) And Abraham, the father of modern-day faith, who picked up his personal family and belongings and went out into the wild, somewhere unknown, simply because a God he did not know told him to do it and made several promises of what would happen if he did. Abraham was even willing to offer up his one son of his old age Isaac, because God told him to, testing his faith. And you can find all those stories of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. 

Now, obviously not all of us will ever reach the level of faith that those heroes achieved, but it’s what we desperately need to work towards if we are to live the victorious life that Christ died for us to have. And the author of Hebrews gives us yet another poignant word on faith, which says: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering (for he is faithful that promised.) (Heb. 10:23) Oh my people we need to steadfastly hold on to our faith in God because our God is ever-faithful, He does not disappoint those who put their sincere trust in Him. 

That doesn’t mean that life will be a bed of roses, and everything we want we will get, but it does mean that most things in God’s will, if it’s in His plan for our lives we will get them. God will not allow anything or anyone but us, to stop our destiny. And sometimes He won’t even allow us to do it, He’ll keep applying the pressure so that we eventually give in and do it His way. I can tell you that from personal experience. For if I had had my way, I wouldn’t be writing the Bit today. But His tenacity eventually forced me to capitulate. (smile) 

And let’s not forget this most important fact: God is not there to please us and make our every whim and fancy come true. We are in existence to please Him, to do His will, to live out the plan He has in store for every life that He creates. Let’s remember that He is the Master and we the slaves, He’s the Father and we the children, He’s the Potter and we the clay, and He can shape us any which way He desires, and we need to go along with His will through staunch and true faith in Him. 

Now here’s this other beautiful scripture on faith versus fear, that comes from the pen of Bruh Paul to his protégé Timothy. He writes: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound  (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) Wow! What an amazing scripture. It shows that from the very get go, the Lord has given us a spirit of faith, not of fear, but like all the other stuff He’s given us, we need to then nourish that faith. It’s like the fruit of the Spirit, the seeds of which we all have planted in our inner man, but we then have to water and nourish them so that they can grow and be manifested in our actions. 

That means, as Gal. 5:22-23 explains: the seeds of LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), meekness, temperance (self-control) were all planted in us the day we accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, and the Holy Spirit then came to dwell within us. But those fruit of godliness and righteousness can’t, or won’t manifest themselves in our behaviour until and unless we water and nurture them and help them to grow into beautiful fruit of the Spirit. And please note that faith (faithfulness) is one of those fruit that needs to be nourished and nurtured by us, if we expect them to show forth in Jesus’ name. 

And I’m chuckling here because time and space have again forced us to close for the day, and we haven’t even spoken about Jesus and the subject of faith in His life yet. But hopefully, if God allows us to see tomorrow, we will get to Jesus yet. That’s a promise! (smile) Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. 

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

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

Now, if we were sincere about those declarations, (ah Lord eh!!!) let’s go out and share them just as generously in helping others as Jesus did with us. Much LOVE!

…faith is of the utmost importance in the Christian’s life…but unfortunately…it can only be learned by hard experience… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   9 June 2022 Hebrews 11:3.

09 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 11:3.      Through faith we understand that the worlds (ages) were framed (prepared) by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (are visible).

And just as I queried, yesterday’s bright sunshine did not last, for by the afternoon the clouds came rolling in, then by evening time, the rain began and drizzled through most of the night. Now, today, Thursday has opened cloudy and wet, but the rain has stopped and hopefully by lunchtime the sun will have come out bright and warm. (smile) And isn’t that what hope and faith are all about? For sure; the evidence of things not seen, but eagerly and expectantly hoped and waiting for! 

As Chapter 11 in Hebrews, that great chapter on faith tells us: ‘For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds (ages) were framed (prepared) by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (are visible).’ (Heb. 11:2-3) Yes friends, in this life, we need to believe a lot of things we can’t see or conceive of, meaning that everything we do depends to some extent on faith. Even when we sit in a chair or lie on a bed, it’s faith that makes us believe they won’t crumble under us. 

But it’s even more important for us to have a strong and bubbling faith when we come before God. Cain’s faith was not as righteous as Abel’s, that’s why God refused his sacrificial offering. Abel’s offering was of a sacrificial nature, the first and best of his flock, and apparently his heart motives were right, while Cain’s were not. (Gen. 4:3-7) And again, we cannot please God unless we truly believe that He is who He says He is, and does all that He says He can do. 

Please note these scriptures on some of our fellow believers who wrought much because of their faith. ‘By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear (reverence), prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.’ (Heb. 11:7) Now that was something else, because it took exceptionally great faith and trust to do what Noah did. 

According to the scholars, ‘Noah was asked by God to do in faith things that were incongruous (not in harmony) with his former experience. He had never seen rain (Gen. 2:5), and yet God told him to build and ark because of a coming flood (Gen. 6:13-17).’ Now, how many of us would have accepted such a backbreaking and seemingly impossible task eh? Not many. But Noah believed the Lord and did as He asked. And that’s why he was chosen to replenish humanity after the catastrophic flood that destroyed all the other abominably sinful human beings. 

The same thing could be said of Abraham when the Lord suddenly showed up and told him to pack up and leave his pagan gods and family and go wither he knew not. The Good Book tells it thus: ‘By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went (where he was going).’ (Heb. 11:8) 

Once again, how many of us, especially at seventy-five years of age, would have simply packed up and left our families on the promise of a supposed god that we did not know eh? Only a few. But Abraham did. And, ‘By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange (foreign) country, dwelling in tabernacles (tents) with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.’ (Heb. 11:9) Yes, he left his comfortable home and became a nomad, wandering a country he didn’t know, living much less comfortably than if he had stayed at home in Haran. 

So why did he do it eh? The Bible tells us: ‘For he looked for (was waiting for) a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker was God.’ (Heb. 11:10) Wow! What monumental faith! That’s why the Good Book says: ‘And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.’ (Gen. 15:6) Although, as the scholars explain, that happened after the Lord took him outside to look at all the numerous stars in the sky and promised that his descendants would be as numerous. So, it was not his original act of faith, but further evidence of his confidence in God. 

The same thing goes for Sarah. Although she first laughed when God said she would have a son after many barren years and at an old age. ‘Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of (bore) a child when she was past age; because she judged him faithful who had promised.’ (Heb. 11:11) Yes friends, only the miraculous work of our omnipotent God could have allowed Sarah and Abraham to have a child when she was ninety and him a hundred years old! 

And no, Abraham and Sarah did not have it easy, wandering all over the land as a nomadic tribe, but they saw enough faithfulness in God’s promises that made them continue on the route that He had plotted out for them. And that’s why today we talk about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; he and his descendants stood strong in faith with God. 

The Good Book continues: ‘These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded (assured) of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country (homeland). And truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned, But now they desire a better country, that is a heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.’ (Heb. 11:13-16) 

Yes my fellow saints, earth is not our eventual home, but that doesn’t mean we are not meant to enjoy it as much as we can, until we get to the heavenly place that God has created for us, where there are no tears, no pain, no death, no sorrow, just continual communion, praise and worship with our heavenly Father. But it all comes through faith, and unless you sincerely believe, surrender and trust in the promises of God you will never see that heavenly home. 

In the meanwhile, let’s go home today declaring (chuh!) our Thursday Blessings that have been so generously bestowed on us to do God’s work down here on earth. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

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

Now, let’s go out and use those marvellous blessings to bring others to Christ, as He desires of us. Much LOVE!

…there is little hope for man…unless he succumbs to faith in Almighty God…the Creator and Controller of this universe… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8​