Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 June 2024 John 6:37.

02 Jun 2024 Leave a comment

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

John 6:37.        All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise (certainly not) cast out.

One more Sunday…one more visit to the Lord’s sanctuary…to meet with friends and neighbours…to celebrate God’s goodness…and give Him thanks and praise for all He’s done for us, especially sending His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross of Calvary to atone for our sins! Oh what a majestic sovereign, omnipotent God and heavenly Father He is! 

That’s why we LOVE and adore Him so much, and the same goes for His salty, light filled, sinless and selfless Son Jesus, who, though He did no wrong, bowed to the Father’s request and bore the sins of the whole world on His shoulders, suffering great indignity and cruelty so that we could be set free from Satan’s evil talons. And for that unselfish deed, the Father gave Him the name above every other name, and to whom all knees will one day bow, and confess that He is Lord, to the glory of the Father. (Phil. 2: 9-11) 

Yes friends, one day, both believers and unbelievers will acknowledge Jesus as Lord and bow to Him in submission and worship, giving Him the honor, respect and glory He so richly and rightfully deserves. And we’ve said all of that so we can open our worship with this beautiful song that pays homage to Jesus, assenting that we want nothing else but Him, that He is indeed enough for us. And the name of the song is simply titled, ‘Give Me Jesus.’  

And what does it really mean eh? This commentary puts it very succinctly: ‘The words “give me Jesus” are more than just a saying. To say, “you can have all this world, but give me Jesus” is to let go of all earthly comforts and things and take hold of what truly matters, Christ.’ Yes mih bredrin, Christ is all that really matters in this world.  

And where did the song come from you ask? No one seems to really know, but it seems that the earliest known version of “Give Me Jesus” was published in the United States in 1845 by the Rev. Jacob Knapp, a Baptist minister from New York. By 1849 the Methodists published a version, and the song was popularized in the mid-nineteenth century through various camp meetings and hymnals. Anyway it became very popular down through the ensuing years even been sung by the African Slaves on the Southern American Plantations. 

Consequently, it’s been changed and rearranged numerous times, but today we’re going to sing a version done by Danny Gokey, in a soulful, scintillating mood, accompanied by hauntingly beautiful music and background voices. (smile) So let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in all sincerity and truth. Singing: ‘Ohhh ohhh, Give me Jesus… In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise Give me Jesus. (Chorus: Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.) 

When I am alone, Oh When I am alone, When I am alone, Give me Jesus. (Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. For He is all that I need. Just give me Jesus) When I come to die, Oh, When I come to die, When I come to die, Give me Jesus. (Ohhhh Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Oh it’s all I need, all I need is Jesus. 

So Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, He’s all I need. Give me Jesus…in the morning when I rise…when I lay my head down… when I wake up, when I lay my head down, said I need him, said I need you… said I only want Jesus…when I wake up… Just give me Jesus. All I need is him. We worship you, we worship you, say we worship you Lord. You’re the answer to my prayers, you’re the calm in the storm, you’re my rest and my refuge…oh yeahhh…’  

Ah friends, that was wonderful…and heartfelt too. Such sweet singing doesn’t occur unless one feels it in one’s heart. And wonder of wonders, I discovered a blog written by Trevin Wax on the song in 2021, and I’d like share some of it with us today because He does get the right idea and enthusiasm that comes with hollering out for Jesus, and wanting ONLY Him in this crazy world. 

He writes: ‘Crying out for Jesus is more than yearning for safety; we want His ferocious goodness. The Lion of Judah’s roar can burst your eardrums, but in His mane you can bury your head and cry out all your tears of sorrow. Untameable, unfathomable, unexplainable—He’s a fire that bursts into a blaze, burning away our sins, yet still warming our hearts. And so, friend, wherever you may be at this time, a year after so many things in our world changed, don’t lose sight of the One who saved you, the One who even now sustains you when you don’t sense His presence—the One who promises to complete the good work He has begun in you. (Phil. 1:6)

We sing “Give Me Jesus” because we want what He wants. He is the One who prayed that we would be with Him and see His glory (John 17:24).’  And I’ve included that verse, which says: ‘Father, I will (desire) that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou LOVEDST me before the foundation of the world.’ 

‘We sing “Give Me Jesus” because we trust wehave been given to Him, and we believe His promise that we will never be cast out (John 6:37).’  And that verse is our Bit for today: ‘All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise (certainly not) cast out.’  

We sing “Give me Jesus” because on the cross, when the glory and LOVE of God was manifested in the Son bowing to His Father’s will, His heart was singing for us, “Give me my Bride.” Jesus LOVES me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’ 

And it certainly does my people! But it’s up to us to believe it. The Lord gave us free will, and we can choose whatever we want, but just remember that there will be a serious price to pay if we don’t choose Jesus! Much LOVE!

…Jesus is the way…the truth…and the life…and no one enters the pearly gates…except through Him…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   16 July 2023 John 6:37.

16 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   16 July 2023   John 6:37.

John 6:37.       All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise (certainly not) cast out.

It’s Sunday friends, the day we gather in the Lord’s Sanctuary to give Him all the glory that He so rightly deserves! There’s no better time to be had than when believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob get together to praise and worship our Triune God! The gathering just resounds with joy and fine fellowship as we thank God for abundant life and Jesus Christ. 

So, let’s get the festivities rolling with a song we haven’t sung for a while. I was lying in bed thinking what we should sing today when this beautiful song just floated into my mind, one that I LOVE everlasting. (smile) It was written and recorded by Fernando Ortega in 1999, as well as by several other artists, my favourite version being the live, soulful one by Christian vocalist Danny Gokey with an amazing choir in the background, the haunting piano and strings. Now, let’s give it up for Jesus, as we offer up our soulful, harmonious sacrifices of praise through the song, ‘Give Me Jesus!’  

Singing: ‘Ohhh ohhh, Give me Jesus… In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise Give me Jesus. (Chorus: Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.) When I am alone, Oh When I am alone, When I am alone, Give me Jesus. (Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. For He is all that I need. Just give me Jesus) When I come to die, Oh, When I come to die, When I come to die, Give me Jesus. 

(Ohhhh Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Oh it’s all I need, all I need is Jesus. So Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, He’s all I need. Give me Jesus…in the morning when I rise…when I lay my head down… when I wake up, when I lay my head down, said I need him, said I need you… said I only want Jesus…when I wake up… Just give me Jesus. All I need is him. We worship you, we worship you Lord. You’re the answer to my prayers, you’re the calm in the storm, you’re my rest and my refuge…oh yeahhh… Just give me Jesus!’ 

And that’s the indisputable truth of the matter my people: Jesus is all we ever need in this life, for He is our Lord and Saviour, who provides for all our needs! He gave His sinless life so that our sins could be forgiven and now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf. What more can one ask eh? Absolutely nothing! 

And this song is the epitome of the need for seeking Jesus? Why? Listen to this commentary: ‘Have you felt like you’re getting weak and losing hope? Are there situations in your life that you would like to give up? Then bear your ears for a moment, this song “Give Me Jesus” will strengthen your faith in God. A song that will change your beliefs and will help you have a greater relationship with God.’ 

And they give this testimonial to prove it. ‘Moreover, this is the song sang by the old soul Mo Pitney. “Give Me Jesus” actually strengthened his faith in God. It helped his marriage become stronger and made him a responsible father.’ Mo Pitney was a troubled country music star when he recorded this song and things turned around dramatically for him. And if it can do it for him, it can do it for any and all of us. 

And why should we seek God early each day? This other insightful commentary tells us: ‘Every morning, let’s be mindful that the day is a gift from God, and we are alive on this earth for a reason. At the start of every day, we should re-submit our will to His in order to fulfill our purpose.’ Mama oh Mama! That’s the gospel truth! Every day we ought to renew our relationship with God, giving Him thanks and praise for allowing us to see another glorious day on planet earth, and finding out His will for us that day. 

And furthermore, that’s what Jesus did. The gospel of Mark relates it thus: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary (secluded) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35) Yes friends, Jesus rose early every morning to have time to talk to His Father, and if the first-born Son of God needed to talk to God every day, then his adopted sons ought to do likewise. 

And here’s another reason why calling for Jesus is important. “We sing “Give Me Jesus” because we want what He wants. He is the One who prayed that we would be with Him and see His glory (John 17:24).” And what does that verse say? ‘Father, I will (desire) that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou LOVEDST me before the foundation of the world.’ 

‘We sing “Give Me Jesus” because we trust we have been given to Him, and we believe His promise that we will never be cast out (John 6:37). And that says: ‘All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise (certainly not) cast out.’ There you have it my fellow saints, Jesus’ faithful promise that whoever comes to Him will be with Him forever! You can’t get a more faithful promise than that. 

And if you’re worried about Jesus taking care of you, then please don’t, for Psalm 55 tells us quite plainly: ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 55:22) And you can bet your bottom dollar on that my fellow believers, because our great God is ever faithful! 

And we’ll cement that with two other translations of Psalm 55:22. The first is from the New Living Translation (NLT) that says: ‘Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.’ Then there’s this from the Message translation: “Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders – he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out. He’ll never let good people topple into ruin.” 

In other words: ‘God LOVES us with unconditional LOVE, He forgives our transgressions, and He takes care of us. By faith and with prayer, give up your worries, burdens, and fears to God. During trials and temptation, He sustains and strengthens the faithful. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.’ 

Now, if after hearing all that faithful stuff, you still have doubts about putting your trust in Jesus, then I really don’t know what to say, except to keep on trying. Much LOVE!

…Jesus is the answer…but you’ll never know it…until you put your trust in Him… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 October 2022 Matthew 18:20.

02 Oct 2022 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 18:20.       For wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.​​

Come on down friends, it’s time once again to gather, by whatever means possible, and sing songs of praise, give thanks for our many blessings, and offer up worshipful adoration to our great God Jehovah, on this His day, Sunday! Consequently, we adhere to His commands to ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy,’ as well as to restrain from toil for one day of the week, like He did when He created the world and all therein. (Ex. 20:8-11) And thankfully, that day is today. (smile) 

So let’s open with a short prayer. ‘Oh heavenly Father, we thank you for this day and all that You have prepared for us to enjoy in it. We thank You also  for enabling us to gather in worship, and ask that Your holy presence be amongst us as we do so in sincerity and truth, remembering the faithful promise of Your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour: ‘For wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ Please be in our midst as we open our hearts and souls to you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.’ And that promise of Jesus can be found in Matthew 18:20. 

Now, let’s raise our harmonious voices in sacrificial praise as we render a sweet, scintillating and oh so soulful version of this favourite song, written by Fernando Ortega, so aptly titled, ‘Give me Jesus!’ Wow friends, there’s no better gift we can ever receive than Jesus. So let’s make that plain as we sing it loud and clear, in all sincerity and truth, a la Danny Gokey’s version with the wonderful background voices of the diverse choir and the stirring music of the full orchestra. (smile) 

Singing: ‘Ohhh ohhh, Give me Jesus… In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise Give me Jesus. (Chorus: Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.) When I am alone, Oh When I am alone, When I am alone, Give me Jesus. (Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. For He is all that I need. Just give me Jesus) 

When I come to die, Oh, When I come to die, When I come to die, Give me Jesus. (Ohhhh Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Oh, it’s all I need, all I need is Jesus. So Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, You can have all this world, You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus, He’s all I need. He’s all I need. 

Give me Jesus…in the morning when I rise…when I lay my head down… when I wake up, when I lay my head down, said I need him, said I need you… said I only want Jesus…when I wake up… Just give me Jesus. All I need is him. We worship you, we worship you, say we worship you Lord. You’re the answer to my prayers, you’re the calm in the storm, you’re my rest and my refuge…oh yeahhh… Just give me Jesus…’  

Oh my fellow saints, that was ever so touching and heartfelt! And yes, the words are simple and somewhat repetitive, but the emotions of gratitude and appreciation they convey as they float over the rich music is certainly amazing, especially when they are sung sincerely from the heart, like we just did. And why is Jesus so important that we’d be willing to give up everything else in the world just for Him? 

Because He is our Lord and Saviour, our Leader, Guide and Good Shepherd! He left His privileged position in heaven, at the Father’s request and came to earth in man’s form to sacrifice His sinless life so that our abominable sins could be forgiven, have everlasting life and be once again made right with the Lord. Now if that isn’t the best example of selflessness, and therefore deserves our total surrender, thanks and gratitude, then I don’t know what is. 

And if you don’t believe me, then, please listen to how Bruh Paul explains Jesus to the Philippians. ‘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 (coming) in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion  (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:6-11) 

Wow! That’s how special Jesus is my people! He left heaven as the Son of God and came to earth like a lowly servant, and learned obedience as a man, and gave His life to please the Father. And it’s not that Jesus so badly wanted to sacrifice His life nuh, but the Father desperately desired to save His ungrateful, disobedient, sinful creation called mankind, but found Himself between a rock and a hard place. Meaning, that to uphold His righteousness and justice, sin had to be paid for by death of a sinless soul, and since Jesus was the ONLY sinless soul available, He had to band His jaw and sacrifice His one Son. That was the ONLY way to carry out the LOVING feeling in His heart. 

And as we said earlier on, it wasn’t that Jesus badly wanted to take the sins of the whole world on His shoulder, for remember the night before His crucifixion, in the Garden of Gethsemane, three times He knelt and prayed to the Father: ‘O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt. 26:39) 

Now, according to the scholars, that didn’t mean that Jesus obviously feared death, ‘but it is more likely 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.’

 Remember His heart-breaking cry on the cross: ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt: 27:46) Yes friends, it broke Jesus’ heart because that was the ONLY time the Father ever turned away from Him, because He was ugly and repugnant in the Father’s eyes, burdened with the sins of the world. But then, three days later, He rose victorious from the dead, having defeated Satan on his own turf and ascended back to the Father to take His rightful place at His right hand. 

And that’s why He’s all we ever want and need! He’s such a magnificent example to all of mankind, in terms of sacrifice, obedience, and every other thing you can think of, why He’s in such high demand, why He’s our empathetic High Priest and Advocate, as well as the Lord of Lord, and King of Kings! Much LOVE!

…there’s nothing…or no one to compare with JESUS…it’s as simple as that…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 January 2021 Matthew 11:28.

17 Jan 2021 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 11:28.     ​Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Come all ye saints of Christ, come from far and wide, let us gather in the virtual reality of His tabernacle so that we can praise and worship Him, on this His special day! And all God’s children declared a loud and proud: ‘Praise the Lord God Almighty for His goodness to the children of men! Bless His holy name!’ 

Yes friends, it’s the Lord’s Day again, and that calls for celebration and exaltation, while seeking wisdom, guidance and encouragement for the next seven days. We can’t meet in person, but they certainly can’t stop us from meeting by technological means. So let’s fire up those pieces of technological wonder, as well as our hearts, souls, bodies and minds and open the proceedings with a soulful piece of worship written by Fernando Ortega, titled ‘Give Me Jesus.’ But we’re going to do the live, soulful rendition by Danny Gokey. 

Ah mih people, this song has become one of my favourites since I first heard it last year. And yuh know, earlier this past week, when I began thinking about what we’d sing today, that just flashed into my mind, and obviously it was game over! (smile) So let’s get with it; let our sacrifice of praise rise to high heaven as the black youngster on the rich sounding piano leads us into soulful, scintillating song. And please don’t forget the sweet background vocals from the diversified choir. 

‘Ohhh ohhh, Give me Jesus… In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise Give me Jesus. (Chorus: Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.) When I am alone, Oh When I am alone, When I am alone, Give me Jesus. (Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. For He is all that I need. Just give me Jesus) When I come to die, Oh, When I come to die, When I come to die, Give me Jesus. 

(Ohhhh Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Oh it’s all I need, all I need is Jesus. So Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, You can have all this world, You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus, He’s all I need. He’s all I need. 

Give me Jesus…in the morning when I rise…when I lay my head down… when I wake up, when I lay my head down, said I need him, said I need you… said I only want Jesus…when I wake up… Yeahh! Just give me Jesus. All I need is him. We worship you, we worship you, say we worship you Lord. You’re the answer to my prayers, you’re the calm in the storm, you’re my rest and my refuge…oh yeahhh…’ 

Yes mih bredrin, yes! Who says worship ain’t sweet and uplifting eh? Tell them they don’t know what they talking about, especially when yuh worshipping Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, the One who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross at Calvary to pay for our abominable sins and thus established reconciliation with our heavenly Father, our Creator and Provider! Wow! Worship must be sweet when yuh worshipping the Light of the World; the Way the Truth and the Life! How could it not be eh, when Jesus is ALL anyone ever needs! 

The song tells the gospel truth! In the morning when I rise, all I need to do is turn to Jesus, surrender my day to Him and He will lead and guide me in wisdom and truth. He is the answer to ALL our prayers, our calm in the storm, our refuge and strong tower. Then when I am alone, feeling lonely…oh mih people, NO ONE provides comfort like our Sacrificial Lamb, because He can empathize with our problems since He also experienced rejection, dejection, disappointment, ‘sufferation’ and all the negative things that this world throws at us. 

And there are no better, more comforting words in the Good Book than those of His Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Now who in their right minds would ever want to turn down such an inviting and comforting invitation eh? A lot of people turn it down though. That means we have plenty people in our world who aren’t in their right minds. (smile) 

So while we’re here on earth, Jesus is ALL we need. And when we die, He’s still ALL we need because He’s our Saviour, who paid our sin debt in full, so that we can enter paradise with Him and enjoy eternal life. Brother! What a magnificent and magnanimous Deity is our Jesus: LOVING, merciful, compassionate, graceful, forgiving, faithful…etc. etc.! 

So why would we need anyone else in this life, or the hereafter eh? When we wake up, when go to sleep, when we need comfort, when we need forgiving, mercy, grace, compassion, strength to face the day, He’s the ONLY One who can provide it all! That’s why we can refuse ALL that this world has to offer, once we have JESUS! Keep the wealth and the power, the social and celebrity status of this evil world. We’ll settle for JESUS! 

And besides, He’s promised that if we put His Father and Him first, seek the kingdom of God and its righteousness, all that we need will be given to us, because the Father knows what we need, and He won’t let us go lacking anything! (Matt. 6:33) No wonder Bruh David could proclaim, and so too can we: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Ps.23:1) 

And even when it comes to earthly riches, who was the richest man ever eh? Solomon! The Lord made him that because he asked for wisdom and understanding to rule His people. So if the Lord thinks we need earthly wealth, He can also give us that, for He owns it ALL! So why bother with this wicked world and their worthless stuff eh? We can’t carry any of it with us. 

And anyway, where we saints are going we don’t need it, for heaven is richer and more priceless and beautiful than earth ever will be – mansions and streets paved with gold…and JESUS, our shining star! So let’s keep leaning on Him nuh, holding tightly to His hand, and when He comes knocking at the doors of our hearts, let’s open quickly and receive Him with a hearty ‘Welcome my Lord and Saviour! Welcome!’ Much LOVE!

…Jesus made us…saved us…and will look after us for ever…Glory be…