Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 October 2023 Genesis 49:2.

12 Oct 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 49:2.       Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.

And I can’t believe it’s already Thursday! This week sure has passed very quickly. I guess that’s because Monday was the Thanksgiving holiday and when we’re in holiday or party mode we don’t notice the days fly by. When it’s all work and no play though, it’s a different story. (smile) Anyway, it’s a nice sunny day in my area and life seems to be unfurling as the Creator of the universe planned it. So, let’s give thanks and enjoy what we have, while raising our level of Christian maturity, for many others have much less than we do, and are much contented than we are. 

And with those words of wisdom, (smile) let’s turn to the intriguing story of Bruh Joseph and see what happens in today’s episode. Yesterday we left Bruh Joseph in a state of some displeasure and wonder because His father Jacob had blessed his sons, but in the wrong sequence. He had given the blessing of the first born with his right hand to the younger son Ephraim and the lesser blessing with his left hand, to the oldest son Manasseh. Why? According to Jacob: ‘he (Manasseh) also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.’ (Gen. 48:19) 

So, Bruh Joseph was overruled by his father. And yesterday we noticed where unlike when Isaac been almost blind had wrongly blessed the scheming Jacob, dressed up in hairy goat skins, thinking him to be Esau, Jacob was quite aware of what he was doing, when he blessed Bruh Joseph’s sons in the unconventional order. Why he did it, no one knows for sure, but the scholars have some theories which we promised to share today if God spared life. And since He has blessedly done that, let’s see what the scholars have to offer. 

They say: ‘There is a gentle irony in the fact that on just such an occasion as this Jacob had exercised his guile in his youth (Ch. 27). Once more we have an example of the firstborn’s blessing being given to the younger brother; but in this instance there is no bitterness, resentment, or scheming (cf. Prov. 10:22) They shall be mine has been taken as a form of adoption on the part of Jacob in relation to Manasseh and Ephraim. The purpose may have been to give an inheritance to someone who was not automatically qualified, even though the father already had heirs of his own. 

But they shall be mine may only mean that the grandfather welcomed the two latest additions into the clan which he headed. Or it may mean that the passage simply concerns inheritance, as verse 6 indicates. In that case, Jacob was using his paternal authority to enable Joseph’s sons to inherit directly from their grandfather, rather than from Joseph. This act would honour (his wife) Rachel’s memory by giving her three tribal territories in the Promised Land.’ Even to his dying day Jacob seems to show that amongst his several wives, Rachel was his first and only LOVE. 

Whatever the reason though, Bruh Jospeh’s two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim are to this day numbered among the sons of Israel and when the Promised Land was divided amongst the twelve tribes, their names were featured in the division instead of their father’s. But they are still known as the two Josephite tribes. 

The scholars then inform us that the greater ‘blessing of Jacob on Ephraim became evident during the time of the judges. By this time it had increased in number and power so that it exercised leadership among the 10 northern tribes. Later the name Ephraim became equal to the name Israel (cf. Is. 7:2; Hos. 4:17; 13:1).’ In other words, when you spoke of Ephraim, it came mean all the tribes of Israel. So, Jacob was right in his prognosis of the power of the two of Bruh Joseph’s sons. 

Now, after blessing Bruh Joseph’s two sons, the Bible tells us that Jacob turned to him. ‘And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. Moreover, I have given to thee one portion (shoulder) above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.’ (Gen. 48:21-22) There again, we see how Jacob favoured Bruh Joseph, giving him more inheritance than his siblings. 

And we’ll end today episode with these interesting words from the Good Library. ‘And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.’ (Gen. 49:1-2) And I like that even on his death bed, Jacob was still full of enough spunk and backbone to command his sons’ attention! Then he blessed each son, in the order of their birth. And it’s amazing how all his blessings and prophecies came through. Tomorrow, as always, if God spares life, we’ll check out some of those blessings. 

Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) the underserved favour we call our Thursday Blessings, that have been generously bestowed on us to do God’s work. As one 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!’ 

And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) let’s now go out and put those blessings to work in the lives of others as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us! That’s our bounden duty! Much LOVE!

…blessings are not meant to be selfishly kept…but to be generously shared… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 August 2021 Numbers 23:19a.

16 Aug 2021 Leave a comment

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

Numbers 23:19a.     God is not man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: 

These weeks passing too quickly for me yes friends! We are already into the middle of August, and we just finish celebrating the 1st of August long holiday weekend. (smile) That means fall, or autumn is just around the corner. But them’s the breaks, time waits on no one, and we must therefore conclude that this Monday in the middle of August is another excellent opportunity for us to take the bull by the horns, grab the baton and run with it, put into motion, the amazing plan that our wonderful God has designed for us from time everlasting! 

And yes, we have used a lot of clichés back there, but yuh know what, things become clichés because they are either the truth, or help us to understand the truth better. And the greatest truth in this universe is the Word of God found in His holy book, the Bible, our blueprint, our guide, our map for earthly living! So when we read in it, things like: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) 

We know, we are totally assured that we are hearing the honest to goodness truth., because it comes from the Word of our God. Our Creator has good plans for each one of us, plans He created us to fulfill. And you are even further empowered to believe His Word, when it says: ‘God is not man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ (Num. 23:19) 

What a confidence builder that verse is my brethren! Our God has no need to lie, because He is omnipotent, possesses the power and the ability to do whatever He says He is going to do! As Jesus said to His disciples, talking about a camel passing through the eye of a needle: ‘With men, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) And we need to remember that most salient fact my people. Nothing is too big or too small for our God to do! He can do anything and everything! Therefore, there’s no situation He cannot put us into or take us out of. 

But I want to go back to that verse from Numbers about God not lying, because the scholars offer an interesting explanation of it. ‘23:19. The immutability (unchangeability) of God is stated. The word repent is parallel to lie and is coloured in tone by this very association. Here His repenting is related to falsehood. The concept of the truth of Yahweh is related to immutability (His unchanging nature). Since God is truth, He does not lie; in fact, He cannot lie: He is unchanging. God is utterly different from man. Something that comes far too easily for many men is impossible for Almighty God. He cannot lie (cf. Is. 31:2; 51:6,8; Jer. 4:28; Mal. 3:6).’ 

Oh friends, those are some good verses for you to look up, I just did, and they are all interesting, revolving around the Lord’s unchanging nature and the keeping of His word. But I will only spoon feed us the last one from Malachi, (smile) which we all ought to know anyway. ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) And we better had be thankful for that yes my people, because just like the Lord’s mercy and LOVE are overwhelming, so is His wrath, and you definitely don’t want to feel it. 

And His wrath is not just vengeful anger, but as Romans 2:5-6 says: ‘But after thy hardness (stubborn) and impenitent (unrepentant) heart treasurest up (stores up) unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God (when His righteous judgement will be revealed); Who will render to every man according to his deeds.’ (Rom. 2:5-6) 

So wrath is basically God’s justice for disobedience and thus rounds out His basic attributes of Mercy, LOVE and Justice, or as one commentator asserts: ‘A God who didn’t have wrath towards sin would not be a God of LOVE, because how could a God of LOVE allow sin to go unpunished?’ Good question that my people. And believe me, it will not! However, our ever-LOVING God, has also ‘provided a way of redemption; faith in the atoning blood of his Son.’

Anyway, it’s the start of our work week and many of us have fears, anxieties and concerns, re the state of our lives and our world, weighing heavily on our souls and spirits, so let’s take this opportunity to carry them to the throne of grace in prayer nuh. As one strong, confident but humble voice, let’s declare our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. 

‘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 as always, the answer to our prayers depends on keeping our promises and the right motives of our hearts. Much LOVE!

…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…  (Dr. Charles Stanley)                                                                                                                       

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 March 2020 Hebrews 13:8.

04 Mar 2020 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 13:8.    ​Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. 
 
So then it was Wednesday, and we moving very quickly through the work week. It just seems like time is moving faster than before, faster than ever. And yuh know what? The faster our technological communication becomes, the faster time seems to move. Those who have lived through the days of the snail mail, to these days of instant messaging will surely feel that way. But friends, it’s all relative; nothing but virtual reality. (smile) 

The reality of the movement of time hasn’t changed since our magnificent and magnanimous God introduced it eons ago. It’s just our perspective that’s changed. However, it’s ever so important that we do not change our perspective on Almighty God, because just like the speed of time hasn’t changed, He hasn’t changed either. 

As the psalmist so rightly says: ‘Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yea, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment; as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed (descendants) shall be established before thee.’ (Ps.102: 25-28) 

Oh friends, all of that is oh so true! And for our descendants to continue and remain in the fold of the Lord, it means we have to be very careful of what we change in our lives, and not change just for change sake, change just because others in our immediate circle, or the world, or our society are changing. We need to remain the same in God forever and ever! 

The talk about this is the 21st century and you’ve got to change because of that is utter rot. This going with the flow is invariably nonsense and does nothing but lead us astray, especially since the current world order is moving farther and farther away from God. And with stuff changing so rapidly nowadays, we need to stop and parse and dissect each and every new thing and see if it or they align with God’s Word and Will. And if they don’t, then automatically cast them in rubbish bin of your life and continue in what you know to be the truth and the will of God! 

Please remember these warning words of the Lord spoken through the prophet Malachi: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob have not been consumed.’ (Mal.3:6) This brings us back to the Lamentations of Jeremiah, where he declares: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam.3:22-23) 

Yes my people, it’s only because the Lord hasn’t and doesn’t change that we are alive to tell the story. Otherwise we’d be long gone, consumed and removed from the face of the earth! So there is much to be said for not changing, except for very good reason, for change that aligns with God’s will. Yes, that’s the raison d’etre for any change at all in our lives. 

That’s why the author of Hebrews reminds us: ‘Remember them which have the rule (lead) over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God; whose faith follow, considering the end (outcome) of their conversation (conduct). Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers (various) and strange doctrines (teachings). For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats (foods), which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.’ (Heb.13:7-9) 

Oh my people, our Lord and Saviour doesn’t change, neither does His doctrine change, so why are we been led about by all the strange and ungodly stuff that’s currently in the world eh? The good news of the gospel, of the kingdom of heaven hasn’t change since Jesus preached it some two thousand years ago, and it will not change even if He doesn’t come back for another two thousand years. 

So please be careful of all the busy bodies and the workers of iniquity, and those aligned with the antichrist, for that sort greatly abounds in the current world, and they can be very tempting to our human nature. Thus the timely warning from James, the brother of Christ. 

‘But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust (desires), and enticed. Then when lust (desire) hath conceived, it bringeth forth (gives birth to) sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err (be deceived), my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation) neither shadow of turning.’ (James 1:14-17) 

And the scholars tell us this, re the Immutability of God. ‘1:17. Since all changes are either for the better or for the worse, God is unchanging because He is perfect and cannot get any better or become worse. The Scriptures describe God’s nature, will, and character as immutable or unchanging. 

Illustration: To be immutable, however, does not mean to be immobile. God also has the qualities of personality and can act, think, create, and make decisions. Application: God is unchanging; therefore, Christians can depend on His LOVE and power, because God has not changed since biblical times. (First Ref. Ps. 9:7; Primary Ref. James 1:17; cf. Lev.19:2).’ 

Ah mih people, I do hope that this refresher course in the unchanging nature of God will henceforth give us pause when we encounter stuff that requires us to change, and we will give it great thought and make sure it aligns with God’s Word and Will before we embrace any of it. Now let’s go home declaring (yeh!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know our enviable position in Christ, so that they will choose to come and join us. 

In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And if you truly believe, you’ll know that the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…if God doesn’t change…why should we…true children of God…made in His immutable image…