Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 December 2023 Psalm 31:24.

02 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 31:24.       Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

And it looks like the first lazy-day Saturday in December will be just like the first Friday yesterday; wet and cloudy with promises of rain and intermittent snow. But it’s a perfect day for staying inside and allowing all the stress and tension to flow out of you, as you get quiet and somewhat lazy (smile) and contemplate your position in life: like where you’re going, how you’re going to get there, are you improving, especially your spiritual self, becoming more Christlike… 

Yes friends, today, at the beginning of the Christmas Season, when we celebrate the incarnate birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, it’s a perfect time to reconsider our goals in life and see if they line up with the Lord’s will and Word. And to help us do that, let’s say our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with sincere hearts, minds, bodies and souls. 

As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

And it never ceases to amaze me, that every Saturday when we say that prayer, how quiet, relaxed and thoughtful I become. I surely hope it does the same for you, because at the end of our busy work week, we certainly need something to quiet our spirits and keep our souls in communion with God and His awesome plan for our lives. And there’s nothing better than prayer to do so! In fact, that’s what prayer was designed for; to bring us closer to our heavenly Father. 

So anytime you feel like you’re drifting away from Him, please turn to prayer, sincere prayer, so that you can get reconnected and be safely ensconced, hidden in the refuge of His ever-LOVING embrace. For, as Moses so wisely wrote in the book of Deuteronomy so long ago: ‘There is none like the God of Jeshurun  (righteous people), who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee, and shall say, Destroy them.’ (Deut. 33:26-27) 

Yes my faithful brethren, that’s the strong and powerful and ever-LOVING God we righteous serve. As one commentary puts it. ‘Deuteronomy 33:26-27 Prays For Those Who Are Struggling, saying: Oh God, that they would rest in you, the eternal God as their dwelling place. That they would find deep rest in you today, right now in this moment, and they would know underneath them are the everlasting arms of the eternal God.’ 

And that’s our prayer for all of us this lazy-day Saturday my fellow saints, for in this troubled and chaotic world we all need a safe and secure refuge when the enemy comes with his evil minions to tempt and test our souls and spirits. And the only place we believers can find such security and refuge is in the everlasting arms of our great and wonderful God, who has faithfully promised to protect us from all the attacks of the enemy if we would only surrender our souls and lives to him. 

That’s why Bruh David could afford to write in Psalm 27: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1) Oh my people, those sure are powerful words of faith and trust! And until we can declare (yesss!!!) them with the utmost certainty and sense of purpose, we will be forever doubtful when the enemy tempts and tests us. 

Now, we’re not saying that those are easy words to proclaim, but we can only do so if we keep practicing what they say. That means we need to be continually turning to the Lord for whatever we desire in our everyday lives, for only with practice can we ever come close to perfection. And Bruh David could utter those words with complete conviction because he had personally experienced the safety and security of God in his everyday life, especially in those crazy times when he was running from King Saul who desperately wanted to kill him.  

And these words of Bruh David from Psalm 31, subtitled ‘My Rock and My Fortress,’ gives us more insight into how it is when we walk sincerely with God. Please read with me: ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear (reverence) thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence (secret place) from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues. 

Blessed be the Lord: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city. For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplication when I cried unto thee. O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’ (Ps. 31:19-24) 

Oh my fellow saints in Christ, I could not put it any better than that, and I do hope that what we’ve said this lazy-day Saturday will help to fill us with the strength the courage and the will to sincerely turn to Almighty God, to surrender our all to Him, and be obedient to His will, because that is the highest form of wisdom for all the ages! Much LOVE!

…the One who created you…He’s the One who will keep you safe from all harm… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 November 2023 Mark 1:35.

18 Nov 2023 Leave a comment

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

Mark 1:35.        And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.

And the sunshine missing from yesterday has returned this lazy-day Saturday friends. Thank the Lord! Oh, there are a few clouds hanging around, but it’s good to know that the sunshine is in the ascendance! Glory be! And with all of that thankfulness in our minds and on our tongues, (smile) let’s get to out Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, and declare it (yesss!) like we really mean it. 

Altogether now: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

Now let’s hope that our sincerity shone through in our words and that the Lord did quiet our souls and deepen our breaths while surrounding us with His glorious presence, because there’s no greater feeling of peace and joy than when one can truly feel the Lord’s presence surrounding us. That aura of light and LOVE, of compassion and well-being that emanates from His presence is like no other in this whole wide world! 

And sadly, that’s something too many of us don’t take the time to seek and find. Even when we pray, we often just get up and go about our business, without spending a few moments to either listen to what the Lord has to say in reply to our prayers, or to just sit quietly and enjoy the peace and stillness that radiates from His awesome presence. And that unfortunately detracts from the power and rejuvenation that prayer is supposed to have. 

Taking time to just spend in God’s presence is one of the most energizing and refreshing things we can ever do. We don’t even need to say a single word, but silently ask Him to come into our presence and be with us. And believe me, He will do it very enthusiastically, because, like any other father, there’s nothing the Lord enjoys and relishes more than being in the presence of His children. 

Remember how Jesus always went off by Himself somewhere to pray, especially after some tiring preaching, even to the point of leaving the disciples on their own. Like the time he fed the five thousand men, besides women and children, then sent the disciples to the other side of the lake in a ship. ‘And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart (by himself) to pray: and when evening was come, he was there alone.’ (Matt. 14:23) 

Yes friends, Jesus relished the quiet time He spent with the Father, because He knew that He desperately need the refreshing and rejuvenation for His human body and soul to do the tasks the Father had set him. And, except in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before His crucifixion, when things were really on the bubble, I’m sure that Jesus didn’t say all that much to the Father, for they both knew the plans that were afoot, but He just felt so much better simply basking in the Father’s presence. It’s like those times in our own experiences when we’re with a friend or somebody close to us, and there’s no need for words, because the silence between us says it all. 

But my favourite verse about Jesus’ prayer life is this one found in the gospel of Mark, where he writes: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35) Wow mih bredrin! If Jesus, the Son of God, God Himself, needed to get up early and go out and pray to his heavenly Father, so that He could handle the days difficulties and do His bidding, what does it say about us eh? 

We need the guiding of the Holy Spirit even much more, especially in these days of worldwide chaos and disaster. But so many of us just get up and run out of the house desperate to get to work on time, without even giving the Lord a simple thank you for bringing us safely through the night, much less asking Him to take us safely through the day! And then we wonder why our lives are so miserable and chaotic. 

Hn! What else do we expect when we don’t honour God eh? When we’re too busy with the perishable things of this evil world, and don’t sufficiently consider the imperishable things of the next life! There’s no magic or miracle to it nuh my fellow believers. All the Lord asks of us is basically to LOVE and reverence Him, and be obedient  to His Holy Will, which we can find in His Word, the Bible. 

But being the stubborn, rebellious, sinful children we are, we foolishly refuse to adhere to His wishes, and instead lustfully listen to the lies and deceits of Satan, just like our foolish foreparents, Adam and Eve did. And when we find ourselves deep, and sinking ever deeper in the mire of Satan’s cesspool, we wonder why that is. 

The foolish and ever-stubborn ones simply accept their fate, but the smart ones desperately cry out to God for help, because they know deep down, that our LOVING God will NEVER turn down a sincere cry for assistance from one of His human creations. Just like He heard Jonah’s sincere cry from the belly of the fish and delivered him, likewise He will deliver all who cry out to Him from the mire of Satan’s sinful cesspool. 

And that is our prayer for all of us today friends; that wherever we are, and at whatever stage of our lives, if we need help, then let us cry out to our heavenly Father for it, because He’s promised never to turn away a single soul who comes to Him in all sincerity and truth! 

And yuh know what, every single, solitary one of us needs divine help, right this very minute, for none of us are perfect, and if the ONLY perfect One that ever lived on planet earth, Jesus Christ, needed divine help to handle his situation, then we most certainly do too! So let’s do what we know we need to do nuh; cry out to God for divine help! Much LOVE!

…it’s not a shame to cry…for tears are the window washers of our souls… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 November 2023 Philippians 3:10a.

04 Nov 2023 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 3:10a.       That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,

And the lazy-day Saturday began wet and cloudy, but now there’s sunshine filtering through the clouds, promising to be a good day after all. And since I enjoyed more of the lazy day Saturday morning than I should have, (smile) let’s get right to our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. 

As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

Oh friends, how relaxing and peaceful is that prayer that quietly brings us into the presence of our wonderful God! And getting to know our Lord and Saviour better each and every day, ought to be one of our spiritual projects, for the better we know Him, the better we can serve Him! And why do we seek to know God better? This commentary puts is thus: ‘Why do we have the desire to know God? A lot of good reasons, but the chief ones are “to LOVE Him” and “to worship Him.” This is the Christian life and behind why God saved us from our sins. PRAYER: “Father, help me to pursue You to know You that I might LOVE and worship You.” 

And what does it mean to desire to know God? ‘If the desire of your heart is to know God more intimately, that is a sign that the grace of God is drawing you. Your part is to respond by setting yourself to seek after and pursue Him (Matt. 6:33). Those who seek will find (Jer.29:13) And for those of us who don’t those very important scriptures here they are. Matt. 16:33 says: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ And that simply means that God should be the number ONE priority in our lives. 

Meanwhile Jeremiah 29:13 says: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ Yes my fellow believers we need to seek God with all our hearts. As Jesus said when asked what is the greatest commandment in the law. ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.’ (Matt. 22:37) Oh friends, all of that just means that God must occupy first place in our daily lives. No wonder Bruh Paul so boldly stated in his letter to the Philippians: ‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;’ (Phil 3:10) 

And the scholars say: ‘This verse may also be paraphrased: “In order that I may personally know Him, that I might both experience His resurrection power, and share in His sufferings, and thus I will be more and more conformed to His death.” Paul wants “the righteousness… of God” (vs. 9) so that he can obtain a personal relationship with Jesus in actual day to day experience. This knowledge of Christ is obtained by experiencing in daily problems, needs, ministry, and so forth, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. 

Knowing Christ also entails participating in His sufferings. Paul desires to share in the Lord’s sufferings because they bring him into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Him; companionship in sorrow establishes the most intimate and lasting of ties, as afflicted hearts cling to each other. The result of participating in Christ’s sufferings is that Paul is being made like Him in death. This word “death” has a double meaning here, including inward and outward, ethical and physical death. As Jesus died in regard to sin on the cross, so Paul is doing more and more in his daily life. As Jesus was bodily slain, so the apostle, should Caesar’s verdict go against him, is prepared to be slain.’ 

Ah mih people, Bruh Paul was a zealot of the first order, but the good news is that we don’t have to be as zealous for Christ as he was. Oh, we do need to work towards that goal, but not many of us will be forced to give up our physical lives for Christ, although it should always be an option, as Christ sacrificed so much for us. However, we do need to increase our witness and LOVE for Christ, because too many of us are just armchair Christians, merely sitting on our comfortable fannies and spouting a whole lot of scriptural rhetoric but doing nothing to truly build Christ’s church. 

That is totally unacceptable friends! Jesus put His life on the line for us, the least we can do is to show some appreciation by spreading His word around the world. And with all the technology we now have, you don’t even have to leave home to do it. So let’s ramp up our witness nuh, put our best foot forward, so that we can reclaim some lost souls for Christ. That’s all He’s asking of us; to get out there and let those still hiding in the shadows of darkness, know that the true Light has come into the world to save them! Much LOVE!

…disciples of Christ…must be willing to suffer in His name… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   28 October 2023 Mark 1:35.

28 Oct 2023 Leave a comment

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

Mark 1:35.        And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.

And is it ever a beautiful lazy-day Saturday, with bright sunshine and blue clouds, but somewhat chilly temperatures. Unfortunately, it won’t be as warm as yesterday, when the sun wasn’t only shining brightly but also releasing intense heat, thankfully allowing me to sit on my porch in the afternoon in shirtsleeves and soak up some of the warm rays. (smile) I believe the temperature got up to around 23 yesterday, and except for the strong breeze, it was a perfect summer day. Possibly the last one we’ll also have for some time. (smile) Today, we’ve gone back to more seasonal temps, around the low double digit figures. But there’s wonderful sunshine, so everything’s right with the world! 

That means it’s time to turn to our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. So please pray with me: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ And if that heartfelt prayer doesn’t bring us into God’s presence, and calm our souls and spirits, then I don’t know what will. 

Ah friends, prayer is such an important aspect of a believer’s life, that you can’t put a value on it. It’s the awesome way we communicate with our heavenly Father. Without prayer, we’d be lost, merely existing in an empty space. But with that amazing ability to commune with the Creator of the universe and all therein, we’re elevated to a special place; a place a little lower than the angels, but much higher than the rest of His creation. And for those of us who don’t think that prayer is important, just look at the example set by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Although He was the Son of God, when He was here on the earth in human flesh, communing with His Father was one of the most important and regular things He did. There are so many instance in the Bible where He left the crowds, even His disciples behind and went to a deserted place to pray, to renew His spiritual strength. For, though He was fully God, in His human state, the earthly journey was indeed taxing and He couldn’t do it on His own, but every so often needed divine help to refresh and rejuvenate Him. 

And it’s the very same way with us my brethren. We cannot get through this taxing earthly journey on our own either. We too need divine help to assist us in just keeping on in these troubled times, and even more so in keeping on the straight and narrow path that leads to Jesus. And prayer is a mighty big part of the answer. But let’s look at a few of the specific times when the Bible tells us that Jesus prayed. We see one occurrence when He was baptized. Luke writes: ‘Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased.’ (Luke 3:21-22) 

Then, before Jesus chose the twelve disciples, He also enveloped Himself in prayer. The Bible says: ‘And it came to pass in those days that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom he named apostles.’ (Luke 6:12-13) He also regularly went off to pray after preaching to the crowds, as His fame spread and more people came to Him for help and healing. ‘And he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed.’ (Luke 5:16) Meanwhile, it also seems like Jesus made it a habit to begin His day with prayer, as Mark tells us. ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35) 

Now friends, if the Son of God could make it a habit to get up early every day and begin His day with prayer to His heavenly Father, who are we, mere creations, not to do the same eh? We are foolish creations if we don’t begin our day with even a short heartfelt prayer for wisdom and guidance as we face the day ahead of us. Jesus knew He couldn’t handle the day without divine help, but so many of us consider ourselves above prayer and asking for help, that we just rush out each day into the evil and toxic world without the guarantee of the Lord’s favour and protection. That’s certainly not wise my people, for it’s the God of heaven who protects us and gives us favour and grace to do and get whatever we need in this earthly life. And until we truly realize that and begin utilizing it, we will never reach our full potential. 

And we have one of the best examples of prayer in Jesus’ life on the night before His crucifixion. When the enormity of the situation hit Him, the realization of the terrible suffering, and the loss of communication with the Father, He went into the garden of Gethsemane and prayed. He said to the three disciples with Him, Peter, James and John: ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry (wait) ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt. 26:38-39) 

Yes friends, three times, Jesus fell on His knees and asked for the cup to be removed from him, that is, the crucifixion be cancelled. However, on each occasion, He ended by saying, ‘not my will but thine.’ Deep down He knew that it would not be cancelled, because that was the very purpose for which He was born; to die on the cross so that our sins could be paid for and thus forgiven. And it wasn’t so much the physical ‘sufferation’ that He would undergo which had His soul so sorrowful, but more the imminent separation from the Father, when He became the bearer of all the world’s sins. They had never been separated before and Jesus certainly wasn’t looking forward to it. But, like the obedient Son He was, He accepted His fate and went like a lamb to His slaughter, all for our sakes. 

Ah mih people, even in severe pain on the cross, Jesus prayed. First, he cried out to the Father: ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?, that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46) That was the very thing that Jesus had been afraid of; separation from the Father because of his then sinful condition. But He bore it all like a man! Prayer was so important to Jesus, that on the cross, He even prayed for those who were crucifying Him. ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his garments and cast lots.’  (Luke 23:34) 

Then, finally, when the end was near, after crying out again in a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost (he breathed his last breath).’ (Luke 23:46) So, my fellow saints, I do hope on this lazy-day Saturday, with all the examples of Jesus’ praying, that the overwhelming importance of prayer has been brought home to us, and that from here on in, we will endeavour to improve, and increase our prayer lives, the way Jesus desires of us. Please remember, it’s all for OUR benefit, not Christ’s. Much LOVE!

…to pray, to pray…and yet to pray…that is the answer… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   14 October 2023 Genesis 49:33.

14 Oct 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 49:33.       …he gathered up (drew up) his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost (breathed his last), and was gathered unto his people.

Well, it’s a fine ole lazy-day Saturday in my area; cloudy and rainy. Just perfect for the lazing around, do nothing kind of day we want. Unfortunately though, I could not lie abed and enjoy it for as long as I desired because my back and neck would not work together and find a comfortable position for me to lie in. So, I decided I might as well get up and be about my Father’s business. And the first item on our agenda, as always, is to say our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. 

Together then, let’s offer up a sincere, heartfelt prayer. ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

And in the quiet of the morning, our prayer floats up to heaven, then an overwhelming peace, with God’s silent presence fills our souls and bodies, and opens us up to a new dimension of grace in this earthly realm. Oh, the power of sincere prayer my people! If we could only exercise more of it, our lives would be ever so much more fruitful! Now let’s turn to that mighty story of Bruh Joseph and see how it’s progressing. (smile) 

Yesterday, we reached the point where Jacob (Israel) blessed his eleven sons. The Bible then tells us: ‘And he (Jacob) charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite. In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah (his first wife). The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.’ (Gen. 49:29-32) 

I like how Jacob demanded or insisted that they bury him in the family’s burying place in Canaan. And I do want to be buried in my homeland of Tobago, but unlike Jacob, I don’t have a burial spot at this time. But yuh know what, anywhere in Tobago will suit me fine, just as long as by bones rest for eternity in God’s li’l acre, that sweet land of Robinson Crusoe! (smile) 

Don’t know if I’ll be able to do like Jacob in this respect either. The Good Library continues thus: ‘And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up (drew up) his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost (breathed his last), and was gathered unto his people.’ (Gen. 49:33) 

Ah friends, many of us don’t get to go over to the other side so easily; we are wracked with pain, even unconsciousness, and have no inkling of what’s happening around us. That’s why we ought always to be prepared, to have our house in order, for we know not if and/or when we’ll be suddenly called to the other side of the Jordan. 

Then, after Jacob’s death, the Bible informs us: ‘And Joseph fell upon his father’s face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel. And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.’ (Gen: 50:1-3) I guess that goes to show how revered both Joseph and his father were in the eyes of the Egyptians. 

Now, here’s some interesting information from the scholars. They say: ‘Jacob was embalmed and Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians to do the work. Medicine and the embalming were two distinct professions. He may have employed the physicians so as to avoid the magic and mysticism of the embalmer and priests. The threescore and ten days for mourning accord with the traditional period for mummification and mourning. The various internal viscera (organs) were removed and placed in canopic jars of natron (a mixture of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate), causing rapid dehydration and preventing decomposition of the body.’ 

And that’s today’s lesson 101 in Mummification! (smile) It’s interesting though,that back then they went to such lengths to save the actual body for reuse in the afterlife. Meanwhile, today we don’t need to do that, for with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we’ve been promised a renewed body in the next life. And I’ll use this excerpt from an article by Matt Perman on whether we receive the same body we had on earth during the resurrection. 

He writes: ‘Philippians 3:20-21 says that our earthly body is transformed into conformity with Christ’s body in the resurrection, not that God creates a new body from scratch: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” 

That means our bodies will be glorified, made like Christ’s when He rose from the grave. And we saw that it was the same basic outer shell, with the scars in his hands and side, but it was all glorified both internally and externally; heightened, transformed from perishable or human to imperishable or immortal. 

As Bruh Paul says, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible (imperishable), and we shall be changed. For this corruptible (perishable) must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible (perishable) shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.’ (1 Cor. 15:51-54) 

Yes friends, we don’t need to worry about our mortal bodies for when Jesus comes for His church in the Rapture our mortal and perishable bodies will become imperishable and immortal just like Christ’s. Now isn’t that something to look forward to? Of course! So, let’s get serious and truly live this life for Christ nuh. Much LOVE!

…Christianity is the only belief system…that guarantees immortality… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit    30 September 2023 Genesis 45:8a.

30 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 45:8a.       So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God:

I can’t believe it nuh, but this lazy-day Saturday, the last day of September 2023, is shaping up to be another glorious day of sunshine and fairly warm temps in my area! The nice summer-like weather just keeps rolling on in these early days of autumn! And who’s to complain eh? Nobody! Not until the other half of the situation hits us, which won’t be as nice. (smile) But chuh! Whenever that comes, we’ll handle it like the victors in Christ that we are! 

Now, let’s get ourselves together and say our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

Oh mih people, there’s something about that simple prayer that just reaches out and touches me every time we pray it. I guess after a hard week’s work and finally a day of peace and quiet, when we don’t have as many worldly distractions hitting on us, it just brings us closer to God, where we can truly feel His presence. But whatever the reason, it just sets a nice relaxing tone for my Saturday morning. Glory be! 

And now it’s time to continue with the climax of Bruh Joseph’s story, where he finally reveals his true identity to his brothers. And after trying to ease their guilt and uneasiness by telling them: ‘And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity (remnant) in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God:’ ( Gen. 45:7-8) I don’t know how much that really eased their guilt and fear, but Bruh Joseph didn’t give them much time to think on it either. He said to them: ‘Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith my son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not (don’t delay).’ (Gen. 45:9) 

Wow! We’re now beginning to see the real Bruh Joseph, where all the pent-up memories of his family are finally coming out, and his soul is being set free from any resentment and anger he had hitherto borne towards them. Renewed relationships with family can do a lot to free us my brethren, so please, as much as we can, let’s look to renewing some of our own negative family relationships nuh. 

And the good sentiments just keep flowing out from Bruh Joseph’s spirit, as he tells them. ‘And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou and thy children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast. And there will I nourish (provide for) thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.’ (Gen. 45:10-11) 

Now that’s the way family should be concerned about each other! Not the travesty or caricature that passes for familial relations nowadays, where, as Jesus so prophetically proclaimed. ‘And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.’ (Matt. 10:21) 

Yes friends, such is the terrible state of the family nowadays, that’s where it exists, since, with the new-fangled lifestyle of today, families are no longer the most important group of the society, where you are nurtured and LOVED for an entire lifetime. Unfortunately, we have developed an antipathy, an antagonism or dislike for the family, just like our current antipathy to God. Heaven help us yes! 

Anyway, Bruh Joseph in a display of true family relations, continues to his brothers. ‘And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither. And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.’ (Gen. 45:12-15) 

Oh, how beautiful reunions can be, especially those amongst family! But that wasn’t the best part of the situation, for when our God showers blessings on us, He doesn’t do it stingily, or grudgingly, but lavishly, in abundance, according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus. And the Bible tells it thus: ‘And the fame (report) thereof was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, Joseph’s brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. 

And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade (load) your beasts, and go, get you into the land of Canaan; And take (bring) your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat (best) of the land. Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father and come. Also regard not your stuff (do not be concerned about your things); for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ (Gen. 45:16-20) 

Mama oh Mama! Yes mih people, when the Lord pours out His favour on you, it’s not done piecemeal, but lavishly. Only our great God could cause a foreign, idol worshipping king to make such a generous and welcoming offer to a bunch of Hebrews who were generally an abomination to his nation! And we’ll close with this explanation from the scholars, re the land of Goshen, which Bruh Joseph promised to his brothers. 

The scholars say, ‘The land of Goshen was an Egyptian region (47:6, 27) in the eastern delta area (47:11) not far from the court at Memphis. It was in the area around the Wadi Tumilat, a valley that was about 40 miles long. It was highly suitable for cattle (47:4-6), but hated by the Egyptians (46:34); thus it provided good seclusion. This isolation would provide for Israel’s distinctive cultural preservation under conditions favourable to their growth and unity.’ 

And who says our great God doesn’t know what He’s doing eh? Ah my fellow saints, there couldn’t be a more encouraging story in the Bible showing how the Lord prepares for and looks after His people. He set them up in a fertile, secluded part of Egypt where they could grow and become the people He desired them to be. What more can we ask of Him eh, for He does the same for each one of us who sincerely calls upon His name! 

But we need to believe, as Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, Jairus, whose daughter He was on the way to heal, when his family brought word that she was dead. Jesus overheard the news but said to him: ‘Be not afraid, only believe.’ (Mark 5:36) And that’s exactly what we need to do in these trying and very difficult times my brethren: ‘Be not afraid, only believe!’ Much LOVE!

…for he that cometh to God…must BELIEVE that He is… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit    16 September 2023 Genesis 41:52.

16 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 41:52.       For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

And it’s indeed a cool but wonderful, sunshiny lazy-day Saturday morning friends! Just right for early morning lazing around, which I have already done. (smile) Unfortunately, I can only have so much lazy time in the morning because I have to be about my Father’s work, but once that’s done, I can have as much lazy time as I desire. And with that said, let’s get down to the Father’s business, beginning with our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. 

As one sincere and humble voice. ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

Wow! And I hope like me, your thoughts have been slowed, your soul quieted, your muscles relaxed and your breath deepened, so that you can get into the presence of our heavenly Father and rest completely in Him. And all God’s people said a loud and heartfelt: ‘Praise the Lord for His goodness to the children of men!’ 

Now let’s get back to that amazing and intriguing saga of Bruh Joseph; a story line that only God, our omnipotent dramatist could have imagined and successfully brought to life. And yes, it seems like it’s never going to end, but it’s ever so important to the founding and the fortunes of the Jewish people. So, yesterday we left off where Bruh Joseph was promoted to Second in command of Egypt through the goodness of the Lord’s hand upon him. 

The Bible then tells us: ‘And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharoah king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls (abundantly). And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and he laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. And Joseph gathered corn (grain) as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left of numbering (stopped counting): for it was without number.’ (Gen. 41:46-49) 

Ah friends, you will have noticed how diligent and businesslike Bruh Joseph was from the time he entered Potiphar’s employ, all through the tough times in jail, and finally that diligence, as well as the experience in handling people, though only as a servant, now served him in very good stead as the second ruler of Egypt. As the saying goes, you can’t be a good leader, unless you are a good follower. And that is exactly why the Lord had him experience those tough times, otherwise he would not have been able to do the job the Lord had planned for him. 

And according to the scholars: ‘Thutmose III gave the following charge to his newly appointed vizier (Prime Minister or Second in Command): “Look thou to this office of vizier. Be vigilant over everything that is done in it. Behold, it is the support of the entire land. Behold, as to the vizierate, behold it is not sweet at all, behold it is bitter as gall.” And I’m sure that was the very truth, for although Bruh Joseph had Pharaoh’s complete blessing, there must have been those who found it irresponsible and downright disgusting to be lorded over by a Hebrew. 

And if it wasn’t his Hebrew background, then simply the fact that the citizens were being told how to handle their food and to bring their grain to the king’s storehouses. You know how we are suspicious of anything or anybody that’s involved in hoarding, especially if some of it belongs to us. But for whatever reason, the job that Bruh Joseph inherited was not an easy one. And he most definitely would not have been able to handle it if the Lord had not put him through the school of the Holy Ghost. 

So my brethren, when the Lord places us in some sore spots, before He promotes us, it’s not that He wants to harm us, but more to test and grow us, so we can be ready for the destiny He’s planned for us. Therefore, it’s essential that we go through those tough times with a good attitude, waiting patiently on God’s timing, and keeping Him first place in our lives, not complaining about why such hard times have befallen us while we’re trying to live right, and getting angry at God. 

Remember there’s always method to God’s madness; always a purpose behind His actions, for He doesn’t do anything willy nilly, without thinking things through right to the very end. As the prophet Jeremiah records: ‘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) And if we claim to believe and trust in Him, then we must be prepared to wait on His timing and go through whatever lessons or hard knocks of life that He chooses to allow to come upon us. That’s the true test of faith and discipleship! 

Now here’s another important aspect of Bruh Joseph’s life in Egypt. The Good Library kindly informs us: ‘And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of the famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh (Making Forgetful): For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim (Fruitfulness): For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.’ (Gen. 41:50-52) Aren’t those names and sentiments behind them just wonderful my brethren? They surely are! 

And I like this commentary on that situation by the scholars. They tell us of Bruh Joseph’s two sons and what their names mean. Then say: ‘The reference to all his toil, and all my father’s house only means that the hardship brought upon him by his brothers was a thing of the past. Ephraim, meaning “Fruitful,” signified God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. What a sweet, pleasant, and thankful spirit he showed in interpreting the events that had transpired in his life! The fulfillment of Pharaoh’s prophetic dreams set the stage for the final scene in the fulfillment of Jospeh’s own dreams.’ 

Mama Mia! And you won’t’ want to miss the upcoming marvellous episodes in Bruh Joseph’s story! So please tune in next time. And until then, please, let’s try and live the faithful life that Bruh Joseph lived nuh, even while undergoing trials and tribulations. Most of us are not suffering the way He did, so we should be able to show more faithfulness. Although, as they say, the worst Christian is a comfortable Christian. But let’s put the lie to that statement nuh! Much LOVE!

…without trials and tribulations…a Christian won’t grow in Christlikeness… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit    9 September 2023 Genesis 39:21a.

09 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 39:21a.         But the Lord was with Joseph,

Oh friends, unfortunately there’s no bright sun shining outside, just a mess of threatening dark clouds. But the day is still young, and who knows what can happen; the mighty sun can still win the battle against those dreary clouds and shine forth valiantly. That’s the attitude, we believers ought to have, one of constant hope and positivity. 

And I guess some of you are wondering what I’m doing up so early on a lazy-day Saturday morning? Well, the truth is, by my standards, I went to bed early, and thus after a certain amount of time in bed, the various parts of my anatomy took umbrage that we were still lying there, and they began to act up negatively. And if it wasn’t for my absolute refusal to get up at such an early hour, despite the pain, we would have been up even earlier. 

Brother! What a life when you can’t lie in your warm, comfortable bed for more than four hours at a time without having your aches and pains act up and drive you out of that wonderful cocoon. (smile) But as we say, them’s the breaks, we just have to grin and bear it! Anyway, enough of my griping, let’s say our Lazy-Day Saturday prayer with all sincerity and truth. 

As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

And as always, that simple, heartfelt prayer touches my soul and calms me, makes me feel like I’m truly in God’s presence. Now, let’s get to that wonderful, God-engineered saga of Bruh Joseph. Yesterday we left him wrongfully cast into prison for sexual assault on his master Potiphar’s wife, but friends, when the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob writes your story, then you can be sure it’s unlike any other. So, let’s hear how the Bible reveals the story after Bruh Joseph was cast into prison. 

It says: ‘But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy (LOVING-kindness), and gave him favour (caused him to be viewed with favour) in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison, and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it (it was his doing). The keeper of the prison looked not to anything (did not look into anything) that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.’ (Gen. 39:21-23) 

Oh what a mighty and faithful God we serve my brethren! Yuh see, although Bruh Joseph was innocently undergoing some tough times, the Lord still made his life somewhat easier by causing him to experience the favour of those above him. And you’ll notice that in each instance, he was given power over others, so that he could learn the leadership skills he needed if he was to handle his God-given role properly. 

And who says our God isn’t a great dramatist eh? He’s the greatest of the great! In fact, He is the Creator of the genre! Just look at His book, the Bible, there’s no other tome in all of history that has so much drama, from Genesis right down to Revelation, thousands of years of history, it’s filled with pure drama, drama like no man can pen! And if yuh think you’d seen drama in Bruh Joseph’s story, believe me, the best is yet to come. 

The Lord writes it that Pharoah’s butler (cup-bearer) and baker offend him, and he places them in the same prison with Bruh Joseph. ‘And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward (were in custody for a while.’ (Gen. 40:4) Now the plot thickens. And the scholars explain that ‘when the captain charged Joseph with them, he gave Joseph control over administrative affairs in the prison, not merely over high-ranking prisoners (cf. 41:12).’ 

So, we know that Bruh Joseph was literally running the prison, while the captain of the guard merely enjoyed the title and perks that came with the position. But then, as the Lord would have it, both the butler and baker dream a dream the same night about Pharaoh. And when Bruh Joseph came in the next morning, they were totally sad and downcast. And he asked them ‘Wherefore look ye so sadly today? And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.’ (Gen. 40:7-8) 

Now the scholars make a significant point here, when in response to the dreams of the perplexed baker and butler, they say that ‘Joseph’s immediate response was do not interpretations belong to God?’ And they point out that God was always the immediate response of his mind and give these references to prove it. (Gen. 39:9; 41:16, 51-52; 45:8) And if you look them up, you’ll see that yes, God was always uppermost in Bruh Joseph’s mind, just like it ought to be uppermost in ours. 

Now, let’s take a gander at the dreams of the butler and the baker. The butler dreamed that there was a vine before him: ‘And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes. And Pharoah’s cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days: yet within three days shall Pharoah lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place (position): and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.’ (Gen. 40:10-13)  

Now that was certainly good news for the butler, and after interpreting the dream, Bruh Joseph made this request of him. ‘But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.’ (Gen. 40:14:15) 

And finally, we have the first recorded complaint of Bruh Joseph in all of his misfortunes. No doubt the unfair situation was eating away at his soul like a venomous cancer, but he never appears to complain about it before. How many of us would have borne such unfair misfortune so doggedly eh? Not many. We would have been up in arms crying out about the unfairness and injustice, the unfair restriction of our rights, and whatever other complaint that came to our minds. 

But my fellow saints, sometimes when we’re doing God’s will and the going gets tough, He expects us to hang in there with a good attitude, trusting in His faithfulness, in His promises that he will never leave nor forsake us, and always make a way for us where there seems to be no way. That’s what it means to walk faithfully with God! Much LOVE!

…our faith walk will always have bumps and potholes along the way…but we must be trusting enough…to know that God will see us through those rough periods… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   15 July 2023 Jeremiah 29:13.

15 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 29:13.       And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

And it’s a cool, cloudy morning, with rain in the offing, but it’s the perfect kind of atmosphere for a lazy-day Saturday my bredrin! Where you don’t need to do anything or go anywhere, but just relax and laze some time away in idle but not evil thinking. (smile) Hopefully though, within that lazy time, we will communicate with our heavenly Father, for although doing nothing is sometimes an option, disregarding Him, is never one! 

And if there’s one thing our heavenly likes better than one on one communication is corporate worship, because it shows Him that there is unity in the body of Christ, and with the general state of the world, that most certainly warms the cockles of His heart. So, let’s communicate with Him right now through our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. 

As one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

Oh my people, that prayer never ceases to touch me! I guess because it brings home to me the awesome presence and wonder of our great God spiritually interacting with us with amazing compassion and kindness as we humble ourselves and ask for His grace and mercy. Wow! I hope we realize what an awesome and amazing God we serve, one full of LOVE and tenderness towards His most precious but disobedient creation! 

Yes friends, when you truly seek to know the Lord, you’ll be surprised at the unusual and unexpected places you’ll find Him, see His unerring hand at work. It’ll be so unnatural that you’ll know without a doubt that it’s the hand of God moving in your life! Likewise with little things that will suddenly jump out at you. In the greater scheme of life, they’ll be small and insignificant, but somehow or the other they will make a big impact on you, opening your eyes to miraculous and mysterious ways in which our God moves. 

And one of the reasons I believe we don’t see out God more, or appreciate Him more, is because we tend to look for Him in the big things of life. However, He is more present and available, easier seen in the li’l, seemingly unimportant, everyday aspects of life. And a lazy-day Saturday is just the time to look for Him, to seek Him in all the most unusual and unexpected places. 

Remember what Moses said to the Israelites about repentance and seeking the Lord. ‘But if from thence (their disobedience and idol worship) thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” (Deut. 4:29) And many years later, on the Lord’s behalf, Jeremiah gave the Israelites the same warning, or solution for their problems during their captivity in Babylon. 

‘But I know the thoughts that I have toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord…’ (Jer. 29:11-14) 

Ah friends, the message is still the same today. When we are in distress, when problems overwhelm us, or we’re simply lonely or aimless, whatever the situation, seeking God with our whole hearts is the wisest decision we can make! And how do we seek God with our whole hearts? One commentary gives us this answer: ‘When Jesus gave His life for us on that cross, when God prioritized our salvation above everything else, it wasn’t for us to make Him a side thought. But for us to surrender our lives to Him and embrace the one He has for us. This is how we seek God with our whole heart.’ 

And this other commentary encourages us: ‘God is a God hearing prayer; he listens to the requests of his people, and answers them in his own time and way; which is no small encouragement to pray unto him.’ That’s for sure! If He is our Creator, our Provider, our Heavenly Father and controls all that happens in our lives, it’s only logical and sensible that we need to seek Him out for help in our topsy-turvy lives. 

Seeking and searching are ever so important in our Christian faith my brethren. Jesus set the stage for that when He warned: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Then He followed it up by later declaring (yesss!!!) ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) 

That undoubtedly means that Christians should always be asking, seeking and knocking, looking for the truth in all situations, as well as seeking to open the hearts of others so that they too can know Jesus and seek and serve Him with their whole hearts. Oh my fellow saints, our Christian life is supposed to be one of action, always moving along a path that leads to Jesus, doing our best to personally seek and serve Him, as well as spread the good news of His gospel to the many who have never heard it. 

And we can only do that successfully if we are united, united as one church, one body of Christ. So, let’s begin today by seeking unity amongst ourselves nuh, let’s ask for it, knock on closed doors for it. Let’s desire and actively pursue a unity that will propel Christ’s church to the forefront of this world, its rightful place! Much LOVE!

…to seek…to search…to find…that is the Christian’s duty… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 July 2023 Matthew 16:6.

01 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 16:6.       Then Jesus said to them, Take heed and beware of the leaven (yeast) of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Well friends, this Lazy -day Saturday has certainly opened into a bright and sparkling summer’s day, although with some warnings of smoke. But, despite that negative attachment, it promises to be a wonderful celebration of our country’s birthday! So, a Happy Canada Day to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and families! May the Lord bless us with all we need to enjoy this memorable weekend, as we remember that Canada is still one of the few countries you can move around with a fair amount of freedom and without too much provocation re racial and religious and political matters. 

And most of all, let’s remember the One who gave us all the good things that we have; Almighty God, and give Him the proper thanks, praise and reverence that He deserves. Now, as one sincere voice, let’s say our Lazy-Day Saturday prayer. ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

Oh my faithful brethren, every time we say that prayer, it touches something deep within me. I guess it just seems to bring us closer to our heavenly Father in real time. And it seems to be ever so appropriate for a lazy-day Saturday, where we have no pressing commitments, so we can afford to relax and spend some satisfying quiet time with our Creator and Provider, our Comforter and place of Refuge. And I hope you all feel the same way, and do spend some quiet time with the One who LOVES us so much that He sacrificed His only Son Jesus for our benefit. 

And do I ever LOVE the Good Library, for as always, when I don’t know what to say and I open it, it always points me to something interesting. And today it opened unto the 16th Chapter of Matthew where Jesus had just finished berating the Pharisees and Sadducees re asking for a sign from heaven, an outward miraculous manifestation, then left them standing in awe and confusion. (Matt. 16:1-4) Then He went on to warn the disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 

The Good Library relates it thus: ‘And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said to them, Take heed and beware of the leaven (yeast) of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them. O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many baskets you took up?’ (Matt. 16:5-10) 

And it is indeed amazing that the disciples could forget the two miracles Jesus did with little food to serve a multitude and then have plenty left over. And those miracles you can find in several of the gospels, but for easy access, I’ll just quote them from Matthew; Chapter 14:15-21 and Chapter 15:32-38. So they should have realized that it really had nothing to do with them not bringing bread, for if the situation truly warranted it, Jesus had the awesome power to provide actual bread for them, to fill all their physical needs and still have much left over. 

But their young, uneducated minds never considered those things, thus Jesus had to explain it further to them. ‘How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, but that ye should beware of the leaven (yeast) of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Then understood they how he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine (teaching) of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ (Matt. 16:11-12) And yuh know what my fellow believers, that warning of Jesus still holds true for all of us today, because there are still many out there who are teaching a false or incorrect gospel, one slanted to their own unscrupulous desires. 

That leads us to these prophetic words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, 

Traitors, heady (reckless), highminded (haughty), lovers of pleasures more than (rather than) lovers of God: Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-7) 

Oh my bredrin, I don’t know if these are the last days or not, because there are many arguments over the signs etc., but what I do know for sure is that all those things Bruh Paul warned Timothy about are very rampant in our current world. And if you don’t see them, then you’re living with your head in the sky or in the dirt. Lawlessness and irresponsibility are at unbelievable heights. Promises are made and broken without remorse. Pleasure is our number one activity. And we boast so much about what we don’t have that it’s shameful. 

Oh friends, apostasy, that’s abandonment and renunciation of our religious beliefs is definitely alive and well. You see people all over the place turning away from God, and there’s even a foolish movement afoot to try and completely rid our society of God. Hn! That’s undoubtedly a fool’s wisdom! For it will never happen, because God will never allow it. He might allow us to do all sorts of other nonsense, but rid the society of His awesome presence…NEVER! 

And we’ll close with a couple of explanations from the scholars on those verses above. They say that ‘A form of godliness is mere religion without power or spiritual life. Paul commands Timothy to turn away from those false teachers who prey upon silly women laden with sins, who are especially susceptible to false teachers. Ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth condemns not intense study, but some esoteric quest for truth apart from God’s word.’ 

And is there ever much questing for truth today my fellow saints. Never knew there could be more than one truth. But everybody seems to have their own truth in these perilous times. And those who don’t have it, are unfortunately searching for truth in all the wrong places, when it’s right in front of their very faces, in the Word of God! Much LOVE!

…hereby knoweth ye the Spirit of God…every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh…is of God… (1 John 4:2)    

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