Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 January 2014 Romans 13:12

21 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Romans 13:12.    The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Well hello there all you beautiful believers in Christ Jesus! And a good morning to all you unbelievers too, because there’s nothing that Christ and I would like more than that you become believers, by accepting His saving grace and redemption and thus freeing your souls from eternal separation with the Most High God Jehovah. Oh what a day that would be in your lives, in the life of Christ’s church and in heaven too, where joy reigns when even one sinner repents. (Luke 15:7a)

Anyway Friends, it looks like I’m only going to have time to start the Bit then run, because we’re supposed to be going for breakfast down the street at Rosie’s Bakery at 9 – it’s now ten after – then head for the beach at Store Bay. So I won’t be able to continue until after that. Oh it looks like the Duchess is ready, so I’d better run. More time!
 
Aye mih bredden, the ole fella’s back to the Bit at last. I know you’re disappointed that it doesn’t always come in the early morning hours, but you have to cut the ole fella some slack. (smile) I’m on holidays, and have no idea what one day to the next will bring. So if some days it arrives a tad late, just be happy for me, because it will most likely mean that I’m out somewhere enjoying myself, before returning to that awful cold up north, or I enjoyed myself the night before and couldn’t rise early in the morning.
 
The good news though is that we’re here now, after a nice dip in the almost calm, beautiful, aquamarine, restorative waters of Store Bay, including a couple of turns up and down the beach. Then coming home to chow down on some carrot and coconut bake and saltfish from Rosie’s, washed down with some dark, delicious mauby.
 
Oh Friends, that’s surely what heaven’s like! And obviously, after all that exertion, (smile) I had to rest a spell. But now we’re up, bright eyed and bushy tailed, just rearing to go. And my Friends, we have to pay very careful attention to these quickly passing days, for as our Bit so wisely informs us: ‘The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.’
 
And all of that is undeniable, gospel truth Friends! For the powers of darkness certainly have a strong grip, a stranglehold on our world right now. But have no fear people, for the cleansing light of day, Jesus’ return, is imminent! The problem though my brethren, is that no one knows exactly when.
 
For as Christ Himself said: ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
 
Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman (master) of the house had known in what watch (hour) the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered (allowed) his house to be broken up (into). Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt.24:36-44)
 
Oh my people, what could be simpler and more explicit eh? Jesus has put it there for us in Technicolour! How can we not understand and follow His wise advice eh? We do so at our peril, at the loss of our eternal souls!
 
That’s the best possible reason for us to get up and get ourselves ready for that most important and memorable occasion; the Second Coming of Christ! And remember, Jesus says that ONLY the Father knows when it’s going to happen, that’s why He cautions us to watch and pray, so we won’t be caught napping, caught unawares.
 
Now here are some interesting and important comments from the scholars. ’24:35-38. Verses 35 and 36 warn against attempts to set an exact date for Christ’s return at the end of the church age. To speculate that “day” and “hour” do not eliminate “year” is a gross oversimplification. The Father only knows the time of Christ’s return since it has been set by His authority (cf. Acts 1:7).
 
However, we are given a comparison to the days of Noah (and the Flood), which illustrate and prefigure the condition of humanity at the time of Christ’s return. The last generation, like the one of Noah’s day, is pleasure-oriented and self-gratifying by eating and drinking. The reference to marrying and giving in marriage may refer to carrying on the normal course of life without heeding the impending judgement.’ 
 
Oh Friends, I surely don’t need to point out to you that this generation fits that description perfectly! The pleasure-oriented and self-gratifying lifestyle fits us to a T!
 
Now hear these other comments of the scholars. ’24:39-42. The observation that the people of Noah’s day knew not the severity and suddenness of the coming destruction indicates that this last generation will be totally unprepared for the coming of the Son of man, the return of Christ to judge the world. (See 2 Thess.1:7-8.) The reference to two being in the field or at work at the time of Christ’s return implies the suddenness of His coming to separate the lost and the saved.’
 
And therein lies the dilemma my brethren! Christ’s return will be a sudden happening, so if we’re not prepared, then simply put; crapaud smoke we pipe! In other words, we’re lost forever!
 
So please, let’s wake up, let’s be wise and set our houses in order so that we will be ready whenever our Saviour returns. Be it today, tomorrow, or many years hence, let’s be prepared. Much LOVE!
 
…preparedness for Christ’s return is not an option…it is the only wise and sensible way…  

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 January 2014 Psalm 5:3

20 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 5:3.    My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Oh Friends, it’s Monday: Monday 20 January 2014! The year that the Lord God Jehovah will make a mighty impact on this planet Earth, that He created! Fellow believers, this year we’re going to receive such a wake up call that we’ll be unable to avoid the Lord’s call to arms.

 
You’ll notice that since 2014 stepped in the strife around the world and the natural disasters have escalated. And believe me Friends, if we, the ones appointed by Jesus to take the good news of His saving and redeeming gospel all over the world, don’t do it, then we’ll see even worse strife and disasters, many of the latter man-made.
 
Oh my people, the talk about wars and rumours of wars is no longer prophetic, for it’s been currently fulfilled, with serious strife in more places than those where some semblance of peace reigns. So mih breddren, if we truly want our children to live to see a brighter day, then WE have to seriously step up to the plate and do some serious proselytizing, since it’s only by spreading the Word around the globe, that LOVE, peace, equal rights and justice will ever find a true foothold.
 
Oh my people, it’s high time we stop the mickey-mouse stuff we’ve been fooling ourselves with and get down to brass tacks, because the enemy; the powers of evil, Lucifer and his evil cohorts, have stepped up their programme of evil devastation and destruction. That means we have to take even bigger steps than them, if we even want to catch up, much less to pass them.
 
Friends, this is not just my feeling, but it’s right there out in front of us for all and sundry to see. But please remember that there’s none so blind as those who refuse to see. And sadly, a great many believers are either too taken up with the things of the world, or are foolishly hiding their heads in the sand like the ostrich, hoping that the evil tendencies will disappear on their own.
 
But Friends, I have news for us; that’s a fallacy, a very foolish one too! If we try to run and hide from the situation, it will only get worse, and eventually catch up to us and engulf us in its evil claws. So please, let’s stop trying to side step the problems nuh, for we’re only doing ourselves irreparable harm.
 
Oh Friends, this is the day of the awakening! This is the day that God’s people must rise up and take the fight to the enemy! And as our Bit so wisely advises, the best way to do that, is to begin the day in prayer, in serious communication with the Most High. ‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.’
 
So now my people, as we always do on a Monday morning, let’s look up, and raise our voices, direct our prayer, our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to our wonderful Creator, Provider and Protector. As one harmonious, blessed union, let’s pray.
 
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
 
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
 
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
 
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
 
And with that adrenalin now pumping through our veins my brethren, let’s go out into the evil world that surrounds us, this first day of the work week, and make a serious and worthwhile difference in Jesus’ name nuh.  I don’t like to keep harping on it, but it’s only through our strong, indefatigable and sustained efforts, RIGHT NOW, that our grandchildren will inherit a half-decent world.
 
Remember how we recently talked about changing the world, one day at a time? Well now it’s become imperative that we do so!
 
Now let’s get into the last scripture in this series of messages on the importance of prayer in a believer’s life. It comes from the epistle of James, recognized as Jesus’ earthly half brother. One of those who, in the early days chastised Him and didn’t believe, but who later came to see the light, as I’d like us to do.
 
And in talking about patience in affliction, James boldly proclaims: ‘Is any among you afflicted (suffering)? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
 
Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent (supplication) prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are (with a nature like ours), and he prayed earnestly that it might not  rain: and it rained not on the earth (land) by the space of (for) three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.’ (James 5:13-18)
 
Oh Friends, I can’t say it better than that! I can only hope and pray that this Monday morning, we will all go out and stand up steadfast and strong for Jesus. In His Holy name, we pray. And all God’s people gave a loud and rousing shout of ‘So be it! Amen!’ Much LOVE my brothers and sisters in Christ!
 
…only as the church of Christ comes together…and fights a serious and unified fight…will it ever be victorious…otherwise the enemy will keep on dividing and conquering us…  

 

 

 

 

     

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 January 2014 Psalm 5:3

20 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 5:3.    My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.  

Oh Friends, it’s been another wonderful day on God’s Little Acre! Glory Hallelujah!

After church this morning, where a lady preached a sermon on sacrifice that brought tears to my eyes, and brunch at the nearby Magdalena hotel, the Duchess and I came home around 2 p.m. and just slept away the afternoon. I guess the old bones were just tired from all our cavorting. (smile)
 
Now I’m trying to get myself together so I can write a sensible Bit. Hn, hn! The Duchess is out on the balcony blagging to some long lost friend. But once she is happy, everything is all right in my world.
 
Anyhow, I saw this quote in my One Day More Devotional- Daily Meditations for People with Chronic Illness, and though I believe I’ve shared it already, it is worthwhile sharing again. It’s attributed to one Kyle Crichton, and says: ‘Life is a pretty precious and wonderful thing. You can’t sit down and let it lap around you… you have to plunge into it, you have to dive through it.’
 
And that’s the gospel truth Friends! Life is indeed a beautiful and precious thing – but only when you jump into it without too many reservations, especially if you are suffering from some chronic illness. It’s like learning to swim; you’ll never learn if you only stay in the safe, shallow areas, you need to jump off the deep end and realize what it  feels like to be drowning. And I can talk about that from personal experience, a long time aback. It certainly wasn’t as thrilling then, as it seems now though. (smile)
 
Yes my people, life is an advantageous system, a bully, so you can never allow it to get the better of you, otherwise it’s just going to keep on beating you down. So regardless of our physical condition, we have to take life by the horns and use it to our advantage. Shying away from life is the worst thing we can ever do, for that’s when the evil Lucifer will get into our minds and cause even more havoc than we’re already experiencing.
 
And the best way to handle life my people, is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! And all God’s people shouted out a long and loud ‘Amen!’
 
Yes Friends, accepting Jesus’ saving grace and submitting to His perfect will through obedience and prayer, is the answer to all life’s problems. Bruh David put it quiet nicely in our Bit, when he offered up his prayer for protection. ‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.’
 
Ah my people, there’s no way to a truly successful earthly life, followed by one in heaven, than through sincere and heartfelt prayer!
 
And we’ll continue looking at some scriptures that highlight that contention. In Acts 10, we read about the Roman Centurion, Cornelius, who helped to ease the pressure of the Jewish people under the harsh, authoritarian Roman laws. The Good Book describes him thus: ‘A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms (many charitable gifts) to the people, and prayed to God always.’ (Acts 10:2)
 
Cornelius was one of the first Gentiles to be saved. But as the scholars so wisely point out: ’10:2-4. Though Cornelius’s good works and prayers served as a memorial, they did not save him. He was saved after he heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. See verse 44; 11:10-14).’
 
So Friends, regardless of what we do, the most important aspect of our earthly life is to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, for without that monumental decision, all else in this evil, materialistic world is for nought, is worthless! But when we wisely recognize and accept Jesus as being The Way, The Truth, The Light and The Life, then our lives begin to have true meaning!
 
But my brethren, that’s only the beginning; for then we have to walk a narrow path of obedience intertwined with prayer, so that we can grow in character likeness to Christ, whom God so LOVINGLY sacrificed to pay for our abominable sins, and once again make us worthy to be called His children. And the perfect avenue for walking that walk successfully is down the avenue of prayer.
 
Listen to how Bruh Paul puts it to his protégé Timothy: ‘I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.’ (1 Tim.2:8) Oh my brethren, that is without a doubt, everlasting truth and godly wisdom!
 
And the scholars explain it thus: ‘2:8. I will…that men pray every where (or, “I intend…that men in every locality pray”). The Greek word ‘andres’ means ‘males.’ Men are to lead audibly in public prayer; women are to pray silently. This directive remains the same “in every locality,” geography being no factor. The manner in which men are to pray is that of lifting up holy hands, that is, with a pure life, which is without wrath and doubting (disputes).’
 
Yes Friends, thankfully we no longer hold that only men can pray in public, but also women, otherwise I would have missed out on that moving sermon the lady preached this morning at the Mother’s Union service. However, wherever prayer is publicly uttered, it ought to be backed up by an obedient life and one lacking in doubts, anger, resentment and disputes. In other words, a positive, peaceful, believing life.
 
And we’ll close there for today. There’s more than enough material for us to ponder on, and try to bring our lives into sync with God’s plan for them. Till tomorrow then, if God is in favour of us meeting again, here on earth. And in the meanwhile, may He bless and keep us all safely under His amazing and enormous wings of LOVE! Much much LOVE my fellow believers!
 
…to walk this earthly life with God…through the medium of prayer…is the believer’s path to success…  

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 January 2014 Psalm 5:3

18 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 5:3.    My voice shalt thou hear in the morning , O Lord; In the morning I will direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Well Friends, the good news is that we’re somewhat earlier than we were yesterday, but we’re still not as early as I would like. Hopefully though, we’ll get better every day, and though I’m not making any promises because I’m on vacation – va-ca-tion – as the old pop song said, (smile) which I believe was sung by Connie Francis.

 
Anyway, at long last, on my third day in Paradise, I finally got the salt water that I’ve been so avidly desiring. I never rushed into it, partly because of the internet problems I was having, and also because I’ve learned my lesson from the time I went to California a few years ago.
 
That time I was real hot to trot, and though the sea was some distance away, and everybody else was too busy to accompany me, I jumped in the car and headed for the beach. Disappointingly, I ended up on a dismal patch of sand on the Pacific side, with cold, rough water, lost my wedding ring of thirty something years, then also lost my way back home.
 
But as always Friends, the Lord sent a couple of good Samaritans to help me out, and I returned home safely, having given my family some anxious moments. So now, with that lesson in mind, a rather expensive one, I’m trying my best not to fight against His will. Hn! Hn! I even ended up on two obscure beaches today since I didn’t feel like handling the crowds on the popular beaches.
 
The first, Arnos Vale beach, was a little too rocky and unpredictable underfoot for my liking. So after having a dip there, we hit Grange beach, which had better footing. And though they were both less than calm, I enjoyed Grange more because of the more sandy and predictable footing.
 
But brother, this area I’m in always seems to have a strong breeze blowing. Around 3 a.m. this morning, I was outside on the balcony and the wind was blowing so powerfully, that you would have thought a storm was blowing. It reminded be of the winds back in the North Country – only this wind was warm! (smile)
 
And as I was telling the Duchess earlier on, I feel somewhat guilty, because since I’m down here I don’t even remember the cold up in Canada. But as she so wisely said, I’d better forget the guilt and enjoy it, because we’ll soon be back in the cold. So I’m going to listen the duchess – as I always do anyway. (smile)
 
However my people, let’s cut to the chase and get into the Bit. I’m expecting some friends to come by and visit later, and today I intend to take my own advice; drunk or sober mind your business. Unfortunately I didn’t do that yesterday, so the Bit didn’t get done till very late, and I’m not going to allow it to happen again today.
 
So here goes: ‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning , O Lord; In the morning I will direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.’
 
Yes my brethren, prayer is our lifeline, our umbilical cord, our connection to our heavenly Father! And the good thing about it is that we don’t need any man-made devices to call on Him, just a right heart and a clean spirit.
 
So what scriptures pertaining to the importance of prayer in a believer’s life are we going to look at today? Let’s start with Psalm 63, where Bruh David talks about God satisfying  the thirsty soul. That’s something he wrote while hiding out in the wilderness of Judah from his enemies.
 
And he begins it with this powerful verse: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where there is no water.’ (Ps.63:1) 
 
Then not satisfied to stop just there, he continues to pour out his heart to his God. ‘To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary (so have I looked for thee out here). Because thy LOVING-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.’ (Ps.63:2-5)
 
Oh my fellow believers, is that the way we feel about our God? Is that the way we hunger and thirst for Him and His righteousness? And are our souls contented with His grace and mercy, so that we can praise Him with joyful lips? That is how it ought to be my brethren! And if we aren’t doing and feeling those things, then we’re foolishly missing out on a lot of God’s good blessings.
 
As the scholars say: ‘Psalm 63. The location of the writing of the psalm is described generally as in the wilderness of Judah. Unlike many of the psalms written in these dire situations, however, this psalm is overflowing with thanksgiving rather than lament and petition. David declares his longing for spiritual renewal (vv.1-2), he expresses his thankful mood (vv.3-6), he gives voice to his trust in God (vv.7-8), and he announces his hope for the future (vv.9-11). Enemies are mentioned only in passing (vv.9-10).’
 
Oh mih people, would we have been able to show such trust, desire and LOVE for God under such dire circumstances? I truly doubt it. We find it difficult to praise and thank Him when things are going well, much less when they are rough. But Friends that’s the attitude true believers ought to be able to display. In rough times we ought to have enough confidence in our omnipotent and magnanimous God not to whimper and turn turncoat.
 
And that’s the biggest problem with Christians today; we talk the good talk, but  when the rough times crop up, we don’t run to the one place and person who can truly provide refuge and sustenance; our wonderful God. Instead we quickly turn to the cheap, perishable man-made devices and seek help from powerless, fallible men like ourselves. That’s not wisdom Friends.
 
So I’m saying to us today, that the first place we must turn in ANY kind of situation, is to Almighty God, our Creator, Provider and Protector!
 
That’s what He is there for. He prides Himself on being able to help His children, and if we don’t turn to Him FIRST, He feels very disappointed and offended. If He wants us to turn to other men for help, then He will direct us to them, after we talk to Him.
 
And that my people is one of the reasons why we and our resultant world are in such bad shape, we simply don’t talk seriously and enough to Father God. I’m therefore asking us today to try and change that unwise attitude by turning to Him for help and guidance in every situation, through constant, genuine, heartfelt prayer, for that is wisdom at its finest. Much LOVE!
 
…only sincere prayer to our heavenly Father…can set the captive’s soul free…  

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 January 2014 Psalm 5:3

18 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 5:3.     My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Oh Friends, late is not the right word, but circumstances directed this lateness. (smile) This morning I had internet service for a while, but then I lost it for the remainder of the day, until about five thirty when it was finally discovered that the culprit preventing me from doing my thing was simply the communicating cord from the modem to the computer. Ah Lord eh, such simple things can cause such anger inspiring problems!

Anyway, that’s finally been solved, so from here on in, it’s clear sailing. However, as soon as I got that fixed, a few friends and family popped in to visit, to reminisce about bye gone days and make more memories for future reminiscing. Hn!

That obviously put paid to my writing the Bit. And after they left, I was somewhat tired from a harassing day, so I decided to get some rest first. Lo and behold though, I exceeded my nap time and only just got up. So here’s what I had written earlier this morning.

Oh Friends, it’s a beautiful morning and I’m outside enjoying the cool morning breeze and the beautiful view! It’s now around 8 a.m., and the old body is feeling refreshed after a decent night’s sleep. There’s one impediment though. It seems some people moved in downstairs last night, and now are sitting outside on the pool deck talking, rudely disturbing my early morning serene serenity. (smile)

Chuh! Now it’s not raucous or anything bad, but talk and laughter just seem out of place in such a tranquil setting. Let’s hope that it doesn’t continue for much longer, or become a habitual disturbance in the peaceful early morning hours. To make a bad situation worse, I don’t know what’s happening with the internet scene today. But one way or the other, I’ll try, with the Lord’s help of course, to get the Bit to you earlier than yesterday. (That obviously didn’t happen). So till later on, I guess I’ll just go inside and find a quiet spot and talk to the Father for a spell. More time!

Oh Friends, our God is so great and thoughtful, that I can’t even begin to comprehend Him! Remember a while ago I said that the talking downstairs was disturbing me a tad, because I wanted to be like Daniel, with my doors open, enjoying God’s refreshing breeze and presence?

Well shortly after that, He removed the loudest mouth from the gathering, plus they also moved away a bit, and the volume of the conversation was toned down. So now they don’t bother me, don’t really intrude on the conversation with the Father.

And by the way, the Spirit moved me to check the internet service, and wonder of wonders, it has returned! That means I don’t have to go anywhere to write the Bit today. Thank the Lord! The only drawback is that it’s a plug in situation, so it makes it a tad awkward to write on the computer, but they have promised to get a wireless set up today, and that should solve all the problems.

Most importantly, the duchess will be in a better frame of mind, since she’ll be able to play with all her wireless technological toys! And once she is happy, then I am happy. And who says the Lord isn’t good eh? Deh chupid! More time.

Well mih people, by the time I finished talking to the Father, about half an hour or so later, the net was gone again… and stayed gone for the whole day! Steups!

And thence began a whole lot of calls back and forth, involving frustration no all sides. But thankfully it never spilled over into outright anger, and you know from above, how the whole thing turned out eventually. So now that you’re up to scratch, let’s see if I can get this done before midnight. (smile)

Here’s our Bit. ‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.’

And we’ve been talking about the importance of prayer in the believers life, and looking at scriptures that enhance that belief. Let’s continue that trend with an appropriate scripture from Acts.

‘Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.’ (Acts 3:1) Another instance of where serious and devout men of God made it a habit to pray. So if two of Jesus’ main men made it a habit to pray, why can’t we do the same eh? It shows that it was important to them, thus it should also be important to us and to all believers.

And the scholars add this note. ‘3:1. According to Jewish reckoning, the day began at six A.M. Hence the ninth hour is 3 P.M. The Jewish prayer time was held in conjunction with the evening prayer sacrifices and offering of incense. (cf. Luke 1:8-10; Rev.8:3-4) Peter and John commonly went to the temple to pray at this hour. The Greek imperfect tense could well be translated “used to go up.”

Now hear Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. Having told them about putting on the spiritual armour of God, (Eph. 6:10-17) he adds this very important corollary. ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery (hidden truth) of the gospel. For which I am an ambassador in bonds (chains): that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.’ (Eph.6:18-20)

Oh my fellow believers, yuh see the importance Bruh Paul placed on prayer? Not only did he desire the Ephesians to pray constantly for themselves, but also for each other, and believers all over. You’ll also notice that he asked them specifically to pray for him, so that he’d get the necessary belly and backbone to preach the truth of the gospel without fear.

Again my brethren, I reason that if a man of God, like Bruh Paul thought prayer so important to believers of all stripes, why shouldn’t we do too?

And the scholars add this helpful note. ‘6:18. Praying is grammatically linked to “stand” in verse 14. Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks. In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made.

Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both and individual and corporate matter.’

Oh Friends, I couldn’t put it any better. Prayer is indeed a universal matter for all believers. So today, please let’s ponder on all we’ve heard, then endeavour to improve our prayer situation nuh. There’s no excuse for not doing so, because we all have room for improvements in our prayer lives.

Till later then. And may the good Lord bless and keep us safely as we make encouraging improvements to our prayer lives. and we can start doing that by chanting our Friday Chant. See I didn’t forget, the Spirit reminded me. (smile)

So let’s chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Much LOVE my brethren!

…happiness is the result of…a radical, outrageous relationship with God… (Joyce Meyer) …and that’s the gospel truth…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 January 2014 Psalm 5:3

16 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 5:3. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella’s in Paradise; God’s Little Acre; Robinson Crusoe’s Isle; Sweet, Sweet Tobago! It was an arduous journey, but the rewards will certainly be worth it.

Having left Toronto about 10.30 p.m last night, we got into Piarco airport in Trinidad at 5 a.m, then had to wait until 9.30 to get a flight to Tobago. There was one around six, but I listened to the Duchess when she queried what we were going to do in Tobago at that early hour of the morning.

But even if it was just lounge around the airport, like we did at Piarco, it would have been more refreshing, with cleaner air and more beautiful surroundings, although the Northern Range of mountains overlooking Piarco, did look splendid as the sun rose upon them.

At one stage I was so tired that I simply lay across a few seats in the Tobago Departure Lounge, and just rested for a while, And surprisingly it refreshed me.

Then when we finally got to Tobago, we had to wait for them to pick us up and negotiate some prices, because according to Expedia, they had booked the rental and sent us all sorts of confirmation. However the rental company claimed they had no reservation.

But wonder of wonders… sorry, there should be no wonder there at all my brethren, since from the moment I got to the airport, right at the check in counter, all through the night and into the day, people were wonderful to me! That’s because the abundant grace and favour of our magnanimous God shone extremely bright on me. We even got a cheaper rate than what Expedia had quoted us.

The long and short of the story Friends, is that by the time we settled everything and got to what they are calling a bungalow, but is actually an upstairs two bedroom apartment, it was after one p.m. Then we had to go and get something to eat, and unfortunately when we checked out the Internet, there was no service. Steups!

Apparently this part of the compound, including the sales and rental office is having service problems. But the sales people have graciously made arrangements for me to go up to the Hotel Magdalena, a luxurious resort on the compound to use their Internet service.

So I’m scribbling something here on my balcony overlooking the golf course, with some lovely greenery growing almost to the height of the balcony, while the cool sea breeze washes over me, surrounded by four other white buildings of similar shape and size. I believe that right now only one other is occupied, so it’s peaceful and quiet; just what the doctor ordered.

Ah Friends, the trees are all dancing to the scintillating, invigorating beat of the wind. That feels beautiful, and and old fellow just pulled up in his golf cart on the course on the foreground.

Now don’t all get jealous, (smile) all you have to do is like Bruh David and I did; follow the awesome words of our Bit. ‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.’

Ah mih people, our God truly does answer prayer! And if you don’t believe me, believe Bruh David, because you know his amazing story. It wasn’t an easy life, and he made some serious mistakes for which he paid dearly, but nevertheless, the Lord looked after him, showering him with great rewards, because He deemed him faithful, a man after His own heart.

And He will do the same thing for us Friends, if we follow Bruh David’s example, as well as Jesus’, especially on that faithful and most memorable night in the Garden of Gethsemane before His crucifixion. That night my fellow believers, our Saviour’s heart was very heavy, and He went into the garden with His disciples to pray. He told most of them: ‘Sit ye here, while I shall pray.’ (Mark 14:32b).

Then He took Peter, James and John, His inner circle further on, ‘And he saith unto them. My soul is exceedingly sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. and he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me; nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. and he cometh and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? could thou not watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.’ (Mark 14:34-38)

Oh my brethren, I don’t know what to do to awaken the spirit of prayer in us nuh, to make us truly believe that prayer is the essence, the bedrock, the very foundation of our being. For without it, we would not be able to communicate with Almighty God, our Heavenly Father. Therefore we wouldn’t be able to enjoy His grace, mercy, favour, forgiveness, LOVE, salvation and eternal life.

Oh Friends, just listen to al those wonderful things He provides for us when we live in obedience to His holy will and reverence Him with true LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS!

And on that note I’ll close for today, so I can go up the street to the Magdalena and get the Bit on it’s way. Much Much LOVE my people, from my balcony on the little bungalow at Lowlands. (smile) God Bless!

…only a fool refuses to believe and accept…the wonderful blessings of God…on those who trust and adore Him…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 January 2014 Psalm 5:3

15 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 5:3.   My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
 
Oh Friends, once again we have been blessed with God’s wonderful grace, enabling us to see another new day on His great planet earth! Wow! How thrilling that is!
 
And I know that you all will agree with me, for despite all the problems in the troubled world and our individual lives, very few really are ready to leave here and go over to the other side. There’s something about earth, with all its faults and foibles that still holds us captive.
 
Perhaps it’s simply because we know what’s here, but aren’t truly sure about what’s on the other side, although they claim it’s much better there.
 
In any case, since we’re here, and most likely want to be, let’s be happy, and like the psalmist, joyfully declare: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24) That positive attitude certainly helps more than a negative, sorrowful, poor-me-one behaviour.
 
Oh by the way, a service man did come yesterday to look at our freezer problem, at an exorbitant service charge. Hn!
 
Apparently there’s a small plastic cup – no surprise there, for everything’s plastic now – where the water runs through to the icemaker. But whenever that cup gets clogged with ice, and the icemaker calls for water, the water cannot run into the cup and into the icemaker. So as water is wont to do, it finds other channels to run into.
 
Consequently, by the time he checked it yesterday, everything was clear and free, and the only thing we can do is keep a close eye on it, because there’s no finding out why it happens. Ah Lord eh! And last night we had to turn off the icemaker because the bucket was already full of ice.
 
And the techie agreed with my contention that the earlier appliances worked much better than these new fangled ones, neither did they have as many complications when something went wrong. Although it gave him more work, he wasn’t thrilled with the new stuff, and suggested that we complain to the manufactures themselves, not to the service people.
 
But which big manufacturer listens to the small man eh, unless there’s a big ground swell and a serious threat of boycotting their products?
 
Anyway, that’s enough preamble for today. (smile) Yesterday’s Bit was one of the longest, if not the longest one I’ve ever written, and I promise today’s definitely won’t be as long. So in keeping with that promise let’s get to our Bit from Bruh David’s prayer for protection. 
 
‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.’
 
And I was up early enough today to do my prayer thing and still get the Bit to you at a reasonable hour. Glory Hallelujah! And we’ll continue looking at scriptures that show us the importance of prayer, as well as encourage us to get more involved in it.
 
And there’s lots of truth in the advice to begin each day with prayer. Bruh David and Daniel (6:10) did it, and in Psalm 88, a Maschil (Contemplation) of Heman the Ezrahite, a cry for deliverance from death, the psalmist also proclaims: ‘But unto thee have I cried, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent (come before) thee.’ (Ps.88:13)
 
Now we already know that Jesus got up very early every morning to go out into a quiet place and pray. (Mark 1:35) But that wasn’t the only time He availed Himself of the power of prayer. And we have a good example of that after He fed the five thousand, (Matt.14:15-22) and sent His disciples over to the other side of the lake by ship, then went off by Himself to pray.
 
‘And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart (by Himself) to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.’ (Matt.14:23)
 
Apparently after using up all that spiritual energy, He needed some recharging of His batteries, some rejuvenation of His Spirit. And believe me Friends, nothing recharges or rejuvenates us like sincere prayer!
 
Now let’s move on to Bruh Paul. Oh my brethren, I don’t know if anyone has spoken about the importance of prayer more than him! In every epistle he encourages his readers to pray. And his most astounding pronouncement on the subject is simply this: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess.5:17) Plain and straightforward my people!
 
The scholars dissemble the verse thus: ‘The Greek word here rendered without ceasing is used in secular literature to denote a man suffering from an intermittent cough – one that is not continuous, but occurs at intervals. Just as the individual has the tendency to cough, though does not always do so audibly, so the believer ought to remain in the attitude of prayer though not always praying audibly.’ 
 
Therefore Friends, as true believers, we ought always to have that attitude of prayer about us, though not necessarily praying aloud. It’s a most wonderful behaviour to cultivate. And as promised, we won’t ramble on any more today.
 
But my brethren, that’s only the tip of the iceberg concerning prayer in the Good Book. However we’ll leave you to ponder those few verses today. Don’t want to complicate your busy minds and lives more than they’re already complicated. (smile) .
 
But please, please, let’s get serious about prayer in this important year of 2014 nuh, both for others and ourselves, because it’s the greatest power on planet earth, when entered into with heartfelt sincerity. Much LOVE!
 
…there’s nothing like prayer…to lighten the believer’s soul…  
 
P.S. Aye mih people, the Bit will most likely be plenty late tomorrow, because I’m going out of town this evening, and I don’t know when I’ll find the time to write it. But rest assured that once I’m alive and kicking, you will receive it. It’s just a matter of when. And as they say; better late than never. (smile) Much LOVE!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 January 2014 Psalm 5:3

14 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 5:3.    My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
 
Oh For the good old days eh! And you’re no doubt wondering what caused that soulful lament for those bye-gone days?
 
Well, it’s because yesterday afternoon, while I was trying to catch up on some rest, for I’m not over whatever bug’s been bugging me for the last ten days. But I am getting better… Thank the Lord I’m getting better! Though not as quickly as I’d like.
 
Anyway, out of the blue, I head this imperative call: ‘Randolph, come here!’ Chuh! I sighed at being disturbed, while wondering what was wrong now. The Duchess is one of the few people who call me Randolph, and anytime I hear that commanding voice, it automatically raises my hackles. (smile)
 
But as a dutiful husband, I got up and went downstairs, only to find the Duchess standing in front of the opened freezer door of the fridge, watching water come pouring out.
 
Oh, she’d already done what she could; put some towels on the ground to sop up the water, taken out the ice-maker, and turned off the water. But the residue in there kept coming out for a couple more minutes.
 
She was obviously not thrilled, because as usual, she was trying to do several things at the same time. It appears that she had just come from outside talking to the man who was cleaning up the trees from the ice storm damage, and found the undesirable situation.
 
By the way, she had him cut down the wasp (jack spaniard) nest that had been hanging so blithely from the tree limb outside my kitchen window. Aww! Now I don’t have anything to look at and chuckle about when I look out there.
 
But my brethren, you would certainly have been proud of the ole fella, for I responded in a very calm and Christian manner. Wow! What maturity! (smile) I allowed her to go and continue her other chores, while I simply did what I could to clean up the resultant mess.
 
To tell the truth, I was even surprised at how calmly I handled the situation. I guess the Holy Spirit did a magnificent job in me. And who says He doesn’t work hard eh!
 
The long and short of the story is that the freezer section contains an automatic icemaker that provides either crushed or cubed ice, along with a waterspout. However the icemaker is always causing problems, either not making ice or making too much ice.
 
Just a couple weeks ago, it malfunctioned again, that time causing a terrible ice build up in the freezer. Everything in there was so caked with ice that we had problems taking them out. A service man came, obviously at an exorbitant service charge, but apparently all he did was de-ice the freezer, not fix the problem that had caused it in the first place.
 
Now yesterday the water section acted up. My contention is that the older fridges with just a small freezer section, where you put your ice trays to make ice, never caused those problems. But these fanciful, cheaply made gadgets with so many features constantly cause problems.
 
And this is supposed to be a top of the line Maytag appliance, whose advertisement wrongly boasted about the Maytag repairman never having anything to do because their products were so good. Hogwash! I won’t even get into the problems we’ve had with a Maytag stove.
 
Hn! The amount of times we’ve had service people out to fix one thing or another, and the cheap knobs that keep falling off. I would certainly think twice about buying another Maytag appliance. 
 
But coming back to my original contention, I don’t use much ice, especially in the winter, and I never drink from the waterspout, because I find it tastes terrible. What did we do before we had fridges that automatically gave ice and water eh? We got along quite fine!
 
And besides there were less possibilities of a number of things going wrong, as now happens with all the supposed conveniences on them. And I was made to understand that’s how all the fridges are now made. The Lord help us! And another service man is supposed to come today, of course at some ridiculous service charge.
 
But that’s one of the reasons why I don’t like all this new fangled technology; they try to put too many features into a single item, and they never seem to work properly, plus when one breaks down, it causes eternal problems. And don’t even talk about the one button that does several different things, as they have in all these new gadgets. Steups! It’s just a bit much for my mentality. I like my one button dedicated to one function.
 
And having ‘preambled’ at length on my opening sentence, (smile) you all know that the ole fella’s longwinded, let’s turn to our Bit, which conveys such a powerful and important directive.
 
‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.’
 
Yes Friends, the best way to begin each and every day is with prayer! Remember Jesus did it, (Mark 1:35) so why should we not follow our leader, the best example of righteousness that we have. And today we’re going to highlight some scriptures that show the importance of prayer, and which also encourage us to make prayer a big part of our lives.
 
And we’ll start with an interesting, but little talked about scripture. It comes from 1 Samuel. ‘Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and right way.’ (1 Sam.12:23) That was Samuel’s promise when he addressed Israel re their high level of sinfulness.
 
And the scholars have an interesting note on that verse. ’12:23. Despite Israel’s sin, Samuel LOVED Israel and Saul (cf.16:1) and pledged his continued help, especially in praying for them and teaching them the Lord’s standards. His LOVE for them however, would not dim his perspective as to what ways were right or wrong in Israel. He would do his divine duty of speaking the truth in LOVE (cf. Eph.4:15).’ 
 
And I’ll spoil us by quoting that last verse, since I know that very few are going to look it up. Bruh Paul is talking about the new life in Christ. ‘But speaking the truth in LOVE, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.’ (Eph.4:15)
 
Meanwhile, in Psalm 55, a cry against deceitful friends, Bruh David boldly declares: ‘As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.’ (Ps.55:16-17)
 
Bruh David says that he will pray at least three times a day. That brings us to Daniel who apparently did the same thing.
 
‘Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being opened in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a (that) day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime (had been doing before this).’ (Dan.6:10)
 
So although he knew that there was a plot afoot to kill him because of his praying to the God of his forefathers, he continued doing as he had always done. And the scholars point out: ‘6:10-11. Daniel was past 80 years of age at this time, yet he was still on his knees thanking God and asking for His guidance and help.’
 
Oh what a wonderful example for us to follow my people. Please let’s up our prayer quotient nuh. It will certainly enrich our lives. Much LOVE!
 
…to pray…and yet to pray again…should be the motto of ALL believers… 
 
P.S. The Bit’s late because I didn’t get up early enough to start my day with prayer, and still have enough time to send it our early, plus I had a couple of unavoidable distractions in between.
 
Ah Friends, it’s not easy, that was a test to see if I was practicing what I preach. Don’t worry, I get tested on most of the stuff I write about, sometimes even before I’m even finished writing about it.
 
Obviously I don’t pass them all, or not as well as I should, but I’m happy to say that I passed this one today with flying colours! Wow! Aren’t you proud of me? (smile) Much LOVE!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 January 2014 Psalm 5:3

13 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 5:3.    My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee.
 
And now Friends, it’s Monday… Easy now…easy does it… No cursing…no temper tantrums. So you overdid the weekend, and now your mental and physical states are not what they should be. As a believer you ought to know better, but it’s too late to worry about that now. Just take a deep breath and control yourself…
 
Now release it and thank the Lord for allowing you to see another day on His glorious planet earth, and ask for His guidance and blessings. Regardless of your mental or physical state, you know you have to get up and go to work, so why not do it the easy and smart way eh, by communicating with your heavenly Father?
 
Oh mih people, I’m still trying to get us to awaken joyfully, instead of right away  developing a crass and miserable demeanour when the alarm goes off, especially on a Monday morning. And we’ll keep doing it until victory is achieved! (smile) Until then…and even after that, we’ll continue to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get our adrenalin flowing and our motors properly revved up.
 
So as one harmonious choir now, let’s sing: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
 
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
 
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
 
Awright mih breddren, that wasn’t a bad rendition, though we’ve done better. It didn’t get us a standing ‘O’ in heaven, but the applause was polite enough. (smile) But seriously Friends, I can’t impress on us enough, the utmost importance of prayer in a believer’s life. Remember yesterday we saw Jesus tell His listeners a parable about how men ought to pray and not faint, not lose heart? (Luke 18:1) Now if He says so, then of a truth, it must be so!
 
Bruh David takes that a step further though. In Psalm 5, his prayer for protection, he solemnly declares these sentiments. ‘Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation (groaning). Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. ‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee.’ (Ps.5:1-3)
 
In our Bit there, Bruh David proclaims that in the midst of his suffering, he will make his supplication to the Lord early in the morning. And that’s excellent advice Friends, whether you’re in the midst of suffering or not!
 
As we said yesterday, and I advised right at the beginning today, it’s always best to start our day with prayer, because it starts us off in a positive frame of mind, gives us the necessary spiritual strength to face the day. And the good thing is that it doesn’t have to be an overly long session for the Lord knows how busy we are, but acknowledging Him as soon as we wake, certainly pleases Him.
 
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to these inspiring words from the Good Book. ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (quiet, deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35)
 
Yuh know who Mark’s talking about there Friends? It’s our own beloved Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, while out on His first preaching tour!
 
So my people, fellow believers and otherwise, if our wonderful, wise, fearless and courageous Leader, the Son of God, could get up early to pray, why can’t we eh? Because we’re too lazy, or just don’t believe that early prayer is valuable, or just don’t believe in prayer at all, who knows? The truth of the matter though my brethren is that prayer is extremely important, and praying as soon as we awaken is best.
 
Anyway, here is an interesting note on that verse from the scholars. ‘Mark emphasizes that it was a great while before day. Showing that Jesus began each day of His earthly ministry with prayer is only the secondary intention of this verse. The primary aim is to show how Jesus made important decisions: by earnest, persistent prayer. Here Jesus stands at the crossroads of decision.
 
His first year of public preaching (vv. 9-20) has borne little visible fruit. But His miracles of healing are drawing huge crowds (vv.31-32) and bringing Him recognition (v. 28). So the question is whether He should continue to put the stress of His ministry on the preaching of the gospel for the healing of man’s diseased soul, or place the stress of His work on the more popular performing of miracles for the healing of man’s body. To make the proper choice, He seeks by prayer the Father’s wisdom.’
 
And that my people, is the truest and highest state of wisdom that exists! So please, let’s ponder all that we’ve learned today, then, as always, get the Lord to help us make the necessary changes in our lives. Much LOVE!
 
…again I ask…if it was imperative for Jesus…the Son of God…to seek guidance through prayer…why should it be any less so for us…sinful mortals that we are…
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 January 2014 Psalm 5:3

12 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 5:3.     My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
 
Oh Friends, oh Friends, what an awesome, amazing and incomparable God we serve and worship!
 
And recognizing the indisputable truth of that statement, all God’s people at once responded with a loud and proud: ‘Praise the Lord God Jehovah! For He is truly mighty, and indeed worthy of our reverence and worship!’ 
 
And I know that because of the fastness, the curiosity, your natural inquisitiveness, (smile) you’re wondering what brought on that beautiful burst of adoration. Well nothing more than His LOVING-kindness and faithfulness!
 
A short while ago, as I was getting ready to write the Bit and pondering what to put in the preamble, I opened a desk drawer looking for paper, and lo and behold, I came upon this Christmas tract put out by Sally Anne (the Salvation Army), and right at the end was this short but beautiful poem that touched me, and I immediately knew that I had to share it with you. 
 
A title isn’t listed, but the author’s name is Christina G Rosetti. The poem is printed above what looks like a charcoal drawing or dark picture on a white background, of a new born babe peacefully lying in a bassinet made of reeds or some other fibrous material that can be plaited together, with the mother sitting on the left side, while the father kneels on the right, both tenderly and LOVINGLY gazing down at their new bundle of joy, much like how Mary and Joseph must have gazed down at baby Jesus with wonder and LOVE. (smile)
 
And having set the scene, this is what the poem says: ‘What can I give Him, Poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would give Him a lamb; If I were a wise man, I would do my part. But what can I give Him – I give Him my heart.’
 
Oh mih people, there’s no better gift that we can give to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, than our hearts; the very lifeblood of our souls! In fact, that’s all he ever asks of us. As He so generously offers in Revelation. ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup (dine) with him, and he with me.’ (Rev.3:20)
 
What an invitation, Friends! It’s the door to our hearts that Jesus is knocking on! How can we ever refuse to open it eh? For it’s the BEST INVITATION THERE IS!
 
Sadly though, millions of people around the globe are indeed refusing it every day. How unwise and foolish of them! Instead they are accepting Lucifer’s deceitful invite to sample the evil things of the world and the ungodly lusts of the flesh. But that’s a story for another day, so let me leave it alone, before I get carried away. (smile)
 
Let’s belatedly turn to our Bit; a glowing proclamation and testimonial of Bruh David, from his prayer for protection. ‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.’
 
Again my people, once we’ve given our hearts to Jesus, that is the BEST ACTION we can take at the beginning of each and every day!
 
Why? Because it gets our day off on the right foot, gives us a positive start. We get infused with strength and guidance from the Holy Spirit right from the get go, before the wily Beelzebub can get into our consciousness with his negativity and have us all tied up in knots, with doubts, fear, anger and self-pity.
 
That is why my people, it’s ever so important that the first set of clothes we put on every day is our battle dress, our suit of spiritual armour. As Bruh Paul told the Ephesians. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (devious schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph.6:11)
 
And the scholars define that verse thus: ‘6:11. Put on (Greek ingressive aorist imperative) denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action. To stand has military overtones. This verb was used in classical Greek meaning to resist the enemy and hold a critical position in battle. The wiles of the devil (or, “the Devil’s strategy”): Satan carefully devises schemes and tactics against believers.’
 
And is that ever the disgusting truth my brethren! And for those of you who don’t know or are too lazy to read it, the description of the spiritual suit of armour is found in Ephesians 6:13-18.
 
But I spoil you all so much, (smile) that I’m going to give you a brief description of what they are: the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the sandals of peace, the shield of faith, and the mighty sword of the Spirit, the omnipotent Word of God.
 
Oh Friends, I’m so excited and enthused and chuckling as I write this Bit, that I’m not sure if I’m on course or not. And the truth is, I really don’t care, because I know that it will turn out all right… no, not just all right, but most excellent, through the Lord’s guidance and help. So how can I not praise and serve and worship and LOVE Him eh?
 
Ah Friends, that is what happens when you get caught up in the excitement of Jesus!
 
But yuh know what mih breddren? I think we’ve run out of space and time for today. (smile) But we’ll close with the definitive statement on prayer that totally supports our Bit.
 
And as we like to do whenever possible, it’s from none other than our Master, Jesus. ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) 
 
Immortal words of awesome truth and wisdom Friends, straight from the author of all truth and wisdom! We certainly can’t do any better than that. So please, from henceforth, let’s begin each day with prayer nuh.
 
And it doesn’t have to be anything lengthy, just acknowledging that the Lord is the strength and joy of our life and that during the ensuing day, we’ll try to walk and talk and be obedient to His holy will, be worthy of being called His child. By so doing, right from the outset, we’ll be filled with strength, truth and wisdom, spiritually enabled to fight a good fight in Jesus’ name, each and every day.
 
Oh my fellow believers, that’s such tremendous wisdom, that I don’t even know how to categorize it! (smile) It’s surely been a smiley day, but that’s a great medicine for anything that ails us, and besides it’s also the cheapest. Much LOVE!
 
…there’s no greater power in this world…than sincere prayer…

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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