Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 July 2020 Isaiah 30:21.

09 Jul 2020 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 30:21.     ​And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right, and when ye turn to the left.
 

Oh precious people, our enemy the devil is still out there roaring like a false lion with his toothless gums, and sadly, many of us are listening to him, and becoming anxious and afraid about all that’s currently going down. But I’m here to tell us on this sunny Thursday morning that all he has is bark and NO bite! The only way he can really harm us is if we give him that power. But please remember Jesus’ most often used words, were ‘FEAR NOT!’ And as His followers that’s what is expected of us. 

And we all know it’s harder said than done, so we need some encouragement, and today we’re going to turn to the best place for help, the Lord God Almighty – where else eh? Isaiah appealed to his people Israel to turn to the God of their forefathers after they had stopped relying on Him and were turning to Egypt for help. Hear these words re the futility of relying on anyone else but the Lord, and please do not let them fall on deaf ears. 

‘Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering (devise plans, weave a web), but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth (my advice); to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion (humiliation). (Is. 30:1-3)

 Oh friends, rather unwisely, that is the very same thing we have done. We have turned to various other gods and idols and seek advice from everywhere else except from the Lord God Jehovah. To the point that we are trying to get rid of Him from the society He created.  What utter foolishness! Do you think He’ll allow us to just throw Him out without a fight? I guess so, otherwise we wouldn’t be trying to win an unwinnable battle. It resembles Satan’s futile efforts to defeat Jesus over the battle for hell, death and the grave! Jesus came out victorious with the keys to all of Satan’s dominions! And so will the Lord God Jehovah, despite our best efforts to annihilate Him from our society; His creation! 

It’s also obvious that we don’t believe what He says. Remember He says in the Ten Commandments that He is a jealous God. (Ex. 20:5) And the same thing is mentioned all through the Old Testament. Remember when He was heartbroken because his special people Israel desired a human king like all the other nations? (1 Sam. 8) Yes friends, the Lord made us for Himself; to be His people, to fellowship with Him, for Him to be our God, and anytime we desire to change that, we WILL get some kind of opposition from Him. 

Thus says He: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8) That should tell us ALL we need to know, but it obviously doesn’t. So we keep on trying to uproot God from our midst and are now suffering serious adversity, the consequences of our ungodly behaviour, like Israel did back then. And like Isaiah did, so am I appealing to us to turn back to Him in these rough and unprecedented times, for He is indeed the ONLY ONE who can get us out of this earthly hell in which we’re now totally ensconced. 

Hear these words: ‘And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right, and when ye turn to the left.’ (Is. 30:20-21) Oh my people, are we hearing the Holy Spirit whispering in our souls, actively seeking to show us the right way? That’s what He’s there for. And I know He’s sincerely doing His thing, but apparently we’re not listening, for we’re going in the wrong direction; away from God, rather than towards Him. 

Oh friends, hear this other verse from just before nuh. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is. 30:18) 

And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘30:18-33. Because God is gracious and has been willing to wait for His people to return to Him, He will certainly bless those who wait for Him. “Waiting” is a confident and dependent trust in God. The reference to the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction shows that God teaches us lessons through circumstances when we will not listen to our teachers who call us to walk in the way (i.e. the way of God).’ 

Oh my people, there’s absolutely no doubt that our great and merciful God is trying to teach us some very useful lessons right now in these times of much sickness and strife! But are we conscious of that though? And if we are, are we learning anything from it? For all of our sakes, and those of our descendants, I do hope so, otherwise we’ll pay a great price for our disobedience and utter disregard for the Lord, His Holy Word and righteous desires for our lives. 

But for those of us who are aware, and sincerely trying to learn those lessons, let’s go home now declaring (awright!!!) our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so generously and graciously bestowed upon us to help those who need it. So in strong belief, as one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

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

And now, let’s go and share them very generously, for this is the time; that of sickness and strife,  for which we were made and so blessed! Much LOVE!

…the earth is the Lord’s…and the fullness thereof…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 March 2018 Isaiah 30:18.

28 Mar 2018 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 30:18.   And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.

Well friends, I slept in my own bed last night, and it wasn’t half bad! At least the ole back isn’t aching nearly as much as that unforgettable night I spent in the hospital, and it was much easier to get up from too. Glory to God! So this morning we’re back to the daily task and common grind and I just have to wait and see what the Lord has in mind now. 

Over the past year I’ve been trying my best to get some closure on my major illnesses, but all to no avail. And for a moment there, I thought the Lord had finally decided it was time to do what seemed necessary, but obviously I was wrong. 

And as He is so famous for doing, He even led me to this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin simply titled ‘I Will Wait.’ Yuh get the message? (smile) 

Please pray with me: ‘O Lord Today I must face it honestly with You By pursuing the persistent questions within me. God, is there any gain at all by my doubting? Do doubts make me stronger? Do they purify my heart? Fortify my will? Are my emotions firmly established by my doubts? Are my family and friends encouraged? 

On the other hand, God Even though I see no possible way out Of the catastrophe I now face Is there anything more pleasing to You Than my personal choice to trust You? I know it is true, Lord I must rely on Your promises in the end. Would You be glorified, dear God If I trusted You now at the early beginning? 

O God, forgive me For so limiting You. Surely you know exactly what you will do. You are God, so You will not alter Your Word. Your power is instantly operative In all the strange twisting of my life. You are God, so You are good. I will hope I will trust I will wait On the living God!’ 

Yeh mih people, that is a lesson we must all learn if we are to be faithful believers. And I’ve learned it a tad in a hard manner over the last couple days. What seems to be our truth, isn’t always God’s. And what seems to be our time, isn’t always His either. We just have to learn to wait expectantly and with a good attitude until He finally decides to allow whatever He thinks is necessary to happen. 

And that’s not always easy, especially when it’s to do with sickness. But from my experiences in this past year, I can definitely say that God is good! I’ve had plenty of ups and downs, but there was always some mitigating factor to ease the downs. He never just left me alone to go through my problems by myself. I could always see His hand working in the background, possibly not as much or how I would have liked, but I could always sense His presence. 

And even when He was not alleviating my sickness, I could still feel His hand of LOVE moving as He gave me some of my heart’s desires. They certainly made up for some of the disappointment with the illness. That’s why today, I can testify that we serve such a wonderful God! He doesn’t always do what we want or when we want it, but He ALWAYS comes through in the end! 

And though I’ve had this setback with the heart problem, I know that eventually, when He is good and ready, He will make all things right. Give Him thanks and praise, my people, exalt His holy name for He is certainly good to us, sinful and undeserving children of men! 

And I have to chuckle here, because I never really intended to testify, but the Lord seems to have drawn it out of me unconsciously. And not only that, but the Lord has just shown me our doubting Thomas’ way, because from the very beginning I’ve been praying for a miracle, where I’d have to go through no invasive surgery, but now that it might have happened, I can’t truly believe or accept it. 

And that’s how we are friends; we pray for big things but when they do happen, we find it difficult to accept them. But just remember that our God is a Big God and He can do ANYTHING. So if we pray big prayers, let’s not be surprised when they happen. 

And the scripture promise for our poem today is also our Bit; wise and wonderful words of the prophet Isaiah as he appeals to his people to turn to the Lord for help. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ 

Yes friends, if God can wait for us, so can we wait for Him. And remember it’s all for our benefit, not for His. The scholars offer this wise explanation. ’30:18-33. Because God is gracious and has been willing to wait for His people to return to Him, He will certainly bless those who wait for him. “Waiting” is a confident and dependent trust in God.’ And so it is my brethren. 

Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail in strong voice and sincere sense of purpose, letting the world know that we are truly and seriously involved with our God and Friend, Jesus. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! 

I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And it will indeed be a glorious future, more mind boggling than we can ever think or imagine! Much LOVE!

…Wait (in faith)…on the Lord…and he shall strengthen thine heart…wait (in faith)…I say…on the Lord. (Ps.27:14)

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 March 2018 Jeremiah 17:7.

07 Mar 2018 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 17:7.   Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

Oh friends, does it ever stop; the adversity and calamity? Apparently not, because it seems that New York and the surrounding U.S. States are due to be hit with another winter storm today, but with more snow than rain this time. And that while some people are still without power from the deluge last week. 

Ah Lord eh! And some of it can definitely be blamed on climate change. And speaking of climate change, I went to an Ecumenical Service last night, on the World Day of Prayer, where the topic was reviving the environment, in specific reference to the country of Surinam, and the betterment of the lives of it’s female population. 

Yuh know what? I think that EVERYDAY should be a World Day of Prayer because we have so many problems to deal with around our world, that one day is definitely not sufficient. But in this current world order, we get so busy that we don’t have time to do the things we need to do. 

And what does ‘BUSY’ mean? According to Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) ‘BUSY means Bondage under Satan’s Yoke.’ And that’s a fact. Satan has us so busy doing the non-essential things that we don’t or can’t find the time to do the essential ones, like look after our planet and have greater communication with our awesome God. 

But thank God that some of us are wise enough to flaunt God’s LOVE and power in Lucifer’s evil face. Only problem is that there ought to be plenty more of us doing it. But not to worry, time longer than twine, and with our faithful Christian fervour, we WILL increase those numbers substantially. 

We have to start right now though friends, because who knows how much time we have before Jesus returns. And once He does return, ALL bets are off. That brings us to our Bit, the same one from a couple of days ago. I had planned on using it yesterday, but the Lord apparently saw a greater need for yesterday’s message yesterday. And who am I to say Him nay eh? (smile) 

‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.’ Yes my faithful breddren, those are words of gospel truth! Remember in the last message with this Bit, we saw how Jeremiah described the God-centred man as a flourishing tree despite calamitous times. 

Now listen as the psalmist, in the very first Psalm, corroborates Jeremiah’s statement. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder) day and night. 

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps.1:1-3) How wonderful is that promise eh my people! 

And we’ll continue featuring scriptures that corroborate our Bit. Hear the psalmist from Psalm 146 – The blessedness of trusting God. ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man (a human being), in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth (spirit departs), he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. 

Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is the Lord his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:’ (Ps.146:3-6) 

Now why would we turn to someone other than the Lord God Almighty eh; the One who made the universe and all it contains? No good reason that I can see friends. I definitely want to be bosom buddies with the greatest power, the most LOVING and merciful Being in the universe. No One or nothing else will do. It’s just pure common sense. 

Now hear Isaiah in his appeal to his Jewish people to turn to the Lord for help. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all that wait for him.’ (Is.30:18) 

And the scholars offer this explanation: ’30:18-33. Because God is gracious and has been willing to wait for His people to return to Him, He will certainly bless those who wait for him. “Waiting” is a confident and dependent trust in God.’ 

Oh friends, I like that last line. I think it puts it all in the right perspective. ‘A confident and dependent trust in God.’ That’s exactly what we’re talking about my people! So let’s wisely set ourselves up to try and achieve that goal nuh, for it’s the only one that really matters. Once we achieve that, everything else will flow smoothly from it. 

In the meanwhile, let’s declare our current position in Christ Jesus through our Wednesday Wail, boldly letting the world know that without a doubt, we’re moving on with the Master. 

As one, in sincerity and truth now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! 

I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And what a glorious future that will indeed be my fellow believers, for Jesus has promised it! Much LOVE!

…trust and obey…there’s no better way…to be happy in Jesus…than to trust and obey…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 April 2016 1 Chronicles 16:34

16 Apr 2016 Leave a comment

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

1 Chronicles 16:34.     O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Well my people in the northern climes, this weekend’s temperatures are supposed to reach into the high teens… And all God’ people declared a loud and thankful ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ 

Yeh friends, I know the frustration that’s been running through our mortal souls for the last couple weeks, with the cold, unseasonable winter weather. But I think spring has finally sprung, and I know that you will be all out in the bright sunshine half-naked, tooling around in your sports cars, revving your motorbikes, getting your tans, and of course the backyards and decks will be crowded, with barbecues blazing, while the beer is being greedily chugged down in large quantities! (smile) 

But please remember Granny’s advice; ‘drunk or sober, mind your business,’ because I know after the long winter hibernation, this sudden summer type weather can go to our heads and have us do foolish things, and thus allow Lucifer to get a foot hold in our souls, which is definitely not a good thing. 

But enough of my rambling, I have something I want to share with you. I recently received a form letter from Fr. Bob Colaresi, the Director of The Monastery of Mount Carmel Society of the Little Flower – the Society that’s associated with St. Therese – and the opening paragraphs were so beautiful, I just had to share them with you. 

The letter begins: ‘Beloved Friend, The heart is our centre. It pumps blood throughout. It beats with LOVE, longing and power. When we give our heart away, it signifies us giving ourselves away to someone. 

In some ways our heart is who we are, especially as women and men created in the “image and likeness of God” Who is LOVE.  We are created from LOVE, in LOVE and for LOVE. We believe in a God Who is recklessly in LOVE with us and longs for union. 

Pope Francis has challenged the Church to celebrate a Jubilee Year of Mercy. Mercy is the heartbeat of God. For reasons hard to explain or understand we re-created a God of judgement. 

Somehow we seem to forget the Good News: that God reveals Himself as Mercy and LOVE – the God who gives us the benefit of the doubt. The God Who is always present with unconditional LOVE – Who never leaves us and always forgives.’ 

Oh friends, what a wonderful description of our amazing God! But do we truly live like we are LOVED and shown mercy by our magnanimous heavenly Father? Of course not! Too many of us simply pay lip service to God’s LOVE and mercy, and only come running to Him when we find ourselves in a heap of trouble from which we cannot extricate ourselves. 

But that’s certainly not wisdom for a true believer. For the true believer, living in the lap and luxury of God’s LOVE and mercy is an everyday, all day thing. It’s not something to embrace only when it suits our convenience, but we should be gloriously wallowing in it all the time, like pigs in mud. (smile) 

That’s when we truly get all the benefits of being in a personal relationship with Christ. Otherwise we are foolishly shortchanging ourselves.  And I don’t know about you all, but I definitely would like to receive all that God has earmarked for me, and the only way to do that is to live continuously in His LOVE and mercy, receiving stuff that we don’t deserve. That is true wisdom! 

And when I went looking for a Bit to match the words and sentiments of Fr. Bob above, I came upon this sentiment of indisputable truth that was ever so appropriate.  And it is also found in numerous places of the Good Book, which means it must be true and important. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.’ 

Now my brethren, if there ever was gospel truth, those words certainly qualify! And I simply cannot fathom why we are turning away from such a wonderful Deity in these turbulent and trying times. If there ever was a time for us to be running to God, it’s NOW!  

Now when we are being rocked by so much strife and disasters, both natural and man-made. Just look at how Japan was turned topsy-turvy by two strong earthquakes in the last couple of days. Only with a strong and true belief in a powerful and living God can we find the strength and wherewithal to overcome that sort of thing. But this modern day, selfish, egotistic society is running away from God instead! Steups! 

Ah Lord eh mih people! Sometimes I feel like I’m banging my head against a brick wall, all to no purpose, because people are not listening, they’re just too giddy, running behind the material things of the world. Anyway, that seems to be my cross to bear, so I’ll just have to bear it as best as I can. (smile) 

Now let’s look at some of the times and occasions where our Bit can be found in the Good Book. The instance we’re using is found when Bruh David brought up the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and the people celebrated and he wrote a glorious psalm of thanksgiving. 

Then later on in 2 Chronicles, when Cousin Sol completed the Lord’s temple and dedicated it, the celebration was amazing. Listen to the Good Book describe it. 

‘It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord. 

So that the priests could not stand to minister (continue ministering) by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.’ (2 Chr.5:13-14)  

Oh friends, we’ve run out of space and time, but yuh see what sincere praise and worship can do? It can cause our God to do miraculous stuff, because He just LOVES it when we praise and worship and glorify His Holy Name! That’s why He made us. 

So in this Easter season, when God gave us the biggest gift of all, eternal life, through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ, please let’s consider ramping up our praise and worship nuh, both as individuals and in fellowship, as the Church, the body of Christ. There could be no better reason. Then we’ll see our magnificent and magnanimous God do amazing and wonderful things in our lives! Much LOVE!

…there’s nothing in this world…to beat God’s LOVING-kindness and mercy…ABSOLUTELY NOTHING…