Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 February 2015 Psalm 138:7

02 Feb 2015 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 138:7. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.   

And so it is Monday once again Friends! That beautiful day that we are all beginning to like, (smile) because we finally realize that it is a big day in our lives, with a return to work and also an expanded chance to serve Jesus; to tell others about Him, and to show the wonderful things that He stands for, by the way we behave and react to the outside world.

All glory be to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Yes my people, it’s a brand new day, with brand new blessings and mercies specifically prepared and planned for today, so let’s gratefully accept them, so that they can enable us to be useful ambassadors of Christ, because that’s one of the reasons they’ve been granted to us.

Let’s go out today without too much grumbling and complaining, and don’t forget to put on our spiritual armour so that we can stand strong against the enemy.

And as we do every Monday morning, to get our motors running, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with full, sweet and strong voices now. ‘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!’

That was decent friends, good enough to get the adrenalin flowing, so let’s get up and get a godly move on nuh. As the song on the radio’s saying: ‘I’m going to have a good day, be glad, and have a good day!’ And that’s a fact!

As per adventures, the ole fella didn’t do much yesterday. We went for lunch at the Magdalena Grand, where I did better justice to the food than a couple days before. Then we came back home and rested. Was I ever glad to get back inside because of the heat and the asthma nonsense!

But praise the Lord, this morning the ole chest is not as tight and I’m feeling better. And for that I have to burst into song: ‘Oh I’m getting better! Thank the Lord, I’m getting better!’ (smile) But it’s true Friends! Yeah, it’s taking an inordinately long time by my reckoning. But remember in the Lord’s eyes, it’s merely a blink, for a thousand days is like a single one to Him.

The duchess went in the pool and hung around the deck, while poor me rested in air conditioned comfort, wheezing like an old accordion. (smile) In the evening we watched the Panorama Steelband Competition Semi-finals from the Queen’s Park Savannah in Trinidad, in conjunction with the Super Bowl.

For once it wasn’t a bad game, but that last passing play call, with the Seahawks driving for the winning touchdown, almost at the Patriots goal line with less than a minute left in the game… Steups! Pure foolishness! It had a right to be picked off.

You had a running back, Lynch, just running wild all game, and now, with a couple yards to go, you refuse to put the ball in his hands. Chuh! The Seattle coach or coaches who made that call should all be tarred and feathered though town!

Anyhow, all that nonsense is now over for another year. It’s time to get on with constructive stuff. And our Bit is a perfect guide, comforter and encourager for that purpose: ‘Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.’

Ah Friends, Bruh David is speaking there from personal experience, and if we are obedient to God’s will, we will be able to say the same thing. Therefore it’s something to which we should all gladly aspire.

Yeh mih brethren, Bruh David was so confident in God’s protection that even when he ran from his rebellious son, Absalom, he was still able to declare: ‘I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3:6) Now that is what yuh call confidence mih people!

Meanwhile, Isaiah tells us of this wonderful promise of the Lord, the only redeemer: ‘When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle (scorch) thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place).’ (Is.43:2-3)

Ah Friends, with strong, faithful promises like those we should not face the cruel and evil world with fear and anxiety, but with a strong confidence and sense of purpose. Remember Bruh Paul’s contention to the Roman church. ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Rom.8:31)

And the answer to that question is an unequivocal ‘NOBODY!’

Let’s remember that, and go home with these refreshing, encouraging and comforting words of Bruh David from Psalm 16 – when he sought preservation and blessing, just like we are doing today.

‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.’ (Ps.16:8-9)

Yes Friends, wonderful words of hope and wisdom! Please let them guide us as we continue our pilgrim’s journey today. Have a safe and blessed day, all you saints of Jesus! Much LOVE!

…while there is life…there is always hope…in Jesus Christ…

 

   

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 January 2015 Psalm 3:8

19 Jan 2015 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 3:8.    Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people.   Selah.

Well my dear Friends, the news is sad but very true: the weekend is over, it is now Monday morning, time to begin another wonderful week of work! (smile)

And I know that some of you are chuckling, while many are not too thrilled at either it being Monday, or me reminding you of that fact. But as I keep saying, we will never be contented, have a reasonable amount of peace in our souls, until we learn to accept and welcome Monday for what it is – the first day of the work week, a day to go out and labour.

Yuh know how many people around the world right now, many of them right in our own neighbourhoods, would give their eye teeth to have a job this Monday morning, any kind of job at all, once it will pay a few dollars so that they can keep a roof over their heads and provide for their families! But we, the lucky ones with jobs, carry on with such petty, childish behaviour, grumbling, moaning and groaning, as though we are entitled, as though the world owes us a living.

Well for your information my Friends, the world owes us nothing whatsoever! We possibly owe the world something; the constructive and diligent effort to make it a better place. As President Kennedy said many years back, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’ And being a productive worker is one of the things you can do to help your country.

And furthermore, I’ll put it to us this way; if you don’t like your job, or don’t want to get up and go to it, then simply quit it. But please stop complaining about being tired and exploited and otherwise when a Monday morning rolls around. Just make up your mind, tell yourself that you don’t have a choice in the matter and like Bruh Paul, learn to be content in whatever state you are in. (Phil.4:11) That will save you oodles of heartaches, anxiety and worry.

But enough with the sermonizing now, (smile) instead, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with enthusiasm and sincerity. All together now: ‘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!’  

Not bad, Friends, not bad at all! But not enough to make heaven rejoice and call out for a standing ‘O’, and that’s the standard we want to set. (smile)

Now let’s turn to our Bit, which comes from Bruh David’s prayer of confidence in God, written when he fled from Absalom his son, who rebelled against him. Read the unfortunate story in 2 Samuel 15. ‘Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people.   Selah.’  And that’s a truth that’s not disputable my brethren!

And Bruh David was so confident of that fact that earlier on in the psalm he declares: ‘I laid me down and slept: I awaked: for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3:5-6) Oh my people, Bruh David could only utter those words of confidence because he had supreme trust and faith in the God of his fathers!

The abiding question today though, is do we have that same trust and confidence in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, so that we can make that same declaration? For our sake, I surely do hope so, because that is the only way we will ever find some lasting semblance of peace, joy, strength, wisdom, perseverance and prosperity on this evil and ungodly planet earth. 

Bruh David could make those statements above, because of this next verse. ‘Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten (struck) all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.’ (Ps.3:7) 

Yes my fellow believers, during Bruh David’s long and faithful walk with God, his enemies had consistently fallen by the wayside through God’s mighty hand, thus when his son Absalom revolted, he was confident that the Lord would also provide relief from the usurper, ungrateful child of his very own loins.

Oh Friends, it’s the same way that the Lord will bless us with help and succour if we walk obediently in His will, for we know that He faithfully keeps His promises. And if He has helped us previously, there’s no reason for Him not to continue doing so.

That is one of the many mistakes we make; in times of trial, we forget that the Lord has brought us through other serious and troubled times and we become anxious and worried. But that`s exactly when we need to remember the Lord`s previous help, and be assured that it will be forthcoming on other occasions.

And we`ll close with this bold proclamation of God, made through His servant Isaiah: `I, even I, am the Lord: and beside me, there is no saviour.` (Is.43:11) And that`s gospel truth my people!

So please, let`s remember that in these turbulent and distressing times, hope, faith, trust and surrender to Almighty God is the ONLY wise and sensible way to go. Therefore, let`s embrace the Most High with all our hearts, minds and souls, so that we can be strengthened and assured of our salvation. Much LOVE my fellow believers in Christ!

…trust in the Lord…wait patiently on Him…and He will give you the desires of your heart…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 December 2013 1 John 1:9

03 Dec 2013 Leave a comment

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

1 John 1:9.    If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
 
Aye mih bredden, I never expected these wonderful promises of our ever-LOVING, merciful, forgiving, gracious, omnipotent God to take up so many days nuh! And we’re only on the second one, with quite a few more to go through.
 
But that’s a-okay, because they are all very integral parts of our faith, of both our earthly and heavenly lives. And without them… Hn! I refuse to even think about that option, for in our serious sinfulness, we would have been destroyed long ago.
 
So please, let’s be wise and plod on in faith and trust as true pilgrims, as those promises teach us about the divine truth and wisdom contained in the Word of Almighty God. And today we’ll see the perfect example of our Bit, lived out in a believer’s life. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
 
Yeh Friends, that perfect example of the real life working of our Bit is to be found in none other than Bruh David. 2 Samuel 11, tells us about his seeing the beautiful Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite, lusting after her, lying with her, then plotting to have her husband killed in battle.
 
Most of the populace were none the wiser, but Almighty God saw his abominable sin and sought justice as is His wont. Remember that saying that what is done in darkness, is often brought to light. So in 2 Samuel 12, the Lord sends the prophet Nathan to Bruh David with some nansi story about a rich man having a visitor, and instead of killing one of his many sheep to serve his visitor, took the pet lamb of his neighbour.
 
Oh Friends, yuh see how our Lord can be even more devious than us when it’s called for. Now when Bruh David hears Nathan’s story, he’s furious at the rich man.
 
‘And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely (deserves to) die. And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.’ (2 Sam.12:5-6)
 
But can you imagine Bruh David’s chagrin when Nathan says to him: ‘Thou art that man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; and I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things (much more).
 
Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.’ (2 Sam.12:7-9) 
 
Yeh mih people, Nathan dressed down Bruh David real good and proper in the Lord’s name!
 
And as the scholars’ so rightly note: ’12:5-7. How easy it is to see the sins of others without applying the scriptural standards to ourselves (cf. Matt.7:3-5)! David called for the full weight of the law to be applied (cf. Ex.22:1)’
 
That last reference deals with the stealing of animals and the repayment. But the scholars’ statement is gospel truth! We’re always quick to pass harsh judgements on others, but never apply the same standards to ourselves, as Jesus points out in the first reference (Matt.7:3-5), quick to take the splinter from someone else’s eye, without removing the big beam from ours.
 
But sadly, the Lord wasn’t done with Bruh David, for Nathan continued with his rebuke. ‘Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
 
Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil (adversity) against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of the sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’ (2 Sam.12:10-12)
 
What a fiery dart to Bruh David’s heart mih breddren! And yuh better believe that the Lord was very serious.
 
For as the scholars’ tell us: ’12:10-11. These judgements came to pass literally in the sins of his own household (ch.13), the rebellion by his own son Absalom (ch.15), and the civil war that followed (chs.16-20). David was never to fully know rest again.’
 
Oh Friends, you can read those referenced chapters for yourselves and realize the truth of the scholars’ words. But thereafter, because of his gross misconduct, Bruh David was always embroiled in some sort of strife or disagreement, a lot of it within his own family.
 
It just goes to show my fellow believers that the Lord is very serious about His Word, re promises, and disobedience. Bruh David was king, and should have known better, especially since the Lord had blessed him so much, showered him with such worldly abundance and LOVING-kindness. A better example was expected from him.
 
Likewise, the Lord expects better examples from us, His adopted children. We can’t afford to preach one thing, then go out and do something entirely different, thus bringing disrepute upon the Lord and His righteousness.
 
Unfortunately though, we do it all the time, and that is why so many hold Christians up as the biggest hypocrites on the planet. And oftimes they are quite right.
 
So Friends, to day let’s sit down and consider our individual circumstances and see if there be any serious faults in us nuh. And if there be any, let’s immediately confess them to the Father, and sincerely ask for His mercy and forgiveness, for that is the very essence of wisdom and wise living.
 
So until we meet again tomorrow, the Lord in favour, let’s try our best to walk in the revealed light of Jesus, and not wallow in the sinful darkness associated with the world and Lucifer, its evil leader. Much LOVE!
 
…please remember that…disobedience ALWAYS brings…unwanted, unfathomable consequences…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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