Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 October 2017 Psalm 94:16.

19 Oct 2017 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 94:16.   Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our workweek! And some people shout ‘Glory to God!’ thankful that the week is almost over. Hn, hn! It’s amusing that we don’t give God glory when the week begins, but are quick to do so when it ends. 

Anyway, though the day has dawned somewhat cloudy, chilly and windy, it’s always nice to know that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is still out there shining as brilliantly as ever, both in our hearts and souls, so that we can be safely guided to do His will and accomplish whatever plans He has for our lives. 

Now that is something for which we should all be shouting ‘Glory to God!’ The wise believers will undoubtedly do so. But let me share a li’l something from Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) that I found in one of her articles in a recent Enjoying Everyday Life Magazine. 

She succinctly states: ‘The distinction between dreams and reality is called action.’ And that’s ever so true friends! Dreams will never turn into reality until we DO something with them. Otherwise, they will simply remain dreams; a glorious vision in our imagination. 

Unfortunately that seems to be something that’s happening a lot in our Christian faith today. We all have dreams, some placed in our hearts by God, and we talk a lot about what we’re going to do for Christ, but nothing much ever happens, because we don’t get behind the talk and action our dreams and desires. 

It’s one reason why the enemy is slowly pushing us back, and moving God out of our society. We’re not being active enough in repelling the evil stuff that’s coming against us. Everybody’s talking about their rights but Christians. And it seems that our rights are the ones that are constantly being trampled upon, and even abrogated or eliminated. 

But we’re not up in arms about it. We talk some, but sit passively by, while others raise a hue and cry and eventually get what they desire. Then we claim they are taking away our rights. Steups! 

That brings us to our Bit, an interesting verse from Psalm 94 – How long shall the wicked triumph? ‘Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?’ 

The psalmist was there bewailing the rise and prosperity of the wicked, but he did not have the Holy Spirit dwelling in him, as we now do, so he had to look to the Lord totally for help. 

Thus he continues: ‘Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost (would soon have) dwelt in silence. When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.’ (Ps.94:17-18) 

And of course friends, when the going gets too rough for us, the Lord’s mercy will hold us up. But until then we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us so that we can do God’s will, make disciples of others, which also means fighting against the workers of iniquity. Otherwise why have the Holy Spirit indwelling us eh? 

The church is Christ’s body, His organization here on earth, and we’re supposed to uphold all that He stands for! Are we doing that? Definitely not as much as we should! 

In the first place we’re too fractured, too divided. Then overall we’re too passive, too compromising, too comfortable living the good life of the world. And remember the Lord did die that we might have life, and have it more abundantly, (John 10:10) but not the way Lucifer and his evil cohorts envision it. 

So what am I saying? Listen to Jesus’ words, for He says it much better than I can. ‘Ye are the salt of the earth” but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.5:13-16) 

There you have it my fellow believers, the words, the instructions, the desire of our Lord and Saviour, our Leader Jesus Christ. He wants us to be the salt of the earth, add His Christian, Christ-like flavour to the earth. And also shine like bright beacons; like the lighthouses that were once set on hills to guide the passing ships. 

People won’t come to Him unless they see good and favourable examples in us. And sadly, I must say that right now we’re not being either salt or light because too many unbelievers are looking at us and instead of declaring us Christians, they are crying out ‘Hypocrites!’ And I doubt that that sits very well with Christ. 

So let’s try and do better nuh mih people. Remember we have the Lord’s help, and with that we can do ANYTHING, if we so desire. But we must first have the desire.  Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings… And friends, with such wonderful blessings being bestowed on us, how can we not have a great desire to serve and worship the Lord eh? 

‘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 the corollary to that is to go out and share our blessings with others. Much LOVE!

…we have ALL we need…to be the salt of the earth…and the light of the world…except possibly the desire…

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 December 2014 Hebrews 4:12

20 Dec 2014 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 4:12.  For the Word of God is quick (living, alive), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.

Aye mih breddren in Christ! Warm greetings to all and sundry this glorious Saturday morning before Christmas, before the birth of our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 
 
Yeh Friends, it’s just another five days before the most celebrated birth in all of human kind! I hope you all are excited and enthused about the occasion, because if that miraculous incarnate birth had not taken place, then there’d be no cross, no atonement for sins, no reconciliation with God, nor the saving grace of salvation and eternal life.
 
So let’s give our most magnificent and magnanimous God a great big shout of thanks and praise for sending His only Son Jesus Christ to be our sacrificial Lamb, and consequently, our Leader, our Lord and Saviour, our Prince of Peace and our Immanuel!
 
And all God’s people declared a grateful, enthusiastic and resounding chorus of: ‘Thank You Father God! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! Thank You ever so much for Jesus, and all that He stands for! Help us to remember and greatly appreciate the reason for the season of Christmas; the birth of Your only Son!
 
And please keep on granting us your blessed mercy and grace each and every day, so that we can keep on honouring Your Holy Name and glorifying You to all the ends of the earth! This we pray in Jesus’ name! Glory Hallelujah to the newborn King, the newborn Son of God! Amen!’
 
Oh mih people, I don’t know if you all realize how heartwarming and gratifying writing those simple words of thanks and praise to Almighty God can be nuh! True joy, LOVE and reverence reverberate in my heart and soul like a plucked stringed instrument, because I know that our great God delights in our praise and worship!
 
There’s nothing that warms the cockles of His heart like our sincere and delightful acknowledgement of His awesome power, His majestic presence and His most endearing personality!
 
Consequently, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to share this beautiful and most appropriate poem from the One Year Book of Bible Promises called ‘The Book of All Books.’
 
Please pray it with me now: ‘Lord, I am overwhelmed As I read Your living Word. What power, what pungency I find within its pages. It stirs me, burns within me It challenges me, invigorates me And often disturbs me. When I obey its commands The results are what You claim: Darkness becomes light Crooked places become straight
 
The more I seek, the more I find. Within its pages, God I see beyond mere philosophy I see beyond a neat package of ethics. I crash head-on with a living Person The One who makes all things new. No other book can claim as much.’
 
Wow mih people! Wow! That’s all I can say to such resounding truth! There’s definitely NO ONE like our magnificent, magnanimous and merciful God! We don’t even have the words in our vocabulary to do justice to His description. And in truth, how could there ever be another One, another Deity of such magnitude eh? Now that might just be the only impossible feat in all the world!
 
And the promise on which that poem was based is also our Bit for today. ‘For the Word of God is quick (living, alive), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.
 
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in (hidden from) his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (must give account).’ (Heb.4:12-13)
 
Yes Friends, Bruh Paul is making some mighty statements there! And I believe that the Book of Hebrews had to be written by Bruh Paul, or someone eerily similar to him, for there are two many of his trademarks therein. But that’s another sermon for another day. (smile)
 
Right now, let’s address ourselves to some explanations. And the scholars offer us a lot. ‘4:12-13. For the word of God: The reason given for one’s careful scrutiny of his life involves the reality that God is intently scrutinizing it. His word is quick (living).
 
This word is first in the Greek and is the emphasis. God’s Word is not old or archaic; it is alive. It is not inept or inactive; it is powerful (active). It reaches into the inner secrets of man’s mind to discern even his thoughts and intents. Likewise, God’s eye sees man as though he were naked, unable to hide behind excuse or pretense.’
 
Then, re the Immaterial Part of Man, they offer: ‘4:12. The writer here draws an interesting parallel between the joints and the marrow, which have different functions, yet both are part of a human’s bone structure. Thoughts and intents are also two distinct activities, yet both are activities of the mind.
 
And while the soul and spirit are distinct in function, both have an immaterial character. When considering the nature of humanity, we must realize a person is a two-part being, that is, with body and soul. But in activity or function the body, soul, and spirit of a person each has a different function.
 
Paul desired that his converts’ “whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess.5:23). (First Reference, Gen.2:7; Primary Reference, 1 Thess.5:23;cf, Prov.4:23).’
 
Oh my brethren, please let all of that percolate in our souls, bodies and minds today and thus bring us to a better understanding of God’s Word. Please let it encourage us, build our faith and raise our level of maturity in Christ. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
 
And please excuse the lateness of the Bit, the ole fella was tired and somewhat under the weather, so I decided to sleep in some this morning. But as they say; better late than never. (smile) Much LOVE my beloved brethren in Christ Jesus!
 
…until you truly know and adore Jesus…your joy and peace will be severely limited…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 September 2013 Psalm 42:2

04 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 42:2.    My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
 
Greetings and salutations my fellow believers in Christ! Our daily pilgrimage has begun, so let’s take a few moments and thank our wonderful God for so ably providing and equipping us with all we need to successfully traverse the long, dusty and winding road that we face today. 
 
Please pray with me. ‘Oh Lord, we thank You for so graciously allowing us to see another glorious day on this beautiful earth. We know that there will be bumps, potholes and an assortment of obstacles along the way, but we’re not worried, for You’ve promised to safely lead and guide all who bow to Your will and accept Your Son Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
 
We ask You now to fulfill that promise through the Holy Spirit working in our lives, so that we can be worthwhile messengers and ambassadors of Your Word. We LOVE You Lord, and will do our best to magnify Your Holy Name. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.’
 
Yeh mih people, without the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob involved in our affairs, our lives would be completely meaningless and without true purpose. No wonder in this Maschil, this contemplation of the sons of Korah, Psalm 42, a longing for, or rather an intense longing for God is prevalent in their hearts and souls.
 
Our Bit says it nicely: ‘My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’
 
And as we said yesterday Friends, that’s a very good question, one I guess that each believer has to work through and answer for him or herself, according to their individual relationship with Almighty God.
 
The psalmist is so distraught over his situation that he sadly continues: ‘My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday (a pilgrim feast) (Ps.42:3-4)
 
Oh Friends, are we undergoing such soul-troubled problems today? Are we like the psalmist asking: ‘Why art thou cast (bowed) down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me?’ (Ps.42:5a)
 
Now if we are, then we can assuredly answer that question with the psalmist’s response. ‘Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps.42:5b)
 
And that my brethren is the living truth, because we’re dealing with a LIVING God, who knows all, sees all, and can do all! He knows our strengths and weaknesses, our faults and frailties even better than we do. That’s why it pays to worship Him, and not some pagan god or idol created by man’s hands, supposed gods, but which are all dead and immobile; can’t hear, can’t talk, or even move.
 
Meanwhile, the ONE TRUE GOD, JEHOVAH, is living and breathing, active and empowering in the lives of His believers, and will continue to do so until eternity!
 
Now let’s check out some scriptures that prove our point. Listen to Jeremiah as he weighs in on the subject of God and idols.
 
‘But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.’ (Jer.10:10-11) 
 
Absolute truth Friends, absolute truth!
 
Meanwhile, in speaking to the Roman church, re the Jew and the Gospel, Bruh Paul confidently declares: ‘And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children (sons) of the living God.’ (Rom.9:26)
 
There Bruh Paul is quoting the Old Testament prophet Hosea 1:10. Yes Friends, even way back then, all the true signs pointed directly towards the ONE and ONLY LIVING GOD!
 
Now hear bruh Paul in his greeting and commendation to the Thessalonians. ‘And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:  so that ye were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak anything.
 
For they themselves show of us (declare) what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.’ (1 Thess.1:6-10)
 
Yes my brethren, the Thessalonians accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour despite persecution, and they found it so true and meaningful that their faith rang out loudly, resounded everywhere! They were worthwhile examples of joyfully receiving the faith in spite of persecution, then sharing their faith with others.
 
Oh that we could be such great examples my people!
 
But what more do we need to keep us sincerely following Almighty God eh? It is very clear from His Word, that since day one, He was the only real Deity in the universe, and he had only the best interest of His people, His children, His creation at heart. For despite our constant disobedience, He’s always made and/or shown us a way to come to Him when we’re serious and ready.
 
So why don’t we get truly serious and ready to day eh, right now, mih breddren! Let’s cast aside all doubt, fear and disquiet, and instead be confident and positive like the psalmist, and loudly declare: ‘Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health (help, lit. salvation) of my countenance, and my God.’ (Ps.42:11b) 
 
That’s indisputable wisdom Friends, since there is no other living God to turn to! Much LOVE!
 
…it’s so foolish and illogical to worship and pray to dead, inanimate objects…when a truly living, omnipotent and ever-LOVING Deity exists…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 September 2012 Jeremiah 33:3

05 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Jeremiah 33:3.    Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. 
 
Oh my beautiful Friends, sincere and true believers in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, top o’ the morning to all of you! I hope that brought a chuckle to your hearts, but also a seriousness that underscores the life we live in and for Christ, since it’s the most important aspect of who and what we are. And to highlight that, let me share a most appropriate quote. I’m not sure if I’ve shared it before, but even if I have, it’s relevant enough to share it again. It’s one of those quotes we ought to bury deep in our consciousness and keep it always before us as a guiding light. It comes from the Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) and says: ‘Life is not a “brief candle.” It is a splendid torch that I want to make burn as brightly as possible before handing it over to future generations.’ And therein lies it’s importance my people; it describes our duty, our bounden duty to live faithful Christian lives, simultaneously teaching those that come after us, so that when we’re gone, like the passing of the Olympic torch, they can carry on the great Christian tradition and commission, then further pass it on those who come after them. Only in that way shall Jesus’ words stand the test of time in a physical, human context. ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’ (Matt.24:33) Spiritually speaking Jesus’ words will last forever, but if we don’t pass them down to the young generation, they will be lost to this world even before heaven and earth pass away. Unfortunately we have already done serious damage to Jesus’ words by not speaking them and living them enough before our children. We surely don’t want to erode it any further. And our Bit shows us one of the ways to help ensure that we do pass on the Word to our descendants. Note too that all this was passed on to Jeremiah while he was in prison. ‘Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord (Yahweh, Jehovah) is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty (inaccessible) things, which thou knowest not.’  We had to include the previous verse to keep the context. In this chapter, the Lord’s promising a glorious return of the Jewish captives in Babylon to their homeland. ‘And I will cause the captivity (captives) of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them (those places), as at first. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto (provide for) it.’ (Jer.33:7-9) Oh Friends, what a wonderful promise the Lord made to the Jewish captives that would be taken away to Babylon. But before any of that could even begin to take place, the Jewish remnant had to call sincerely on the Lord, and stay faithful to His Will and His Word. If we don’t seek Him, we’ll not find Him, consequently He won’t be able to answer us. I guess a good example of that was my serious drop off in confidence yesterday. Now I could have tried to resuscitate it on my own, but who knows if and when I’d be successful? However, because I’m trying to delight myself in the Lord, I did what He advised; I called out…hn, hn! It was more like I cried out to Him in utter despair! (smile) And knowing that I needed confidence to write the Bit, which is all about spreading His LOVE and His Word, He rejuvenated my ailing spirit. Remember He doesn’t give you a job to do without the help and necessary tools to do it. Hear how the Psalmist Asaph puts it in Psalm 50; God is the judge: ‘Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ (Ps.50:14-15) And that’s no lie my people! If we steadfastly offer thanks and praise to God and live as faithful a life as we can, He will hear us when we call on Him in troubled times, and will gladly deliver us, thus glorifying His holy, precious Name. Remember His main purpose for creating us was to glorify Him. However, I believe we’ve seriously fallen down on the job in that respect. We’re not active and passionate enough, don’t take the bull by the horns and wrestle the evil minions of Lucifer to the ground, so that God’s glory can rise up in our society, and men see His awesome power working in and through us. Anyway Friends, we’ll end with a beautiful scripture, from Zechariah, where he talks about the cleansing of Jerusalem and the smiting of the Lord’s shepherd, Jesus, our Messiah. And he ends by saying: ‘And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try (test) them as gold is tried (tested): and they shall call on my name, and I will hear (answer) them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.’ (Zech.13:9) Oh my brethren, what sweet words of encouragement! Please, let’s rise up and make ourselves worthy nuh to be amongst the third part that the Lord will save. Let’s rise up and be successfully tested, and call on His name so that He can hear us, and gladly declare that we are His people, and we can joyfully respond; ‘The Lord is my God!’ My Friends, that’s the only wise and sensible route to take in this turbulent and very troubled world of ours. Much LOVE!…but if from thence…thou shalt seek the Lord thy God…thou shalt find him…if thou seek him…with all thy heart…and with all thy soul… (Deut.4:29)