Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 July 2018 Genesis 1:31.

22 Jul 2018 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 1:31.   And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Oh friends and fellow believers, it’s Sunday and consequently I am inviting us all to visit the Lord’s sanctuary some time today. And I do hope I get a welcome response like Bruh David gave when that same invitation was meted out to him a long time ago. ‘I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ (Ps.122:1) 

Oh my brethren, how many of us truly feel that way eh, truly are glad to go the Lord’s house on a Sunday? Or are we just going for going sake, just to say we went to church on Sunday? Now I know that some days we just don’t feel like getting up so early in the morning, on what’s supposed to be a day of rest (smile) getting dressed and trudging dutifully to church, but that’s not the right attitude for a true believer. 

We ought to be joyful to go and worship the Lord in fellowship with other believers, but oftimes the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak and we force ourselves to go with a half-hearted attitude. But yuh know what, that is better than making excuses and not going at all. Don’t worry, the Lord sees our hearts and knows what we’re going through and will suitably enliven us when we get to His house and get involved with the proceedings. 

But enough talk, let’s open as always with some worship, some praise and thanks to soften up our hearts and get us in the mood. And today we’re celebrating God’s wondrous work in nature. So let’s open up our mouths in sweet sacrifice as we sing the wonderful, age-old hymn penned by Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895) titled ‘All things bright and beautiful.’ 

Let’s sing it like we truly mean it friends: ‘(Refrain: All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.) Each little flow’r that opens, each little bird that sings, He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings. [Refrain] The purple-headed mountain, the river running by, the sunset and the morning that brightens up the sky. [Refrain] 

The cold wind in the winter, the pleasant summer sun, the ripe fruits in the garden: He made them ev’ry one. [Refrain] He gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell how great is God Almighty, who has made all things well. [Refrain: All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them ALL!.)’ 

And did He ever my brethren! He made them bright and beautiful, wise and wonderful! Of every colour and every variety, each to serve a certain useful purpose in His wonderful world! And look at His reaction after making them nuh. The Good Book tells us in our Bit: ‘And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.’ 

Yes my people, after six long days of hard work, the Lord inspected His handiwork, and with a heartwarming sensation, saw that everything He had made ‘was very good.’ Chuh! What else would you have expected from our wise, mighty and ingenious God eh? Nothing less than amazing stuff! And I’m sure He was proud of His handiwork too. Who wouldn’t be proud of creating such an awesome, intriguing, totally interconnected and stellar universe! 

And today all I want to do is look at some scriptures that show His most prized creation, mankind, did and does appreciate the beauty with which He has surrounded us. Hear how Nehemiah puts it: ‘Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshipeth thee.’ (Neh.9:6) 

And Psalm 104 – God’s preservation of nature – is a wonderful tribute to God’s works. We don’t have the time nor space for all of it, so please read it for yourself. But here are some marvellous excerpts. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain…

Who laid the foundations of the earth. Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains. At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away…He watereth the hills from his (upper) chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. 

He causeth grass to grow for the cattle, and herb (vegetation) for the service of man; that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart…He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down…O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches…’ (Ps.104:1-2, 5-7, 13-15, 24) 

Oh my brethren, the Lord thought of everything when He made the universe! You can’t find one mistake in it! That’s why He is God, and we are the sheep of His pasture who ought to be obedient to His commandments and worship Him in all sincerity and truth. So please let’s get a diligent move on in that direction nuh people; wisdom and common sense dictate it. Much LOVE!

…if you can’t admire and enjoy the Lord’s handiwork…then you can’t admire the Lord…nor enjoy communication with Him…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 May 2017 Psalm 93:1.

21 May 2017 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 93:1.    The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved (shaken).

Oh friends, what a joy it is to wake up one more day and smell the roses! Wow! Our God certainly knows how to thrill us; what with the beauty of nature and the wonder of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 

And would you believe that I completely forgot that this was a long weekend in the greatest big country in the world – Canada. It’s the Victoria Day holiday on Monday to celebrate the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) over the British Empire, at a time when the sun truly never set on it. 

So you can imagine the celebrations have begun in earnest since possibly Thursday, and I’m probably a tad late in reminding us to heed Granny’s wise words – Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business! (smile) 

But putting all jokes aside, we definitely don’t want to give the evil one even a toehold in our souls as we continue celebrating over the next two days. So let’s be very careful how we let our hair down in this joyous time nuh. 

Consequently, as we gather this Sunday morning to praise, worship and fellowship in God’s sanctuary, let’s open the proceedings with this glorious hymn of praise, regarding the beauty of nature that we’ve spoken of above. Now, with a burning joy in our souls, let’s lift up our heads, hearts, eyes and hands as we open our mouths and offer a sacrifice of praise to our great and wonderful God.  

‘(Refrain: All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all.) Each little flow’r that opens, Each little bird that sings, He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings. (Refrain) The purple-headed mountains, The river running by, The sunset and the morning That brightens up the sky. (Refrain) 

The cold wind in the winter, The pleasant summer sun, The ripe fruits in the garden, He made them every one. (Refrain) The tall trees in the greenwood, The meadows where we play, The rushes by the water, To gather every day. (Refrain) 

He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well. All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all.’ 

And isn’t that all gospel truth my people? It is indeed! Our great God made it ALL, and He made it WELL! Now we must sing forth His praise, magnify His Holy Name and let the world know about all His wonderful deeds, plus His LOVING-kindness, mercy, grace, forgiveness and salvation that He has so LOVINGLY prepared for all those who belief on the name of Jesus Christ His sinless Son! 

Wow! What an awesome God we serve and worship my brethren! Please let us never forget that! And thus we are able to truthfully declare the words of the psalmist in our Bit: ‘The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved (shaken).’ 

Oh glory to our great God my people! He is indeed the great I AM! There’s NONE like Him in all the world! How could there be eh, when He made it ALL? That’s just not logical! 

And Psalm 95 – A psalm of praise to the great God admonishes us: ‘Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand (His possession) are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. 

The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand (under his care.’ (Ps.95:2-7) 

Ah mih breddren, if we would just take our God as seriously as we should eh, our world and our lives would be so much better off than they are right now! And if you don’t believe me, then listen to the prophet Isaiah as he declares to his people Israel the promise that the Lord, the God of their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will deliver them from captivity. 

‘How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings (news), that publisheth (proclaims) peace; that bringeth good tidings (news) of good (things), that publisheth (proclaims) salvation). That saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth.’ (Is.52:7) 

Now what more can we ask for or want eh friends? We have the bringing of good tidings, good news and good things through the gospel of the New Testament, where Christ indeed offered us peace and salvation through His sacrifice of death, His awesome resurrection and His atonement for our sins! 

One would think that we’d be all overjoyed by such a monumental outpouring of LOVE and joy, but unfortunately it has left many of us unmoved, even annoyed and angry. Hn! But friends, the wise few of us indeed know who butters our bread – Almighty God – and we are eternally grateful! 

Now let’s see if we can’t spread the good tidings of good things as Jesus desires of us, so that others can recognize its immortal importance and joyfully give their lives to Him too. For that is the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!

…oh magnify the Lord with me…praise His holy name…for He is indeed worthy to be praised…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 September 2016 Proverbs 3:5-6.

25 Sep 2016 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:5-6.    Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.

Aye mih breddren, it’s fellowship day! Glory Hallelujah! So here, in the Lord’s sanctuary, (smile) let’s start it off in the most appropriate fashion nuh with some praise and worship, because our awesome God LOVES nothing more than to hear our sincere and joyful songs of praise and thanksgiving. 

This morning we’ll offer the sacrifice of praise through our wondrous rendition of the old but favourite hymn, ‘All things bright and beautiful.’ And as we raise our voices in glorious song, let’s picture in our mind’s eye, the objects and creations we’re singing about. 

Please sing with me. ‘(Refrain) All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all.  Each little flow’r that opens, Each little bird that sings, He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings: (Refrain) 

The purple-headed mountain, The river running by, The sunset and the morning That brighten up the sky: (Refrain) The cold wind in the winter, The pleasant summer sun, The ripe fruits in the garden, He made them ev’ry one: (Refrain) 

The tall trees in the greenwood, The meadows where we play, The rushes by the water We gather ev’ry day: All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all.’ 

And that’s the living truth my people! Our great God made everything! And made them so beautiful too, especially the things and creatures of nature! I do hope as you sang about the birds and the mountains, the rivers, trees etc. that you pictured each one in living colour and appreciated their beauty, because the Lord made them for our enjoyment and pleasure. 

And those who don’t appreciate nature, its beautiful colours, artistry and ingenuity, will never fully understand or appreciate the wonder that is our magnificent God! That’s because ‘Mother Nature’ is God’s outstanding work of art, His greatest, most impressive canvas! 

And having given thanks and praise and admired God’s handiwork, let’s now turn to His word, another aspect of His creation, this one meant for us to follow, to be obedient to, so that we can enjoy everlasting fellowship with Him. 

Listen to the awesome advice of our Bit. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ 

Just imagine nuh friends, what a wonderful life we can live if we admire God’s artistry as well as put our sincere trust and faith in Him! Mama Yo! Nothing on earth could be better than that! 

But I guess our sinful nature, plus the lies and deceptions of the evil one stop us from being able to enjoy all that Jehovah God has in store for us. We are fooled by the glitter and glamour that the world offers, when in reality it’s only a façade, a nice looking front for a decrepit, destructive, evil lifestyle. 

Remember friends, all that glitters is not truly gold, and the world cruelly plays on our affection for bright, shiny things and toys.  But my people, the wisdom of the world is not wisdom at all, but utter foolishness. True wisdom is God’s gift. 

As Bruh Paul warned the Corinthians: ‘And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing (persuasive) words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. That your faith should not stand (be) in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.’  (1 Cor.2:3-5) 

That’s why we need to trust in God and rely on Him for our needs. Jesus said it quite plainly that we should first seek God and His kingdom, then all our necessities would be met. (Matt.6:33) 

But man’s wisdom tells us that we should be seeking our needs first. That’s wrong advice my brethren, so if you are currently trying to meet all your needs through your own efforts, then please stop it right now! It’s a fool’s wisdom and only serves to lead us down the garden path where the evil one can gloat at our misfortune.  

Listen to Jeremiah as he expatiates on the theme, ‘Knowledge of God is man’s glory.’ ‘Thus saith the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise LOVING –kindness, judgement (justice), and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.9:23-24)  

Remember yesterday we spoke about delighting ourselves in the Lord? Well LOVING-kindness, justice and righteousness are the things we ought to delight ourselves in if we are to please the Lord. 

Now let’s go home with some mightily encouraging words of Bruh David from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday sun. 

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only causes harm). For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:5-9) 

Oh friends, that’s the best advice we can get this Sunday morning! So please let’s take it all to heart as we go out to fellowship with other believers in the Lord’s sanctuary today, for it’s the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!

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