Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 December 2020 Psalm 103:2.

03 Dec 2020 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 103:2.     ​Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Gee…it’s Thursday, Thursday, Thursday! The day before Friday, Friday, Friday, when we’re let out to play! And thankfully, the roadways are bereft of that white menace, so nicely called snow! It sure seems like all’s right with our world; the sun’s shining brightly, Jesus is filling our hearts, and the java, she is indeed worthy of that venerable name; strong and sweet and potent! 

But remember, all that glistens is certainly not gold, sometimes not even gold-plated. (smile) Yeh friends, despite the outward sheen, our world is totally rotten inside, and stinking to high hell! Hn, hn hn! I just realized I said, ‘high hell’ instead of ‘high heaven’. But that’s okay because heaven doesn’t encourage stench to come up there. (smile) Unfortunately though, the works of evil dominate our societies from one end of the globe to the other, from north to south and east to west! What a sad tale to tell! And why is our world in such a discombobulated and uncertain state eh? 

One basic reason; the inmates of the asylum have turned against their Keeper, their Maker, the Lord God Almighty: ‘Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth forever: Which executeth judgement (justice) for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth (gives freedom to) the prisoners. The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord LOVETH the righteous: The Lord preserveth (watches over) the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down (makes crooked their way).’ (Ps. 146: 6-9) 

Oh my people, that’s whom we have turned against! And no wonder our world is turned upside down, in a topsy-turvy evil and ungodly mess! If you turn against the good, just, LOVING, compassionate, merciful, gracious, righteous and forgiving One who created it all – and still controls it all, what else can you really expect eh? 

But yuh know what my people, the same way we have turned away from God, we can again turn back to Him. The Israelites in their foolish and stubborn hard-hearted pride, although they knew of His goodness as well as His wrath, did it several times, and each time they came back, He welcomed them with opened arms, for that’s the kind of forgiving and merciful God He is! 

Hear how Bruh David puts it nuh in Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s mercy: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed. He made his ways known unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.’ (Ps. 103:2-7) 

Yuh see friends, our God is a straight shooter! He made whatever He made, however He wanted to make it, and then told us how He wanted us to behave, and what rules He wanted us to follow. But He was then magnanimous to a fault; He gave us the bounty, or weighty cement shoes of free speech. It could work either way, depending on our disposition towards Him. And sadly, I have to say that right now that supposed garnishee of free speech is acting like cement shoes, for we have turned against God and our abominable sins are weighing us down into the mire of deceit and self-destruction. 

But the awesome God who made us is so wonderful, so magnanimous, that He’s known as the God of second chances, in fact the God of many chances! That’s why Bruh David could further expound in Psalm 103: ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness). He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 

For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear (sincerely reverence) him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear (sincerely reverence) him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps. 103:8-14)

 Oh mih people, what more can I say eh? I’ve tried to prove to us why our world is in such a sad and sorry state, and also how we can get it out of that distressing mess. It all depends on our relationship with the Lord God Almighty, Maker and Ruler of heaven and earth! If we sincerely worship and reverence Him, then our world will be turned around, be saved from the hellfire and damnation to which we’re currently headed in our dreadful and sinful pride and stubbornness! 

It’s all up to us. Remember what Bruh David said at the start: ‘forget not all his benefits.’ (Ps. 103:2) Yes friends, all that Lord does and says is not for His benefit, but for ours, and He will not force us to do what we don’t want to do. So our future is all in our hands. End of sermon! (smile) 

Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to live the way God desires, let’s go home declaring (yeahh!) our Thursday Blessings; awesome blessings which the Lord has magnanimously bestowed on us, so that we can do His work down here on earth. Altogether now: ‘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!’  

So let’s go out now and do our bounden duty nuh; share those blessings with others, just as magnanimously and generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…to sincerely reverence our God…brings such joy and peace…to one’s spirit and soul… 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 October 2017 Luke 6:38.

29 Oct 2017 Leave a comment

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

Luke 6:38.   Give, and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom (pocket). For with the same measure that ye mete (use) withal it shall be measured to you again.

Awright friends, it’s the first day of the week; the best day of the week; the most restful and peaceful day of the week; the day when we choose to gather most in praise and fellowship to Almighty God! And if you haven’t figured out what day it is as yet, well it’s Sunday! Glory Be! The Lord’s Day; the Sabbath; the day the Lord rested…after a week of hard labour. (smile) And that’s what He requires of us; a day of rest, where we spend most of our time and energy concentrating on Him. And today is that day! 

So let’s open the proceedings as always with a song of praise, that old hymn, ‘Rise up O men of God,’ written by William Pierson Merrill in the early 20th century. But have you ever noticed that the old hymns sound more powerful and sacred than the newer ones? Perhaps because they were written in a time when we were holier and more righteous, had more time for God; more reverence, more respect, and we weren’t trying to remove Him from our society. 

Anyway, let’s burst out in song, in sacrificial praise, sing these words like we truly mean them, because Christ’s church badly needs to rise up in these amoral and sinful times. Let’s raise the roof with harmonious voices: ‘Rise up, O men of God! Have done with lesser things. Give heart and mind and soul and strength to serve the King of kings. 

Rise up, O men of God! The kingdom tarries long. Bring in the day of brotherhood and end the night of wrong. Rise up, O men of God! The church for you doth wait, her strength unequal to her task; rise up, and make her great! Lift high the cross of Christ! Tread where his feet have trod. As brothers of the Son of Man, rise up, O men of God!’ 

Ah mih people, I don’t know if there has been any other time in the church’s history that it’s members have needed to rise up and show the true colours of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ more than now nuh! The church is filled with too many divisions, too many religions which also have too many denominations and/or sects, too many bad leaders, false prophets and con-men, and everybody is teaching their own brand or slant, or scam of Christ’s supposed message. And the evil ones are just laughing their heads off as they divide and conquer us. 

Oh my fellow believers, until Christians come together and get rid of the distrust and petty discord that separates us, until we truly ‘Lift high the cross of Christ,’ and ‘Tread where He has trod,’ we will never retake the world for Christ. But that’s a sermon for another day. (smile) 

Today’s sermon is based on the God-like attitude of GIVING as described in our Bit. ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom (pocket). For with the same measure that ye mete (use) withal it shall be measured to you again.’ 

And before we try to dissect Jesus’ words, let’s look at how the Lord gave to us nuh. First it was the breath of life, then LOVE, the sinless life of his Son Jesus Christ, while we were yet sinners, mercy, grace, salvation, eternal life etc. etc. All those things that we did not and could never deserve, the Lord gave to us out of the generosity of His wonderful heart. Wow! 

So I don’t see how in all reason, common sense, devotion and LOVE for Him we can afford to be selfish, ungrateful, unkind, greedy and not wanting to give with a generous heart; one supposedly made in the image of His heart. And it’s not rocket science friends. All Jesus is saying, is that the same way you give, it will be given back to you. As you sow, so shall you reap. If you give out of a generous heart, you will be rewarded with generosity. Out of a grudging and greedy heart, you’ll receive grudgingly. 

And one of the best illustrations of this in the Good book is Bruh Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthians, re God LOVES a cheerful giver. Read with me: ‘Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before (on ahead) unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty (beautiful gift), whereof ye had notice (promised) before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty (generosity), and not as of covetousness (grudging obligation). 

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully (generously) shall also reap bountifully (generously). Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity (compulsion): for God LOVETH a cheerful (joyful) giver.’ (2 Cor.9:5-8) 

It couldn’t get any clearer than that my brethren! Remember, it’s all based on attitude and motive; ‘a willing heart and a sincere desire to participate in the offering.’ Your giving must not be done because of what you think you’ll receive in return, or you are compelled to give. 

And please note, as the scholars point out, Bruh Paul is not advocating “prosperity theology,” that is, that every generous believer will be financially wealthy.’ If you read the rest of the chapter you’ll see that it only promises that you will prosper by all your needs being met financially, so that you can keep on giving (vs.8), and spiritually, that you’ll increase in everything (vs.12) 

Anyway friends, let’s just remember that the Lord looks at the state of our hearts and not just our talk or outward actions before He makes any decision pertaining to us. So let’s try and clean up our hearts nuh. That’s wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!

…a truly generous heart…begets true generosity in return…Christianity 101…