Today’s Scrip-Bit   14 November 2021 Luke 18:1.

14 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

Luke 18:1.      And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).

Well, well mih bredrin, can you believe it’s Sunday already? The last seven days have indeed passed quickly, but it’s all to the good, because we get another chance to gather on the Lord’s Day to praise, worship and give Him thanks, while He refreshes our souls and spirits, rebuilds our faith, and strengthens us to go back out and face the evil, ungodly world in the upcoming week. All praise and honour be to His holy name my people, for He richly deserves it! 

So let’s get the show on the road with our opening song, one most appropriately titled ‘God Answers Prayer,’ and sung by the Washington born young lady of Jamaican heritage, who originally went by the name of Lady Flame, but is now known as Da Flame. And as always, in scintillating, harmonious, heartfelt, soulful voice let’s raise our sacrificial praise to high heaven. 

‘Oh, If you’re ever feeling down and like you have nowhere to go. If you’re feeling like an outcast as your problems overflow, just remember there is someone, and all it takes is for you to know, is that God is the answer, and God answers prayer. (Chorus: He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer) 

You may be broken and feel battered, but your strength will surely come, in the midst of all your heartache. Your battles are already won. Just remember in the hard times, don’t give up, don’t say you’re done, because God is the answer, and God answers prayer. (He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer. 

Oh, He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. So let’s get down on our knees, and say, Saviour, help us please. Because one thing is for certain…our God answers prayer. Yes, let’s get down on our knees, and say, Saviour, help us please. Because one thing is for certain…our God answers prayer.’ And of that we are very sure my faithful brethren! Our great and good God answers prayer all the time, otherwise so many of us wouldn’t still be believers. 

And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’ Now, if we are wise, we will do exactly as the song says, take all our problems, needs and wants to God in prayer. Hopefully, He will answer most of those that fall within His will and plan for our lives, but we will never know until we try. And there are so many scriptures that extol the power of prayer that I don’t know which ones to choose. So, let’s turn to the Lord in prayer and ask Him which ones He favours today. (smile) 

And the first one He directed me came from His wonderful Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Good Book tells us: ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) And that’s something Jesus did daily. Although He was the Son of God, He did not do anything without first consulting the Father. He still needed the Father’s help and guidance down here on earth. Jesus began His day with prayer. The scriptures record it thus. ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35) 

So let me ask us this nuh mih people, if the Son of God made prayer an important part of His life, who are we, a sinful creation to do otherwise eh? Nothing but a bunch of proud, arrogant and foolish men! Jesus Himself preached in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) 

And the scholars wisely inform us that ‘Prayer includes asking and getting answers from God. But it is more than just asking; it is confession, adoration, thanksgiving, and fellowship with God. By its nature, prayer is talking with God. It is the basis of the successful Christian life, and is so important that not praying is considered a sin (1 Sam. 12:23). When we pray, we should follow the model prayer Jesus gave His disciples and address it to our heavenly Father – beginning with adoration, including thanksgiving and confession of sins, making reconciliation with others, praying for our needs and the needs of others, and concluding in Jesus’ name.’ 

Yes friends, that’s how we ought to pray. And the model prayer referred to above is obviously what we now call the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ found in Matt. 6:9-15) And the part about ending in Jesus’ name comes from John 14:13-14, where He told the disciples: ‘And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.’ That means acting as Jesus’ agent or ambassador, doing stuff to uplift His name and church, not merely for our selfish worldly desires. 

And by the way, here’s that verse from Samuel which the scholars claim that not praying is sin. In asking Israel to serve God, Samuel said to them: ‘Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way.’ (1 Sam. 12:23) And the scholars explain: ‘12:23. Despite Israel’s sin, Samuel LOVED Israel and Saul and pledged his continued help, especially in praying for them and teaching them the Lord’s standards.’ So friends, you see that not praying is not a good thing. (smile) 

Now let’s wrap up with a couple of popular scriptures on prayer that we all know but don’t practice enough. Jeremiah said on the Lord’s behalf: ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) Now that’s a very important condition of prayer friends, seeking the Lord with all our heart, sincerely calling upon Him. For remember He checks our hearts before He makes any response to see if our motives are right. 

And we’ll end with this popular and all-inclusive scripture from Bruh Paul’s epistle to the church at Philippi. ‘Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) And that’s my prayer for all of this Sunday morning my faithful brethren. Much LOVE!

…pray…without ceasing… (1 Thess. 5:17)                                                                                                                         

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8       

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 October 2017 Psalm 23:3a.

25 Oct 2017 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 23:3a.   He restoreth my soul…

Awright mih breddren, the ole fella is alive and kicking; kicking some serious butt too on this somewhat cloudy Wednesday morning in the fall of 2017! Glory to God! 

Oh my aches and pains are still there, and whatever’s wrong inside is still wrong, but my spirit has been rejuvenated. More glory to God! 

It’s just that lately so many things over which I had no control have been coming against me, that it was only a matter of time before the ole bod, the spirit and soul got tired. 

When you suddenly find out that what you thought was improving, wasn’t really improving, while other things were still going wrong, and you’re constantly moving from one doctor’s appointment or medical institution during traffic jam hours, it does make for a difficult time. 

Oh, I’ve been going along quite okay despite the numerous problems, not given up hope and standing strong in faith, but in the face of all that negative stuff, it was inevitable that the spirit would sag some. 

However, after writing yesterday’s Bit, I just decided to refuel my spirit, lift my level of passion for life higher, bring it back to a level that allows me to function with more authority and energy. As the saying goes, doctor heal thyself, with me it was spiritual man, refuel thy spirit. (smile) 

I’ve decided that like Bruh David did, to encourage myself in the Lord some more. Let the aches and pains, and whatever else is wrong, do their thing, I won’t let them stop me from doing mine. They will obviously slow me down, but that’s fine, once they don’t stop me completely. 

I know the Lord’s doing a major renovation in me, and it’s not going to be easy, but I also know that if he begins a good work in me, then He WILL see it through to completion. 

Plus He won’t give me more than I can handle, and will also help me pass through the fire unscathed, so that when I come out on the other side, I’ll be brand new! Glory Hallelujah! 

That brings us to our simple but oh so important Bit from that great psalm of Bruh David, ‘The Lord is my shepherd.’ ‘He restoreth my soul…’ 

Yeh friends, the Lord does just that when we surrender all our aches and pains and whatever is bothering us to Him. But we also need to trust and believe and write God’s promises indelibly in our hearts and souls, so that when life comes against us, we’ll be able to use them to stand steadfast and strong. 

Let’s remember that we’re the head and not the tail; above and not beneath; sure conquerors with Jesus by our sides. In fact, He’s already given us the victory over hell, death, the grave and their evil keeper Lucifer. But it all takes a magnum of faith, especially in these pretty evil and ungodly times. 

However, please remember Bruh Paul’s admonition to the Ephesians: ‘And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Holy Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Eph.5:18-20) 

Yeh friends, that’s the only way we can remain strong and grow in the LOVE and knowledge of God. And here is an interesting explanation from the scholars on the ‘Fullness of the Holy Spirit.’ 

‘5:18. The words be filled here mean “be continually filled,” emphasizing that the fullness of the Spirit is a repeated experience for believers. When a person is drunk with an alcoholic beverage, his walk, talk and sight are controlled by alcohol. 

God desires that the minds of Christians be controlled by the Holy Spirit so that they will walk in the Spirit, speak on behalf of God, and understand the things of God. Because people are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at salvation, they do not need to get more of the Holy Spirit, but the filling of the Spirit occurs when the Holy Spirit gets more of the believer. 

Illustration: As we establish our relationship with God through confession of sins (1 John 1:9) and yield to Him (Rom.6:13), we can be filled with the Spirit if that is our desire (Matt.5:6) and prayer (Luke 11:13). Application: Every Christian should be filled with the Spirit in order that he may have God’s power to serve Him. (Acts 1:8) (First Ref. Ex.35:31; Primary Ref. Eph.5:18; cf. 1 John 2:27.)’ 

Ah my people, it’s of the utmost importance that in these last days, we allow the Holy Spirit of God to get more of us! Please check out those references above, they give great insight into the use and power of God’s Spirit. 

And to help us improve in our use and value of the Holy Spirit, let’s go home vociferously declaring our Wednesday Mantra with all truth and sincerity. ‘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 that future WILL indeed be glorious friends! Much LOVE!

…it’s time for God’s Spirit to be lifted up in us… so that we can better do His work and will…

P.S. Please excuse the tardiness of the Bit. I just got up late, and even then thought it was 7.45, when it was 8.45. What to do eh? Aging is a helluva thing! (smile) Much LOVE!

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 March 2017 1 John 1:9.

23 Mar 2017 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.

Welcome to another bright, sunshiny day friends in the early spring of 2017! It just doesn’t feel quite like spring, with a minus something temperature. 

But that doesn’t truly matter once we’re alive and enjoying another day of new mercies and blessings specially prepared for this day by our magnanimous, merciful and magnificent God! 

Yeh friends, we can handle anything once we are under the umbrella of God’s grace and mercy! Please remember that and let it be a signpost, a guideline, a lighthouse, or whatever you choose to call it, to our earthly journey. 

Once we’re in sync with our heavenly Father there is absolutely nothing to fear! 

As Bruh David so wisely and assuredly puts it in Psalm 27: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps.27:1). 

And the big and bold answer to those questions my faithful, believing brethren is ABSOLUTELY NOBODY! 

So let’s not be afraid of all the nonsense that’s currently happening in world; be concerned yes, but not afraid, for the Lord our God is with us wherever we go. But by the same token, we also have to be with Him, for Him to guide and guard and keep us safe from all harm. 

That brings us to our Bit. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ 

Yes my people, it also behooves us to clean up our act, otherwise we can’t walk sincerely with God. We have to make continual and constant confession of our sins, so that we can be forgiven and cleansed of them by our heavenly Father. 

If we don’t, then our souls will be clogged and bogged down with unrighteousness and we won’t have good communication with the Father. Now listen to some scripture that corroborates our contention. 

First up is Cousin Sol from Proverbs, where he authoritatively declares: ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.’ (Prov.28:13) 

Please notice though mih breddren, that we don’t only need to confess our sins, but also forsake them, give them up. And that’s usually the difficult part, but try we must, for God doesn’t look at our outward actions, or listen to our talk, but looks deep down into the secret places of our hearts to discern our true motives. 

And if you think that’s not true, just listen to how the Lord trapped Bruh David in his adulterous sin with Bathsheba. He sent the prophet Nathan to him with a nansi story about some traveler visiting a rich man, and the rich man, instead of taking one of his endless flocks to feed the traveller, he took the pet lamb of a poor man and fed the visitor. (2 Sam.12:1-4) 

Now Bruh David got all hot and bothered over this tale and declared to Nathan: ‘As the Lord liveth, that man that hath done this thing shall surely die (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) 

And the scholars add an interesting note to those verses. ‘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).’ 

And that’s no lie my brethren, we all do it. But was Bruh David in for one of the biggest surprises of his life. 

‘And Nathan said to David, Thou art the 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 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. 

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 this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’ (2 Sam.12:7-12) 

Ah friends, yuh see, we can’t do evil in secret and expect the Lord not to notice it. And the scholars tell us: ’12:10-11. These judgements came to pass literally in the sins of his (David’s) own household (ch.13), the rebellion of his own son Absalom (ch.15), and the civil war that followed (chs.16-20). David was never to fully know rest again.’ 

Yeh mih people, our God doesn’t make empty promises, and He sees ALL, and knows ALL, so it’s no use trying to run and/or hide from Him. Now let’s go home invoking our Thursday Blessings. And remember, a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been spoken over someone or something. 

In unison 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!’ 

Now let’s go out and put it all into action my fellow believers! Much LOVE!

…sin will forever clog our hearts…and keep us from God…until we truly repent of it…

P.S. I know it’s late and long, but it’s ever so good! (smile) Much LOVE!

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 March 2015 1 John 1:9‏

25 Mar 2015 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.

Oh Friends, the ole fella’s heart is somewhat heavy this Wednesday morning after learning yesterday afternoon of the passing of my surrogate sister Diana Chung Rampersad in Trinidad.

You know it was one of those totally unexpected things. I saw the flashing red message light on the phone and idly wondered who was calling about what. Can you imagine my shock and surprise when I listened to the message bearing that most unfortunate news? She was younger than me. My condolences go out to her husband and two children and the rest of her family.

Ah Lord eh! And the sad part is that when I was in T&T last month I called her a couple times and left messages, but got no reply. I wondered why, but now I know that she was sick, on her death-bed with the scourge of this generation, cancer, in one of its many forms.

And it doesn’t seem as though the usual treatments made any difference to her condition. And I can imagine how wasted away she looked. For those of you who have had contact with the disease, you’ll know that it just eats you away, until sometimes you become unrecognizable. And she was always such a bright and perky person.

I first met Di many years ago when she became my mother’s roommate up here in Toronto. And though we didn’t always see eye to eye, we sort of agreed to disagree for my mother’s sake. I must say though that she cared a lot for my mother, even trying to keep that very independent lady on what she considered the straight and narrow path, which led my mother to refer to Di as her grandmother.

She was the only person who could boss around my mother and get away with it. Hn, hn! Sometimes though, Di would come to me and say in conspiratorial tones, ‘Randolph, your mother is something else yes!’ and then outline some unexpected doings of my mother.

My mother always considered Di to be the daughter she never had, and Di played that part very well and very faithfully, to the point of coming up here from T&T when my mother died and helping me with the funeral arrangements and cleaning up of her apartment.

Consequently, I can imagine their reunion in heaven must be a big one. They both have ended their earthly suffering and gone on to their heavenly peace and joy. There’s nothing better we can ask for.

This past week the Lord has also called home the fathers of two of my other friends, but they were somewhat older and been sick for a while, so it wasn’t so unexpected. I pray for all the families involved, that the Lord will give them the necessary strength and faith to stand strong in their time of mourning.

And last, but definitely not least, I pray for successful surgery in the U.S on my brother’s legs, for some vein problems. He had one leg done yesterday, and will have the other done tomorrow. Please offer a pray for Him too, since there’s great power in the prayer of the righteous.

Now let’s turn to our Bit, the same as yesterday. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’

Oh Friends, I don’t know about you all nuh, but I am ever so glad and grateful for that very forgiving nature of our God! It means that though we make mistakes, we don’t have to fear His awesome power, His wrath, because it is always clothed in LOVE and forgiveness.

And since we have a sinful nature by birth, it means that we will always be susceptible to sin. And as John wisely says in the verse before our Bit: ‘If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.’ (1 John 1:8) And that’s a fact my people. ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom.3:23)

So sin is an unfortunate constant in our human nature since the fall of our forefathers Adam and Eve. But our God is such a wonderful and thoughtful and caring Deity, that He has made provision for our sinfulness, through the shed blood of Christ on the cross at Calvary and through our confession of those sins.

Listen to Cousin Sol from Proverbs 28. ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.’ (Prov.28:13)

Oh my people, my people, what news can be better than that eh? Only eternal life through Jesus Christ! No other Deity operates like our great God! And yuh tell me I wouldn’t LOVE and serve and surrender my will to Him! Chuh! Pure foolishness my brethren, pure foolishness!

Right there is the answer to all our prayers: forgiveness of sins through confession, and eternal life through belief in Jesus Christ! That surely is the way, my people. There’s no other way on this fallen earth that makes any sense.

And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Bruh David as he pleads for cleansing and forgiveness after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba, and arranging to have her husband Uriah killed in battle. He thought that he had gotten away with it, but when the prophet Nathan draped him up about it, he realized that the Good Lord had seen and taken notice.

So he pleads in Psalm 51: ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy LOVING-kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgression: and my sin is ever before me.

Against thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified (found just) when thou speakest, and be clear (blameless) when thou judgest.’ (Ps.51:1-4)

Yes Friends, though Bruh David had committed such a heinous sin, once he sincerely confessed it before Almighty God, he was granted mercy. The same thing goes for us even today. But we must confess the sins to be forgiven. ‘Unconfessed’ sin is definitely not in our best interests.

Now please don’t think that we won’t have to pay for our sins, because there are always consequences to them, but once confessed and forgiven they are thrown away, never to be remembered by God. Listen to this promise from Isaiah. ‘I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.’ (Is.43:25)

Oh my brethren, we can’t ask for anything better than what our magnificent and magnanimous God has offered and provided; forgiveness from sin and eternal life through Christ Jesus.

So please let’s stop playing the fool here on earth with all its bright and glittering sin and shame, and instead get serious about our heavenly lives, reserve a spot in eternity with Jesus, for that’s the ultimate wisdom. Much LOVE!

…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) would say…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…that’s the best way to live this earthly life…

 

 
 

 

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

01 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.

 
Oh Friends, can you believe it’s already the first day of December? The days sure are flying fast! Soon it will be Christmas, and then the New Year! And it seems that just recently we were cavorting and carrying on during the lazy, hazy days of summer. (smile)
 
That brings to mind that New Year’s Resolution we made to follow Jesus more closely in this year 2013. Time to check on it again my brethren, and do whatever is necessary to fulfill it.
 
Sorry, but you can’t truly fulfill it in just one month, since following Jesus is a process built on time and constancy of effort. That’s why I’ve been encouraging us to check on it at the beginning of each month.
 
And now that Christmas is upon us, meaning we’ll be busy with all the preparations and shopping, all that stuff is very liable to take us out of Jesus’ orbit and into that of the world. And talking about shopping, let’s chalk up one for Jesus and the sanctity of the family!
 
It seems that a brave and godly woman in Plymouth, New Hampshire, a Sears Homestore owner, refused the Head Office’s request to open at 7.p.m. on Thanksgiving evening, citing her support for families getting together on such a notable holiday.
 
And all God’s people declared a loud and heartfelt, ‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!’  Yes Friends, our God should indeed be praised for that bit of chutzpah on the store owner’s part. 
 
And the commercial nonsense is getting worse daily, for whereas Black Friday usually meant stores opening at midnight, they’re now opening early on Thanksgiving evening, cutting even deeper into the celebrations. Ah Lord eh!
 
And even sadder is the fact that there’s no break between the Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping blitz, it’s all one concerted effort now. Steups! But I’ve got to say a big thank you to our God, because personally I don’t get caught up in all the hoopla.
 
However, the good thing about it all, is if we do stray, get lost and caught up in the idolatry of the worldly events, we have a way out in the godly promise of our Bit. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
 
Now yesterday we were mainly concerned about what John had to say on the matter, today though, we’ll look at what other figures in scripture have to say about the confession of sins. 
 
And we’re going to begin with the wise words of Cousin Sol. ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.’ (Prov.28:13) 
 
Oh my people, that’s such an awesome truth! For when we try to hide our sins, they usually come back to haunt us at the worse time possible. As the old people would say, whatever is done in darkness will eventually come to light, with more disastrous consequences too. That’s another awesome truth, to which most of us can testify from personal experience.
 
Now let’s turn to a man who knew all about sins, righteousness, confessions and cleansing, Bruh David. Listen to him in Psalm 32; The blessedness of forgiveness. ‘Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not (does not charge his account with) iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile (deceit).
 
When I kept silence, my bones waxed (grew) old through my roaring (groaning) all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture (vitality) is turned into the drought of summer.   Selah.
 
I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.   Selah.’ (Ps.32:1-5)
 
Oh Friends, I’m sure that many of us can say the same thing, if we’re truthful. (smile) For when our wrongdoings weigh us down, our spirits usually become deflated and we just don’t feel right in the sight of our holy and righteous God.
 
But please note Bruh David’s solution, the only one that will bring us any peace; confession of our known iniquity to our heavenly Father. For as our Bit so rightly, faithfully and LOVINGLY declares: ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
 
Ah mih breddren, I can’t help but note again, what a wonderful Deity we serve and worship!’ And for being so gracious and merciful to us undeserving sinners, let’s give Him a big, loud, grateful and hearty; ‘Thank You Lord! You’re the BEST! And that’s no lie Friends! 
 
And these comments from the scholars just corroborate my feelings. ‘Psalm 32. The psalm describes the blessedness of forgiveness as no other does. This is the theme of especially the first five verses, which include the happiness of the forgiven man (vv.1-2), the physical and psychological effects of unconfessed sin (vv.2-4), and the simple remedy of confession to receive God’s forgiveness (v.5). On this basis David can experience prayer (vv.6-7), divine instruction (vv.8-9), and personal witness (vv.10-11). 
 
And we’ll end with some more prayerful words from Bruh David, these from Psalm 38; The prayer of a penitent heart, which we recently covered, but is certainly worth hearing again. ‘O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. For thine arrows stick fast in me (pierce me deeply), and thy hand presseth me sore (down). There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest (peace) in my bones because of my sin.
 
For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me… For I am ready to halt (fall), and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin…. Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me. Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.’ (Ps.32:1-4, 17-18, 21-22)
 
So Friends, we know our problems, and we know how to fix them, so please let’s get on with it nuh. That’s not only divine wisdom, but it also warms and pleases the heart of our wonderful, ever-LOVING God. Much LOVE!
 
…for the wages of sin is death…but the gift of God… is eternal life…through (in) Jesus Christ…   (Rom.6:23)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 August 2013 Proverbs 3:7-8

22 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:7-8.   Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Thursday, and the ole fella’s feeling the call of affirmations to boost our spirits! Mama Mia! So today will be an affirmations day!
 
And I’ll start us off by sharing one of the two conglomerations of affirmative stuff I have on my desk. From whence I got them, I don’t remember, but they are indeed useful. I believe I’ve shared them both already, but it’s stuff that never goes bad, in fact it’s something we can all use everyday to raise our faith and courage.
 
And it says: ‘I CAN have victory in my life by dealing with the things that are keeping me from God’s best. I am confronting my struggles head on, so that I can overcome them. God has given me the power to rise above. He has given me the strength to focus on Him and push through. NOTHING will hold me back! This is my declaration of what I can do through Christ!’
 
Yes Friends, those are all things we can do through Christ, because He has given us the power through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. But most importantly, before we can do any of those things, we first have to acknowledge Him; His strength, His power and His majesty as the Creator of all there is.
 
And our Bit puts it very clearly and concisely. ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’
 
Now that’s absolute truth my people! Nothing will work for us if we don’t first turn to the Lord, our Creator, the font of all wisdom, power, knowledge and truth!
 
And having learned that lesson, let’s absorb this one: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil.1:6)
 
That’s God’s faithfulness at work Friends! That’s our eternal security, for God will NEVER leave anything undone in the lives of those who sincerely try to obey His will.
 
Now listen to John on sin, its reality and remedy. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ (1 John 1:9)
 
That’s the number one move to righteousness mih breddren – confessing our sins!
 
Now here’s one we all know and like to quote. Whether we truly believe and live by it is another story though. ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam.3:22-23)
 
Oh my people, that’s gospel truth at its truest! For if our God was not compassionate and faithful, and renewed us every day, I’m afraid to think what we’d be like, and where we’d end up.
 
Now here’s a gem from Bruh Paul to Cousin Timmy; ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ (2 Tim.1:7)
 
Oh my brethren, my brethren, that scripture is so powerful that it could make us walk on water, if we so desire! (smile) It’s the first image of power that came to mind. But it’s true Friends. Our God has imbued us with all we need to fight the good fight here on this evil earth. But we need to raise up all these things from our spirits so that we can use them.
 
There’s no need for us to be as fearful and afraid of this life and its evil powers as too many of us are. That’s because we have the Lord’s power, His LOVE, faith and courage buried within us. It’s high time for us to let them rise up, so that we can go forth and do the job(s) we’ve been commissioned to do; Spread God’s Word, His LOVE, His Mercy and His forgiveness, through faith and the godly way we live our lives.
 
And I think we’ll end where we began; with the eternal wisdom of Cousin Sol. ‘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) thy paths.’ (Prov.3:5-6)
 
Oh my fellow believers in Christ, if there was ever only one scripture in the entire Good Book that we could hold on dearly to, take with us everyday and everywhere, and give someone else to also hold on dearly to, I believe it’s those two verses from the arsenal of Cousin Sol’s wisdom. That’s because they embody the very gist, the very kernel or seed of what God’s been trying to say to us from day one – TRUST ME!
 
And believe me Friends, there’s no greater thing that we can do, than sincerely trusting in the God who formed us from the dust of the earth in His very own image, then breathed His own breath of life into our nostrils.
 
So please let’s memorize as many of these Bible verses as we can, or even just get their substance in to our hearts, minds and souls, so that they can encourage us, keep us strong and steadfast in our faith, build our self-confidence and thus our confidence in the ONE TRUE GOD; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
 
Now that my beautiful brethren, is wisdom at its very zenith! Much LOVE!
 
…there’s no greater thing we can do…than to surrender our lives…put them in their entirety… into the hands of our heavenly Father…

 
      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 August 2013 Proverbs 20:1

01 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 20:1.    Wine is a mocker, strong (intoxicating) drink is raging (arouses brawling): and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
 
 Oh Friends, oh Friends I really don’t know where my head was this morning nuh; somewhere up in the clouds, I guess. But I can assure you it wasn’t clouded with fire water, though I probably need a shot to set me straight now. (smile) Thanks Cher for setting me straight.
 
Please ignore the first version of Today’s Bit, and I humbly and sincerely apologize for putting the wrong date. And would you believe that I usually check the day and date box at the bottom right hand corner of the computer before I start writing the Bit. Sometimes I even laugh at myself for doing it. Obviously I didn’t do it this morning, when I most needed it.
 
And today is Thursday, the first day of August 2013…and it’s raining. So what, you ask? Well let’s hope that it’s simply showers of blessing and cleansing, and by the time the dawn breaks, the rain will disappear and a big, bright, brilliant sun will appear above the horizon.
 
Remember Friends, it’s Emancipation Day in T&T, and Independence Day in J.A, as well as Caribana Weekend, the biggest weekend in T.O! Sorry, it’s Scotia Bank Carnival Weekend in T.O! The rights to the name Caribana have been in litigation for a few years now, and I guess the old administration has prevented the new one from using the title of Caribana. 
 
Anyway, the major part of the festivities begins tonight with the King and Queen of Carnival Show in Lamport Stadium. And since Lamport is an open air stadium, with no roof, we need good weather so that the festivities can go off properly. And the ole fella is looking forward to the Pan Contest on Friday, so the rain cannot be falling during the day time. 
 
Now let’s offer up this prayer for a good and clean Caribana. ‘Oh Father in heaven, we sincerely pray that you will allow the Caribana celebrations to go off without any serious problems. That everybody will have a good time, and their will be no aftermath of violence and recrimination. We pray this on the power of the spilled blood of Jesus at Calvary. Amen.’ 
 
And after writing that preamble, I opened the Good Book to seek a Bit, and lo and behold Friends, it opened amidst the proverbial wisdom of Cousin Sol, and the first words my eyes fell on were: ‘Wine is a mocker, strong (intoxicating) drink is raging (arouses brawling): and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.’
 
And I just had to laugh, because God was obviously moving in one of His many mysterious ways, letting me know He wanted that verse of scripture to be Today’s Bit, to serve as a warning in these celebratory times against imbibing too much fire water, which causes us to become undisciplined and fall easy prey to Lucifer. The scholars suggest that ‘Wine is personified as a mocker because it deceives those who partake of it. It is contrary to wise living.’
 
But before we get into the Bit, let me share and interesting Jewish Proverb, which says: ‘From happiness to suffering is a step; from suffering to happiness is an eternity.’
 
And isn’t that the awful truth my people! We move from happiness to suffering so easily and so quickly that it boggles our minds. But moving from suffering back to happiness… Hn! That’s a completely different story. It indeed seems to take a lifetime.
 
And here’s a good example that ties in with our Bit, of how suffering can crop up out of the blue and spoil our lives. It comes from Noah’s story. ‘And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent’ (Gen. 9:20-21)
 
And we all know the results of that indiscretion. Ham, one of Noah’s sons, saw him naked, then went out and told his two brothers, Shem and Japheth, who took a robe, backed into their father’s tent and covered him without looking at his nakedness. Now when Noah recovered from his drunken spell and heard what had happened, he cursed Ham and his Canaanite descendants, cursing them to be forever servants of the other two brothers. (Gen. 9:22-29)
 
Now I find that somewhat unfair, because if Noah had not imbibed too much vino and blacked up, his nakedness would not have been exposed.
 
And the scholars have this note on vs.21: ‘Noah had been so faithful to God that it is unlikely that he did this deliberately. His drunken condition may have been a totally unexpected result of the changed environment after the Flood.’
 
I don’t buy that excuse. I’m sure Noah must have drunk wine before the flood and knew its grave potential. But who knows eh? His drunkenness did cause strife and enmity within his family. And unfortunately my brethren, drunkenness is still destroying families up to this day, possibly more so than in Noah’s time. 
 
Meanwhile, listen to Bruh Paul’s warning to the church at Ephesus on the subject. ‘See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit.’ (Eph.5:15-18)
 
And we’ll end with some wise words from the scholars. ‘5:18. The words, ‘be filled’ here mean ‘be continually filled,’ emphasizing that the fullness of the Spirit is a repeated experience for believers. When a person is drunk with an alcoholic beverage, his walk, talk, and sight are controlled by alcohol. God desires that the minds of Christians be controlled by the Holy Spirit so that they will walk in the Spirit, speak on behalf of God, and understand the things of God.
 
Because people are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at salvation, they do not need to get more of the Holy Spirit, but the filling of the Spirit occurs when the Holy Spirit gets more of the believer.
 
Illustration: As we establish our fellowship with God through confession of sins (1 John 1:9) and yield to Him, (Rom.6:13), we can be filled with the Spirit if that is our desire (Matt.5:6) and prayer (Luke 11:13).
 
Application: Every Christian should be filled with the Spirit in order that he may have God’s power to serve Him. (Acts 1:8). First Ref, Ex.35:31; Primary Ref, Eph. 5:18; cf. 1 John 2:27.)
 
Friends, please check out those scriptures for they are very interesting and revealing. Now let’s go out and be filled with the Holy Spirit of God, and not the fire water that Lucifer offers. That surely is wisdom to the nth degree! Much LOVE!
 
…instead of turning to drink to drown his sorrows…man should turn to the Holy Spirit of God…for wise guidance…in every circumstance…