Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 December 2017 Psalm 146:2.

31 Dec 2017 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 146:2.   While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

Welcome friends and neighbours to this last Sunday of fellowship in 2017! It has been indeed a tumultuous year, and let’s just hope and pray that 2018 will be quieter and more God-like, because our world doesn’t need another disastrous year like this one. We need something in which we can quietly lick our wounds, recuperate from all the disasters, natural and manmade, and get back to serving Almighty God the way we ought to. 

Anyway, on this last Sunday of fellowship, let’s open with this old but beautiful hymn by Frances Crosby, ‘Praise Him, Praise Him.’ Yes friends, regardless of what our year has been like, our great God is worthy of much thanks and praise, so please lets offer up the sacrifice of praise from our thankful hearts through our grateful lips as one harmonious choir. 

In full voice now: ‘Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim! Hail Him! Hail Him! Highest archangels in glory; Strength and honor give to His holy Name! Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children, In His arms He carries them all day long. (Refrain: Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness; Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song!) 

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! For our sins He suffered, and bled, and died. He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation, Hail Him! Hail Him! Jesus the Crucified. Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows, Love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong. (Refrain) 

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Heav’nly portals loud with hosannas ring! Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever; Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet, and Priest, and King! Christ is coming! over the world victorious, Pow’r and glory unto the Lord belong. (Refrain: Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness; Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song!)’ 

Oh my people, what an excellent song of praise! Jesus deserves every word of it because He did put His sinless life filled with Godly LOVE on the line for us while we were yet sinners! Wow! No other supposed deity has, or will ever come close to that. All the other deities want to take what little we have from us, while Jesus comes to give of the plenty, of the abundance that He has. 

Glory to God my precious people! How can we not LOVE, praise, honour and worship Him eh? No wonder the psalmist proudly declares in our Bit: ‘While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.’ 

Yes my faithful brethren, that is exactly what we need to do while there is any breath of life left in our mortal bodies! For we were made to sing praises to and glorify our heavenly Father, the One who blessed us with His awesome breath of life. 

Hear the psalmist as he continues his song of praise. ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth (spirit departs), he returneth to his earth: in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.’ (Ps.146:3-5) 

Words of gospel truth my friends! If we don’t have the help of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob then we’re in plenty trouble. And that is why this year of 2017 has been such a disastrous year; we haven’t had God’s help, because as a society, we have turned away from Him. How can He help us if we don’t cry out to Him for help eh? 

Instead, we foolishly cry down, blemish, and blaspheme His holy name, while trying our best to get rid of him completely from our society. How stupid, arrogant and high minded can we get eh people? How can you remove the One who created the society from the society eh? 

We’ve become so blinded by the supposed brilliance of our small, finite minds that we refuse to see ourselves as we truly are; in comparison to God, mere insects scurrying around aimlessly, like the boll weevil in the old Brook Benton song, looking for a home. 

And the truth of the matter friends, the ONLY home there really is, is that provided by Jesus Christ, for all else will eventually be destroyed. But let’s place these truthful words of the psalmist deep in our hearts and souls nuh. ‘The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works. He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.’ (Ps.104:31-32)  

Well then people, if that’s the awesome truth, then the only sensible recourse we have is to do like the psalmist says: ‘I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more: Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord, (sing Hallelujah).’ (Ps.104:33-35) 

Yeh my fellow believers, there is no better road down which we can travel than one of praise and glory to our great God. So let’s seriously resolve to do that this upcoming year nuh, because that’s the ONLY way our fortunes will be changed. Much LOVE!

…if Jesus isn’t a big part of our life and our world…then we’re surely doomed…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 January 2017 Psalm 23:1.

15 Jan 2017 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 23:1.   The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).

Ah friends, it’s just been one of those crazy nights and mornings. Steups! I went to bed at a decent hour, fell asleep, then got up about an hour later. 

Obviously I refused to get out of the bed, because I’m supposed to be resting (smile) so I turned and tossed, fell asleep again, then repeated the whole manoeuvre once more. 

The sad part is that when it was really time to get up, I couldn’t, the sleep had me all wrapped up then. And when I did get up, I felt all lousy and drowsy, so I had to spend some time catching myself. And that’s why the Bit is so late. 

I had even contemplated going to church this morning, but obviously that never happened. So on this cold Sunday morning let’s offer up some praise and worship to get us ready for the hearing of the word. Let’s raise the roof with this musical tribute to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

In full voice now: ‘Crown Him with many crowns, The lamb upon the throne: Hark! How the heav’nly anthem drowns All Music but its own! Awake, my soul, and sing Of Him who died for thee, And hail him as thy matchless King Through all eternity. 

Crown Him with many crowns Crown Him with many crowns Crown Him the Lord of Heav’n: One with the Father known. One with the Spirit through Him giv’n From yonder glorious throne. To Thee be endless praise. For Thou hast died for me; 

Be Thou, O Lord, through endless days Adored and magnified Adored and magnified Crown Him with many crowns His glories now we sing, Who died and rose on high, Who died eternal life to bring And, lives that death may die. Crown Him with many crowns.’ 

Ah my fellow believers, Jesus Christ is indeed worthy of many crowns, since He is indeed King of Kings, and Lord of Lords! He is also worthy to be adored and magnified for the selfless sacrifice He made on the cross of Calvary on our behalf. He died so that we might live… 

Wow! What an awesome and amazing gesture! So I really can’t understand why so many people turn away from Him, blaspheme His holy name and revile Him is such despicable ways. But yuh know what, they’ll all get their comeuppance one day. 

In the meanwhile, we who truly believe, let’s continue to praise and glorify Him with all out hearts, minds, bodies and souls! And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord!’ 

That brings us to our Bit, one of the most famous verses of the Good Book. ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).’ 

What an amazing line! It captures the whole essence of our God and our awesome relationship to Him! Simply stated, it means our God will guide us safely and provide us with all necessities. Glory Be! That can truthfully be said of no other deity. 

Then Bruh David expatiates further, expands the wonder of the Lord even more. ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures (pastures of tender green grass): he leadeth me beside the still waters (waters of rest).’ (Ps:23:2) 

Oh friends, I can think about so many still waters and pastures green that I could be currently resting beside in sweet Tobago! (smile) 

‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps.23:3) What can be better than all that eh mih people? Nothing really! 

It reminds me of how the Lord, in a time of drought, sent the prophet Elijah to hide by the brook of Cherith, where he rested, was fed by the ravens and his soul restored. (1 Kin.17:2-7) Oh how mighty and faithful is our God! 

And if all of that wasn’t sufficient, Bruh David adds this very crucial statement. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps.23:4) 

Mama Mia! What wonderful assurance my brethren! Even though I’m going through some sad and deathly looking times, I won’t be afraid! Glory Hallelujah! Because like a true shepherd, the Lord’s rod and staff will protect and comfort me, even in the most evil of days. 

Yuh know what friends? I think we’ll stop there for today and give us time to ruminate on all we’ve said so far. I don’t want to push our short attention spans, (smile) but there is much more to be said. 

So tomorrow, the Lord in favour, we’ll continue studying one of the two most popular and beloved passages of scripture. The other one is ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ 

Please, let’s spend sometime today meditating on the Lord’s word, and in particular, His shepherd-like qualities towards us, His wonderful adopted children. That will most certainly bring us comfort and joy and restore our souls! Much LOVE!

…in earthly pastures green…by quiet and soothing waters…my soul finds heavenly rest…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 July 2016 Psalm 34:1

24 Jul 2016 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 34:1.    I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Aye mih breddren, loverly days are here again… as if they ever went anywhere eh. (smile) 

That’s because every day is a loverly day when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is in our life. Especially on a Sunday, when we get to fellowship together in great numbers, to praise and worship Him in sincerity and truth, to hear His word and be revitalized and reinvigorated in soul, body, mind and spirit, so we can face the new work week with great expectations, strengthened faith, and reassurance that we will be victorious walking with Him. 

And all God’s people loudly and proudly declared: ‘Blessed is the name of Jesus, who sacrificed His sinless life for us! Praise His holy name!’ 

Now let’s continue in praise mode by singing this beautiful hymn written in His honour by Fanny Crosby.  In one, strong and harmonious voice now: ‘Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Sing, O earth, His wonderful LOVE proclaim! Hail Him! hail Him! highest archangels in glory, strength and honor give to His holy name! Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children; in His arms He carries them all day long: 

{Refrain :} (Praise Him! praise Him! tell of His excellent greatness! Praise Him! praise Him! ever in joyful song!) 

Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! For our sins, He suffered and bled and died; He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation, Hail Him! hail Him! Jesus the crucified. Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows, LOVE unbounded, wonderful, deep, and strong: [Refrain] 

Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Heavenly portals loud with hosannas ring! Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever; Crown Him! crown Him! prophet and priest and King! Christ is coming, over the world victorious, power and glory unto the Lord belong: 

[Refrain] Praise Him! praise Him! tell of His excellent greatness! Praise Him! praise Him! ever in joyful song!’ 

Yes friends, what a joyous hymn of praise to Christ Jesus! That ought to have lifted our spirits considerably and opened up our hearts, made us totally receptive to the reading of His word. But before we get into that, let me share something I heard on the radio yesterday. It was an old song by the Chi-lites titled ‘There will be no peace until God sits at the conference table.’ 

Oh precious people, I never knew the song in its heyday, but when I heard it yesterday I was consumed by both joy and sadness. Joy, because someone long ago realized the seriousness of the situation and turned it into a song. And sadness, because it is just the God awesome truth! 

We WILL NEVER have peace on this fallen earth until we bring Almighty God, our Creator and Provider back into the equation, for He is the ONLY ONE powerful enough to bring all the dissenting, strife-filled, greedy, selfish, foolish, war-mongering, power-hungry leaders and nations to a sensible and peaceful agreement! And until that time comes, there’ll be no peace…just constant war. 

Anyhow, enough of the negative vibes. It’s Sunday and we’re supposed to be praising and thanking and worshipping and glorifying our heavenly Father, so let’s get back to a more positive  and joyous state nuh. (smile) Let’s introduce our Bit; wise, powerful and faithful words of Bruh David. ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.’ 

Oh friends, that’s wisdom to the nth power! For who else is there for us to look up to, to praise and worship eh? NOBODY but Jehovah God! 

And what we have to realize here is that Bruh David has just escaped death at the hands of his nemesis King Saul, and is running from Saul for his very life without food or weapons. He arrives at Nob, to the priest Ahimelech, who is suspicious of Bruh David’s sorry state and enquires of it. 

Bruh David spins him a nansi story about being on secret business for the king and didn’t have time to get bread nor weapons. Whether Ahimelech believed him, we’ll never know, but he’s obviously scared that Saul finds out about his liaison with Bruh David, and  finally gives him the showbread (hallowed bread) because that was all he had, as well as Goliath’s sword. 

I like Bruh David’s remark when Ahimelech told him that Goliath’s sword was in the temple. ‘And David said, There is none like that; give it me.’ (1 Sam.21:9) Yeh friends, that sword must have brought back long ago memories to Bruh David, as he took it and hightailed it away from the hounds of Saul, baying hungrily at his back. (smile) 

Ah mih people, Bruh David didn’t have an easy life, but he NEVER gave up on the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, because over the years, despite his trials and tribulations, the Lord had proven faithful to him. 

The scholars tell us thus about Psalm 34 – The Lord hears the righteous. ‘Psalm 34. The historical background of this acrostic psalm is related in 1 Samuel 21:10-15. It bears all the marks of the testimony of one who narrowly escaped death, just as the passage in Samuel describes. As such, it contains the praise and testimony of the one who was redeemed (vv.1-10) and the seasoned instruction that can stem from such deliverance (vv.11-22).’ 

Yes my brethren, it was only because of the Lord’s faithfulness to him over the years that Bruh David could declare the words of our Bit, and the ones following. ‘My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.’ (Ps.34:2-3) 

Oh friends, those are also my sentiments this Sunday morning. So please, magnify the Lord with me, and let’s exalt His holy and righteous name together, for that is indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!

…despite the troubles that come with life…believers ought never to lose faith in Jehovah God…