Psalm 64:1: Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, another new day has dawned, just like so many others down through the ages! Wow!
Aren’t you excited? I sure hope so, because this new day is also loaded with blessing and mercies just like every other day that has so far dawned! So let’s give our most wonderful God and Creator some thanks and praise for that nuh.
Please pray with me. ‘Father God, our minds are small compared to yours. That means our vocabulary is also small, and consequently we have to use the same words most of the time to thank and praise You. But we know that You’re a magnificent and magnanimous God, very aware of our frailties and deficiencies, and thus understands our situation. So You don’t mind if we repeat ourselves, once our hearts are filled with the right spirit and motives.
Today we thank You, many times over, for creating and looking after us. And we just want to tell You this morning, that we LOVE You Lord! Yes Father, we truly do. And we’re also eternally grateful for all You’ve done, are doing, and plan to do for us, even though we don’t deserve most of it.
Oh, and we can never thank You enough for sacrificing Your innocent, sinless Son Jesus, so that we could have salvation and eternal life in Your awesome presence.
Oh gracious Lord, we thank and praise You this Wednesday morning, humbly asking that You keep allowing Your Holy Spirit to work in us, to lead and guide us along that straight and narrow path that joyfully ends in your heavenly embrace.
We LOVE You Lord, and glorify Your Holy Name! All this we pray on the shed blood of Jesus that washed us clean from all sin.’ And all God’s people declared a loud and heartfelt ‘AMEN!’
Oh mih people, you know that you can’t let the ole fella loose! You have to keep him on a tight rein, otherwise he’ll just run off, like a rider-less horse. (smile)
But seriously though, once you get caught up in praying and thanking our heavenly Father, it just seems right, easy and never ending. You feel His Spirit just moving and grooving in you, awakening and raising up all the wonderful stuff He’s embedded in us from the day we acknowledged His amazing Son Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. That’s because we were created to be praying and prayerful beings.
No wonder Bruh David prayed so often, and wrote so many heartfelt prayers, like this one in our Bit. ‘Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer (meditation or complaint): preserve my life from fear of the enemy.’
And today we’ll continue looking at scriptures that show us the value of sincere prayer. Let’s begin with King Hezekiah’s prayer in his time of sickness and healing as revealed in Isaiah 38.
‘In those days was Hezekiah sick unto (and near) death. And Isaiah, the prophet the son of Amos came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.
Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect (loyal) heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore (bitterly). (Is.38:1-3)
Oh Friends, that solemn, heartfelt prayer of Hezekiah’s, reminding the Lord how he had always walked with and sought after Him with a right heart, caused the Lord to send Isaiah back to Hezekiah with this awesome promise.
‘Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.
And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken; Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees (on the sundial), which is gone down in (which has gone down with the sun on) the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, (on the dial) by which degrees it was gone down.’ (Is.38:5-8)
Oh Friends what an awesome, powerful and amazing God we worship! God knew all that Hezekiah had done, but until he came to Him in sincere prayer, his life was going to be filled with sickness, even close to death. Then you see the awesome miracle He worked as a sign; turning the sundial back ten degrees.
Wow! Who else could accomplish such an amazing feat eh? None but the One who had created the sun in the first place!
It’s the same way, my fellow believers that the Lord knows all of our doings, but He made us to come to Him, and until we do that on a right basis, we won’t be granted all the relief or blessings and mercies possible.
Now listen to Bruh David pleading in prayer for deliverance from evil men. ‘Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; Which imagine mischiefs (plan evil things) in their heart, continually are they gathered together for war. They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders (asps’) poison is under their lips. Selah.
Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings (make my steps stumble). The proud have hid a snare (set a trap) for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins (traps or snares) for me. Selah.’ (Ps.140:1-5)
Oh Friends, if great and powerful kings could bow down to Jehovah God and plead for respite from their problems, who are we eh, to think that we can get by otherwise?
That again is a fool’s wisdom my people! That’s because part of our purpose is to be consistently on our knees, bowing before Almighty God, giving Him thanks and praise, as well as asking for help in time of need.
Please, let’s all remember that and therefore do as we ought; pray to and praise Almighty God, for that’s the true wisdom of all the ages. Much LOVE!
…when in sincere prayer we come to God…He listens with a fatherly ear…and then answers as a LOVING father would…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 June 2013 Proverbs 4:26
08 Jun 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: Advocate, avoiding obstacles, be of good cheer, calmness, chastening, Christian witness, consider thy path, cords of sin, courage, definition of courage, easy row to hoe, entrap, eternal life, faithful Father God, faithful promise, fearlessness, feeble knees, firmness, folly, fruit of righteousness, god head, high priest, holy spirit, iniquities, Jesus, joyful people, look to Jesus, LOVE, mortal life, overcome the world, power, punish the wrongdoer, quality of mind and spirit, righteousness., salvation, saviour jesus christ, selfless Saviour, sexual temptation, sound mind, spirit of fear, spiritual strength, spirituality, straight and narrow path, the ways of man, undeniable truth, very essence of wisdom, words of wisdom
Proverbs 4:26: Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Oh Friends, another beautiful day is being heralded all around the world! And we Christians are the luckiest of the lucky!
Why? Because we have a just and faithful Father God to watch over and provide for us; a selfless Saviour who died to cleanse us of our sins, and is now our Advocate and High Priest; and last but certainly not least, we have the Holy Spirit which dwells in us and guides us in all righteousness. Wow!
And that’s not all, for when this mortal life on earth is done, we have the faithful promise of salvation and eternal life with the Trinity of our God-head. So what more can we ask eh my brethren? Nothing really.
But that also means that we’re supposed to be the most joyful people on the planet, which unfortunately we’re not. Too many of us are still fearful of the world and the evil things in it. But remember that our Saviour Jesus Christ says that He has overcome the world, so we should not fear, but be of good cheer. (John 16:33) And likewise Bruh Paul cautioned Timothy: ‘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 Friends, it therefore behoves us to stand steadfast, strong and courageous in the faith, to do what we have been called to do, obviously with the able assistance of our triumvirate God-head. And to help us do that, here’s a definition of Courage, from Uncle Charles, Charles Stanley. Some of you might have heard it in a broadcast a few weeks back. He defines courage as: ‘The quality of mind and spirit enabling us to meet danger, opposition or the challenges of life with fearlessness, calmness and firmness.’
And that’s indeed courage in a nutshell my people! The ability to face anything, despite abnormal or unfavourable circumstances should be the motto and work of our Christian witness. And remember too that courage doesn’t necessarily mean the absence of fear, but doing it even though we’re afraid, because we have that awesome promise of our faithful God that He will work everything out for the good of those He’s called and who LOVE Him. (Rom.8:28)
But my fellow believers, having all that help is of no good unless we use it, unless we do our part. And a portion of our part is to do as our Bit advises. ‘Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.’ Yes Friends, we need to seriously consider the paths we choose in life, before walking them, because we can be cruelly led astray if we choose the wrong ones.
And Cousin Sol warns us of one such wrong path in the next chapter when he talks about adultery. ‘And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished (enraptured) with a strange (an immoral) woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger (seductress)?
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth (observes, weighs) all his goings. His own iniquities shall take (entrap) the wicked himself, and he shall be holden (caught) with the cords of his sins. He shall die without (for lack of) instruction: and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.’ (Prov.5:20-23)
Oh my brethren, more awesome words of wisdom and undeniable truth! The Lord sees all our comings and goings, and all the thoughts of our hearts and minds are constantly exposed to His righteous stare, therefore we cannot afford to err foolishly and succumb to wicked devices, for those same evil devices will cause our inevitable and unfortunate downfall.
And here’s some info from the scholars. ‘Another reason for rejecting sexual temptation is that the Lord sees all and will punish the wrongdoer. He shall die does not necessarily mean a physical death, but it refers to an absence of life. The adulterer will miss out on the full and joyous life that God intended.’
And all of that is corroborated by the author of Hebrews, when talking about God’s discipline and the running of our earthly race. ‘Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.
Wherefore lift up (strengthen) the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way (be dislocated); but let it rather be healed.’ (Heb.12:11-13)
Yeh mih people, none of us likes to be disciplined, but it’s often necessary to teach us righteousness. Therefore we have to be strong and courageous and walk the straight and narrow path, else we’ll most certainly go astray.
And we’ll end with some more useful info from the scholars. ‘Some of the runners in verse 1 have grown so weary that they have become stooped and need spiritual strength to be straightened up again. They must be given help, yet they themselves also must straighten their paths by avoiding obstacles that would spiritually trip them up.’
Oh Friends, it’s definitely not an easy row we have to hoe as believers, but as Bruh Paul so wisely informed the Philippians: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:13) And so too can all of us my brethren.
So let’s put Christ first and foremost in our lives nuh, thus enabling us to stay on that straight and narrow path, without veering either to the right or to the left. For that’s the very essence of wisdom! Much LOVE!
…when our eyes, hearts and minds look to Jesus…then our feet automatically tread the straight and true way…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 June 2013 Hebrews 10:23
04 Jun 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: can't find jobs, captains of industry, communion with Jesus, corrupt politicians, don't be afraid, double minded, eternal life, excellent qualifications, excuse, faith, global village, globalization, God's faithful, gospel truth, greed, grow in faith, hold fast, human-rights, hunger and thirst for righteousness, hungry hope, in God's good time, inept leaders, inhumane practices, keep life and limbs together, lackeys, lay offs, LOVE, maximize profits, peace, peace of mind, prosperous society, ruse, salvation, shortsightedness, sufferation, thankful for jobs, the confession of our faith, the wicked will eventually pay, union with Jesus, unity, waivering faith
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Oh Friends, it’s already Tuesday! Wow! That means Friday and Freedom soon come! (smile) Yeh mih people, I know that many of us are labouring under less than ideal conditions, in less than ideal jobs. But as we sang in our Battle Hymn yesterday, we’re still thankful for them because they at least keep life and limbs together.
Unfortunately though, there are so many many today, in this supposedly prosperous society, who don’t have jobs, in fact can’t find one, even though they have excellent qualifications, and sadly, many more are being laid off every day.
Ah Lord eh! What a mess of things these foolish, misguided, inept, corrupt politicians whom we call leaders, have made of this world!
That’s because they aren’t true leaders, but just the lackeys of the greedy, short-sighted, inhumane captains of industry, who are only concerned about the almighty bottom line and the abnormal profits they can make. They don’t give a damn about those they condemn to ‘sufferation’ through their inhumane practices!
And all this talk about globalization and a global village is just that, a ruse, an excuse for them to move their money, means of production and power anywhere around the world so that they can maximize their profits on the backs of the struggling poor of the new country, without an iota of concern for those unfortunates they’ve left high and dry behind in their last location.
But Friends, as the Good Book says so many times over, the wicked, the greedy and the proud will eventually pay for their evil deeds. Yes, my brethren, all will be made right in God’s good time. There’s absolutely no doubt about that, because we know that our God has promised it, and He’s eternally faithful, as the end of our Bit declares.
Therefore ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)’
Yes my people, since our great God promised us eventual peace, LOVE, salvation and eternal life, and since He never reneges on a promise, then it is absolutely essential, totally necessary for us to keep hold of the hope and expectation that’s to be found in our faith.
And I like how somebody termed it, a hungry hope. Yes my brethren, we must exhibit a hunger and thirst for righteousness as our faith demands. For without a palpable hunger gnawing at our souls, our faith is very liable to waiver, and then we’ll become insecure, double minded and very wobbly, with no peace of mind about the issues of our faith.
And that is definitely not a welcome trait in a believer, for as James so wisely points out: ‘A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:8) And that’s a proven fact Friends!
In any case, even if we have nothing else, a believer ought to have peace of mind, because that’s one of the reasons Christ sacrificed His sinless life for us on that ghastly cross.
Listen to His assuring words on the subject. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
So my fellow believers, having received that unsurpassable peace of Jesus, let’s look at some scripture that then assures us of God’s faithfulness, starting in 1 Corinthians.
Right from the very beginning, in his introduction and greeting, Bruh Paul confidently assures them that, ‘God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (1 Cor.1:9)
Now hear this useful explanation from the scholars. ‘Unto the fellowship of his Son: The term ‘fellowship’ includes both union and communion. The Corinthian believers have been brought into union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly, this great truth implies that they had been brought into communion with one another. Here in a nutshell is the theme of this epistle.’
And so have we also my brethren, been brought into union and communion with Christ and each other. Unfortunately though we don’t seem to regard those two things as highly as we should, otherwise our lives would not be as lacking as they are in true LOVE and unity, both with Christ and with each other.
But that’s a topic for another day. And anyway, if there’s real truth in our hearts, we all know that we’re not being as Christ-like and righteous as we ought to and can be.
Now let’s end with this scripture from 1 Thessalonians, where Bruh Paul exhorts them to stand strong in the faith, and do what is right, because ‘Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.’ (1 Thess.5:24)
And that’s the gospel, gospel truth my Friends!
Once the Lord calls us to Him, or to do anything for Him, He will faithfully see us through it. Please have no doubts about that, cause I can testify to it from personal experience.
However, it is still very necessary that each and every believer should experience that faithfulness for themselves, because it’s only as each of us personally experiences God’s goodness, mercy, LOVE and faithfulness that we’ll individually grow in faith.
So please hang in there, even if times are rough, and do whatever God calls you to do. You’ll see that He won’t ever let you down, and your faith will grow as a consequence of it all. Much LOVE!
…if God had not planned on being faithful to us…He’d never have sent Jesus to die for us…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 June 2013 Psalm 61:3
01 Jun 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: arms of Almighty God, calming influence, Christ-like, christianity, compassion, Daily Bread Devotional, desires, eternal life, fears, foregivenss, fruits of the Spirit, goals, God exists, God of my rock, hypocrites, just my imagination, knowing God, lead me to the rock, LOVE, meditate on God's Word, mercy, my refuge, my Saviour, New Year's resolution, patience, perception, Pharisees, problems, psalm 61, shelter, Song of Deliverance, spirituality, strong tower, stronghold, talking to God, the righteous run to God, times of trouble, tribulations, trust in God, wisdom
Psalm 61:3. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
Ah Friends, May has quietly segued into June. Wow! I don’t know if it’s just my perception, but to me the months of this year are going by rather quickly. Anyway, even if it’s just my imagination, it’s time once again to check up on our sole New Year’s Resolution; drawing closer to Jesus.
Have we advanced any, daily becoming more like Him, showing greater LOVE, patience, mercy, forgiveness, wisdom, compassion, and all the other fruits of the Spirit that we’re supposed to bear and share? I sure hope so.
But as I reason, if we’re truly serious about becoming more Christ-like, then it’s much easier to check our progress every month and make the necessary corrections, than doing so on a yearly basis. So please, let’s take some quiet time, today or tomorrow, and review our progress. We’ll be amazed at what we’ll find.
Now I know that some of you read the Daily Bread Devotional, but I wonder how many read the last page of the May offering? Not that dated May 31, but the page after that. Well whether you did or not, I’d like to share some awesome wisdom that’s printed there, some that we should all thoroughly consider, accept and believe.
They claim that knowing whether God exists is important, but that actually knowing God is even more important. And I wholeheartedly agree. They quote a rather interesting passage by the theologian, J.I Packer.
‘What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we have in life? To know God. What is the eternal life that Jesus gives? To know God. What in man gives God most pleasure? Knowledge of Himself.’
Yes Friends, all that we are, have and were meant to be, begins and ends with knowing God; the One who created us and provides for us, both here on earth and in heaven. And our Bit today highlights the great importance of truly knowing God.
Psalm 61, from which it’s taken is sub-titled, ‘Lead me to a rock that is higher than I.’ And that’s exactly what our God is, my brethren; a rock that is much higher, more secure and much more powerful than us!
And Bruh David appropriately begins it: ‘Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.’ (Ps.61:1-2)
Yes Friends, in his time of trouble Bruh David runs to that powerful, secure and calming influence; the ever open and waiting arms of Almighty God! And I can testify that there’s no better place to run when the enemy approaches. Now why is that?
Bruh David gives us the reason in our Bit: ‘For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.’
There’s method to Bruh David’s madness Friends, and also to mine. (smile) From earlier experiences he knows that God will protect him in times of tribulation. In other words, he knows God. Their relationship is such that he can call on Him at any time, in regards to any matter, and He will hear and answer Him.
Consequently, he can unhesitatingly proclaim: ‘I will abide in thy tabernacle (tent) for ever: I will trust in the covert (shelter) of thy wings. Selah. For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.’ (Ps.61:4-5)
Oh my brethren, do we know God so well, that we can sincerely say those things? I surely hope so, because if we don’t, then crapaud smoke we pipe, things really bad with us. Remember, as we said earlier on, our whole existence is about knowing God. But that can only happen when we constantly seek Him, consistently read and meditate on His Word, and converse with Him in prayer.
And note, prayer is simply talking to God, opening our hearts to Him, telling Him our problems, our goals, desires and fears, and asking for His potent and wise help in becoming like His wonderful Son Jesus Christ. He doesn’t need all the ceremony; the bowing and scraping and prostrating ourselves, for outward show doesn’t matter to Him. What matters most to God is the state of our hearts, spirits and motives, whether we’re sincere or not.
So please let’s not behave like the hypocrite Pharisees and them, whom Jesus detested for their outward show and self-righteous acts. Our God wants us to come to Him humbly, but confidently, and lay all our cards on the table, not holding back anything, for it’s not a poker game, where we have to hide our true feelings.
And Cousin Sol backs that up admirably with this scripture from Proverbs 18. ‘The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe (set on high).’ (Prov.18:10)
Yes Friends, as the scholars explain: ‘The righteous find protection in the Lord.’ And that’s the gospel truth!
Now let’s end with some more powerful words from Bruh David on the subject. This comes from his Song of Deliverance, when the Lord finally gave him rest from all his enemies, including Saul. The Song is found in 2 Samuel 22, Psalm 18 is the edited version.
Listen closely: ‘And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock: in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn (strength) of my salvation, my high tower (stronghold), and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (2 Sam.22:2-4)
Oh my people, such is the confidence that our God builds in us when we consistently walk with Him! And anyone who doesn’t want that confidence in a rock and refuge that’s higher than them, then something’s seriously wrong.
All I know is that I’m going to seek Him and His kingdom first and foremost, put all my eggs in His safe basket, because I am sure of His LOVE, STRENGTH, MERCY, FORGIVENESS AND PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE!
And I encourage you to do the same, because it is truly wisdom at its highest level. Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…we’ll follow Jesus…even to the ends of the universe…no doubt about it…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 May 2013 Ecclesiastes 4:2
31 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a genuine Christian, absolute confidence, cancer, Comforter, death where is thy sting, eternal death, eternal life, fellowship, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, good and faithful servant, grave where is thy victory, harbingers of bad news, loving kindness, man's inhumanity to man, much work to be done, oppressions increase vanity, positive outlook, positive outlook on life, praised the dead, refreshed in soul, rejoice exceedingly, relaxation, rest, rest in peace, right perspective, sad voice, scourge of mankind, second sense, sense of logic, the bitter in soul, the way of the grave, the weary be at rest, welcome home
Oh Friends, it’s Friday… But a somewhat subdued one, because when I got up earlier on, I saw the message light on the phone blinking, and I wondered if it was really a message or just the phone malfunctioning as it sometimes does.
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 May 2013 Psalm 49:20.
24 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: awesome truth, beasts that perish, boasting of riches, brainless beasts, christianity, death and damnation, destinies of the wicked and righteous, drunk or sober mind your business, eternal life, ever-LOVING God, evil, evil men, fellowship, Friday chant, generous help, glorious kingdom, God's people, Granny's warning, honour, jealous of the evil rich, Jesus, Memorial Day, psalm 49, relaxation, rest, resurrection through Jesus, riches are woefully inadequate, riches cannot redeem, rising above the ungodly drive for riches, seek first the kingdom of God, sufficient fun, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the righteous man, try the Best, understanding, ungodly
Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 May 2013 Psalm 96:9
07 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: beauty of holiness, christianity, eternal life, faithful, fear God, god the father, god the holy spirit, God the son, Jesus Christ, Jesus' sacrifice, joy, joy of the lord, majesty, negativity of the world, omnipotent Trinity, praise and thanksgiving, religion, salvation, sincere belief, son jesus christ, sour perspective, surrender, talk and no action, the happiest people, the Holy Spirit, true believers, true faith, true trust, wisdom, worship the Lord
Psalm 96:9. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella’s here to make a major pronouncement this morning. Now this shouldn’t even have to be stated, because it’s something all believers should already know, be thoroughly convinced of and diligently practicing. But unfortunately, too many of us don’t even act like we know it, much less seem convinced of it. And the pronouncement is that Christians ought to be the happiest and most joyful people on planet earth! Why is that, you naively ask? Well because we have the five best things in life going for us; namely God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit, our personal Helper and Comforter. And when you add to that omnipotent Trinity, the free gift through grace and Jesus’ sacrifice of salvation and eternal life, you have the most awesome and explosive combination of Beings and circumstances possible. Now all that should produce unbeatable joy in believers, as Jesus says: ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.’ (John 15:11) But judging from the sad and sour perspective of many believers that just isn’t so. And why isn’t that eh? Does it show a lack of true faith, a lack of sincere belief, a lack of true trust and surrender, that all we have is lots of talk and no real action to back it up? I don’t know nuh. But I do know that as a group, Christians don’t show the true, heartfelt happiness and joy that we ought to, what with all the great things we have going for us. I guess that we don’t truly have a mind focused on heaven, but allow the negativity of the world to encroach, to invade the confines of our souls, and thus effectively reduce our joy in our wonderful God and all that He’s offered and done for us. Oh my brethren, please, please remember that the joy of the Lord is our strength, (Neh. 8:10) which means that if we’re not joyful in Him, then we won’t be, or rather, can’t be strong. I’m therefore pleading with us today, let’s up the ante in the joy and strength of our lives nuh. We desperately need them to fight against the powerful enemies of this wicked world. And that joy begins, and stays with us, when we do as our Bit so wisely advises. ‘O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear (tremble) before him, all the earth.’ Yes Friends, when we have a healthy respect for our God, knowing that He’s all powerful and can get angry at us for continual disobedience, but that His true nature is one of LOVE, mercy and forgiveness, we can relax and continually worship Him, as Bruh David says, in the ‘beauty of holiness.’ We acknowledge the beauty, the majesty inherent in His Holy nature, and since it’s totally above and beyond our sinful ways, we consequently desire to come before Him in much praise and thanksgiving. And it seems that the phrase, ‘beauty of holiness’ was a favourite of Bruh David’s, for he uses it on several occasions. In Psalm 29 – The voice of the Lord in the storm – he declares: ‘Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty (majesty) of holiness.’ (Ps.29:2) Then in 1 Chronicles 15, in his psalm of thanksgiving, he strongly advocates: ‘Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.’ (1 Chr.16:29) And yet again, in Psalm 110 – The Lord gives dominion to the king – he proclaims: ‘Thy people shall be willing (volunteers) in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.’ (Ps.110:3) But it’s not only Bruh David who talks about the beauty, the majesty of our God. Listen to Moses, in his only Psalm, Psalm 90, and therefore the oldest in the Psalter. It’s titled -From everlasting to everlasting thou art God. He ends it thus: ‘And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.’ (Ps.90:17) And if we go to 2 Chronicles 20, when the armies of Moab, the children of Ammon and those of mount Seir banded together to invade Judah, King Hezekiah, on the advice of Jahaziel, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Chr.20:13-17) had the whole nation bow before the Lord their God and ask for His strength and faith. Then, on the appointed morning, they rose up early and went out to battle against the combined army. ‘And when he (Hezekiah) had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab and mount Seir, which were come against Judah and they were smitten (defeated).’ (2 Chr.20:21-22) The Israelites didn’t even have to lift a hand in battle, they just sang and praised the Lord, who then made the invading armies to quarrel and fight amongst themselves. The Israelites then gained an enormous spoil from the battle without lifting a hand, just their voices to heaven, Oh mih Friends, yuh see what praise and worship and thanksgiving to our great and powerful God can do! My people, let us therefore, from today, and henceforth, raise the level of our praise and thanksgiving to our mighty and merciful God nuh, so that we may prosper and be strong in the land which He has given to us. That is indeed the wisdom of the wise and faithful. Much LOVE!… oh what infinite joy, peace and prosperity… comes from sincerely worshipping and praising Almighty God….
Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 May 2013 Psalm 96:9
06 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: aura of love, beauty of holiness, christianity, comatose attitudes, concrete jungles, desires, endless praise, eternal life, fear the Lord, fearful, good cheer, high on life, holy spirit, humble servants, idols, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, lies, Love of Jesus, mirror images of Jesus, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, noble sentiments, overcome the world, peace, raise voices to heaven, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, sally forth with confidence, salvation, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, suburbia, sure conquerors, sweet praises, tragic minded, tribulation, wicked taunts, wilting spirits, worship the Lord
Psalm 96:9. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him all the earth.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday, and I know that you all are rather anxious and excited to get out into the evil, ungodly world and fight for Jesus! You all just can’t wait to exit suburbia, the only place you can barely afford to live, get into your cheaply made but expensive cars and crawl along the highways into the concrete jungles, endure hassles over parking, then hustle into the ugly glass and steel towers, making sure you’re not late, and battle Beelzebub mano-a- mano! No Friends, I’m not high on anything but life and the LOVE of Jesus! And I sure wish many more supposed Christians could have some joy and fun in their spirits, rather than the dead, comatose attitudes some of us display. Jesus didn’t die for us to be fearful and tragic minded. As He says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) That means we can all afford to lighten up and enjoy life. It’s not always a bed of roses, but knowing that our salvation and everlasting life are guaranteed, that should certainly enable us to have a better attitude towards this earthly life. Anyway, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with mucho gusto and perk up our wilting spirits. In harmony then, let’s raise our heads, hearts, hands, eyes and voices to heaven. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Bravo, my people, Bravo! That was good! And I just heard a song on WACK 90.1 F.M in T&T that’s admirably suited to lift our spirits this bluesy Monday morning. The male vocalist is joyfully declaring: ‘O Jesus, I want to commune with You. Take my heart, take my soul. I give it all to You. My desire is to worship and exalt You, and testify about the greatness of Your Name. For You delight in the praises of your people. So hear my voice, hear my cry, hear my heart. I want to be one with You.’ Oh my brethren, what noble sentiments and desires! Sentiments and desires that all true Christians should have deeply embedded in our DNA! And in the Lord’s mysterious and wonderful way, the song also reflects the sentiments of our Bit. ‘O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear (tremble) before him all the earth.’ Yes my people, it’s a universal call to praise God, for the whole earth to submit to His sovereignty, His glorious majesty, His kingship. And why is that eh? Why does the Lord deserve these accolades? The psalmist kindly enlightens us. ‘For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.’ (Ps.96:4-6) Oh Friends, those are most excellent reasons to praise our great God! And when you add His care and LOVING-kindness towards His mortal creations, that includes sacrificing the life of His sinless Son Jesus so we could be redeemed and be reconciled to Him, I don’t know how you can do anything else but give Him endless praise and bow down and worship Him in all reverence and truth. As the psalmist continues, we ought to: ‘Give (ascribe) unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him all the earth. Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established (is firmly established) that it shall not be moved (shaken): he shall judge the people righteously.’ (Ps.96:7-10) So my fellow believers, let’s all go out today and be veritable mirror images of Christ nuh; going about doing good, spreading the good news of the gospel, and singing sweet praises to Almighty God. That’s why we were created. Much LOVE!…oh what sweet songs of praise…the name of Jesus…brings to my voice and my soul…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 April 2013 Psalm 25:1
30 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: Alpha and Omega, be prepared, be ready, christianity, conquered death, Easter Sunday, end of April, eternal life, free gift of salvation, Glory Halleujah, God cares, guidance and protection, I lift up my soul, Jesus Christ triumphant, LOVE, loving kindness, O Lord, preaching of christ is foolishness, preserve my soul, psalm 25, rebellious children, reconciled to God, sacrificed Jesus, saviour jesus christ, spiritual selves, stubborn, the power of God, worldly lives, worthy to be praised
Psalm 25:1. Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
And then it was Tuesday! Oh Friends, can you believe that this is already the last day of April? Didn’t it just begin a couple of weeks ago, when we celebrated that miraculous and most wonderful day of Easter Sunday, when our Saviour, Jesus Christ rose triumphantly from the dead, thus conquering, once and for all time, death, the grave and the evil fool Lucifer? Ah mih people, it surely seems like that was only two weeks ago, though in actual fact it was four. That just goes to show how fast time is moving in these last days, but we’re so busy with our worldly lives and concerns that we don’t even notice it. Well I’m here today to tell us to please sit up and take notice, to pay attention, to get our spiritual selves in order, for Jesus can come again at any time, and once that happens, all options shall disappear. So as we were taught from childhood, let’s be ready, let’s be prepared, so that even if Jesus comes today, our place in eternity with Him will be secured. Therefore, in concert with that wise mindset, let’s then turn to Almighty God and declare, like Bruh David does in our Bit: ‘Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.’ Yeh Friends, that’s a most appropriate action and declaration! We couldn’t do any better than offering our souls, in fact every part of us, body and soul, to the great and wonderful God who created us, provides for us, and LOVES us a whole bunch, in spite of the stubborn and rebellious children that we are. What more can we ask eh? Nothing really. But our God and Father cares so deeply for us, and couldn’t abide losing us for all time, so, in spite of our very sinful condition, of His own free will, He sacrificed the life of His only Son, Jesus, that we could be reconciled to Him, once again become a part of His wonderful fold, with the free gift of salvation and eternal life. Wow! What a magnanimous Deity! And all God’s people gave a mighty shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah! Our God is most wonderful and worthy to be praised! Give Him thanks and praise His Holy Name for ever and ever!’ Ah mih people, that’s the kind of excited and animated reaction that should take place in our souls when we consider the greatness of our God, and all that He’s so selflessly done for a set of ungrateful children. Bruh David, despite all his faults and problems, realized from early on, the amazing qualities of the God of his fathers, and wisely dedicated his life to Him. Hear how he continues in this psalm – A prayer for guidance and protection. ‘O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed: let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait (in faith) on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress (deal treacherously) without cause. Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.’ (Ps.25:2-5) Oh my brethren, that’s the sort of declaration each and every believer ought to make to his most awesome God, in both sincerity and truth! It’s the wisest action available to us poor sinners down here on planet earth. Why aren’t more of us doing it eh? Possibly because we like the things of the world too much, and that runs counter to God’s dictates. Also because we don’t trust what we don’t or can’t see, and believe like the Greeks, that the preaching of Christ is foolishness. (1 Cor.1:23) However Friends, the preaching of Christ and the cross to us believers is indeed the power of God! (1 Cor.1:18) I don’t know how to truly get into the heads and hearts of unbelievers, but it’s imperative that we do, my people. Bruh David surely knew on which side his bread was buttered though, as he consistently cried out to God. Listen to him in Psalm 143 – Teach me to do thy will. ‘Hear (answer) me speedily, O Lord; my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be (become) like unto them that go down into the pit (grave). Cause me to hear thy LOVING-kindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.’ (Ps.143:7-8) What words of heartfelt trust and surrender! And hear him again in Psalm 86 – Teach me thy way, O Lord. ‘Bow down thine ear, O Lord, and hear me: for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul (life); for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily (all day long). Rejoice (make glad) the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.’ (Ps.86:1-5) And that’s the infallible, unadulterated, undeniable, gospel truth! Oh Friends, there’s no better person to turn to than the alive and kicking God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the ONE TRUE God in existence, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the One who created the universe and all therein, and controls it under His mighty hand! Please, I’m imploring us today to lose ourselves in the great God of creation, to offer our souls as living sacrifices, to surrender our very lives to His awesome guidance, so that we can enjoy His mercy, forgiveness and LOVING-kindness! That is indeed the zenith of wisdom! Much LOVE!…the only sensible alternative for mankind…is to bow to the One who created them…then selflessly saved them… P.S. The ole body rebelled on me this morning, refused to get up, crying out for lack of sleep. (smile) Remember the ole fella is only human. (smile) That’s why your Word of Inspiration is a tad late this morning. Much LOVE!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 April 2013 Psalm 71:12
23 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: adversaries, afraid, anchor in the storm, anxiety, articles of faith, ashamed, be not far, christianity, confidence, cry out for help, defeating doubt, downward spiral, eternal life, evil, fear, God's faithfulness, gospel truth, great is thy faithfulness, Jesus, John Milton, make haste, maturity in Christ Jesus, mighty sword, morning by morning, new mercies, O God, optimum assurance, personal faith, positive assurance, praise, prime wisdom, reverence, righteousness., salvation, spiritual armour, spirituality, stand strong, strength of the Lord God, successful life, the Good Book, tools of truth, troubled world, true conquerors, ungodly world
Psalm 71:12. O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
Oh Friends, before we do anything else this Tuesday morning, let’s gratefully acknowledge the Lord’s goodness to us, the very undeserving children of men, by singing this old, but very true ditty: ‘Great is thy faithfulness O Lord. Morning by morning, new mercies I see. All that I needed, thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness Lord, unto me.’ And if that isn’t another gospel truth my people, then I don’t know what is! And talking about gospel truths, there are so many in our articles of faith, that we should never be without at least one, and often several, to hold on to, when our personal faith begins to weaken. In other words, with all the available truths from the Good Book and our own experiences to find strength from, there should never be any real cause for our faith to weaken when we’ve reached a certain level of maturity in Christ Jesus. However, with the crazy downward spiral of our currently confused and troubled world, that’s often easier said than done. But my Friends, today I’m advocating, reassuring, pleading with us to stand strong, to use all the tools of truth that our most excellent God has given or made available to us, so that we can remain steadfast in faith and do the job to which He’s called each and every one of His beautiful and much LOVED children, just like He called His first Son Jesus to sacrifice His sinless life for us. And just as Jesus was obedient to His calling, even unto death, I pray that we all will also be obedient to whatever we are called to do. Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name I pray this. And all God’s wonderful children said a loud and grateful, ‘Amen!’ Yeh mih people, this evil, ungodly world is indeed making it more difficult every day for us to truly embrace and live out our faith with joy and positive assurance. For as John Milton (1608-1671) the renowned English Poet is said to have declared: ‘To know that which lies before us in daily life, is the prime wisdom.’ Now that’s perfectly true, since we can only live one day at a time, and knowing where we’re headed each day is of the utmost importance, if we hope to lead a successful life. But by the same token friends, we can only do that successfully with the help of our heavenly Father. That’s exactly why we often need to do as the psalmist says in our Bit, cry out: ‘O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.’ Yes my fellow believers, be not ashamed, no, never be ashamed or afraid to cry out to our most LOVING, generous and omnipotent God when the pressures of life and this godless world seem to be wearing us down, for that’s what the Father wants and expects from us. Like the psalmist continues, let’s boldly and confidently, but with obvious reverence, entreat the Lord: ‘Let them be confounded (ashamed) and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.’ (Ps.71:13) Now it’s all well and good to cry out for help, but we must also play the part allotted to us. Again, as the psalmist declares: ‘But I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more. My mouth shall show forth (proclaim) thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers (limits) thereof. I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.’ (Ps.71:14-16) Ah mih breddren, it’s not easy in this life, and it’s daily getting harder too, but as believers in Christ Jesus, we have the optimum assurance possible that He will never leave or forsake us. He will always bring us through whatever trials He allows to come upon us, often stronger and better off than before. No weapon formed against us will ever prosper or cut us down, because we are true conquerors, especially when wearing His powerful spiritual armour, and wielding the mighty sword of His Word. Our God also promises to be our anchor in the time of storm. Though our ship be battered, our sails torn, our way blinded by darkness, He will be our helmsman and guide us to safety. And when we’re weary and tired of trudging through this life, like the compassionate Father that He is, the Lord will lift us on to His powerful, never weary, never tired shoulders and take us safely home. Oh my brethren, with all those faithful promises of our most wonderful God going for us, how can we not LOVE and worship Him with all our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits eh? And we haven’t even mentioned the two greatest promises; that of salvation and eternal life! So Friends, with such a barrage of promises and weapons available, it’s therefore unthinkable that a true believer should be ever defeated by this earthly life. And today I’m urging us to seriously ponder on all those wonderful promises our awesome God has made us, also on His faithfulness to keep them, and then bring them to work favourably in our lives, as He desires. In Jesus’ name we pray. And all God’s reverent children declared a loud, grateful and joyful, ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’ Let’s stand strong for Jesus today my fellow believers! Much LOVE!…truly accepting God’s promises…means truly defeating doubt, fear and the anxieties of this world…
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