Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 April 2017 Proverbs 2:6.

20 Apr 2017 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 2:6.   In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth, make straight) thy paths.

One more day, one more day in the land of the living my people! Thanks be to God! 

We haven’t seen our names and/or pictures in today’s obituaries, that means the Lord has a purpose for us to be still down here on His planet earth! 

And as faithful followers of His Son and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, I know that we will do our best, exert all our energy and move every mountain to bring His wonderful, merciful and forgiving will to pass. 

Now that leads us directly to this simple but uplifting directive from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H Schuller), which he titles ‘The Mountain Mover’s Prayer.’ We’ve shared it several times before, but it’s one of those prayers that are always applicable to our earthly lives. 

Please pray with me. ‘Lord, when I face a mountain, do not let me quit! Give me the strength to keep on striving until I climb over; Find a pass through, or tunnel underneath. And if my best efforts fail, Give me the patience to stay, and the perception to see the possibilities of turning my mountain into a gold mine with your help. Amen!’ 

Yeh friends, I know that each and everyone of us is facing some kind of unbreachable mountain in our lives right now, and we desperately need some wisdom, help, strength, faith and advice to overcome it. 

And there it is in a nutshell! Seeking God’s help to handle our mountains is the only wise and sensible action in a believer’s armoury! For without Him on our side, remember we can do nothing at all! 

The problem though is that too many of us don’t remember that li’l detail, and we foolishly try to do a lot of stuff under our own power and strength. And finally, when our efforts prove fruitless, then and only then do we turn to God as a last minute solution. 

That’s very unwise my people, because our wonderful Creator and Provider wants us to come to Him for help first, not last, and also in each and every circumstance, not only in ones we feel unable to handle. 

Oh, I know that our innate pride and the supposed wisdom of the world tells us that we must be able to handle our own affairs, but the sad and sorry state of the world, and all those who are trying to do it on their own just proves that supposition is totally wrong. 

And yuh know what friends, I’m here chuckling now, because our God is so wonderful and faithful. Oh give Him endless thanks and praise my brethren! 

And no doubt you’re wondering why I’m chuckling. Well, I’ve been writing so far without a Bit or any idea of where I really wanted to go, and I simply felt lost. So just now I asked, well it’s more like cried out to Him for help to find a Bit, help to climb over my mountain. (smile) 

Then I opened my Bible, and the first words my eyes beheld were those of our Bit. ‘In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth, make straight) thy paths.’ 

Ah my fellow believers, that’s just what we were talking about! So how can I now in all good conscience doubt His everlasting faithfulness eh? I certainly can’t! And I do hope that it goes a long way to convince you of our God’s faithfulness when we sincerely turn to Him for help and advice. 

And one of the best pieces of advice given from one human to another in the Good Book is that from Bruh David to his son Cousin Sol, re the building of God’s temple. 

‘And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.’ (1 Chr.28:9) 

Oh my people what wonderful advice! It’s obvious though that not enough of us have given that same advice to our offspring, otherwise so many of them would not be turning away from God today. 

And isn’t it amazing that our Bit comes from the words of Cousin Sol himself. Now hear what he says in the full context of our Bit. 

‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth, make straight) thy paths. 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.’ (Prov.3:5-8) 

Ah my people, if we sincerely take that advice and live up to it, then there’s no doubt that our magnificent and magnanimous God will shower us with our Thursday Blessings! So let’s declare them now nuh, for remember they are not applicable until they are declared over someone or something. 

In sincere sincerity now: (smile) ‘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!’ 

Yes friends, now that we’ve declared those heavenly blessings over ourselves, let’s go out and declare them over others nuh, so that they can be spread over all and sundry as Jesus desires. Much LOVE!

…trust and obey…for there’s no other way…to be happy in Jesus…but to trust and obey…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 April 2017 Joshua 24:15(a).

02 Apr 2017 Leave a comment

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

Joshua 24:15(a).   …choose you this day whom ye will serve…

Awright friends, it’s that great day, Sunday, when we get together to fellowship, praise, sing, worship and hear the awesome words of our most wonderful and Mighty God! Glory to Him in the highest! Praise His Holy Name! Let the people exalt Him in song! 

And that’s exactly what we’ll do now; exalt and glorify our heavenly Father by offering up sacrificial praise from our lips by singing the old, but ever so encouraging and assuring hymn, ‘Just a Closer Walk with Thee.’ 

So with great gusto, and sincere feeling, let’s sing: ‘I am weak, but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong; I’ll be satisfied as long As I walk, let me walk close to Thee. (Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.) 

Through this world of toil and snares, If I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. (Refrain) When my feeble life is o’er, Time for me will be no more; Guide me gently, safely o’er To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore. (Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.)’

Oh my fellow believers, there’s nothing greater in this world, this earthly journey, than a close walk with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counsellor, Faithful Intercessor, etc. etc.! Yes friends, there are many more authoritative names we can mention, but we’ll let those few suffice for now. 

But the long and short of the story is that Christ is the most powerful Being in the universe, and as such, it only makes sense to attach our frail human cart to His powerful spiritual horse. (smile) And it’s very disappointing that so many of us are refusing to do it, because that’s a fool’s wisdom. 

And we have no better example than that of Lucifer, who was like second in command, but through greed and innate stupidity was not satisfied. He wanted to be the top dog, El Numero Uno, and thus tried to overthrow the Most High God Jehovah. Obviously he was unsuccessful, for how can you defeat the Creator of the universe eh? And now he’s set to walking to and fro the earth, until the Lord’s ready to deal with him. 

Technically speaking, he is the prince of darkness, trying to get God’s people to turn away from Him. But he has no real power, for Jesus has defeated him, left, right and centre! He can only operate on the strength of lies, deceit and subtle trickery. Consequently, he tries to capture us through worldly and fleshly things, what they call eye candy, things that have no lasting value, but do appeal to our lustful and carnal side. 

Sadly though, a lot of us are choosing to go over to Lucifer’s side, enamoured by the promise of earth’s wealth and pretty possessions. But what’s going to happen when we give up the ghost eh? Will we be carrying any of that with us? No! Not one iota! 

And if your cart isn’t hitched to Jesus’ horse, what’s going to happen to you then eh? Nothing but eternal separation from the One who died to save you, who paid your sin debt in full! Eternal darkness with Lucifer will be your comeuppance, instead of eternal life, light and LOVE with Jesus. 

That’s why Joshua in his farewell address asked the Israelites our Bit: ‘…choose you this day whom ye will serve…’ 

After reminding them of all the wonderful things the Lord had done for them, he admonished them. ‘Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (Euphrates river), and in Egypt; and serve the Lord. 

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh.24:14-15) 

Yes my brethren, it’s a decision, a conscious and serious one that all of us have to make at some time or another, and the sooner the better! Why? Because there are two important time related points that can cause eternal separation from Jesus; His Second Coming, without you accepting Him as your Lord and Saviour, and your dying without doing the same. 

Now if any of those things happen without you walking sincerely with Jesus, then there are no other options, but eternal separation. And the truth of the matter is that either of those two things can happen at ANY time without ANY notice! That’s why it’s of the utmost importance that you make a decision RIGHT NOW, so that you won’t get left in the lurch when the end time comes. 

Please don’t do like so many have done, put it off until it’s too late. The wisdom of God dictates that we act on the matter ASAP…and that means RIGHT NOW! Please don’t put your eternal life with Jesus in jeopardy through the lies and deceits of Lucifer, who has nothing good whatsoever to offer you, but is just looking for company in his eternal damnation and destruction. Much LOVE! 

…Only in Jesus…will you find light, life, LOVE and the pot of gold…at the end of the rainbow…  

 

        

      

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 March 2017 Jeremiah 17:7.

04 Mar 2017 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 17:7.   Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

Saturday, O Saturday: balm for some, bane of others! Yeh friends, for some of us Saturday means not doing a whole lot, possibly sleeping in late, then moving to the couch to watch the tube. Hn! 

While for others, Saturday means cleaning and grocery shopping and doing odd jobs around the house that you never had a chance to do during the week. Some of us work harder at home on Saturdays, than we do at work all week. But that’s the joy of prosperous living! (smile) We can either vegetate or work ourselves to the bone. 

Anyway on Saturdays too we also look at a few of our friend Anselm’s quotes, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first one is ever so true. ‘Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.’ 

Yes people, that’s why many of us don’t like change, even though it might improve our lives, for change doesn’t just roll in smoothly, it always causes hiccups, and sometimes some real bad ones too.

Now this second quote offers a wealth of good advice. ‘Align yourself with people that you can learn from, people who want more out of life, people who are stretching and searching and seeking some higher ground in life.’ 

That’s the only way we can truly grow friends! If we sincerely wish to grow, then we must surround ourselves with wise people who are striving to do the same. We ought not to be always the smartest, wisest or most accomplished person in our group, else whom are we going to learn from eh? 

And this last quote is also interesting and very true. ‘Most people fail in life not because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit.’ Bingo! Setting goals is a very serious and thoughtful action friends. We can either set them too low and hit them, but not accomplish much. Or we can set them too high and not reach them, with the same result as setting them too low. 

That reminds me of the old people’s saying: Never hang your hat where you can’t reach it. But my breddren, goals should be set where they are just out of reach, where you need to extend yourself some, get a bit out of your comfort zone, otherwise they are not worth setting. 

That brings us to our Bit. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.’ 

Oh my fellow believers, that’s wisdom of the highest order! That’s why I don’t understand why more of us, including supposed Christians don’t follow it. If the Lord is the Creator and Controller of the universe, El Numero Uno, as we claim, then why aren’t we putting our absolute trust in Him eh? I guess some of us don’t truly believe what we spout, and try to hedge our bets by not giving God all our trust.  

But please remember what we read yesterday from Psalm 146: ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man (human beings), 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.’ (Ps.146:3-4) 

That’s gospel truth friends! We die and return to the dust from which we were created, while God lives on forever, and also knows the beginning from the end. So whom is the best one to trust eh? Both logic and wisdom tell us the Lord God Almighty! 

So let’s look at some scripture that will help me convince you to put ALL your trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Listen to Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘He that handleth a matter wisely (wisely heeds the word) shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.’ (Prov.16:20) 

And if you don’t believe Cousin Sol, then hear Bruh David from Psalm 34 – The Lord hears the righteous. ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing… The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust him shall be desolate (condemned).’ (Ps.34:8-10; 22) I can’t dispute any of that nuh people, so I just have to believe it. 

And we’ll end with something from Isaiah, where he’s appealing to his people to turn to the Lord for help, the very same thing I’m trying to do in these tumultuous times. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice); blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is.30:18) 

And the scholars add this explanation. ‘30:18-33. Because God is gracious and has been willing to wait for His people to return to Him, He will certainly bless those who wait for him. “Waiting” is a confident and dependent trust in God.’ 

What more can I say eh friends? Not a whole lot, for I am just the messenger aspiring to deliver the message that our world needs the Lord God Jehovah more than at any other time in our existence. I just hope that the message doesn’t fall on deaf ears, and that every Christian will endeavour to put into action in their own lives, then spread it far and wide, so that our children’s children will have the chance to live in a good and beautiful world. That’s my sincere prayer for us today! Much LOVE!

…if we can’t trust our God and Creator…whom then can we trust…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 September 2016 Proverbs 3:5-6.

24 Sep 2016 Leave a comment

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

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

Well friends, it’s the first Saturday in the northern climes fall season.  So what is it to you eh, you ask? Well if you’re living in a tropical climate, then it means zero, zilch (smile). But if your abode is in the north country, then you have to start taking out jackets, sweaters, long pants, and long johns for some, and put away the skimpy tops and shorts till next summer. 

The thing that annoys me about autumn though is that sometimes the days look so bright and warm and sunny, and you go out dressed for such, but as soon as the sun begins to set, the cold weather creeps in, and you find yourself not suitably dressed for it. And yet, many of us still flaunt the macho image by being not properly dressed in those in-between times. 

That’s why so many people get sick around this time. Anyway, to each his own, and as the man said, if you don’t pay me now, you’re going to pay me much more later on, when things like arthritis begin to take their toll. It’s just like Christians who don’t do what they are supposed to, and pay a hefty price later on. (smile) 

Now since it’s Saturday, let’s turn to a couple of quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us. And the first one is certainly good advice. ‘Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams.  Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential.  Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.’ 

Yes friends, we should not dwell on the negatives in our lives, but we must learn from them and then move on to the bright future that lies ahead, gloriously waiting for us, as we follow Jesus. 

And the second one is ever so true. ‘Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.’ 

Gospel truth mih people, and I can testify to that on a small level. But you’ll notice the numerous hangers’ ons, the large entourages that travel around with the reigning celebrities in good times. However, when the rough times come, a lot of it from spending lavishly on those same leeches and parasites, they simply disappear and look for another sucker.  

And the best way to prevent such shenanigans is by paying heed to our Bit. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ 

Ah friends, truer words were never spoken, or better advice ever given! 

Hear how the scholars explain it nuh.  ‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning “rely on, depend on”; lean not, meaning do not depend on your own native instincts; and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths straight before you.’ 

It makes perfect sense my brethren! God is the omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present Creator of the universe and He controls every aspect of it, so He is obviously the best person to get into partnership and fellowship with, if we truly want to be successful. 

Now one thing is for sure, He will not forsake you when times get rough and you have to ride the bus rather than preen in the limousine. He will be right there riding the bus beside you. That’s the kind of God we worship my people; faithful and trustworthy to the very end! 

And listen to how Cousin Sol continues after our Bit. ‘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.’ (Prov.3:7-8)  

More wonderful words of wisdom my fellow believers! Unfortunately though, we can give others the best advice possible, but it’s still their decision to act on it or not. As they say, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. The same goes for human beings, especially in these godless and ever so lustful and sinful times! 

And then again, sometimes we try it, but don’t get the results we want, or they don’t come as quickly as we desire, so we lose faith. But if we pay serious attention to Bruh David’s words from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked – we’ll see that after he says: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).’ He then specifies: ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps.37:3-4) 

Yuh see friends, we need to take pleasure in being obedient to God, before we can get the desires of our hearts. The Lord doesn’t just give out desires for no good reason; we first have to invest time, energy, trust and faithfulness in the relationship. Another thing we need is patience, here considered perseverance. 

Bruh David ends Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation thus: ‘Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:14) Notice how he emphasizes waiting, both at the beginning and at the end of that wonderful encouraging and uplifting verse. 

Ah friends, impatience is one of the serious mistakes we make as Christians. We want to apply the now for now system of the world, but that is not God’s way. He will give us all we desire, but in His own time and in His own way. And until we learn to wait patiently on Him, while keeping a good attitude and being obedient, we’ll never fully attain the great plans He has for our lives. 

More on this tomorrow, the Lord willing. Till then, may He bless and keep us safely, and cause His wonderful countenance to shine upon us, and give us His peace which surpasses all understanding. That’s my prayer for us this day. Much LOVE!

…only as we obey…trust in…give thanks…delight in…and are faithful to Almighty God…will our lives be truly blessed…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 June 2016 Psalm 68:3

16 Jun 2016 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 68:3.   But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

Oh friends, the ole fella’s somewhat disappointed this morning. First in myself, for writing that yesterday was Thursday when it was only Wednesday. And second because none of my supposed faithful readers saw it fit to write me and point out the error. 

But all of that’s history now. It’s become a testimony; that one can get so caught up and excited in Jesus that you don’t even know the days of the week! (smile) 

So what shall we do today? I guess we’ll just preach yesterday’s sermon today, beginning by wailing our heads off. There’s nothing that says we must wail on a particular day. For that matter we can do anything on any given day. 

So let’s wail nuh. ‘Thursday, Thursday, Thursday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Thursday! Thursday, Thursday, Thursday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Thursday! 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!’ 

Yes my brethren, the day’s not as important as what we declare in it! And I’m sure glad to be alive on this Wednesday or Thursday, (smile) although I’m a tad under the weather, with a touch of the flu. But it’s certainly great to be alive, and I’m trying my best to keep my hands on the plough and look straight ahead to that glorious future with Jesus! 

I sure hope that you all are feeling the same way too. If not, you’d be doing yourself a huge disservice, for Jesus is the ONLY answer to our problems! He ALONE can heal our hurts and pains, give us comfort in time of sorrow, feed us with manna from heaven, and bring us to salvation and eternal life! 

Give Him some thanks and praise for His wondrous deeds on our behalf nuh! And all God’s people declared a loud and proud: ‘Praise the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for He is our Be All and End All; the First and the Last; King of Kings and Lord of Lords; Ruler of heaven and earth! There is NONE else like Him! NONE worthy to be exalted above Him! All glory and honour be to Him!’ 

Yeh mih people, that’s how important Jesus is to us. And we’ll continue with our Bit, the same one from yesterday: ‘But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.’ 

Ah friends, if we’re Jesus’ people, and we’re righteous – well as righteous as we can be – then we ought to be glad and rejoice in the presence of our great and wonderful God. 

As the psalmist so rightfully says: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps.118:24) It would be good, very beneficial, if we can remind ourselves of that fact each and every day my people. 

Now let’s check out some more wonderful scripture passages that deal with praising Almighty God. Listen to the psalmist from Psalm 66 – The great works of God. 

‘Make a joyful noise (shout) unto God; all ye lands: sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. Say unto God, How terrible (awesome) art thou in thy works! Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name.   Selah.’ (Ps.66:1-4) 

Yeh friends, ponder that for a moment nuh! Now listen to Moses exhort the Israelites. ‘Thou shalt fear the Lord they God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave (hold fast), and swear by his name. 

He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible (awesome) things, which thine eyes have seen. Thy fathers went down into Egypt with three score and ten persons; and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.’ (Deut.10:20-22) 

Ah mih people, what mighty and awesome works the Lord our God did indeed do in the sight of those Israelites of old! Who else could part the Red Sea and allow them to walk across it on dry land eh, then swallow up the army of Pharaoh in a wall of water? 

Who else could have led them through the wilderness by a pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire at night, assuring them of His presence and safety from their enemies? And who else could have given them water from a rock, manna and meat more than sufficient for their needs in the wilderness eh? 

NONE but the mighty, ever-lasting and ever-living God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! No wonder we praise and thank Him as much as we do! 

Now let’s end with this exhortation from Psalm 33 – Praise to the Lord for His creation. ‘Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for his praise is comely (beautiful) for the upright. Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. 

Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise (shout of joy). For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He LOVETH righteousness and judgement (justice): the earth is full of the goodness (LOVING-kindness) of the Lord.’ (Ps.33:1-5) 

And indeed it is my fellow believers! So today, as we go about the Lord’s business, please let’s remember to be thankful and give Him praise for all that He’s done, is doing now and has promised to do in the future for us. 

Remember, He is our Creator, our bread and butter, our calm in the time of storm, and the merciful giver of salvation and eternal life! Much LOVE!

…Christians are the most blessed people in the world…therefore they should also be the most joyful… P.S. 

Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, you know the ole fella’s late night tendencies. (smile) Much LOVE!

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 May 2016 Matthew 5:16.‏

31 May 2016 Leave a comment

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

 Matthew 5:16.   Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Oh friends, oh friends, it’s another beautiful Tuesday on God’s earthly heaven! Glory be to our heavenly Father! It means we’ve been granted another day with God’s breath of life still flowing rich and strong through our physical bodies! 

And for that we ought to be most thankful, be ever grateful for all that He’s done for us in the past, is doing for us right now, and has faithfully promised to fulfill in the future. Now that also ought to lead us to offering some sincere thanks and praise to His most holy and honourable name. 

And the best way to give thanks and praise, to offer sincere gratitude and gratefulness is in joyful song. So let’s sing praises and give thanks to our Creator and Provider! Let’s shout out this powerful gospel song that I recently heard. Heard it a few times on different radio stations too. 

The singer is blessed with the name Tasha Cobbs, and I believe she was in Toronto last weekend for a live concert. The song is appropriately titled, ‘Power in the name of Jesus.’ 

Please sing it with me. ‘There is power in the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus. Yes there is power in the name of Jesus…. To break every chain… Break every chain…Break every chain. 

There’s an army rising up. There’s and army rising up. There’s an army rising up…To break every chain…Break every chain…Break every chain. 

There is power in the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus. Oh there is power in the name of Jesus…To break every chain…Break every chain…Break every chain…’ 

Now friends, I’m doing this from memory, but I’m pretty sure that’s how the song goes. In any case, that’s our version. (smile) 

And oh yes my fellow believers, there is indeed power…and awesome power at that, in the holy and majestic name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! A power so absolute and strong that it’s able to break any chain that binds us, any chain that holds us captive to the evil tendencies of this evil world! Glory Hallelujah! 

So please, let’s never forget that remarkable power and use it to break whatever is binding us to the things of this world. And now, since it’s Tuesday, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with much sincerity and sense of purpose. 

All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen.’ 

Oh my people, whenever we declare that mantra, I just feel real uplifted in my spirit. Why? I’m not sure. But I guess it’s because it defines me in the best way possible: the beloved of God and a friend of Jesus! 

Now there could never be a better definition of who we are than that…And better still, NO ONE can take it from us! Oh glory to our great God my believing brethren! 

That brings us to our Bit; the avid desire and command of our Leader, Jesus Christ. ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ 

Unfortunately though my people, that is one command we don’t seem to be following too well because instead of coming to Christ, people are walking away from Him in droves. That’s definitely not good my fellow believers, because it means we’re not doing our part to assure the success of Christ’s LOVE Revolution. 

Through fear and pressure from the evil world, we are allowing our spirits to fall into a sad state of disrepair; a malaise of enormous proportions seems to have taken over the Christian brotherhood, where we don’t fight as much and as hard as we used to do for our beliefs. 

That’s not right my brethren. We are supposed to be soldiers in Christ’s army, and soldiers are supposed to fight; to fight tooth and nail for what they believe in! 

What’s happening with us eh? Don’t we believe anymore? Or are we just comfortable and contented and want to enjoy the things of the world? Or are we simply so scared of Lucifer and His evil minions that we refuse to fight for what we say we believe in? 

I don’t have the answers nuh friends. But I do know that we’re definitely not letting our light shine sufficiently before our fellow men, they’re not seeing enough of our good works, and thus are not glorifying our heavenly Father the way that He desires. 

And we’ll end with an appropriate call from Bruh David from Psalm 22 – A cry of anguish and song of praise. ‘Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed (descendants) of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him (hold Him in awesome reverence), all ye the seed of Israel. 

For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.’ (Ps.22:23-24) 

Ah mih people, let’s try and do better than we doing nuh! Let’s look deep inside and see where we are falling down, then with all sincerity and truth call upon the Lord to help us. As Bruh David says, He will hear and help us. Much LOVE!

…Christ’s earthly army needs a boost…probably a good, swift kick in the tail…to get us going like we ought…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 May 2016 Joshua 24:14‏

03 May 2016 Leave a comment

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

Joshua 24:14.   Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

Well a good Tuesday morning to all you fellow believers in Jesus Christ! It’s bright and sunny in my neighbourhood, though a tad chilly! But spring’s in the air! Glory Hallelujah! Hope it is encouraging in your area too. 

But just in case it isn’t, please remember that the bright and beautiful, positive and reassuring light of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is ALWAYS shining in and through us, and that helps us to handle the dark and dreary physically challenged days. (smile) That means there’s no need to be down and depressed because of the weather.  

Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that I thought was rather appropriate to share, especially in these difficult times of ministry. It’s simply titled ‘Coincidences.’ 

And it says: ‘Lord, I was intrigued With the brilliant vocabulary Of the patient sitting next to me In the reception room. I don’t remember The start of our conversation But suddenly we were discussing prayer. I shared rather freely Your pertinent answers To my day-by-day requests. 

Labelling himself a skeptic He smiled and said courteously “What you consider answered prayer I choose to call coincidence.” 

You know how it is with me, Lord – I’m always slightly at ease In the Big Middle Of a theological discussion. I’m much more at home in my kitchen Mixing muffin batter Or tossing green salads. Frankly I was relieved When the dentist called my name. 

But one thing I do know, Lord When I pray, “coincidences” happen. When I don’t pray they stop… So thank You again and again For ten thousand “coincidences” Always in the nick of time When I pray.’ 

Oh friends what a rather common situation that is amongst believers. We all at times feel rather inadequate to explain our faith and why we pray, and are indeed much happier and more comfortable discussing other topics. 

But despite our inadequacy in explaining that faith, we are convinced that answers to our prayers are certainly not coincidences, but the actual workings of God in our lives. And we’ll go to our graves believing that. 

But if someone else wants to label them ‘coincidences,’ then we’ll very gladly receive them. Like a rose by any other name is just as sweet, so is answered prayer by any other name just as reassuring and encouraging. (smile) 

And the Bible Promise for that poem is Bruh Paul’s admonishment to the Ephesians; one that we all know very well, whether we keep it though is another story. ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:18) Remember my precious people, prayer is indispensable in a Christian’s life. 

Now, since it’s Tuesday, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with lots of spunk and plenty conviction. Altogether now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen.’ 

All praise and glory and might and power to our wonderful God, who LOVED us so much to sacrifice His only Son Jesus Christ on our behalf! So let’s remember, every minute of every day, who and whose we are; beloved children of Almighty God! 

That brings us to our Bit: ‘Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.’ 

And that’s the other side of the coin my fellow Christians! If we consider ourselves children of God, then we must adhere to His Will and Word with sincerity and truth, and consequently revere ONLY Him as our Maker, Provider and Comforter. 

As Jesus told the ole hypocrite Pharisees, when they tried to tempt and confuse Him: ‘Render (pay) therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things which are God’s.’ (Matt.22:21) 

Yes friends, as true believers, that’s how we ought to behave! And things like reverence, supplication, LOVE, care, compassion, wisdom, forgiveness, mercy and grace, ALL belong to the ONE and ONLY TRUE LIVING God; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! 

So let’s give Him His rightful due nuh my brethren, and stop worshiping at the altar of sin and the lustful things of the world, which belong to the evil one, the prince of darkness. Let’s stop wallowing in the darkness of evil, and instead fully, gratefully and graciously embrace the LIGHT and LOVE that’s Jesus, and which offer us so much more, especially salvation and eternal life! 

And we’ll end with these wonderful and true words of the Preacher, Cousin Sol, from Ecclesiastes. ‘Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’ (Eccl.12:13-14) 

Ah mih breddren, as true believers, that’s our bounden duty right there in a nutshell! Please, let’s wisely follow it as long as there is the breath of God in our bodies nuh. Much LOVE!

…true wisdom is simply…faithfully reverencing God and being obedient to His Word and Will…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 May 2016 Joshua 24:14

02 May 2016 Leave a comment

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

Joshua 24:14.   Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

Well my brethren, it’s that time again – Monday Morning…! 

And I hear the mournful groans and poor me one sighs… Now mih breddren don’t even start with the nonsense nuh; the foolish whining and complaining! It’s Monday morning which means we have to get up and go to work. It’s as simple as that! 

So please, let’s do it without any griping and talk of tiredness and sickness and all the other negative factors we quick to bring up when we don’t want to go to work. Let’s behave like true followers of Jesus and do what we’re supposed to do in a positive manner. 

By now we should have learned how to pace ourselves over the weekend, so that on Monday morning we are bright and fresh and just rearing to go out and join Jesus in His fight against the evil one. And if we haven’t learned that as yet, then it’s our own fault. 

However, as always, we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to help us get ourselves together, so let’s sing it loud and clear, harmoniously and melodically, so as to bring a beautiful smile to the face of our choirmaster Jesus. 

All together now: ‘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!’ 

Now that was an okay rendition friends – not spectacular, but better than many others we’ve done, and though Jesus didn’t break out into elated smiles and gushing compliments, He was satisfied. So let’s use that build-up of adrenalin to get out into the evil world and work for Jesus, as we’re supposed to do. 

And turning to our Bit, we get more solid advice to serve our Creator as best we can. ‘Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.’ 

Oh friends, we couldn’t get any better advice than that! As we saw yesterday those were some of Joshua’s final words to the Israelites whom He had lead into the Promised Land, and with God’s help had subdued their enemies. 

And why would Joshua have to warn them about turning away from the God who had brought them out of bondage in Egypt, looked after them for forty years in the wilderness, then gave them the land of their enemies over the other side of the Jordan eh? 

Because he knew their hardheartedness and penchant for faithlessness. Remember he had been with them since the beginning and had seen how they had rebelled several times against Moses and the magnanimous God who had been so wonderful to them down through the years. 

And so it’s not surprising that years later, another leader, Samuel, had to warn them about the same thing. This after they had turned against God and desired an earthly king like all the other nations around them, when the Lord their God was their king. So after God relented and made Saul king, (1Sam.9) Samuel warned them. 

‘And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain (empty, futile) things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people. 

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. Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed (swept away), both ye and your king.’ (1 Sam.12: 20-25) 

Oh my people, those sage words of warning are also very applicable to today. Remember, the Lord and His Word doesn’t change. So if serving Him truthfully back then was so important, why wouldn’t it be just as important now eh? 

But sadly friends, we’re not listening, we’re going after other gods and man-made idols with impunity. How long do you think that is going to last eh? Not very long. 

In fact, don’t you think that all the terrible disasters and strife and economic downturn, the climate change and all the negative stuff that’s now affecting our world has something to do with our disobedience to God’s law? I don’t know how much of our current woes are caused by it, but I’m sure some of it is. 

And instead of waking up and turning back to God, in all our foolish wisdom, we just keep getting further and further away from Him, and deeper and deeper into the mire, the quicksand of evil with Lucifer. 

Ah my fellow believers, the minority of us who know better, let’s try our best to change that unwise thinking nuh, and get our world back to worshipping and serving Almighty God, so that things will be well with us and our descendants, for that is truly wisdom at its zenith. Much LOVE!

…as for me and mine…we will gladly and truthfully serve the Lord…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 May 2016 Joshua 24:14

01 May 2016 Leave a comment

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

Joshua 24:14.    Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

Oh my beautiful believers in Jesus Christ, it’s the first day of May, as well as the Lord’s Day, better known as Sunday! 

That means it’s time for church; time for praise and worship, for thanksgiving and fellowship, for rejuvenation of spirit, encouragement and steadfastness of purpose, plus all the other good things that our magnanimous God pours out on those who LOVE Him, diligently seek Him and obediently do His will! 

Now I’m not going to harangue or lecture us about going to church today. That shouldn’t be at all necessary, for if you’re a true believer, then you’ll know that’s your bounden duty, so I’ll just leave that up to you and your heavenly Father. (smile) 

What I’ve been guided to do though, is to share a prayer which I shared a long time back, so many of you would not have heard it, but it’s one of my favourite prayers. From the first time I found it in my mother’s Bible after she died, something about it just touched me, and I’ve prayed it almost every day after that.  

It’s a special prayer prepared by the Life Study Fellowship, Noroton, Connecticut.  It’s titled ‘Lord, Please Accept My Heartfelt Thanks!’ And the sub-title is ‘Praise the Lord for His Goodness.’  – Psalm 107:8’ 

Now please pray with me: ‘Dear Lord, You are so good to me! And I thank You sincerely for the many blessings You send me! I’m very glad to have You in my life day in and day out – whatever I do and wherever I go! You are the One who always does what is best for my happiness! 

How grateful I am to be able to turn to You for guidance and comfort when troubles come my way! If any situation arises that makes me feel discouraged, You let me know I can lean on You for support! And because of Your LOVE for me, somehow I seem to find the strength to keep going – even through the most difficult times! 

I’m grateful too, for peaceful moments like these when I’m all alone with You in prayer! Talking with You never fails to reassure and uplift me! Nothing I say to You goes unheard. You listen with great concern to everything I confide in You! For You truly care about me! 

As I look to 2016 (or whatever year) I pray that You will continue to watch over me – and grant me even more of Your wonderful blessings! And may I serve You well in my every word, my every deed! Be my Guide hour by hour; I pray! Amen.’  

Oh friends, I do hope that prayer touched you all! I guess what I like about it is that it covers all the bases, it’s so all encompassing, plus everything it says is true and relevant. Some of you may not like it, but that’s okay; it’s your choice. As they say, different strokes for different folks! (smile) Anyway, that’s my contribution for today. 

Now let’s turn to our new Bit, a part of Joshua’s farewell address to the Israelites. He had just finished reminding them about all the good things the Lord had done for them, giving them houses they didn’t build, vineyards they didn’t plant etc. 

‘Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.’ 

Ah mih people, that verse is even more appropriate and relevant in this New World Order than it was thousands of years ago when Joshua spoke those fateful words. That’s because the worshipping of other gods, plus basic ungodliness is so rampant in our current society. 

Unfortunately, the ONE and ONLY TRUE and LIVING God; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is not held in respect nor reverence by a rather large part of the world. Many people know of and about Him, but yet they steadfastly refuse to honour and obey Him. How sad that is my people, for our world could be truly such a beautiful place if more of us sincerely worshipped and revered the Most High God Jehovah. 

Now why the blatant refusal to accept the God of heaven eh? I believe there are two main reasons. First of all, the pull of the material, lustful and sinful world is rather strong. We feast our eyes on all the supposed glitz and glamour and possessions available, and our hearts clamour for them, and the evil one just makes it so easy for us to fall into his sinful trap.  

And the second reason is that we believers, supposed ambassadors and disciples of Jesus, who have been assigned the Great Commission (Matt.28:19-20) to teach and baptize and spread the wonderful gospel of Jesus all over the world, are not doing as good a job as we should. The hypocritical examples of our lives are turning people away from Jesus instead of drawing them closer to Him. 

So there we have it; Lucifer and his evil cronies are doing a good job on selling sin, while the followers of Jesus are not doing a good job of selling righteousness. No rocket science involved at all friends. 

So what are we doing, or going to do to change this rather unpalatable situation eh my believing breddren? All I can say is that we need to pull up our britches and do a better job of spreading the good news of Jesus, and backing it up with perfect, well not quite perfect, but much better examples of true Christian living. 

Remember friends, examples speak more forcibly than words, and we can talk all the talk in the world, if we don’t walk that talk, then it’s useless, just wasted talk. And we’ll close with these precious and fateful words of Joshua, declared after our Bit. 

‘And if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh.24:15) 

Yes friends, that’s the big and serious decision we all have to make. And like Joshua, I surely hope that we will all decide, with our families, to serve the Lord God Jehovah, for that is indeed the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!

…until more believers get truly serious about the Great Commission…both talking and living it…the good news of Jesus will be sadly lacking in this ungodly world…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 April 2016 Psalm 89:6

03 Apr 2016 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 89:6.    For who in heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?

Well friends, it’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the best day of the week! So let’s therefore begin it with some rather appropriate praise and worship nuh. Please sing with me, these ever-faithful and ever-true words of Charles Jenkins. 

With pomp, and power and glory now: ‘My God is awesome, He can move mountains Keep me in the valley, hide me from the rain.  My God is awesome, heals me when I’m broken  Strength where I’ve been weakened, forever He will reign  (repeat)  My God is awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome  My God is awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome.  

My God is awesome, Savior of the whole world  Giver of salvation, by His stripes I am healed  My God is awesome, today I am forgiven  His grace is why I’m living, praise His holy name  My God is awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome  My God is awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome.  

He’s mighty, He’s mighty, He’s mighty, He’s mighty, Awesome, Awesome,  He’s Holy, He’s Holy, He’s Holy, He’s Holy, Awesome, Awesome,  He’s Great, He’s Great, He’s Great, He’s Great, Awesome, Awesome  He’s mighty, He’s mighty, He’s mighty, He’s mighty, Awesome, Awesome  

Deliverer, Deliverer, Deliverer, Deliverer, Awesome, Awesome  He’s Holy, He’s Holy, He’s Holy, He’s Holy,  Awesome, Awesome  Provider, Provider, Provider, Provider,  Awesome, Awesome  Protector, Protector, Protector, Protector,  Awesome, Awesome  

My God is awesome, He can move mountains  Keep me in the valley, hide me from the rain  My God is awesome, heals me when I’m broken  Strength where I’ve been weakened,  Praise His holy name!’ 

Good going friends! Our voices reached up to high heaven and celebrated the Father this spring time Sunday morning! He was most pleased with that sacrifice of praise! And aren’t those words of praise and might and power the absolute and awesome truth? They certainly are! 

Sorry that the words don’t read as good as they sound when sung. (smile) And I recently heard the choir of the First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Uncle Charles’ (Charles Stanley) church and some gentleman sing it. And was it ever wonderful, marvelous and soul-touching. The sort of call and answer response between the choir and the gentleman was incredible. I guess I never paid much attention to his name because the music was so sweet. (smile)

And the great thing about opening with some praise and worship my people, is that it gets us in the mood, softens us up, so that we will be more receptive to the Word. So since you are softened up and receptive now (smile), let’s get to the Word, beginning with our Bit. ‘For who in heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?’ 

Now that’s a great question my people, the answer to which is obviously a resounding ‘NO ONE!’ 

Ah my fellow believers, how can anyone be greater or more awesome than our God eh? It’s just IMPOSSIBLE! 

Listen to His attributes and then tell me if anyone, or anything, in the whole wide universe can match them. He can move mountains; He is a Healer, a Deliverer, a Protector, and a Provider. He can keep me safe in the valley of the shadow of death, hide me from the rain, and strengthen me when I’m weak. 

He’s mighty, both in strength and war, and on top of all that He is the Saviour of the whole world, the Giver of Salvation by His blood that was shed on the cross of Calvary, by His free gift of grace all my sins are forgiven, by His stripes I am healed. And we haven’t even spoken about His holiness and righteousness, His truth and sense of justice… 

And above all He is our Creator! That’s why we praise His holy name and expect Him to reign for ever! Yes friends, our God is truly AWESOME! No doubt about it! 

Now hear the psalmist as he expatiates (smile) on the Lord’s greatness in Psalm 33 – Praise to the Lord for his creation. ‘Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. 

The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen (nations, Gentiles) to nought: he maketh the devices (plans) of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.’ (Ps.33:8-12) 

Yes precious people, our God is most excellent! And we are extremely blessed to be numbered amongst His chosen people! Please never forget that, and let’s behave like it, showing LOVE and care and compassion for others. 

Now let’s close with these marvellous, memorable and true words of Bruh David from Psalm 86 – Teach me thy way, O Lord. ‘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… 

Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord: and shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.’ (Ps.86:3-5, 8-10) 

And all of that is indisputable, gospel truth my brethren! So this Sunday morning, as we get ready to go to the sanctuary to praise and worship and give thanks to our Most Awesome God, please let’s remember all the wonderful attributes He possesses, and make our oblations with proper awe and reverence and humility. For that’s wisdom of the highest order. Much LOVE!

…stand in awe…and sin not…commune with your own heart upon your bed…and be still…Selah…  (Ps.4:4)

 

 

 

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