Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 April 2017 Psalm 97:10.

22 Apr 2017 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 97:10.   Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

So friends, what have you got planned for your Saturday eh; housework and errands, or just lazily floating through the day, doing much of nothing, trying to get your ying and yang back into some kind of sync, after a hard week at work? 

To be honest, I believe the last option is the preferable one, although the first might be the smarter and wiser of the two, since you’ll most likely have to do that housework and run those errands at some later date. But not to worry, rest and relaxation are absolutely necessary to renew your energy, so that you are able to do those household tasks and run the many errands without any problems. (smile) 

Anyway, since it’s Saturday, let’s see if we can’t provoke some thought in our lazy minds by turning to a few quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. 

Listen to this beauty nuh: ‘Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don’t waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.’ 

Oh friends, I couldn’t give any better advice than that! And the sad part is that a lot of us know that advice quite well, but we simply don’t implement it. That leads to this quote: ‘Being positive or negative, are habits of thoughts that strongly affect your actions and your life.’ More indisputable truth my brethren! 

And that brings up this gem: ‘Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.’ 

That is the positive aspect of life speaking there again, which brings us to this last quote. ‘Positive and negative are directions that lead to different outcomes. Which direction do you choose?’ 

And that’s the all-important question we must ask ourselves this Saturday morning: will we spend our lives being positive or negative, looking ahead with hope and faith, or with fear and despair?  Unfortunately friends, no one can answer that question for us, we have to make a conscious decision for ourselves. 

And I’d just like to add my two cents worth here: choosing the positive aspect of life is much better, especially if you are a believer in, and a follower of Jesus because that’s what His whole ministry is based on; positivity! 

Not fearing, not looking back, trusting and surrendering, being obedient to one’s Creator, having faith in Jesus Himself, since He sacrificed His life on the cross so that you might have the option to be reconciled with the Father and receive the free gift of salvation and eternal life. Glory Be! And all you have to do is get positive and BELIEVE! 

Now let’s look at our Bit, although I’m not sure how much time and space we have to devote to it. But here goes: ‘Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.’ 

Now that’s positivity in spades my brethren! One can’t be more positive than surrendering one’s life to the Lord and putting all one’s trust in Him, based on those words of immortal truth! 

Yesterday we looked at some corroborating scripture for the first section; ‘Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil:’ Now I have one more significant scripture to add to those, this from Bruh Paul as he talks to the Romans about the service of LOVE to all. ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good.’ (Rom.12:9) And that’s exactly how a true Christian ought to behave! 

Hear this explanation from the scholars. ‘12:9. Without dissimulation (lit. “without hypocrisy”). The Christian’s conduct in the local church toward fellow believers is to be a volitional caring for others (making a purposeful decision to do so), LOVING faithfully in spite of the response received. The LOVE is to be genuine and unfeigned.’ 

Hn! I wonder how much genuine and unfeigned LOVE there is in the church today eh?  Definitely not as much as there ought to be, otherwise there wouldn’t be so much disunity, resentment and bad blood amongst Christ’s supposed saints. 

And this statistic is going to floor you, it certainly did when I heard Sister Joyce, (Joyce Meyer) recently declare that she looked up the number of denominations in Christianity and found some 33 thousand. Yes friends, thirty three thousand, broken down in all forms and fashions, and with various doctrines too! And then we wonder why Lucifer and his evil buddies are ruling the world. 

Ah mih breddren, the long and short of the story is that until supposed believers learn to live together in harmony and unity, leaving all selfishness and ego behind, Christ’s church will not be as successful as it needs to be. 

So please, let’s ponder that situation this morning nuh, and let’s all make a serious and binding decision to improve it in whatever way we can. That is, if we truly desire our children’s children to have a half decent life here on earth. Much LOVE!

…no organization can grow successfully and last for any length of time…unless there is unity and harmony amongst its members…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 December 2014 Proverbs 9:5

09 Dec 2014 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 9:5.      Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled (mixed). 
 

Oh Friends and Neighbours, we’re well on our way this Tuesday morning! And as I noted yesterday, it wasn’t as difficult to get up this morning as it was yesterday. 
 

Anyway, let’s keep pushing forward with diligence and excellence because that’s what our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ desires of us, His followers.
 
And though I don’t like to quote from the same source too often, I just couldn’t pass up this treasure trove of words from the One Year Book of Bible Promises, which talks about ‘The Man God Honours.’
 
It says that there are all kinds of men (people) in the world, ‘But the man that God honours is marked by at least five characteristics. First: He is a man totally committed to God, and his concern is that he will obey God’s Word, whatever the cost.
 
Second: He is a man whose faith can be defined as confident trust. His highest priority is prayer, knowing that a supernatural God moves in supernatural ways.
 
Third: He rests his past, present, and future in the hands of an all-LOVING God, even in times of turbulence, uncertainty, agony, misunderstanding, and pain, assured that his times are in God’s hands.
 
Fourth: He believes with all his heart that, as he keeps steadily travelling along God’s pathway, God will honour him with every blessing. Fifth: He has one consistent desire: “God, make me a man after your own heart.” 
 
Now that’s all gospel truth Friends! It also provides a convenient and useful breakdown of godly characteristics that we can each use to chart our position in light of being a person whom God honours.
 
So please find some quiet time to sit and ponder them, honestly critique ourselves, then try to come up higher, because as believers, our motto should be to come up higher, to improve each and every day in the reverence and worship of Almighty God.
 
And the scripture promise for that stuff is the opening verses of Psalm 1 – Blessed are the righteous: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder) day and night.’ (Ps.1:1-2)
 
They quoted the New Life translation, but I didn’t like it. Some of these modern day translations just don’t sound right to me. Though they may give you the basic idea, they seem to lose the essence of the scripture. (smile) And all of that ties in, dovetails quite nicely with what we want to talk about today; Wisdom’s Invitation.
 
According to Cousin Sol, Wisdom is crying out to all and sundry: ‘Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth (lacks) understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled (mixed). Forsake the foolish (foolishness), and live; and go in the way of understanding.’ (Prov.9:4-6)
 
Now that’s a wonderful invitation my people, but how many of us are making use of it eh? Definitely not as many as should, otherwise our world would not be in such a turbulent and troublesome mess.
 
Oh my brethren, from the earliest times our magnanimous God has been calling us to come and partake of the joy of His wisdom and LOVE, but we have continually declined it for the fleeting and flimsy pleasures of the foolish and destructive world in which we live.
 
Now let’s look at a couple of those invitations, beginning with Isaiah’s free offer of mercy to all. ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
 
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance). Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.’ (Is.55:1-3)
 
Oh my people, how could we ever refuse such a wonderful invitation eh? Our omnipotent, omniscient, and ever-present God is offering a free gift of salvation to any one who will accept it! If you are spiritually hungry and thirsty, then you can come to Him and have your hunger satisfied, for free to boot!
 
Yes Friends, FOR FREE! You only have to receive it. But I guess with our foolish worldly ways, we tend to look askance at anything that’s free, especially such a great godly offer. We run when the worldly things are cheap, but when God offers His salvation for free, we back off and beg to be excused. That’s the wisdom of a fool my Friends!
 
For if we remember Jesus’ promise in the Sermon on the Mount, re the Beatitudes, a prominent one is ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt.5:6)
 
Yes my brethren, it’s the same basic offer! If you are spiritually hungry and thirsty, you can come to Jesus at any time and be filled with His righteousness, LOVE, mercy, forgiveness, salvation and eternal life!
 
Wow! Where else can you find such a magnificent offer eh my people, and for free to boot? All you have to do is to believe in Him! Nowhere else in God’s great world my brethren!
 
So please, I implore us to get with it, get with the programme nuh, and wisely accept the offer of our Creator, our God, and our Great Provider, for in so doing, we will be accepting Wisdom’s Invitation. Much LOVE!
 
…if earthly things seem too good to be true…then most likely they are…but the things of heaven…they are ALWAYS TRUE…

 

 
 
 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 March 2014 Isaiah 55:1

25 Mar 2014 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 55:1.    Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
 
Oh Friends, through the great and tender mercy of our wonderful and omnipotent God, we’ve been blessed to see another beautiful day upon His exotic creation, Planet Earth!
 
And all God’s children declared a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Lord for bringing us through another dark, dreary and scary night into the bright, awesome and most refreshing and secure light of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! We humbly praise You and bless Your Holy Name! Amen.’
 
Yes mih people, when you’re walking with God, or at least faithfully trying to do so, your life becomes a wonderful adventure, filled with ups and downs, goodness and mercy, LOVE and forgiveness, good and bad, tests and afflictions!
 
But please know that it all works out to our benefit in the end, according to God’s fruitful and faithful plans for our lives, as entrenched in the promises of Jeremiah 29:11, and Romans 8:28. Please read those scriptures and refresh your minds and souls, so that you can stand strong and steadfast on them.
 
And to further encourage us, here is some very wise advice from Gramps Schuller – Dr. Robert H. Schuller – from his Hour of Power Devotional. ‘Learn to live by this refreshing attitude: “It’s not what happens to me that matters most; it’s how I react to what happens to me.”
 
And that my Friends, is the gospel, gospel truth! What happens to us is indeed important, especially when it involves stuff like pain, anger, strife and other negative things. But even more important is how we react to those circumstances.
 
We can take them in our stride, obviously with God’s help, and maintain some semblance of peace and/or joy in our spirits. Or we can just give in to self-pity, apathy, dread, fear, and all the other negative emotions that tend to bombard us when unfortunate situations occur. 
 
And today we have a rather appropriate Bit that addresses that problem. ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.’
 
Oh mih breddren, what a magnanimous and universal offer from our most marvellous God! That’s a free offer of mercy to ALL and SUNDRY!
 
There’s NO other supposed deity who has ever, or can ever offer such a wonderful gift to their believers, because they are not true deities, but false, dead pretenders, while the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD, IS ALIVE AND KICKING! And kicking mightily too… right into forever!
 
Now here are some interesting comments from the scholars on our Bit and subsequent verses: ’55:1-7. God’s free gift of salvation is offered to all who will receive it. Those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty may come and eat and drink without money (or freely).
 
He promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles like the one He established with Israel. His invitation to all men is clearly stated by the appeal, Seek ye the Lord, and call ye upon him.’
 
Oh Friends, it’s so sad when people deliberately choose not to follow Jehovah God, for they know not what they are missing! Doing life with Jehovah God is a most exhilarating, refreshing and adventuresome experience… and this not hearsay, but personal experience!
 
That’s because you never know what He’ll be up to next, but you do know, you’re completely assured that whatever happens, He’s walking with you, leading and guiding you along paths of righteousness, working you into a reflection of Christ’s character, all for His Name’s Sake. Wow!
 
And though the road may be rocky and rough, there’s faith in your heart, based on His faithful promises, that eventually things will be fine.
 
And I like how Isaiah continues after our Bit: ‘Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance).’ (Is.55:2)
 
Ah mih people, what a wonderful invitation! And there’s a lot more to say, but since I’m endeavouring to keep the Bit short and sweet we’ll end shortly with some immortal words from Jesus. 
 
And please don’t ever think that I don’t try to keep it short, but sometimes that’s how the Spirit leads me, or there just isn’t enough to spread over two days, plus the fact that I’m just naturally long-winded. (smile)
 
Anyway, here are Jesus’ immortal words on the subject, which come from the Sermon on the Mount, one of the Beatitudes. ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt.5:6)
 
Oh my fellow believers, another faithful promise for us to stand on! So please let’s stand on it, today and everyday, and thus be filled with righteousness, every day of our lives!
 
That’s awesome wisdom – wisdom that can only come from heaven! Much LOVE!
 
…to seek…to seek… and yet to find God…in His everlasting mercy and forgiveness…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 April 2013 Psalm 25:1

30 Apr 2013 Leave a comment

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

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!