Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 November 2013 Deuteronomy 26:11

28 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

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

Deuteronomy 26:11.    And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite (priest), and the stranger that is among you.
 
                                                   HAPPY  U. S. THANKSGIVING  DAY!
 
Well a Happy Thanksgiving Day to all our Friends and families south of the border! Today is the big day in the U.S. Possibly the most celebrated holiday on their calendar, where friends and families come together to give thanks for whatever they have it, be it much or little.
 
The sad part though is that too many have too little and too few have too much. But whatever we do have Friends, we need to be thankful for it.
 
As our Bit says, from the instructions of offering of our first fruits to the Lord: ‘And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite (priest), and the stranger that is among you.’ Please note that it includes EVERYBODY; even ‘the stranger that is among you.’ 
 
And I just LOVE the scripture from Nehemiah, after Ezra and the priests had read and explained the Law of Moses, which most of the people had never heard before, and they wept after hearing it.
 
‘Then he (Nehemiah) said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto the Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh.8:10)
 
What I LOVE about that scripture are the inspired words; ‘and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared.’ Oh my fellow believers, that is supposed to be a big part of the Thanksgiving Holiday, or for that matter, ALL holidays! We need to learn to share with those who have less than us, because it is a Biblical instruction.
 
Note this verse, when the Israelites came out of Egypt, and were being told about certain feasts and how to cook the food and where to eat it.
 
‘And thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to place his name there.’ (Deut.16:11)
 
EVERYBODY was supposed to be included! But unfortunately as the years rolled along and we became more selfish and greedy people, we have tended to forget about those the Lord takes special interest in; the poor, the widows and the orphans.
 
The same message is sent in Esther, after the Jews defeated Haman and their enemies in Babylon, and instituted the Feast of Purim. Mordecai instructed them to keep the feast; ‘As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day (holiday): that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions (presents) one to another, and gifts to the poor.’ (Esth.9:22)
 
But sadly, these days the poor are generally forgotten. Thanksgiving has become another big commercial day. It’s all about sales and money. As soon as Thanksgiving dinner is over, we now rush over to the stores to eagerly await Black Friday, when stuff is supposedly marked down tremendously.
 
Yes Friends, some stuff might be marked down, but others might also be marked up, because the merchants know that once you’re in the store for one cheap item, you’re more than likely to buy much more at higher mark-ups.
 
And the wild animal, leggo beast behaviour on display at these sales is truly disgusting. Many of us don’t even really need the stuff we line up for and rush and push to buy. But just because it’s on sale, we decide we must have it. That’s the kind of mentality the merchants have developed in us. Ah Lord eh!
 
And talking about the leggo beast behaviour, one woman claims she saw two other women fighting in a store over one object, while the security people stood around looking at them, no doubt in astonishment. Each woman had a hold on one end of the object, pulling and pushing and tugging and shouting angrily at each other.
 
And do you know what that must have object was? An electric toothbrush. Steups! 
 
And then after Black Friday comes Cyber Monday, another big sales day. Chuh! It’s all about merchandising these days!
 
Now even the Canadian merchants are getting involved in the nonsense as a way of stopping Canadians form going south to spend their money. Unfortunately, I don’t know how much good that is going to do nuh, because they say that even with the travel time and expense, the exchange rate and the border hassles, it’s still worthwhile to go south and shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Ah Lord eh!
 
Anyway Friends, enough of my whatever you choose to call it. I just hope that in all our business we remember the true purpose behind the holiday, and do give thanks to Almighty God for all that’s He’s done for us and provided us with.
 
Let’s also remember to share with the less fortunate, because that’s what Jesus is all about, and if we’re to be His true followers, we need to display the same empathy.
 
And we’ll end with some wise words from Cousin Sol on the topic. ‘I know that there is no good in them (nothing better for them), but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.’ (Eccl.3:12-13)
 
And that my brethren is gospel truth! So please let’s act accordingly and thus give Jesus a good Thanksgiving present. It’s heartfelt wisdom. Much LOVE!
 
…I’m giving thanks…for all I’ve got…I’m giving thanks…whether or not…I’m giving thanks…for the life in me…I’m giving thanks now…  (From the song ‘Giving Thanks’ by Beres Hammond)
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 July 2013 Psalm 92:8

13 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 92:8.   But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore. 

Oh Friends, I don’t know how to begin today’s Bit nuh. I don’t have any bright ideas or smart-aleck stuff to impart, to preamble with. And I know that some of you are wondering if it’s possible that I don’t have anything to say. But unfortunately these things do happen occasionally even to the best and brightest of us. (smile)

 
And when I looked at the opening verses of Psalm 92, ‘Praises for the Lord’s goodness,’ from which our Bit is taken, something inside me said, you’re looking right there at the best intro.  That no doubt was the Lord, having seen my mental state, showering me with some LOVING-kindness. And who am I to refuse such favour eh?
 
So here goes: ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: To show forth (declare) thy LOVING-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lute or lyre); upon the harp with a solemn (harmonic or melodic) sound. For thou, Lord hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.’ (Ps.92:1-4) 
 
And that’s the living truth my people! There’s nothing better than to give thanks and praise to our Creator and heavenly Father! And why is that? Because He IS the source of all our mercies, grace, blessings and forgiveness, the four main things we need to live successfully in this evil, ungodly world.
 
Unfortunately though, too many of the earth’s population either don’t know about Jehovah God, or if they do know of Him, don’t believe in Him, but revel in the evil works of Lucifer, the prince of darkness. However, we, as true believers know that is utter nonsense, the height of stupidity. And as we saw yesterday, all of those wicked and foolish people will eventually be destroyed (vs. 6-7,9), but the righteous shall flourish like lush palm trees and tall cedars of Lebanon. (vs.12) 
 
And what’s our God’s position while all of that is happening? Our Bit rightly declares: ‘But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore.’ The quintessential truth my brethren!
 
And today we’ll look at some other Old Testament scriptures that corroborate that fact, starting with words from Psalm 83, ‘A prayer for the destruction of Israel’s enemies.’
 
Listen as the psalmist Asaph confidently declares: ‘Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord. Let them be confounded and troubled  (ashamed and dismayed) for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah (Lord), art the Most High over all the earth.’ (Ps.83:16-18) 
 
And Friends, the Lord has indeed done that down through the ages, and is still doing it right now, so that the mighty amongst men are falling in shame and disgrace everyday. We only have to read the papers or watch the news to see how the mighty have fallen. So please pay careful attention to that my people, for when we sell our souls to Beelzebub to become mighty and wealthy in his evil world, our eventual reward will be total destruction from the Most High God Jehovah. And that’s no lie!
 
Now hear the psalmist from Psalm 93, ‘The Lord is clothed with majesty.’  He boldly proclaims: ‘The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is established, that it cannot be moved (shaken). Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh (adorns) thine house, O Lord, for ever.’ (Ps.93:1-2, 4-5) 
 
And from Psalm 113, ‘God’s mercies are many,’ come these words of universal truth. ‘The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!’ (Ps.113:4-6)
 
And the answer to that my people, is simply, NOBODY! Because there’s NO OTHER Being like Him in the entire universe!
 
And we’ll end with these potent words of the prophet Isaiah from chapter 57, where he condemns Israel’s idolatry. ‘For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite heart and humble spirit, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’ (Is.57:15)
 
Yes Friends, our Lord God is an exceedingly mighty Being, who dwells on high, as well as in the hearts of those who LOVE and revere Him! He’s so mighty that He sees all and knows all, which means we can’t run nor hide from Him, though some of us naively and foolishly try to do so.
 
Ah mih people, until we realize how truly omnipotent is our God, we’ll never be able to fully understand and appreciate His attributes of LOVE, mercy, forgiveness, blessing and grace, which we humans so desperately need in these troubled and disaster-prone times to make a successful go of it in this dark and evil world.
 
It is therefore of the utmost importance that we read, study, meditate, mark and inwardly digest His Word that was given to us as a guidebook for earthly living. And while doing that, it is also necessary to fellowship with other believers, so that our understanding, our joy, our faith and trust in the ONE TRUE God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will remain strong and grow to maturity. That should be the modus operandi of all believers. Much LOVE!
 
…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 April 2013 Psalm 30:1

29 Apr 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 30:1   I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
 
Oh Friends, on this wet, spring, Monday morning, I won’t harangue us about booting it out of bed and getting a move on, even though this is certainly laze-about, sleeping weather. I’m depending on our sense of responsibility and the strong reflection of Jesus in our spirits, our maturity, to get us up and moving. Am I not very nice now? (smile) Without any more delay then, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as though our lives depend on it. And who knows, they just might. So let’s sing up a storm 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 most excellent my people! Yuh see what we can do when we put our minds and hearts to it. It was so good that the Father couldn’t help Himself and gave Jesus a big high five for having such good followers. Now don’t let that go to our heads, we still have to go out into the evil, ungodly world and do the job, provide the action for the talk; be humble, sacrifice and serve like Jesus did. That’s where the separation of the sheep and goats takes place. And in all of that it’s still necessary to lift up, to extol the name of our great and wonderful God, like Bruh David says in our Bit: ‘I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.’ Yes my fellow believers, just like we extol the names of men; celebrities and other powerful people, though most of them do nothing for us, we ought to ‘BIG UP’ our God. I don’t like the term, but that’s what the young people seem to understand these days. Yes we ought to promote, extol, exalt, lift up the name of the awesome and amazing God who does so many wonderful things for us, like giving us new mercies and blessings everyday and not allowing our enemies to overcome us. And in this Psalm – A thanksgiving for deliverance from death, Bruh David wisely and rightly acknowledges the God of his fathers for keeping him safe from harm, and possibly death. He solemnly declares: ‘O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave (the place of the dead): thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit (grave). Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness (holy name). For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’ (Ps.30:2-5) Oh my brethren, are we being as reverent and thankful for the trials and tribulations that our omnipotent, but very merciful and forgiving God has saved us from, or brought us safely through? I certainly hope so, since the Lord dislikes ungrateful people…and so do I. Just thought I’d throw that in there. As they say, ‘who the cap fits, let them wear it.’ (smile) Further more, to boost the giving of thanks and praise, please note Bruh David’s words from Psalm 28 – A prayer for God’s help. ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed (Messiah, commissioned one) Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance; feed (shepherd) them also, and lift them up for ever.’ (Ps.28:7-9) Oh Friends, please don’t allow the enemy to thwart our thanksgiving to Almighty God! For remember that the joy of the Lord is our strength. (Neh.8:10) Like Samson, when Delilah cut off his locks, and he became weak and easily defeated, the same thing happens to us when we lose that full and bubbling over joyfulness that we acquire when we’re walking in true harmony with the Lord. So let’s get out there into the evil world today and do what Jesus did while here on earth – spread LOVE and do good. That’s our bounden duty, our raison d’être, so let’s live up to it nuh. Much LOVE!…nothing, or no one…should stop the believer from walking in Christ’s footsteps…because we’re assured of His divine protection…
 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 August 2012 Proverbs 22:2

21 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Proverbs 22:2.      The rich and poor meet together (have this in common): the Lord is the maker of them all.
 
Oh Friends, I haven’t even begun writing and I’m already behind the eight ball on two counts: I’m starting late, (5.10 a.m) and then I don’t have any words of wisdom, or even any smart-aleck words to greet you all with today. (smile) So I’ll just have to resort to a tried and true intro. Let’s all stop for a moment, raise our heads, hearts, eyes and tightly clenched right fists heavenward, as we vocalize loud and true: ‘This is the day the Lord has made! Under ANY and ALL circumstances, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ Oh Friends, I sure hope that brought a chuckle and/or smile to your physical being, and also lightened your overall attitude to life. Far too many of us take life too seriously and end up worried, anxious and stressed out, when there’s no real reason to be thus. Notice how Jesus was always calm and collected, even though He was being rudely and unfairly treated by His own Jewish people, and knew that the terrible rite of crucifixion awaited Him. Now we can never reach Jesus’ level of calm, but my brethren we can certainly aspire to a higher state than we’re currently experiencing. So regardless of our circumstances, we can all stay on an even keel, if we truly concentrate on the attributes of Jesus, which we all have planted in us, but need to nurture so that they will grow strong and true. For as our Bit reminds us: ‘The rich and poor meet together (have this in common): the Lord is the maker of them all.’ And that’s the living truth my people, though at times it certainly doesn’t seem so. We need to remember that before God, ALL are equal; rich, poor, talent, not talented, etc. etc. Later on in Proverbs, Cousin Sol puts it this way: ‘The poor and the deceitful man (the oppressor) meet together (have this in common): the Lord lighteneth both their eyes (gives light to the eyes of both).’ (Prov.29:13) That’s an indisputable fact, since the Lord is the Creator of all mankind! And in Job 25, when Bildad was questioning how man could be justified with God, he makes this undeniable statement: ‘Dominion and fear are with him: he maketh peace in his high places. Is there any number of his armies (can his armies be counted)? And upon whom doth not his light arise?’ (Job 25:2-3) And the answer to both questions my brethren is an unequivocal NO! Meanwhile, Jesus, in talking about having LOVE for our enemies, makes this definitive statement on our topic: ‘But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.’ (Matt.5:44-45) And Friends, if Jesus says it’s so, then obviously it must be so! ALL the creatures of God’s universe have at least one thing in common; He made them ALL! Though they may look, walk, talk and think differently, they have ALL been sculpted HIS deft, agile and creative hands. As Job declares when he talks of his integrity and doing what he believed pleased God: ‘If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with (complained against) me; What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, (punishes), what shall I answer him? Did not he that made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?’ (Job 31:13-15) That’s gospel truth my people! Try as we may, we can’t get away from the fact that God made us all, in His own image to boot! That means we’re ALL special, whether we’re rich or poor, strong or weak, righteous or unrighteous, and why He LOVES us so unconditionally. Now listen to Elihu, one of Job’s other buddies, as he declares: ‘Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked (worthless)? and to princes, Ye are ungodly (wicked)? How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes (Yet he is not partial to princes), nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? For they are all the work of his hands.’ (Job 34:18-19) So Friends, let’s stop putting ourselves down because we might not meet the world’s ungodly standards. Remember that however we are, that’s how God made us, and He had a good reason for doing so, though we might not see or think it. Yes Friends, there was method to God’s madness (smile) despite our oftimes negative opinions. Therefore, we can end today’s Bit, in the same spirit and manner in which we began. All together now, with eyes, hearts, heads and hands raised heavenward: ‘This is the day the Lord has made. We WILL rejoice and be glad in it, come what may!’ Now let’s go forth my brethren, rejoicing, giving thanks and praise for who we are, and more importantly, whose we are: Almighty God’s! Much LOVE!…God’s talents are so awesome…that He can make anything or anyone…for any purpose…His heart desires…
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 July 2012 James 5:13

03 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , ,

James 5:13.     Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

Oh Friends, here it comes; another brand new day, filled with some wonderful old stuff like God’s great, unconditional LOVE for us, but also with lots of new things, like His new mercies and blessings. Let us therefore rejoice and be thankful in and for this day! And all God’s people raised a loud and joyous shout to heaven: ‘Oh praise and thank the Lord for His never-ending goodness to the children of men! We will faithfully serve and worship You forever Lord! Amen!’ Yes Friends, it’s only a sense of wisdom to be thankful for and celebrate each new day, since we never know what the Lord’s planned for us. He might remove some of the negatives, give us positives, or any combination thereof. But we know for sure that He’s working all things out for our good, as He’s promised in Romans 8:28. However, along with all that, we have a divine responsibility to look after what He’s given us, including our health. And this is one of those times I have to chuckle because the Lord moved in one of His usual mysterious ways yesterday evening while I was reading a Devotional. The quote at the top of the day was interesting and got me thinking about the topic of health. And right then and there I stopped reading the Devotional, got out pen and paper and began writing this. Hn, hn! What an interesting, amazing and unmatchable God we serve Friends! He never ceases to amaze me in how He works! Anyway, the quote comes from one Leon Eldred, and it says: ‘If I had known I was going to live so long, I’d have taken better care of myself.’ And isn’t that a fact to which we can all attest my brethren? However, I’m here to tell us today that it’s not too late to begin taking better care of our health, like simply eating better, wiser, getting proper rest, and exercising a little more. It doesn’t take much out of us, just pay more attention to what we put in the Lord’s temple, our mortal bodies, and how we use, not abuse it. Obviously we won’t get healthy overnight if we’ve allowed ourselves to go to waste for sometime. But as Cousin Confucius (smile) says: ‘The longest journey begins with the first step. And once you’ve taken that first step, you’re halfway home!’ That’s gospel Friends! The first step is always the hardest! And though I’ve never really abused my body, I’m now trying to treat it a little better, and you’d be surprised at the difference subtle little changes make. And since I know I still have to a ways to go on this earth, because naively or wisely, I suspect the former, sometime ago, in my eagerness to please God, I asked Him, like Caleb did, to give me a new mountain to climb when I’m 85. Hn, hn! And knowing our God’s penchant for catching us offside when we least expect it, I thought I’d better start getting myself in shape to climb that new mountain, some twenty years hence. Yes children, you have that long to put up with me. (smile) Oh Friends, when will I learn to stop asking God for the things some of the Bible stalwarts asked for, and often received, but at great expense and tribulation? Anyway, the deed’s already done, so all I can do now is prepare my self as best I can, for if that day ever comes. Yes mih people, please be careful what you ask the Lord for, because most of the time it comes with a hefty price tag. And now that I’ve written all that extempo(re), from the heart, I guess I’ll have to find an appropriate scripture later. But I like these Bits though, where the Spirit just gets me going; instils an idea, then let’s me run with it. And the Lord was so good to me, that when I came down here this morning to finish writing the Bit, it didn’t take long to find a suitable scripture. Enough of my prattling though, let’s look at the Bit: ‘Is any among you afflicted (suffering)? let him pray. Is any merry (cheerful)? let him sing psalms.’ Now that’s excellent advice my brethren from James, the brother of Jesus, re patience in affliction! And we all suffer affliction at various stages in life, some more than others, but it’s a common problem because of man’s fallen nature. And the best way to attack that suffering, the first move we ought to make, is to get on our knees before Almighty God in sincere prayer. Yes my people, before we do anything or turn to any human, we must always take our problems first to the Father. That’s what He’s there for, and what He desires of us. The psalmist Asaph also strongly advises this course of action in Psalm 50, God is the judge: ‘Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ (Ps.50:14-15) And on that wise note my Friends, we’ll end for today. There’s more to come, but I don’t want to hear any complaints that it was too long. (smile) And we have enough material there to ponder on for today, so let’s get a pondering nuh! Till we meet again tomorrow, the Lord willing, take care, and remember to always give God the first opportunity to help us. Much LOVE!…when prayer and praise come together in a believer’s spirit…all heaven rejoices…
 

Next Newer Entries