Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 April 2018 Psalm 68:3.

11 Apr 2018 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. 

Welcome, welcome, one and all, to another brand new day on God’s great earth! Bless the Lord, praise His holy name! If you are reading this, then you can be assured that your name and/or picture has not shown up in today’s obits. (smile) 

That means that our heavenly Father has more work for each of us to do down here on earth. Our time for going to heaven just hasn’t arrived as yet. So whatever the Lord has planned for us today, please, let’s go out and do it with diligence and excellence nuh, because that’s the attitude our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ desires from His followers. Glory to God! 

Now here is a li’l African Proverb to tease our minds. It says: ‘If you want to go quickly – go alone. If you want to go far – go with friends.’ And it does sound logical, since by yourself you can just boogey along to wherever you want to go, with no hindrances. 

However, the distance you can travel, if you have others along to help and carry you when you get tired is greater than trying to do it alone. So let’s ponder that this morning nuh, and try to find the right blend of how quickly we want to go with how far we want to go. (smile) 

And while we are pondering that, let us also consider these wise and wonderful words of Bruh David from Psalm 68 – God has gone before his people – which includes our Bit. 

‘Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.’ 

Ah friends, wise words that strike right to the heart of the matter; God’s omnipotence! And if the wicked shall perish before His unrelenting power, then the righteous, His followers, should rejoice and be exceedingly glad, because they will enjoy all His benefits and blessings.

And that’s the state we Christians ought to be living in today and everyday; one of rejoicing in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. 

Unfortunately though, there are too many supposed Christians who are not living that kind of life. Too many of us are living this ‘poor-me-one,’ ‘woe is me’ lifestyle, unwisely believing that ‘sufferation’ is our earthly lot. But my people that’s the furthest thing from the truth, since Jesus died that we may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) 

Now that doesn’t mean we won’t have problems and go through adversity, but suffering is not to be our main lot! If it were so, then Jesus would have died in vain, because we were already suffering and looking forward to a disastrous life in Hades before He came. 

And since Jesus came to give us another and much better option for our lives, then we ought to be extremely glad and rejoice for salvation and the promise of eternal life in heaven with Him at some stage of the game.

So please, let’s get rid of this ‘sufferation’ complex so many of us have and just be glad in the Lord nuh my brethren. It’s why Jesus came and sacrificed His life for us. 

Instead, as Bruh David continues, we ought to: ‘Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol (exalt, praise) him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH (Lord), and rejoice before him.’ (Ps.68:4) 

Mama Mia! What wonderful advice! Now if only believers could cotton to that and do it eh! What a wonderful world this would be! 

Oh fellow believers in Christ, I’m imploring us today to stop living the negatively based lives that so many of us are wrongly living. Let’s get rid of all the disunity and negative stuff that’s spoiling our lives and our church community and instead live the way Jesus died for us to live; positively and joyfully, in unity with each other. 

As Bruh David says in Psalm 64 – Plot and punishment: ‘And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.’ (Ps.64:9-10) 

Remember friends, we are supposed to be righteous and upright in heart! That means we ought to glory in our great and wonderful God, not simply plod along like suffering pilgrims! 

Now listen to these two verses from Psalm 32 – The blessedness of forgiveness – as Bruh David reiterates his wise advice. ‘Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about (surround him).

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.’ (Ps.32:10 –11) And if Bruh David said it should be so, then let’s make it so nuh! (smile) 

Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all the world know of our wonderful connection to, and with Jesus Christ. All together now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! 

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!’ 

And I can’t help remarking that spending eternity with Jesus will indeed be glorious, mind-blowing and breathtaking! Much LOVE!

…for all the good and wonderful things that Jesus stands for…Christians ought to be much more appreciative and joyful…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 September 2017 Isaiah 11:6.

10 Sep 2017 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 11:6.   The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

Well it’s Sunday friends; that day when we gather in God’s sanctuary to praise and worship Him in peaceful and joyful fellowship. What a pleasure that is; singing songs of LOVE and harmony, of peace and goodwill, hearing God’s word and having it strengthen our faith and put some pep in our stride. 

And as always, we like to loosen up with a song of praise. Today we’ll sing that old Gospel song ‘Peace in the Valley,’ written by the black preacher’s son, Thomas A. Dorsey in 1937 for Mahalia Jackson, though numerous people have recorded it over the ensuing years. And there’s an interesting story behind the writing of the song. 

Dorsey said of writing “Peace in the Valley,” “It was just before Hitler sent his war chariots into Western Europe in the late 1930s. I was on a train going through southern Indiana and saw horses, cows and sheep all grazing together in this little valley. Everything seemed so peaceful. It made me question, “What’s the matter with mankind? Why can’t men live in peace?” Out of those thoughts came “Peace in the Valley.” 

Yes friends, we’re all searching for peace, but that’s a very difficult commodity to find in these crazy and godless times. Nonetheless, let’s offer up the sacrifice of praise from our lips and humble hearts, let’s bare our souls in soulful song and let the Lord in heaven on high know that we are truly His people. 

In unison now: ‘Oh well, I’m tired and so weary But I must go alone Till the Lord comes and calls Calls me away, oh yes Well the morning’s so bright And the lamp is alight And the night, night is as black As the sea, oh yes There will be peace in the valley for me, some day There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray There’ll be no sadness, no sorrow No trouble, trouble I see There will be peace in the valley for me, for me. 

Well the bear will be gentle And the wolves will be tame And the lion shall lay down by the lamb, oh yes And the beasts from the wild Shall be led by a child And I’ll be changed Changed from this creature that I am, oh yes There will be peace in the valley for me, some day There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray There’ll be no sadness, no sorrow No trouble, trouble I see There will be peace in the valley for me, for me.’ 

And isn’t that the living truth friends? One day in the eventual reign of our Messiah, Jesus Christ, that is exactly how our world will be. The Lord promised that in His word, through the prophet Isaiah, when he talks about the righteous reign of the branch of Jesse. Our Bit spells it out loud and clear. ‘The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.’ 

Oh my people, what a blessed day that will be when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ finally takes over the world and sets up His everlasting kingdom: His kingdom that will have no end! 

Listen as Isaiah continues with the peaceful scene. ‘And the cow and the bear shall feed (graze); their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the suckling (nursing) child shall play on the hole of the asp (cobra), and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ (in the viper’s) den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.’ (Is.11:7-9) 

Mama Mia! Glory to God for His LOVING-kindness to the children of men! I can’t wait to see that day friends. Chuh! How different it will be from this warmongering, hateful, strife filled age. 

And here’s how the scholars explain it. ‘11:6-9. Peace and harmony will characterize the Messiah’s kingdom. Ravenous predatory animals – wolf, leopard, lion and bear – are set in deliberate contrast to the more defenseless lamb, kid, calf, cow, and ox. That the lion shall eat straw implies a change of diet. 

Even the asp and the cockatrice (snakes) will be harmless to a small child. Isaiah sees the Messiah ruling the world in righteousness and a peace that extends even to the animal kingdom. During this time the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord. Thus the prophet sees beyond the restoration of Judah to a time when the Messiah will rule the entire world.’ 

What a glorious time that will be my people. And yuh know why our time now is so disgusting? Because the earth IS NOT full of the knowledge of the Lord! Yeh friends, when God is at the forefront of our society, involved in every area of our lives, both public and private, then there is peace and LOVE and harmony in our world. 

Oh friends, we know that total peace will not happen until Jesus comes back, but that doesn’t mean that in the meanwhile, we can’t have much more peace than we currently have. It all depends on us though, for the enemy doesn’t desire peace. 

In closing, let’s take these words of Bruh Paul to the Romans to heart nuh. ‘If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men.’ (Rom.12:18)  What wonders that would cause in our world if Christians would live up to that scripture! Much LOVE!

…SEEK PEACE…AND PURSUE IT…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 November 2016 Daniel 9:9.

27 Nov 2016 Leave a comment

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

Daniel 9:9.  To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.  

Ah friends, it’s that great day, Sunday – the Day of the Lord – where we gather in His sanctuary to sing and praise and worship and fellowship and receive wisdom and strength to face the strife-filled world for another week. And to get us started, let’s sing this gospel song written in 1937 by Thomas A Dorsey for Mahalia Jackson. We all know it as ‘Peace in the Valley.’ 

In loud voice, with sincerity, harmony and passion: ‘Oh well, I’m tired and so weary But I must go alone Till the lord comes and calls, calls me away, oh yes Well the morning’s so bright And the lamp is alight And the night, night is as black as the sea, oh yes There will be peace in the valley for me, some day There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray 

There’ll be no sadness, no sorrow No trouble, trouble I see There will be peace in the valley for me, for me Well the bear will be gentle And the wolves will be tame And the lion shall lay down by the lamb, oh yes And the beasts from the wild Shall be led by a child And I’ll be changed, changed from this creature that I am, oh yes 

There will be peace in the valley for me, some day There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray There’ll be no sadness, no sorrow No trouble, trouble I see There will be peace in the valley for me, for me.’ 

And that’s the awesome truth as promised by our God! In the sweet bye and bye, life will be filled with peace: ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev.21:4)  

Yes my people, what a blessed day that will be! All our earthly pangs will disappear, as our wonderful God dwells with us, and we with Him, in everlasting peace and joy! It won’t get any better than that!  

Now here is a Trini Quote of De Day from my Trini friend. It says: ‘Doh mess in de road, because yuh go pass back an mash it.’ Generally said to someone as advice not to treat people badly or make enemies, for you may have to pass back along that same road.’

I guess it could also be construed as don’t burn your bridges behind you, because one day you just might have to turn around and go back the way you came, and there’ll be lots of people waiting to give you what for. (smile) 

And my Trini friend concludes: ‘Have a GREAT day, every DAY!!!! Watch your thoughts: They become words Watch your words: They become actions Watch your actions: They become habits Watch your habits: They become character.’ That’s all gospel truth my brethren! So please, let’s pay serious attention to our words nuh, for they also contain the power of life and death. 

Now let’s turn to our Bit, the same one as yesterday. ‘To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.’ More truth of awesome proportions precious children of God! 

In spite of our very sinful and rebellious behaviour, our God is always ready, willing and obviously able to be merciful and forgiving if we come to Him in sincere repentance. It doesn’t mean though that there will be no consequences for our sinful behaviour.  For the Lord just can’t let sin go by without some kind of retribution, otherwise sin would be even more rampant than it currently is. 

Anyhow, today I want us to take a look at some scriptures which complement our Bit. And the first one comes from Isaiah, as he talks about free mercy to all. He solemnly declares on the Lord’s behalf: ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is.55:7) 

Yes friends, our God is a bastion of mercy! (smile) Now listen to the psalmist from Psalm 130 – My soul waiteth for the Lord. ‘If thou, Lord, shouldest mark (take note of) iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (reverenced with awe). 

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope… Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps.130:3-5, 7-8) 

Meanwhile, Nehemiah, after hearing of the sad plight of Jerusalem, prayed and fasted before the Lord, ‘And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible (awesome) God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that LOVE him (you) and observe (keep) his (your) commandments. 

Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants , and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.’ (Neh.1:5-6) 

Yeh friends, our God is a magnanimous and merciful God, but also a just and righteous God, He therefore cannot allow sin to go unpunished, especially when we, His supposed people, are so blatantly sinful and ungodly. Remember Nehemiah’s prayer for Jerusalem came about because of Israel’s unconcerned sinfulness, which caused the Lord to let them be taken captive to Babylon and the city destroyed. 

The same thing could happen to us my people, or rather something disastrous WILL happen, if we continue in the very sinful vein that’s currently holding our society captive. Let’s pray, like Nehemiah did, for our sinful society, sincerely asking for mercy, as we try to get our sinfulness under control. And don’t forget, it’s only with God’s help, we can do that. Much LOVE!

…for the wages of sin is death…but the gift of God is eternal life…through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord… (Rom.6:23)

P.S. Please, remember to keep on praying for our friend and Scrip-Bit family member Scotty, who is still in the hospital. Much LOVE!