Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 August 2013 Proverbs 20:1

01 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 20:1.    Wine is a mocker, strong (intoxicating) drink is raging (arouses brawling): and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
 
 Oh Friends, oh Friends I really don’t know where my head was this morning nuh; somewhere up in the clouds, I guess. But I can assure you it wasn’t clouded with fire water, though I probably need a shot to set me straight now. (smile) Thanks Cher for setting me straight.
 
Please ignore the first version of Today’s Bit, and I humbly and sincerely apologize for putting the wrong date. And would you believe that I usually check the day and date box at the bottom right hand corner of the computer before I start writing the Bit. Sometimes I even laugh at myself for doing it. Obviously I didn’t do it this morning, when I most needed it.
 
And today is Thursday, the first day of August 2013…and it’s raining. So what, you ask? Well let’s hope that it’s simply showers of blessing and cleansing, and by the time the dawn breaks, the rain will disappear and a big, bright, brilliant sun will appear above the horizon.
 
Remember Friends, it’s Emancipation Day in T&T, and Independence Day in J.A, as well as Caribana Weekend, the biggest weekend in T.O! Sorry, it’s Scotia Bank Carnival Weekend in T.O! The rights to the name Caribana have been in litigation for a few years now, and I guess the old administration has prevented the new one from using the title of Caribana. 
 
Anyway, the major part of the festivities begins tonight with the King and Queen of Carnival Show in Lamport Stadium. And since Lamport is an open air stadium, with no roof, we need good weather so that the festivities can go off properly. And the ole fella is looking forward to the Pan Contest on Friday, so the rain cannot be falling during the day time. 
 
Now let’s offer up this prayer for a good and clean Caribana. ‘Oh Father in heaven, we sincerely pray that you will allow the Caribana celebrations to go off without any serious problems. That everybody will have a good time, and their will be no aftermath of violence and recrimination. We pray this on the power of the spilled blood of Jesus at Calvary. Amen.’ 
 
And after writing that preamble, I opened the Good Book to seek a Bit, and lo and behold Friends, it opened amidst the proverbial wisdom of Cousin Sol, and the first words my eyes fell on were: ‘Wine is a mocker, strong (intoxicating) drink is raging (arouses brawling): and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.’
 
And I just had to laugh, because God was obviously moving in one of His many mysterious ways, letting me know He wanted that verse of scripture to be Today’s Bit, to serve as a warning in these celebratory times against imbibing too much fire water, which causes us to become undisciplined and fall easy prey to Lucifer. The scholars suggest that ‘Wine is personified as a mocker because it deceives those who partake of it. It is contrary to wise living.’
 
But before we get into the Bit, let me share and interesting Jewish Proverb, which says: ‘From happiness to suffering is a step; from suffering to happiness is an eternity.’
 
And isn’t that the awful truth my people! We move from happiness to suffering so easily and so quickly that it boggles our minds. But moving from suffering back to happiness… Hn! That’s a completely different story. It indeed seems to take a lifetime.
 
And here’s a good example that ties in with our Bit, of how suffering can crop up out of the blue and spoil our lives. It comes from Noah’s story. ‘And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent’ (Gen. 9:20-21)
 
And we all know the results of that indiscretion. Ham, one of Noah’s sons, saw him naked, then went out and told his two brothers, Shem and Japheth, who took a robe, backed into their father’s tent and covered him without looking at his nakedness. Now when Noah recovered from his drunken spell and heard what had happened, he cursed Ham and his Canaanite descendants, cursing them to be forever servants of the other two brothers. (Gen. 9:22-29)
 
Now I find that somewhat unfair, because if Noah had not imbibed too much vino and blacked up, his nakedness would not have been exposed.
 
And the scholars have this note on vs.21: ‘Noah had been so faithful to God that it is unlikely that he did this deliberately. His drunken condition may have been a totally unexpected result of the changed environment after the Flood.’
 
I don’t buy that excuse. I’m sure Noah must have drunk wine before the flood and knew its grave potential. But who knows eh? His drunkenness did cause strife and enmity within his family. And unfortunately my brethren, drunkenness is still destroying families up to this day, possibly more so than in Noah’s time. 
 
Meanwhile, listen to Bruh Paul’s warning to the church at Ephesus on the subject. ‘See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit.’ (Eph.5:15-18)
 
And we’ll end with some wise words from the scholars. ‘5:18. The words, ‘be filled’ here mean ‘be continually filled,’ emphasizing that the fullness of the Spirit is a repeated experience for believers. When a person is drunk with an alcoholic beverage, his walk, talk, and sight are controlled by alcohol. God desires that the minds of Christians be controlled by the Holy Spirit so that they will walk in the Spirit, speak on behalf of God, and understand the things of God.
 
Because people are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at salvation, they do not need to get more of the Holy Spirit, but the filling of the Spirit occurs when the Holy Spirit gets more of the believer.
 
Illustration: As we establish our fellowship with God through confession of sins (1 John 1:9) and yield to Him, (Rom.6:13), we can be filled with the Spirit if that is our desire (Matt.5:6) and prayer (Luke 11:13).
 
Application: Every Christian should be filled with the Spirit in order that he may have God’s power to serve Him. (Acts 1:8). First Ref, Ex.35:31; Primary Ref, Eph. 5:18; cf. 1 John 2:27.)
 
Friends, please check out those scriptures for they are very interesting and revealing. Now let’s go out and be filled with the Holy Spirit of God, and not the fire water that Lucifer offers. That surely is wisdom to the nth degree! Much LOVE!
 
…instead of turning to drink to drown his sorrows…man should turn to the Holy Spirit of God…for wise guidance…in every circumstance…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 April 2013 Malachi 3:10

02 Apr 2013 Leave a comment

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

Malachi 3:10.    Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
 
Oh Friends, on this Resurrection Tuesday morning, the ole fella’s coming out shouting: ‘I, I am blessed. I want to tell the world, that I, I am blessed!’ 
The man Melo G sings that song, and says that if you have a roof over your head, shoes on your feet, clothes on your back and food on your table, then you’re indeed blessed. And mih people, I have all those things, therefore I must be blessed! Most of us also have them all, that means you too are blessed! So we can all sing: ‘We, we are blessed. Let’s tell the world that we, we are blessed!’ And that’s the gospel truth Friends! So please don’t forget it. When things aren’t looking so good, remember that we’re more blessed than 90 percent of the world, and that 90 percent will very gladly take what we have and be exceedingly grateful. Now here’s a most pertinent quote for this time of year, attributed to the famous American Poet, Emily Dickinson (1830-1886). It says: ‘Spring is a happiness so beautiful, so unique, so unexpected, that I don’t know what to do with my heart.’ And that’s oh so true! Those of you who have never experienced the deadness and deadliness of winter, won’t be able to understand the depth of emotion that spring brings. It’s such a refreshing joy, such newness of life, with everything growing, just springing up, being alive again, the air filled with all the beautiful sights, sounds and smells of a renewed, resurrected Mother Nature. It’s just like this season of Easter, with Jesus rising triumphantly from the grave after a winter in Hades. (smile) Now let’s turn to our Bit: ‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat (food) in mine house, and prove (test) me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’ Ah Friends, though our Bit has been in existence for donkey’s years (smile), it still causes serious contention even to this day. The first mention of tithes is when Melchizedek the king of Salem blessed Abraham, when he was still Abram, after he’d fought off the heathen kings who had besieged Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding area. (Gen.14:1-16)  ‘And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth. And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes (a tenth) of all.’ (Gen.14:18-20) And since this is such a misunderstood subject, I guess we should include some explanation on that scripture from the scholars. ‘Melchizedek king of Salem probably was not a theophany (a visible manifestation to human kind of God or a god, or simply the appearance of God) but an actual king of Jerusalem or Salem (cf.Ps.76:2). He typifies Christ and His priesthood according to Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews 7. He is a priest of the most high God. It is interesting to note believers besides Abram and his descendants in this limited account (chs.12-50). He gave him tithes of all: Abram paid tithes to Melchizedek, indicating Melchizedek’s superior priesthood, since Levi (Israel’s high priest) was considered to be in the body (seminally) of Abram when he paid tithes to Melchizedek (Heb.7:9-10).’ But the whole tithe scene seems to have really unfolded when the Lord appeared to Jacob at Bethel and blessed him, and he in return promised: ‘And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth (a tithe) unto thee.’ (Gen.28:20-22) And we all know how the Lord blessed Jacob after that, with much goods and many offspring and changed his name to Israel, from whom the many (12) tribes of Israel were descended. Later on, for those same 12 tribes of Israel, it became an unchangeable edict in the laws Moses gave to the Israelites from God. ‘And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord. And if a man will at all redeem aught of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy: it shall not be redeemed.’ (Lev.27:30-33) Oh fellow believers in Christ, yuh see how adamant the Lord was about the givings of His people! And the scholars’ have a good explanation to all of that. ‘The tithe, comprising 10 percent of all the produce, is regarded as the offering due from the people to the true owner of the land (God) (25:23). If the tithe were to be redeemed, the normal 20 percent premium was to be paid to the priests. This chapter points out that holiness is more than a matter of divine call and correct ritual. It actually requires the total consecration of a man’s life to God’s service. It involves giving oneself, one’s family and all of one’s possessions to God.’ And isn’t that the living truth my brethren? It sure is! It’s also interesting that the law dictated if you try to redeem your tithe, you have to pay a 20 percent premium. It’s just like our mortgages or most contracts we sign today; (smile) we have to pay extra to get out of them early, or just to get out of them period. Oh my people, our God doesn’t want merely a part of us, the part that we find it most convenient to give, but He wants ALL of us! And so it should rightfully be, because He’s our Creator, our Provider, our Protector and our Saviour. In fact He determines EVERYTHING about our lives! That means we can’t just be part-time believers and followers as so many of us seem to think and try to be. Anyway Friends, time and space are upon us, so we’ll end here for today, and continue tomorrow with this most interesting and very controversial topic, with the Lord’s consent of course. But believe me, it’s a tried and true formula! Till tomorrow then. In the meantime, please, let’s ponder our personal situation re tithes, and see how we match up to it, and try to match up as best we can. Remember we can’t fool our omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present God. Much LOVE!…the Lord knows our substance…and blesses us in proportion to our giving to His holy church… P.S. Oh Friends, please excuse the lateness of the Bit. It’s long but very informative and I spent more time editing it than I’d intended to. Plus I had to run outside just now and put out the garbage, since I heard the garbage truck tooling around in the neighbourhood. But lo and behold, what do you think greeted me out there; snow flurries. Hn! And this is supposed to be the third week of spring. But them’s the breaks! We just have to grin and bear it, while rolling with the punches. (smile) Much LOVE! 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 March 2013 John 1:29

30 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

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

John 1:29.     The next day John (the Baptist) seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Holy Saturday, and Jesus is resting quietly in the tomb of the rich man, after being crucified between the two thieves to fulfill the scripture: ‘And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death…’ (Is.53:9a) He’s storing up His energy, so that bright and early tomorrow morning, Easter Sunday, He can rise up in full force and defeat those wicked and cruel, but oh so inferior enemies; Lucifer, death and the grave. And all of God’s people gave a mighty shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Now Friends, I believe some of you might have taken umbrage (smile) at my wishing us all yesterday a happy Good Friday, wondering what could be so happy about a day of such cruelty and injustice. Granted it was a real sad day for those early Christians who didn’t understand what was happening. But for us, who luckily have the understanding from two thousand years of church history, it is somewhat different. For though we don’t, or didn’t want Jesus to die, please understand that without His death on Good Friday, there would have been no Easter morning for you to celebrate and be happy. When only happy circumstances make us emotionally happy, then we’re thinking like the world. But my brethren, for a true believer it’s not only our worldly circumstances that can make us happy. And the happiness – possibly happiness is the wrong word, since it denotes more of a reaction to outward circumstances. A more appropriate word might be joy, that constant levity in our souls, regardless of our outward circumstances. Even gratefulness or thankfulness might be more appropriate to the situation, for we’re not talking about a jumping up and down type of moment, but a deeper, more controlled emotion, whereby Jesus died to set us free from our ghastly sins. And if that isn’t something to be enormously grateful, thankful and joyful for, then I certainly don’t know what is! Why? Because it’s the most significant event in man’s history after God created us, but then was forced to kick our foolish, gullible and rebellious fore parents out of paradise in the Garden of Eden. And unfortunately, since then, that bequeathed foolish, gullible and rebellious streak in us has been uppermost in our history. And until Jesus came, there was very little opportunity to turn it around, even if we felt so inclined. And our Bit perfectly describes the whole enchilada. ‘The next day John (the Baptist) seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ The reference to the lamb there, brings into play the sacrificial lambs slaughtered for Passover and other Jewish feasts. The scholars add that ‘Some suggest that this may allude to the scapegoat (Lev.16), or to the suffering servant (Is.53:7) We dealt with that yesterday. I guess it could actually refer to all of them, for remember the Lord required blood sacrifices of His chosen people, Israel, as some form of payment, atonement for their sins. But here now, comes Jesus, the Son of God, the sinless one, to pay the rather steep price of sin for the entire world. Now isn’t that a genuine reason to be much more than saddened at His death? Why do you think it’s called Good Friday? Because it’s the day on which the best thing since creation ever happened to man! All his evil deeds have been paid for; from the beginning of time, right through to eternity. It was certainly done in a most cruel manner, but the reason behind it was the greatest token of true LOVE ever expressed! And in our 3 hour service yesterday afternoon, what do you think the youth group sang? ‘Oh Happy Day! When Jesus washed…When Jesus washed… He washed all my sins away.’ Remember also what Jesus told His disciples in the last days: ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33b) So where is that good cheer eh Friends? It’s supposed to be our constant companion, like the Holy Spirit. And remember too that Bruh Paul instructs us to ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.’ (Phil.4:4-5) Not only is Jesus’ return imminent, but also His Spirit is always close by, thus we shouldn’t be afraid and anxious abut anything. Anyway Friends, I’m getting away from my original intention, to get into some scriptures that highlight Jesus’ basic purpose here on earth; to atone for the sins of the world. It begins with Isaiah’s prophecy of the suffering servant in chapter 53:11, that we quoted yesterday, which ends: ‘for he shall bear their iniquities.’ Then it advances to our Bit, and the actual act of sin payment, when Jesus declares on the cross: ‘It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.’ (John 19:30) Bruh Paul then takes up the baton and runs with it full speed, first telling the Corinthians: ‘For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.’ (1 Cor.15:3) Then he informs the Galatians: ‘Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world (age), according to the will of God and our Father. To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Gal.1:3-5) Next up is Peter, who declares: ‘Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness: By whose stripes ye were healed.’ (1 Pet.2:24) John then announces in his first epistle: ‘My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.’ (1 John 2:1-2) And finally, John ends the race on a winning note in Revelation, when he greets the seven churches in Asia. ‘And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten (born) of the dead; and the prince of (ruler over) the kings of the earth. Unto him that LOVED us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.’ (Rev.1:5) And all God’s people gave out a mighty and joyful shout up to heaven: ‘Oh Thank You sweet Jesus! We LOVE and adore You!’ Oh Friends, with all that scripture shoring up the strong foundation of the purpose of Christ’s death, how could we ever argue with it eh? No way Jose! And again I want to remind us in Bruh David’s famous and fateful words, that though ‘weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’ (Ps.30:5b) And believe me my brethren, tomorrow morning will indeed be a most joyous morning! Just wait and see. Much LOVE!…though reality may cloud our sight with sadness…looking through the eyes of faith…gives us a 20/20 vision of joy…
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 February 2013 Ecclesiastes 5:15.

03 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

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

Ecclesiastes 5:15.     As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
 
A blessed Sunday morning to you my Scrip-Bit Family and Friends! The Lord in His wisdom and LOVING-kindness has seen fit to grant us another day of life on earth. Paradoxically, today is considered both A present and THE present. It’s A present, in the sense of it being a gift from Almighty God, one which we ought to appreciate, value highly, use wisely and enjoy. And it’s also THE present, meaning a moment in time. In fact it’s the only time that we are sure of, because yesterday has already gone, and tomorrow has not yet arrived. That’s why we’re always encouraged to make the most of THE present time, that time we currently have before us. We ought not to waste it by constantly putting things off for tomorrow, things that we can do today or in THE present time, for who knows if tomorrow will ever come? So Friends, let’s get busy and use NOW as best we can nuh, since it’s all we’re guaranteed, for THIS NOW will never come again. And having tried to encourage us to get busy with the things that God has planned for us, let me share two lines from two different songs I heard yesterday that struck me as being very wise. Now don’t ask me the names of the songs or the singers because I wasn’t paying particular attention to them. I just know that they were two rollicking reggae tunes. The first line that jumped out at me was ‘the patient man rides a donkey.’ Now it took a couple seconds for the statement to percolate in the old mind, but then I said, ‘Hnnnn!’ That makes a lot of sense because a donkey travels slowly. And I guess that’s why very few of us use donkeys for travel nowadays, since we want to get everywhere like yesterday. Waiting or taking our time no longer cuts it in our fast-paced, nuclear speed society. But the wisdom my brethren, is that sometimes it’s best for us to just ‘Ride yuh donkey..’ (smile) And the second statement that struck me as being very perceptive was ‘the road to righteousness is sorrow,’ or something like that. I don’t agree with the statement as it’s written there, because though righteousness entails some sorrow, where one’s faith is tried, and hopefully strengthened, it doesn’t mean that to be righteous, one must always be sorrowful or face great sorrow. I’d probably say that the road to righteousness definitely encompasses sorrow, for a righteous life is also one filled with joy and moments of happiness, though we all need some pain and suffering to keep us pliant and humble in God’s eyes, as well as remind us that we are mere mortals made from dust and to which dust we shall all eventually return. That means chasing the material things and pleasures of the world in order to hoard them is basically senseless, since we cannot carry them with us, and generally speaking our families, friends and foes end up fighting and squabbling for those material things when we die. That’s exactly why the Preacher in our Bit warns us of the vanity, the futility of running down earthly things. ‘As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.’ But we’ve been so brainwashed by Lucifer and his evil, worldly minions that though many of us know the truth of the statement, we still kill ourselves to get and/or accumulate the things of the world. Consequently, stress is the biggest killer in our society today, because we’re all so busy running down the almighty dollar for what it can purchase, or the status symbol its accumulation represents. Yuh ever notice though Friends, that when we rode donkeys, stress wasn’t a much used word in the vocabulary? That’s because we were patient, took our time and wasn’t always in a hurry to get somewhere or do something, or trying to multi-task. Steups! As the Preacher, most likely Cousin Sol continues, for back then he was the only one who had the time, money and wisdom to conduct the necessary experiments. ‘And this is also a sore (severe) evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he hath laboured for the wind?’ (Eccl.5:16) None whatsoever my brethren! But unfortunately that doesn’t seem to matter to mankind today, for we still keep on struggling to be rich and powerful when it can all be taken away in a matter of seconds. And one of the best examples of that is Job, when tragedy strikes him down at the height of his wealth and power. But what is his response? He tears off his clothes, shaves his head falls down ad worships and says: ‘Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.’ (Job 1:21-22) Now Job was obviously devastated, but he understood the principle, while knowing deep down that he had not committed any serious wrongdoing to bring such punishment to pass, as his friends later intimated. Bruh David also understood this, as he warns in Psalm 49 – Trust in God, not in wealth. ‘Be thou not afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.’ (Ps.49:16-17) And we’ll end with some immortal words of Bruh Paul to Timothy on the subject. ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.’ (1 Tim.6:6-7) Yes Friends, our God, in his infinite wisdom planned it that way, so we can see the relative insignificance of material wealth, and the great importance of spiritual things. Please listen to Him. Much LOVE!…but thou, O man of God…flee these things…and follow after…righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness…  (1 Tim.6:11) 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 December 2012 Jeremiah 32:17

05 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 32:17.     Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.
 
Oh Friends, with the gracious and generous help of Almighty God, and some decent rest, the ole fella’s feeling somewhat better this morning. Praise His Holy Name! I’m not fully recovered, but I’m getting there. What amazes me though, is that in Tobago I never felt this tired. Can one day of travelling, from one climate to another, and one hour of gained or lost time, make such a big difference? I guess so, for there are no other variables that I can think of. Anyhow, here’s an interesting quote, attributed to Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third President of the U.S, one of its founding Fathers and writers of the Declaration of Independence. It says: ‘Happiness is not being pained in body nor troubled in mind.’ And if we could ever achieve that nirvana in these times, then it would be a veritable truth. But with the busy, stressful lifestyle that our world now dictates, and the aches and pains of old age, we need to learn to be happy in spite of those drawbacks. And the best way to do that my brethren is to surrender our souls, our very lives to the wisdom and guidance of the Most High God Jehovah. Why, you ask? Because as Jeremiah so rightly declares in our Bit: ‘Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard (difficult) for thee.’ Yes Friends, the Lord created the universe and all therein, and controls it in His infinite might and wisdom. We might not agree with His will or direction for it, but since it’s His creation, He can therefore do whatever He wants with it, and the contents thereof, including mankind. So if we’re smart, we’ll do our very best to get on His good side and then stay in His good books. (smile) Yesterday we began looking at some scriptures that reinforced the statements made in our Bit. Beginning with the first part, re God’s awesome power and creation of our world, we looked at Hezekiah’s prayer, (2 Kin.19:15) and the psalmist’s cry in distress, (Ps.102:24-27). Today we’ll continue with some more scriptures that deal with the might and glory of our wonderful God. Hear Jeremiah declare it in an earlier chapter about yokes and bonds of Israel. ‘And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto (proper to) me.’ (Jer.27:4-5) Yes my people, the earth and all it contains is the Lord’s, and He does as He pleases with it! Now listen to that great man of God, Isaiah, tell it in all its majesty and truth: ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is.40:28-31) Oh Friends, what more do we need to hear to believe in the wondrous power and works of Almighty God eh? I can personally testify to His amazing grace just through my activities on Monday, and I’m sure many of you can also attest to His strengthening powers in your own lives. So why are we so hesitant and reluctant to let ourselves go, to surrender our all to the One who created us, still LOVES us a whole bunch despite our rebellious and sinful nature, and truly desires to make our lives interesting and fruitful, by bringing us to salvation and eternal life with Him, through belief in His Son Jesus? That’s certainly not wisdom, my brethren! No wonder our lives and our world are in such chaos. And now, moving on to the second part of our Bit; ‘and there is nothing too hard for thee,’ here are some scriptures that appropriately address the topic. One example which we all ought to know, comes from Genesis, when the Lord promised Abraham and Sarah a son of their own loins in their old age, and Sarah laughed, prompting the Lord to tersely declare: ‘Is there any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.’ (Gen.18:14) And she did bear a son, Isaac, in her nineties! Oh fellow believers, if the Lord truly created the world and everything in it, then it shouldn’t be a problem for Him to cause an old man and woman to have a child. That would be like child’s play to Him. Meanwhile, the Good Book, in the same chapter from which our Bit comes, later states: ‘Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?’ (Jer.32:26-27) And the obvious answer to that my people, is a very emphatic NO! And we’ll end, as we like to whenever possible, with the definitive words on the subject from Jesus. This comes from when He told the young, rich man to go and sell all his earthly possessions, then come and follow Him, which the fellow was obviously reluctant to do. That brought forth this statement from Jesus: ‘And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.’ (Matt.19:24-26) End of story my brethren! So Friends, let’s stop trying to live this life by our own will and power nuh. Instead, let’s wisely hand them over to the One who made us, and has a good plan for each and every life. When we do that, then we’ll have the peace that Jesus promised. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Words of absolute truth and wisdom, my people! Words that I want us to truly consider today, so that our lives can be greatly improved in this evil and troubled world. Much LOVE!…to think that the creation can ever be greater than the Creator…is nothing but foolish pride and wishful thinking…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 November 2012 Psalm 18:30

19 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 18:30.     As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

‘Mornin’ neighbuh!’ A bright and breezy tone.    ‘Mornin’…’ Sour and surly.    ‘Is a nice morning eh…’    ‘Steups! What so nice about it eh? Is Monday morning, that means I have to get up and go to the stupid government work!’    ‘So?”    ‘Ah Lord eh! Ah don’t know what wrong with you nuh woman. You always so bright and bubbly on a Monday.’    ”That’s because the Holy Spirit of Jesus is living in me, and He makes me happy EVERY morning!’    ‘Well good for you and Jesus yes! I wish all yuh the best of luck in all yuh happiness.’     ‘Thank you neighbuh. Jesus and me wish you the best of luck too.’     ‘Steups! Jesus, Jesus…that is all she could talk about yes, especially on a Monday morning, when a body have to get up out of bed so early to go and labour for a pittance. Steups!’  Ah Friends, I hope you all see the difference in attitudes caused by the difference in perspectives. Followers of Jesus should always have the bright positive approach, regardless of what day it is, because we know that with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, EVERY day is a GOOD day. Trouble is, not all of us believers actually feel that way, and some days, particularly on Mondays, we fall into a blue funk, and need a spark, a boost to get up and get a move on. So with one voice, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get the adrenalin flowing nuh. 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!’ Yes Friends, now that our engine is purring smoothly, in perfect sync with that of the Holy Spirit that’s guiding us, let’s go out into the ungodly world with plenty vim and vigour and wage serious battle against Beelzebub and his evil cohorts nuh. And to help us stay in that Jesus groove, let’s use our Bit as a catalyst, a ‘strengthener’ to help us remember our earthly purpose – to help bring lost souls to the Saviour. ‘As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried (proven): he is a buckler (shield) to all those that trust in him.’ Awesome words of wisdom and truth my people! Now yesterday we looked at some scripture that verified the first half of our Bit, today we’ll look at some that verify the second half. ‘…the word of the Lord is tried (proven): he is a buckler (shield) to all those that trust in him.’ And we don’t have very far to go to find corroboration of those facts, for in Psalm 12, Bruh David proudly proclaims: ‘The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.’ (Ps.12:6) Ah mih breddren, how many things of the earth can we purify in fire seven times and have them remain, unbroken, unvarnished, vibrant and ever-resilient eh? Not many.  But the Lord’s Word can certainly stand that rigorous test. Then in Psalm 17, a prayer for protection against oppressors, Bruh David invokes the Lord to ‘Show thy marvellous LOVING-kindness, O thou that savest (delivers) by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.’ (Ps.17:6)  Meanwhile, in Proverbs 30, Agur also declares with great confidence: ‘Every word of God is pure (tried and found pure): he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.’ (Prov.30:5-6) Oh my brethren, please note that last verse very carefully. We’re not to add our two cents worth to God’s Word, as has become very prevalent nowadays, where we slant the Word to suit our own selfish purposes. And going back to the Psalms, we have the psalmist declaring in 119:140: ‘Thy word is very pure (refined or tried): therefore thy servant LOVETH it.’  How can we not LOVE the Word if it’s so pure, true and wise eh Friends? Now let’s close with some more encouraging words of truth and wisdom. ‘For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (Ps.84:11-12) And all God’s people exulted with a loud ‘Praise the Lord! Amen! And it really couldn’t be put any better than that Friends, so let’s grab hold of it all and diligently run the earthly race of glory laid out for us. It will be most worthwhile in the end. Much LOVE!…everything hinges on the WORD…it created the universe…controls it…and will eventually destroy it…in God’s perfect time…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 November 2012 Matthew 3:17

10 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 3:17.         And lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
 
Ah Friends, it’s another day in the heartache of Hurricane Sandy and associates. It seems the heartless, and thus the evil spirit of capitalism is showing up now in New York and New Jersey, where some people are taking further advantage of the already terribly disadvantaged by selling hard to get gasoline for up to fifty dollars a gallon, while it’s selling in the gas stations for under five dollars. And no doubt some of the die hard advocates of capitalism will consider that proper behaviour; make a buck or several bucks wherever you can, regardless of the hardship your customers are suffering. Thankfully, that’s not the way of Jesus or His genuine followers. I’m sure though, that some of those gouging their fellow man will nonetheless consider themselves Christians, because they claim to believe in Jesus, when in fact they are simply crooks. But as we constantly read in the Good Book, the wicked will get their comeuppance eventually. Enough talk about crooks though, and man’s inhumanity to man. Let’s talk instead about Jesus, who advocates Peace and LOVE, Good Health and Happiness for all mankind to share. And all God’s people shouted a joyful: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise the name of Jesus, the Lamb that was slain for us!’ Yes Friends, that’s exactly whom we’re referring to. And what does our Bit say about Him? ‘And lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ This particular incident occurred when Jesus came to the Jordan River to be baptized by John the Baptist. John at first refused, claiming that Jesus should be the one baptizing him. (Matt.3:14) However, Jesus persuaded John, saying: ‘Suffer (allow) it to be so now: for thus it becometh us (is fitting for us) to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered (allowed) him.’ (Matt.3:15) Jesus knew that he had to be baptized to fulfill the prophecies that had been spoken of Him by the prophets like Isaiah. Now here are some thoughts on that scripture from the scholars. ‘Jesus sought this outward identification with John’s ministry to fulfill all righteousness. By identifying Himself with those He came to redeem, Jesus inaugurated His public ministry as the Messiah. In regard to the Jewish religious observances, such as synagogue worship, attendance at feasts, and payment of the temple tax, Jesus always met the duties of a faithful Jew.’ The next verse then opened up a whole new chapter in the annals of man’s history here on earth. ‘And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.’ (Matt.3:16) Yes my fellow believers, the heavens were opened and numerous prophecies were fulfilled on that most momentous occasion! And not only that, but the Father also acknowledged to all and sundry, His complete trust in, and sincere appreciation for Jesus, through our Bit that comes after. And this is what the scholars have to say, re that scripture. ‘In the process of His baptism, Jesus went up…out of the water, the prepositions suggesting that He was completely in the water and came up out from it, again indicating immersion. The descending of the Spirit of God fulfilled the predicted sign to John in order to indicate the true Messiah (cf.John 1;33, Is.11:2). The dove was a symbol of innocence and purity (cf. Matt.10:16) and served as an ideal symbolic representation of the Holy Spirit. The voice from heaven is that of the Father, giving His verbal approval to the ministry of His beloved Son. There can be no doubt that all three persons of the Trinity are actively involved here as distinct persons of the Godhead. The Father speaks, the Spirit descends, and the Son is baptized.’ Oh Friends, I couldn’t have said it any better myself. (smile) Now let’s check out a couple of scriptures that provoked all that action. We’ll begin with Isaiah, who had the most to say about Jesus. In chapter 11, he boldly declares: ‘And there shall come forth a rod (shoot) out of the stem (stock or trunk) of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow (bear fruit) out of his roots. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.’ (Is.11:1-2) And on that auspicious day my brethren, in the muddy Jordan, the Spirit of God, did rest on Jesus! For further confirmation of those facts, let’s turn to the Gospel of John, where he talks about John the Baptist thus: ‘The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me (ranks higher than me): for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record (witness), saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode (remained) upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record (testified) that this is the Son of God.’ Wow! What powerful scripture my people! And we’ll end with some wise words of the scholars. ‘The baptism of Jesus serves as proof of His deity to John. The Holy Spirit came on Jesus and remained to assist him in His baptismal work. Before Jesus’ baptism, John knew Him only as a good cousin, not as the Lamb of God. Not until he saw the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus did John realize that He was the Son of God.’ That’s enough for us to ponder on today my people. So please read and inwardly digest all that stuff which will surely help us to understand some of the intricacies of the Good Book concerning our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, through whose selfless sacrifice, our salvation and life eternal have been guaranteed. Much LOVE!…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 July 2012 Acts 20:24

26 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

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

Acts 20:24.    But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
 
Oh Friends, the Good Lord has finally blessed my area with a decent amount of heavenly blessings. Last evening we had a couple of half decent showers, but then at around 2 a.m, the fun began. The thunder rolled, the lightning flashed and the wind blew real strong. It was so strong that I had to get up and close my bedroom windows, blinds and curtains because it was blowing them all around like crazy. And even when I closed up everything, the lightning still flashed so brightly that it lit up the room. At 5.30 when I got up, the road and the land were still wet, meaning it was a good amount of heavenly blessing that fell. All I can say is a grateful, ‘Praise the Lord!’ Let’s hope He doesn’t give us too much now, so that it becomes a negative situation, moving from drought to flood. Anyway, I just got up from my desk and the Lord led my eyes to one of several fortune cookie edicts that I have strategically placed around it. The sad part is that though they’re right in front of me, I hardly notice them. And this one, though it brought a chuckle to my soul, I don’t even remember it being there. It says though, rightly and wisely that ‘Happiness is an attitude.’ And isn’t that the living truth Friends! For if we don’t make a conscious decision, then a conscious effort to be happy, we’ll never be. That’s because there will always be something that or someone who will negatively affect our emotional system if we allow it. Now there are two important points to consider here. The first is as I just alluded to; our allowing external forces to control our happiness. No one or nothing can do that unless we allow it. And have you ever noticed how the small, insignificant negative things can play and prey greatly on our emotions, while under those same circumstances, it takes a big, positive happening to make us feel happy? Now that’s the crux of the matter my people; feeling happy. We tend to allow situations, circumstance and even people to control our happiness because it depends on our feelings. That’s why so many of us are on what looks like a roller coaster ride; one minute up, next minute down, the next minute up again. However Friends, that’s not why Jesus sacrificed His precious life for us. He didn’t intend for us to live that kind of see-saw emotional life. Happiness in a believer should be a fairly constant emotion, given all the good promises that we have from our God and Creator. And it’s time we stop allowing outward stimuli to control our happiness factor. In fact Friends, we shouldn’t even be talking about happiness because that’s usually a fleeting, emotional state. What we should be really talking of is joy; the deep, eternal, everlasting state of contentment that’s only to be found in true association with Jesus. It’s the place where our soul just bubbles over with a rich, enervating, stable state of continual peace and satisfaction. Yes Friends, that perpetual state of elation can only be found in accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, then being obedient to His Word and Will. That’s why Bruh Paul in our Bit, although he was used and abused and suffered much calamity in his missionary travels, could say with such confidence to the Ephesian elders: ‘But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.’ Ah mih people, not all of us can be as stalwart and diligent in serving Jesus, but we can all make a serious effort to not let the fleeting things of the earth distract us from doing His work. Earlier on, Bruh Paul also draws attention to the race run by John the Baptist: ‘And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes (sandals) of his feet I am not worthy to loose.’ (Acts 13:25) Oh my brethren, we each have a race to run, one set out by the Lord as part of His Master Plan, and we cannot run it successfully unless and until we put aside the fleeting things of the world and embrace God’s will for our lives with a deep sense of commitment and expectation of the good things to come, just as those who’ve come to true faith before us did. And as Bruh Paul declares in his last testament to Timothy: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim.4:7-8) Yes mih people, that is what we should all aspire to say at the end of our earthly race, when we’ll also hear these soothing, joyful words from the lips of Jesus: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the Lord.’ (Matt.25:23) And all God’s children said a hale, hearty, joyful and grateful: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise the name of the Lord, for He is good to His children! Amen.’ Oh my brethren, please let’s glory in the joy of our God, for remember that’s where our true strength lies! Much LOVE!…as much as Jesus abides in us…thus shall be the level of our joy…  P.S. Sorry it’s late but I got up late, then couldn’t find or make up my mind on a Bit. Them’s the breaks sometimes. It’s not always fun and laughter and easy as pie. (smile) Much LOVE!
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 June 2012 Proverbs 16:20

06 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 16:20.      He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.

Oh Friends, it’s just one of those days: Yesterday, while in-ground sprinklers were being installed in my yard, they apparently cut the phone line. So now I have no main phone or Internet because the two go together. Then to make matters worse, I have a tooth that needs root canal work that’s giving me a dull, throbbing toothache and headache, and I’m also fasting for a blood test that I should have taken a couple months ago. I don’t do fasting very well, that’s why it’s taken so long, and my allergies are acting up as I try to write the Bit manually, while waiting for Bell to come and fix the phone line sometime after lunch, between 12 and 5. You never get a shorter window. So you can see that the ole fella’s not in the best frame of mind. However, because we are true and strong believers in Jesus Christ, we know that He will give us the grace to handle it wisely. But nonetheless, here’s an appropriate prayer for the situation, taken from the Devotional, A Journey of LOVE; Walking with St.Therese of Lisieux: ‘My LOVING God, you have shown me by your life that suffering comes with the human condition. While I do not seek out suffering, I do need your healing presence to bear its burdens. Help me to experience your compassion and mercy toward me and to walk your path of fidelity, acceptance and peace. I make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.’ Yeh mih people, for some reason our lot on earth comes with suffering. But with Jesus on our side, we shall do well and overcome any challenges that come our way. And our Bit confidently assures us of that. ‘He that handleth a matter wisely (wisely heeds the Word) shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.’ Oh Friends, there’s absolutely no doubt about either of those statements! If we handle our affairs according to the Word of God, we will indeed find good, be blessed through divine intervention, because God has promised peace, LOVE, joy and prosperity to all who acquiesce to His holy will. ‘For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of LOVE, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.’ (Heb.6:10) Yes my brethren, our God is a great rewarder of those who serve Him faithfully, who aspire to live by His Word. And Jesus promised, in no uncertain terms, that when we are persecuted for His name’s sake, we should stand strong in faith. ‘Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt.5:12) And there’s no doubt either that those who sincerely trust in the Lord will be happy. Nobody knew that better than Bruh David, as he proudly proclaims: ‘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.’ (Ps.34:8-10) And if Bruh David says it’s so, then Friends, we know for sure that it is so, because he’s talking from personal experience. Now hear this warning from the psalmist, on why do the heathen rage: ‘Kiss the Son (an act of homage and submission), lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.’ (Ps.2:12) There you have both the good and the bad, my people. If you don’t revere the Son of man, then you can suffer in His wrath. But you’ll certainly be blessed if you put your trust in Him. It couldn’t be any clearer Friends. Now let’s end with some more encouraging words from Bruh David: ‘But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest (protecteth) them: let them also that LOVE thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass (surround) him as with a shield.’ (Ps.5:11-12) And that’s the gospel truth Friends, as any of us who have walked with God for any length of time know. And He’s just done it for me, sending a Bell technician long before the appointed time to fix my phone and Internet problem. So please, let’s continue our godly walk, so that others can see the blessings we receive, and also want to come to Christ as their Lord and Saviour. It’s what we are supposed to do, and there’s nothing better that can happen to a human’s life, especially in these troubled times. Much LOVE!…it’s high time for us buckle down and do our bounden duty…to truly LOVE our God…sincerely LIVE our Faith…and diligently SPREAD His Word…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 April 2012 Psalm 146:5

30 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 146:5.     Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.

Oh Friends, we’ve been mightily blessed to see the light of another glorious day on Planet Earth! Praise, the Lord, send joyful shouts up to heaven, thank Him for all His wonderful blessings and mercies! And some of you are looking askance at me, as though I’m crazy. No I’m not. I’m just happy in the Lord! Remember the joy of the Lord is our strength, (Neh.8:10) which means if we’re not joyful in the Lord, then we’ll be just a bunch of weaklings, unable to fight Lucifer. And it doesn’t matter either that it’s Monday and we’ve got to go and slave for Massa. That’s all part of God’s glorious plan for our lives, which we know will eventually turn out fine, because He’s promised it. (Rom.8:28) And for those of us who are still miserable and joyless, for whatever reason, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, which should put joy in our hearts, strength in our spirits and a smile on our faces, which in turn will have the enemy frustrated when we respond with LOVE and peace, rather than anger and resentment to their evil works. 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!’ Wow Friends, what a powerful anointing! Now let’s ride that Jesus high all the way to work and back, while thanking God for all the trials that come our way, with each one bringing us more like Jesus. Ah mih people, the ole fella’s on a roll this morning! That’s because I’m enthused and joyful, even though I’m being harassed by a cough and some asthma problems, for as our Bit so truthfully declares: ‘Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.’ The God of Jacob has become my help, and I’ve placed all my hope and trust in Him. So why shouldn’t I be happy eh? If you’ve claimed the Bit as yours and you’re not happy, then something’s wrong somewhere, and you need to evaluate your situation again. Now don’t think you’re alone in that respect, because many Christians are sad, joyless people, who unfortunately feel that’s the way believers ought to behave. But that mindset just makes these words of Jesus useless and of no account. ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.’ (John 15:11) And also: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Words to live and die by Friends! And please note, when we talk of joy here, it’s not necessarily being happy with our outward circumstances, but about an inner peace and contentment, knowing that our lives are in the faithful, trustworthy hands of Jesus. That therefore means our whole world could be crumbling around us, but we’ll still manage a smile and a kind word to someone else, putting our plight in the background. And coincidentally, there’s no better way to forget your problems than by helping someone else with theirs. Now enough of me, let’s listen to some scriptures that back up my contention and our Bit’s words. Psalm 125, with the superscription, God surrounds his people, is as good a place as any to begin. ‘They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed (moved), but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about (surround) Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.’ (Ps.125:1-2) What more can we ask eh mih breddren? Nothing really. It’s left up to us to accept His tender mercies and providence. And Isaiah, in his appeal to Israel to turn to the Lord for help, solemnly declares: ‘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) Oh my people, like Isaiah, I’m appealing to us, right now, to turn to the Lord God Jehovah for help, because our world is in a sorry state and only He can help us. Now hear God’s promise of deliverance to Ebed-melech through Jeremiah, in the face of Babylon’s attack. ‘But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey (as a prize) unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.39:17-18) And finally Friends, listen to Bruh David’s simple but eloquent declaration: ‘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.’ (Ps.34:8-9) Oh fellow believers, it’s my sincere hope that all we’ve read and said here today will light a fire in and under us; will create such enthusiasm, such passion for Christ in our souls that we’ll just go out into the evil, ungodly world and overrun the enemy with LOVE! I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Much LOVE mih people!… no contest is ever won without…fervour, enthusiasm and passion…and that’s what’s sadly lacking in today’s believers…

 

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