Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 November 2014 Psalm 16:9

24 Nov 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 16:9.  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.

Aloha Friends! I give you that wonderful first day of the week, Monday!
 
And all God’s people say a loud and heartfelt ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’
 
And I almost fall to the ground in shock!
 
Wow mih people, you all sure are full of surprises. One day I tell you it’s Monday, and you abuse me. Then the next time I tell you that, you glorify God.
 
Now don’t get me wrong, I am very thrilled to hear you all are accepting Monday so easily and joyfully, for that’s how it ought to be. It shows that we are maturing, growing in the Word of God, no longer babes drinking milk, but adults starting to eat solid food.
 
Thus we are preparing ourselves better, so that when Monday rolls around, we are well prepared and well able to meet it on our godly terms, rather than its worldly terms. And to celebrate that magnificent victory over our fleshly concerns, that wonderful coming of age, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with extra vim and vigour.
 
Come on now Friends, let’s rock both heaven and earth. ‘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!’
 
Oh yeah mih people, that was marvellous! So marvellous that it had all of heaven clapping and singing along – even the Father Himself! (smile)
 
Now with all that adrenalin flowing, and our motors revving with great expectations, let’s go out into the disaster prone world we live in and tell others about Jesus Christ; about the joy, hope, and faith we have in Him, who sacrificed His sinless life so that we might be reconciled to the Father, whose mercy and grace gives us salvation and eternal life!
 
Let’s tell them about Jesus and the work the Holy Spirit has wrought in us, so much so that we can now claim the Bit as our own declaration. ‘Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.’
 
Yes my fellow believers, our hearts and minds ought to be filled with awesome hope and faith this Monday morning. And today we’ll continue looking at some scriptures that deal with hope.
 
Oh by the way, let me apologize for a typo I made yesterday. Don’t know how many of you noticed it, but at the end of the verse from Psalm 39 – ‘And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.’- I put it as (Ps.31:7, rather than 39:7) Please forgive the ole fella, for he is merely human. (smile)
 
And since we’re talking about Psalms, we might as well continue with them, seeing that they possibly have more hope in God declared in them than any other scriptures.
 
Listen to these powerful words from Psalm 42 –An intense longing for God – a contemplation of the sons of Korah. ‘Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence)’ (Ps. 42:5)
 
And that’s how we ought to be my people! Whenever our spirits are down, for whatever reason(s), the best way to fire them back up is by hoping in God, seeking and praising Him.
 
Now hear these wise words of Cousin Sol: ‘Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.’ (Prov.13:12)
 
And the scholars explain it thus: ‘13:12. Hope deferred depresses, but its fulfillment revitalizes.’
 
And the Preacher tells us that: ‘For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they anymore a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.’ (Eccl.9:4-5)
 
That’s why we say that while there’s life, there’s always hope, for when you’re dead, any chance of hope dies with you.
 
And we’ll close with these beautiful and wise sentiments of Jeremiah in his Lamentations. ‘The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam.3:25-26)
 
Therefore my people, please stand strong in Jesus Christ! Let’s not give up that hope which has brought us so far along. Our great and wonderful God has promised to look after us, and we know that he is faithful to keep His promises.
 
So let’s go out today brimming over with peace, LOVE, hope, joy and faith, for that’s the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
 
…hope means…that there’s always a guiding and welcoming light shining in the window…regardless of the hour…

 

 

 

 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 April 2014 Psalm 19:14

16 Apr 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 19:14.    Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (rock), and my redeemer.
 
And then Friends, it was Wednesday morning of Holy Week! Wow! That most amazing and awesome time is fast approaching! We’re talking about the Easter weekend when Jesus, our mighty Lord and Saviour turned the whole world upside down with His crucifixion and eventual resurrection!
 
And all God’s people declared a loud shout of joy: ‘Oh bless the name of Jesus, our champion and our Holy Redeemer!’
 
Yes my people, the name of Jesus is indeed worthy of incomparable blessing, thanks and praise for the overwhelming change He’s wrought in the world and in our personal lives.
 
And speaking of change Friends, here is an interesting quote from one Irene Peter, taken from my One More Day Devotional. There were so many Irene Peter’s listed when I checked for some info on her, that it was impossible to decide which one it was.
 
Anyway, Irene says that: ‘Just because everything is different, doesn’t mean anything has changed.’ And that can often be true my brethren!
 
We are continually growing – hopefully in a good and positive manner – but ofttimes that growth is gradual and we don’t realize or recognize the change (s) until an event, or some events, wake us up to the reality of the situation.
 
And though our lives may sometimes end up being completely different, deep down inside we are still the same basic person; still having the same unique personality that God has so amazingly granted us. We are still warm, caring, LOVING and faithful people, but we have grown in certain respects.
 
And it’s always nice to know that though we have grown, through all the changes, our basic personality has remained the same. And oh my people, one of the best ways to grow is by allowing the faithful and immortal words of Bruh David in our Bit, to take hold of, and rule our souls. 
 
‘Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (rock), and my redeemer.’ 
 
What a powerful statement, my fellow believers! One that we should all be trying to practice!
 
And though it is not always an easy task – what with all the ungodliness and evil that continually badger and buffet us – with Jesus’ help, we can certainly do it most of the time.
 
That’s provided we’re serious about it, and retain a strong self-control, not allowing our tongues to start blabbering before our hearts and minds consider the situation and are able to formulate a godly response.
 
And we have Bruh David again pleading in Psalm 51, his prayer for cleansing after the prophet Nathan draped him up for his adultery with Bathsheba.
 
He prayerfully declares: ‘O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else I would give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.’ (Ps.51:15-17)
 
Yes Friends, our God doesn’t desire outward and/or material sacrifices so much as true inner contrition. And that’s where a lot of us, even supposed believers, are sadly lacking today!
 
We certainly talk a good talk, and sometimes even walk the talk, but yet, like the Pharisees in Jesus’ time, our hearts are not truly turned to God, or in sync with Him and His directives. That’s why He wisely chooses to investigate our hearts, the inner recesses of our souls, to ascertain our true motives.
 
And we’ll close with these beautiful words and intentions from Psalm 104 – God’s preservation of nature. ‘I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
 
My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord. (Shout Hallelujah!).’ (Ps.104:33-35) 
 
And my people, there’s no better time than this Easter Season to shout a glorious ‘Hallelujah! Praise and blessings to our awesome God, and to His most wonderful Son, Jesus Christ, the true King of Glory!’ 
 
Let’s now go forth in all truth and wisdom to LOVE and serve the Lord! Much LOVE!
 
…God’s people are at their best…when their hearts and mouths are filled with His praise… 
 
P.S. Oh Friends, please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but it was all my fault. I got up late, and then at one point Internet Explorer began acting up, as it has been doing since they supposedly made some improvements. Hn!
 
But at one stage all I could get were capital letters, and there I was thrashing Explorer. I even stopped and got on to Google Chrome, only to experience the same situation. Then it suddenly dawned on me, the capitals lock was on.
 
Hn, hn! How ‘geekish’ eh! A perfect example of what I was talking about; letting our hearts and minds consider the situation before letting out tongues wag. Ah Lord eh! Our God certainly knows how to drive home a lesson.
 
Please note too how short the Bits are these days. (smile) Much LOVE, my brothers and sister in Christ!
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 October 2013 Psalm 19:14

07 Oct 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 19:14.     Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (rock) and my redeemer.

And the crowd sang lustily: ‘Monday, oh Monday; just can’t wait for you to come…!’
 
Now, for the good news Friends; Monday is here! Glory Hallelujah! Nothing like the bearer of good tidings eh! And please don’t shoot or curse the messenger, or whine and complain about being tired and otherwise, for that’s not the proper response for followers of Jesus. Simply get up and gratefully say: ‘Thank You Lord for allowing me to see another beautiful day on your beautiful planet Earth.’ Then get yourself together to go out and labour.
 
And as always, our Monday Morning Battle Hymn is here to get our sluggish engines started, get the adrenalin flowing so that we can go out and represent Jesus in the best manner possible. Now let’s raise the roof of heaven this Monday morning, with a most excellent vocalization. (smile)
 
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 mih people, that was indeed most excellent!
 
Meanwhile, up in heaven, the Father cannot contain Himself, and high-fives Jesus, saying: ‘Yes mih boy! Your people are certainly in good voice this morning. But let’s see how they’ll do when it comes time to join the battle with that deceitful fool Lucifer.’
 
Without missing a beat, a smiling and confident Jesus just raises His right hand in a clenched fist salute and replies: ‘Don’t worry Father, they’ll do just fine! I have the utmost faith in them.’
 
The Father LOVINGLY pats Him on the back and says: ‘I’m glad to hear that Son. Wouldn’t want You to be disappointed in the people You’ve chosen.’ 
 
But Jesus calmly rejoins: ‘Don’t concern Yourself Father. I’ve personally vetted every one of them, and they ALL have what it takes to be true, loyal and faithful followers.’
 
The Father then embraces Jesus in a tight and warm bear hug, and says: ‘Thank You Son. I know the feeling, for I also had the utmost faith in You when I sent You down there to redeem them from their abominable sins.’  
 
Oh mih breddren, mih breddren, all yuh hear that conversation that just went on up there in heaven! Jesus put His actual life on the line once for us already, now He’s putting His credibility before the Father, His ability to pick good followers, guaranteeing our faithfulness! That means that come hell or high water, (smile) we just cannot let Him down, we can’t afford to disappoint Him, especially after all He’s innocently suffered on our behalf.
 
And after the Father done boast about Him and place Him on that high pedestal, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that HE’S THE GREATEST, the ONLY real SUPERSTAR! 
 
No sir! We definitely can’t let Jesus down. So please, today, RIGHT NOW, let’s get truly serious about being His followers nuh, and get ourselves out into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, requesting His help, like Bruh David did in the memorable words of our Bit: ‘Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (rock) and my redeemer.’ 
 
Yes Friends, all of us know those words, but too many of us just mouth them as simple platitudes, without taking them seriously. Today though, I want ALL of us to begin paying very close attention to them because they are of the utmost importance in our life of faith. Our hearts and minds control our thoughts, emotions and beliefs, and thus greatly influence the paths we choose, while our words declare what’s in our hearts and minds.
 
Remember too that words contain unimaginable power. So much so, that God used them to create the universe and all therein, as described in Genesis chapters 1 and 2.
 
And don’t forget either these wise and truthful words of Jesus: ‘Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.’ (Matt.15:11)  Therefore let’s pay close attention to our words, for they can either make or break us.
 
More on this Bit tomorrow, God willing. Till then, may the Lord bless and keep us safely ensconced under the LOVING protection of His mighty wings, give us His wonderful peace and fill our hearts with His unconditional, eternal LOVE!  Much much LOVE to all you, my fellow believers in Christ!
 
…oh what joy and gratitude enriches our souls…when Jesus is the Master of our lives…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 January 2012 Titus 2:1

22 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , ,

Titus 2:1.    But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine.

Oh Friends, another week and January will be over. Can you believe it? This new year of 2012 is certainly moving along at a fast clip. That means we don’t have time to laze about or fool around, we have to get ourselves together asap, get our spirits properly aligned with that of Christ, so that we can work seriously and diligently on His behalf. And one of the ways we need to do that is through our general behaviour, especially in our domestic or home lives. As Bruh Paul wrote to his protégé Titus in our Bit, after leaving him on the island of Crete to establish and then nourish the churches: ‘But speak thou the things which become (are proper for) sound doctrine.’ Yes Friends, as the old folks constantly drilled in our ears and tried to instil in our hearts and minds: ‘charity (LOVE) begins at home.’ You can’t expect to go outside and preach Jesus, while at home you’re heartily entertaining Lucifer. We must first hone our Jesus skills at home before we go abroad with them. Consequently, Bruh Paul outlined to Titus: ‘That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.’ (Titus 2:2) That’s right my people, elderly men in the church ought to be sensible, as well as not drunkards, in the common use of the word sober, reverent and dignified too, not forgetting thoughtful and prudent, having a strong and healthy faith, also a strong LOVE walk, and be very steadfast and persevering. Wow! A lot’s sure expected of us Friends. In other words, we elderly men should lead by example, be pillars of godliness to the younger men. The same goes for the older women: ‘The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things.’ (Titus 2:3) They too should show godly behaviour, not be slanderers and gossip-mongers, or winebibbers, having the moral fortitude to teach others the right way. ‘That they may teach (admonish) the young women to be sober, to LOVE their husbands, to LOVE their children, To be discreet (modest and decent), chaste (sexually pure), keepers at home (homemakers not idle), good, obedient (submissive) to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.’ (Titus 2:4-5) That’s how older men and women ought to behave, teaching the young both by example and words. Unfortunately a lot of us do neither, while some say the words, but they’re totally opposite, at odds with the example they show in their lives. This particular verse where Bruh Paul tells Titus: ‘Young men likewise exhort to be soberminded,’ (Titus 2:6) is one that many of us flunk. Why? Because in many instances we’re afraid to talk to the proud, egotistic, worldly young men of today for fear of undesirable repercussions. It’s not like when we were growing up, where you could admonish a stranger for inappropriate behaviour and get away with it. Not in today’s lawless and ruthless society, for you can quite easily come to verbal abuse and even physical harm by talking to a young person you know, much less one you don’t know. Consequently, the gangs and other non-law abiding groups are causing many of us to live in fear, because if we criticize their behaviour they are liable to retaliate violently. But that doesn’t mean we have to stop trying, we just have to be more judicious about how we reprimand them. Then Bruh Paul further exhorts Titus: ‘In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness (integrity), gravity (reverence), sincerity (incorruptibility), Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part (an opponent) may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.’ (Titus 2:7-8) Ah Friends, like most things in this confused, strife-torn world, that directive is easier said than done. But as followers of Jesus that’s what is expected of us. Remember Jesus has high hopes and expectations of excellence from us, and though we’ll make mistakes along the way, with His help, we can certainly improve. However, we have to take the whole thing seriously, make a conscious decision to do it, then work diligently at it. This unfortunate contradiction between our words and our behaviour is what turns others off of believers. That’s why Jesus so often lambasted the scribes and Pharisees of His day, calling them hypocrites, because their pompous, highfalutin talk didn’t match their walk. Oh my people, please, I implore us, let’s not allow that to be said of us – at least not after today. (smile) Let us try our very best to bring the basic elements of Christianity to the forefront in all aspects of our lives, so that Jesus will be worthily glorified and His wonderful kingdom furthered. Much LOVE!…how can we call ourselves followers of Jesus…and not walk the way He walked…