Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 June 2016 Psalm 40:4

26 Jun 2016 Leave a comment

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

  Psalm 40:4.   Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Well my beautiful fellow believers in Jesus Christ, it’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day, a day that’s supposed to be filled with even more praise and worship than usual!  So let’s begin the proceedings by exuding praise in the form of the hymn we all know and LOVE: ‘My Hope is Built on Nothing Less.’ 

Let’s raise our loud and harmonious voices to heaven with sincere, heartfelt praise: ‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.  (Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.) 

When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace; in every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil. [Refrain] His oath, his covenant, his blood, support me in the whelming flood; when all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay. [Refrain] 

When he shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in him be found, dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain] On Christ, the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.’ 

And that my people is the gospel truth of all gospel truths! (smile) But seriously though, if you’re not standing on the solid rock that’s our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, then sadly and unfortunately you’re standing on sinking sand; sand that will sink and or wash away at the slightest rain or earth tremor! 

The only thing that can withstand the forces of man and nature is the rock that’s Christ! So please friends, let’s err on the side of caution and wisdom and make sure that we’re all standing on that solid rock that’s Christ nuh, so our foundation will be immovable. 

Now let’s check out this ‘Trini Quote of De Day,’ from mih Trini friend. ‘If yuh don’t pay de worker, he will pay himself.’ A wise caution to someone who has hired/planning to hire a worker/s to pay an honest wage; if not, the worker/s may take their just payment or even more. Have a great 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.’ 

Yes mih breddren, more wisdom and indisputable truth! And don’t get too comfortable, thinking that you’ve heard all the wisdom and truth for the day, because you haven’t. (smile) Listen to our Bit and learn. ‘Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ 

Wow mih people, can you handle so much truth and wisdom in one sitting? Of course you can, because you’re Christians, true believers in Jesus Christ, and with Him supporting us, we can handle anything! 

And for those of you who read ‘Our Daily Bread Devotional,’ you’ll realize that yesterday’s devotion sparked today’s Bit; the same psalm they read from, and the same hymn they noted. But the Bit’s different, as you can see. (smile) And to further prove it, let’s delve into some other scriptures that corroborate our Bit. 

Hear these words of wisdom and warning from Psalm 2 – Why do the heathen rage. ‘Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 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.2:10-12)  

Oh friends, what more can I say to that eh? Nothing really, except to add that the writing of that Psalm is attributed to Bruh David in Acts 4:25.  Now you know. (smile) 

And if you don’t believe Bruh David, then listen to the sons of Korah from Psalm 84 – Blessed are they that dwell in thy house. ‘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) 

Ah mih people, we’ve been mostly concerning ourselves with the part of the Bit that talks about trusting God, but there are also two other parts, not respecting the proud and haughty and arrogant, as well as one who indulges in lies. 

Cousin Sol puts it nicely in Proverbs, as three of the seven things that are abominations to our God: ‘A proud look (haughty eyes), a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood.’ (Prov.6:17) And that’s no lie! (smile) 

And to shed more light on God’s character, here’s what Moses says in the Book of Numbers. ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good.’ (Num.23:17)  Yes friends, God is truth, therefore He cannot lie! But with mankind it’s certainly a different story.  

Now listen to Bruh Paul’s advice on the subject to the Colossians. ‘Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.’ (Col.3:9-10) 

And the scholars explain those verses thus: ‘3:9. Seeing means “since.” The old man is all that a person was prior to salvation: his worldly thinking and sinful acts. Since all this was renounced at conversion, one should lie not. Falsehood ill becomes a person claiming to be a disciple of Him who said, “I am the…truth.”  

‘3:10. The new man is the person one becomes after conversion: he possesses a new nature, values, aspirations, and a new life-style. This “new man” is constantly being renewed or developed until he attains a mature knowledge of the God who (re) created him. The more a believer knows and understands of God, the more he will be like God in character and conduct.’ 

And what better way to end than on that note my people. So please, until we meet again, God willing, please ponder all that we’ve said to day, and go safely to LOVE and serve the Lord! Much LOVE!

…one can’t become Christ-like…unless one knows about Christ…and then acts Christ-like…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 May 2014 Luke 21:19

18 May 2014 Leave a comment

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

Luke 21:19.        In your patience possess ye your souls.

Oh Friends, oh Friends, on this Sunday morning in the middle of May, in a season we call spring time, when nature is refreshed and rejuvenated with new life and colour, please, oh please, let’s be eternally grateful and give loads of thanks for the fairly free society in which we live!
 
Once upon a time it was mostly a community based on the Christian faith, but in recent times it has morphed into one of many different, diverse faiths and cultures. However, we are still free to worship and believe in whom or what we choose. Unfortunately though, this is not the case for millions of our Christian brothers and sisters in many places around the world, who live under heinous authoritarian religious regimes.
 
Today I want to highlight the unfortunate plight of one such sister. The newspapers recently reported the awful situation of a 26 year old, eighth months pregnant Sudanese woman, who married a Christian man, and for that she was sentenced to death. Steups! And as always, it’s the women and children who suffer the most.
 
As the hypocritical patriarchal Muslim society in Sudan would have it, it’s okay for a Muslim man to marry outside of his faith, and the children must by law adopt the father’s religion. Chuh! However that largesse of faith does not apply to Muslim women. This unfortunate young woman was convicted of ‘apostasy’ because she refused to renounce her Christian faith. Glory Be!
 
She is paying though a rather hefty price for that refusal since the Sudanese penal code declares that Muslims converting to any other faith is a crime punishable by death. But it doesn’t seem that the young woman was ever Muslim, for although her father, a Muslim, married and Ethiopian Orthodox Christian and the law states that such children must adopt the father’s faith, her mother raised her as a Christian after the father left them.
 
Now she languishes in some sordid jail with her 18 month old son and her unborn child, awaiting her unfair fate. To make matters even more ridiculous and hypocritical, it seems that the court also ordered the young woman to receive a hundred (100) lashes. Why? For having what they considered sexual relations with her husband, a Christian from the new country of South Sudan, which is mostly Christian.
 
Ah Friends, I don’t even want to consider the hypocrisy, because it just makes me so angry that I tend to forget the LOVING-kindness principles of Jesus and desire revenge, or I should say justice (smile) in my heart. Oh I know that we Christians can be very hypocritical too, but hopefully not to that extent.
 
Let’s hope that an appeal is successfully lodged on the young woman’s behalf in the not too distant future. And to help right that wrongful situation, let’s all offer up some heartfelt prayers for her and the millions of other Christians around the world, who are suffering oppression, suppression and loads of injustice, simply because of their sensible and right thinking belief, faith, and trust in Jesus Christ, and the One and Only True and Living Deity, Jehovah God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! 
 
My fellow believers, please believe that there is indeed a very real, a very serious and a very deadly spiritual war that’s currently taking place, and we are at the forefront of it. Thus we need to be on our p’s and q’s; ever-ready to resist and fight back against the evil powers that now control this ungodly world.
 
What Jesus prophesied so long ago, as we saw in yesterday’s scriptures, is now coming to pass. ‘But before all these (signs), they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And it shall turn to you (be an occasion) for a testimony.’ (Luke 21:12-13)
 
Furthermore ‘And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers (authorities), take ye no thought (do not worry about) how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say. For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.’ (Luke 12:11-12)
 
It’s not going to be easy my people, but if we stand strong, steadfast and immovable on the promises of our wonderful Saviour, then we will eventually be victorious. Listen to this awesome promise of God’s Son. ‘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)
 
And that’s the gospel truth Friends! Jesus has indeed overcome the world. He’s conquered sin, death and the grave with His Easter Resurrection. So let’s take comfort, derive lasting peace from it, and show the world that we are stronger than anything they can throw at us, because we have the awesome power of the Holy Spirit of Jesus working in, for, and through us!
 
Note though, that despite all our assurances, we can’t afford to let down our guard for even one moment, because the evil one is lurking around, looking for even a toehold in our spiritual armour. But we do need to be patient and persevering as Jesus advises in our Bit. ‘In your patience possess ye your souls.’
 
Yes Friends, if we remain faithful, don’t give up, and keep pressing on, regardless of our adversity, then we shall indeed see ALL the promises of Jesus come to joyful fruition, and His church will be victorious!
 
So today, my fellow believers, let’s all flock to God’s house with joyful souls nuh, to pray, worship and give thanks for our many blessings and freedoms. For that is indeed the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
 
 …the powers of evil and darkness…are no match whatsoever…for those of LOVE and goodness…found in the brilliant light of the world…our Lord and Saviour…Jesus Christ…
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 November 2013 Psalm 118:24

07 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 118:24.     This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Aye mih people! What’s cooking this glorious new morn in the fall of November 2013? I hope it’s all good. But just in case it isn’t, please don’t panic, just get yourself to rest quietly in God, and He will most definitely see you through.

Now it might not be right away, or in a manner that you like, but remember He’s smarter than us and has plans for us which include a myriad of testing. And if we pass those tests, then He’ll most certainly uplift us. Wow! That wasn’t how the rough draft went nuh, but that’s how the Spirit orchestrated the final copy. (smile)

Now let’s briefly touch on a shootout in East Detroit yesterday, where apparently two cars pulled up in front a barber shop, a known gambling den, and opened fire, reminiscent of the days of similar shootouts in the Wild Wild West. Two people in the barbershop were killed and nine others were wounded. Ah Lord eh!

And as you can see, we’re slowly but surely moving up the ladder, from one person shooting, to several involved in the gunfire. I’m not going to get into it though, just ask that we pray faithfully, diligently and constantly that the nonsense will soon come to an end, because until then, we’re all potential victims and targets. Nuff said.

And to dissipate that negativity, let’s hear an intriguing and interesting poem from Gramps Schuller (Robert H. Schuller), taken from his Hour of Power Devotional.

And this poem is titled: ‘Learn to Know God – Dear Jesus, I’ve got to get to know you better: Please help me! I can feel my spiritual and emotional walls crack. I can hear old chains break. I can feel my heart opening like a heavy door whose ancient seals have just begun to break.

I can sense the footsteps of Jesus walking into my life. I am beginning to experience the joy of a soul that is being saved, a life that is being born again. Thank You, Lord! Life’s not fair, but God is good. Amen.’

Yes Friends, I’m sure we can all hear those old chains breaking, our hearts opening, and sense Jesus coming more fully into our lives, which consequently are now seemingly being reborn and filled with the joy of His presence. Mama Mia!

And all the true followers of Jesus declared a mighty shout of: ‘Thank You Jesus! Thank You for saving us, and reconciling us to the Father! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name!’

Oh mih people, that’s exactly how we ought to move! And today I was moved to make it and Affirmation Day; one just filled with li’l bits of scripture that we can raise up from the depths of our souls and use whenever the need for strength, hope, faith and fortitude arises.

And as you can see, our Bit: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it,’ is certainly one of those affirmations that we can affirm everyday, especially when we first arise from sleep. It truly sets the right tone for our day; rejoicing in the fact that the Lord has granted us another day on Planet Earth.

It might be rough down here, but I doubt that many of us are yet ready to give it up for heaven’s golden aisles and pathways. (smile) And to increase that rejoicing factor, let’s move on to Nehemiah, where he sincerely reminds us that ‘the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh.8:10)

Now that’s undeniable truth my brethren! For you’ll notice that 99.9 % of the time, if you’re not filled with the Lord’s strength, you’re usually miserable and feeble-minded. That’s because God’s Spirit is not working properly in us.

So let’s turn now to those famous Lamentations of poor, ole Jeremiah, and check out where he confidently declares, even in the midst of his lamenting: ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.’ (Lam.3:24)

Bingo my brethren! That strikes right at the heart of our fear and joy! Hoping in the wonderful and mighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the BEST thing, the BEST attitude a human being can ever adopt! For remember, He’s our Creator, Controller and Provider, the one who gives us the power to get wealth and prosperity in this earthly life, provided we are obedient to His dictates. (Josh.1:8-9)

Now here is another big one Friends, one of the biggest and most important, from the wise pen of Cousin Sol, where he confidently proclaims: ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov.1:7)

Ah mih people, without that understanding and knowledge of God we’re really powerless to do anything, because all things in His universe begin and end with Him. Remember too Jesus’ words to the disciples, re the vine and the branches: ‘for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5b) Words of awesome truth people!

And as Bruh Paul also told the Philippians: ‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of (according to) his good pleasure.’ (Phil.2:13) Yes Friends, it is God working in us the desire to do His will and also the actual accomplishment of His purpose.

But then Bruh Paul warns them that to truly accomplish God’s will and purpose, they needed to ‘Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings.’ (Phil.2:14)

That means, my fellow believers, no grumbling or complaining about our difficulties and trials, which will invariably come upon us when we do God’s will, and above all, quarrelling amongst ourselves is strictly prohibited.

Hn! Bruh Paul’s head must be sadly shaking up in heaven everyday as he beholds the terrible murmurings, disputings, divisions and futile, petty quarrelling that daily engulfs Christ’s church.

And now we’ll close with one more affirmation from Jeremiah’s Lamentations. ‘It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam.3:26)

Oh Friends, that’s the indisputable, unchallengeable, undeniable, gospel truth! So despite our troubles and the grief in our souls, please, let’s promise ourselves to wait patiently on the Lord, with hope in His salvation, quietly rejoicing, for He is indeed faithful that promised. Much LOVE!

…it is overwhelming combination of…hope…faith…joy…mercy…forgiveness…promises… and unconditional LOVE…from a most faithful God…that keeps a Christian…strong and immovable…