The Overwhelming Importance of Believers Counting Their Blessings and not Their Troubles!

25 May 2025 Leave a comment

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

1 Thessalonians 5:18.       In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

And another of God’s Day, the Sabbath, has rolled around, with fellowship, praise and thanksgiving the order of the day as God long ago ordained it in the Ten Commandments. ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. But the seventh is the sabbath of the Lord thy God.: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, not thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made the heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.’ (Ex. 20:8-11) 

So you see that the Sabbath Day is important to God, and should also be important to us. But what exactly is the Sabbath Day? This commentary explains it thus: ‘The Sabbath is a weekly day of rest, observed by many religious groups, including Judaism and certain Christian denominations. It is traditionally observed on the seventh day of the week, from sundown Friday to nightfall Saturday in the Jewish calendar. For many Christians, Sunday is the Sabbath, a day of rest and worship commemorating the resurrection of Jesus. The Sabbath is a time to cease work, reflect, and engage in religious practices.’  

And that’s exactly why we’re gathering in God’s sanctuary this Sunday morning; to reflect and engage in religious practices like prayer and worship. So let’s begin our worship with this wonderful and oh so appropriate song, especially for these trying and troubled times, we’re now experiencing. It’s simply titled, ‘Count Your Blessings!’ It was written by American born Johnson Oatman Jr. (1856-1922), a businessman as well as an ordained local preacher. He’s reputedly written over three thousand hymns, and no gospel song book is considered as being complete unless it contains some of his hymns. That ought to be true if he’s written so many. 

But before we get to singing the song, let’s take a moment to explain what’s meant by counting our blessings. It’s basically being grateful, being thankful for the good things in our lives, and when we do that, it often stops us from becoming too unhappy about the bad things. Now let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise to Almighty God in an up-tempo, scintillating, truly heartfelt version of the song, leaving no doubt that we’re indeed most thankful for our many blessings, so many of them undeserved. 

Singing: When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. (Refrain: Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your blessings, see what God hath done; Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.) Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, ev’ry doubt will fly, And you will be singing as the days go by. [Refrain] 

When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold; Count your many blessings, money cannot buy Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high. [Refrain] So, amid the conflict, whether great or small, Do not be discouraged, God is over all; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end. [Refrain] 2.’ 

And that was an awesome rendition of the song encompassing ever so true sentiments and words my people! There could be no doubt whatsoever about out thankfulness for the many blessings our wonderful God has bestowed on us down through the years, and will continue doing, if we stay faithful and true to Him. And we cannot find a better verse in the Bible that describes this song than these words of Bruh David from Psalm 40 – Praise for God’s Deliverance. He writes: ‘Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up (recounted) in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.’ (Ps. 40:5) 

Now that’s the gospel truth my brethren! We can never count the numerous blessings that our generous God has bestowed on us. But we do need to keep as many of them as possible in mind so that we can remember His faithfulness, especially in hard times. And I like what this commentary from the Godtube website says on the subject. ‘God truly gives us so many blessings each and every single day. Some may even be so small that we might overlook them. The classic hymn ‘Count Your Blessings’ truly reminds us to stop and give thanks for all God has done in our lives. This is definitely a pause we all need to take. Amen.’ 

And that we surely need to do every so often friends! For it’s in keeping with Bruh Paul’s wise advice to the Thessalonians: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) And there can be no better advice than that, because Christians ought to be the most joyful people on the planet, seeing that we have Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, the giver of salvation and eternal life, the most important things in the universe! 

However, too many of us supposed believers go around like we’re constantly sucking a sour lemon, like if we have all the troubles of the world on our shoulders, but Jesus has already taken care of that. He bore ALL of our sins on the cross of Calvary, so there’s nothing left for us to worry about, but to live in joy and peace for and with Him. And as this commentary so wisely advises us: ‘If you always find yourself numbering your troubles, you will never find time for counting your blessings. There is no use becoming frustrated in your difficulties while you have all opportunities hiding in them for a turnover.’ 

And yuh know the sad part that situation my people, is if we truly sit down and count our blessings, we’ll find that they outweigh our troubles…and by plenty too. So let’s stop being grumpy and miserable when troubles come against us nuh. The Lord’s promised to eventually work everything out for our good. (Rom. 8:28) And if truly believe that, then we can sincerely live like Bruh Paul says to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in EVERY THING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) 

And that’s a marvellous scripture to go home to today, my fellow believers! Much LOVE!

…our world is overflowing with disaster…but in Jesus…believers have the wherewithal to handle it…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 March 2024 Exodus 20:8-9.

04 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

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

Exodus 20:8-9.       Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work:

Here it is again friends, Monday, the first day of our work week! The day that so many of us so wrongly blaspheme, putting all our problems on it, like the Father placed all our sins on the sinless shoulders of Jesus. But poor Monday gets a bad rap just because it’s the day we return to work after a short and pleasurable weekend. Unfortunately, whatever we call the first day of the work week, it would no doubt come in for some sort of abuse. (smile) But as we’ve said before Monday ought to be our biggest and best day, because we’re fresh and confident after a couple days of rest, including fellowship with other believers in the Lord’s sanctuary on Sundays. 

That ought to just have us bopping, on our toes, rearing to get out into the crazy world and do our thing for Jesus. But sadly it doesn’t happen that way very often. No. Too many of us are too tired from the overzealous partying on the weekend, and thus our spirits are at a rather low ebb, with work the last thing on our minds. Consequently we get out there on a Monday morning, late, tired, grumpy and in no mood to do a good and full days work, so our work and attitude are not up to scratch, which only reflects poorly on our claim to be this big Christian, this sincere follower of Jesus Christ. And Christianity takes another unnecessary hit! 

Oh my people, one of the reasons we so highly recommend church on Sundays is because of the positive influence it has on our Mondays, and thus on our Christian behaviour. Why do you think the Lord stipulated in the Ten Commandments: ‘Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work…. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.’ (Ex. 20:8-11) 

Yes friends, the Lord in His eternal wisdom knew that our frail human bodies would need rest after working for a whole week, else both our work and our bodies would suffer irreparable damage. But obviously we don’t pay close attention to what the Lord says, figuring that we know best, so we work long unwise hours and days, just to get ahead in this material centred world, then wonder why there’s so much stress and sickness in our lives. And yes, it’s good to have nice things and live a good life, but at what cost? 

Remember NONE of the material things we accumulate will go with us when we depart his earthly life, so why kill ourselves to accumulate them eh? That’s why it’s so much wiser to adhere to Jesus’ timely advice: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19-21) 

And we all know that that’s the gospel truth! Wherever our treasures are stored, there will our hearts be focused. That means if we concentrate on storing up earthly treasures, then our focus will be on earthly things, but if we concentrate on storing up heavenly treasures, then our focus will be heavenward, where in all wisdom it ought to be, since you cannot carry any earthly treasures there with you, and neither do moth and rust corrupt, or thieves break through and steal. And what most of us don’t seem to realize is that when you focus on the Lord God Jehovah, He is also able to enrich you with earthly treasures, as well as heavenly ones. 

Remember what Bruh David declares (chuh!!!) in the opening verse of Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.’ (Ps. 24:1) That means He made the world and thus everything in it belongs to Him and only Him. Thus anything He wants to give to His people He can do it. Yuh see how He enriched Cousin Sol when he ascended the throne of Israel after his father, Bruh David died. Cousin Sol asked for wisdom and understanding to rule his people, but because the Lord was so impressed with his decisions, He also gave Him wealth and wisdom untold, more than any man before or after him! (1 Kin. 3:6-15) 

That just goes to show we don’t have to sell our souls to Satan to get earthly wealth and wisdom, we can also get them from Jehovah God. But even then, we cannot carry the earthly stuff when we depart this earth, that’s why it’s oh so necessary to store up heavenly treasures, so when we get there we’ll have stuff to our name. And with all those words of wisdom under our belts, the most sensible thing to do right now, is to go to the Lord in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for His divine help to do and live like we ought to on this His great earth. 

As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And lest we forget, or didn’t pay serious attention to our prayer; the Lord promised to prosper us if we turned from our evil ways. That means if we expect divine assistance, then we have to get the ball rolling by doing just that! Much LOVE!

…a Christian’s best day should be Monday…not Friday…

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ  

Today’s Scrip-Bit   31 October 2021 Matthew 10:29.

31 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 10:29.     Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing (that’s cheaply)? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father (knowing). 

Sunday morning! Sunday morning has come down my people! That means it’s time for us to congregate in some form and fashion to sing and praise and give thanks to our wonderful God Jehovah on this His day! It’s one of His few commands to His followers: ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.’ (Ex. 20:8) And if we are true and faithful believers and followers, then we will heed His command. (smile) 

So let’s begin the begin, as we always do, with a song of praise. And today’s song is a not so old favourite, only about a hundred and fifteen years old, and it’s titled ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow.’ The words were written in 1905 by Civilla D. Martin with music composed by Charles H. Gabriel. Civilla says the inspiration for the song came from a visit to their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle in Elmira, New York. The wife had been bedridden for almost twenty years, while the husband was an incurable cripple who propelled himself to and from his business in a wheelchair. 

According to Mrs. Martin, despite their serious afflictions, they lived joyful Christian lives, giving inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. This day, while they were visiting, Mr. Martin commented on their sunny dispositions and hopefulness and asked them the secret for it. Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: ‘His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.’ According to Mrs. Martin, ‘The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn ‘His Eye Is on the Sparrow’ was the outcome of that experience.’ 

Now that’s what you call bearing good fruit with our lives my fellow saints! If two afflicted people can be so inspirational, why can’t we who are hale and hearty eh? I guess because most of us don’t have any real problems to navigate to live a reasonably full life, since a lot of what we consider problems are simply minor and petty discomforts. It’s when we have to show what we’re really made of, like the afflicted Doolittle’s, that we can truly separate the men from the mice. 

Anyway, let’s sing the song that gospel stalwarts like Mahalia Jackson and Ethel Waters made famous. Ethel even titled her autobiography after it. Remember, it’s a song of joy, so we need to sing in a soulful, joyful frame of mind. And we will begin with the chorus, which isn’t controversial, because I saw one version where Ethel began with it. (smile) In loud, soulful harmony then, let’s raise our joyful voices in sacrificial praise to heaven. 

‘(Refrain: I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free; For his eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me.) Why should I feel discouraged, Why should the shadows come, Why should my heart be lonely, And long for heav’n and home; When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is he; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me. (Refrain: I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free; For his eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me.) 

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear, And resting on his goodness, I lose my doubts and fears; Though by the path he leadeth, But one step I may see; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me. [Refrain] Whenever I am tempted, Whenever clouds arise; When songs give place to sighing, When hope within me dies, I draw the closer to him, From care he sets me free; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me. [Refrain: I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free; For his eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me… I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free; For his eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me.’ Amen! 

And does our Lord God ever watch over those who put their faith and trust in Him! Of that we can be very sure! It’s said that the theme of this song was inspired by the words of Bruh David and Jesus. So let’s check them out nuh. Bruh David’s words apparently come from Psalm 32 – The blessedness of forgiveness – where he writes of the Lord. ‘I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.’ (Ps. 32:8) And the Lord does that all the time, we just don’t pay attention. 

Turning to Jesus, ALL believers ought to know His words on the subject. (smile) In the Sermon on the Mount, where He talks about trusting one master, to make a point, He tells His listeners: ‘Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?’ (Matt. 6:26) And the answer to that is a resounding YES! If the Lord could look after the lowest of His creations so well, why wouldn’t He look after the best of His creations in much better manner eh? 

And later on in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus gets even more specific. He tells the disciples: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing (that’s cheaply)? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father (knowing). But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.’ (Matt. 10:28-31) 

So friends, after hearing that, why should we be discouraged and fearful eh? If the Lord is that concerned about us to number the very hairs on our heads, then there’s no need for us to worry. He has everything under control. And just a note of warning here, when Jesus spoke of being fearful of the one who can kill both body and soul, He was talking about the Father. 

Oh my people, although our lives might not be the greatest, and we are going through many difficulties, if Jesus is our portion, our constant friend, and He always watches over us, then we need to be joyful and sing, because in Him, we live and have our being, we are free! Please take heart today and don’t let the troubles of this world discourage or defeat you, for Jesus is standing in the wings, carefully watching over you. Much LOVE!

…if the Lord of Creation is watching over you…then there’s no need to fear anything in creation…                                                                                                             

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8                          

Today​’s Scrip-Bit 14 April 2019 Exodus 20:8.

14 Apr 2019 Leave a comment

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

Exodus 20:8.    ​Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
 
Hello there my people, it’s Sunday, the day we set aside for fellowship, praise and thanksgiving in the Lord’s sanctuary. And today is a special Sunday, one we call Palm Sunday, where we celebrate Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, like a king, with the people throwing their clothes and palm branches in the road for Him to ride on and joyfully shouting: ‘Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.’ (Matt.21:9) 

Yes friends on a beautiful Sunday like today, two thousand years ago, they welcomed Jesus as a king and conquering hero, but one week later they were howling like crazy for His blood to be shed on a wooden cross! Hn! That’s the fickleness of ungrateful and unfaithful man! Anyway, we’re not going to get into the Palm Sunday routine today because everyone else is doing it, and here on the Bit we try to be a li’l different from the rest. (smile) 

And as we are wont to do every Sunday, let’s open the proceedings with a song of praise and worship. Today’s ditty is called ‘In the midst of the rain,’ taken from the Bebe Winans album titled ‘In Harm’s Way.’ It’s a beautiful Christian, soulful ballad, so let’s raise our voices in song and do it justice nuh: 

‘Every time I lift my eyes to the sky, I’m reminded of a time in my life, When all the dark clouds hung over me, I was lost inside, in search of a key. I remember LOVED ones being so kind, Saying things would get much better with time. And I admit sometimes they did for a while, And then I’d find myself back under the cloud. 

(Chorus: Right in the midst of the rain, My heart was so full of pain. Jesus, You came and rescued my soul, And then your LOVE took control. Right in the midst of the rain, You caused me to smile again. My life was awesomely changed, Right in the midst of the rain.) 

When it comes right down to just you and me, There’s nothing better now that these eyes can see. And tell me what compares to all that you are? You are everything, yes my morning star! My mind, my heart and soul I now give to you. I’m under your command so what can I do? Cause I surrender all, all that I owe, And will follow wherever you go. (Chorus) 

There will never be another, Cause You’re nothing like the others. This LOVE I find in you, I found to be true! Right in the midst of the rain, My heart was so full of pain. But Jesus, You came and rescued my soul, And then your LOVE took control. Right in the midst of the rain, You caused me to smile again. My life was awesomely changed, Right in the midst of the rain.’ 

Oh friends isn’t that beautiful! The words are marvellous, filled with awesome truth and our sweet, powerful and harmonious voices raised to heaven did it immense justice! All heaven had a tear escaping because of our heartfelt rendition! And how could it not be heartfelt eh, with touching situations like Jesus rescuing our souls right in the midst of a terrible downpour, when we feel so lost and alone? And having done that, then His amazing LOVE simply takes control of our lives and leads us down the right path, the straight and narrow one. 

All power and praise and glory be to out wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the name that’s above every other name, to whom ALL knees will eventually bow! Yes friends, He certainly deserves all the pomp and glory with which we honour Him! 

However, I want to turn our attention to another important subject, one that we don’t seem to keep and revere as we ought to. I’m talking about the observance of the Sabbath. Now that’s always been important to our God, and it still is, but with man’s growing arrogance and prideful ways, the sabbath is constantly being diminished in our lives.

 Hear God’s commandment to the Israelites from the early days, even putting it in the Ten Commandments: ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made the heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.’ (Ex.20:8-11) 

Yuh see friends, God gave us seven days in a week, but we ought to work only six and rest at least one every week, the way He did when He created the universe. I believe the Israelites took it to the extreme, taking every little thing as work, and ranting on Jesus when He healed a woman on the Sabbath. So Jesus had to smarten them up. 

‘The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass (donkey) from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed (put to shame): and all the people (multitude) rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.’ (Luke 13:15-17) 

Yes friends our God is not that strait-laced to expect us to do absolutely nothing on a sabbath! We just should not engage in too much stuff that not’s restful and pertaining to Him. And the scholars offer this explanation of the above verses: ‘13:15-17. Jesus makes His point well. But there remains in every generation the temptation for traditions and programs to take priority over people.’ 

So true that my people! No wonder Jesus had to inform the rulers of His time that ‘The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.’ (Mark 2:27) And as the scholars tell us: ‘2:27-28. Jesus’ reasoning is that divine institutions on earth are to have a God-honouring, noble, and liberating function. Sabbath laws had for some degenerated into a mockery of God’s intent.’ 

And so it also has in our time. But please note that if we honour the Sabbath. ‘Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places (hills) of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ (Is.58:14) That’s God’s promise friends! Much LOVE!

…honour the sabbath…and the Lord will honour you…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 March 2015 Psalm 25:12

15 Mar 2015 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 25:12.       What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.

Well Friends, once again we’ve come around to Sunday; the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day, the day of rest and fellowship, the Sabbath Day?And what does the Good Book say about it: ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Ex.20:8) And that’s otherwise known as the 4th commandment. And what did the Lord do to it? ‘The Lord blessed the Sabbath and hallowed it.’ (Ex,2011b)

Yes my people, the Lord blessed the Sabbath and made it holy, which makes it a special day, one in which we should show bountiful respect and reverence to Almighty God, our Creator and Strong Provider!

And we usually do that by resting, by spending time with our families, as well as congregating to worship and fellowship with other believers in the Lord’s sanctuary, or wherever it’s safe and appropriate. That’s where we get our spiritual batteries recharged and replenished, and our faith, courage and confidence strengthened, so that we can handle another week of work and whatever else comes our way.

And strangely enough, possibly through God’s mysterious workings, I was just reading an article on the Sabbath, and the author was saying that a lot of stuff, of illness that we’re diagnosed with is technically inaccurate, for our basic problem is rest. We don’t rest enough, neither do we observe the Sabbath day as much as the Lord would like us to, that’s why we’re so stressed out, impatient and angry.

And he does have a point, for before almost everything was running 24/7, and we wanted everything now for now, we had time to rest, to fellowship with other believers and to spend fruitful time with our families. We won’t that stressed or impatient – in fact stress wasn’t even a high subject on our radar screens as it is now – because our souls, bodies and spirits had adequate time to rest and be renewed.

I remember when I first came to Canada, some forty odd years ago, nothing much opened on a Sunday and sports events began sometime in the afternoon, so that everybody had a chance to go to church and possibly have family time together.

Unfortunately though, a generation later, all of that has changed. Almost everything now is opened 24/7 and thus we’re too busy or tired to go to church, or even communicate with our immediate families, unless it’s by one of the many new forms of social media.

What a sad state of affairs my brethren! Nowadays, families, or rather households seldom eat or gather together like families. We’ve forgotten the old adage that families that eat and play together, stay together.

Oh Friends, I don’t know how we can successfully get back to reuniting the smallest and most important group of our society, the family. But I do know that if we don’t try and revive it, as well as rest and rejuvenate ourselves properly every week, our society is just going to keep going to hell in a hand basket, as it currently is.

So for all our sakes, I implore us to start getting back to the old meaning of family nuh. Well there really is only one true meaning of family – a LOVING, caring, responsible, energizing, encouraging, tightknit unit of society.

It’s obvious we can’t shut down most of the stuff that’s now open seven days a week, but we can certainly put forward greater efforts to make time to be together, both as blood families and church families, especially on the Sabbath day, so that we can at least keep one of the Lord’s commandments in this evil and ungodly world.

And the good, or rather great thing about it all, is if we do that, then the Lord will teach us what he wants us to learn, as our Bit declares: ‘What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.’ Gospel truth that, Friends! For the Lord will gladly teach His ways to anyone who truly revers and respects Him. Why wouldn’t He eh?

And Bruh David continues after our Bit: ‘His soul shall dwell at ease (in goodness); and his seed (descendants) shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear (reverence) him; and he will show (cause them to know) his covenant.’ (Ps,25:13-14)

That’s simple logic my brethren, for we all behave like that with earthly organizations and earthly leadership, by gladly teaching our ways to those who desire to follow us. And we’ll close with these beautiful sentiments on the subject from Psalm 31, where Bruh David declares his trust in the Lord.

‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence (the secret place) from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord: for he hath showed me his marvelous kindness in a strong city.’ (Ps.31:19-21)

Yes Friends, that’s the kind of awesome protection and help we have to look forward to when we place our faith and trust in Almighty God!

So please let’s show some wisdom by returning to His fold if we have left it, or by simply strengthening our belief in His power, faithfulness and unconditional LOVE for us, so that we can step out in faith and do a better job for Him than we’re currently doing.  That’s truly wisdom from heaven. Much LOVE!

…trust and faith in Jesus don’t come easily…but when they do come…the rewards are wonderful…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 May 2014 Luke 4:16

25 May 2014 Leave a comment

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

Luke  4:16.     And he came to Nazareth. Where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

And then it was Sunday – the first day of the week! Yes Friends, the day that we believers use to get up close, comfortable and personal with our omnipotent, but ever so magnanimous and generous God, by extending much praise and worship to His divine majesty!

Wow! What an awesome privilege! But please note that I said the first day of the WEEK, not the work-week, for they are two different things.

Sunday is the day we prepare ourselves with joyful worship to start a new week on the right foot, in a relaxed atmosphere with other believers, so that when the alarm goes off on Monday morning, the first day of the WORK-WEEK, we’re not tired, miserable and disjointed. We rise with a preparedness, with a high energetic level, which sets the standard for the rest of that day, and also for the rest of the week.

Oh my people, to be ready for whatever Monday brings, we have to start preparing from Sunday. And the best place to begin that preparation is in God’s house, listening to His Word, and bringing down, or rather raising the roof with songs of praise, thanksgiving and worship!

In other words, the best way to greet Monday, is by going to church on Sunday! (smile)  And this behaviour of going to God’s house on the Sabbath day is best exemplified by none other than our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Listen up as our Bit informs us. ‘And he came to Nazareth. Where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.’

Now the overriding words in that sentence my brethren, are, ‘and, as his custom was.’ That tells us that wherever Jesus found Himself on the Sabbath day, He made sure and attended the synagogue to praise and worship with others of His faith.

And remember what the scholars told us recently: ’12:3-4. Though chapter 11 (of Hebrews) provides many champions for believers to emulate, the supreme example of endurance (and all else) is Jesus Himself.’

Consequently, using that undeniable logic, (smile) if Jesus could make sure that He was in His Father’s house on the Sabbath day, then why should we, His ardent and true followers be any different eh mih bredden, when He is our guide and esteemed leader? No reason at all my people!

Our God did not establish His house, His sanctuary, for no good reason. There’s always a legitimate purpose and reason behind anything our heavenly father does. And His house was established as a meeting place for His followers, so that they could glorify Him as one big family.

And as Jesus so rightly declared when He threw out the moneychangers and other business people from the temple: ‘It is written, My house shall be called the House of Prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.’ (Matt.21:13)

Mark also tells us about Jesus’ habitual presence in the synagogue on the Sabbath. ‘And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.’ (Mark 1:21)

But Friends, Jesus wasn’t the only man of faith to make it a regular habit to visit God’s house on the Sabbath. Listen as Acts describes Bruh Paul and Barnabas’ actions at Antioch. ‘But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.’ (Acts 13:14)

Now hear of Bruh Paul in Thessalonica: ‘Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner (custom) was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures.’ (Acts 17:1-2)

Note Friends, the Good Book specifies, ‘as his manner (custom) was.’ And he spent three Sabbaths there reasoning with them on the scriptures.

And though we’ve been talking about the House of God for worship and prayer, a building or a tent, or some physical structure isn’t necessary for prayer and worship, the true criteria is basically wherever God’s people choose to congregate. As Jesus said: ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ (Matt.18:20)

And a good example of that is also found in Acts, where Bruh Paul is in Philippi. ‘And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a riverside, where prayer was won’t to be (customarily) made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither (met there).’ (Acts 16:13)

And the scholars offer this info: ’16:13. Jews often gathered by a riverside on the Sabbath when their community lacked enough Jewish males to establish a synagogue. Since the institution of the synagogue is usually dated with the Exile (as in Ezek.11:16), this practice may also have arisen from Ezekiel (1:1; 3:15).’

So Friends, it’s obvious that gathering to celebrate and worship our God is essential for our wellbeing on at least one day in seven. Now that isn’t too much to ask, is it? If God could rest from His labour of creation on one day to admire His handiwork, then so can we rest on one day to give Him praise and thanks.

So the obvious inference from all of that my people, is that we should get up and go to church today, and if possible, every Sabbath day. For in that rests heavenly wisdom. It’s so good for both the body and the soul! Much LOVE!

…one day…only one day the Lord asks for…to rest and pay special attention to Him…and only Him…therefore…remember the Sabbath day…to keep it holy… (Ex.20:8)