Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 January 2019 Matthew 22:37-38.

29 Jan 2019 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 22:37-38.   ​Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.

 

‘Winterlicious winter…lots of cold and snow. Winterlicious winter…why don’t you go…back to where you came from and leave us all alone eh?’ Now that’s a question that many of us in my area will be asking this morning as they struggle through the mucho snow left by the major snowstorm yesterday. 

I remember looking out the window after lunch yesterday and there was just the residue from the day before, but by mid afternoon when I looked out again, it was all white, and the flimsy flakes were falling down from heaven like rain! Hn! Hn! But that’s what winter is all about. 

We thought we were getting a nice, snow free winter, but that was just a fantasy, a figment of our imagination. As the repairman in the ad used to say: ‘You can pay me now, or pay me later.’ It’s the same thing with the snow, we can get it early or late, or even in between, but we will get it. End of story! 

Now having said, that here is something to counteract the negative concerns. It’s a quote from Gordon W. Allport (1867-1967) a pioneering American psychologist and Harvard professor. It’s said that ‘He rejected two of the dominant schools of thought in psychology at the time, psychoanalysis and behaviorism, in favor of his own approach that stressed the importance of individual differences and situational variables.’ 

Consequently, he was able to come up with this gem: ‘LOVE received and LOVE given comprise the best form of therapy.’ Mama Mia! What awesome words of wisdom! Friends, there’s nothing better in this land of the living than giving and receiving LOVE! That’s because it’s the greatest emotion in the world, the supreme attribute of our great God, and the one that caused Him to send His Son to die on the cross for us at Calvary to pay our sin debt in full! Glory Be! 

So how could it be anything but great eh, since its effects are ever so wonderful? I know many of us, including believers, shrug off or shirk away from LOVE because we’re afraid of the hurt it can bring and the vulnerability that it imposes on our souls. But just think for a moment, if our heavenly Father had thought about the hurt it would bring Him, do you think He would have sent His Son to die for a bunch of miserable, ungrateful sinners? Definitely not! 

And think again, if Jesus had considered the severe pain and vulnerability His LOVE for the Father and us would bring Him, He would have willingly gone to the cross on our behalf? No way Jose! That’s why, as believers in and followers of Jesus, we ought to embrace that wonderful attribute of LOVE as our watchword and guiding light! 

Remember Jesus’ answer to the hypocrite Pharisee lawyer who tried to trick Him by asking: ‘Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.’ (Matt.22:36-38)

Yes friends, LOVE for God should be…no not should be, but IS our number One priority in this fallen world! And it’s not like the Pharisee didn’t know that, because all Jesus was doing there was quoting from the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 6:5. The foolish Pharisee even got more than he bargained for, because Jesus continued: ‘And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thy self. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:39-40) 

Oh my people, my people, from day one, when the Lord made us, it was all about LOVE! And when He sent Jesus to save us, it was still all about LOVE! And when Jesus comes a second time, to take us home to heaven with Him, it will still be all about LOVE! Some of us claim to abide by the first commandment, LOVE for God, but can’t get our heads around the second; LOVING our neighbours as ourselves. 

But friends, we can’t have one without the other. For as John so rightly says: ‘If a man say, I LOVE God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that LOVETH not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he LOVE God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who LOVETH God LOVE his brother also.’ (1 John 4:20-21) 

That’s as plain as night and day my brethren! Yet we foolishly try to have one without the other. Perhaps it’s because we DON’T LOVE OURSELVES, that we can’t LOVE our brothers! That’s something for us to check up on as soon as possible, because that might just be what’s hindering our LOVE walk. 

Oh friends, Jesus’ teaching was ALL based on LOVE and so should our lives ALL be based on it. Listen to this heart-opening directive as He wound down His earthly ministry. ‘A new commandment I give unto you. That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) 

Yuh see that friends, the distinctive recognition of our discipleship on Christ’s behalf must be that mankind sees our LOVE for each other! And I won’t even get into a discussion on whether we’re showing that distinctive difference, because we all know that we’re not showing it as much as we ought to. But yuh know what friends, come the judgement day, we’ll each have to answer as to why we did not keep that commandment. So nuff said! 

Let’s go home now declaring (got it right) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are – even though we’re not as good as we ought to be. (smile) As one voice, in all sincerity and truth: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen!’ 

And if we are sincere about that, then let’s indeed go out and spread the friendship and LOVE of Jesus with the world! Much LOVE!

…it’s so sad…that the evil emotion of hate…is so much easier to come by in this world…than the godly attribute of…LOVE…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 August 2013 Psalm 116:1

13 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 116:1.    I LOVE the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
 
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella shame! Why? Because the end of this month marks the second anniversary of my mother Molly’s death, and yesterday was the first time I went to look for her in her new resting place.
 
And though I have lots of excuses – like the weather, the distance, the traffic, work, and general busyness, I believe the most prominent reasons were truly laziness, forgetfulness and a lack of sufficient commitment.
 
What a crying shame! Yes, I certainly agree. But yesterday with the urging of the Spirit, I decided it was definitely the day I would do my long postponed sonly duty. And as the Lord would have it, everything worked out perfectly. I had a couple of errands to run in Toronto, and since I was finished by midday, I just headed north on the Don Valley and on to the 404.
 
And strangely enough, in death, as well as in life, the only real guilt I feel over my mother is not visiting her as often as I believe I should have. But not to worry Friends, though the ole girl obviously wasn’t thrilled by my long absence, she understood that the son she bore so long ago was merely human and thus liable to possess many faults and frailties, and she readily forgave me. Praise the Lord!
 
But that’s the kind of person she was. And in my opinion, sometimes too willing to forgive, as we’ve had arguments over the years, when people close to her did her wrong, and she didn’t make a big fuss over it.
 
Anyway, we had a good visit, as I stood over her gravestone in the cool of the cloudy afternoon, surrounded by the well-manicured lawns of the cemetery.
 
And on an aside, the difference between cemeteries here and those in the West Indies have always fascinated me. In the West Indies you wouldn’t be caught dead (smile) in a graveyard just chatting or admiring the scenery, because we have a certain amount of fear or dread attached to it back there and they’re not as well kept.
 
But here the cemeteries are some of the most beautiful and well kept places on God’s earth, and it’s very easy and comfortable to even just walk through them.
 
But getting back to my visit. Mols and I chatted about the current happenings in my family’s life, and we also reminisced about bygone days, when it was just the two of us against the world. And believe me, there were some rough times.
 
And as luck would have it, I met a lady at the Calypso show last weekend who remembered me from one of those tough times, when we lived downstairs of her aunt out in Bacolet. But the wonderful thing about Mols is that I never heard her complain. It was always my well-being that drove her wagon train.
 
Yuh know, I thought I’d cry when I went to visit her, but funnily enough, the opposite happened, we did a lot of laughing. That should not have surprised me though, because from my earliest recollections she was always a cheerful person.
 
We visited for somewhere between twenty minutes and half an hour, during which time we prayed the prayer of St. Francis, as we always did when she was alive. Then she blessed me, and I sincerely promised not to let so much time go by before I visited her again.
 
I also promised to try and walk in such a way as to not besmirch her good name, basically fulfilling the words engraved on her tombstone. ‘To truly follow Christ, One must walk, talk, live and LOVE good – as she did.’
 
And that’s the gospel truth Friends! Though she was not one of those holier than thou persons, she did live as Christ-like a life as most of us will ever do.
 
So okay Mols baby, Sonny boy has done his mea culpa’s, and his conscience has been assuaged, cleansed, (smile) time to turn to our Bit now. ‘I LOVE the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.’
 
And that my brethren is the usual and normal reaction of most human beings; to LOVE and cherish those who help them. But sadly in this evil world, there are many whose selfishness and greed propel them to take advantage of those who treat them good. Steups! That just reminds me of one such situation my mother encountered when we lived out in Bacolet.
 
Anyway, the psalmist continues: ‘Because he hath inclined his ear unto (listened to) me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. The sorrows of death compassed (surrounded) me, and the pains (distress) of hell gat hold upon (took hold of) me. I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
 
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped (saved) me. Return unto thy rest; O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps.116:2-9)
 
Yes my people, that is indeed the nature of our magnificent God! The souls of those who continually seek Him and call upon His most worthy name will be delivered from persecution and even from death.
 
Bruh David recognized that fact from young and made it his habit to live for the Lord. Thus he was later able to declare in Psalm 18: ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).’ (Ps.18:1-2) 
 
Oh Friends, those are extremely strong and passionate words! But if you are a believer, then they ought to be also true of you! And just supposing they are, meaning that you have received mercies and blessing from Almighty God, how can we thank and honour Him for those oftimes undeserving benefits eh?
 
As the psalmist confidently declares: ‘What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.’ (Ps.116:12-14)
 
Yes Friends, the only proper way to thank our wonderful God is to live a life that honours Him, and spread His Word and His LOVING-kindness to all we meet. And if at all possible, shout your LOVE for Him from the rooftops, so that the whole world can hear you! (smile)
 
Now that’s not only wisdom, but courage, faith and trust! Much LOVE!
 
…the challenge of our earthly existence…to truly LOVE our God…sincerely LIVE our Faith…and zealously SPREAD His Word…
 
P.S. It’s a bit long and a bit late, but the important thing is that it comes from the heart. Much LOVE!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 January 2013 Psalm 142:3

11 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 142:3.     When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.

Well hello there you wonderful children of the Most High God Jehovah! I’m wishing you a bright and bountiful day as I acquaint you with the important fact that today is Friday. (smile) And immediately joyful shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ rise up to heaven on high, bringing with it a most welcome sensation of peace and satisfaction that for two whole, big, long days, there will be no work to get up and go to in the outside world. Yes Friends, the weekend is upon us, which means we have to chant our Friday Chant. So as one faithful, hopeful, believing body now, let’s chant up a storm, even louder and more intense than the emotion we showed in rejoicing that it’s Friday. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Ah mih people, that is just to ensure that we don’t get too carried away by the freedom of the weekend, that we keep it in the right perspective and stay on the straight and narrow path, rather than rush off to the dangerous broad highway, that Lucifer tempts us to take. Freedom is great, but like everything else, a price has to be paid for it, in this case, one of spiritual responsibility. And as I turned my attention to our Bit, I realized that it is very appropriate, relative to what we were just saying. ‘When my spirit was overwhelmed (fainted) within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily (secretly) laid a snare for me.’  This comes from one of Bruh David’s contemplations, when he was hiding in a cave from his enemies, who were doggedly pursuing him. The scholars claim that cave could either be the one of Adullam (1 Sam.22:1-2) or that in Engedi (1 Sam.24:1-7) where he had opportunity to kill his major nemesis Saul, but rightly refused to lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. Now Friends, the first thing I want us to note in our Bit is Bruh David’s surety, the confidence with which he utters that first sentence. ‘When my spirit was overwhelmed (fainted) within me, then thou knewest my path.’ Yes my people, when our enemies come so forcefully against us, have us betwixt a rock and a hard place, and our spirits are so low that we’re liable to faint from the pressure, don’t worry, the Lord knows what we’re going through. This reminds us of the words of the psalmist, Asaph. ‘In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran (my hand was stretched out) in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.  Selah.’ (Ps.77:2-3) Oh my brethren, ponder on that for a moment nuh. Yes, sometimes it does get pretty rough out there in the trenches of our evil world, especially when our enemies lay secret traps for us. And we often feel like Bruh David did: ‘I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know (acknowledge) me: refuge failed me: no man cared for my soul.’ (Ps.142:4) Now that’s a very disturbing and frightening situation Friends! But when we do feel like no one cares, that we have no place of refuge on this earth, please don’t give in to the despair, for though the children of men might be against us, always remember that our great God has us in His sights and under His protective umbrella. As Bruh Paul said centuries later: ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Rom.8:31) And we all know the answer to that – NOBODY! However, Bruh David knew the underlying principle, since he had lived it for most of his life. Consequently, ‘I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend (give heed) unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.’ (Ps.142:5-6) Oh my people, I am sure right now some of you are facing some real rough times and feel like Bruh David felt, so don’t be afraid or ashamed to also cry out to our LOVING, merciful God, like he did. That’s exactly what the Lord expects us to do in times of need. Yes my brethren, whenever our spirits are spiralling downwards, pressured by the trials and tribulations of this earthly life, it is certainly no disgrace to cry out to the Almighty, to the One who is stronger than us, for even Jesus did it in His times of sorrow. Like Bruh David, we can also plead: ‘Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about (surround me); for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.’ (Ps.142:7) And that Friends, we know is an undisputable fact! When we cry out to God in true faith and sincerity, He will lift us from the mire, deal bountifully with us and cause us to be surrounded by the righteous of the earth, because that will cause us to praise and glorify Him. And we all know that there’s nothing our heavenly Father likes more than us praising and glorifying Him with sincere hearts. In fact that’s one of the major reasons He created us. So please my people, whenever we’re being mercilessly pummelled by our enemies, as all of us are at sometime or other, let’s remember that the omnipotent Creator of this universe is our sure refuge, and let’s cry out in faith to Him, let Him hear our pain and desperation ringing out loud, so that He can take appropriate action and draw us closer to Him. Much LOVE!…when we’re drowning in the quicksand of life…and there’s no help from mortal man…look to heaven…the mighty spiritual hand of God will save us…He’s faithfully promised that…