29 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better frame of mind, a closer walk with God, a figment of my imagination, a saline drip, a special kind of comfort, amazing truths from the scriptures, an unexpected medical problem, back home, blessed is the man that trusteth in him, contemplating life, deepen my breath, diplomatic, faith, familiarity, feel closer to our Maker, God's greatest joy, going through hell, his faithfulness unto all generations, his mercy endures for ever, holy spirit, hospitals can be discouraging, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, know you all the more, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mercy, my grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness, no place like Home, O taste and see that the Lord is good, only the Lord knows, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, salvation, seeking intimacy with Him, seeking medical help, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, the earthly paradise, the hellish stuff, the long and short of the story, The Lord is good, the Lord moves in mysterious ways, the peace and calm which emanates from God, the Pitch Lake, therapeutic salt water, to get to paradise, Tobago, trials and tribulations, truth, twenty four hour observation in hospital, well mannered, wisdom, with all sincerity and truth, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me
Psalm 34:8. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
We home my Scrip-Bits family! We back home in good ole Canada! And there’s’ no place like home! Even if you spend time in a palace, when you return to the l’il hovel you call home, you always feel a special kind of comfort, a special familiarity, that brings out a different vibe. Anyway, today is Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday, where we do little or nothing at all! And believe me, today is one day I don’t want to do anything, but I must write the Bit, since I haven’t done so for what…the last three days, because as I said in the last Bit, whenever that was, (smile) I was going through hell to get to paradise in Tobago, which sadly turned out to be just a figment of my imagination.
But before we get into that hellish stuff, which is all behind us now, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, as one voice, with all sincerity and truth. ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And every time we say that prayer, it touches something in me, making me feel somewhat closer to our Maker. And that’s how it ought to be, because what we just asked for is a closer walk with him, increased intimacy. And if you don’t know, or don’t remember, our God’s greatest joy is for us to come seeking intimacy with him, since that was His main purpose in creating us. And now that we have grown closer to our God, and are feeling the peace and calm which emanates from Him, when we ask for it, let’s go back to the hellish stuff we were talking about earlier. (smile)
Well, in the last Bit, I mentioned the tough day in the Pitch Lake in South Trinidad, then having to come back to Port of Spain and go to dinner with some family members, and after that, simply being too tired to write anything. Now, the next morning, Friday, we were up early again, so we could stop off to see my favourite Uncle, Uncle Foster, with whom I lived a wonderful bachelor life back in the day, before heading to the airport, dreaming of some easier time in that earthly paradise called to Tobago.
But unfortunately that was not to be. For after we got settled there on Friday afternoon, the Duchess went off with a couple of friends to get some food, while I waited for a gentleman to bring a rental car for me. And the Lord does move in mysterious ways, because the fella finally showed up in the night when I could not see the car properly, and I almost said leave it until tomorrow, but something told me to take it right then. And it’s a good thing I did, for around nine the next morning, while sipping some coffee, contemplating life on the porch of the villa, looking out at lovely expanse of greenery on a marvellous golf course, that backed on to the villa, the Duchess called me inside and informed me that she had an unexpected medical problem.
Well, hell began again after that. The children came down from their hotel a little ways up the street and began making enquiries about medical help. We finally found a doctor who was willing to see her, and headed out to see him around midday. He, in his medical wisdom decided that she needed to be hospitalized for a twenty four hour period of observation. So we journeyed down to the hospital, which sadly began my journeying back and forth to the hospital. When we got there we sat in the Emerge Dept. for some time, before she was finally admitted to the Triage unit, where apparently they wanted to do some tests, but since she had eaten something shortly before, they had wait some time before doing them.
Oh friends, I don’t know how many times I journeyed back and forth to the hospital, in the rain and in the sun. And would you believe that for two of those days rain fell like crazy. On one day I even had to step into water to get into the car where it was parked at the villa, because the parking spot was flooded. And several times, just like at the pitch lake, especially walking up the hill to the hospital in the broiling sun, I had to ask the Lord for the strength to do it. And He indeed lived up to His Word as He said to Bruh Paul, who had asked Him three times to remove the thorn from his side. ‘And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a)
The long and the short of the story though is that they did not do very much for the Duchess at the hospital, except put a saline drip in her arm, and take blood. Sunday eventually came, and the same story. Then later in the day she was transferred to the Surgical Unit. For what purpose? They alone knew. But we knew that there was going to be NO surgery done in Tobago! Sunday evening I went to see her, and she looked worse that she did before being admitted. So obviously I was unhappy. And the sad part is that the doctors and nurses were too arrogant and full of themselves to speak to you properly. But thankfully, they were dealing with the well-mannered and diplomatic Duchess and children and not me.
So Sunday passed away and Monday came. And the same nonsense went on, supposed tests and no real word of anything concrete. Meanwhile the doctor who had admitted her, as well as a medic cousin of mine, were saying there was no need to keep her there when the medical problem had subsided. So Monday evening came, and still nothing. Eventually though, the Duchess decided that she would release herself. And that’s what she did. And from the moment she stepped out of the hospital, she looked better and was in a better frame of mind, because hospitals, unless you’re truly sick, can be rather discouraging and disconcerting if you’re just lying there with no medical treatment.
Anyway, with her release, it meant going back and forth to the first doctor to check on her, and unforunately, with all the running around, I believe it was not until late Tuesday evening, night had already fallen, I was able to get a short dip in the wonderfully therapeutic salt water. Imagine that nuh…in sweet Tobago for five days before immersing the ole, pained up body in the salt. After that though hell became more like the paradise we had hoped for, and we were able to get in some visiting with friends and family, as well as go around the island on Thursday. Then on Friday, it was time to head home.
And here we are, on this lazy day Saturday at the end of November 2025, contemplating what happened back there. Ah friends, only the Lord knows the purpose for all that happened, but even if I didn’t believe before, now I have to, because without the Lord’s amazing strength and grace during those ten days away from home, I most definitely would not have been able to handle the trials and tribulations that I experienced. That’s why we’ll close with these amazing truths from the scriptures. ‘O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’ (Ps. 34:8) ‘For the LORD is good; his mercy endureth for ever; and his faithfulness unto all generations.’ (Ps. 100:5) Much LOVE!
…if you say you believe…then you ought to show it by your trust…
Visit the Scrip-Bit Blog at https://randyobrien50.com
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a codicil to the promise, be patient therefore brethren, be ye also patient stablish your hearts, behold the upright, blessed is the man that trusteth in him, deal treacherously, deliver them from the wicked, deliverance, encampeth round about them that fear him, endure right to the end, even the youths shall faint and be weary, fainteth not neither is weary, faith, glad to be alive, God spared our lives, halfway home, hands on the plough, hast thou not heard, hast thou not known, hath long patience, He gives power to the faint, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, lead me in thy truth and teach me, let me not be ashamed, let none that wait in faith on thee be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me, let them be ashamed which transgress without cause, LOVE, mark the perfect man, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, none of them shall be desolate, not turning back, nothing's ever as good as when we wait on God for it, O fear the Lord ye saints, O my God I trust in thee, O taste and see that the Lord is good, on thee do I wait all the day, our second wind day, redemption, run and not be weary, salvation, save them because they trust in him, saved him out of all his troubles, shall renew their strength, shew me thy ways O Lord, summer hiatus, teach me thy paths, thank God, the angel of the Lord, the breath of life, the Christians' motto, the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, the Creator of the ends of the earth, the early and latter rain, the end of that man is peace, the end of the wicked shall be cut off, the everlasting God, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit, the Lord heard him, the Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants, the Lord shall help them and deliver them, the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, the transgressors shall be destroyed together, the young lions do lack and suffer hunger, the young men shall utterly fall, their strength in time of trouble, there is no searching of His understanding, there is no want to them that fear him, they that seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing, they that wait upon the Lord, this poor man cried, thou art the God of my salvation, to a glorious future with Jesus, to them that have no might he increaseth strength, to wait in faith on the lord, truth, unto the coming of the Lord, waiting on god, walk and not faint, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Isaiah 40:31a. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
Oh mih people, it’s Wednesday, our second wind day! And it’s a beautiful, warm sunshiny day in my neighbourhood. However, we’re on the late bus today, because our Wednesday morning group at church has reconvened after the summer hiatus, and then, as usual, I had to run a couple of errands afterwards. (smile) But it’s not too bad because we know what we’re talking about as God spared our lives to see another marvellous day on Planet Earth.
Yes, as we promised yesterday, we’re continuing to look at scriptures on that ever important attitude of waiting on God. It’s not an easy task, but it’s oh so wise and beneficial. When we wait on God, we get the best of what He has to offer…and when we don’t, we get second rate stuff, or no stuff at all. And we’ll begin with one of the big scriptures on the subject of waiting, another one from the prophet Isaiah.
When talking about the Greatness of God’s Might, he confidently proclaims: ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:28-31)
Oh friends, what a glorious scripture that is! What a promise it contains for waiting on God! Wow! If we wait on God we can walk and not be weary, as well as soar like eagles, because He strengthens us and enables us to walk in His might and power! Now there’s nothing better than that! However, it all depends on our waiting on God for His timing. And yes, sometimes we can force an issue and have it come out all right, but the truth of the matter is that it never comes out as good as if we wait for God’s time to do it.
And we see Bruh David advising that we wait on the Lord in several psalms. Listen to this from Psalm 25: ‘O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait (in faith) on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause (deal treacherously). Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation: on thee do I wait all the day.’ (Ps. 25:2-5)
And then in that magnificent Psalm 34, Bruh David testifies: ‘This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing …The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them shall be desolate (condemned).’ (Ps. 34:6-10, 22)
Yes my fellow believers, if we trust in the Lord, then we will wait upon Him, and then we shall not be ashamed of anything and want for anything. That’s His faithful promise! Now hear these verses from the end of this other mighty psalm, Psalm 37. Bruh David declares: ‘Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps. 37:37-40)
There again trusting in the Lord and therefore waiting on Him will bring redemption and deliverance! And there are many more scriptures about waiting on and trusting in God, but we’ll end with this one from James, Christ’s brother, as he talks about the Value of Patience and Prayer. He writes: ‘Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman (farmer) waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish (establish) your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh (has come near).’ (James 5:7-8)
Yes friends, we need to build a solid attitude of patience like farmers have, and keep waiting in faith on God, for that is one of the best ways to show our faith and acknowledge His sovereignty. Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And there’s a codicil to that promise, which says, those who endure right to the very end with Jesus, will have an even more glorious future than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s be wise and endure right the end with Christ nuh, so that we can be a part of that glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…to wait…to wait…to wait in faith on the Lord…that ought to be the Christians’ motto…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a helluva thing when yuh getting old, a man of many parts, a new flock of believers, a testimony, apologize for wrong date on Bit, be a good witness for Christ, be responsible, blessed is the man that trusteth in him, by the example your faithful believers set, can only have a testimony, change the batteries in the keyboard, changed his behaviour, christianity, computer keyboard, David his ten thousands, David the king of the land, delivered me from all my fears, divine help, faith, feigned himself mad in their hands, feigned madness, fled to a cave in the wilderness, Friday chant, godly coincidence, Goliath's sword, gospel truth, grin and bear it, his praise shall continually be in my mouth, holy spirit, I sought the Lord and he heard me, I will bless the Lord at all times, if God spares life, Jesus Christ, laid up these words in his heart, let his spittle fall down upon his beard, let us exalt His name together, LOVE, mercy, my soul shall make boast in the Lord, narrowly escaping death, O fear the Lord ye his saints, o magnify the Lord with me, O taste and see that the Lord is good, omnipotent help, our chaotic world, praise of one who was redeemed, problems are escalating, psalm 34, radiant, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, saved him out of all his troubles, scrabbled on the doors of the gate, seasoned instruction, seek refuge in your enemy's camp, shrew bread, sinful world, stay safe, Sual hath slain his thousands, suffer hunger, take your own medicine, Thanks be to God, the BIBLE, the computer expert, the error of their ways, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad, the Lord heard him, the poor man cried, the throne of grace, the young lions do lack, their faces were not ashamed, there is no want to them that fear him, they looked at him and were lightened, they that seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing, took these words to heart, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffe, wary of his presence, when you've passed a test, wisdom, wise guidance, witness for Christ
Psalm 34:8. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth him.
Oh friends, please let me apologize this hot, humid and somewhat cloudy Friday morning, for the date error I made on the Bit yesterday, naming it the 23rd of July instead of the 24th. And you would not believe the number of times I usually scrutinize the headings to see if they are correct. And I distinctly remember scrutinizing them yesterday and still found nothing wrong! Ah Lord eh! The devil surely finds ways to disrupt our lives. And believe me he’s doing a very good job right now through this keyboard of mine, where I am typing letters that are either not coming out, or when I hit the space button it doesn’t work and the typing comes out all jumbled up.
Chuh! Typing that last sentence took me a few minutes because I had to go back and fix several pieces of it …hn! hn! hn! Had to fix that last phrase too. (smile) Guess I’ll just have to buy a new keyboard, and this one is barely two years old. But they don’t make them like they did before, and I’m pounding away on this one every day. And you wouldn’t believe how nicely that typed there. (smile) I’ll just have to grin and bear it, as I like to preach. Believe me, it doesn’t feel so fine when you have to take your own medicine.
Hn, hn, hn! Yes friends, I’m laughing, but it’s a laugh of shame. And it’s a good thing that our God does move in mysterious ways yes, because I took a break there just now and was about to buy a new keyboard when the Duchess suggested I first consult my young daughter, the computer expert in the family. And her wise advice was to simply change the batteries in the keyboard. Brother! Did I ever feel foolish, for only then did I remember having that same problem before and simply changing the batteries solved it. It’s a hell of a thing when yuh getting old yes!
But thanks be to God, we solved that most vexing problem! So we can move on now with some serious stuff. Yes, my fellow believers, serious stuff like Psalm 34. A psalm Bruh David wrote after narrowly escaping death at the hands of king Saul. (1 Sam. 21) He lied to the priest Abimelech about being on an important mission for the king and hadn’t had time to collect food or weapons for himself and his men. The priest gave him the shrew (hallowed) bread, the only bread he had, and also gave him Goliath’s sword, the only weapon in his possession. What a godly coincidence (smile) Bruh David using his mortal enemy’s sword. But that’s how our God works.
And having gotten those things, he fled to Gath, the city of the Philistine king Achish seeking refuge from Saul. Imagine the boldness, or stupidity, (smile) of running from your people, to seek refuge in your enemy’s camp. But that’s what you do when you have no choice. Obviously though, the Philistine king was wary of his presence, as his servants recognized Bruh David and said, ‘Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
And David laid up these words in his heart (took these words to heart), and was sore (very much) afraid of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands (feigned madness), and scrabbled (scratched) on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle (spit) fall down on upon his beard.’ (1 Sam. 21:11-13) The king believed the mad actions of Bruh David and refused him entry, so he and his men fled to a cave in the wilderness.
Ah friends, Bruh David was indeed a man of many parts, and with God’s help put on a good show. And these are some of the marvellous words that he wrote after that narrow escape. ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked at him and were lightened (radiant): and their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him from out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing.’ (Ps. 34:1-10)
What gospel truth, my people! Those who put their trust in the Lord God Jehovah will not want for anything! And I like how the scholars describe the psalm. They say: ‘It bears all the marks of the testimony of one who narrowly escaped death, just as the passage in Samuel describes. As such, it contains the praise and testimony of one who was redeemed (vs. 1-10) and the seasoned instruction that can stem from such deliverance (vs. 11-22).’ Today we’ve covered the section of praise…and is it ever so encouraging and uplifting and true! Tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll look at the section of ‘seasoned instruction’ and see what we can gain from it.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine help for ourselves and our chaotic world. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And friends, despite our supposedly sincere prayer, we also know that our witness for Christ is not good enough, that’s why our world is in such a disastrous state. So please, let’s get ourselves together and improve our witness nuh. It’s the least we can do, for all that Jesus has done for us. Much LOVE!
…you can only have a testimony…when you’ve passed a test…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a strong anointing, an indisputable fact, an invitation, an outward indication of an inner condition, blessed is he who hides in him, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, come exalt His name forever, delivered me from every fear, every day and night, exhorting one another, experiencing God's presence, faith, fear the Lord all ye saints, feel the presence of the heavenly hosts, fellowship, gather in God's name, glorify the Lord with me, Goliath's sword, hallowed shew bread, He will deliver them, He'll give you everything, his praise shall be continually in my mouth, holy spirit, I sought the Lord and He answered me, I will bless the Lord at all times, Jesus Christ, let us bless the Lord, LOVE, magnify the Lord with me, may our incense rise, mercy, more than erratic church attendance, musical perfection in gospel music, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, never ending praise, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, O taste and see that the Lord is good, one who narrowly escaped death, opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, praise of one who was redeemed, salvation, saved me from mine enemies, Shane Barnard, spiritually inspired by God, sweet sacrifices of praise, the assembling of God's people, the church is an interacting body, the entire worship of Christ, the faithful heroes, the humble shall hear and be glad, the Lord heard me, the Lord's Day, the Son of God surrounds His saints, the testimony, they'll never be ashamed, this poor man cried, those who look on Him are radiant, to experience God's goodness firsthand, trials and tribulations, truth, wisdom, you see the day approaching
Psalm 34:1. I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
So once again it’s Sunday, the Lord’s day, when we’re supposed to gather in His sanctuary, or anywhere possible, and give Him thanks and praise for all that He’s done for His human creation. Yes, the scriptures proscribe it, as this verse from Hebrews reminds us. ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:25) And yuh better believe that the day of the Lord’s glorious return is quickly approaching.
And the scholars explain that verse thus. ‘Not forsaking the assembling: This admonition involves far more than erratic attendance. It involves the entire worship of Christ and is an outward indication of an inner condition. The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening, and the stirring up that can be gained from one another (cf. Col. 3:12-16) It consists of participation in worship and fellowship. The church is a body interacting (1 Cor. 12:14-27); it is not merely a dispensary for spiritual food and medicine.’
Now, all of that is the gospel truth my faithful brethren. Getting together to worship our great God is the epitome, the essence of our faith. And today we’ll open with a song that will lift us up, stir us up and define the interaction of Christ’s body. (smile) It’s that famous song based on some words of Bruh David from Psalm 34, titled ‘O Taste and See that the Lord is good.’
And what does that mean? One commentary explains it thus: ‘It is an invitation to experience God’s goodness and faithfulness firsthand. The verse suggests that simply believing in God’s goodness isn’t enough; one must actively “taste” it by experiencing His presence and blessings in their life.’ Now that’s one way to never go wrong! But while the song is attributed to one Shane Bernard, it is sensationally performed by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and is my all-time favourite video worship song. I had not heard it for a while, then I listened to it this past week, and immediately knew we had to sing it today. (smile)
And if you think that I am biased about the song, then listen to these two commentaries on it. The first says: ‘This is how it would be like in heaven. Every voice, musicians, race, soul praising the name of God. Amen!!’ And the second is like unto it: ‘Every frame, every beat, every note, perfectly executed. THIS is musical perfection in gospel music.’ And believe me that’s the infallible truth! For the musicians get into the song and fire it right up, as they can do when they’re inspired. And if you’ve never seen the video, you ought to, because it will certainly stir you up. (smile)
But enough talk, let’s get to the song, and raise our voices in sweet sacrifices of praise in an up-tempo, soulful, scintillating, heart-rending rendition of the song. Singing: ‘I sought the Lord And He answered me And delivered me From every fear. Those who look on Him Are radiant They’ll never be ashamed They’ll never be ashamed. This poor man cried And the Lord heard me And saved me from My enemies. The Son of God Surrounds His saints He will deliver them He will deliver them.
Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good Oh blessed is he Who hides in Him. Oh fear the Lord Oh all you saints He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. (Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Repeat) (Let us bless the Lord Every day and night Never ending praise May our incense rise. Repeat 4 times)
Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. {Repeat} Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything…He’ll give you everything. …He’ll give you everything…’
Now there’s an indisputable fact friends! If we continually worship the Lord like Bruh David says in the Psalm, He will give us everything! And by the way, that was a marvellous version; all heaven was singing along with us. As this commentary says: ‘I just imagine being in heaven worshipping with this magnificent choir, just magnifying our great God! Hallelujah!!’
Then this other commentary tells it thus: ‘Every time I listen to this song, I imagine myself along with all the other saints in heaven worshipping. This song carries a strong anointing. You can feel the presence of the heavenly hosts. The worship that the people utter after the song is like Heaven, every, race, every tongue raising up their voices in one accord unto the King of Kings.’ And that’s exactly how it ought to be!
It’s also interesting how the writer of the song only took verses 3-10 from the psalm and created such a wonderful song. But that happens when you are spiritually inspired by the Lord of the universe. Now here’s how Bruh David began the psalm: ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.’ (Ps. 34:1-2) Then he goes into the verses used in the song, about magnifying and exalting the Lord with him etc.
And the basis of the psalm comes from 1 Samuel 21, where Bruh David was running away from King Saul and lied to the priest Ahimelech about a secret mission for the king, and because the mission was so urgent, he never had time to procure food nor weapons. Ahimelech believed him, and gave him the ceremonial hallowed shew bread, which was all he had, as well as the sword that Bruh David had taken from Goliath after he killed him. And I like Bruh David’s response to Ahimelech’s comment about Goliath’s sword being the only weapon available. ‘And David said, There is none like that; give it me.’ (1 Sam .21:9b) He should know. (smile)
Then Bruh David ran to Gath, to the land of the Philistines, to Achish the king of Gath, for succour, feigning madness. Consequently, as the scholars explain, the psalm bears all the marks of the testimony of one who narrowly escaped death, just as the passage in Samuel describes. As such it contains the praise and testimony of the one who was redeemed (vs. 1-10) and the seasoned instruction that can stem from such deliverance (vs. 11-22).’
Ah mih people, trials and tribulations are a natural aspect of this evil and ungodly world, and there’s much we can learn from the way the faithful heroes who preceded us handled them, so please, let’s not just read and gloss them over, but study them and try to put them into practice in our lives. It will be ever so beneficial to us! Much LOVE!
…there’s nothing better believers can do…than magnify and exalt the Lord’s name together…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to his riches in glory, all these things shall be added unto you, Bible, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, cancelled church services, christianity, come exalt His name forever, condolences, delivered me from every fear, down on my knees, every day and night, everything perfectly executed, faith, fellowship, from the bottom of my heart, gladness, glorify the Lord with me, God hears our prayers and worship wherever we are, he answered me, He'll give you everything, heavenly hosts, holy spirit, I sought the Lord, imagine myself, Jesus Christ, joy, let us bless the Lord, let us exalt His name together, LOVE, magnifying our great God, may our incense rise, mercy, my God will supply all your needs, my hands lifted in worship, never ending praise, not in tune with God's will, o magnify the Lord with me, O taste and see that the Lord is good, obedient to God's will, picturesques scenario of white, praising the name of God, raise our voices in sacrificial praise, raising their voices in one accord, salvation, saved me from mine enemies, seek ye first, Shane Barnard, the gospel truth, the kingdom of God and his righteousness, the Lord heard me, the Sermon on the Mount, the Son of God surrounds His saints, they'll never be ashamed, this poor man cried, those who look on Him are radiant, to the King of Kings, truth, walking with God, wily like the devil, wisdom, with all the other saints, worshipping in heaven, worshipping online
Psalm 34:3. ‘O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.’
And the snow began falling on Saturday…and except for a couple of short breaks…it’s still falling on Sunday afternoon. Brother, it’s just a picturesque scenario of white silently covering everything. It’s been so bad that several churches, including mine, canceled Sunday services in the sanctuary because it would have been difficult for most people to get out. So, today’s an online and television day for worshipping and fellowshipping. But it’s all good, for our great God hears our prayers and worship wherever we are.
And today in our session of afternoon praise and worship we’re going open with one of my all-time favourite songs, taken by songwriter Shane Barnard from the marvellous words of Bruh David in Psalm 34, Praise to the Lord, and so aptly titled ‘O Taste and See that the Lord is Good.’ And no one does it as beautifully as the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. So, without further ado, let’s raise our voices in sacrificial praise to high heaven, in gratitude for all that we are and have through the amazing and selfless sacrifices of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Singing: ‘I sought the Lord And He answered me And delivered me From every fear. Those who look on Him Are radiant They’ll never be ashamed They’ll never be ashamed. This poor man cried And the Lord heard me And saved me from My enemies. The Son of God Surrounds His saints He will deliver them He will deliver them. Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good Oh blessed is he Who hides in Him.
Oh fear the Lord Oh all you saints He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. (Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Repeat) (Let us bless the Lord Every day and night Never ending praise May our incense rise. (Repeat 4 times) Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. {Repeat} Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. …He’ll give you everything…’
And that is the gospel truth if you are obedient to His holy will! He’s promised that so often in His word. Even Jesus reminded us of it, when He declared in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) And Bruh Paul reiterated it in his letter to the Philippians: ‘My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 4:19) No wonder we don’t get a lot of what we desire, because we’re not as in tune with His will as we ought to be.
But, getting back to our song, if you’ve never heard it as done by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, then I strongly suggest you do so as soon as possible. And even better yet, check out their video of it. It’s such a total picture of worship, as these commentaries on it so joyfully declare. This first one says: ‘This is how it would be like in heaven. Every voice, musicians, race, soul praising the name of God. Amen!!’ And the second is like unto it: (smile) ‘Every frame, every beat, every note, perfectly executed. THIS is musical perfection in gospel music.’ Without a doubt my people!
And the song is merely a different arrangement of Bruh David’s words found in Psalm 34, verses 3-10, that begin with ‘O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.’ put to glorious music. And what catches me most about that video is the way the musicians themselves get into it. You can see the joy and gladness as they play. And believe me, that is often the most important part of any song rendition, how much the musicians themselves are motivated to play.
And to tell the truth, this late in the afternoon, I don’t know what else to say nuh, (smile) because the words of the song says it all. You can read the psalm for yourself and see how the song was ingeniously extracted from it. So, we’ll just close with a couple more interesting commentaries on the song, that say so much more than I ever can.
Please read with me: ‘I work in ER, single parent, university student, worked through the pandemic. Got really bad Covid end of January. Still on long term recovery. Got too painful last week and I found myself ‘telling’ God what He could do to fix this. Went on YouTube and this song came up. I stood up and started worshiping even though I did not know the words. Before I knew it, I was down on my knees with my hands lifted up in worship. I’m back at work in ER but I have not stopped playing this song. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this worship. My deepest condolences to everyone who lost a loved one. God bless you and keep you safe.’
Then there’s this: ‘Every time I listen to this song, I imagine myself along with all the other saints in heaven worshipping. This song carries a strong anointing. You can feel the presence of the heavenly hosts.’ And what about this one? ‘The worship that the people utter after the song is like Heaven, every race, every tongue raising up their voices in one accord unto The King of Kings.’ And there’s nothing better to close with than this commentary: ‘I just imagine being in heaven worshipping with this magnificent choir, just magnifying our great God! Hallelujah!!!’ Amen, my people, Amen!
Now that’s how a song of worship ought to affect us; have us all thinking about heaven and us singing along with all the heavenly hosts. (smile) So, let’s hope that what we’ve said today has uplifted and encouraged us despite the crazy, snowy weather outside. And if you do have to go out in it, please be very careful, because it looks innocent, but it’s like the very devil himself; wily and very dangerous. And above all, please make sure that you are walking with God as your Guide, Protector and Friend! Much LOVE!
…our God LOVES to hear us worship Him sincerely…so why don’t we worship Him more with our hearts…and not merely our mouths eh…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all the days of my life, all ye lands, aspire to be like God, Bible, broke their chains in pieces, brought down their heart with labour, christianity, come before his presence with singing, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, eternal life, faith, forgiveness, god, God always acts in a righteous manner, God never does what is wrong, goodness, goodness and mercy shall follow me, he made us, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endures to all generations, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, joy, know how to give good gifts, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, mercy, new mercies and compassions, O taste and see that the Lord is good, oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, peace, redeemed from the hands of the enemy, salvation, satisfies the longing soul, serve the Lord with gladness, share His love with my neighbours, sit in darkness, teach me thy statutes, the beloved of God, the Lord he is God, The Lord is good, the Lord is good to all, the rubbish heap of history, the shadow of death, the sheep of his pasture, there is none good but one, trust my friend Jesus, truth, we are his people, wisdom, worry
Psalm 100:5. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
So we’ve come to Tuesday, having thrown Monday on the rubbish heap of history! And since it’s a new day, bright and sunshiny in my neighborhood, it means that new mercies and compassions from our great God are also in vogue, (smile) as they are every day that we draw breath. (Lam. 3:22-23) And that’s something to be very thankful for, otherwise our lives would be even more miserable and frustrating than they are already. But God is good, and He doesn’t want to see us destroyed without a chance to come to Him and His Son for salvation, and the eternal life that springs from it.
That’s why Psalm 100 is essential to our prayer life. Please read it with me. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5)
Oh friends, it’s a short but ever so sweet and comely psalm. It tells us to serve God joyfully because He’s made us, we are His, and He is good; His mercy and truth are everlasting! And what does it mean by God is good? This commentary explains: ‘He never does what is wrong. God always acts in a righteous manner because His nature is holy. The secondary meaning of holy refers to God’s pure and righteous actions. God does what is right. He never does what is wrong.’
No friends. God will always act with goodness in ways that make us better, strengthen us, heal us and restore us. And though being good all the time is impossible for us human beings because of our inherent sin nature, it doesn’t mean we cannot aspire to be like God and do good and right as much as possible. And Psalm 107, titled God’s Redemptive Power, also showcases God’s goodness when it declares: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hands of the enemy;’ (Ps. 107:1-2)
That’s us my brethren! The Lord has redeemed us from the bondage of sin through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ! That means we ought to be glad and good, for there’s no greater gift than that! As the psalmist later says: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound (prisoners) in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned (despised) the counsel of the most High:
Therefore, he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder (broke their chains in pieces). Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’ (Ps. 107:8-15)
There you have it again friends, another reminder to thank and praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy towards the undeserving children of men. When are we going to learn that and keep doing it constantly eh? For it’s only because of the Lord’s mercies and compassions that we are not destroyed.
Meanwhile, Jesus, in His own way shows us that ONLY the Lord is good. When the rich young man comes running and kneels before him, saying; ‘Master (Teacher), what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.’ (Mark 10:17-18) Technically speaking, Jesus was also good, because He was also God, but according to the scholars, ‘Jesus knew that the man addressed Him as only a religious teacher. He reminds him that no mere man merits the title of good, for that term applies only to God. As the Son of God, Jesus does of course merit highest praise.’
That ought to remind us my people, that we cannot attain salvation and eternal life on our own, but we need the sacrificial death and awesome resurrection of Jesus to do it for us. And there are several other instances where the goodness of God is highlighted. So let’s look at a few. First up is this great verse from Bruh David’s majestic Psalm 23 – The Lord is my Shepherd. He ends it thus: ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:6) No better place to dwell my brethren!
Then Psalm 119:68 says: ‘Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.’ And Psalm 34:8 declares: ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’ Now hear Psalm 145:9: ‘The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.’ And in Matthew 7:11, Jesus reminds us: ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him.’
Oh my fellow believers, it’s essential that we believe in the goodness of God if we intend to follow His Son Jesus Christ, otherwise we will be shortchanging ourselves and not receiving all that He has to offer us. Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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 my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the major attributes of God…are what mankind desperately need right now…LOVE, joy, peace, goodness, mercy, forgiveness and salvation that lead to eternal life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a strong anointing, Bible, blessed is he who hides in him, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, come exalt His name forever, delivered me from every fear, faith, fear the Lord all ye saints, fellowship, glorify the Lord with me, god, He will deliver them, He'll give you everything, his praise shall continually be in my mouth, holy spirit, I sought the Lord and He answered me, I was glad when they said unto me, I will bless the Lord at all times, in Christ Jesus concerning you, in every thing give thanks, in the Lord's sanctuary there is joy, Jesus, Jesus Christ, let us exalt His name together, let us go into the house of the Lord, LOVE, magnify the Lord with me, musical perfection in gospel music, no want to them that fear him, O taste and see that the Lord is good, on which side his bread was buttered, peace, psalm 34, psalms, saved me from my enemies, shall not want any good thing, Shane Bernard, the Lord heard me, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the Son of God surrounds His saints, the will of God, the y that seek the Lord, they'll never be ashamed, this poor man cried, those who look on Him are radiant, wisdom
Psalm 34:3. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
Another day on God’s great earth…alive and kicking, and able to visit His sanctuary to worship His holy name and fellowship with other believers! Oh what a joy and privilege that is my people! As Bruh David says in Psalm 122: ‘I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ (Ps. 122:1) And that’s how we ought to feel whenever we enter into God’s house my brethren! Because in the Lord’s sanctuary there is joy, LOVE, peace and all the other good things that emanate from Him. So why wouldn’t we be happy to go there eh?
And the song we’re going to sing today is still my favourite song of worship, because it gives me that joyful feeling, like being in the Lord’s sanctuary and just opening up my heart, mind and soul to the Lord. Shane Bernard built the song around the first ten verses of Bruh David’s words in Palm 34, and titled it ‘Psalm 34 – O Taste and See that the Lord is Good,’ and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir has done a miraculous job in bringing it to life.
Sometimes a month or two goes by and I don’t hear it, and then it pops up, and I figure it won’t affect me the same way. But am I ever so wrong, for every time I hear it, it just thrills me one more time. And I heard it this week, and just knew that we had to sing it today. (smile) So without further ado, let’s raise our voices in sweet sacrifices of praise, singing this wonderful reworking of Bruh David’s words from Psalm 34 – ‘O Taste and See that the Lord is Good.’
Singing: ‘I sought the Lord And He answered me And delivered me From every fear. Those who look on Him Are radiant They’ll never be ashamed They’ll never be ashamed. This poor man cried, And the Lord heard me And saved me from My enemies. The Son of God Surrounds His saints He will deliver them He will deliver them. Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good Oh blessed is he Who hides in Him. Oh fear the Lord Oh all you saints He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything.
(Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Repeat) (Let us bless the Lord Every day and night Never ending praise May our incense rise. Repeat 4 times) Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. {Repeat} Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. …He’ll give you everything…’
Now that’s no lie friends, if what you want is in His will and plan for you! And what truly excites me about the song is the way the musicians get into it. You can see that they are feeling it just like the choir, and that’s what lifts up a song above the ordinary level. And this commentary on the song certainly agrees with me. It says: ‘Every frame, every beat, every note, perfectly executed. THIS is musical perfection in gospel music.’
Meanwhile, these two go even further. The first one says: ‘Every time I listen to this song I imagine myself along with all the other saints in heaven worshipping. This song carries a strong anointing. You can feel the presence of the heavenly hosts.’ And the next one calmly informs us: ‘This is how it would be like in heaven. Every voice, musician, race, soul praising the name of God. Amen!!’ Now, if you’ve heard the song, then you can’t argue with any of those comments, for it’s truly an awe-inspiring rendition.
And how does Bruh David put it in the psalm, written after narrowly escaping death at the hands of Saul and his cohorts and having to run to his enemy, the Philistine king Achish for shelter? (1 Sam. 21:10-15) He opens thus: ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.’ (Ps. 34:1-2) That recalls Bruh Paul’s directives to the Thessalonians, and also to us latter day believers: ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18)
Then Bruh David invites us: ‘O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.’ (Ps. 34: 3) Why does he do that? Because, as he writes: ‘I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened (radiant): and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing.’ (Ps. 34:4-10)
And that’s gospel truth, for we all know Bruh David’s story; he talks from personal experience not hearsay. He knew on which side His bread was buttered. And all I can say in closing is that we take Bruh David’s words seriously; magnify and exalt the Lord together…stay close to Him and He will stay close to us, and call on His name in times of trouble and He will hear our cry and alleviate our situation in one way or the other. That’s His faithful promise. And our God does not make empty promises. Much LOVE!
…the Lord is my shepherd…I shall not want… (Ps. 23:1)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Jun 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: blessed is he who hides in him, bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, come exalt His name forever, develop a taste for the things of God, even when he is old, everyday and night, fathers provoke not your children to wrath, good at talking the talk, Happy Father's day, he will not depart from it, He'll give you everything, I sought the Lord and He answered me, let us bless the Lord, magnify the Lord with me, may our incense rise, musical perfection in gospel music, never ending praise, not good at walking the talk, O taste and see that the Lord is good, parental trainng, parents do not rear children alone, psalm 34, sacrificial praise, Scrip-Bit land, Shan Barnard, the Son of God surrounds His saints, train up a child in how he should go
Proverbs 22:6. Train up a child in the way he should go: and (even) when he is old, he will not depart from it.
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY
Well, a Happy Father’s Day to all you Father’s out there in Scrip-Bit Land. (smile) I do hope that you all will have an enjoyable day as you are feted by your families. And no, this one day of the year is not sufficient to show fathers how much we LOVE and treasure them, it should be a year-round thing, but I guess one day is better than none at all. (smile)
Anyway, to celebrate Father’s Day Sunday we’re going to open our fellowship and worship in the Lord’s sanctuary with one of my favourite, if not my favourite Contemporary Christian song, ‘Psalm 34: O Taste and See that the Lord is Good,’ Shane Barnard’s reworking of the first ten verses of Psalm 34 to contemporary music, as done by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. I heard it this week and obviously my heart was so moved that I knew right away, we had to sing it today. And by the way, if you’re checking out the video on YouTube, please make sure you get the live version, because that’s the real kicker. (smile)
And I tend to agree with these comments on the song. ‘Every time I listen to this song, I imagine myself along with all the other saints in heaven worshipping. This song carries a strong anointing. You can feel the presence of the heavenly hosts.’ ‘Every frame, every beat, every note, perfectly executed. THIS is musical perfection in gospel music.’ That’s for sure! (smile) Now, without further ado, let’s raise our voices to heaven in sincere and hearty sacrificial praise to our heavenly Father in a rousing rendition of Psalm 34: O Taste and See that the Lord is Good.
Singing: ‘I sought the Lord And He answered me And delivered me From every fear. Those who look on Him Are radiant They’ll never be ashamed They’ll never be ashamed. This poor man cried And the Lord heard me And saved me from My enemies. The Son of God Surrounds His saints He will deliver them He will deliver them. Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever.
Oh taste and see That the Lord is good Oh blessed is he Who hides in Him. Oh fear the Lord Oh all you saints He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. (Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Repeat) (Let us bless the Lord Every day and night Never ending praise May our incense rise. Repeat 4 times)
Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. {Repeat} Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. …He’ll give you everything…’
And that’s the gospel truth; our great and generous God will give you everything if you glorify and magnify Him! Now many of us claim to believe that, but sadly we don’t tend to put it into action, otherwise so many of our lives would not be as miserable and lonely as they are. And that’s the thing about believers, we are very good at talking the talk, but not so hot at walking that talk. Meanwhile the evil unbelievers are steadfastly walking their talk and doing untold evil and ungodliness. Can you imagine if we were walking our talk as much as them, how good and godly our world would be.
Take for instance if our men would stop siring so many illegitimate children with different women and afterwards have no concern for the mothers or the children. How do they expect them to live and have a healthy life eh? But no, instead they pound their egotistic chests and boast about how many baby mamas they have. And lack of that solid father figure is one of the reasons why so many young men are rudderless, and aimlessly adrift on the billowing sea of life, involved in all sorts of evil and ungodly stuff.
Unfortunately too, there are also fathers who live in the home but are either working away from home, or are working so much to provide a living for the children, that they don’t have time to pay sufficient attention to the children’s upbringing. And the poor, burdened mothers cannot do everything on their own. Please remember these monumental words of Cousin Sol from Proverbs regarding raising children: ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and (even) when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ (Prov. 22:6)
And there’s much truth to that, for the training a child gets in his or her formative stages is what usually sticks with them for their whole lives. And the scholars tell us that ‘Train up a child refers to the total process of molding a child’s life. Thus, parental training should help children develop a taste for the things of God. The biblical pattern of effective parental training emphasizes a balance of instruction and discipline (cf. Eph. 6:1-4) The verse stresses the simple principle that education in the home forms the man throughout his lifetime.’
And we all know what that reference to Eph. 6:1-4 says, since we hear it every year at this time. It says: ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture (training) and admonition of the Lord.’ Yes friends, the scholars say ‘the ideal parent is to be neither overly authoritarian nor overly permissive. Rather he must balance LOVE and discipline so as not to provoke his child to rebellion.’
And they further tell us that ‘Fathers can provoke their children to wrath by injustice, loss of temper, undue severity, cruelty, favouritism, suppression, sarcasm, ridicule, and misuse or abuse of authority. Nurture basically means “training,” here denoting spiritual education. Admonition is instruction that points out one’s responsibilities and duties. Of the Lord means behind the parents’ rearing and instruction of their children stands the Lord as the chief teacher in child education. Parents do not rear their children alone.’
That’s for sure, either the Lord will have hand in it or the devil. And it hurts me to say this, but it’s the truth: God didn’t have much of a hand in rearing this current generation, since we, the parents did not invite Him in to lend a hand, because we were either too busy making ends meet, we thought it best to give our children soft, easy, entitled lives since ours was so tough, or we just didn’t care. Whatever the reason, we failed our children by not rearing them in a godlier fashion, that’s why they are failing us now. Much LOVE!
…there are consequences for every ungodly action…whether you are a parent or a child…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
11 Sep 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a word to the wise is sufficent, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, come exalt His name forever, fear the Lord ye his saints, get with the programme, heartfelt sincerity, let us bless the Lord, let us exalt His name together, LOVE, may our incense rise, musical perfection in gospel music, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, no day like a sunday, o magnify the Lord with me, O taste and see that the Lord is good, psalm 34, sacrificial praise, Shane Bernard, shirking our bounden duty, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the Son of God surrounds His saints, they that seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing, those who look on Him are radiant
Psalm 34:3. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
Oh my fellow believers, it’s Sunday, it’s Sunday! Time to gather and sing, praise and worship our Lord God Jehovah, for that’s one of the major reasons He created us! Yes, there’s no day like a Sunday, when our world sees a li’l bit of peace, quiet, LOVE and godliness, as believers extricate themselves from the busyness of the world and gather to worship our wonderful God. So let’s ‘begin the beguine’ with my favourite worship song as today’s song of praise and thanksgiving.
Yuh know, yesterday when I asked the Lord what song we should sing today, He answered me immediately – Psalm 34. O Taste and See that the Lord is Good. And there was definitely no hesitation in my acknowledging the Lord’s request. I just jumped for joy, because I simply LOVE that piece of music as sung by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. There isn’t a more appropriate song of praise and worship. (smile) If you’ve never seen the video, then I strongly recommend that you check it out on You Tube.
Oh friends, every time I see it, a wonderful spirit of joy just rises up within me, making me want to sing and dance and praise our amazing God! (smile) And what I believe makes it such an extraordinary recording, is that the musicians are into the song as much as the choir and the congregation. And when musicians truly feel a song, it just raises their level of playing and thus the level of the song. So, enough talk, I know like me, you’re dying to sing. Let’s offer up our voices then in sweet sacrificial praise, harmonious, melodious, full of joy and heartfelt sincerity.
Singing: ‘I sought the Lord And He answered me And delivered me From every fear. Those who look on Him Are radiant They’ll never be ashamed They’ll never be ashamed. This poor man cried And the Lord heard me And saved me from My enemies. The Son of God Surrounds His saints He will deliver them He will deliver them. Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good Oh blessed is he Who hides in Him. Oh fear the Lord Oh all you saints He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything.
(Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Repeat) (Let us bless the Lord Every day and night Never ending praise May our incense rise. Repeat 4 times) Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. {Repeat} Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. …He’ll give you everything…’
Oh beautiful mih people, beautiful! That’s certainly one of those times when there can be no doubt whatsoever in heaven that we sang truly from our hearts! Wow! Now listen to a few comments on the video nuh. ‘This is how it would be like in heaven. Every voice, musician, race, soul praising the name of God. Amen!!’ Another comment says: ‘Every frame, every beat, every note, perfectly executed. THIS is musical perfection in gospel music.’ And it certainly is!
Then hear this one: ‘Every time I listen to this song, I imagine myself along with all the other saints in heaven worshipping. This song carries a strong anointing. You can feel the presence of the heavenly hosts.’ For sure! And this last one takes the cake: ‘I just imagine being in heaven worshipping with this magnificent choir, just magnifying our great God! Hallelujah!!’ And if that’ how it’s done in heaven, then you can most definitely count me in! (smile)
And we do need to give thanks to Shane Barnard for taking those words of Bruh David in Psalm 34, subtitled – The Lord hears the righteous – and turning them into such a wonderful worship song. Also, it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t read the parts of the psalm itself that was inculcated into such a marvellous song. So please read these inspiring and encouraging words of Bruh David with me, because inspiration and encouragement are a couple of things we come to church to receive.
Reading: ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened (radiant): and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing.’ (Ps. 34:1-10)
Mama Mia! That says it all my fellow saints! If you LOVE and trust the Lord, you will not want for anything! And we cannot forget that Bruh David said it so eloquently in Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps, 23:1) That’s a big statement, highlighting total trust and surrender to our great God. And if you don’t believe it with every breath of your being, then you’re doing yourself a terrible injustice! Why? Because good shepherds never allow their flocks to want, and our great God Jehovah is indeed a good shepherd!
And believe me friends, when Bruh David wrote Psalm 34, it was a personal testimony because he had just escaped death from the hands of his arch enemy, King Saul and had to run to the king of Gath, seeking succour, playing the role of a madman. You can read it all in 1 Samuel 21:10-15. Bruh David was surely a man of many parts! (smile) But let’s read a few more verses of Psalm 34, because it’s filled with lots more encouragement and good advice.
Reading: ‘Come ye children, hearken unto (listen to) me: I will teach you the fear (reverence) of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and LOVETH many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit). Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.’ (Ps. 34: 11-15) And that’s the gospel truth my faithful brethren!
So please, let’s wake up and realize that time is swiftly passing us by, meanwhile, the evil and ungodliness of the world is increasing by leaps and bounds, and we’re not doing enough to bring others to Christ so that His kingdom could be magnified and glorified and exalted. In other words, we are shirking our bounden duty as His ambassadors on this planet earth. And that’s not a very good thing to do, because we’ll eventually pay the price for it. So please, let’s get with the programme nuh! Much LOVE!
…a word of warning to the wise…is sufficient…
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02 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new set of mercies and compassions, a strong breath of life, a world of iniquity, an unruly evil, average minds discuss events, blessed and favoured, blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, but you can't take back your words, children of the Most High God, death and life are in the power of the tongue, do His divine bidding, encampeth round about them that fear him, false teaching, forgiven, full of deadly poison, gossip, great minds discuss ideas, have good success, have on the yoke of Christ, in god's eyes, indisputable truth, justified, let us exalt His name together, make thy way prosperous, meditate day and night, never say in anger what you don't mean, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, o magnify the Lord with me, O taste and see that the Lord is good, out of the same mouth, proceedeth blessing and cursing, reconciled, Rev. Marcia Martin, reverence the Lord God Jehovah, sanctified, set on fire of hell, shall eat the fruit thereof, share His love with the world, small minds discuss people, the angel of the Lord, the beloved of God, the tongue can no man tame, the tongues is a fire, the tongues is slall but boasts a lot of power, they that love it, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, you can say you're sorry
Proverbs 18:21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Oh friends, come join with me this cold but bright and sunny winter morning to magnify the Lord nuh, for He is ever so good to us! Yes, He woke us up this morning with a new set of mercies and compassions and a strong breath of life so we can do His divine bidding. That’s more than enough to give Him much thanks and praise.
So as the Good Book decrees: ‘O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together….The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him.’ (Ps. 34: 3,7-10)
Yes my people, that is the indisputable truth! Those who reverence the Lord God Jehovah are protected and want for nothing that’s necessary to live this life. But the onus is upon us to reverence Him. It just doesn’t happen on its own; energy and effort have to be put into it.
And one of the most important things for believers to do, especially in these uncertain and disastrous times is to speak God’s Word, to be positive and constantly remind ourselves that we are children of the Most High God and thus blessed and favoured, sanctified, justified, reconciled, forgiven and the host of other blessings we receive when we honour Him.
Remember the Lord spoke the world into existence. The only thing He made manually or physically was man. That means there is lots of power in our words. Remember Cousin Sol’s warning? ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ (Prov. 18:21)
Oh mih bredrin that is something we should try and remember all the time because it’s the absolute truth. Our words can either speak life or death. And these words from Rev. Marcia Martin of the Vian United Methodist Church explain the situation very well.
‘My dad gave me a piece of advice when I was a know-it-all teenager. He said, “Never say in anger what you don’t mean, because you can say you’re sorry, but you can’t take it back.” Satan can use our tongue to cause division, putting others down, bragging, false teaching, exaggeration, complaining, or just flat out lying.
It only takes a few words to hurt someone. Wounds heal but they leave scars that never disappear…Your words can either speak life, or your words can speak death. Our tongues can build others up, or they can tear them down.
An unchecked fire doubles in size every minute. Gossip and false teaching are no different. It’s been said that great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people.’
And I don’t need to tell you that it’s all gospel truth, because you already know it. And that’s one of the reasons why our world is in such a dreadful mess these days; we use words without thinking about their effect, sling hurtful words without thinking twice about what’s coming out of our mouths. And just like Cousin Sol says we’re now enjoying the negative fruit of our negative words.
Remember what James said in Chapter 3 about the dangers of the tongue. He likened it to the rudder of a ship, the small thing that guides the big ship in the direction that the pilot wants it to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small thing that boasts a lot of power.
‘Even as the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth (sets on fire). And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members (the tongue is so set), that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature (our existence); and it is set on fire of hell.’ (James 3:5-6)
Yes friends, as the scholars put it. ‘3:6. The tongue is a system (world) of iniquity that sets on fire the whole course of life, and is even set on fire by Satan (cf. 3:15).’ And that’s the living truth, for it’s the tongue, our words, that mainly cause wars and divisions, disunity, resentment, hate, anger and all the other negative stuff that’s so prevalent in our world today.
And not only in the world itself, but also in the church of Christ. James must have thought that he was writing to our current church which is filled with so much negative, petty stuff, like slander, gossip, false teaching, etc. etc.
James continues: ‘But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude (image) of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be.’ (James 3: 8-10)
Oh my people, blessing and cursing out of the same mouth is certainly inconsistent, and should not be mentioned amongst our attributes. And how do we solve the negativity of the tongue? The Lord said it quite clearly to Joshua when He appointed him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses.
‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly in) thy mouth:’ Josh. 1:8a) That’s it right there friends! We need to keep speaking God’s word; positive, proactive words, thinking before we speak. If we do that, then our tongues won’t do as much damage to our lives.
But how do we accomplish that, you ask? The Lord also spells it out for us in the same verse: ‘but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein.’ (Josh, 1:8b) It’s not rocket science my people. To constantly speak God’s word, we must constantly read and study God’s word. Simple as that!
But here is the best part of the Lord’s advice: ‘for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8c) Oh fellow saints of Christ, that is the panacea for ALL of our ills! Read and study the word, then speak it, and voila! Success will be ours. Yes friends, true success only comes from sincerely meditating on God’s word and then putting it into action. Nothing less will do!
So for those of us who are engaged in that wonderful course, let’s go home now declaring (yeahhh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole wide world know who and whose we are!
In one strong voice: ‘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!’
The next step is easy; we go out and share Christ’s LOVE and friendship! (smile) Much LOVE!
…to tame our tongues…we must have on the yoke of Christ…
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