Luke 1:27. To a virgin espoused (engaged) to man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
Oh my beautiful fellow believers in Christ, it’s Monday! It’s also the first Monday in the official summer period of our northern seasons. And what a day it’s forecasted to be; thirty degrees Celsius, with a mixture of sun and rain!
So please make sure to put on your sun screen if you plan on being out and about much in the sunshine, but also remember to walk with your trusty umbrella, just in case the rain catches you off guard, because it’s being doing that a lot recently.
I experienced it up to yesterday afternoon. I was getting dressed to go out and it was bright sunshine outside, but some fifteen minutes later though when I emerged, yuh better believe it was raining.
Anyway, since there’s not much we can do about the weather, except dress suitably for it, let’s get up and get our act together. And to put us in a positive and godly state of mind, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with a large dollop of excitement and enthusiasm!
As one loud and harmonious voice now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
There we have it Friends, the catalyst to get us going this Monday Morning!
Now here’s our Bit: ‘To a virgin espoused (engaged) to man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.’
I’m sure some of you are wondering why I chose that particular scripture for our Bit today, since it’s usually associated with the birth of Jesus at Christmas. But there is indeed method to my madness, my brethren!
Earlier on, I was reading an article in the newspaper which stated that recently in Norway, a new and modern version of the Good Book had been printed in the Norwegian language, coinciding with an upsurge in Christian activity in the country. Now that’s certainly wonderful news, but the example of the modern terminology they used in the article certainly didn’t sit well with me. Instead of saying or specifying that Mary, the mother of Jesus was a ‘virgin,’ they chose to refer to her as a ‘young woman.’
Ah Lord eh! What’s wrong with us in these supposed modern times eh? We seem to think that everything that’s old has to be changed, wiped out or replaced. And though some of that might be true, in this particular case, nothing could be further from the truth. That’s because Mary’s virginity, her not having laid with a man, is paramount to our Christian beliefs.
And though ‘young woman’ in Mary’s day might have conveyed a connotation of virginity, in these times of excessive sexual freedom, it most definitely doesn’t, because the supposed young women are having sex at an earlier and earlier age.
Here’s how the scholars put it: ‘One of the historic fundamentals of the faith is the virgin birth of Christ. It begins with the supernatural conception of Jesus Christ in the womb of Mary without the seed of man. The miraculous birth is verified by the statement that she was a virgin when she gave birth to Christ (Matt.1:23-25) By means of the Virgin Birth, Jesus Had the human nature of his mother and the sinless, divine nature of His Father.
Illustration: Those who deny the Virgin Birth tend also to deny His deity, so must necessarily question the integrity of the Scriptures. Application: The miracle of the Virgin Birth involved the yieldedness of Mary. This attitude is reflected in her last recorded words, which are a good standard for Christians today, “Whatsoever he (Jesus) saith unto you, do it” (John 2:5) ‘
And is that ever so true Friends; whatever Jesus tells us to do, we ought to do it!
So, having said all of that, it simply means that to those reading the Good Book for the first time in their lives, if they use the new Norwegian version, then they will have no understanding of the great importance of Mary’s virginity to the whole story of Christianity. And that I believe is doing a grave injustice to the both the new readers, as well as the substance and fundamental foundation of our faith.
Anyway, we’ll stop there for today. But both the scholars and I have some more to say on the subject, which hopefully we’ll say tomorrow, the Lord in favour. Till then though my people, let us walk safely under the mighty protective wings of our omnipotent God, diligently doing His will, as we walk steadfastly in our faith, for that’s indeed the measure of our wisdom! Much LOVE!
…any attempt to bring God’s Word into the language of the 21st century…MUST ENSURE…that the true meanings are not lost in the translation…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 June 2013 Psalm 66:16.
20 Jun 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: affirmations, bubble of LOVE, Christ, Christ-like attitudes, come and hear, done for my soul, extol, faith and trust, faith boost, fear God, foregone conclusion, glorious kingdom, good tidings, iniquity, life changing, look of joy, magnanimity, miraculous works, new creation, new man, new opportunities, new things, old things, omnipotent god, passion, powerful ways, psalm 66, revere God, righteousness., sin, spectacular works, spirit of your mind, stretching myself, testimony, true holiness, voice of my prayer, walk of LOVE, who created the universe, works of god, worldly ways, worship
Psalm 66:16: Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
All hail mih people! What’s new with you this Thursday morning eh? Not much you say. Well it’s the same here with me. I have nothing spectacular to say, but by the time I’m finished, with the Lord’s help, I will have said stuff that will fill us with strength and good tidings and also boosted our faith and trust in the great God we worship, the One who created the universe and all therein.
And we’ll begin with these affirmations: ‘I CAN do all things through Christ! God has new opportunities for me! I’m not settling for where I am now! I’m stretching myself and pursuing what He has put in my heart! God’s plan for my life is greater than I could imagine, and I’m determined to be who He wants me to be! This is my declaration of what I CAN do through Christ!’
Yes mih Friends, those are certainly most excellent affirmations for us to start today or any day with! But I’m chuckling here because I don’t remember where I got them. I obviously cut out the two by three card from something and have it stuck on my desk. The important thing though is not so much where I got it from, but that I have strong affirmations to boost my faith and trust in Christ, each and every day!
And so we come to our Bit, which is taken from Psalm 66, superscripted, The great works of God. And He has indeed done many great works on the earth since the beginning of time, right up to the present time, and will continue to do so in the hereafter!
And His works are so life changing and impact us in such powerful ways, that’s why the psalmist invites us to ‘Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.’
Oh my brethren, the Lord God Jehovah has certainly done a lot of spectacular and miraculous works in the souls of all those who sincerely revere Him! That is a foregone conclusion! We cannot revere and worship Him without Him doing mighty and magnificent works in us.
As Bruh Paul so wisely puts it in 2 Corinthians: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor.5:17)
Now that’s a must Friends! We cannot be in league with Christ and continue in our old sinful, worldly ways. We have to change and adopt Christ-like attitudes and behaviour.
As Bruh Paul again declares, this time to the Ephesians: ‘And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph.4:23-24)
Yes my brethren, we definitely need to change our old habits when we receive Christ, otherwise we won’t be truly in and of Him. And as per some of the changes we need to make, please read the rest of Ephesians 4, verses 25-32.
Now turning back to our Bit, let’s see what the Lord did for the psalmist that moved him so much, that raised his passion to such a level, that he just had to declare it in song.
‘I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled (praised) with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me, he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.’ (Ps.66:17-20)
Oh my fellow believers, after reading that, I can only say again, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! Why? Because He didn’t do that only for the psalmist, but does it for all those who sincerely believe in Him and come crying to Him for merciful succour! That’s the magnanimity of our omnipotent God!
And that means we all must have a testimony similar to that of the psalmist, which, like him, we ought to gladly share with, and proudly shout to the entire world!
And all God’s people then declared in a loud, sincere voice: ‘All praise and honour be to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! For He is indeed worthy to be praised and glorified in all the heaven and the earth!’
Yes Friends, our God is truly worthy of much adoration, praise, worship and thanksgiving!
And we’ll end with the opening verses of Psalm 116, which puts it all in a perfect nutshell. ‘I LOVE the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me (hath listened to me), therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.’ (Ps.116:1-2)
And to those wonderful sentiments, all God’s children shouted a heartfelt ‘Amen!’
Now my brethren, my fellow believers in Christ, let’s all go about our daily lives and testify to what God has done for us. Lets put all those sentiments we’ve just expressed into action in our walk of LOVE today, so we can both glorify our magnificent God and further His glorious kingdom, as He truly deserves and desires us to do. In Jesus’ holy name, I pray. Amen.
And yuh see Friends, with the Lord’s help, I fulfilled my promise to eventually have something worthwhile to say. (smile) That’s why I just have to LOVE, honour and obey Him as best I can, with my whole body and soul. Much LOVE!
…when a believer is walking in step with Jesus…a big bubble of LOVE enfolds his heart…and a special look of joy radiates from his countenance…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 May 2013 Psalm 49:20.
25 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: all is vanity, be happy with your lot, choose Jesus, God's always victorious, God's faithfulness, God's in control, God's judgement, God's on His throne, God's promise, honour, injustice, innuendo, justice, lies, Lucifer's jealousy, most important decision, omnipotent god, righteousness., sagging spirits, senseless beasts, soaring spirits, spirituality, time for every purpose, time for every work, timely reminder, understanding, unseasonal weather, wickedness, wiles
Psalm 49:20. Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
Oh my people, blessed greetings to you and yours on this chilly May morn! Yes it’s somewhat chilly in my neck of the woods. The weather’s been playing games with us, moving from a high of twenty something degrees celsius a week ago, to the low and mid teens this past week. But I guess much of North America has recently been plagued by unseasonal snow, wind, rain and deadly tornados.
But not to worry, for Almighty God is still on His heavenly throne, still in total control, and nothing happens in this world without His approval. So if you feel somewhat challenged today, please turn to Him and pour out all your heartfelt fears, frustrations and anxieties. He will hear your pleas and respond in the appropriate fashion at the right time.
And this seems to be a very good time to remind us of God’s Promise, the poem I shared a couple weeks back, for there’s nothing that lifts our sagging spirits as a timely reminder of the many wonderful promises our God has made us, and is ever so faithful to fulfill.
So read on dear Friends and let our spirits soar. ‘I will not fear; God is always with me. I will not doubt; God is always in control. I will not despair; God is always good. I will not falter; God is always watching. I will not fail; God is always victorious.’
Yes my Friends, our God is ALWAYS VICTORIOUS!
Please remember that when the enemy comes a-calling, demeans and bad talks our wonderful and omnipotent God. It’s just pure jealousy, because he’s been spayed, neutered, declawed and defanged by Jesus’ victory over death and the grave, and all he can do now is bat his toothless gums together and try to scare us with his snide, nasty remarks, for he’s lost whatever little power he ever had over believers. He can’t harm us, unless we allow him to. Remember that.
Now let’s look at our Bit: ‘Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.’
Oh my brethren, that is the foolish man who listens to Lucifer and falls for his lies, wiles and innuendo. Though he has earthly wealth and power, he is without true understanding of the ways of Almighty God. Thus he perishes as the senseless beasts, without any hope of a positive life after his earthly death.
Yesterday we looked at some scripture pertaining to that topic, and today we’ll look at some more. To further help us make the most important decision of our earthly lives – following Christ – let’s hear from Cousin Sol in Ecclesiastes 3, where he talks about God judges both the righteous and the wicked.
‘And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgement, that wickedness was there (in the place of justice there was wickedness); and (in) the place of righteousness, that iniquity (wickedness) was there. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose (matter in which one delights) and for every work.
I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest (test) them, and that they might see that they themselves are (like) beasts. For that which befalleth (happens to) the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no pre-eminence (advantage) above a beast: for all is vanity.’ (Eccl.3:16-19)
So Friends, back then, Cousin Sol saw injustice in the courts where justice should have prevailed. Sadly, our court system today is similarly as unjust. Moreover, he was sure that God’s justice would be forthcoming, though the casual observer could not see it.
But though man and beast seem to simply return to the dust from whence they came, the spirit of man goes back to God for judgement, as he later declares. ‘Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.’ (Eccl.12:7)
And the scholars proclaim that ‘God does not clearly reveal to man all the events that will occur after him, therefore, man should be happy with the lot assigned to him by God. (v.22)’
Now hear Cousin Sol tell it. ‘All go unto one place; all are of dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth (knows whether) the spirit of man that goeth upward (goes upward), and (whether) the spirit of the beast that goeth (goes) downward to the earth?
Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion (heritage): for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?’ (Eccl.3:20-22)
So Friends, the facts are before us. Jesus came later and clarified some stuff, but it’s still all a matter of personal belief. The choice is ours. Let’s hope though that we all make the right choice; JESUS, FOR THAT’S THE WISDOM OF THE AGES! Much LOVE!
…I choose JESUS…because HE’S THE TRUTH…THE LIGHT…THE LIFE…AND THE ONLY WAY…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 May 2013 Proverbs 18:12
08 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: awesome truth, balance, believe, believers in Jesus Christ, blessed are the meek, blessed are the poor in spirit, dependence on god, dissatisfied people, don't give up, don't throw in the towel, empathy, faith and trust, faithful God, hanging in the balance, haughtiness, haughty heart, heart of man, holy spirit, honour, hope, horse of a different colour, humility, inherit the earth, invincibility, jealousy, kingdom of heaven, merciful God, mind and spirit, negative circumstances, omnipotent god, pride, question god, reverence God, selfish pride, stand strong, steadfast faith, tranquility, trust in God, unexpected tragedy, vicissitudes of life, weighted stone, wisdom, without warning, worldly pinnacles
Proverbs 18:12. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty; and before honour is humility.
Oh Friends, the days are nicely morphing into each other; warm and sunny, with temps in the high teens and low twenties. It’s about time too! The only problem though is that we haven’t seen any rain for at least a week now. Let’s hope that’s not a harbinger of things to come for the summer. But anyway, as believers in Jesus Christ, whatever comes our way, we’re expected to stand steadfast in faith and bear it with His help through the Holy Spirit. And talking about faith, here’s an interesting quote attributed to Robert Veninga, a U.S. Lutheran Church minister. He says that ‘Faith has a powerful effect in helping people recover a sense of balance, tranquility and hope.’ And that’s an awesome truth my people! But it’s oftimes funny how it works. Usually we might be all faith filled, then some totally unexpected tragedy or disaster occurs in our lives, a la Job, and suddenly we begin to question why such a misfortune happened when we were so righteous. Then we begin to question God, and consequently, unlike Job, our faith level falls and we’re not as sure and assured as we were before the tragedy. But yuh know what Friends? Though reading now at a rather low and precarious level, it’s that same basic faith and trust in an omnipotent and merciful God that gets us through the dilemma, that keeps us hanging on, sometimes even by a mere thread, and eventually restores our trust in God, usually at a higher level too. That’s because once we’ve settled down, accepted our fate, and gone through the fire, we come out stronger, energized, with a more flame resistant mind and spirit. It’s simply the way our Lord works. Negative circumstances have a way of making us stand strong and believe. So whatever rough times you’re going through right now, with your faith hanging in the balance or slowly ebbing away, please don’t give up, don’t throw in the towel. I encourage you to stay with it, even though it seems overwhelming. Remember that our faithful God has promised that whatever He brings us to, or allows to come upon us, He will bring us through it, and will work all things out for the good of those who truly LOVE Him and are called to do His will. (Rom.8:28) That brings us to our Bit, which is a horse of an entirely different colour. (smile) Long time I haven’t heard or used that term. But our Bit today is definitely enlightening. ‘Before destruction the heart of man is haughty; and before honour is humility.’ Now aren’t those gospel truths my brethren? They surely are! But unfortunately our world today is thoroughly consumed with haughtiness and selfish pride, a sin the Lord despises more than most, because it makes Him entirely of no account in our lives. But it’s definitely a fact that when we’re riding high in this ungodly, evil world, we usually have more than a touch of pride and invincibility about us. Even the least proud and haughty amongst us, do feel an increase in their own strength and independence. But as Cousin Sol so wisely points out, and practical experience in life confirms, it’s usually when we’re riding high, with the least respect and dependence on God, that disaster befalls us. You seldom see the man on the low rungs of the totem pole falling any further. But it’s those at the very top, the ones who have no time or use for God, and foolishly figure that it’s their own strength and wisdom that got them to the top, who fall like a weighted stone from the height of their worldly pinnacles. And it usually doesn’t take long either. One day they’re on the top of the heap, revelling in their wealth and power, then next day, sadly, without any warning or empathy, they’re consigned to the garbage heap of life. And as I keep telling my children, be very careful what methods you use to get to the top, and how you behave when you get there, because those same methods will be used to bring you down. There will always be jealous, dissatisfied people who are only too glad and willing to help you fall. As Cousin Sol so aptly puts it: ‘Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.’ (Prov.16:18) The second half of our Bit is also bathed in truth; ‘and before honour is humility.’ And we talking about real honour here Friends, that which comes through the mysterious machinations of Almighty God, not the nonsense, the trumped up pride, the world refers to as honour. Please be aware of one thing my people, the Lord will not lift us up unless we are humble and respectful to Him. As I said earlier, pride and haughtiness keeps Him out of our lives, but humility and reverence endears him to us. Jesus said it quite plainly very early in His ministry, in the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt.5:3) The scholars describe the ‘poor in spirit are the opposite of the proud or haughty in spirit. They have been humbled by the grace of God and have acknowledged their sin and therefore their dependence on God to save them.’ Then Jesus declared: ‘Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.’ (Matt.5:5) The scholars say that ‘refers again to those who have been humbled before God and will not only inherit the blessedness of heaven, but also will ultimately share in the kingdom of God on earth.’ So Friends, why do we follow the foolish ways of the world eh, when we ought to know better? Even before Jesus came along, Cousin Sol wisely warned us: ‘The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.’ (Prov.15:33) Oh my fellow believers, there is no doubt as to the truth of those statements, and it’s basically why our world is filled with so much confusion and turmoil. Too many of us lack the wisdom to reverence God, while too many of us also have the foolish propensity that leans toward pride, haughtiness and self-dependence. Oh Friends, please let’s wake up and realize that we didn’t make or create ourselves, and as the vicissitudes of life so clearly show us everyday, we don’t control the tempo and circumstance of our lives either. That is all done by the One who created us, Almighty God. So please wake up and smell the roses and remember: ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov.1:7) Much LOVE!…one cannot be proud, haughty and irreverent towards God…and expect to prosper for long in this earthly life…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 April 2013 Psalm 21:13
24 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: back-breaking labour, christianity, exalt the Lord, exaltation, glory, God's favour, grace, heart's desire, honour, in prayer, joy in the Lord's strength, joyful noise, joyfulness, LOVE, loving kindness, majesty, omnipotent god, power, praise, Praise the Lord, psalmist asaph, raise a song, refreshing, renewing, request of his lips, rest and sleep, salvation, Selah, shower the world, sing of His mercy, sing of the Lord's power, sing praises, surrender, unshakeable faith, victory
Psalm 21:13. Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength, so will we sing and praise thy power.
Oh Friends, I thought rest and sleep were supposed to be so good for the body and soul, to be refreshing and renewing. So how come I went to bed early last night, but got up this morning sneezing and sniffling, with my back aching, as though I’d done some back-breaking labour to bring on those woes? Ah Lord eh! Who knows the way their days and nights will go? Sadly, none of us. Only the great God who created us, and whom we serve and worship, who controls our going out and coming in. But the good thing about that Friends, is that once we surrender our lives to Him, we don’t need to worry about anything, just take everything to Him in prayer. And that’s exactly what I did this morning. I didn’t bother asking why, because I knew that most likely I wouldn’t get an answer. So I just asked for help and relief, then put on my back brace and took a tablet for the allergies. (smile) And now I’m ready to rumble! Who says our God isn’t a good God eh! Consequently, He led me to this most appropriate Bit: ‘Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength, so will we sing and praise thy power.’ Yes my brethren, our Lord is so mighty in power, strength and LOVING-kindness, that it’s only appropriate for us to sing and praise His awesome majesty! Bruh David apparently wrote this psalm after a victory over his enemies, as it’s subtitled – Praise for victory. And I like how he begins it: ‘The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden (withheld) the request of his lips. Selah.’ (Ps.21:1-2) Oh my people, that first verse, or something like it, should be on our lips every day – rejoicing in the strength, power and faithfulness of our omnipotent God, and the LOVING-kindness and mercy of His blessed salvation! And all God’s servants gave a joyful shout of, ‘Praise the Lord! Thank You Father for Your strength and glory in Jesus! Amen!’ And in Psalm 59 – A Prayer for deliverance – when Saul sent his henchmen to watch Bruh David’s house for an opportunity to kill him, he fervently declares: ‘Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah. And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Let them wander up and down for meat (food), and grudge (howl) if they be not satisfied. But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy.’ (Ps.59:13-17) Oh my people, do we have that solid faith and trust in the promises and faithfulness of our God? I surely hope so, because it’s only with that kind of unshakeable faith will we be able to handle the evil powers and people of this evil world. And that’s why Bruh David, despite all his problems and wrongdoings found such favour with God. He always looked to Him for support and guidance, revelled in His strength and LOVING-kindness. Listen to him as he continues in glorious adoration. ‘For thou preventest (meeteth) him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad (joyful with gladness) with thy countenance (presence). For the king trusteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved (shaken).’ (Ps.21:3-7) Ah Friends, there’s no feeling in this world that compares to praising our most wonderful and adorable God! Now listen to how the psalmist Asaph follows in like manner, as he opens in Psalm 81 – God’s goodness and Israel’s waywardness. ‘Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise (shout) unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm (raise a song), and bring hither (strike) the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery (lute or lyre). Blow up the trumpet in (at the time of) the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.’ (Ps.81:1-4) Now, though according to the scholars, ‘The background of the psalm appears to be the Feast of the Tabernacles (Lev.23:34-44) which reminded the people of God’s law and also constituted the feast of ingathering (Ex.23:16)’ that doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t sing and praise our most worthy God in full voice with instruments, each and every day, or whenever we feel like it. So my fellow believers, on this Wednesday morning, in the penultimate week of April, in the year 2013, I’m asking, or rather imploring us all to get ourselves together and shower the world with praise and glory, exaltation and joyfulness in the power and LOVE, mercy and forgiveness of our most amazing God! Please allow our joy to sing out over the land, let the heathen hear it, and see the wonders that He works in our lives, so that they too may come to learn about Him, then believe, LOVE, honour and glorify Him the way we do. That is my sincere prayer for all believers this chilly spring morning. In Jesus name. Amen. Much LOVE!…how can the unbeliever learn about God…unless the believer sings, shouts and lives a life…filled with His goodness, grace and mercy…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 February 2013 Proverbs 26:11
19 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: affairs of the world, beautiful day, christianity, cleansed of our sin, day of salvation, deceitfulness, dog's vomit, dr robert h schuller, fall from grace, false teachers, fool's folly, glory hallelujah, Jesus Christ, learn from mistakes, omnipotent god, Pharaoh, pig from the mud, plagues, power of LOVE, Praise the Lord, repeating mistakes, saviour jesus christ, Thank you Father, the way of righteousness, uplifting prayers, warm sunshine, wisdom
Proverbs 26:11. As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, it’s another beautiful day in the life! Wow! Praise the Lord! Yes, praise our wonderful God for it, because regardless of the suffering, the hardship, the heartache, the pain and illness we may be experiencing, we still know for sure that our God is good and fair and just, and He will not allow us to handle more than we can bear. And furthermore, whatever He brings us to, He’s faithfully promised to bring us through. And all God’s people declared a loud and joyful: ‘Glory Hallelujah! For the Lord He is indeed good to the undeserving children of men!’ Oh my brethren, that’s the basic beauty of the omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient Deity we serve and worship! And now, here’s one of those inspiring, positive, uplifting prayers from Dr. Robert H. Schuller’s Hour of Power Devotional, to get us started on the right foot for the day. It’s a prayer of joy, optimism and great expectations that today we’ll do well in the service of our Leader and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Pray with me: ‘Thank you, Father, for the beautiful surprises you are planning for me today. So often in my life, when it looked like the day would be dismal, depressing, and dark, an unexpected burst of golden sunshine exploded through a black cloud sending inspiring shafts of warm, beautiful sunshine into my life. Father, it is happening now! I can already feel the power of your LOVE, through Christ my Lord. Amen.’ Yuh know Friends, it truly amazes me, that I’ve been reading that Devotional for a few years now, but every time I come to one of those uplifting prayers that I share with you, it just seems like I’ve never see them before. It’s the same thing with the Good Book; every time you read it, you discover something new. That happened to me recently while reading Job. I discovered that his friends had actually come and sat down seven days and nights with him in the dust and ashes of his grief, without saying a word. It’s only after that, they began to rag on him about his supposed sins. (Job 2:13) That brings us to our Bit: ‘As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to (repeats) his folly.’ Ah Friends, that’s so true of so many of us today, it’s not funny! Just like a dog goes back and plays in its vomit, it seems very difficult for too many of us to learn from our mistakes, and thus we keep repeating the same ones over and over. As Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, you can’t keep on doing the same thing and expect different results. Now listen to Peter, as he talks about false teachers and those who once knew God, but fell from grace and again became entangled in the shoddy, disgusting affairs of the world. ‘For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned (returns) to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.’ (2 Pet.2:21-22) Oh mih breddren, is that ever so true! I guess it’s where the saying, ‘you can take the mud from the pig, but you can’t take the pig from the mud,’ comes from. And we do it all the time. Jesus washes and cleanses us of our sins, but we then let the wily Lucifer tantalize us with his glitzy but empty and useless worldly things, and we fall right back into the mire of sin again. And a good example of that from way back when is Pharaoh, when Moses comes and asks him to let the Jewish people go, but Pharaoh refuses. It took something like (10) ten disasters upon his land and people, before Pharaoh agreed to set God’s people free. And my people, the worse thing that can happen to us when we’re undergoing tribulation or making serious mistakes is a break in the action, where we get a little relief from our misery. That unfortunately often gives us the wrong message, and causes us to continue our folly. That happened to Pharaoh after the plague of frogs, when Moses cried out to the Lord about it. (Ex.8:12-13) The Good Book declares: ‘But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite (relief), he hardened his heart, and hearkened not (did not listen) unto them; as the Lord had said.’ (Ex.8:15) Likewise do we my fellow believers, usually to our subsequent hurt. Pharaoh foolishly suffered through another five plagues after that, before he finally saw the light. And we’ll end with an interesting scripture from the hymn of praise in the day of salvation per Isaiah, re the foolishness of the wicked. ‘Let favour (grace) be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.’ (Is.26:10) Yes Friends, such is the deceitfulness and stupidity of the wicked, that even though Almighty God shows them favour, pours out His grace on them, they will not learn righteousness but continue their wicked ways. Please my people, let us not be numbered amongst that sorry, unfortunate lot. It’s a fool’s folly! And followers of Jesus are anything but fools; wisdom is our middle name. Much LOVE!…a wise man learns from his mistakes…but a fool continues in his foolish ways…
Today’s Scrip-Bit October 28 2012 Deuteronomy 31:6
28 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: anxiety, be strong and courageous, beautiful believers, daily blessings, faithfulness, fear, fear not nor be dismayed, meditation, omnipotent god, overcome challenges, tension, the BIBLE, tragedy, trials, tribulations, unbreakable promise of God
Deuteronomy 31:6. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Oh Friends, a blessed Sunday morning to all you beautiful believers in Christ Jesus! I hope we all gave Him thanks for so kindly allowing us to experience another day on Planet Earth, for that’s His due. I also hope that we’re primed and ready to receive His daily blessings and to walk worthy of Him on this October day, regardless of the weather or our personal circumstances. But despite all the promises, blessings and assurances of our omnipotent God, a major portion of the world’s population is still living in dreadful fear because of the numerous negative problems we face. Tragedy and chaos abound all over; from wars to rumours of wars, oppression and suppression of all types, serious economic trials and setbacks, worldwide religious contention, plus natural, man-made and God-sent disasters, to name a little of the calamity that’s currently driving us to fear, death and destruction. Yes Friends, our world is now being run over and ruled by negative influences which unfortunately creates a lot of fear, tension and anxiety. And sadly, a lot of believers are caught up in that negative cycle. But though we need to be realistic about what’s happening in and around us, we don’t have to be overwhelmed or totally overcome by circumstances in general, or our particular problems, because we have the unbreakable promise of the Most High God Jehovah that He will look after those who accept His sovereignty through belief in His Most Wonderful Son Jesus. From way back when He adopted the children of Israel as His chosen people, He assured them with promises of strength, provision and faithfulness, if they would serve and worship Him with clean hearts and right spirits. Our Bit is one such promise reiterated by Moses to his people, just before his death. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ Oh my brethren, what greater assurance can we ask for eh? But how Moses must have sorrowed in his heart, knowing the people’s penchant for fear and fickleness. And right after our Bit: ‘Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut.31:7-8) Ah mih people, what encouragement and assurance Moses tried to give young Joshua as he passed the baton of leadership to him. But Joshua must have understood all that because he had been Moses’ second in command and no doubt had seen the great things the Lord had done. However, our God is so kind and considerate that after Moses died, He called Joshua aside and had a heart to heart chat with him, promising: ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance (you shall give as a possession) the land which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper (have success or act wisely) withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1:5-7) Wow! What powerful promises my brethren! But the Lord constantly warns Joshua to be strong and courageous; twice in the last two verses, and again in verse 9: ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ Oh my brethren, since neither our God or His dictates change, that means those powerful words of assurance are also part and parcel of our spiritual heritage, therefore we should also be strong and of a good courage, and not afraid nor dismayed, because our God goes with us wherever we go. So why are we still so fearful these days eh? Granted life is difficult, but if the Creator and Ruler of the universe tells us to have faith and courage in Him, and we’ve seen His faithfulness over the ages, why do we still falter and fear instead of standing strong and courageous as He instructs? Is it because our faith isn’t as strong as it should be and/or we’re just wallowing in self-pity, because it’s so much easier to hold our heads and wail, ‘Woe is me?’ I suspect though, that the real reason why we’re so scared of life and what it entails nowadays, is because we’re not following another of the direct commands that the Lord gave Joshua the day He anointed him leader. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall constantly be in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success.’ (Josh.1:8) Oh my people, it’s right there in black and white: obey the Lord and you’ll have success wherever you go. But we don’t do that, yet we still expect to be successful. That’s not how God’s universe works my brethren. Now hear some appropriate words on the subject from the scholars. ‘The Lord’s charge to Joshua is repeated from Deut.31:6-7, 23). The divine call is not only for manly courage but for a courageous faith centred in the word of God. (cf. 1 Chr.22:11-13; 28:20; Ps.27:13-14; 31;23-24) As the psalmist would later point out, true success comes from meditating deeply on God’s Word. (cf. Ps.1:2-3; 119:72, 97, 147, 148) Paul likewise encourages all believers to “quit you like men, be strong” (1 Cor.16:13) Oh Friends, I know that these are particularly rough and tough times, but that’s exactly why we need to get in agreement with God’s Word, so that we can be reassured of His faithful promises in our times of need. So please look up the scriptures noted above that they may help us to avoid the fear that’s so prevalent all over the world right now. Remember that Jesus said, though we’ll have trials and tribulation, we should not be afraid, but instead be of good cheer, because He has already overcome the world. (John 16:33) Well true believers, true followers of Christ, let’s take that advice and put it into action nuh! For then, and only then will be truly walking our faith. Much LOVE!…who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?… (1 John 5:5)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 February 2012 Jeremiah 3:25
28 Feb 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: eternal gift, evening sacrifice, gospel truths, omnipotent god, prayer of confession, song of thanks
Jeremiah 3:25. We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.
Oh Friends, our kind, LOVING and omnipotent God is weaving ever more miracles, mercies, blessings and forgiveness into another wonderful day for us, His faithful children! And all His grateful children shouted a joyful song of thanks and praise: ‘Oh thank You most heavenly Father for creating, protecting and so generously providing for us. And we are especially grateful for the eternal gift of your wonderful Son, Jesus, as our Lord and Saviour! You are definitely the GREATEST!’ Yes my brethren, all those things are gospel truths; facts we cannot dispute. But unfortunately they don’t tell all of the truth, for our Bit tells us a completely different story: ‘We lie down in our shame, and our confusion (disgrace) covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.’ Ah mih people, sadly, those are also words of indisputable truth. We can deny them all we want, but they vividly portray the very sinful and ungodly nature of our current world. I don’t have to spell out our iniquity- in fact I can’t, because it’s so plentiful and perverse, but we all know them, even willingly participate in and enjoy some of them. It brings to mind Ezra’s prayer of confession on behalf of Israel’s abominable sinful condition. ‘And at the evening sacrifice I arose from my heaviness (fasting); and having rent (torn) my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God, And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and out trespass (guilt) is grown up into the heavens. Since the days of our fathers have we been in great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil (plunder), and to confusion of face (humiliation, shame of face), as it is this day.’ (Ezra 9:5-7) Oh Friends, how I wish there was someone like Ezra today, mighty enough in the sight of God to make such confession for us! However my people, our world is now too vast and diverse for any one person to take on that job, so of necessity, each one of us will have to implore our God on the matter. Confess our sins as a society, a nation, a world, then ask for mercy and forgiveness, a la Bruh David in Psalm 51, A prayer for cleansing: ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy LOVING-kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified (found just) when thou speakest, and be clear (blameless) when thou judgest.’ (Ps.51:1-4) Yes Friends, until conviction and sincere repentance are made, we will continue to struggle and live in strife and confusion. Lemme ask a couple questions here. Why did Israel wander around in the wilderness for forty years when the Promised Land was about a three-month journey from Egypt? And why is our world currently enmeshed in such fear, hatred, anger and confusion? Oh Friends, the answer to both questions is simple and the same: because they, then, and we, now, have drastically disobeyed the voice of God. And our many troubles will only get worse if we pursue our present sinful, ungodly path. And the sad part is that there’s plenty precedence, both in the Good Book and History, about civilizations being destroyed because they disobeyed God. So why we seem to think that we’re different, I really don’t know. But hear what the Lord said to Israel through Jeremiah: ‘I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice. The wind shall eat up all thy pastors (rulers), and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded (humiliated) for all thy wickedness.’ (Jer.22:21-22) Oh my brethren, it’s the same thing the Lord’s saying to us today, and there’s no denying the shame and confusion that’s besetting our world. So why are we so stubborn and hard headed eh? At least let’s give God a try, since nothing else seems to be working, and we have nothing to lose but a whole lot to gain. My fellow believers, the ball’s solidly in our court. If we want to see improvements, then we’ll have to get seriously involved and bring it about, since the iniquity workers thrive on the strife and confusion. So for our children’s sake, let’s get cracking nuh. I won’t even mention future generations, cause there won’t be any, if we continue our diabolical, fiendish ways. Let’s allow the fire and passion of Jesus to invade our souls and spirits so that we can set the world aflame with our LOVE Revolution, for it’s only LOVE, the predominant essence of our great God, that will prevent us from completely sinking into the quicksand of sin. Much LOVE!…Christianity has survived two thousand years…let’s give it a fighting chance to survive two thousand more nuh…
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