Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 November 2015 Psalm 42:5‏

20 Nov 2015 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 42:5. Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).

So it’s Friday my people… ‘Yes! That’s why we’re loudly declaring: TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend’s here at last. Oh glory to God for a couple days off from harsh labour! We going to party, and party…and then party some more!’ 

Oh Friends, nothing’s wrong with partying, but like most things too much of it is bad for both our bodies and souls. We need to find a right balance in our weekend activities if we want to be successful in this life. Now our Friday Chant gives us a much better perspective on how to use the weekend, so let’s chant it nuh. 

As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. 

Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ 

Now isn’t that a much better way to spend the weekend? It surely is! So hopefully some of us who had the serious party scene and much debauchery envisaged will tone it down to a more righteous state. (smile)  

And without further ado, we’ll introduce our Bit, because we have plenty scriptures to look at today. ‘Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ 

That’s gospel truth Friends! And I believe a little personal testimony is appropriate here. Yesterday evening during my time of personal devotions, my spirit was somewhat off kilter, it just was not right and I couldn’t focus on my devotions as I wanted to. 

Now nothing was really wrong, there was no cause for the apparent malaise in my soul that I could put my finger on. So I asked the Lord for some direction and understanding. And would you believe that when I came to Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional, the daily devotion was titled ‘Choose to Be Hopeful.’ 

And we certainly can choose to be hopeful my people. It’s a choice that’s open to us all. So though today might be somewhat rough, tomorrow is on its way, it’s inevitable and does hold the promise of better times. 

And as I read Gramps Schuller’s words, I began to chuckle: ‘The only thing between today and tomorrow is tonight. And that’s when the stars come out! So never give up on hope! Don’t drop the curtain on tomorrow. Great people are ordinary people who just will not give up hope. And what is hope? It is Holding On, Praying Expectantly.’ 

That’s oh so true my fellow believers! And thereafter my spirit was enthused! Glory to God! After my devotions I even got up and did some of the things I wanted to do, but previously had no energy or enthusiasm to do them. 

So you see our heavenly Father responds to our pleas in so many unexpected ways that we should never really lose hope or faith or give up on Him, regardless of how long His answer might be taking to come. 

That reminds me of Jeremiah when he lamented to God. ‘He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with (bent me down in) ashes. 

And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). 

My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled (bowed down) in me. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam.3:15-23) 

Oh my brethren, you see that though Jeremiah underwent all sorts of hardship, even in his remembrance of them, he knew, or was hopeful enough to realize that it was only the Lord’s LOVING-kindness and compassion that keeps us from destruction. His faithfulness is unbreakable and His mercies are new every morning, thus giving us a brand new start every day. 

So if Jeremiah could figure that our after all his misfortune, why can’t we eh, especially when few of us have undergone his woes and troubles? We have to hold on to hope Friends, because that’s the only thing that will see us through. 

What did Bruh Paul say to the church at Rome? ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) (eagerly) wait for it.’ (Rom.8:24-25) Gospel truth that my brethren! 

So it’s imperative that we all get out there today into the topsy turvy world filled with hope, bubbling with it until it overflows, (smile) remembering God’s faithful promises never to leave or forsake us, to bring us safely through each and every trial so that we can enjoy salvation and eternal life with Him at some future date. Now that is the HOPE of every believer! Much LOVE!

…let’s all hold on in hope…praying expectantly and eagerly…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 June 2013 Psalm 116:9

17 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 116:9:    I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

Oh Friends, it’s Monday! But before you steups and make yourself miserable, just look ahead and you’ll see our great God’s faithfulness in another beautiful day breaking on the horizon.
 
Yes my fellow believers, the sun is rising in a blaze of glory, but please remember that the SON has already risen in His even bigger blaze of glory, which brought with it, the faithful promise of a brand new life for all of us who believe in Him!
 
With that selfless act, He redeemed our sinful souls from the throes of eternal death and damnation. And if that isn’t something to be extremely glad and thankful for, then I certainly don’t know what is!
 
So on this Monday morning when we’re faced with the difficult task of getting up to go to work, let’s remember what Jesus did for us, and put away all the petty grievances and ills, especially the hangovers from the too hectic Father’s Day celebrations yesterday (smile) and rise and shine like He asked us to.
 
Let’s allow that bright light of His that dwells in us to shine through brightly in our words and actions today as we interact with others in the work world, be they believers or non-believers! That’s the mark of a real follower of Jesus!
 
So with that proper perspective now running in our souls, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great gusto, for Christ is risen indeed, and so have we, to another glorious day on planet earth, one chock-filled with God’s new blessings and mercies! 
 
Now let’s sing in harmony, as one voice, one body of Christ Jesus, our wonderful Lord and Saviour!
 
‘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!’
 
Awright mih people! That was marvellous! Even the Father applauded and gave us a standing ‘O’! Wow!
 
There’s great joy in heaven this Monday morning Friends, so let’s replicate that joy down here on earth nuh. In light of what’s happening in heaven, it’s the only wise and sensible thing to do.
 
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which seems rather appropriate to all that’s gone before. ‘I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.’
 
Oh Friends, that’s certainly a powerful statement and promise for the psalmist to make! Now why did he feel obliged to make it eh? The psalm itself is superscripted ‘Praise for deliverance from death,’ and just before our Bit, the psalmist explains the reason for that most worthwhile promise:
 
‘The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped (saved) me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul: for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.’ (Ps.116:6-8)
 
Ah my brethren, that definitely sounds like a rather good reason for making a promise to walk before the Lord in the land of the living!
 
Now many of us have been saved from similar life threatening circumstances, but have we afterward ever made such a bold promise to God for showing us His infinite mercy and compassion? Not as many as should!
 
And for those few who have, are we keeping that promise? I surely hope so, since our God doesn’t take kindly to broken promises. Better not to promise, than promise and not pay. (Eccl.5:5)
 
And in the verse after our Bit, the psalmist makes another provocative statement: ‘I believed, therefore have I spoken:’ (Ps.116:10a)
 
Now though that sounds simple, it’s such a powerful and compelling scripture that Bruh Paul uses it in his second letter to the Corinthians, re living by faith. ‘We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;’ (2 Cor.4:13)
 
Oh my people, I ask us now, do we believe? And if so, have we spoken? I surely hope so, because it’s a very important part, in fact a necessity in our Christian heritage to speak what we believe, otherwise our beliefs are selfish and consequently useless to others.
 
It just shows that we don’t think highly enough of our faith to talk about what we believe, and that’s simply making a mockery of Jesus and His sacrificial death.
 
Please note Bruh David’s similar statement to our Bit in Psalm 27, ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation.’ He declares with certain confidence and trust: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps.27:13)
 
Oh my people, we too are in the land of the living, and likewise claim to believe in the same God, therefore we should also exercise and claim that same confidence and trust in the goodness and magnanimity of our God, otherwise we’re just fakes and hypocrites, which we obviously don’t want to be.
 
So just as we begun today with affirmations in the Lord, let’s end the same way nuh.
 
Listen to the psalmist: ‘What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people….
 
I will offer thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. (Hallelujah) Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps.116:12-14, 17-19)
 
Oh Friends, that’s the proper response and reaction to faith, trust and thanksgiving to Almighty God!
 
Let’s go forth today and act in like manner nuh, since we all have put our faith and trust in Him, and we surely have a lot to be thankful for. Much LOVE!
 
…true believers ought to have a heart burning with LOVE…just like Jesus…and a life shining brightly…reflecting His awesome light…
 
 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 April 2013 Matthew

05 Apr 2013 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 22:21.     They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
 
And then it was Friday! That recognition was greeted with joyous shouts in work places all over the world: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Yes Friends, the weekend’s upon us once again, granting us a short respite from our labours. And I know how we all look forward to it, but as everything else, there’s a right and wrong way to spend it. So let’s chant our Friday Chant that helps us to put the weekend into proper perspective. All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Now that should hold and guide us for the next couple days. (smile) So let’s turn to our Bit, another interesting one – sorry, all of them are interesting since they come from the Good Book – (smile). This one features a serious principle espoused by our Lord, Saviour and Leader, Jesus Christ. ‘They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render (pay) therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.’ Oh Friends, I chose, or rather the Lord guided me to this Bit today, because it’s related to the tithing situation we’ve been discussing over the last few days. It was even our footnote, thought for the day, yesterday. Now here’s some background on the scene as it was played out. As usual, the Pharisees were trying to entrap Jesus, so that they could have solid grounds to persecute Him. ‘And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful (permitted) to give tribute (pay taxes) unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived (knew) their wickedness, and said, Why tempt (test) ye me, ye hypocrites? Show me the tribute (tax) money. And they brought unto him a penny (Gr. denarius). And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription (inscription)?’ (Matt.22:16-20) Then Jesus delivered the coup de grace, which is our Bit. And the Good Book continues: ‘When they had heard these words, they marvelled (were amazed), and left him, and went their way.’ (Matt.22:22) Oh Friends, as the saying goes; there’s none so blind, as they who refuse to see. That applies to many of us in these current times, as well as the Pharisees and other groups who tried to get Jesus to incriminate Himself during the three years of His earthly ministry. They were too dimwitted, egotistical and steeped in the traditions of men to see that every time they posed an incriminating question, His answer was always astute and impeccable. Unfortunately, many of us today behave the same way; we allow the traditions of men, rather than the true principles of God to run our lives. That’s why so many of us lead such miserable and unfulfilled lives, and sadly don’t understand why. Anyway, here’s some historical background and further explanations from the scholars’. ‘The Herodians were a party that favoured the dynasty of Herod and stood for the Roman connection. They cared little or nothing for religion and normally were bitterly opposed to the Pharisees. The statements recorded in verse 16 are insincere and intended as hypocritical flattery. Their question was intended to place the Lord in a dilemma. If he says yes, He can be held up to the people as a traitor. If He says no, He can be denounced to the Roman authorities. Caesar was the Roman Emperor and head of the Roman state. Caesar was the family name of Julius Caesar, the first man who aspired to autocracy (absolute government, controlling influence). The name was taken over from him by his adopted son Octavian, afterward titled the Emperor Augustus. Render therefore unto Caesar: The Lord means that we are to give the civil magistrates all that is due to them, as long as it does not interfere with the honour due to God. Jesus had broken the Herodians dilemma by making light of the ultimate significance of Caesar’s claim. The idea is: “If the penny is his, let him have it.” Jesus’ response, render unto God the things that are God’s, exposed the spiritual failure of the Herodians. In essence, Jesus made light of Caesar’s temporal claim in favour of God’s greater claim over men’s lives.’ And that’s the undeniable truth my Friends! Therefore all of us should also embrace that same distinction, for it’s God who created us, in His own image to boot, not sinful, fallible, short-lived man. And we’ll stop there for today. It’s enough for us to contemplate, what with our short attention spans and busy schedules. (smile) Tomorrow though, God willing, we’ll continue with giving to man what belongs to him, and to God what’s His. It’s a major principle in our Christian faith, and there are lots more scriptures concerning it, to be looked at. Till then, please, let’s all try and walk worthy of our most awesome and LOVING God. And may He bless and keep us safely as we do our earthly pilgrimage, allowing His shining countenance to light on us, and give us His wonderful peace that passes all human understanding. We pray this in Jesus’ Holy Name, and His sacrificial blood that was spilled on the cross at Calvary to pay for our abominable sins and cleanse our unworthy souls. Amen. Much LOVE my fellow followers of Christ!…though everything belongs to God…He’s ordained that some things will be looked on as belonging to earthly rulers… and true believers should acknowledge them as such…
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 January 2012 Psalm 149:6‏

06 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , ,

Psalm 149:6.    Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.
 
Yes mih Friends, once again it’s Friday, the start of the weekend! And ah know that the remnants of the Christmas and New Years sprit still bubbling in many of you, though for some it’s simply morphing into a Carnival sprit (smile), so there’s still plenty of enthusiasm still around to shout ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ But as always, we need to curtail some of those weekend activities, so we don’t go overboard and get embarrassed by falling into the enemy’s clutches. Therefore, to help us keep the weekend in proper perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant. All together now, with the same enthusiasm and vocal might that we shouted ‘TGIF!’ ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And now that we have the weekend on a tight rein – hn – let’s look a little further ahead; to the whole year of 2012. In so doing, let’s give plenty thanks that 2012 IS a year of accomplishment, healing and renewal for us individually, as well as for our violent, strife-torn, confused, ungodly, oppressive, greedy, sinful world. We’re seeing this through the eyes of faith my brethren, knowing that as a united group, God’s people will make a big and positive difference right here on earth this year. Oh Friends, if our world gets any worse than it is, then we’ll be in such dire straits that recovery may be impossible, for right now we’re just teetering on the brink of destruction. That’s why 2012 is the watershed year, a year of awakening, where old things become new, broken relationships are fixed, where commonsense and wisdom come to the fore and thus improve the selfish, antagonistic atmosphere currently prevailing. Oh Friends, 2012 just has to be a big year for us. I feel it in my bones that this year is special, and special in a good way too. And how could it not be eh, when believers are getting together instead of separating, renewing their faith and trust in Christ, fully surrendering their all to Him, and battling Beelzebub and his evil cronies with a renewed intensity, fanned by the blazing flames finally rekindled in our bellies. (smile) I might be smiling Friends, but this is serious business. Saving our world for our children, for posterity, is no laughing matter. In the last two decades we’ve allowed Jesus’ kingdom to go downhill, but unfortunately most of us only have one more decade here on earth in which to build it back up, and make it progress even further. That means we have to work extraordinarily hard to redo the twenty years damage in only ten. Consequently, from here on in, we all have our work cut out for us. But we know that with Jesus on our side, anything is possible. And to help us reinvigorate the kingdom, our Bit is invaluable. ‘Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.’ Yes Friends, it’s a dual purpose job; uplifting the righteous and simultaneously fighting the wicked. And we definitely need the former if we’re to be successful at the latter. We can’t win any battles without the sounds of praise and worship in both our individual and collective lives. Oh my people, I don’t know if I’m successfully imparting the urgency that I feel, but believe me, our world is facing a very grave time. We’re at a significant crossroads, and the wrong move(s) can send us all plummeting into further strife and confusion, from which we may never recover. That’s why it’s so important that believers put on the full armour of God (Eph.6:11-20) and get out there and seriously fight the enemy, with the Sword of the Spirit, the mighty weapon that cuts deeply to bring about conviction and repentance. ‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in (hidden from) his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (must give account). (Heb.4:12-13) Oh my people, that’s how powerful the Word is, and as believers we have to use it in our earthly fight, for in the end we shall all be held accountable. And I’m sure that none of us wants to get a thumbs down sign from Jesus when we’re called to account. So mih breddren, let’s get up off our fat fannies and do the job we’ve signed up to do nuh, otherwise the consequences might be catastrophic!  Much LOVE!…to be told on the day of reckoning…well done good and faithful servant…we first have to stand strong and tall in Jesus’ name…down here on earth…