Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 May 2017 Psalm 127:1.

05 May 2017 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 127:1.   Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep (guards) the city, the watchman waketh (stays awake) but in vain.

And it was mid-afternoon…and the rains came… And then it was morning…and the rains are still coming… 

Yes friends, showers of blessings have been inundating us for the last 15 or 16 hours! And they are still coming down…thankfully not the pouring down kind, but more a steady drizzle. Hn! 

And as the Lord would have it, the ole fella has to go into Toronto for some tests today. Chuh! But I can’t afford to miss today’s appointment, because I postponed them over a month ago, on the day that our area had its last serious snowfall. 

And just to make life even more difficult, the two main exit ramps to the city off the southern highway have been broken down to build something supposedly new and better. It was bad enough before, but now you can imagine the horrendous traffic situation to get into downtown Toronto. 

And to add to the mix, the hospital I’m going to, have shut down at least a quarter of their underground parking spots for some repair work. The other day I had to drive around the area twice before I could find an empty spot. 

But yuh know what, the ole fella will just leave a little earlier, and with Jesus as my travelling companion, and fail-safe guide, we’ll just mosey into T.O as calmly as ever. With Jesus riding shotgun in my chariot, I know we’ll get there safely, on time, and everything will be all right! Praise His Holy Name! 

And along the way, we’ll certainly hear the workingman joyfully declaring: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! The weekend is ours to do as we please! And though it raining cats and dogs, that’s not going to stop us from partying hearty over the next couple of days! Yuh better believe we should all thank God for Fridays and the weekends!’ 

As usual, an interesting take on things, but not a very good one. Our Friday Chant makes a much wiser declaration, so let’s declare it now nuh. ‘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 makes much more sense, by giving us a modicum of circumspection and a level playing field to work with. And that brings us to today’s rather interesting and oh so appropriate Bit.

‘Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep (guards) the city, the watchman waketh (stays awake) but in vain.’  

And I daresay that there’s a lot of truth in that statement, judging by the serious expanse of, and concern with security in our society during the last two decades, but nonetheless the massive explosion of all kinds of fraud and treachery. Who’s guarding the guard eh? 

Ah mih people, I don’t know when we will wake up and fully and truly realize that only in godliness and righteousness will our society ever have some stability and safety. Only when the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is our true protector will our way of life be stable and strong. 

Now hear some scripture from Psalm 121 –God’s sustaining power, which tells it like it surely is. ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (mountains), from when cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 

Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper (protector): the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 

The Lord shall preserve (keep) thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’ (Ps.121:1-8) 

Yes my brethren, that’s what the Lord does for those who are obedient to his law and live faithfully and righteously in His name! 

As our Bit says, without Him working on our behalf, all our efforts are in vain. And until we sincerely realize that and repent and return to faithfully serving Almighty God as a just and true society, our lives will continue to be in everlasting turmoil. 

Ah mih people, like the psalmist, when he looked up at his mountains and wondered where his help to fight them would come from, so can we look at the mountains in our lives, and confidently declare: ‘My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.’ 

And that’s indisputable, gospel truth my brethren! So let’s stand strong and steadfast on it nuh, as wisdom and faith in God dictates. Much LOVE!

…to whom shall we cry out for help…not Ghostbusters…but to the Lord God Almighty…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 April 2014 Leviticus 19:1-2

30 Apr 2014 Leave a comment

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

Leviticus 19:1-2.   And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.

Oh Friends and fellow believers, how does it grab you eh – rainy days and Wednesdays? (smile) I certainly hope it doesn’t have us feeling like the old Gordon Lightfoot song, which says: ‘Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.’

 

Why you ask? Well because as Christ’s representatives, His ambassadors here on earth, we’re called on to have a pleasant, positive disposition most of the time. Anything less will simply not venerate Jesus and make others want to come to Him for the wonderful comfort and succour He has to offer.

 

And that’s basically our major purpose – LOVING our God, sincerely LIVING our Faith, and SPREADING His Word!

 

Now yesterday was a mostly rainy day in my neck of the woods, and so it seems today will also be. But my people, the good news is that though we might not be able to see the sun, we can be positively assured that it’s up there, shining brightly, somewhere above those dark, dreary clouds, because like the Son, Jesus, its Creator, the Sun ALWAYS RISES!

 

That means, once we have Jesus in our hearts, it is ALWAYS possible for our emotions and spirits to rise above whatever is coming against us and trying to keep us down, down in the negative depths of sin and despair.

 

So please my brethren, regardless of it’s raining cats and dogs in your area, like it is in mine, or the evil villain Lucifer is trying to drag you down to his below ground level, please don’t fear; don’t be afraid or anxious for anything, just look to Jesus, tell Him your problems, and sincerely ask for His help, and He will faithfully render it, because that’s what he promised to do.

 

And if it’s one thing ALL believers know, or ought to know, is that our great Triune God is ever faithful, ALWAYS keeps His promises!

 

So, please, let’s be like the birds, which never stop singing God’s praises, be it rain or shine, regardless of their personal situations, be their problems small or large. And the perfect example of that is I heard them outside my window earlier on, lifting their sweet voices to heaven in high praise, though their feathers and bodies were soaked with rain.

 

And all God’s children gave a grateful shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah!’

 

So now that we’ve finished rambling through the preamble, (smile) let’s turn to our Bit: ‘And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.’

 

And the first question is did you do your homework? Did you check out the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, to see if what the Jewish scholars say is true; that Chapter 19 of Leviticus embraces, or recapitulates all of the Ten Commandments amongst its diverse verses?

 

Ah mih people, you don’t have to answer that question because I know the answer for a majority of you is a big, fat NO! Just for the records though, I did, and found it be very true.

 

Anyway, in this last message on the holiness of God, and therefore our own holiness, let’s look at a couple of scriptures that declare its necessity. First off is the Lord’s admonition to the children of Israel earlier on in Leviticus, re clean and unclean animals.

 

‘Ye shall not make yourselves (your souls) abominable (impure) with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.

 

For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.’ (Lev.11:43-45)

 

Ah mih breddren, as usual our God is plain and straightforward! There’s nothing there hard to understand, and He tells us the same thing several times during those three verses, so at some point it ought to sink into our stubborn, hard-headed consciousness.

 

Now listen to Peter on the call to Christian dedication. ‘Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind  (prepare your mind for action), be sober, and hope to the end for the grace (rest your hope fully upon the grace) that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

 

As obedient children, not fashioning (conforming) yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (conduct); Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.’ (1 Pet.1:13-16)

 

Yes Friends, all of that still applies to us today, though sadly we are not living it out in the world, otherwise the world would not be so evil and ungodly!

 

Now here is some info from the scholars on verse 13, which I hope will empower and embolden us to start or keep on being holy, holy as we ought to.

 

‘1:13. The exhortation to set one’s hope involves an inward resolution. Gird up the loins of your mind: The imagery is that of personal discipline and outward conduct. Be sober (Gr. nephontes): Be free of every sort of mental and spiritual intoxication. The revelation of Jesus Christ is the Second Advent when Jesus returns to earth to set up His kingdom.’

 

Ah mih people, I know that to live a holy life for Christ takes a lot of discipline and self-control, in other words, great discipleship. However those are things that are not very easy to come by in this undisciplined and anything goes modern world.

 

But if we truly want to live our lives for Jesus, and in the way that He desires, then we have to put our best foot forward and make the sacrifice(s) that are necessary to fulfill our calling.

 

And please remember two things here: The Lord will never give us more than we can bear, and if we sincerely cry out to Him for help, He will gladly help us. That means there’s no reason for us to fall down on the job, unless we choose to do so.

 

Now let’s end, as I LOVE to do whenever possible, with a word from Jesus. ‘Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.’ (Luke 6:36)

 

Oh Friends, just one more wonderful aspect of our heavenly Father which we need to adopt! So without further ado, let’s get to it nuh. Much LOVE!

 

…to walk how Jesus walked…takes much back and belly…but He will give them to us…if we ask in faith…