26 Feb 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great calm, according to your faith, all the days of my life, anointest my head with oil, be it unto you, be of good cheer, believers, beloved of God, cast into the oven, clothe you, comfort me, difficulties, do our part, dwell in the house of the Lord, encouragement, everyday we draw breath, evil, faith, fall in our laps, fall short, fear no evil, follow me, foolishness, for His name's sake, found so great a faith, friend jesus, God's attention, goodness and mercy, green pastures, he arose, he hard, he saith unto them, heretic Roman, hide my face, i have overcome the world, I shall not want, improve our faith, in all Israel, ingodliness, Israel, Jewish people, leads me, LOVE, Love of Jesus, manna from heaven, mine enemies, miracles, Moses' song, no faith, O ye of little faith, panicked, paths of righteousness, perverse generation, prepare a table before me, promises, rebuked the winds and the sea, resores my soul, Roman Centurion, share friendship, share His love, show that faith, small in faith, snow squalls, Solomon's glory, still waters, talk a good talk, the disciples, the grass of the field, The Lord is my shepherd, the men marvelled, the sea obey him, the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff, trials, tribulations, trust, Tuesday Mantra, what their end shall be, why are ye fearful, wind stroms
Matthew 8:26. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea: and there was a great calm.
Well it’s Tuesday now, and the crazy wind storms and snow squalls that have harried us for the past couple days seem to have died down, but it’s still beastly cold, somewhere around –12 in my area. And I’m chuckling here because I know that during the inclement weather many of us were praying, trying to get God’s attention to stop it. Not me so much, because I was praying rather that He’d get me safely to where I was going, cause I got caught out in it a couple of times.
But this time I don’t think Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat nuh, He was wide awake and just waiting to see how we’d behave. And we behaved just like the disciples did when the storm caught them going across the lake and Jesus was resting quietly, ostensibly without a care in the world, but the disciples panicked:
‘And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea: and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him.’ (Matt.8:25-27) And that kind of behaviour from men who had been with Jesus for quite some time and seen Him do all sorts of miracles!
The point I’m trying to make here this morning friends is that too many of us supposed believers are still too small in faith like the disciples, though we have seen Jesus do great and extraordinary things in our lives! We talk a good talk about faith, but when the occasions come for us to show that faith, we always seem to fall short.
Why is that eh? Don’t we truly believe…or are we just scared and afraid of whatever comes against us? No, it’s not easy, and Jesus promised that we’d have trials and tribulations in this world…’But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Yes, and even with that encouragement, He knows that it will be hard for us, but He expects that our faith, which is supposed to grow each and every day we draw breath, will strengthen us and see us through whatever difficulties we encounter down here on earth!
And the sad part is that even before Jesus came, the Lord was dissatisfied with the faith of His people Israel, as outlined in the words of Moses’ song to the Israelites. ‘And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very forward (perverse) generation, children in whom is no faith.’ (Deut.32:20)
So I guess nothing much has changed sine way back then! And how many times did Jesus lambaste, castigate His people for not having the faith they should have eh? And there are several! Here are a couple of illustrations: In talking about nature versus Cousin Sol’s glory, nature won out every time. ‘Wherefore, if God so clothe(s) the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall ye not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?’ (Matt.6:30)
That means we ought not to worry and be anxious or fearful of what’s going to happen because we’re more important to our heavenly Father than nature, which He looks after so well. And when the Roman centurion came to Jesus, asking Him to heal his sick servant, and Jesus offered to go to his house and do so:
‘The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in all Israel.’(Matt.8:8-10)
Yeh friends, the servant was healed, not because of his own faith, but because of His master, the centurion’s faith. Jesus was just showing up there the foolishness of His Jewish people who refused to accept t Him for who and what He proclaimed to be, but this supposedly heretic Roman, had no problem with doing so! And He’s doing the same thing today my people; crying out to us to truly believe and have the faith that belief ought to instill in us, but which seems to be sadly lacking!
Remember the words of the great psalm that we all like to quote: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over. 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.23:1-6)
Oh my people, how do you think all of that wonderful stuff, those mighty and awesome promises are going to happen eh? They won’t just fall into our laps like manna from heaven nuh, but we’ve got to believe them and have the faith to expect and do our part to allow them to happen.
So please my brethren, please let us improve our faith nuh, starting today, RIGHT NOW, both for our sakes and the sake of Jesus’ church, for if we don’t do better very soon, our world will surely fall apart with all the ungodliness and evil that’s currently being foisted upon it.
And having said all of that, let’s go home declaring (right ho) our Tuesday Mantra, telling the world, loud and clear, who and whose we are. In strong and sincere faith now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And the corollary to that is for us to now go out and share the friendship and LOVE of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, but desperately need to! Much LOVE!
…according to your faith…be it unto you… (Matt.9:29)
01 Aug 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a quiet stream, abundant provision, all the days of my life, anoints my head with oil, assured, be broken, before mine enemies, beloved of God, celebration, Creator of the universe, deity, dwell in the house of the Lord, foundational truth, friend of Jesus, frightening shadow, glory to God, God's goodness, goodness, guest, hear our cries, heartwarming words, heatwave, honoured position, host, hottest day, I shall not want, indisputable fact, integrity, lack for anything, lie down in green pastures, LOVE, loving-kindness, mea culpa, mercy, metaphor, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, One Year Book of Bible promises, Our Father, prepares a table, Protector, provider, question, rest, restores my soul, Ruth Harms Calkin, safe, shade tree, share His love, sheep., shepherd, still waters, the affirmative, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the living God, the Lord God Jehovah, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord's prayer, the One and Only True God, the paths of righteousness, the promise, the shadow of death, the wilderness, tough times, true to your word, trust, Tuesday Mantra, vindication, with the Lord's help, words of assurance
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want (lack anything).
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa! Yeh friends, it was just one of those days, after running around in the hot sun yesterday afternoon, the old body just cried out for rest and simply refused to get up this morning before it felt sufficiently rested. (smile)
And yesterday was probably the hottest day yet for this summer. Old July went out with a heat wave, and August seems to want to come in the same way, because it’s also supposed to be fairly hot today.
And I have to go out and do some more stuff out there today too. But I have no doubt that with the Lord’s invaluable help, it will all turn out fine.
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that ought to lift us all up this morning, give us comfort and assurance to face the day’s problems. It’s titled ‘The Promise.’
Let’s pray together: ‘O dear God, I continue to believe Your personal promise still stands Though every quivering question within Shouts that it will be broken. I am claiming Your help through the wilderness Despite every frightening shadow and vale. Often You do the most When you seem to do the least.
Sometimes secretly Sometimes quietly Often slowly But always most certainly You are true to Your word. And so, my Lord Though I am weak, weary, and worn help me not to despair. You see me, You hear me. You know I am depending utterly Upon Your unblemished integrity Surely You will keep Your word.’
And that’s an indisputable fact my fellow believers in Christ! The Lord God Jehovah, creator of the universe and all therein WILL keep His Word for He is a Deity of the utmost integrity! And that’s exactly why we can place our utmost trust in Him and feel safe and assured! Glory to God my brethren!
Yeh friends, that’s the whole purpose of having a God; someone to look up to, especially in tough times, someone who CAN, and also WILL hear our cries for help and answer them in the affirmative.
And the awesome, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the ONLY One of the many gods being worshipped today, who is actually capable of doing that! For He is the ONLY LIVING GOD!
All others are merely dead and lifeless idols, creations of man’s mind, or the creation of the One and Only True God Jehovah. So how can you worship something that is dead, or was created by someone else and has absolutely no power to do anything under its own will or power eh? It just doesn’t make sense. Hope what I’m saying makes sense though? (smile)
And the Bible Verse that substantiates that Promise is none other than one of our most famous Bible Verses; the true and wonderful words of Bruh David: ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want (lack anything).’
What marvellous words of assurance eh mih people! No other faith can proclaim such a statement and have it be the truth…but we can! All power and glory to our great God!
And Bruh David lays it out, all nice and simple and straightforward. ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures (pastures of tender green grass): he leadeth me beside the still waters (waters of rest): He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps.23:2-3)
Oh my faithful brethren, doesn’t that just resonate powerfully and peacefully through your hearts, bodies and souls? It certainly does through mine, and has me longing for the green pastures and peaceful waters of sweet Tobago, which I haven’t experienced for almost two years.
And can’t you just imagine Bruh David penning those heartwarming words as he sat below some shade tree, on a beautiful summer’s day, beside a quiet stream, watching his sheep graze on the lush and plentiful green grass around him?
It was just the perfect metaphor to describe his God; the eternal and merciful One who found healthy forage for his sheep and protected him from the wild animals and natural disasters that constantly came against them.
That’s why they have become such a standard, such foundational truth in our faith! The only prayer possibly known better than that is the ‘Lord’s Prayer,’ or ‘Our Father.’
And Bruh David didn’t stop there, he went on to elaborate even further on the rich and blessed assurances of his awesome God. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps.23:4-6)
And all God’s people shouted ‘Amen and Amen!’ Yeh friends, it couldn’t get any better than that!
As the scholars explain: ‘Psalm 23: The psalm has been a favourite of God’s people through the ages and with due reason: it expresses as simply and clearly as any the role of God as our protector and provider in life.
The charm of the psalm rests on two figures of speech: the Lord is compared to a shepherd and the believer to his sheep (vs.1-4); then the Lord is likened to a host with the believer as the guest (vs.5-6).’
So my people, with all of that bubbling and reverberating in our hearts, spirits and souls, let’s go home now sincerely declaring our Tuesday Mantra.
‘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!’
Now, the next move is for us to put it all into action! Much LOVE!
…with God as our shepherd comes…’an honoured position…abundant provision…vindication before one’s enemies…eternal celebration of God’s goodness…’
P.S. Yes, I know it’s long and late, but it’s still beautiful, even if I say so myself. (smile)
18 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a record of the past, abundantly, awesome God, bind up, bring them out, broken, cloudy and dark day, contemplate the future, deliver them, destroy, destroy the fat, driven away, Ezekiel, feed them, flees, flock, focusing on the future, get cynical, glorious future with Jesus, glory hallelujah, good shepherd, halfway home, hands on the plough, have life, hired man, hireling, History, I am the door of the sheep, I shall not want, inhabited places, Jesus Christ, judgement, justice, kill, lie down in green pastures, living truth, Lord and Saviour, lost, lost souls, Most High God Jehovah, negative happenings, New Testament, not looking back at the past, Old Testament, planet earth, promises, Psalm 23, reneges, robbers, scattered, scatters the sheep, search my sheep, shepherd, sincere thanks and praise, steal, still waters, strengthen sick, the breath of life, the door of the sheep, the Good Book, The Lord is my shepherd, the sheep, the wolf, thieves, understand the present, vacuum, Wednesday Wail
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).
Well well my brethren, it seems like it’s going to be another mild but wet and gloomy day in my neighbourhood. But once it’s not the white stuff that’s coming down I am happy. (smile)
As always, I do hope that we gave our most awesome God sincere thanks and praise for causing us to see another great day on His wonderful planet earth.
And please don’t laugh sarcastically or get cynical, because every day we’re alive is indeed a great day, and planet earth is indeed a wonderful place! Any negative happenings are our fault, not the Lord’s.
So what’s happening today, you ask? Well we’re going to continue looking at some wonderful scriptures that corroborate the words of Bruh David in Psalm 23.
First of all let’s check out a wonderful passage from Ezekiel which encompasses the first two verses: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack). He maketh me to lie down in green pastures (pastures of tender green grass): he leadeth me beside the still waters (waters of rest). (Ps.23:1-2)
In his prophecy against the sinful shepherds of Israel, Ezekiel declares on the Lord’s behalf: ‘For thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all the places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers (streams), and in all the inhabited places of the country.
I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat (rich) pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.
I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgement (justice).’ (Ezek.34:11-16)
Oh friends, what beautiful promises from our Most High God Jehovah! I’m sure some of us never even knew that such a scripture existed.
But there are thousands of sincere promises just like that throughout the Good Book, and if we’d take the time to read and seek them out, our lives would so much more encouraged and assured, since our faithful God NEVER reneges on any of His promises.
And if you say, oh that’s in the Old Testament, so what? That’s why so many of us are lost and suffering; because we don’t know what came before us. As the saying goes: how can you know where you’re going, when you don’t know where you’re coming from?
And that’s the living truth! Our history is not taught or preached anymore; consequently so many lost souls exist in a vacuum today.
And if you still denigrate that scripture because it comes from the Old Testament, then listen to this one from the New Testament which fulfills that promise.
‘Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
But he that is a hireling (hired man) and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:7-14)
There you have it friends, the overwhelming promise of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Let’s hope we believe it, and live our lives accordingly. And that’s enough scripture for us to ponder on today, (smile) so let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail with a strong sense of purpose nuh.
As one now: ‘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!’
Much LOVE, my faithful brethren!
…history is a record of the past…that helps us to understand the present…and wisely contemplate the future…
15 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adopted children, amazing gesture, awake my soul, awesome, blaspheme His holy name, comeuppance, comfort, comfort me, crazy nights, Cross of Calvary, crown him, despicable ways, died, drowsy, Elijah, eternal life, faithful, fed by ravens, for His name's sake, glory hallelujah, going to church, guide us safely, heavenly rest, I shall not want, I will fear no evil, I won't be afraid, Jesus Christ, joy, King of Kings, lie down in green pastures, lives, Lord of Lords, lousy, LOVE, magnified, matchless king, meditate, musical tribute, offer up, our Lord and Saviour, paths of righteousness, praise, Praise the Lord, provide all necessities, raise the roof, restoreth my soul, revile, rose on high, ruminate, selfless sacrifice, sleep, soothing waters, still waters, that death may die, the essence of our God, the heavenly anthem, the lamb upon the throne, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord of heaven, the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me, thy rod, thy staff, turned and tossed, with many crowns, worship, worthy to be adored, wrapped up
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).
Ah friends, it’s just been one of those crazy nights and mornings. Steups! I went to bed at a decent hour, fell asleep, then got up about an hour later.
Obviously I refused to get out of the bed, because I’m supposed to be resting (smile) so I turned and tossed, fell asleep again, then repeated the whole manoeuvre once more.
The sad part is that when it was really time to get up, I couldn’t, the sleep had me all wrapped up then. And when I did get up, I felt all lousy and drowsy, so I had to spend some time catching myself. And that’s why the Bit is so late.
I had even contemplated going to church this morning, but obviously that never happened. So on this cold Sunday morning let’s offer up some praise and worship to get us ready for the hearing of the word. Let’s raise the roof with this musical tribute to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
In full voice now: ‘Crown Him with many crowns, The lamb upon the throne: Hark! How the heav’nly anthem drowns All Music but its own! Awake, my soul, and sing Of Him who died for thee, And hail him as thy matchless King Through all eternity.
Crown Him with many crowns Crown Him with many crowns Crown Him the Lord of Heav’n: One with the Father known. One with the Spirit through Him giv’n From yonder glorious throne. To Thee be endless praise. For Thou hast died for me;
Be Thou, O Lord, through endless days Adored and magnified Adored and magnified Crown Him with many crowns His glories now we sing, Who died and rose on high, Who died eternal life to bring And, lives that death may die. Crown Him with many crowns.’
Ah my fellow believers, Jesus Christ is indeed worthy of many crowns, since He is indeed King of Kings, and Lord of Lords! He is also worthy to be adored and magnified for the selfless sacrifice He made on the cross of Calvary on our behalf. He died so that we might live…
Wow! What an awesome and amazing gesture! So I really can’t understand why so many people turn away from Him, blaspheme His holy name and revile Him is such despicable ways. But yuh know what, they’ll all get their comeuppance one day.
In the meanwhile, we who truly believe, let’s continue to praise and glorify Him with all out hearts, minds, bodies and souls! And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord!’
That brings us to our Bit, one of the most famous verses of the Good Book. ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).’
What an amazing line! It captures the whole essence of our God and our awesome relationship to Him! Simply stated, it means our God will guide us safely and provide us with all necessities. Glory Be! That can truthfully be said of no other deity.
Then Bruh David expatiates further, expands the wonder of the Lord even more. ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures (pastures of tender green grass): he leadeth me beside the still waters (waters of rest).’ (Ps:23:2)
Oh friends, I can think about so many still waters and pastures green that I could be currently resting beside in sweet Tobago! (smile)
‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps.23:3) What can be better than all that eh mih people? Nothing really!
It reminds me of how the Lord, in a time of drought, sent the prophet Elijah to hide by the brook of Cherith, where he rested, was fed by the ravens and his soul restored. (1 Kin.17:2-7) Oh how mighty and faithful is our God!
And if all of that wasn’t sufficient, Bruh David adds this very crucial statement. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps.23:4)
Mama Mia! What wonderful assurance my brethren! Even though I’m going through some sad and deathly looking times, I won’t be afraid! Glory Hallelujah! Because like a true shepherd, the Lord’s rod and staff will protect and comfort me, even in the most evil of days.
Yuh know what friends? I think we’ll stop there for today and give us time to ruminate on all we’ve said so far. I don’t want to push our short attention spans, (smile) but there is much more to be said.
So tomorrow, the Lord in favour, we’ll continue studying one of the two most popular and beloved passages of scripture. The other one is ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’
Please, let’s spend sometime today meditating on the Lord’s word, and in particular, His shepherd-like qualities towards us, His wonderful adopted children. That will most certainly bring us comfort and joy and restore our souls! Much LOVE!
…in earthly pastures green…by quiet and soothing waters…my soul finds heavenly rest…
05 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fearful heart, alive and kicking, Anselm, aspires, awesome God, be counted, be not dismayed, bitter waters, Christ, Christians, comfort me, cynical thoughts, deliverance, destroy both body and soul, dwell in the house of the Lord, Egyptians, evil, faithful, fear not, fear thou not, fearlessly, feckless, fickle, focus on today, for His name's sake, foundation, friends, God's LOVE, good pleasure, goodness, green pastures, I am thy God, I am with thee, I shall not want, I will fear no evil, I will help thee, I will uphold thee, in the presence of mine enemies, information, information intake, inspires, invade our minds and spirits, Isaiah, Israelites, Jesus, kill the body, lies, little flock, LOVE, make each day count, make hay while the sun shines, Marah, mercy, miracle, misinformation, more value than sparrows, Moses, negative, paths of righteousness, personal growth, Pharaoh, positive, positive news, prevarication, promises, recompense, Red Sea, restores my soul, righteousness, salvation, save you, Scrip-Bit family, see the salvation of the Lord, social media, spend more time with God, stand still, steadfast, still waters, television, The Lord is my shepherd, the right hand, the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff, Top o' the morn, trusting, truth, vengeance, Zion
Isaiah 41:10. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Well top o’ the morn to you my Scrip-Bit family! Hope this missive finds you alive and kicking on this lazy, hazy Saturday. (smile) Life is short so we might as well enjoy it. We know not when our time will be up, so here is the first of two quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us to greater heights.
And first off he tells us: ‘Make each day count. We don’t have all the time in the world. So focus on today and do the things you really want to do.’ That’s exactly what I was saying above. It is imperative that we make hay while the sun shines!
And the second quote is also inspiring. ‘Reprogram your information intake. Program out negative and cynical thoughts from the media and society. Reduce your information intake. Then program in positive news and entertainment, more of your own thoughts and useful information such as personal growth tapes and books. Be selective and keep it positive.’
Ah friends, a lot of us certainly need to do that in this age of so much information and misinformation! Our world is going crazy with the wealth of information that’s now available. The problem though is that too much of it is negative and we can’t easily tell what is truth from prevarication to out and out lies. Therefore our minds are filled with lots of unnecessary and unproductive stuff, that’s why Anselm’s advice is so worthwhile.
We desperately need to clean up our minds; purge what’s not useful and negative, and then replace it with only useful, positive, godly stuff. Give the television and social media a break; spend more time with God, your family and yourself. That way we won’t be bombarded with all the nonsense that’s out there, seeking to invade our minds and spirits.
And last but not least, seek to raise our faith and trust in the God of our fathers. Believe what our Bit says: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’
Oh my people, why are so many of us supposed Christians still walking in deep fear of the world around us, when we have such awesome promises from our awesome God eh? We know He’s faithful to keep those promises and that He will work out everything for our good in the end, so why are we still so fickle and feckless?
As Job says, we have to learn to take the good with the bad. (Job 2:10) We can’t be fearful of every little hiccup in our lives. And this morning I want to bombard us with some ‘Fear nots’ in the hope that it will encourage us to stand steadfast and strong in the power of God’s Word.
Listen to Moses on the occasion of the biggest miracle of the time, when the departing Israelites were caught between the army of Pharaoh and the deep Red Sea. ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever.’ (Ex.14:13)
And as promised, Moses stretched out his hand over the Red Sea which parted and allowed the Israelites to cross over on dry land, but when the Egyptians followed, the two halves came together again and drowned Pharaoh’s army. Now one would think that after such a mighty miracle, the Israelites would have been trusting and steadfast forever. Hn! But in the wilderness, three days later, at the bitter waters of Marah they were complaining, wanting to return to Egypt.
Now hear Isaiah, as he talks about Israel being restored to Zion. ‘Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.’ (Is.35:4)
And now, listen to these words of Bruh David that we all know and claim to LOVE and believe. ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the day so my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps.23)
Yeh mih people, if we believe all that Bruh David says there, then we should not be afraid of the vicissitudes of life. Then there’s Jesus to his disciples: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul….Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.’ (Matt.10:28,31)
Yes friends, ONLY the Lord can destroy body and soul, and we are much too valuable in His sight, for Him to destroy us, that’s why He sent Jesus to save us.
And we’ll close with a simple, but powerful statement of Jesus. ‘Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’ (Luke 12:32)
How much more do we need eh my brethren, before we can truly stand strong and steadfast on the solid foundation of God’s eternal LOVE and ever-faithful promises eh? Steups! God alone knows yes! Much LOVE!
…it’s high time for those of us who call ourselves Christians… to FEARLESSLY stand up and be counted….
28 Jul 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, abundance, advice, at low ebb, battle, be not afraid, be strong, be terrified, blessed, blessing, chariots, claiming, creativity, despair, dismayed, do not tremble, doubts, dread not, Egypt, enemies, enjoy, faith, favour, fear not, for His name's sake, frightening shadow, fulfill the statutes, God is faithful, God's goodness, God's laws, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, health, help, horses, I shall not want, integrity, judgements, keep the law of God, let not your hearts faint, lie down in green pastures, more than thou, Moses, nor be afraid, of a good courage, One Year Book of Bible promises, prosper, queries, quietly, quivering emotion, rejoice, restoreth my soul, secretly, self-control, self-discipline, slowly, still waters, strain, strength, success, takest heed, talent, thankful for life, the Lord be with thee, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord thy God goes with thee, the Old Testament, the paths of righteousness, the promise, the promises of God, the wilderness, this is the day the Lord has made, Thursday's Blessings, times of peace, times of stress, to fight for you, to save you, true to your word, unblemished integrity, understanding, we will be glad and rejoice in it, weak, wealth, weary, wisdom, worn
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.
Awright mih breddren, another bright and beautiful day is upon us! So let’s be thankful for life, for health, wealth and strength by declaring as the psalmist did: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24)
Yes friends, we need to rejoice and enjoy God’s goodness and blessings, because that’s why He bestows them on us. But unfortunately, sometimes our faith is at low ebb, and thus we have doubts and queries like found in this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings from Ruth Harms Calking.
Listen to it. It’s called ‘The Promise.’ ‘O dear God, I continue to believe Your personal promise still stands Though every quivering emotion within Shouts that it will be broken. I am claiming Your help through the wilderness Despite every frightening shadow and vale.
Often you do the most When you seem to do the least. Sometimes secretly Sometimes quietly Often slowly But always most certainly You are true to Your word.
And so, my Lord Though I am weak, weary, and worn Help me not to despair. You see me, You hear me. You know I am depending utterly Upon Your unblemished integrity Surely You will keep Your word.’
Yes my people, the Lord WILL keep His word! There’s absolutely no doubt about that! So when we go through those rough patches, we need to remember that our God is ALWAYS faithful to His promises and we can utterly rely on Him to fulfill them!
And the scripture verse attached to that poem is one we all know, rely on and LOVE! I’m talking about those magnificent and encouraging words of Bruh David: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack). He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters (waters of rest): He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps.23:1-3)
Oh my fellow believers how tender, moving and reassuring are those sentiments eh! Millions of us turn to that psalm for comfort in times of stress and strain. But here’s another powerful, reassuring and mountain moving promise of our great God that we can also hold on to.
It features the words of Moses found in our Bit. ‘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.’
Ah precious people of God, what more can we ask of our God eh? Nothing really, for it’s all found in those words! And the promise is so pervasive, it’s found in several parts of the Old Testament. Let’s check out a couple of them, beginning with when Moses was laying out God’s laws concerning wars to the Israelites.
‘When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies and seest horses and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, And shall say unto them,
Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is he that goeth before with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ (Deut.20:1-4)
Yes friends, in times of war, our wonderful God will surely fight for His people! Now listen to Bruh David as He counsels Cousin Sol re being strong in times of peace.
‘Now, my son, the Lord be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the Lord thy God, as he hath said of thee. Only the Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the Lord thy God.
Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfill the statutes and judgements which the Lord charged (commanded) Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.’ (1 Chr.22:11-13)
Oh my fellow believers, a parent couldn’t give their child any better advice, because it’s in keeping the Lord’s commandments that one prospers!
And no, I did not forget, I was just keeping the best for last. (smile) It’s Thursday, so let’s go home with a powerful, sincere and overwhelming declaration of our Thursday Blessings nuh.
As one now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Remember friends, a blessing is not a blessing until its been declared! Much LOVE!
…one can utterly rely on the promises of God…for they are never broken…
12 Jul 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 24 karat, Abraham Isaac and Jacob, anointest my head with oil, Bless His Holy Name, blessings, comfort me, confidence, died and gone to heaven, earthly pathway, encouragement, fear no evil, follow me, for His name's sake, gives food to all flesh, glory, glory to God, golden day, goodness, grace, green pastures, heaven, his mercy endureth for ever, honour, hurry, I AM, I shall not want, in due season, in the presence of mine enemies, Jesus Christ, leads and guides, LOVE, man goes to work, meat from God, mercy, mercy. all the days of my life, my cup runneth over, my friend Jesus, nature, omnipotent god, our Lord and Saviour, paths of righteousness, praise, preparest a table, preservation of nature, redeemed, rescued, restoreth my soul, riches, share His love, song of praise and worship, still waters, swell in the house of the Lord, thankfulness, thanks, the beloved of God, the eyes of all, the glory of God, the God of heaven, the Holy Spirit, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord of hosts, the valley of the shadow of death, thou givest them their food, thy rod, thy staff, trust, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wait upon thee, wisdom, words of truth, worry, worship the Lord, young lions
Psalm 145:15. The eyes of all wait upon thee (look expectantly to you); and thou givest them their meat (food) in due season.
Aye mih people, welcome to another 24 karat golden day…!
And all God’s people gloriously proclaimed: ‘Glory to God! Bless His Holy Name! And also bless the wonderful name of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And last but not least, bless the name of the Holy Spirit who leads and guides us safely along life’s rough earthly pathway!’
Yes friends, how good and how right it is for us to give praise and thanks and glory and honour to our awesome God!
So let’s continue in that vein nuh and give more thanks and praise in grateful song by singing this immortal psalm of Bruh David – The Lord is my Shepherd.
Please sing with me: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me besides the still waters: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me (always); thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
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…and ever. Amen!’
Wow mih breddren! What an awesome and harmonious song of praise and worship, of confidence and encouragement! The heavens surely stood up and took notice!
Now let’s reinforce all of that by enthusiastically and sincerely declaring our Tuesday Mantra. ‘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!’
Mama mia! It couldn’t get much better than that my fellow believers! Being God’s beloved and Jesus’ friend…which no one can take away for us…Hn! It’s so encouraging and reassuring, like…like we’ve died and gone to heaven! (smile)
Sorry though, we’re still here on earth. But that’s no problem because down here our wonderful God also looks after us with compassion and LOVING-kindness. Just listen to our Bit. ‘The eyes of all wait upon thee (look expectantly to you); and thou givest them their meat (food) in due season.’
Wow! What a merciful, magnificent and magnanimous Deity we serve! Shout His name out people: ‘The Lord God Jehovah; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! The great I AM, Our Creator, our Healer, Our Provider, our Comforter…!’
We could go on forever and ever calling out the great names of our omnipotent God! Let’s shift though to checking out some scripture that lends credence to our Bit. Listen to these words of truth from Psalm 136 – Praise for the Lord’s past and present blessings.
The psalmist declares of our God: ‘Who remembered us in our low estate (lowly state): for his mercy endureth for ever. And hath redeemed (rescued) us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (Ps.136: 23-26)
And so should we my people, because God’s undeserving grace and mercy are always available to us if we sincerely, and humbly, ask for them. Now hear these awesome words from Psalm 104 – God’s preservation of nature.
‘The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens. Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches (possessions).
So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable (teeming things), both small and great beasts (living creatures). There go the ships: there is that leviathan (a large sea creature of unknown identity), whom thou hast made (formed) to play therein.
These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat (food) in due season. That (what) thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth. The glory of God shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.’ (Ps.104: 21-31)
Oh friends, what illuminating words! I never intended to quote that much of the psalm, but it just seemed like such a natural progression, showing us how all the things and creatures of the earth, even man, depended on their Maker, the Lord of Hosts.
And we’ll end with a telling verse from Bruh Paul, when the people at Lystra wanted to worship and offer sacrifices to him and Barnabas after they healed a crippled man.
‘Nevertheless he (God) left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.’ (Acts 14:17)
Yes friends, it is our most merciful God who gives us all that we have! Please let’s never forget that, and consequently behave as we ought to; with thankfulness and praise and worship of His glorious Deity! For that is indeed wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…O worship the Lord in truth…all you His creation…
02 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: agrarian, Bishop of our souls, Bruh David, calling, calm and collected, calm interior, caring, carry them in his bosom, cast all our cares on god, cried, deep down inside, destiny, disappointed, feed his flock like a shepherd, forgiving, gather the lambs with his arm, Gentiles, gently lead those that are with young, God has good plans for our lives, God will never leave nor forsake us, good shepherd, grace, green pastures, grieved, guidance, heavenly blessing, heavenly Father, hireling, holy spirit, hope faith, I am the good shepherd, I shall not want, I will fear no evil, in the strength of the Lord, inner peace, inspiring, internal peace, Isaiah, Jehovah Raffa, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ, Jewish society, Jews, Joel Osteen, labour day weekend, Lakewood church, lay down my life for my sheep, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, loving, majesty, merciful, mercy, moaning and groaning, moral of the story, omnipotent, one fold, one shepherd, paths of righteousness, personal testimony, plans of hope and a good future, problems, promises, quiet peace, restores my soul, sad, sheep going astray, shepherd, shepherd his flock, sleep deprived, sorrow, sorrow and heartache, soul searching, still waters, storm clouds, tearful Tuesday, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord's peace, the peace that surpasses all understanding, the wolf, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, Triune God, trouble, trust, Tuesday, turmoil, unforseen role, unscathed, uplifting, valley of the shadow of death, winds of the storm, word portrait, words of jesus, wreaking havoc
Isaiah 40:11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Oh Friends, it’s Tuesday – tearful Tuesday! That’s because of the many tears we’ll shed this morning, having to get up and go out to work, tired, sleep deprived, moaning and groaning, after the long, loud, lusty and lustful Labour Day weekend. (smile)
Don’t worry my brethren, the ole fella’s in the same boat. I shed a few tears my self just now when I had to get up to write the Bit, after only about three hours of sleep. But having cried out for LOVE and mercy and grace, I’m facing up to my task, assured of heavenly blessing and guidance to complete it in a worthwhile manner.
And I just want to comment here, give a personal testimony, on some thing I heard my Bubba Joel (Joel Osteen) say this weekend. He claims he wasn’t the least bit interested in being the pastor at Lakewood Church after his father went to be with the Lord some ten years ago.
He was quiet happy being in the background looking after the television aspect of the ministry. However, deep down inside, he felt that it was his calling, his destiny, and once he accepted that unforeseen role, despite all the problems surrounding it, he experienced an inner peace within himself that he just could not understand.
But it was the Lord’s peace; that peace that surpasses all human understanding.
On hearing that, it just brought back to my memory the surprising and unexpected peace I also experienced when my mother Molly died three years ago.
I was in California at the time, on a short vacation, the first time I’d left the country in some four or five years, and was most surprised and disappointed when I got the news of her passing, without me even having a chance to say a formal goodbye, and she, just a couple days before telling me that she wasn’t yet ready to go home.
But soon thereafter, I unexpectedly found myself at a point of quiet peace with situation. The Lord put a couple of understandable though not necessarily wonderful reasons in my heart for His action.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, I was disappointed, sad and cried and grieved and everything else. But deep down inside I didn’t have the turmoil that usually comes with those kinds of situations. I remember remarking to myself how calm and collected I was, despite all the sorrow and heartache surrounding me.
I now realize that that was indeed the peace of God which passes all human understanding, which allows us to have a calm interior, while the winds of the storm are wreaking havoc all around us on the outside.
And the moral of the story is that when the storm clouds of trouble and sorrow surround us, it is indeed possible to have internal peace, if we turn to our wonderful God and cast all our cares upon Him, as He so generously advises. ‘Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’(1 Pet. 5:7)
He will certainly keep ALL of His promises; of never leaving nor forsaking us, of having good plans for our lives, plans of hope and a good future, to also bring us through the fire suitably changed but unscathed, working it all out for our good in His time and manner.
No wonder Isaiah likens Him to a shepherd in our Bit, for a true shepherd cares for and looks after his flock with total concentration. ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those with young.’
Oh my fellow believers, what a wonderful word portrait of our great Provider, Jehovah Raffa!
And there are lots of scriptures that describe Him as a shepherd because the old Jewish society was agrarian, and best-understood stuff couched in agricultural terminology.
Now let’s look at some of those scriptures that portray our omnipotent, LOVING, merciful, most caring and forgiving God as a shepherd. And the obvious scripture to begin with are the words of Jesus Himself, of whom Isaiah was prophesying, when he made the claims in our Bit.
Jesus unequivocally declares to His listeners: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling (hired man), and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so knoweth I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
And other sheep I have (Gentiles), which are not of this fold (Jews): them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold (flock), and one shepherd.’ (John 10: 11-16)
Oh Friends, how much more convincing and eloquent can Jesus be eh? Not much. He says it all right there.
Meanwhile Jeremiah in his prophecy declares: ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles (coastlands) afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.’ (Jer.31:10)
And Micah, in talking of the deliverers from Bethlehem, tells us: ‘And he shall stand and feed (shepherd his flock) in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.’ (Mic.5:4)
Then Peter declares it thus: ‘For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop (Overseer) of your souls.’ (1 Pet.2:25) There he is quoting Isaiah 53:5-6.
And we’ll close with the most famous scripture passage, re the analogy of God to a shepherd. Hear these beautiful, soul-searching, uplifting and inspiring words of Bruh David: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack). He maketh me to lie down in green pastures (pastures of tender green grass): he leadeth me beside still waters (waters of rest).
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps.23:1-4)
Oh my people, please take heart, for despite all the troubles that surround us, all the fires we must pass through, our wonderful heavenly Father, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, our helper and comforter, are always around us, leading us to green pastures filled with restful, sweet tasting and rejuvenating water.
So today, please put all your trust and faith and hope in our Triune God, who watches over and protects us like a true shepherd does his sheep. Much LOVE!
…when the Good Shepherd, Jesus comes a calling…His sheep will recognize His voice…and heed His righteous and comforting call…
10 May 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: cleanse, feed the flock, giving thanks, green pastures, heal, LOVE, peace, rejuvenate the spirit, still waters, stress, sweet praises
Psalm 23:2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Oh Friends, from the balcony of the little mansion in Mo Bay, I write these words to you in the peace and LOVE of Jesus Christ! Praise His Holy Name! Yeh, it’s another beautiful day in Mo Bay, with the leaves of the trees swaying in the gentle breeze, with birds singing sweet praises, dogs barking and human voices rising to be lost in the atmosphere. My only regret is that it’s already Thursday; the week’s almost over. Wishing now that I’d taken at least two weeks off instead of one. But them’s the breaks! Got to be thankful for small mercies, cause it could have just as easily been no time at all. And the ole fella’s still giving thanks, still pinching myself to make sure it’s real! Oh mih breddren, the Lord’s been so good to me this week that there’s only one Bit suited to declare it: ‘ He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.’ The Lord truly has been my shepherd, for I have lacked nothing. Wherever I’ve gone, people have been happy to see me, even those who don’t know me, and have all treated me right royally. What more can I ask eh? NOTHING! Like Ezekiel conveyed the Lord’s promise to Israel: ‘I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat (rich) pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.’ (Ezek.34:14-15) The Lord sure has fed, and is still feeding me, in a rich green pasture here this week Friends, on the hillside of Mo Bay, and I am lying down in peace and comfort. I know that the problems of the world have not passed away, but I’m not watching any news or reading any papers this week, just letting it all go by without much personal involvement. I’m still praying and hoping for the best for one and all, but I’m certainly not allowing it to affect my soul. As it were, I’m just lying down in the pastures of green, resting my spirit beside the still, peaceful waters, letting my soul just concentrate and rejoice in the goodness of the God of my salvation! It’s a time out to rejuvenate the spirit, cause next week I’ll be back to the daily task and constant grind. My people, I’d strongly suggest that every so often we get away from the world and all its nonsense, just relax and fill our souls and minds with the wonder of our God. Just allow Him to come into us to cleanse and heal our stressed bodies and souls; revitalize them with His sure presence and power. We need time off from the troubles of daily life, so we can get refreshed and be able to adequately handle them again. We’re just like any mechanical device; every so often we need tuning up too, since the pressures and demands of our daily lives in the evermore confused and troubled world will eventually drain us of our godly power, if we don’t take the time to seriously address it. And Friends, it’s not like I’m not peaceful and strong back in the north country, but here I’m experiencing a different, higher level of peace, where the stress and strain of daily living are not as great, and personally I don’t have any serious decisions to make; except when and what to eat, when to sleep, when to go to beach etc. (smile) By the way, Sunset Beach (that’s the poor man’s beach) was nice yesterday evening, fully reflecting its name, as a beautiful sunset took place while I was there for a dip. In my realm, when you just want a dip, you go to Sunset. When you want a day at the beach, you go to Doctor’s Cave. Anyway, enough of my ramblings, let’s end by looking all the way forward to that final time when Jesus shall lead us to green pastures, beside still beautiful waters for eternity. ‘They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed (shepherd) them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears (every tear) from their eyes.’ (Rev.7.16-17) Oh Friends, that’s an everlasting, faithful promise! Let’s keep it in our vision; look towards its eventuality, and therefore set our compass, our life’s course in that direction. It’s the only way of living that’s wise and sensible! Much LOVE!…to live for Christ…is the wisdom of the ages…
SCRIP-BITS 