Today’s Scrip-Bit   15 May 2023 Matthew 17:20a.

15 May 2023 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 17:20a.          if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, 

Then it was Monday…yes, Monday, the nemesis of my working life! Oh, and come to think of it, Monday was also my nemesis, my adversary and foe during my school life, because for some reason or other, I could never awaken early on Mondays, so, on many of those days I arrived either late or just in time for school. The other four days of the week were fine, just Monday had my number. (smile) Now it’s not as bad in my working life because I can’t afford to be late for work too often or their will be no work, but I still have problems getting up on a Monday, regardless of how hard I try to do otherwise. 

That’s because you haven’t sincerely asked Jesus to help you, and if you think you have done it, but without any success, then maybe it’s because your faith is too weak. Remember Jesus’ words to the disciples after they asked why they were unable to cast out a demon from a young boy. ‘And Jesus said unto them because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.’ (Matt. 17:20-21) 

Ah my people, it’s all about faith, but mustard seeds are amongst the smallest of plant seeds, and if indeed faith that small can move a big mountain, then it’s not really the quantity of our faith that matters, but more importantly the quality that makes the big difference. One commentary reminds us of it with this explanation. ‘As small as a mustard seed’ was a common expression in Jesus’ day. It had become a proverbial saying used frequently by Rabbis to indicate the smallest amount. Jesus is telling his disciples they don’t need an abundance of faith, just a little bit of faith. Remember the emphasis is on the quality, not the quantity.’ 

Yes friends, very little faith is required to accomplish great things. And Jesus reiterated this philosophy later on after He cursed the fruitless fig tree and the disciples wondered how quickly the fig tree had withered after He cursed it. ‘Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt. 21:21:22) 

Now that’s a big scripture my brethren! Notice Jesus specified – ALL THINGS.  Not just some things. But the crux of the problem is that one has to pray and then have the faith to believe that you will receive whatever you’re praying for. Note though, that it doesn’t say when you’ll receive whatever you’re praying and believing for. (smile) You also need patience and perseverance to wait for God’s marvellous timing. And that’s what often dooms our ability to receive our prayers and heart’s desires. 

Now, it’s time for us to take a look at how faith, which can apparently move so many mountains, truly operates. The Bible says: ‘Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1) That simply means faith is hoping and believing for something that you don’t yet see. The opposite of that is why hope and believe for something that you already see or have? And that’s what our Christian faith is all about; believing in Jesus, whom we’ve never seen, but hoping that one day soon, we will see Him coming in the clouds in all His majesty and glory. 

As Jesus told Thomas when he doubted that He was the resurrected Christ. ‘Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen (me), and yet have believed.’  (John 20:29) That’s us friends. Those who have faith to believe that Jesus exists and is who He says He is, and has done what He says He’s done. That’s true faith; believing without seeing! 

But listen as the scholars add some depth to our knowledge on faith. They say: ‘Two truths concerning its activity are stated here. First, faith provides substance or assurance. Second, faith provides evidence. It is evidence in the sense of proof that results in conviction. The difference between assurance and evidence would be minimal were it not for the phrase qualifying each: of things hoped for and of things not seen. 

The first involves future hope; the second involves present realities that are unseen. The first includes the hope of the resurrection, the return of Christ, and the glorification of the saints. The second involves unseen realities, such as forgiveness of sin through Christ’s sacrifice and the present intercession of Christ in heaven. Hope is faith relating to the future; conviction is faith relating to the present.’ 

Now that’s insightful and a tad deep, but it’s time for us believers to go deep into the Word of God if we expect to make any serious headway against the enemy. We can’t be drinking milk or eating desert all the time, but need some heavy food, meat and spuds to make a difference. So, if you don’t understand what the scholars say above there, then read it again, meditate on it, until you do get the gist of it. That’s the only way to know and understand scripture. 

Remember what the Lord said to Joshua on the subject? ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) Now if the Lord said that Joshua, whom am I to say otherwise eh? (smile) So let’s go to Him right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and ask for divine grace and mercy to help in these oh so troubled and dangerous times. 

As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And the only way to be assured of divine help is to have faith in God’s Word and change our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…the aim of the Christian…is to have plenty, strong faith in Christ Jesus… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ      

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 December 2019 Hebrews 4:12.

19 Dec 2019 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 4:12.    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 (able to judge) of the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.
 
Ah mih people, just six more days to that magical, mysterious, miraculous day we call Christmas Day! Wow! Can you imagine the stir it made in ole Bethlehem that Christmas Eve night when the angels came a-singing and a glorifying and exalting our new born Saviour? Anyhow, today we’re not dealing with the birth of Christ so much as the source from which we get that news: ‘The BOOK OF ALL BOOKS!’ 

Mama Mia! What a marvellous book is our Bible! And so it should be since it’s the Lord’s Word. No other tome has such drama, and in such abundance! The stuff written today pales in dramatic content, promises and story-telling. So let’s get to today’s poem of the same name from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. 

Please pray with me: ‘Lord, I am overshadowed As I read Your living Word. What power, what pungency I find within its pages. It stirs me, burns within me It challenges me, invigorates me And often disturbs me. When I obey its commands The results are what You claim: Darkness becomes light Crooked places become straight The more I seek, the more I find. Within its pages, God I see beyond mere philosophy I see beyond a neat package of ethics. I crash head-on with a living Person The One who makes all things new. No other book can claim as much.’ 

And isn’t that the gospel truth my fellow believers! No other book is as powerful, mind-bending and moving as the Word of God! I like how the author of the poem talks about its power, its pungency! And ALL of us who have read it, have found it to be at times, burning like a fire within us, like it was with Jeremiah when he lamented against God. ‘Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak anymore in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing (holding back), and I could not stay (endure it).’ (Jer. 20:9) 

Yeh friends, that’s just how the Lord’s Word acts on us, especially when we get discouraged. We don’t want to deal with it, but it’s so powerful that it forces us to do so! And which one of us hasn’t found the Word to be ofttimes challenging, invigorating, and downright disturbing eh? NONE! And it will ALWAYS be so, because that’s the purpose of the Word; to challenge, invigorate and disturb us to come to and stay obedient to the Lord! And the great thing is that when we obey the Word, we find the results are exactly what it claims; light overshadows darkness, joy comes in the morning, crooked places are made straight, and we do find more when we seek more. 

But unfortunately, and rather sadly, too many of us read the Word, know that it’s true, but still don’t follow it. Thus our lives are never as successful and prosperous as they can be. Please, please, I implore us to remember the momentous words the Lord spoke to Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) 

Oh my people, my people, that is perhaps the most important, provocative, wise and revealing verse in all of the Good Book! It gives us the blueprint for successful and prosperous living in just a few words, and from the Lord Himself! What could be more enlightening eh? Absolutely NOTHING! But yet so many of us supposed believers refuse to take it seriously, or as seriously as we ought to. But friends and neighbours, please listen very closely to these words as found in the Good Book that rather frighteningly describe the true power of God’s Word.

‘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 (able to judge) of the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart. Neither is 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 to).’ (Heb. 4:12-13) Oh friends, please allow all of that to sink in deep into our souls nuh! The Lord’s Word is indeed living and sharp and very discerning, thus we have to pay serious attention to how we live it. 

Hear the scholars: ‘4:12-13. For the word of God: The reason given for one’s careful scrutiny of his life involves the reality that God is intently scrutinizing it. His word is quick (living). This word is first in the Greek and is the emphasis. God’s Word is not old or archaic; it is alive. It is not inept or inactive; it is powerful (active). It reaches into the inner secrets of man’s mind to discern even his thoughts and intents. Likewise, God’s eye sees man as though he were naked, unable to hide behind excuses or pretense.’ 

Bubba! If that doesn’t shake us up to the reality of God’s ever searching, discerning and plumbing of all our thoughts and intentions, I don’t know what will nuh. All I can say now is let’s go home declaring (yeah!) our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so generously granted us. In loud and sincere voice now, because they don’t come into play until we speak them out. 

‘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!’ 

And the thing to remember now is that those awesome blessings were granted to us so generously so that we can turn around and share them generously with others. So let’s do that nuh, especially at this Christmas season, the season of giving! Much LOVE!

…God’s Word…created the world…keeps it alive…and will in His time…destroy it…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 December 2019 Daniel 6:16b.

10 Dec 2019 Leave a comment

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

Daniel 6:16b.    Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
 

Ah friends, the weather nowadays can be so finicky and capricious, just like… hold that thought mih brother, because in these days of female empowerment, the fairer sex is liable to get all over yuh case. (smile) But seriously though, just two days ago there was snow all over the rooftops and ground, but now there’s little trace of it, because the temperature went up to almost double digits yesterday, thus it ended up being a rainy day, and all the snow was washed away. 

And I must say that I now miss seeing the snow covered rooves of the houses when I look out my window. Imagine that nuh! But that’s the kind of guy the ole fella is; if it’s pleasing to the eye, then say so, although the presence of said thing might be inconvenient and dangerous. (smile) 

And I just want to point out to us today, how unconventional our great God can be. Remember when Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den because he refused to fall in line with King Darius’ decree ‘that every man who shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?’ (Dan. 6:12) Now we all know that was simply a set up to get Daniel thrown into the lion’s den since they knew he would not bow down to any other God save that of his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

And when the king realized that he’d been played by his senior bureaucrats, he was heartbroken, ‘sore displeased  with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured (greatly strived) till the going down of the sun to deliver him.’(Dan.6:14) That shows how important and close Daniel was to the king. But unfortunately he couldn’t do anything about it because no decree or statute of the Medes and Persians could be changed once the king established it. So with a sad heart he watched as Daniel was thrown into the den of lions. 

But here’s what I want us to pay particular attention to; the kings last words to Daniel before he was thrown in. ‘Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.’  Wow! What words of faith and encouragement the Lord placed in the pagan king’s mouth! The king knew of Daniel’s faithfulness to his God, and obviously had heard and seen some of the miracles He wrought in and through Daniel, so his supposedly last words to Daniel were not as far-fetched as they might at first seem. 

Oh my people, how many of us can truthfully say that we serve our great and wonderful God with zeal such as Daniel eh? Not very many; certainly not enough, especially in this current mish-mash world of ours! But NOW friends, NOW is the time when our zeal for the Lord ought to be the highest it’s ever been, because the enemy is getting more powerful every day, and we simply cannot allow that to happen! We simply cannot allow the fear of the world to stop us from fighting tooth and nail for Jesus’ eternal cause. We desperately need to stand on the words of king Darius: that the God whom we serve continually will deliver us in any and every situation! 

It’s all about belief and faith friends! And those two things will bring trust and surrender and courage and confidence! It’s already all inside of us, we now have to water those seeds with faith and let them grow strong and true! If we’re to be victorious in Jesus’ cause, then we have to hunker down NOW, just like the enemy is doing, and fight, fight the good fight in our Lord and Saviour’s name! Nothing less will do! Now it’s not going to be easy, since life’s never easy, but with Almighty God in our hearts and souls remember that everything is possible; we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! 

This is the time when we need the powerful and reassuring Word of God to reassure us. But it can’t do that unless we seriously and continually read, study and write it indelibly in our hearts. Please remember the immortal words of the Lord to Joshua when He appointed him leader of Israel after Moses died. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) 

Oh my faithful brethren, that is the most defining verse in the entire Word of God! Study it, and live it, then you will have good success! It’s clear as day! Please note the importance of the word ‘good’ there, for you can have success by following the enemy, but that’s bad success, a success that never lasts or get’s one into eternal life with God. And that’s simply why so many of us are not leading lives as prosperous as we can; we don’t spend enough serious and sincere time in the Word, and thus we can’t live it as we ought. 

Oh my people, I do hope that my words, or rather the words put into my heart and fingers by the Holy Spirit will be of great encouragement to us today, because we do need to increase our faithfulness and trust, so that we can fight the good fight that’s called for in these most trying and turbulent times! 

Now let’s go home declaring (yeah!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know who and whose we are. In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘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!’ 

Now that should lead us to put on our battle armour and excitedly go out and share Christ’s LOVE and friendship! Much LOVE!

..the time is NOW…the time is NOW…NOW is the time…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 October 2017 Nehemiah 8:10.

08 Oct 2017 Leave a comment

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

Nehemiah 8:10.   Then he said unto them, go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Well my people, it’s Sunday once again, the Lord’s Day! But today is a special Sunday; it’s Thanksgiving Sunday in our wonderful country of Canada! Yes friends, this our Thanksgiving weekend, so we will be even more joyful and grateful in the Lord’s house today, as we give Him all the praise and glory and thankfulness that our hearts can produce for the awesome blessings He has bestowed on us over the past year. 

Oh, we’ve had our problems like everybody else, but I’m pretty sure that the blessings have outweighed the calamity. That’s why we have chosen to open with this old hymn of praise and thanks, ‘Praise God from whom all blessings flow,’ written by Bishop Thomas Ken in 1674, with the additional chorus and words for verses 2 and 3 added by Michael Schroeder some years ago. 

So with joyful hearts and thankful spirits, let’s raise our voices to heaven offering sacrifices of praise in thrilling song. Sing it my people! ‘Praise, God from whom all blessings flow, (James 1:17) Praise Him all creatures here below; (Psalm 145:21) Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host; (Rev 5:11-14) Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Matt 28:19) Praise to the Father praise to the Son Praise to the Spirit Three in One. (Matt 28:19, Deut 6:4) Praise to the most high God we sing. (Psalm 136:2) Praise to our Savior, Lord and King. (2 Peter 1:11, Psalm 74:12) 

{Chorus: Praise Our God, praise His Name, (Psalm 96:2) Praise our God, for our God saves. (Psalm 68:20)} Let every mouth the Lord proclaim. (Psalm 145:21) Let earth and heaven sing His praise. (Psalm 96:11) Let every knee before Him bow, (Romans 14: 11) Great is our God, the Lord of all. (Acts 10:36) {Chorus: Praise Our God, praise His Name, Praise our God, for our God saves.} Praise, God from whom all blessings flow Praise Him all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.’ 

Oh friends that was wonderful! You could see the tears welling up in the Father’s eyes, so touched was He by our thankfulness. And you’ll notice that in this version they gave us the scripture verses from whence the words came, and I chose to leave them in the first time around, for those of us might want to check them out. 

And we all know that in times of indecision, so often our first choice is our best. And so it was with our Bit. It was my first choice… and then I had doubts, so I checked out several other scriptures. But the Holy Spirit brought me right back to this one, as being the best choice for today. ‘Then he said unto them, go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ 

These were the words of Nehemiah, the governor of Jerusalem, after they had finished repairing the walls and houses and Ezra the scribe had read from the Book of the Law written by Moses for the people in the public square. That generation of Israelites had never heard the Word before. And when they were done, ‘Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.’ (Neh.8:6) 

Yes my fellow believers, that is the kind of response we ought to have on hearing the wonderful Word of our magnanimous and magnificent God read out loud, especially on a special day like today. Can you imagine how those people felt on hearing the Word for the first time? Hn! The elders had to tell them: ‘This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.’(Neh.8:9b)  

I just wish that many more of us could be so moved when we heard the Word, rather than letting it go in one ear and out the other, without much emotion. That leads me to a New Testament scripture, where Bruh Paul, is writing to the Corinthians, about Death being swallowed up in victory. Then a couple verses later he makes this awesome statement of truth. ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor.15:57).  

Oh friends, without the great and unconditional LOVE of God towards us, shown by the sacrificial death of His Son Jesus Christ for our sakes, we’d have very little, if anything to be thankful for today. So having had the Word of the Lord read to us, and the joy of His Spirit flowing through us, let’s go home and do as the Israelites did on that faithful and fateful day. ‘And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth (rejoicing), because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.’ (Neh. 8:12) 

Yes my fellow believers, let’s eat and drink and be merry this Thanksgiving weekend because it is our just due from all our labour. But let’s remember two important things. First off, let’s not get too carried away in our celebrations, remember Granny’s warning: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind your business.’ We don’t want to give the enemy any chance to invade our spirits.

And the next thing is to remember all those who are not as fortunate as we are, and like the Israelites did, send portions to those whom you can send to, for whatever the Lord has given us was meant to be shared. And for those far away, the many suffering from all the recent natural disasters, donate whatever you can to help, and also remember them in your prayers, for you never know when you might end up in their situation and need the help of others. Much LOVE!

…Thanksgiving…a special time to give thanks…and show thankful LOVE…  

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 August 2017 Deuteronomy 8:18.

29 Aug 2017 Leave a comment

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

Deuteronomy 8:18.   But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Well a merry Tuesday morning to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and family! It sure is good to be alive! And for that we can thank our wonderful and ever LOVING, ever gracious Deity, the Most High God Jehovah! For He is the one who created us and continues to keep the breath of life flowing though our mortal bodies. 

Let’s give Him a li’l thanks and praise nuh. And all God’s children declared in a loud and sincere voice. ‘Thank you heavenly Father for bringing us safely through another dark night and into the bright light of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 

We LOVE You with all our hearts, and honour and glorify Your holy name! We give You plenty thanks for looking after us like you do with your grace and mercy. Help us today to walk the straight and narrow path that leads to you. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen! 

Yeh people, there’s nothing better than giving thanks and praise to our amazing God. Now here is some more prayer, this titled ‘A Prayer for Success,’ taken from the Hour of Power Devotional by Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) We’ve shared it before, but it’s one of those prayers that call for sharing again and again. 

Please pray with me. ‘As I become a success with your help, Lord, let me never forget that what I am is more important than what I do. Faith stimulates success. Hope sustains success. Love sanctifies success. So I cannot and I dare not succeed without your power, peace, and pressure in my life, Jesus Christ. Amen.’ 

And that is the gospel truth friends, we cannot truly succeed without the light of Jesus Christ in our lives! Moses said it a long time ago, when He gave the Israelites the Word of God. Our Bit says it plain and straightforward and true. 

‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ 

And as the scholars explain: ‘8:18.Yahweh alone gave Israel the ability to get wealth, and the blessing the nation enjoyed was the result of His covenant with the people and was the outcome of His promise to their forefathers.’  

But unfortunately, today, a lot of us are running down wealth but God is not in our thoughts. Now that is certainly a recipe for disaster. Didn’t God tell Joshua, in no uncertain words, when He made him the leader of the Israelites after Moses died. 

‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh.1:8) 

It’s right there in black and white my people: If you don’t have Yahweh in your thoughts and spirit, and don’t follow His word, then you won’t ever be truly successful. So why are we turning away from God and expecting to be successful eh? 

Listen to Cousin Sol, supposedly the wisest and richest man who ever lived. ‘The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow.’ (Prov.10:22) Now who made Cousin Sol so rich and powerful and wise eh? Jehovah God: He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! 

And what happened when Cousin Sol moved away from the God of his forefathers and began worshipping pagan gods eh? He lost his mind and the ability to do all that he had previously done. So why do we insist in seeking wealth and wisdom and fame without the help of Almighty God eh? 

The psalmist says it so plainly in Psalm 1 – Blessed are the righteous. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps.1:1-3) 

And Jesus said: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) 

I don’t see how much clearer it can be nuh friends. We need to first follow God and then receive His blessings. That’s the only way to be truly successful in this world. 

Now with all of that churning in our souls and spirits, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, reinforcing what Gramps Schuller said earlier on, that what we are is more important than what we do. 

In strong and sincere voice now: ‘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 let’s go out and do exactly that. Much LOVE!

…ALL blessings flow from God…for EVERYTHING belongs to Him…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 March 2016 Psalm 77:13‏‏‏‏

04 Mar 2016 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 77:13.   Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God?

And the day that the working people LOVE so much, Friday, has finally rolled around again. That’s why there are so many glorious and joyous shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! I couldn’t make it even one more day in this slave work nuh! At last the weekend! My time to play and do whatever I want! Oh thank you ever so much Lord for Fridays! Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And in these trying times of early waking up and much travelling to get back and forth to work with all the traffic jams and otherwise, you can understand the sentiment of the ordinary working man. And though we are entitled to do whatever we want with the weekend, there is a wise and a foolish way to use it; the latter involving excessive partying and frivolity. 

But listen to the better and wiser way to use our weekends as we chant our Friday Chant. ‘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 doesn’t that make much more sense as to how we use our weekends? It surely does! We get a better balance of life, including the strength and refreshed spirit so that we can work diligently the following week. 

And today my fellow believers in Christ, I want to share with you a prayer from Gramps Schuller’s (Robert H. Schuller) Hours of Power Devotional. This one is titled, ‘A Prayer for Change.’ And I know that many of us are in dire need of change (s) in our lives. So please pray with me. 

‘O God, when a life has been so richly blessed as mine has been, it’s not right for me not to be laughing! I confess that I am responsible for my moods. I have no right to selfishly indulge in negative feelings of self-pity. 

It’s time for me to change my mental dial, Lord. You are helping me. This will be the moment when the sun breaks through the parted clouds, and the springtime returns after winter. Thank you, Lord! 

The dreary, depressing, disconsolate mood disappears like the morning mist in the glowing sunshine of your LOVE. And joy moves in! And hope begins to build up within me! And a beautiful feeling of LOVE starts to surround me! Thank you, God, for the great things you are doing within me now in this moment of prayer. Amen.’ 

Oh friends, oh friends, I do hope that depressing mood has lifted and the hope, joy and LOVE of our heavenly Father has once more captured our lives, because it’s definitely what we need to confidently face the challenges and calamitous circumstances of this dangerous and evil world! 

Now let’s turn to our Bit, which shows us that that very change in our moods and thinking are quite possible because of the outstanding, magnificent and omnipotent God we serve and worship. ‘Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God?’ 

And I know that some of you are tired hearing about how great our God is, but my brethren, that’s exactly what makes Him our God; His greatness! And until we fully understand just how great and wonderful He is, we will never be fully able to surrender, to give our entire beings into His wonderful care. So just bear with the ole fella nuh, (smile) you know I’ll never lead you astray. 

And we’ve seen over the past few days how our God played with Pharaoh until he let the Israelites go, and all the wonders the Lord did during their exodus from Egypt and those in the wilderness too. Now we come to one more marvelous wonder where water was miraculously supplied. 

As usual the Israelites were complaining, this time about the lack of water. And as was his wont, Moses cried out to the Lord for guidance and direction. The Lord told him to take his rod and the elders with him and go on before the people. 

‘Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shall smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

And he called the name of the place Massah (lit. Tempted), and Meribah (lit. Contention), because of the chiding (contention) of the children of Israel, and because they tempted (tested) the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?’ (Ex.17:6-7) 

Oh friends, what a foolish and ignorant people! After all the signs and wonders that the Lord had done in their sight, they still doubted His presence and His power! Chuh! 

The truth of the matter though is that we can’t be too harsh on the Israelites, because we are doing the exact same thing right now. We are doubting and turning away from God in droves, aided and abetted by the wiles and deceitful half-truths of the prince of darkness, who rules this current evil world. 

The only difference here my people, is that the Israelites saw God’s miracles first hand, but we only have second hand accounts of them. But nonetheless, we have seen our Christian societies grow and prosper when were a truly Christian people. 

So what has happened to change our outlook so drastically eh, that we’re now trying our best to take God completely out of our lives? Oh friends, that is indeed a fool’s wisdom! 

How many times during the course of history have we seen societies that have grown great while serving and worshipping the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and when they got too big for their britches, the Lord took away His favour and protection and they eventually wasted away, ignominiously fell into the bowels of history? 

We tend to overlook, forget, or simply ignore this seminal bit of scripture, the Lord’s advice to Joshua, when He made him leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death. 

‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall constantly be in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh.1:8) 

That my friends, has been, and will always be a society’s guideline to success. We see it in the very behaviour of the Israelites; when they adhered to God’s Word, they prospered; when they didn’t, they suffered serious calamity. 

May we today understand this principle and do our best to adhere to the Word of our great, mighty, sovereign and omnipotent God, because that is wisdom to the nth degree. Much LOVE!

…it’s ever so foolish to turn away from the ONE who created you…in His…might, power and image…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 February 2016 Nehemiah 8:10c‏‏

18 Feb 2016 Leave a comment

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

Nehemiah 8:10c.    For the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Hello there my faithful brethren, the ole fella’s in Trickidad (Trinidad); in the great metropolis of Port of Spain, the island’s capital! Glory to God! 

I came down by the ferry yesterday afternoon, a smooth two and a half hours’ trip, to see some friends and family I haven’t seen in ages. The last two years I’ve been here, I never really visited, just changed planes at Piarco airport to Tobago, and changed planes on the way back to Canada. 

I’m staying at a hotel right overlooking the water front, not far from the ferry dock. This foolishly led me to ask a chap there yesterday if I could walk to the hotel. ‘Oh yes!’ he declared. ‘It’s just a small walk to the Radisson,’ pointing out the building in the foreground. 

And having walked from the hotel to the ferry docks when I was here the first time, some four years ago, I knew it wasn’t that long. But back then I didn’t have a heavy bag in one hand and a suitcase in the other, neither was the sun as hot. 

So see me and the duchess walking down Wrightson Road in the busy four o’clock traffic, pulling our suitcases along a rough sidewalk, then having to cross over the busy road to get to the hotel. Hn! I just chalked it up to being my daily exercise. But never again! That’s all I have to say. (smile) 

The hotel is comfortable, not as big or as expensive as the Hyatt across the street. One of its more endearing features is the revolving restaurant at the top. We had dinner up there last night. The food was good, and while dining we spun a whole 360 degrees, which allowed a wonderful view of Port of Spain and its environs brightly lit up in the clear night sky. 

Today we’re thinking about taking a water taxi to San Fernando, the big city in the southern part of the island, but we’re not sure of that just yet. And as I look out my eleventh floor window in the early morning, I can see people already moving about, and that Wrightson Road is also fairly busy. 

But on a more important note, how many of you noticed the nonsense I did yesterday eh? Ah Lord eh! Lucifer must have been really playing games with my mind, for in all three headings I had the Bit listed as ‘Nehemiah 10c.’ Now what is that eh? Only the Lord alone knows. 

And in editing the Bit, I usually read it at least three times before sending it out. Steups! I don’t know what happened to me yesterday, if I was just rushing to get it done so I could get to the ferry on time or what. And sadly, it’s only this morning when I looked at it again, something clicked in my ole brain and I realized the mistake. Chuh! It just annoyed me, because I dislike making such fundamental mistakes. 

Anyway, yesterday is history, today’s a brand new day, filled anew with our wonderful God’s brand new mercies and compassions. As the prophet Jeremiah wisely and truthfully says in his Lamentations: ‘They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam.3:23) Glory be! So I’ll forget about that mistake, and just hope I don’t make any more such glaring errors. (smile) 

Now let’s continue with our Bit: ‘For the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ And indeed it is, for without His peace and grace and LOVE steadfastly in our hearts, we’ll not have any long lasting strength to withstand the numerous wiles and lies of the enemy. 

So yesterday we saw where Ezra, the priest began reading the law of Moses to the people. ‘And he read therein before the street (plaza) that was before the water gate from the morning (it was light) until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.’ (Neh.8:3) 

Oh my people, I just wish that statement could be made about us when we go to church or anywhere that the Lord’s Word is spoken. So often, so many of us are guilty of not paying attention to the reading of the Word, both aloud in church and in our own daily devotions. 

But yuh know friends, when we don’t pay proper attention, we’re not doing God anything nuh, because He already knows the Word, for He wrote it. But we are doing ourselves a great injustice when we don’t concentrate and meditate on it, because it’s His guideline for our successful earthly living. 

But moving on: ‘And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit (platform) of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah etc.…  And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up; and Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. 

And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua etc… and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law; so the people stood in their place. 

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense (expounded the meaning), and caused them to understand the reading.’ (Neh.8:4-8) 

Now there were others there explaining and interpreting the Word to the people, most of whom were hearing the actual reading of the Word for the very first time in their lives. 

And the scholars offer this footnote. ‘8:7-8. In verse 7 the men gave the sense of the law (caused the people to understand) and then in verse 8 translated or read…distinctly from the Hebrew into Aramaic, the only language some of the people may have understood (cf. 13:24; Ezra 4:18). This would be the first mention of what developed as the Targums, or oral paraphrases of the Law, which were later written down.’ 

Now isn’t that behaviour of the olden people, very contradictory to ours when we hear the Word being read? It surely is, possibly because we’ve heard it a thousand times before, so we don’t pay particular attention. We allow the worldly saying that familiarity breeds contempt to seep into our souls. 

But that’s not right friends, we all should be as familiar and attentive to the Good Book as we possibly can, because that’s where our guidelines for living are ensconced. 

Now today, let’s ponder our personal familiarity with, and attentiveness to God’s Word, and with His help, try to improve it nuh. For that is indeed the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!

…if you don’t read and study the Guidebook of life…how will you know the guidelines for living…how to live life eh…

P.S.  I fixed the Scrip-Bit Blog from yesterday, so it’s perfect now. (smile) Much LOVE!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 December 2015 Revelation 1:3

05 Dec 2015 Leave a comment

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

Revelation 1:3.     Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Oh Friends, what a beautiful Saturday morning to be alive! Glory to God! Just imagine that in a mere three weeks time nuh, we’ll be celebrating that marvelous, miraculous occasion; the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the manger in Bethlehem! Oh how wonderful and ever-LOVING our heavenly Father has been to us! 

Please remember to acknowledge Him and give Him thanks every time you open your eyes to a brand new day. That is the least we can do for still enjoying the breath of life and the many new blessing and mercies He has promised to rain down on us every day. And we know that He’s ever-faithful, so whatever He promises, He WILL deliver. 

That’s why I can’t understand why so many people refuse to accept Almighty God, the Creator of the universe as the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD, especially after all the wonderful things He’s done over the years for the undeserving children of men. But that’s their loss, and our gain. 

However our God is so wonderful that instead of simply letting the unbelievers fall unnoticed by the wayside, He requires us to tell them about Him, spread His word all over the world, and live a life that shows His word in action. That is our job, our bounden duty as believers, as true and loyal followers of Jesus Christ, as His earthly ambassadors. 

Unfortunately though, it doesn’t seem as though we are doing such a good job because people are turning away from Jesus in droves and the world is filled with untold evil and darkness and war and hate, all the things He doesn’t stand for.  

Now why is that eh mih people? Is it because we are paying too much attention to the things of the world, indulging too much in the foolish lusts of our flesh, plus not having enough belly and backbone to stand up to enemy and his evil cronies?  

In addition to all of that, can it also be that we’re not following the wisdom of our Bit, which so boldly proclaims: ‘Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.’  

Oh friends, I do believe it’s a combination of all those things. But if we want to be faithful believers we have to break the yoke of the enemy in our lives. And the only true and lasting way to do that is to take our Bit seriously; regularly read the Lord’s word, meditate on it, talk about it and put it into action. 

And I didn’t make this up, but it came straight from our God, where He solemnly warned Joshua when he took over leadership of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall constantly be in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh.1:8) 

Oh friends, that is one of the most important verses in the Bible, and if we would only take it to heart, sincerely follow it, then as God has promised, we will be prosperous and successful! What’s so difficult in that to understand eh, especially since it’s been proven many a time down through the ages? 

Ah mih breddren, as they say, you can only lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. (smile) Likewise I can only guide us to the Good Book and what it says, I can’t force us to seriously embrace it and put it into action. 

Just remember though, that all the smart money has been placed on Jesus, and when the time comes, if you’re not in His pool, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe! 

Now let’s end up this series of messages with some more scriptures that corroborate our Bit. Listen to Isaiah as he talks about Israel’s unfaithfulness being rebuked by God. ‘Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. 

O that thou hadst hearkened to (heeded, obeyed) my commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea. Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels (body) like the gravel (grains of sand) thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.’ (Is.48:17-19) 

Oh my people, all yuh hear what the Lord said in those two passages. If you obey, you will prosper and succeed. If you don’t, then you’re going to pay a steep price. And that is exactly what happened to the Israelites, several times too. When they obeyed they prospered, but like us, then they believed it was their own work that brought the prosperity and they foolishly rebelled against God and suffered His wrath.  

Anyway friends, let’s end with these wise words from Psalm 1 – Blessed are the righteous – which most of us know quite well, but obviously don’t pay sufficient attention to. 

‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder by talking to oneself) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps.1:1-3)  

There you have it again friends, the formula for success and prosperity in this fallen, sinful world! Now please, I implore us to be wise and use it to the fullest nuh, for that’s what is required of us by our God. Much LOVE!

…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) keeps saying…the best way to live this life…is to obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him… and that’s gospel truth…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 December 2015 Revelation 1:3

01 Dec 2015 Leave a comment

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

Revelation 1:3.  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Oh Friends, what’s there to say on this wet and somewhat chilly December 1st morning eh? Not a lot… and plenty. And what do I mean by that? 

Well we’ve become such a talkative society with the flourishing of communication technology and the social media, but a lot of that talk is inane and foolish, a waste of our very valuable time, while there is a lot of meaningful and important stuff that we should be talking about which we’re not doing. 

Like for instance about the sorry state of our world and how to fix it, and of God and the ungodly society in which we’re currently living. 

Most of us will say that God is the most important element or person in our lives, but when we check out our lives in action, that statement doesn’t hold true, otherwise our world would not be in such a sad state of deterioration. Unfortunately, the things of the world are still our first priority. 

Remember yesterday we spoke about Christians concentrating on the things of heaven, rather than those of earth? And I sure hope we did our homework, reading the Book of Colossians, so that now we know what’s really expected of us, and we can go on and put it into action in our lives. 

Oh my people, unless and until we truly make God and His Word the focus of our lives, our world will never get better but continue to slide into the murky depths of Hades. And I’m sure that’s not the kind of legacy we want to bequeath to our children and our children’s children. 

So it’s completely up to us believers to keep on fomenting Jesus’ LOVE Revolution, so that the world can return to its godly roots. Nuff said! He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

And since it’s Tuesday, let’s confess our Tuesday Mantra like we really believe and mean it. All together now: ‘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.’ 

Oh my people that’s so refreshing and revitalizing! Just imagine nuh, that we are the BELOVED of God, and the FRIEND of Jesus! 

Wow! What an honour and a privilege to be so highly considered! Now let’s make the most of it by going out and sharing the LOVE that they have so graciously and mercifully shown us nuh. A LOVE that our fallen world so desperately needs. 

Now let’s turn to our Bit, but we also need to hear what comes before it, so that we can understand its proper context. ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly (quickly, swiftly) come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 

Who bare record (bore witness) of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.’ (Rev.1:1-3) 

Oh Friends, what powerful and meaningful scripture! And I know that many of us don’t understand what the Book of Revelation is all about, so here is some info from the scholars that will help us to better understand. 

‘1.1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ is the title of the book. The revelation is both from Christ and about Christ. Since Christ is the revelation of God Himself (John 1:18), God gave the revelation to Christ to be shown to John by means of an angel (messenger). 

The word “revelation” (Gr. apokalypsis) refers to an unveiling or exposure of God’s program for the world through Christ. The prophecies of the book will occur shortly in the sense that the day of the Lord (the end of the age) may begin at any time (following the Rapture). The statement must be understood in accordance with God’s perspective on time (cf. 2 Pet.3:4, 8) 

The word signified (Gr. esemanen) refers to the conveyance of truth by means of signs and symbols, and refers to the visions described throughout the book. Symbols must be interpreted either from something in the context or from other scriptures.’ 

Now let’s rest for a moment after taking in all that heavy stuff. (smile) 

Yes friends, it’s time we start eating some adult food, some meat and potatoes, rather than just drinking baby milk all the time. If we want to mature in Christ, then we need to take our understanding of His Word to a higher and deeper level. 

And before we go any further, allow me to point out something. Please note that the word ‘apocalypse’, as we see from above, means the unveiling or revelation of what’s going to happen, not the eventual fiery and tumultuous destruction of the world as many of us consider it, although that might be involved in the revelation. 

Now let’s continue getting deeper in God’s Word with some more explanations from the scholars. ‘1:2-3. Bare record: John was a witness of what he wrote. He saw the revelation and wrote what he saw. The blessing of verse 3 has a threefold condition: (1) read the book, (2) hear (understand) it, and (3) keep (obey) it. 

The essential nature of prophecy was the communication of new truth (divine revelation). God has given it to be obeyed, not simply to be discussed and debated. The time is at hand in the sense that nothing else now has to occur before the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation Period.’ 

Awright mih breddren, that’s enough food for thought for today. But let’s be wise and ponder all the things we’ve read and heard, so that our hearts and minds can be truly filled with the Word of God and the things of heaven. 

More on this tomorrow, the Lord willing. Till then though, let’s all try to walk in sincere peace and LOVE, showing mercy and compassion to others, as our wonderful Lord God has shown, and is still showing to us. Much LOVE!

…this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth…but thou shalt meditate therein…day and night…that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein…for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous…and then thou shalt have good success… (Josh. 1:8)

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 October 2014 Psalm 47:1-2

27 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

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

 Psalm 47:1-2.   O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible (awesome); he is a great King over all the earth.

Well hello there mih LOVELIES… its’ worky, worky time! (smile) I’m trying to tell us nicely that it’s Monday morning and we need to rise and shine and get ourselves ready to go back out to labour for massa’s pittance.

And please remember too that the tone we set for today, the attitude we go out with this morning, will most likely dictate our mental, emotional and physical state for the rest of the work week. For as the days increase, so will our enthusiasm and strength decrease. That’s why it’s always best to start out from a position of strength, rather than from one of weakness.

That’s why I also encourage us to use Sundays, the first day of the week, as a day of preparation for Monday, and thus be able to get back into the work flow as easily as possible.

Hn, hn! But all my well intentioned pleas just seem to fall on deaf ears. (smile) We’re still overdoing it on the weekends, and moaning and groaning and complaining come Monday morning.

Ah Friends, when will we learn eh? Soon, I hope, because we’re slowly killing ourselves when we get out there on Mondays, starting the way we should be ending; tired and miserable.

Anyway, let’s see if we can’t lively up ourselves some by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with a strength and sense of purpose we don’t really feel, hoping that as we fake it, it will eventually become real. Or as they say; fake it, till you make it! (smile)

With one accord now, let’s all loudly and lustily declare: ‘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!’  

Oh my people, that rendition wasn’t really so hot nuh; too many hoarse, scratchy and out of tune voices, not enough enthusiasm, etc. etc. It had Jesus shaking His head, sighing and concernedly saying: ‘What’s to become of them eh? They just don’t learn! Is just a setta hard-ears pickney (stubborn, disobedient children)!’ (smile)

But Friends, as we all know, where there is life there certainly is hope, which means we can definitely improve. But until then, we just have to go out and do the work Jesus calls us to do, in whatever state or condition we find ourselves. And though He might not be too thrilled with us, He will surely enable us to do the work if we come to Him in sincere prayer.

That’s just the wonderful kind of Lord and Saviour He is! And that’s why He also deserves many glorious accolades from us, like the one highlighted in our Bit. ‘O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible (awesome); he is a great King over all the earth.’

And again my brethren, we can’t help but acknowledge that as gospel truth! No wonder then, when Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and met fierce opposition from his enemies, he took this unassailable position in his omnipotent God.

‘And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible (awesome), and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.’ (Neh.4:14)

And Friends, they did just that, and rebuilt the wall in record time, something like 52 days! Yes my people, we have to invoke the help of our mighty and magnanimous God in ALL of our problems, if we truly desire to be victorious in them!

And as Moses so eloquently and truthfully exhorted the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness to the Promised Land. ‘Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked (stubborn, rebellious). For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward (the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality, nor takes a bribe).

He doth execute the judgement of the fatherless and widow, and LOVETH the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. LOVE ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave (hold fast), and swear by his name.

He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible (awesome) things, which thine eyes have seen. Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.’ (Deut. 10:16-22)

Now Friends, there’s simply no refuting any of that! So I implore us, let’s take it all to heart nuh, and diligently run our race of life with it as a guiding light, a shining beacon in this dark and troubled world. For it is only as we walk and talk sincerely with Almighty God that we will have true success and lasting prosperity! Much LOVE!

…this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth…but thou shalt meditate therein day and night…that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein…for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous…and then thou shalt have good success… (Josh.1:8)