Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 November 2020 Genesis 6:5.

30 Nov 2020 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 6:5.     ​And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination (intent) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (all the day).

Welcome, welcome one and all, to that great day called Monday, the first day of our new work week! Now, not because I am pledging allegiance to Monday, which so many people dislike, for one reason or another, means I have lost a mental screw. In fact, I am here to inform you that I am in complete control of all my mental faculties! (smile) Ah friends, somebody must stand up for Monday as it’s so hard done by, with so much abuse and derogatory remarks unjustly hurled at it. 

And today, I’ve decided to be its white knight in shining armour! Wow! What bravery and courage! (smile) And we even going to say: ‘TGIM! Thank God it’s Monday! Time for us to rise and shine and go to work – those of us who still have jobs that is, and are actually allowed to go out in the streets! 

Ah Lord, what a life eh? Who would have thought some months ago that life would be this disastrous eh? But it is…all over the world. So why have things deteriorated so far, so fast eh? I believe there is one common denominator: SIN! Our world is so evil, sinful and wicked that it has just reached a stage where it can’t handle it comfortably anymore. Yuh know, like when yuh have a container and you’re putting stuff in it, after a while it’s reached its physical capacity, and adding anything further will cause it to break or burst, the bucket bottom drop out, or it simply overflow? 

Well that is what’s happened to our world. It’s simply reached its capacity for sin, and like a swollen river, it’s now overflowing its banks and causing havoc all over. And remember way back when, after God created man and they populated the earth, what happened? The Good Book tells us: ‘And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination (intent) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (all the day).’ (Gen. 6:5) 

And yuh know what mih bredrin? We’re approaching that breaking point of sinfulness again. That first time it so disappointed the Lord that the Good Book relates it thus: ‘And it repented the Lord (He was sorry) that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me (I am sorry) that I have made them.’ (Gen. 6:5-7) 

And He destroyed the earth and all its people by means of a flood, it rained steadily for forty days and forty nights. Only Noah, who found grace in the sight of the Lord, and his family and two of each of the other creations were saved in the ark the Lord instructed Noah to build. Hn! That’s certainly food for thought! 

But before we go any further, let’s clarify one thing as the scholars explain. ‘6:6-8. Repented does not imply that God made a mistake in His dealings with men, but rather indicates a change in divine direction resulting from the actions of man. It is an “anthropopathism” (a human emotion applied to God) describing the pain that is caused God by the destructiveness of His creatures. It is used 30 times with God as its subject, each time speaking of a change of mind or intention that accords with His righteous purposes, and results in action commensurate with those purposes.’ 

And yuh think our current sinfulness isn’t grieving God’s heart? For sure it is! Especially after He sacrificed His only Son Jesus Christ so that our sin debt could be paid in full and we receive salvation and everlasting life by believing in Him. That would hurt even the hardest heart, and our God’s heart is certainly not hard. It shows our ingratitude like nothing else can. 

Now I don’t know if He’s planning to destroy the world again, cause He only promised not to destroy it by water, but it’s something we should certainly consider with the heightened level of sin that’s running rampant today. But as the ole people would say; ‘time longer than twine yes,’ and the Lord might just sit down and wait and leave us to destroy our own selves, because if we continue the way we’re going, that will be the eventual outcome. 

Oh mih people, I’m sure the Lord doesn’t want to destroy us again, but if we give Him no choice, what’s He to do eh? If we continue with the obstinate and stubborn disobedience it might just come to that. But thankfully, we’re wiser and smarter than we’ve been credit for, and we’ve come to our senses and realized our behavior is indeed foolish and shortsighted and can only lead to further calamity. (smile) Thus we’ve decided to give up our sinful ways and return to the God of our forefathers in true repentance and sincerity. 

And right now we’re going to go to Him through the medium that He’s appointed, prayer – our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, and tell Him just that. So all together, let’s pray:‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. 

We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have 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, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control. 

And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, 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!’ 

All I can say now is that we better had pay that vow we just made to God, for as Cousin Sol so rightly says, He hath no pleasure in fools. (Eccl. 5:4) Yes friends, it’s all up to us now! Much LOVE!

…only sincere repentance can save our world…from eventual implosion…or divine intervention… 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 November 2017 Hebrews 1:3.

27 Nov 2017 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 1:3.   Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person , and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged (cleansed) our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. 

Awright mih breddren, it’s the big one – one more time! Yes my people, it’s that most wonderful day called Monday, where we unwillingly exit out warm beds, put on warm clothing and head for the big city, mired in traffic jams, to labour, to labour…and yet to labour. 

Down in the U.S. this was Thanksgiving weekend, so you can imagine the state of many workers; definitely not the greatest. And after the turkey and pumpkin pie, you had the crazy shopping on Black Friday, and more shopping today on Cyber Monday… Steups! 

It’s all about commercialism, when half the people don’t have any jobs, and many of those who do have jobs, don’t even have sufficient money to make ends meet. Just look at the recent proliferation of food banks and charities providing food to unfortunate families in this land of plenty nuh. 

But yet they keep coming up with sales gimmicks to get people deeper and deeper in debt. And when the economy crashes, when the bucket bottom drops out, because debt was too cheap and easily available, the same ones who made it so, complain to the high heavens. Chuh! Just a bunch of foolish, greedy businessmen! 

Anyway friends, those of us who have jobs had better get up and get a move on, else we soon might not have one. Yuh know how the slave master quick to fire! And if yuh not feeling too hot this morning, and yuh just dragging, then please sing along with us, as we sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, to get us all charged up and ready to go out and do life with and for Christ. 

With plenty zest and good tempo now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. 

We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. 

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ 

Oh friends, that prayer never fails to work! It just drives away all the early morning blues and gets the adrenaline going, so we can concentrate properly on Christ’s work, as we steadfastly seek Him, His kingdom and His righteousness.  Glory to the Most High God my faithful brethren! 

And when we talking about glory, we definitely need to put Jesus in the highest category, as the author of Hebrews explains in the first four verses of his book, which contains our Bit. ‘God, who at sundry times (in many instances) and in divers manners (many ways) spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds (ages); 

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged (cleansed) our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.’ (Heb.1:1-4) 

Now let’s look at some explanations from the scholars. ‘1:1-2. The author immediately shows that Jesus Christ, as the agent of God’s revelation, is far superior to the Old Testament prophets. Their message was fragmentary and incomplete. It came bit by bit through visions, dreams events, and direct communication as men were ready to receive it. Christ’s revelation is climactic and complete, because He is the Son and because His is the message for the last days. His incarnation initiated the end time, and it will be fulfilled when He returns to earth to reconcile and restore all things (cf. Acts 2:16-17; 3:19-21; 1 Pet.1:20).’ 

Yeh friends, it’s all about Jesus Christ! He is the medium, the motive and the message! (smile) Everything revolves around Him, and until we realize that, our lives will not be complete, nor will we have the peace and joy that He desires, that He died for us to have. 

So please take a few moments to ponder all we’ve said, and check out those scriptures listed by the scholars, as they will provide invaluable information on our topic. Till tomorrow then, the Lord in favour, I pray that we all will have a blessed and beautiful, God-filled day. Much LOVE!

…in the day of calamity…who yuh going to call…Jesus Christ…because He has all the answers…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 February 2015 Psalm 62:7‏

28 Feb 2015 1 Comment

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

Psalm 62:7. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

Well my people, it’s a brand new day, filled with brand new blessings, brand new mercies and a lot of other good stuff from our heavenly Father, including the breath of life, which allows us to enjoy the things He bestows on us each and every day. For that we ought to say ‘Thank You Father!’ with a grateful heart, and show our appreciation by living the way He desires us to.

Unfortunately though, too many of us take the things given to us by Almighty God for granted, and just go about our worldly business without even a thought for Him. But when the heifer dust hits the fan, and the bucket bottom drops out, we’re quick to cry out: ‘Oh God, help me!’ However Friends, life doesn’t work that way. We need to acknowledge the One who created us and keeps us going in this evil and dangerous world.

So please, when we awaken every morning, let’s give Him some thanks and praise for allowing us to see another beautiful day on earth, and also ask Him to lead and guide us safely through any trials and tribulations that may come against us as we continue our pilgrim’s journey. Starting out the day with God gives us a splendid boost, renews our commitment to Him and allows us to face the world in confidence, without the fear, worry and anxiety that currently permeates it. It is the best remedy for whatever ails us.

And I got this interesting quote from my Friend Anselm a couple of days ago, which I decided to share with you, because it will give us some food for thought. (smile) The quote is attributed to William Faulkner (1897-1962) the famous American writer and Nobel Prize winner. The quote says: ‘It’s a shame that the only thing a man can do for eight hours a day is work. He can’t eat for eight hours; he can’t drink for eight hours; he can’t make love for eight hours. The only thing a man can do for eight hours is work.’

And if you really consider the statement, there is a lot of truth to it. Most of us have just never considered it in such terms before. Many of us even work for longer periods of time than eight hours. Now why did our Creator make us like that eh; only able to do those good things for short periods of time, but be able to perform the anathema of our society, work, for such long periods? Yes Friends, most of dislike work, abhor it even, but we can do it for longer than any other enjoyable task.

I can’t tell you why the Lord designed us like that, possible because He wants us to work more than we indulge ourselves in self-gratification and worldly lusts. But I do know that if we don’t consciously seek Him, we’ll be missing the best protection and guidance available in this crazy and cruel world. And that’s simply not wisdom at all my brethren! Why do you think Bruh David proclaimed so assuredly in our Bit? ‘In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.’  

Bruh David could afford to make such a staunch and confident pronouncement because the Lord had been his keeper and provider from the days of his youth. The Lord had never let him down in his times of need, but had even given him much more than he deserved. He paid the price for his wrongdoings, a steep one too, but the Lord knew that his heart was right towards Him, and thus had mercy on Him.

And Bruh David is not the only psalmist to sing out God’s praises like that. Listen to these praiseworthy words of Psalm 121 – God’s sustaining power. ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (mountains) from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth.  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is thy keeper (protector)the Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’ (Ps.121:1-8)

Ah my people, what encouraging words! I didn’t intend to quote the whole psalm, but once I read it, I had no choice because it was so all-encompassing, so true and encouraging, beautifully and loudly singing the praises of our mighty Creator, Protector and Provider.

And just think for a moment Friends, that that same wonderful God whom the Israelites served way back then, is the same God that we serve today. So why would He stop doing those things He did for them long ago, and not do the same for us, if we sincerely serve and worship Him? No reason whatsoever my people!

He stated quite clearly to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, I change not: therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal.3:6) And yuh know what my brethren? I think that’s the same reason why we have not been consumed – as yet. But we will be eventually if we keep on being so blatantly ungodly and evil. So we had better say thanks or two to the Lord’s ‘unchangeability!’(smile)

And we’ll end with this wonderful verse of encouragement from Isaiah. ‘Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.’ (Is.49:13)

Oh Friends, it doesn’t get any better than that, especially since we have seen the fulfillment of that promise by Jesus’ coming to earth, dying to atone for our sins, being resurrected and ascending back to heaven, where He’s now our Chief Priest and Advocate before the Father! Wow!

And all God’s children gave a loud and joyful shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah! All praise be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! Long may they reign! Amen!’

Now my fellow believers, let’s go out into the world and do our do for Jesus nuh, with the pride, diligence, excellence and faith that He expects of us, for that’s nothing but heavenly wisdom. Much Love!…without a doubt…working for Jesus…is the best job we can ever get…