Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 December 2019 Psalm 136:1.

09 Dec 2019 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 136:1.    ​O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.

 

Come now precious people of God, let us get ourselves together in fine style and fashion this Monday morning, and go out and do Jesus’ work with a good, upstanding attitude nuh! It’s the least we can do to show our gratitude for all that He’s done for us. And all God’s children said: ‘Praise the Lord!’ It’s amusing, but sad, that every Monday morning the enemy clogs up so many of our souls and spirits that we can’t function the way we ought to. It’s just something we have to keep fighting through though. 

And to help us do that, we have this awesome prayer we call our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, where we take our troubles to the Lord, asking for His beneficence in this our time of need, reminding Him that it’s His Son’s work we’re seeking strength, courage and wisdom to do. So altogether now, let’s raise our hearts, souls and voices to high heaven: ‘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!’ 

Ah friends, heaven heard that sincere, heartfelt prayer and the Lord immediately directed the Holy Spirit to begin working in us, to start energizing us so that we can go out and successfully do Jesus’ work; LOVING people, helping them, and causing them to want to come to Him to lay down their heavy burdens and find rest for their weary souls. No wonder the psalmist could pay the ultimate tribute to our God by declaring (steups!) in the very first verse of his psalm: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.’ What  gospel truth friends! 

And the psalmist felt so strongly about it that he continued: ‘O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of Lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 136:2-3) And yuh better believe that the other 23 verses of the psalm all end in “for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (smile) According to the scholars, ‘The psalm was no doubt sung antiphonally with the people responding with the refrain: “for his mercy endureth for ever.” The word mercy was important in the Psalter. It refers to God’s loyal LOVE for His people. He is in covenant with them, and He LOVES to be loyal to that covenant.’ 

And just to show how important mercy (LOVING-kindness) was to the psalmists, please check out Psalms 106 and 107, they both begin the same way. Jeremiah also declared it when he promised that Judah would be revived. ‘The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts: for the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land (the captives to return), as at the first, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.33:11) 

And just to remind us, the Lord still delights in the sacrifice of praise. So if you’re in dire need of mercy, of LOVING-kindness, then that’s the way to go! (smile) Even Bruh David used it in his psalm of thanksgiving after he’d brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory (triumph) in thy praise. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord.’ (1 Chr.16:34-36) 

Oh my fellow believers, we could not end this morning on a better note. So please, let’s cry out to our great God, He of our salvation, to help and save us, and offer up a sincere sacrifice of praise. And all God’s children said a loud and grateful ‘Praise the Lord!’ Much LOVE!

…there’s nothing that delights the Lord more…than hearing His awesome praises being declared…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 September 2019 1 Samuel 16:7.

23 Sep 2019 Leave a comment

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

1 Samuel 16:7.    ​But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
 

Aloha people! It’s Monday, that means it’s time to rise and shine and join the battle lines where Jesus awaits us! Like any good Field General, He’s the first one at the front surveying and reconnoitering the situation, so He can draw up good battle plans to ensure our victory. Remember, without good, solid, wise plans victory is never possible. 

Consequently, we His soldiers also ought to have good, wise battle plans for our day. And the first one is to arise with enthusiasm, to greet the new day full of vim and vinegar, giving our Lord thanks and praise for allowing us to see another day! Oh, I know that’s not possible for all of us, but don’t worry, we have the secret ingredient to help us get up to par. We call it our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, a simple but most productive prayer, suitable for any ailment you have on a Monday morning. 

So let’s join together in saying it nuh, because we all need prayer regardless of how strong and faithful we are. As one 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!’ 

Yuh feel it friends? Yuh feel the power of the Holy Spirit just working its way through your soul and spirit? I know you do, because I feel it too! It never ceases to amaze me that whenever we pray that prayer, how my enthusiasm level just rises another notch, even when it’s already high! That’s the giddy answer (smile) of our great God to our genuine and sincere prayer. And believe me, I needed a boost this morning, because it seems I caught some bug on the plane. 

When you’re packed like sardines with so many people hacking and sneezing, with one lady right next to me, it’s not unusual to catch something. Brother! After church yesterday, where I was feeling lousy, with my throat aching, I came home, had breakfast and went straight to bed. Remember I don’t have my I-pad, so I couldn’t play any games first. (smile) And I spent the whole day there, just getting up for supper in the afternoon and going straight back. 

I also spent most of the night there, waking and sleeping, listening to the strong wind that kept blowing all day through the trees. Sometimes it sounded like rain, but when I opened my eyes and looked, it was still just the wind. Sometime in the early morning hours I did get up and say some prayers, not fully conscious though, but I know our wonderful God understood, because my heart was in the right place. 

Oh friends, I can’t begin to tell you what a wonderful God we serve and worship because He doesn’t look at our outward actions but at the motives of our hearts, and if they are true and sincere, He does accept our faults and frailties. In any case, He already knows them better than us. And we see this plainly in the words of the Lord to Samuel when He sent him to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as the next king of Israel. Samuel looked at Eliab, big and strong and handsome and thought ‘This must be the one‘ 

‘But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’  But that doesn’t mean that the Lord doesn’t like good-looking people, for it was said of Bruh David: ‘he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look at.’ (1 Kin.16:12) Meaning he had bright eyes and was also good-looking, and he must have been strong too from all those hours out in the wild. (smile) 

Oh my people, unfortunately we can only look on the outward actions of our fellow man, so we can’t tell what is truly in their hearts, but the Lord can. And we see the good motives and intentions of our hearts played out quite plainly in Bruh David. Although he made many mistakes, and the Lord did punish him for them, He never left him, because Bruh David never left Him either. He always stuck to the God of His Fathers. 

Note too, the prayer of Cousin Sol, when the Lord asked him what he wanted. ‘Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people. And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon has asked this thing.’ (1 Kin.3:9-10) ‘And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the seashore.’ (1 Kin.4:29) 

Yes friends, most of what we ask for, if it falls within the Father’s will and our hearts are true, we will get them. But note when Cousin Sol got old and turned to the gods of his many wives, how the Lord blanked him. ‘And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared unto him twice. And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.’ (1 Kin.11:9-10) 

Therefore the Lord told Cousin Sol he would take away the kingdom from him, but not in his days, but in his son’s. And why was the Lord so generous? ‘For David thy father’s sake…for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.’ (1 Kin.11:12b,13c) Yuh see mih people, though Bruh David did a whole lot of wrong, his heart never strayed from his God, and that eventually made him a measuring stick for faithfulness in the Old Testament. 

Are we faithful, can the Lord use us as a measuring stick for others today? Possibly not, but if we keep striving to be faithful and keep doing our best, one day the Lord might even deign to consider us His friend and a man after His own heart, like He said of Bruh David. I can think of no higher accolade that our great God can pay us. Much LOVE!

…the motives of our heart…must be right…when we come to the Lord in prayer…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 October 2017 Psalm 100:5.

17 Oct 2017 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 100:5.   For the Lord is good; his mercy (LOVE) is everlasting; and his truth (faithfulness) endureth to all generations.

Ah friends, when the sleep is good, it’s ever so good! But when it’s bad…it’s also ever so bad! Chuh! And you must be wondering what all of that has to do with anything eh? 

Well everything…and nothing! (smile) Fear not…the ole fella’s just trying to be somewhat doltish this chilly fall morning and make excuses for my late getting up. Yeh, the early morning sleep was indeed sweet… 

But have you ever noticed, like how it’s darkest just before the dawn, that sleep is usually the sweetest just before you have to get up? The Lord sure knows how to disrupt one of our greatest pleasures. 

And I noticed a rather striking anomaly just now as I went to put out the garbage: most of the trees around my area are still laden with green leaves, even though my driveway is full of dead, dry ones. 

It’s certainly strange that in the middle of October, the scenery is still so green. But yuh know what? We should not be overly concerned with all of that stuff, for that’s God’s department and He knows what He’s doing. 

Here is what we should be truly concerned about. It’s contained in a poem titled ‘YOU LOVE ME!’ taken from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. 

Please read with me. ‘Yesterday, God, I was soaring Like a graceful eagle And You LOVED me. Today I feel like a blob And You LOVE me. Tomorrow I may ask “Whatever happened to disturb me yesterday?” And You’ll LOVE me. 

God, there are innumerable things I cannot begin to comprehend But the one great certainty In all my life is this: I know that You LOVE me!’ 

Wow mih people! What a certainty! And it’s the ONLY ONE we really need to know, because all the other stuff flows directly from that! 

And I just have to proclaim it: What a wonderful God we serve and worship! There is NONE other like Him: the Alpha and Omega; the First and the Last; the ONE and ONLY True and Living God, from whom all things flow! Glory Be! 

And the Bible Promise for that poem is also our Bit for today: ‘For the Lord is good; his mercy (LOVE) is everlasting; and his truth (faithfulness) endureth to all generations.’ 

Oh my fellow believers, what an awesome statement that is! One that we cannot dispute because we see and experience it every single day of our lives! Mama Mia! How then can we not LOVE the Lord eh? That’s nothing but a fool’s wisdom! 

Thus it isn’t surprising at the number of times that statement is found in the Bible, especially the Psalms. Listen to how Psalm 106 – Israel sins against God’s LOVE – begins: ‘Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah). 

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who can utter (express) the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can show forth all his praise? Blessed are they that keep judgement (justice), and he that doeth righteousness at all times.’ (Ps.106:1-3) 

Oh friends, don’t those words move you, don’t they just sing in your heart when you consider the goodness and ‘wonderfulness’ of our great God? If you are a true and serious believer, they ought to. 

And Psalm 136 – Praise for the Lord’s past and present blessings – takes the sentiment even further. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (Ps.136:1-3) 

And the other 23 verses, after shouting out some great work of God, all end the same way: ‘for his mercy endureth for ever.’ And that’s no lie! 

And it seems that it all originated on the day the Ark of the covenant was finally brought up to Jerusalem and Bruh David delivered a psalm of praise and thanksgiving for Asaph and his brethren to sing, a psalm on which Psalm 105 is based. 

‘Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deed among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.’ (1 Chron.16:8-11) Words of everlasting wisdom my people! 

And hear how Bruh David ends the psalm. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory (triumph) in thy praise. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord.’ (1 Chr.16:34-36) 

Ah mih breddren, it’s so good to sing the praises of our magnificent and magnanimous God! Now let’s go home singing our Tuesday Mantra, which let’s the world know who and whose we are. 

In loud voice and sweet harmony 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 action that statement: truly share Christ’s LOVE! Much LOVE!

…oh that Christians would sing God’s praises…and give Him much deserved thanks…much more than we do… 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 March 2017 1 John 1:9.

23 Mar 2017 Leave a comment

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

1 John 1:9.   If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Welcome to another bright, sunshiny day friends in the early spring of 2017! It just doesn’t feel quite like spring, with a minus something temperature. 

But that doesn’t truly matter once we’re alive and enjoying another day of new mercies and blessings specially prepared for this day by our magnanimous, merciful and magnificent God! 

Yeh friends, we can handle anything once we are under the umbrella of God’s grace and mercy! Please remember that and let it be a signpost, a guideline, a lighthouse, or whatever you choose to call it, to our earthly journey. 

Once we’re in sync with our heavenly Father there is absolutely nothing to fear! 

As Bruh David so wisely and assuredly puts it in Psalm 27: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps.27:1). 

And the big and bold answer to those questions my faithful, believing brethren is ABSOLUTELY NOBODY! 

So let’s not be afraid of all the nonsense that’s currently happening in world; be concerned yes, but not afraid, for the Lord our God is with us wherever we go. But by the same token, we also have to be with Him, for Him to guide and guard and keep us safe from all harm. 

That brings us to our Bit. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ 

Yes my people, it also behooves us to clean up our act, otherwise we can’t walk sincerely with God. We have to make continual and constant confession of our sins, so that we can be forgiven and cleansed of them by our heavenly Father. 

If we don’t, then our souls will be clogged and bogged down with unrighteousness and we won’t have good communication with the Father. Now listen to some scripture that corroborates our contention. 

First up is Cousin Sol from Proverbs, where he authoritatively declares: ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.’ (Prov.28:13) 

Please notice though mih breddren, that we don’t only need to confess our sins, but also forsake them, give them up. And that’s usually the difficult part, but try we must, for God doesn’t look at our outward actions, or listen to our talk, but looks deep down into the secret places of our hearts to discern our true motives. 

And if you think that’s not true, just listen to how the Lord trapped Bruh David in his adulterous sin with Bathsheba. He sent the prophet Nathan to him with a nansi story about some traveler visiting a rich man, and the rich man, instead of taking one of his endless flocks to feed the traveller, he took the pet lamb of a poor man and fed the visitor. (2 Sam.12:1-4) 

Now Bruh David got all hot and bothered over this tale and declared to Nathan: ‘As the Lord liveth, that man that hath done this thing shall surely die (deserves to die). And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.’ (2 Sam.12:5-6) 

And the scholars add an interesting note to those verses. ‘12:5-7. How easy it is to see the sins of others without applying the scriptural standards to ourselves (cf. Matt.7:3-5). David called for the full weight of the law to be applied (cf. Ex.22:1).’ 

And that’s no lie my brethren, we all do it. But was Bruh David in for one of the biggest surprises of his life. 

‘And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; and I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things (much more). 

Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 

Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 

Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil (adversity) against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’ (2 Sam.12:7-12) 

Ah friends, yuh see, we can’t do evil in secret and expect the Lord not to notice it. And the scholars tell us: ’12:10-11. These judgements came to pass literally in the sins of his (David’s) own household (ch.13), the rebellion of his own son Absalom (ch.15), and the civil war that followed (chs.16-20). David was never to fully know rest again.’ 

Yeh mih people, our God doesn’t make empty promises, and He sees ALL, and knows ALL, so it’s no use trying to run and/or hide from Him. Now let’s go home invoking our Thursday Blessings. And remember, a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been spoken over someone or something. 

In unison 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!’ 

Now let’s go out and put it all into action my fellow believers! Much LOVE!

…sin will forever clog our hearts…and keep us from God…until we truly repent of it…

P.S. I know it’s late and long, but it’s ever so good! (smile) Much LOVE!

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 December 2016 Luke 1:76.

24 Dec 2016 Leave a comment

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

Luke 1:76.   And thou child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways. 

Oh friends, it’s Christmas Eve, the day before the big one – Christmas Day, when we joyfully celebrate the birth of our most wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Glory to God in the highest for selflessly blessing us with Jesus Christ! 

But yuh know what, is not everybody that celebrating this Christmas time nuh. I heard today that another of my U.W.I (University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica) classmates, Dwight Venner died yesterday. Ah Lord eh! He is at least the sixth one that I know about, who has died this year. Steups! 

And all of them were around my age yes. That certainly brings your own mortality to mind. But you can’t do anything about it nuh, just keep on doing what the Lord has called you to do and hope for the best. The only thing we’re really sure of in this life is that someday the Grim Reaper will come a calling and we’ll go whether we want to or not. 

So I’m asking us on this Christmas Eve day to pray for the Venner family in their time of grief. I believe he was from St. Lucia, and just ask the Lord to comfort them in their mourning when they should be celebrating the birth of Christ. It’s not easy to lose anybody at all, much less at a time like this. 

Let’s also remember to pray for Keith, our Scrip-Bit family member, who is slowly recovering from his stroke, and comfort him too while he mourns the loss of his departed brother. 

Remember, as James says: ‘Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.’(James 5:16) Yeh friends, prayer is the greatest power we have down here on God’s great earth, so please let’s use it often and wisely nuh. 

Now I have so much scripture to share that I only have space for one of our friend Anselm’s quotes today. And I had a hard time choosing one, because they were all interesting, they all can inspire us for a better tomorrow.  And this is the one that finally won out: ‘Goodness is about character – integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people.’ 

And that’s no lie my brethren, all those qualities are very important parts and qualities of our Christian life! Now since John the Baptist was Christ’s cousin as well as His forerunner and harbinger, I thought this Christmas Eve would be a good time to check out John’s early story, as we will do tomorrow for Christ. 

This brings us to our Bit: ‘And thou child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways.’ Those were the prophetic words of John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, at his circumcision. Now our God is such a dramatist that sometimes I have to shake my head in wonder at His doings. 

Remember how he made Zechariah dumb because he didn’t believe that his barren wife Elisabeth would eventually bear him a child. (Luke 1:5-25) And also how He brought Mary and Elisabeth together and caused John to jump for joy in his mother’s womb when he heard Mary’s voice, and the three months the women spent bonding together. 

Let the Good Book tell us the story: ‘Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. And her neighbours and her cousins (relatives) heard how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her, and they rejoiced with her. (Her barrenness was no longer a cause for reproach). 

And it came to pass, that on the eight day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zechariah, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. 

And they marvelled all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and he spake, and praised God. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings (things) were noised abroad (discussed) throughout all the hill country of Judea. And all they that heard them laid (kept) them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.’ (Luke 1:57-66) 

Oh my people, there’s no better dramatist than our God! And to add to that drama, the scholars tell us: ‘1:65. Fear came: The working of God produced a unique sensation among a people where not even a prophet had spoken for centuries.’  

And after that, Zechariah just went mad prophesying, making up for all those months that he’d been dumb. Filled with the Holy Ghost, he prophetically declared. ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation (A Mighty Deliverer) for us in the house of his servant David. As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all them that hate us;’ (Luke 1:68-71) 

I have to leave out four verses here because of lack of space. But then Zechariah continued with our Bit. ‘And thou child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways. To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission (forgiveness) of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring (dawn, Messiah) from on high hath visited us. 

To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed (became) strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing (manifestation) unto Israel.’ (Luke 1:76-80) 

Ah friends, yuh see the amazing power and dramatic expertise of our wonderful God! And that was child’s play to how He brought Jesus on the scene. (smile) We’ll talk about that tomorrow, the Lord willing. Till then, may he bless and keep us all safe and sound and cause us to enjoy the celebrations of the birth of His only Son, Jesus! Much LOVE!

…who is greater than our God eh…NOBODY…!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 March 2016 Judges 5:3

15 Mar 2016 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Judges 5:3.   Hear,  O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.

So friends, it’s Tuesday! No big deal. You handled Monday with great aplomb, great self-confidence, so no reason why you can’t do it again today. In fact, Tuesday should be a piece of cake! (smile) 

Yes my people, with Jesus, before, behind and by our side, we can handle ANY and EVERY thing that comes against us. As Bruh Paul so steadfastly and faithfully declared – no it’s stronger than a declaration – as he confidently proclaimed: ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil.4:13) 

And that my people is gospel truth! So let’s not forget it, but have it prime us as we go out to meet each new today. And since today is Tuesday, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra. I didn’t forget it this week though. (smile) 

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 fellow believers in Christ that is oh so true! We are definitely not defined by what the world says or thinks about us, but by our wonderful position as children of, and thus the beloved of Almighty God, Jesus’ friend and brother! Now what can be greater than that eh? Absolutely nothing! 

When we are inextricably linked, tied up with the awesome Creator of the universe and all therein, we are in the best hands possible! 

So let’s not fear, doubt, or be anxious as we go about our daily tasks, let’s walk with a spring in our step, a smile both in our hearts and on our faces, remembering that we are completely surrounded by the incomparable and indestructible protection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 

And all God’s beloved children gratefully declared: ‘Thank You heavenly Father for LOVING and caring and looking after us as well as You do! We know we don’t deserve much of it, but that’s just the kind of wonderful God and Father You are. 

Today, we give You the praise and glory that You so rightfully deserve, and will continue to do so while Your awesome breath of life remains in our frail and fragile bodies. This we pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen! 

Oh precious people, since we’ve been talking up the wonders of our God so much, I decided that we should just make it a day of praise; thus our Bit. 

‘Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel (when leaders lead in Israel), when the people willingly offered themselves (volunteered). Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.’ 

That comes from the song of Deborah and Barak, after the Lord had helped them to defeat their Canaanite enemies, while Deborah was the judge of Israel. Yuh see friends, women have been leaders, and strong ones too from time everlasting! 

Now here are a few verses of praise that I randomly chose, because there are so many. Listen to Moses’ song. ‘Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine (teaching) shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon a tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: 

Because I will publish (proclaim) the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut.32:1-4) 

Yes friends, that’s our God that Moses is talking about. And who knew God’s greatness, saw and did His awesome work more than Moses eh? Possibly only Jesus. So Moses definitely knows whereof he speaks. 

Now here are some excerpts from Psalm 21 – Praise for victory. Bruh David opens the psalm with this proclamation: ‘The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden (withheld) the request of his lips.   Selah…. 

For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad (joyful with gladness) with thy countenance (presence)…. Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.’ (Ps.21:1-2,6,13) 

Again friends, Bruh David experienced God’s great power, LOVE and compassion, as well as His chastening, so he too knows what he is talking about first hand, not through mere hearsay. 

And listen to these words of truth and glory from Psalm 47 – God is the King of all the earth. The sons of Korah unhesitatingly tell us: ‘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… 

Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King: sing praises. For God is the king of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.’ (Ps.47:1-2,6-7) 

Ah mih people, how much better off we would be eh if we just sang and gave more praises and attributed more glory to our great God! But sadly, in this past generation we’ve become such a hard-hearted, stubborn and godless society that God no longer looks down on us with the joy and grace that He once did, when we were truly subservient and obedient to His will. 

And we’ll close with these immortal words from Bruh David from Psalm 65 – God satisfies the thirsting soul. ‘Because thy LOVING-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus I will bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. 

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.’ (Ps.63:3-7) 

Oh friends, there is absolutely no better way to live than giving praise and thanks and glory to Almighty God for all that He has done for us in His awesome power and might and His overflowing LOVING-kindness!  

Please, please, let’s get back to that way of living nuh, for it is indeed the path of heavenly wisdom. Much LOVE!

…be thou exalted, O God above the heavens…let thy glory be above all the earth… (Ps.57:5) 

P.S. Sorry that the Bit is somewhat late, but I’m back to my old habits…late going to bed. (smile) But as they say, better late than never. Much LOVE!