Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 March 2024 Psalm 119:97.

20 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

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Psalm 119:97.        O how I LOVE thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

And it’s like we’re not talking about spring, with the birds singing their joyful tunes, and the trees putting out some early buds, for it flurried all day yesterday, and some last night or early this morning, but not enough to make any worthwhile difference. And though the sun’s shining, and it’s not too chilly out there, the computer is advising a weather alert, with more snow in the forecast. Brother! That’s what we get for listening to those fake groundhogs and their shadows. What early spring did they see eh! Chuh! This is the kind of contrary weather that get’s people sick; mentally expecting one type of weather and dressing for it, only to experience the unpleasant reality of a different kind. 

But enough of the weather and it’s eccentricities, let’s turn to this prayer from the ‘Let Us Pray’ section of this month’s In Touch Devotional. As one voice: ‘God, I admit – I don’t always want to follow You. Some days, Your way seems narrow and lifeless. Yet I believe in the freedom You promise. Show me, Father, the abundant life found in keeping Your wisdom. I want to shout with David, “How I LOVE Your law!” But my heart is not there yet – I need Your help. Reshape my misguided desires, Lord. May Your Word truly be sweeter than honey to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.’ 

Yes friends, we all have those times, when we don’t feel so into God and His narrow path, but nonetheless we know that He is the right way to go, if we sincerely want to find the abundant life that Jesus died for us to have. And Jesus made it quite clear that’s what He was about, when he said. ‘The thief cometh not but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have life more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) What a magnificent statement my people! Jesus came that we might have a decent life down here as well as eternal life with Him in the other world! What can be better than that eh? Nothing! 

But to enjoy that abundant life, we have to sincerely seek the Lord and His righteousness, and do His holy will. It doesn’t just fall into our laps automatically, even when we believe. Jesus has already done His part; sacrificed His sinless life for ours, and risen from the dead, so that we could also rise in due time, we now have to do our part, follow His lead and be good examples of LOVE, light, salt and righteousness in this evil and ungodly world. And keeping God’s law ought to be our number one priority. For as the psalmist says in Psalm 119: ‘O how I LOVE thy law! it is my meditation all the day.’ 

And that’s exactly what the Lord commanded Joshua to do with the Israelites, as they were about to cross the Jordan river and enter the Promised Land. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth (shall be constantly in thy mouth); but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) Ah mih people, that is the very genesis of success; meditating on God’s law and then following it, putting it into action in our own lives. That’s the ONLY way we will ever have success in this world and the one to come! 

And I just LOVE this next verse, where the Lord pounds it into Joshua’s head, and hopefully ours today too. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) Now those same words still apply to us today, my fellow saints, and until we sincerely believe them and act accordingly upon them, we’ll never have the success that the Lord intends for us to have. For remember who gives us the power to get wealth? The Lord God Jehovah! And the major way to do that is by concentrating on the Lord’s Word. 

Then, further down in that section of Psalm 119 that speaks of the LOVE of God’s law, the psalmist further proclaims: ‘How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every evil way.’ (Ps. 119:103-104) Oh, how I wish that we could all say those words with utter sincerity! For then we would be able to truthfully say the next verse: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) Now that’s exactly what the Lord desires His Word to be for us, a light and lamp to guide our feet and show us the right path to tread. 

And  Bruh David said it thus of the Lord’s word in Psalm 19: ‘The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear (reverence) of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (the drippings of the honeycomb). Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.’ (Ps. 19:8-11) 

Now that last verse says it all friends. The Lord’s Word serves as a warning for us, and when we follow it, we are well rewarded, both down here on earth and in heaven above. And that’s the indisputable truth. So, having those words of godly wisdom written indelibly in our hearts, lets’ go home now, declaring (steupsss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful and most marvellous position in Christ Jesus. 

Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And there’s a rather important proviso to that proclamation: If we endure right to the very end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So let’s be wise and plan to meet at the very end with Christ nuh! Much LOVE!

…the Word of God…is our Guidebook for earthly living…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 October 2023 Psalm 107:1.

10 Oct 2023 Leave a comment

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Psalm 107:1.        O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

And though this Tuesday morning, post the Thanksgiving weekend, has opened somewhat cool and windy, there is at least one redeeming feature; the sun’s shining! And that’s a lot to be thankful for, as the days grow cold and cloudy, and eventually snowy. Look at it nuh, just last week we were enjoying exceptional summer-like weather, now we’ve been suddenly thrown into the throes of fall (smile) that has winter as its final dance partner. And try as you want, regardless of how long you spend in this land, unless you’re an outdoor sports enthusiast, you never seem to get accustomed to that season of darkness and dreary cold weather. 

But, like all the other unpleasant and tough aspects of life, with the help of our great God, we handle it superbly whenever it raises its ugly head! Give much thanks to our gracious and merciful God for all that He’s done, is doing and has promised to do for us! And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’ And just in case we’ve forgotten or gotten too busy to remember, now that the Thanksgiving weekend is over, it doesn’t mean we should stop giving thanks. No! The giving of thanks to our most wonderful God Jehovah, must be a daily occurrence, not just once a year, or when you’re pleading with him for something to satisfy your lustful desires. 

And that’s one of the major reasons why our lives are so sad and miserable; we boldly ask for a whole lot from our heavenly Father, but don’t give sufficient thanks for what we already have. Somehow or the other, it just slips our minds that, as our parents taught us, it’s good manners to say thanks for whatever you’re given. Or, we simply don’t think or believe that such a great God as ours, needs or desires thanks from His puny human creation. But that’s a thoroughly incorrect supposition my fellow believers, for the Good Library, God’s inerrant and infallible word, says otherwise, and says it very often too. 

But before we get into some of those many scriptures, let’s check out this commentary that tells us why it’s so important for us to give thanks to our God. It says: ‘What is the power of giving thanks to God? Thanksgiving reorients us to the center of all things. So, thanksgiving magnifies God: it makes him great in the sense of declaring his greatness. Here is the most foundational truth about biblical thanksgiving: it gives him the glory he deserves. It exalts him as the source of every good thing we enjoy.’ 

And that’s the indisputable truth friends! Giving thanks to Almighty God honours and exalts Him, for that was one of the reasons why He created us in the first place; to commune with Him and give Him honour and glory! Now here’s another commentary that adds further reason for being thankful. It reads: ‘But being thankful also has significant spiritual benefits. For starters, it keeps us spiritually healthy. When we live gratefully, we keep our priorities straight—focusing on God as the one who gives us “every good and perfect gift” (James 1:17)—and we don’t accidentally put ourselves in God’s place.’ 

Yes friends, giving sincere and constant thanks keep us spiritually healthy and on the straight and narrow path. Now let’s hear some of those scriptures on the importance of being thankful. First up is this mighty one from Psalm 107: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 107:1) And in all truth, there’s no better reason than that. The Lord’s good and merciful, and therefore our thanks is necessary. It’s as simple as that. There’s no better reason for giving thanks than to someone who’s good and merciful to you. 

I just wish there was much more mercy and goodness amongst us believers, and the world in general, and therefore much more thanks, for then that would make it something we’d do naturally with our good and merciful God. But unfortunately, goodness and mercy don’t exist in our world as much as they ought to, so it doesn’t naturally rub off on our dealing with the Lord. Then there’s this Scripture from the Book of Ezra, when the Israelites returned from captivity in Babylon and began rebuilding the temple. 

‘And they sang together by course (responsively) in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.’ (Ezra 3:11) And yes, our God does like great shouts of praise from His people, but He’s also contented with a simple ‘Thank You Lord,’ because it shows that we are thinking of Him and gratefully acknowledging the fact that He is working in our lives. And that’s all He truly desires; a grateful acknowledgement of His presence. 

Then there’s the song of thankfulness from Psalm 95. In fact, the Psalms is where the most thankfulness can be found in the Lord’s word. And just for our information here’s how many times the Bible mentions gratitude. ‘The Bible mentions the word “gratitude” 157 times. It does not appear as frequently as “fear not” (which is said 365 times), but it appears more than “thanks” or “thanksgiving” (mentioned 72 times).’ That ought to show us how important gratitude is to our God. (smile) 

But back to the thankfulness of Psalm 95, which opens thus: ‘O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.’ (Ps. 95:1-3) And there’s definitely no denying those sentiments my fellow believers. Our God is GREAT! That says it all! (smile) 

And don’t think that there aren’t thankful scriptures in the New Testament too, because they are, and some that tend to drive us crazy, especially this one from Bruh Paul’s first missive to the Thessalonians. ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18) In ‘every thing’ you ask in disbelief? Yes friends…in every thing .That means whether the situation is good, bad or indifferent, we ought to give thanks. As this commentary tells it: ‘For this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.’ 

Then in his letter to the Colossian, Bruh Paul tells us: ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:17) That’s another tough scripture, but one which we should all adhere to if we want to please our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as true followers. For remember, when He was here on earth, giving thanks was also one of His strongpoints. He never did anything without giving the Father thanks. 

And we don’t have time nor space to go into it all, but you can read these instances for yourself. Jesus thanked the Father ‘for providing food (Luke 24:30), for listening to him (John 11:41), and for the opportunity to minister to others (Matthew 14:19, 15:36). Jesus began and ended his prayers with words of thanks and praise to his father and in the Lord’s Prayer he taught his followers to do the same (Matthew 6:9-13).’ And as always, if our Leader can do it, then we also ought to be doing it. 

And this a most appropriate comment with which to close our li’l talk on the giving of thanks. ‘One of the best things about thankfulness is that the more you choose it, the easier it gets. The more you profess gratitude, the more you notice things to be grateful for. The thankfulness muscles respond to exercise!’ Yes, my brethren! Just try it and you’ll see it’s oh so true. (smile) 

Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. In one strong and sincere voice: ‘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 my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And having said all that, it now behooves us to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…if there’s only one word to fall from our lips…it ought to be THANKS!… 

P.S. Yes, it’s long, but oh so good, and so reenergizing! (smile) 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   6 January 2022 Psalm 119:105.

06 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 119:105.        Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

The sun’s shining this Thursday morning people! Glory be! Strange things do happen in this world! (smile) Yes, we haven’t seen the sun really shine without cloudy overtones for a while now. Consequently, it’s a good thing we have Jesus, the Light of Life to provide light and guidance in our often dark and dreary world. That’s why the Good Book informs and continually reminds us of these salient facts. ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) What awesome and encouraging truth my brethren! 

And Cousin Sol says it this way in his warning against adultery. ‘For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.’ (Prov. 6:23) And the good thing about that friends, is that it doesn’t only keep thee from the wiles and flattering tongue of a deceitful woman, (smile) but it also guides you in every aspect of life. So, whatever happens in this life you can always find an answer or good guidance in the commandments and laws of Almighty God! 

How wonderful is that eh? We don’t have to run to friends and neighbours for help, but to God first in every circumstance. He might redirect us to friends and families, even foes, but it’s wisest to make Him our first avenue of help and assurance. And if we listen to these marvellous words of Bruh David on the law of God from Psalm 19, we will get a better understanding and appreciation for them. 

He says: ‘The law of the Lord is perfect, converting (restoring) the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (the drippings of the honeycomb). Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in the keeping of them is great reward.’ (Ps. 19:7-11) 

Oh my people, what a true and beautiful treatise on the law of our God! Bruh David spells it out in spades for us: ‘the law is perfect’…but we all know that. (smile) Furthermore, it’s also good for ‘converting the soul’ while ‘making wise the simple.’ How powerful is that eh? The statutes of the Lord are not only right, but they rejoice the heart! 

Wow! And do we ever need stuff that rejoices our hearts in these turbulent and evil times! And in addition to being perfect, the commandment of the Lord is also pure, and thus ‘enlightens the eyes.’ Meanwhile ‘the fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever.’ Please notice the words used so far to describe the quality of the law: perfect, pure, right and clean, while His judgements are ‘true and righteous altogether.’ 

Yes friends, the Lord’s a most righteous and just judge, that’s why He couldn’t simply pardon our sin without it being paid for. Justice had not only to be done, but also appear to be done. So unlike what’s currently happening in our world. Justice isn’t being done, neither is it seeming to be done, so great, powerful and doh care are the workings of the evildoers. But they will all have to deal with the Lord eventually. That’s why Bruh David warns us in Psalm 37. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2) 

That’s gospel truth friends! But enough about evildoers, let’s go back to the goodness of God’s law. (smile) Where were we at eh, before the evildoers intruded? Oh yes, we were talking about the truth and righteousness of the Lord’s justice. And on top of all that, the Lord’s law and justice is also sweet; sweeter even than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb, and thus greatly to be desired, even more so than ‘much fine gold!’ 

Wow! Can you believe it my fellow saints? There’s something that’s sweeter than honey and more valuable and desirable than gold? Yes, the law of our awesome, faithful, merciful, gracious and LOVING God! And why is that eh? Because the Lord expects us to live by His law, His word, His commandments, His statutes, call them what you want. But we can’t live by them unless we read and study them, then put them into action in our lives. That’s the beauty of the Word, it gives us good guidance, and as Bruh David says, it warns us of going down the wrong paths, and great rewards are to be had if we keep it. 

Now how much better can life get eh? Not much really, for our amazing God provides everything we need to live this life and the one hereafter. All it takes is belief and obedience. And sadly, that’s where most of us fall down. Even when we say we believe, we don’t obey. And that’s the crux of the matter. Obedience to God and His law is everything my people! Just look at all the godly people who suffered loss because of disobedience nuh. Saul lost his kingdom. Moses didn’t set foot in the Promised Land, only saw it from afar. Bruh David lost his son with Bathsheba because of his adultery with her, and had strife within his family for ordering her husband’s death. 

So, it’s obvious that we can expect some tough times if we keep disobeying the edicts of Almighty God, especially when we are trying to get rid of Him from our society. Do we think He will just lie down and play dead and allow us to get away with our sinful and criminal acts for ever? Certainly not. Remember His promise in Isaiah: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8) 

That says it all friends! Loud and clear! The Lord God Jehovah will NEVER allow His creation to take control of His universe. I don’t know when or what it will take for us to understand that nuh. And although we’ve come so far in terms of enlightenment and learning, we still cannot save ourselves from ourselves. But we’ve gotten so proud and big for our britches that we won’t even consider the possibility that we don’t know it all, and thus cannot solve all our problems. But God can, if we would turn to Him in sincerity and true repentance, which unfortunately, doesn’t seem likely to happen soon. 

But for those of us who know the truth and are sincerely working to spread it, our God has granted us awesome blessings to help in our devoted cause. We call them our Thursday Blessings, and since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been declared out loud, let’s do just that nuh; declare our Thursday Blessings in strong and sincere voice. 

Altogether 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 every day! Amen!’ 

Now, let’s put those blessings to work in Christ’s service, sharing them just as generously as Christ shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…there’s nothing better in this world…than living for Christ…by His laws… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8             

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 August 2019 John 13:15.

13 Aug 2019 Leave a comment

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

John 13:15.    ​For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done unto you.
 

Oh my people, it’s a perfect beginning to what seems like a perfect day! The sun’s shining ever so brightly although it’s just eight o’clock in the morning, merrily reflecting off every possible surface. I was quite surprised at how bright it looked when I went outside a short while ago. And the temperature is nice and comfortable, so let’s hope it will continue like that all day. 

But the most important thing is that we’re alive to enjoy it! Yeahhh! Through God’s LOVING grace, mercy and forgiveness, we’re still around to enjoy another memorable day! Wow! Give Him much thanks and praise my fellow saints in Christ for being so wonderful to us when we don’t deserve any of it. 

But most of all, we have to give Him thanks for His most wonderful Son, Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His sinless blood on the cross at Calvary so that we could be made right with the Father! Glory to God! That’s why the Daily Bread Devotionals could tell us: ‘In a world filled with heartache, we can model the compassion of Jesus.’ And furthermore: ‘We serve Christ when we serve people!’ 

Words of gospel truth my brethren! Jesus is the most worthwhile example of all that we should aspire to be! Yes, we can never be truly like Him, be perfect in every way, because of our inherent sinful nature and His accompanying deity, but we can certainly try to get as close as possible to perfection in our humanity. And serving others while having a heartfelt compassion for mankind are possibly the two most important ways we can model Him. 

Oh, we won’t forget spreading His gospel, but people are more receptive to that good news when we first assuage their physical wants. Meaning, if someone’s hungry, before we begin preaching, we should first feed them. And likewise, if they are naked, clothe them first before trying to shove the gospel down their throats. 

And unfortunately that’s a mistake we often make. We reach out to the impoverished, both in body and spirit, but we put the gospel first. But as Sparrow once said in a calypso, ‘Yuh can’t make LOVE on an empty belly!’ (smile) And that goes for almost every other situation. You’re not receptive to much of anything if you’re cold and hungry. So please, in our own li’l worlds or spheres of influence, let’s try and satisfy the physical needs of others before we begin preaching to them nuh. 

And sadly, there are so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ in these supposedly prosperous times who are suffering severe and serious want, especially with all the natural disasters, like flood and famine and sickness, plus rampant greed and strife that’s occurring all over our world in these last troubled and trying days. 

And I just came upon a most interesting and ever so applicable statement of Bruh Paul’s to the Philippians, when he promised to send Timothy to help them in their faith walk. ‘For all seek their own, not the things which are Christ’s.’ (Phil.2:21)  Yes friends, in this age of me, mine and my own, everyone is more concerned about seeking their own needs and wants than those of Christ. 

But remember He said that if we seek first His kingdom and the things that are important to Him, we would be granted all the other ancillary stuff. (Matt.6:33) Sadly though, very few of us really pay attention to those words and instead run off to do what we think is best for us. But I’m straying from the original topic; servanthood amongst the followers of Jesus. 

Friends, we ought not to be too proud to do whatever job is necessary, even if it’s the most menial of jobs, like sweeping the floors or cleaning the toilets. And again in Jesus, we have the best example possible, when He washed the feet of His disciples. That was possibly one of the most menial jobs in Israel in those days, reserved for slaves, since they wore sandals and their feet were always dusty and dirty. 

But Jesus stripped Himself at the Last Supper, the Feast of the Passover, took a basin of water and washed every disciple’s feet. Why? Listen to His reasoning. ‘Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master (Teacher) and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 

If I then, your Lord and Master (Teacher), have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done unto you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord (master); neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.’ (John 13:12-17) 

Ah friends, as always, Jesus gives us some dynomite examples to follow! And is that one about doing menial jobs ever so applicable in these days, where we all are so proud and hoighty-toighty and only want to do the jobs that the world thinks are so uplifting and convey what it calls success. 

But please remember that though the C.E.O might make the most money and have the biggest say about how to do things, it’s the lowly factory workers who actually do the jobs, make whatever they sell. Without them, he wouldn’t be in His glorified position. Likewise we should never forget the poor and unfortunate around us and not be too big and proud to help them in whatever way they need it, because that’s what our Lord and Saviour, Our Leader, Jesus Christ was all about. 

And if we want to truly follow His example, then we have to do what He did! And having washed away some of our foolish pride, (smile) let’s go home declaring (right ho!) our Tuesday Mantra, telling the whole wide world, in no uncertain terms, who and whose we are. 

All together now in strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen!’ 

And if we believe it, then let’s follow Jesus’ example and go out and share His amazing LOVE and wonderful friendship! Much LOVE!

…no job…should ever be too menial…for a true believer in Christ…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 February 2015 Mark 6:34

03 Feb 2015 Leave a comment

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

Mark 6:34.    And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people (a great multitude), and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. 

Oh Friends, what can I say eh, but that it’s another beautiful Tuesday morning in Paradise!

As I sit on the verandah of my little cottage at Lowlands writing these words to you, the sun’s a shining, the birds are a singing praises, the cool breezes are a blowing, ruffling the trees and leaves, which are a dancing to God’s perfect melody, and one member of His greatest creation is here enjoying it all, adding his thanks and praise to the rest of nature! (smile)

Wow Friends, it couldn’t get much better than this…except for my health! I’m still not in the greatest shape; my chest is still tight and my back’s aching. I’m starting to think it’s the bed, although on the surface it doesn’t feel too soft or too hard. Unless I am sleeping too much, although I don’t think so.

But I much prefer my back to ache me down here in the warm weather than in the freezing cold and plentiful snow that seems to have enveloped the north country since I left. I’ve been seeing pictures of Toronto and other areas in the U.S and they certainly don’t look too welcoming. I’m certainly sorry for those of you who have to deal with it, and I’m glad that I don’t have to in my current condition.

All I can do is thank the Lord that He got me out before it began, and I hope and pray that He keeps you all safe and sound and warm through it all.

Ah Chuh! I just had a small coughing bout! Thought it was all over, but apparently not. But not to worry, we’ll fight it through, with the Lord’s help obviously. Each day I am feeling a little better. I was able to handle the heat and sunshine much better yesterday. And we finally got our phone situation fixed – Glory be!

In the  afternoon we went down to the beach. The duchess wanted to go to Pigeon Point, and although I’ve never like there, in my humanity and Christianity, I acquiesced to her desires. (smile) Now I thought she wanted to go right inside the compound where you have to pay to get in.

But lo and behold, as we were driving by a decent looking beach with people bathing and some sweet soca music pouring out of a car, she decided to stop there. Hn! And again being the beautiful person that I am, I stopped.

The beach itself was sandy and the water, though a little choppy with the tide coming in, was blue and inviting. But to my great surprise when I entered the water, before it even got up to my waist, I felt a very rocky and stony bottom.

Steups! It was actually worse than my water hole back home, but I grinned and bore it. It was salt water and sunshine, exactly what the doctor had ordered for my ailing and aching body. And in any case I couldn’t do much swimming because my right arm and shoulder are still aching.

On the way home from the beach we bought some food and some goodies; coconut tart, currant’s roll, rock cake etc. (smile) Then we came home and had a quiet evening, in part listening to the Prime Minister, Kamla Persad, address the nation on t.v. re some scandal amongst her cabinet, which she shuffled around and which is going to cause even more scandal. Only in T&T, you say!

So you see the ole fella’s just leading a quiet simple existence, trying to get healthy. I still don’t feel like eating, and that tells me I’m not up to scratch. But with the Lord’s help, and in His time, there’s no doubt that we will definitely overcome!

And Friends, this morning if you’re doubting your faith and belief in Jesus Christ, just listen to these wonderful words of our Bit. ‘And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people (a great multitude), and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.’

Oh my people, how could you not believe and have faith in such a wonderful and compassionate man eh ? The sequence of events that led up to that outpouring of compassion are as follows. ‘And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things , both what they had done, and what they had taught. (They had just returned from evangelizing around the region.)

And he said unto them, come ye yourselves apart (aside) into a desert (deserted) place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. and they departed into a desert (deserted) place by ship privately (by themselves)

And the people (multitudes) saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them (arrived before them), and came together unto him.’ (Mark 6:30-33) 

Oh my fellow believers, what a wonderful example for us to follow! But do we have that kind of compassion on our fellow men? To some small extent yes, but nowhere near the amount that we should have!

Remember Friends, that we are supposed to be the eyes, ears, hearts and hands of Jesus here on earth. That means we are also supposed to do as He did. But unfortunately, not many of us supposed believers show the kind of caring and compassion we ought to our fellow man. But then, when we need compassion, we expect Jesus, as well as other men to show it to us.

Friends, life doesn’t work that way. We receive what we give, and reap what we sow. Listen to these Bible verses from Bruh Paul to the Corinthians. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor.1:3-4)

My people, God comforts us, has compassion on us, so that we can do the same for our fellow man. Remember Jesus came to save the lost, the sick, the hurting, the unfortunate. (Matt.18:11) And if we are His true ambassadors, then we are supposed to do likewise.

So please, today, as we go about our business, which hopefully is also Jesus’, let’s allow His LOVE to soften our hearts, open our eyes to those who need our caring and compassion, and let our hands and mouths show forth His LOVE! That’s our bounden duty, our earthly purpose and responsibility. Much LOVE!

…if we’re not helping others…then we don’t deserve to be called Christians…followers of Christ…