Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 February 2023 Proverbs 19:1.

10 Feb 2023 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 19:1.       Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

How interesting it is to awaken to a house with no electricity on a damp and cloudy Friday morning! Just the encouragement you need to jump back into bed, because it means no internet and thus no messaging or no Bit. And I could genuinely say ‘Thank God it’s Friday!’ and pull the covers back over my head. (smile) But good things don’t last forever, and some forty minutes later the electricity returned. Chuh! I was just getting warm and cozy with the duchess. 

And once the electricity came back, she was ready to be up and about and begin her day. No lounging in bed for her. So, I reluctantly got up too. And here I am contemplating what to write. Obviously, I asked the Lord to show me what He wants me to write on, but nothing has come to mind so far, so let’s open the Good Library and see where He leads me. Soon come. 

And it didn’t take long. He guided me to these awesome words of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’ (Prov. 19:1) And isn’t that the awesome truth? It certainly is, and it’s highlighted ever so much by our current talkative society, who, with the help of social media talk a whole lot of baloney, on things they know nothing about. I don’t think we’ve ever had so many foolish people in our world like we do today, thanks to social media and the supposed encouragers who manipulate it for their own selfish and evil purposes. 

And sadly, many of us don’t even know the word ‘integrity’ much less it’s meaning. And what does it mean eh? Well, according to the Random House Dictionary, integrity is: ‘Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. The state of being whole, entire or undiminished.’ Now how many of us nowadays adhere to moral and ethical principles or are honest eh? Not too many, because those things are no longer the backbone, the foundation of our societal character. Rather things like fraud, dishonesty, deceit, immorality and evil doings now are the guiding principles of our ungodly society. 

And here are some character traits related to integrity, which hopefully will rub off on us and keep us walking along the straight and narrow path. Integrity is: ‘Gracious, Respectful., Honest. Integrity requires honesty. … Trustworthy. People with integrity follow through on their commitments. … Hardworking, Responsible. Those with integrity take accountability for their actions. … Helpful. When someone has integrity, they help those in need. … Patient.’ Yes friends, to have true integrity, we must possess most, if not all of those characteristics. 

Now, if you read through those traits again and compare them to our current society, you will find that we are a failed society under those terms of reckoning. And isn’t it interesting that later on in Proverbs, Cousin Sol chooses to reiterate his words on integrity in a slightly different manner. This time he writes: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.’ (Prov. 28:6) 

Oh my people, that’s another glorious truth! Wealth doesn’t give us the privilege to behave perverse and foolish, without integrity. But that’s exactly how many a wealthy person and/or family behaves nowadays. As though their earthly wealth has given them the authority to behave like they own the world and can do whatever they want, as dishonestly, deceitfully and ungodly as they desire. But yuh know what? The verse just before that last one offers us an interesting picture as it says: ‘Evil men understand not judgement (justice): but they that seek the Lord understand all things.’ (Prov. 28:5) 

And that’s something we should sincerely contemplate, then try to make it true in our own lives. Sadly though, the Father of our faith, Abraham, suffered two occasions where serious integrity was totally lacking. Twice he lied and said that his wife Sarah was his sister, and since Sarah was beautiful both the Pharoah of Egypt and King Abimelech of Gerar took her for their wives. The Lord plagued Pharaoh’s house with great plagues because of it, and Pharaoh finally saw the light and returned Sarah to Abraham and then ran him out of town.  (Gen. 12:10-20) 

With Abimelech though, God warned him in a dream that Sarah was Abraham’s wife and he was playing with fire if he touched her. (Gen. 20:1-4) Abimelech protested his innocence. ‘Said he (Abraham) not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thine heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. 

Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, and all that are thine.’ (Gen. 20:5-7) And Abimelech obeyed the Lord’s command, but first seriously reproaching both Abraham and Sarah.’ (Gen. 20:9-18)  

Oh my fellow believers, you see the major problems we can cause others through lack of honesty and true integrity. Meanwhile in Psalm 7, Bruh David pleads with God to deal with him according to his integrity. ‘The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.’ (Ps. 7:8) Now how many of us have the parts to ask God to do such a thing eh? Not too many. 

And the Book of Job is chocked full of talk on integrity, for Job maintained before his friends and God that he had done no wrong to cause all his calamity to befall him. But I think the moment he shows the most awesome integrity is when his wife tells him: ‘Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) evil (calamity)? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.’ (Job 2:9-10) 

Ah friends, it’s not easy living the Christian life, especially in these last days, but live it we must. And with the help of the Holy Spirit that indwells us, we certainly can live it victoriously. We only have to abide by His leading and guidance. And the first thing He always recommends in our uncertainty is prayer. And there’s no better time for prayer than right now. So, let’s go to the throne of God, through our Friday Chant asking for divine help in our sinful and ungodly world. 

Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways. 

And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Now, our next move is to truly start living and behaving like the faithful believers we mentioned above, so that the Lord can look down on us with His divine favour! Much LOVE!

…a righteous heart walks in integrity…but the evil heart walks in ungodliness… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 September 2018 Matthew 25:23.

13 Sep 2018 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 25:23.   His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Oh, I know it’s a tad cloudy outside, but the good news is that a couple of rays are pushing valiantly, keeping keeping on to burst through the cloud cover! Wow! And yuh know what? If only one ray is alive and persevering, then there is hope; hope that bright sunshine will eventually permeate our now cloudy atmosphere! Mama Yo! 

In the same way friends, if only one seed of faith is planted and taking root in a believer, then eventually it will grow into a big tree, blossom forth and bear much beautiful godly fruit! Glory to God my brethren! For it’s only through His supernatural auspices that such a miracle can ever happen. 

And like some form of a miracle happened when we prayed yesterday that Hurricane Florence wouldn’t devastate North Carolina, because it has been downgraded to something like a category 2 from a 4! More Glory to God my people! And it does show the power of prayer. Oh, Flo might still damage North Carolina, but definitely not as badly as when she was packing bigger winds. Thank the Lord for small mercies! 

And on that point we do have a lot of inadequacies; because we think that only the big things are important enough to thank God for. But friends, it’s those li’l, everyday occurrences that we should be ever thankful for, since they are the ones that cause our lives to run smoothly and in sync. 

And moreover, the Lord wants to be involved in EVERY aspect of our lives, even the ones that seem small, ordinary and unimportant to us. Remember when we come to God, it means FULL SURRENDER; no holding back ANYTHING, although foolishly, we always try to hold back something from His piercing gaze. 

But remember my brethren, our God is omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present, so He sees all, knows all and is everywhere at the same time! That means there is nowhere or nothing we can hide from Him, but He wants us to come to Him voluntarily, through our LOVE for Him, that’s why He gave us freedom of choice. 

So please don’t try to hide yourself, or anything in your life from God, because the old saying is ever so true: ‘you can run, but yuh can’t hide!’ And many of us, even believers need to remember that! Remember again my fellow believers, if the Lord can’t trust us to be faithful in small things, why would He trust us with big things eh? 

That brings us to our Bit, where Jesus is telling the parable of the talents, and the servant given two talents, produces two more, so the master says to him. ‘His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’ 

It’s the same with us friends; we trust others with small matters before we trust them with big ones. If they prove trustworthy in the small things then we promote them. It happens on our jobs all the time. And Jesus reiterates that truth later on when talking of the parable of the dishonest steward. ‘He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.’ (Luke 16:10) 

And the prophet Zechariah, long before Jesus came, in his vision with the candlestick of seven lamps and two olive trees, to rebuild the Lord’s temple, he declared: ‘For who hath despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run (scan) to and fro through the whole earth.’ (Zech.4:10) 

Joshua and Zerubbabel would be enabled to rebuild the temple through God’s Spirit: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.’ (Zech.4:6b) Then the small nation of Israel would be a future blessing to all the world through the coming of the Messiah, and the Lord’s Spirit would be available in abundant supply. So friends, from small beginnings do come large endings, so please don’t despise small things, rather treasure them, for you know not what they might turn out to be later on. 

And so saying, we have seen the Lord’s Spirit turn from blessing us in small ways to mighty grace and mercy. Wow! So let’s declare our Thursday Blessings so that others can see what they have to look forward to when they surrender wholeheartedly to Jesus. And remember too, that a blessing is not a blessing unless it’s spoken over someone or something. 

So, as one body now, with sincere heart: ‘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 why wouldn’t I believe sincerely in Jesus if He blesses me so wonderfully when I believe eh? The next step though for us believers is to go out and share ALL those blessings with the less fortunate, for that’s why Jesus blessed us so bountifully! Much LOVE!

…heaven’s blessings are meant…to be shared generously…not to be hoarded selfishly…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 May 2018 Proverbs 31:28.

15 May 2018 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 31:28:   Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

‘I’m in heaven, yes heaven, cause I can once more breathe comfortably through my nostrils!’ Glory to God my breddren! I feel like a new man, after I went into the city yesterday afternoon and the medic took out some stuff left there after the surgery. The nostrils still aren’t perfect, but they are a whole lot better than they were. 

Boy! Does it ever feel like a new world! Like I’m born again! And believe me, it took a little while for me to get accustomed to breathing through my nose again. (smile) But unfortunately that cloying, chalky, nasty taste from constantly breathing through my mouth for the last two weeks is still there. I guess it will take a while to go away…Let’s hope so yes, because it’s rather distasteful! 

And I can certainly sleep a li’l better. I don’t have to wake up every hour or so to moisten my parched mouth. And talking about sleep, I did get lulled away by the beautiful riddim of the falling rain this morning, that’s why the Bit is somewhat late. (smile) 

And in keeping with our promise not to just celebrate our mothers on Mother’s Day, I know some of us have already forgotten it, here is this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings By Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s simply titled ‘Motherhood.’ 

Please read with me: ‘Motherhood is now! The good and bad of it. The rewards and the trials. Tremendous pressures are placed upon you as a mother, for you have been chosen to work with God in the awesome task of nurturing the priceless treasures God has given you. 

As a mother, you accept your children’s faltering steps toward independence with discipline, humour, patience, and a tremendous amount of trust. At times the struggles almost become an endurance contest. You wonder if you can handle all the confusion another day: the ringing phone, the broken dishes, the blaring television, the hurtful words. High temperatures, school conferences, dentist appointments, rebellious tears. Is there ever an end? 

But suddenly in the midst of turmoil you catch a broad grin. You feel a warm hug. At bedtime somebody prays, “Thank you, God, for Mom and for the chocolate-chip cookies…and for LOVE.” You renew again your deep desire to create a genuine God-hunger in your children. God has chosen you for such a task as this.’ 

Wow mih people! What an accurate account of a Mother’s harried life! And surprisingly, most of them do it without batting an eyelash or offering a complaining word. What towers of strength they are! That’s why I encourage us to cherish and treasure and LOVE them much more than we currently do! For without them, as they say, ‘our tail would be grass.’ (smile) 

And the Bible Promise for that poem is also our Bit for today. ‘Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.’ Yeh friends, that’s the reaction of a godly mother’s family. It all comes from the last chapter of Proverbs which sings the praises of a virtuous woman. 

As it says: ‘Who can find a virtuous woman (wife of valour)? For her price (worth) is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil (lack of gain). She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.’ (Prov.31:10-12) And I don’t know if I have enough space, but I will endeavour to describe the qualities of a godly mother, of an excellent wife, as set out in these last verses of Proverbs. 

‘She is rare (v 10); trustworthy (v.11); constant in her LOVE (v.12); industrious (v.13); thrifty (v.14); self-starting (v: 15); enterprising (v.16); willing to do hard work (v.17); willing to work long hours (v.18); willing to do monotonous work (v.19); compassionate (v.20); prepared for the future (v.21); a good seamstress (v.22); married to a leader (v.23); an entrepreneur (v.24); not swayed by circumstances (v.25); wise and kind (v.26); duty-conscious (v.27); blessed by her family (v.28); not satisfied with the mediocre (v.29); a woman of God (v.30) ; and praiseworthy (v.31). 

She is a woman of means (vs.15, 22) and a woman of great skill and ability who lives in an agrarian economy. She is a woman of God who is enterprising and dedicated to her home. Perhaps this acrostic on the excellent wife is placed at the end of the book because she, above all others, will be most able to demonstrate the principles of wisdom in the home.’ 

Ah friends, what more can I say about mothers eh? Nothing really. Yuh see the many varied tasks and problems she has to deal with. She is indeed the backbone of the family! So let’s try and do more to appreciate and LOVE her nuh, that’s our bounden duty. 

Now let’s go home declaring who and whose we are through our Tuesday Mantra. ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen!’ 

And if we were sincere in our words, then let’s go out and share all we have with others as Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!

…truthfully…a mother’s work is never done…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 August 2017 Psalm 118:8-9.

13 Aug 2017 Leave a comment

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

Psalm   118:8-9.   It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.

Come on mih people, it’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day! That means it’s time to gather in the Lord’s house to worship, praise, glorify and exalt Him; to hear His word and receive His awesome gifts of strength, mercy, grace, LOVE and forgiveness in whatever amounts we may need! 

How wonderful it is to serve such a magnanimous and magnificent Deity! I simply can’t understand how all the world is not running to serve and praise His holy name nuh. 

Unfortunately, their loss is our gain, though we still need to get the truth though their thick skulls, because that’s what the Father desires of us. He doesn’t want to lose even one of His magnificent creations to that worthless scamp and vagabond Lucifer. 

And as always, we begin this morning’s worship with a song of praise titled ‘Jesu, joy of man’s desiring.’ But it was not a song of my choosing, but of the Holy Spirit, for as soon as I thought, ‘Well what hymn shall we sing this morning?’ that title just flew into my head. 

So, as obedient children, let’s offer the sacrifice of praise and glorify our heavenly Father, for He is so deserving of it. Let’s raise our voices to heaven, and let the saints up there know that we too can exalt and worship the Lord, as good as them, if not better. (smile) 

So as one harmonious whole now: ‘Jesu, joy of man’s desiring, Holy wisdom, LOVE most bright; Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring, Soar to uncreated light. Word of God, our flesh that fashioned, With the fire of life impassioned, Striving still to truth unknown, Soaring, dying round Thy throne. 

Through the way where hope is guiding, Hark, what peaceful music rings; Where the flock, in Thee confiding, Drink of joy from deathless springs. Theirs is beauty’s fairest pleasure; Theirs is wisdom’s holiest treasure. Thou dost ever lead Thine own In the LOVEof joys unknown.’ 

Oh friends, aren’t those beautiful sentiments, rich in imagery and majesty? They surely are! And I particularly like that last line, which talks about our Saviour leading us ‘in the LOVE of joys unknown,’ because He certainly does. With Him, every day is an unknown adventure, and we have the complete assurance that whatever direction the adventure takes, it will ultimately work out for our benefit. 

So how can we not bow and kneel before Him and give Him thanks and praise eh? To do otherwise would certainly be lacking in wisdom, definitely foolish. But unfortunately, our world is full of foolish people; people who refuse to acknowledge and accept the risen power and glory of Jesus Christ! They foolishly put their trust in princes and men and cast Jesus, the only one who can truly save their sinful and evil souls, by the wayside. 

How sad my brethren! They obviously don’t know, and/or, don’t respect the truth of our Bit from the Good Book. ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ 

That’s truth of immeasurable proportions my people! How can one put trust in weak, fragile, sinful, evil and fraudulent man eh? Oh we have to trust them some, but definitely not go overboard, always keeping a close eye on them. However, with the Lord God Almighty, our Creator, we don’t have to worry about a thing, for He is the epitome of trustworthiness. The word was coined to reflect His exalted station of absolute trust. 

When a man like Job, having lost his family and all his earthly wealth in one fell swoop, can declare of God to his hypocrite friends: ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for a hypocrite shall not come before him. Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.’  (Job 13:15-17) 

Wow friends! There must be something in the water that Job was drinking, (smile) for him to be so adamant about his trust in God. And that’s the kind of trust great faith brings forth. 

Now listen to Bruh David from Psalm 40 – Praise for answered prayer. ‘And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ (Ps.40:3-4)  And Bruh David spoke from personal experience when he made those statements. 

That’s the sort of trust that rises up in us when we truly believe, and have experienced God’s LOVING-kindness. Then there is no doubt whatsoever in the utmost faithfulness of our great God! Even when things go awry, we still stand steadfast in that trust, because we know He has good plans for us, and will always complete any work He’s begun in us, and work it out for our good. 

Mama Mia! How awesome is our God eh! Awesome to the nth degree! And we’ll end with these immortal words of Cousin Sol. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth, straight) thy paths. 

Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov.3:5-10)

Oh friends, I believe in those five verses we have the very essence of Christian living! If we were to just follow those instructions, we would never stray, and forever stay on the straight and narrow path. So let’s take Cousin Sol’s wisdom to heart his Sunday morning nuh my fellow believers, so that we can live trustworthy and fruitful lives as our Christian faith requires. Much LOVE!

…if you can’t trust the one who made you…and knows you better than you know yourself…then whom can you trust eh…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 July 2017 Jeremiah 9:3.

12 Jul 2017 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 9:3.   And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord.

A good Wednesday morning to you my Scrip-Bit friends and family! I hope the Lord has blessed you with health, strength and wisdom to face another glorious day. 

However, a lot of our fellow believers are not so lucky. I’m talking about the 14,000 people displaced in the Western Province of British Columbia, after being plagued for almost a week by some 219 brush fires; fires that are still in progress and threatening to spread even wider. 

I’m also talking about those saints on the side of Mt.Vesuvius, the smoking volcano near Naples in Italy. The volcano itself apparently has not erupted, just smoking, but its slopes are covered with numerous fires. 

Please friends, let’s pray earnestly and sincerely that those who live in these two disaster areas will be saved from any serious damage, especially loss of life. Remember, fire is probably the most devastating disaster that can happen to us, and that the Lord promised not water, but the fire next time. 

So probably we can just take some of these fiery disasters, (Portugal and California earlier on) as a warning to cease and desist from our evil lifestyle. Who knows? But a wise and prudent man will consider everything. 

That brings us to an interesting Bit. ‘And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord.’ 

Ah friends, those words are just as true of our present world as it was of Jeremiah’s time. Truth is not considered as being overly important – we even have alternative truth now (smile). 

And evil…oh my people, evil is so rampant now that it just chills the soul when you hear of some of the ungodly and disgusting things that are happening in our world. And the sad part is that the more sophisticated and intelligent we become, the level of evil also increases. 

The people in the Bible would just die in amazement at the level of evil that we have reached. For, compared to ours, theirs was just a joke. But friends, we should also pay attention to Jeremiah’s warning after our Bit. 

‘Take ye heed every one of his neighbour (friend), and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour (friend) will walk with slanders. 

And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.9:4-6) 

Ah mih people, fraud and deceit are major detractors of our current society. A person’s word is no longer his bond. And when you get to our leaders, our politicians, our captains of industry… Hn! You can’t take anything they say as truth, for that’s now become the nature of the beast. 

And deceit, fraud and lies are some of the few things that actually trickle or rather flow speedily down from the top to the bottom. Godliness, truth, LOVE and money don’t seem to do so. And they are the things that we need to flow down speedily and widely throughout our world. 

Now listen as Bruh David prays for protection from his enemies, in Psalm 64 – Plot and punishment. ‘Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer (meditation, complaint): preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret council of the wicked; from the insurrection (tumult) of the workers of iniquity: 

Who whet (sharpen) their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words: That they may shoot in secret at the perfect (blameless): suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not. 

They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune (talk) of laying snares, privily (secretly); they say, Who shall see them? They search out (devise) iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search (have perfected a shrewd scheme): both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart is deep.’ (Ps.64:1-6) 

Oh my brethren, Bruh David could have been talking about our society, so riddled is it with evil, lies and deceit, like his was; just on a higher scale. That means we have to be very careful in our dealings with our fellow man. 

We don’t have to be overly anxious and scrutinize everything to the last detail, but we must do our due diligence in whatever we undertake or get involved in, for our world is definitely not as trustworthy and faithful and true as it used to be just a generation or two ago. 

Please remember though, that Almighty God, the Creator and Controller of the universe stands securely in our corner, so there is nothing to worry about or fear, but we must be diligent. Therefore, we can go home loudly, proudly and sincerely declaring our Wednesday Wail. 

All together 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 what a glorious future lies ahead of us with Jesus my brethren! Words cannot adequately describe it. Just trust and believe! Much LOVE!

…evil might predominate today…but in due course…the evil will all get their rightful comeuppance…thus says the Lord…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 February 2017 1 Samuel 30:6b.

22 Feb 2017 Leave a comment

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

1 Samuel 30:6b.   …but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

Ah mih people, I don’t know what to say nuh, except that the best laid plans of mice and men usually go astray. (smile) My schedule yesterday was unexpectedly busier than I foresaw, and consequently I fell behind in accomplishing all that I wanted to. 

But even then, I never expected to rise this late, because I had gotten some sleep in between.  It just goes to show that I’m still not accustomed to this new me, what with all the different medications I’m taking, and I can’t judge the needs of my body correctly. Apparently I’m not as strong as I seem to think I am. Ah Lord eh! 

But nonetheless, we’re here now and motoring on. And we’ll do so with a positive, uplifting prayer from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional. Many of us have prayed it before, but it’s ever so appropriate for the foggy day that’s happening in my area. 

Please pray with me. ‘Thank you, Father, for the beautiful surprises you are planning for me today. So often in my life, when it looked like the day would be dismal, depressing and dark, an unexpected burst of golden sunshine exploded through a black cloud sending inspiring shafts of warm, beautiful sunshine into my life. 

Father, it is happening now! I can already feel the power of your LOVE, through Christ my Lord. Amen!’ 

Ah friends, I’m certainly feeling the power of God’s LOVE now! I certainly hope that you are too. And I’m not joking. Just typing that prayer raised my spirits a whole lot. And my people, do we ever need stuff to positively raise our spirits in this selfish, evil, wicked and war-mongering world! 

Consider Bruh David nuh, when his previously loyal people wanted to stone him, after they discovered that the Amalekites had burned their city of Ziklag and carried away all their families and goods captive. 

He was alone. No one sat with him. No one seemed concerned that he had lost his family too. How was he going to proceed? How was he going to prevent the imminent disaster that stared him straight in the face eh? 

But before we answer that, let’s ask ourselves, how would we have handled that situation, and how do we handle similar situations in our lives; the ones where we seem to have no avenue of escape, and it all depends on us? 

I sincerely hope that we do like Bruh David did in our Bit: ‘ …but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’ 

Yes my brethren, that’s the first reaction to all our troubles! Or at least it should be the first one. And it’s all a matter of faith, of true and sincere belief my friends!

But unfortunately, before we can get to that state of maturity, before we can develop such strong faith we have to undergo many trials and tribulation, because it’s only those negative situations that build our faith. 

Most likely, if Bruh David had not been dealing with the Lord on a personal basis for a long time and remembered his awesome works in his life, he would have fallen apart, even perhaps given up. But that strong trust in the God of his forefathers caused him not to fall over and be consumed by the anger and resentment of his hitherto loyal followers. 

And I contend again friends, that in this disloyal, untrustworthy and hateful world, we need that kind of strong, trustworthy, unbreakable relationship with our heavenly Father, if we want to successfully walk this earth. 

And many of us have it, but when the rough times come, we simply forget about all the other times when the Lord bailed us out of trouble, and instead we moan and groan and gnash our teeth, wondering how we’re going to get out. 

My precious people of God, please remember we serve an ever-faithful God, and if He bailed us out before, there’s no reason He won’t bail us out again. And furthermore, if He’s the Creator of the universe, the most powerful Being therein, then whom else better to turn to in times of trouble eh? NOBODY! 

Now listen to this uplifting story of strengthening and brotherly LOVE. On one of the many times Bruh David was out in the wilderness hiding from Saul, the Good Book tells us: ‘And Jonathan, Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God (encouraged him). 

And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next to thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. And the two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.’ (1 Sam.23:16-18) 

Ah mih breddren, those are the kinds of relationships we should ideally have, but sadly, they are very few and far between, thus the necessity of turning to almighty God, FIRST and FOREMOST! If He wants us to turn to people, then He will direct our steps in that direction. 

And since it’s Wednesday, let’s end by wailing our Wednesday Wail in all truth and sincerity. All together now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! 

I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

Much LOVE my precious people of God!

…remember…FIRST God…then man…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 September 2016 Proverbs 3:5-6.

24 Sep 2016 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:5-6.    Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.

Well friends, it’s the first Saturday in the northern climes fall season.  So what is it to you eh, you ask? Well if you’re living in a tropical climate, then it means zero, zilch (smile). But if your abode is in the north country, then you have to start taking out jackets, sweaters, long pants, and long johns for some, and put away the skimpy tops and shorts till next summer. 

The thing that annoys me about autumn though is that sometimes the days look so bright and warm and sunny, and you go out dressed for such, but as soon as the sun begins to set, the cold weather creeps in, and you find yourself not suitably dressed for it. And yet, many of us still flaunt the macho image by being not properly dressed in those in-between times. 

That’s why so many people get sick around this time. Anyway, to each his own, and as the man said, if you don’t pay me now, you’re going to pay me much more later on, when things like arthritis begin to take their toll. It’s just like Christians who don’t do what they are supposed to, and pay a hefty price later on. (smile) 

Now since it’s Saturday, let’s turn to a couple of quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us. And the first one is certainly good advice. ‘Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams.  Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential.  Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.’ 

Yes friends, we should not dwell on the negatives in our lives, but we must learn from them and then move on to the bright future that lies ahead, gloriously waiting for us, as we follow Jesus. 

And the second one is ever so true. ‘Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.’ 

Gospel truth mih people, and I can testify to that on a small level. But you’ll notice the numerous hangers’ ons, the large entourages that travel around with the reigning celebrities in good times. However, when the rough times come, a lot of it from spending lavishly on those same leeches and parasites, they simply disappear and look for another sucker.  

And the best way to prevent such shenanigans is by paying heed to our Bit. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ 

Ah friends, truer words were never spoken, or better advice ever given! 

Hear how the scholars explain it nuh.  ‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning “rely on, depend on”; lean not, meaning do not depend on your own native instincts; and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths straight before you.’ 

It makes perfect sense my brethren! God is the omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present Creator of the universe and He controls every aspect of it, so He is obviously the best person to get into partnership and fellowship with, if we truly want to be successful. 

Now one thing is for sure, He will not forsake you when times get rough and you have to ride the bus rather than preen in the limousine. He will be right there riding the bus beside you. That’s the kind of God we worship my people; faithful and trustworthy to the very end! 

And listen to how Cousin Sol continues after our Bit. ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov.3:7-8)  

More wonderful words of wisdom my fellow believers! Unfortunately though, we can give others the best advice possible, but it’s still their decision to act on it or not. As they say, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. The same goes for human beings, especially in these godless and ever so lustful and sinful times! 

And then again, sometimes we try it, but don’t get the results we want, or they don’t come as quickly as we desire, so we lose faith. But if we pay serious attention to Bruh David’s words from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked – we’ll see that after he says: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).’ He then specifies: ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps.37:3-4) 

Yuh see friends, we need to take pleasure in being obedient to God, before we can get the desires of our hearts. The Lord doesn’t just give out desires for no good reason; we first have to invest time, energy, trust and faithfulness in the relationship. Another thing we need is patience, here considered perseverance. 

Bruh David ends Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation thus: ‘Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:14) Notice how he emphasizes waiting, both at the beginning and at the end of that wonderful encouraging and uplifting verse. 

Ah friends, impatience is one of the serious mistakes we make as Christians. We want to apply the now for now system of the world, but that is not God’s way. He will give us all we desire, but in His own time and in His own way. And until we learn to wait patiently on Him, while keeping a good attitude and being obedient, we’ll never fully attain the great plans He has for our lives. 

More on this tomorrow, the Lord willing. Till then, may He bless and keep us safely, and cause His wonderful countenance to shine upon us, and give us His peace which surpasses all understanding. That’s my prayer for us this day. Much LOVE!

…only as we obey…trust in…give thanks…delight in…and are faithful to Almighty God…will our lives be truly blessed…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 August 2016 Psalm 42:2.

16 Aug 2016 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 42:2.    My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

Ah friends, it’s a rainy Tuesday morning in my area… Thank the Lord! The earth, and all in it, desperately need that heavenly blessing! They’ve been going without heavenly nourishment for much too long now. 

Let’s hope that it doesn’t go to the other extreme and cause flooding and other related damage as is happening in some parts of the southern U.S, especially Louisiana. In Baton Rouge it’s reported they got a month’s rain in something like one day! Now that will certainly cause flooding problems. Anyhow, we’re praying that it will not get that bad up here. 

Now here is our Trini Quote Of De Day from my Trini friend – ‘Trust dead because bad pay poison him.’  Generally said to/about someone; who, in the past was not trustworthy or did not pay their debt as promised.’  

And who says we West Indian’s don’t have colourful language eh? I remember often hearing someone go into a business place and ask for trust, what we now call credit, and the other person would reply: ‘Trust…Hn! He done dead long time yes! Bad pay kill him oui!’ 

And our Trini friend ends by advising us to ‘Watch your thoughts: They become words Watch your words: They become actions Watch your actions: They become habits Watch your habits: They become character.’ Indisputable truth my brethren! 

And to get us off on and running on the right foot this Tuesday morning, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with the enthusiasm and sincerity it so rightfully deserves. ‘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 that’s gospel truth my friends! As Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, the world and its definitions don’t define us, we just live in it, but are not supposed to be a part of it. We are children of the Most High God Jehovah and a friend and follower of His wonderful Son, Jesus Christ! That’s who we are! Glory Be, my precious people! 

So please, let’s not allow the names and tags that the world places on us to influence our self-worth. Always remember that we are first and foremost God’s children and Jesus’ friend and follower, and consequently, we need to go out and share the good news of His wonderful LOVE with the rest of our society, so that they can come to Him and receive His awesome free gifts of salvation and eternal life! 

Wow friends! What a beautiful job it is to be an ambassador for Christ. It’s not an easy one, it has a lot of responsibilities, but with God’s ever-present help and grace, we can do a worthwhile job. Yeh mih people, working for Jesus might not be glamourous, but it’s always adventurous and glorious! 

Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ 

Oh blessed children of God and faithful friends and followers of Jesus, can that be said about us, individually as well as collectively? I certainly hope so, otherwise we won’t be worthy of those definitions. 

The Lord made us in His own image and set apart a small compartment within us that can only be filled with His Spirit. And until that space is filled with Him, then our lives won’t function properly. That’s why so many people are lost, don’t know where they’re going and feel empty inside. But when you fill that space with a true longing for God, then your life begins to function in a right and godly manner. 

As Bruh David so passionately declares in Psalm 63 – God satisfies the thirsting soul. ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.’ (Ps.63:1) 

Oh friends, what a heartfelt declaration! And note too, that psalm was written while he was hiding in the wilderness from his enemies. But also note, according to the scholars: ‘Unlike many of the psalms written in these dire situations, however, this psalm is overflowing with thanksgiving rather than lament and petition. 

David declares his longing for spiritual renewal (vs.1-2), he expresses his thankful mood (vs.3-6), he gives voice to his trust in God (vs.7-8), and he announces his hope for the future (vs.9-11). Enemies are mentioned only in passing (vs.9-10).’ 

Oh my brethren, what a powerful testimony! How many of us can behave like that when trials and tribulations beset us eh? Not too many. But it’s in those trying times that we really see how mature we are in our Christian walk of faith. 

And as Mary, Jesus’ mother says in her song of praise and joy, The Magnificat – ‘He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.’ (Luke 1:53) Yes friends, it’s a good thing to hunger for God! 

And the definitive statement on that comes straight from the mouth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, from the Sermon on the Mount, from the section called the Beatitudes. ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt.5:6) 

Oh my people, please let’s take that to heart and go out today hungering and thirsting for the righteousness of God, for it’s wisdom of a heavenly nature. Much LOVE!

…the level of our faith is shown in the level of our longing for God…

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 December 2014 Isaiah 9:6

26 Dec 2014 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 9:6.   For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
 
Greetings and salutations this Boxing Day morn, my fellow believers in Jesus Christ! The big day of Christmas is over, but definitely not the season; not by a long shot!
 
The Joy. Peace, LOVE, Thanksgiving and Goodwill to all men that were engendered yesterday, that characterized that momentous day, cannot be all used up in one 24 hours span of time, Absolutely not! So let’s keep that LOVING and joyous spirit of baby Jesus going for as long as possible Friends.
 
And I know that a lot of people in the North Country were disappointed because they did not receive their traditional white Christmas. Yes mih people, there wasn’t any snow, but it surely was a wet, windy and cloudy time. In fact, on Christmas Eve night we had a wicked windstorm that played havoc with everything.
 
So, I guess it was more like a British Christmas, than a truly Canadian one. (smile) But these days with the vagaries of the weather, we don’t know what to expect. A month before winter truly set in we had snow and pretty cold temps. But now, in the heart of winter, we’re having rain and temps above freezing.
 
Who knows what’s happening in our crazy, misguided, angry and resentful world these days eh? Only Almighty God!
 
Anyway, I sincerely hope that you and yours had a wonderful time yesterday, I didn’t do much; just wrote the Bit, went to church, then came home and had a quiet time with my family.
 
And I do hope that Jesus and His incarnate birth was a trending topic in all our conversations. For He IS the reason for the season, whether you say ‘Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, or Merry Christmas!’
 
And since it is still Christmas time, please pray this wonderful ‘Christmas Prayer’ with me. It comes from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional, and as you’ll see, was definitely too beautiful for me not to share it with you.
 
Let’s pray: ‘You lead me, Jesus Christ, to thoughts of God. I see you in a manger carved from a tree. I see you as a young man with hands that reach to touch hearts that hurt. Your caring reaches out like the strong and kind branches of a gentle tree reach out to invite road-weary and travel-worn wayfarers to quiet rest.
 
I see you again hanging on a tree with outstretched arms taking in the whole world. From your cross, you show me that God will stop at nothing to save my soul. So, I celebrate God’s LOVE today as I celebrate your birth around a twinkling Christmas tree.
 
I pray my life, like yours, O Lord, may be tall and upright as a pine tree pointing, reaching, sharing, sparkling, life-giving; solid, sturdy, strong-rooted in God’s LOVE, a beautiful soul, evergreen for ever. Amen.’
 
Ah my brethren, what wonderful sentiments! They are sentiments that we can also acknowledge with sincere hearts, and thus make Jesus and the Father proud of us.
 
Oh Friends, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was such a simple but very important, momentous and auspicious occasion, that two thousand years later we’re still gloriously celebrating it with much ceremony, pomp and joy! Glory be!
 
And it’s so foundational to our beliefs that the prophet Isaiah prophesied it in our Bit, hundreds of years before it actually happened. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
 
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is.9:6-7)
 
And as we all know, ‘the zeal of the Lord of hosts,’ did put this miracle into motion with the birth of Jesus Christ! As the angels told the shepherds on that first Christmas night: ‘For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’ (Luke 2:11)
 
Oh my people, what a magnificent, magnanimous, faithful and trustworthy God we serve and worship! Please give Him much well deserved thanks and praise for His LOVING-kindness to us, the undeserving children of men!
 
And the wonderful thing about Isaiah’s prophecy, according to the scholars, is that ‘he predicts the future with certainty, as though it had already come to pass.’ Now that could only have come from God’s divine guidance, imbuing Isaiah’s spirit with a potent and positive power of discernment.
 
Now here are some important and interesting explanations from the scholars. ‘9:6-7. The Gift-Child in this passage is the same divine Child as Immanuel. Again, using the prophetic perfect, the prophet sees Him as though He were already born. Wonderful, Counselor (pele’ yo’ets) is actually one term in Hebrew.
 
A wonder is indicative of a miracle. Counselor is often used in parallel with king (cf. Mic.4:9). Thus miraculous counsel is given by this God-like King. The mighty God (El Gibor) is the strongest of these titles.
 
In Isaiah, El is always used of God and never refers to man. Gibor means “Hero.” Together they describe One who is indeed God Himself. Everlasting Father (abi’ad) literally means Father of Eternity. He alone is the source of eternal life.
 
Prince of Peace (Sar-Shalom) indicates that the mighty God will be a benevolent ruler bringing eternal peace on earth through the establishment of His kingdom. Thus the obscure figure of Immanuel is now brought to clear light: He is Himself God incarnate!’
 
Ah Friends, with all that fulfilled prophecy, how could we ever doubt that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords eh? No way!
 
Now let’s keep the faith, stand strong and steadfast this Boxing Day, which happens to fall on a Friday, as we go home chanting our Friday Chant. I didn’t forget it.
 
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
 
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
 
Oh Friends, we’ve had more than two days off with riotous celebrations, which means we need even more time for rest than usual. So please get it so that we can go out well rested and rejuvenated on Monday to continue God’s great work here on earth.  Much LOVE!
 
…to know, know, know Jesus…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…what more can I say… 
 
P.S. The Bit’s long and late Friends, but it’s great! So that makes up for the length and lateness. (smile) Cut the ole fella some slack nuh. He needs to celebrate the birth of Jesus too yuh know, that means late to bed and late to rise. (smile)  Much Much LOVE mih people!

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 November 2013 Psalm 38:1

26 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 38:1.    O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
 
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s shaking it a tad rough thus cold Tuesday morning. My allergies seem to be acting up. Let’s hope it’s just that and not a full-blown cold. Thankfully, I haven’t had one of those in a long time. However, between the man-made medicine and the enabling powers of our healing God, I’m bringing whatever it might be under control. ‘Praise the Lord!’ 
 
But isn’t it strange how a simple thing like the common cold, or allergic sniffling, sneezing and blowing can make a body feel so weak and miserable, while supposedly greater illnesses don’t have us feeling so lousy all over? Anyway, the important thing is that we try to rise above whatever ails us through God’s helpful healing powers and whatever man-made medication He directs us to.
 
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which through the Lord’s mysterious machinations (smile) has turned into a three day affair, when it was originally planned for only one. But that’s how the Lord operates, because of His higher thoughts and ways. And if that’s how He wants his Word to be exposed, who am I, a puny mortal, to say Him nay eh? I’d eventually be crying out like the psalmist: ‘O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.’
 
And today, we’ll continue looking at some scriptures that deal with heartfelt pleas, healing and chastening, that we didn’t finish yesterday. First off, for the benefit of all those who didn’t take the time to check it, I’ll quote the Habakkuk verse from the scholar’s reference yesterday.
 
‘O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.’ (Hab.3:2)
 
That prayer precedes a victory ode recounting God’s deliverance of Israel during the Exodus from Egypt. But again my people, we’re reminded of the mercy the Lord needs to show us, otherwise we’d just be obliterated from the face of the earth in His anger over our numerous wrongdoings.
 
However, here is the Lord’s ever-faithful promise to His chosen people Israel, and to all those who subsequently believe in His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus. This is also from the scholar’s reference yesterday.
 
‘Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure (as is right); yet I will not leave thee wholly unpunished.’ (Jer.46:28)
 
Ah mih breddren, thankfully we will not be obliterated, but bet yuh bottom dollar, we will receive our fair share of punishment. Now originally I was going to quote Jer.30:11, which basically says the same thing, but I preferred the ‘Fear thou not,’ start of the quoted scripture. (smile)
 
And please remember Friends, that the Lord, our great, faithful and trustworthy God is ALWAYS with His people! That’s not only gospel truth, but also a proven fact! 
 
And we’ll end with a scripture we all know, but foolishly try to run from. It is the brilliant compilation of words from Proverbs, Revelation and Deuteronomy, plus some of his own, that the author of Hebrews gives us on the subject of chastening.
 
And having read Hebrews, I truly don’t see how the author could be any other than Bruh Paul, for the depth of learning and huge amount of divine dispensation that it entails, and even more the language used therein, he is the only one in the Christian story that seems to have had them all.
 
Anyway, let’s check out this most important bit of scripture my fellow believers. Please note that wherever the passage says ‘son’ it can be also read ‘daughter’ if you’re female.
 
‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as children (sons), My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord LOVETH He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.
 
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then ye are bastards (illegitimate), and not sons.
 
 
Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence (respect): shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us, after their own pleasure (as seemed best to them); but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
 
Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ (Heb.12:5-11)
 
Oh mih people, that says it all! It’s the authoritative statement on the subject! However, I want to add some important explanations from the scholars. (smile)
 
’12:6. Whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth: God’s principle of disciplining His own people is completely congruous (in accordance with) human practices. This quotation from Proverbs 3:12, stating God’s practice, corresponds to the commands gave to fathers:
 
“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him chasteneth him betimes (promptly)” (Prov.13:24; cf. 22:15; 23:13). LOVE and corporal punishment are not incongruous (incompatible); they are two complimentary and necessary aspects of training.’
 
Sadly though Friends, we as fleshly parents have seriously disregarded that godly admonition, and thus have reaped the consequences, poorly trained, disobedient children.
 
However, let’s just remember not to get too upset and carry on like spoiled brats whenever the Lord hauls us up on the carpet, because He WILL be merciful, if we are contrite and accepting of our punishment. And that’s definitely divine wisdom! Much LOVE!
 
…if you have problems with being chastened…hn!…then just remember the other option nuh…for the wages of sin is death…