Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 December 2020 Psalm 60:12.

30 Dec 2020 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 60:12.     ​’Through God we shall do valiantly, for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.’

Well it’s another snowy morning, this eve of New Year’s Eve Wednesday! And like Mother Nature is all about making her mark this crazy year of 2020, for it’s a long time since we’ve seen so much snow in such a short period of time. And as long as I don’t have to go out in it, I just LOVE to see the place sparkling white and virginal when I get up in the morning. (smile) Ah friends, we might as well be joyful in whatever circumstances we find ourselves yes, because being unhappy and miserable won’t make them any better, just worse. 

And remember we have Jesus…JESUS, that magnificent Lord and Saviour always with us through His indwelling Holy Spirit, so there’s NOTHING we can’t handle when we include Him in our daily journey. Oh praise be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, for all the wonderful things they’ve done, are doing, and have promised to do for us! Without them continually in our lives we’d be so lost and lonely, it wouldn’t be funny. How else would Bruh David be able to truthfully write: ‘Give us help from trouble: for vain (futile) is the help of man.’ (Ps. 60:11) 

And then in the very next verse assuredly proclaim: ‘Through God we shall do valiantly, for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.’ (Ps. 60:12) And yuh better believe that is ONLY Almighty God who is able and also willing to tread down our enemies if we place our sincere trust and faith in Him! And then hear Bruh David in Psalm 61 nuh: ‘Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed…’ (Ps. 61:1-2a) 

Oh mih people, so many of our hearts are so totally overwhelmed today, but we refuse to call upon the One True God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the Only One who can truly ease our pain and trouble! Why are we so foolish and stubborn eh? Why we still looking to man for help eh, when we already know that man’s help is both futile and deceitful? And hear how Bruh David continues in that second verse: ‘Lead me to the rock that is higher than I:’ (Ps. 61:2b) 

Mama Yo mih bredrin! That’s where we ought to want to go, and need to go, and should go…to the ROCK that is indeed higher than us…Jesus Christ – the name that’s above every other name, the magnificent personage to whom ALL knees will eventually bow! Wow! 

And why should we look to Jesus you ask? Bruh David states it quite simply and clearly: ‘For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.’ (Ps. 61:3) And consequently, he declares (steups!) ‘I will abide in thy tabernacle (tent) for ever: I will trust in the covert (shelter) of thy wings.  Selah. For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.’ (Ps. 61:4-5) 

Yes friends, we too have the heritage of those who fear and reverence the name of the Lord…even in greater depth than those who went before us, since they never had Jesus sacrifice Himself for them, or His Holy Spirit dwelling in them, so we ought to have even more faith and good character than them! But sadly we don’t, because we don’t truly believe as we should, and are still turning to man and the evil world for too much of our happiness and contentment. 

Please remember all these things that Jesus said nuh. First, this to Thomas who questioned how they could know whither He was going. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) And then to Thomas again, who doubted when his friends told Him they’d seen Jesus after the resurrection. He needed to see the scars in Jesus’ hands and sides before he believed. And eight day later, Jesus showed up again, this time Thomas was with them. 

And it is interesting how Jesus turned to Thomas, as though He came just to convince him. ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless (unbelieving), but believe. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.’ (John 20:27-28) And the website trusting in Jesus.com tells us: ‘This enlightening statement by Thomas is considered to be among the greatest confessions ever made and is only one of ten “New Testament” passages proclaiming that Jesus is God.’ 

The point of the story though is that Thomas believed because he saw the scars on Jesus’ hands and body. But hear Jesus to him after that. ‘Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.’ (John 20:29) 

Now friends, that points directly to us. We did not personally see Jesus walk on the earth, but we believe that He did, and that all the stuff that’s written about Him is true…at least I hope so. Now the problem with today’s world is that we don’t like to believe something until we see it, thus the saying – seeing is believing. But in Jesus’ economy, it’s all different; you won’t see something until you have the faith to believe it, as they would say, sight unseen! And that is the thing that’s screwing up our lives; we’re not fully believing in Jesus, because we’re listening to all the false, deceitful and misleading stuff that’s being noised abroad in these evil and disbelieving times. 

As Bruh Paul warned Timothy about the coming apostasy (turning away from God): ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be LOVERS of their own selves, covetous (money LOVERS), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy….’ (2 Tim. 3:1-2) And a whole lot more that you can read on your own. And when you read it, you will undoubtedly believe that this is the time Bruh Paul was referring to, for our world couldn’t get any more evil, wicked and unbelieving than it already is. 

So please, let’s do ourselves and our LOVED ones a great favour and believe nuh, truly believe. In these unheralded and oh so rough, tough and uncertain times, we need to above all else accept that Great Invitation that Jesus offered to all and sundry. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto you souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) 

Please, please friends, those words were spoken for exactly a time like this. So let’s be wise and accept that wonderful invitation nuh. There’s never been and will never be one as wonderful and inviting and truthful as it. Now let’s go home describing our marvellous position in Christ nuh, through our Wednesday Wail, a position we have achieved by accepting His Great Invitation. 

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 furthermore, we do know that if we endure until the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…believe nuh….only believe…that is all He asks…is it that hard… 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 December 2018 Luke 1:27.

13 Dec 2018 1 Comment

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

Luke 1:27.   ​To a virgin espoused (engaged, betrothed) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
 

Aye friends, is Thursday…and we still alive and kicking! Thanks and glory be to our wonderful heavenly Father for that energizing gift of life. Life might be a tad on the rough side, but our God is good, so we don’t have anything to worry about. Bless His Holy Name! 

And outside is white; a decent amount of snow fell during the night. It wasn’t there when I went to bed, at some early hour (smile) but I looked outside around four a.m. and there it was, covering everything, blanketing it all white. And I said yes, today is the perfect day for that poem! 

Hn! I’m talking about one I recently read on the wall of my young daughter’s room, something she must have written ages ago when she toyed with the idea of becoming a writer. There is no title attached to the poem, but I’m naming it ‘The Alluring Beauty of Snow.’ Hope that title satisfies you daughter? (smile) 

Now please read with me, ‘The Alluring Beauty of Snow,’ by Lisa O’Brien. ‘I watched the snow drift lazily down from the overcast sky. I marvelled at the breathtaking beauty of the picture being painted right before my eyes: Snowflakes gently caressed the barren branches of the trees, leaving them awash in a dazzling whiteness. Virgin snow carpeted the streets and rooftops…

And if I didn’t know better, I would have sworn that thousands of tiny little diamonds winked out at me that early December morn… like a buried treasure…a fantasy that wasn’t real… that was intangible as the wispy cotton of the clouds! And then I waited…waited with a breathless yet uneasy sense of anticipation, for something to come along and mar this beautiful scene of serenity and perfection.’ 

Yeah mih young D! That was exactly how it looked out there this early December morn! But sadly, as always, mankind eventually comes along and dirties everything he touches. And the snow on the ground is no longer virginal, but has been raped by the cars and the feet and the bikes we use to get us around in this fallen world. 

And for those of you who have never seen virgin snow covering everything in a dim, white darkness, (smile) it does look really beautiful. But trudging and driving through it is a horse of an entirely different colour. But enough about snow, it’s the Christmas season, so let’s deal with the real reason for the season; Jesus! 

Wow friends, what a mighty name that is! Wherever it’s spoken it causes tongues to wag, either in joy, or displeasure. But the name of Jesus is never mouthed without discussion, even to the point of coming to blows. Isn’t that strange, when He is the Prince of Peace? That just goes to show the power that’s inherent in the name! 

Now let’s have a glimpse of how the whole thing began nuh. The Good Book tells us: ‘And in the sixth month (of Elizabeth’s pregnancy; John the Baptist’s mother) the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused (engaged, betrothed) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail (Rejoice), thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ (Luke 1:26-28) 

Ah friends, sometimes the way our God introduces Himself and His desires can be truly heart stopping. If our hearts aren’t strong we can certainly go under. Just imagine this teenaged Jewish girl nuh, sitting quietly in her house one afternoon and all of a sudden this angel shows up in all His glory and greets her in such a gracious manner. How would you react eh? It would obviously be a rather perplexing situation to us mere mortals! 

But the Good Book continues: ‘And when she (Mary) saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast (considered) in her mind what manner of salutation (greeting) this should be.’ (Luke 1:29)

But our God is so wonderful that whenever He comes a calling with a task, He never leaves us without a decent explanation…according to His standards that is. (smile) We might however not be satisfied with His explanation, because He always leaves it somewhat open-ended, leaving room for our faith to step up and fill the gap. 

‘And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS (Yahweh is Salvation). He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:30-33) 

Mama Yo mih breddren! Can you imagine Mary’s consternation when Gabriel lays all that heavy stuff on her? She’s already engaged, but then she shall have a son, apparently out of wedlock. Can you imagine what her small, closed knit, hypocritical society will do to her? She would be the absolute scorn of the whole town! And poor Joseph would be the laughingstock! 

But friends, our God does not put us in situations we, or He can’t handle. Please remember these immortal words of Bruh Paul on the Lord’s behalf, and let our faith be strong and steadfast in whatever He asks us to do. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.’ (Rom.8:28) 

Yeh friends, if God calls us and we sincerely acknowledge that calling with genuine LOVE for Him, then He will eventually work it all out for our good. That’s His promise! And our ever-faithful God NEVER reneges on a promise! So we can afford to stand strong in any circumstance whatsoever! 

Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings, goodness and mercy that the Lord has bestowed on those who LOVE Him and willingly do His work!

In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!

I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’ 

And His raison d’etre (purpose) for granting us so many wonderful blessings, is for us to go out and share them with the less fortunate. So, especially at this Christmas time, when there are so many poor and lonely folks out there, let’s share generously with them nuh, so that they too can enjoy the season of Christ’s birth; God’s greatest gift to man! Much LOVE!

…sharing with others…is Christ-like…and what Christianity is truly all about…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 November 2018 Job 27: 3-4

16 Nov 2018 Leave a comment

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

Job 27:3-4. All the while (as long as) my breath is in me, and the spirit (breath) of God is in my nostrils; My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

Ah mih friends, as the ole people would say, when is not one thing is two yes… and sometimes even three, as happened with me this morning. Steups!

The first thing is I woke up late, about nine o’clock, because my sleep schedule was somewhat thrown off kilter last night. Then when I came down to write the Bit, I couldn’t get on to Microsoft Outlook, which is where my stuff is.

The server has proper access and good strength, but Outlook seems to be on the blink. For those of you who use it, the circle at the bottom of the stylized ‘O L’ just keeps going around in circles. So after about fifteen minutes of trying, couldn’t even get to it through Firefox, I decided to try the laptop upstairs.

And wonder of wonders, the third thing happened; as I turned on the light to go up the stairs, the bulb blew. Hn, hn! I couldn’t do anything else but laugh. But upstairs on the laptop, the same nonsense happened.

Now at eleven o’clock I’m back downstairs on my desktop, and still can’t get through to Outlook. I can get everything else but that. And without it, I can’t send off the Bit.

So finally, the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, put the brilliant idea to just write it in Word, like I always do anyway, and then transfer it whenever Outlook becomes available. Now why couldn’t I have thought about that two hours earlier eh?

And I would hate to think that the little snowfall that happened yesterday afternoon and overnight has put the great Microsoft system down for the count! Well, in fact it wasn’t a li’l snowfall, but the first big one for the season. (smile)

And during the night it looked so beautiful; pure, virginal and unsullied by man, covering the rooftops and the trees in a perfect white blanket. But then the morning comes, and man gets into it…and it gets all dirty and ugly, as man’s penchant is to make a mess of everything his hands touch.

Look at the mess we’ve made of God’s great earth…and how we’ve messed up the moon and are in the process of messing up any other terrestrial place we happen to land. But the most refreshing action of the morning is the workingman out there singing his song of weekend freedom, despite the snow and the hard times.

‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes mih working-class breddren! The weekend is here; two days of freedom from the slave driver’s whip! And don’t mind the snow nuh, because we don’t have to go outside to party, we can do it inside just as well.

So let the alki flow…and bring on all the food, because yuh know a man can’t drink on an empty stomach…is not a wise thing to do! And just forget everything about work and the slave labour we involved in for the next couple days…And besides, if when Monday come yuh still black up and tired, then don’t go to no blooming work!

What the slave massa going to do eh? Fire yuh… so what! Yuh go to work for another slave driver. It have plenty ah them out there who willing to hire you for the li’l pittance they willing to pay.

The important thing though, is to enjoy yuh weekend and the li’l free time as much as possible and doh give a darm about anything else! Just thank God for Fridays and weekends so you could enjoy the fruit of yuh labour like the Good Book says!’

And as always, the basic thing that’s wrong with the workingman’s song is his worship of the god of pleasure Bacchus and his bacchanalian ways. We as believers in Christ are not allowed to go that far because then the enemy will delightedly grab the opportunity to invade our souls and cause enormous confusion.

Thus our weekend song, our Friday Chant, is not as liberal and essentially borderless as the workingman’s song. Please chant it here with me now nuh, in sincerity of heart and a strong sense of purpose.

‘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, it is important to realize that as Christians, we too are entitled to have fun, to rejoice and enjoy the fruit of our labour, but not to the extremes that the workingman takes it to. We still have to keep a level and sober head, because the evil leader of this evil world and his evil cohorts are just lying in wait to destroy us.

And here, I opened the Good Book to these wonderful words of Job that comprise our Bit. His spirited response to the overly judgemental accusations and allegations of his supposed friends. ‘All the while (as long as) my breath is in me, and the spirit (breath) of God is in my nostrils; My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.’

Yeh friends, those are words that we should both think and utter whenever life seems to come against us. Despite hardship and adversity we should always try to be truthful and of good integrity.

As Job continues: ‘God forbid (far be it from me) that I should justify you (say you are right): till I die I will not remove (put away) mine integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach (reprove) me as long as I live.’ (Job 27:5-6)

Ah my fellow believers, that’s the attitude we need to have in this evil world. As the scholars explain. ’27:6. In spite of the loss of family, wealth, and health and the accusations of his friends, Job maintained his integrity to the end.’

Please let that be said of us in these tough and trying times nuh! Much LOVE!

…in the world ye shall have tribulation…but be of good cheer…I have overcome the world… (John 16:33b)

P.S. At 12.45 I’ve published the Bit on the Blog, but I still can’t send it out by email! Steups! But what can one do eh, now that we are slaves to technology! Much LOVE!

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 January 2018 Psalm 20:7.

30 Jan 2018 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 20:7.   Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
And it all looks so beautiful; the pristine white powder spread all over the land, unsullied by humans, virginal, you’d say! And when the sun shines against it, it gives off a brilliant light…like a million diamonds! 
But all that beauty is deceptive friends, for the snow, like our number one enemy, Lucifer is a great deceiver. It takes you in with its beauty, and when you succumb to the temptation, it snakes out its octopus arms and ties you up ten ways from Sunday! (smile) 
Yeh friends, we’ve been hit with another snowstorm, but that’s what winter is all about. But all jokes aside, please be careful if you have to go out in it, because though it looks beautiful, it can be very dangerous for both pedestrians and motorists. 
Now here is a li’l something from someone and somewhere that I can’t remember, but it ought to be the gospel truth if you are a believer. It says: ‘I believe in the sun, even when I don’t see it. I believe in LOVE, even when I don’t see it. I believe in God, even when He is silent.’ 
Yeh mih people, God is often silent in our lives, but that doesn’t mean He is not around us and we should give up on Him. It just means that He is working on stuff in the background, and when He is ready, we will hear from Him, loud and clear. 
So my brethren, if you are going through a particularly rough time and you don’t seem to be seeing or hearing from God in your situation, please don’t fear and give up hope. For He has faithfully promised to never leave nor forsake us, and He NEVER will. He’s probably just testing your faith. 
And remember He has also promised to work all things out for the good of those who LOVE Him and are called to His purpose. So just hang in there, trust completely and faithfully in the One who sacrificed His life for us on the cross of Calvary. As I keep asking, if Christ could do make a sacrifice of such magnitude on our behalf, then why wouldn’t He help us in our trying times eh? No reason whatsoever my people! 
Therefore, as Bruh David says so eloquently and faithfully in our Bit: ‘Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.’ And that’s exactly how it ought to be! 
And why is that? Because as Bruh David says before our Bit: ‘Now I know that the Lord saveth his anointed (Messiah, commissioned one); he will hear (answer) him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.’ (Ps.20:6) And that’s no lie friends! Our God will save those who depend and rely on Him, because He has promised to do just that. 
Now let’s look at some scriptures that corroborate our Bit, beginning way back when Moses was teaching the people how to live under God’s law. ‘When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 
And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified of them; for the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ (Deut.20:1-4) 
Oh precious people of God, it couldn’t get any simpler or clearer than that! When we come up against our enemies, we must remember that it is our God who is there to fight for us and save us. That part of the equation is entirely in our hands; we must have the faith to believe it, before it comes to pass. 
Now hear Cousin Sol: ‘There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety (deliverance) is of the Lord.’ (Prov.21:30-31) Glory be, my fellow believers!  
As the scholars explain: ’21:31. Military preparedness is useless apart from the Lord, who really gives the victory.’ And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Amen! So let it be!’ 
Mean while Isaiah declares: ‘Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help: and stay (rely) on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!’ (Is.31:1) Yeh friends, Isaiah is decrying the ones who would seek Egypt for help, when God, not Egypt is the One who will defend Judah. 
And finally these truthful words of the psalmist: ‘There is no king saved by a multitude of a host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. A horse is a vain thing (false hope) for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy, 
To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.’  (Ps.33:16-22) 
Ahh, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra to the world and all therein, proudly letting them know who and whose we are. 
In loud voice and sincere belief: ‘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!’
Wow! What a blessed life we lead my brethren! Now let’s go out and share Jesus and His extraordinary LOVE with the rest of the world. Much LOVE!
 
…without hope, faith and trust…LOVE is impossible…