17 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all the days of my life, all ye lands, aspire to be like God, Bible, broke their chains in pieces, brought down their heart with labour, christianity, come before his presence with singing, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, eternal life, faith, forgiveness, god, God always acts in a righteous manner, God never does what is wrong, goodness, goodness and mercy shall follow me, he made us, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endures to all generations, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, joy, know how to give good gifts, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, mercy, new mercies and compassions, O taste and see that the Lord is good, oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, peace, redeemed from the hands of the enemy, salvation, satisfies the longing soul, serve the Lord with gladness, share His love with my neighbours, sit in darkness, teach me thy statutes, the beloved of God, the Lord he is God, The Lord is good, the Lord is good to all, the rubbish heap of history, the shadow of death, the sheep of his pasture, there is none good but one, trust my friend Jesus, truth, we are his people, wisdom, worry
Psalm 100:5. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
So we’ve come to Tuesday, having thrown Monday on the rubbish heap of history! And since it’s a new day, bright and sunshiny in my neighborhood, it means that new mercies and compassions from our great God are also in vogue, (smile) as they are every day that we draw breath. (Lam. 3:22-23) And that’s something to be very thankful for, otherwise our lives would be even more miserable and frustrating than they are already. But God is good, and He doesn’t want to see us destroyed without a chance to come to Him and His Son for salvation, and the eternal life that springs from it.
That’s why Psalm 100 is essential to our prayer life. Please read it with me. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5)
Oh friends, it’s a short but ever so sweet and comely psalm. It tells us to serve God joyfully because He’s made us, we are His, and He is good; His mercy and truth are everlasting! And what does it mean by God is good? This commentary explains: ‘He never does what is wrong. God always acts in a righteous manner because His nature is holy. The secondary meaning of holy refers to God’s pure and righteous actions. God does what is right. He never does what is wrong.’
No friends. God will always act with goodness in ways that make us better, strengthen us, heal us and restore us. And though being good all the time is impossible for us human beings because of our inherent sin nature, it doesn’t mean we cannot aspire to be like God and do good and right as much as possible. And Psalm 107, titled God’s Redemptive Power, also showcases God’s goodness when it declares: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hands of the enemy;’ (Ps. 107:1-2)
That’s us my brethren! The Lord has redeemed us from the bondage of sin through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ! That means we ought to be glad and good, for there’s no greater gift than that! As the psalmist later says: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound (prisoners) in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned (despised) the counsel of the most High:
Therefore, he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder (broke their chains in pieces). Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’ (Ps. 107:8-15)
There you have it again friends, another reminder to thank and praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy towards the undeserving children of men. When are we going to learn that and keep doing it constantly eh? For it’s only because of the Lord’s mercies and compassions that we are not destroyed.
Meanwhile, Jesus, in His own way shows us that ONLY the Lord is good. When the rich young man comes running and kneels before him, saying; ‘Master (Teacher), what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.’ (Mark 10:17-18) Technically speaking, Jesus was also good, because He was also God, but according to the scholars, ‘Jesus knew that the man addressed Him as only a religious teacher. He reminds him that no mere man merits the title of good, for that term applies only to God. As the Son of God, Jesus does of course merit highest praise.’
That ought to remind us my people, that we cannot attain salvation and eternal life on our own, but we need the sacrificial death and awesome resurrection of Jesus to do it for us. And there are several other instances where the goodness of God is highlighted. So let’s look at a few. First up is this great verse from Bruh David’s majestic Psalm 23 – The Lord is my Shepherd. He ends it thus: ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:6) No better place to dwell my brethren!
Then Psalm 119:68 says: ‘Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.’ And Psalm 34:8 declares: ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’ Now hear Psalm 145:9: ‘The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.’ And in Matthew 7:11, Jesus reminds us: ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him.’
Oh my fellow believers, it’s essential that we believe in the goodness of God if we intend to follow His Son Jesus Christ, otherwise we will be shortchanging ourselves and not receiving all that He has to offer us. Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the major attributes of God…are what mankind desperately need right now…LOVE, joy, peace, goodness, mercy, forgiveness and salvation that lead to eternal life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a voice of thanksgiving, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, artificial intelligence, be thankful unto him, Bible, bless His name, catch our second wind, come before his presence with singing, deceptions, endure right to the end, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, glad to be alive, god, God made us and not we ourselves, halfway home, hands on the plough, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth to all generations, I am the way the truth and the life, instruction in righteousness, into his courts with praise, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lies, LOVE, no man cometh to the Father, not thinking ahead, not turning back, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, psalms, sanctify them through thy truth, Satan, serve the Lord with gladness, social media, stand our bounce, stick to the truth, thank God, the breath of life, the Lord he is God, The Lord is good, the man of God may be perfect, the sheep of his pasture, the word of the Lord, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, thy word is truth, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, we are his people, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Psalm 100:2. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
So it’s our mid-week work day, Wednesday, where we usually catch our second wind, but after all that partying this past long weekend, it will take more than a couple of days for us to catch our breath. We might need a whole week off to do that properly. (smile) But unless you take a week’s vacation, I’m afraid that won’t happen, so we’ve got to get it together under these tough circumstances. We should have thought about the tiredness and lack of sleep before we partied so heartily, and now we just have to stand our bounce. That’s what comes from not thinking ahead. (smile)
Anyway, the Good Library just opened unto the Book of Psalms, and the first thing that came to my eyes was Psalm 100, a psalm talking about hearty service to the Lord, serving Him with gladness, with a voice of thanksgiving and praise. And that’s just what we need right now, so let’s read it with a sense of joy and gladness.
‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100: 1-5)
Yes friends, that’s a very interesting psalm, and is reminiscent of Psalm 145, where Bruh David talks about ‘God’s Unsearchable Greatness.’ But the scholars do have an interesting explanation for this psalm. They say: ‘The word praise in the superscription is actually the word thanksgiving or, more specifically, thank-offering. It was one psalm that accompanied a “thank-offering” (Lev. 7:12) that one presented when God had especially answered a prayer or given a great deliverance. The psalm contains a command to serve (vs. 1-3) and a command to praise (vs. 4-5).
Each section is in turn divided into three calls and three causes. There are three calls to serve, make a joyful noise (vs. 1), serve the Lord (vs. 2), and come before (vs. 2); and three causes for serving, the Lord is God, he hath made us, we are his people (vs. 3). Likewise, there are three calls to praise, enter his gates, be thankful, bless his name (vs. 4), followed by three causes for praise, the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth (vs.5).’
So you see my brethren, what we might previously have thought of as a short simple psalm, one to just read and pass over, is truly filled with great scriptural advice, with commands to both serve and praise the Lord. That’s why we cannot simply pass over anything found in the Lord’s word, for everything in there was placed there with a reason, and serves a particular purpose. We ignore stuff from the Bible at our own expense.
And what I like about this psalm is its simple truths, simply put: praise the Lord and serve Him. And when we look at it in the real light of day, those are the only two things we’re truly required to do; praise the Lord and serve him. So, though the Bible is chocked full of all sorts of stuff, the true basics of it is mainly serving God and giving Him thanks for His goodness and mercy towards us underserving children of men. And sometimes we just need to break things down to their basic nature to really get at what they’re trying to tell us.
Now that’s especially true in this modern information age, where so much information is available, and where social media, Artificial Intelligence and Satan are noising about so much stuff, filled with lies and deceptions. That’s why we need to stick to the truth. And what helps us to define and see the truth? The word of the Lord. For as Jesus said when praying for the disciples: ‘They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (set them apart) through thy truth: thy word is truth.’ (John 17:16-17)
And what does that mean? This excerpt from an article on the subject on the gotquestions.org website explains it thus: ‘In Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, (John 17) Jesus prays to His Father, saying, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth”. In this verse, Jesus communicates two important facts: God’s Word is truth—God’s Word equals truth—and it’s by that truth that God sanctifies us, or sets us apart for holy service to Himself.’
Therefore, if we want to know truth, then we have to look to God’s Word, for as Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy: ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Yes my people, in these very deceptive, fraudulent, and days of outright lying, there are only two places we can look to for the truth; that’s God’s Word and to His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who made it very clear when He proclaimed: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6)
So let’s see what we’ve learned today nuh, or merely refreshed our memories on. (smile) Our basic purpose is to serve and praise the Lord, and His Word is truth, as put forth by His Son Jesus who ought to know. But most important of all is that we can only get to the Father through the Son. Let’s never forget that, even as we go home today declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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 having said all of that, here’s another truth: if we endure right to very end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, in all wisdom and truth, let’s plan to meet right at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!
…the Lord created mankind to communicate with Him…through, praise, service and thanksgiving…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Bible, cataract surgery, come before his presence with singing, come hell or high water, condemned to hell fire, enter his gates with thanksgiving, eternal separation from Almighty God, faith, feel like a blob, for the Lord is good, god, God's purpose has always been truth goodness and love, he that believeth not is condemned already, he that believeth on him is not condemned, His faithfulness continues through all generations, His love endures forever, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endures to all generations, holy spirit, hurry, I know that you love me, in god's eyes, into his courts with praise, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, mercy, once more unto the breach, One Year Book of Bible promises, praise, psalms, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, serve the Lord with gladness, share His love with my neighbours, soaring like a graceful eagle, thanksgiving, the beloved of God, the Holy Trinity, The Lord is good, the one great certainty of my life, the right direction, the sheep of his pasture, trust my freind Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, we are his people, whatever happened to disturb me, worry, You love me
Psalm 100:5. For the Lord is good and his LOVE endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Once more unto the breach, dear friends; once more on to the breach! Yes my fellow believers, this morning, the ole fella breached the city of Toronto, it’s traffic and the hospital to have cataract surgery done on my other eye. It was successful, but not as easy and good looking as the first time. This one’s blood shot and I cannot see as well out of it as I did the right eye. That means the Bit will be short and sweet. And all the Scrip-Bit family people, including me, shouted, ‘Yeah!’ (smile) And today we’ll look at a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply but truthfully titled, ‘YOU LOVE ME.’
And the standard excuse stands: I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but these poems are always worth sharing over and over. (smile) Please read with me: ‘Yesterday, God, I was soaring Like a graceful eagle And You LOVED me. Today I feel like a blob And You LOVE me. Tomorrow I may ask “Whatever happened To disturb me yesterday?” And You’ll LOVE me. God, there are innumerable things I cannot begin to comprehend But the one great certainty In all my life is this: I know that You LOVE me.’
And that, my fellow saints is the most important thing we can ever know about our magnificent God: He LOVES us! Come hell or high water; whatever our faults and foibles He still LOVES us, because He made us and knows ALL about us. That’s why He sent His only Son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary on Good Friday, so we could be free from the evil and unhealthy bondage of Satan, and have the marvellous option of believing in Him and thus gaining eternal life after His triumphant resurrection, instead of being automatically condemned to hell fire and eternal separation from our heavenly Father.
Which, as I keep reminding us, is the worst fate than can ever befall a human soul. And Jesus said it loud and clear. ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:18) Yuh see that friends; you got to believe! That’s the overwhelmingly important thing. You cannot receive salvation without belief in Christ. It’s a simple as that. And Jesus made it quite clear to the disciples, when He proclaimed: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6)
It’s like we said yesterday; EVERYTHING that the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit has ever done, is doing and will ever do is based on the greatest attribute; that’s LOVE! That means it’s ever so important we believe in Jesus, and in the LOVE the Holy Trinity has for us! Without those two things, we’re lost, like a rudderless ship, like a fish out of water. And the Bible verse associated with today’s poem comes from Psalm 100; a Psalm of Praise and Thanksgiving, which results from all that’s God done for us, and the LOVE that we reciprocate.
Please read with me: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5)
And that last verse is the Bible verse for the poem, except that it’s quoted in the NIV (New International Version) translation, which says: ‘For the Lord is good and his LOVE endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.’ Now, you can choose whichever translation you desire, but they all mean the same thing: our good and great God LOVES us in whatever state we are. And if you believe that, then you’re headed in the right direction. And in the best interest of new eye (smile) which is starting to act up a tad, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, which dovetails so nicely with our Bit, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that momentous declaration, (chuh!!!) it is now our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too, can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…from Genesis to Revelation…God’s purpose has always been….truth, goodness and LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
13 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abnormal hour, adrenaline, almighty god, aura of love, be thankful unto him, bless His name, blessings, call upon the name of the Lord, choirmaster, come before his presence with singing, confidence, conquerors, early morning foray, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, enthusiasm, evil, exaltation, faith, friends, glorious kingdom, glory, glory hallelujah, God's greatness, he made us, heartfelt thanks, holy spirit, honour god, humble servants, I am thy servant, I'm getting better, I've come a long way, into his courts with praise, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, Joyce Meyer, lead and guide, lies, loosed my bonds, LOVE, make a joyful noise, medical problems, no sweet Tobago, pay my vows, praise, puny lives, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, resigned myself, rest, salvation, secret, seek God, servant, serve the Lord with gladness, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, thanks, the living truth, the Lord he is God, the mindset, the sacrifice of thanksgiving, the sheep of his pasture, the son of thy handmaid, truth, undesrving, ungodly world, useful purpose, we are his people, wiles, wisdom, with a right heart
Psalm 100:4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Oh, friends, I’m getting better! Yes I’m getting better! Yeh mih breddren that’s the living truth! The ole fella is getting better; the only problem is that I’m still a long way from being better. (smile)
But as sister Joyce, (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, I haven’t arrived as yet, but I’ve surely come a long way from where I was. Glory Hallelujah!
Sorry for the lateness of the Bit, but I had another early morning foray into the big city for more doctor’s visits and tests.
Chuh! I had to be up at an abnormal hour to get in the city for seven a.m on a Monday morning. But the good news is that everything seems to be progressing as it should – just a little too slowly for my liking though.
Now for the bad news – I can’t travel anywhere until my heart problems are resolved. Ah Lord eh! That means no sweet Tobago for this winter season!
Steups! But from the time all these medical problems began, I’d resigned myself to that possibility, so it comes as no great surprise, though it is somewhat disappointing.
Anyway, enough about me, it’s time to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with all the chutzpah we can manage.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now that wasn’t bad at all my people, Jesus, our choirmaster was smiling, but I guess that’s because we’ve been up and about for quite some time now. (smile) The important thing though is that at whatever time we sing it, it raises our faith level, gets the adrenaline pumping for Jesus! And that’s what we’re all about!
Consequently, these verses of Psalm 100, which come before our Bit, are therefore very much in line with our general purpose of exalting our most wonderful God!
Listen to the psalmist as he delightedly gushes: ‘Make joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves, we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.’ (Ps.100:1-3)
Wow friends! What a stirring acknowledgement of our God’s greatness and the central part we play in His entire operation! Hence our Bit: ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.’
Yes my fellow believers, that is exactly how we ought to come into the presence of our magnificent and magnanimous God; with much praise and thanks and glory and exaltation – for He is most worthy to be praised!
Just think about all that He’s done for us down through the ages nuh, undeserving though we are, and is still doing, though we are still undeserving! And in our finite, comparatively puny lives, how else can we truly honour Him eh, but with exceedingly abundant thanks and praise?
Now hear the psalmist from Psalm 116 – Praise for deliverance from death – as he exudes his heartfelt thanks and praise. ‘O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid (maid servant): thou hast loosed my bonds.
I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah!).(Ps.116:16-19)
Oh friends, oh friends, those are the very words and emotions we ought also to exude! Note how the psalmist says twice, that he is the Lord’s servant? Can we sincerely say that even once and mean it? I certainly hope so for all our sakes.
In conclusion, I want to implore us to work towards acquiring the mindset of the psalmist, for there, and only therein lies the true wisdom of Almighty God and the true secret of finding Him. Much LOVE!
…seek me with a right heart…and you shall find me…says the Lord our God…
10 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all praise and thanks, all ye lands, bless His name, blessings, canyons, child-like behaviour, children of the Most High God, churlish, City of Toronto, come before his presence with singing, concrete jungle, confrontational, daily commuters, donkey's years, eternal life, glory hallelujah, glory to God, Go station, Go-Bus, He is love, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth for ever, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, it feels good to be alive, lazy, like ants, LOVE, loving kindness, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, mercies, mercy, miserable, my neck of the woods, our heavenly Father, our Lord and Saviour, resentful, salvation, Scrip-Bit Friends, scurrying along, serve the Lord with gladness, share His love with the world, shout joyfully unto the Lord, shouting for joy, skyscrapers, sons and daughters of God, stressed out, thanskgiving, the elders in heaven, the Light of our lives, the Lord he is God, The Lord is good, the sheep of his pasture, the things of God, the wisdom of heaven, thou art worthy O lord, thou hast created all things, tired as a dog, to get to and from work, to receive glory honour and power, traffic congestion, Tuesday Mantra, Union Station, walking stick, we are his people, with the help of God, worthwhile action, written indelibly into our souls
Psalm 100:1. Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord all ye lands (all the earth).
Well a hearty good morning to you my Scrip-Bit Friends and family! It’s a somewhat chilly Tuesday morning in my neck of the woods, but that’s the norm for this time of year. And it surely feels good to be alive, especially after inhaling some of that fresh air while doing my garbage man duties. (smile)
Now, before I forget, the ole fella had a thrilling adventure in the goodly city of Toronto yesterday afternoon… well it wasn’t all that thrilling, but it certainly was interesting. I had a medical appointment in the city and through my young daughter’s encouragement, I parked my car at the nearby Go Station and took the Go Bus into the city.
That in itself was a first, and from high up, I noticed a lot of stuff that I never notice while driving in my car. Unfortunately though, after reaching the Bus Terminal I had to walk some four or five blocks to my appointment. But glory to God, between Him, my trusty walking stick and I, we made it without too much trouble. The knees held up admirably!
Oh Friends, Toronto has become the veritable concrete jungle that Bob Marley sang in his song of the same name. All you can see is the sky right above you, as you walk down the streets that resemble canyons between the numerous skyscrapers. And you’d better believe that there are still several buildings in construction around the downtown area. Ah Lord eh, when is it ever going to end?
Then I had to walk back the same distance to Union Station to catch a train home. I haven’t been in that place for literally donkey’s years, (smile) and with its new and refurbished look it was at first somewhat disconcerting. But again, with the help of God and the service people there I found my way to the train on time.
Now that too was another eye-opening experience, since I had never ridden the Go-train on that route before. And it’s amazing what you see when you ride the train; all the undesirable and not-so beautiful backside of the city. I never even knew that there were so many stops along that route either.
And if you think the traffic congestion is bad now, just imagine if the hundreds of cars parked in each Go-station parking lot were also on the road. Mama Mia! But I can now understand what the daily commuters go through; just like little ants scurrying along to get to and from work.
And I left the city early, before the real rush began. Thank the Lord I don’t have to do that kind of commuting nuh! I can now understand too why the society is so stressed out, miserable and confrontational. Doing that sort of thing twice a day, five times a week is no joking matter. And by the time I got back home, I was as tired as a dog.
Anyway, enough about my adventures. (smile) Today is Tuesday, so let’s recite our Tuesday Mantra. All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Glory to God my people, for being such a wonderful Deity! And as children of the Most High God Jehovah, we have all His considerable and wonderful blessings and mercies set out before us in new batches each and every day! All praise and thanks be to our incomparable heavenly Father!
Sadly though, I don’t think that we do offer our wonderful and awesome God enough sincere thanks and praise for our blessings, that’s why we’re continuing today with more scripture extolling those facets of our faith. Our Bit from Psalm 100 – A call to praise the Lord – declares it in great fashion. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord all ye lands (all the earth).’
Now that’s exactly what we ought to be doing my fellow believers! We have so much to be thankful for, especially salvation and eternal life, that we ought to be jumping and shouting for joy, praising and thanking the Light of our lives, our Lord and Saviour, for His endless mercy and LOVING-kindness towards us, when we don’t deserve one iota of it.
But what do we do? Instead we get sour and churlish, miserable and resentful as soon as some little thing doesn’t go our way. Chuh! That’s selfish and child-like behaviour my brethren, definitely not suitable for true followers of, and believers in Jesus Christ!
Oh my people, what we truly ought to be doing as sons and daughters of Almighty God, is what the psalmist lays out as he continues: ‘Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.’ (Ps.100:2)
That is what the elders in heaven are doing; around God’s throne: singing a new song to Christ: ‘Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.’(Rev.4:11)
So Friends, if the heavenly hosts can sing praise and thanks to the Lord, why can’t we earthly beings do it to eh? No good reason whatsoever my people!
And it’s not like we don’t know what we’re to do, but we’re just lazy and uninterested in the things of God, paying more attention to the earthly circumstances of our lives and the unprofitable sleek and shining things of this world.
And though this will make the bit longer than I desired, I believe it’s necessary for us to hear the rest of the psalm. ‘Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps.100:3-5)
Please my people, let’s allow that scripture to be written indelibly into our souls nuh, for it is the gospel truth! And as we ponder upon it today, let’s ask our heavenly Father, who refuses us nothing that’s within His will, to help us put it all into worthwhile action. That my Friends, is the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…praise Him, praise Him…Glory Hallelujah…for He is LOVE…He is LOVE…
13 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be thankful unto God, bless His name, blessings, Bonjour, burdens of this world, come before his presence with singing, contentment, enter into his gates with thanskgiving, godly attitude, gospel truth, grab the horns of happiness, great to be alive, happiness, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endures to all generations, into his courts with praise, joy, joyful noise, life just gives us time and space, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto God, make his praise glorious, No one is guaranteed happiness, serve the Lord with gladness, shout Hallelujah, sing forth the honour of his name, singing the praises of God, the annals of man, the bitter waters of Marah, the goodness of God, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the long and short of the story, the Lord he is God, The Lord is good, the sheep of his pasture, we are his people, we must fill it with joy and meaning, wonderful god, write those words indelibly
Psalm 66:1-2. Make a joyful noise (shout Hallelujah) unto God, all ye lands (the entire earth). Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
Bonjour mes amis! Welcome to another bright and sunshiny day in the annals of man! (smile) It sure is great to be alive on beautiful days like these, isn’t it?
With the wonderful breath of life flowing through our frail human bodies, we can’t help but enjoy the goodness of our God as we arise to greet another new day filled with all sorts of interesting blessings.
But here is an important point to note in all of that. It comes from a quote on my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU Poster.’ And it says: ‘No one is guaranteed happiness. Life just gives us time and space. It’s up to us to fill it with joy and meaning.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth Friends? It certainly is! Joy, happiness, contentment, call it what you may, is dependent on the individual embracing it. Granted we can have circumstances from which those things flow, but if we don’t take hold of them, they will pass us by completely.
Remember, no one’s responsible for our happiness but us. Too many of us wait for circumstances, things or people to make us happy, but that is not a wise idea, for we might just end up waiting to be happy all our lives. Each one of us has to grab the horns of happiness and feed our souls with it, if we want to live a happy and joyful life.
The Good Book says that the ‘joy of the Lord is our strength,’ (Neh. 8:10) but even that does not come to us automatically, we have to make a conscious effort to take hold of it, and keep holding on to, it if we want that joy to last.
The long and short of the story friends, is that happiness or joy doesn’t simply find us and keep us going in a suitable manner, we have to find or create it, then sincerely embrace it, and keep it going by our godly attitude.
It’s possible to have poor circumstance and be happy or joyful, but by the same token we can have wonderful circumstances and be miserable and discontented. The choice is always ours to make and embrace. End of sermon. (smile)
Therefore my people, on this glorious and terrific Thursday morning let’s put it all into practice nuh, by doing what our Bit says. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout Hallelujah) unto God, all ye lands (the entire earth). Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.’
Oh Friends, how good and right and enjoyable it is to give praises to our most wonderful God! Not only is it right for us to sing praises to God, but be it known also that God also delights in our praises. It warms the cockles of His heart and brings a smile to His face when He hears us lavishing praise on Him.
As the psalmist continues after our Bit. ‘Say unto God, How terrible (awesome) art thou in thy works! Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.’ (Ps.66:3-4)
Yeh friends, this morning is just an invitation to worship, to sing praises to our Great God and Redeemer, so it’s all about joyful psalms, beginning with this favourite.
‘O come let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods…
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand (under his care). Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation (rebellion), and as in the day of temptation (trial or testing) in the wilderness; When your fathers tempted (tried) me, and saw my work.’ (Ps. 95:1-3, 6-10)
Yes my brethren, if the Lord chooses to speak to your heart today, please open and let Him in. Don’t do like the rebellious Israelites in the wilderness, who tried to test Him, but eventually saw His miraculous works – turning the bitter waters of Marah sweet (Ex.15:22-26), and providing water from a rock (Ex.17:1-7).
Oh my people, our God surely is a great and mighty God; the ONLY TRUE AND LIVING DEITY!
And we’ll go home with these beautiful words of Psalm 100- A call to praise the Lord. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps.100:1-5)
What beautiful words of indisputable truth and encouragement my brethren! Especially that last sentence: ‘for the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth to all generations.’
Oh my fellow believers, this morning, please let’s write those truthful words indelibly in our souls, hearts and minds, and allow them to keep us strong, motivated and full of the joy and the LOVE of our wonderful God! For that is undoubtedly wisdom for all seasons, times and places! Much LOVE!
…singing the praises of God…will lighten the burdens of this world…
18 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a call to praise God, a great King above all Gods, a lose-lose situation, a psalm of praise, appreciate each day, appreciative, bless His name, blessings to brighten our way, build up thy throne to all generations, burst out in song, come before his presence with thanksgiving, covenant, Each day is a gift from God, Ethan the Ezrahite, faith, faithfulness, flowers, followers of Jesus, forgiveness, Friday, fulfilled, glorify His holy name, god's great mercies and loving-kindness, gospel truth, green beer, hands of our dear ones, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth to all generations, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord, it is meet and right, jehovah god, joyfully singing, laughter to share, lighten our hearts, LOVE, loving kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, make a joyful noise, mercy, natural reaction, O come let us sing unto the lord, passed down, praise, prayer, preamble, promises, Psalm 100, Psalm 95, rainbows, rightful due of thanks and praise, Selah, serve the Lord with gladness, shortchange ourselves and God, shout joyfully, singing, song, spirits and souls, St. Paddy's Day, sworn unto David, take for granted, thankful, thanksgiving, the beauty of nature, the blessings of God, the gift of another new day, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the joy of God, the Lord he is God, the Lord is a great God, The Lord is good, the middle day of the workweek, the Most High God, the rock of our salvation, the sheep of his pasture, the weekend, thy seed will I establish for ever, to all generations, troubled, troublesome hour, true believer, trust, we are his people, Wednesday, wisdom, with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness, wreak havoc
Psalm 89:1. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
Oh Friends, please sing this ode to Wednesday with me. ‘Wednesday, oh Wednesday, the middle day of the workweek. Wednesday, oh Wednesday, you make me forget Monday and Tuesday.
Wednesday, oh Wednesday, you show me that there’s no going backward, only forward. Wednesday, oh Wednesday, you bring me ever closer to Friday and the weekend. Oh how I LOVE you Wednesday!’
Yes mih people, just a little fun to stir up our souls on this chilly Wednesday winter’s morn, after a hectic St. Paddy’s Day. Hope the green beer and other strange coloured beverages didn’t or don’t wreak too much havoc on you all. (smile) Thankfully I stayed away from it all, but not from the late night, hence my late awakening.
Now what shall we preamble about today eh? And I just saw the perfect preamble for today! It’s a poem on a birthday card I received last year. It was just sitting at the edge of my desk, and I was wondering why it was there. But after reading the words that covered the outside, I realized why.
Listen to these beautiful words and sentiments. I don’t know if I’ve shared them before, but I must have, because they’re so beautiful and appropriate for our time. But like most beautiful words and sentiments, they are definitely worth sharing again. The poem’s titled: ‘Each Day Is a Gift from God.’
Please say with me: ‘He has given us morning, brightness, and sun, Laughter to share, and work to be done. He has given us rainbows, flowers, and song, And the hands of our dear ones to help us along. He has given us prayer, with its wonderful power To lighten our hearts in a troublesome hour. He has given us blessings to brighten our way, And always – the gift of another new day.’
Wow mih people! It’s all so wonderful and true! But do we really appreciate it all? I don’t think so nuh, otherwise our spirits and souls would not be as troubled as they are. And many of us unfortunately just take the beautiful things of nature and blessings of God for granted.
However Friends, we shouldn’t be doing that, because then we foolishly shortchange ourselves of the joy of God, and also shortchange the Lord in giving Him His rightful due of thanks and praise, so it just turns into a lose – lose situation.
Instead, we ought to be doing as our Bit so wisely declares: ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.’
What wisdom Friends! And why should we do that? Ethan the Ezrahite, author of the psalm tells us why, as he continues: ‘For I have said, Mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.’ (Ps.89:2-4)
Yes my people, for all those wonderful promises, which have been fulfilled and passed down to us, we too should be joyfully singing of God’s great mercies and LOVING-kindness!
Now let’s check out a couple of other scriptures that encourage us to sing praises and thanks unto the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
In Psalm 95 – A psalm of praise to the great God – the psalmist joyfully proclaims: ‘O come let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all Gods.’ (Ps.95:1-3)
Oh Friends, there’s nothing but gospel truth in those statements, statements to which we should all be adhering to!
Then in Psalm 100 – A call to praise God – the psalmist also proclaims with great wisdom: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (the entire earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps.100:1-5)
Oh my people, with all the good things we have coming from our magnificent and magnanimous God, how can we not be thankful and appreciative eh, and make us just want to burst out in song, to sing His wonderful praises, and glorify His holy name!
It ought to be the natural reaction of a true believer, one who has put their sincere faith and trust in Jehovah God, and is enjoying His blessings, mercies, forgiveness and LOVING-kindness!
Oh my fellow believers, please, oh please, let’s try and rectify that situation nuh, by increasing our appreciation of God’s goodness, and thus being ever more willing to break out in song, giving thanks and praises to the Most High God, for all He’s done, is doing, and has promised to do for us.
That is certainly the wisdom of the truly wise! Much LOVE!
…it is meet and right…for followers of Jesus…to break out in praiseful song…every time they consider His goodness…
25 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child of God, a free gift of God, a true child of God, appreciation, awesome truth, bless His name, by grace are ye saved, child of God, christ jesus, covered me in my mother's womb, created in Christ unto good works, doing good works, enter his gates with thanksgiving, evil ways, faith, faith strengthened, fear the God of Israel, fearfully and wonderfully made, forgiveness, formed my inward parts, give me understanding, Glory Halleujah, grace, greetings, hope, inner beauty, into his courts with praise, Isaiah, it is meet and right to do so, it is the gift of God, Jesus Christ, knives through the darkness, lest any man should boast, look to the future, LOVE, marvellous are thy works, mercy, my life will be beautiful, new creations, not of works, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, positive actions, power of God, praise, recreated by Christ, s bright spotlight, Sabbath Day, salutations, salvation, sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, saturated with Christ, Something Beautiful, spirits renewed, spiritual life, Sunday, the living truth, the Lord he is God, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the redemption of Israel, the sheep of his pasture, the work of mine hands, they shall sanctify my name, token of love, we are his people, we are his workmanship, worship
Ephesians 2:10. For we are his workmanship (creation) created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them.
Greetings and salutations my people, in the glorious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, on this blessed but damp and foggy Sunday morning! All power and glory be to the One who sacrificed His holy and sinless life for us disgusting sinners.
And to show our grateful appreciation of that wonderful token of LOVE, let’s gather together in His sanctuary on this Sabbath Day, as He desires, to praise and worship Him, give Him the thanks that He so rightfully deserves, and in return receive His grace, mercy and forgiveness, so that our spirits can be renewed, our faith strengthened, and our actions positive and LOVE-filled!
And all God’s people said a loud and sincere: ‘Yes, let us do that, for it is meet and right so to do!
And now, from the One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings from Ruth Harms Calkin, here is ‘Something Beautiful!’ ‘Here I am dear God Your Child A member of Your Family Asking You To make something beautiful of my life. Yet, even as I ask I am convinced That the one beautiful thing About a child of God Is You, Jesus Christ. So, dear Lord As You saturate me with Yourself My life will be beautiful.’
And isn’t that the living truth Friends! There’s nothing as beautiful as a human being saturated with Jesus Christ! That inner beauty and LOVE of a true child of God just shines through the darkness of this world, knives through it like a big, bright spotlight closely focused on a performer on a stage! Oh my brethren, there’s no better state for us to be in, than to be filled with the beauty and joy of Jesus Christ! For we become new creations, old, evil ways are forgotten, and we look to the future with hope and faith.
And the Bible promise for that poem is our Bit today; fateful words of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.’ Friends, that’s truth to the nth degree!
And here are some explanations from the scholars to enlighten us. ‘2:10. For verifies the assertion of man’s good works having no part in obtaining salvation. (vs.8-9) Workmanship refers not to our original or physical birth, but to our spiritual birth: what we are spiritually in the good sense is due to God, not ourselves.
Created in Christ Jesus unto good works means “having been (morally) re-created by Christ Jesus for good works,” that is, Jesus remade our spiritual lives so that we could then do good works. The apostle’s thinking is this; since the Christian has been given spiritual life for the purpose of doing good works, there could have been no good works by him prior to conversion that would merit salvation. Good works follow – do not precede – salvation.’
And I’ll be my usual nice self (smile) and quote the two verses we mentioned above, re good works having no part in salvation. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ (Eph.28-9)
Yes Friends, part of the reason why salvation is not achieved by good works is so that men can’t boast about obtaining it on their own strength or merit. Remember, it is a free gift of God!
Now let’s look at a couple scriptures that reflect the theme of our Bit. Hear the palmist declare from Psalm 100 – A call to praise the Lord. ‘Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.’ (Ps.100:3-4)
Oh my people, if we’d only follow that wise advice of the psalmist, our lives and our world would be a much better place than it currently is!
Now listen to Isaiah, as he talks about the redemption of Israel. ‘But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify (hallow) my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.’ (Is.29:23)
Without a doubt Friends, we are God’s handiwork, His greatest creation! Glory Hallelujah!
Another psalmist joyfully proclaims: ‘Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.’ (Ps.119:73) Words of awesome truth my brethren! And we’ll end with Bruh David’s version from Psalm 139 – The everlasting presence and power of God. ‘For thou hast possessed my reins (formed my inward parts): thou hast covered (weaved) me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right (very) well.’
My substance (frame, bones) was not hid from thee when I was made in secret, and curiously (skillfully) wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect (unformed); and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned (the days fashioned for me), when as not there was none of them.’ (Ps.139:13-16)
Yes Friends, Jehovah God was the planner, designer, architect and builder of every human being that was ever made. Therefore He knows all about us. We are definitely His, for He is our Creator, our Provider and our God. Without Him, we would not exist. Please, let’s remember that and give Him the appropriate level of praise, worship and thanks He deserves. That’s the duty of a sincere child of God. Much LOVE!
…without the Most High God Jehovah…nothing that was made…would be made…
SCRIP-BITS 