Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 September 2022 Romans 8:31.

10 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

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

Romans 8:31.       ​ What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Well my people, it’s a beautiful late summer Saturday, ideal for lazing. (smile) And earlier on, I enjoyed some lazy time lolling around in my bed, although my back was aching, recommending my getting up. But it was just nice to lie there, contemplating life for a while, thanking the Lord for opening my eyes to another day in which I could enjoy His new mercies and compassions. Now isn’t that a great way to greet the day? It certainly is! A bit of peace and quiet before the busyness of the day gets into your spirit. 

But as they say, good things do come to an end, and eventually I had to get up and be about the Lord’s business, which on Saturdays, means checking out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first quote is very interesting and mind-bending. It says: ‘Change, like healing, takes time.’ That’s the gospel truth friends. A lot of us desire change, but expect it to come as soon as we wish for it, but just like our wounds, physical or emotional don’t heal suddenly or overnight, change doesn’t usually occur in a split instance, although there are instances when it can. 

And I do like what the opening paragraph of an article on change says on the website bibletools.com/ topical verses. ‘What does the Bible say about change and how can it inspire us in times of change? There seems to always be a guarantee in life that change will happen. Change is something we tend to fear and become anxious about because we do not feel in control of life. The good news is that God has a plan for your life that includes hope, future, and prosperity. We need to learn to trust in God and allow the change to grow us to become more like Jesus Christ.’ 

Now that’s the truth in spades my faithful brethren! Why? Because our most faithful and powerful God has promised that change, though inevitable throughout life, with sincere trust and faith in Him it will not deter us from our planned purpose in His will. This foundational verse says it all. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) 

Yes friends, if we believe in Almighty God, then although we might not want or need change, when it does happen, we will not be afraid since we know that in the end, over time, which therefore calls for patience and perseverance, it will all work out for our good through the Lord’s goodness and mercy. That brings us to this next quote. ‘Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.’ That’s wisdom to the nth degree! 

It’s all well and good to desire to change the world, but before we do the big things, most of us are first required to do the small things, like change ourselves. We all have areas in which we can improve, and that’s where we need to begin. It’s like Jesus said, why consider the mote or speck in your brother’s eye, and not the beam or log in your own. (Matt. 7:3) And we all do that at some time or other. But it’s always best to consider what changes we need before trying to change others. And these verses of scripture lead us along the right path to good and consistent change. 

Bruh Paul writes to the church at Rome: ‘And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) And he hit the nail right on the head there, for change can only come through the renewing of one’s mind, or changing the way one thinks, because our mind is the controlling centre of our body, everything passes through there before it becomes a reality. Cousin Sol said it long ago: ‘As a man thinks, so is he.’ (Prov. 23:7) 

And the best change we can ever make in our lives is to become a follower of Jesus Christ, which brings us into an entirely new dimension of life, a spirit-filled experience. Oh yes, once we encounter Christ, it’s whole new ball game. As Bruh Paul says in 2 Corinthians: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) 

Yes mih people, when you come to Christ you become a new person! But note, like we said of healing above, that change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a while for you to understand, accept and put into practice the new aspects of life in Christ. In fact it’s a life journey. Like babies drink milk and soft foods at the beginning of life, so too, as new believers, early on, we handle the easier aspects of our transformation, but as we live out our faith, we daily become more mature in it.  

That allows us to segue into this next quote. ‘If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?’ Those are all good questions my brethren, so let’s see if we can answer them. The first one is the easiest and the best. You don’t need to be for yourself, because Almighty God is always there for you! It says it right there in the scriptures: ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Rom. 8:31) Not a single soul can be against us if God is for us! That’s the living truth! But you first have to be for Him. 

And per the next question; if you’re only concerned with yourself then you’re selfish, and not a sincere believer in Christ Jesus, because Christ didn’t have a selfish bone in His body, else He never would have sacrificed His life for us. And that is where the transformation, the changing and renewal of your mind comes in to play, because to follow Jesus we have to be willing to sacrifice everything we have, even our lives. And as always, the best time to initiate necessary change is RIGHT NOW! If we know we need to change, and how to make it, then there’s no need to put it off for later. The sooner we implement that change, the sooner our lives will improve. 

Then there’s this last quote. ‘Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn’t stop for anybody.’ More glorious, though heart-hurting truth! (smile) Things are continually changing, both inside and outside. One of those changes is that friends leave us, sometimes suddenly, and ofttimes we don’t even know why. But it happens, and we just have to learn to deal with it. And again, LOVED ones die and leave us behind. We grieve, but we must carry on, because the world and life doesn’t stop for anybody. That’s just a fact of life. 

And the best way to handle all the change, all the topsy turviness in our world is to be a sincere follower of Jesus Christ, because He will lead and guide you through all the changes and storms, and comfort and LOVE you when you need it, through the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit that comes to live with you when you accept Him as Lord and Saviour. Wow! That tells us that the best way to handle this life is by having Jesus as the mainstay of our lives! But don’t just take my word for it; try it. you’ll find it’s oh so true! Much LOVE!

…you can’t critique or criticize Jesus…until you try Him… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   5 March 2022 Romans 8:28.

05 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

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

Romans 8:28.      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.

It’s a late rising, lazy Saturday morning friends, as you can no doubt guess by the tardiness of the Bit. (smile) The sun’s shining brightly, and though the spirit is willing, the body is tired and needs some rest. And in this busy world too many of us don’t get enough rest, which is essential for our souls, bodies and spirits to function efficiently in the Lord’s will. 

Please note that although Jesus was God, as a man He too needed to rest, in all aspects of the word; meaning physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, because our beings are not made to drive on without being recharged. And this Lenten Season is a most appropriate time for us to rest and be recharged through greater intimacy with the God of our fathers. So let’s rest if we must, but please, let’s never give up! 

And having made that crucial point, (smile) let’s turn to our usual Saturday doings, that of looking at quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first one is certainly a good fit for our current situation. ‘You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events.’ 

Now that’s the indisputable truth my people! Our world calls for tough sledding, and if some of us didn’t know that before, we surely know it now with all the tough times caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the many other problems our world is currently facing. But if you are a true believer in Christ, you will already know that life’s no easy matter, no Sunday stroll in the park since even our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ faced rough times in His earthly sojourn, and also warned us about it when He said: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) 

Yes, my fellow believers, that’s a scripture we need to hold on to for dear life if we expect to make it through these tough times in one piece; safe of body and sound of mind! Our Lord and Saviour has already overcome the world by dying and rising from the dead to live forever, and we will do the same thing if we cling to Him and what He stands for. But we need to both believe it and put it into action in the way we live our lives, looking for the positive even in the most negative events, and trusting our Saviour to work it all out in our favour. 

And we also have this magnificent scripture in the words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome to back it all up. ‘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) It’s all there friends, written into our faith, we just must develop the ability to handle it, and that can only come through a strong and sincere walk with Christ. 

And this next quote is also rather appropriate for our times and this season of Lent. It says: ‘Reflection is looking in so you can look out with a broader, bigger, and more accurate perspective.’ Yes, that’s the purpose of reflection in general, and in particular, the serious inner look we take at ourselves during Lent. Technically speaking, reflection should be an ongoing process, but in Lent we just take time to focus more fully on what’s truly going on within us, re our walk with Jesus, and how we can straighten it out to His satisfaction. Remember, EVERYTHING we do ought to involve God in it, so it follows logically that any time we reflect, God should also be involved therein. (smile) 

That brings us to these next two quotes which intertwine, and we’ll thus take as one. The first one advises us to ‘Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your Vision is the promise of what you shall one day be. Your Ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.’ And the second says: ‘Big thinking precedes great achievement.’ Now both of them contain aspects of truth, but they leave out the most important aspect of our dreaming and our big thinking; that’s the presence of Jesus Christ in it ALL! 

Oh my fellow saints, we can dream as big as we want and have the utmost vision for our lives, but if Jesus Christ and His will are not included in those dreams and big thinking, if He is not the main focus in them, then it will be all for nought! For He is the Only One who can really make the desires of our hearts come true. Remember these marvellous words of advice and encouragement from Bruh David in Psalm 37. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires off thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him: and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:4-5) 

Yes my faithful brethren, that’s the ONLY way to get those big dreams and lofty thinking that we all engage in to be truly successful and last forever. With Satan, you might accomplish some stuff, but you will first have to sell your soul to him. But please note these important questions that Jesus posed on the subject. ‘For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?’ (Matt. 16:26) Now those are questions for us to seriously ponder. 

And furthermore, whatever Satan offers is always like a house built on sinking sand, a flimsy structure that will eventually be washed away. Meanwhile, what you get from Jesus is always built on solid rock and is never destroyed. Yes friends, all other ground beside Jesus is sinking sand. As Bruh Paul says in 1st Corinthians: ‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor, 3:11) That’s another scripture for us to write indelibly in our souls and spirits this first Saturday in Lent my people. 

That brings us to the last quote of this week: ‘It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.’ And that’s totally true. It’s always easier when we begin teaching the children from a young age, inculcating the proper values and teachings of Christ as it were on a clean slate, a clean palette. That means there is no other information or values already planted that we have to first remove before we can plant the new stuff. But that’s what we must deal with when we try repair broken men. We first have to clean them up, remove all the satanic and evil stuff that’s been embedded in their souls and spirits probably for a long, long time. 

Now that takes a lot of work. But Jesus can handle it. That’s what He’s equipped to do; to repair us broken human specimens! That’s why He came to earth: to save us, to repair the brokenness that eons of sin had created in us, right from the days of our forefather Adam down to these evil and ungodly times that we are now experiencing. 

And what better way to end today than with these magnificent and encouraging words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) 

Now whether you believe it or not, that’s the truth; the immortal and eternal truth! And my hope for all of us today is that we sincerely believe it and live accordingly. Much LOVE!

…as the song says…NO Jesus…NO life… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 February 2022 Joshua 24:15d.

08 Feb 2022 Leave a comment

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

Joshua 24:15d.     As for me and my house, we WILL serve (follow) the Lord; that’s for sure!

Oh sleep, thou sweet elixir! How much do I LOVE thee eh? Let me count the ways! ( smile) Ah friends, last night the ole fella got his first all-night rest in a long while! I stayed in bed all night long from about eleven-thirty p.m. until seven a.m. Wow! That’s a record! I did awaken a couple of times and got up once to go the bathroom, but did not engage in any of my usual night owl activities. And the body does feel somewhat rejuvenated, but my ole aching back is paying for that long, unaccustomed sojourn in bed. (smile) But as they say, you never get something for nothing! 

And on this damp, cloudy Tuesday morning  in early February of this crazy and troubled year of 2022, I believe we should turn to, pay some much needed attention to what we call acclamations; Bible verses and other li’l sayings that we can use to refresh and renew our spirits when the enemy tries to beat us down, as he so dearly likes to do. So, let’s begin with this one that we all know and hopefully repeat every day. ‘This is the day the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) 

And what about this one that so gratefully releases our faith? ‘God will supply ALL of my needs through His riches in glory through Christ our Lord and Saviour!’ (Phil. 4:19) Mama oh Mama! What a powerful scripture that is my people! It enables us to go about our Christ-centred business, each and every day, without worrying about how, why, where and when our personal needs will be met. Please give our great God some thanks and praise for that most awesome and faithful promise! 

Then there’s this most amazing and edifying scripture: ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13) Yes, friends, there’s nothing we can’t do through Christ who is our awesome strength! He created the universe and all therein, and still controls it from His heavenly throne. He is omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present; meaning He is all-powerful, sees and knows all, and His almighty presence is all over the globe at the same time. And He LOVES us unconditionally, showing that majestic LOVE by sending His Only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross of Calvary to atone for our abominable sins…and that while we were yet sinners. (Rom. 5:8) 

Imagine that nuh mih people, before we ever thought about God, He thought the most wonderful things about us; reconciling us to Himself, justifying us through the blood of Jesus, sanctifying us, setting us apart for His own…etc. etc. just giving us every chance possible to come back to Him, to have our sins paid for and thrown away as far as the east is from the west, our souls washed white as snow, and thus able to spend eternity in His LOVING fold! What an awesome God we serve my faithful brethren! 

Now here is an acclamation I don’t think you’ll find written as such in scripture, but it is certainly alluded to all the time. It says: ‘I will not tolerate strife in my life!’ And that’s certainly something we should always be aware of, because strife can crop up at anytime and anywhere and it’s oh so detrimental to our health, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Bruh Paul had this to say about strife. ‘For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying and strife, and divisions (dissensions), are ye not carnal (fleshly), and walk as men (living according to man and not God)?’ (1 Cor. 3:3) 

Meanwhile, Jesus’ brother, James, puts it thus: ‘For where envying and strife is (where self-serving exists), there is confusion and every evil work.’ (James 3:16) Yes my people, wherever and whenever jealousy, selfish ambition, foolish pride and those negative things exist, strife and confusion will be there with them. And that does nothing but distract from and cut down on our Christian witness. 

Now hear this marvellous acclamation that I make sure and say every day, because it’s possibly the most important. In the profound words of Joshua: ‘As for me and my house, we WILL serve (follow) the Lord; that’s for sure!’ (Josh. 24:15) Yeh friends, every day I ask the Lord to make that a fact, make it come true, because I can only do so much to bring it to pass, but He has the power to lead my family along the right path, the straight and narrow one. So that sort of encompasses everything. 

And here’s this last acclamation for today: ‘If God be for me, who can be against me eh? (Rom. 8:31) And the immediate and confident answer is NOBODY! Ah friends, if the Creator and Controller of the universe is on your side, who the dickens can be against you eh? Not a single soul! For the One who looks out for you is the mightiest of the mighty, and can turn any situation into a good one, as He’s so faithfully promised to do in this magnificent and overwhelming scripture: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) 

Glory be! What a wonderful affirmation the believer in Christ Jesus has for his eventual future! And yes, I know I said that the acclamation before that one would be the last, but you have to go with where the Holy Spirit leads you. (smile) And it has finally led me to this one, to be the last. And though again, you can’t find it romanticized in the scriptures, it is embedded very deeply therein. And it declares: ‘I WILL live a balanced life, and I WILL get sufficient rest each and every day!’ 

Now, that’s what I am attempting to do, because I can see and feel how not living a balanced life and not getting sufficient rest is taking a negative toll on me, in all aspects of my life. And here is the truly last acclamation (smile), it’s called our Tuesday Mantra. So, let’s declare it in full and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ 

Now, with all that ‘acclamating’ (smile) let’s hope that we have a wonderful day, as we go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to LOVE and serve Him as faithfully as we do. Much LOVE!

…it’s no sacrifice to live for Jesus…not after all the selfless sacrifices He made for us…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 December 2020 Daniel 6:16b.

08 Dec 2020 Leave a comment

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

Daniel 6:16b.     ​Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

Well it’s Tuesday already… And yes, all day, cause time’s not waiting on me, as the duchess likes to say when I complain about how the days going by so fast. (smile) But it will soon be Christmas; that idyllic time of year when we celebrate our Saviour’s birth. Wonder what it’s going to be like this year eh, with the pandemic and the many other problems our society is currently facing? 

And yuh know what? I don’t think it’s going to be much different nuh, because people are still running helter-skelter to do Christmas shopping and what not. You’d never believe that we’re under a lockdown. No wonder the Covid-19 is not getting better and we’re setting new records every day. And with the upcoming promise of a vaccine on the horizon, people seem to be taking advantage of that news and disobeying the medical authorities even more. 

One more thing, don’t think that a vaccine is going to solve our problems nuh. I tend to believe it’s going to cause even more problems, what with all the negative info that’s floating around about it being Satan’s way of marking and controlling us, and the hordes of people who already are refusing to take it! It’s going to be a big bam-bam! And those who take it will rail against those who haven’t, and vice-versa, with all kinds of name calling and possible violence involved. 

But friends, please, let’s recall these momentous words of the pagan king Darius to Daniel when he threw him in the lion’s den. ‘Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.’ (Dan. 6:16b) Ah friends, if a pagan king could be so encouraging under those dire circumstances, why can’t we be likewise encouraging to each other eh, and faithfully keep serving the Lord God Jehovah eh? 

We know, or at least ought to know of His might, majesty, and power! Notwithstanding His most generous and compassionate grace and mercy to those who LOVE and faithfully serve Him. So why are we in such a negative state, if we claim to know that ‘all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose?’ (Rom. 8:28) 

It’s all about testing us and maturing our faith my people. Just like He tested Israel’s faith and wanting to mature them when they left Egypt by leading them the long way around, instead of the eleven-day journey it would normally take through the Philistine land: ‘for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent (change their minds) when they see war, and they return to Egypt.’ (Ex. 13:17) 

And we see how they behaved so disobediently in the wilderness despite all of God’s goodness, because they were by nature a stubborn, stiff-necked, hard-ears people. That’s why it took them forty long years to reach the Promised Land. The Lord just led them round in circles until all those who had come out of Egypt had died, except Caleb and Joshua. How many times did they threaten Moses to go back to Egypt eh, in spite of the harsh life of slavery they had lived there? 

Oh friends, the Lord has given us such a wonderful life nowadays, why aren’t we thankful and obedient to Him eh? Why can’t we say faithfully, and sincerely claim like Bruh David did eh? ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps. 27:13) 

Yes mih people, life is so good when yuh worshipping and praising the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! So why the great disobedience, the turning away in droves, the mocking and blasphemy and lack of LOVE amongst us eh? Why the rampant evil, resentment, greed, and godlessness in our society eh? Why are we allowing the prince of darkness to cover our eyes so that we cannot see the light that radiates the goodness and LOVING-kindness of the Lord our God in the earth eh? 

Why are we worshipping so many different idols and gods who have absolutely no power eh, who are dead like doorknobs, and refuse to worship the One and ONLY living God Jehovah eh? I recently saw a commentary where the commentator says that we have turned away from God, and being the gentleman He is, He has stepped back and allowed us to be ruled by Satan, as we so greatly seem to desire, and what we are now witnessing and experiencing is simply the evil one’s authority and hegemony over our world. 

And if that’s true, then I don’t like it one bit, and you shouldn’t either! But either way my brethren, we ought to know that our God won’t leave nor forsake us, for He’s so promised, and He’s faithful to keep ALL of His promises. So for those of us who consider ourselves true believers in Christ Jesus, then we need to stand up strong and steadfast and adamantly resist the devil and his evil ministrations. 

We ought to be mature enough in our faith to know that whatever is happening in our world right now is not the end, for God is still in control despite how it looks, and He’s promised us victory through Christ Jesus. That means we have to put on His spiritual armour and with prayer and thanksgiving, fight the good fight, show the world that we are indeed mighty conquerors through Christ who died for us, that we are the head and not the tail, and we know for certain that the Lord will provide all our needs according to his riches in glory by our Lord and Saviour. 

That’s why these words of Peter ring so true in these turbulent and troubled times: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 

Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (being experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-11) That’s the basic answer to this life my brethren. 

So now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live it, let’s go home declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are. In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ 

So let’s go and do just that nuh! Much LOVE!

…life is all about LOVE…through Christ Jesus… 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 August 2020 Psalm 133:1.

22 Aug 2020 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 133:1.     ​Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

So here we are, a tad late (smile) on this lazy summer Saturday morning, the penultimate one in the month of August, in this crazy, mind-boggling year of 2020! What a ride it’s turned out to be… and it’s not over yet. Whatever comes next though, 2020 will certainly go down in the annals of history as a rather eventful and transforming year. But nonetheless, we’re still enjoying the compassions and mercies of our great God, which are new every single day. And to that we have to say a loud and grateful: 

‘Thank You Lord! We do sincerely appreciate all that you’re doing for us in these disturbing and uncertain times. And we do ask that you keep a close watch over us and help us to stand strong in faithfulness with you. We are confident, because we know that you are still on the heavenly throne, in full control of things, and has promised to work ALL things out for good to those who LOVE you and are called according to your purpose. We pray this in the wonderful name of your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And having made obeisance to our God, let’s see what quotes our friend Anselm sent this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Oh mih people, like our friend Anselm was in a rather grateful and thankful mood this week, (smile) for all his quotes centre around those two emotions. Hear this first one: ‘What you truly acknowledge truly is yours. Invite your heart to be grateful and your thank you’s will be heard even when you don’t use words.’ I can’t dispute that because when your heart is truly grateful, thanks pours out automatically without your saying anything. 

Then there’s this: ‘Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life.’ More living truth friends! When we learn to have a continually grateful heart and attitude, it certainly attracts more of the things we like and value. That’s sort of like reaping what we sow, and positive things happening when we think positively. It’s just that way in God’s economy. 

Now listen closely to this quote. ‘We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.’ And isn’t that the God-given truth? Of course it is! We should always be thankful, even extra thankful, to those who help us settle our spirit and soul, help us rekindle the joy and good attitudes we need to face this crazy, evil and uncertain world. Wow! We are indeed blessed if we have those kinds of people around; even one of them. People who can lift our spirits when we are down and depressed are worth more than their weight in gold. 

In fact they ought to be considered blessings from heaven, for restoring the equanimity of another’s soul is ever so important in this mish-mash life. Sadly though, very few of us possess the kind of people around us who can truly do that. They are indeed a rare breed, that’s why they are to be greatly treasured. But the encourager and lifter of our spirits to be most greatly treasured is our comforting, enabling and encouraging God. When there’s no human being around to help lift us up, let’s not worry or be anxious, we just need to go to God for help.

 We do like Bruh David did when his men threatened to stone him after their home of Ziklag was burned and looted by their enemies. ‘…but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’ (1 Sam. 30:6b) Yes mih bredrin, our mighty and stalwart God is ALWAYS there for us! Let’s never forget it, and don’t rely on fickle and frail mankind. Brother, I never intended to say so much on that quote, but I guess it just opened up, touched something in me. (smile) 

And since the last two quotes are very similar, one just emoting a li’l more, going a li’l deeper than the other, (smile) we’re going to deal with them as a sparkling and encouraging pair, just what they are. Listen, and let them come into our hearts and remain there forever. ‘As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.’ Gospel truth that; we can’t only talk appreciation, we must show it. Now here’s the clincher. ‘To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.’ 

Ah mih people, how true and wonderful is that eh! That brings to mind these marvellous words of Bruh David from Psalm 133 – The joy of brotherhood. ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!’ (Ps. 133:1) That says it all friends. When we live in unity, we take each other’s concerns and feelings and heartaches and problems in mind and we don’t abuse them, but rather use them positively to build up each other. 

That’s what Jesus desires of His followers; unity and tenderness and grace, forgiveness and mercy to each other. What I believe we ought to understand is that gratitude is not just being thankful, but more a way of life, the Christian way of life. As the earlier quote said, when we live a life of gratitude, we don’t even have to say thanks out loud, but it’s understood by our actions. And when we live that kind of life, then we touch heaven, because it’s what Jesus expects of us. 

But that will never happen until the saints of Christ learn to live together in unity and harmony. And how are we ever to do that eh? As Bruh Paul said to the Ephesians re the using of our particular gifts and the edifying of the church: ‘For the perfecting (equipping) of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we come in (into) the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect (mature) man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.’ (Eph. 4:13) 

And the scholars explain: ‘4:12. This verse discloses the purpose for the gifted individuals of verse 11. Their responsibility is the perfecting of the saints, that is, to train and equip the rank-and-file Christians to do the work of the ministry. The aim of this ministry of Christian service is for the edifying of the body of Christ, that is, to build up the church numerically and spiritually.’ ‘4:13. The edifying of the church (vs.12) is to continue till we all come in the unity of the faith, that is, until all Christians attain spiritual maturity. Since new believers are constantly added to the church, this objective will not be realized until the Lord returns.’ 

Yes friends, the only way for us to live grateful, and thus touch heaven is by living in unity, bringing all our gifts both spiritual and physical together for the betterment of all! And I’m chuckling here in disgust, because like unity (brother!) is another word I can’t spell right. Every time I’ve used it today, including just now, I’ve spelt it wrong. Ah Lord eh! It’s a good thing the Lord knows my heart. (smile) Please have a blessed and fruitful day, living in LOVE and unity! Much LOVE!

…to the saints of Christ…a normal life…ought to be a grateful life… 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 April 2017 Psalm 97:10.

26 Apr 2017 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 97:10.   Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

Oh mih people, it’s Wednesday! So jump and sing and shout! Shout praise and thanks to Almighty God for giving us one more blessed day on His great planet earth! Wow! We’re alive and kicking for another big day! Isn’t our God wonderful? He surely is! 

But don’t forget that we’ve been allowed to see today not only to enjoy it, but also to do whatever work or plan our heavenly Father has in mind for us, for there’s ALWAYS something our God wants to do through us. 

So let’s find out today’s task, then do it diligently, and also with excellence, because that’s the hallmark of a true follower of Christ; diligent excellence! (smile) 

Now here’s an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, it’s titled ‘My Personal Rainbow.’ 

Please pray with me: ‘Lord, right now I struggle with clutching fear. Waves of agony pour over me As I face the darkest moments In my life’s history. But my conviction still stands firm: You are my God! 

And though I cannot predict my future Or even tomorrow I am sustained by the reminder That the longest storm the world has ever known… And the worst… Came to an end one clear-sky morning. It was true for Noah It will be true for me. Though as yet I see no deliverance I watch I wait I expect My personal rainbow.’ 

Yeh friends, each of us will have our own personal rainbow if we continue to have such strong and far-reaching faith! 

I know that many of us are going through some very stormy times right now, but the answer to it all is to just put those problems in God’s hands, allow Him to be your pilot through the storm, and you will be guaranteed a safe haven eventually. 

Now it won’t necessarily be easy, but with God as your pilot, NO ONE, or NOTHING can defeat you! We just have to stay in faith, standing strong and walking tall for Jesus! Remember all the other times that God has bailed us out of trouble and sincerely declare that if He could do it then, He can also do it now! 

And very appropriately, the Bible promise for that poem is one we know and dearly LOVE, Bruh Paul’s admonition to the Roman church: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose. (Rom.8:28)  Glory to God! 

And if we believe that, then there should be no cause for worry. For concern, yes, but not worry, for everything is in the mighty hand of our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present God! Glory Hallelujah! Give Him the praise and thanks that He so assuredly deserves my people! 

Now let’s turn to our wonderful Bit for the last time; a Bit that also lifts us up and warms the cockles of our hearts because of our God’s great promises contained therein. ‘Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.’ And that’s the immortal truth my brethren! 

And we’ll finish this series of messages with some corroborating scripture on the last part of our Bit: ‘he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.’ Listen to Bruh David tell it like it is from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. 

‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. 

He is ever merciful (merciful all the day), and lendedth: and his seed (descendants) are blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord LOVETH judgement (justice), and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.’ (Ps.37:23-28) 

Ah friends, what powerful and faithful promises from our great God! And remember that Bruh David wasn’t talking from hearsay nuh, but from personal experience, which means that all he’s saying is also possible in our lives if we are obedient to God’s will. 

And to add more wood to the already blazing fire, (smile) hear how he ends the psalm. ‘But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps.37:38-40) 

Yes mih breddren, more words of indisputable, gospel and immortal truth! And if you believe it, then please declare with me our Wednesday Wail which celebrates it all. 

‘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!’ 

Now let’s keep our hands fixed on that plough, while looking straight ahead to that glorious future with Jesus! Much LOVE!

…faithfully LOVING and trusting God…should be as easy as pumpkin pie…given all His faithful promises…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 January 2015 Romans 8:28

28 Jan 2015 Leave a comment

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

Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’

Oh Friends, oh Friends, greetings, salutations, blessings and all that’s good from God’s Little Acre, Paradise on Earth, Robinson Crusoe’s Isle; sweet Tobago! Yes mih people the ole fella is in his homeland!

After about twelve hours of going through airports and riding on airplanes made for pigmies, I’m finally ensconced in my bungalow, sitting on my verandah overlooking a beautiful scene of a bay with crystal blue but somewhat choppy sea water running between the two jutting points.

Right in front of me is a swimming pool, but what do I really want with a pool when I have the sea right at my doorstep eh? Yeh, I have a little gravelly spot that I can soak in. I soaked there a couple times last year. It’s the same compound I stayed at last year, but this time I’m on the seaward side, not overlooking the golf course.

I have a wooden deck with deck chairs, and a barbecue too. And right around that are all sorts of trees; almonds, coconuts, and lots of others, plus flowers whose names I don’t know. A cool, gentle breeze is blowing, titillating the leaves of the trees, with sweet music coming from the stereo inside.

Hear the birds singing their beautiful praise to their wonderful Creator nuh! And all of that is overlooked by a big, bright, beautiful blue sky! Mama Mia! I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven!

All thanks and praise to the Lord God Jehovah for bringing me back home for a short stay! It’s exactly what the ole bones were calling for. I’m sorry for those of you I left in the cold, but I really needed to get away from the winter weather; too many aches and pains, and the cold and cough that would not go away.

And would you believe Friends, that I have hardly coughed since getting on the plane, and as soon as I landed in T&T, I felt completely different, alive and strong! The warmth and fresh air just worked its magic on me.

By the way, don’t be surprised if I’m not too coherent because I haven’t slept for the night as yet, and the emotion of being back In Paradise and feeling good is overwhelming and driving me to think quicker than I can write. (smile)

The only blot on the scene is the hedge cutter going in the background. Hn! When I got here the groundskeeper was cutting the hedge around my bungalow, but he’s moved further away now, so it’s not as disturbing as before. The duchess is tired, she’s inside sleeping, but I couldn’t sleep, even if I wanted to.

Some nice pan music is playing there now. Hope to go and here some soon, since this is Carnival time when all the steelbands are practicing for Panorama and the many other functions on at this time of year. Oh mih people, the ole fella’s happy, happy like a pig in mud! (smile)

Yuh see when I say that the Lord our God is a most wonderful God and looks after those who try to be obedient to Him, I wasn’t lying. He’s put me through some rough times in the last few months, and though I wasn’t too thrilled about it, I tried to keep my peace and not complain too much. And now He’s rewarded me with this wonderful trip when I needed it the most.

Oh my people, it’s a gospel true fact that our God doesn’t give us more than we can bear. Take my word for it, for I’m living testimony to it.

What more can I say to You Lord but Thank You! Thank You from the depths of my heart! And You know that’s true, because You can read my heart!

And I was just going to look for and appropriate Bit, but Friends, the still small voice inside whispered there’s only one Bit worthy of this time, and here it is: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’

And that my Friends is indisputable, unequivocal truth! Again, I am living testimony of that! But you will never find it out unless you give it up to Him, put your trust and every faith in Him. Until you look at life through the eyes of faith, and go through the testing that He will put you through, you won’t truly know the good rewards of God!

And I just heard Carlene Davis singing an old standard in reggae, and I was stepping to it, as best as I could, as I went inside to get my Bible. And I think that it’s a most fitting way to conclude this first, of hopefully many more Bits from Tobago for this 2105 season.

Please sing along with me Friends. ‘Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss. From victory unto victory His army shall He lead, Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the solemn watchword hear; If while ye sleep He suffers, away with shame and fear; Where’er ye meet with evil, within you or without, Charge for the God of battles, and put the foe to rout.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey; Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day.Ye that are brave now serve Him against unnumbered foes; Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone; The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own.Put on the Gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer; Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, each soldier to his post, Close up the broken column, and shout through all the host: Make good the loss so heavy, in those that still remain,And prove to all around you that death itself is gain.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long; This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song. To those who vanquish evil a crown of life shall be; They with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.’

Oh my people, there couldn’t be a more fitting end to today’s Bit, so I hope you’ll take the ole fella’s advice and those of the great men of God and run with it today! It’s heavenly wisdom mih breddren!

Till tomorrow then, our great God in favour, may the Lord bless and keep you and cause his face to shine upon you and give you his peace that passes all understanding and His wisdom that will enable you to live a good and godly and prosperous life down here on earth. Much LOVE!

…to LOVE Jesus…and work sincerely and diligently for Him…is the only thing that makes sense here on earth…