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 21 June 2015 Ecclesiastes 12:1‏‏

21 Jun 2015 Leave a comment

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

Ecclesiastes 12:1.    Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not (before the evil days come), nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them.

HAPPY  FATHER’S   DAY!
 
Oh Friends, welcome to a most auspicious day in the annals of mankind! (smile)

And why do I say that? First of all, we’re alive and doing relatively well. Then it’s also Sunday; the day we gather together to sing and praise and worship and glorify our wonderful God and Creator. Thirdly, it’s the first day of summer in the northern climes… And triumphant shouts of ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ reach up to heaven for that blessing.

Yes my people, I know that the winter and spring seasons have been long, spiritually and emotionally tiring and just flat out disgusting and depressing. Now we expect to have at least have a couple months of constant sunshine and warm weather. Although we might soon start complaining that it’s too hot. (smile) But that’s just the nature of the beast.

And last but certainly not least, today is Father’s Day. Wow! If all of that doesn’t make this an auspicious occasion, well then I don’t know what does.

And I’d like to wish ALL the Fathers around the world a Happy Father’s Day! It doesn’t matter whether you’re a good, bad or indifferent Father, today is your day, so please enjoy it.

Now I don’t intend to preach a sermon about being a good father, (smile) but just highlight scriptures that point the way. Before we get to that though, just let me say that good fathers are definitely worth their weight in gold; as economic providers, as well as emotional and spiritual guides.

The father is supposed to be the head of the household, the one with the God-given authority to lead and guide the family with a fine balance of LOVE and discipline as we saw in the scholars explanation yesterday.

Sadly, that is not an easy task, and not all men are capable of doing it, or are even willing to try. And that’s when and where the main unit of society, the family, begins to deteriorate. And once that bed-rock foundation goes, then the society itself will eventually crumble. Unfortunately we’re seeing a lot of that, in fact way too much of that deterioration nowadays. 

Men aren’t standing up to their responsibilities as they should, thus leaving the mothers with too much to do. And though mothers are great, can withstand plenty pressure, they are only human and can only do so much with so little. So all I’m asking us men to do is to please accept our responsibilities as fathers, to live up to the expectations that the name implies.

Children weren’t brought into the world by mothers alone, and if, as many of us are, such big, prideful, egotistical men when we impregnate the ladies, then we ought to be just as big and proud and conscientious to help raise the children that we bring into this evil and godless world. End of sermon. (smile)

Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not (before the evil days come), nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them.’ And we couldn’t find a more appropriate one for this Father’s Day message, because it’s all about teaching our children about the things of God.  

Remember yesterday we highlighted this scripture from Proverbs. ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and (even) when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ (Prov.22:6) Well that’s what being a father is all about.

And earlier on in Proverbs, re a Father’s wisdom, Cousin Sol declares: ‘Hear ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law…. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

When thou goest thy steps shall not be straitened (hindered), and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it (do not travel on it) turn from it and pass away.

For they sleep not, except (unless) they have done mischief (evil); and their sleep is taken away (they are robbed of sleep), unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining (bright) light, that shineth more and more (ever brighter) unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.’ (Prov.4:1-2, 10-19)

Ah mih people, those are some of the things a father ought to be teaching his children; showing them the two ways of living this life, the wise and godly one, and the wicked, ungodly fleshly manner.

Now let’s end with these famous words of advice from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and thy mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture (training) and admonition of the Lord.’ (Eph.6:1-4)  

Yes Friends, it’s a two way street, but it all begins first with the Father, who must teach the children the right and godly way, which includes spiritual education as well as responsibilities and duties. Sad to say, we have not done a good enough job of that with this current generation, that’s why they are so ungodly and irresponsible.

Fathers, and mothers where necessary, please let’s try and improve that nuh, for without those strong foundational building blocks our children will be lost forever. Much LOVE!

…the home is the training ground of the young…and what they learn there…they will practice outside… 

P.S. Friends, will somebody please slap me upside the head for being too lazy to type the headings anew every day, and then making matters worse by forgetting to change the date on some of them. I did it again yesterday.

Chuh! I know many of you don’t notice it, but when I do, it just drives me crazy, because it means I am not doing as excellent a job as I should on the Lord’s business. Anyhow, I know the Lord and you my readers will forgive me, let’s just hope that I can forgive myself. (smile) Much LOVE!