Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 November 2007 Haggai 1: 5-7‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Haggai 1:5-7   Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider you ways. Ye have sown much and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
 
I like that suggestion  from the Most High; Consider your ways! Apparently at that particular time, the Israelites were living in good houses while the Lord’s lay in ruins. So He sent the prophet Haggai to talk to Zerubbabel, the son of the Governor of Judah, and Joshua, the son of the High Priest. Note, He did not talk to the two fathers who were actually in power, but to the sons. Shows that He needed new blood, to accomplish the tasks He had in mind. And our God certainly has a most interesting way of getting His message across. He says; Now look here, yuh sowing plenty, but yuh only reaping little bit. Yuh eating and drinking, but yuh not satisfied. Yuh wearing clothes- plenty fine dan dan – but nobody warm in them. And the ones of you who actually working and earning a honest penny, all yuh doh have nothing to show for it. Oonoo doh have no savings! Wuh happen? Like oonoo putting oonoo money in a bag full a holes or something? Hn,hn,hn! I had to chuckle after writing that. But it hit the nail on the head. I just like His modus operandi, because I didn’t choose Today’s Bit either. I simply asked for guidance in choosing one and opened the Good Book, right at the beginning of Haggai and saw those words, Consider your ways, underlined in green. This is also the first time I’ve ever taken a Bit from Haggai. I don’t even have the book listed amongst my possible Bits. Friends, this tells me that the Most High is also sending us that same message. Just look at our current society: more people are working at two or three jobs than ever before, and still can’t make ends meet. Plus look at stuff like homeless shelters, food banks and soup kitchens. Previously, food banks and soup kitchens were only open during times of war, but now…hn! they’re open all the time, and can’t even get enough food to satisfy the people who come for aid. Imagine that nuh people! In such prosperous times as these, where people working harder than ever, but yet their standard of living is falling. That doh make sense. There’s never been a time of more poverty, homelessness, loss of jobs, drug and alcohol abuse, despair, discontent, violence, greed, suicide, hypocrisy, outright wrongdoing and evil, except possibly for the Depression and Prohibition Era. That sterile cliché; the poor is getting poorer, while the rich is getting richer, has never been truer. Oh Friends, People! Why is it, like the Israelites of old, we’re putting out more, but receiving less? We must be doing something wrong, somewhere.  And just like those Israelites, I believe the Most High is sending us the same message…CONSIDER YOUR WAYS!  Much LOVE!…if we seriously consider our ways, we definitely can make worthwhile improvement. 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 November 2007 Hebrews 4:16‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Hebrew’s 4:16    Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
 
Strong, powerful, encouraging words from Paul today. He’s saying that we should come before the Father with confidence and ask for whatever we need. Note however, that that confidence should be wrapped in an underlying humility, not laced with boastful pride or arrogance, for there’s nothing our Father dislikes more than a proud, arrogant person. And Paul’s reason for such a statement? He claims we have a High Priest in Heaven; J.C. intervening on our behalf, who was, at one stage, human like us, and though He remained sinless, He’s nonetheless very aware of our weaknesses and problems with the enemy because He was also tempted during His brief sojourn down here. So we should not be afraid to talk to Him since He understands what we’re going through. But remember  Friends, there must always be an air of humility, not grovelling, but a sincere respect when we communicate with the Most High. He likes, strong, confident followers, all leaders do, but they must also be obedient and follow the rules. So if we are sincerely trying to be obedient servants, there’s no need to fear when we find ourselves in a jam. In fact, He has steadfastly maintained that we should always come to Him first. Yes people, the Lord’s the first avenue of help we should seek when things get rough. If we need to go to other mortals, then He’ll direct us to them, but He should always be our first line of both defence and offence. In light of the promises He’s made; to always be with us, to help and guide us, to empower us with His Holy Spirit, how can it be otherwise eh Friends? He’s the most powerful Being in the universe…Our Heavenly Father! Much LOVE!…and remember, no entity can grow without strong, confident, obedient members.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 November 2007 Isaiah 43:..1-3…‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 43:..1-3…   …Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by name; thou art mine. When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers; they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy saviour…
 
Oh what a wonderful, loving, thoughtful God we worship! Who else but Him would think to utter those soulful words of comfort and reassurance eh? And believe you me, we certainly do need lots of reassurance in these crazy times. Yes Friends, although we can’t always be bubbly and bright, there’s no need to be overly downhearted either. We can assume an even keel, thanks to the Most High, who has weighed in with a powerful promise. Fear not! He proclaims. That alone should be enough to strengthen our hearts and minds. But He’s such an awe inspiring Being, and knowing our fragility, He expands on it: I have redeemed thee, called thee by name, thou art mine! How wonderful! And not only does He acknowledge His Fatherhood, He also assures us that He’ll be with us in times of trouble: neither floods nor fire shall harm us, because He’s the Lord, Our God, Our Saviour! What an awesome, heart-warming promise! How can we not LOVE and honour Him? So Friends, with that heavenly reassurance, let’s go forth, united and strong in His LOVE, and enthusiastically do the work He’s called us to do. As always…Much LOVE!…with plenty faith and enthusiasm.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 November 2007 Genesis 5: 25-27‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Genesis 5:25-27    And Methuselah lived an hundred and eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech: And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech, seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.
 
Today was one of those days when I could not decide what to write about. None of the powerful underlinings in my Bible stirred me. I felt a need to talk about something different. So I began at the front of the Bible, flipping through the pages. I didn’t get very far, Genesis 5, to be exact, when a bright orange underlining, the last verse, caught my eye. It spoke about Noah being five hundred years old when he fathered three sons. That still did not thrill me, but for some reason I began reading backwards, and lo and behold I discovered the story of Methuselah. I had to chuckle because I realized it was a ‘Divine Moment.’  I had not heard about Methuselah in ages, but shortly before that, he’d been mentioned in a Devotional I read. His claim to fame was being the person to live the longest in mankind’s storied history: Nine hundred and sixty nine years…Wow! His father, Enoch, had him at sixty five, but lived for another three hundred years, producing children. Methuselah himself was a hundred and eighty seven when he had Lamech, Noah’s father. And Noah was born when Lamech was a hundred and eighty two. So what’s happened since then eh? How come we’re considered lucky to get to seventy? And most of us have already lost the power to father children long before that. Back in those olden times they didn’t have the wonderful technology and medicines that we now have either. So how did we get from there to here? I guess that they also did not have the deadly diseases we’ve faced. It was a much simpler time: Physical work was the order of the day. Nights were long and restful. No setta partying and staying out late, nor as many demands on their time, so possibly less stress. I’m sure they had their own stressors, but nothing like us. And yes…the food. It was all organic. No pesticides, or all the other carcinogens we put in our food to make it look good or last long. And all this talk about organic now…chuh! It’s just so much talk, because once we introduce the unhealthy stuff  anywhere in the food chain, it’s highly likely to spread; whether it’s windblown, or transmitted by insects, animals or humans. So what’s the purpose of this discourse you ask? Truthfully, I’m not sure. I believe the Holy Spirit just lead me to make the longevity comparison between our forefathers and ourselves, possibly to highlight our negative tendencies where food and parenting are concerned, and encourage us to curb them in whatever little way we can. Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear (smile)

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 November 2007 Jeremiah 9: 23-24‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Jeremiah 9:23-24    Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches. But let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I the Lord which exercises loving kindness, judgement and righteousness, in the earth, for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.
 
Woe be unto all those who take excessive pride in their wisdom, power and riches! It could not be put any simpler than Jeremiah does in Today’s Bit. But Friends we still do it. We allow our accomplishments and the possessions we amass to take centre stage in our lives. I know it’s difficult to refrain from doing that, when our society is structured for those things to be first and foremost. We’ve been conditioned to look up to, revere those with wealth, wisdom and power. They’re held up as paragons of virtue, ones we should emulate. But that’s not always true people; it’s just the enemy trying to lure us into his wicked web. A lot of that wealth and power has been obtained and propagated through evil, unjust, unfair means, and giving pride of place to those things is certainly not what our God desires from us. He wants us to put HIM front and centre! If there’s anything we’re going to pound our chest and boast about, it should be that we know the Most High; we understand that He’s the One and Only True God, that rules the earth with justice, kindness and mercy. That’s what He delights in. Those are the kind of things He wants us to concentrate on. Not on the ephemeral, transient, wicked and destructive things of the world. So Friends, please, let’s elevate Him, give Him, pride of place in our hearts and lives.  Much LOVE! ….remember, all things shall pass away, except the righteousness of God!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 November 2007 Matthew 18:20‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Matthew 18:20    For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
 
What an awesome promise! Unswerving reassurance from J.C. that wherever believers choose to get together, in whatever number, even the smallest possible group of two, He will be there in the midst, with His Holy Spirit to guide and protects us. He’s already with us individually, but this promise covers associations and gatherings of believers. Like in the early days of Christianity, when believers were constantly persecuted and cruelly punished for their faith in J.C. Check out, Paul, Stephen, John the Baptist. They all suffered for their faith, with beatings, imprisonment, stoning and with John, even beheading. And sadly, unfortunately, that sort of thing is still happening today. Yes Friends, in this modern, supposedly enlightened world, there are still many places where Christians are not allowed to practice their faith, neither privately or publicly, and so have got to resort to playing hide and seek with the authorities to simply talk about their God. That’s why J.C made that promise. He knew the rough times His followers would face, and He wanted to reassure us, to keep our faith burning brightly even under the most difficult situations or horrendous conditions. But wait, a thought just occurred to me. Why won’t these countries with other belief systems allow Christianity to be practiced openly eh? Is it because they’re afraid? Afraid of the awesome Power and Truth of the Word? Afraid that if they allow it to flow freely, that one day it will vanquish their belief system? And since we’re supposed to be spreading the Word, Friends, we need to come together consistently and talk about Him. Words were meant to be spoken, so to do our duty, we have to talk to somebody about it. And let’s not be afraid to do so. I know many of us are hesitant because of the negative reaction it still receives in some circles, but we can overcome that fear, because J.C promised that wherever and whenever we come together and call His Holy Name, be it in the largest church congregation or simply two strangers on a dark street corner, He will be there in the midst…His Holy Presence will always be betwixt and between any coming together of His followers. And we know He never breaks promises. Much LOVE!…and let’s remember to pray for those unfortunate brethren who cannot worship freely like us. They desperately need our prayers to keep their faith alive. 
 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 November 2007 James 5: 7-8‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

James 5:7-8    Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient: stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
 
Patience is probably the second most important aspect of Christianity, especially as it pertains to the Second Coming of J.C, which James talks about in Today’s Bit. After you become a believer, the next step is to learn to wait. That’s because the Most High makes many promises, but He keeps them according to His own timetable, not ours. As He says, His ways are not our ways, and He’s the boss. So until we understand this, and learn to wait until He’s good and ready, we’ll always be frustrated. That’s not an easy thing to learn in the best of times, but is made even more difficult by the high speed, instantaneous society in which we now live. Speed seems to be the new aphrodisiac. But that’s not our God’s style. He believes in taking His time. He sets everything in place, then like a meandering river enjoying the scenery, or like fine wine mellowing in a dusty cellar, He sits back and watches it unfold. Consequently, we tend to have our faith tested regularly. And, in the agricultural society of our forefathers, the analogy of watering, sowing, waiting and reaping would have been one they easily understood. So if you believe in The Birth and The  Resurrection, then the biggest promise left to be fulfilled is The Second Coming, which you’ve also got to believe, if you’re a believer. The problem is, we don’t know when that will happen. True, J.C made that promise two thousand years ago, and though it has not happened as yet, He emphasized that it could happen at any time, maybe tomorrow, or even a further two thousand years later. But it’s coming, we’re sure of that. It’s another test of our faith, possibly the biggest. That’s why James is saying that we should set our house in order NOW! Get our heart right with God NOW! Then be patient and wait, so that whenever He comes again, we’ll be ready. Much LOVE!…please, please, don’t procrastinate…do it NOW!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 November 2007 Esther 4:13-14‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Esther 4:13-14.    Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther. Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the King’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place: but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
 
We all know the story of Esther, the orphan girl who became Queen of Babylon under King Ahasuerus without divulging her Jewish ancestry, on the advice of her guardian, Mordecai. Sometime later though, when the King made Haman, an arrogant, egotist his new C.E.O, things turned sour. Haman wanted people to bow and scrape before him like the King decreed, but Mordecai refused. This made Haman angry, and when he found out that Mordecai was Jewish, he turned it into a vendetta against the Jews. He pointed out their diversity to his boss, and the fact that they did not follow the King’s laws, and talked the King into signing a decree that all Jews should be killed on the the 13th day of the 12th month, Adar, and their possessions taken as spoil. Ah Lord eh! Sadly, nothing has changed today; diversity and differences are still being selfishly and egotistically used as reasons for destroying individual groups of people. Obviously this decree distressed the Jewish citizens, and eventually Mordecai told Esther she had to go to the King and plead their cause. Poor Esther; caught between a rock and a hard place. The King had not called her in a month, and if she went in uninvited, and he did not raise his golden sceptre to her, she would be automatically put to death, not to mention that she would also have to divulge her Jewish heritage. That’s when Mordecai scolded her with Today’s Bit. She should not think that because she was a part of the King’s household she would escape the fate of the Jews. And if she did not stand up for her people, they would still find deliverance from some other source, but she and her family would surely perish. Most important though, was his theory that that might just be the reason she had been placed in such an exalted position at that particular time; to be a spokesperson for her people. And Friends, that might just have been true. We all know that our God works in mysterious ways that we can never imagine or hope to understand. But whatever He does or allows, is always for our benefit, even though it may not seem so at the time. So, if today, or someday, we find ourselves amongst hostile unbelievers, don’t automatically despair. Take heart and stand strong, for who knows if our Almighty Father might just have placed us there for some great purpose, or even a small one, that will eventually bring honour and glory to His Name.  Much LOVE! …a believer’s journey is never easy, but through faith and consistent communication with The Most High, we can surely make it.
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 November 2007 Revelation 15:2-4‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Revelation 15: 2-4    And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of  God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgements are made manifest.
 
That’s the way John saw it in his dreams about Judgement Day. This particular moment was just before the seven angels got ready with their seven vials of God’s wrath to spread the seven last plagues on the earth, on the worshippers of evil. According to John, those of us who had already conquered the beast through faith in J.C. were standing on a sea of glass, with a background of fire, playing glorious music on our golden harps, joyfully singing the songs of Moses and the Lamb; J.C, worshipping, giving praise and thanks as one, in a loud, harmonious voice, shouting, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy……… Yes Friends! That’s the way it’s going to be on the biggest day in Christendom: J.C’s second coming! The day when he finally returns in all his splendour and glory, not like His first, in a lowly manger, but in a manner befitting His princely heritage. O People, what a day that will be! There’ll never be another like it. A day of praise and thanksgiving, a joyous morn, when all of us believers meet in heaven and settle down to spend eternity with our Most Wonderful Lord and Saviour, J.C. at the right hand of the Father; The Most High. Hallelujah! Praise His Holy Name People! Much LOVE!…. please hurry up and get on that train bound for glory, cause we don’t know when it’s leaving, and it will be truly disastrous if you’re not there, when our conductor, J.C. happily sings out…All aboard…all aboard the glory train!…. Next stop….HEAVEN!
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 November 2007 Psalm 49: 16-20‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 49: 16-20    Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. He shall go to the generation of his fathers: they shall never see the light. Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
 
Trust Bruh David to tell it like it is. In this Psalm he’s lamenting the excessive value and trust we place in worldly wealth and possessions. Earlier on, he says that those who trust in and boast about their riches can’t redeem the soul of their brother or ransom him with God, regardless of how much they have. So why hold it in such high esteem eh, especially since we can’t take it with us when we die? Some of the ancients, like the Pharaohs of Egypt, did try, unsuccessfully of course. Some try to get around this by leaving it to others, thinking that their names and riches would live on in posterity, but only a few actually do. All the wealth is left right here, for the living to divide, fight over and dissipate. And it surely seems that great wealth creates great problems: Look at how so many of the wealthy live; in constant strife and acrimony. The time spent getting the wealth means you’re always on the go, creating more stress, with less time to actually enjoy the fruits of your labour, less time with your friends and family too, consequently more divorces, estrangements, psychiatric problems, custody cases, insecure children, not forgetting that it heightens the inherent negative human trait; the more we have, the more we want. There’s nothing wrong in being wealthy, or acquiring wealth. It’s how we look at it and use it. So as Bruh Dave says, don’t be afraid or worried when the Most High gives you and increase. It’s only a tool to be used for good in this life, and you’re only the current steward. So though your wealth might make you feel important, with all the usual sycophants, hangers on etc, praising and fawning over you, don’t let that get to your head, because in due course you’ll leave it all behind, if you don’t blow it first. And as he concludes, the person who is blessed by the Most High with earthly riches and doesn’t understand that it’s not the end all and be all, then he’s just as ignorant as the beasts who don’t have thinking brains, but dies just like man. So Friends, please, let’s wake up and smell the roses; let’s stop pursuing earthly wealth as though it’s going out of style. It was here long before us and will be here long after us. As J.C. said, let’s lay up treasure in heaven instead, that doesn’t spoil or rust. Much LOVE!…remember, stress is the biggest killer in this fast paced, supposedly, wealthy, advanced, intelligent ‘civilization.’

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