Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 January 2008 John 14: 16-18‏

21 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 14: 16-18    And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
 
Another marvellous promise of Jesus: If you believe in Him, He will comfort you through the Holy Spirit. Most definitely my Friends! Today, we’re continuing with Jesus’ last strategy session with His disciples. He knew that His grand entrance on the main stage was imminent, that the curtain would soon rise and set in motion the most powerful story in Man’s History. So like any good general and wise leader, He brought His troops together to finalize their battle plans, so that everyone would be on the same page when the battle was joined. In Today’s Bit, He is reassuring them that they won’t be leaderless, since He would not be there in the flesh, or bear the brunt of battle alone, cause He would pray to the Father, who would send them another Comforter, one that would stay with them forever. The Spirit of Truth would be sent to dwell within them. A Spirit only people like them, who had seen and known Him, and therefore the Father, could receive. Then, with the disciples undoubtedly hanging on His every word, He promised with the utmost sincerity:  ‘I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.’  Friends, I don’t know how the disciples felt, whether they were really reassured, what with all the controversy Jesus had stirred up in the area by His unconventional teaching, and the turmoil His crucifixion would soon cause, but I do know that we are the lucky recipients of their faith, hard work and suffering. We have no cause to doubt or be afraid. We know for a fact that He kept His promise to have the Holy Spirit dwell within and comfort them, and He does the same for each believer. Jesus knew that His followers would face a lot of difficulty in spreading His Word, which did not jive with the accepted norm, that’s why He arranged a help-mate for us; the Holy Spirit. Friends, that help-mate is Jesus, in Spirit form, keeping His promise. ‘I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.’  Much LOVE!…remember…the Most High said…Not by might, nor by power…but by My Spirit…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 January 2008 John 14: 6-7‏

20 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 14: 6-7    Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
 
More powerful, encouraging, liberating words people, from the One and Only! His answer to the query of doubting Thomas, about where He was going and how He would get there. It’s a continuation of yesterday’s prep talk that Jesus gave His disciples concerning His ascension. Friends, these are some of the most important words ever spoken. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ How profound! But also simple and straightforward. If you want to get into the Father’s presence, you’ve got to go through the Son. Guess we could liken Him to the Executive Assts. of some of today’s CEO’s. You can’t darken their space unless you go through the Assistant first. So there it is Friends, laid out in plain terms for us. If we want to come into God’s presence, we’ve first got to make an appointment with His Executive Asst; His Son; Jesus Christ, otherwise we’ll never get to where the Father’s holding court. Jesus also made another interesting, slightly rebuking comment to His disciples, saying that if they had really known Him, Jesus, they would also have known His Father, but from then, they could consider themselves to have known and also seen Him. That’s because Jesus was just like His Father. As we say, ‘oh, he looks just like his father eh, a chip of the old block!’  But Jesus was more than just a chip, He was the ‘spitting image’: the Father in Son form. That’s why He could afford to make those seemingly rash and outlandish statements. And we’ve also got to understand that the disciples were simple, down to earth, uneducated folk, who had forsaken their friends and families, and in some cases a decent livelihood, to follow this unconventional preacher, who, having put their lives in jeopardy, was now telling them that He was going away and all that other stuff. Of course they would be concerned and confused. Luckily for us though Friends, it’s already been spelt out for us, so we don’t need to be concerned or confused. But it’s also why we have no excuses for not readily accepting the gracious mercy and forgiveness offered through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Friends, I strongly suggest that we all get connected with Him right now, because His train is pulling out for the glory land at any time, and in the immortal words of one of Lord Kitchener’s early calypsos, ‘Last train to San Fernando…and if you miss this one, you’ll never get another one…’  People, this is the ONLY train to Glory! Please, please don’t miss it. Much LOVE!…believe Him when He says…I am the only way… it’s the Gospel Truth…! 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 January 2008 John 14: 1-3‏

19 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 14: 1-3    Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you  unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.
 
Oh Friends, what a heart-warming bit of encouragement! From our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, no less. ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.’ Ahhh! Can’t you just feel the weight of the world fall right off your weary shoulders? (smile). But People, it’s for real; very consoling and reassuring. We take comfort from lesser statements of lesser mortals, how much more comforting it is to hear the immortal Son of God, say to us. ‘Let not your heart be troubled ‘ eh? Plenty, plenty consoling and comforting, reassuring and encouraging! Jesus is talking to His disciples, explaining what He expected of them, and what was to be, prepping them for His ascension. He was at the top of His game, and went on to make the most awesome promise. ‘I go to prepare a place for you.’ His disciples were obviously baffled by His statement, as evidenced by Thomas saying in Verse 5. ‘Lord, we know not whither thou goest.’  But today Friends, we aren’t baffled, not in the least. We know exactly what He meant and where He was going: To His Father’s house in Heaven, the one with many mansions, where He would begin preparing a place for us, and all those who’ve ever believed in Him, so that when He comes again in all His Glory and Majesty, He’ll take us Home to be with Him forever; right through eternity. And if you don’t believe me, a lesser mortal, then Friends, listen to the words of the one and only, Jesus Christ; Son of the Most High, Redeemer of Sins, Saviour of His People, Light of the World: ‘I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.’ Amen! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Give thanks to our Wonderful Saviour! The ole fella’s fired up people. (smile) So stop worrying and fretting. Let’s just get right down to the nitty gritty and do the work we’ve been called to do. He will always be there to help us. Gospel Truth People! Much Much LOVE My Friends!…remember… promises of the Most High…the Most Faithful…are never broken…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 January 2008 Romans 3: 17-18‏

18 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Romans 3: 17-18    And the way of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
 
It’s so sad Friends, that those words are applicable to way too many of us today. Peace! What’s that? A veritable figment of our imagination, since we only pay lip service to it. How can it be otherwise eh, when most of the earth is consumed by war and unholy strife? In Romans 3, Paul is comparing the Jews and Gentiles way of life, how each relates to God. His conclusion. None is better; ‘…they are all under sin…there is none righteous, no, not one.’ And he goes on to show that both groups have the same shortcomings, which includes Today’s Bit. We seem to be war mongers much more than lovers of peace. We are the only animal that kills for fun. All others kill for either food or protection. But the human animal takes great joy in killing, especially itself, for rather, spurious, insignificant reasons; greed, simple fun, perceived disrespect, differences in culture and outward appearance, religious fanaticism, or some other kind of ism. All to what purpose eh people? The many wars and conflicts that have engulfed and damaged our beautiful earth over the last few centuries have proven or solved nothing. It’s basically the same issues over and over again, some in just a different guise. Somebody thinks they are better, or more worthy in some egotistical, and/or hypocritical way than some body else, or they feel aggrieved by some perceived injustice, and away we go. Is it worth all the turmoil and destruction? I don’t think so. And the worst part is that a lot of it is done in the name of God. How contradictory eh! All the religions preach Peace and LOVE, but they all wage war on the same premise. How disheartening.  As Bruh Paul claims, ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ We obviously don’t revere and respect Him enough, else we would not be engaged in so much conflict, certainly not in His Name. Oh Friends, we’re sliding down a slippery slope to total destruction, and we’re picking up speed too. There aren’t too many areas left where serious confrontation is not the order of the day. And new ones are constantly popping up, without resolving any old ones. So if we’re not careful, our entire planet, beautiful Mother Earth, could soon be engulfed in worldwide conflict from which she’ll never recover. Is this the legacy we want to leave? I doubt it. The only way to avoid this is for all of us to seriously start mending fences, building and repairing bridges that have caused  the angry, unholy divisions amongst God’s children. Friends, let’s start doing it now, today, before it’s too late. Let’s talk to our rulers, our politicians, the power brokers, our neighbours, friends and families, to ourselves. We have enough natural disasters to deal with, we don’t need a whole set of stupid, unnecessary man made ones too. Much LOVE!…consider this…societies that ignore God’s word…eventually perish…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 January 2008 2 Timothy 3: 10-12‏

17 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Timothy 3: 10-12    But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience. Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
 
Oh Friends, it is indeed a rough and rocky road we travel when we set out to be sincere followers of Jesus Christ. Nobody knew this better than Paul. He certainly paid the price for his beliefs. Say what yuh want about him, he always stood up for his convictions, and did his work with positive zeal. He persecuted the early Church  with such a frenzy, that even after his conversion, believers were still scared of him. But it’s with that same zealous spirit that he embarked on his work for Christ. None of the other Apostles seemed driven like him. As he tells his protégé, Timothy, ‘But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience.’ Yes Friends, Jesus said it, and He spoke from hard experience too; anyone who follows Him will experience much heartache and sorrow. Paul echoed that, not only in words but in his life. He didn’t falter in spite of all the affliction he suffered. In fact, he said it made him strong, when he suffered for Christ. Right on Bruh Paul! However Friends, a faithful walk with J.C doesn’t mean we’ll all suffer like Paul, or Jesus, Himself. It just means that at times we’ll have a tough, uphill climb, because the things we’re trying to instil, like peace, LOVE, kindness, mercy and forgiveness run contrary to the teachings of the world, which is currently controlled by the powers of evil. So obviously they will resent our positive actions, because if we succeed, sorry, when we succeed, they’ll lose their evil choke hold on the world, be destroyed and cast into outer darkness, along with their wicked ways. So do not despair people. We’re on the winning team. Any team that has Jesus as its leader can’t help but win. The going might be rough, but at the end of time, there’s no doubt about the winner! As Bruh Paul staunchly stated, ‘what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.’ Friends, He’ll do the same for us. He won’t let us suffer unnecessarily, if we are doing His will. And no suffering will be in vain. So let’s stand strong! With the help of the Holy Spirit, let’s resist the enemy, and with a steely faith, do whatever the Most High has called us to do. He’s promised to be always with us. On that you can rely. It’s like money in the bank…the good ones,that is. (smile) Much LOVE!   remember…though the road may be rough…and the way dark…the light of victory shines brightly at the end…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 January 2008 Hebrews 13: 1-3‏

16 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Hebrews 13: 1-3    Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourself also in the body.
 
Today’s Bit was easy, as it was one of those I had to choose from yesterday. It also continues in the same vein; talking about the traits we need to cultivate and practice. Bruh Paul is telling the Hebrews to let brotherly LOVE continue. That’s for sure, since it’s somewhat difficult, if not impossible to claim you LOVE Jesus, whom you’ve never seen, and not LOVE your brother whom you’ve seen. Also be careful when you’re entertaining strangers. Always give of your best, because it could be an angel, a good samaritan, or somebody who is supposed to play a helpful role in your life, and if you’re anything less than gracious, it could spoil everything the Most High had planned for you. Remember, the Lord plans lots of good stuff for us, but almost always, for it to kick in successfully, we have a part to play, and if we don’t, then we miss out on the good thing. So we’ve got to be very careful how we treat people we don’t know. Paul also encourages us to think about those who are in bonds, whether it be in jail, as hostages, or whatever situation that reduces their freedom. The same thing goes for those suffering other types of adversity; be it sickness, a natural or man made disaster. We need to put ourselves in their place, pray for them, then do whatever we can to help. It’s so easy in these turbulent and unsettled times to lose your freedom, your material possessions, your health and even your life. And if any mishap befalls us, we’ll surely be looking for help and sympathy too. Bruh Paul recognized the need for us to stick together, to help each other. That’s the only way any group can survive, much less prosper. It’s all about empathy, kindness, brotherly LOVE; walking in Christ’s footsteps. And although we can never fill His shoes, we must attempt to tread the path of goodness and mercy, righteousness and truth that He has trod. Friends, it’s the only way that we can truly become His followers. Remember, He was a DOER, much more than a talker. And this quote from the song ‘Behold’ by Culture, admirably reflects these sentiments. ‘This world is like a mirror. If you face it smiling, It will smile right back to you. So do unto others, as you would have them do.’ Much LOVE!…more Culture…the countenance of one man…brighteneth another…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 January 2008 2 Peter 1:5-8‏

15 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Peter 1:5-8    And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue, knowledge. And to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; And to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Hn,Hn! Our God just loves to put obstacles in our way to test us yes. Some days I have trouble finding one Bit, today though, I found about five right off the bat, but could not decide which one to use. Like it’s either feast or famine. So after about ten minutes of frustrating indecision, I just said, ‘Chuh!’ and put it aside. A couple hours later, I came back, opened the Good Book at 2 Peter, and without hesitation, decided that was it. And Today’s Bit is such a moving, all encompassing piece of Scripture, that I’m surprised I never paid it any attention before, even though it’s underlined in red. Anyway, it just sets out neatly, the things we should endeavour to cultivate in our lives, and the lives of those around us. We should be diligent in whatever we do, and add stuff like virtue and knowledge to our faith. As well as temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity. Wow! It sure is a lot to ask, but those are the traits Jesus wants His followers to possess, and actively practice. Remember J.C’s Ministry is not one of simply talking, but more importantly about DOING. And, as Bruh Pete says, if you have these attributes and put them to good use, then you will not be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord. The seeds you sow will take strong root, grow tall and bear abundant fruit. At the end of Verse 10, he unequivocally states, ‘for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.’  And that’s the living truth my people! Yes, it’s a difficult task, what with the enemy trying his best to derail our noble intentions at every turn. But take heart Friends. J.C doesn’t expect us to always get it right. He knows we’re not perfect like Him. However, He does expect us to get it right most of the time. And the only way to do that is to practice. Yuh know, the practice makes perfect thing. And if He sees that we’re sincerely trying, He’ll certainly helps us. So, if we want to be good stewards of His inheritance, let’s start doing more of these things that Bruh Peter outlined nuh. Let’s diligently seek virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity, and add them to our walk of faith. That way, when Jesus looks down on us, He’ll be forced to raise His right hand in a clenched salute and exclaim ‘WOW! What wonderful followers!’ Much LOVE!…there’s nothing more rewarding…than selfless actions…that make the Most High smile…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 January 2008 Psalm 107:6,8-9.‏

14 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 107: 6, 8-9.    Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distress. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men. For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
 
Oh Friends, Bruh David’s cry has been an ongoing occurrence ever since the Lord brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. When we find ourselves in rough waters, because of our disobedience, we cry out to Him for help. And, being the ever-loving and merciful Patron, He helps us. Sadly though, when  prosperous and rollicking times return, we conveniently forget Him, until the unwise decisions of our sinful, disobedient desires once again cause us pain. And what…? We go running to Him one more time. And, being the fount of forgiveness and LOVE…He relieves our distress again. Oh People, when is it going to end eh? When are we going to wake up and learn that although He is ever-loving and forgiving, He is not a pushover. He will not allow us to take advantage of His merciful and forgiving nature forever. And this does not apply only to the overall society, but also to our individual lives. The Most High does expect us to make some mistakes, it’s the nature of the beast, but continual, wilful disobedience is entirely different. Hn! And then we have the ‘brass faced gall’ to run to Him and ask for help. Even on the odd occasion when He’s gotten tired of our two faced whimpering and said, forget it, I don’t know you, look elsewhere for help, and allows us to suffer some, it doesn’t even last long. The Israelites suffered what…couple hundred years in Egypt, 40 in the wilderness, and about another hundred in Babylon…a miniscule amount of time in His sight. And individually, the ‘sufferation’ time is usually even shorter. That’s why Bruh David, in one of his most powerful and poignant psalms, lamenting the continual disobedience of the Lord’s supposed people, was forced to plead; ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men. For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ Friends, if individually confronted, we would all acknowledge the truth of those statements. So why, in heaven’s name, can’t we do better than we’re doing now eh? If each of us just improved our obedience to His will, just one ‘mite’ – remember ‘one one cocoa full basket,’ and ‘take care of the cents, the dollars will take care of themselves,’ – it’s the same way our society would benefit and improve, because a society is only a sum of individuals, whose behaviour, attitudes and beliefs, shape its overall outlook. So Friends, like Bruh David, I’m pleading with us, starting today, right now, let’s all clean up our individual acts, before it affects our society in some horrendous, negative manner… time’s running out. Much LOVE!…apparently we’ve forgotten…that the wages of sin…is death…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 January 2008 Psalm 43:5‏

13 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 43:5    Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
 
Give Him lots of thanks and praise People! For He’s such a kind, loving, gracious God who never ceases to amaze me. I had no problems finding a Bit today, it found me. I got up feeling somewhat down and tired. Nothing was really wrong, but there was just this general sense of dissatisfaction within my being. However, while going through my daily devotions, I opened this devotional titled ‘Footprints.’  Scripture with reflections inspired by the poem of the same name. It talks about walking on the beach and asking the Lord how come He promised to always walk with us and in good times there were two sets of footprints in the sand, but in times of trouble, there was only one. And the reply was, My Child, when you only saw one set of footprints, that’s when I carried you. Touche! Everyday I read a few passages from it, today though, I only read one, because as soon as I opened it, my eyes fell right on that quote of Bruh David. And you know what? The malaise in my soul immediately disappeared, I knew that all would be well, and my spirits soared. O thank you Lord! Obviously I had to chuckle at His behind the scenes machinations, and as always, His timing was magnificent. So how can I not LOVE and cherish Him eh?  How can we all not revere Him? He’s never broken a promise, and never will. Bruh David learned this from hard experience, that’s why even at his lowest, he could confidently say, ‘Hope in God.’  I’m sure we can all remember times, I remember many, when we’d thought that ‘crapaud had finally smoked we pipe’ (smile) but with impeccable timing, right on the ball, He came through for us. O Friends, the enemy is constantly bombarding us with emissions of evil, and we’re not always strong enough to resist them by ourselves, but with the Most High, before, behind and beside us…well people, the enemy doesn’t stand a chance…even in hell! How awesome and appropriate! The devil can’t even win in his own backyard with the Most High on our team. So let’s all rise up and give Him thanks and praise for being ‘the health of our countenance, and our God,’ such a wonderful Father, to his wayward and oftimes disobedient children. Praise His Holy Name People!  Hn,hn! I’m so fired up now that I’ve got to force my self to stop. (smile) It’s the easiest Bit I’ve written so far. Can’t get any easier. Whoa! Lemme shut up yes, because Our Mighty God, with His exquisite sense of humour, and with whom all things are possible, might one day, just for the fun of it, decide to prove me wrong, or make it harder now, because I’ve gotten cocky. But Friends, whichever way it runs, I know He’ll be there for me. Much LOVE!…and always remember…when the way seems dark and dreary… don’t lose faith…still hope in God…even more… if that’s possible…for He’s the Way…the Truth…and the Light…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 January 2008 Habakkuk 2:9‏

12 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Habakkuk 2:9    Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil.
 
Remember this Friends? Thou shalt not covet! It’s one of those ten basic rules the Most High instructed the Israelites to live by after he brought them out of bondage in Egypt. Not that they followed it. Neither do we. To covet, simply means badly wanting something that’s not ours, craving another’s belongings. It’s only natural to see other people’s possessions and desire to have likewise. The problem arises when we desire it so badly it becomes an obsession. Then we must have it at any cost. That drives us to do negative or evil acts to satisfy that greedy, ‘gravalicious’ desire. It’s an interesting web of words that Habakkuk weaves in Today’s Bit. Covet an evil covetousness, to set his nest on high, to be delivered from the power of evil. Hn! It’s bad enough to covet, but to crave something evil is even worse. And it only heaps more burning coals of fire on your head when the evil you covet is a means of exalting your position, whether it be financial, social or political, in the false hope that your exalted position will keep the powers of darkness and evil away from your doors. Friends, that’s a losing proposition from the start. If you begin with greed and evil, you can only end with more greed and evil. Oh People! Please realize that once you get involved with greed and evil they just drag you down, further and further down into the bottomless abyss of dark despair and destruction. Neither of them bring anything constructive to the table. They are like parasites, leeches; attach themselves to a good and wholesome host, then suck the lifeblood out of it. And our prosperous world is so full of seemingly beautiful and appropriate things to have. But beware! All that glitters is not gold! Most of it is superficial stuff without any real substance. Another possible pothole lies in the price. To acquire some of it you might just have to sell your soul to the devil. Friends, is that a price we want to pay? No way! Nothing on this earth is worth that! Especially when we already have a provider and protector more powerful, loving and understanding than the evil one. Friends, let’s try to reduce our wanting for the enticing things of this world nuh. Some are nice to possess, and some we need, but most of it is only there to confuse and drive us crazy; right into the choking clutches of covetousness. Let’s try and be satisfied with what the Most High places on our plate. He will increase us when the time is right. Much LOVE!…remember…the forces of darkness can produce nothing but themselves…on an even greater scale…

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries