Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 May 2008 Isaiah 66:13‏

11 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 66:13.    As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.                                                                                                           HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Oh People, from that fateful day in the Garden of Eden when sin was born, through disobedience, the female of the species has borne the brunt of the unenviable task of reproduction. ‘Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shall bring forth children…’ Gen.3:16. But as always, when the Lord punishes us, He also provides the wherewithal to withstand it. And so it was with Eve and her female offspring; God gave them the backbone and belly to handle the painful and oftimes fatal duty of child bearing and rearing. And over the ages, Mothers have come to be recognized as a cradle of comfort, from birth to grave. Whenever comfort is needed, it’s generally taken as being the mother’s job. Her maternal instincts just seem to make her better suited for that endeavour. That’s why God compared His help, ‘As to one whom his mother comforteth.’ The Mother is the greatest source of human comfort. It’s the Mother who carries them in her womb, and who suckles them on her sore, tired breasts. It’s also the Mother’s responsibility to nurture and teach them in their formative years. The foundation of our education; discipline, responsibility, et al, is learned on our Mother’s knee or in the cradling comfort of her warm, tender arms. Her wisdom is often more wise (smile) than a man’s, owing to her unique position in the family and society as a whole. Everyday she’s forced to deal with more difficult and diverse problems than most men. The saying that a Mother’s work is never done, is quite true. She’s expected to be a Mother, Wife, Lover, Friend, Medic, Psychic, all wrapped in one, dispensing whatever, when the need arises. And now, in a society where one salary can’t feed a family, two can’t either, to whom do we turn for help, yet again? Mother. She’s now got to be a breadwinner also. And it’s rather sad that Mothers are not appreciated as highly as they should be. We tend to take them for granted. But Friends, the strange and wonderful thing is that most Mother’s do their thing without any thought of personal glory. They know it’s basically a thankless task, but they still persevere, hoping that their offspring will somehow turn out better and brighter than them. I heard it all the time. ‘I’m not doing this for me, but for you.’ And I had a single Mother who worked several jobs, long before that was the norm, yet I never heard her complain one day. So People, today we officially celebrate Mother’s Day, which took much struggle to accomplish, some fifty years ago, but it shouldn’t just be one day, but everyday, we show our deepest LOVE and sincere appreciation. They’re on the go everyday; long before daybreak, till long after sunset. They are the ones who keep most families running and together. So let’s be nice to them year round, even the ones who are failing. They are still our Mothers; they gave us birth, and that deserves respect. It’s so important, God made it one of the Ten Commandments. ‘Honour thy Father and thy Mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ Ex.20:12. And Proverbs, the Book of Wisdom, ends at Chap.31, with ‘The words of King Lemuel, the prophecy that his Mother taught him.’ And he goes on to sing the praises of a good woman, they’re too many to list here. so please read it. But we’ll close with the most appropriate: ‘Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.’ It’s long Friends, but our Mothers deserve it. Much LOVE!…the most thankless, but most fulfilling job…a Mother…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 May 2008 Revelation 3:1-3‏

10 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Revelation 3:1-3    …I know thy works, that thou hast a name, and thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
 
In his vision re the last days, that’s what John was instructed to pen to the church in Sardis, and it seems rather applicable to us today. ‘I know thy works, that thou hast a name, and thou livest, and art dead.’  Sounds like many of us? We’re busy like bees, running hither, thither and yon, doing plenty stuff, a lot of which violates God’s principles, and in the process have acquired a solid reputation. We seem to be alive; saying and doing the right things; we appear to be a pillar of the society, but inside, deep down in our soul, we’re dead. We lack spiritual vigour and vitality, harbour too many ungodly thoughts and actions, where they cannot be seen by man. Not quite the total hypocrite, but far enough along the continuum to be warned: ‘Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before God.’ None of our works will ever be perfect because of our sinful nature, but the Lord wants us to always set our sights in that direction, and aspire to come as close as possible to it. So we need to take inventory of ourselves Friends, see what’s wrong, what’s leading us to disobey God’s word and try and correct those negative things. ‘Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast and repent.’ It’s plain and straightforward. Remember the Word, how it came to you and you listened, but then let it fall by the wayside. Now though, please pay close attention to it, study it and repent of your evil ways. But ‘If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.’ Oh people, we certainly don’t want to be caught napping when Jesus returns; that spells eternal damnation. Vs.4 says: ‘Thou hast a few names…which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.’ Yes Friends, that’s the status we’ve got to work towards; being worthy to walk in white with our Saviour. I’m pleading with us, to start taking account of ourselves right now, and make whatever changes are necessary to be amongst the chosen few, on that beautiful day, when the roll is called up yonder. Much LOVE!…he that hath an ear…let him hear what the Spirit saith…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 May 2008 Isaiah 52:7‏

09 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 52:7    How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
 
‘Awake, awake, put on thy strength O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall come no more unto thee, the uncircumcised and the unclean.’ That’s how Isaiah starts Chap.52, where he tells the Israelites that the Lord will deliver them from captivity and invaders. ‘Shake thyself from the dust, arise and sit down.. loose thyself from the bands of thy neck.’ He’s trying to awaken them from the spiritual stupor they’d fallen into over the long years of enslavement and destruction of Jerusalem, although it was through their own disobedience. We’re in the same situation today Friends; experiencing a spiritual decline from all the adversity we’re facing, having moved so far away from God. But hope’s alive people: if we turn back to the ONE that created us, still LOVES us, and promised never to forsake us, if we dwell with Him. However Friends, it’s not always easy to recapture, or keep alive the faith that suffers much adversity. That’s where encouragement comes in. As Isaiah says, ‘How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace.’ We’ve all experienced that fear dissipation and adrenaline rush  when someone shows up in peace with good news. And that’s the kind of thing we need more in our world today; people spreading peace and good news, especially the good news of Salvation that Jesus bought us through His death. Only today I was listening to a song ‘A Word of Encouragement’ by the Reggae Artist, President Brown that’s so right for our unhealthy, unholy situation, that I’ll let him speak. ‘Unity is strength, and sometimes your brother needs some encouragement. Each one, teach one. Each one, help the other. Just a word of encouragement could make your little sister don’t give up on life…could make another brother don’t commit suicide. LOVE is stronger than pride. If you see yuh brother fall, don’t laugh, help to pick him up…Don’t you ever sit down pon side and cast judgement. No man’s an island. No one stands alone. Good words are sweeter than even honeycomb.’ It’s the truth Friends! We all know it, but through fear, apathy, or some other negative reason, we don’t practice it enough. Just a word of encouragement. We’ve all experienced it’s positive reactions: a smile brightens a sad face; drooping shoulders stand tall; and words trip glibly off the tongue. Oh Friends, in these troubling times we need more encouragement than ever, so that we can stand strong in the faith and fight the enemy, who’s always on the lookout for the weak brethren. Let’s keep spreading good news about good things to all, reminding the faithful of Salvation and enlightening the unbeliever. Oh People, we’ve got to get to the mountain top and shout it loud, ‘Oh Zion, Thy God reigneth! Turn to Him and Live! Much LOVE!…just a word of encouragement…it’s never a bad idea…and it’s oftimes enough…just a word of encouragement…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 May 2008 Proverbs 23:6-8‏

08 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 23:6-8    Eat thou not bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats. For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. Eat and drink saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. The morsel which thou hast eaten shall thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
 
This principle has been pounded into most of our heads from infancy; watch whom you associate or play with, because they’ll lead you astray. And isn’t that the truth! ‘Show me yuh friends, and I’ll tell you who you are,’ is what the old folks said. I’ve had my fair share of pain for associating with the wrong crowd. But then it’s hard not to, since the wrong crowd always seems to be the most interesting, the ones having the most fun. Solomon’s telling us not to accept bread, or anything else for that matter, from a greedy, miserly person; ‘him that hath an evil eye.’ Neither should we let our hearts be filled with desire for his delicacies or baubles, cause he’s only displaying them to tempt our lustful flesh and draw us under his wicked spell. ‘Eat and drink saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.’ It’s only a deceitful plot to turn us from God. Sol makes a powerful statement when he says, ‘For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.’ Yes Friends, that’s gospel, and applies to all of us. The emotion that dominates our heart, our true colours, is the one we’ll most avidly express. You can’t be consumed by evil and show good, or vice versa. Shades of the skinny person that brings plenty fattening food to the party, encourages everyone to stuff themselves, but they barely touch a morsel. Sol continues the food metaphor by saying whatever you eat from such a person, you’ll regurgitate, ‘and lose thy sweet words.’ For sure! We usually regret our dealings with evil people, causing our spirits to plummet, leaving that sour, bilious taste associated with vomit. Oh Friends, it’s a tight rope we’ve got to walk, since it’s our duty to bring the wicked to Christ, but we can’t do that unless there’s some meaningful communication with them. So we always have to be on our p’s and q’s, and concentrate on influencing them for good, more than they do us for evil. Brings to mind Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. God won him a big war, and peace reigned in Judah. He walked in the ways of Asa, his father, doing right in the Lord’s sight. (Vs.30,32) But later on, he teamed up ‘with Ahaziah, king of Israel, who did very wickedly.’ (Vs.35) How sad. They planned to form a navy like Solomon, to go to Tharshish and bring back ‘baubles, bangles and bright shining things.’ But yuh know what? The Lord nipped that scheme in the bud; the ships were damaged before they even left port. Why? ‘Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works,’ is the prophecy Jehoshaphat received from Eliezer. (Vs37) Yes Friends, we’ve got to be very careful about entering alliances with workers of iniquity. But through faith, constant prayer and obedience to the guiding of the Holy Spirit within us, we can successfully manoeuvre through the minefields of life. The Lord will allow us to daintily tiptoe through the tulips, crazily scattered around us. (smile) Much LOVE!…when in contact with evil doers…we must ensure that our influence reigns supreme…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 May 2008 Psalm 147:1,3,5-7‏

07 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 147:1,3,5-7    Praise ye the Lord, for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. He healeth the broken of heart, and bindeth up their wounds. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground. Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God.
 
Yes People, it’s only right that we should sing praises unto the Most High, not only because it is pleasant and comely, but even more to acknowledge His goodness to us, to show our heartfelt gratitude for all that’s He’s done, is doing and will do. After yesterday’s doom and gloom, I figured we needed something a bit more encouraging and uplifting. That made me smile, cause I knew it meant using Bruh David’s words. But Friends, the enemy is so devious and full of skulduggery, that when the time came, I completely forgot about Bruh David, imagine that nuh, and went searching elsewhere, obviously in vain. Then the Spirit finally nudged me, and I remembered. That time was not wasted though, since it involved scanning the Good Book, which can never be considered a waste of time. However, it shows that even with the best intentions, and knowing exactly what you want to do, the enemy is still powerful enough to infiltrate our minds and souls and cause us to drift away from doing the right thing. That’s why Friends, we’ve got to stick as close to the Lord as possible. It’s the only way to overcome the evil machinations of the enemy. It’s why Bruh David was wont to sing and praise his God consistently, because it got the Spirit within him moving in the right direction. And so should we Friends sing, ‘Great is our Lord, and of great power; his understanding is infinite.’ Wow! I like that last part; ‘his understanding is infinite.’ Meaning, He might not like what I do, but He’ll understand where I’m coming from. And that’s possibly the most beneficial aspect of any relationship; understanding; knowing that you can bare your heart and soul without fear of righteous indignation or condemnation. There’s always a price to pay for wrong doing, but it’s much easier to admit when you know you’ll get a fair hearing. And our Lord is just and fair. He’s also kind, compassionate and a marvellous medic. ‘He healeth the broken of heart, and bindeth up their wounds.’ His power is so awesome that Bruh David claims, ‘The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.’ Now isn’t that encouraging Friends; having a God who’ll cast down your enemies and lift you up when you’re weak, afraid, lost and can’t help yourself? Doesn’t it just make you want to ‘Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God?’ I sure hope so. And from personal experience, I know it works. I’m always humming or singing, annoyingly to some, but they all ask how come I’m always so happy. The truth is, I’m not always as happy as I sound, but singing and giving thanks, helps to dispel the sadness in my soul, and eventually lifts my spirit again. Ignore the naysayers, try it. It’ll do wonders for your soul. Much LOVE!…there’s nothing that lifts the spirit…like giving thanks and praise…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 May 2008 Deuteronomy 28:14-15‏

06 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Deuteronomy 28:14-15    And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.
 
And Friends, the Lord’s not joking, for the curses run from Vs.16 to 68 inclusive; 54 verses outlining the curses, misery and destruction that will befall us if we aren’t obedient, and go a whoring after other gods. There’s only space to list some of the doom He promised. We’ll be cursed in the city, in the field. The fruit of our body, our children, will be cursed, also the fruit of our land and our animals. When we come in and go out, we’ll be cursed. He’ll send cursing, vexation and rebuke in everything we do, until we’re destroyed, because we’ve forsaken Him and turned to evil. Plague and pestilence will cleave to us, until we’re eradicated from the promised land. I’ve got to quote Vs.22. ‘The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew, and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.’ Oh Friends, doesn’t that awful picture just make you want to hold yuh head and bawl, cry out in anguish? That should be enough to drive us from our wicked ways, but it doesn’t seem so. And if we look closely at the calamities currently befalling our world, we’ll see many of those promises coming to pass, because we have become such an ungodly, warlike, evil generation. There are more natural disasters, famine, drought, scarcity of food, greed, financial problems, unemployment, strife and oppression than ever, in the most advanced stage of mankind. With all the scientific, technical and financial know how we possess, there should never be as much want and suffering. Our world is going under when it’s at it’s most brilliant, at it’s zenith. Why is that eh? Could it be because of our disobedience, that God has put those promised curses into motion? People, it’s something to seriously consider. There’s no other good reason for all the negative stuff that’s happening. We’re at such an advanced  stage where we can almost clone man, so why is there still so much suffering? And it’s increasing daily. Oh Friends, you’ve just got to read Deuteronomy 28 for yourself. Verses 1 to 14 are about the good things, but the bad things run for 50 odd. Now doesn’t that tell us how serious God considers disobedience? And if it doesn’t wake us up, I don’t know what will. Oh People, why allow ourselves to be smitten with madness, blindness and astonishment of heart, and grope at noon like the blind grope in the dark, and not prosper in anything, and be oppressed and spoiled for evermore, reduced to eating the flesh of our own children, with no one to save us eh? There’s a better way: Serve the Lord our God with joyfulness and gladness of heart for the abundance of all things He’s bestowed on us. Let’s turn from our evil ways and do it, NOW! Else we’ll soon be just another sad blot, another sorrowful footnote in the annals of man. Much LOVE!…the next big war…will be the last…let’s prevent it nuh…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 May 2008 Deuteronomy 28:12-13‏

05 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Deuteronomy 28:12-13    The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.
 
Ah Friends, what better promise can we get eh? None really, unless it’s the something for nothing scenario that we all crave. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work like that. There are very few instances where you can really get something without giving something in return, whether it be in cash, kind or some other form of payment. And please scrutinize very carefully any offers that purport to require nothing in return, because it’s not in man’s nature to be that generous. Anyway, in Today’s Bit, the Lord promised to open His treasure trove for the Israelites. Imagine that nuh Friends! How many people do you know who’ll gladly give of their treasure? And that promise still holds good today. Our God promises to bless us, to open heaven and send rain to the land to provide a bountiful harvest. In fact, He promised that anything we touch will prosper. We’ll be so prosperous that we’ll be lenders and not borrowers. What generosity! ‘And the Lord shall make thee the head and not the tail;’ Wow! We’ll be leaders rather than followers. ‘And thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath.’ Oh blessed day people! We’ll be rulers; wise and powerful, but obviously showing humility. All people will look to us for guidance. But even our very generous, merciful and forgiving God, requires something in return for such wonderful promises. ‘If that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.’ Yes Friends, it’s quite simple, (smile) to obtain these glorious promises. All we have to do is learn God’s rules and obey them. Is that so much to ask? I don’t think so. And we have it much easier that the Israelites who first got those promises. Their covenant was much stricter and onerous, than the one we obtained through Jesus’ sacrificial death. No more blood sacrifices, self flagellation and trying to personally atone for our sins. Jesus did that once and for all. But we still have to follow the same basic rules laid down in the ten commandments. And when you seriously consider them, they’re not that difficult, especially if you break them down to two, like Jesus did: LOVE your God and LOVE your neighbour as yourself. In other words don’t do to somebody else anything you wouldn’t want them to do to you. And if you consistently follow the path of LOVE, you’ll accomplish this, and receive all the blessings and prosperity that God promised. Much LOVE!…God’s promise has two parts…if we do ours…He’ll do His…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 May 2008 Matthew 18:2-4‏

04 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Matthew 18:2-4    And Jesus called a little child unto him, and sat him in the midst of them. And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
 
Are we listening people? I certainly hope so. But why are we so preoccupied with what we term greatness eh? This whole lecture of Jesus came up because His disciples asked who was the the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Does one person have to be better or greater than another?  And in whose eyes, whose perception will we be greater? Each of us has a different understanding or perception of that intangible ideal. Shakespeare said that all the world’s a stage, with individual roles to be played. The roles won’t all be of equal size, but they are all important for the success of the whole. Like Bruh Paul talks about the physical parts of the body having different jobs, and some parts seeming  more glorified than others, but we all know the example of the least considered part, closing up and making the glorified ones go blind, deaf, dumb, limp,etc. (smile) And Jesus said the last shall be first and vice versa. But we are so taken up with, so fascinated by hierarchy and supposedly prominent positions, that oftimes we sell our souls to sit up where the air is rare. Jesus even warned that at functions we should not run to sit at the high places, for when the honoured guests arrive, we’ll be asked to move lower down. Just think what that would do to your pride. But still we behave like Miss Thomas’ puss that loved high seat, and Humpty Dumpty, who sat on a wall too high for him to handle. The result; they both fell, ‘splat!’ to their everlasting detriment. Jesus continually preached that material wealth and prominent position doesn’t guarantee life hereafter. In fact, if you focus on them, you won’t see any next life. But our society is so taken with the idea of exalted and lowly positions, that we heap honour and respect on the lawyer, the doctor, the rich and the ruling class, who do deserve a certain amount of respect, because they play important roles, but we vilify and look down on the ordinary labourer and garbage collector. But whose withholding of their services has the most profound effect eh? The lowly garbage collector. When he’s on strike, everything backs up. Mounds of garbage lie uncollected, the chances for the spread of sickness and disease greatly increase, and the ungodly stench that rises to high heaven must make Jesus exhale a sad sigh, shake His head and wonder, when will they ever learn? Yes Friends, though our seemingly insatiable desire for exalted status usually backfires, read the celebrity meltdowns, we continue to make it our focus. But as Jesus pointed out, unless we have a humble spirit, a childlike innocence, despite all our worldly riches, high positions and achievements, we wont get into heaven. How much clearer can he be? And please don’t think that having a prominent position in society is wrong, cause it’s not.  It’s how we achieve what we have, and then how we use it. Achieve it honestly, with a right heart, and use it wisely, for good, should always be our motto. As Jesus said in the Beatitudes; Matt. 5:10: ‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ Yes Friends, it’s good advice. Let’s take it, go forth and pursue righteousness, so that we may obtain, the glorious promise of heaven. It’s the only way! Much LOVE!…to come to Jesus…is to do as He says…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 May 2008 Luke 23:42-43‏

03 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Luke 23:42-43    And he said unto Jesus, Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily, I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
 
What a beautiful ending to a tragic life story Friends. And if you haven’t recognized the words, then imagine this scenario: A barren, rocky hillside on the outskirts of Jerusalem, two thousand years ago. At the crest of the hill, three wooden crosses rise from the stony ground. On each cross, a man is impaled, arms outstretched. The man in the centre is innocent, but has been railroaded to his death by an envious, elitist group. Although He can stop it, He doesn’t, because there’s a greater purpose behind the proceedings than the ordinary mind can comprehend. And as the three men suffer the agony of being nailed to a cross, wearing next to nothing, in the arid heat, under a blazing sun, the soldiers and the rabble rousers mercilessly mock and heap scorn on the man in the centre, offering Him bitter vinegar to quench His thirst; spearing Him in the side and taunting Him with words like; ‘If thou be the King of the Jews, save thyself.’ Even the rulers deride Him, saying: ‘He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.’ Then one of the other two being crucified, rails at Him. ‘If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.’ But surprisingly the other man rebukes his friend, asking if he didn’t fear God, seeing that they were in the same condemned situation, and they justly, for they had committed crimes, ‘but this man hath done nothing amiss.’ His next words have been immortalized. ‘And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.’ Oh Friends, what a defining moment in the History of our faith! One sinner rebuked Jesus, the other believed that He was indeed the Son of God. And it gets better: ‘Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’ Wow! Remember recently we saw in Ezekiel 18 where the Lord says that any man who turns from his evil ways and follows Him, shall live, since He has no pleasure in seeing the wicked die. Well Friends, that was a perfect example of His forgiveness and mercy. Jesus was so deeply touched by the one criminal’s belief and faith, that He immediately promised him everlasting life. Nobody seems to have witnessed to him, although he must have heard about Jesus if he lived in the area. I believe it was mostly Jesus’ steely backbone and forgiving reaction to the disgusting charade that convinced him. Oh people, that’s the LOVE of the Father in practical terms, in reality. And though reality is the latest fad in television programming, it’s mostly faked and feigned. But Jesus offering the repentant criminal the promise of heaven, was the real thing. That’s the beauty of our faith Friends: The promises of our God are not merely words spoken in a vacuum, but have practical applications in all areas of our lives. Never forget it. Much LOVE!…if God speaks it…then it’s the living truth…and has a  practical purpose…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 May 2008 John 14:21-23‏

02 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 14:21-23    He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it then that thou will manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
 
Oh Friends, what encouraging and reassuring words from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! He made these statements while preparing the disciples for His tragic crucifixion, joyous resurrection and glorious ascension. Poor disciples, they must have been one confused group, for Jesus had talked about going to prepare a place for them. ‘And where I go, you know, and the way you know.’ Vs.4. But Thomas disputed that. So Jesus told them, ‘I am the way the truth, and the life..’ Vs.6, the only way to the Father, whom they had now seen. But Phillip asked Him to show them the Father. This led to a lecture on His relationship to the Father and talk about not leaving them orphans; the Holy Spirit coming to dwell in them; how shortly they wouldn’t see Him, then they would, but not the world. Then He laid the first half of Today’s Bit on them. If you hear and obey my rules then I’ll consider it LOVE. And anyone who LOVES me, both the Father and I will LOVE him, and I’ll make myself known to them. By then they must have been thoroughly ‘confuffled.’ No wonder, Judas, not the one who betrayed Him, had to ask how He was going to manifest Himself to them alone. Guess they were suffering from information overload. What with their limited education, and Jesus waxing philosophical on a spiritual plane far above their comprehension. But the good news Friends, is that we don’t have that problem. Everything has been straightened out for us, and we understand the spiritual principles Jesus is talking about, and it makes us jump for joy, because we know that once we keep His commandments, it will count for LOVE, and both the Father and the Son will return that LOVE, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and act as a guide and help-mate.Therefore we can rest assured in the Saviour’s promise. And what a glorious promise it is people! It means that we may be sad and lonely, but never alone, for He’s always with us, lending hope and comfort; scared and confused, but never in real danger cause we’re always surrounded by His powerful, protecting arms; tired and stumbling, but never quite falling, for we’re always within reach of His uplifting hand and He catches us before we fall; and even if we do hit rock bottom, it’s not the end, for He’ll always pick us up, and bear us on His strong shoulders, until we find ourselves again. That’s the kind of God we worship and adore Friends. There’s none better. So let’s keep obeying and LOVING him, and receiving His LOVE in return. It’s the only way to find success in this life. Much LOVE!…if you don’t LOVE Jesus…then you don’t know true LOVE…
 

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