Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 June 2008 Hosea 14:9‏

10 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Hosea 14:9    Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
 
Yes Friends, we all claim to know that ‘the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them,’ but why are so many of us not walking the walk eh? Is it that we are not just? Failure to walk the walk doesn’t say much about us or help the cause of Christ, but hinders it, brings it into disrepute. Yesterday we talked about returning to the Lord from our worshipping of fleshly lusts, which put us into His bad books. (Hos.14:1-2) Today we’ll look at some of the reasons why Hosea advocated change, (Hos;14:3-8) There’s one statement that amazes me: ‘neither will we say anymore to the work of our hands, Ye are our God’s.’  (Vs.3) Hn! How can we make something then worship it eh? It doesn’t make sense. Where does it get it’s power from? Had to be from us, since we made it. But something can only be considered ‘worshipful’ if it’s outside of your control, like the Lord God Jehovah, over whom we have absolutely no power. And the benefits of serving the Lord and plentiful and wonderful, as Hosea pointed out to Israel. So let’s consider a few. Hosea says, ‘for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.’ (Vs.3) That’s so true Friends. Throughout the Bible the Lord’s positioned Himself as a champion of widows, orphans and strangers. And believe me, there are a lot of those unfortunates in our society. Remember too people, that mercy is not earnable, but derives from the generosity of our God, His wanting to give us good things we don’t really deserve. ‘I will heal their backsliding…will love them freely; for my anger is turned away…’ (Vs.4) Wow! What a magnanimous deity! He’ll help us curb our worldly lusts and LOVE us freely, cause His anger dissipates once, like lost sheep, we return to the fold. Friends, can you imagine the magnitude of that forgiveness and the depth of LOVE He has for us? It just boggles the imagination! It’s Jesus’ parable about the prodigal son; the penniless, profligate offspring that recognizes the error of his ways and returns home to a hero’s welcome, rather than a sharp dressing down. What more can we ask of Him eh? Not much. But He’s so happy to see us back in the fold that He promises to be like blessed dew to us, and we ‘shall grow as the lily..’ graceful and beautiful, ‘and cast forth roots as Lebanon.’ deep and strong. (Vs.5) Our ‘branches shall spread,’ wide and leafy, like boughs in the fullness of spring. Our beauty ‘shall be as the olive tree,’ considered very comely. (Vs.6) As Bruh David says: ‘But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.’ (Ps.52:3) Beautiful and upright! ‘They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn; and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.’ (Vs.7) Yes people, we shall be fruitful and multiply under the Lord’s tender nurturing. Brings to mind the vision that Daniel saw of a strong tree that grew up to heaven and across the earth, with beautiful leaves and plentiful fruit, ‘and in it was meat for all.’ (Dan.4:11-12) Yes Friends, that one tree fed everybody; fowl, beast and man. Such is the power and glory of our God. Then, I love the way Hosea writes, ‘Ephraim shall say, What have I to do anymore with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.’ (Vs.8) Yes Friends, in the Lord is our fruit found, and Jesus reiterated it in John 15:4-5, when He says He’s the vine and we the branches, and if we abide in Him, then we’ll bear fruit, but if we don’t, we’ll be barren, for without Him we can do nothing. That’s the gospel truth people, ‘And who is wise..shall understand these things? prudent…shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.’ Oh Friends, let’s try to be wise, prudent and just, for the other option is unthinkable. Much LOVE!..let’s all shout..we’ll choose the Lord…Amen!
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 June 2008 Hosea 14:1-2‏

09 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Hosea 14:1-2    O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine equity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
 
Yes Friends, it’s time for us to return to the Lord, our God. There’s certainly too much works of the flesh manifested in our world today. We’re being overwhelmed by the stuff Bruh Paul cited in Galatians 5:19-21: ‘Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, idolatry, lasciviousness, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings and such like.’ The list of negative behaviour is long and costly, with only one end, if we continue down this road; eventual destruction. None of the above things uplift the human spirit; they all demean and denigrate God’s handiwork. Now that certainly isn’t His desire or purpose for us. How did we reach such a low state of grace eh? Believe me people, it’s only by God’s mercy that we’re still existing, for, left completely to our own devices, we’d keep going full tilt down that road of fleshly desires we seem to cherish so much, until we annihilate ourselves. Friends, the basic reason we’ve almost hit rock bottom is very simple; we’ve turned away from the Lord, disobeying His Word. Like Hosea said of the despicable, debauched, idolatrous Israel of his time; ‘for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.’ The same applies to us today. And though some of us are seriously trying to improve it, the evil majority still rules, and sadly, appears to be getting stronger. So how do we extricate ourselves from this sad situation? Again, it’s simple, though not easy: Turn back to following the one and only true God, Jehovah. As Hosea says; ‘Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so we will render the calves of our lips.’ (praising God, not the idols) Joel recommends fasting, weeping and mourning. ‘Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.’ (Joel 2:13) Oh people, what else must be said for us to understand and obey? There’s no other deity worshipped by humans that has Jehovah’s capacity for LOVE, forgiveness and mercy. So what’s the problem eh? Historically, numerous societies have perished on embracing that negative lifestyle, why do we think we’ll escape the same fate? Friends, only the Most High can save us from our foolishness, but time’s running out, which means, to leave our children’s children a decent legacy, we’ve got to start rejecting the false pleasures of the world right now. Let’s take Bruh Paul’s advice in Hebrew’s 13:15: ‘By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.’ Much LOVE!…on the rough, rugged road that’s life…God’s our best bet…the only sure thing…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 June 2008 Psalm 117‏

08 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 117    O Praise the Lord all ye nations: praise him all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.
 
Ah Friends, another week has gone by and another day devoted to thanks and praise has arrived. As I keep saying, when in doubt, thanks and praise is the best answer. Well today my spirit was in a bit of a funk. The arthritic body was tired, suffering from a lack salt water and sunshine: Oh for a dip in the therapeutic ocean! (smile) Sleep was also hard to come by, partly due to the unseasonal thirty something Celsius degree weather we’ve been experiencing this weekend. To make matters worse, I could not figure out why my A/C wasn’t working. I’d put it on before going out to do some repairs on my car, which meant being out in the hot sun in a friend’s driveway. That was frustrating enough since we had to redo certain things, while the sun’s intensity increased, then to get home and no A/C. Hn! I was ready to blow my cool. I checked everything I could, even went outside and tapped the unit a few times. Note, I said tapped, not slapped, (smile) though I was sorely tempted, and amazingly, my language wasn’t very flowery. That’s the truth children. I resisted the temptation; did not let my bosom become foolish. Aren’t you all proud of me? (smile) Even when I realized, that my turning off the main switch for the furnace a few days ago was the problem, I didn’t get too upset with myself. In all this, I did no serious sin. Wow! ‘Praise the Lord…For his merciful kindness is great toward us.’ Now does that mean I’m getting better? I surely hope so. And the point of it all? If I can improve my patience level, then there’s hope for us all. But Friends, it takes a conscious effort, that’s very worthwhile, for there are many tangible benefits. Your spirit doesn’t get thrown out of sync; what anger and impatience does. You think and react more positively in terms of solutions to the problem. You don’t take out your frustrations by destroying stuff, or abusing anybody, including yourself, which saves you money, physical, emotional and spiritual energy, as well as pride. But the biggest benefit of offering thanks and praise when you’ve encountered an intractable problem, is that it takes your mind off yourself and the problem and places it on God; where it should have been in the first place. Oh people, how often do we hear that the first place to run in times of difficulty is to the Most High, but yet we still turn to Him last, only after all our man made solutions have failed. That’s where we flounder most of the time; trying to rely on our own limited resources. That’s also a form of sinful, selfish pride, since from day one, the Lord said to seek Him first when things go wrong, not last. But enough preaching…Steups! I dislike that word, cause it conveys a..a sense of force..of brow beating, which I detest. So let’s just say enough discourse for today. That’s not what some of you are thinking though. (smile) But seriously Friends, let’s start putting this aspect of going to the Lord first into practice nuh. It will certainly benefit us as individuals, societies and nations. Let’s do as Bruh David advised: ‘O Praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.’ Much LOVE!…always remember…our God…He is the key…the answer…to every, everything…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 June 2008 1 Samuel 3:7‏

07 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Samuel 3:7    Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.
 
 Friends, no two people ever seem to come to God the same way. Samuel was born to a barren first wife, Hannah, after she beseeched God for offspring, promising to lend him to God, if He granted her wish. Thus Samuel was apprenticed to the High Priest Eli at a tender age. At that time, Israel was going through one of it’s godless periods, consequently, there was a dearth of prophets in the land, none to reveal the vision of God to the people, corroborating the saying, that where there’s no prophet and no vision, the people suffer. Even the High Priest’s sons were corrupt, so the Lord chastened Eli for not having rule over his sons, and promised to give the High Priest’s role to another line. ‘And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.’  (1 Sam.2:35) Samuel would be the one to begin the revival of God’s word in Israel. But he was unaware of his great calling until that fateful evening, lying in bed, he heard someone call his name. Thinking it was Eli, he got up and ran to him. But Eli hadn’t called, and sent Samuel back to bed. Shortly thereafter, he again heard his name, got up once more and ran to Eli’s side, to find that Eli had not called. That’s where Today’s Bit comes in. Samuel helped Eli with the ministry, but he was still unfamiliar with God’s machinations and with his own role. So total confusion must have reigned in his young mind when he heard his name a third time, went to Eli, and again found it to be a false alarm. But Eli realized what was happening. ‘Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth.’ (1 Sam.3:9) So Samuel went back to bed. And the Lord called yet again. ‘Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.’ (1 Sam.3:10) The Lord then revealed His plans for Israel and in particular the sons of Eli. Finally, Samuel was made aware of his destiny. But since it included the destruction of Eli’s line, he was afraid to tell Eli the Lord’s tidings. Eli had been warned though, and when he got Samuel to tell him everything, his response was admirable. ‘It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth good… And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did not let none of his words fall to the ground.’ (1Sam.3:18-19) Ah Friends, this story tells us so much about the God we worship: His faithfulness; to Hannah, to Samuel, who’s  righteousness He upheld. His fondness for drama. (smile) He likes to interweave His actions, like a good script writer, and also use the most unlikely people to play the leading roles. He could have surely raised up a mighty prophet in a straightforward manner. But that’s not His style. It’s just like He made Jesus poor, lowly and humble. He will also allow us to be disobedient for long periods, but certainly not forever. See how He finally brought Eli’s house to heel. When we get to prolong disobedient acts without any retribution, it just means He’s giving us more rope to hang ourselves, or a chance to get out on our own. The same goes for disobedient societies, and ours is a prime candidate right now. The only safe way Friends, is to acknowledge His supremacy, feed on His word, and stay obedient as best we can. Otherwise, we’re headed for destruction. Much LOVE!…trust and obey…it ‘s the only sensible way…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 June 2008 Galatians 6:8.‏

06 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Galatians 6:8    For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
 
Why then Friends, do so many of us knowingly sow to the flesh? Why do so many believers, who should know better, still let the evil desires of our sinful nature run our lives eh? We will never be totally oblivious of the tantalizing effects that the lusts of the flesh provide, but as followers of Christ, we’re expected to keep them to the bare minimum. The actual flesh of our body dies, rots and disintegrates, returns to the dust from whence it came. Likewise all things associated with or glorified by the flesh; they die and rot too, thus are useless in the next life. And if perchance, we don’t know what the desires of the flesh are (smile) Bruh Paul saw it fit to list them in Gal.5:19-21. Acts like gross immorality, murder, idolatry, hatred, witchcraft, etc. ‘..as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.’ (5:21) How much plainer can he be eh people? The Galatians were apparently backsliding. Having received Christ through faith in the Spirit, they were turning back to the desires of the flesh, which currently dominates our world, causing many of us to do the same thing. Oh Friends, we consist of two parts; a fleshly body that’s inured in sin, and dies after a short sojourn on earth, and a spiritual soul that lives on forever. Now which is more important eh; the one that dies and ceases to exist, or that which lives forever? Of course it’s a no brainer! The spiritual soul is way more important, so we need to carefully cultivate and nurture it, since that’s the vehicle we’ll be inhabiting for all eternity. The fleshly things seem glamorous and glitzy, but Friends the spiritual things ARE bright and attractive. Wherever true LOVE abounds, it must be spectacular! And while, like brass plated gold, the flesh loses it’s sheen, like true gold, the spiritual doesn’t; it retains its lustre forever. That’s why Jesus said we should lay up treasure in heaven, the spiritual realm, and not on earth, because those can rot or be stolen, but in heaven, there’s no rust or thieves. (Mat.6:19-20) And there’s only one way to avoid the disastrous pitfalls of the flesh. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh: and these are contrary one to the other.’ (Gal.5:16-17) Exactly; the two lifestyles are contentious and adversarial. It’s either or. Jesus said that you can’t serve God and Mammon at the same time; you can’t bless and curse out of the same mouth; a vessel can best be used for a single purpose. It therefore behoves us Friends, as followers of Christ, to seriously consider what we’re sowing; be it fleshly or spiritual. ‘Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’ (Gal.5:7) From the day God made man, He implemented that principle. People, we can’t outwit God; disobey Him, then expect to escape divine retribution. So if we wish to reap life everlasting, then Friends, starting right now, we’ve got to be industriously sowing seeds of the Spirit, so later on, we can enjoy that fruitful harvest with Jesus. Much LOVE!…watch and pray…the spirit indeed is willing…but the flesh is weak…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 June 2008 Isaiah 53:3-5‏

05 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 53:3-5    He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him: he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
 
Ah Friends, how sad that one without sin, had to pay our sin debt. But Isaiah’s prophecy was made long before Jesus was born. God foreshadowed it; planted the idea centuries before it happened. That’s why Israel kept looking for the Messiah to come and deliver them from their oppression. But they had it all wrong. They expected a mighty warrior King, decked out in full regalia. Instead, they got a lowly, humble carpenter’s son, facing life as an itinerant preacher. Possibly that’s why many never believed when He did show up; their expectations were off course. They expected physical relief, when God intended spiritual rebirth. How could the great Messiah be a simple joe-blow with a bunch of ne’er do wells hanging on to his frock tails eh? Consequently, as Isaiah prophesied, ‘He is despised and rejected of men;’ scorned and abandoned. ‘A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.’ Oh Friends, that was so true of Jesus’ earthly life. He bore much pain and suffering, both physically and emotionally. As Bruh Paul says,’…but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ (Heb.4:15) ‘And we hid, as it were, our faces from him: he was despised and we esteemed him not.’ What a crying shame people! Isaiah must have had a real good chat with God on this, because so far, he’s perfect in foretelling the dire circumstances that our Saviour would suffer. Like many of us do, people must have turned their heads, or passed by on the other side of the road when they saw Him coming. So just imagine the hurt Jesus must have felt nuh people. You know how we feel about ingrates. The same ones He came to save, vilifying and literally abusing Him. ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.’ Yes Friends, He did bear our spiritual wickedness. ‘Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.’ (1 Pet.2:24) ‘Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.’ We were so stupid and arrogant, we figured He’d been judged, struck down by God for His own wrongdoing. Ah Friends, what a mistake, what a lie! ‘But he was wounded for our transgressions,’ nailed and speared for our sins. ‘He was bruised for our iniquities.’ Yes, it’s for our immoral and evil ways that He suffered such utter humiliation, not His own, for He was God’s Son, perfect in every way. ‘The chastisement of our peace was upon him.’ For sure people! Our peace with God was procured by Jesus undergoing disciplinary action for us. ‘And with his stripes we are healed.’ Oh Friends, those are possibly the saddest, but also the most joyous words ever spoken: It’s surely sad that Christ had to pay for our sins, but it’s certainly wonderful that He did. And it’s only because He was willing to be our scapegoat, by the shedding of His Holy blood, ‘who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification,’ (Rom.4:25) that we can talk about things like salvation and eternal life. So please, please Friends, let’s not forget all that Jesus has done for us. Let’s show some gratitude nuh; shower Him with thanks and praise, and walk humbly in His footsteps. That’s all he asks of us. Much LOVE!…compared to what He’s done for us…Jesus asks very little in return…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 June 2008 Ecclesiastes 12:13-14‏

04 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14    Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
 
So what did Sol deduce from his extensive search for the purpose and meaning of this earthly life? No one was better suited to conduct this survey than him. He had the available time, wisdom, money, help; everything needed to do it properly. In the end he acknowledges that a man should work faithfully and enjoy the fruits of his labour; that’s his reward. However, setting the acquisition of wisdom, knowledge, artistic goods, material riches, prominent positions and such worldly things as our goal is all vanity, because we die and leave them all behind for others to fight over and/or enjoy. So what’s our purpose down here then? The ultimate purpose he concludes, is to ‘Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.’ What a pronouncement Friends! That’s what the wisest man deduced from his extensive survey. As he keeps saying, all else is vanity. But this shouldn’t have been such a momentous revelation, for way back when the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses said to them: ‘And now Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him; and to serve the Lord with all thy heart and with all thy soul.’ (Deut.10:12) And Friends, it hasn’t changed one iota since then. Sol searched diligently and got the same result. Later on, the Prophet Micah said likewise: ‘He hath showed thee O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?’ (Mic.6:8) This means people, that the guiding light, in whatever we say or do, must be the reverence of God and the keeping of His dictates. ‘For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’ Yes Friends, all our acts and words, good or bad, shall be judged on that fateful day the Lord appoints. Sol himself warns: ‘Rejoice, O young man in thy youth…but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement.’ (Eccle.11:9) Jesus reinforced this. ‘But I say unto you. That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement.’ (Mat.12:36) Bruh Paul also referred to it several times in his letters to the churches. ‘Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness..’ (Acts 17:31) So there it is in a nutshell Friends. Sol worked his way through all the pleasures of the world, only to find them lacking, to discover that our main purpose on this earth is to LOVE and serve God faithfully. All else is vanity; useless, with a hefty price to pay later on. ‘For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body…whether it be good or bad.’ (2 Cor.5:10) If that doesn’t spur us on to do good things with a right heart, then Friends, I don’t know what else will. Much LOVE!…him that don’t hear…shall surely feel…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 June 2008 Ecclesiastes 7:8-9‏

03 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ecclesiastes 7:8-9    Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
 
Our God is really something else yes Friends! Although I know His modus operandi ranges from the simple and direct to the eccentric and oblique, His unique manner of showing us the error of our ways still amazes me every time I encounter it, like just now. The Lord pulled a fast one on me, that’s why I was laughing. As usual, I asked for guidance in finding a Bit, but at that particular time, there was anger in my spirit from an earlier petty argument. I subsequently rejected two passages I had previously considered cause they needed some research and I was in no mood for that, and kept on looking for something simpler. I’m currently reading Ecclesiastes for my sight deficient mother, with a bookmark where I’ve reached, so at one point it naturally opened there, and I kept searching. Actually, today I read her the first half of Chapter seven, but obviously paid no real heed to those verses. This time though, through the Spirit’s unfathomable workings, my eyes were irresistibly drawn to them and I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at their timely relevance. Hn,hn! Talk about our God’s wily ways. He probably mused, ‘ So yuh want something easy eh mih son? Well here. No need for research on this, cause you’re a living example.’ And you know what people? As soon as I began laughing, like mist on a sudden breath of wind, my anger just disappeared and my spirit regained its equilibrium. Wow! ‘For laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects.’ (Arnold Glasow) Also, ‘unlike medicine, laughter costs us nothing, and can be partaken of as often as we see fit…A good hearty laugh is therapy for our minds and bodies.’ That’s so true Friends. It’s from a Devotional called ‘One More Day; Daily Meditations for People with Chronic Illness. From that viewpoint, I can surely agree with Solomon that ‘Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.’ The end of my angry mood was certainly better than the start, for while the anger had my spirit in grasp, everything was out of sync; I couldn’t think straight, writing the Bit seemed an onerous chore; the enemy’s negativity controlled my entire being. And Friends, though we know that ‘the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit,’ it’s not an easy thing to do, especially when the evil forces seem to be bombarding you from all sides. Even Solomon, reputed to be the richest, wisest man ever, who supposedly penned these words of wisdom, he made an absolute mess of his life at the end by turning away from the God who had brought him to such prominence. It means that oftimes we’re not too bright, allowing the evil flesh to rule us, instead of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Lord knows that the walk of faith is not easy Friends, that’s why He gave us the Holy Spirit as a guide and helpmate. When the flesh acts up, we’ve got to immediately turn to the voice of truth that resides in our soul. There’s so much irritating nonsense in our world, that it will drive us crazy if we allow it to. I guess that’s why the Most High drew my attention today to that most appropriate verse; ‘Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.’ Please Friends, let’s try and reduce the occasions when our bosoms are foolish. Pray for the ole fella.(smile) Much LOVE!…slow to wrath equals understanding…hasty of spirit equals foolish…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 June 2008 1 Thessalonians 5:13-16‏

02 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Thessalonians 5:13-16    …And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore.
 
More Bruh Paul Friends. Can’t get away from him since he wrote so much of the New Testament. I don’t want to, but oftimes he’s a tad too dogmatic and cerebral, thus hard to digest in large doses. (smile) He’s writing to the church at Thessalonica he helped found, but since he was converting Gentiles, as well as Jews, he was soon forced to leave town through the machinations of the orthodox Jewish establishment. And from his new base in Corinth, he hears about their problems. As it was a young church, without his guiding iron fist, a lot of doubt and uncertainty prevailed, leading to dissension. That’s why he’s trying to reinforce the basic guidelines of the faith. He’d just told them to listen to the elders and leaders, like Timothy and Silvanus, whom he’d left behind, and to stop the infighting, ‘be at peace among yourselves.’ Very reminiscent of the Church’s current state, eh Friends? He implores them to warn the unruly, disobedient members. ‘For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy bodies…that if any would not work, neither should he eat.’ (2 Thess.3:11,10) Hn! I could have sworn Bruh Paul was writing to the old church, not today’s, cause the same things are still happening. ‘Comfort the feeble minded,’ he says. Look after the faint of heart. He said it to the Hebrews too. ‘Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.’ (Heb.12:12) ‘Support the weak.’ Twice, Bruh Paul says this in Romans. ‘Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.’ (14:1) ‘We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.’ (15:1) Yes Friends, all that stuff applies to any church, young or old. ‘Be patient toward all men.’ He outlines this in detail in Galatians 5:22-23. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.’  But Friends there’s a law for it; the law of Jesus, of our Christian faith, because that’s exactly what our Saviour is all about, and if we’re His followers, then we should also be about those things. And when Bruh Paul says, ‘See that none render evil for evil unto any man,’ it’s nothing new. The Lord decreed that to Moses centuries before. ‘Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear a grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.’ (Lev.19:18) ‘But ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.’ Ah Friends, that’s the very basis of our faith. Jesus made it the second great commandment. ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself.’ And Bruh Paul emphasized it so often, in several ways, which time and space don’t allow me to quote. I guess a believer needs to be constantly reminded of the essence of his faith, cause it’s not easy, but our Leader, Christ, expects it of us, that’s our raison d’être. But what endears me to Bruh Paul, is that having prescribed all those unnatural attributes, he has the gumption to add, ‘Rejoice evermore.’ But Friends, that’s exactly how it should be. In spite of our rough earthly journey, if we have all the good things Jesus promised; salvation, eternal life, etc. then we should be happy and rejoice. It’s the only way other’s will believe we’ve really got a good thing going. So let’s rejoice and be happy nuh! Much LOVE!…to a true Christian…rejoicing is an integral part of life…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 June 2008 Psalm 113: 1-3‏

01 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 113:1-3    Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the Lord’s name is to be praised.
 
Ah Friends, today was one of those days when the ole fella could not decide what to write about, the aging brain was in go slow mode.(smile) But I finally reasoned, that in times of indecision, giving thanks and praise to our Creator is the safest and best thing we can do, and since it was also Sunday, the day many people rest from their labour, it surely seemed the perfect time to raise our eyes and voices to heaven. It’s also obvious where I went seeking a Bit of thanks and praise, since you know I think the Psalms, penned mostly by Bruh David, does that the best. I like their simplicity, their down to ‘earthiness’, coming straight to the point. ‘Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord.’ What could be more straightforward and to the point eh? It brings the Most High to the forefront of the believer’s thoughts, sets the stage for them to open up their heart and pour out whatever is in there. ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.’ It’s still simple, but loaded with kudos to the Father. ‘From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same,’ Yes Friends, all day, and all night too ‘the Lord’s name is to be praised.’  Guess they left out the night because they didn’t have the night life that we do. But we’re supposed to praise Him during all our waking moments people, from sunrise to sunrise. Having focused his attention on the Lord, the writer then launches into the serious ‘heart speak’: ‘The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.’ That’s for sure! ‘Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth?’ The answer Friends: Nobody! And the flow of gratitude and appreciation continues. ‘He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill, That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.’ What a God! He does indeed look after the poor and needy. ‘He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.’ Wow! He even makes the barren fruitful. Who is like unto Him eh Friends? No one! That’s why He deserves our thanks and praise people. Hn, hn! I’m chuckling because I didn’t intend to use the whole Psalm, (Vs.4-9) but it flowed so naturally that I couldn’t help myself. Just goes to show the power of sincere, heartfelt words. They get us right where it matters, every time. Friends, I can’t say it any better than the Psalmist, only advise us to be very attentive to the thanks and praise part of our faith walk, because truly, Great is the Lord and worthy is His Name to be praised. Much LOVE!…when the heart sings sincerely…thanks and praise flow freely…
 

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