Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 December 2008 Daniel 9:9‏

21 Dec 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Daniel 9:9    To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.
 
Oh Friends, this is officially the first day of winter, but you could have fooled me, cause it’s been cold and white with snow for quite some time now. I’m also surprised when I read the scriptures outlining our rebellious attitude towards our Creator and Heavenly Father. It certainly makes me wonder if we have some kind of brain deficiency, a basic defect in our design, or if God just forgot to tighten a screw or something. Our disobedience over the years has been so constant and outrageous, that it boggles the imagination. Today’s Bit is part of Daniel’s prayer for his people, who’d been taken captive from Jerusalem to Babylon for their disobedience. The occasion was the capture of Babylon by the Persians, when Darius, ‘of the seed of the Medes, was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans.’ (vs.1) It was such a momentous shift of power that it caused Daniel to search the Word, to see if it bore any significance to his people. He found it in Jeremiah. ‘And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon for seventy years…’ and after ‘that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.’ (Jer.25:11-12) That prophecy must have rattled Daniel, for after the Jews had served Babylon for 70 years, Babylon would be destroyed. What would happen to them? So Daniel set himself to pray for his people, ‘with fasting, and sackcloth and ashes.’ And, in keeping with tradition, he first acknowledged God’s righteousness and supremacy. ‘O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments.’  (vs.4) Then he segued into the wrongs of his people: ‘We have sinned and committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements.’ (vs.5). And he expands on that in vs. 6-7. In vs.8, he solemnly announces, ‘O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, (shame) to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.’ Then he cleverly throws in; ‘To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.’ And Daniel could rightfully make that claim because of the numerous times the Lord had mercifully forgiven His chosen people, Israel, their wickedness and self-indulgence. Oh people, the same situation exists today. We’ve been disobedient, evil, and broken all His rules. We’ve either set ourselves up as the final authority, or set other man made gods above Him. But Friends, that’s one thing the Lord will never tolerate. He’s very jealous of His exalted position. So for all our transgressions, we’re now paying a humongous price of worldwide fear, violence, hunger and deprivation from acts of terrorism, strife, war, oppression, greed, economic mismanagement and all the other negatives that are currently besetting us. Like Nehemiah, when he prayed for help for his people to rebuild Jerusalem, he rehashed their sins, however concluded; ‘But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.’ (Neh.9:17) Yes Friends, that’s the wonderful God we worship. Praise His Holy Name! Why then do we continue disobeying Him? Is it because we know He’ll readily show forgiveness and mercy if we repent? For sure He will! But people, please learn one thing; there will always be a price to pay for our disobedience. Perhaps not as much as we really deserve, for remember, He’s not only a God of mercy and forgiveness, but also of righteousness and justice. That’s why He could not just wipe away our sins, and had to send a righteous, sinless Jesus to die for us, so that justice would appear to be done. How much disobedience do we expect Him to put up with eh? As Bruh David declares; ‘If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?’ Not many of us Friends. ‘But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.’ (Ps.130:3-4) That’s also true, but we’re not meant to take advantage of His goodness and mercy, for the Lord in His own time will make us pay. When He gave the two tablets of stone bearing the Ten Commandments to Moses on the mountain, He passed before him in a cloud and proclaimed; ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children’s children, unto the third and fourth generation.’  (Ex.34:6-7) Oh people, our God is also very patient, and gives us lots of time and rope to either hang ourselves or change our evil ways. And what was Moses’ reaction to the Lord’s proclamation? ‘Moses made haste and bowed his head towards the earth and worshipped.’ (Ex.34:8) Oh Friends, for our own sakes, let’s do like Moses nuh; Praise and worship Him; change our evil ways and acknowledge His glory, for whatever He requires of us, is always for our benefit, in our best interest, not His. Disobedience to God, is one game we’ll never win. Much LOVE!…it’s simple…if yuh doh hear…sometime or other…yuh going to feel…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 December 2008 2 John 6‏

20 Dec 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 John 6    And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, that as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
 
Oh Friends, I now understand why the ancients referred to Jesus’ cleansing blood being the agent that washes our sins as white as snow, because there aren’t many prettier sights than the land covered under a soft blanket of fresh snow; everything white, pristine, peaceful and undefiled, like it looked early this morning. Anyone who has the slightest appreciation of nature would surely be touched by it. We lose that virgin sense of beauty though, when we have to step out of our warm, comfortable abodes and tread through the cold, knee deep, foot hugging, slushy stuff. Then it becomes black, mucky and defiled; like everything man touches. And that goes double for relationships; we make such a mess of them, through greed, jealousy, anger, resentment and a host of other petty, often imagined grievances. Oh people, the only thing that’s wrong with our world is people; that’s us. If we’d just cut out the stupid, petty stuff in our lives, the whole world would be so much happier. As Nat Cole said in the song, ‘People, who need people, are the luckiest people in the world.’ And isn’t that the living truth Friends! But there’s only one way to improve our relationships; ‘And this is LOVE, that we walk after his commandments.’ Yes Friends, it starts with and in the heart. And John, the Disciple of LOVE, should know. I call him that cause all his writings seem to have LOVE as their basic theme. And why not, since he was sent as a messenger, to bear witness and testimony to the coming of Jesus, the Prince of Peace and Lord of LOVE? Anyway, in this 2nd Epistle, the LOVE Disciple, (smile) is writing to ‘the elect lady and her children, whom I LOVE in the truth; and not I only, but also they that have known the truth.’ As usual, the supposed scholars can’t decide whether it’s an individual acquaintance of John’s, in which case he’s writing to her and her family, or to a metaphorical lady; a local church and its members. But to whichever, he’s pleased by the spiritual progress ‘the elect lady and her children’ are making in following Christ. However, he feels the need to warn them to beware of certain things, if spiritual progress is to continue. ‘For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.’ (vs.7) And the surest way to reject this blasphemy is to walk after Christ’s commandments, in LOVE. Jesus clearly stated; ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) No ifs, ands and buts about that people! It’s plain and straightforward. ‘But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the LOVE of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.’ (1 John 2:5) That’s simple and to the point too. If we obey His rules, then we’ll know that the LOVE of God dwells in us. But the second part is just as important; we can’t only talk the talk, we’ve got to walk it too, like Jesus. Ah my Friends, sadly, the deceivers and antichrist that John wrote about so long ago, are still prevalent today, and are even more sophisticated and wily. They have what seems like very convincing arguments against the gospel, and these days we have to be oh so careful about whom and what we listen to and believe. As both John and Bruh Paul specify, once they start saying or insinuating that Christ didn’t come in the flesh, just run them right outa town, without hesitation, for they are certain deceivers and antichrist agents. Oh Friends, the enemy is all around us, he’s taking no prisoners, it’s a fight to the death, and for us to prevail, we have to preach and practice LOVE. ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.’ (1 John 5:3) Hear that last part people? ‘His commandments are not grievous.’ I agree. God’s rules aren’t that difficult, somewhat inconvenient at times yes, but definitely not outrageous. ‘Don’t steal, lie, kill, commit adultery, covet other’s belongings, don’t take His name in vain, LOVE the Lord, LOVE your neighbour and yourself.’ What’s so hard about those eh people? Nothing really. It’s only the enemy and his cohorts that are trying to play mind games with us, and we, being naturally stubborn and disobedient, make it even easier for them. It’s not only possible to have all the trappings the enemy dangles before us, but even more, and better quality too, if we are obedient to God’s will, cause He’s more powerful, reliable and generous than Lucifer. Just look at Solomon. But Friends we’ve got to do it the right way; obeying Jesus’ commands, with LOVE in our hearts and in our walk. ‘Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.’ (1 John 2:24) That’s for certain sure my people! So let’s talk and walk in…Much LOVE!…the word is LOVE…LOVE of God…LOVE of self…and of neighbour…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 December 2008 Psalm 27:1‏

19 Dec 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 27:1    The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
 
Yes Friends, we’re continuing with those uplifting words of faith and trust written by Bruh David eons ago, but whose beauty and power have not diminished one iota over the years. In fact, they’ve appreciated in value many times over, but unlike our banks and real estate, will never go bust, or foreclose on us. That’s the attractiveness, the drawing power of our God, people; His utmost reliability. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?’ The prophet Micah echoed Bruh David’s call. ‘Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise: when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.’ (Mic.7:7-8) Those are strong, trusting, faith bearing words people, from which we should draw inspiration. Those men had no doubts about the power and promises of their God. That’s the standard to which we should aspire. Bruh David was so convinced, it was so nice, he had to say it twice, (smile) by adding, ‘The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ And he answers his own question thus: ‘When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’ (vs.2-3) Oh Friends, what a magnificent testimony from Bruh David! It would certainly be wonderful and most glorifying to our God, if we could all get out there, beat our chests in manly fashion and declare a testimony of that magnitude. Or consider this one from Moses; ‘The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.’ (Ex.15:2-3) Yes people, those men had deep seated faith and lived their lives by it. I guess they needed it more than us because of the hard, rough, agrarian lives they led, whereas, we have numerous amenities, facilities and conveniences right at hand that make us soft, and lead us to whine and complain a lot. Life’s too easy with us. We don’t really appreciate how good we have it. Most of what we want we just go out and buy. It’s ready made. We don’t have to worry about the planting, reaping or manufacturing of our goodies. We’ve become so soft, selfish, spoiled and stupid, that we can’t even face a little difficulty without moaning and groaning. It’s our generation that began the soft, sedentary era. We’ve forgotten, some never knew, what it means to put our noses to the grindstone. But that’s how the people of olden times lived, even our parents, their circumstances were much more fragile than ours. They needed to develop lots of inner strength, a whole heap of fortitude, just to make it from day to day. And those who exhibited that deep and fervent trust in the Lord, usually prospered, both economically and psychologically. From Abraham, right down through the ages, the Good Book’s filled with both wise and wealthy men of God. So Friends, what’s different today eh? Why’s our faith so small, so shallow, so immature? God hasn’t changed. Of that we’re sure, cause He’s unchanging. That means it’s us who’ve changed. We’ve become soft and puny where faith’s concerned. Maybe that’s why the Lord, in His exalted wisdom is causing us to go through these trying and daunting times; He’s testing us to see if we have the necessary parts to build belly and backbone, if we can rise to the occasion, like all His followers should? These are faith building times my Friends. We obviously can’t afford to put our trust in man, cause he’s the one that’s now brought us to our very knees. Oh people, as I wrote that, I suddenly got a brainwave; that’s the Lord’s certain purpose. He’s so much smarter than us; He knows that we won’t start crying out and paying attention to Him, until, or unless we’re on our knees. That’s the time we really seek Him, only after we’ve tried everything else. He’s always our last resort, instead of our first. ‘And in that day, thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation: I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song: he also is become my salvation.’ (Is.12:1-2) Now is the time for us to do that people, turn to God, get down on our knees and thank Him for His tender mercies, and renew our individual covenants with Him. He hasn’t let them expire or become overdue, we have, by turning away from Him and His Word, conveniently forgetting that He’s our Creator and Father, thereby ignoring the very important role He plays in our lives. But it’s not too late Friends, for while there is life, there’s always hope. And the only way our society will become strong and self-reliant again is by developing that tried, trusted, true and steadfast faith in our God. As Pres. Roosevelt reputedly said; ‘The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let’s move forward with strong and active faith.’ Friends, I second that. And it means, in Bruh David’s words; ‘Trust him at all times; ye people pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps.62:8) It’s our choice Friends. Much LOVE!…it’s deep seated, unbreakable faith…that causes the Phoenix…to rise from its ashes…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 December 2008 Psalm 27:1‏

18 Dec 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 27:1    The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
 
Nobody, Friends, Nobody! But yuh know I can’t believe we’ve never done a Bit from this wonderful Psalm of Bruh David, even though most of the verses in my Bible are highlighted, in different colours to boot, and there’s a blue border around it, with the word ‘Excellent’ written at the very top. How could we have missed it? I had to check and double check before I was convinced. I can only surmise that in the Lord’s plans, He’d pencilled it in for today. He’s the Master of timing, so I guess He feels we need a refresher course in trust and fearlessness right about now. What with all the difficult, fearful and fearsome times we’re currently experiencing, we do need reminding of the eternal source of our wholeness and strength. And no one sings the praises of our God, or exudes His trust and confidence more than Bruh David. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?’ Oh Friends, there’s no doubt, hesitation or wavering in that statement. It’s an expression of positive fact. Do we feel that way? We should, if we claim to be followers of Jesus. Nobody believed that more than Jesus. He called on His Father continuously, knowing without a doubt, who buttered His bread. ‘All things are delivered unto me of my Father.’ He says. (Matt.11:26) And if we can’t accept the words of Bruh David and Jesus as truth, then things really bad with us yes people. We don’t need just a refresher course, (smile) but a whole new training programme. Oh people, in these very troubled times, we all need a light to shine through our darkness, else we’ll walk in fear and trepidation, afraid we’ll stumble and fall when we can’t see where we’re going. And that’s where our Most High God Jehovah comes in. When we trust and believe in Him, He guides us, opens our eyes, lights the way for us, so we don’t take any wrong steps. Friends, I know it’s not easy to be always upbeat and spouting scripture when everything in our lives is pointing in a negative direction. I have my days of doubt and disgust too, but it’s especially in those times that we really need the uplifting scriptures to keep us afloat, to keep us affirming and believing, because that’s our most powerful tool; belief and hope that morphs into that master building tool of faith. So let’s see if we can’t light up our lives a li’l bit, with some of those uplifting scriptures nuh. ‘For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. For by thee have I run through a troop, and by my God have I leaped over a wall.’ (Ps.18:28-29) Oh Friends, what an inspiration is our God! He caused Bruh David to run through a whole troop and leap over a wall; just like Superman. The Lord is Bruh David’s kryptonite. And if that didn’t get the adrenalin flowing, then listen to this. ‘For the Lord God is a sun and a shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (Ps.84:11-12) And Bruh David knows whereof he speaks Friends, because he lived most of his words; they were reactions to his good and bad times; songs of joy and heart piercing cries of doubt, pleading for help. Very few of us will live the rambunctious kind of life that Bruh David lived. In comparison to some of his troubles, ours seem rather piddling. But he rose above them all through trust and faith in his God, and so can we, by putting some more effort into it. Believe that when times get tough, the tough rise up and get going, and tough times never last, but tough people do. As Bruh Paul would say, we’re flesh, but we’re fighting a spiritual war. Yes people, it’s all on the inside; in the heart, the mind and the spirit. We can only be as strong on the outside as we are on the inside, cause we’re first and foremost spiritual beings existing in a body of flesh and bone. So what’s taking place internally is much more important than the external variables. It’s our spiritual state that will condition our responses to those external challenges. Therefore, to have the proper outward reactions, our minds and souls must at least be settled, if not at completely peace, that we can see all the available options and judge them wisely. If we’re all confused and unsettled on the inside, our external decisions won’t be the best. And Friends, the only way to get that inner peace and sensibility we need to tread our rough road successfully, is by putting our trust, surrendering ourselves completely to the One who’s our light, our sun, our shield. The One who sincerely promises; ‘The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God, thy glory.’ (Is.60:19) Oh Friends, what a magnificent promise! When the Lord comes in all His glory and splendour, His light shall shine brighter than the combined sun, moon and stars. We won’t need them then. Our path will be made clearer than the noonday, and our salvation assured. Hn,hn! I’ve worked myself up so much that I’ve run out of space. But I like that, cause it means I’ve been encouraged, for the Lord doesn’t have me write this for your encouragement alone Friends, but also for mine. Hope you’ve been uplifted too. We’ll continue this tomorrow. Much LOVE!…whatever is good and wholesome…think on those things…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 December 2008 John 3:16‏

17 Dec 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
 
Oh Friends the Lord moved in one of His many mysterious ways today! While seeking a Bit, I glanced at a bookmark in one of my devotionals. I see the bookmark every day, but never pay any real attention to it. Today though, as the Lord obviously desired, I looked at it. It said in big, bold letters: ‘For God so loved the world.’ (John 3:16) It certainly sounded interesting, so I checked to see if we’d done it before, and ‘Hallelujah!’ we hadn’t. And now, having considered the entire verse, it strikes me as being Jesus’ best description of His purpose. It works admirably as His mission statement. ‘Why did He come? Why was He sent? ‘For God so loved the world…’ Oh people, those six words possibly contain the most important message ever uttered. ‘God LOVED us, woeful sinners!’ As Bruh Paul readily attests; ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherein he loved us..’ (Eph.2:4) His mercy is the same for all who call on Him, be it Jew or Gentile. His LOVE for His creation was so powerful, like…the closest we can come to it Friends is comparing it to our LOVE for our obedient children. Note the difference. We tend to love our children when they abide by our rules. But our Heavenly Father was moved so much more by our disobedience. He knew what would happen if we continued in our evil ways; our ultimate end would be death, darkness, hellfire and damnation. And He just couldn’t stomach such a dreadful outcome for the wonderful work of His hands. Just think about how we feel when our children are going down the wrong path. It stirs a terrible hurt deep in our souls. Now imagine that from God’s point of view; multiply it a million times over. We can’t, because it’s way above our comprehension. His ways are higher than ours; so is His hurt, His pain and His LOVE. Above all people, that’s what He is: LOVE! And though we can’t comprehend the true power of His LOVE, I certainly hope we appreciate the strong emotional attachment He bears for us. And it must have been real strong Friends; like a mighty torrent of water, doing a whirlpool dance in His innards, causing Him great concern, sending a constantly pleading message from His heart: ‘No you can’t let the enemy encase them in death and darkness forever. They’re your creation, your children.’ And His mind retorts. ‘What else do you expect me to do? I’ve given them numerous chances over thousands of years. Sent them prophets, whom they never listened to, even killed. I’ve punished them many times. That doesn’t work for long. Once they get back on their feet, they merrily go their evil way again. I gave them freedom of choice and almost everything they asked for. And all I asked in return was that they follow a few simple rules, worship and glorify me. But that’s either too hard for them to do, or not exciting enough. So if they choose to hang out with that fool Lucifer, down there in the depths of Hades, then so be it.’ But Friends, that constant turbulence within God’s soul refuses to subside. The heart refuses to give up. ‘So after all the time and effort you spent in creating them, yuh just going to let them go to hell with Lucifer?’ ‘Yes,’ the mind calmly responds. ‘That means Lucifer wins then.’ the heart states. ‘So?’ ‘So you kicked him outa heaven, because he was trying to upstage you, and now yuh going to just let him have his way with your people,’ (emphasis on the your) ‘without even lifting a finger?’ ‘Yes,’ the mind waves off the heart. ‘I’ve done all I can.’ ‘No, you haven’t,’ the heart shoots back. ‘What else yuh expect me to do eh?’ the mind angrily questions. ‘Just wipe away their evil sins?’ ‘I don’t know,’ the heart answers, ‘but you’re God, the creator of the universe and all therein, you can do anything.’ The mind chuckles mirthlessly, and wags a forefinger in warning. ‘Don’t start with that nonsense now nuh!’ he exclaims. ‘I know I am God, and can do anything, but I’m also a just and righteous God, and if I want to be taken seriously, I must show that justice is done and righteousness prospers.’ ‘You can do that,’ the heart encourages. ‘How?’ the mind snaps back. ‘I don’t know,’ the heart shrugs. ‘You’re the brain, you figure it out. I’m just a pump.’ ‘And one that makes a lotta noise too,’ the mind sullenly mouths. ‘So yuh going to help them?’ the heart continues, sensing that the mind’s less adamant. ‘Who knows?’ the mind rejoins. A moment’s silence follows, then the brain quietly asks, ‘Yuh have any ideas, workable ones that is?’ ‘Oh yes!’ the heart gleefully shouts. The mind shoots the heart a scornful look, before saying in a degrading tone. ‘What mushy, mickey mouse idea yuh have now eh?’ This one’s surely not mushy or mickey mouse,’ the heart declares. ‘Well let’s hear it then,’ the mind mutters unconvinced. ‘Well most of them down there rolling in sin with Lucifer, occasionally paying lip service to us and sacrificing some goat, figuring that sets them free to sin again…’ ‘So what yuh proposing?’ the brain cuts in. ‘Ah not sure,’ the heart thoughtfully murmurs. ‘But I was figuring, if we could find something or somebody to sacrifice, that could make a blanket payment on sins, then we’d eliminate all this scapegoat business. What yuh think?’ The brain thinks for a moment. ‘It sounds plausible,’ he finally says. ‘But for that to work, the sacrifice must be sin free, else justice wouldn’t be done. ‘Yeh,’ the heart nods. ‘And the only two sin free things, or people, is Jesus and Me.’ ‘Well…’ the heart murmurs hesitantly, ‘I was thinking about…’ But the brain angrily cuts him short. ‘Thinking about Jesus! Yuh must be mad or what! My only son! Mih only beloved son…to send Him down there, to sacrifice Him for a bunch of no good, disobedient sinners? No way Jose!’ But Friends we all know who eventually won the argument; the heart, cause it’s the mightiest organ in the body, where the mightiest emotion of them all, LOVE, resides. The mind might be brilliant, but the heart controls the body. Like electricity, when the heart stops, everything shuts down. Oh Friends, I hope you all enjoy this little story. It wasn’t planned. It just began flowing and I let it, figuring that it must be God’s will. But that’s the kind of quandary I imagined God to have had, since we’re made in His image and likeness, and that’s how we behave. However people, unlike many of us, God’s LOVE wasn’t merely a talking point, but more importantly a walking statement. He put His money where His mouth was and proved His unconditional LOVE! That’s why Jesus could boldly proclaim: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life,’ Let’s make it worthwhile by being obedient and showering Him with thanks and praise. Much LOVE!…a Good Word story…is never too long.. (smile)
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 December 2008 Deuteronomy 1:38‏

16 Dec 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Deuteronomy 1:38    But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
 
Ah Friends, that word encourage, and its noun, encouragement, are mighty words in the lexicon of faith. Moses must have been heart broken, when told he would never set foot in the Promised Land after so much aggravation and worry from his people. The Lord was nice enough though, to take him up into the mountains and show him it from afar. ‘Fat lotta good that does me!’ Moses must have have moaned in his heart. At the end, his job was to encourage Joshua. Now what does encourage really mean? The first thing we must realize, is that encourage is an action word; it clearly implies DO something. The dictionary explains it thus: to embolden, incite, advise, promote, assist, animate, cheer, hearten, steel, assure, strengthen, reassure, boost, excite, galvanize, stimulate, quicken, amongst other things. Wow! All those meanings says it’s a powerful word. In this particular case though, I like the definition; to fill with courage or strength of purpose, especially in preparation for a difficult task. Yes Friends, that’s what the Lord told Moses to do with Joshua; prepare him, mentor him, raise the level of his spirit, add some steel to his soul, some backbone and belly, for the Lord knew the hard task ahead of Joshua. The wayward, stubborn, disobedient Israelites weren’t an easy people to lead. In fact, leadership of anybody or anything is a difficult job at the best of times, and if one isn’t fully prepared it can be disastrous. The Lord understood this and didn’t just catapult Joshua into the leader’s role. No, He had Moses lay his hand upon him, anoint him, so to speak, before the priest and the congregation, so that everybody would realize that he was Moses’ successor. (Num.27:18-23) I like how the Lord told Moses; ‘And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children may be obedient.’ (vs.20) So the people would begin paying serious attention to his opinions and showing him the respect due their future leader. Sadly, preparation isn’t necessary only in leadership roles, but in everything we do. If we’re prepared, we usually perform better. Even the best preparation though doesn’t guarantee success, and we end up struggling, worrying, losing our self-confidence, even giving up. That’s when we desperately need encouragement Friends. And this walk of faith, our earthly journey, attempting to tread in Jesus’ footsteps is no bed of roses. The enemy’s all around, doing his best to break us down, while life itself is throwing all sorts of curve balls and googlies at us. Then sometimes we get a sudden change up; they come so fast, just whistling by yuh head, you’d believe it was Wes Hall or Charlie Griffith bowling them. That’s why we need to surround ourselves with people who can encourage and reassure us; for there are occasions when knowing the Bible from cover just won’t drag us out of the mire. Man is a social animal. We all need someone around us at some time, and for the believer, especially those young in the faith, it’s essential they have people or places to turn to for spiritual guidance when life gets rough, and their faith begins to falter. The mature believer needs it too, cause everyone’s faith waivers at one point or another. Consequently, we need strong, supportive churches, with things like Bible study, or just people in the church whom we can reach out to in times of need, who will strengthen, reassure, boost and galvanize us once more. We also need to surround ourselves with good Christian friends and materials like Scrip-Bit, that keep us focused on God. But the Good Book is always the first place to draw inspiration from; it’s a towering tome of encouragement; (smile) God’s promise and assurance to His followers. In it are also instances of individual encouragement. Let’s look at a few. We’ve already seen the Lord directing Moses to encourage Joshua. It’s also repeated later. ‘But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him.’ (Deut.3:28) And after Moses died, the Lord Himself encouraged Joshua. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage.’  (Josh.1:5-6) Wow! Now that’s what yuh call encouragement! In 2 Chronicles, King Hezekiah ‘commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord.’ (31:4) The holy men need also encouragement. We can’t expect them to faithfully practice the Lord’s law if they’re scrounging and scavenging for victuals. Meanwhile, Isaiah 41:6-7 declares: ‘They helped everyone his neighbour; and everyone said to his brother, Be of good courage: So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer, him that smote the anvil..’ And the Lord himself promises to us all Friends; ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee: yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is.41:10) Oh people, what great reassurance from our Creator! It can’t get any better than that! And I’m chuckling as I write this; I left the best for last … no it doesn’t contradict the last statement. ‘And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord.’ (1 Sam.30:6) Yes Friends, that’s Bruh David for you; that’s why the Lord held him in such high esteem. And as I read the rough draft tears filled my eyes. Imagine that nuh, the people, his people, wanted to stone him, cause him grievous bodily harm, although he’d lost his family too. But while they wished him harm, he turned to his lifelong protector…he encouraged himself in the Lord. And though it’s good to have others encourage us, when push come to shove, when everything crash, and we’re all alone in the wilderness or adrift on the wild and stormy sea, then it’s our responsibility, cause we are the masters of our own faith, it behoves us then, to do like Bruh David…encourage ourselves in the Lord. Much LOVE!…nothing lifts a fearful soul…like a word of encouragement… Ah know it long, but too bad. If yuh unhappy, talk to the Lord, cause is His orders ah following. (smile)
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 December 2008 Hebrews 13:20-21‏

15 Dec 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Hebrews 13:20-21    Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
 
As promised Friends, we’re continuing with the beautiful benediction in Hebrews. We ended yesterday with Isaiah’s take on the shepherd analogy. But there are two others more famous than that. Can you name them? If you can, and if you believe and live by them, then pass go, straight to heaven, (smile) because they contain very important ingredients that greatly benefit a believer’s earthly journey. Obviously, the first is Bruh David’s immortal song of praise: ‘The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters…’ (Ps.23:1-2) And the second is: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine…and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." (John 10:11,14-16) Oh Friends, what an outstanding declaration! And having heard that sincere outpouring of LOVE, how can we not believe in, and follow Jesus eh? Whoever wrote Hebrews was most definitely justified in calling Him, ‘that great shepherd of the sheep,’ for only a most dedicated and caring shepherd with extraordinary talent, could successfully merge such large numbers of diverse sheep, Jews and Gentiles, into one fold, and also die for them. And people, don’t you just admire the way Jesus talks? Others might use bigger words, and have better oratorical delivery, but when Jesus speaks, He exudes a special kind of power that makes you…you just seem compelled to listen, to hang on His every word, with your mouth open in awe. (smile) And Peter says; ‘For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.’ (1 Pet.2:25). He should know, having trudged all around Judea with Jesus. But how did we return to ‘the Shepherd of our souls?’ ‘…through the blood of the everlasting covenant…’ Friends, that’s what separates our God from all the wannabe’s; the sincerity and assurance of His promises. Way back in time, He told Abram to leave his country and family and follow Him. ‘And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great: and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of  the earth be blessed.’ (Gen.12:2-3) And the Lord kept all those promises. He even renamed him, Abraham; Father of the Faithful. During Moses’ time the Israelites developed a tradition of a blood sacrifice, using the blood of unblemished goats, as scapegoats for their sins. But their disobedience was intolerable, and several times God punished them. However, being the merciful, forgiving God that He is, through the prophet Zechariah, He promises them a new king for Zion: ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass…As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.’ (Zech.9:9,11) Because of the blood covenant He’s set them free from the waterless pit. However, with Jesus sacrificial death, a new blood covenant was consummated. The shedding of Jesus’ sinless blood atoned  for all sins for all time; Jesus was the last scapegoat. And hopefully, the very same God of peace, who sacrificed His Son Jesus, to pay for our sins, would ‘make you perfect in every good work to do his will;’ that He’d cause us to complete all the good works we do in obedience to His will; ‘working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight.’ Oh Friends, how yuh going to tell me that is not Bruh Paul who wrote Hebrews eh? Just listen to it nuh. And here this as he explains. ‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.’ (Phill.2:13) Doesn’t the style sound similar? Anyway people, it’s certainly the Lord of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who enables us to do His will and pleasure; without His help we’d be powerless. And like all our hopes and prayers, may it be done through our Advocate with the Father, our Lord and Saviour ‘Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’  Much LOVE!… my Friends…may the Lord bless you…and keep you…safe from all harm…now…and for evermore…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 December 2008 Hebrews 13:20-21‏

14 Dec 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Hebrews 13:20-21    Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
 
And all God’s people said, Amen! Yes Friends, what a beautiful benediction! Though the authorship of Hebrews is in doubt, whoever wrote it was well versed in the Jewish traditions and possessed great writing skills in Greek. Some say it’s Bruh Paul, others disagree. I’d like to think it’s Bruh Paul because it sounds so much like him; zealous and long winded, but very articulate. And he concludes the penultimate chapter of his letter to the Roman church, this way: ‘Now the God of peace, be with you all. Amen.’ (15:33) But who knows, that might just have been a popular blessing back then. However, he does clarify it earlier. ‘Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’  (Rom.5:1) Yes people, it’s the same ‘God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus.’ And it’s so amazing Friends, when we study the Good Book, how we find it all intertwined from beginning to end; the prophecies and stuff mentioned centuries before in the Old Testament, how they keep coming true in the New. And that’s no coincidence. It was obviously well thought out and planned by some ingenious Being. This quote from the prophet Hosea is a perfect example: ‘Come let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.’ (Hos.6:1-2) Oh Friends, only the Lord could have put that idea about resurrection in three days in Hosea’s mind. Even before that, Bruh David declared: ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell: neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy: at thy right hand there are pleasures for ever more.’ (Ps.16:8-11) That’s for sure Friends! And won’t we all like to enjoy some of those pleasures? (smile) And we will, someday, when we go to be with the Lord. So long before Jesus was even conceived, the faithful knew of His coming, along with the ideas of heaven, hell and resurrection. And Bruh Paul obviously has something to say on the subject. ‘Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him, (Abraham’s righteousness) But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised for our justification.’ (Rom.4:23-25) Meaning people, that righteousness will also be laid at our doorstep, if we believe on the Lord, who sacrificed the ‘Holy One’ for our sins, then resurrected Him to prove that we’d been cleansed and made whole in His Name. Oh Friends, what a marvellous and merciful God we worship! Let’s give Him eternal thanks and everlasting praise for all the wonderful things He’s done for us; the patience, forgiveness, mercy, unconditional LOVE He’s bestowed on us from the day of creation. Who else would have so patiently put up with our sinful disobedience, then sacrifice His Only Son, and through ‘that great shepherd of the sheep,’ bring us back to the fold, having, like lost and senseless sheep gone astray for so long. Ah people, the analogy of the good shepherd and the brain-dead sheep is not only appropriate because the early Israelites were shepherds, but because the whole scenario of a powerful, LOVING caregiver, overseeing a babbling group of fearful, insecure, aimless and wandering animals superbly fits our relationship with the Lord. Isaiah puts it all into perfect context. ‘Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God…Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is.40:1,11-12) Oh Friends, no other deity can even dare to make such a touching, caring promise, much less keep it. Only our God; the Most High God Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has the parts and the power to undertake and successfully accomplish such a magnanimous task. Let’s show Him some much deserved and long overdue appreciation and gratitude nuh. Much LOVE!…heaven…or …hell…your choice…  To be continued.
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 December 2008 Psalm 91:11-12‏

13 Dec 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 91:11-12    For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
 
Oh Friends, what a most wonderful and encouraging promise Bruh David echoes on the Lord’s behalf! It sure warms the cockles of one’s heart to hear that kind of statement, especially in these rough, ridiculous times. Under the prevailing circumstances, we all need something to boost our spirits, to keep us from knuckling under to all the fear and frenzy that’s currently bombarding us. And people, nothing does that better than the Word of the Most High God Jehovah, cause that’s it’s express purpose, exactly why it was written; to give His followers direction, strength of purpose and courage, both in good and bad times. At one stage in Bruh David’s early manhood, when his behaviour left a lot to be desired, he heeded the Lord’s call and turned it around and sincerely declared: ‘This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.’ (Ps.34:6-7) Yes Friends, those that put their trust and faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, always have angels looking out for them, in times of danger and want. ‘There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come near thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.’ And nobody knew this better than Lucifer when he tried to tempt Jesus, cause he was once the number one Angel. But, after his fall from grace, being the very embodiment of evil, he still had to try, and that was his best chance, since Jesus was at His weakest after fasting for forty days in the wilderness. So having been rebuked by Jesus when he told Him to make bread out of stone in the desert; ‘It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ (Luke 4:4)  Lucifer takes Him up to a pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem and says; ‘If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.’ (Luke 4:10-11) Yes Friends, Lucifer knows the Word; better than us.  And though whatever he says to us might be true, we don’t have to do what he tells us, for he’s very wily and cunning, and will try every which way to have us do his bidding. Jesus could easily have done all the things the enemy told Him, but that would have meant following his orders, and we don’t ever do that. When he comes a calling with sweet, sugary words, we need to tell him; ‘Take a hike buddy! Can’t you see the Lord’s name on my breastplate?’ (smile) That’s the only way to deal with him; straight and to the point. We can’t afford to get into any long conversations with Lucifer, cause he’s also a great psychologist and will have us eating out of the palm of his hand in no time flat. On our own, we’re no match for him. The only way is to rebuke him and call on the Lord, who has promised to have His angels guard us when evil predators lurk. ‘They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.’ Obviously Friends, we shall have problems in this world, but none that we can’t conquer with the Lord’s help as we journey through a sometimes difficult and discouraging life. But remember Jesus said that He’d conquered the world, overcome it through His death and resurrection, and if we believe in Him, we can do likewise. It’s all a matter of faith Friends; believing what you don’t see, but knowing that in God’s own time, everything will work out just fine, cause that’s His eternal, everlasting promise to those who trust, honour and obey Him. His Holy Spirit dwelling and working in us, plus His angels standing guard all around, are more than a match for the powers of evil. As Bruh Paul argues; ‘But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?’ None! ‘Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?’ (Heb.1:13-14) Yes Friends, we are the heirs of salvation, and the angel’s job is to minister to us; provide care and protection. Always remember that. Much LOVE!…though we may stumble…we’ll never fall…thanks to His angels…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 December 2008 2 Timothy 1:7‏

12 Dec 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Timothy 1:7    For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.
 
Yes Friends, we can believe that! Bruh Paul wouldn’t lie to his young protégé Timothy, or to us. This epistle was probably some of the last words he wrote from his prison cell in Rome, before he was beheaded. In it he attempts to encourage Timothy in his ministry; ‘that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.’ (vs.6) He exhorts him to fan the flames of the gospel, keep his lamp burning strong and bright, seek endurance, be motivated to use the ‘gift of God,’ the grace bestowed on him through the Spirit when he became a believer, and that was heightened, when Bruh Paul ordained him. ‘For God hath not given us a spirit of fear…’ That’s a fact Friends! Jesus told His disciples: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) So why then, as believers, do we still walk around so fearful eh? There’s no need to be afraid if we’re filled with the Spirit of Christ. ‘For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.’ (Rom.8:15-16) And Friends, if we’re the children of God, the creator of the universe and all therein, also its most powerful personage, why then should we be afraid? Instead, we should be filled with strength and power, the ability to do whatever God calls us to do. Jesus said it: ‘But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’ (Acts 1:8) From the mouth of the Saviour Himself people! When we believe, and His Spirit enters us, then it casts aside all fear and worry, and fills us instead with the power to do His will. The Spirit also blesses us with a feeling ‘of LOVE, and a sound mind.’ Yes Friends, that Holy Spirit certainly works wonders in a believer’s soul, if we follow it wisely; starting with a ‘sound mind.’ That simply means a disciplined, orderly mind, that leads to disciplined, orderly behaviour. We stop making hasty decisions, or jumping helter skelter from one thing to another, but rather thoughtfully dealing with it, and being firm and decisive when we do make a decision. Remember, ‘a double minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:8) And when we come to Jesus, all those unhealthy, wasteful, destructive habits are cast out. Flora .E. Meredith must have heard this good news about Jesus, when she faithfully declared: ‘I’ve heard he works with broken people. I am sick, hurting and broken. I am waiting and willing now…’ Yes people, for all of us who are still fearful, sick, broken, hurting, tired, weary; whatever ails us, there’s no better person to take our troubles to than Jesus. Remember His great invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke…learn of me…and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Mat.11:28-30) Wow Friends! What a wonderful invitation! We’ll never get a better one. Jesus obviously cares very deeply for us, else why would He offer such an overwhelming invitation, or suffer such a horrible death on our behalf? And He does all of this from His eternal and everlasting reservoir of LOVE! They say LOVE makes the world go round; and it’s quite true, because it’s the bed rock, the very foundation on which Jesus and His Father have built their world. For ‘God is LOVE, and he that dwelleth in LOVE, dwelleth in God, and God in him. There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:16-18) So Friends if we’re overly timid and fearful, it means we don’t have the Spirit of Christ in us as strong and securely as we need to. For if the LOVE of Christ controls us, then fear won’t disturb our souls. Let’s all take time today nuh, to ramp up the intensity of Christ’s Spirit in our beings, so that we can drive out that meddlesome, disheartening fear, and replace it with the power, LOVE, and sound mind of Christ. Much LOVE!…a whole heap of fear…indicates…not enough of Jesus…
 

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