Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 January 2009 Joshua 1:9‏

21 Jan 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Joshua 1:9    Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.
 
Well Friends, the party’s over! It’s time now to get back to the reality and deal with the sad, untenable situations surrounding us. Our modern day Joshua, Barack Obama has now been officially sworn in as the 44th President of the U.S.A. It was a glorious day of sunshine and cold, most fitting for such a joyous and momentous occasion, with the Lord’s many blessings pouring down upon us that we had lifelong enemies laughing, talking and breaking bread together. Let’s pray for Ted Kennedy though, who fell sick and had to be taken to hospital. The problem now though, is how much of the glad handing and back slapping that took place yesterday, will evolve into more sensible working relationships today? Like the ancient Israelites crossing over the Jordan, our task of rebuilding our world will be monumental. The first requirement will be for the leadership to settle in, then set realistic goals and plans for improvement. Hopefully the Lord has assured Barack, telling him, like He did 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) I believe He has. The Lord wouldn’t bring him this far under the prevailing circumstances and not reassure him of His ever present strength and guidance. But people, remember he’s only one man; the leader, the visionary. His vision cannot be implemented without the positive and enthusiastic cooperation of we the people. Now that’s where the true colours and real desire of the people will be made known, cause it will need a tremendous amount of working together as one, for the common good of all. If that doesn’t happen, then sadly, the whole exercise will be doomed to failure. Only with everybody going in the same direction, with the same goal, is any positive and long lasting rebuilding possible. The differences amongst us should be there just to keep checks and balances on each other, not stumbling blocks that will negate our positive efforts. And Friends, since we did not descend to our current depths overnight, and have such a long way to rise before we can return to our former glory, we must realize that our rebuilding won’t be done overnight either. We’ve got to band our belly and jaw for a long, hard restoration. That means there’s no room for petty selfishness and divisive party politics. Just as the Israelites after so many years of fear and indecision finally followed Joshua’s direction to cross the Jordan, so too we must follow Obama’s direction to change our negative thought patterns, put on a new, positive demeanour and lift ourselves from the mire we’ve allowed ourselves to fall into and wallow in for far too long. Note Friends, the Lord might have only said Today’s Bit to Joshua on that particular occasion, but He’d been saying it to the people ever since they came out of slavery in Egypt. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ How much simpler and plainer can He get my people? Note also, the major theme of the Lord’s talk to Joshua is strength and courage: ‘Be strong and of a good courage;’ (vs.6) ‘Only be thou strong and very courageous,’ (vs.7) ‘Be strong and of a good courage,’ (vs.9) Even the people told Joshua at the end of his talk; ‘only be strong and of a good courage.’ (vs.18) That means my brethren, we’ve got to gird up our loins, set our hands to the plough and forge straight ahead with strength, courage and conviction, with no looking back, neither ‘turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (vs.7-8) Oh Friends, from day one that has been the cardinal rule in achieving success and prosperity; study the Word, and live by its rules, and it hasn’t changed one iota to this very day. We’ve elected Obama on the platform of hope and positive change, so let’s see if we can be like those Israelites of old nuh, who, when the Lord gave them a second chance under Joshua, eagerly grasped it and got up the courage to finally cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land. ‘And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.’ (vs.16) It’s imperative that we listen to our leaders, while continually praying for the Most High God Jehovah to guide and direct their paths, as well as ours, for it’s only under His loving-kindness and gracious mercy that we can ever find long lasting success and prosperity. Much LOVE!…yes we can…if we believe we can…and behave like we can…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 January 2009 Deuteronomy 34:9‏

20 Jan 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Deuteronomy 34:9    And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses.
 
 Oh my people, what a blessed day is this Tuesday January 20th, in the Year of Our Lord 2009! What an auspicious and momentous occasion in the annals of mankind, rivalled only by the passing of the leadership torch from Moses to Joshua! This day, like that one, will live on in history, because today, Barack Hussein Obama Jr. will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America, the mightiest and most prosperous nation the Lord has ever showered His mercy upon. He will be the first one with a definite darkness to his complexion to ascend to that lofty position, although it’s been rumoured that a few in the past also had the blood of their African ancestors flowing through their veins, but not reflected in their outward appearance. Obama however has it both on the inside and outside. It irks me though, that all the emphasis is being placed on his African heritage. What about his Caucasian mother and grandparents, the ones who raised him during the most influential period of his life, and who planted the good seed that is now bearing such positive and abundant fruit? Please people, let’s not forget that, for there’s method to the Lord’s madness, else why would he bundle in the same human; African and Caucasian ancestors, humble origins with exalted educational opportunities, both Christian and Muslim sensibilities in a diverse melting pot called America in its most dire time of need? It is also of major significance that the entire world has seemingly rallied around him. Undoubtedly my Friends, he is the leader the Lord has chosen for our time, just like He chose Joshua when He took Moses to His bosom. Also like Joshua, the spirit of wisdom is upon Obama. ‘And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him. And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.’ (Num.27:18,20) That’s not all; listen to Isaiah’s declaration: ‘And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.’ (Isa.11:2) Obama does seem to reflect all those attributes. But so far we’ve only accomplished the easy part; electing Obama. The hard part is yet to come, in fact it will begin right after he’s sworn in. Then, my friends, brethren, people, whomever and wherever you are around the world, it will greatly behove us to fervently follow and obediently hearken to his leadership, as the Israelites did with Joshua, for the Lord has given us another chance. Yes people, in His ultimate wisdom, mercy and loving-kindness the Lord has made a way for us, just when it seemed like there was none. Today my Friends, we are encamped on the banks of the Jordan, gazing hopefully and wistfully across at the Promised Land, so it’s only fitting that we hear some of the last words of wisdom from Moses to the Israelites, who, unfortunately for him, because of his nation’s continual disobedience to God’s directives, never set foot on the other side of the Jordan. ‘And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea (Joshua) the son of Nun.’ (Deut.32:44) Moses first praised the God of his fathers: ‘ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are of judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut.32:3-4) Then he went on to tell them about their history with the Lord; His goodness and mercy, but too often their disobedience. Nevertheless, since the Lord had considered them His chosen people, he had looked after them as promised, and brought them safely thus far. At the end, Moses then warned them: ‘Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.’ (Deut.32:46-47) Oh Friends, if those words ever needed to be repeated it’s today, because what’s happening is not futile, it can’t be, cause it’s our life, and we’ve mercifully been given a second chance. So let’s grab hold of it nuh, and observe, with great strength of purpose, and all diligence in our work, our obedience to the Lord’s will and fervent prayer and support of our new leadership. It’s the only way we will survive and again prosper, in the land once overflowing with milk and honey that the Most High God Jehovah has so graciously bestowed upon us. Much LOVE!…we shall overcome…we shall overcome…this day…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 January 2009 Proverbs 1:1‏

19 Jan 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 1:1    The Proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel.
 
Oh Friends, today was one of those days when I could not decide what to write about. However, after wandering aimlessly through the Good Book, the Lord, as He’s wont to do when we cry out to Him, had mercy on this ole sinner and, like the caring Father that He is, understandingly guided me to the words of Solomon, and planted the seeds of this idea in my consciousness. Whew! Is that like Bruh Paul or what? (smile) But it’s the gospel truth. Now what’s a Proverb? Although in ancient Hebrew its basic meaning seemed to be ‘comparison,’ it’s now come to generally refer to wise, thought-provoking sayings or pronouncements. In the Book of Proverbs it’s used in reference to a short statement, lecture or advice on some principle. And what’s its Purpose? ‘To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding.’ (vs.2) And what’s Wisdom? Wisdom is the ability to live a skilful life; and it’s a skill that needs to be developed. How? Through instruction and understanding, which refer to moral discipline in our lives and our ability to separate the sheep from the goats; decide good from bad, truth and lies, what’s important from what is not. Its purpose is also ‘To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgement, and equity.’ (vs.3) In Hebrew a different word is used for this wisdom, which is more akin to common sense, wise dealings, sensible behaviour, while justice tends to righteousness and being obedient to the Lord’s will, and judgement to right behaviour, with equity pertaining to honesty and fairness in our dealing with others. And why do we need all these things? ‘To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.’ (vs.4) That’s to enlighten naive young people who can be easily led astray; to give them some discernment re the comprehension of reality and help them relate to the experience of God, so that they can both plan and perform right actions for themselves. It appears that Proverbs was basically written with the young in mind, however, it is beneficial to both young and old, wise and foolish. ‘A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.’ (vs.5) Yes, the learned as well as the uneducated can benefit from the advice contained therein. For ‘Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase learning.’ (Prov.9:9) And that my Friends, is when we’ll acquire the ability, ‘To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.’ (vs.6) Then and only then will we fully comprehend the enigma of a proverb, and those riddles or thought-provoking sayings of the wise. As Asaph declared: ‘I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.’ (Ps.78:2-3) So people, it’s only by getting wisdom and understanding can one understand those obscure riddles and mind-bending pronouncements. And Friends, all this leads up to a serious warning: ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (vs.7) Yes my people, knowing the Lord, developing a reverential awe for Him is the start of all wisdom. Once you understand whom and what He is, then you’re on the right path, for without a healthy respect and adoration for the Most High God Jehovah you’re lost, since it’s the controlling principle in wisdom; both its acquisition and successful practice in one’s life. It’s obvious then why fools despise wisdom, because to gain it they have to acknowledge the authority and supremacy of Almighty God. ‘My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother. For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.’ (vs.8-9) That’s how we are to behave people, and also teach our children; to choose wisdom over folly, which entails being obedient to the Lord, for it will be a thing of beauty or adornment shining on us, throughout our entire lives. And I want to impress on us one point the scholars made here, saying that since the mother was mentioned or involved, means that these lessons were taught in the home, not in the courts or schools. And that’s one area in which our generation has been sadly lacking. For whatever reason, we’ve expected others to teach our children the finer points of life. But Friends that’s wrong, cause it’s not only charity that should begin at home, but everything should start there. And since we’ve learned what we need to decipher those dark sayings, let’s go out now and get wisdom nuh, and seek understanding too. (smile) They will surely stand us in good stead. Much LOVE!…be not penny wise…and pound foolish…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 January 2009 1 John 5:12‏

18 Jan 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 John 5:12    He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
 
That sounds fairly simple and self-explanatory, doesn’t it Friends? It’s simply a matter of having or not having the Spirit of the Son of God dwelling within you. If you have it, then you have life: ‘He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.’ (vs.10) Your earthly journey, though at times rough, will be guided by the One who gives peace, joy, longevity, forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and all the wonderful things that come from dwelling in the spiritual realm. And above and beyond all that, at the end of your earthly days, your soul will find rest and salvation in eternal life with that same Son of God, the Father and the Holy Spirit. That’s His everlasting promise. However, if you don’t have His Spirit dwelling within you, then sadly, you’re lost. ‘He that believeth not God, hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.’ (vs.10) You might enjoy much worldly pleasure, power and possessions, but at the end, your soul will be condemned to wander through eternity in darkness and damnation, simply because you refused to believe that God sent His Son to earth that we might have life abundantly, both here and throughout eternity. And if you don’t believe me, listen to Jesus. ‘And as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3: 14-18) There you have it Friends; the words of Jesus himself, the only begotten Son of God. Note, Jesus keeps repeating the idea of belief; ‘whosoever believeth in him shall not perish.’ ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already.’ Oh people, it’s all a matter of belief. All we have to do is believe, and everything else will fall into place. But it’s essential to believe; believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and the Father sent Him to earth to save and not condemn us, for we were already condemned through our sinful, disobedient behaviour. I know it sounds so simple and too good to be true, and usually if it sounds far fetched, it is, but not this time people. And belief is the starting point. Nothing can happen without that feeling of belief and assurance in our hearts. That’s the first step. What does the Chinese proverb say? ‘The longest journey begins with the first step.’ So our journey through life with Christ starts with the initial step of believing that He is, whom He says He is, the Son of God. I don’t want to belabour the point, but it’s so important that we might just have to say it until it sinks in. (smile) John weighs in with his version at the end of Chapter 3. ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.’ (vs.36) Now my people, we certainly don’t want to experience God’s displeasure, so let’s believe nuh, and get others to do the same. Jesus thought it so important that He made a point of repeating it. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am the bread of life…the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever.’ (John 6:47-48,51) Oh Friends, I certainly want some of that bread so that I can live forever! Don’t you?  Jesus said again: ‘Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, who thou hast sent.’ (John 17:2-3) It’s therefore crucial people, in fact critical, that me make plans for our spiritual retirement. It’s going to be for a long, long time; till eternity, so we’ve got to start building our RRSP portfolios NOW. And since we only have two entities willing to handle our investments; Lucifer, a fallen angel, and Jesus, the risen Christ, Son of God, our decision should be relatively easy. As far as I’m concerned, the choice is a no-brainer. Lucifer is going down; dealing with darkness and death. Meanwhile, Jesus is on the rise; personifying light and life. So let’s be smart and invest with Jesus for eternal life nuh. Much LOVE!…only believe…that’s all it takes…only believe…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 January 2009 Ezekiel 18:30-31‏

17 Jan 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ezekiel 18:30-31    …Repent and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die O House of Israel.
 
Oh Friends, that’s a very good question! Why shall we die indeed? There’s no reason for it. The Lord doesn’t want it. ‘For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves and live ye.’ (Eze.18:32) Friends, the Lord’s pleading with us in these sinful times, just like He did with the Israelites as the prophet Ezekiel relates. The Word plainly states that the soul of the sinner shall die, but we keep playing the harlot, ignoring God’s warnings, again, like the Israelites, who even went as far as claiming that ‘the way of the Lord is not equal.’ It is not fair. Hn! Obviously the Lord was displeased with their accusation, for He considers His modus operandi to be very just and fair: the righteous turn from righteousness and sins, he dies; the wicked turns from wickedness; he lives. ‘Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Therefore repent and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so your iniquity will not be your ruin.’ Yes people, we need to reform ourselves, and consequently our world. Clean up our act, make right the way we live before it’s too late. As John cried out from the wilderness: ‘Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’  (Mat.3:2) ‘At hand’ are the crucial words Friends, for we know not when it will come. It can come like a thief in the night, or a friend in broad daylight, but we need to be ready whenever it comes. John’s message to the church at Ephesus is key. ‘Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except ye repent.’ (Rev.2:5) Now people, we don’t want to lose our candlestick, do we? Of course not! Else we’ll have no candle and therefore no light, and we’ll be left in eternal darkness, and not enjoy salvation and eternal life with the Lord. And that’s something we definitely don’t want to lose. But Friends, the only way to do that is to ‘Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed;’ As Isaiah said in his call to repentance: ‘Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, cease to do evil.’ (Is.1:16)  For the Lord has a free offer of mercy to all who are willing to accept it. So, ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is.55:6-7) Oh my brethren, it never ceases to amaze me, the wonderful God we worship! There’s none other like Him, who’s so full of compassion and mercy, patience, justice and forgiveness, forever willing to pardon and forget. But Friends, we first have to do our part; ‘and make you a new heart and a new spirit.’ That sound’s like a fair trade, doesn’t it? We clean up our act; He forgives and forgets. Bruh David sincerely cried out; ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.’ (Ps.51:10) And in Jeremiah, the Lord promised: "And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them.’ (Jer.32:39) Think about the children, my people. And we would be rather amiss if we didn’t quote Bruh Paul on this topic. (smile) ‘And be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph.4:23-24) Obviously all this is not as easy as it sounds, cause we’re so caught up in the lustful affairs of the world, that giving up its shiny, brass plated toys that rot, will mean substantial worldly loss. But Friends, just look at the quality and value of the rewards; salvation and eternal life with the Holy Triumvirate! Wow! Isn’t that worth much more than all that glitters on earth, but eventually rots and dies? Of course it is! So let’s seriously consider improving our spiritual lives nuh, so that we shall not die. Much LOVE!…we can’t say it too often…he that hath an ear…let him hear…else he will certainly feel…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 January 2009 Proverbs 14:29‏

16 Jan 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 14:29    He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
 
Ah my Friends, that bit of wisdom from Sol is so true, it isn’t funny. All of us have proved it to one extent or the other: Something untoward happens and we fly off the handle without considering our actions or the repercussions thereof, only to find out later on that we’d made fools of ourselves, because whatever set us off was either of no real importance, or our hasty, angry reactions caused serious problems for everybody. I know it’s not easy to always stop and consider our actions before rushing headlong into things, but it’s very important that we try, else we’re going to find ourselves often getting into unnecessary trouble. And to be true followers of Jesus, we must learn to be patient and control our hasty impulses, for it’s one of the basic tenets of His teaching. However, this fast moving world of ours hardly gives us time to stop and think about anything, it denies us time to make rational decisions, reactions are required asap; now for now. This might suit the evil purposes of the world, but it certainly leads to a lot of hasty, improper decisions. Oh people, we’ve got to learn to take time to think, and not simply succumb to our hasty impulses. Stop everything, even for a brief moment; take a time out and turn to God, and ask, ‘What now Lord?’ Friends, it’s the only way to cut out a lot of the negative reactions, for when we’re running around crazily, like chickens with our heads cut off, unfortunately, our emotions are always churning too at top speed, and very close to the surface. Under these circumstances, it doesn’t take much to trigger impatience and anger. But we can’t blame the fast paced lifestyle of our society for everything. As individuals, we also have to learn to take full responsibility for our actions. And the mind doctors will tell you, that when it gets down to the nitty gritty, nobody can make you angry, or cause you to do something you don’t want to do. In the final analysis, your reaction depends solely on you. Now, though this is all technically true, controlling our emotions in the face of what we consider adverse circumstances is not an easy task. It’s something we need to practice constantly. Repetition is the key to success, as it is in so many aspects of our lives. We’d be surprised if we slowed down for just a brief moment and considered our actions, the amount of negative pitfalls we’d eliminate. That’s because most of the time we get angry, the reactions are negative and the fallout from them not worth losing our cool. We don’t need any scripture to really point this out since it’s so prevalent, but, as for all aspects of living, the Good Book shows the right way. Listen to James: ‘Wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:19-20) There it is Friends; in black and white! When we are hasty and too impulsive, we tend NOT to do the things that God desires of us. So there’s the best reason for not jumping the gun: If we LOVE the Lord, and desire to be obedient to His will, then we cannot afford to act too hastily, too often. And it baffles me why we’re still so hasty and impulsive, when there’s so much scripture that deals with wisdom and hasty actions, especially in Proverbs. Perhaps it’s just the nature of the beast? (smile) But that’s no excuse. And it’s not like we’re not aware of the tendency and its negative connotations. So to end, let’s view a few passages that point out the deficiency of hasty behaviour. ‘He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.’  (Prov.14:17) ‘A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.’ (Prov.15:1) He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty: and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.’ (Prov.16:32) The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.’ (Prov.19:11) ‘Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.’ (Eccl.7:9) ‘Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.’ (Eph.4:31) ‘Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.’ (Ps.37:8) And the greatest example people: ‘but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, SLOW TO ANGER and of great kindness.’ (Neh.9:17) ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, SLOW TO ANGER, and plenteous in mercy.’ (Ps.103:8) Oh Friends, can you imagine what would happen to us if the Lord was as hasty and impulsive as we are? I dread to think about it. But let’s all say, ‘Thank the Lord!’ that He’s not. We all know what to do, so let’s do it nuh, that it will be counted as righteousness on our behalf. Much LOVE!…only constant practice…makes perfect…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 January 2009 Isaiah 38:19‏

15 Jan 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 38:19    The living, the living shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.
 
Well Friends, after all that encouragement yesterday, (smile) ah hope all yuh praise Him today? And if yuh ain’t do it yet, go and do it NOW nuh, cause it never too late while it have breath in yuh body. Is when you exhale yuh last sigh, and doh set things right with Him, that is when crapaud smoke yuh pipe. Anyway, continuing from yesterday; ole Hezekiah lived a decent sorta life and the Lord rewarded him with fifteen more years and peace round about. In return, Hezekiah vowed to sing His praises: ‘The living, the living shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.’ Oh Friends, the last part of the statement is of the utmost importance; ‘the father to the children shall make known thy truth.’ We not only have to praise and worship God, but also faithfully teach our faith to our children. It’s perhaps our most important responsibility, one which we don’t seem to be doing too well, as so many of them have turned from the Lord to Beelzebub, valuing the material things of this world more than the spiritual intangibles. Oh my people, right from the very beginning, from the Passover, when the Lord bypassed the Israelite houses which were daubed with blood, He solemnly instructed: ‘And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.’  (Ex.12:24) And when they were come to the Promised Land, and kept the Passover, and the children asked why? ‘That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses.’ (Ex.12:27) Yes Friends, children need to know their history, and why they do certain things, otherwise they won’t know from whence they came and whither they’re going. And that’s our job as parents, to impart that knowledge to them. Moses also cautioned the Israelites in the wilderness, re their experience at Mt. Horeb: ‘Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons.’ (Deut.4:9) That’s when the Lord gave them the Ten Commandments. And later on, when Moses went through the Commandments with them, he again implored: ‘And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.’  (Deut.6:9) Oh people, how many of us follow those instructions eh? Obviously not enough, else so many of our children would not have forsaken the Lord for the enemy’s camp. In Psalm 78, Bruh David declares: ‘I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us: We will not hide them form their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.’ (Ps.78:2-4) And all God’s people said, Amen! Isn’t that a beautiful bit of writing Friends? Wouldn’t our children appreciate such stuff if we taught them that from young? That’s how we should operate my brethren; the faith should be faithfully passed by the parents from generation to generation and not be hidden from them. Yes people, we ought to be teaching the children to sing God’s praises and admire and revel and glory in His majesty and strength and His wonderful works from birth. Yes, from birth, for it will seep into their tender, pliable minds and they’ll understand. Don’t worry, the Lord’s still in control. He knows why He recommends that; cause if it’s the first thing they become acquainted with, it will be like their foundation stone. Why we seem to have done a relatively poor job in this respect, I don’t know, but our God is very adamant about the importance of teaching children, for He knows that’s the only way anything at all will achieve longevity. In Joel, He instructs the prophet, re the locust plague in Judah: ‘Hear this ye old men, and give ear all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? Tell ye your children, and their children another generation.’ (Joel 1:2-3) Friends, the ball is in our court now. Have we done a good job in passing the torch of faith to the next generation? I certainly hope so. However, if we haven’t, then let’s make a concerted effort, right NOW, in what little time’s left to us, to correct as much of our wrong as possible, for the children are the most important part of any society, and their adult values are formed on the basis of their childhood teachings and experience. Let’s see if we can get in some good last minute teaching nuh, to benefit those to come. Much LOVE!…oh…please teach the children…teach them…to pray…to praise…and to LOVE…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 January 2009 Isaiah 38:19‏

14 Jan 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 38:19    The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day; the father to the children shall make known thy truth.
 
Oh Friends, we the living, have we praised Him today? I surely hope so, for He is most worthy to be praised and glorified! Today’s Bit comes from king Hezekiah’s song of praise and thanksgiving after the Lord healed him, extended his life and promised him safety. ‘In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet came unto him, and said, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die and not live. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and prayed unto the Lord.’ (Is.38:1-2) Yes people, it’s all well and good to turn to the Lord when we’re sick, even unto death, but what happens when we’re hale and hearty eh? We oftimes forget or simply ignore our Creator, the giver of all good things. But Friends, we’re even more indebted to give thanks then, cause He’s been kind and merciful by giving us health and strength. We ought to say thanks for the good things too. Don’t we tell our fellow man thanks, when they give us something good or do us a favour? So why are we so reluctant to tell our Heavenly Father thanks too people? At least Hezekiah could say to God; ‘Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.’ (vs.3) Friends, can we pray that that prayer with all sincerity? If we can’t now, then we should start changing our lives so that at some stage in the not too distant future we can. For we never know when the grim reaper will make his appearance, and it’s doubtful whether we’ll be lucky as Hezekiah, to have somebody like Isaiah warn us, and also come back and say that the Lord had granted us a stay of execution. ‘Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father; I have seen thy tears, behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.’ (vs.5-6) Wow! Some people have all the luck eh? No Friends, it’s not luck; it’s the mercy of God. That’s what happens when we acknowledge Him and walk obedient to His Word. Then goodness and mercy rain down on us. Hezekiah had really tried to be faithful. It was also an opportunity for the Lord to magnify His name, cause He promised Hezekiah a sign of His faithfulness. ‘Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it had gone down.’ (vs.8) And all God’s people sang, ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ It’s the only time in recorded history that the sun has gone backward, not forward. Oh Friends, doesn’t that prove what a mighty, merciful, miraculous and faithful God we defend? Yet we still find it difficult to give Him, His just deserts of praise and glorified worship. But, as we’ve promised ourselves, (smile)all of this will change in 2009; the living, the hale and hearty shall praise Him this day and everyday, so that if anything untoward befalls us, we can turn to Him with a right heart and ask for His mercy. Or, Lord forbid, the grim reaper suddenly shows up, our heart and our house will be in order. ‘For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.’ (vs.18) And that’s a fact Friends, as Bruh David has taken pains to point out on several occasions. ‘For in death there is no remembrance of thee; in the grave who shall give thee thanks?’ (Ps.6:5) ‘What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? Shall it declare thy truth? (Ps.30:9) ‘Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?’ (Ps.88:11) ‘The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down in to silence.’ (Ps.115:17) Yes my people, when we’re in the grave it will be too late, that’s why we’ve got to make hay while the sun shines brightly in our lives: that’s right NOW! NOW; must we give Him thanks and praise, while we’re alive and kicking. NOW; must we be obedient to His Word. NOW; must we call on Him, both in times of sorrow and joy. Make known to Him, NOW; our gratitude for His mercy and loving-kindness. NOW, Friends, NOW, is when we must worship and adore Him with all our heart and soul. NOW, is when we need to talk and walk with Him, and also hold His hand, as we journey along our earthly path that’s filled with obstacles and pitfalls, for He’s the only one that can prevent us from falling when we stumble. Oh Friends, it’s such a beautiful journey when we walk hand in hand with the Lord! And since we can’t show our appreciation from the grave, we need to show it NOW; while we’re alive. ‘The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day.’ Please people, let’s make that a daily habit. Much LOVE!…praise Him…praise Him…glory hallelujah…He is LOVE…He is LOVE… (To be continued.)
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 January 2009 Psalm 34:11‏

13 Jan 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 34:11    Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
 
Oh Friends, today the Lord put it in my heart to write on children, for they are the future, as they go, so goes our world. And people, the plight of our children is terribly unfortunate, thanks to us. We’re either abusing them, so that they become, hard, bitter cynical adults, or pampering them too much, turning them into spoiled, selfish, egotistical, worldly possession worshippers. Our society is failing the children: Families aren’t grounding them properly, neither are the schools or the churches, and throughout the world, millions of children are starving, living in squalid conditions, dying by the thousands daily, from simple things like hunger, malnutrition and diarrhoea, when there’s food aplenty in the world and enough medicine to save most of them. But that root of evil, money, along with pride, power and selfishness, prevents them from being spread as they should. We recently mentioned that man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn, well, in no strata is it felt more savagely than in our children. Sometimes I see pictures of sick, hungry children, and it breaks my heart. I can’t even bear to look at them. The children are bearing the brunt of the negative results caused by all the strife, bitterness and anger we adults are perpetrating around the globe. In the long run, no, we’ve already become as Jeremiah stated: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.’ (Jer.31:15) Yes Friends, that’s the happenings all around our world; weeping, mourning and gnashing of teeth for the children. Even in the rich, metropolitan countries children are suffering from starvation and want. In wonderful Canada, no sarcasm meant, children are going to school in the cold without breakfast. In refugee camps spawned by strife and bitterness, there are teenagers who know no other life. And the numbers of those camps are increasing daily. Oh people, can’t we see, don’t we understand, that in any kind of negative confrontation, it’s always the children who suffer the most because they don’t have a voice and can’t fend for themselves? They are completely dependent on us for their welfare, and we’re not providing what we should as parents and caregivers. We’re setting terrible examples for them. How can we expect anything but negative thinking and emotions from them when that’s all they know? Remember children’s foundations are set at an early age, so whatever they learn and experience then, that’s what will be manifested in their lives. But my brethren, there early lives should not be shrouded in negativity; ‘For children are an heritage of the Lord…as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children…happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.’ (Ps.127:3-5) And Isaiah declares: ‘Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and wonders in Israel…’ (Is.8:18) Oh Friends, we should be taking Bruh Paul’s advice; ‘Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.’ (Eph.6:4) But instead, our behaviour resembles the proverb the Lord said wasn’t true in Israel in Ezekiel’s time. ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’  (Eze.18:2) The children won’t pay for our sins in the Lord’s eyes, but they are certainly suffering because of them. Oh fellow believers, remember Jesus’ reaction to his disciples shooing away the children brought for His blessing? ‘But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for such is the kingdom of God: Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them and blessed them.’ (Mark 10:14-16) Friends, that’s the way all children should be treated; with LOVE and tender care. How can we call ourselves Christians, genuine followers of Christ and allow children to be treated so abysmally eh? Bruh David shows the correct way. ‘Come ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.’ That’s our most important duty people; to teach our children reverence for and trust in the Lord, so that they can turn to Him in confidence when He says; ‘I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. (Ps.32:8,10) Now that’s what we should do people! Not what we’re currently doing. And as the wisdom of Solomon attests; ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ (Pro.22:6) Friends, we are living proof of that. Our parents trained us up right, and though we’ve sometimes strayed from the straight and narrow, we know right from wrong, and at some stage always return. But it seems we’ve done a great disservice to our children. Somehow, somewhere we’ve lost them. Lucifer now has too many of them under his control, and I’m not sure if we’ve trained them up right enough to understand the intricacies of this evil world. However, many of us are now grandparents, with some say in the lives of those youngsters, for their sakes, and that of future generations, let’s train them up right nuh. Ah beg oonoo! (smile) Stop allowing them to be raised on the lusts of the world. I’m pleading; let’s make a positive difference in children’s lives, however we can. Each of us has the capability to help in some small way, so let’s make it a goal to improve the plight of the world’s children, be it through food, money, clothing, personal care, whatever. Please, let’s do it so that the world will be a much better place and our legacy won’t be as tainted. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. As always, Much LOVE!…teach them to pray…and to live in LOVE…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 January 2009 Proverbs 17:14‏

12 Jan 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 17:14    The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.
 
Oh Friends, what everlasting wisdom is conveyed in those words! The Good Book is truly a great guide for living on this crazy, zig zag planet Earth. Yet we still doubt its veracity and usefulness in our lives, even disputing its towering adventures, featuring larger than life characters, sharing rich, emotional testimony in beautiful language. But people this is one truth we can’t deny: ‘The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water.’ Sol’s comparison is apt, but Friends, strife is so contrary and unpredictable, like its creator, Lucifer, it can confront and immerse us in its negative throes in different ways. It can start out like a leaking faucet, dripping only one drop at fairly long intervals. We promise ourselves to fix it, but because it’s only one drop every now and then, we keep putting it off, relegating its importance to a low priority. Then, with the passage of time, the drops become more frequent, like a woman in labour, but we still ignore it, because it’s not so bad, the pains are still too far apart to worry. However, without warning, as so often happens, something unexpectedly triggers something else, the water bursts unexpectedly, the dam cascades in powerful torrents down the narrow river bed, flooding the land, the volcano explodes and everything turns topsy turvy. That’s the kind of disunity that stays in the background, sort of undercover. There are some warning signs, but not of enough significance to pay serious attention to, so it just stays there, seethes and simmers, until it boils over, catching us by surprise, releasing all the repressed anger, resentment and distrust. On the other hand, strife can come almost immediately; like when you turn on the tap and it just comes gushing out with no restraints. That’s when the disharmony is acute from the very beginning. It needs no time to get into full stride and disrupts our lives right away. And if the two extremes aren’t bad enough, in between, there are several possibilities. That’s why Sol wisely advised us; ‘therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.’ Drop or clear up any contentious attitudes, disagreements or misunderstandings as soon as possible, cause holding on to them only makes it worse. If we sow those negative seeds in our soul, they’ll only bear negative fruits; heated quarrels that lead to violence that escalates into something bigger, that can even trigger worldwide warfare. That’s how most wars are generated; from little seeds. And Friends, the sad part is that much of the strife that exists in our world, from the inter-personal to the international level is triggered by small, unimportant, selfish, oftimes imagined wrongs, that we’re too stubborn and pig headed to talk about or attempt to solve, so we foolishly continue to suffer the negative effects. To end today’s chat, let’s go back to that fountain of everlasting wisdom; the Good Book, wherein the Word is documented, and extract another valuable lesson for living from its overflowing pages. ‘It is an honour for a man to cease from strife; but every fool will be meddling.’ (Prov.20:3)  Yes Friends, it is an honourable act for us to stop strife in our lives. Resist, desist, shy away, run away; use whatever means you can, but don’t let it take hold of us, cause it’s just another destructive tool of the enemy, possibly his most productive weapon, but one we must resist at all cost. And though there will always be some fools who seek to stir it up, please remember that we’ve sincerely promised ourselves that 2009 will be one of new beginnings, rejuvenation and regeneration. I know it seems like more strife is daily coming to the world stage, but as individuals, we can’t do much about that. What we can do however is start small, with our own lives, on a personal level with friends, families, co-workers and people we just happen to meet in our everyday walk of life. Friendly smiles, a pleasant ‘hello,’ a helping hand, all go a long way to alleviating tension and consequently preventing strife. And when there are disagreements or misunderstandings, as there will be, let’s work it out a.s.a.p, if not sooner, and not let it stay and fester in our spirits. From personal experience, I’ve found that any time I harbour anger or resentment, it makes me physically sick, and the sooner I release it, the better of I am. Hn,hn! I can imagine the scowls on the faces of my family, as I’ve disturbed them at some ungodly hours to get stuff off my chest. Yes Friends, the fruit of the Spirit is peace, LOVE, joy, contentment etc. If we sincerely seek those things, then the negative effects of strife won’t affect us. This line from an old Nat Cole song, ‘Nature Boy’ admirably describes my sentiments. ‘The greatest thing you’ll ever learn, Is just to LOVE, and be LOVED in return.’ Much LOVE!…be wise…cease from strife…
 

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