Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 February 2009 Matthew 6:25‏

08 Feb 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Matthew 6:25    Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment?
 
Yes it is my Friends, especially to those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. But to those who worship at the altar of worldly lusts, it might not be, since they are more concerned about their earthly possessions, their high level jobs and their social position in society. This is all part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Here He’s teaching about trusting one Master. ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.’ (Mat.6:24) And that’s an undeniable fact my people. You can’t serve two people at once, cause you’ll constantly be caught between a rock and a hard place. Neither can you sit on the fence, or jump from one side to the other, for as James says; ‘A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:8) So the long and short of the story is that you either serve God or mammon; you either look to your spiritual health or to your worldly desires, since you can’t have them both. And Friends, I’d strongly advise that you serve God rather than mammon. For if you serve the Most High God Jehovah,  as Jesus says, you don’t have to worry about anything. ‘Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on…Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these,’ (Mat.6:25-26,28-29) Wow! Can Jesus spin a tale or what! He surely can. But the basic message my brethren is that those who have an abundance of earthly possessions don’t worry about life, but those of us who don’t have much, tend to worry a lot about where the next meal is coming from, and how we’re going to put clothes on the children’s back and shoes on their feet. In general, people of lesser economic means are more concerned about their day to day existence and how they are going to fulfill their needs, but Jesus is saying not to be so disturbed about material needs that we stop trusting God, stop being obedient and faithful to Him, and start running behind mammon to get those material things. I can tell you from hard experience, that it’s oftimes in the midst of our worldly deprivation that our faith is most greatly strengthened, and worry is of the enemy, while faith is of God. Wherefore Jesus asks; ‘Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?’ He’s stressing that inner confidence and strength must come from within a man, from his Spirit, which is empowered through faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, not from our outer physical needs. And if we’re always concerned about material possessions then we’ll never be secure and confident in ourselves, and even worse, we’ll miss out, foolishly deprive ourselves of God’s many spiritual blessings. Jesus backs up His contention with the examples of birds, who don’t plant, nor reap, nor store, but eat and live quite well; thanks to our Heavenly Father. The same goes for the lilies of the field; they don’t work or do anything, don’t even know how they grow, but not even Sol, that rich, smart dresser, could dress pretty like them. All because of our Creator. He wasn’t a mad scientist; He knew exactly what He was doing. So if He looks after things much less important than us so well, why wouldn’t He take care of His greatest creation eh? And he’s already promised never to leave or forsake us, and He always keeps His promises. ‘Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?’ (Mat.6:30) And that’s exactly what it boils down to my people; lack of sufficient faith in our merciful magnanimous, ever LOVING, forgiving God. Bruh David said it long ago: ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps.37:5) ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee; he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.’ (Ps.55:22) And how can we leave out Bruh Paul eh? (smile) ‘Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil.4:6) Peter said it thus: ‘Casting all your care on him, for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet.5:7) I know that this is all easier said than done Friends, especially when rations and raiment are in short supply, and no parent likes to see their children deprived of basic needs, however, it all comes down to what’s more important to us. But listen to Jesus: ‘Therefore take no thought saying, what shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Mat.6:31-33) Yes my brethren, truer words were never spoken. As Cousin Charles, Charles Stanley would say, just do your best and leave all the consequences to God. Much LOVE!…it’s all about…hope…belief…and undying faith…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 February 2009 Isaiah 49:13‏

07 Feb 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 49:13    Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
 
Oh Friends, do the wonders and promises of our Most Holy Lord ever cease? No! Never! Here, He’s promising that Israel will be restored to Zion. ‘Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because the Lord is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee…In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages.’ (Is.49:7-8) Though Israel be wicked and disobedient, and though He destroys Jerusalem and scatter them to the ends of the earth, yet His faithfulness is such, that having made a covenant with them, chosen them for His people, one day, at a time acceptable to Him, He’ll redeem them, provide salvation, and bring them all back from whence they were scattered. Now isn’t that a wonderful God? His heart is so full of unconditional LOVE for us that though we be utterly sinful and insist on marching to the beat of our own drum, He will not wholly destroy us, will even provide salvation in the form of His Son, Jesus, so that we go not down into the endless pit of eternal darkness that sinners rightfully deserve. Oh people, it’s such a magnanimous act on God’s part; redeeming and saving us from everlasting death that Isaiah decreed it worthy of monumental action: ‘Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.’ And all God’s people sang: ‘Praise Him that’s worthy to be praised! Glory Hallelujah!’ Yes my Friends, as I keep repeating, that’s the magnificent kind of God we worship, where though He punishes for continual disobedience, yet will He apply mercy to His decisions of justice, using the same attributes He wants us to adopt and develop; attributes of LOVE, Forgiveness, Kindness, Patience and Long-suffering. Note people, He doesn’t ask us to do anything that He does not practice himself. The sole idea behind all His machinations is simply to bring us into conformity with Him; to mould us as closely as humanly possible to His outstanding character, where we’re not afraid to walk this wicked earth in peace, LOVE and understanding, glorifying Him and treating each other with respect and brotherly affection. But judging from the current state of our world, that seems like an incredibly difficult thing to do. What with all the strife that’s presently taking place, between families, neighbours and nations, it appears that peace and brotherly affection no longer exist in our vocabulary, or you’re considered old fashioned or crazy when you advocate a more peaceful and affectionate world. But Friends, this crazy path of destruction on which we seem hell bent is no way to live. It’s insane and stupid when we have all the natural wonders that God’s provided, and enough of everything to go around if a few of us weren’t so greedy and ‘gravelicious’ and want much more than we can ever use. And the sad part is that we can’t take any of it with us. So why the greed, the hoarding, the accumulating of worldly possessions eh? If our Great God, Jehovah can be merciful, forgiving and kind to us worthless sinners, to the point of sending His one Son, Jesus, to die for us, why can’t we be kind and forgiving to each other eh? Instead of being literally at each other’s throats, walking in fear and trepidation, not knowing if our next breath will be our last because of all the senseless violence that’s currently been perpetrated, where you’re not even safe behind your gated compounds and iron barred windows. Friends, it doesn’t have to be this way. We can change it if we really want to. I’m not sure if it has to start at the top with the leaders, the wealthy and the power brokers making wiser decisions, for the benefit of all, rather than for a small greedy, deceitful group; or if it needs to come from the bottom, with the people rising up like a groundswell, demanding better. It’s most likely though some combination of the two, for it takes both hands to clap. I just know that we can’t continue down the negative path of self-destruction we’re currently treading. My brethren, our only hope is to reconnect with the Lord, and strengthen that connection so that nothing in Lucifer’s arsenal can break it. Let’s remember that our God is faithful, and this promise to Israel long ago, still holds true for all who believe in His Son Jesus. ‘I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles. To open blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.’ (Is.42:6-7) Yes Friends, that’s exactly what we’re called to do; open the eyes of those in darkness, to the light of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. He’s depending on us to bring all of His children to salvation. We can’t afford to let Him down after all He’s done for us. And the best way to start is if we all ‘Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea and all that is therein: the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice…let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the tops of the mountains. Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the islands.’ (Is.42:10-12) Oh my people, immense strength, power, guidance and direction overflow our spirits when we all raise our voices to God in praise and glory. Let’s reenergize our walk with God by doing that today nuh. Much LOVE!…to walk with God…is to walk in everlasting light…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 February 2009 Isaiah 45:23‏

06 Feb 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 45:23    I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
 
Assured words of confidence and power from the Most High God Jehovah, my Friends! No hemming and hawing whatsoever. ‘I have sworn by myself.’ And why is that? ‘For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself.’ (Heb.6:13) That’s sound logic my people. When we swear, it’s usually on the power of something or someone greater than us, but since there’s none greater than our God, if He needs to swear, He can only do it on His own name and strength. ‘The word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return.’ Oh people, I just admire our God’s spunk and surety! He’s spoken it; it’s right, good and of a truth and power, so He won’t have to take it back. Just like how we sometimes make promises or bold statements, then we have to eat our words later, because we can’t live up to them. Well the Lord is  emphatically stating, that won’t happen to Him. What He says will surely come to pass: ‘That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.’ Bruh Paul was also convinced of those facts. ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every other name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:9-11) Yes Friends, that’s the gospel truth. And I believe it’s the Jamaican singer, Luciano, who incorporated it into one of his songs, so he must think so too. In this section of Chap.45, Isaiah is pontificating that Salvation will only come through the Lord. ‘They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed or confounded, world without end. For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.’ (Is.45: 15-16) There you have it my brethren! If you hang with the idol makers, you’ll be ashamed, confounded and bound for death and eternal damnation. But if you believe on the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you won’t be confused or ashamed, but headed straight for glory and eternal life. Wow! And the Lord, the One who created the universe, said that. And note too, He didn’t create it just for fun, but for it to be inhabited. That’s why He made us and all the other creatures. The part I find fascinating though, is the end: ‘I am the Lord; and there’s none else.’ He doesn’t mince words. As far as he’s concerned that’s a simple statement of fact. He said it once before: ‘I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.’ (Is.45:5) Yes Friends, even when we don’t know Him, it’s the Lord who looks after us, because there’s no one else with His capabilities. And if we couldn’t believe it, couldn’t get it through our thick skulls the first two times, He says it again for good measure: ‘and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.’  (Is.45:21-22) Oh my people, why can’t we understand that there’s only One, True God eh, by whatever name He’s called? He’s been sending us messages from time immemorial, through His prophets, His messengers, even shown His power and majesty through numerous supernatural acts, and finally through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Yet we refuse to believe, accept and acknowledge that He’s who He says He is. Oh Friends, that’s not a very wise decision at all, cause if we don’t believe in the Holy Trinity we’re putting our souls in jeopardy of eternal death, rather than eternal life. I know that hanging out with the movers and shakers of this evil world sounds great and seems to generate lots of excitement, but that lifestyle only has flash and dash. It’s completely lacking in substance, totally devoid of anything worthwhile. Like the toys and idols it holds up to praise and worship, that lifestyle will turn to dust and rust. My people, it’s Lucifer’s program. And tell me, how can the program of a fallen angel be better than that of His Lord and Master eh? No way can it ever be! That’s why I’m imploring us to look today to our future; ignore the call of Lucifer, the Prince of Death and Darkness, and his devilish minions. Instead, embrace the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Light, Salvation and Eternal Life. That’s where your eternal future lies, because the Lord, our God says, ‘there is none else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.’ And Friends, Lucifer knows this better than anybody, cause he was once the Lord’s right hand man. He knows that he’ll lose in the end, that’s why he’s so busy now, trying to accumulate as large a following as he can, get as many fools as possible in his evil clutches, so that at the judgement he’ll have something to crow to the Lord about. Please Friends, I’m begging, I’m pleading with all my heart, that we not allow ourselves, neither those we care for, to be numbered amongst his following. Much LOVE!…Lucifer’s toys will rust and tarnish…but Jesus’ will shine brightly…forever…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 February 2009 Isaiah 63:9‏

05 Feb 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 63:9    In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his LOVE and his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
 
Yes My Friends, that’s the wonderful God we worship! He showed Israel His favour in the days of their troubles. ‘In all their affliction he was afflicted.’ Isaiah’s referring to the time when Judges ruled Israel, after Jair died, before Jephthah came to power. In between, ‘the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth…and forsook the Lord and served him not.’ No wonder ‘the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.’ (Jud.10:6-7) Consequently they were oppressed, victimized and sore distressed. Then, as they were wont to do, when the consequences of their folly came upon them, they turned and called upon the Lord for deliverance. But the Lord turned them away. ‘Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of tribulation.’ (Jud.10:14) Doesn’t all of this sound familiar Friends? Isn’t it what we do too, both as individuals and nations? Do our own thing, seeking the pleasures of the world, with nary a thought of the Lord or His statutes? But when everything crash and we find ourselves in hot water, we quick to run to the Lord and plead, ‘Help me Lord! Help me please!’ But what do we really expect eh? We can’t be really annoyed if His reaction to our insincere plea is one of rejection. He’s not there just to save us when we arrogantly get ourselves in trouble. He’s our Maker, Our God. We’re expected to be faithful, not play musical gods, and like the Israelites only find true religion, begging and pleading for another chance, when it suits our selfish purposes. ‘And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.’ (Jud.10:16) Yes people, that’s our God! Even in His displeasure, He still feels badly when we disobey and suffer the hurtful consequences. Why? Because of His magnanimous nature, and His unconditional LOVE for us. ‘And the angel of the Lord saved them.’ This refers to when the Israelites were leaving Egypt; ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.’ (Ex.13:21) However Pharaoh’s army came up behind them in hot pursuit, and as usual, the spineless Israelites whined and complained to poor Moses about how they should have stayed in Egypt. And Moses gave them that speech of monumental faith. ‘Fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.’ (Ex.14:13-14) Then the Lord gave Moses instructions on parting the Red Sea. ‘And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them.’ (Ex.14:19) What a mighty God! Praise His Holy Name! Sing Hallelujah! Yes Friends, that was probably the first smoke screen, for that move effectively blocked the Israelites from the view of the Egyptians and gave them time to prepare to cross the Red Sea. So, ‘in his love and his pity he redeemed them.’ This deals with the Lord’s desire to keep His people separate from the heathens. As Moses told them: ‘For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth… because the Lord LOVED you, and because he would keep the oath which he hath sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen…’ (Deut.7:6,8) There again Friends we see the faithfulness of our God. He promised their fathers to take them out of slavery and lead them to the promised land, and He did just that. However, implied in most of God’s edicts, is usually a part for us to play. The Lord led them to the promised land, they were then expected to go in and fight for it. Other people dwelt there, so it couldn’t just fall in their lap. But because of a sad lack of backbone and belly, they wandered in the wilderness for forty years, until all the old timers, except Caleb and Joshua died. Notwithstanding that, ‘he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.’ On their journey, at Mt. Sinai, the Lord instructed Moses to say to them, ‘Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine.’ (Ex.19:4-5) Oh people, that offer still stands today! If we believe in His Son Jesus, and follow faithfully in His footsteps, then we become special. And it truly amazes me that after the Lord did so much for the Israelites, supernaturally to boot, they had the gall, I say stupidity, to turn against Him. ‘But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy and he fought against them.’ (Is.63:10) Oh Friends, please, please let’s not be so foolish. The last thing we need is God as our enemy. We need Him as our Friend, ally, and Saviour. He’s the mightiest of the mighty, so how can we ever hope to defeat Him eh? From day one He’s proven His faithfulness by keeping every promise He’s made. Let’s not foolishly turn away from Him because we want to run to the bright lights, the lustful desires of the world and their inanimate idols. It’s not worth it my brethren. We already have the strongest and most faithful ally in the universe, the One True God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is the great Creator and the great Provider. We need no one or nothing else. He is sufficient to meet all our needs, we just need to honour and obey Him. I implore us to remember that; to write it in our hearts, souls and minds, for nothing else will stand us in good stead like that. Much LOVE!…all He asks is…to worship, glorify and obey Him.. 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 February 2009 Ecclesiastes 11:9‏

04 Feb 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ecclesiastes 11:9    Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring them into judgement.
 
Oh Friends, those are words we should ensure that our young people hear and understand, even some of us old folks too, since it’s never too late to learn. (smile) They are words of wisdom from Solomon bearing good advice, particularly to those just beginning life’s rocky journey. Many will read it and believe it gives them free rein to do whatever they want: ‘Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes:’ But unfortunately people, it doesn’t. It’s really a warning not to display too many hedonistic tendencies, cause we’re going to pay for them sooner or later; ‘but know thou, that for all these things God will bring them into judgement.’ That’s gospel my Friends! But as young people we’re full of vim and vigour, feel we know everything and are mightily attracted to the bright lights and all the glittering, shiny toys available in the world of the flesh. We possess the endless confidence gifted to the young, feel we’ll never die, and can move mountains simply because of the strength of our youthful days. However parents, it’s our solemn duty to warn them of the many perils and pitfalls that lie ahead, so that they don’t get in over their heads. And sadly, that’s so easy to do nowadays; what with the endearing but guileful and wicked ways of our world, especially for the more gullible young. We just have to look around at the many examples of young people who come from a cloistered upbringing or a country district to the bright lights of the city. Wow! All the hoopla and false excitement just boggles their young, inexperienced minds and sets them adrift on a hedonistic path right away, unless they’re lucky to have mature guidance, or are mature enough themselves, to pick sense from nonsense in our, evil, deceitful, greedy world. And why do you think there are fringes and ribbons on garments eh? It began because ‘the Lord spake unto Moses saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring.’ (Num.15:37-39) Yes Lord, tell them! We often think that the Lord doesn’t know what He’s doing, forgetting who’s the Creator and the created, but please remember my Friends, that there’s always method to the Lord’s madness. He never does anything just for the sake of doing it. There’s always a good purpose or reason, and it’s always for our benefit, not His. He doesn’t need anything but our obedience, but He knows that with our freedom of choice, our natural tendency is towards disobedience, doing whatever we want, without any thought to the possible consequences, that’s why He gives us rules and regulations. Maybe we should just go back to wearing clothes with fringes and blue ribbons since we need to be reminded too often of the ungodly things we desire to do. Listen to Sol’s earlier statement. ‘And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.’ (Eccl.2:10-11) Oh my brethren, let’s learn from Sol’s mistakes nuh! The best way to learn is from the mistakes of others. Sol had it all; wine women and song, money, artistic pleasure and fame. You name it; if it could be had, Sol had it. But what happened? It failed to bring him lasting satisfaction. And he was reputed to be the wisest man ever. Yet, thousands of years later, we’re still doing the same thing; trying to get lasting joy and pleasure from our own pursuits. When will we learn eh Friends? The only way to derive lasting pleasure and satisfaction is by being obedient to the will of God; walking in His footsteps, big though they may be, and being guided by His gentle hands along life’s beguiling but treacherous pathway. Instead, this should be our concern. ‘But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.’  (Ps.103:17-18) Oh my people, it’s all for the children’s sake. Let’s talk to them, teach them the truth of God’s Word. Better yet, let’s live it; show them by our example, for it’s true ‘that examples work more forcibly on the mind than precepts.’ They will be more inclined to listen and follow if they see us walking our talk. If we don’t do that my brethren, it’ll be sad day for us all. ‘For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil.’ (Eccl.12:14) So for all our sakes, especially for future generations, let’s teach the children right nuh. It’s our mandate. Much LOVE!…suffer the children…to come unto me…forbid them not…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 February 2009 Philippians 2:1‏

03 Feb 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Philippians 2:1    If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of LOVE, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies.
 
Ah my Friends, this is a critical passage of scripture dealing with the particular attributes Bruh Paul desired to see in the church at Philippi, but it’s also a general framework for the building of all churches. It’s a continuation of his exhortation to steadfastness in Chap.1:27-29, where he tells them that there conduct should be worthy of the gospel of Christ, and whether he was present with them or not, that he’d hear ‘that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.’ And not be afraid of their enemies, who consider the gospel certain proof of destruction, ‘but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.’ So people, just like Bruh Paul wanted the Philippians to stand fast in unity and strive to be worthy, so too should we today. It’s the basis of any successful group or organization, from families to nations. If you’re not united and working together in the same general direction then sooner or later the body will fail. Examples abound all around us. In Today’s Bit, the scholars claim that the word ‘if,’ which appears four times in the verse, specifies fact, not doubt. It can therefore be translated as ‘since.’ Consequently, we can then say that Bruh Paul was not questioning, but certifying, asserting that there is ‘consolation in Christ;’ that’s encouragement, inspiration, heartening. There’s also ‘comfort of LOVE;’ which spells relief, solace, reawakening, refreshing of one’s spirit through His genuine care and concern for us. And for sure there’s ‘fellowship of the Spirit;’ participating in the life of the Holy Spirit. If it dwells within you, then you must have a relationship with it, hopefully by sharing in Jesus’ ministry, values, gifts and the numerous things the Spirit generates. As for ‘bowels and mercies;’ affection and sympathy? Hn! My fellow believers there’s oodles of that. That’s the very foundation of Christ’s church and ministry; LOVE and Mercy! It seems though that Bruh Paul was fairly, but not completely happy with the Philippians church, because of some discord amongst them, which meant full togetherness was lacking. So to try and rectify that situation, he pleaded: ‘Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same LOVE, being of one accord, of one mind.’ (vs.2) His joy would be complete if they lived in real harmony; showing the same LOVE and impartiality to all believers, united in spirit, the whole church having the same values and goals. As he said to the Romans; ‘Be of the same mind one to another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. be not wise in your own conceits. (Rom.12: 16) Yes Friends, we should all strive to be in agreement, live in harmony, not set our sights on wealth and power, associate with the humble, but definitely not in a condescending manner, and don’t take too much notice of ourselves. ‘Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.’ (vs.3) He said the same thing to the Galatians. ‘Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal.5:26) We should not do things through selfish ambition and conceit, and regard fellow believers as more important than ourselves. ‘Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.’ (vs.4) We must be just as interested and concerned with the requirements and difficulties of others as ourselves. In other words, be our brother’s keeper. ‘Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.’ (vs.) Yes Friends, we’re to constantly maintain this mind set, cause it was the same humble, serving attitude that Jesus had, and if we maintain it, then our chances of becoming like Him, will be greatly improved. Like everything else people, practice makes perfect. It’s simply Christianity 101 my brethren; the Christian virtues. And we’ll end with a synopsis: ‘Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, forgiving one another…even as Christ forgave you. And above all these things put on charity, (LOVE) which is the bond of perfectness. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts…and be ye thankful…And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col.3:12-17) Yes my people, that’s basic Christianity. And since we consider ourselves Christians, let’s all try our best to live that way nuh. Much LOVE!…to be a true Christian…means constantly practicing true Christianity…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 February 2009 Acts 20:28‏

02 Feb 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Acts 20:28    Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
 
This Friends, was a part of Bruh Paul’s final address to the elders, the leaders of the Ephesians’ church, before leaving for other missionary outposts, ending up in Jerusalem and the Roman jail. Though it’s a warning given long ago, it is still very applicable today. ‘Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God…’ Jesus gave Simon Peter the same basic instructions. Three times He asked him, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, LOVEST thou me more than these?’ Simon obviously answered in the affirmative. Then, ‘Feed my lambs.’ The second time Jesus told him, ‘Feed my sheep.’ The third time though Simon was a bit peeved; ‘And he said unto him, Lord thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I LOVE thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.’ (John 21:15-17) And why were the elders and Simon to take heed and feed the flock? Bruh Paul answers that himself. ‘For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.’ (Acts 20:29-30) And who knew that better than Bruh Paul eh, since he was amongst the first to infiltrate and persecute the fledging church of Christ. And to this day Friends, infiltration and persecution have not ceased. There are still many wolves in sheep’s clothing prowling around the church, spreading false doctrine, trying to turn believers away from the One, True God Jehovah. It is the job of the church leaders to both seek the truth within themselves, within their own souls, ensuring it is correctly interpreted, then energetically and passionately administered to the congregation that’s been placed in their care. They are the shepherds of God’s flock in His Church, and like any shepherd worth his salt, must always be on the look out, be constantly vigilant for predators and traitors. Yes my brethren, traitors! Note, Bruh Paul specified not only perverse outside influences, but also warned that undesirables will arise from within the flock itself, and for whatever reason, try to turn believers away from the straight and true path. I’m sure all of us know some of those. (smile) The church leaders therefore have a great responsibility. Peter goes even further than Bruh Paul. ‘Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. Neither as being lord’s over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.’ (1 Pet.5:2-3) Yes people, our church leaders should shepherd those placed in their care by Jesus, not by being forced, but willingly; neither for dishonest gain, but eagerly, enthusiastically, for the LOVE of doing God’s will. Neither should they lord it, or rule despotically over those entrusted to their spiritual care, but should be outstanding examples to the ordinary believers, like Christ is a shining example to us all. As Bruh Paul warned Timothy: ‘Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine…Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this, thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.’ (1 Tim.4:12-13,16) But my brethren, all the responsibility for our spiritual growth doesn’t lie with the church leaders. We are also responsible for much of it. Just like school children don’t depend solely on the teacher, we can’t rely solely on the elders, but have to study the Word ourselves, ask questions, while considering the behaviour of those around us. We too must try to locate and separate the wolves and traitors from in and around our congregations. So don’t think that we’re absolved of any blame if the outside wolves or inside traitors abscond with any of the flock. We all are responsible for taking care of Christ’s church, ‘which he hath purchased with his own blood.’ Yes my Friends, Jesus paid dearly with His sinless life to create a body, whereby believers on His Name, can have hope of salvation with eternal life, after our mortal bodies have returned to the dust from whence they came. We can’t let His precious blood go to waste by allowing His church to fall into disrepute or disrepair. ‘In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Who is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature.’ (Col.1:14-15) Jesus has become the first in rank over every thing, cause He’s the one ‘Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.’ (Tit.2:14) That’s us fellow believers: a special people that Jesus created for Himself, through His death on the cross for our redemption! Wow! What a wonderful man! Praise His Holy Name my people! For ‘Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.’ (Heb.9:12) For such a selfless sacrifice we should be eternally grateful, and show our gratitude by following His example; living a life obedient to the Father, one of peace, mercy, LOVE and forgiveness. Oh Friends, we can’t disappoint Jesus now. He’s got too much riding on us. We’re the favourites to win the race, so let’s put our best foot forward nuh, and exert all our energy to be victorious in His Name. Much LOVE! It’s a bit long, but Bruh Paul’s enthusiasm was catching. (smile) …oh…to be like Jesus…we should all aspire… 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 February 2009 Psalm 107:32‏

01 Feb 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 107:32    Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
 
Oh Friends, can you believe it’s February already? Where did January vanish to eh? It seems like we just celebrated New Year’s. By the way, how are the New Year’s resolutions going? I hope we have not regressed, but are still striving to lose weight and live in LOVE! (smile) Remember this is the year of regeneration; everything old will be made new, what’s sad will be made glad, the bad will be made good, and we’ll be most thankful for it all. That brings me to the Bit. Today, when I thought about what to write, a swell of desire for praise and thanksgiving just rose up from deep within my soul, and I immediately went seeking the appropriate scripture. I also realized that it’s something we don’t do enough of. We ask for lot’s of stuff, and say some thanks, but praising our Maker for just whom and what He is, simply having a desire to magnify Him, doesn’t seem to be one of our strong points. It should be though. We ought to LOVE the Lord so much, that our souls should automatically fill with a constant string of good, kind, LOVING thoughts toward Him, and every so often our souls should overflow with that joy, and cause us to just burst forth in song and praise and thanksgiving, praising and glorifying His Holy Name. Wow! As Bruh David says, ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’  And he thinks it so important that he repeats it four times in Psalm 107; vs. 8, 15, 21, 31. And that other man of great faith, Bruh Paul, says it thus: ‘I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.’ (Heb.2: 12) Yes Friends, our God is so wonderful that praising Him should come naturally, just be something that we do automatically from inner gratitude and appreciation. We ought to take the Psalmist’s advice: ‘Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.’ That’s His just dessert my people; to have His Holy Name praised amongst the entire populace. For ‘He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings. And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation: And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase. He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.’ (Ps.107: 35-38) Oh my people, aren’t those good and worthwhile reasons to sing the praises of our Most High God Jehovah? Of course they are! It’s so marvellous that ‘I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee…My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.’ (Ps.22: 22,25) And so we should my brethren. Remember though, ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. For ‘Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl.5: 4-5) So please be careful, let’s fully consider the consequences before we make promises. Oh Friends, Bruh David is so intent on engendering praise to the Lord amongst his people that he declares it throughout his writings. ‘I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.’ (Ps.35: 18) Are we the same way Friends? Do we stir up praise amongst others, so that they see and appreciate His mercy and loving-kindness? We should. And from the depths of our souls, this truth should pour out: ‘I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and thy truth from the great congregation.’ (Ps.40: 8-10) Yes my people, that’s the kind of declaration we should all be working towards, because it’s nothing less than what our God deserves. And nothing delights the Lord like when we spread His Word and praise His Holy Name to others. So let’s concentrate on delighting Him nuh, by making His Word known to all and sundry, and creating worldwide, glorious, uplifting and magnifying praise to His Holy Name. Let’s let His ears ring sweetly in high heaven and His heart burst with pride and joy to Hallelujahs and Hosannas galore! Much LOVE!
…praise Him…praise Him…glory hallelujah…He is LOVE…He is LOVE…
 

Next Newer Entries