Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 April 2009 Romans 10:11‏

20 Apr 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Romans 10:11    For the scripture saith, Whoseoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
 
Oh my wonderful Friends, the Lord dictated that we continue talking about trusting Him, a topic we can never outgrow or overdo, for every day of a believer’s life depends on our fervent trust in our Creator, the Most High God Jehovah. As is his custom, Bruh Paul uses his vast knowledge of the Old Testament to prove his points in preaching the new gospel of Christ. ‘For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.’ These sentiments are documented throughout the Good Book, so let’s take a look at a few, starting with Abraham, who left his home in Haran at seventy-five years of age when God commanded him. ‘Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing.’ (Gen.12:1-2) Abraham didn’t mutter and complain about moving to an unknown land at his advanced age, his trust in the Lord was complete, cause he knew that He who promised was faithful. And now he’s known as the father of us all. Then there was Bruh Joseph! ‘Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have surely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.’ (Gen.49:22-24) That was his father, Jacob’s blessing. Yes friends, all the trials and unfair tribulation Bruh Joseph went through, though he didn’t understand what was happening, he had this dream from God in his heart, so his faith and trust never wavered, and he was never put to shame. In fact, in God’s perfect timing, he was royally exalted to the second highest position in Egypt. The same thing goes for Moses. The Lord gave him the task of leading His people out of bondage in Egypt, and though Moses was doubtful and fearful, the Lord promised: ‘Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.’  (Horeb) (Ex.3:12) And even when Moses complained that he stammered and otherwise, I like how the Lord asked him: ‘Who hath made man’s mouth? or who make the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what to say.’ (Ex.4:11-12) And yuh know my brethren, though the Lord eventually sent Aaron with Moses as his spokesperson, Aaron never spoke to Pharaoh. It was always Moses. As the Lord promised, He was with his mouth. And we all know the great works Moses accomplished with the Lord’s aid. And so it was too with Joshua, who took over the leadership of the Israelites after Moses died. Obviously it was a difficult, unrewarding job to lead such stubborn, rebellious people, but hear the Lord’s promise to Joshua: ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, not forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage…’  (Josh.1:5-6) Joshua was never put to shame because he believed the Lord and obeyed His commands. Bruh David was another man of faith who experienced unfair, life threatening situations, but his great trust in the Lord saw him through them all safely. But his was a more outgoing personality than the others, a singer, songwriter, which led him to be very vocal in singing the praises of his God. ‘Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy endureth forever. I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do to me?’ (Ps.118:4-6) Yes my people, it was the unshakeable trust and reverence that those early believers had for the Lord, that enabled them to be so strong and accomplish such great deeds. That trust also led Isaiah to declare: ‘Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.’ (Isa.28:16) Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is that sure foundation, that precious corner stone! Those who believe in Him shall never be put to shame. And like all the other scriptures that pertained to Him, Jesus quoted this one too. ‘Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.’ (Mat.21:42) Oh my Friends it’s an incontestable fact that who ever believes in Him shall not be ashamed. Bruh Paul was also a great example of trust and faith, after the Lord cornered him on the road to Damascus. Though he suffered many misfortunes, he never stopped believing and working in Jesus’ name. Now he’s an icon to us all. And Jeremiah’s take on the blessedness of trusting the Lord will take us home. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer.17:7-8) And all God’s people shouted: ‘Hallelujah! Amen!’ Yes my friends, let’s put our trust in Him, and be like that tree planted by those fertile waters. Much LOVE!…trust and obey…for there’s no better way.. to be happy in Jesus…than to trust and obey…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 April 2009 Proverbs 28:25

19 Apr 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 28:25    He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat.

 

Yes my Friends, more comparisons, warnings and instructions from Sol; the wisest man ever. Hn, hn! Every time I consider that fact, I remember the old Derrick Harriot song, ‘Solomon was the wisest man, but he didn’t know the ‘wiles’ of a woman.’  Now ‘wiles’ is my insertion because I forgot the word Derrick used. It might have been ‘strength,’ but ‘wiles’ fits perfectly. (smile) And come to think of it, the Bit admirably fits Sol’s life, though in reverse. At the end of his life, pride got the better of him. I very much doubt that it was senility, since he went through a complete role reversal. ‘But king Solomon loved many strange women…of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God as was the heart of his father David.’ He worshipped the gods of his wives and built high places for them to burn incense and sacrifices. ‘And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord…’(1 Kings 11:1-8) Oh Friends, can you imagine that; Sol doing evil in the Lord’s sight after the wonderful relationship they shared in earlier times? But he certainly did, with a sad result; ‘And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing; that he should not go after other Gods, but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.’ Thus began the strife. The Lord promised to take away the kingdom from Sol, and give it to his servant, not in his days, but out of his son’s hand. And even then, He would not take it away completely, but leave one tribe for his son. Why? ‘For David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.’ (I Kings 11:9-13) Oh my people, I don’t know what got into Sol; possibly too much wine, women and song. That would certainly addle a man’s brain. (smile) But whatever it was, he screwed it up royally, after all the good work Bruh David and he, himself had done in the Lord’s name. Note though, God did not ruin his line completely, because He’d promised Bruh David a continuous royal lineage, from which The Messiah, Jesus, would be born. So the peaceful, secure, wealthy kingdom that Israel had become under Sol’s righteous guidance was now turned asunder through Sol’s stupid pride. And hear these words of his earlier days nuh: ‘Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.’ (Prov.13:10) I guess he wasn’t well advised in later life. ‘But he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat.’ Yes my Friends, when we put our entire trust in the Lord God Almighty, we are made to prosper. Sol reiterates it in the next verse. ‘He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.’ (Prov.28:26) I still don’t understand how he could have undergone such a complete change of heart, after being such a prominent voice for God. Listen to the Queen of Sheba: ‘It was a true report which I had heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.’ (2 Chron.9:5-6) Wow! Can you believe it people? The Queen of Sheba, wealthy and powerful in her own right, even more amazed in person, at Sol’s majesty and righteousness than the stories she’d heard. And how did Sol get to that zenith? Because he’d put his trust in the Lord God of his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and walked in obedience to his commands. ‘And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.’ (2 Chron.1:1) Yuh know mih brethren, Sol was such a lovely, selfless young man, that even when God asked him what he wanted, he said: ‘Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great. And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.’ (2 Chron.1:11-12) Now that’s the magnificent and magnanimous God we worship my people! When we trust and obey, and don’t always put our selfish instincts and interests first, He rewards us with even more than we can ask or imagine. And He kept His word, just like He always does. The Queen of Sheba was held spellbound by Sol’s wisdom and splendour. And Friends, there’s never been another monarch as wise or wealthy as Sol, and most likely will never be, since the Lord God Jehovah decreed it thus. Oh my people, I implore us to let Sol’s life be a living example to us all. Let’s put our trust and faith in the Lord, and keep it there. Obey Him, and leave all the consequences to Him. He looked after Sol admirably when he walked with Him, but quickly allowed strife into his hitherto peaceful life, and took away his kingdom. Remember Friends, the wicked who repent, shall be saved, but the righteous who backslide shall be destroyed. Sol is an excellent example of the latter, let’s not fall into that evil trap. Much LOVE!…to enjoy God’s best…keep your heart right with Him…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 April 2009 Psalm 125:1‏

18 Apr 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 125:1    They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.
 
Oh my Friends, ain’t that good news; in fact wonderful news? It certainly is! All those who have faith in, believe in and obey the dictates of the Most High God Jehovah, shall never be moved. They shall stand strong like Mt. Zion. Wow! And why is that? Because God surrounds and protects His people. ‘As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.’ (vs.2) Ah my people, what more can we ask eh? That’s excellent information and knowledge as well as encouragement. Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so too does our God surround each and every one who puts their trust in Him. If we look to  Him in faith, He will protect us with His all-encompassing powers of surveillance and His majestic might. This promise should lift the spirit of all believers, giving us good reason to continue our earthly pilgrimage on His behalf; to keep us staunchly keeping on, though the times be rough and uncertain. ‘For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.’ (vs.3) Do you hear that my brethren? The sceptre of wickedness won’t fall on land allotted to the righteous, that’s us believers, lest it encourages us to reach out to the enemy and do evil. And you know what happens to the wicked? ‘He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.’ (Prov.22:8) Yes my Friends, the wicked shall reap trouble and they shall perish in their anger and iniquity. But those who sincerely seek and serve the One, True God, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, shall be protected forever, because, ‘The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked and the sceptre of the rulers.’ (Isa.14:5) Chuh! Our Lord likes to test our spirit and resolve at some rather inopportune moments yes! I just got a rude, invasive phone call from someone I usually get along with, but he’s one who knows what everybody else should do, but doesn’t know his own role. There was absolutely no need for the rudeness, and Friends, I gave him a piece of my mind, cause I refuse to let hypocrites like that bully me. At some time or another you’ve got to stand up to that type, else they’ll just continue to ride roughshod over you. Now I’ve got to calm my spirit before continuing. I guess I failed the test, but you win some and you lose some. Anyway, my spirit is back in equilibrium, and I’m reconnected to the Most High, (smile) so we can continue. Now that’s exactly the kind of person we don’t want to become, or associate with; those who know everything, can’t help opining on every topic, but don’t do a blooming thing themselves. We can certainly do without the busy mouths, but passive hands and bodies. However, the Lord does seem to send them to test us. Oh Friends, I know that ideally we should just ignore them and leave them to God, but sometimes that’s much easier said than done. Sometimes you just have to stop them in their tracks, let them know you won’t put up with their nonsense. I can now see the Lord’s hand all over this. (smile) He was simply building me up so that I could declare like Bruh David: ‘Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.’ (vs.4) I’m trying Friends, I’m trying. Sometimes though the spirit is willing but the sinful flesh is weak. Thankfully, the Lord knows this better than anyone else. However, it’s very important when we lose our godly connection, we try to reconnect asap; quickly ask forgiveness and get back under His protective aura. Oh my people, although our God surrounds us and will not let us be moved, He still sends trials to test us. Sometimes we can’t see or don’t understand why. But believe me, He always has a good reason for allowing those disturbances in our lives, though we think otherwise. Like that rude phone call just now; I don’t see it’s purpose, besides irritating my spirit, but I’m sure He had one. However, the moral of the story is to try and stay under the Lord’s protective umbrella as much as possible. Let Him surround us with His LOVE, mercy and forgiveness. It won’t all be wine and roses, though ‘For such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.’ (vs.5) Yes Friends, if we stay under the Lord’s yoke, peace shall prevail upon us. Much LOVE!…to stand strong…stay protected…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 April 2009 Philippians 4:19‏

17 Apr 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Philippians 4:19    But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory in Jesus Christ.
 
Oh my Friends, that’s one of the bedrocks of our faith, one of the foundation stones on which Christ built His Church; present sacrifice, then patient waiting for the Father to uplift us. Believe and do it before we see it, sort of thing. Bruh Paul here is thanking the Philippians for sending him gifts, knowing that they were not wealthy, but nonetheless were willing to sacrifice together to help meet his needs in Rome. He is doubly thankful, because earlier on in his ministry through Macedonia, they were the only ones who enquired of his needs and actually sent him money and other gifts in Thessalonica. He says: ‘Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.’ (vs.17) As we talked yesterday, Jesus desires us to bear good fruit. So, more than the joy he got from the actual gifts, Bruh Paul desires that their rewards both on earth and in heaven be built up by their good works. ‘But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, and odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.’ (vs.18) Ah my people, are there folks out there who can say that of us? That they have received all our gifts, and now have plenty, because their needs were met through our generosity, and that God is well pleased with our efforts, our sacrifice on their behalf? If not, then my people we are not doing Jesus’ work, not fulfilling our mandate, which is to help others, not simply through hope of selfish gain, but from a pure and right heart that just enjoys helping others in need. Under those circumstances our God will look down on us with His own grace and mercy. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ.’ Because God was aware of the sacrifice the Philippians made in sending Bruh Paul gifts, He would look favourably on them, and in return meet all their needs. As Bruh David staunchly declared in his most famous Psalm: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. (Ps.23:1) Oh my Friends, that’s such a strong testimony and testament to such an eye opening faith, I don’t know if many of us can say it so positively, then live by it with the enormous patience and belief it takes. Note, Bruh David was not hesitant or unsure when he said it. It was a positive declaration, implying no doubt whatsoever. That is what Bruh Paul’s trying to instil into the Philippians then, and into us now. It’s not easy, but if we keep doing what’s right and obeying God, He will in His time and manner meet all our needs. I can personally vouch for that my Friends. Over the last few years I haven’t been struggling per se, but I haven’t been thriving the way I want to or expected either. But by the same token, I’m still here, living fairly comfortably, doing what I can do, with all my needs, not my wants, (smile) being met, allowing me to continue the few good deeds I do. I ‘d sure like to do more, but my current resources don’t allow it. The important thing my brethren is to do what we can, right where we are, with what we have. We don’t need to be retired or millionaires before we volunteer our time to some useful cause and /or donate money to a worthwhile charity. Just where we are at today, do something for somebody else out of the pure goodness of our hearts, not looking for any real rewards, but hoping that the Lord will have mercy and increase us, so that we can further increase our good deeds. Ah my Friends, these are indeed rough times, and all of us, whether rich or poor are being forced to cut back on some things, but please, don’t let it be our good and charitable works. For if our sacrifices were sorely needed in good times, just think how much more they are needed now, when times are tough. And that is where the strength and passion of our faith comes in. We can take comfort through our trust in God. Listen to Isaiah: ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is.40:10-11) The Lord has promised that, and we know He never reneges on a promise, so we can rest assured that He will look after our needs. Bruh Paul confirms it. ‘And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.’ (2 Cor.9:8) Yes my Friends, fear not, though things might not look so good, remember the darkest hour is the one just before the sun rises. That means we’ve got to stand strong, never give up, raise our level of faith another notch; there’s always another one, even when we don’t think so, and keep on doing the good things we’re doing, for the Lord has promised to fulfill all our needs, and He who promised is faithful to deliver. Much LOVE!….when times get hard….just keep on doing good…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 April 2009 John 15:5‏

16 Apr 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 15:5    For without me ye can do nothing.

 Ah my Friends there is such a joyous ring of truth to that statement of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that it just tingles my spine. On our own, we are capable of nothing. He died for us and was given dominion over us by the Father. That means everything we are or hope to be, must go through Him. The full text of that verse is; ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ Why would I, in my right senses, want to do anything without Him anyway eh? He is the source of everything that I am. My heart, body and soul, all depend on His grace and mercy. As He says, He is the vine; that’s the mainstay of the plant. It’s like the heart in our bodies; it provides the wherewithal to make the body go. And we are the branches; tributaries or arteries feeding off of that main source. If you don’t get sustenance or direction from that vital source, then you either shrivel up and die from lack of food, or you grow in an unwise direction. Remember the offshoots of the main vine grow every which way, some can grow in dangerous places where they can be destroyed, eaten or trampled underfoot. Friends, we’re like the offshoots of that vine, and just like them we need to be careful, even with Jesus’ sustenance in us, where we walk or grow, for the point of the whole exercise is that we mature in the spirit and produce good fruit. Oh my people, Jesus is our source of power! It’s like all the electrical appliances in our homes. If we don’t plug them into an outlet bearing power, they won’t work. The same goes for us; if we’re not constantly plugged into Jesus, we won’t function the way we’re supposed to; that’s like Him. Now we simply don’t plug in and whirl away. The appliance needs to be turned on first. You can plug in the appliance to the power outlet and it will stand there forever and do nothing, unless you turn it on. Likewise my brethren, we have to bring our minds to bear on Jesus. We can always plug into His power source, but He only gives power to those who focus on Him, preferably a steadfast focus. So you can be a regular churchgoer, involved with good activities, but yet spiritually lacking something because you’re not steadfastly focused on Christ. We’ve all seen vines that overall seem to be flourishing, but in certain parts, the offshoots appear yellow and droopy cause something is wrong with the connection to the main trunk line, and, for whatever reason, those non-flourishing parts will be broken off and destroyed. As Jesus said: ‘If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.’ However, ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.’ (John 15:6-8) There it is in a nutshell Friends! It couldn’t be any simpler. That’s one thing about Jesus; He could either make His words difficult or easy to understand. These are certainly easy. He’s just saying, I am your main man; your leader, saviour, lawyer, protector, and provider; your everything. In other words, you’re useless without me. If you don’t associate with me, then you’ll wither and die, or simply plucked off and destroyed. However, if you hang with me, hear my words, study them, and let them live in you, so that you’ll walk where they lead, then you can ask anything, and your wish will be granted. Note though, Jesus wasn’t referring to evil, selfish, foolish wishes, but sensible, sustainable stuff, that had good bearing on our lives. Remember too that Jesus doesn’t deal in fanciful, worthless things, and He listens to needs more than wants. And what does our abiding in Jesus do? Oh Friends, I think it kills several birds with one stone! It first makes us a disciple of Jesus: we stay plugged in to and focused on Him, which leads us to become more like Him every day, and when we behave like Jesus did, then others see it and desire to become like us, meaning that we’re bringing others to Him, that we’re being fruitful, bearing good fruit. And above all my brethren, it means that we’re glorifying our Heavenly Father. And that’s our most important earthly function; to spread His word and bring glory to His Holy Name. As Bruh David cried in Psalm 22: ‘I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.’ (Ps.22:22-24) And all the people shouted: ‘Praise Him, for He is a good God, and worthy to be praised!’ Yes my Friends, once we walk with God, the whole world is our oyster; there’s nothing good to which we’re not entitled. Jesus has made His promise, which we know He’ll keep. But we have to do our part for the whole thing to work. We’ve got to get plugged in and tuned in to Jesus, and stay that way too. I’ll leave us with some words of a friend, who seems to have an opinion on almost everything, Bruh Paul. (smile) ‘And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor.3:4-5) Please my people, let’s understand that and act accordingly. Much LOVE!…get plugged in and turned on to Jesus…He only plays beautiful music…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 April 2009 Isaiah 46:12‏

15 Apr 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 46:12    Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness.
 
Well my Friends, I hope you enjoyed the partying, down Buccoo and elsewhere, cause that’s it! Time to get our noses back to the grindstone and continue the Lord’s work with even more zeal and zest than before. This past Easter weekend should have been an eye opening, wake up call for all of us believers, solidifying our faith in Jesus, renewing our commitments to Him, as we played out what He went through two millennia ago for our benefit. That’s the beauty of the different seasons in the Church’s calendar; they all serve to remind us of some purpose or event in Christ’s earthly journey, which revitalizes and refreshes us, raises our zealous activity, causing us to go out on to the battlefield and wage stronger warfare against the enemy and his evil allies. Hence the cry from Isaiah today: ‘Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness.’ Yes my people, it’s those stubborn minded, hardhearted unbelievers, who either don’t know right from wrong, or just practice wrong for their own selfish benefit, that our Lord wants us to go after, to bring to their awareness His awesome power and unrivalled generosity to those who LOVE and obey Him. Isaiah 46 deals with the Lord’s power and the weakness of idols. ‘Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth.’ (vs.1) Those were two prominent Babylonian deities, but they eventually bowed to the Lord, re Nebuchadnezzar’s confession in Daniel after He’d denied our God, ended up crazy and eating grass. ‘And at the end of the days, I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation.’ (Dan.4:34) And all God’s people said, ‘Amen!’ So my Friends, if our God could humble such a powerful wealthy ruler into acknowledging that He, the Most High God Jehovah is omnipotent and everlasting, it’s easy for Him to beat us ordinary mortals into submission. But that is not His desire. He desires us to come to Him willingly, of our own accord. Because we know of, and want, His LOVE, goodness, mercy, forgiveness, His might and power. That we desire to rest in His comforting arms, under the shelter of His protective wings. In Psalm 76, the Psalmist, Asaph, talks about our victorious God, thus: ‘Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey. The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands.’  (Ps.76:4-5) Oh my brethren, that’s the gospel truth! Our God is more glorious and excellent than heaps of the spoils of war. Meanwhile the stubborn and hardhearted have been plundered and pillaged, have sunk into a deep, tired sleep, and none of the mighty men can even lift up their hands to war anymore. Why? Because our Lord God is omnipotent! He proudly proclaims: ‘To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?…For I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.’ (Is.46:5,9,10) Wow! What a powerful testimony from our God, my people! And it’s not like we haven’t proven His words to be true. From the very beginning to now, His pronouncements and promises have all been truthfully verified. So why do we still fight against Him eh? Why do we listen to that foolish fool, Lucifer, who had it made as God’s right hand man, but figured he could overthrow His Creator, His Lord and Sovereign God? Amongst men, the pupil might become more adept than the master. But never will man best His Creator. But it seems some of us still need to try. However, in His unceasing goodness, the Lord calls all men to repentance. As Bruh Paul says; ‘For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.’ (Rom.10:3) That’s a big mistake my people, one of disastrous proportions. But with our God, it’s never too late. As Job’s friend, Elihu reasoned: ‘He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man. To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.’ (Job 33:27-30) Oh people, what more do we need to convince us of the power, goodness, mercy, LOVE and tender-hearted forgiveness of our God eh? What will it take for us to seriously acknowledge His omnipotence, and cause us to humble ourselves before Him in praise, worship, thanksgiving and glorification? It’s all right there for us to see, and it’s up to each individual to accept or deny Him. We are all responsible for our own souls. But as the prophet warned; ‘Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness.’ Oh Friends, the price of disobedience is enormous; the wages of sin is death, so please, let’s make the right decision today; accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and live forever. He is the only way! Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 April 2009 Luke 24:17‏

14 Apr 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Luke 24:17    And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk and are sad?
 
Well hello there my beautiful Friends! It’s Easter Tuesday! Goat Race Day down Buccoo, in that land of paradise, sweet Tobago, God’s little acre! Oh what a glorious celebration of life! Crabs running; goats running; parties hopping all over the little village; everybody having a good time! And if yuh get there early enough, you just might get a chance to visit the world renowned Buccoo Coral Reef, and catch an exhilarating and relaxing dip in the cool, clear, shallow waters of the famous Nylon Pool close by. Famed for not only its beautiful blue water, but also its shallow nature, though a ways out to sea. Hn, hn, hn! I’m chuckling cause I just remembered my last Goat Race, being rather inebriated and partying down the place with a friend’s sister. But that was many moons ago, when I was a young lad. Now I can neither imbibe as much or party as heartily. But doh make the mistake and write me off nuh, cause I can still hold mih own. (smile) Yes mih Friends, the joys and pleasures of youth! But these two followers whom Jesus appeared to on the first Resurrection Morn, while they were trudging along to Emmaus, a village about five miles away from Jerusalem, they certainly weren’t joyful. ‘And they talked together of all these things which hath happened.’ (Luke 24:14) Like all Jesus’ followers, they too were confused, afraid and emotionally fragile. Jesus had been their leader, their lifeline, but then He’d been crucified, leaving them in a void, adrift and leaderless. Then to further muddy the waters, they’d heard that He was alive, but nobody had actually seen Him. And now, as they walked along this stranger, Jesus, comes up to them and asks why they’re so sad. "But their eyes were holden, (restrained) that they should not know him.’ (Luke 24:16) That seems to be harsh and undeserved; Jesus appearing to His confused and scared followers in an unrecognizable form. But I guess He had His reasons. And who am I anyway to question them, although His first words to the two bear out my contention. ‘What manner of communication are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?’ One of them, Cleopas, asked if he was a stranger to the area, if he hadn’t heard what happened? For only a total stranger could be unaware of all the ‘goings ons’ of the past weekend. But Jesus simple asked, ‘What things?’ And they explained: ‘Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.’ They told of His wrongful condemnation and death. ‘But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel:’ Ah my people, though many believed Jesus was a genuine prophet, these followers had pinned all their hopes and dreams on Him being the Messiah, Israel’s Redeemer. But with Him dead for three days, they were having a hard time, their confidence in Him and His teachings was being sorely tested. Then they related that that was the third day since His death, how the women and the disciples went to the tomb but found His body missing, seeing visions of angels instead. (Luke 24:18-24) Imagine the sadness and sorrow on their   faces and in their voices nuh, as they told their woeful tale. But surprisingly, instead of empathizing, Jesus   rebuked them. ‘O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.’ (Luke 24:25-27) His rebuke centred on the fact that though they rightly believed He was the Messiah, they were too focused on a glorious deliverance and didn’t take seriously enough the Old Testament Scriptures that not only prophesied of His glory, but also His suffering. Without a full grounding in the entire Old Testament, one couldn’t grasp the real significance and identity of Jesus. I still maintain that Jesus was a bit harsh on them, especially since His followers were largely uneducated and of low estate. But luckily Friends, today we don’t have that problem since the whole Bible is printed simply, in numerous languages and anyone with reading skills can find one he can understand, or if not, there are many more people now versed in the Word that can help him. But sadly, there’s still a major problem; too many of us still are not one hundred percent sure of Jesus’ resurrection and all the good things it entails. But as a friend wrote me today quoting, ‘The perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.’  (1 Cor.15: 53) Meaning, before we can ever see God, we have to undergo a profound change; become immortal and imperishable. And this is the glorious message of Easter. Jesus died, then rose again, successfully accomplishing that change from perishable and mortal, to imperishable and immortal, guaranteeing both then and now, that all who believe in Him will experience the same dramatic experience when they shed this earth’s mortal coil. Thus assuring that ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ (1 Cor.15:54) Now the question is my brethren, do we sincerely believe this? If we don’t, then we’ll never see God, but be forever thrown into outer darkness and damnation with Lucifer and his cronies. However, if we sincerely believe; ‘have Easter faith, resurrection faith; the conviction that it will happen; and personal faith; the conviction that it will happen to each believer personally,’ then we’re away and home free. Cause ‘Easter is the evidence that God is far stronger than Satan, that good is stronger than evil, that truth is stronger than the lie, that LOVE is stronger than hate, and that life is stronger than death. Thank God for Easter.’ Oh Friends, those are not my original words, but they sure proclaim my sentiments beautifully. You see we can only receive salvation and eternal life if we believe in big capitals; ‘BELIEVE!’ And Easter is the time all our doubts and fears are put to rest, giving us a solid confidence that Jesus has fulfilled His promise of redemption through His death and resurrection. Unlike His early followers, we’ve had it handed to us on a silver platter, so let’s be grateful and warmly embrace that sacrificial gift nuh. That’s the only wise and sensible thing to do. Much LOVE!…only BELIEVE…that’s all he asks of us…only BELIEVE…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 April 2009 Proverbs 3:27‏

13 Apr 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 3:27    Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
 
Well Happy Easter Monday my joyous Friends! Blessings in the name of Jesus, whose glorious resurrection we celebrated yesterday. Hope the celebrations didn’t go overboard, (smile) and we made time to fellowship with others, and offer up sufficient thanks and praise to Him who gave His innocent, sinless life as a blood sacrifice that our sins could be cleansed, thereby offering salvation, eternal life and a return to a right relationship with our Heavenly Father. Praise His Holy Name! Yesterday we concentrated on Jesus, today though, the Lord has directed we address our relationship with and treatment of our neighbours. Remember, Jesus said there were two basic commandments: LOVE the Lord, and LOVE your neighbour as yourself. Well I know that many of us don’t LOVE  ourselves, thus treat our neighbours and ourselves shabbily. But that is definitely not what the Lord desires of us. As Sol rightly declares; ‘Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.’ In other words, don’t tell someone you owe, you can’t pay, when you very well can. That’s not the Christian way. Jesus said; ‘Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.’  (Mat.22:21) Bruh Paul corroborated that by saying; ‘Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.’ (Rom.13:7) That seems clear enough; that we are to give everyone his rightful due; pay whatever we owe, if we have it. And ‘Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.’ (Prov.3:28) Oh Friends, that’s a popular action of mankind, both believers and unbelievers. Although we have what we owe, that greedy, sinful part of our human nature, makes us feel so reluctant, and hard done by to part with it. But my people this is not only greedy and selfish, but also foolish and ungodly. That type of action only leads to strife, bitterness and conflict between neighbours, especially if the person owed, knows we are lying. How often have we seen this happen eh? Too often! I’m sure if those of us who do that kind of stuff, cease and desist, life would be much less problematic. No doubt that behaviour was a contributing factor to our current predicament, and it’s possibly going to get worse now, since many of us are fearful for our jobs and livelihood, consequently cutting and scheming to keep ourselves afloat. But Friends, what we don’t seem to realize is that behaviour has a domino effect, particularly in hard, uncertain times like these. If I don’t pay my debt to you, then you can’t pay yours, and that person can’t pay theirs either, so it just keeps spiralling out of control. Besides, the Lord instructed the Israelites long ago: ‘Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.’ (Lev.19:13) Oh my people, some of us make that a habit, and it’s so wrong. And it just seems to happen to the poor and downtrodden more than the elite classes. Right now it’s a rampant occurrence, especially amongst employers who hire illegal immigrants, or those who have no avenue for complaint. It seems to be normal to promise a certain wage for a job, then overwork, and either don’t pay or short pay, and if you complain, threaten to report you to the immigration authorities. Ah Lord eh! Man’s inhumanity to man, surely makes thousands mourn yes mih people! Menial workers, like nannies, construction and regular labourers, itinerant farm workers constantly suffer this abuse. And it’s not only the haves, but also some of us have-nots, that are perpetrating this dreadful sin. But when the shoe is on the other foot though, it’s a totally different story. They clamour to high heaven, like a lot of those same greedy, unscrupulous business people are doing today in this historic economic downturn. And sadly, those in power, although aware of this untenable situation, often choose to do nothing about it, since it helps them and their business cronies to control the bulk of the working class. But they are stupid and short sighted, just like any of us who walk in their sinful footsteps, cause it’s like backing an angry, hungry dog into a corner; it has no other choice but to attack you. That’s why my people, Jesus is depending on us, His followers, to put a stop to as much of this advantage taking as possible. I know they say advantage will never finish, but we can certainly lessen it a whole lot, to everybody’s benefit. Therefore, let’s ‘Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee, (in safety with us) (Prov.3:29) Instead, ‘As we have therefore every opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ (Gal.6:10) Wiser words were never spoken my people. Please, let’s heed them nuh. Much LOVE!…LOVE yourself…and likewise…LOVE your neighbour…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 April 2009 John 20:15‏

12 Apr 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

EASTER SUNDAY

John 20:15    Jesus saith unto her , Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?
 
Happy Easter my Friends! This is the day we’ve long waited for with bated breath and guarded enthusiasm. Can you imagine the combination of fear and excitement that hung over Jerusalem and its outskirts, or wherever Jesus’ followers lodged. Remember He promised to ‘Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up,’ (John 2:19) referring to His body, though His audience thought He meant the real temple, the veil of which was rent when He gave up the ghost. Just picture the scene unfolding on that first Easter Sunday nuh: The sun slowly rising above the picturesque hills of Judea, several women in Jesus’ life; Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome and Joanna trudging sorrowfully through the early morning mist to Jesus’ tomb to anoint Him with sweet spices, wondering who would roll away the stone from the entrance so they could go inside and perform their task of LOVE. But lo and behold, when they got there the stone was already rolled away. (Mark 16:1-4) Though afraid, their inquisitiveness got the better of them and they entered the tomb, only to become more scared and perplexed when they didn’t see Jesus’ body, but found two men dressed in shining garments, standing over the empty bed. To their surprise, the men said to their bowed heads and averted eyes; ‘Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you (Luke 9:22) when he was in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again? And they remembered his words.’ (Luke 24:4-8) Wow! Imagine the consternation of those poor, uneducated women! What with all their other trials and tribulation, now Jesus’ body was missing. They did the only thing they could; hurried back to the disciples and told them what had happened, only to find ‘their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.’ (Luke 24:11) The scholars claim that this disproves the theory that early Christians were very gullible and would believe anything, but these were tough, sceptical men, who knew that Jesus had died and wasn’t about to believe a fanciful tale of His resurrection. But John and Peter went running out to the tomb. John got there first, but didn’t go in, simply stooped, looked in and saw the linen clothes. But big, bold Peter went in and saw the burial clothes at one end of the bed and the napkin that wrapped His head, neatly folded at the other. That meant the body had not been stolen, for then the clothes would not have been left behind. Then queasy John, drawing strength from Peter’s entrance, went into the tomb, ‘and he saw, and he believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.’ (John 20:8-9) They believed that Jesus was alive, but didn’t know the details of His resurrection. Then John and Peter simply went home. Who’s to say what arguments, doubts or anger transpired between His followers that memorable morning? But there was one who certainly felt it more than the others, Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons. She came back to the tomb again, after Peter and John, and stood outside crying, and while her tears flowed, she stooped down and looked into the tomb, and saw the two angels sitting there. They asked her why she cried? She replied, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him.’ (John 20:13) Then she stood up, turned around and saw a man standing there, Jesus, who asked her, ‘Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?’ Thinking that he was the gardener, she pleaded, ‘Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say Master.(Teacher) Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and to your Father; and to my God, and your God.’ (John19:15-17)  According to the scholars, Jesus didn’t mean she shouldn’t touch Him, but more like ‘stop clinging to me. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere right now.’ I can just see a distraught and tearful Mary turning around, seeing this man she thought was the gardener, grabbing him by the arm and earnestly pleading with him for info on Jesus’ body. And it all makes sense, since a week later He encouraged Doubting Thomas to touch Him. Ah my Friends, what a jolting experience for poor Mary! She did not recognize Him in His new body, but when He called her name, she recognized His voice, proving the truth of His earlier words: ‘he calleth his own sheep by name…and the sheep follow him for they know his voice.’ (John 10:3-4) And is there some significance to the fact that a woman, one from whom Jesus had cleansed seven demons, was the first person to see Him after His resurrection? I’m sure our God did that on purpose, possibly to accentuate the fact that even those filled with the devil can be cleansed and become a useful believer, and also show the devil’s inferior power. Oh Friends can you imagine the scene when Mary went back and told the disciples she had seen, held and spoken to Jesus? There must have been great joy in some hearts while confusion and doubt still reigned in others. But my people, today, there’s no doubt whatsoever in our hearts and souls! Only joy abounds there, for we know for a fact that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, died, was buried, and triumphantly rose from the dead on that first Easter morn two thousand years ago! He paved the way for our sins to be cleansed, with salvation and eternal life available…if we believe in Him. Oh Friends, I got so tied up in the story that I forgot to give a shout of praise in between. But what better way to end eh? And all God’s people sang gloriously to the high heavens: ‘Hallelujah, Christ is risen! Praise His Holy Name! Hallelujah, a new day is born! It’s called The Resurrection Morn!’ So let’s spend a joyous day in worship, celebration, praise and thanksgiving for all Jesus has done for us. He is the epitome of LOVE! Much LOVE My People!…in death…Jesus cleansed our sins…in resurrection…He gave us salvation and eternal life…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 April 2009 Jeremiah 31:25‏

11 Apr 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Jeremiah 31:25    For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.
 
Yes my Friends, through the grace of Almighty God, to whom we offer praise, thanks and worship, we’re continuing where we left off two days ago, if I can remember what I planned to write. (smile) Anyway, Good Friday is over now: Jesus has been crucified and laid to rest in an earthly resting place. The next movement in the wonderful story is being eagerly and excitedly awaited all over the world; Easter Sunday morning, when Jesus defeats death and rises majestically from the grave, so that we can all joyously shout; ‘Glory Hallelujah! He is risen!’ My brethren, in a sense that’s what the Lord is saying to all of us right now; that all the tired, down trodden, depressed, emotionally destroyed souls will soon be refreshed and uplifted. ‘For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.’ We finished the last episode by imploring us all to slow down and take stock, both of our surroundings and ourselves and see the senseless stress and destruction in which we’re entrapped. Our world’s in turmoil, with upheaval and dissatisfaction rampant everywhere. But be sure of one thing my people; the Lord God Jehovah, the giver of life and mercy still reigns, and all this too shall pass, for He’s not a God of vengeance, but of LOVE, so He won’t destroy simply for the sake of destroying. Any destruction He allows will have a stated purpose, usually to punish increasing sinful disobedience, and there’s no doubt my people, that over the last decade or so, we’ve become increasingly disobedient and tuned out God and His dictates, preferring to follow the evil enemy and his shallow lustful ways of the flesh. Strangely though, during that period many people seem to have become more spiritually minded or aware, but unfortunately it never manifested itself sufficiently in the society, else we’d probably not be in our current bind. But there’s always method to God’s madness my Friends. Sometimes we don’t discern it, but I believe He caused that spiritual awakening because He needed to teach us a harsh lesson on disobedience, but in His vast wisdom, realized that if everybody was totally crushed and beaten down, there would be none left to start the revival after the punishment. (smile) Just the ole fella’s simple reasoning. And now that He’s rained on our disobedient parade, He’s fixing to lift us up once more, desiring us to again believe and act in accordance with His godly principles. ‘And it shall come to pass, that like I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down and destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build and to plant, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.31:28) Yes my people, that’s what the Lord has planned for us. And as believers, filled with His Holy Spirit, we’re needed, expected to be at the forefront of the rebuilding process; building on a solid foundation that’s the Lord God Jehovah. We can’t afford to build on the enemy’s sandy, fragile foundation again, otherwise the same fate will eventually befall us. And when we begin rooting out the enemy and returning the Lord to His prized place in our lives, we’ll be pleasantly surprised at the phenomenal turn around both individuals and society will accomplish. Obviously it can’t happen overnight, but the Lord has raised us up spiritually for that purpose; that of rebuilding our society and His Holy Church. And when we begin believing and acting like God is on our side, then it’s going to spread, because actions speak louder than words, people follow actual examples quicker that plain dictum. And with that movement back to the Lord in full swing, we’re going to be satiated and refreshed with God’s goodness, LOVE, mercy and forgiveness and be able to say like Jeremiah; ‘Upon this I awakened and beheld: and my sleep was sweet unto me.’ (Jer.31:26) Yes people, not too many of us can say that now, but when we’re in sync with God, that is what happens. And wise, ole Sol, solidly backs that up. ‘When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.’ (Prov.4:24) Oh my Friends, isn’t that good to know? But everything now depends on us. God has given and He’s taken away, now He’s ready and willing to prosper us again. He’s promised; an unbreakable act.  Now we have to follow through and do our part; channel our hearts and minds towards Him and actively set good works in motion. And if we do that sincerely, then we are also assured of Sol’s wisdom. ‘Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation of (trouble from) the wicked when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).’ (Prov.4:25-26) So let’s set down stakes in the Lord my Friends, to show that we’re serious, so that we can build that confidence and not fear when disaster strikes. Rebuilding is usually hard and harsh, but it builds confidence, character and faith in Jesus Christ, without which we’re like small boats tossed on stormy seas, and we don’t need that calamity anymore. Much LOVE!…to build to last…build on Jesus…
 

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