Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 May 2009 1 John 3:20‏

21 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 John 3:20    For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
 
Now isn’t that an awesome truth my Friends! Our God is certainly greater than our hearts, and most definitely knows all, for He is the One who created all things; for example this beautiful spring time morning, with the birds singing His early morning praises in the leafy trees, giving much thanks, that though they don’t sow or reap, they still live well, due to of His bountiful goodness. And so too should we, my people. But concerning our Bit, as Bruh Paul wisely stated; ‘For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.’ (1 Cor.4:4) We can take the first part two ways: Literally, that he knows nothing by himself; everything He knows comes from God, which is true. Or as ‘by’ translated to mean ‘against.’ He knows nothing against himself, but that doesn’t make him free, or justified in his actions, for the Lord will judge him when the time comes, so he will plod on to do the Lord’s work to the best of his ability. So it is with us too Friends, we try to be good and righteous and live the way the Lord desires, but we’re not always successful. It’s easy to say live in peace and LOVE with your brother and your enemy, but when the hard facts of life roll around, it often becomes a real struggle to not only keep our Christian perspective, but even more so to carry it out. It’s so much easier to talk the talk than to walk it. And sometimes we fail miserably, then in turn feel miserable, disappointed, like failures, sinful and unfaithful, in that we were not able to live up to our Christian faith. We couldn’t do as John advises: ‘My little children, let us not LOVE in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and truth.’ (1 John 3:18) Ah Friends, we then unfortunately put ourselves down, feel ashamed, worry and fret. But my people, please remember, ‘For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.’ That’s for sure! So let’s not condemn ourselves in the things we do, for God knows what’s truly going on in our hearts. He can justify us even when we condemn ourselves for our sinful behaviour, since He sees not only our outward actions, be they totally wrong or simply misguided, but delves deep into our hearts and souls to discover our real motives, our true intentions. And if these are genuinely faithful, He is wise and magnanimous enough to forgive us. Remember, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the One True God, from the Beginning to the End, who never changes, but offers grace, mercy, hope, forgiveness and unconditional LOVE to all who humbly submit their earthly lives and spiritual souls to Him. So let’s not be afraid, or timid, in this our downright difficult Christian walk. Our God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, for He knows with our sinful nature that’s impossible, but He does expect us to genuinely try and obey His rules, try and follow in the footsteps of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The important words there Friends are ‘genuinely try.’ If we don’t, He’ll know as soon as He checks out our heart. But if we are sincere in our efforts, though we stumble and fall, He will help us up again if we ask Him to. It’s like riding a horse: They say if you fall off, then the best thing to do is to get right back on again, cause if you don’t do it right away, the fear of falling will take hold of your spirit and make it so much harder for you to ever get back up on a horse. And so it is with our earthly lives my people: When we fall off Jesus’ wagon, then we have to get right back up again, no wallowing in self pity, dust ourselves off, turn to Jesus and say we’re sorry, accept His forgiveness, then jump right back on to the fast moving, plenty bouncing vehicle, on the rough bumpy road of life, with all its numerous twists and turns. Remember yesterday we spoke of not living a life of regrets, to let the past stay in the past, just learn from our mistakes and carry on. It’s the same way if we fall off the Christian wagon of faith my Friends; just set it right with God, then move on, don’t dwell on it. Whatever we do, please don’t let out hearts condemn us, and make us feel unworthy of God’s LOVE and grace, for we are all worthy once we repent and come to Him in genuine prayer. ‘Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then we have confidence in God.’ Exactly my people! ‘And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.’ (1 John 3:21-22) Yes my people, that’s our ultimate goal; to please the Father. And how do we do that? By living an earthly life that’s pleasing to Him, all aspects of it. And what’s the catalyst that helps us accomplish that ideal?  PRAYER! Yes Friends, right living cannot be accomplished without fervent PRAYER, for that’s where we get the strength, the encouragement and patience, the overall fortitude to live right, because it’s certainly not an easy thing to do in this predominantly sinful, ungodly world of ours. So please, let’s stop condemning, ourselves or anybody else; keep repenting and asking forgiveness for our mistakes; keep praying for strength and guidance, so that we can live right and thereby grow and mature in the faith of Christ. Much LOVE!…neither persecutor… judge… nor jury… are we…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 May 2009 Joshua 8:20‏

20 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Joshua 8:20   And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
 
Ah my Friends, on another beautiful morn, with God still on His throne, the ole fella’s here to pass along some friendly advice; that too much looking back is unhealthy. It can cause a myriad of problems, that’s why we’re always advised to look toward the future rather than back to the past. But by the same token, we must review our past every so often, because it’s our history, and we need to understand what went wrong yesterday so we can correct it today. If we do it properly, we can get helpful indicators in terms of where we’ve come from, where we’re at, and where we’re going. As Nat Cole said in his song, ‘Looking Back’; ‘Looking back over my life, I can see where you caused me strife…’ That’s a good indicator to stay away from or be careful of a certain person. Also, ‘I can see signs wise men heed…’ Now that’s something all of us should learn from. In that sense we all need to look back occasionally to judge our progress. The problems develop though, when instead of simply using the past to help us improve, we continue living there. Oh Friends, living without growing or improving is a sad waste of a good life, and if we keep repeating the same mistakes, never learning from them, then we’ll surely end up in a sorry state. Have you ever noticed that those who live in the past are usually sour, bitter and unhappy, because they let their previous mistakes control their lives and subsequently ruin them. As with everything in life my people, we have to develop a fair balance; not too much of any one thing. Bruh Paul put it famously; moderation in all things. Too many of us though insist on rehashing the past and dwelling on the hurts and disappointments we find there; stuff that we can’t do anything about. The Good Book has several instances of where looking back has brought severe misfortune. I guess the most famous is Lot’s wife, when running from the fiery demise of Sodom and Gomorrah. Although explicitly directed not to look back, she did and became a pillar of salt. (Gen.19:15-26) Then there’s also Today’s Bit, where the Lord devised a most ingenious strategy for Joshua and the Israelites to capture the city of Ai. In the evening, they secretly set up troops on two sides of the city, then Joshua and his group went to the front, so that they could be seen. In the morning the men of Ai came out to do battle against Joshua’s group, totally unaware of the other groups lying in ambush. As they approached, Joshua and his men acted as though they were beaten and ran towards the wilderness with the men of Ai in hot pursuit. ‘And the Lord said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand.’ (Josh 8:18) That acted as a sign for the troops in hiding to rise up, go into the city and set it on fire. ‘And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.’ Yes my Friends, when the men of Ai turned to look back at their burning city, Joshua and his group, who’d been running away, now turned back and began attacking the men of Ai. Then the Israelites that were burning the city came back out and caught the poor souls of Ai in a murderous crossfire, from which none of them escaped, except the king, who was later hanged. Note here Friends, the difference between Saul and Joshua in terms of obedience. The Lord told Joshua to completely destroy them, except in this case they could have the spoil. Joshua complied completely, while Saul did not. Anyway my people, unfortunate things tend to happen to us when we look back on our lives, our past mistakes with regrets and wallow in them instead of learning from them and moving forward. Disaster is the usual result when we dwell on the only if I had done this or that. We rob ourselves of hope, of the joy to be found in the mercy, grace and forgiveness of our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: ‘Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.’ (2 Cor.1:10) Yes Friends, Jesus has delivered us from the peril of death, is still delivering us, and we have a great hope that He will continue to do so. But if we live in the past with a regretful attitude, we lose that hope for a better tomorrow. And the current sad, sorry state of our world has made this negative looking back even more important, for it’s a goldmine of sorrows, with great temptation to look back and wonder what if. But please don’t do that. The past is already gone and we can’t recapture it. We need to look forward to a new, better and brighter tomorrow. Do remember your mistakes and learn from them, but don’t dwell on them. It’s a perfect setting for further disaster. Remember too that Jesus also advised against looking back. ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9:62)  And that’s gospel people! If you look back while ploughing, your furrows won’t be straight, and you’ll never make a good ploughman, neither be a good candidate for heaven. Oh Friends, it’s especially in hard times like these that we need to concentrate on, and look towards the future, not to the past. We all know where we went wrong, and too much rehashing won’t help us solve our current problems. Let’s learn from our mistakes and move on. That’s the godly way. Much LOVE!…dwelling in the past…is a sure prescription for disaster…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 May 2009 2 Corinthians 9:10‏

19 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Corinthians 9:10    Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness.
 
Aye Friends, look out yuh windows and shout a friendly greeting to those passing by: ‘Morning Neighb! Start the day off with a little friendliness in yuh soul, which, like cleanliness is next to godliness. (smile) Anyway, the Lord’s provided us with another beautiful day; lots of sunshine, new blessings and mercies that he expects us to go out there and use productively. So shake yuh booty and get a move on. The enemy is already out there engaging in the battle for hearts, we need to get out there and do our part too. And right now there’s a lot for us to do since our society is in a royal mess. We’re floundering, possibly drowning, desperately seeking help and looking for answers, but not finding any. Why? Because ‘Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men. Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled.’ (Hos.10:13-14) Oh my people, it’s an awful truth, but the truth of the situation nonetheless. We’re suffering so badly today because we forgot God and put our trust in men, and sadly, they were found wanting. But I know we’ve finally seen the light and desire to change our fortunes. Now please don’t make me a liar. (smile) But to do that, Hosea says we must ‘Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy, break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness on you.’ (Hos.10:12) Oh Friends, I could not have put it any better. It is indeed ‘time to seek the Lord,’ to turn back to Him in righteousness. And we couldn’t want a better word of encouragement or blessing than Today’s Bit that Bruh Paul wished upon the Corinthians in his second letter. ‘Now he that ministereth seed to the sower, both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness.’ Oh my brethren, that’s exactly what we both need and expect as believers in Christ. The one who ‘ministereth seed to the sower,’ that supplies us with seed to sow is obviously our great God. He gives us the things He wants us to sow, to spread abroad in His Name. ‘For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.’ (Isa.55:10-11) Yes Friends, that’s the Lord’s promise. Just like He gives us rain and snow to nourish our crops in the earth, so will His Word be put in our hearts, and not come back to Him empty, but be successfully disseminated to all the world. Oh my people, our God is such a magnificent and magnanimous Being, that He not only supplies us with His Word; nourishment for our souls, but also food and nourishment for our physical bodies. Then He turns around and multiplies the seeds we sow, both of His Word and the actual seed we plant in the ground, and ‘increases the fruits of our righteousness.’ Wow! Through obedience and faithfulness our harvest is increased; we bring unbelievers to Him and our fields blossom bountifully, thus we are made prosperous. So on both sides of the seed, sower, food and harvest equation, our Lord looks down on us with bountiful blessings. He gives us the wherewithal to spread His Holy Word, and also increases the physical harvest of our food in the fields. As Bruh Paul rightly declares: ‘Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.’ (2 Cor.9:11) Yes my Friends, when all this prosperity comes upon us, we need to be eternally grateful and give much heartfelt thanks and praise to the Most High for His mercy and LOVING kindness, since it’s only through Him that mankind can enjoy any lasting prosperity. Chuh! I sound like a broken record, but Friends it’s very important that we keep hearing and being encouraged until we reach an unshakeable point of understanding that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the GIVER OF ALL THINGS! Without His approval, nothing good happens. And to get His approval we need to be faithful and obedient. There’s no way of getting around that. If we don’t obey, we’re going to suffer, like we’re doing now. And here’s what the Lord promises when we live by His Word. ‘For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.’  (Isa.55:12) And all God’s people said, ‘WOW!’ What a beautiful promise Friends! Only our God can make such a promise and keep it too. Just sit and imagine that scenario for a moment nuh: All of us going about our business in peace and joy, while the hills and mountains sing songs of praise and thanksgiving, and the trees keep the riddim steady with their clapping! Brother! It sure is a marvellous scene my people! Just imagine the LOVE flowing nuh mih brethren! But for that promise to be fulfilled, we have to do our part; that’s turn from our wicked and evil ways, drop our reliance on the frailty of mortal men and turn to God. Nothing less will do. Oh my people, it’s time for us to seek Him with repentant hearts if we seriously want to be extricated from the quick sand in which we’re currently floundering and sinking. It’s all up to us now. Let’s not disappoint our great and merciful God again nuh. He is so heartbroken when we do. Much LOVE!…do remember… that without God…mortal man is incomplete…in all aspects of his life…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 May 2009 Psalm 44:8‏

18 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 44:8    In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
 
Hearken Friends! Another excellent day is at hand! The Lord is on the ball; so is the enemy; and so should we on this holiday Monday, named in honour of Victoria, that noble, fighting Queen of Mother England, whose reign had a rather puritanical tone to it. (smile) Poor Vicky would be flabbergasted to know that her once staid and upright colonies, which she tried so hard to protect from that vagabond and evil scallywag, Beelzebub, had now solidly embraced him and adopted his evil, corrupt ways, with a wide-open society where anything goes. Ah Friends, ole Queen Vic must be turning over in her grave at the level of debauchery and corruption to which we have attained. And though it should almost be summer in the northern climes, there’s frost in the city and snow in the country. But what else can we expect from Mother Nature but this unpredictability when we mess with her normal cycles eh? Now we can only grin and bear it, while contemplating what was, is, and will be, like the writer of Psalm 44; A Maschil (contemplation) of former deliverances and present troubles. The Lord’s great help to Israel is first outlined: ‘But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.’ (vs.7) Then His apparent desertion and reproach is wailed. ‘But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.’ (vs.9) But interestingly enough, sandwiched between those two verses, one of praise, and one of woe, is Today’s Bit. ‘In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name forever. Selah.’ Oh my people, it sounds very much like the situation in which we’re currently mired. One day we were prosperous and victorious, then suddenly brought low the next. Why is that eh? Can it be that we stopped doing or saying like Bruh David: ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.’  (Ps.34:1-2) Instead we did what the Lord said not to do. ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom; neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches…Behold, the days come saith the Lord, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised.’ (Jer.9:23, 25) I consider that a very valid reason for our present demise my brethren. If the Lord has said it once, He’s said it a million times: Honour and obey me, and I will make you prosperous. Dishonour and disobey me, and I will wreak havoc and destruction upon you. We have seen numerous examples of it, and if we’re honest, we’ll admit that in the last two decades we’ve been drifting further and further from the One True God; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We’ve been quietly and systematically removing God from our individual lives and the public places where He’s reigned supreme since the founding of the West. Instead, we’ve gotten caught up in our wisdom, power and riches; egotistically revelling in the useless moniker of the wealthiest and most advanced society ever, which gave us a false sense of security. But Friends, I’m here to inform us that the only true sense of security we can ever have is if we’re living under the wide spread mantle, under the protective umbrella of Almighty God, which we’re surely not doing right now. Hopefully though, many of us who’ve relegated God to the sidelines, are now, in these rough, uncharted waters, either contemplating a return, or actually returning to Him. Luckily for us the Lord is a merciful, forgiving God, who will never turn us away if we come back to Him in good faith. And here is something else we should also realize; that life never runs smoothly, it’s a succession of hills and valleys, just some higher or lower than others, with a few smooth, straight spots in between. As Henry Ford puts it: ‘Life is a series of experiences which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this.’ But that’s gospel my Friends! When times are very rough, it’s hard to believe, or even think, that we’ll benefit later on from those trying experiences, but we surely do. It’s one of God’s ways of building character in us, of making us more like Jesus, which is our ultimate goal. While we’re embroiled in those painful times, we’re certainly not aware of growing or learning. But after things settle down and we look back, we can definitely trace patterns of growth and learning in many areas of our lives. So please, don’t think all bad experiences are worthless, cause they do serve very useful purposes. First, they bring us closer to God, since we naturally gravitate to Him when there’s no one else. Secondly, it’s in those crucial, critical times or moments, when we have to put up or shut up, that we discover what we’re made of, and surprisingly when those difficult times seem to overwhelm us, then we realize we’re actually made of sterner stuff, and with God’s help we can overcome any obstacles or problems. So don’t give up my people, hang in there, these times are only a test of our mettle. Listen here: ‘But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise LOVING kindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.9:24) Oh Friends, our God couldn’t be any clearer. Knowledge of God is man’s glory. And how should we respond? We should first return to Him and plead: ‘Awake, why sleepest thou O Lord? Arise, cast us not off for ever…Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies sake.’ (Ps.44:23, 26) And after we’ve floated that sincere, heartfelt prayer heavenward, then it’s absolutely necessary to do as Bruh David declares: ‘O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.’  (Ps.34:3) That, my people, is the only way to get back into the good graces of our God. Let’s put it into action nuh. Much LOVE!…turn, turn, turn…please turn back to the Lord…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 May 2009 Job 33:15-16‏

17 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Job 33:15-16    In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon man, in slumberings upon the bed. Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction.
 
Well hello there my Friends, all you beautiful believers in Christ! It’s a glorious Sunday morning, and all roads should lead to church and wonderful fellowship. But if you can’t get to church to fellowship with others, then encourage yourself in the Lord and fellowship directly with Him. He’ll be ecstatic to have your company. Today’s Bit is about dreams; where Job’s friend, Elihu is reasoning with him, chiding him that he has a complaining attitude toward his suffering and a hostile disposition towards God. But God doesn’t have to answer to man; ‘for he giveth not account of any of his matters. (vs.13) That’s something many of us should note and remember, for we often think we deserve and expect answers from the Lord and when they’re not forthcoming we get all peeved and/or angry. But the Lord’s not there for our convenience, we’re here for His. And now that we’ve straightened that out, (smile) let’s talk about dreams. Dreams are one of the ways God talks to or communicates with us. It could be either sleeping or waking; what we call daydreaming; just lost in thought or a deep spiritual awareness. I like how the Lord made this known to Miriam and Aaron when they complained about Moses marrying an Ethiopian woman, and jealously claimed that God didn’t only talk through Moses but through them too. The Lord heard them and His anger was kindled. He ordered all three to go out to the tabernacle, then He came down in a pillar of cloud, stood outside the tabernacle door, called Aaron and Miriam before Him and blasted them. ‘Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so…With him I will speak mouth to mouth; even apparently and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold.’ (Num.12:1-8) The Lord did not consider Moses a prophet, so He appeared to him in one form or another and spoke plainly to him, not in riddles or parables. In olden times dreams and visions were the Lord’s preferred way of speaking to His messengers and those He called to perform special jobs. Bruh Joseph had one about his eventual rise to power, which came true. Martin Luther King Jr. had one re everlasting peace and goodwill betwixt all mankind, and died trying to make it happen. And all of us have had some dream at some time that we considered significant to our lives, which we either acted on or ignored. As Elihu says: ‘For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.’ (Job 33:14) We can all relate to that too, where the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit that came to dwell in us after Jesus ascended, tells us the Lord’s desire. But we either don’t understand it, or it doesn’t fall in with our own plans, so we ignore it. That’s why; ‘In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed. Then he openeth the ears of man, and sealeth their instruction. That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.’ (vs.15-17) That’s so true my people! Sometimes it’s the only way God can get us to listen; in dreams in our deepest slumber, so that He can impart some wisdom to lead us away from our sinful deeds and downgrade our lustful pride. He also talks to us through pain and suffering; (vs.19-22) and angelic beings; (vs.25-28) ‘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.’ (vs.29-30) Oh Friends, for my sake, I certainly hope He brought my soul back from the pit, and enlightened me with the light of the living, for I had a dream last night. I only remember the conclusion though. In this dream I apparently had a choice of several routes to the same destination, but was impatient and vacillating; just couldn’t make up my mind which way to go. I remember driving and vacillating, then finally deciding on one. And as I drove, I remember thinking that all the routes led to the same place, with the feeling that all roads lead to God, and all things work together for good to those who LOVE and trust Him. Who knows what the Lord was saying, if anything? As well as He could have been moving in one of His mysterious ways, trying to reinforce exactly what I remembered. Whatever the purpose, I did wake up encouraged, with a better attitude, a renewed sense of confidence and perseverance. Friends, it’s of the utmost importance that we pay attention; listen to and seriously contemplate our dreams, visions or the still, small voices which speak to us, because sometimes the Most High is trying to communicate important matters to us. At other times He might not be. But we owe it to Him and to ourselves to pay close attention, for often they can be significant turning points in our lives, and we certainly don’t want to miss out on anything God has in store for us, cause it’s always in our best interest. Much LOVE! Hope this all makes sense? And even if it doesn’t, still, Much LOVE! (smile) …it always pays…to listen…and contemplate…before acting,,,
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 May 2009 Acts 13:22‏

16 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Acts 13:22    And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill my will.
 
Aye mih Friends, look out there nuh! All yuh see that bright light rising over the horizon? That’s the Light of our lives; Jesus, bringing physical light in the form of the glorious sun, saying it’s time to rise and shine my children. Time to give thanks and praise to our Heavenly Father, then put on our soulful, spiritual armour and step out into the evil world, ready and able to do battle with the enemy, mano a mano. (smile) In other words, like Bruh David. Oh Friends, all yuh wouldn’t believe how excited the ole fella was when he was first led to the scripture where God called Bruh David a man after his own heart. We can never get a better recommendation than that my people! It’s like being called the Friend of God, or being found worthy of Him. Those are the highest echelons of praise and commendation with which we can be honoured by the Lord, and should therefore be our life’s aspiration. Now my excitement about writing on Bruh David shouldn’t be a surprise since you all know that he is mih own own boy. Anything to do with him brings a smile to my face. I guess because of all the great men of faith, his lifestyle most closely resembles mine, with the writing and the music. But sadly mih breddren, that excitement soon waned cause like the Lord had other ideas. Yuh know how they say that man plans, but God is the one who actually decides what’s going to get done, and also gives any increase that comes. Well in this case, before I could get to writing about Bruh David being a man after God’s own heart, I had to write three Bits about Saul, his mortal enemy’s disobedience. Never expected it to take so many either. The problem with Saul though is that he was too impatient, insecure and jealous, and didn’t pay enough attention to the Lord as Bruh David did. Now Bruh David wasn’t a saint, he did his own thing too, but he always tried to hang out with the Most High as much as possible; out in the quiet fields with the sheep, sitting under the sweet smelling shade of a julie mango tree (smile) plucking his harp or strumming his lute, talking to his God from the depths of his heart. And though he wasn’t formally educated like Bruh Paul, like Bruh Joseph, he had that natural affinity with nature, animals, people and his Creator. Like Bruh Joseph, most things he did prospered. I don’t know if the anointing by Samuel at such an early age had any special effect on him, but he certainly behaved himself in his newfound role of giant killer, personal musician to king Saul and successful leader of fighting men. And all the people LOVED him, which they declared when they sang of Saul killing thousands, but Bruh David his ten thousands. Little wonder of Saul’s murderous jealousy. Bruh David would be Israel’s next king, not his own son Jonathan, who became Bruh David’s bosom buddy and blood brother, and the people adored him. Ah Friends, not many of us could have put up with Bruh David’s early misfortune, running from Saul, and still remain sane and faithful. But like Bruh Joseph, his heart was filled with dreams, and after his anointing possibly realized he had an important job to do, and if he obeyed God, then God would protect him. Bruh David had a genuine fondness for God and generally tried to be obedient, but when he wasn’t, he quickly made amends by being repentant and asking for mercy and forgiveness. He was definitely not too proud to beg. He also delighted in giving thanks and praise, and continually blessed the Lord for his LOVE, His mercy, forgiveness, patience, promises, truth, kindness and saving grace. Who wrote some of the sweetest poems of praise and thanks eh? Bruh David! Deh so sweet, they had to sing them and call them Psalms! (smile) Remember Psalm 23? Is only the Lord’s Prayer that more popular or powerful! And Friends, our God knows a good man when He sees one. He knew that amongst His human creations, one like Bruh David only comes along once in a blue moon, so He had to grab him while the grabbing was good. And what’s not to LOVE about Bruh David eh? So hypocrites who sinned just as badly, consider him an adulterer and a murderer. But numerous men have done wrong over the favour and enticements of a woman, starting with Adam. And Bruh David paid dearly for it by losing his child by Bathsheba, having myriad problems with his other children and also losing part of his kingdom. But through it all, he never strayed from the Lord his God; the God of his father’s, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He remained steadfast and faithful his entire life: a life of great highs and sorrowful lows, but overall a life worthy of God. That’s why the Lord called him a man after His own heart and stoutly declared that he would do His will. Aye Friends, who else could think about encouraging themselves in the Lord when he was alone and lonely? He didn’t kill Saul when he had the chance because it wasn’t his place to slay the Lord’s anointed. Who also had the parts, as king, to sing and dance before the Lord when the hypocrites murmured about his gross display? Oh mih people, given his human frailty and weakness, in all aspects of his life, Bruh David was respectful of the Lord. So why wouldn’t the Lord, known for His generosity and kindness to those who trust and obey Him, not protect and enrich Bruh David eh? Ah Friends, I don’t know about all yuh nuh, but on that most auspicious day, when the mighty gates of LOVE in heaven open wide, I certainly hope the Good Lord will greet me with a tight bear hug and a big smile and say, loud enough for everybody to hear;  ‘Welcome mih son! You’re a man after mih own heart!’ I couldn’t ask for better than that. Much LOVE!…though sinful our nature…our hearts can be made right…if we just trust and obey…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 May 2009 Acts 13:22‏

15 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Acts 13:22    And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.
 
Listen up Friends! Morning has broken, like that very first day. Songbirds are singing, the same sweet songs they sang back then. Eden’s arising; cool breezes are a trilling with the leaves, bees are a buzzing, flowers a flowering, insects and animals are a doing whatever they do. But beware, for Beelzebub is also active. Fear not though, for from His throne on high, Almighty God has him under close scrutiny. What’s the only thing missing from this wonderful scenario?  The voices of God’s greatest creation, mankind, rising in thankful song. So let’s all sing then: ‘Praise Him, Praise, Glory Hallelujah! He is LOVE! He is LOVE! Yes, we LOVE you Lord, and praise your Holy Name! Amen!’ Thank you Friends. Now we can truthfully say we’ve been obedient in at least one thing today; LOVING and praising our God. (smile) Let’s see if we can’t continue the rest of the day in the same vein of obedience nuh. Saul wasn’t so lucky though. Yesterday we stopped where Samuel rebuked him. Then he repented: ‘I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.’ (1 Sam.15:24) Now Friends, doesn’t that sound a whole lot like us, where we listen to the voice of other humans rather than that of God? It sure does, since we’ve all sought the favour of men at sometime, seeking their acceptance over God’s, thereby making it more important. But we’ve all paid dearly for that too. Then Saul begged Samuel; ‘Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.’ (1 Sam.15:25) But Samuel refused: ‘for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.’ (1 Sam.15:26) And I just adore this next piece of imagery and drama. Our God is such a dramatist! ‘And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. And Samuel said unto him. The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.’ (1 Sam.15:27) What a psychological and emotional blow that must have been to Saul: humiliation even after repentance. But Friends, that’s the price we pay for disobedience to very straightforward directives. And can you imagine that scene playing out on the big screen in one of Cecil B. DeMille’s biblical epics, with somebody like Charlton Heston as Samuel, when he puts on a rebuking scowl on his already stern features. Wow! However, according to the scholars, in the Near East countries, there’s a custom of seizing the edge of the robe that implies a gesture of submission or supplication. The Lord physically showed His dissatisfaction with Saul, that even when he tried to be submissive, his gesture failed. Oh my people, that’s a good example of how sour things can get when the Lord turns against us for sinful disobedience. Saul seemed to take his comeuppance like a man, though he asked Samuel to help him save face amongst the people. ‘I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God. So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the Lord.’ (1 Sam.15:30-31) Ah my Friends, it’s a strange, unfathomable life this. We never know what will come upon us from one moment to the next. The only surety and safety we have is in the Word of the Most High God Jehovah, to trust and obey it, and even then, tribulation may still befall us. But the big difference is that with the Word distilled throughout our hearts and minds, in conjunction with the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, we have the strength to bear up under any temptation or trial. That means sometimes there are really no good excuses for our disobedience, since we should know better. Saul should have known better, but instead of listening to the Lord, through fear and ego, he listened to his own understanding and the voice of the people, who were all about the spoils. In the end, Samuel had to complete Saul’s job; kill Agag, the king of the Amalekites. Oh my people, we need to remember that ours is not to question why, but to do and hopefully not to die. As true followers of Jesus we have to obey His orders to the ‘t’, else we’ll suffer the consequences of disobedience, which, as we’ve seen in Saul’s case can be very dire. It’s no secret that our God puts a high premium on obedience to His commands, so please, let’s take our time and consider all the ramifications of our actions and see if they line up with the Lord’s directives before we do them nuh. It’s the only safe and sensible way to live under God’s authority. I’ll have some more to say about this tomorrow. Till then, if the Lord’s willing, Much LOVE!…and please remember.. as the ole people say…prevention better than cure…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 May 2009 Acts 13:22‏

14 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Acts 13:22     And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.
 
It’s a beautiful morning Friends! Let’s greet the new day with thanks and praises to our Creator for all His mercies, blessings, forgiveness and the many other good things He showers on those who LOVE and trust Him. Selah! Ah my people, yesterday we saw how the Lord dispossessed Saul of the kingdom of Israel for his impatience and disobedience, in not waiting for Samuel to come and perform his priestly duties. But that was only one instance of his disobedience. Check out this second error of judgement on Saul’s part when the Lord directed him, through Samuel, to destroy Amalek. ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.’ (1 Sam.15:2-3) The instructions seem clear enough, don’t they? Destroy every living thing. ‘But Saul and the people spared Agag, (the king) and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.’ (1 Sam.15:9) And there we have again, the main source of Saul’s fall from grace; disobedience. For the Lord later said to Samuel: ‘It repenteth me, that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments: And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night.’ (1 Sam.15:11) Samuel seems to have had a soft spot for Saul. And you can’t really blame him, for Saul was a big, strapping, good-looking fellow, who seems to have had all the attributes of a king, and Samuel was entrusted with the important task of anointing Israel’s first king and guiding him. Poor Samuel must have been very disappointed by Saul’s disobedience and subsequent fall from grace. Now the next morning when Samuel meets Saul, Saul says to him; ‘Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord.’ (vs.13) Hn! I just had to laugh at Samuel’s repartee. ‘What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?’ (vs.14) Who says the old timers didn’t have a way with words eh! Then Saul trotted out the excuses. ‘I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me…But the people took of the spoil; sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.’ (vs.20-21) Saul tried to put the blame on the people, but he was the king, the one responsible for performing the dictates of the Lord. Many of us do likewise my people; try to shift the blame from ourselves to others, even though it’s our responsibility. Thus Samuel spoke these memorable words on obedience to Saul: ‘Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.’ (vs.22-23) Oh my Friends, on the surface it might seem a trivial matter. Saul and his people destroyed all the Amalekites except their king and the best of the animals, which they hoped to sacrifice to the Lord. So why did the Lord take such great exception to it? Remember He specifically said, ‘utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.’ That’s why. In the Lord’s vocabulary, utterly destroy everything and everybody, means just that; everything and everybody. Not what you choose to destroy. And Friends, many of us behave the same way. We get a directive from God, specifying exactly what to do, but don’t carry it out as directed. Instead we tend to add our earthly human wisdom, and do what we think should be done. But this doesn’t sit well with our Heavenly Father. My people, it’s a simple case of do exactly as I say. Anything less is disobedience and liable to be punished. On a point of interest, according to the scholars, those verses above, (22-23) reinforce the Old Testament view that religious ritual devoid of spiritual reality, and a life lived totally submissive to a sovereign God is worthless. It’s also true of our times too my brethren. We don’t actually burn sacrifices and such now, but many of us still put on a religious show for the world, professing to be such great believers, but inside, hn; we’re evil and empty of any Christian charity, and our private lives totally mock the Holy Name of Christ. Remember though Friends, it’s our hearts the Lord looks at, and like Saul, we can put on all sorts of outward religious affectation, but if it’s not genuine, the Lord will know and deal with us appropriately. Oh my people, time and space are upon us, so it seems we’ll have to continue the story of Saul and Samuel tomorrow, for there’s still more to be said. So until then, as Uncle Charles, Charles Stanley keeps reminding us; ‘Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.’ Much LOVE!…all we’re asked to do…is obey…obey…obey…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 May 2009 Acts 13:22‏

13 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Acts 13:22      And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.
 
Well top o’ the morning to all you fellow believers in Christ! Today I was guided to these words of Bruh Paul in the synagogue in Antioch one Sabbath day, but couldn’t figure out what subject I was supposed to write on. But while checking some references, it suddenly hit me; I got the ‘zeppo’ loud and clear! Hn, hn! ‘Zeppo’ is just T&T slang for a sudden bright idea, a news flash, or sudden understanding. The Lord wants us to concentrate on obedience today my Friends. The word today is OBEDIENCE! Oh my people, unfortunately our God places great emphasis on total obedience to His directives, and many an otherwise good man has faltered and stumbled simply because of their incomplete obedience, considered disobedience. Today’s example is Saul, Israel’s first king, who committed two serious breaches of God’s direction. The first indiscretion was after the prophet Samuel, Israel’s last judge, anointed him king. He directed Saul as follows: ‘And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer brunt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do.’ (1 Sam.10:8) Unfortunately though, Samuel did not show up in Gilgal after the seven days, ‘And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.’ (1 Sam.13:9) In so doing, Saul usurped the priest’s office. And as luck would have it, Samuel arrived soon thereafter and said; ‘What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Therefore said I, the Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt offering.’ (1 Sam.13:11-12) Oh my Friends, on the surface Saul seems to have a good argument: Samuel had not come down to Gilgal in the seven days as he’d promised; meanwhile his enemies were gathering their troops and his own people were scattered, so he felt compelled to do the priests job and offer the sacrifices. But my brethren, what have we always said of our God? That He is the Master of timing. If He intends to save us, we will be saved, even though it’s at the last minute. But sadly, Saul did not seem to understand this principle, neither did he discern it as a test, which he obviously failed. Furthermore, in olden times usurping another person’s job, especially the priest’s, was severely frowned upon. Thus Samuel reproved Saul. ‘Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.’ (I Sam.13:13-14) Ah my people, it might seem like a harsh punishment to us, but from the Lord’s perspective, His commands are just that; commands, and we need to follow them implicitly, to the letter. Look what it cost Saul nuh; the kingdom of Israel forever. It went to Bruh David instead. If Saul had obeyed, we might be talking about the Messiah coming from the seed of Saul, rather than from Bruh David. My Friends we have to be very careful when we’re directed by our God to do something. We cannot afford to vacillate one way or the other; neither can we insert our own interpretation. We must learn to obey those directives completely, else it’s looked upon as disobedience and we suffer some kind of punishment. To us it might seem trivial, not a big deal, but the Lord is a stickler for complete obedience. Let’s remember that and try to stick to the letter of the law nuh, else we’ll pay dearly for our disobedience. Tomorrow we’ll continue in the same vein, looking at more disobedience on Saul’s part. Till then, the Good Lord willing; Much LOVE!…the three principles of obedience…obey…obey…obey…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 May 2009 Psalm 34:21‏

12 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 34:21    Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
 
Oh Friends, it’s late in the morning, or early, take your pick; for as the Bard of Avon said, ‘to go to bed late is to be up early.’ The long and short of the story though is the ole fella’s tired, suffering from lack of sleep and frustration at not being able to find something to write about, and it’s drawing nigh time to send out the Bit. I’ve checked several things, but nothing really speaks to my spirit. But as I say, when in doubt, turn to Bruh David. And behold, the Spirit of the Most High eventually guided me to one of the many truisms in the Good Book. I never doubted that I’d be led to a Bit; time though was of the essence. But as usual the Good Lord came through with flying colours, proving my constant contention that He’s the Master of Timing. That’s my story of faith for today. (smile) However, like Bruh David, we can all learn from our trials. He had narrowly escaped death at the hands of Saul, his benefactor turned bitter enemy, jealous of his anointment to be the next king of Israel, not his son Jonathan. It seems he learned a valuable lesson from that calamity and pours out his heart in Psalm 34. ‘The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.’  (vs.18) That’s oh so true my Friends! The Lord never turns away anyone who comes to Him in sincere repentance.’ ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.’ (vs.20-21) Although the righteous suffer many trials, the Lord protects them from total destruction. All praise and thanks to our God Jehovah! However my people, ‘Evil shall slay the wicked, and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.’ Now that’s a proven fact. Though the wicked may seem to prosper and the righteous suffer, that’s only a short term thing. In the long run the tables will most certainly be reversed. Just look at all those evildoers who prospered in our false, built on sand, with mirrors and sleight of hand economy. Many have suddenly fallen on hard times now. Never in their wildest dreams did they expect to fall, and certainly not as quickly and drastically as has happened. Meanwhile, the righteous, who are suffering too, possibly didn’t lose as much, since they didn’t have that much to lose in the first place, but they have something concrete to fall back on; the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, based on His Holy word, which says; ‘The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.’ (vs.22) That’s an awesome truth my people! No one who puts their trust and faith in the Most High God Jehovah will ever be condemned or held guilty. That’s like money in the bank! Note, the Canadian, not the U.S. banks. (smile) Meanwhile, the wicked shall be brought low by their own wickedness, as the Psalmist relates: ‘And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the Lord our God shall cut them off.’ (Ps.94:21) And if yuh doh believe Bruh David, then listen to Cousin Sol: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.’ (Prov.24:16) Yes my brethren, when the righteous fall, they shall always get back up and continue their righteous ways, but the wicked shall stumble and fall into calamity of their own making. It’s the same story; you reap what you sow. And a perfect example of that is Haman in the Book of Esther. As Prime Minister, he sought to have the Jews in all Babylon controlled areas killed, and went to great underhanded lengths to do so. But what happened? ‘So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.’ (Esth.7:10) Now that’s poetic justice my people! So beware of the evil you plan against others, for it can surely come back to haunt you. Oh Friends, we’re all sinners, saved by the grace of a merciful, forgiving God, and we shall continue to sin till Jesus returns, but there’s no need to think or create evil against our fellow man. It’s a stupid, unhealthy choice. As such, I’ll leave us with two pertinent quotes. Bruh David sings in Psalm 140; A prayer for deliverance from evil men; ‘Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.’ (Ps.140:11) That’s just the nature of evil my people; like the amoeba, it continually recreates itself, and is no respecter of persons. It destroys the very ones who perpetrate it. Now listen to Micah: ‘Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.’ (Mic.7:8) Hallelujah! Yuh see the difference mih Friends? Therefore, Sing praises to His Holy Name my people! So please, ah begging us, let’s cease from evil and do good nuh, so we can avoid destruction and eternal damnation. It’s the only wise and sensible way to live. Much LOVE!...what yuh give out…is exactly what yuh get back…

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