Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 July 2009 Luke 17:20-21‏

21 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Luke 17:20-21     The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
 
Well a pleasant Tuesday morning to all you wonderful Friends and neighbours out there in Scrip-Bit land! Ah mih people, it almost happened; the ole fella almost won two races straight, but Rebel got beaten by a head-bob at the wire. It was disappointing…no, heartbreaking, as a friend at the track pointed out. It wasn’t disappointing because Rebel ran an excellent race, tried his heart out. I would have felt better though if he’d been beaten by a wider margin. Anyway, for whatever reason, the Lord decided he wouldn’t shower that much blessings on me today. Hn! It sure would have been nice to win, since the monetary difference between first and second place is substantial. But as usual, in keeping with the teaching, I said Lord, your will be done, not mine; grinned and bore it stalwartly. And yuh know, I just LOVE the way Jesus used words: He really was an excellent wordsmith. Just look at how He answered the hypocrite Pharisees, re their question of when the kingdom of God would come. They asked Jesus about the future, but He answered them in the present. ‘The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.’ Yes my Friends, we cannot sit back and observe the coming of God’s kingdom like a linear, unfolding event. Nobody’s going to say, ‘Look it here, or look it there,’ since the kingdom of God is already within you. It was already at hand when the Pharisees asked. It began with John the Baptist and Jesus himself, cause that’s all they talked about; it was their main theme. Then too, the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell in believers is also a part of God’s kingdom. Think about the ideas the Spirit generates; it’s guidance and direction. Consider too our repentance and God’s forgiveness, His mercy and LOVING kindness. That’s all part of God’s kingdom because He’s working in our lives right now, controlling them when we surrender to Him. In fact Friends, God’s kingdom is not only in us, but also all around us. If we believe that He’s the Creator and Controller of the universe, and has a say in all that happens therein, then whose kingdom is it, if not God’s? So if the Pharisees had chosen to really listen to John the Baptist and Jesus and observe what was happening around them, they too would have recognized that the kingdom had already begun. But they were too tied up in their self-importance and knowledge of the old law to listen to anyone else, especially on something new. Just like Israel expected the Messiah to come and physically save them from the Roman oppression, I guess the Pharisees also expected to see balloons, streamers and such, heralding God’s kingdom. But remember Friends, our God doesn’t always do what we expect. When we expect high drama and suspense, He’s low keyed, and vice versa. So the Messiah didn’t come the first time with the big bang and all the hullabaloo that was expected, but as a lowly, humble preacher, teacher and servant; healing the sick and lame, while living His philosophy of humility and service. But the next time mih breddren; the next time will be the big one! Then the fireworks will be on display! And Jesus took the opportunity the Pharisees’ question provided to warn the disciples about what was to come. ‘The days will come when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.’ (Luke 17:23) As believers, we all long for the second coming of Christ, but we’ll probably never live to see it. Then He warned them later on about the anti-Christ and false teachers. ‘Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.’ (Luke 21:8-9) ‘And they shall say to you, See here; or see there: go not after them, nor follow them.’ (Luke 17:23) Oh my people, we need to take serious notice of all those words because the great expansion of the world and the Word, from Jesus’ time to now, has tremendously increased the opportunity for false teachers and preachers to arise. And we see them all around us, just preying on innocent people. It’s therefore very important that we are able to discern and stay away from the wolves in sheep’s clothing that now exist in every corner of the globe. And as Jesus said, we don’t need to worry about the increasing wars, violence and disasters, for the second coming isn’t imminent, and all those thing must happen before it occurs. Then He tells them how the second coming will be: ‘For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of one part under the heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven: so shall also the Son of man be in his day.’ (Luke 17:24)  So Friends, if we’re still alive, we won’t have to worry about seeing or discerning His next entrance, cause it will be spectacular. Matthew puts in plainer English. ‘For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.’ (Mat.24:27) Now we’ve cleared up two things here; the kingdom of God is already at hand, underway, in existence, whichever you choose to use, and that when Jesus comes again it will be a most bright and wonderful day. The world will be illuminated like lightning with His majestic presence. Till then, let’s do what we’re here to do nuh: LOVE our God, and LIVE our Faith! That’s all Jesus asks of us. Much LOVE!…the first coming was down to earth…the second will be heavenly…. 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 July 2009 Jeremiah 2:4-5‏

20 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Jeremiah 2:4-5     Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
 
Oh my Friends, that’s a very good question, to which I don’t have an answer, and apparently neither did the Lord when He put those words in Jeremiah’s mouth. He must have been rather puzzled and mystified by Israel’s sudden change of heart. He surely never expected such ingratitude after all He’d done for them; bringing them out of bondage in Egypt, guiding them safely through the wilderness, providing food and water until they came to the Promised Land, a land of milk and honey, reaping benefits for which they had not laboured. None of us in His position would expect it either and would certainly want to know why. Look at how aggrieved we feel when people we help turn against us or are ungrateful. Can you imagine the Lord’s quandary then? And sadly my people, it’s the same question He’s asking of us today: What injustice has He done that we all have gone astray, forsaken Him, and foolishly turned to following pagan idols? Back then the Israelites actually made physical idols of stone, wood and metal like the pagans and worshipped them. Today though, our idols are more mental than physical, we are driven by things like wealth and power, pomp and pride, celebrity and social status. Our lust for these things manifest themselves in outward ostentation; fancy, expensive clothes and jewellery, more and bigger houses, cars, yachts, businesses etc. Keeping up to the Jones’ has become our reason to live, for if we don’t, we’re considered of no account. It’s now all about who can have the biggest and the best. But remember Friends, we pointed out yesterday that that attitude is suicidal, cause it leads us to do unwise things. And a perfect example of that is the economic mess our world’s now in. It all stemmed from the powerful lust to have more, to attain the devil’s playthings, and was fuelled by greed, lies and consumption above and beyond our means, until the status quo was no longer sustainable. But as we also noted yesterday, the wicked will always undergo destruction, whether it’s now or later, because the Lord has decreed it. Now since the foundation of our economic success was built on a bed of sinking sand, held aloft and afloat only by mirrors and sleight of hand, it was only a matter of time before it became top heavy and crumbled, both literally and figuratively. As Jeremiah says later on: ‘Forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like thee. But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.’ (Jer.10:7-8) Yes Friends, those who consider themselves wise in their own conceit are really dullards, and the idols they worship and adore are based on worthless teachings. I don’t know why the human animal always thinks he’s different and won’t suffer the same fate by doing the same nonsense that others did before and perished. Jeremiah posed the question to Israel. Some time later, Micah did the same: ‘O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.’ (Mic.6:3) And Friends, though I’m no prophet, I’m asking the same question: Why have we turned from God to mammon? Our society was once fairly obedient to the Most High God Jehovah, considering Him enough to put His Word in our schools and public places. But over the last few years we’ve been more concerned with removing Him from our lives rather than as a source of upliftment and strength. Is it because we’ve let those of other beliefs enter our society and water down our God? That’s one of the reasons the Lord warned the Israelites about intermarriage and dwelling with strangers. He knew that pagan artefacts and culture would eventually filter into or infiltrate the godliness of His people. (2 Kings 17:15-17) Please remember, as Jonah did in the whale’s stomach: ‘They that observe lying vanities, forsake their own mercy.’ (Jon.2:8) Yes my people, when we focus on worthless idols, we are doing ourselves a grave injustice, for by so doing, we cut ourselves off from the LOVING kindness of our merciful, forgiving God. But Friends, our weak stand against the tearing down of our faith is not the sole reason for our current demise. Added to that was our prosperity and success which tends to breed complacency, laziness and indolence. It’s been experienced by all the great societies. Another instance where we didn’t learn from the mistakes of others. We figured we’d arrived at the pinnacle, so there was no more reason to work hard and be productive. But that’s exactly when we need to be up and about, not resting on our laurels, since a society, or a person only remains at the top of their game by doing the same things, expending the same energy that originally brought them success. You can’t stay at the top if you slack off or get into bad, unproductive habits like we did. But there’s good news Friends; it’s not too late to turn it around and get back into God’s good graces. Jonah provides an excellent example. ‘When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came unto thee, unto thine holy temple…But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.’ (Jon.2:7,9) My people, when Jonah finally acknowledged the Lord, the whale vomited him out on dry land. So too, if we rededicate ourselves to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He will be merciful and turn our sorrows into joy. Friends, let’s seriously consider doing that nuh. We have nothing to lose and lots to gain. So let’s ardently LOVE our God, and LIVE our Faith. Many blessings will follow. Much LOVE!…in his heart…the fool said…I am wise…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 July 2009 Psalm 73:28‏

19 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 73:28     But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.
 
Oh my fine Friends in J.A. I empathize with you on the sweltering thirty something degrees heat you’ve been recently experiencing, while up here in the north country we’re barely breaking a sweat, with the temperature mainly in the balmy low twenties. Now yuh see, if oonoo would only draw closer to God, that wouldn’t happen. (smile) Anyway, it’s imperative that the whole world draws closer to God, for as the Psalmist, Asaph declares; ‘For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.’ (Ps.73: 27) That’s an indisputable fact my people! We’ve seen it happen throughout history and it’s still happening today. We just refuse to learn that eventually destruction will be wrought on all the followers of Beelzebub. The Psalm is about Asaph not comprehending the mystery of prosperous wickedness. ‘For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked…They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them like a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.’ (vs.3,5-9) Yes Friends, it does seem that the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer. But believe me, that’s a fool’s paradise. ‘And they say, How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High? Behold, these are the ungodly who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.’ (vs.11-12) But that’s only for a while my Friends, even though it may seem a lifetime. The wicked will eventually get their comeuppance, of this we can be sure, cause the Lord promised it, and we know He doesn’t make idle promises. But this prosperity of the wicked was troubling and perplexing poor Asaph, just like it still does many of us today. ‘For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning…when I thought to know this, it was too painful for me.’ (vs.14,16) He had trouble understanding how the wicked could be so prosperous. ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (vs.17) Oh my people, it’s not until Asaph went into the house of God that he understood the destruction that would eventually befall the wicked. In like manner we need to stay tuned to God, so we can understand and not be taken in by the false promises of Lucifer and his evil cronies, re the lust for things material and fleshly. Basically it’s not wrong to acquire material possessions, but when the desire to possess them is so strong that it leads us to do evil, to be disobedient to God’s will to get them, then we’re treading on troubled ground. As many of us are, Asaph was drawn to the prosperity, but once he got in tune with God, he realized his mistake. ‘So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was a beast before thee.’ (vs.22) We are no different Friends, but let’s sincerely hope, like Asaph we too can say: ‘Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.’ (vs.23-24) Yes people it’s of the utmost importance that we establish parameters in our lives; boundaries outside of which we don’t venture. And we can only do that by staying focused on the Lord. Each of us needs to have a personal rapport with God, to test that relationship, to get direction for our lives, so we can handle anomalies like the prosperity with which the wicked seem to be favoured. In that respect, we need to say like the Psalmist: ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.’ (vs.25-26) Oh Friends, that’s a mantra that should be solidly embedded in the hearts, minds and souls of all believers! In short; God is all we need! However, the only way to manage that properly is by doing as Asaph said: ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God:’ Bruh Paul advocated the same thing: ‘Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.’ (Heb.10:22) James said it too, but more forcefully: ‘Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.’ (James 4:8) Then like Asaph, let us all say: ‘I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ Bruh David echoes that sentiment in Psalm 116 when He offers praise for deliverance from death. ‘I believed, therefore I have spoken.’ (Ps.116:10) That means we need to declare God’s words and works publicly my Friends, not behind closed doors or quietly, but from the mountain tops and wherever our voices will carry and be heard. And Bruh Paul, knowing his scripture, said; ‘We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe and therefore speak.’ (2 Cor.4:13) He quotes Bruh David, then adds his two cents worth. My people, may we also be able to add our penny’s worth and truthfully say the same: I believe, therefore I will speak. It’s essential that we don’t keep our wonderful belief to ourselves but declare our glorious faith in Jesus worldwide. Till next time then, God willing, let’s LOVE our God, and LIVE our Faith! It’s what we’re called on to do. Much LOVE!…all that glitters isn’t gold…so be careful for what you sell your soul…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 July 2009 1 John 3:1‏

18 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 John 3:1     Behold, what manner of LOVE the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: (and we are) therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
 
Oh my beloved Friends, greater words were never spoken on man’s behalf by his fellow man! ‘Behold, what manner of LOVE the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: (and we are)’ Oh people, there are no words to aptly describe the kind of LOVE that the Lord bore for us, and still bears. Words like great, magnificent, real, tender, fatherly, heart-warming, unconditional, strong, enduring, positive, everlasting, eternal, all add their own particular brush stroke to the texture and colour of the palette, but none by itself really does it justice. For what single word can adequately capture this heroic gesture, this gesture of immeasurable proportions? ‘Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that He LOVED us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.’ (1 John 4:10) Yes my Friends, we can never find one suitable word to describe the extent of the Father’s LOVE for us. It’s obvious we didn’t care that much for Him, cause we dwelt, were thoroughly enmeshed in sin and disobedience to His Holy Word. But He knew that death, damnation and eternal darkness were our rewards if we remained in that state of separation from Him, and His heart ached so much for us, His greatest creation, that He devised a most ingenious plan to allow us to return to His fold. And a most heart-wrenching plan it was since it meant sacrificing His innocent only Son for us inveterate sinners. But He was caught between a rock and a hard place. As the champion of truth, justice and righteousness, He just couldn’t pardon us, write off our sins without some kind of payment. Something or somebody sinless had to pay the debt we owed. He was tired of the blood sacrifices of animals. As Samuel told Saul; to obey is better than to sacrifice. The Lord desires obedience, not sacrifices. But sadly, besides God, only His Son, Jesus was innocent and unblemished. Now can you imagine my people, how the Most High God Jehovah must have agonized over that situation? Just like we would agonize over sending our innocent only child off to war or some such negative venture, knowing there was a great likelihood they would not return alive. And here, His Son’s death would have to be assured for that was the only way a blanket payment could be made for us all. But He cared for us so much, desiring not to lose even one of His creations to the fallen angel Lucifer, that he banned His belly and His jaw and just did it. And all God’s people said; Wow! Hallelujah! Praise His Most Holy Name! Oh mih breddren, I ask us to sit for a moment and contemplate the immensity, the magnitude of that gesture. Now let’s ask ourselves, how many of us would have done that for a bunch of greedy, ungrateful sinners? The truth be known, very very few, if any of us, would have made that superhuman sacrifice. On top of that, He then adopted us; ‘we should be called the sons of God; (and we are)’ According to the scholars, the words in parenthesis should be added there as they are found in many ancient manuscripts. And it does make sense, for we are the sons of God. But Friends, can we really comprehend the magnitude of God’s LOVE for us? I doubt it, since His ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours. So after sacrificing His innocent Son for us, He then adopts us, makes us His children. Oh Friends, as believers we become children of God by virtue of being born again unto His son, unto His cleansing Spirit. ‘But as many as received him, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.’ (John 1:12-13) And when John adds; ‘therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not,’ He’s just reiterating what Jesus stressed to His disciples; the problems, persecution and hard times His followers would face, simply because of Him. ‘If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you…But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me…He that hateth me hateth my Father also.’ (John 15:18,21,23) Yes Friends, it’s certainly…and I have to laugh at the words that come to mind because they bear negative connotations, but they do seem to best describe the intensity of the relationship we have with our God. It’s a hell of a relationship! And it truly is. He LOVED us enough to sacrifice His innocent Son on our behalf; then He adopts us. Meanwhile we believe on His Son’s Name and are cleansed of our sins, but we’re still disobedient. He punishes us; we repent. He forgives us; we follow His Word and His will. He rewards us, looks after us and keeps us safe from harm and in the end takes us to live with Him, His Son and the Holy Spirit till eternity. Oh Friends, it’s at once simple but complicated; just like all LOVE stories are. But this is by far the biggest and most important of them all; the Father’s LOVE for His sinful, earthly children. Oh my people, our God made a great sacrifice on our behalf, so please don’t allow it to go to waste nuh. Remember, it’s in our best interest. If we don’t accept the LOVE He’s graciously bestowed on us, then we’ll be experiencing death, damnation and eternal darkness with that fool Lucifer. And that’s not wisdom by any stretch of the imagination! So I plead with us, don’t let this be an unrequited LOVE affair! We’ve all experienced it and know it’s by far the worst pain in the world; a pain that racks our very hearts and souls and drives us crazy. And we certainly don’t want to do that to our Heavenly Father after all He’s done, all the sacrifices He’s made on our behalf. So instead, let’s just LOVE our God, and LIVE our Faith! That’s the answer to all our problems. Much LOVE!…Praise Him, Praise Him… Glory Hallelujah…He is LOVE…He is LOVE…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 July 2009 Proverbs 21:2‏

17 Jul 2009 1 Comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 21:2     Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.
 
Oh my blessed Friends, it’s shaping up to be another beautiful day in paradise, so let’s give some thanks and praise that we’re alive to behold it nuh. Some of us are alive though, only in the sense that our hearts are beating, pumping blood through our bodies, but the spirits of too many of us are dead. We just drift along from one day to the next, unconcerned about anybody but ourselves, unconcerned with the poverty, suffering, violence and oppression that’s so widespread on our planet. And just because we can’t, or think we can’t do anything to improve the situation, we just muddle along in life, going nowhere, doing nothing worthwhile. But this is a very selfish, unchristian attitude my people. Jesus said that we should care and be concerned with the sorrowful plight of others even if we can’t do anything personally to alleviate it. But Friends I’m here to remind us that there’s one thing we can always do; that’s pray for them. Remember, the Lord ‘heareth the prayer of the righteous.(Prov.15:29)This brings us to the first part of the Bit: ‘Every way of a man is right in his own eyes.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth mih breddren? Each of us believes that whatever we say or do is always right. We might be proven wrong later, but initially we always tend to think we’re right. And sadly, it doesn’t change our attitude when we discover we’re mistaken or misguided. The next time, we again insist that what we’re doing is right. Why is that eh? Why do we never think that we’re wrong? I guess it has to do with basic pride, ego, and our social system, where so much emphasis is placed on self-confidence and being right, that many of us are deathly afraid to be wrong or make a mistake. That can either make us a laughingstock or trigger some catastrophe, if we’re persons of power. In our busy, gung ho society, there’s no room for error. Those who make minor errors are often discarded by the wayside with no consideration whatsoever. But Friends, the law of averages dictates that no man can be right every time, although we believe that our way is the right one. But then again, why would we choose to hold a particular idea, belief or opinion knowing that it’s wrong eh? That’s a good question, one that I can’t answer. But many of us do it. In fact all of us do it, especially when it comes to being obedient to God. Though we know deep down that certain things are wrong, yet we conveniently find ways to convince ourselves that they are right. We can always find some means to justify our thoughts words and actions. Just look at the behaviour of our politicians, from top to bottom. It’s now become the norm, if not to lie outright, but certainly to prevaricate and spin the truth to the constituents, to make things look better than they really are, so they can be re-elected. Politicians nowadays aren’t as concerned with the welfare of the people they’re supposed to represent, as with personal re-election. From the moment they enter office, that’s their main concern. And being concerned with your own welfare and livelihood might seem right, but it isn’t, if you’re not meeting the needs of those who elected you. Sol said it earlier when he began talking about moral, ethical and spiritual precepts. ‘All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.’ (Prov.16:2) Yes my people, we can hide our true motives from the world, sometimes even from ourselves, but we can’t hide them from God because He’s not taken in by our words or outward actions. He knows better than that. Our fellow man can only judge us by what we say and do cause they can’t see what’s really in our hearts, but our God can, and that’s where He looks to find our real motives and beliefs. As the second half of the Bit says: ‘but the Lord pondereth the hearts.’ That’s another bit of gospel mih people! That’s why they say you can fool man, but not God, for He looks into the innermost depths of our hearts, souls and spirit to discern the real truth that’s hidden there. And if what we show, say or do on the outside doesn’t match what’s on the inside, then we’ll just end up in his bad books. Hear the wonderful advice Bruh David gave his son, Sol, when he encouraged him to build the Lord’s temple. ‘And then Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.’ (1 Chron 28:9) Yes my Friends, that’s wonderful advice we can, or rather should all heed personally, and also teach to our children. Early on, Sol heeded Bruh David’s advice, as we hear when he dedicated the temple. ‘Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men.’ (2 Chron.6:30) But sadly, when Sol got old, he apparently forgot all that stuff because he forsook the Lord and turned to the pagan deities of his many wives. Oh, woe-unto-man! (smile) So even the great, wise Sol eventually didn’t practice what he preached. So my Friends, let’s try to be different nuh. Let’s try to have good hearts, and let good words, deeds and actions flow from them. We won’t, or can’t always be right, but if our motives are decent, the Lord, who sees and knows all, will certainly forgive us if we err. So don’t let the fear of making mistakes prevent us from getting into action on God’s behalf. Oh, by the way, last night the Spirit guided me to a new mantra for the Bit: ‘LOVE thy God, and LIVE thy Faith!’ Friends, as believers, that’s all we need to do in this life! Till next time then, God willing; let’s LOVE our God, and LIVE our Faith! Much LOVE!…you can run…but you can’t hide…from God…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 July 2009 Ecclesiastes 5:18‏

16 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ecclesiastes 5:18     Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
 
Mornin’ mih Neighbs! How all yuh doing eh? I certainly hope these few words of mine, (smile) reach oonoo in good physical health, a peaceful frame of mind, and a great joy in your hearts and souls because of your overwhelming LOVE for Almighty God, which translates into health, wealth and prosperity. Hn! Does that make sense? But you all know what I mean, and it does serve as a good jumping off point for Today’s Bit. Now, per the scholars, there is disagreement over the authorship of Ecclesiastes; whether it was Solomon or some unknown person. Most people tend to lean towards Sol’s authorship, as I do, for who else was wise, wealthy and had free time enough to conduct such extensive research and come up with the truisms that fill the Book. As far as I know, only Sol had all the parts to do it. But regardless of who wrote it, it’s still a bountiful well of wisdom pertaining to man’s life and purpose on this earth. First, we are reminded that we came forth naked and will return the same way, taking nothing of our labour with us. (vs.15) That is certainly a rough circumstance to endure, for ‘what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?’ (vs.16) None really my Friends. Working one’s whole life and not being able to take any of your material possessions or accomplishments with you is definitely a bummer. Makes you want to ask why do it then? Especially when one suffers many setbacks, sorrows and sickness in compiling the fruit of one’s labour. (vs.17) The first thing to accept and write deep in our consciousness my people, is that wealth is a very poor foundation on which to build our lives as it is easily lost, but requires much hard work to accumulate. The second principle to learn is that all our human efforts are vanity, in vain, unless vetted, blessed by God. Sol declares this in Psalm 127. ‘Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.’ (Ps.127:1-2) So my people, unless the Lord is involved in our activities, we basically labour in vain. Then what’s the purpose of labouring, if without God you fail, and with God, you can’t take anything with you? Understand Friends, when Jesus’ kingdom is proclaimed, we won’t need any of the stuff we now labour for. All our needs will be amply met then, and whatever we work for now, with God’s blessing, is for us to enjoy in this life. And enjoy doesn’t mean to live a wastrel’s life of excess and indiscipline, but to savour it like good food or fine wine, and to use it wisely in furthering the Word and work of Christ. Remember, we’re only stewards, safe-keepers of our earthly belongings. Oh Friends, Sol, in his heyday, decided to undertake some research into the purpose of life and ventured into a world filled with pleasure. But he was ultimately disappointed. ‘Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.’ (Eccl. 2:11) Yes my people, seeking fulfillment through pleasure is futile and like grasping at the wind. But sadly, many of us, thousands of years later, still try to find our raison d’être in pleasure. And Sol’s conclusion? ‘Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life which God giveth him.’ Hallelujah! That’s one conclusion; it’s fitting for one to enjoy the benefits of one’s labour on this earth. And Bruh Paul concurs with Sol’s reasoning. ‘Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.’ (1 Tim.6:17) Then Sol ends; ‘for it is his portion.’ Yes my brethren, the profit of our labour is our heritage, our entitlement. As the Teacher pointed out earlier: ‘There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.’ (Eccl.2:24) And there’s the crux of the matter my people: It’s all from the hand of God. Unless we work and enjoy our life as a gift of God, for the purpose of serving and glorifying Him, our lives will be miserable, futile and aimless. It is the strong foundation of God in our lives that makes whatever we accomplish or accumulate worthwhile. Otherwise it’s all in vain. And the moral of the story? Enjoyment is a gift of God, and we must use our short earthly life spans as motivation to live it to the fullest. That’s God’s desire for us. As Jesus said: ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) Yes Friends, our earthly purpose is to work, enjoy and share whatever we have, living to spread God’s Word and do His will, because all that we have or accomplish, comes as a direct blessing from Him. Let’s take this message to heart nuh, and stop complaining about what we don’t have, instead enjoy what we do have, and share it with the less fortunate, while constantly giving thanks and praise to the Most High God Jehovah, for His wonderful mercy, kindness and forgiveness to the sinful children of men. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen! Much LOVE mih people!…for all we are or have…depends entirely on Him…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 July 2009 Isaiah 1:16-17‏

15 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 1:16-17     Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil. Learn to do well; seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
 
Oh Friends, it was another beautiful day in Paradise, but our God wasn’t happy. Why? His major handiwork, the creation of which He’s most proud, the children of men, were still being wicked and idolatrous, listening to the fallen angel Lucifer, being duped by his lies and glittering but not golden promises of fleshly lusts and oodles of material wealth that rots and is of no use in the after life. Wow! Bruh Paul would surely be proud of that sentence. (smile) It’s amazing that Isaiah’s call to Israel for repentance from their sinful ways, eons ago, still rings true, and is even more applicable today. Sin is so rampant now that the Old Testament prophets would hold their heads and bawl. If they thought ancient Israel was bad, they couldn’t conceive of the evil that pervades and permeates modern Babylon. Oh my people, when are we going to learn eh, that the wages of sin is death? We have so many other fallen societies to learn from, but like each of them, we feel we’re special and nothing bad will happen to us. But Friends, let’s take a moment and look back at just the last decade and see how life on our planet has gotten worse. Contemplate the sudden torrent of natural disasters, the increase in wars and rumours of war, including the rebirth of the cold war, the increase in violence within nations, the rise of racial tension and hatred again, the violent suppression of minorities and dissent in general, the breakdown of society’s backbone unit, the family, the angst, resentment and distrust between parents, between parents and children and between siblings. All of this has led to a complete breakdown of Christian values and general morality. Hn! I almost forgot to mention our current disaster; the economic meltdown that’s shaken the world systems like not even two world wars could do. The negative effects of greed, manipulation and lies will eventually get you if you practice them long enough. And we certainly did. The secular state is winning the battle, for God has been easily and quietly removed from our schools and public places. Neither does He exist much in the homes where so many families are disjointed and dysfunctional. The Church has become powerless, rudderless and full of dissension, with more parts breaking away each day over petty, selfish stuff. And without a strong, unified Church, we can never hope to defeat the forces of evil, who are quite unified. Oh Friends, the Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has had it with us. ‘And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.’ (Isa.1:15) Yes my people, there’s no doubting that last accusation, our hands are certainly full of blood, of our brother’s blood. In the last century alone, we’ve possibly spilled more blood than in the rest of man’s history combined. That’s definitely not a nice statistic to behold. Violence and bloodshed have become so commonplace today that it hardly affects our children cause that’s all they know. And those are the things now considered newsworthy. Anything that deals with LOVE is laughed at, scorned and thought sappy. But people, LOVE is the only thing that can save our crumbling world. Like Ike did back then, it’s time for us to make our own resounding, vociferous call for repentance and a return to a much more godly lifestyle. It’s our only hope of, or for redemption. As Ike boldly declared on God’s behalf, so should we: ‘Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil.’ Now this is not a mere ritual washing. It’s not even something we can do for ourselves. It means accepting the cleansing of our hearts by the Lord when we truly repent and turn from our evil ways. Jeremiah   pleaded the same thing. ‘O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?’ (Jer.4:14) Now that’s a very good question mih breddren. How long shall we allow wicked thoughts to destroy us, to keep us from the cleansing, wholesome power of the Most High God Jehovah? We’ve already been commanded to cut out the evil, and instead; ‘Learn to do well; seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.’ Those are the things we should be concentrating on as believers; doing good to all and sundry, ensuring that justice is upheld, relieving the oppressed as well as reproving the oppressor, vindicating and defending the orphans, and pleading for mercy for the widows, who in many societies are treated like outcasts. Oh mih people, I don’t know what else to say or do. Many of us don’t like the lifestyle that currently prevails in our world, but are we doing anything concrete to change it? I doubt it. But it won’t ever change for the better until we get up and start taking positive, productive action to enable that change. Chuh! All yuh make me sound like a stuck record, repeating the same thing over and over. Christianity is not a passive system. It is action oriented. Jesus talked plenty, but He walked every word He spoke. And that’s how we should be my people. If we want to work on His behalf, then we need to get into action; put on the full protective armour of His Holiness and engage the enemy face to face. They can’t defeat us if we’re fully clothed in God’s armour. Many of us though are still fearful. We talk a great Christian talk, but we’re scared to walk it. Come on now Friends, that’s demeaning Jesus’ name. And walking our talk doesn’t necessarily mean being a missionary or a martyr. Remember charity, LOVE, begins at home. And there’s lots of work to be done right in our own homes and neighbourhoods. It’s the responsibility of every believer to make things better; spread the Word and live it in their everyday walk. And if each of us took that responsibility seriously… Oh, what a wonderful world this would be! It’s pure common sense mih people. Yuh lives not going to improve unless you do something yuhself to improve them. Judging from the way things going now, deh liable to get a whole lot worse. So I beg, and plead, and implore, and whatever other words synonymous with them, please let us take the bull by the horns and do something serious, positive and productive nuh. If not for our sakes, but for our children and future generations. Bruh Paul says it perfectly. ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation. (hypocrisy) Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.’ (Rom.12:9) Oh Friends, is that so hard to do? Not if we really want to make changes. Much LOVE!…if God is LOVE…then we can only be of God…if we are of LOVE too..

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 July 2009 Hebrews 10:35-36‏

14 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

OH  HAPPY  DAY!

Hebrews 10:35-36     Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
 
Oh Friends, Oh Friends, it is indeed a Happy Day! The Good Lord finally saw fit to bless the ole fella with winning a horse race today. Wow! It’s been almost two years since I last won. So please join me in an exuberant shout of praise and thanks to the Most High God Jehovah. All together now: ‘Thank you Lord! Thank you! We praise and glorify your Holy Name! Thank you! Amen! And would you believe that on the way home I heard the song, ”Oh Happy Day!’ That’s what gave me the idea to title the Bit the same. Just another li’l bit of God’s working nuh. ‘Oh Happy Day!’ Yes mih breddren, the ole fella’s sure in a thankful mood, but let me tell all yuh, it wasn’t easy nuh. No dream the Lord puts in our heart is ever easy because He planned it that nothing worthwhile is ever easy. And sometimes if you’re trying to be a serious believer, it’s even worse, cause then He includes various obstacles and growing pains to test and mature us. I can attest to that from personal experience. Two years ago I had a decent racing season; my best yet. In light of that, I expected it to improve last year since I had more horses, and of better quality too. Hn! But last year turned out to be my worst ever. One misfortune after another befell the operation. It was rather disappointing, but I swallowed my pride and surrendered all to Him, saying, ‘Your will be done Lord, not mine.’ Well 2009 began with high hopes again. I now predicted that this would be my best year yet. Hn! Unfortunately things I had no control over again stepped in and muddied the waters. But I kept keeping on, knowing that some day my number would play, if the Lord meant for me to be in the Horse Racing business. Now it’s been almost a dozen years since He unexpectedly opened a way for me to get involved, so it seems fairly certain I was meant to be there. But Friends, though I LOVE my four legged children with a passion, like many things, it all boils down to dollars and cents. If you can’t pay your way at the racetrack, then you have to move on. This particular horse that won today, War Rebel, was on the verge of doing that cause he’d run a dozen times without winning, even with several good opportunities to do so. He just wasn’t making enough money to pay his expenses since he runs in cheap races. The ole fella is only minnow in a shark-infested pool, but hopes one day, with the Lord’s help of course, to match the sharks pound for pound. So Rebel was on a short leash; two or three more races and no decent return, he was history. But as I keep saying Friends, our God is such a masterful God, especially when it comes to timing. Of that I can testify with expert authority. The Lord knew we needed some dinero, but even more importantly we needed a bligh, some encouragement, a little light at the end of the tunnel, because the disappointments were increasing without any real signs of improvement. And this wasn’t so much about me, but my trainer, Wendy Wonder Woman Wolff. She’s so dedicated to the horses and works so hard with them that it breaks my heart to see her disappointed time after time. Note one thing though Friends, despite all the setbacks, we still kept on believing that this would be our best year yet. And lo and behold, today the Lord smiled down on us with a win. Aye Cousin Frankie, you’d have been real proud of yuh Cousin Rebel, the way he won with authority, wire to wire, though the longest shot on the board. So my people, that’s my testimony for today. (smile) And it just goes to prove what Bruh Paul’s been saying all along; ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.’ Don’t lose hope because of unexpected setbacks. If the Lord sanctioned your project, then it will succeed, but only if you stick with it through thick and thin, talking to the Lord all the time, seeking His guidance and His will. Jesus endorsed that action when He declared: ‘Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’   (Mat.5:12) What we need most of all though is patience that translates into endurance. Bruh Paul puts it wisely. ‘For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.’ Another strategy that Jesus himself endorsed when He said: ‘In your patience possess ye your souls.’ (Luke 21:19) Yes my Friends, patience with endurance; the waiting but still fighting game is sure a hard one to play, but it’s the only way to grow and mature in Jesus. Bruh Paul again hit the nail on the head in directing the Colossians thus: ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily unto the Lord, and not unto men. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ. (Col.3:23-24) And that’s an indisputable fact my brethren: we serve the omnipotent God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who faithfully keeps His promise that all who work in His Holy Name shall be rewarded. Friends, we all have this race of life to run, and we can run it in only two ways; with or without Jesus. I seriously implore us though to take Bruh Paul’s advice and run it WITH Jesus. ‘Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb.12:1-2) Yes my people, that’s how we have to live this life. Whatever dreams God has put in your heart, keep pursuing them in Jesus’ name. Don’t give up. It’s imperative that at the end of our mortal days we are able to say with pride of accomplishment, like Bruh Paul: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim.4:7) Just keep keeping on my Friends. Today I’m riding high, and though tomorrow I may suffer a setback, I know that it only takes an ounce of God’s favour to turn everything around and make it right. So just keep on believing and persevering and it will all turn out positively in the end. Remember, the race is not for the swift, but the sure of foot. Much LOVE!…never give up…never give up…keep believing…in yourself… and in Jesus…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 July 2009 Psalm 143:10‏

13 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 143:10      Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me in the land of uprightness.
 
Oh my wonderful Friends, wonders never cease! It’s been almost a month since I’ve written anything on Bruh David! How did that happen eh? I suspect the Lord’s mysterious hand. (smile) But lo and behold, today the ole fella is in his element cause he’s dealing with the touching, heartfelt words of Bruh David. Nobody bares their soul, opens up their innermost being to their God, Creator, King and Sustainer like him. And I guess that’s what draws me to him so much, for when that powerful soul-searching is added to his masterful use of words, even the hardest heart can’t help but be moved. Ah mih people, as I write this I can’t help but chuckle, contemplating my attempts to sing Bruh David’s praises. But you all already know that he’s my favourite Bible writer and anytime I write on him, I’m liable to go overboard. How can one really go overboard though when faced with such beautiful verse as opens Psalm 143, titled, ‘Teach me thy will.’ In keeping with the olden tradition, it opens with glorious praise: ‘Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgement with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.’ (Ps.143:1-2) And all God’s people said, ‘Wow!’ Oh Friends, those words just sing out to the Most High, acknowledging His omnipotence, but also His mercy and faithfulness to those who sincerely seek and serve Him. Nobody does a prayer opening better than Bruh David. He certainly knew how to get the Lord’s attention from the get go. Then, one would go on to state the problem. Here Bruh David is befuddled by his enemies, of which he seemed to have many. ‘For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.’ (vs. 3-4) What a heart-rending admission mih people! How many of us are confident enough to cry out to God so openly, so unashamedly? Not too many, including me. Although I’ve reached a stage of maturity where I better understand and appreciate what life and God are all about, though I’ve put my sincere faith and trust in Him, and cry out in times of trouble, I still can’t reach the anguished depths Bruh David reached. Perhaps that’s because I’ve never had to face the many life-threatening situations that he did. Who knows? And still in the tradition of his fathers, he acknowledges God’s help in past times of trouble. ‘I remember the days of old. I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.’ (vs.5) And he finishes laying the groundwork for his requests by declaring: ‘I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.’ Then, and only then, does he present the desires of his heart. ‘Hear me speedily, O lord, my spirit faileth…Cause me to hear thy LOVING-kindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust…Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.’ (vs.7-9) Friends, the important thing about Bruh David is that he knew the ultimate source of help and how to access it. ‘Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God.’ We can’t worship and serve a deity unless we know what they stand for and expect. He also expresses the same sentiments in Psalm 25. ‘Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all day long.’ (Ps.25:4-5) Oh my brethren, those are sentiments we should all be expressing if we are followers of Christ! As I like to say, Bruh David surely knew on which side his bread was buttered, and so should we. And in the midst of pleading for something, he’s still praising; ‘ thy spirit is good.’ That ties in perfectly with Jerusalem’s restoration in Nehemiah’s time when the priests and Levites confessed Israel’s sins before the Lord. ‘Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.’ (Neh.9:20) Yes friends, the Lord’s Spirit is certainly good; in fact to die for. It dwells within the hearts and souls of all believers, to lead and guide us though this crazy, confused earthly life. That indwelling Spirit is our main source of communication with our God. We pray, He answers through the Spirit. That means we have to listen closely and quietly for those answers, for the Lord isn’t given to shouting. Then Bruh David pleads for direction: ‘lead me into the land of uprightness.’ That’s a place where we all need to be led my people! It’s a place where we stand strong in faith and trust, in total surrender, obedient to the Lord’s dictates; spreading the Word, while living it, walking as Jesus desires us to walk, winning lost souls for Him, gaining dominion over Lucifer and his evil cohorts, ensuring, as Jesus wants, that not one single, solitary soul is lost in purgatory. Oh Friends, I can’t help repeating, Christianity is not a dormant or passive belief system. It’s an action packed set of guidelines that we must actively pursue if we are ever to make solid inroads into the wicked ways of our world. Bruh David shows us how to access the energy and encouragement, how to get the necessary resources required to do the job. Now it’s left to us to move into action, following Jesus’ example, who never rested on His laurels, but was always on the move. We need to swing into bold, passionate action, both as individuals and together as fellow believers, if we hope to be successful in our quest for lost souls, salvation and eternal life. Let’s stop neglecting the Lord, instead let’s pour out our hearts to Him, certain that if we so do, He will guide us safely, in all goodness and mercy, just like He did Bruh David. Much LOVE!… reach out to Almighty God for sustenance…then stand up strong…invincible…for Jesus…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 July 2009 Daniel 5:20‏

12 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Daniel 5:20      But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.
 
Mornin’ Neighbuhs! Another beautiful day is in the offing. Hope it’s not like yesterday, interspersed with slashing rain, strong winds and some terrible thunder. Instead of the usual intermittent strikes of Thor’s mighty hammer, it was long, loud, thunderous claps all together. Some prideful fool must have gotten the Lord’s dander up. (smile) Who knows eh? But as promised, we’ll continue talking about selfish pride. Yesterday we saw the Lord’s reaction to Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar’s unholy pride, and how He dealt with them. Today, let’s begin with Isaiah’s vision of Satan’s fall from grace. ‘How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms. That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?’ (Isa.14:12-17) Isaiah uses Lucifer as the real power behind the pagan kings. And in this concocted version of Satan’s fall, he mirrors the same thing happening to them. As per the scholars, ‘Lucifer’ is the Latin term for the morning star, and Isaiah’s prophecy decrees that just like the morning star quickly disappears before the rising sun, in like manner, Satan, the angel of light, will be banished to eternal darkness when the Son of God comes. Oh my people, just like Satan tried to rise above God and was cut down to size, the same misfortune will befall his followers. And we don’t have to look far to find explicit examples of evil intentions and false pride being routinely dashed to the ground, for our God is no respecter of persons. Just look around at our current world, where both actual and wannabe dictators abound. The powers that be are greedy, oppressive and full of themselves. They pay no attention to God but try to wipe out all pockets of resistance, including Christianity. They believe that with all the wealth and power at their disposal, they are invincible, and entitled to do whatever they so desire. At some stage though, they are all rudely jolted out of their imagined omnipotence. And it’s usually because of one little seed called selfish pride that begins as an acorn, but when well fed and watered, grows into a mighty oak. Oh my people, when we allow false pride and self-importance to get out of hand, we usually end up taking a very devastating fall. We end up like Humpty Dumpty of nursery rhyme fame, who sat on the wall and had a great fall, and sadly, nobody could put poor Humpty back together again. And Friends, that doesn’t apply only to despotic rulers, but to every living soul, regardless of socio-economic standing, for in us all is an inherent, though sometimes dormant feeling, that we’re better than the rest. And although it may at times be true, we can’t allow it to get the better of us, we need to keep that pride under strict control. Pride is a treacherous feeling that we have to fight against our entire lives, for it crops up unexpectedly in so many different ways, forms and times. The lowly man is certainly not exempt from the sin of pride though we’re using powerful monarchs here as examples. And so after Belshazzar and his cronies finished drinking from God’s holy vessels, ‘and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.’ (Dan.5:4-6) Yes my Friends, that’s how swift our God’s reaction can be! And in Belshazzar’s frightened, trembling state he cried out for his astrologers and wise men to come and interpret the vision, offering material possessions and political office in return. But obviously none of them could do it since they were not in tune with the message’s sender; the Most High God Jehovah. And isn’t it strange that it was the queen, his mother or grandmother, since his wives were partying too, who came in and told them about Daniel. That’s the Lord’s hand at work mih people; all part of His master plan. And we saw how Daniel came in, refused the king’s rewards, then told him about Nebuchadnezzar’s audacity in glorifying himself and not God. ‘And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this. But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, and thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.’ (Dan.5:22-23) Yes people, in this modern, materialistic age, the adoration of inanimate objects and of worldly possessions are placed above the reverence of God. Please remember the first commandment: Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God, and Him only shall thou serve and worship. It’s a sin of which many of us are guilty. Then Daniel continued: ‘And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.’ (Dan.5:25-28) Please remember too mih breddren, we shall all pay for our wrongs; from the highest to the lowest, in God’s good time. ‘In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Mede took the kingdom; being about threescore and two years old.’ (Dan.5:30-31) Oh Friends, please, don’t let us be weighed in God’s balances and found wanting nuh. I implore us to glorify the Most High God Jehovah and not men, else we’ll eventually pay a very steep price for that dumb move. Much LOVE!…he who hath ears to hear…..let him hear… he who hath ears to hear…let him hear…he who hath ears to hear…let him hear…
 

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