Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 August 2009 1 Corinthians 1:9‏

11 Aug 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Corinthians 1:9     God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
Oh my beautiful Friends, wonderful Brothers and Sisters in Christ, it seems like summer has finally arrived in this northern paradise! It was hot today, high twenties, but still not the stifling heat that we can get. Who knows how long it will last though, judging from the cool and rainy first half of summer. However, of one thing we’re very sure, that whatever happens, the Most High God Jehovah is still on His heavenly throne controlling things; always was, and always will be. That’s such a confidence builder my people! And as we saw yesterday, from the time The Lord approached Abram and offered to be his God and his progeny’s, He’s been faithful right up to this day. And there’s no reason for Him to change. He’s stated it unequivocally: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal.3:6) And all God’s people sang; ‘Hallelujah!’ Oh my Friends, that faithfulness and unchangeable nature are overwhelmingly important aspects of our God, cause if He ever changed… Hn! Everything crash! Ah Friends that’s exactly what happened a short while ago. The stupid computer claimed it was doing updates, so I tried to save the stuff, which it didn’t do, then it not only shut down unexpectedly, but also froze. Ah Lord eh! And my children wonder why I like my typewriter? Because it’s faithful like my God. And I really can’t comprehend why we turn away from Him when He’s   everything we claim to desire; unchanging, reliable, steadfast, LOVING, kind, merciful, gentle, forgiving, et al. We run to our fellow humans who posses those qualities, yet shun, turn away, run from our Creator, God, Father, and Provider, who has all these qualities and more, in abundance. Is it because we don’t really believe he exists, or is all He claims to be? He’s given us more than enough examples of His existence and attributes over the years, and is still doing so, but we seem intent on moving further away from Him. The Lord is so faithful, that centuries before Christ was born, He promised a Messiah to bring all the people of the earth under one banner; His Holy Church. Listen to that truly dynamic prophet, Isaiah, prophesy. (smile). ‘And he said it is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to whom man despiseth, to whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes shall also worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.’ (Isa.49:6-7) Oh my brethren, what else does the Lord have to do to convince us eh? He sent Jesus, just as He promised, to be a light and a unifier unto the whole world, both Jews and Gentiles. He brought salvation and eternal life to us, even though as prophesied, men despised Him, and His Jewish people abhorred Him. To me, that certainly validates Bruh Paul’s words, ‘God is faithful.’ There’s no doubt to that my people! Then he goes on, ‘by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.’ Oh Friends, the first part does justify the second. If faithful, trustworthy humans call us to be part of a movement, then we usually view the movement as worthwhile because of their character. So much more worthwhile then, is the call of a faithful God to fellowship with Christ. As the scholars declare, fellowship includes both union and communion; union with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and communion with other believers. Now listen and inwardly digest Jesus’ take on the fellowship theme. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5) Oh Friends, there it is, plain as day, in Jesus’ own words! And I just admire His use of words. But my people, the long and short of the story is that Jesus rules, and if we don’t join His movement, we’ll be ‘cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.’ (John 15:6) The most important point Jesus made Friends, is ‘for without me ye can do nothing.’ That’s the gist of the whole passage. So let’s burn that into our hearts, minds and souls. If we’re not a branch of Jesus’ vine, then we’re lost; lost to eternal death and damnation. Therefore my people, I exhort and encourage us to seriously consider this union with Christ that Bruh Paul recommends, and consequently communion with fellow believers. It’s the best way to journey through this earthly life, and the only one that promises serious rewards of salvation and everlasting life with our leader Jesus. Believe me Friends, there’s nothing like Jesus and His Christian movement, and right now we’re preparing to take the world by storm, to bring all the lost souls to salvation, even Lucifer himself. (smile) Now that’s an interesting thought Friends. If Lucifer is genuinely willing to repent and change his evil ways, will the Lord take him back into His fold? Following Christian theory, the logical answer is yes, since the Lord accepts anyone who genuinely repents and seek forgiveness. The problem though, is whether we can get his evil highness to forsake his wicked ways. I’m sure though that we can get his iniquity workers to change theirs. So let’s concentrate on getting every single one of them to come to Christ. That way, when the evil one sees he’s all alone, he’ll have no choice but to repent and say, ‘Father forgive me!’ Now don’t consider that an implausible scenario, for remember, without Jesus, we can do nothing, but with Him, ALL things are possible. Much LOVE mih people!…the true mark of earthly wisdom…following Jesus…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 August 2009 Luke 1:50‏

10 Aug 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Luke 1:50     And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
 
Yes my Friends, that’s one of the many awesome truths of our faith! The Lord has indeed been merciful to those who have faithfully revered and worshipped Him; from the first day He made the original covenant with our forefather Abraham, even unto this day. No nation, society, or individual who has praised and glorified His Holy Name and kept His statutes have ever lacked His mercy. I guess we should first define what we mean by mercy. The Dictionary defines it as, ‘compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one’s power; the disposition to be compassionate or forbearing, an act of kindness, compassion or favour; something that gives evidence of divine favour.’ Then there are synonyms like, forgiveness, clemency, leniency and tenderness. So the basic idea of mercy seems to be a compassionate, kindly act that is not necessarily warranted, but which comes from the giver’s sense of LOVE, forgiveness, kind-heartedness or some such gentle, positive emotion. Where our God is concerned, we generally consider mercy to be His undeserved compassion, care and kindness. The important factor here my Friends, is the undeserved part of the equation. And there are so many examples in the Good Book where the Lord has been merciful to men when they certainly never warranted it. The particular response in Today’s Bit is a part of Mary’s outburst of praise, ‘The Magnificat.’ Having been told of her impending virgin pregnancy with Jesus, and that her cousin Elisabeth was also pregnant, (John the Baptist) she went to visit her. And wonder of wonders, when Mary greeted her, ‘the child leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the holy ghost.’ (Luke 1:41) Then she blessed Mary and confirmed that all the angel’s promises would come through cause she believed. (Luke 1:42-45) Then Mary proclaimed: ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour…For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.’ (Luke 1:46-47,49-50) Now let’s go right back to where it all began: Abram is ninety-nine years old when the Lord appears unto him and says; ‘ I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. (Gen.17:1-2) And Abram’s response to that sudden, mind-boggling offer? ‘And Abram fell on his face.’ (Gen.17:3) From the very beginning Friends, Abram revered the Lord. Now note too that Abram didn’t seek the Lord, the Lord sought him because He knew the suitability, the rightness of Abram’s heart for His awesome plans. Then the Lord changed his named to Abraham, ‘father of many nations,’ and promised to make him fruitful. ‘And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.’ (Gen.17:7) And that’s how it all began my people, a simple contract; an offer by the Lord and acceptance by Abram. And though we, Abram’s seed have on numerous occasions broken that covenant, the Lord has never broken His word, and has often looked down on us with LOVING kindness and mercy when we were deserving of serious punishment. But such is His great LOVE for His most wonderful creation. When the Lord gave Moses the Ten Commandments, one of them, possibly the most important, was not to bow down to or worship any graven images, ‘for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that LOVE me, and keep my commandments.’ (Ex.20:5-7) It’s interesting to note my brethren, how the Lord always advertised His merciful nature. When Moses went back up Mt. Sinai to get the second set of stone tablets bearing the Ten Commandments, the Lord stood with him and proclaimed His Name: ‘And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.’ (Ex.34:6-7) And that’s how it was, and still is my people. To be truthful, the Lord improved the contract on our behalf, when He made Jesus pay for our sins with His sacrificial death, and the children no longer suffer for the father’s wrongs. But His half remained the same; He is still merciful to all those who fear and praise Him. And Bruh David immortalized it in Psalm 103, titled ‘Thanksgiving for God’s Mercy.’ ‘But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him; and his righteousness unto children’s children. To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them, the Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.’ (Ps.103:17-19) Oh my Friends, there’s nothing we can ever really do to deserve God’s mercy, for by our inherent sinful nature we negate that very possibility. But the Lord knows our imperfection and just like we LOVE our imperfect children, through His vast store of LOVE, the unconditional kind, He’s found it in His heart to be merciful to us sinners, who praise and worship Him. And that LOVE shines through ever so brightly with the sacrificial death of His Only Son Jesus, so that we could be made whole, cleansed and return to right standing with Him. The ball is now in our court my people. I implore us to obey His statutes, follow in His Son’s footsteps, so that His merciful nature will unfurl in our lives like an abundant harvest. Much LOVE!…to receive undeserved mercy…keep your half of the bargain…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 August 2009 Ephesians 4:4‏

09 Aug 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ephesians 4:4     There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling.
 
Well Friends, the Lord put His hand in the pot yesterday and stirred it. What I thought was going to be a one day Bit, has turned into at least two, and could be more, depending on how much I’m directed to write. But that’s the Lord’s prerogative, since it’s His Word we’re writing about. Yesterday we spoke about the one body of Christ, symbolized in His Church, which is currently going through some rough times. Today we’ll begin with the ‘one Spirit’ that Bruh Paul identifies. That Spirit my people is the Holy Spirit of Christ which lives, constantly dwells in each believer. It’s the same Spirit that gives spiritual, life, strength, energy and guidance to us all. Bruh Paul put it thus to the Corinthians: ‘For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been made to drink into one Spirit.’ (1 Cor.12:13) That Holy Spirit is one of the common threads that runs through the Christian faith and promotes its oneness, its singular purpose being to lead and guide each of us. And Jesus openly spoke of it on the last of the seven day Feast of the Tabernacles, held in early October, where for six consecutive days a procession of priests carried water in golden vessels into the temple area. The pouring of the water was considered physically and spiritually significant. And it was ‘In the last day, that great day of the feast, (when no water was carried) Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe in him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.’ (John 7:37-39) That my people is the source of all our strength, courage and conviction: The Spirit of Christ; the living waters that flow out of Him on those who believe in Him and His Word. And the passage of scripture that Jesus referred to above is from Isaiah: ‘Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.’ (Isa.12:3-6) Oh my Friends, I only intended to quote the first verse of that passage, but after reading it, I decided to quote all the verses. And the Spirit agreed. (smile) It seemed so appropriate, not only as to how we should behave when we become believers, but more so right now, in these troubled times, we desperately need to do those things. My brethren we badly need to get back in contact with the Lord, and we can only do that by ingesting the living waters of Christ’s Spirit, praising Him, calling on Him for help, spreading His many miraculous deeds and His Word among the heathen, and overall exalting His Holy Name. He has certainly done many great and worthwhile things for His believers through the ages, and we need to testify to them, so that more lost souls will join His Holy flock, thereby receiving salvation and the faithful promise of life everlasting. That is what it’s all about my people; the one body and the one Spirit, ‘even as ye are called in one hope of your calling.’ That ‘one hope’ is salvation and eternal life, which all Christians share as a future certainty, living with Jesus in heavenly splendour. And the singular oneness doesn’t stop there mih people. ‘One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.’ (Eph.4:5-6) Oh Friends, you can clearly see that our belief system is based on a solid principle of ONE! There’s no plurality. And even when we speak of the Trinity, it’s still ONE, represented in three different ways. That’s the beauty of our faith; everything flows from One Deity, One Godhead. We all submit to the same divine ruler, Jesus; having placed the same faith in Him to lead us to salvation; receiving it at one time, baptism; and we all have the same God and Heavenly Father. So as a faith, a belief system, a Church, in it’s structure and set up, it is totally unified. All Christians have the same goals and aspirations; working on behalf of the same Deity who created us all, from whom all our blessings flow, who gives us a part of HImself to dwell in us, to lead and guide us on our earthly journey, and when that is over, receives us to Himself to live with Him forever. Hn! What can be better than that eh mih people? It’s all structured and set out there for us, like a feast on a golden platter. All we have to do is sincerely believe and receive it. I can’t think of an easier go than that. No other supposed deity offers anything that even comes close to it. But unfortunately, we humans are a stubborn, hard-headed, rebellious lot, and the Lord granting us freedom of choice, made it even worse. Our rebelliousness increased and we sought more independence from Him. But Friends, being independent of God is the saddest mistake we can ever make. In the first place it’s only a mental illusion, since our God controls everything, so you can never really get away from His oversight. And then, if you foolishly try to go it alone, you’ll miss all the wonderful blessings, help, guidance and rewards of salvation and eternal life that He’s stored up for you. So it’s a lose/lose situation. However people, Christ died to cleanse us of our sins, and He expects us to recruit all of the lost souls to His movement, His Church; the one, singular purpose organization designed for bringing us to right standing with Him and the Father. But He left it all up to us. And sadly, we’re not doing such a good job. The unity and oneness we’re so proud of, is quickly turning to disunity and dissension, and instead of getting converts for His Church, we’re allowing Lucifer to enlarge his domain. This is not right my people. We are letting Jesus down. We have lots of talk, but insufficient action. Remember James’ warning: ‘Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.’ (James 1:22) Yes mih Friends, it’s time we both hear and do the Word; work together in unity, build together and not break down, foment the LOVE Revolution, cause LOVE is what makes the world go round; and LOVE is of the One God we worship. In fact, that One God is LOVE! So let’s wake up, mih people, put on our spiritual armour, get out there and LOVE our God, and LIVE our Faith! It’s the only way that Jesus’ body, His Church, will be empowered, renewed and rise to the prominence it deserves. Much LOVE !…the believer’s motto…strong faith…working in total unity… rooted in unselfish LOVE…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 August 2009 Ephesians 4:4‏

08 Aug 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ephesians 4:4     There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called  in one hope of your calling.

Ah my Friends, it was another beautiful day in this northern paradise, but the heat wave is finally expected this week end, with temps in the thirties, a feeling that others have long been feeling, but which we haven’t yet experienced this summer. Any way, let’s hope the weather forecasters are wrong, as they so often are, cause I’m enjoying this cool weather. But hot or cold, rain or shine, it will not change the fact that believers have a unity of body and Spirit in Christ; a oneness in purpose and direction that enables us to help, share with and encourage each other. Once you accept Christ as your ever living, ever LOVING Lord and Saviour, you automatically become a part of the oneness in Christ. As Bruh Paul explains: ‘There is one body; the one body of Christ, reflected in the Church, the Christian Church. All followers, whether you’re from the north, south, east or west, are participants in that organization, that one corporate entity of Christ’s Church, where we’re supposed to have the same beliefs and the same end in mind; that of keeping it unified, strong and growing in numbers, power and reach. Bruh Paul explained it to the Romans thus: ‘For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: (function) So we being many, are one body in Christ, and everyone (individually) members one of another.’ (Rom.12:4-5) To the Corinthians, re the oneness of the church, he said: ‘For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: So also is Christ.’ (1 Cor.12:12) It sounds confusing, but being ever the caring and concerned teacher, Bruh Paul later broke it down for them, using our human body as a reference; re the eyes, hands, feet, ears etc. being individual parts of our anatomy with their own particular functions, yet they are all attached to one body, and for the body to survive and be successful, all the individual parts must function in harmony. (1 Cor.12:15-23) That brings to mind the story about the individual parts of our body wanting to be the boss, and when the rear end piped up that he wanted to be the boss too, the other more comely parts laughed him to scorn. Ah mih Friends, but comeliness alone does not a boss make, for when the rear end closed up his orifice, all the other parts, comely as they were, became sick. It’s the same way with Christ’s body, the Church. If we all try to run things, we’re just going to make a mess of it. ‘For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care for one another. And whether one member suffer, all members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.’ (1 Cor.12:24-26) Yes mih people, the Lord knew what He was doing when He made the human body, and so did Christ when He created his Church. But sadly Friends, it’s not working out quite the way He envisioned it. There’s too much ‘ism and schism’  amongst the members, which makes the Church an easy target for the enemy and his cohorts. No one who looks at the state of Christ’s Church today can truthfully say that it’s one body, since there’s been so much infighting and disharmony amongst the members, with parts separating, going their own way, but still calling themselves the Church, the one body of Christ. Hn! How can we consider something as one, when there are so many different religions, and within each, several denominations, further broken down into other splinter groups? And likewise the teaching, which varies from the sublime to the ridiculous? Everybody seems to have their own take on the matter. Oh Friends, with such disunity amongst its members how can the Church of Christ even survive, much less grow? We are cutting off our noses to spite our faces. It doesn’t work unless everyone’s on the same page, going in the same direction. We can’t have the Church becoming more splintered than it is; the laughingstock of the enemy. That’s why it’s so easy for wicked to ride roughshod over us; we simply have no unity of task, purpose or vision, and therefore cannot attract the strength in numbers we so desperately need. All should be geared towards the vision of Christ; of empowerment, togetherness, harmony and the enlargement of that one body. But sadly my Friends, we seem to be going in the opposite direction; of more divisiveness rather than unity, which is only encouraging a wave of ungodliness all over the world. My people, I don’t know what else to say or do, how to get us to join together, forget, ignore, relegate our selfish, greedy egos to the background, and work as one for the good of the Holy Church. That’s Christ’s vehicle of salvation, LOVE and eternal life here on earth. I need the help of all you believers out there to start the unifying process, the coming back together, so we can all go forward as one. Without that Friends, the Church is doomed. None of the little splinter groups are big enough to make a significant impact on their own. And in this time of ungodliness that’s spreading like crazy over our world, we need an entity that’s big enough, united enough, powerful and focused enough to make a significant impact. Please help me Friends, by doing your little bit to bring unity back to Christ’s Church. Only when the individual members get together and work in harmony, can the body be healthy. Oh, by the way, how is your part of the LOVE Revolution going? Did you LOVE somebody today? I sure hope so. And while LOVING, please do some bridge building. Much LOVE!…no organization succeeds…unless it is unified… To Be Continued.

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 August 2009 Ecclesiastes 7:12‏

07 Aug 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ecclesiastes 7:12     For wisdom is a defense, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
 
Ah my Friends, words of wisdom about wisdom. One thing usually begets itself; in this case wisdom begets wisdom. What a profound statement! (smile) But before we get into that, I have a quote to share with you from Helen Keller again, and in it’s own way, it projects wisdom. ‘Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another’s pain, life is not in vain.’ Words of absolute truth mih wise Friends! The best remedy for our emotional pain or simple unhappiness is helping to relieve someone else’s distress. By so doing, we forget ours, relegating it to the background, paying attention to the other person’s problems, doing a good job for Jesus while racking up heavenly rewards. I urge us people, when we’re feeling down and grumpy, ready for a pity party, the best antidote is to seek out someone we can help. You’ll be surprised at how quickly your own pain will vanish, because you’re not thinking about yourself. And when you’ve helped that person(s), you’ll also feel much better about yourself and your situation. It’s a win/win choice. Sol’s referring in part, to all the little sayings and clichés like, ‘to help yourself, go help somebody else.’ Most of them are true and help us lead a wiser life, that’s why they are so worn and well used. ‘For wisdom is a defense and money is a defense…’ Yes my people, both wisdom and money are defences; shadows, protective shades, and therefore useful in our lives. Sol even claims that, ‘Wisdom is better than weapons of war.’ (Eccl.9:18) And many a wise general has outsmarted one with more weapons and /or men. Hn, hn! As my uncle Foster use to preach to me long ago, ‘Eric, remember, is talk that win the war yuh know!’ So it’s usually better to be wise than only well armed, for superiority in numbers or armaments is no guarantee of victory, although being both will surely help. Then Sol goes on further to say; ‘but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.’ Let’s all say Amen to that my brethren! In other words, wisdom is power! Wisdom surpasses money, has an advantage over it because it allows those who possess it to lead better lives than those with just money alone.  Money doesn’t necessarily bring wisdom; you can still be a rich fool, but wisdom has the ability to show us how to get money, and keep it too, cause a fool and his money are soon parted. As Sol expounds earlier on; ‘Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.’ (Eccl.3:13) Then he goes on to sing her praises: Wisdom is better for profit and gain than silver and gold; more precious than rubies; nothing your heart desires is comparable. ‘Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is everyone that retaineth her.’ (Eccl.3:14-18) There you have it my people; the case for seeking wisdom, consisting of education, book learning, general knowledge, life and people skills. Oh Friends, it’s a ‘dynomite’ combination! Why? Because it allows us to make good, sensible decisions in all areas of life. Sol goes on to relate wisdom to the Lord’s handiwork in the Garden of Eden; ‘the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.’ (Gen.2:9) And the wonderful thing about comparing wisdom to trees is that trees grow when carefully nourished, and so does wisdom mih breddren. And what did the Lord use to create His oh so magnificent creation? Wisdom of course! ‘The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth: by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.’ (Eccl.3:19-20) So my people, if the Lord God created the earth, the heavens, the seas, and all therein through wisdom and understanding, who are we to seek anything else besides those most wonderful attributes eh? ‘Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?’ (Eccl.7:13) No one can do that my Friends! Now, bearing all of that in mind, here’s the best advice we can ever get, and we should definitely share it with our children. ‘My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion. So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace (favour) to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, (terror) neither of the desolation (trouble) of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.’ (Eccl.3:21-26) Yes my people, that’s the true source of happiness; wisdom from the Lord! With it, we can create a world overview and know how to live successfully. I’m therefore imploring us to take this message to heart; let’s actively and consciously seek it. But above all people; please, I beg of us, please, let’s TEACH IT TO OUR CHILDREN! So that they will grow up with a better understanding of the world, have a better life, and thereby make the world a better place to sojourn. Much LOVE!…the wise shall inherit glory…but shame shall be the promotion of fools… (Eccl.3:35)
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 August 2009 Song of Solomon 2:4‏

06 Aug 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Song of Solomon 2:4      He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was LOVE.
 
Oh my beautiful Friends, our God is really something else yes! He has this habit of sending me ideas when I go to rest, and sometimes they are so strong, persistent and insistent that I have to get up and write them down. This morning was one of those times I had to get up and put pen to paper, several times too, cause each time I thought I was done, something else flashed into my mind. Hn! I wrote it, though never really intending to use it, but His ways are higher than mine, and just now when I came to write the Bit, my attention was drawn to the two pieces of paper on which I’d scribbled my early morning thoughts. I read it with a chuckle, but lo and behold, the Spirit said, ‘Do it.’ And like the obedient person that I am, I said, ‘Yes Sir!’ Then I had to seek a suitable text of scripture. That possibly took longer than writing it, cause I went from the beginning of the Good Book to almost the end. But I finally decided on Sol’s words, which aren’t well known, however the great sense of well-being, celebration and joy it contains; ‘He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was LOVE,’ seemed to fit the overall aura of the piece. Anyway, here’s what I wrote: Oh Friends, oh Friends, the Good Lord hit me with a good one this morning! Yes mih people, as I was lying in bed contemplating the wave of crime, violence, greed, natural disasters and all the other evil that’s currently holding our world in its slimy, treacherous grasp, the Lord suddenly shot a thought into my mind. Friends, you wouldn’t believe what the Most High whispered to me nuh, but I’ll tell you anyway. (smile) The Most High quietly advised me that the only cure for the raging epidemic of evil that has our world in a tight chokehold – hang on to yuh seats now – is a pandemic of LOVE! Yes mih Friends, a pandemic of LOVE; the only thing to defeat the forces of evil that are now rampaging almost unchecked. The epidemic of evil would seem like a small, localized issue, as opposed to the pandemic, or worldwide vista that LOVE will cover. Oh mih people, that means we have to start a LOVE Movement; create a LOVE Machine that’s big and strong, far flung, all embracing and powerful enough to run Beelzebub and his evil buddies right outa town. If they don’t run when they see us coming, or fall down and repent, then we’ll just roll over them like a steamroller over ants. (smile) I doubt that will be necessary though, for the power of our LOVE should be strong enough to bring them to their senses…even Lucifer himself. Hn! Anyway mih breddren, I want to answer this call to arms with LOVE, but I can’t do it by myself. I need your help. I am only one person, and can only get the message out to a small amount of lost souls, and believe me, there are plenty, plenty lost souls out there. So what I need from you, mih people, is that everyday, somebody LOVE somebody. Yes EVERY, EVERY, DAY, SOME -BODY LOVE SOMEBODY! It could be the same somebody, though a new one would spread the LOVE more quickly, but every single, life long day, we all got to LOVE somebody, until that fateful day, when EVERYBODY  LOVES EVERYBODY! I know it’s tough and seems impossible with the amount of hate, bitterness, envy and resentment percolating in our midst. But remember two things Friends: First, LOVE is stronger than hate, and secondly, with the help of Jesus, anything’s possible. In fact, everything’s possible once Jesus is involved. All we got to do is believe. And since we have the basis for this LOVE Movement Machine, in the Bit and the other numerous activities in which we’re involved, why don’t we start building it right now eh? Now is always the best time to start anything. As Coz Confucius says; ‘Comrade, longest journey start with first step.’ And the first step is for me to LOVE you, which I do. I LOVE all of you out there, my friends, breddren, people in Christ! So right now I’m sending, throwing, distributing my LOVE out to all and sundry. I hope you receive it with the sincerity that I sent it. Then you’ve got to LOVE me back, else you’ll break the cycle and our LOVE Movement would be doomed before it even got off the ground. But let me make one thing abundantly clear mih people; all this LOVE is not about me. I’m just the conduit. It’s all about Jesus; about all of us LOVING each other for Jesus’ sake, and living in LOVE with His Holy Spirit in His Holy Name. Remember, the message is all about the LOVE of Jesus! So Friends, let’s each go out and LOVE somebody today nuh. As true followers of Christ, that’s what is expected of us. Let’s bring everybody under the same banner, so that we can all say; ‘He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was LOVE!’ Well Friends, with a few minor additions and edits, that’s what the Lord led me to write this morning. I hope it put a smile on your faces and  li’l lustre in your souls, but also made an impact on your lives, such that you’ll enthusiastically join me in creating the LOVE Movement Machine that’s going to revolutionize the whole world in Jesus’ Name. Amen! Much LOVE mih people! Let’s go out and joyfully spread it nuh!…just like everybody’s got to serve somebody…everybody’s got to LOVE somebody…every day…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 August 2009 Ephesians 4:1‏

05 Aug 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ephesians 4:1     I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.
 
Oh my Friends, everyday my admiration, appreciation and respect for out God increases. Like He does something everyday that just fills me with more wonder. It’s a sort of surreal feeling, but it shouldn’t surprise me since I know that He’s omnipotent and omniscient. I’m referring to the bright sunny, cool, excellent partying weather we had over the Caribana weekend. Most out-of-towners were even able to get home safely, before the thunder, lightning and rain finally set in today. The Lord certainly looked down on T.O. with much favour this past weekend. For that we give Him much thanks and praise, and in gratitude we should all attempt to do as Bruh Paul exhorts us. ‘I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.’ Yes my people, in light of all the Lord has done, is doing and plans to do for us, it’s only appropriate that we try to live a life worthy of His calling; a life befitting the divine call that brought us to salvation and Jesus Christ. Bruh Paul also conveyed this important message to other churches. To the Thessalonians, he wrote: ‘As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.’ (1 Thess.2:11-12) Later on, in the same letter, while appealing for spiritual purity, he again touches on the subject. ‘Furthermore, then we beseech you brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.’ (1 Thess.4:1) And for the Colossians, he prayed; ‘That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.’ (Col.1:10) Oh Friends, that we walk worthy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is about the most general desire a believer can have. It’s so generic that it can cross over all boundaries of race, class and creed. But what exactly does it mean or entail? Bruh Paul tells the Colossians that they should always try to please God and be fruitful in good works, while growing in the knowledge of God’s Word and thus maturing in the faith. But those things are still too general. We need more specifics on how to accomplish that goal of being worthy. And Bruh Paul does give us some. ‘With all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in LOVE; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’ (Eph.4:2-3) There at last mih people we have some specifics to work with. Bruh Paul considers a worthy walk for Christ to include honourable conduct like humility, gentleness, much patience in dealing with each other’s weaknesses or failings, and doing all we can to maintain harmony in the overall church, amongst God’s people, so that it can move forward as one harmonious whole, not in ever growing divisiveness, as we’re currently experiencing. Bruh Paul does get a bit more explicit when he talks about the Christian virtues to the Colossians. ‘Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of (tender) mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, (LOVE) which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also are ye called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col.3:12-17) That my people, is what it means to walk worthy of the Lord! I can’t say it any better, so I won’t try. However, I will share a short prayer with you that I wrote last year on the topic and have stuck up on my desk in front of me. It goes: ‘This is my Prayer: That I may walk worthy of you Lord; That I be a worthy messenger of your Word, simply walking in LOVE, the way your Son Jesus did. I pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen!’ Friends, I now pray this simple but poignant prayer for believers all over the world, that we may all be granted the health, strength and wherewithal to walk worthy of our God, in peace, LOVE, mercy, forgiveness, friendship and fellowship, emulating the shining example of His Son Jesus. Much LOVE!…to walk worthy…one must walk foremost in LOVE…the bond of perfectness… P.S. Hope this short Bit, pleases you short attention span readers. (smile) Brother! I can hardly believe my eyes, it seems so short in comparison to some recent ones. Believe me, I’d like to keep them all short, but I just follow the Spirit’s lead on each one.
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 August 2009 Psalm 16:11‏

04 Aug 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 16:11    Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
 
Oh my Friends, it’s been a cool, sunny, beautiful day in my area. The Caribana festivities are over for another year. They seemed to have gone off without any serious violence and the people are going back to work now to rest. Hn! What a preposterous but true statement! I didn’t do much ‘festivalizing’ myself, merely hung around home and caught up on some long overdue work. And I was feeling fine until shortly before I came to write the Bit. Then that spoilsport, Lucifer, injected certain thoughts in my brain that caused a draining of my joy. But Friends, you’d be proud of the ole fella! I didn’t let those negative thoughts take root; I immediately commanded the devil to get away from me, that I wouldn’t let him steal the source of my strength, and to further ‘diss’ him, I decided to write on joy again tonight. Thank you Lord! The ole fella praises your Holy Name! Selah! And Friends, when in doubt or sorrow, there’s nobody better to turn to than Bruh David for comfort and encouragement. Psalm 16 is one of his many contemplative writings, where he’s seeking preservation and blessing; searching for the right path of life, because he knows that once he attains that path, his life will be filled with joy. But Friends, that path of righteousness is a difficult one to find and then manoeuvre along. Jesus said it best: ‘Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’  (Mat.7: 14) But if we want to be full of the joy that comes from following Jesus, then we need to diligently search for the right way then rigorously adhere to its directions and instructions. In this Psalm, Bruh David offers us a few tips on how to do it. He opens with a simple but strong passage of faith: ‘Preserve me O God: for in thee do I put my trust.’  (vs.1) He’s asking for God’s constant surveillance over his life, cause he’s surrendered his all to him. Then he continues; ‘O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not unto thee.’ (vs.2) Here he’s solemnly admitting that he’s nothing without the Lord’s help; he cannot be righteous without assistance from the Most High. ‘But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.’ (vs.3) This applies to other seekers of righteousness, others with whom he can worship and fellowship, who can encourage and lift him up. He confirms this later by saying: ‘I am a companion of all them that fear thee; and of them that keep thy precepts.’ (Ps.119:63) Along the rough and rugged road of life, fellowship is extremely important my people, cause we need others to help and guide us, while we do the same for them. Bruh David then addresses our idol worship. ‘Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, not take up their names unto my lips.’ (vs.4) That verse is key my people! It’s a true and rightful declaration that those who follow other gods will suffer severely, but Bruh David insists, is adamant that he will have no part of it, neither the worshipping or sacrificing to other gods. And he specifies it in Psalm 106. ‘And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and daughters unto devils. And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.’  (Ps. 106:36-38) It’s hard my Friends to live in an ungodly world and not be a part of it, but we have to seriously set ourselves to that task, since it’s in the ungodly world where we’ll find the lost souls that need bringing to Christ. Remember too, that our God is a very jealous God, and from day one, He warned His people. ‘And in all things that I have said unto you, be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods; neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.’ (Ex.23:13) He couldn’t be any clearer than that mih people! And before Joshua died, he too warned Israel: ‘That ye come not among these nations, those that remain among you; neither make mention of the names of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them. But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.’ (Josh.23:7-8) That’s how important it is my brethren not to get caught up in other cultures with different beliefs, because those beliefs tend to seep unconsciously into our souls and distract our focus and attention away from Almighty God. Bruh David then goes on to sing the Lord’s praises. ‘The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.’ (vs.5-6) The Lord’s upholding him, providing him with a goodly inheritance, a good life. ‘I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel; my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.’ (vs.7) God’s advice is very helpful to him, even in sleep, his heart is filled with guidance and advice. ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.’ (vs.8) He’s declaring his everlasting worship and admiration, for with the Lord beside him, he’s strong and unmovable. ‘Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.’  (vs. 9-10) Ah my people, there’s the magic of believing in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the gladness of heart, glorious rejoicing, and the hope of peace and rest in this world and the life hereafter. The Lord won’t allow the righteous, certainly not His Son, to suffer eternal death. ‘But thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’ Yes my people, that’s the God awesome truth, as Bruh Paul confirms in Acts 2:25-35, where he uses Ps.16:8-11, to authenticate the fact that Jesus went down that path of life, and therefore blazed the trail for all who come after Him. To close, let’s quickly paraphrase what the true path of life consists of: It first takes a righteous man to seek and follow it; one having an attitude of complete trust and surrender, of great gratitude, of much pleasure in other believers and fellowshipping with them, of not worshipping other gods, of being satisfied with what the Lord provides, of praise and thanks for His unceasing and unerring advice, of being steadfast and strong in spiritual devotion, of being hopeful and joyful in this earthly life, with a certainty that in bodily death, the spirit will be set free from all its manacles to be with Jesus for all eternity. Oh Friends, if we follow that prescription then our woes will be few and our joy plentiful. That’s Jesus’ promise. Let’s take Him up on it nuh. We have nothing to lose and so much to gain. Till next time, God willing, Much LOVE!…losers zig zag on Satan’s wide road…but winners stay straight on Jesus’ narrow path…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 August 2009 John 15:11‏

03 Aug 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 15:11     These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
 
Oh mih Friends, who says the ole fella doh work hard on these Bits eh? While flipping through the One More Day Devotional earlier on, I glimpsed a quote on joy that set me to thinking it was an excellent topic for today. But Lucifer, in the form of laziness intervened and I didn’t check the exact location of the quote. So now, when I came to write the Bit, aimless flipping didn’t help, I had to check through from the beginning, thirty something pages, to find it. Moral of that story; laziness and procrastination don’t pay. But that was the easy part, cause when I sought a suitable passage on joy from the Good Book, I looked through all that dealt with it, until I came to the one from Jesus that finally satisfied my soul. It’s strange though, how the Spirit sometimes guides me; I will go through several scriptures, then end up using the very first one. Other times, like tonight, one will just hit me, and I know that’s it. But what better authority to quote on joy, than the One who died so that our souls could be cleansed, and our joy restored in the Lord? Let me give you the quote from the Devotional first, just in case I forget it. (smile) Someone by the name of Tahuma is reputed to have declared that ‘Joy waits for no man.’ And it’s true Friends. Joy doesn’t wait for us, or come to us on its own accord, we have to actively seek it, and then through discipline and hard work, hold on to it. Yes mih people, it takes a lot of hard work to hold on to that ephemeral emotion we term joy, for it can be with us in great abundance at one moment, then completely gone the next. And one of Lucifer’s favourite tricks is to put things or circumstances in place to steal our joy, because he knows that ‘the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh.8:10) Oh my brethren, that is an awesome truth that we must all realize, and instil in the very depths of our souls. Only as strong as we are in the Lord Jehovah, will we find joy and be joyful. It’s because of His many promises, His faithfulness, that we in turn can trust Him, and know that He will always take care of us, so we don’t need to worry about anything. When we surrender our lives to Christ, then fear and worry are thrown out the window and replaced by joy, for those three emotions can’t exist together in one soul, in large quantities. Wherever there’s much fear and worry, little joy will prevail. But where joy abounds, fear and worry will be non-existent. Now we’ve been talking so much about joy that some of us will probably be wondering exactly what we’re referring to. Well the dictionary defines joy as: ‘vivid emotions of pleasure; gladness; things that cause delight, ecstasy, rejoicing, effervescence, expansiveness, and buoyancy.’ In other words the uplifting of the human Spirit. That’s where Jesus comes in. Friends, nobody can uplift the human Spirit like Him. He likens Himself to the Good Shepherd, who comes to lead and care for mankind, to give us a new and better life. ‘The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:10-11) And that He did my people, so that our souls would be cleansed and our lives greatly improved. We are free from sin, blessed with the faithful promise of salvation and eternal life, so there’s nothing for us to worry about. And after spending much time explaining who He was and His role on earth, Jesus finally told the disciples: ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.’ While He was there with them, they felt safe and secure, had nothing to fear or worry about, so their spirits were generally joyful. But tell me Friends, how can it be otherwise eh, if we hanging out with Jesus? (smile) However, knowing that He had to leave them soon, and the hard times and persecution they would face solely by invoking His Holy Name, Jesus wanted to reassure them, to let them know that everything would be fine. ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) That’s gospel mih breddren! So let’s read, remember, inwardly digest and live according to that principle. For if you can’t do anything without Jesus, and Jesus brings abundant life and joy, then if you’re not following Him, it’s like you’re stranded in the middle of a vast desert: no food, water, joy, LOVE, friendship and fellowship. And later on, in his first Epistle, the intro, Testimony to Christ, John continues Jesus’ teaching on the subject. ‘And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.’ (1 John 1:4) Now Friends, it’s our turn to keep on spreading that joy that ‘s only found in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for it’s the only way to grow and mature and become more like Him. Remember, He never allowed too much to get Him down and sorrowful; neither should we. I know life’s not easy, but that’s exactly why we’re proclaiming Jesus; because when He lives in your heart and soul, then you have the wherewithal to handle anything that the evil world, or Beelzebub and his goons throw at you. So let’s conclude with some more applicable words of Jesus, for if it’s one thing our world badly needs right now, it’s joy. ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.’ (John 15:7) Then, He tells them that though they’ll be sad and sorrowful on His departure, their sorrow will be turned to joy when He rises from the dead and the Holy Spirit comes upon them. ”And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you… Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.’ (John 16:22,24) Much LOVE!…ask…not in greed, selfishness or evil…but in faith, kindness, LOVE and forgiveness…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 August 2009 Exodus 14:14‏

02 Aug 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Exodus 14:14      The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
 
Well my Friends, it’s now two Caribana Day parades I’ve missed, and surprisingly I’m not disappointed. I don’t even know how it turned out. No one’s said anything to me and I haven’t asked any questions. What a significant change in behaviour! A few years ago I would have died if I missed the day on the road to make a fool of myself, but since they put it on the Lakeshore, it’s lost it’s lustre, plus most of those I played the fool with don’t seem to go any longer. This year I was hovering on the fence, until I read that they intended to put up six foot barricades to stop the people from joining in on the road. That made my mind up. Carnival is a participating activity, not a spectator sport. Now, continuing from yesterday… Awright, I know that once I got up on my soapbox, I didn’t have the time nor space to give you the quotes I promised of the Lord fighting for His people. So we’ll begin with Joshua leading his people into the Promised Land; on the defeat of the Amorites. ‘And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.’ (Josh. 10:8) And whom Joshua missed, ‘the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones, than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. Then spake Joshua to the Lord…and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still and the moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves of their enemies….And there was no day like that before or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.’ (Josh.10:11-14) Yes my people, our God does intervene on His people’s behalf. He killed more that day with His hailstones than the Israelites with their swords, then He allowed Joshua to bring the sun and moon to a halt so that they could finish the job. Likewise, when Moab invaded Judah, and Zechariah’s son, Jehaziel was stirred by the Spirit to declare: ‘Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God’s.’ (2 Chron.20:9) Next day, they went out to battle singing and praising the Lord, who set up ambushes against their enemies and a great victory was won with much spoil. ‘And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel.’ (2 Chron.20:29) We should also talk about the Lord’s involvement at the Red Sea. First, He moved the pillar of cloud which had been leading them, to their back side, blocking them from the Egyptian’s sight and   making it dark for them, but bright for the Israelites. ‘And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea: and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left.’ (Ex.14:21-22) But when the Egyptians followed, the Lord discomfited them by malfunctioning their chariot wheels; ‘so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians.’ (Ex.14:25) After that, the Lord told Moses to stretch his hand over the sea again; ‘and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea…and all of the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea…Thus the Lord saved Israel that day…and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.’ (Ex.14:27-31) Then Moses sang unto the people: ‘The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.’ (Ex.15:2-3) Yes my people, the Israelites saw the great miracle the Lord performed on their behalf, they believed and Moses sang praises. Unfortunately, that didn’t last very long, for three days later in the wilderness of Shur, when bitter water was all they could find to drink, ‘the people murmured against Moses, saying, what shall we drink?’ (Ex.15:24) That sounds just like us today my Friends; no matter what or how much the Lord does for us, we’re never satisfied. For some strange reason we seem to think that the Lord’s there to jump to our every need as soon as it arises, or better yet, He should prevent the need from arising period. But Friends, as I reminded us yesterday, the Lord is not there to please us. He made us to please Him; to be His children, and do what He wants, not the other way around. He’s paying the piper, so He’s entitled to call the tune. He will work with us, but not for us simply because we ask. In everything, there’s a part for us to play. The Israelites, on that particular day, were told to hold their peace, be quiet, which they did. But in general, as His chosen people, they were expected to have faith, believe, trust, LOVE, honour and obey Him. When they adhered to the agreement, life went well with them. However, when they broke the covenant, the Lord punished them severely. The same thing goes for us my people; if we obey, life will be good, and if we disobey, we’ll suffer, as we’re doing now. Sin, disobedience, evil and ungodliness has reached such intolerable heights that the Lord has begun allowing the world to falter and stumble through natural disasters and man’s increasing inhumanity to man. Oh my people, let’s wake up and see what’s happening nuh. We’re not only wallowing in the mire of disobedience, but also drowning in the quicksand of evil that’s currently enveloping our world, and the only hand that can lift us out of our despair is the Lord’s. So let’s turn to Him with our sincere pleas before it’s too late nuh. He’s fought for His people many times before and there’s no reason why He won’t again, but we all have to come together as one and sincerely invoke His mercy and forgiveness. When we do that, He’ll be gracious and kind enough to lift us up out of the miry quicksand we’ve so foolishly gotten ourselves trapped in. Much LOVE!…the Lord will bend over backwards to help us…if only we ask in faith…and be truly grateful afterwards…
 

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