Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 January 2010 2 Chronicles 33:12‏

11 Jan 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Chronicles 33:12    And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Monday morning, cold and miserable, when the basic work week, read rat race, begins anew. That means believers need to be fully clothed in their spiritual armour before they leave home to face the enemy hordes, beginning on the crowded highways, leading to the concrete jungles where we slave during the day for a pittance. Those are the times when we’re most vulnerable to Beelzebub’s wiles and lies. So please listen to Bruh Paul and dress for maximum protection. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.’ (Eph.6:11) Otherwise we might just end up like Manasseh, one of Judah’s kings, who rebuilt all the high places and altars of heathen worship that his father Hezekiah had destroyed. ‘So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel. And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken (obey). (2 Chron.33:9-10) But what else is new eh Friends? The human spirit has rebelled against authority from the earliest times, even when we know that doing so will undoubtedly mean loss, hardship and punishment. And so said, so done: ‘Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns (with nose hooks), and bound him with fetters (bronze chains), and carried him to Babylon.’ (2 Chron.33:11) Oh my people, when are we going to learn eh? It’s the same thing we’re doing now, rollicking and rolling in all sorts of ungodliness that  is breaking our heavenly Father’s heart. Just like we don’t like to punish our children, but must if they disobey, He has to do the same with us. For though He’s a titan of LOVE, He’s also one of truth and justice, meaning that at some stage of the game we will pay for our disobedience, just like Manasseh. The sad part is that we only seem to smarten up after we’ve been punished. Why is that eh? Can we have a mental screw missing or something? Or are we just so proud and arrogant, believing we know it all, that we blatantly ignore numerous previous examples of godly retribution and figure it won’t happen to us? Why? I don’t know. The Lord’s been saying it from day one:  ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’ (2 Chron.7: 14) And since we worship and unchangeable God, that means the decree still stands; ‘disobey and you will be punished,’ and it will stand till the end of time. However, it’s both amusing and sad that once misfortune befalls us, we’re suddenly transformed from big and bumptious, to small and humble, like Manasseh. ‘And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.’ Oh Friends, isn’t that a vivid reminder of our own behaviour? When things are going good, we have no time for God, but once we run into trouble, we’re quick to cry out to Him. Obviously Manasseh never learned from his father’s submission to the Lord, nor we from ours. He didn’t understand that prevention is always better than a cure. ‘Nothwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.’ (2 Chron.32:26) Some of us, like Manasseh, apparently can only learn the hard way. Then we get all teary eyed and fall on our knees and beg for mercy. That’s exactly what Manasseh did. ‘And prayed unto him: and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God.’ (2 Chron.33:13) Praise the Lord for His LOVING kindness and mercy yes mih people, cause we’re no different. Only when trials and tribulations beset us that many of us even remember there’s a God. But Friends, it should not be a sort of knee-jerk reaction. We should be walking in obedience to the Lord’s will from the very beginning. As Peter rightly advises: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet.5:6-11) Friends, that’s how true believers are supposed to operate. So let’s smarten up and behave the way we should nuh. Much LOVE!…if yuh doh hear…yuh surely going to feel…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 January 2010 Proverbs 19:13‏

10 Jan 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 19:13     A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.
 
Oh Friends, before we get into the Bit, let me apologize for a numerical error I made yesterday. I said that I’d been writing this wonderful piece (smile) for four years. Sorry, but it’s only three, though we’re into the fourth calendar year; 07,08,09,10. The full three years won’t be up till late February, early March. I guess my faith was much stronger than my counting. But that’s good cause I’m obviously foreseeing myself having completed four years, and hopefully many more, which all depends though on the plans of the Grand Master. And who knows what plans He has in store for any of us? We’re sure though, that whatever they are, they will be for our good, to enable, not to harm us. But enough of me and my rambling, let’s get to the task at hand, the second part of the Bit; ‘and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.’ Hn, hn! Cousin Sol was really something else yes in his choice of words. Though we may not like them, they do convey the truth. A wife’s constant complaining and dissatisfaction are like an unending irritation that just wearies one’s soul. It compares to the monotonous buzzing of a bee or some night insect that keeps on making the same sound, which eventually drives you crazy. You can even liken it to an itch in some unreachable part of your body. You know how those can be very irritating. Some of you female readers might take umbrage at the statements posed here, but if you’ll look at the situation honestly, you’ll find that the statements are true. It is difficult to live with anyone who’s usually complaining, dissatisfied and negative. Don’t worry ladies, it also applies to men, but it just so happens that the female of the species tends to be the more nagging and complaining partner. (smile) But whether it’s a contentious wife or husband, they both can ruin the other’s life, home and family. And Sol doesn’t leave it there, he offers up some more wise words on the subject, for example: ‘It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.’ (Prov.21:9) And isn’t that the gospel truth Friends! It’s often easier to live peacefully in a little corner of the house by yourself, than in the whole house with an annoying spouse. Now if that didn’t grab you, listen to this statement. ‘It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and angry woman.’ (Prov.21:19) Hn! Sol wasn’t making joke there at all nuh Friends. He claims it’s better to live in the desert, than with an angry, miserable person, which is pushing the envelope a bit, but if your thing is peace at all costs, then it does make sense. Sadly though, dissatisfaction, nagging and constant harassment is a prime reason for the breakdown of the family in today’s society. For one reason or another, few people seem to be relatively happy and contented with their spouses, and that negativity eventually seeps down to the children, then the entire household becomes contentious and unhappy. Oh Friends, the purpose of two people living together in matrimony is to help, encourage, uplift, and reassure each other, to provide a LOVING relationship, not only of the romantic kind, but one that enhances the human condition, that makes one feel like there’s something to live for, a reason to get up every morning. Unfortunately, we’re seeing less and less of these relationships. Spouses seem to expect perfection from their partners, when they themselves are far from perfect, and like everything else nowadays, there’s only a very small, window of opportunity. Understanding and compromise between imperfect people doesn’t exist much anymore. It’s simply, if we can’t fix it right now, then see you later alligator, it’s over. Just the very pace of modern society and it’s many demands works against the building of successful relationships. Today it takes much more gumption and willingness to keep a relationship afloat, than say two or three decades ago. Back then most people expected to be in it for the long haul, and something serious would have to happen for it to come crashing down. But today any frivolous nonsense will dissolve relationships. That’s why we have to be very careful before entering any long-term relationship. We have to know the negative baggage that each person is bringing to it, though the baggage usually comes out only after the relationship has been cemented. It’s one of the many reasons young people don’t get married or commit to a long term affair and just shack up, figuring that if it doesn’t work out, then it’ll be much easier to end. Oh Friends, no relationship is perfect, but we won’t have a stable society if we keep jumping here, there and every where, because stability comes from an inner sense of purpose to generally keep a good thing going. And many of the problems stem from pure selfishness and/or the exaggerated expectations on someone’s part, which in turn is generated by the unreasonable and selfish attitudes prevailing in our society. But Friends, true progress only results from stability. So if we intend to build a stable society, then we need to stop all the fussing and fighting over petty and immaterial things, cut out the dissension in our families and outside relationships, otherwise it will just continue to deteriorate. My people, we are our worse enemies, and until we realize that and truly decide to change, then there isn’t much hope for us. And I’ll close with a statement outlining how it should be. I’m not sure how I came by the original statement, but I’ve added my own touch to it. And it says: ‘Behind, before, or beside every successful man or woman, is a sensible, understanding man or woman.’ Yes mih Friends, we can only improve when we’re working with sensible, understanding people. So let’s see if we can’t generate some badly needed understanding in our society this year nuh. Much LOVE!…it takes one hand to wash another… two hands to clap…and two people to tango…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 January 2010 Proverbs 19:13‏

09 Jan 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 19:13     A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.
 
Ah Friends, I am ready to write, but I don’t know what to write. (smile) I’ve asked for help, but it hasn’t arrived as yet. So all I can do is wait and hope, but with the faith and assurance that help will be forthcoming before it’s too late. Yuh know, sometimes the Father drives me bonkers with His last minute style. I guess He’s trying to improve my patience level and see how strong my faith really is. Oh my faith is strong, else I wouldn’t be writing this Bit for almost four years now. My impatience meter though, that’s another story. It has improved over the years, but I doubt I’ll ever lose the urge, the desire to get stuff done within a reasonable time frame, rather than always be on the last minute train, rushing to complete a project or go somewhere, since that course is always fraught with mistakes and problems. Do you hear me chuckling Friends? That’s because our God is not only wonderful re blessings, mercy and forgiveness, but He also has a highly refined sense of humour. You’ll notice that though I didn’t know what to write at first, I ended up writing a lot. That was the help I sought, but given in a roundabout way. I had to make a start before He would intervene. I guess that was just one of His little ways of testing me, of gauging my level of surrender, to see if I’m a foolish son who’ll bring calamity upon his Father. He knows that I won’t knowingly cause Him problems, but we can’t say the same for many of our children in relation to us, human parents. And that’s especially true in this day of family, state and church breakdown, hence a time of untold freedom, lax morality and many other negative things like the current cult of celebrity, with no redeeming qualities or values whatsoever. Sol contends that ‘A foolish son is the calamity of his father.’ And that has much truth to it, for an unwise son could ruin a father’s life and home at any time, but even more so under the prevailing lax, loose conditions of our current society. Nowadays that proverb doesn’t only apply to sons but also to daughters, since many restrictions have been lifted from their once cloistered, convent-like existence. And I don’t care what the supposed experts say, one of the main reasons for this lax, lackadaisical society is the parents lax, lackadaisical attitude and approach to parenting. The Good Book makes it abundantly clear that if you spare the rod you’ll spoil the child. And we’re not talking about physical abuse, but children need to be made to understand right from the very beginning that disobedience will be punished. Now if God punishes His children for disobedience, why shouldn’t we do the same to ours? It’s our parental duty, and shirking it for whatever reason, doesn’t help, it only encourages them in the negative patterns. My children can’t tell you they were physically abused, and though they were basically good children, every so often they needed a slap or strap to keep them on the straight and narrow. And I know a lot of people consider a strap or slap physical abuse, but you don’t have to overdo it, and it does work in most cases. But that’s why we have children running around like ‘leggo’ beasts, with no manners, and no respect for any authority, especially their parents. Steups! The way I hear some children talking to their parents eh, mine wouldn’t dream of doing that with me, cause they know that big as they are, I wouldn’t be afraid to box the teeth out of their mouths. Ah mih people. Sol does have two other interesting statements I want to point out. ‘The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother shame.’ (Prov.29:15)  ‘Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.’ (Prov.15:17) Now those are two bits of scripture that this generation of parents either didn’t know or for some reason ignored, hence the general lawlessness and sad behaviour of the upcoming generation. To some extent you can’t blame them because we didn’t teach them the right things or the right way. Sol also had something sensible to say on that point. ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ (Prov.22:6) Oh Friends, don’t tell we’ve trained up our children right, otherwise they wouldn’t be as selfish, immoral, rude and disrespectful as they are. And Friends I’m no prude or unwavering disciplinarian, in fact I’m quite liberal, but children must be taught from an early age that there are boundaries and limits a decent society or family will tolerate, and if they cross those boundaries or exceed the limits then they will pay a price in accordance with the severity of their disobedience. Oh Friends, I don’t know how many of you agree with me, but I’m sure you can’t be thrilled with the overall behaviour of young people today. And I’m not saying that every situation calls for a slap or strap, there are other ways to get the message across. All I’m saying is that we can’t completely rule out physical contact, at our own or society’s expense, cause that’s all many people understand. My mother punished me in other ways, but I always knew the strap was a real possibility, and sometimes it was preferable to other forms of punishment, because your skin soon cooled from the few lashes and you could get back to your normal routine, while some of the other forms were much more intrusive and emotionally painful. And that’s what I don’t like about some of the new fangled ways of punishment. I think they tend to leave more emotional scars on the children than the odd slap or strap. Oh Friends we’ve only covered one half of the Bit. Hn! From not knowing what to write, to writing so much, but those who know me, know that children’s generally negative behaviour today is one of my pet peeves. It annoys me no end. Anyway that’s my spiel for today. We’ll tackle the other part tomorrow, God willing. Till then Much LOVE!…a strong, god-fearing society must have… firm, reasonable borders and limits…but also requisite punishment for exceeding them…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 January 2010 John 12:24‏

08 Jan 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 12:24     Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth fruit.
 
Oh Friends, the first week of January is finished already! Wow! It certainly has flown by quickly. Just a few days ago we were partying, celebrating New Year’s, now we’re stuck in the old, everyday bump and grind once again. I’m glad it’s passing so quickly though, hopefully it will get rid of the cold, nasty winter weather sooner rather than later. Brrr! And hope is what our quote today deals with. ‘All human wisdom is summed up in two words: wait and hope.’ Those are the reputed words of Alexandre Dumas, (1802-1870) the prolific 19th century author, playwright, and historian. He’s the author of such prominent works like The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo and The Man in the Iron Mask, and obviously knew something about life cause his statement is true. And it was just borne out by my own words, hoping that the winter passes quickly. I’m hoping that it does, but all I can do is wait and see. In reality that quote sort of enters into every facet of our lives, for almost everything we do is a matter of wait and see and hope. It’s the same principle that Jesus expounds in Today’s Bit. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn (grain) of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth (remains) alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth fruit.’ Yes Friends, no seeds can bear fruit unless they’re first planted in dark, soggy ground, unless they’re buried, shut in a place of darkness. It’s strange, and rather unique, the way God planned it; that a seed must be in darkness to germinate, to be able to reproduce itself and fruit. Logically speaking, one would expect the seed to need lots of light to go through the reproduction cycle, but our God, in His eternal and everlasting wisdom decreed it differently. The seed needs to die first, before it can be born again as a new tree, bearing new fruit. And oh my people, the same principle applies to us believers. We cannot become true believers unless we die first; die to ourselves, our selfishness and to the lusts, frailties and many temptations of this evil world. To truly receive Christ, we must be born again, become a new person spiritually, get rid of all the old habits associated with Beelzebub and his evil ways. Then a new respect for both God and man flourishes within us. Being born again is like the seed buried in the cold, dark earth, where we first exist in cold, evil darkness following the enemy. But when Jesus comes into our lives, when the seed of the gospel is planted in us, that old enemy is buried forever. However, like the seed that sprouts strong roots in the darkness of the earth and which eventually bursts forth into the light, as a new entity, through God’s awesome inbuilt power, we too are granted the power to rise from the throes of death through Jesus’ Holy Spirit. Friends, when we bury Lucifer and his wickedness, a new, strong motivating force develops within us and a new man arises from the ashes. That same principle also applies to the resurrection of our spiritual beings after our physical death. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus was so brilliant and focused in His thinking that he could tie all three things together with one simple example that the agrarian society of His day could understand. They all knew that new seed and fruit could only be had by planting seed, but now He also points out that a true believer, like a seed, must first die to themselves and be reborn before they can receive salvation and enter into His fold. The same goes for eternal life: we can’t receive it until we die a physical death. Then through the wonderful and astonishing power of Christ, we are able to rise again spiritually and pass into everlasting life with Him. Oh Friends, I don’t know if I’m doing a good job explaining this, so let’s defer right now to a better explainer, Bruh Paul, as he discourses on the spiritual body. ‘But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened (made alive) except it die. And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare (mere) grain, it may chance (perhaps) of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.’ (1 Cor.15:35-38) Yes Friends, all God’s creations have their own special bodies; humans, fishes, animals, star, sun, moon, earth etc. as well as different glory as Bruh Paul goes on to explain; (vs.39-41) ‘So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption (a perishable state); it is raised in incorruption (imperishable) It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.’ (1 Cor.15:42-44) Yes Friends, that’s the miracle of the dead seed sown in the dark earth and also the miracle of Jesus’ Spirit sown in our evil sinful souls. Let’s contemplate on those miracles and honour our God and Saviour for their many mercies and blessings that we don’t deserve and can never repay. Much LOVE!…from the darkness of the earth and soul…comes glorious rebirth…through Jesus…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 January 2010 Psalm 67:2‏

07 Jan 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 67:2     That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.
 
Well top o’ the morning to all you beautiful people out there in Scrip-Bit Land. (smile) It’s a new day and with it comes new mercies, new beginnings and new endings, but in all of that the Word of the Lord still stands predominant, still prevails over the land. Sing a loud ‘Hallelujah!’ for that my people. Now Alexander Pope reputedly said that ‘A little learning is a dangerous thing,’ and it can be argued both ways. If you don’t know enough, you’re liable to make mistakes. But then again, if you have no learning, what can you do, of what use are you? And that relates to all things and topics. At least with a little knowledge, if you’re smart, you can ask questions. And that Friends is what we’re talking about today: knowledge of the Lord God Jehovah. I put it to you that a little knowledge of our God is much better than none at all. The writer of Psalm 67 was indeed learned in the Lord, that’s why it’s titled; ‘Let all the people praise thee.’ It’s a song of thanksgiving, gratitude and high confidence in the Heavenly Father, which begins thus: ‘God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.’ (Ps.67:1) Ah my people, only if you’re acquainted with the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will you be able to write those words. You must first know that He’s merciful, blessed, and provides emotional upliftment to those who seek Him. And why does the Psalmist call for these things? ‘That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.’ Yes Friends, the most important thing on this earth is God’s Word, and our most important task is to spread it. And how is it to be spread? Jesus said it: ‘Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.’ (Mat.28:19-20) Wow! What a daunting, but oh so worthy task! And note the promise of His presence always and forever. That gives us strength and assurance to go forth and spread the Word without fear. Here is an excellent example. It’s the story of Apollos, Bruh Paul’s associate. ‘And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently (accurately) the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded (explained) unto him the way of God more perfectly (accurately). And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace. For he mightily convinced (refuted) the Jews, and that publicly; showing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.’ (Acts 18:24-28) Friends, that’s how it goes! Apollos, though very eloquent and learned in the Old Testament, only had a little learning re the New Covenant of Christ, but when Aquila and Priscilla heard him speak in the temple they took him under their wing and taught him the new way. He eventually became a popular missionary, even rivalling Bruh Paul in some believer’s hearts. That’s what the Psalmist and Jesus were seeking; believers spreading God’s Word upon earth, ‘thy saving health among all nations.’ And that ‘saving health’ my people is salvation; God’s saving grace. What good is knowing or hearing the Word if nobody accepts it, along with the saving grace that God offers? Isaiah rightfully declared: ‘The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.’ (Isa.52:10) Will we ever my brethren!That’s because the Lord has revealed His awesome might and power to all the world. Some of us know it, but many others don’t and it’s our job to teach it to them. Psalm 98 rejoices with Praise to God for His salvation: ‘O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the glory. The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly revealed (showed) in the sight of the heathen.’  (Ps.98:1-2) That’s the gospel truth people, acknowledged by none other than Bruh Paul in his missive to Titus. ‘For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.’ (Tit.2:11-14) There you have it Friends; strong words on salvation from the both the Old Testament and the New Covenant of Christ. To Him may all praise and glory be given for His super-human efforts on our behalf. And may we go forth, believing in Him and spreading His Holy Word to all the world as he asked. Salvation is meant for all, but you can’t get it unless you’re told about it. Friends, that’s our job. Let’s rise up sincerely this year and do it to the best of our ability. Much LOVE!…salvation is not a secret…but good news to be spread…to everyone…everywhere…  
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 January 2010 Psalm 8:1‏

06 Jan 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 8:1     O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
 
Oh Friends, Psalm 8 is a song of Bruh David about God’s glory and man’s honour, but I have a quote to share that casts serious doubts on the latter. It says: ‘Advertising may be described as the science of arresting human intelligence long enough to get money from it.’ Hn! Those are the words of Canadian humorist, Stephen Leacock and they ring very true, because we fall prey so often to the advertiser’s con game of buying stuff we don’t really need, or even want, but since it looks like such a good bargain we purchase it. We’ve been conditioned, brain washed to look for the good bargains by the powers of commercialism. But Friends, you know what’s really remarkable about that quote? It comes from a book by Leacock, ‘Garden of Folly,’ published in 1924. I don’t know if advertising was even born then, and if it was, it was surely still in its infancy. However, Leacock was enough of a visionary to see the signs that lead it to where it is today; one of the biggest, glitziest, most wasteful and least trustworthy industries in our world. Now compare that to Bruh David’s opening remark of Psalm 8. ‘O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!’ The Lord our God sure has a better standing in our society than the advertising industry. Even with some of Lucifer’s cronies, which says a lot. Our God is reliable, sincere, LOVING and true. Whatever He says, we can believe, unlike the advertising industry. And as Bruh David asks; ‘What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour.’ (Ps.8:4-5) That’s a very good question mih people. Why does our God care about and pay so much attention to us eh? It’s simple, because He LOVES us. We are the work of His hands, and as such are special to Him. A special place is reserved in His heart only for us. It’s no different to our making things, or children. Because they are of our creation, they occupy a distinctive and unique place in our emotions. Friends, it’s the same with our God, the Most High God Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To Him we’re unique, special, distinctive and any other synonymous adjectives. And it shows up in the fact that the Lord’s excellence is praised throughout the Good Book. Listen to this poignant example: ‘Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent (exalted); his glory is above the heaven and earth. He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord!’ (Ps.148:13-14) Yes Friends, shout ‘Hallelujah!’ for the Lord is so great that He doesn’t only exalt Himself but also those who sincerely follow Him. ‘Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.’ (Ps.8:6) He provides strength and dominion to those who follow Him in truth and righteousness, who are obedient to His commandments, who have entirely surrendered their being to Him. That is what makes Him such a great God. His unselfishness and unconditional LOVE puts Him way above any other supposed deities. He wants only the best for His children, and only asks that we pay Him the homage He’s due, glorify His Holy Name as we ought. As Bruh David declares in the second part of our Bit: ‘who hast set thy glory above the heavens.’ That’s a fact my brethren! The Lord God Jehovah has indeed set His glory and majesty above all, as acknowledged by the Psalmist: ‘When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained.’ (Ps.8:3) That’s just the way it is my people! The Lord made the universe and all therein, and it’s so wonderfully made that when we consider it, chills of admiration and wonderment come to our hearts and minds. We’re reminded with much astonishment and everlasting gratitude that the same omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Being that made such a marvellous world, also created us with the same LOVING care and kindness that He used on the inanimate objects. Sorry, that should be more LOVING care and kindness, cause we’re made in His image, and judging from our humble status, anything we make in our image we spend much time and consideration in creating it, and then we prize and treasure it greatly. Why would our God be any different in that respect eh, since we’re a reflection of Him? As the Psalmist reflected, we’re wonderfully made, and though in a position a little lower than the angels, we’ve still been crowned with honour and glory. Friends, that means we’re a select, special people, so let’s begin acting like it nuh. Let’s start honouring our God and heavenly Father, glorifying His Holy Name the way we should, and He expects. In truth my people, all the Lord has asked of us really is just to glorify Him in all we do. Nothing else. If we do that, then He’ll be a most happy God, and will shower us with endless blessings. Now note, we’re not glorifying Him only to get blessings. We’re glorifying Him because He deserves it, it’s His rightful due, and we’re very grateful for all He’s done on our behalf. Remember, it’s the heart He checks; all else is secondary. And Friends, all of this dovetails so nicely with our resolution that 2010 will be the year of the Lord, of righteousness, of renewal, of turning back to Him, the year when His followers will stir up a mighty LOVE Revolution in His Name. So let’s get on with the action nuh, we’ve talked about it long enough. Much LOVE!…t’is the time to…turn, turn, turn…back to the Lord…and glorify His Holy Name…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 January 2010 Psalm 8:1‏

05 Jan 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 8:1     O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
 
Well Friends, I guess everything is slowly getting back to what we consider normal after the Christmas season. We’re back on the treadmill of rushing off to work from home only to sit in a traffic jam and crawl along. School is open too, so we have to get the children ready for the baby sitter and all that. By the time we get to work we’re exhausted, especially if we didn’t have time to grab that morning cup of coffee. Then in the evening, it’s rush out of work, sit in a traffic jam again, pick up the children, make supper, get them ready for bed, fix stuff for the next day, then fall into bed exhausted, only to wake after a few hours of restless sleep to a shrill alarm and begin the whole cycle again. No wonder our stress levels are so high, the demands of our society don’t give us enough respite from the wear and tear of everyday life. But remember Friends, this is 2010, and we promised ourselves not to allow life to run us like it’s been doing. Instead, from here on in, we’re going to take hold of the reins and we’ll run life. Many of the things we do are important and necessary, but many are also unimportant and unnecessary. We have to look closely at our lives and weed out the unimportant, unnecessary things, learn to prioritize those many demands that are placed on us. At some stage we have to say no to some, else we’ll just ruin our health and not enjoy life at all, if we try to do them all. The Lord didn’t make us to go full out for ever. There’s supposed to be some semblance of balance in our lives if we intend to live to a healthy, decent age. So please slow down, get your priorities straight and enjoy your life as you go along. It’s the only one you’ll ever get, so make time to stop and smell the roses. Yes make time. This whole exercise has to be done on a conscious level with a conscious effort, else we’ll just continue along the same old path. You have to do it. It won’t happen just by wishing. And here’s a healthy helper as suggested by Elsa Maxwell: ‘Laugh at yourself before anybody else can.’ Yes Friends, laughter in general is good for the soul, body and mind. It’s one of the best preventive medicines we have. It’s cheap, costs nothing and is also great at restoring a sense of balance. We all need some humour, some levity in our lives, and lack of it is one of the reasons why we’re always so stressed out and uptight; we take life a little too seriously and go about with a sour demeanour. But laughter relaxes us, and they say it takes fewer muscles, and consequently, less effort to smile than to frown. And it not only brightens up our individual lives, but also those around us. Laughter is very contagious, so let’s try to have at least one good, hearty laugh each and every day. Mih people, it’s much better than many of the pills and whatever we’re popping to keep us going. Remember Jesus died so that we could have a good life, which means not only work, but fun and laughter too. Many of us feel though that to laugh or have a light-hearted attitude is frivolous, but that’s not true at all Friends. With a pleasant, light-hearted attitude you can get much more accomplished in less time because you’re relaxed, not tense and uptight, therefore you’re better able to concentrate on your tasks. It’s not to say we shouldn’t be serious about our lives and the things around us, but our society has become so crazy and high tensioned that we go around like robots or automatons, nobody smiling, only a friendly few, no time for the niceties of human interaction. And have you noticed our attitudes at work Friends? We’re rude, aggressive and unmannerly to both the public we serve as well as our co-workers. That kind of atmosphere is definitely not healthy, neither is it conducive to the smooth and efficient running of any workplace. And sadly, that attitude ruins our work ethic and breeds inefficiency. Now don’t even start me on that nuh. With all the supposed helpful technology we have today, our businesses are much more inefficient than before. It’s been over two months now I instructed one of the big banks up here to stop transferring money from one account to another, but it’s still going on. I’ve called and left messages, but to no avail. Ah Friends, call me old-fashioned yes, but I prefer the slower pace of life when you dealt with people whom you could trust to actually get things done. And if they didn’t, you could get them on the phone, not just an answering machine and unreturned calls. The trouble is that everybody wants to get into the technological swing, but very few seem to know what they’re doing, plus the staff has either been poorly trained and /or just don’t care. The state of the economy and the world in general certainly don’t make people feel comfortable in their jobs or normal lives, which again leads to more stress and tension. Hn, hn! Oh Friends, it seems that the Holy Spirit blindsided me, as it is won’t to do every so often, and have me writing what I didn’t plan to write. But He’s my guide and director, I’m just the lowly scribe, the messenger. And I guess today He wanted to send a message that we should all try and reduce our stress levels this year, cause it’s part of our New Year’s resolution of raising our righteousness at least one notch. We obviously can’t be righteous if we’re tired, stressed out and miserable. And truly Friends, if we lightened up some, we’d see such a marked change in ourselves, our surroundings and our society; more friendly people with smiling faces, less sour demeanours. Overall we’d be a better and more godly society, which is exactly what we’re trying to accomplish. So let’s lighten up nuh and get in a few hearty chuckles everyday, it will do us a world of good. Don’t worry, we’ll get into the Psalm tomorrow, God willing. Much LOVE!…a little laughter…can prevent many tears…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 January 2010 Proverbs 10:4‏

04 Jan 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 10:4     He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
 
Oh Friends, can you believe that Scrip-Bit is now in its fourth calendar year! Wow! What a far cry from its humble beginnings in Feb/March of 2007. Hn, hn! I distinctly remember chuckling long, but not too hard, at the absurdity of the idea, when the Lord first broached it. Then I sadly informed Him that I wasn’t capable of writing on scriptural matters. Me, write about scripture? What a blast! I wasn’t qualified. But when He sets something in motion, He never takes no for an answer, as I eventually found out. However, as He’s always said, and certainly proven in this case, He never assigns us a task without the wherewithal to do it. Surprisingly too, three years later, a fair number of people are seriously interested in what I write, and I have certainly matured in my Christian walk. It hasn’t always been easy, though not truly difficult in the real sense of the word. It’s been mostly time consuming, and above all, requiring much perseverance. There were many times I didn’t know what to write about and pleaded for help. And yuh know what Friends? Our God always came through. Not always how or when I desired, but He always made a made way, and still does. Yes mih people, it’s been all the Lord’s doing. It’s only through His strength and guidance that I’ve been able to sustain it for so long. As Bruh Paul so rightly declared: ‘I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.’  (1 Cor.3:6) That’s so true my brethren; it’s always the Lord who gives whatever increase or success we achieve. It might appear that our hard work made all the difference, and it does make some, but without God’s positive and purposeful intervention, nothing will ever prosper. By the same token, we just can’t leave everything to God and expect it to flourish, because accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour means we’ve entered into a partnership with Him, and partners always have a specific role to play. Now if we play our part, then the Lord will play His, but we’ve usually got to play ours first, through some unwavering faith, trust and surrender to His omniscient will. As our Bit says: ‘He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand.’ Meaning that if one is continually negligent and uninspired, you certainly won’t increase and poverty will be your eventual lot. And as Cousin Sol further contends: ‘Slothfulness (laziness) casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.’ (Prov.19:15) Oh Friends, have you ever wondered how Sol came up with all those wise, truthful sayings? Even though the Lord imbued him with enormous wisdom, Sol himself obviously didn’t deal with a slack hand. He obviously had to put plenty elbow grease into his divinations. I don’t know if we can call him the inventor of research, but he surely spent a lot of time studying nature and human behaviour. He undoubtedly practiced what he preached: ‘but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.’ Now that is so true, for without diligence; meaning things like active searching  for ideas, information and materials, plus positive effort, perseverance and perspiration, no project or scheme will ever come to successful fruition. Listen to some more of Sol’s wise words on the subject. ‘The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.’ (Prov.12:24) Words to live by mih people! The diligent and hardworking shall rule, while the lazy shall be put to forced labour. And isn’t that the way life usually evolves? Those with get up and go usually lord it over the lazy and slothful. And lest we forget Friends, those two words, lazy and slothful, do not exist in Jesus’ vocabulary, neither should they exist in those of His followers. Remember the number one goal in all of Jesus’ activities, and hence His followers, is excellence. We should always aspire to be excellent. That is one of the attributes that separates believers from the usual run of the mill, ordinary individuals; believers try to do things well, or don’t do them at all. So if you’re lazy, or given to slackness, then you can’t truthfully call yourself a Christian, because you’re not exerting yourself to further Christ’s kingdom, and that’s the mark of a true believer. Hear some more of Sol’s wisdom on the matter. ‘The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.’ (Prov.13:4) More words of gospel my brethren! Lazy, sluggish people have great desires, want a lot, but really have nothing. Just sitting idly by and wanting or desiring doesn’t make it so. But the person who gets up and does something positive about those wants and desires will eventually get them. And sadly Friends, today’s society is riddled with too many lazy, uncouth sluggards, those who want all the finery life has to offer but refuse to work for it. And it’s not even so much a matter of honesty, because a successful crook has to work twice as hard as an honest man, but it’s more in the value of doing something and attempting to do it well. There’s so much enticement, ‘eye-candy’ out there, and so many invitations from the enemy, pointing out the ease with which we can try or acquire them, that one has to be spiritually strong to resist most of the temptations. But unfortunately, a lot of us, especially the youth, don’t have that spiritual belly and backbone to say no to many of the worldly lusts thrust at us. Oh my people, I’m imploring us to not let laziness filled with great want and lust for worldly things be our way of life, but rather, let’s work on the principle of excellence in all things worthy of Jesus’ Name. Much LOVE!…by the sweat of thy brow…thou shalt eat bread…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 January 2010 Psalm 130:4‏

03 Jan 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 130:4     But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
 
It’s day number three of 2010 Friends! How are we doing with those resolutions? I sure hope one of them was to conscientiously celebrate the Sabbath, refreshing your mind, body and soul in the Lord with praise and fellowship, so that you can face the enemy fresh, lively and agile on Monday morning, and you’re not already breaking it this the first week of the New Year. A Bruh Paulian sentence! (smile) Anyway, as promised, we’ll continue talking today about forgiveness, and how it brings such peace to one’s soul. Now, in many cases it’s not easy to forgive those who’ve wronged or hurt us severely, and it might take a long while to accomplish, but the point is, if we expect forgiveness from others for our wrongs, then we must also be prepared to forgive others. That was Jesus’ first, last and only word on the subject. And like many things in life, we won’t accomplish it unless we work steadfastly at it, cause if we let  unforgiveness grow and fester in our hearts and souls, then we’ll just become bitter people, fixated on hatred and revenge. And you know what that means Friends? That we’re in cahoots with the enemy, because a bitter, resentful person cannot truly work on God’s behalf since the overwhelming, essential part of God’s being is LOVE, from which flows everything else. Oh Friends, contrary to what many think, forgiveness is not for the other person, it’s mainly for us, for our peace of mind. We are the chief beneficiaries of forgiveness. Remember too, our quote from yesterday said that ‘To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of LOVE.’ And if you don’t believe it, just check out our God. Why do you think He sent His Only Son Jesus into the world to die for us? Because in addition to being LOVING, He’s also just and righteous. In His LOVE alone, He could have wiped out our sins with a simple wave of His hand, but to fulfill the just and righteous part, our monumental mountain of sins had to be paid for, and by a totally innocent person, otherwise the whole exercise would be rendered trite and meaningless. And who are the only totally innocent, sinless persons in the world eh? The triune Godhead! The Father couldn’t come cause He was running the show. Neither could The Holy Spirit cause He was the messenger. That left only the Son, Jesus. Poor fella. He had to bear the brunt, pay the exorbitant ransom for our sins with His innocent life? Why? Because the Father LOVED us so much, was hurting due to our excessively sinful nature, and wanted to bring us back to Him in a way that would never require or necessitate any more sacrifices. Oh my people, I doubt we can ever truly understand or comprehend the nature of that LOVE cause it’s so overwhelming. We all LOVE our children, but how many would really volunteer to sacrifice their only son for a bunch of worthless, ungrateful sinners? Not very many, unless you didn’t really LOVE your son. But that’s how much the Lord LOVED us. It was the only way our sins could be forgiven in a just and righteous manner. And even before the Lord sent Jesus to die for us, His mercy and forgiveness were well known. Yesterday we heard what He said to Moses on Mt.Sinai, and how Nehemiah stressed His forgiving nature when he pleaded for help to rebuild Jerusalem. Let’s look now at some other instances where the Old Testament faithful proclaimed the Lord’s great attribute of forgiveness. And yuh know Friends, nobody says it better then mih boy, Bruh David. Yes, I’m biased. (smile) ‘For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.’ (Ps.86:5) And surely Bruh David wouldn’t lie about something so serious. Neither would Isaiah, that great spokesperson of God, when he said: ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Isa.55:7) Now hear Daniel, another Old Testament stalwart. ‘To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.’ (Dan.9:9) So Friends, we see that from long before Jesus came, our God was real big on forgiveness. Then to top it all, He sent Jesus to pay the whopping price needed to redeem us, so that we could be forgiven forever if we believed on Jesus’ Name. Why? Because of His exceeding great LOVE for us. Price was no object. He’d pay any price just to get His beautiful, handmade creations, created in His image, back to His fold. He was too concerned with our eternal life to just let us be lost forever in outer darkness with the evil Lucifer as our guardian. And Friends, if that most dramatic, touching and heart-warming story of such an overwhelming LOVE, with no conditions whatsoever attached, planned and perfectly executed by the Lord on our behalf, doesn’t grip, touch and move you right down in the very depths of you heart, soul and spirit; if the greatest LOVE Story ever told doesn’t make you a firm believer…Hn! Then I don’t know what will. Much LOVE!…to err is human…to forgive is divine…let’s become divine nuh…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 January 2010 Psalm 130:4‏

02 Jan 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 130:4     But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
 
Oh Friends, it’s the second day of 2010! How are we doing with those New Year resolutions? Have we broken any as yet?  In particular, are we keeping the one that I asked us to make, stepping up our righteous living a notch? Hn! I guess some of us are still in partying mode, but that shouldn’t prevent us from leading a righteous life, since the two are not mutually exclusive. However, I want to share a quote that will certainly raise our standing with God if we take it to heart and adopt it. Robert Muller claims: ‘To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of LOVE. In return you will receive untold peace and happiness.’ And that my people is gospel! Forgiveness is a unique thing that brings peace to one’s soul and spirit. You feel like a great weight has been lifted off your chest or shoulders. I can personally attest to that. Forgiveness sets you free my people! And lack of it is one of the main causes of all the problems in our world. Too many of us are too ignorant and stubborn to forgive, so we go around riddled with resentment, anger and hatred, holding a lot of petty things in our hearts against friends, families and even strangers. Unfortunately that only increases our stress level and causes further illness. Oh my brethren, we’ve become so self-centred and small-minded that we take umbrage at the smallest slight, then to make matters worse we go around carrying that unnecessary baggage of resentment and/or anger. It oftimes shows up in acts of revenge; some non violent, like verbal and emotional abuse, but far too many of a violent nature, stabbings, shootings, beatings and terrorist activities. And sadly, it seems to be very ingrained in our youth and they are bearing the brunt of it. A lot of the time too, we’re only doing ourselves harm, cause the person(s) to whom our righteous anger and unforgiveness is directed either doesn’t know or care. Please remember what Jesus said about forgiveness: ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Mat.6:14-15) And what is the prayer pattern Jesus taught us, which most of us pray, though often by rote, not really thinking about what we’re saying? ‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (Mat.6:12) It’s plain, simple language Friends: as we forgive, so will we be forgiven. We can’t ask the Father to forgive us, if we’re not forgiving others. Now what does our quote say? ‘To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of LOVE.’ And where does LOVE come from? From God! So if we’re not forgiving then we’re not truly LOVING either. And as the Psalmist asks: ‘If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?’ (Ps.130: 3) Oh Friends, none of us will stand, because we’re all children of iniquity. ‘But there is forgiveness with thee.’ That’s for sure my people! Our God is the most forgiving Being in the universe. He declared it from the very start: ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…’ (Ex.34:6-7) Yes Friends, those were the Lord’s own words, so how can we doubt them eh? He proclaimed them to Moses through a cloud, his second time up Mt. Sinai to have the Ten Commandments written over. If He wasn’t very forgiving and merciful the Israelites would not have had so many chances of disobedience. Nehemiah also acknowledged the Lord’s great penchant for forgiveness. Having admitted his people’s sinful behaviour, he said; "but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsook them not.’ (Neh.9:17) And if you read that whole chapter, you will see how Nehemiah itemizes all Israel’s ungodly deeds, but always returns to the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy. So my people, how can we deign to ask forgiveness of our God, or anyone else, and not reciprocate eh? That brings to mind Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant, who owed his master ten thousand talents, but begged for mercy and time to pay when his master called for payment. The master had compassion on him, forgave him the entire debt. But that same servant, when asked for mercy by one of his fellow workers on a hundred pence debt, refused and had him cast in jail. The other workers told the master about it. He got angry and said to the unforgiving man; ‘O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me. Shouldn’t not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?’ (Mat.18:32-33) Then he had him thrown in jail till he paid his debt. And what was Jesus’ point? ‘So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.’ (Mat.18:35) Note Friends, ‘from your hearts,’ not a superficial forgiveness, because the heart is where our God always looks. Time has run out, so we’ll continue this tomorrow, God willing. Till then, Much LOVE!…the most important element of LOVE…FORGIVENESS…
 

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