Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 May 2010 Isaiah 54:13‏

11 May 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 54:13     And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
 
Ah Friends, today was one of those days when it took me what seems like an eternity to find a Bit, possibly because I was seeking something sort of joyful, upbeat and positive. I’d had enough of sin in the last few days. (smile) Obviously I asked the Most High for guidance, as I always do, but nothing seemed to be forthcoming. And though I knew the Lord would eventually show me something, by my timetable, time was running out, my anxiety level was rising, and here I was pleading, crying out. Hn, hn, hn! I can laugh now, but back then I wasn’t laughing. Finally though, in His own time, the Lord led me to this Bit. And oh mih people, mih breddren, can we ask for a greater or better pronouncement upon our children? ‘And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.’ Wow! And it doesn’t stop there, but continues: ‘In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.’ (Isa.54:14) We certainly can’t get a better, more joyful and positive promise than that for both our progeny and ourselves. Yes, that was the Lord’s promise to Israel, through His spokesman Isaiah. Right there He promises to shine His Everlasting LOVE on His chosen people, Israel, and by extension, all those who sincerely serve and worship Him. And His Son, Jesus, echoed those words centuries later when asserting that He was the Bread of Life. ‘It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.’ (John 6:45) And yet mih Friends, we still stubbornly refuse to turn to Jesus. Sometimes I have to shake mih head and sadly wonder if most of us aren’t brain dead for not accepting such a wonderful gift. And going one step further, hear Bruh Paul’s famous paraphrase of Isaiah 64:4. ‘But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that LOVE Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save (except) the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.’ (1 Cor.2:9-11) Oh my people, therein Bruh Paul emphasizes the great privilege granted to those who receive God’s divine revelation through His Holy Spirit. As the scholars proclaim: ‘The magnificent treasure of God’s revealed truth is accessible to the mature believer.’ Who in their right mind would turn that down eh? But a great many do. So are we to suppose that they’re not ‘righted?’ I don’t know. But I do know that they’re not executing proper judgement and wisdom. For as Bruh Paul further declares to the Thessalonians: ‘But as touching (concerning) brotherly LOVE ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to LOVE one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more.’ (1 Thess.4:9-10) Yes my people, once we get into a relationship, note a serious one, with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and His Holy Spirit…Wow! Our hearts, eyes and minds are opened to the manifestation of God Himself, through the power of His LOVE. However, just as we are born as babies and grow into adults, we likewise need to grow in the strength and power of God’s LOVE through continuous study and practice of His Word. That’s the only way to achieve what John says: ‘But ye have an unction (anointing) from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.’ (1 John 2:20-21) Friends, that simply means we don’t get all those good things from God unless we know Him, His Word and His Truth. We cannot arrive at them independently, on our own strength. And my people if you want more proof of God’s goodness and peace to His subjects, listen to these passages from His Word. ‘Great peace have they which LOVE thy law: and nothing shall offend them (cause them to stumble).’ (Ps.119:165) Meanwhile Cousin Sol exhorts us to obedience: ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.’ (Prov.3:2) Sol didn’t get the prestigious title of being the wisest man ever by just sitting on his laurels and taking it easy, but by incessant research plus continuous conversation and interaction with the God of his father, Bruh David. And in that hymn of praise which is Isaiah 26; the prophet proclaims: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee: because he trusteth in thee.’ (Isa.26:3) Then later on in talking about the coming reign of the righteous king, Jesus, he proclaims with strong assurance: ‘And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure (secure) dwellings, and in quiet resting places.’ (Isa.32:17-18) Oh my people that’s self-explanatory: If we want to dwell in peace, safety and contentment, then we have to obey the Lord’s laws. And the reason we aren’t living like that today is because we’re not obeying the Lord’s laws. It’s that simple my people. No one can force us to live by the Lord’s dictates, but if we’re wise, we will do so, and equally important, teach our children to do the same. If not, we’ll only have ourselves to blame when the repercussions strike…as they surely will. Much LOVE!…he who hath ears to hear…let him hear…cause when yuh don’t hear…yuh certainly going to feel…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 May 2010 Romans 3:23‏

10 May 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Romans 3:23     For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

 

Ah Friends, it’s Monday again, and we have to go back out into the sin riddled workday world. There’s nothing we can do about it, so please ensure that we’re dressed in all our battle armour, so we can withstand the evil attacks of the enemy. And we’re continuing the series on sin, after a much welcome Mother’s Day break. Yes, what I originally viewed as a one episode Bit has turned out to be much more than that. But such is the nature of the Holy Spirit; it guides you to unexpected people, places and things. Anyway, we broke off the last time where the Lord grew tired of the blood sacrifices that He’d originally instituted and finally sent His Son, Jesus to die for all people and pay the sacrificial blood price for sin once and forever. ‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,’ as Bruh Paul so rightly noted. And Bruh David solemnly declared: ‘Behold, I was shapen (brought forth) in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.’ (Ps.51:5) Yes my people, we were born under the sign of sin, it’s in all our genes. Thus, from the very start of our lives, we’ve fallen short of God’s standards. Though we can all improve in our own right, we can never attain to God’s standards of righteousness, if left to our own devices. That’s why the Lord devised the just and LOVING plan to save us through the righteousness of Jesus. If we believe in and follow Him, then our sins will be forgiven through His most generous and kind offer of grace, which leads to salvation and ultimately the wonderful, unsurpassable reward of eternal life. Wow! What a most gratifying plan mih people! But sadly, many people are still not accepting that magnanimous gesture that our God graciously instituted so that we can be made right with Him. Oh Friends, it’s a crying shame that so many of us, a majority of the world’s population, are still so deeply mired in the clutches of sin, and it breaks God’s heart to see us so blatantly and unconcernedly transgressing His Holy Laws. Up to this point we’ve been talking about sin in general terms, but now I want to break it down to a more particular state. Let’s look at sin as it pervades our individual, day to day lives. It’s acknowledged that there are basically two kinds of sin; those of commission, where we do what we’re not supposed to, and those of omission, where we don’t do what we should. And those can apply either in thoughts, words or deeds, meaning actions and attitudes. There’s also a list of what’s commonly termed, the seven deadly sins, made up of pride, lust, anger,  covetousness, gluttony, envy and sloth. Therefore, if we journey down any of those paths, we’re on extremely shaky ground, for those are the enemy’s paths, not our God’s. He detests, abhors those negative attitudes, so when we do them, we’re blatantly disobeying Him, and unfortunately, ignorance is no excuse. Now let’s check out a few ways the Good Book describes our sinful behaviour, starting with the renowned Isaiah. He says: ‘All we like sheep have gone astray: we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is.53:6) What a mighty pronouncement mih people, hundreds of years before Jesus came! Like mindless, foolish sheep, we’ve all strayed from the laws of God, so to satisfy His righteousness and His undying LOVE for us, He placed all our sins on His innocent Son, Jesus; caused Him to be abused for our sakes, yet we still don’t show proper gratitude. Then we have Bruh David’s famous prayer for cleansing, after he’d schemed to committ adultery with Bathsheba and have her husband Nathan killed in battle. ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy LOVING kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified (found just) when thou speakest, and be clear (blameless) when thou judgest.’ (Ps.51:1-4) Bruh David seriously transgressed there, overstepped his bounds, doing only what God had the right to do. This brings us to the fearful fact that sin can have very serious repercussions, between men, and also between God and men. Wherefore Bruh Paul testified: ‘And you hath he quickened (made alive) who were dead in trespasses and sins.’ (Eph.2:1) Oh my people, it’s imperative we recognize that it’s only through God’s power, His divine grace, that we’ve been set free from our sins, reborn to a new way of life in Jesus. And Ephesians 2:2-10 points out some of the many ways the Lord’s worked that cleansing in our lives. The overwhelming conclusion then is that sin’s very destructive, and if it’s not kept in tight check, it’s liable to destroy the natural process of life, both of nature and people. However, since Bruh David admitted that we’re conceived in sin, then it’s difficult for us to transcend it, and impossible to forego it completely. And that’s exactly why the Lord provided Jesus as our eternal scapegoat. In the reassuring words of John: ‘My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye (may not) sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate (intercessor) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.’ (1 John 2:1-3) Ah Friends, after reading such glowing testimony, I can’t help commenting on the wonderful God we serve, for He’s provided this most excellent avenue for us to be made righteous through His Son, Jesus. Why aren’t more people accepting it eh? No other deity has such magnanimity towards their followers. Please, I implore us, let’s seriously concentrate on cutting down on our obvious sins, and try to uplift our righteousness with God, through Christ. It’s the only way to escape death and eternal damnation with Lucifer, which I sincerely hope we all want to avoid. Much LOVE!…sin is our mortal enemy…for righteousness to abound…it must be defeated…

 

FW: Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 May 2010 Judges 5:7‏

09 May 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Judges 5:7     The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

 

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY.

 Yes Friends, let’s wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mothers out there; good, bad and indifferent, because they are indeed the salt of the earth and the glue that keeps families and societies together. Mothers perform the most important function in the reproduction of all living things, that of child bearing, which we recently saw was cursed with physical pain and trauma upon our first mother, Eve, for her part in the sin of disobedience towards our God. But like real troopers, most mothers stoically bear the unholy pangs of childbirth. And though they claim never wanting to endure such terrible pain again, most forget about it in the joy of the newborn and endure it again and again and again. Why? Because the joy of celebrating the new life is much greater than the memory of the pain of bringing it into this world. Let us give sincere thanks that that’s so, else we’d all be doomed to one child families. (smile) And having borne and nourished the young within them for however long, they’re also entrusted with the vital task of feeding, nourishing and nurturing them through their early years. Some mothers do it until they’re old and grey. In many families too, whatever the child learns depends mostly on what the mothers teach them, since they are the ones who usually deal with them the most. So there we have yet another aspect where the mother is the guiding light. Over the years it evolved that the mother stayed at home to look after the family’s many needs there, while the father went out and earned their keep. However, with the hustle and bustle of modern day society, where our wants and needs have exploded, where the prices of those things have also gone through the roof, but our wages have unfortunately not kept pace, it’s become necessary for the mother to also go out and earn a living. So now, many are saddled with not only the physical child bearing and nurturing aspects, but in addition must also earn a wage to assist with the economic side. Sadly, the burden of child rearing and house keeping are still born mostly on the shoulders of mothers, except in families where there are smart, sensible, caring, appreciative men. Fathers would be well advised to help mother in her duties of mother and house keeper else she won’t have the time, energy or inclination to fulfill his most desired role, that of wife. Consequently we have mother playing the major roles of child bearer, nurturer, house keeper, which includes chief cook and bottle washer, wage earner and wife. And many egotistic and foolish men expect them to play all at the same time, including when they’re pregnant, and to play them with essential vim and vigour. And yuh know what Friends, a lot of mothers around the world do it without any complaints, while the macho man lazes around drinking and watching the tube. No wonder Deborah, the first female judge of Israel, could celebrate in song, her victory with Barak over their enemies. ‘The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.’ Yes mih people, she’s claiming that village life had grown non-existent and or/boring until she stepped up to the plate and mothered, nurtured them back to life. It’s also interesting to note how we refer to things and places from where we’ve come or are at the forefront of our endeavours, like the Motherland, the Mother ship, the Mother lode, even the Queen Mother. That’s because they are important in giving us a sense of belonging, of where it all began, like satellites around a central body that you can come from or go to for help, advice and encouragement whenever you find yourself in need. That’s the kind of role mothers’ play in our societies. But unfortunately, though mothers are of such great importance in all societies, many still don’t recognize their great worth and still oppress and suppress them. Domestic abuse is still rampant all over the world. Even in our modern societies, where mothers play such a humongous role, they aren’t treated as well as they ought to be and their efforts aren’t properly recognized and valued. Just consider all the housework they do in a normal day, with young children underfoot. Most men wouldn’t be able or willing to handle it. It’s impossible to quantify and put a true money value on it. Yet we still refuse to show them proper appreciation for their superhuman efforts. Then sadly, we have the recent explosion of single mothers working at more than one job to support their children. That makes it even more difficult to raise them properly since they’re either seldom at home or too tired. Luckily I had the benefit of a single mother working two jobs who found the time to nurture me, and also the advantage of growing up in a close knit, sort of extended family which existed in most places back then. My mother would hear about my escapades before I’d even completed them and I had to listen to adult advice because that’s just the way it was. But all of that has changed now; the extended family approach has disappeared with the big city, selfish, style of living. Anyway Friends, in whatever kind of society we live, our mothers are very important, so let’s make a sincere effort to treat them better, with more respect and appreciation, less abuse and neglect. And I’d be amiss if I didn’t sing the glowing praises of the six mothers I’ve had in my lifetime. Yes Friends, over the years, at each critical stage of my life, I’ve been blessed with a strong Christian woman to guide and nurture me. Without their LOVE, encouragement and help, I don’t know where or what I’d be today. Thank you Lord for that! Sadly, five of them have already gone to be with Him, only my biological mother, Molly, is still alive. Oh Mols sugar, I can’t sing your praises enough, for after hearing some of the horror stories about other mothers, I realized that you are surely one of the best, if not the best. I can discuss anything with her and she won’t judge me, although she disagrees with my stand. And up to this day, though my children consider me an old man, she considers me her baby, and still gets on my case. Thanks ‘M’ for the kind, caring, responsible person you’ve taught me to be. I’ll try to do you proud. Much LOVE!…Mother…the God given source of earthly succour and sustenance…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 May 2010 Romans 3:23‏

08 May 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Romans 3:23     For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

 

Well Friends, over the last two days we’ve had a brief History and Bible lesson as to the disobedience of God’s rules, generally termed sin. Our fore-parents, Adam and Eve allowed the cunning, evil snake to beguile them into eating of the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge, against God’s express warning not to, and thus sin was born. The Lord kicked them out of the lush garden of Eden and placed a curse of pain, sorrow and toil, plus physical death on them and all their descendants, as well as enmity between humans and snakes. So since then we’ve been aware of the difference between good and evil or right and wrong. But sin became so rampant that God regretfully wiped out all living things by means of a terrible flood, saving only Noah, his family and other creatures in the ark. But sadly, when the inhabitants of the ark replenished the earth, sin was still there. It had become like an inherited gene, which we all possessed deep down in our innermost parts, always lurking, just waiting to spring forth. And it did so when Noah’s descendants decided to build a city and a tower that rose to heaven. This did not please the Lord, so He stepped in and caused confusion with the city, Babylon, and the tower of Babel, then scattered the people all over the earth, corrupting the one language everybody then spoke into many different tongues, so they could not understand each other. But that did not stop our ancestors from disobeying God’s dictates. Some did it more than others; like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which the Lord eventually destroyed with fire and brimstone. Even after the Lord chose Abraham to be the father of His chosen people, sin remained with us. And those same chosen people, the Israelites, were right up there with all the sinful societies. Their sin was possibly looked upon as more disturbing since they’d been specially chosen by Almighty God to represent Him here on earth, and had experienced His awesome power and fulfillment of His faithful promises, yet on several occasions they turned away from Him to worship and serve man made idols. Oh Friends, that’s the worst thing we can do, for the very first law God gave the Israelites was, ‘Thou shalt have no other gods but me.’ (Ex.20:3) But when the going got rough, they eventually found their way back to Him, for deep down they knew that it’s only when we abide in God’s grace that a society can have lasting prosperity. The Israelites tried to atone for sin by offerings and sacrifices to God of unblemished animals and food, from which comes our modern day scapegoat; the one that takes all the blame, bears all the sins. But in time the Lord got fed up with all the blood sacrifices. As Samuel said to Saul: ‘Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.’ (1 Sam.15:22) And the Lord, in His great wisdom and overflowing LOVE, sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross as a blood sacrifice for all sins, past, present and future. That way Jesus became the one and only scapegoat necessary, and thus freed us from having to make sacrifices for our multitude of sins. But unfortunately, it seems that the prosperity of a godly society also brings an increase in arrogance, pride and excessive belief in our own strength, which tends to turn us away from the Lord, until we begin to endure undue suffering, which eventually turns us back to God again. It’s like an inevitable cycle. And my people, I sincerely believe that right now we’re at one such juncture. Western society in the last couple decades has taken a huge beating both from natural and man made disasters. We’ve turfed God out of our institutions and almost all our daily life is secularly aligned. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is no longer revered like He was even 30 years ago. And I believe it’s the main reason that Western civilization is on the decline. Just look back through history and you’ll find that most of it was based on a godly platform, where human depravity was either outlawed or verily frowned on, but now it’s become the common standard. Friends that doesn’t bode well for our society, for once standards are dropped or set too low, inevitable decline sets in. The Good Book and history both show that when a society reaches a pinnacle of prosperity, the most important, but also the most difficult thing to do is to keep it up there, because basic human nature gets lazy and lethargic when it becomes prosperous. Before prosperity sets in, we’re willing to work hard, save diligently and be careful with our time and money, but after that, hn, work becomes a dreaded curse, and we just want to play, have a good time, an immoral one at that, and fritter away our hard earned resources. Immediate gratification is the in-thing. The majority of our indicators are based on short periods. The stock market, that institution built on sinking sand, dedicated to Beelzebub, and run by his evil, able cohorts, moves everyday, every which way, often based on inflammatory, speculative rumours, even outright lies, but a whole heap of money is tied up in it. You can go to bed rich one night and wake up a pauper next morning, all on the whim of some financial guru. But yet we flock to the house that Lucifer built. Meanwhile our companies are judged on three-month intervals, often not enough time for those behemoths to gather all the figures together, so between that and wanting to impress the analysts whose opinion controls a lot of the market, all sorts of underhand dealings abound. Our spending habits are likewise terrible. In the old days we’d save for something then buy it, but now we just whip out the plastic, buy it on credit, then kill ourselves trying to pay for stuff we don’t need, and often don’t want, but since it looked so god in the showroom, or somebody else has it, we must have it too. The good, ole follow the Jones’ syndrome, which is a criminally, ungodly bit of fraud that’s been perpetrated on our society by the wealthy robber barons, to get us even more in debt and economic bondage to them. Friends, time and space have run out, but I implore us not to get too deeply involved in the things we’ve been talking about, else we’ll just put yourself in even greater jeopardy than we’re in already. More tomorrow, God willing. Till then, Much LOVE!…our God to obey…is truly the wisest way…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 May 2010 Romans 3:23‏

07 May 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Romans 3:23     For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
 
Ah Friends, yesterday we saw the punishment the Lord meted out to our fore-parents for disobedience. It was indeed a tough bit of justice, but they had been thoroughly warned. And having been kicked out of paradise, you’d think that would instil some sense in them, but it did not, they became even more ungodly. One of our uncles, Cain, killed his brother Abel, and when the Lord asked him for Abel, he was boldfaced enough to reply: ‘I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?’ (Gen.4:9) Hn! Can you imagine talking to our earthly parents like that, much less God Almighty? Ah Lord eh! So yuh see Friends, right from the start we had that rude, rebellious,  disobedient spirit, which never got us anywhere then, and is still not getting us anywhere today, though many of us persist in displaying it. Anyway, sin blossomed so much amongst early man that at one stage the Lord became totally disenchanted with His most wonderful creation. ‘And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination (intent) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord (He regretted) that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth: both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me (I regret) that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.’ (Gen.6:5-8) Oh my people, why can’t we see what a LOVING, tender-hearted, merciful, forgiving God we have and stop being so sinful and disobedient eh? But although man’s sinfulness inflicted a terrible hurt on the Lord and He decided to destroy His handiwork, He still couldn’t bring Himself to just eradicate us from off the earth forever. He gave us a second chance, which shows how much He valued us. And we all know how He instructed Noah to build the ark and take therein His family and two of every living thing, and how the rains came for forty days and nights and flooded the earth and wiped out everything besides the ark and its contents. After the flood receded and Noah came out, the Lord blessed the family saying; ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.’ (Gen 9:1) And the Lord made a covenant with Noah (Noahic covenant). Oh Friends, isn’t it interesting how the Lord went around making covenants with man, although He knew that we’d break them. ‘And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token (sign) of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow (rainbow) in the cloud, and it shall be for a token (sign) between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow (rainbow) shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is in the earth.’ (Gen.9:11-16) And all God’s people joyfully shouted; ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Yes Friends, that should have made us happy, because the Lord promised not to destroy us by flood again, and even gave us a sign of His promise, the beautiful rainbow when the skies cry no more. But Friends, I just realized that the Lord didn’t promise never to destroy us or the earth again, He just said by flood, so He’s still entitled to use some other means. (smile) So man was authorized to govern the earth on God’s behalf, but it wasn’t long before we faltered again. At that time ‘the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.’ (Gen.11:1) Everybody spoke the same language. But as Noah’s descendants journeyed eastward, they decided; ‘let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’ Gen.11:3) Who knows what they were seeking, strength, fame, security etc, but whatever it was, did not sit well with God. ‘And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined (proposed) to do. Go to (come), let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel (Babylon, confusion); because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.’  (Gen.11:5-9) Ah Friends, when the Lord doesn’t like our doings, He finds ways to confound and confuse us. He did not approve of the people building a tower and a city, which possibly involved pride and other things He detested, so He scattered them abroad and made a muddle of their language, so they could no longer understand each other. Per the scholars, today we have over three thousand dialects and languages. It’s also interesting to note that the name Babel is tied to the Hebrew verb balal, to confuse. However the ancient Babylonians called the city Bab-ilu, which means ‘Gate of God,’ but Babylon eventually came to symbolize a godless society, with sinful pleasures, persecutions and superstitions. How are the mighty fallen! And that’s the history lesson for today my people. I hope knowing where we came from, gives us a little more insight into where we are now, and where we’re going. Sadly, much hasn’t changed in the way we behave towards each other and God, but let’s hope that with a new dawning and a new appreciation of what we have, our lives will take on a more godly character. We’ll continue this tomorrow, God willing. Till then, Much LOVE!…the only way to stop iniquity…LOVE our God…LIVE our Faith…SPREAD His Word…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 May 2010 Romans 3:23‏

06 May 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Romans 3:23     For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
 
Oh Friends, our Bit today is of overwhelming importance to all humans, especially believers. But first, let’s get a definition of the operative word ‘sin’ so that we’ll all be on the same page. Now, per the Oxford fellows, sin is defined as transgression; a transgression against divine law or principles of morality; such as kills the soul or is fatal to salvation. And in simple terms, a transgression is a violation or infringement of some law, commandment or order. So sin is basically a violation of God’s divine law. And we all know where it began. The Lord, after creating the Garden of Eden and the first man, Adam, gave him extensive use of all therein, except one tree. ‘And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest eat freely: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thou shalt surely die.’ (Gen.2:16-17) Yuh see Friends, from day one, the Lord laid down serious consequences for disobedience; eat of the forbidden tree and you’ll die. Then the Lord, in His LOVING kindness felt bad that Adam was alone, so He put him to sleep, took one of his ribs and made him a companion. ‘And Adam said, This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ (Gen.2:23) And from there, mih people, everything went downhill. The wily serpent talked the woman, Eve, into eating of the tree which God had expressly forbidden. So from the very start, Lucifer was up to his tricks. He calmly waved off Eve’s resistance about dying if they ate of the forbidden fruit. ‘And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods (God), knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons (body coverings). (Gen.3:4-7) And that’s where it all began mih people! Right at the very beginning our fore parents transgressed God’s order; they violated, infringed, disobeyed His specific command: Do no eat of the tree in the middle of the garden. And what happened? Their eyes were opened; their comprehension level increased, they now knew good from evil, realized they were naked, covered themselves up and hid from God. Hn! But notice that even though their eyes were opened, they still displayed poor judgement and understanding by trying to hide from God. Foolishly, many of us still try to do that today although we know it’s impossible. Anyway, God came looking for them. He called out to Adam; ‘Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he (God) said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord said unto the woman, what is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.’ (Gen.3:9-13) Oh mih breddren, can you detect a pattern there? The Lord gave a specific command, but they fell prey to the enemy’s lies and disobeyed the Lord, which opened their eyes, to evil and good, then foolishly they tried to hide, and when the Lord found out, Adam blamed Eve, and she blamed Beelzebub. Oh Friends it’s the same pattern of disobedience that’s so prevalent in these modern times. Our behaviour hasn’t changed one iota from back then, for we still fall to temptation, disobey, run and hide, then blame everybody but ourselves. That was the original sin, and we’ve been sinning since then, despite all the Lord’s efforts. It’s been bred into our souls, handed down from time immemorial. And the Lord made Adam, Eve and their descendants pay an enormous price for their gross disobedience; the most damaging curse ever. ‘And the Lord God said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; and upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it (he) shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow (pain) and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow (toil) shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.’ (Gen.3:14-19) What a hefty price mih people! The scholars call it the Adamic covenant, whereby the serpent was cursed, with God promising redemption through the woman’s offspring. The earth was also cursed; sorrow, pain and physical death became part of our life experience, and labour became burdensome. Wow! To make matters even worse, God kicked out our fore parents from the lush garden, for He said: ‘Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep (guard) the way of the tree of life.’ (Gen.3:22-24) Yes Friends, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. (smile) I never envisaged getting that deep into the story, but the Spirit directed that if I was going to tell it, I should do it properly. So, God willing, we’ll continue tomorrow. Till then, Much LOVE!…to disobey the Lord…brings disastrous consequences…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 May 2010 Proverbs 15:29‏

05 May 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 15:29      The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
 
Ah Friends, the ole fella’s tired. From doing what, I really don’t know, because I haven’t been doing that much, at least not as much as I would like to. Nothing’s really wrong, but for some unknown reason, my spirit is at a low ebb; no motivation, no get up and go. I guess I’m just tired of not being able to do all the things I desire, since it seems the Lord has me in a holding pattern right now. All my other projects, besides the Bit, are either in limbo or are moving along very slowly. Possibly the Lord’s trying to get me to concentrate all my efforts on the Bit, or He’s trying to teach me to wait on Him, to just surrender my all to Him. But I believe I’ve already done that, even though ole Lucifer, who never misses a trick, tries to get me to run around doing stuff that the Most High says it’s not time for. I know that all the things I have planned will eventually come to fruition, but it’s the endless waiting that’s rough. As far as I’m concerned, they should have all come to fruition already, but all the stuff I’m involved in requires plenty up front capital and also paying plenty dues. Anyway, enough of my moaning and groaning. The Lord’s looking after me, I shouldn’t be complaining, but we all want our desires like yesterday, not some time in the hazy future. The point is Friends, we should be looking at things from the Lord’s perspective. He drew up the Master Plan and also that for each individual’s life, so He knows what’s happening, and is in full control of everything. And though we may believe it, sometimes just marking time is more difficult than being hectic and busy. Now there are all sorts of reasons for whatever is currently happening to us. We might be in a testing period, we’re just not ready for advancement, or the other parts of the equation aren’t ready. But the Lord sees it all, so He’s in the best position to make the call. Oh my people, I can tell you from hard experience that it’s not easy just waiting and hoping, in spite of having seen through your faith what you’ve believed for. But that’s exactly where growth and maturity in the Christian walk comes in; where though it’s very tough, we don’t give up, we keep believing and plod on as best we can. Oh Friends, I’m chuckling here because it seems the Spirit has me writing this more for my sake than you beautiful people out there in Scrip-Bit land. And when we’re going through the uncertainty, it’s of the utmost importance to stand steadfast and strong in the Lord, His Word and His promises. For though obedience be difficult, please remember that ‘The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.’ And that’s gospel mih people! The Lord doesn’t deal kindly with the wicked, though it appears so from the way they’re ruling the world. Bruh David had the same problem in his time, which caused him to cry out in Psalm 10, a prayer for the overthrow of the wicked: ‘Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?’ (Ps.10:1) But in Psalms 33 and 34, the Psalmists acknowledge otherwise. ‘The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices (plans) of the people of none effect.’ (Ps.33:10) ‘The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.’ (Ps.34:16) Now hear Jesus, the ultimate authority on the subject. ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever (separate) the wicked from among the just. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.’ (Mat.13:47-50) There we have it mih people, straight from the Son of God. Yes, the wicked will eventually perish, so please don’t be fooled by or caught up in their earthly prosperity, for in the Lord’s time there’ll be much ‘sufferation’ in the camp of those who opt to hang with Lucifer rather than Jesus. So though it’s hard to see the wicked prospering and you suffering, when you’re trying hard to be righteous, remember that’s only for a time, because our God indeed ‘heareth the prayer of the righteous.’ Bruh David uttered these true and uplifting words based on his personal experience. ‘The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite (crushed in) spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.’ (Ps.34:17-19) Yes friends, the Lord’s promised never to leave or forsake those who trust in and wait for Him. And Jesus said it thus: ‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Mat.5:10) So my people, there’s nothing to worry about because the Lord has our back. And not like men, who are liable to renege on their word, or run away in the face of danger, but like the omnipotent, faithful, merciful, forgiving, LOVING, just and righteous God that He truly is. Oh Friends, we’re exceedingly blessed to serve such a wonderful God, so let’s do it with fervour and class nuh. Let’s do as Bruh David advised long ago: ‘Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.’ (Ps.32:11) Much LOVE, mih people!… and do not envy the wicked in his prosperity…but wait patiently on the Lord…for your time will come…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 May 2010 1 Corinthians 3:6‏

04 May 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Corinthians 3:6     I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
 
Ah Friends, what a powerful and very important statement is our Bit today. It speaks of a very delicate balance in the affairs of men, leaning towards selfishness and personal aggrandizement. It talks to how we see ourselves and how others see us; both in general life and the affairs of the church in particular. And here’s a quote that strikes a very important chord, in accordance with Bruh Paul’s statement to the church at Corinth. Solomon Eagle writes: ‘In our own secret hearts we each and all of us feel superior to the rest of the world, or, if not superior, at least "different" with a difference that is very precious and beautiful to us, and the base of all our pride and perseverance.’ That’s so true Friends! It’s a natural human reaction to think that we’re better than others, but the truth is that we’re not necessarily better, but we’re certainly different, because that’s how God made us. Though we may look physically alike, no two persons are exactly the same; none have the same fingerprints or DNA, and we all have varying mental capacity, physical and emotional strength, so we might be better in certain areas or fields, but not overall. And how does all of that relate to our Bit? Apparently there was bickering and arguments in the Corinthian church as to who was more important, Bruh Paul or Apollos? Some spoke in Bruh Paul’s favour while others esteemed Apollos. But like all such petty controversy, it was causing serious dysfunction and division within the young church. And sadly mih people, that same type of dysfunctional behaviour is still prevalent in our church today and causing enormous rifts therein. Choosing one person, or one side against another can’t help but cause dissension and division, and even worse, it’s fruitful soil for the workers of iniquity, giving them ample opportunity to plant evil seeds. And it all usually begins with somebody feeling superior or more important than someone else; the unveiling of a monumental sized ego, that’s out of sync and out of proportion to their mental capacity, else they’d realize that personal ego trips only lead to fruitless bickering and confusion with no winners, only losers. Bruh Paul would take a fit if he saw how divided the church is today; how the same thing he tried to prevent by suppressing his ego or whatever claims he had in the formation of the Gentile church to the greater glory of the whole, has blossomed forth and caused split after split. His is a very sensible approach as he asks: ‘Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man.’ (1 Cor.3:5) And that’s the truth Friends. Apollos and Bruh Paul were only ministers, servants of the Lord, working on His behalf, with whatever gifts he gave them. Remember in Romans 12 he talks about all of us having differing gifts, ‘prophesy, teaching, ministry etc.’ and that all should use their gifts to the best of their ability, and not encroach on or be jealous of another’s territory. (Rom.12:3-9) Thus he could rightly say: ‘I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.’  In terms of planting, we all know that Bruh Paul worked extremely hard and suffered much to lay the basic foundation of most of the Gentile churches. In Thessalonica, he caused a big uproar. ‘And Paul, as his manner (custom) was, went in unto them (synagogue of Jews), and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures. Opening and alleging (explaining and demonstrating), that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.’ (Acts 17:2-3) Obviously the ruling Jews were unhappy with his teaching and ran him out of town. Then at Corinth, which was wealthy and immoral, he spent over a year there, working as a tentmaker. ‘And he reasoned in the synagogues every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.’ (Acts 18:4) So there’s no doubt he was very involved in building the church. But just like how seeds or plants need to be fed, nurtured or watered for them to grow gracefully, all new or young institutions bear the same requirements. Someone needs to water, prune, manure, control and guide the institution on a sensible path for it to grow strong and successful.  Without that initial, strong, clear guidance no institution will ever amount to much. And since Bruh Paul seldom stayed in one place for very long, neither could he be in all the places at the same time, it obviously needed others to be the hands on nurturers and guides, which is what he’s saying of Apollos.  The Good Book says thus of Apollos: ‘And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. The 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.’ (Acts 18:24-25) So although Apollos was eloquent and learned in the scriptures, he knew nothing of the Holy Spirit until two of Bruh Paul’s associates, Aquila and Priscilla heard him speaking in the synagogue and took him under their wings and explained the message of Christ to him more accurately. And he certainly blossomed under their tutelage. ‘For he mightily convinced (refuted) the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.’ (Acts 18:28) Oh mih people, therein lies the basis for success in anything, especially in our Christian faith: each one, teach one. None of us will get anywhere, will grow or mature if we hoard our knowledge. That knowledge of Christ taught to us by others, we ought to spread and teach to those we come into contact with. Now that brings us to the last part of Bruh Paul’s statement; ‘but God gave the increase.’ Yes Friends, whatever success we have in whatever endeavour, it always comes from God, for we of ourselves can do nothing. As Bruh Paul maintains: ‘So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.’ (1 Cor.3:7) And that my Friends is the kind of attitude, the type of mentality we need to fulfill our calling as true believers. We who plant and water are of no real magnitude because our efforts only bear fruit through God’s power. And we have the perfect example in Jesus, who, though He was God, on earth He made no account of Himself, but gave all the glory to His Father in heaven. And we’ll close with another of Bruh Paul’s telling comments on the subject. ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor.3:5) And all God’s people said a resounding ‘Amen!’ Now Friends, let’s go out and put it into practice nuh. Much LOVE!…our ego portrays us as giants…but in the eyes of God…we’re mere Lilliputians…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 May 2010 Psalm 119:151‏

03 May 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 119:151     Thou art near, O Lord; and all thy commandments are truth.

 

Ah mih Friends, it’s Monday again. Chuh! That means the party over, is back to the common grind and daily task of labouring for the man to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. But please mih people, let’s make sure that before we set out, we’re fully clothed in the spiritual armour of the Most High God Jehovah, so that we can be protected from the enemy’s evil plans and designs on us. If we’re so clothed, then all his wicked, deceitful, amorous advances will be readily repelled. I know it gets tiring to hear that warning all the time, but it’s necessary because Lucifer is always on the prowl for weakness, and all he needs is one little chink in our armour to take us to the cleaners. So please, let’s not give him any opportunity to do that; wear your armour at all times. Anyway, here’s a pleasant thought to carry in our hearts today. It’s attributed to Yoshida Kenko, and says: ‘Blossoms are scattered by the wind and the wind cares nothing, but the blossoms of the heart no wind can touch.’ Wow Friends!  That’s both beautiful and true! Whatever good thing of God that exists in our hearts, cannot be touched by the wind, or anything else. Our Bit today resonates with the same positive, sincere confidence. ‘Thou art near, O Lord; and all thy commandments are truth.’ My people, our God isn’t only near, but He’s living within us, guiding and protecting us through the might and power of His awesome Spirit. What can be better than that eh mih breddren? Nothing! He’s the only Deity that lives within His followers. That He desires to dwell within us just shows the premium value He places on our association with Him. And unlike all the other deities, He’s a living, breathing Being, not an inanimate object. But remember Friends, you have to consciously invite and accept Him into your heart. He will not violate your privacy and freedom of choice. But Friends, when you do make that wise and wonderful decision, the wisest you can ever make, what peace and calm suddenly flows through your soul, accompanied by a renewed faith, trust and assurance in life! Now all your cares and problems don’t just fade away into space, as some of us believe, but you acquire the strength and confidence to deal with them, the ability to come up over them, the sure knowledge that they will not put you under, that you will fight them tooth and nail, to death if need be. That’s the kind of empowerment the Spirit of Christ brings to us my people! Oh Friends, the Psalmist unequivocally voiced this later on. ‘Great peace have they which LOVE thy law: and nothing shall offend them (causes them to stumble). (Ps.119:165) And the mighty prophet Isaiah, when talking about the suffering of the Lord’s servant, a prophecy of Christ, verily proclaimed: ‘For the Lord God will help me: therefore shall I not be confounded (disgraced): therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? Let us stand together: who is mine adversary (master of my judgement)? Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? Lo, they all shall wax (grow) old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay (rely) upon his God.’ (Isa.50:7-10) Yes my brethren, though we who put our trust in the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob may have difficult lives, once we stand steadfast and strong in His Name and Word, we shall never be defeated. As Bruh Paul victoriously proclaims: ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of (bring a charge against) God’s elect? It is God that justifieth (declares righteous). (Rom.8:31-33) Oh Friends, who knows more about God’s law and his promises than Bruh David? He possibly experienced them personally more than any other soul that ever lived. So he knows what he’s talking about when he declares in Psalm 145, a Psalm of Praise: ‘I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable (beyond our understanding).’ (Ps.145:1-3) Yes mih people, there we have three great men of faith, extolling the greatness of our God, not through hearsay, but by personal experience. Are we going to believe them, and act on their words and experiences? I certainly hope so. But for good measure, something extra, as ‘langniappe’ and ‘broughta’ (smile) we’ll close with more assurances from Bruh David. ‘The Lord is righteous in all his ways; and holy (gracious) in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The Lord preserveth all them that LOVE him: but all the wicked will he destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.’ (Ps.145:17-21) And all God’s people joyfully sung: ‘Praise Him, Praise him, Glory Hallelujah, He is LOVE, He is LOVE!’ Oh Friends, let’s take those wonderful words of inspiration, bury them deep in out hearts, souls and minds, then go out there and cut a wide swath through the enemy’s lines, furthering the kingdom, in Jesus’ Name! Amen! Much Love!…as for me and mine…we will follow the Lord…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 May 2010 Jeremiah 4:22‏

02 May 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Jeremiah 4:22     For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

 

Ah mih people, I hope yesterday’s Bit struck a wake up call in our evil, disobedient hearts, and at least got us to thinking straight again. Oh Friends, it’s not rocket science but basic common sense; simply doing right as opposed to doing wrong, with the rewards and penalties of going in each direction. This topic is of considerable importance to our society for it holds either the seeds of prosperity or those of destruction. It all depends on the way we choose to approach it. Consequently, it deserves another visit, focusing more on the scriptural aspect, highlighting some passages that bring out the true benefits and disadvantages of either course of action. And our first passage comes from Jeremiah 9, where he talks about disobedience bringing God’s judgement. ‘Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! For they be all adulterers, and an assembly of treacherous men. And how they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord. Take ye heed everyone of his neighbour (friend), and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. And they will deceive everyone his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will melt (refine) them, and try (test) them, for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit, one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait (inwardly he sets his ambush). Shall I not visit (punish) them for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?’ (Jer.9:2-9) Friends, we have to be blind, deaf, dumb and totally unaware of what’s happening around us to not realize how aptly Jeremiah’s words apply to our world situation today. And it’s so sad that we’ve not only picked up all the wrong doing and disobedience of olden times, but that we’ve taken them to such high levels of refinement, it just boggles the imagination. We’ve taken evil, greed, lies, deceit, distrust, etc. to such meteoric heights, surrounded by such guile and intrigue that even our forefathers of a generation ago wouldn’t be able to comprehend our world. And mih breddren, it’s not like we don’t have numerous examples of unruly societies, beginning with Israel, right up to our time, who have eschewed the grace of Abraham’s God, disobeyed His edicts and suffered serious punishment, even unto total destruction. Our God is a living, LOVING, patient Being, but at the same time He’s just and righteous and not content to put up with our sottish, spoiled brat, whining, disobedient, wicked behaviour for ever. Remember Friends, time longer than twine, and all the evil we do will come back to haunt us, will boomerang back on us at some stage, be it now or later. Oh Friends, we just have to look back about 75 years ago, when we were a more God-centred people, how our society prospered. But very unfortunately that same prosperity caused us to move away from God who had provided it. We became rather enamoured of ourselves and our supposed might, wealth and wisdom, and pushed God aside to worship the idols of our own making. Since then my brethren, we’ve been on the downslide, and let’s not fool ourselves, we have not reached rock bottom yet. But if we continue following Lucifer and his evil cohorts, we’re guaranteed to hit rock bottom, and I assure us, it won’t be nice. What we’re undergoing now will seem like paradise when the real wrath of God hits us. My people, right now He’s just warning us, firing shots across our bows to keep us from going further into the depths of Hades with the enemy. But are we listening? Not really, because we’re still lusting mightily over the trifles and truffles of the world, and refuse to store up treasure in heaven as Jesus directed. That brings us to the next passage of scripture, from Bruh Paul’s writings to the Corinthians. ‘Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice ye be children, but in understanding be men.’ (1 Cor.14:20) Bruh Paul couldn’t put it any simpler. He’s pleading with us to be babes, innocent and guileless when it comes to evil, but to be bright, mature and wise in matters of godliness and understanding. Common sense mih people, strictly common sense! Sorry, I forgot that term is old school and no longer exists in our vocabulary. But we’d be wise to bring it back into vogue as quickly as possible, for therein lies our fate. And we’ll end today with a similar exhortation of Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘For your obedience is come abroad (reported) unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace shall bruise (crush) Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.’ (Rom.16:19-20) Oh mih people, let’s wake up and smell the smoke nuh, for where there’s smoke there’s certainly fire. It’s already burning and spreading, and if we don’t douse it soon with plenty water (godliness), it’s going to eventually engulf us in a deadly conflagration. Listen mih people, please listen! Much LOVE!…remember the promise…is the fire next time…

 

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