Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 August 2011 Lamentations 3:47‏

21 Aug 2011 1 Comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Lamentations 3:47.    Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.

Oh Friends, fellow believers in Christ, I sure hope that this message finds you all in good health and good spirits, enjoying life to the fullest, making full use of the many blessings and mercies meted out from heaven on this particular day. That means all is right in your little world, you’re snugly wrapped up in the Lord’s ever-LOVING embrace, overwhelmed by His LOVING-kindness and tender care. Now that would be the ultimate situation, but sadly Friends, too many of us are experiencing untold difficulties, where not much is right with our individual worlds, a startling mirror image of the big, hostile world around us. Why is that eh? Our Bit says it perfectly: ‘Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.’ Yes my people, those are words of indisputable truth, for though written eons ago, they very appropriately describe the sinful, ungodly, unrighteous, inhumane, oppressive and destructive times in which we’re currently living. We all breathed a sigh of relief twenty something years ago when the Soviet Union broke up and the then Cold War with all its espionage activities and brinkmanship ended. However, a new and more deadly wave of fear was unleashed, ushered in by the murderous activities of September 11 2001, when the World Trade office towers in New York City were destroyed. Since then, the fear factor in our lives has increased daily, with the governments and powers that be using it over the past decade as a scare-mongering tool to bring in more drastic and draconian changes to our way of life. Granted, we need to take more precautions, become more security conscious, but not to the extent, the extreme that we’re now going to. North America has now become a defacto Police state: Law enforcement powers have steadily increased, while secrecy in government and the many agencies this fear has spawned has reached alarming levels. Travel, whether by land, sea or air has become time consuming, very annoying and overly invasive. Paradoxically we’re fighting for democracy in other parts of the world, while daily losing it at home. Hn! Just look at the word we’ve chosen to describe our situation nuh; Terror! That’s possibly the highest level of fear; when we’re actually quaking in our boots, cowering under our beds, behind tightly closed and bolted windows and doors, where we’re afraid to talk to our neighbours, much less strangers. Unfortunately though that’s the direction in which our world is lurching along; where terrorists and terrorism are taking up a much too big slice of our lives and times. To make matters worse, we’ve also become a very violent society, with a young generation who seem to have very few qualms about violence and no appreciation for the sanctity of human life. And if all of that wasn’t bad enough, we’ve now introduced the economic fear factor, featuring great debt, loss of untold jobs and homes, extensive white-collar fraud and a yo-yo like stock market. Not to mention the rash of natural disasters that have been recently plaguing our world, ably assisted by plenty man made strife too. Oh Friends, can this be the judgement of the world Isaiah spoke about so long ago? ‘From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness (poverty), my leanness, woe unto me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh out of the midst of the pit shall be taken (caught) in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly (violently) broken down, the earth is clean dissolved (split open), the earth is moved (shaken) exceedingly. The earth shall reel (stagger) to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage (totter like a hut); and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall and not rise again.’ (Is.24:16-20) Oh my brethren, that’s a very negative picture we’ve painted of our world, but sadly it’s a very true one. And as we keep saying, it’s only by our turning back, in great numbers, very, very soon, to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, our Creator and true Provider, can we avoid the dreadful catastrophe that’s brewing worldwide. Ah my people, it’s mostly up to us believers to right our sinking ship, and though it seems like an exceedingly rough row to hoe, we can do it, if we all band together, and with Jesus working in and with us, we put our hands firmly to the plough, move forward and don’t look back. It’s our ONLY hope. So let’s do it for our children nuh…and Jesus too. Much LOVE! Stand up, stand up for Jesus…the trumpet calls obey…till every foe is vanquished…and Christ is Lord indeed…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 August 2011 2 Corinthians 3:5‏

20 Aug 2011 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

 2 Corinthians 3:5.   Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.

Oh Friends, did you give God thanks this morning when you arose from a night of peaceful slumber? Did you exalt Him, praise His Holy Name for granting you another day on beautiful planet Earth with new blessings and mercies?  I sure hope so, else you would have been failing very seriously in your duty to daily exalt and glorify your Maker and Provider, Jehovah Jireh. For without Him, we are nothing, and can do nothing. All that we are, and are able to do, springs from His overflowing fountain of LOVE and tender care! As our Bit so rightly states: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ And all God’s people cried in adulation: ‘Glory to God, for He is indeed most worthy to be praised!’ Now when Bruh Paul wrote those words in the Bit to the church at Corinth, he was referring particularly to ministers in the New Testament, but they also hold true for all God’s creations, since we are all expected to be spreaders of the gospel. It is God who empowers us to be who we are and to accomplish whatever we accomplish. And if you don’t believe me, then listen closely to Jesus on the topic of the vine and the branches. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath LOVED me, so have I LOVED you: continue ye in my LOVE. If ye keep my commandments; ye shall abide in my LOVE; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his LOVE.’ (John 15:4-10) Yes Friends, straight from the Saviour’s lips to us, hopefully to our hearts. Simple and to the point: If I’m not in you, and you in me, doing as I asked you to do, then you’ll be powerless and unfruitful, and thus unable to glorify the Father as you ought to. So why then do we still insist on doing so much stuff in our own strength, when we know full well that if God isn’t involved, and it’s not in concert with His law, then the project(s) will either be doomed or fail to meet their full capabilities? I guess whatever little earthly power we enjoy goes to our head after a while and gives us a false manifestation of our own potential, our own fruitfulness. Unfortunately Friends, that’s why so many of us are miserable and disappointed, for we get running around with something and completely forget or ignore the One who makes it all possible. Bruh Paul himself stated it in very clear terms in his first letter to the Corinthians: ‘For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet (worthy) to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.’ (1 Cor.15:9-10) Yes my people, we do owe our very lives and accomplishments all to the grace of God. Let’s not forget that. And as was written in Hosea, long before Jesus came to earth: ‘Ephraim shall say, what have I to do anymore with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree (cypress). From (In) me is thy fruit found.’ (Hos.14:8) So please, let’s ignore the many idols that are vying for our attention, and keep that attention where it should be rightly focused, on the green fir tree that’s God, where good fruit abounds. Much LOVE!…there is only one true source of power in the universe…Almighty God…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 August 2011 Song of Solomon 1:6‏

19 Aug 2011 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Song of Solomon 1:6.    Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.
 
Aye Friends, is Friday! That means another weekend has rolled around. But it also means that in the northern climes, the beautiful summer weather is winding down too. A month from now, we’ll most likely be complaining about the cold, brisk September winds and the leaves starting to turn brown. However, until then, let’s enjoy what we have. We’ll deal with that when the time comes. So in line with all the mouthing and shouting of ‘TGIF!’ and ‘Thank God it’s Friday!’ let’s chant our Friday Chant, to help us keep the whole weekend thing in its proper perspective. (smile) With one accord now, with voices joyfully raised in song: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Yes mih people, that’s just to remind us that the weekend is not just for fun and frolic, but even then we do need to stay balanced, to live a balanced life between God – always first and foremost – work, family, friends, fun and relaxation. It’s only by living a balanced life that we can truly have a righteous and God-fearing earthly journey. Anything else will definitely throw our lives off kilter, just like the person’s in our Bit. ‘Look not upon me because I am black (dark), because the sun hath looked upon (tanned) me; my mother’s children (sons) were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.’ What a shame! His family was angry with him and made him work constantly in their vineyards, looking after their affairs, so much so that the sun darkened, tanned him. But his own vineyard, his own affairs and life, he never took time to look after. Oh my people, that’s a very foolish way to live. It’s righteous and worthwhile and all that to help others, but as the saying goes, if you’re not good for yourself, you can’t be good for anyone else. And that’s a fact! That means we’ve got to learn to spend time looking after both our affairs and ourselves. And who doh like it – tough! It’s obvious that they’re not interested in our welfare, but only their selfish desires. What happens when we get all burned out and miserable, as we will, if we’re constantly looking after their business eh? They’ll just find somebody else to do their dirty work. The main problem in living a balanced life though Friends, is one of discipline. We should all be disciplined enough to spend an appropriate amount of time with God, at work, with our families and friends, and with ourselves. Now that last person is one we always tend to overlook because we think we’re not important enough and/or don’t need time alone. Sometimes we’re also intimidated by the foolish world vision that if you spend time alone you’re weird or something’s wrong with you. But Friends, we all do need our private time; to get our thoughts together, plan our personal agenda and to just sit and relax, enjoying ourselves for being who we are. Note that we take ourselves everywhere we go, so it’s best if we like ourselves, are able to enjoy our own company, otherwise we’ll always be miserable. Psalm 119:45 says: ‘And I will walk at liberty (at ease, in a wide place), for I (continually) seek thy precepts.’ Yes my brethren, when we continually search for and keep God’s ways, we can walk far and wide without fear, for the Word will keep us in proper balance. That leads us to Proverbs 4, where Cousin Sol talks about avoiding wickedness, which is also about balance in our lives. ‘Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in the right paths. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened (hindered); and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.’ (Prov.4:10-12) Again Friends, when we keep the Word of God, near and dear to our hearts, our earthly journey will be made much easier and more fruitful. And we’ll close with two of the greatest verses of encouragement in the scriptures: ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside still waters (waters of rest). He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps.23:2-3) Without a doubt my people, if we walk closely with the Good Shepherd, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that’s where He’ll lead us every time, and we won’t need to fear that our lives will be thrown out of sync, out of balance ever! Much LOVE!…a life lived outside of…or without Jesus…will always be unbalanced and unfruitful…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 August 2011 Proverbs 14:12‏

18 Aug 2011 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 14:12.    There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.
 
Oh Friends, my ying and yang rebelled against me yesterday. They were both irritable and tired, complaining that they couldn’t handle the pressure anymore. I had to make up my mind to be either the night owl I was before my surgery, or become an early morning starling, which I don’t like. But they were very adamant that I couldn’t have it both ways. (smile) But that’s the very nature of the human beast. We LOVE to have our cake and eat it too. Consequently, my day was very lethargic and unfocused. My spirit seemed tired and uninterested in anything much, just going through the motions. The fact of the matter though is that my ying and yang are right. Sometimes I’m up late, other times I’m getting up early, operating without any real rhyme or reason. This does tend to break down the body. I believe in what a Willie Shakespeare character says in one of his plays, can’t remember which one, but he solemnly declares: ‘To go to bed late, is to be up early.’ Now that’s my preferred style of early rising! (smile) But seriously though, I have to get my act together. It’s been long enough since my surgery, can’t keep blaming everything on that. And most of all, I don’t like the Bit going out as late as it has been recently, when I can’t get up in the mornings. Unfortunately though, that type of behaviour is very prevalent amongst humans, especially amongst Christians, in terms of being in the world, but not of it. We’re not supposed to focus on the things of the world, the glitzy baubles, bangles and such stuff, but all of us do to some extent. It certainly is difficult keeping one’s focus on the spiritual things of heaven, when you’re constantly bombarded with the pretty things of the world. That’s where our Bit comes in with its words of wisdom: ‘There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.’ Yes Friends, we can do things which seem right to us, but they end up in physical death. While if we don’t hold on to the tenets of the Good Book, we can cause spiritual death. Neither avenue is healthy. So we’ve got to be very careful of the things, or the ways of behaviour we embrace, for though they may seem right in our eyes, they might not be the best or the righteous way. Cousin Sol was so sure of this fact that he repeated our Bit verbatim in Chapter 16:25. Before that though, in Chapter 12, he puts it this way: ‘The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.’ (Prov.12:15) It comes down to basically the same thing my people; what we think is right is not always so, and we’d be wiser to seek the advice of others, especially God, before embarking on any schemes or projects just on the strength of our own short-sighted wisdom. Now hear how Bruh Paul puts it nicely to the church at Rome: ‘For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom.6:20-23) And that’s the gospel truth Friends! For those things we cherished before Christ entered our hearts, are no longer of any importance, in fact we’re ashamed of many of them. But since we’ve found Christ, we’ve embraced a new way of life, looking unto Him, the author and finisher of our faith, the beginning and the end of all we believe in and stand for, the ONE true way to salvation, to eternal life, to Almighty God! Now friends, if we truly want to be like Jesus, then that’s the path we need to tread, and as we go, help others to tread it too. There’s no other way. Please remember that! Much LOVE!…there’s a wrong way…the world’s…and there’s a right way…Jesus’…  P.S. I’m in night owl mode, so the Bit’s very early. (smile) Much LOVE!
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 August 2011 Psalm 7:1

17 Aug 2011 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 7:1.    O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.
 
Oh Friends, another day has dawned, somewhat cloudy, but filled with promises of bright sunshine, as well as the Lord’s daily new mercies and blessings. However, for whatever reason, many of us don’t seem to feel, to experience that sunshine in our lives, our souls are devoid of God’s light. It’s like the quote attributed to Steve Martin: ‘A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.’ Yes Friends, many of us have hearts and souls that are dark and dismal like the night, although the Lord God Jehovah is offering us a chance of eternity, a chance to put brilliant sunshine in our lives through His Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Now why are our souls and lives still dark like night eh, with such glorious promises available? Is it because we haven’t put our full trust in God, haven’t completely surrendered our souls, our lives to Him? That would surely create darkness in our beings. And the only answer to that sad state of affairs my people, is to completely surrender our souls and lives to Almighty God! We need to say like Bruh David does in our Bit: ‘O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.’ The problem here though Friends, is that we don’t only have to say those words, but we also have to sincerely mean them. Oh Friends, without that absolute trust our lives will be even more confused and topsy-turvy than they already are. Psalm 7 is a prayer for deliverance, a song that Bruh David wrote when he heard of the death of his rebellious son, Absalom, from whom he was then running. And he continues in the second verse: ‘Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it (tearing me) in pieces, while there is none to deliver.’ (Ps.7:2) Oh my people, the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the ONLY ONE who can save us from persecution, who can deliver us from the evil arms of our enemies! That’s why in all his troubles, with all his sins, Bruh David kept on crying out to the God of his fathers. For example, in Psalm 31, where he sadly exclaims: ‘For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised (schemed) to take away my life. But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies sake.’ (Ps.31:13-16) Yes my people, our numbered days are all set in the Lord’s hands. He is our creator and can do with us as He pleases, but He’s a good God and wants to shower us with mercy and blessings as well as justice and truth. However, He can’t do it unless and until we come to Him with trusting hearts and surrendered souls. If we want to taste of His goodness and LOVING-kindness, which includes delivering us from the wrath and persecution of our enemies, we must bare our souls to Him. And because Bruh David never tried to whitewash his sins, we can understand why God had such compassion and mercy on him. Listen to these words, as he continues to lay bare his soul. ‘O Lord my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy); Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.’ (Ps.7:3-5) Oh Friends, Bruh David was strong enough and contrite enough to open his heart to the Lord and accept any punishment for his wrongdoing. Are we strong and contrite enough to do that? We need to be, because that’s the only way our God operates. Being open and above board is our only hope of forgiveness, for the Lord will search our hearts before making up His mind on whether to help us or not. So it pays to be truthful, admit our wrongdoings, and not try to hide anything from God. Hn, hn! As though we can ever do that, although some of us still foolishly try. My people, our God operates on one simple, infallible, unassailable principle; that of unblemished, unvarnished, unrestrained trust and truth! Consequently, in our dealings with Him, He expects the same from us. Regardless of how terrible our sins might be, there’s no need to be afraid, for He’s promised that all who sincerely trust in Him, through His Son Jesus, and come and lay bare their souls with openness and honesty, will be forgiven, cared for till eternity. Wow! What a magnificent and magnanimous God we serve my brethren! It just boggles my imagination every time I consider how wonderful He is to us, His rebellious, sinful children! So why do we still insist on not coming to Him? And when we do approach His throne of grace and mercy, of not coming clean with Him? Oh people, our God is such a great and ever-LOVING God, that the biggest mistake we can ever make is not fully trusting Him and going to Him for all our needs, both in good times and in bad. He’s very broken-hearted when we don’t come to Him. So please, let’s stop breaking His heart by staying away, and instead bring Him the joy He so longs for and richly deserves by sincerely trusting and taking all our troubles to Him. It’s the ONLY wise approach available to the human animal. And if we don’t do it, then we’re foolishly denying ourselves His great benefits of truth, justice, mercy and forgiveness. Please let that not be numbered amongst our numerous faults. Much LOVE!…in times of prosperity…take it to the Lord in prayer…in times of trouble…take it to the Lord in prayer…at all times…take it to the Lord in prayer…  P.S. It’s late because I’m a night owl and still can’t get the hang of this early waking up business. (smile) 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 August 2011 Jeremiah 29:13‏

16 Aug 2011 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Jeremiah 29:13.    And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
 
Oh Friends, it’s a beautiful Tuesday morning in my neck of the woods, but for some reason, known only to God Himself, my ying and yang refused to get in sync this morning, (smile) that’s why the Bit’s late. But yuh know what? We’re not giving up! NEVER! We’ll continue fighting right down to our last breath! That’s how believers must operate if we’re to be successful in this crazy, confused, violent greedy, ungodly world. And here’s a prayer to help us persevere, from ‘The Pursuit of God,’ By A.W. Tozer, from the chapter titled ‘The Speaking Voice,’ where the author puts forth a very convincing theory that our God is alive, is very vocal, and talks to us all the time, but we don’t hear Him because we’re just not listening. ‘Lord, teach me to listen. The times are noisy and my ears are weary with the thousand raucous sounds which continuously assault them. Give me the spirit of the boy Samuel when he said to Thee, “Speak, for thy servant heareth.” Let me hear Thee speaking in my heart. Let me get used to the sound of thy voice, that its tones may be familiar when the sounds of earth die away and the only sound will be the music of Thy speaking voice. Amen.’ Yes Friends, we’ll never hear God talking to us unless we keep quiet and listen for and to Him, amongst all the noise that’s prevalent in our world. And that’s where our Bit comes in: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all our heart.’ Fellow believers, it is necessary, a key part of the Christian journey, to keep seeking and searching for God. Our God is like most good things in life, which we don’t find until we consciously and diligently seek them out. Now hear the conditions for restoration and blessing that God laid down through Moses, for His rebellious and disobedient people, the Israelites. ‘And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity (bring you back from captivity), and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, wither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee.’ (Deut.30:1-3) Oh my people, the Lord couldn’t speak any plainer than that! Before compassion and forgiveness are granted, we have to do our part; seek Him, repent and confess our abominable sins, then live obediently to His law. And that prescription for rebellion and disobedience has not changed since it was first decreed. So in our current time, where dalliance with the evil and ungodly is prevalent, we too need to turn back to the Lord; repent, confess and live righteous lives, else out world will deteriorate until it simply falls apart or self-destructs. And please note Friends, this return to God cannot just be surface deep, an exterior façade without any interior substance, but it must be done through the fullness of our hearts, with right motives, since that’s where the Lord looks before He decides on our blessings and punishments. As out Bit says, we shall find the Lord: ‘when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ Listen to these words of advice that Bruh David gave to Cousin Sol, possibly the best advice a father ever gave to a child. ‘Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise therefore and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord.’ (1 Chron.22:19) Ah mih breddren, how many of us have given that wise advice to our children eh, substituting our lives and bodies for the physical sanctuary to be built in honour of our great and magnificent God? Obviously not enough, else our world would not be in such a sinful mess. Oh Friends, in these ungodly, destructive times, I implore us to band together, as Jesus desires, into one, unified Church, and to do all that we can to change the direction which our world is currently focused on, down the evil path, so that the word of the Lord, as spoken in Jeremiah, can be fulfilled. ‘And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.’ (Jer.24:7) It’s the only way to stave off divine destruction Friends. Much LOVE!…hard ears pickney…always pay a hard price…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 August 2011 Jeremiah 29:13

15 Aug 2011 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Jeremiah 29:13.    And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Oh Friends, it’s Monday! Yes Monday, the day we’re slowly learning to LOVE. (smile) Okay, so I’m a tad mental, for why would anyone in their right mind LOVE Mondays, when it means leaving the comfortable confines of our homes to go out and labour in the rough, evil world with all its inherent difficulties? But my people, we should LOVE Mondays for two reasons. First, it gives us the important opportunity to go out and make a living, so we can keep those comfortable homes. Secondly, it expands our horizons, giving us a wider area to work in God’s name and spread His infallible Word. And though our minds might dispute those reasons, our hearts know that they are true. So to help us go out with the right attitude this morning, let’s joyfully sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Oh my brethren, I sure hope that jumped started our engines, and we’re now firing on all cylinders, just bursting with enthusiasm and energy to go out into the world and accomplish the Lord’s desires. Now let’s turn to our Bit, and see what scriptural justification we can find for it, since yesterday’s writing was basically from my heart: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ And that’s so true Friends! To find justification though, we won’t go back far, just to Leviticus, (smile) when Moses was spelling out the penalties for disobedience to the Israelites. He’s already told them that their land would be destroyed and they’d be taken captive to their enemy’s territory, where they would pine away in theirs and their father’s iniquity. However, ‘If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; And that I have also walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her Sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of their punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgements, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.  And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the Lord their God. But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the Land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the Lord.’ (Lev.26:40-45) Yes Friends, the Lord spoke it then, and He’s certainly speaking it now. There’s no denying that we have despised His judgements and our souls have abhorred His statutes, for we’ve removed Him from our lives to bow down and worship man made idols, thus our punishment; all the confusion and disasters that’s raining down on our evil world. But fortunately our God is such a kind hearted Deity that He always leaves a door open for us to come back to Him, like the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable. (Luke 15:11-32) That’s why He’s known as the God of second chances! No other supposed god offers their followers a second chance, only ours, my people. Let us therefore be wise and accept His offer nuh, for he’s the ONLY ONE in all creation, who can help us clean up the mess we’ve made of His world. More on this tomorrow, our God in favour. Till then, please seek Him seriously, because that’s the only way you’ll find Him. Much LOVE!…the believer’s duty…to diligently search…to find…and never to turn back…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 August 2011 Jeremiah 29:13‏

14 Aug 2011 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Jeremiah 29:13.    And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Oh Friends, I’m not sure what I’m going to write on as yet, but I’ve been reading this interesting book, ‘The Pursuit of God’ by A.W. Tozer, and for some reason, my spirit’s been led to begin today with the prayer at the end of the chapter on ‘Apprehending (truly knowing and experiencing) God.’ So here it is: ‘O God, quicken to life every power within me, that I may lay hold on eternal things. Open my eyes that I may see; give me acute spiritual perception; enable me to taste Thee and know that Thou art good. Make heaven more real to me than any earthly thing has ever been. Amen.’ Ah my people, I think it’s a powerful prayer, and very appropriate to today, where many believers only have God in their minds, have a mental image of God as being some nebulous Being in the background of their lives, with no true experience of the living Deity that is always around, seeking to come into our hearts and lives in a much more meaningful way. The prayer causes us to want to focus on eternal things, as we ought to, rather than the earthly stuff that still holds most of our attention. Oh Friends, I get the feeling that believers these days have only a superficial knowledge of God. Christianity has become too much of a feel good, surface movement, lacking the deeper searching and seeking for God. In other words, we all have some idea of God, but how many of us have really experienced Him personally in our everyday lives? How many of us really seek to know Him deeply, in Spirit and in truth, and delve into His Word with that intent? Too many of us view God as some ephemeral, ghost-like personage, existing on the edge of our sub-conscious. But He’s real Friends! He’s a living, breathing, working God; existing in us, with us and around us, waiting to fully come to us. But we have to invite Him in, make a conscious decision to truly want to know Him, then be willing to put out the necessary time and energy to receive Him, to be receptive to His advances, for He’s always there, gently knocking on the door of our hearts. The only real difference between the saint and the ordinary believer is that the former has a greater hunger and thirst for God, and is/was willing to devote the time and energy to satisfy it. My brethren, that is the kind of Christianity we need today on a very broad scale, if we’re to make any real difference in our world, and bring it back to some form of godliness, from the worldwide ungodly phase it’s currently going through. All believers must be willing to get into the saintly groove and work diligently towards truly knowing Jesus. It’s the only way we can offer meaningful testimonies, testimonies of true substance that will significantly impact the lives of the ungodly, as well as other believers. So unless we have some true, godly, life experience to share, telling others to just believe and have faith, won’t do them much good. But to gain that true, godly, life experience, to grow in maturity, we must first diligently seek and follow after God. There’s just no getting away from the fact that to know God, to become mature and versed in His ways, is like improving in any other activity; we have to practice continuously. And in God’s case, we need to do it with total trust, surrender and obedience. And that’s where I believe too many of us believers fall down. We simply are not prepared to spend the time and expend the energy needed to truly know and experience God. It means giving up a lot of stuff, oftimes family and friends too. But it’s no different than giving up stuff to focus on our careers or other activities that are near and dear to our hearts. We can only win, or achieve lofty heights in any endeavour, when all our emphasis is geared towards that particular endeavour. The same steadfast focus is also necessary in our lives when it comes to seriously knowing God. Oh Friends, this is where I was lead today, and I sincerely hope it makes sense and impacts our hearts, minds and souls, enough to make us want to know God better and do the things required to achieve that most worthwhile purpose. And we’ll end with the words of our Bit, which I had a hard time deciding on. They are God’s words, His promise, on the subject, as declared by the prophet Jeremiah: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ Please my people, let’s seek Him, let’s search for Him with all our heart, so that we can mature as children of God, and bring great glory to His Name, as He desires. Much LOVE!…seek and ye shall find…knock and it shall be opened…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 August 2011 Psalm 136:1‏

13 Aug 2011 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 136:1    O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Oh Friends, I’d been struggling to find a Bit for a little while, when the Lord took pity on me and led me to Psalm 136, titled, ‘Praise for the Lord’s past and present blessings.’ ‘Thank you Lord!’ And was I ever surprised on reading it to discover that each of its 26 verses, ends with the refrain, ‘for his mercy endureth forever.’ I don’t think I’ve ever noticed this psalm before. I know the scriptures it talks about, but not the psalm itself. Anyway, as its title indicates, it deals with the good things that the Lord had done over the years, and was still doing for Israel. It’s a call to praise the Lord, while showing cause why we should. Consequently, the psalmist heartily proclaims in our Bit: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.’ And that’s an undisputable truth Friends! The writer of Psalm 106 also calls on us to ‘Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who can utter (express) the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can show forth all his praise?’ (Ps.106:1-2) Well the author of Psalm 136 aspires to do just that, as he goes on to describe the Lord as ‘The God of gods: The Lord of lords: To him who alone doeth great wonders: To him that by wisdom made the heavens: To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: To him that made great lights: The sun to rule by day: The moon and stars to rule by night.’ (Ps.136:2-9) Now just imagine a powerful, sweet voiced soloist singing those sentiments, then being answered after every verse by a bubbling, enthusiastic congregation, in full voice themselves: ‘for his mercy endureth for ever.’ Oh Friends, what an outpouring of joy that would cause in heaven! That would only cause His mercy to increase. And believe me people, the Lord’s mercy does endure forever. Throughout the Good Book, from Genesis to Revelation, it’s continually stated and shown. It refers to God’s great and loyal LOVE for those He calls His people. He’s made a covenant, a pact, a contract with us, and it’s of the utmost importance to Him to keep it, so that He can prove his faithfulness and loyalty to those who serve and worship Him. And having described God’s general supremacy, the psalmist then turns his attention to specific things the Lord’s done for His people Israel: ‘To him that smote Egypt in their first-born: And brought out Israel from among them: With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm (outstretched arm, mighty power): To him which divided the Red Sea into parts: And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea: To him which led his people through the wilderness: And slew famous kings: Sihon king of the Amorites: And Og the King of Bashan: And gave their land for a heritage: Who remembered us in our low estate (lowly state): And hath redeemed us from our enemies: Who giveth food to all flesh: O  give thanks unto the God of heaven:’ And all the people proudly echo: ‘for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (Ps.136:10-26) Yes Friends, by the time the congregation sings that last refrain, there would be much dancing and singing in heaven too! That’s what praising our God does. It’s contagious. It has that multiplier effect; whoever hears it just naturally joins in, which is the reaction we’d like to accomplish worldwide, per our Great Commission. (Matt.28:19-20) Unfortunately though, we’re not quite there yet, but we’re getting there, slowly but surely. The forces of good are getting their act together and stepping out to engage Lucifer and his evil cronies, fully clad in their spiritual armour, with their shield of faith out front to deflect the enemy’s fiery darts, while that great spiritual weapon, the sword of the Good Book, brings all who encounter it to their knees before Almighty God. Wow! What a bright and enduring picture my brethren, one we should all be focused on bringing to fruition! And we’ll end with a beautiful verse of scripture, as promised by the Lord, re Judah’s revival. ‘The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts: for the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord, For I will cause to return the captivity of the land (the captives of the land to return), as at the first, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.33:11) Yes my people, the sacrifice of praise is still most welcome in the ears of our God, so let’s take it to the next level nuh. Let’s get so contagious with praise and thanks, that those who hear us won’t have any option but to join in and further the kingdom! Much LOVE!…Praise Him, praise Him…Glory Hallelujah…He is LOVE…He is LOVE…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 August 2011 Psalm 97:7‏

12 Aug 2011 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 97:7.    Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! However, not as many voices as per usual are shouting, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ That’s because of the great fear and uncertainty that’s running through our topsy-turvy world right now. But fortunately, as believers, we don’t have to give into that fear and anxiety, for we have Jesus always walking beside us, and He’s promised never to leave or forsake us. Wow! What a promise my people! One in which we can take much comfort and embrace with joy. And here’s a quote attributed to Frank Lane that’s rather appropriate to our current world dilemma. It says: ‘If you want to see the sunshine, you have to weather the storm.’ And that’s gospel Friends! You’ll never see the sunshine if you perish in the storm. So let’s all put our best foot forward and hang on tightly to Jesus, because He’s the best anchor in any storm whatsoever! And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Yes my people, only through the good mercies and tender, LOVING-kindness of our God can we ever hope to weather the storms of life. That’s why the psalmist loudly proclaims in our Bit: ‘Confounded be all they that (let all those be put to shame who) serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.’ And don’t be worried Friends, all those who worship graven images, idols and false gods, will be put to shame in the Lord’s own time. He made this very clear when He handed down the Ten Commandments. It’s the first and most important one, the only one with a long explanation. Listen to the Lord tell it as it is: ‘I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to (worship) them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. And showing mercy unto thousands of them that LOVE me, and keep my commandments.’ (Ex.20:2-6) Yes mih breddren, that says it all! God left no room for doubt. He is the ONLY TRUE GOD, and the ONLY ONE we must serve and worship. And if we do otherwise, as most of our world is doing, we will pay a severe price, just as our world is paying now. I don’t know what it is with man, but when it comes to Jehovah God, he just seems to have a natural rebellion in him, although it’s been proven time and time again, that it’s a very unwise strategy. Oh Friends, it’s simple common sense; if the Lord created the world and all therein, then He must be the ONE we look to for help in fixing it. But foolishly, mankind, with his little itsy-bitsy knowledge, has puffed up his chest and buffed his ego into thinking that he rules the roost and can do it without God’s help. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! That’s the only comment possible on that mental attitude. My people, please, I implore us to stop being silly, thinking that we can do anything worthwhile on our own, for we can’t. It’s only with the powerful help of Almighty God that man is able to accomplish anything worthwhile in this world. So please, let’s do like our Bit says: ‘worship him, all ye gods.’ Why? ‘For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.’ (Ps.97:9) And that’s the unfailing truth of the whole matter Friends! Much LOVE!…rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous…and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness (holy name)… (Ps.97:12)

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