Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 January 2012 Isaiah 43:19

21 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , ,

Isaiah 43:19.     Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Oh Friends, this Saturday morning, as the universe unfurls as it should, let’s give our God a loud, hearty and grateful, ‘Thank You Lord!’ for safely bringing us through the long, dark night into a bright new day, filled with His blessings and unconditional LOVE. What an amazing God we serve! Unfortunately too many of us don’t see, understand and appreciate the amazing stuff He does in our lives every day. That’s because we’re always thinking in terms of big miracles, of selfish wants and needs. Meanwhile, His bounty is constantly being poured out in small amounts, on small problems, in so many different parts of our lives. Oh Friends, it’s the little things, the little everyday miracles that keep us so amazed by and enthralled with God, which keep us LOVING Him and wanting to give our all, do our best for Him. He’s faithfully kept all the promises He’s ever made, and in this YEAR OF JESUS, He’s reiterated one found in our Bit: ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ Oh my brethren, what an awesome promise! Now yesterday we looked at some of the scriptures pertaining to doing new things in the lives of believers, and there are more, but instead to day I want to check out some pertaining to the last part of our Bit: ‘I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ This is the practical application of the promise. First up is water being miraculously supplied for the Israelites in the wilderness to appease their whining and complaining and wanting to return to Egypt. ‘And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest (struck) the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah (Tempted), and Meribah (Contention), because of the chiding (contention) of the children of Israel, and because they tempted (tested) the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?’ (Ex.17:5-7) The second scripture also deals with the Israelites complaining about the lack of water. Moses and Aaron prayed to the Lord for guidance outside the tabernacle entrance. ‘And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth water to them out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify (hallow) me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.’ (Num.20:7-13) Now Friends, not only were the Israelites worrisome, but here Moses was also disobedient to God’s direction. In the first passage He told him to strike the rock with the rod, but in that last one he was supposed to speak to the rock. But in his anger he struck the rock twice instead, and by not carrying out God’s instruction, he failed to sanctify, elevate, honour Him in the Israelites eyes, and consequently forfeited the privilege of leading them into the Promised Land. Then later on, the Lord warned them to not get too big for their breeches and forget’ Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove (test) thee, to do thee good at thy latter end. And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.’ (Deut.8:15-17) Ah Friends, but the Israelites turned out to be a bunch of selfish, stubborn, ignorant people and did exactly what the Lord warned them not to do, several times too. And sadly we have followed in their foolish, selfish, egotistical footsteps and have thus found ourselves in the current mess we’re in. Please Friends, let’s not adopt the ‘what have you done for me lately credo’ that the Israelites had. The Lord is working for us everyday, and this year He wants to do many new things in our lives, set us up as never before, give us the wherewithal that we so badly need to further His glorious kingdom. So let’s be fully attentive and appreciative. Now let’s end with a most fitting ending: ‘And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst (who thirsts) of the fountain of the water of life freely.’ (Rev.21:5-6)  Please Friends, let’s thirst for that water of life, let’s listen to what the Lord’s saying in our hearts today, and allow Him to uplift and enlighten us and bring us closer to Jesus. That’s wisdom at its highest. Much LOVE!…this year, let’s purposely…LOVE our God…SPREAD His Word…and LIVE our Faith…as diligently as we ought…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 January 2012 Isaiah 43:19‏

20 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , ,

Isaiah 43:19.     Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, the start of the weekend, and I hear you rejoicing: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ Now nothing’s wrong with declaring TGIF, Thank God is Friday, but we have to be sober and sensible about our ensuing thoughts and actions. Please, let’s not fall back into the bad habits of yesteryear. The Good Book says; ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.’ (Is.43:18) And Bruh Paul righteously informed the Corinthians: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor.5:17) This is a new year my people, 2012, with new beginnings, and if we want to experience the Lord’s best, we have to step up to the plate and make improvements in our lives. The Lord’s plaintively beseeching us in our Bit: ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ Yes Friends, our God is doing, or wanting to do new things in all of our lives this year. So why don’t we listen to what He’s saying, then allow Him to do whatever new things He desires? Remember, whatever He does is always for our good, for our benefit, not His. Everyday He’s trying to mould us closer to the image of His wonderful, obedient Son, Jesus. Now who wouldn’t want to be like Jesus, even in some small way eh? Only the evil and foolish! It’s not an easy thing to do by any means, especially with all the fiery darts of the enemy being constantly let loose on us. But with our focus on Jehovah, the constant prayer, praise and reading of His Word, we can, and will come out victorious, if we stay the course. And here’s another scripture I want us to remember: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom.8:37) Friends that means that anytime we work sincerely and diligently with Jesus we’re assured of success. But without Him on our side, in our plans, be they big or small, our chance of success is drastically lessened. So to get us into the frame of mind where the Lord can work His miracle working powers on us, let’s chant our Friday Chant in strong unison: ‘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.’ And if we chanted that sincerely, gratefully and enthusiastically, then Friends, I believe we set the Holy Spirit of Jesus moving in our souls with purpose, presence and eventual prosperity in all aspects of our lives. Remember prosperity is not simply money, but encompasses everything that happens in both our private and public lives. It includes getting along with friends and family, as well as co-workers, having a job, having good health, doing good in our community, for whatever touches our lives can either be good or bad and make us happy or sad. And since one of the reasons Jesus died was that we could have joy, why foolishly choose sadness as a believer eh? ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.’ (John 15:11) Yes mih people, those are the words of Jesus. He knew that we would be afflicted here on earth, even persecuted for simply believing in Him and even worse for spreading the good news that He was alive and kicking and was the only way to get salvation, free and clear, and there was no earning it. Now let’s end with His promise of cheer and being able to handle the world with all its evil and ungodliness. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) What wonderful news Friends! We don’t have to fear what the world brings against us, once He’s safely ensconced in our hearts, for He’s already put the world at His feet, and therefore all who truly believe in Him should have peace, joy and contentment in their hearts, though the going be rough. Yes my brethren, let’s buckle down this new year and stir up a wild and crazy storm for Jesus, so that all we come into contact with will want to know where we found our strength and joy and want to partake of it with us. Remember Friends, THIS IS THE YEAR OF JESUS! This is the year that His LOVE Revolution takes off for soaring heights, and I’d like all of us to be a part of it. Much LOVE!…in the joy of Jesus…believers find their strength…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 January 2012 Psalm 27:4‏

19 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , ,

Psalm 27:4.    One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
 
Oh Friends, let’s praise the Lord for granting us yet another day on planet earth, filled with His awesome and unending mercies and blessings! And all God’s people cried out with joyful hearts: ‘Oh praise ye the name of the Lord, for He is indeed good to the undeserving children of men!’ Yes Friends, our God is good to us even though we’re not anywhere as good as we should be. But He LOVES with such a strong, unconditional LOVE that He can’t do otherwise but bless us. Now in the very first verse of Psalm 27, Bruh David states his case for worshipping the Lord with complete trust and confidence. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps.27:1) And as believers, the answer to those two questions my brethren is absolutely NOBODY! Then in our Bit, he goes on to voice his greatest desire: ‘One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (delightfulness) of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.’ What a fondness Bruh David had for the God of his fathers. Oh that we could be so fond of our Creator, Provider and Protector my people, that our fondest wish would be to seek Him out continually, to dwell in His house, to behold His delightfulness, His majesty and inquire after Him. Now obviously there wouldn’t be enough space in God’s physical house for all of us to dwell in at the same time, but as Bruh Paul declared to the Corinthians: ‘Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?’ (1 Cor.3:16) Therefore Friends, since our bodies are God’s temple, we can all have the opportunity to live with Him, observe His beauty and majesty, delight in His ways, and get to know Him intimately. Wow! What an exciting opportunity! And that’s what the Lord desires of us anyway. Then Bruh David goes on to state another of the many reasons why he LOVES the Lord God Jehovah: ‘For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me upon a rock.’ (Ps.27:5) And isn’t that the awesome truth my people! In times of trouble, like now, the safest place in the world is in the arms of Jesus; protection safe, sure and secure, way above the problems that are bombarding us from every side. So why aren’t more, or rather all of us flocking to the safety of Jesus in these difficult time eh? I guess it’s a matter of faith, of belief and of trust. We foolishly place more trust in the man made solutions, which are what caused our problems in the first place. We don’t really belief that Jesus is who He says He is, though there’s lots of proof to verify it. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) And until we each belief that with the utmost faith and sincerity my Friends, our lives will be forever troubled, in a troubled world of unbelief. We shall never have the peace, calm and contentedness, some of the things Jesus sacrificed His sinless life for us to have. Oh my brethren, let’s wake up and wise up this year of 2012 nuh, and truly come to realize that Jesus is the ONLY answer, the ONLY solution to the many serious problems currently facing our world. In the beauty of His Spirit we can find true rest and contentment. And we’re going to end today’s Bit with a rather appropriate poem from Dr. Robert Schuller’s Devotional titled Hours of Power. The name of the poem is BEAUTY: Thank you Father, for filling the world with beauty. I thank you for the beauty of life, the beauty of LOVE, the beauty of children, and the beauty of old people, (yes, old people are beautiful too – smile). I thank you for the beauty of Christ and for the beauty of any life when Christ is invited through the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Father, that you have made my life beautiful too. Oh Friends, when we put our sincere trust and faith in Christ, then we will see the beauty in all creation and glorify the Lord God with much enthusiasm and reverence. May all of us be able at some time soon to say those words and truly mean them. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. Much LOVE my beautiful people!…come to me…all ye that labour and are heavy laden…and I will give you rest…for my yoke is easy…and my burden is light… (Matt.11:28,30)
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 January 2012 Mark 4:40‏

18 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , ,

Mark 4:40.    And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
 
Oh people, I’ve just finished reading the obits and I didn’t find any of our names or pictures listed there, which means we’ve been granted yet another day on beautiful planet earth. Thank the Lord! So please, I implore us to use this day wisely since we don’t know how many more, if any, we will be granted. And using it wisely simply means in the service of the Lord; facing some problem(s) with plenty faith, righting some wrong, and/or helping someone in need. Before tackling each situation we encounter today, let’s first ask ourselves: now what would Jesus do if He was in my shoes? Hopefully we’ll come up with the right answer, then apply it with faith and confidence. In these turbulent times Friends, it’s only Jesus sanctioned answers or solutions that will make a true and lasting difference. But Friends, we have to believe this first, before it will ever work. Look at our Bit: ‘And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?’ Jesus, having been asleep in the stern of a boat when a storm arose, was summarily awakened by His scared to death disciples, saying: ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.’ (Mark 4:38-39) That’s when He questioned their faith in our Bit. Now after that, the Good Book says: ‘And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him.’ (Mark 4:41) And these were men who had been with Jesus for some time and had seen Him do all sorts of miracles, but still did not have that deep faith to believe that He was truly the Son of God and could do all things. But my people, it’s only when we truly believe and trust in Jesus that He works in our lives. Listen to the Good Book again: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb.11:6) That’s why, per the scholars, Jesus in His travels continually questioned His hearers faith, so He could spur them to greater trust. We have a perfect example of that when Jesus calls Peter out of the boat to walk on the water towards Him. In the beginning, Peter’s faith was sky high, so he walked confidently, but shortly thereafter, when he experienced the wind’s velocity, he panicked, and the level of his faith dropped like a heavy stone in water, and he began sinking, fearfully crying out: ‘Lord save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.’ (Matt.14:30-33) Unfortunately Friends, we are the same way, though we shouldn’t be. Our Faith is constantly being tried and tested and we’re always afraid until the Lord shows up and helps us. But there shouldn’t be that fear if we sincerely believe and trust in Jesus to make our rough paths smooth and our winding roads straight. It’s only human to have some genuine concern, but the deep fear that so many of us have just facing everyday life should not exist in a true believer. God has helped us on numerous occasions in the past, so if we are still believing in Him, why then the fear that He might do otherwise? Oh Friends, I know that our world is going through some turbulent and tremulous times, which are unfortunately being reflected in our personal lives, consequently we don’t know whom or what to trust, because everybody and everything seems to be letting us down. But take heart. If you’re a believer, ask yourself if Jesus has ever let you down? I’m sure the answer will be no. That therefore means you can put your faith and trust in Him with no reservations whatsoever. Simply keep reading His word, standing steadfastly on His promises and doing His Will, and He will most definitely see you through whatever hardships you’re now facing. And if you’re not a believer, but hard times are also overwhelming you, then take a leap of faith, put your trust in Jesus today, you have nothing to lose and so much to gain. Believe me, He will stand up for you. He won’t necessarily wipe away all your problems, because He’s not there to cater to all our whims and fancies, but for sure He’ll enable you to bear them with a lighter heart and greater peace of mind, and eventually bring you through them safely. That’s His promise. Trust Jesus today Friends, like you’ve never trusted Him before. It’s the wisest thing you’ll ever do. Much LOVE!…who stilled the gusting wind…who calmed the angry sea…who shed His blood on Calvary…for a poor sinner like me…JESUS…my Saviour…my Comforter…and my Friend…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 January 2012 Romans 10:17‏

17 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , ,

Romans 10:17.     So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 
Oh Friends, oh Friends, what does the ole fella have to say today eh? Not much nuh. Hn,hn! And I can hear my children and some others saying a prayerful, ‘Thank you Lord.’ (smile) But it’s a new year people, and I’m sincerely trying to improve my listening to talking ratio, both to God and man. So what’s your area of improvement for 2012 eh? Don’t tell me none, for unless you’re Jesus Christ, we all have areas that need improvement, and I sure hope that everyone is doing their level best to attack some backward area of their lives with much verve and gusto and Jesus’ help. Listen my brethren, we need to continually do that sort of thing if we truly desire to improve our LOVE walk and our Christ-like image. Remember 2012 is a very important year, a year where all mankind, but especially believers, have to come up large, if we’re going to turn the world around with a LOVE Revolution – the only way it can be turned around. And I’m going to try my best to remind us of that all year round. Oh Friends, if we truly want to be better, to look and act more like Christ, then it means putting out a whole lot of effort, being diligent, sacrificing things that we like, spending more time with God in prayer, reading the Good Book and other enlightening stuff. And above all, staying the course, standing strong and steady in real faith. For it’s only when backbone, belly, perseverance and stick-to-itiveness are present that success comes. At the end we should be able to say like Bruh Paul: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim.4:7) It’s not easy to do, but we can surely do it with God’s help. And Friends, I can talk about that because we’re now into the sixth calendar year (1907) since the Lord suggested the Scrip-Bit idea, and I laughed at Him, because I felt my knowledge of the Bible was insufficient to do it. But the good news is that He never gave up on me, and as you can see, the Bit is a now a far cry from when it first began. Obviously I wasn’t able to do it, and still can’t, without the Lord’s assistance and guidance. So I know whereof I speak when I say that all things are possible when we partner and persevere with Jehovah God. This means it’s very possible, not to mention worthwhile, for us to turn from our wicked, sinful ways and become more obedient to the Lord if we truly desire it. And my people, that’s exactly what I’m pleading for us to do today, for the Lord God Jehovah is the ONLY ONE who can help us in this time of dire need. Our world is a total mess in all aspects. We all know that, so I won’t even bother to mention them. And a large part of the world’s dysfunction is because we have turned away from God. Now it’s sad to note that it wasn’t just a mere straying, but a planned and intentional removal of God from our society, and thus from our daily lives. But Friends, we desperately need God in our daily lives and in our society in general. So while we’re still alive – though nobody knows for how long – if we want to leave a better world for our descendants, let’s use the hope and faith that’s available to fix it RIGHT NOW. Later will be too late, cause there’ll be nothing left to fix, if we continue in this destructive mode. Now I might sound like a broken record, but my brethren oftimes we need to hear something over and over again before it truly takes root in our hearts and minds. Like the old adage says: ‘practice makes perfect.’ The same principle applies here: We can only turn back to, or stand strong with God, if we keep hearing the truth of His Word and practicing it. That’s where our Bit comes in: ‘So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ And I’ll let the scholars explain it more competently: ‘The reference is to the oral communication of the gospel. (The word translated ‘report ‘ in v.16 is translated ‘hearing’ here.) Notice that it is not faith in what is heard, but faith that comes about by what is heard. This is what Paul meant in Rom.1:16 when he said the gospel ‘is the power of God unto salvation.’ Saving faith is not man doing his part in response to God’s having done His part (synergism). Saving faith can come about only through the gospel. Salvation is God’s work alone (monergism). This also shows that there is no other way to be saved but by the explicit gospel of Christ.’ And all God’s people made a joyful noise unto the Lord. ‘Praise be to thee Oh Christ!’ So Friends, to stay centred in Christ and mature in our Christian walk, we need to continually hear the explicit gospel of Christ. Nothing else can do it for us. Therefore, let’s write that indelibly and very deep in our hearts, souls and minds so that we can use it in time of need. Much LOVE!…believers…it’s time to rise up valiantly in faith…and spread God’s kingdom…far and wide…  P.S. Hn! Is a good thing I didn’t have much to say eh. (smile)
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 January 2012 Nehemiah 1:7

16 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , ,

Nehemiah 1:7.     We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgements, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

Oh Friends, it’s Monday! Time to get up and get a move on, the workweek battle is about to begin. We can’t afford to rest on our laurels any longer because the enemy is already out in full force, and Jesus is at the front line waiting on us. So as the trumpet sounds the call to battle, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in loud, united voice. ‘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!’ Now let’s go into battle fresh and fiery, determined to bring the enemy to heel! But sadly people, we also need to pay attention to our Bit: ‘We have dealt (acted) very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgements (ordinances), which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.’ And that’s no lie Friends! We have behaved abominably towards the Lord who created us but still LOVES and cares for us. Now yesterday we read of two instances where that basic prayer was used by other men of faith, and also the warning that Moses gave the Israelites re turning away from God. Today we’ll look at two more instances where men of faith invoked the same prayer. The first one is from Jeremiah, re confession of Israel’s sins: ‘For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. We lie down in our shame, and our confusion (disgrace) covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.’ (Jer.3:24-25) Then there’s Daniel, also praying for his people: ‘O Lord, the great and dreadful (awesome) God, keeping the covenant and mercy (LOVING kindness) to them that LOVE him, and to them that keep his commandments; We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.’ (Dan.9:4-6) Oh my brethren, unfortunately those same words apply to us today, and possibly even more so, because we’ve reached a state of depravity previously unknown to mankind. And though I don’t have the calibre of faith and holiness that those men of olden times possessed, I still pray the prayer of Nehemiah everyday for our society and our world. I sure hope that men of greater faith and righteousness than me are also praying it, because we desperately need the help, mercy and forgiveness that only Almighty God can provide, if we’re going to right our evil, ungodly, confused, topsy-turvy world. And getting the Lord’s attention is not very hard to do my people. We just need to renew our faith and turn back to Him in conviction and repentance, remove the idols and fleshly lusts that now consume us, and begin serving and worshipping Him sincerely again, the way our fathers did. Now listen to some of Cousin Sol’s prayer when he dedicated the temple to the Lord. He’s just finished saying that if the people are disobedient and suffer the consequences: ‘Yet if they shall bethink (come to) themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely (wrong), we have committed wickedness; And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers…Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause (justice), And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them: for they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron.’ (1 Kin.8:47-51) Yes Friends, right there is the answer to all our problems. As I said before, all it takes is sincere repentance and a willingness to follow the Lord’s will. Anything less is of no use. Oh my people, time’s running out, we have to step up to the plate sooner rather than later, so let’s start today nuh, by going out and pondering and praying on these things. It’s in our best interest. And hopefully, we’ll come to the conclusion that we definitely want a better life than what we now have, and are absolutely willing to make the sacrifices necessary to do so. I pray this in Jesus Name. Amen. Much LOVE!…there’s no better way to live this earthly life…than to LOVE and serve the Lord God Jehovah.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 January 2012 Nehemiah 1:7‏

15 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , ,

Nehemiah 1:7.    We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgements, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

Well a good Sunday morning to all you beautiful people out there in Scrip-Bit Land! I hope the day has found you in good spirits, and for those who celebrate the Sabbath on Sundays, you have either gone or are preparing to go to church and fellowship with other believers. And for those who celebrate the Lord’s Day on Fridays and Saturdays, I sure hope you fellowshipped with those of your faith, that it was good, you praised and worshipped in genuine communion, and that you are set to endure another week in this evil world, furthering God’s kingdom. Now some of you may recognize our Bit from Nehemiah’s prayer, when he was told in Babylon that Jerusalem was a sad mess; the people were in great distress, the walls were broken down and the gates burned. (Neh.1:2-3) This caused a great sorrow to rise up in Nehemiah’s soul, leading him to fast and pray to the God of his fathers, confessing the many sins of the Israelites against Him over the centuries. Then he gets to our Bit: ‘We have dealt (acted) very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgements (ordinances), which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.’ Oh Friends, words like those have been used throughout all of mankind’s association with the Lord God Jehovah. I’ll quote two here, that of Ezra, the prophet before Nehemiah, who laid the groundwork for Jerusalem’s rebuilding. In his prayer, Ezra said: ‘Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil (plunder), and to confusion of face (humiliation), as it is this day.’ (Ezra 9:7) And the second comes from Psalm 106, where the psalmist declares with great sadness: ‘We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.’ (Ps.106:6) But my brethren, at no time in man’s history has that kind of prayer been more urgently needed than right now when our society is filled with confusion, and our world is on the brink of destruction because we have become so sinful, evil and ungodly. Few generations have been as corrupt, idolatrous and given to worldly, fleshly matters as ours. We have gone out of our way to remove God from public places, schools, and in too many instances our very lives. No wonder our society and our world is suffering such disturbing calamity. Things like poverty, sickness, homelessness, hunger and joblessness are running rampant, even in the supposed first world nations. And why is that? Because the wealth is being hoarded by a few, and the majority are being slowly but surely impoverished. Oh Friends, it’s not the total amount of wealth that’s the problem nuh, but the inequity of its distribution. Those who have are greedy, refusing to share, just piling it up more for themselves and their families, not caring if the masses suffer. Even in the supposed poor nations, the rulers are gratifying themselves, while their subjects live in abject poverty. They are allowing their greed to colour their wisdom, failing to realize that the constantly oppressed, in their desperate state of hopelessness, with nothing left to lose, eventually turn on their oppressors. Oh my people, all around our world today, the rich and powerful are blatantly and unconscionably living high on the hog while the ordinary man sinks deeper in the mire. But check out the Arab Spring of 2011 and our own Occupy Movement; the people are so tired of being oppressed and/or marginalized by the wealthy and powerful that they are rising up. Though not with as much success as expected or needed, for the masters refuse to take off their blinkers, thinking that their arms, armies and lackeys will protect them and allow them to continue their evil, oppressive ways. But everything’s only for a time Friends, and one by one they will eventually crumble before the wrath of the people. Sadly too, many of these evil, greedy masters, claim godliness in their talk, but fail to show it in their walk. Just check out the Republican Primary in the U.S. All the rich men vying for the Presidential Nomination claim to be some sort of Christian, but their actions certainly don’t reflect that. My brethren, the whole thing just boils down to plain and simple disobedience to God’s will. Listen to Moses warning the Israelites re the consequences to disobedience. ‘But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto (obey) the voice of the Lord thy God, to (carefully) observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curse shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.’ (Deut.28:15) And my people, if we read the rest of that chapter, verses 16-68, we’ll see the terrible stuff the Lord allows to happen if we continually disobey His ordinances. Please take out your Bible and read it. Then compare it to the stuff that’s happening in our world today, and if after that you still want to and /or keep disobeying God, then all I can is that I’m truly sorry for you. Our God doesn’t make empty promises. We have seen this from the days of the stubborn, disobedient Israelites right up to our time. But for some reason we seem to think that we’re above those other nations who met a sad fate because they disobeyed the voice of God. Oh Friends, if the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is our Creator, Provider and Protector, as we claim, then why are we so insistent on disobeying Him eh? That’s the million dollar question for us to ponder today. Much LOVE!…he who refuses to hear…he will certainly feel…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 January 2012 Psalm 101:3‏

14 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , ,

Psalm 101:3.    I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

Oh Friends, another day has dawned in many places on planet earth –dark and cold in my neck of the woods though – but our great God’s mercies and blessings are still being rained down on us from heaven per His faithful promise in Lamentations: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam.3:22-23) So despite our physical surroundings and circumstances, we can still stand strong in the goodness of God. Consequently, we ought to be truly committed to living for Him. As Bruh David says in the first two verses of Psalm 101, a commitment to holy living: ‘I will sing of mercy (LOVING kindness) and judgement (justice): unto thee, O Lord, will I sing (praises). I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect (blameless) heart.’ (Ps.101:1-2) Yes Friends, that’s how we ought to behave as believers in the sight of God. In addition to being positively focused on the Lord, Bruh David staunchly declares in our Bit: ‘I will set no wicked (worthless, evil) thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside: it shall not cleave (cling) to me.’ That’s the other side of the coin; to not engage in wicked, worthless, deceitful behaviour. That sentiment is first of all upheld by the psalmist in Psalm 119, when he vehemently declares: ‘Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.’ (Ps.119:115) Then in Psalm 97, the Lord is far above all gods, the psalmist enthusiastically proclaims: ‘Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.’ (Ps.97:10) And that’s gospel Friends! If we LOVE the Lord we cannot like evil. For as Jesus says: ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to (be loyal to) the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (riches, evil, Lucifer).’ (Matt.6:24) So we either going to serve God and be holy or Lucifer and be evil, no riding the fence, which, sadly, some of us try to do. And furthermore, we ought not to accept the work(s) of, or engage in any dalliance with those who turn aside from the ONE TRUE GOD, Jehovah. And the biggest and worse example of that, beside Lucifer himself, is Cousin Sol. The Good Book says: ‘For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.’ (1 Kin.10:4) Ah Lord eh! But can you imagine that people? Bruh David must have turned over in his grave when he saw that. For who would have ever expected that of Cousin Sol eh? The man whom God blessed with the most wisdom and wealth in the history of mankind and who wrote some of the most beautiful verse in God’s name. He was very wise in his youth when it’s common to be foolhardy, but dotish and irresponsible in his later years, when all the wisdom of his life experience was supposed to be his strength. So Friends, don’t ever think that the power of evil can’t touch us and make our hearts turn from God, for the wiles and lies of the enemy, and the glamour and glitz of their doings are indeed powerful in our natural state. It is only when we cling tightly and tenaciously to the Word, Will and Promises of God that we are able to defeat Beelzebub and his evil cronies. Now let’s end with an overview of Psalm 101 from the scholars’ perspective. ‘This psalm describes the perfect king. It expresses David’s own aims but, at the same time, is a picture of Christ, his descendant, who will in fact fulfill this ideal picture. The ideal king sings to the Lord (v.1), keeps his personal life pure (vv. 2-4), and administers social justice (vv.5-8)’ I didn’t include verses 5-8 because of space and time limitations, but please read them and it will give you a true picture of the ultimate commitment to holy living. And I sincerely implore us to let that be our goal as we move forward in Christ in this make or break year of 2012, when we will absolutely LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith and SPREAD His Word like never before. And all God’s people declared a loud and exuberant: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Till we meet again then my people, either here on earth, or in heaven above. Much LOVE!…to live right and holy before the Lord God Jehovah…should be the motto engraved on every believer’s heart…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 January 2012 Proverbs 20:27‏

13 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , ,

Proverbs 20:27.    The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
 
Oh people, oh people, I’m here to tell you all that it’s Friday; the start of the weekend! ‘Wow!’ one listener replies in disbelief. ‘Yuh really mean to say is Friday ahready? Ah been so busy this week, ah don’t even know what day it is.’ Meanwhile, another listener replies with a sense of grateful relief. ‘Thank God is Friday yes! Ah work so hard this week, that ah tired everlasting!’ Then a third response comes rolling in, this one in an exuberant voice: ‘Thank God is Friday! Thank God is party time!’ But a fourth voice steups’ loudly and declares in a dark tone: ‘Ah don’t know what you so happy about nuh. Yuh doh know today is Friday the thirteenth, Black Friday? Bad things going to happen today.’ Yes Friends, those are some of the varying responses possible on this last day of the work week, the one we all die to see from the time we step out to battle on a Monday morning. Isn’t it strange though, the different reactions we can get? How our response differs in regards to our activities, circumstances and perceptions? Well to set us all on the right path, let’s chant our Friday Chant. That will give us the true response and right perception for it. All as one now: ‘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.’ And now that we’ve been set straight, (smile) let’s check out the wisdom of our Bit: ‘The spirit of man is the candle (lamp) of the Lord, searching all the inward parts (chambers) of the belly.’ And that my Friends is gospel truth! The spirit of man here is the Holy Spirit of God that dwells in us and acts like a housekeeper, a nanny, a chief cook and bottle washer. It gets into every nook and cranny of our being, because it’s there to lead and guide us, clean us up when we get dirty, pick us up when we fall and bring us to heel when we stray. It’s the workhorse of the Trinity. Here’s how Job describes it: ‘But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration (breath) of the Almighty giveth them understanding.’ (Job 32:8) That’s so true Friends. Without the breath of God, His Spirit in our souls, we’d even more ignorant, sinful and ungodly than we already are. Now listen to Bruh Paul’s take on the subject. Talking to the Corinthians re wisdom being God’s gift, quoting Is. 64:4, he boldly declares: ‘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 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) And we’ll end with an explanation from the scholars on those verses. ‘The apostle Paul deals with three vital doctrines. In verse 10 he touches on the doctrine of revelation. The truth Paul is talking about is contained in the record God has given to us – the Bible. This is the eternal and unchanging truth of God. Verse 11 deals with the doctrine of illumination, which has to do with human understanding of divine truth. The subject of verses 12 and 13 is the doctrine of inspiration. In verse 12 Paul talks about the content of inspiration. In verse 13 his concern is with the communication of inspiration. Paul’s message was not of human contrivance. He was a channel, simply communicating God’s truth.’ See Gal.1:11-12, for that pronouncement. Ah mih people, I hope that clarifies any problems we might have had on the subject. Obviously we did not get into verses 12 and 13, but I trust that you’ll read it for yourselves and thus get understanding on the whole topic of the way God reveals Himself to us and lets us know what He desires of us. Please follow this up with your own investigations of the Good Book, for remember the Bit is only a tool to keep us focused on the Almighty and can only deal with so much given the space and time allotments. We each must still read, meditate, pray, praise and question on our own. Now may the good Lord bless us and keep us safe this day, as we try to live a life of faith. Much LOVE!…without the amazing Spirit of God working in us…we’d be lost and tossed…like a rudderless ship on a stormy sea…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 January 2012 Psalm 22:23‏

12 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags:

Psalm 22:23.    Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
 
Oh Friends, it’s already the twelfth day of the New Year! Wow! And here are some quotes to set you straight for it. I got them from Rob Kelly’s Real Estate newsletter. The first one says: ‘An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.’ Hn, hn! That’s attributed to one Bill Vaughan, and it does contain a sense of weird, truthful humour. Like seeing the glass half full or half empty. The second quote, whose author is unknown, declares that: ‘People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year; but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas.’ Now that’s an awesome truth! What we eat between Christmas and New Years doesn’t have as much bearing on our health and figure, since that’s only a few weeks time. But the twelve months between New Years and Christmas can certainly make or break us. I think the first part is still breaking me now though, because I can’t get out of the Christmas eating as yet. (smile) But it’ll soon be over though. The wonderful Christmas cake and other goodies will soon be finished, and without them I’ll leave the ice cream alone. In fact I should be doing some fasting for some blood work, but I just can’t get around to it yet. The duchess is cooking too much good food. Glory Hallelujah! And our last quote is attributed to Oprah Winfrey: ‘Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.’ Now that’s full of truth my people! We do have another chance to get it right in 2012. But regardless of what year it is, we’ll never get it right until we turn our fate and faith back to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And that’s an undeniable fact! And doing as our Bit advises, plays a great part in that: ‘Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed (descendants) of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him (hold Him in awesome reverence), all ye the seed of Israel.’ Yes Friends, our duties here on earth include fearing the Lord, not in a scared or frightened, timid manner, but rather having a healthy respect for His awesome power, knowing what He can do if He so pleases. We also need to praise, glorify and reverence Him. Why? Because that’s what He desires and expects of us. That’s His will, and as believers we’re supposed to do what He dictates. And by doing so we not only affirm our faith and trust in Him, but we’ll also be blessed by His good hand upon us. So it’s a kind of two way street: we acknowledge His majesty and do His will, and He blesses us in return. As Bruh David, in this cry of anguish and song of praise, continues after our Bit: ‘For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.’ (Ps.22:24)Yes Friends, our God has a soft spot in His heart for the poor, downtrodden and afflicted, and when we cry out to Him in times of trials and tribulations, He doesn’t hide His face, but hears our plea and helps us. Consequently, Bruh David declares: ‘My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live forever.’ (Ps.22:25-26) Oh my people, common sense sure is a hard thing to finds these days yes. Over the last couple of decades we’ve removed Jehovah God from a place of eminence in our individual lives and society as a whole. And what’s happened since then? Despite all our wonderful scientific and technological breakthroughs, our world is fast going to hell in a hand basket. Can’t we see, don’t we understand, that without the Creator of the universe and all therein, we don’t stand a snowball’s chance in Hades to make it on our own? And that’s simply because we weren’t designed to make it on our own, we were made to be attached to the Lord. Like all the technological devices we sport around nowadays, without batteries or electrical power they are useless. In the same way, without Almighty God, Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, we are of no use my people. So let’s wake up and make this year of 2012 a significant one in the annals of mankind nuh. Let’s get some common sense and hopefully some wisdom and turn back to the Lord with all sincerity and truth, in praise, worship, reverence and glorification, so that our lives will once again rise from the ashes like the phoenix and we’ll again become pure and wholesome in His sight. And we’ll end with these precious words from Psalm 135, the greatness of the Lord and the vanity of idols. ‘Bless the Lord, O house of Israel: Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron: Bless the Lord, O house of Levi: ye that fear the Lord, bless the Lord. Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps.135:19-21) That’s great advice my people, please, let’s take it. Much LOVE!…it’s definitely not common sense or wisdom…but arrogant stupidity…to bite the hand that feeds you…
 

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