Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 May 2012 Psalm 81:13

21 May 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 81:13.     Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!

Oh Friends, it’s Monday, that day we all LOVE to hate! And luckily, for many in the British Commonwealth of nations, it’s a public holiday, commemorating the birthday of that powerful, strong minded Queen Victoria, (1819-1901) whose rule over British territory has been the longest, 64 years (1837-1901) and under whose stewardship the Empire spread and prospered like never before, raising the claim of an empire on which the sun never set. However, many others around the world, and here too in our 24/7 society, still have to go out and labour to keep the wheels of commerce spinning. So to encourage and energize those folks, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much verve and enthusiasm. 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!’ Yes my people, today, we are placing our faith and trust in God’s hands, surrendering our bodies and souls to His wise guidance, unlike many others, both from this current age and of all those gone by. Of one thing we’re certain, God won’t be able to say of us, like the psalmist Asaph did of his people Israel in our Bit: ‘Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!’ Ah Friends, that comes from the psalm titled, God’s goodness and Israel’s waywardness. Now that was so silly of Israel, God’s chosen people, whom He had blessed above all other nations, to whom He had showed such signs and wonders, made such extraordinary promises to, and then faithfully fulfilled them! One would think that under those circumstances their way of life would have been one of integrity, one of walking steadfastly in God’s way. But unfortunately it was not so. As soon as they became prosperous, they forgot who brought them to the dance; the Lord God Jehovah, and turned away from Him. Neither is the majority of today’s world living a godly life, following the straight and narrow path that leads to salvation and eternal life, but are foolishly following the wide path designed by the liar and cheat Beelzebub, a path which leads directly to death, destruction and eternal damnation in Hades. Listen to the prophet Isaiah conveying the Lord’s rebuke to Israel: ‘Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to (heeded) my commandments! Then had thy peace been like a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea. Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels (body) like the gravel thereof (grains of sand); his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.’ (Is.48:17-19) Oh my people, it’s the same thing the Lord’s saying to this evil, ungodly, adulterous generation, who are bowing down to idols and other man made Gods, while doing their very best to eradicate the ONE TRUE GOD, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob from our society. But Friends, we, the united band of brothers and sisters in Christ cannot allow that to happen, for the tribulation, some of which is already befalling us, will be real terrible. We have to turn this thing around, by constantly promoting our LOVE Revolution and bringing the nations back to God, who is so wonderful that He’s offering us a second chance to return to His fold, just like He offered Israel another chance to do so. ‘I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.’ (Ps.81:14) But my brethren, if we don’t grab this chance to return to serving and worshipping our Creator, then: ‘There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.’ (Is.48:22) Oh Friends, our world is already consumed by much ungodly and ever increasing strife, and returning to God is the only way to reverse it. The choice is ours. Please, I implore us to choose wisely, for that decision between serving God and Lucifer will affect our lives from today, right through eternity. Much LOVE!…as for me and my house…we will definitely choose to follow Jesus…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 May 2012 Matthew 7:7

20 May 2012 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 7:7.    Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Oh Friends, there’s some good news to share this beautiful Sunday morning! The ole fella’s getting better! All thanks and praise to our heavenly Father!  Yeh, I’m not feeling as weak, unenergetic and wishy-washy as I was a couple days ago. I guess that’s because I’m finally getting some more sleep and getting back into the riddim of my normal routine. The ole ying and yang seem to be finally getting in sync again. And I just want to glorify our great God for enabling me to do it, because I certainly couldn’t do it on my own. For remember, without Jesus we can do nothing. (John 15:5) And that’s why He spoke the critical words of advice and wisdom contained in our Bit: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ Those are action words my people, and Jesus desires His followers to be persons of action, like He was during His earthly sojourn, and like He still is, pleading and advocating for us with the Father. Consequently, we should be talking less and putting more of our energy and efforts into actually doing. Now let’s look at some scriptures that corroborate our Bit, obviously beginning with Jesus, where all things begin. (smile) The Good Book says: ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) The parable was about the woman denied justice who kept bugging the judge until he heard her plea, though for the wrong reason. (Luke 18:2-8) Like that persevering woman, followers of Jesus ought to keep on fighting for their rights, for truth and justice! And we can only do those things by taking positive actions, like asking, seeking and knocking on closed doors, since stuff won’t just fall into our laps because we wish it to. Remember it takes plenty backbone and belly, born of a strong, persevering, fortitudinous faith in Jesus, to successfully navigate this evil, ungodly world. Now listen to these famous words of James on our topic: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8) There’s abundant truth in those words my brethren! If we want wisdom, or anything from our God, who’s ever so generous with His gifts, we have to ask for it. But we have to ask with faith, being decisive, not double-minded, for such a one is unstable and untrustworthy. Meanwhile, the beloved disciple, John, in his first epistle, puts it this way: ‘Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and LOVE one another, as he gave us commandment.’ (1 John 3:21-23) Therefore Friends, if we live right with God, He will give us whatever we ask, though with the ever so important proviso; provided it coincides with His will. And before we conclude, let’s hear from the scholars: ‘Both Jesus (Luke 18:1) and Paul (1 Tim.2:1) emphasized the importance of prayer, noting that people ought always to pray. Prayer includes asking and getting answers from God. But it is more than just asking; it is confession, adoration, thanksgiving, and fellowship with God. By its nature, prayer is talking with God. It is the basis of the successful Christian life, and is so important that not praying is considered a sin (1 Sam.12:23). When we pray, we should follow the model prayer Jesus gave His disciples and address it our heavenly Father- beginning with adoration, including thanksgiving and confession of sins, making reconciliation with others, praying for our needs and the needs of others, and concluding in Jesus’ name  (Matt.6:9-15; John 14:14).’ Those are indeed wise and truthful words my Friends, which we should most definitely heed! Now let’s end with the heartfelt, authoritative words of Jesus, as we like to do whenever possible: ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) 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 (abide) in my LOVE!’ (John 15:7-9) There you have it Friends, in black and white, from our Lord and Saviour. So, if we’re to be considered His true followers, then let’s do as He desires nuh. It’s the only wise and sensible path! Much LOVE!…,continual heartfelt communication with God…is the hallmark of the true Christian…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 May 2012 Matthew 7:7

19 May 2012 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 7:7.     Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Oh Friends, today is the one-year anniversary of my prostate surgery. May 19 2011 was indeed a noteworthy day for me, having the scourge of our generation removed from my insides. And thank God so far I am still cancer free! It was by no means an easy go. That night afterwards in the hospital was rough. I remember trying to get up from the bed, and not being able to. Eventually, after several unsuccessful tries and crying out to God, I finally managed to get up. Hn! Neither was the recovery easy, though the wound itself caused fewer problems than the ancillary stuff, like bladder and bowel movements. Now it seems unreal that a year has since passed. But Friends, the knee surgery some six months before and the prostate surgery were certainly two turning points in both my physical and spiritual lives. Through an eye-opening faith, I found peace in both instances and truly learned to talk to and listen to God in those painful, uncomfortable experiences. And to celebrate it all, the Lord guided me to two quotes to share with you today. The first comes from Henry Ford, who enabled us to have that wonderful invention, the motorcar. He says: ‘Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize.’ And that’s very true Friends, as most of us can attest to. Each experience in our lives makes us bigger, and often better people, though at the time we don’t realize it. It’s only in hindsight that we really realize our growth. And it’s something that I can personally vouch for too, because after the two surgeries, then the unexpected death of my mother soon after, my life seems to have moved up the ladder of faith and trust a step or two. Then there’s this quote from another great builder, Robert H. Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. He tells us that God never let’s anything happen to you, unless it’s loaded with opportunities. That’s also gospel truth Friends! For whatever God allows to happen to us, there’s always something good and worthwhile we can take away from it. My surgeries and my mother’s death, all within about nine months, though they appeared to be negative, unfortunate occurrences, yet I took away positive things from them. My faith and trust in God certainly increased, along with a closer personal relationship.  I began talking to Him more and also getting more answers to my prayers. It’s no lie Friends, that when you go through hard times, you develop a greater appreciation for your Creator and definitely realize that He IS REAL! Amongst those things I learned was the reality of our Bit: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ Oh Friends, it wasn’t once or twice that I cried out to God for a bligh in both my spiritual and physical pain! Neither was it once or twice He gave me the bligh! This obviously convinced me of the truth of our Bit; whatever we need, we must ask for it, seek it out or knock confidently on the door behind which it is hidden. But remember, we shouldn’t only go to God for material, worldly stuff, it should also be consistent with His will for our lives, else we won’t get it, or He’ll allow something that will teach us a hard but worthwhile lesson. But ask, seek and knock, we must do. Jesus reiterated that principle after He spoke to the unfruitful fig tree: ‘Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt.7:19-22) Yes my people, it is necessary to ask in prayer, with great faith, for whatever we desire. As Jesus pointed out, faith is the great catalyst, so great that it can cause us to move mountains. And I surely hope that this Bit will encourage all who read it, to get into a closer relationship with God, to fervently seek Him, especially in rough times, and pour out your hearts to Him. He will listen, and He will heal, because He’s the best medical practitioner there is. And finally, when those rough times have passed, don’t simply forget God, but keep seeking and talking to Him, with thanks and praise. Also, please sit and ponder those rough times and try to learn from them. There’s always something we can learn, whether it’s something we should or shouldn’t do. Oh Friends, there’s no need to fear, for the Lord will guide you to where He wants you to be, if you’ll just surrender your all to Him, and walk with Him in trust, faith and LOVE. My brethren, God’s ways are not our ways, therefore we won’t always be happy with the outcome of some situations, but it’s in those unfortunate times where we truly learn that there’s a great and powerful Spiritual Being out there ruling the universe, and if you stay in close contact with Him, overall, your life will certainly be blessed. That’s wisdom at its very best, so please follow it. Much LOVE!…through sincere trust, faith and belief in Jesus…ANYTHING is possible…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 May 2012 Matthew 7:7

18 May 2012 Leave a comment

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

 Matthew 7:7.     Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, that day of joy, where we all shout, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! That’s because the weekend cometh and our labours shall cease for two paltry days. No more sitting in traffic jams twice a day, for a whole two big days. Wow! And to give us the right perspective on how to use those two extraordinary days, let’s chant our Friday Chant. As one loud voice 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.’ Now let’s do our part in that equation, so that come Monday, we’ll indeed be fresh and eager to again go out and battle in Jesus’ name. But talking about being fresh and eager, since I’ve come back from J.A. I’ve been anything but that. I’ve been weak and listless, all my aches and pains have returned, neither have I been sleeping properly or getting enough sleep. Just been feeling real lousy, with no energy at all, unlike my time in Jamaica, where I was active and energetic. For some reason my ying and yang just can’t seem to get back in sync now that I’m home. However, there is some hope on the horizon. I went out for a walk last evening, and did a little physical stuff around the house, got some sleep and am not feeling as lousy now. But hear the greatest news of the day mih Friends! I have two car keys; one on a ring by itself, that I use most of the time, and another on a bunch with my house keys, that I keep for emergencies. Now since I had no need for the single key in J.A. I left it at home. But yuh think I could find it when I got back? Not on yuh life! From Monday night, right back to Thursday evening, with the help of the Duchess, I looked all over the house for it. Then yesterday, while in the laundry room ironing a shirt and thanking the Lord for making me feel a little better physically and mentally, I also asked for a bligh to find the key, since I could think of nowhere else to look. A few seconds later, I got this zeppo to look in a particular pants pocket in my clothes closet. I chuckled, because that didn’t ring a bell, putting it there didn’t sound familiar at all. Sometime later though, I went up to my clothes closet and checked that particular pants pocket. Hn! Lo and behold Friends, there was the car key in living colour! And it wasn’t like I hadn’t already checked other stuff and places in the clothes closet, with the pants in full sight, but it never even registered on my mental screen. I immediately called out to the Duchess to let her know how good and great is the God we serve! Yes mih people, we serve a real, a living, powerful and LOVING God, who through His Holy Spirit, interacts personally with those who trust and obey Him! Ah mih breddren, everyday the Lord does something amazing in my life. Not big miraculous doings, but small, everyday helpers, like pointing me to where I’d hidden the key. That’s the kind of stuff that I keep telling us to take note of and pay attention to as we walk with God, for it’s those little things that truly build our faith. And if anyone dares to tell us that our God isn’t alive and real, we can easily disprove it through our daily interactions with Him, for He truly is interested in everything, in all aspects of our lives. Oh Friends, who says our God doesn’t move in mysterious ways eh! I’m still chuckling over the incident. I guess I would have eventually found the key, whenever I wore the pants. But the beauty of the whole thing is that I was directed to this particular pants, that I never even considered looking in. That finally brings our Bit into play: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people! Our Saviour doesn’t lie, has no cause to since He can do all things. The problem lies with us believing and doing what He says; ask, seek, knock: ‘For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask for bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ (Matt.7:8-11) Oh Friends, the logic is simple but irrefutable! And you have my testimony that it does indeed work, so please let’s get in sync with our great God nuh. We talk plenty talk, but our actions don’t reflect that talk, and we are the ones who therefore suffer because of it. Let’s start talking seriously to our God today please. Not simply asking Him for material things, but also having serious conversations about our very lives with Him. More on this tomorrow, God willing. Till then, let’s truly LOVE our God, with heart, soul, body and mind, so that the fruits from such behaviour will be clearly seen and make an impact on others, hopefully causing them to come to Jesus for His free gift of salvation and eternal life. Much LOVE!…talking to God…is like…no it’s not like…it IS talking to your best Friend…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 May 2012 Acts 10:38

17 May 2012 Leave a comment

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

Acts 10:38.      How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
 
Oh Friends, the Lord has blessed us with another beautiful day on this bountiful earth! Praise and bless His Holy Name! Yeh, that’s something we ought to do, because it’s not everyone who was up and about yesterday that are up and about today. So if you’re one of the lucky, blessed ones; not one of those reading their names in the obits, please convey some thanks and praise to our heavenly Father for it. Now here’s a Gaelic Prayer of Peace that I got when I attended the St.Augustine Anglican Church last Sunday in J.A. It says, very wisely and comfortingly: ‘Deep peace of the running waves to you. Deep peace of the flowing air to you. Deep peace of the smiling stars to you. Deep peace of the watching shepherds to you. Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.’ Yes my Friends, I wish that deep peace to all of us today, and sincerely pray that our world will enjoy more peace today than it did yesterday, that war and strife will be less today, than they were yesterday, and our children’s children will enjoy a much more peaceful earthly journey than our generation has done. I pray this in the blessed name of Jesus. Amen. Now let’s engage our Bit for the last time today. And I sense a smile from those of you who don’t like to use a Bit for more than one day, but sometimes the Bits are just so full of wonderful truths and promises that we just have to keep at them until we exhaust all the wisdom they can provide. And this has certainly been one of those. ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’ Wow Friends! Doesn’t that just say plenty? It sure does: God anointing Jesus with His Holy Spirit; Jesus going about healing and doing good; and God being with Him while He did that. And it’s that last part; ‘for God was with him,’ that I want to look at today. And we’ll do so by first looking at a very important passage of scripture. It’s the eye opening conversation between Nicodemus, a Pharisee, and Jesus. ‘The same (Nicodemus) came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles (signs) that thou doest, except God be with him.’ (John 3:2) Now Friends, that’s a statement that both astounds and confuses me. It is indeed a truthful statement, for Jesus could not have done all those miracles without God’s help. So why then didn’t many more people believe in Him eh, especially when the Jewish nation was undergoing such horrendous oppression under Roman rule? I guess the Jews had been looking so long and hard for a war mongering Messiah, that when a peace-LOVING one came, they just could not fathom or accept it, plus the ruling class was genuinely afraid they’d lose their preferred status, and would do anything to protect it. But here’s Jesus’ answer to Nicodemus. And this is where it gets real interesting. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (or from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus (obviously confused) saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth (wishes); and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:3-8) Yes mih breddren, that’s the overwhelming importance of the Holy Spirit! Unless we have it, we can’t enter heaven. And we can only get it by being born again, believing and accepting with unswerving faith that Jesus is and was the Messiah, who died to pay for our sins. Notice that Jesus Himself was baptized and born again of the Holy Spirit. (Mark 1:9-11) And as Jesus later said unto a group in the temple: ‘I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.’ (John 8:24) Oh Friends, I surely hope that all of us, who say we believe, do indeed truly believe, so that we don’t die in our sins, for that would be a terrible outcome of this earthly life. At the same time, we should also be concentrating on getting others to truly believe so that they don’t die in their sins, for that was Jesus’ last directive to His disciples, (Matt. 28:19-20) and consequently to us. And we’ll end with the definitive words of Jesus on the topic. ‘When ye have lifted up (crucified) the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.’ (John 8:28-29) And all God’s people declared a loud ‘Amen!’ Yes my fellow believers, our God is always with us when we’re doing His will. Let’s never forget that. So let’s ponder today, whether we’re truly doing His will, and if not, try to bring ourselves in line with it, so that we might continually enjoy His awesome company, just like Jesus did. Much LOVE!…only if we sincerely seek the Lord…will we find Him…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 May 2012 Acts 10:38

16 May 2012 Leave a comment

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

Acts 10:38.      How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
 
Oh Friends, we’ve been granted another new day of life! Praise the Lord! A new day with new mercies and blessings raining down from heaven on us, undeserving children of men! But our heavenly Father LOVES us so much, without any attached conditions, that He just can’t stop blessing and protecting us. Oh what a wonderful God we serve and worship my people! Now here’s our Bit: ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’ And when we check it out, we realize that one of God’s greatest gifts is that of His Holy Spirit, which comes to dwell is each of us when we sincerely believe and accept His only Son Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and the fact that He sacrificed His life on the cross at Calvary to pay for all our sins. And a mighty shout of thanksgiving went up from all God’s people: ‘Oh thank you, thank you Father, Son and Holy Spirit for LOVING, redeeming and bringing your unworthy children to salvation and eternal life! We bless you and praise your Holy Name! Amen!’ Yes mih breddren, the free gifts of salvation and eternal life are available to all who truly desire them. ‘For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any many should boast.’ (Eph.2:8-9) And all the leg work in that is done by the awesome, diligent but gently leading and guiding Holy Spirit, in the same manner as our Bit illustrates. When we believe, we’re anointed with the Holy Spirit of Jesus, which gives us power to do God’s will, which, as was the case with Jesus, is to go about doing good, helping the less fortunate while spreading the good news of the gospel. And the same way God was with Jesus, He’s also with us when we’re doing His will. Now let’s check out some fantastic scriptures about the amazing power of the Holy Spirit, which show just how important it is in the working of the Trinity. And one of the most profound and prophetic scriptures on the Holy Spirit is found in Isaiah 61; Good tidings of salvation to Zion. ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath appointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek (poor); he hath sent me to bind up (heal) the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto (console) them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.’ (Is.61:1-3) Yes Friends, wonderful promises, made known to Isaiah by the hard working Holy Spirit! Promises my people that were all fulfilled by the coming of Jesus, the Messiah! Listen to His teaching that momentous Sabbath day in His hometown of Nazareth: ‘And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and the recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised (oppressed), To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.’ (Luke 4:17-19) And after reading that prophetic scripture, Jesus turned to the eager congregation and made this monumental statement: ‘This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears (hearing).’ (Luke 4:21) Another instance Friends of seeing that the Good Book is not just a collection of random stories, but a total and cohesive record of God’s promises, their fulfillment, and the infallible truth of His awesome Word that He put in the mouths of His prophets, so that we can know and understand Him. What an amazing Deity! Oh my people, are we being led and guided by the Holy Spirit? Are we allowing it to guide us on the straight and narrow paths that our God has set out for us? I sure hope so! Otherwise our faith is not being fulfilled. Today, please lock into the riddim of that awesome Spirit which dwells so richly in us, so that we can enjoy the wonderful benefits available to true believers! More on this tomorrow, provided we see the light of day. Till then, may the Good Lord bless and keep you as you walk with Him. Much LOVE!…if we don’t follow where the Holy Spirit leads…then we’ll end up in Lucifer’s land…Hades…  
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 May 2012 Acts 10:38

15 May 2012 Leave a comment

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

Acts 10:38.      How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
 
Ah Friends, we back, back home to our cluttered basement office, in our medium sized house in the north country. (smile) No more balconies in little mansions atop high hills, with cool breezes and lush gardens to titivate the senses. Now it’s books, papers, pictures and all kinds of other stuff surrounding me. But yuh know what? It’s HOME! And I’m comfortable, like the old broom that knows all the corners. It also fits me like a hand in glove because it’s of my making. As the elderly limo driver that brought me home from the airport last night so wisely noted: ‘That’s why it’s called HOME SWEET HOME!’ And that’s the living truth mih people! Be it ever so humble or ever so grand, wherever your heart and soul are comfortable, wherever you lay your head most nights of the year, that’s HOME! One more thing mih people; please don’t expect any extraordinary revelations or words of untoward wisdom from me today, since the ole fella’s in somewhat rough shape. I had to go back to the airport at 2.30 this morning to meet the Duchess, so I didn’t get to bed until the wee hours. In fact I had to put in a most heroic effort to get up just now because I didn’t want any more complaints about the Bit arriving later and later. Hn, hn! Yuh see the sacrifices your ole father makes for you, mih big daughter! (smile) The caffeine hasn’t kicked in yet either. Instead I burned my mouth with the very first sip. And the strange thing about vacations is that when you get back, you’re as tired as ever. You went away to rest and relax, but you usually return home even more fatigued than when you left, and you now need some time to recover from the holiday. I can testify to that right now. But what a way we ‘funnicurious’ eh! But the worst part is all the stuff that’s piled up for you to do in the few days you’ve been away; the snail and e-mail, the bills, the phone calls… Chuh! This 21st century life too busy yes! Anyway, enough of my preamble, let’s see what our Bit has to say. And it’s the same one as yesterday: ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’ Those my Friends, were the truthful, factual words of Peter, when he preached to the amazingly receptive Gentiles at the house of Cornelius the centurion in Caesarea, explaining to them in a clear and concise manner how the whole scenario of Jesus, the gospel, salvation and eternal life came about. Yesterday we jumped the gun and looked at the middle section, how Jesus went about doing good and healing the sick and oppressed because it suited my immediate purpose. Today we’ll look at the first part: ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power:’ Oh Friends, we all know of that great moment in time when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the river Jordan: ‘And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened (torn open), and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ (Mark 1:10-11) That was effectively the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, where the Holy Spirit of His heavenly Father empowered Him to do the Father’s will. Without it, He would not have been able to do all those wonderful, miraculous things He did. Likewise Friends, without the marvellous Spirit of Jesus constantly coursing through our bodies and souls, we are unable to do much of anything. As Jesus so clearly stated to His disciples: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) And that’s the gospel truth Friends! Without the empowering Spirit of our Saviour flowing through us, we’re helpless! Unfortunately though, a lot of believers either don’t know, understand or accept this fundamental, foundational truth of the Christian life. And it’s of the utmost importance that we know, understand and accept it, because just like Jesus was relatively powerless without His Father’s Spirit, we can’t do anything without the Spirit of Jesus. It’s therefore very critical to our well-being my brethren that we allow the Spirit of Jesus, which comes to dwell in us when we believe in Him, to lead and guide us on our earthly pilgrimage. We have to consistently listen to and be led by it. And not only when it suits our individual purpose, but even more so when it doesn’t fit into our personal agenda. I’m chuckling as I realize that my writing this Bit right now is a very good example of that, because I certainly didn’t want to get up when I did, but the Lord woke me up when He thought it was time. Now though I could have gone back to bed, most likely I would have just tossed and turned because of my reluctance to follow the Spirit’s lead. As I keep saying Friends, working for Jesus is not a bed of roses, but it’s always interesting and adventuresome, and above all else, He ALWAYS empowers us to do whatever He asks of us. My writing this Bit this morning is a perfect example of that. Judging from the way I felt when I began, I never expected to write such a coherent Bit, but as I went along, the ideas began to flow in an exceedingly helpful manner. Do you think that was my brilliance? Definitely not, since my brain was all fuzzy with tiredness and sleep! So Friends, in closing, I just want to exhort, encourage, admonish, whatever the word that best conveys the extreme importance of living in harmony with the Spirit for all believers. That’s because the Spirit of Jesus is the true mover and shaker in the lives of all His followers, and without our submission to it, our faith is essentially useless. Consequently my brethren, please let our relationship with the Spirit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be the significant thought we ponder on today. More on this tomorrow, if Almighty God so favours. Till then, please walk safely, peacefully and LOVINGLY with Him and all those with whom we come into contact. Much LOVE!…the only way to truly fathom Jesus…is through the working of His Spirit which dwells in us… P.S. Hopefully it won’t be as late now that I’m back home daughter. (smile) Much LOVE!
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 May 2012 Acts 10: 38

14 May 2012 Leave a comment

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

Acts 10:38.     How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Well the party’s over my Friends. Time to call it a day! Yes Friends, my Jamdown vacation is done today! Chuh! What a pity! But that’s where the old saying learn to take a little and live long, comes in. I would have preferred a longer vacation, but I’ll take a week in J.A anytime. Unfortunately my people, it’s also Monday, and your mini vacation of two days is also over, time to go back out and labour for the man. Another Monday when we need to rise up in faith and actively pursue our earthly duty of winning souls for Christ. And as always, to help us in that aspect, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty vim and vigour. As one mighty voice 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!’ Now that should get the adrenalin going, give us a jump start, invigorate us sufficiently to go out and battle the forces of evil in Jesus’ name! Ah mih people, by tomorrow, I too will be back to the common task and daily grind, but as I sit here, for the last time on the balcony of the little mansion in Mo Bay, drinking in the sights and sounds of the lush garden in Coral Gardens, committing them to memory, my mind ran back through my movements this past week in J.A, and for some reason, centred on the thought of Jesus going about doing good, hence our Bit. ‘ How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’ It sort of put my week here in perspective, where I’d get up everyday, sometimes with no definite plan but to write the Bit, then go out and meet people, spread some peace and LOVE, some joy and  kindness, bring a smile or a burst of laughter to someone else’s hurting soul. And I think I did that fairly well this week. The ole fella was in his essence this week mih children! (smile) Thank the Lord for the power of His Spirit that coursed through me, helping me to bring a little sunshine in some other people’s lives! And yuh know mih breddren, the holiday ended with a bang, for yesterday was the best day: Church with some beautiful people in the morning, who truly showed me the Christian way; them write mih Bit; then later in the afternoon a spell on the beach at Doctor’s Cave with the Duchess; then a gathering of the clan in the evening. And was that ever wonderful mih Friends! Backfoot! The jokes, the camaraderie, the food and general good time was certainly exhilarating, and showed how families ought to live with each other. As they say, the family that plays together, stays together. And that’s the gospel truth mih people! That was certainly the highlight of my trip. It warmed the cockles of my heart to see family getting along so well together. No fussing and fighting and all the other nonsense, which is so much a part of family life nowadays. Then later in the evening, the Duchess, a male cousin and I headed into town, had a couple of ‘Days at the Beach,’ (smile) I likes it! We listened to some music and I put back on whatever pounds I’d lost with a big piece of cheesecake and a couple scoops of ice cream. It sure went down well! Then on the way home we had some ‘pan chicken’. All in all it was wonderful! I couldn’t ask for a better time! Anyway Friends, I need to go and catch a last dip in the salt, so we’ll end appropriately with a scripture pertaining to Jesus going about His Father’s business. ‘And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of (every) sickness and all manner of (every) disease among the people.’ (Matt.4:23) Now that’s the way we, His followers ought to be too – just going about our Father’s business, with a right heart and clean spirit, just letting the Holy Spirit guide us, doing good, helping whomever, whenever and wherever we can in a peaceful and LOVING manner, just as our Lord, and Saviour Jesus did. Till tomorrow then, when I’ll be writing once again from the north country, God willing obviously, please take care mih people, and go safely with the wonderful God of our eternal salvation. Much LOVE!…our earthly duty…to simply be a vessel…a channel of God’s LOVE and peace…to show it in action every day of our lives…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 May 2012 Psalm 113:9

13 May 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 113:9.    He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.

 HAPPY  MOTHER’S  DAY!

Yes Friends, in this troubled year of 2012, we should all be praising the Lord for His goodness and mercy toward us! And on this most significant Mother’s Day of my life, I want to wish all you mothers out there on God’s great earth a happy Mother’s Day! Most of you definitely deserve it. And this Mother’s Day is significant to me because it’s the first one I’m experiencing without my biological mother. Oh Mols sugar, the ole fella misses you today, and the tears are welling up in my eyes as I write this, remembering all the good times we spent together. But I know that you are in a much better place now, no more pain and suffering, and you know all I ever wanted was your happiness, for like so many mothers, especially the single ones, you never took an easy step in your life, but it never made you bitter or resentful. Instead, you were always full of joy and good cheer. You also showed me by example how to live a good Christian life. And for that I’ll forever be grateful ‘M’. Sorry about that short break Friends, but the tears began flowing uncontrollably for a moment. It’s strange, for though I miss my mother, and still talk to her every day, I haven’t cried over her in months. I guess the many good Mother’s Day memories just stirred up the dormant emotions. But enough of my sentimentality, let’s get on with writing the Bit. (smile) Ah Friends, mothers are the most important people in our lives. They physically carry us in their wombs for nine months, then experience excruciating pain to birth us, then spend the best years of their lives nurturing and guiding us. Wow! What towers of strength! They are also the ones who usually form our character by their teaching and everyday example. Chuh! Stop it nuh tears! They want to flow again as I remember the excellent teaching and example my mother Molly set me. Unfortunately it was only late in life, after hearing some horrendous stories about other mothers, that I realized she was amongst the best mothers in the world. Oh my brethren, I have so many examples of her unconditional LOVE and wise guidance, some of which I never took, and afterwards paid a hefty price. She was never loud and ignorant with me, but I could always tell when she was displeased, and in my time, I sure felt the rod, in my case, the strap of correction, which undoubtedly made me a better person today. The Good Book says God is LOVE, and it seems that He put a greater portion in mothers then in fathers, for they are usually the catalyst, the binding thread that keeps families together. Where there are strong, LOVING mothers, there are strong, LOVING families! Some believe that because Eve was the originator of sin, the Lord placed the arduous task of child bearing and rearing on her and her fellow women. But even if that’s so, He also gave her the parts to bear her earthly burden, just as He does for each of us. (1 Cor.10:13) The sad part of the story though is that just as mothers can be good examples, they can also be bad ones, and I want to share a couple scriptures about mothers that caught my attention. The first one is about Deborah, the prophetess, who once judged Israel. In her time she brought peace and security to Israel after she and Barak defeated their enemies. And in her joyful song of praise, she astutely declares: ‘The inhabitants of the villages ceased (village life ceased), they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.’ (Judg.5:7) No better description of nurturing and guidance beside ‘MOTHER’ can be found in any language. Now let’s introduce our Bit for today: ‘He maketh (causes) the barren (childless) woman to keep house (dwell in a home), and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.’ There is indeed method to our God’s seeming madness my people! Look at all the supposed barren women, from Sarah onward, who through faith, prayer and trust in Almighty God, eventually became wonderful mothers. One of the best examples of that is Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel. She cried out to God in her barren state, and promised to dedicate any offspring to the Lord. The Lord in His LOVING-kindness blessed her with Samuel, and she kept her vow and gave Him to be the Lord’s servant at an early age. (1 Sam:2) Unfortunately though, we also have mothers like Athaliah, whose son, Ahaziah, ruled Judah for a time. Hear how the Good Book refers to her: ‘He (Ahaziah) also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly.’ (2 Chr.22:3) How sad it is when a mother can actively encourage her children to do evil. But that’s the nature of the beast; some are good and some are bad. Let’s just hope that overall, we get more good apples than rotten ones. Oh Friends, on this Mother’s Day, please, let’s all honour and show LOVE to our Mothers, in spite of their shortcomings, for they are human just like the rest of us, and thus liable to make mistakes. And  anyway that’s a God-given commandment, not a mere suggestion of mine. ‘Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ (Ex.20:12) So regardless of how or what our parents turn out to be, it’s our bounden duty to honour, LOVE, and cherish them! My Friends, let’s seriously and actively live that commandment  from today onward nuh. Much LOVE!…a mother’s job…is to be the bedrock…the backbone of the family…  P.S. Sorry this is so late Friends, but I went to church and it took about two and a half hours, which I’m not accustomed to. But it was indeed time well spent, the congregation was very welcoming, and I enjoyed the refreshing sense of worship in a West Indian congregation that I haven’t experienced in a long while. Took me back to my boyhood days in Tobago. Much LOVE!

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 May 2012 Psalm 71:22

12 May 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 71:22.  I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.

Oh Friends, once again I’m writing to you in Jesus’ name from the little mansion in Mo Bay, after a successful and exhilarating trip to Kingston yesterday, where I renewed old acquaintances and reminisced on times gone by. And yuh know it’s strange, but I can feel a significant difference between the two mansions. Although it was nice and peaceful in Jack’s Hill, I could still feel the throbbing, the hustle and bustle vibe of the big city, while in Mo Bay, there’s a greater sense of peace and calm, a more countrified, easy going atmosphere. And as I sit on the balcony here, looking out over the lush garden below, sipping some coffee, a sense of what it must have been like in that first garden, Eden, comes over me. The birds are singing sweet, comely praises to their Maker, the leaves are rustling quietly in the cool, gentle breeze that washes over both them and me… Oh Friends, it’s just a quiet tranquil scene; one that eminently lends itself to thanks and praise! So let’s bring in our totally appropriate Bit nuh. ‘I will also praise thee with the psaltery (lute, lyre) even thy truth (faithfulness), O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.’ For sure mih people, for sure! Thanks and praise to Almighty God is a continual must, for He created us to glorify Him! Hear the psalmist corroborate that: ‘Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah): for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely (beautiful).’ (Ps.147:1) That’s undoubtedly the living truth Friends! For the Lord faithfully looks after the sheep of His pasture. And all God’s children gave a joyful, mighty shout: ‘Oh thank you Father God!’ Now let’s turn for a spell to the last part of our Bit; ‘O thou Holy One of Israel.’ The psalmist knows exactly to whom He’s offering pleas and praise, the God of His fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Unfortunately though, most of today’s world don’t have a clue about Him, or even if they do, they ungraciously shunt Him aside for the fleshly lusts and pleasure of this sinful, ungodly world. As Isaiah said to Judah: ‘Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.’ (2 Kin.19:22) Oh Friends, sadly, that’s ever so true! Beelzebub is in control today, just like he was back in Isaiah’s time. ‘Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib (manger or feed trough): but Israel doth not know (understand), my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden (weighed down) with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away (turned) backward.’ (Is.1:2-4) Ah mih breddren, how sad it is to see what our once wonderful world has now come to! And unless we stop this free fall in to sin and ungodliness, we going to fall all the way down to Hades to spend eternity with Lucifer. And believe me, the fleshly lusts and pleasures that we running down now, won’t be down there. There’ll be no pleasures, just eternal ‘sufferation’! All the fun and joy will be in heaven! Glory Hallelujah! So Friends, it’s up to each individual to make  a conscious choice for eternity; enjoy the pleasures of the world now, and eternal death and damnation in Hades after. Or suffer the pangs of evil now, overcoming them through the help of a faithful Lord and Saviour, Jesus, then living with Him in eternal splendour and glory afterwards! Wow! What a wonderful scene to look forward to! So my brethren, I’m imploring us to make the wise choice; Jesus. Please, please, don’t be penny wise and pound foolish, choose Jesus, the only sensible choice! Now let’s end as we began; on a joyous note of thanks and praise. ‘Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely (beautiful) for the upright. Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise (joyful shout). For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth,’ (Ps.33:1-4) And all God’s people said a loud, praiseworthy, ‘Amen!’ Much, Much LOVE mih people!…as for me and mine…there’s no doubt…we will follow Jesus…right to the ends of the earth…  

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