Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 March 2012 Psalm 41:13‏

15 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

 Psalm 41:13.    Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

Oh Friends, it didn’t take long for the crazies to come out of the woodwork; the fast, loud cars and loud music, the motor bikes, and the skimpy clothing. As though summer’s really here. But I guess when the weather inhibits one from doing those outdoor things for long periods of time, then the first, or any opportunity at all, is not to be disregarded. And you certainly won’t hear me complaining about the beautiful weather, cause it’s what my arthritic bones need. Now we’re only missing the sea and sand. (smile) And I’m not worried about that either, because I know in God’s good time, I will certainly get that too. I even went for a walk yesterday afternoon on my wonky knees. Wow! Wonders never cease, but daily they increase! And Friends, if we sit down and really look at out lives, we’ll find that that is the gospel truth! With each passing day the Lord does more wondrous things in our lives. For that, let’s give Him some thanks and praise: ‘Oh Lord God Jehovah, we the undeserving children of men, do praise and glorify Your Holy Name, and give You much thanks for looking after our earthly needs. We pray that we will keep on being faithful to You, as You are to us, and that our communion with the Holy Trinity will continue right through to eternity. On the precious, spilt blood of Jesus, Your wonderful Son and our Saviour we pray this. Amen!’ Yes Friends, if the Lord wasn’t looking after us, imagine how much more difficult our circumstances would be. That’s why it’s so important for us to stay under the protective umbrella of His LOVING-kindness, His mercy and forgiveness, and at all and any appropriate time give Him the thanks and praise for which He is eminently worthy. Praise like our Bit staunchly proclaims: ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.’ Please note the two Amens. That shows how truly heartfelt Bruh David’s blessing is. Those words eventually become a doxology; a church formula for praising God. The psalm itself is about abuse and assurance: ‘Blessed is he that considereth the poor (helpless, powerless): the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing (sick bed): thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness (restore him in his sick bed).’ (Ps.41:1-3) Oh my people, how can we not be eternally grateful to a Deity who treats us with such tender mercies eh? And Cousin Sol follows in Bruh David’s footsteps in Psalm 72, The reign of the righteous king, one of only two Psalms he wrote. The other is Psalm 127. In Psalm 72, Cousin Sol joyfully declares: ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen.’ (Ps.72:18-19) Now those two men certainly had lots to be thankful for, just like we have, and they voiced their pleasure and their trust in the God of their fathers publicly and vociferously! Oh Friends, are we doing that too? Are we giving our great and gracious God public and enthusiastic thanks for all His wondrous works on our behalf? I sure hope so, else we’d be short-changing our wonderful Lord. And that’s one thing we never want to do, because if He ever stops blessing us, then ‘crapaud will truly smoke we pipe;’ much more calamity will certainly befall us. Ethan the Ezrahite, in Psalm 89, his great contemplation on God’s sure promises to Bruh David, also invokes the blessing on God at the end. ‘Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Amen, and Amen.’ (Ps.89:52) Note again, not one, but two Amens. Then in Psalm 106, Israel sins against God’s LOVE, the psalmist ends with the same message: ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord. (Hallelujah).’ (Ps.106:48) And most fittingly, the last Psalm, #150, is one that encourages praise, and ends with a slightly different but still reverent form of the doxology: ‘Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah). Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness…Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. (sing Hallelujah).’ (Ps.150:1-2, 6) Oh Friends, right in that last, simple verse is the eternal hope for our future. Our future depends entirely on our praise, thanks, reverence, glorification, worship, appreciation and obedience to our God; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I cannot stress enough the importance of doing those things which please Him. So today, please, let’s all take some extra and some special time, especially in this Lenten Season, to show God that we really and truly do LOVE and appreciate Him. It’s the least we can do, in return for all that He’s done, and is still doing for us. Much LOVE!…all our God asks of us…is true reverence and undying LOVE…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 March 2012 Proverbs 15:21

14 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 15:21.   Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.

Oh Friends, it’s supposed to be another beautiful summer’s day in my area; (smile) with temps in the mid teens again. Wow! The whole week is supposed to be like that. It’s nice, but a little intimidating though, because who knows what we’ll have next week or later on, when it should really be springtime. However, there’s no need to worry, whatever happens we’ll handle it with Jesus’ help. And all God’s people shouted, a rousing ‘Amen!’ Now here are some of the things Jesus knows about us, from Anne Graham Lotz’s book, – Jesus is my…Everything: ‘Jesus knows: the small secrets of your heart, The unspoken dreams of your imagination, The unrevealed thoughts of your mind, The emotional shards of your feelings, The paralyzing fears for your future, The bitter resentments of your past, The joys and heartaches, The pleasures and pain, The successes and failures, The honours and humiliations, The deeds and the doubts. He knows all about you, inside and out, past, present and future.’ Yes Friends, there’s nothing that Jesus doesn’t know about us! That’s why we have to pay serious attention to our Bit: ‘Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom (discernment): but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.’ If we want to be good associates of Jesus, we can’t afford to find joy in foolish things. We need to have proper discernment about what He requires of us. And if we don’t have it, then we sincerely ask for it. As James says: ‘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 will receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8) Ah mih people, it’s indeed a sad situation in which we currently find ourselves, where those who lack true wisdom, true discernment are ruling the world, and apparently having great joy doing so. No wonder God’s great creation is so embattled and embittered! Hear Cousin Sol in an earlier chapter on the wise and foolish contrasted: ‘It is as sport to a fool to do mischief (evil): but a man of understanding hath wisdom.’ (Prov.10:23) No doubt about that Friends! And as believers, we’re all supposed to actively and diligently cultivate things like wisdom, understanding, knowledge and discernment through sincere communication with our heavenly Father, from whom these things come, and who as James just said, willing gives to all who ask sincerely. For remember that ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou doest embrace her. She shall give to (place on) thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver thee.’ (Prov.4:7-9) And it all begins my brethren by reverencing Almighty God! Thus when we acquire wisdom and understanding we’ll walk uprightly in God’s ways and not foolishly, like the workers of iniquity, who take joy in the ways of evil. As Bruh Paul said to the Ephesians: ‘See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time (making the most of every opportunity), because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be (continually) filled with the Spirit. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God (doing what pleases Him).’ (Eph.5:15-21) Yes my people, those are the things believers ought to engage in. But unfortunately we’re not doing as much of them, or to as high a degree as we should. Consequently, our world is falling apart right before our very eyes. Let us therefore try to upgrade or increase those things which bring us wisdom and closeness to God, and will also further the LOVE Revolution that’s currently lighting up our world, and slowly but surely turning it around. Oh Friends, please do your best to encourage the LOVE Revolution which will bring our world back to faith, hope, LOVE, trust, true and faithful surrender to Jesus and Almighty God, where it’s supposed to be! Much LOVE!…in the words of the old song…only LOVE can break a heart…but by the same token…only LOVE can mend it again…for LOVE is the most overwhelming emotion in existence…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 March 2012 Proverbs 17:17‏

13 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 17:17.    A friend LOVETH at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
 
Oh Friends, our God is into His mysterious workings with me today. Earlier on, I was reading my Bible, the one I got from my mother, and I happened to come across this bookmark that asked the age old but very important question ‘What is a Friend? Here’s the answer it provides: ‘A friend is someone very dear who shares your hopes and dreams, who shows you that the grayest day is brighter than it seems, A friend will bring you happiness that lasts a lifetime through – I know, for that’s the kind of friend I found when I met you.’ I had a Selah moment – then excitedly said to myself, ‘But that’s Jesus they’re talking about!’ For that’s the kind of friendship He brings to our lives when we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour! And believe me, the words to that old but blessed and BELOVED Hymn ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus,’ immediately rose up in my soul. I couldn’t remember all the words at the time, so I checked them out just now, and here they are: ‘What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Ev’rything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Ev’rything to God in prayer. Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer. Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of care? Precious Saviour, still our refuge; Take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In his arms He’ll take and shield thee; Thou wilt find a solace there.’ Oh my people, who could want for a better Friend than Jesus eh; the most powerful Being in existence, Master of all He surveys, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein, yet humble and LOVING enough to befriend the worthless and ungrateful children of men? How could it not be a wonder and a blessing to associate with such a magnificent and majestic Being! He fulfills the words of our Bit to the nth degree: ‘A friend LOVETH at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.’ The scholars claim: ‘A true friend has unquenchable LOVE that is not diminished by adversity.’ And that’s the gospel truth people! It brings to mind the human friendship of Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi, when their men folk die in a foreign land and Naomi plans to return to her people and tells Ruth to go back to her own. ‘And Ruth said, Entreat (urge) me not to leave thee, or to return (turn back) from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. When she (Naomi) saw that she (Ruth) was steadfastly minded (determined) to go with her, then she (Naomi) left speaking unto her (didn’t try to dissuade her any more).’ (Ruth 1:16-18) Now that’s a wonderful illustration of friendship! And for that ‘stick-to-itiveness’, the Lord rewarded her with being the great grandmother of Bruh David, a member of the line from whom Jesus was descended. Wow! Doesn’t our God write wonderful scripts! Oh fellow believers, though Jesus is Lord and Master of ALL, He is still capable of being a Friend; the ‘BESTEST’ Friend ever, as the young people would say! Please also look to Him as such, and whenever you need a friend to talk to, or just to sit quietly with, please turn to Him, for there’s NO ONE like Him; a Friend in need and a Friend in deed, One who promises never to leave or forsake you, to help you bear all your burdens, give you salvation and eternal life. And you can be sure He’ll never bad talk you behind your back or spread all your heartfelt secrets abroad, as so many supposed human friends do. (smile) Yes my brethren, Jesus is the Friend of all Friends! Please turn to Him in your time of need, and you’ll be surprised at the awesome friendship you’ll develop, and quickly too, once you bare your heart to Him. And this is not hearsay people, but personal experience. I’m reminded of last summer when I was sick and we’d sit down on my front porch during the midnight hours and reason. And yuh know what, while I sat on the chair on the porch, Jesus would always sit on the step below me. That’s how humble He is in His friendships! So please turn to Jesus RIGHT NOW if you need a faithful friend, and you’ll never experience one moment of regret. I guarantee you that! One note of caution here. Not because Jesus is all powerful and otherwise, means that being His friend will automatically make life easy for you, and you’ll just sail through it without a problem. On the contrary, you can be sure that he’ll always tell you like it is. He won’t mince words and only tell you what you want to hear. If you’re wrong, He’ll so inform you, but in His masterful, non-demeaning, non-judgemental way, with the utmost of care, consideration and LOVE. Just like our earthly friends sometimes need to give us a blast to make us smarten up, Jesus will do the same thing, just in a less controversial and belittling manner. Oh my people, I can’t begin to tell you the privileges, benefits, blessings, etc. etc. that comes from having Jesus as your personal ‘BESTEST’ Friend! You have to experience it to really understand the peace, calm, warmth, joy and understanding He brings into our lives, when we allow Him to walk this rugged earthly journey with us! Trust me, it’s real, and it’s beautiful! I wouldn’t lie to you on something as important as this. Till next time then, please walk with Jesus beside you, every step of the way. That’s the only way to successfully navigate this earthly journey. Much LOVE!…looking for a real true Friend…then try Jesus…He’s undoubtedly the ‘BESTEST’ there is…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 March 2012 Obadiah 1:4‏

12 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

  Obadiah 1:4  Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.

Oh my fellow brethren in Christ, it’s Monday! The call to arms has already sounded, and our brilliant Field Marshall, Jesus, is already out surveying the battlefield, planning his strategy. You know He gets up early every morning to commune with the Father before tackling the day’s tasks. We can’t afford to be resting on our laurels, for while we’re doing that, the enemy is out there making hay in the sunshine. (smile) So let’s get up and get a move on. But first, let’s take a moment ourselves to commune with the Father by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one, heaven-reaching 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!’ And now Friends, with the Holy Spirit boldly coursing through us, and being safely ensconced in our spiritual armour, let’s hit the battlefield and show the evil enemy the might and power of Jesus and His righteous, upstanding soldiers, fearlessly singing: ‘Onward Christian soldiers, marching unto war, with the Cross of Jesus, going on before!’ And when we meet the brazen and bumptious enemy, please let them know that: ‘The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?’ (Obad.1:3) But they boldface eh! Who shall bring them down? Well the answer is in our Bit: ‘Though thou exalt thyself as (high as) the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.’ And to that, all God’s people shouted a deafening ‘Amen!’ Yes my people, our God will eventually humble all those who arrogantly and proudly exalt themselves, without taking His majesty into consideration! Obadiah’s prophecy was against Edom, the Edomites, descendants of Esau, who, according to the scholars, lived in a mountainous desert area of the Promised Land, and who felt they were safe and secure because of their mountain stronghold. They became prosperous by taxing caravans that passed through their territory. Apparently they helped Nebuchadrezzar invade Judah (Lam.4:21-22) and also expanded their own land into Judah, (Jacob’s descendants) forming the land of Idumea, and were then mostly known as Idumeans, but between wars, political machinations, and the coming of the Roman Empire, they eventually disappeared from history. Thus was the prophecy of Obadiah fulfilled on them, and also that of Jeremiah: ‘For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen (nations), and despised among men. Thy terribleness (fierceness) hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make they nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord. Also Edom shall be a desolation (an astonishment): everyone that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.’ (Jer.49:15-18) Oh Friends, when the Lord’s out to get you, it’s impossible to escape! That’s why our current ungodliness and sinful behaviour is a very vexing and truly foolish show of pride, idolatry and earthly lusts, the things which the Lord God Jehovah most detests, because they don’t give Him His proper reverence and respect.  Remember His first commandments were to not have any other gods but Him, also not to make graven images of anything on earth, in heaven or the sea, nor bow down to them. But sadly, that’s what we’re doing right now; worshipping earthly treasures, placing them before Him. In fact we’re doing our best to get rid of Him altogether from our society. And do we expect to really live happily ever after by doing that? Oh Friends, that’s just Lucifer and his evil associates poisoning our minds against the Most High God, creator and ruler of the universe. It’s a most unwise decision, for if we read the Good Book we’ll see that every society which tried to get rid of Him or didn’t hold Him in proper reverence was eventually punished. What’s it going to take for us to wake up to that reality eh? We’re already being bombarded by all kinds of unusual calamities; wars and strife all over the world, financial and economic disasters, climate irregularities, poverty, sickness, oppression, homelessness, like we haven’t seen in ages, and with our world at the height of its evolution too. What explains it all? Only one thing Friends: disobedience to God’s Word. Please my people, we’ve tried all the man made solutions, and none have worked, they’ve only made matters worse. So let’s smarten up nuh, let’s turn back to the God of our fathers, it’s the only thing left for us to try. As I keep pleading, for our children’s sake let’s repent of our misdeeds and ask the Lord for forgiveness. You know He’ll be only too glad to comply, if we come to Him with truly repentant hearts, for He is indeed a God of compassion and mercy. That’s the only true wisdom of the ages my people! Let’s not go down in history as the generation that lost it all. Much LOVE!…though all seems lost…give God a chance…and He will surely save the day…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 March 2012 Proverbs 4:23

11 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 4:23.     Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Ah Friends, working for the Lord God Jehovah is no easy task nuh. I just spent a good forty minutes looking for a Bit I could get my head and heart around. To make matters worse, the move back to Daylight Saving Time tonight, meant I had an hour less to play with. However, that time I spent poring over the Word was definitely not wasted, because I came across a lot of stuff that I either didn’t know before, or just never paid attention to, figuring it was not significant. But believer me brethren, EVERY WORD IN THE GOOD BOOK IS SIGNIFICANT! Every time you open it, you’ll see something that you’ve never seen or understood before. That’s the beauty of God’s Word! And though God’s work can be difficult, Friends, it’s always rewarding! I eventually came across a scripture verse that immediately spoke to my head and heart, saying; ‘I am Today’s Bit!’ (smile) It’s a rather timely verse too, words of wisdom from Cousin Sol: ‘Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.’ And that’s the gospel, gospel truth my people! Now I’ll let the scholars give us a brief dissertation on the subject, so that we can get the right perspective. (smile)  ‘The Old Testament word heart often refers to the physical organ of the circulatory system. Both Testaments also see the heart figuratively as the centre of the personality or spiritual life. The heart is the seat of intellect, emotions, will, and moral consciousness. It is the personality which has that extraordinary ability to perceive itself. The heart is presented as the seat of conscious life and the fountainhead of life. Jesus taught that sin came out of the heart of people, thus defiling them. Yet after conversion, one of the characteristics of Christians is that they have the law of God written in their hearts (Heb-8:8-12)’ And the heart, my fellow believers, is indeed the fountain of life; for it keeps the blood pumping through our bodies, and thus the breath of life flowing within us, and it’s also the repository for our emotions, whether we do good or evil. No wonder Jesus placed so much emphasis on it in His teaching. Listen to some of His words on the subject. In talking about good and bad fruit, He staunchly declares: ‘O generation (brood, offspring) of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ (Matt.12:34-37) Oh Friends, we’ve all encountered problems in that respect. Then regarding things that defile, Jesus rebuked His listeners thus: ‘Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast (eliminated) out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.’ (Matt.15:17-20) Yes Friends, it’s not what we put into our inner man that really defile us, but what comes out of it. And when talking about a tree being known by its fruit, Jesus solemnly proclaims: ‘For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt (bad) tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.’ (Luke 6:43-45) Oh my people, Jesus left no doubt that what goes on in our hearts is of the utmost importance in our lives. And if we want to truly follow Him, we have to clean up our hearts. Now let’s end with His most significant pronouncement on the affairs of the heart, something that all Christians need to do, if they are serious about their faith. ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.’ (Matt.22:37-38)  Ah mih breddren, we all know that in our minds, but how many of us truly follow it our hearts eh? Not nearly enough, otherwise our world would not be in such a sad state. I ask us today to sit down and explore our hearts, right down to the deepest regions, and see whether we’re harbouring any evil there, then ask the Lord to forgive us, so that He can make our faith strong and our way prosperous. Much LOVE!…the heart is the fountain of…wisdom, life, hope and faith…if it’s not right with God…then nothing in our lives will be right…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 March 2012 Psalm 78:32‏

10 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 78:32    For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.

Oh Friends, who says our world and weather aren’t shrouded in mystery and eccentricity these days eh? Two mornings ago, I woke up and it was raining. Yesterday morning it was snowing.  This morning it will possibly be frozen hard and cold like ice, with the only constant over those three days being the cold, blustery March winds. But please remember that since Jesus is our Leader, there’s no need to worry, for in His awesome power we can handle anything that comes against us. Now listen to some of what our Jesus is and does; from Anne Graham Lotz’s book, ‘My Jesus is…Everything.’ ‘My Jesus: He discharges the debtors. He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent. He beautifies the meek. He is the key to knowledge. He is the wellspring of wisdom. He is the foundation of faith. He is the doorway of deliverance. He is the pathway to peace. He is the roadway of righteousness. He is the gateway to glory. He is the highway to happiness. My Jesus is…Everything!’ Selah. Oh my people, please spend a few moments contemplating all those attributes of our Lord and Saviour. Then tell me if He isn’t the GREATEST! Without a doubt! And He hasn’t changed from DAY ONE! That’s why the Israelites’ behaviour through the wilderness en route to the Promised Land is so perplexing, as our Bit declares: ‘For all this they sinned still, and believed not on his wondrous works.’ Yesterday we saw them crying out for water in Rephidim, and the Lord had Moses smite the rock in front of the elders to give them water. So He gives them manna, heavenly food, and water, but they’re still not satisfied and cry out for meat. At that point Moses cries out to God, even to take his life, because the stress of leading the ingrates was telling on him. (Num.11:10-15) This kindled the Lord’s anger and He told Moses to get seventy of the elders and bring them with him before the tabernacle. ‘And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. And say thou unto the people, Sanctify, yourselves (set yourselves apart) against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh (meat); for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?’ (Num.11:17-20) Oh Friends, isn’t our God wonderful! Yuh want flesh eh, then you’ll get so much, so quickly, you soon won’t want it! I’m sure that will remind some of us of our youth, when we were overly greedy and our parents did likewise; gave us so much that we soon got tired of it. Moses himself questioned the Lord about providing meat for so many people, only to be rebuked: ‘Is the Lord’s hand waxed short (Is the Lord’s power limited)? Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.’ (Num11:23) Oh Friends, our God might be a sweetheart, but He’s definitely no pushover. And after the Lord came down and spoke to the elders and Moses outside the tabernacle, the elders began to prophesy as the Lord’s Spirit came upon them. Then they heard that two elders who had remained in the camp were also prophesying. Joshua told Moses to stop them, but Moses was so fed up, he wished that God would put His Spirit on everybody and let them all be prophets. Then they returned to the camp, and a wind came forth from the Lord, and it began raining quails; enough to fill a day’s journey on either side of the camp, and two cubits (36 inches, 3 feet) high. And the greedy Israelites gathered quails for two days and a night, then they began to feast. (Num.12:24-32) But sadly Friends, they didn’t understand the Lord’s motives: ‘And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people (the Lord’s anger was aroused), and the Lord smote (struck) the people with a very great plague. And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah (Graves of craving): because there they buried the people that lusted (yielded to craving).’ (Num.12:33-34) Ah Friends, one more indication that the Lord doesn’t speak in jest. And I don’t think that’s it’s the complaints themselves that really irked the Lord, because if you’re in the wilderness without food and water, it can be problematic. But what got Him angry were their short memories, their spirit of rebellion, their ungratefulness and lack of faith in His promises to lead and guide them safely. How quickly they forgot the many miracles He did on their behalf, invoking our present day mantra of, what have you done for me lately? It’s obvious they doubted His faithfulness in spite of all that He’d previously done. Unfortunately Friends, our current society is jut like that of the Israelites: we want and expect everything now for now, behaving as though life owes us a living, constantly wanting more, and sadly forgetting who brought us the prosperity we had; the Lord God Jehovah. My brethren, please let this be a lesson to us in these troubled times. We have not walked obediently before the Lord our God, therefore our society has been filled with much anguish, sorrow, disappointment and pain. Those things have not happened by chance, but through the Lord’s doings. And the only way to solve our problems is to return to God’s fold, as a nation, walking obediently to His dictates, otherwise our world will keep sinking deeper in the mire in which we’re now wallowing, until we’re completely swallowed up. Much LOVE!…history is a record of the past…and we study it…so that we can learn about the present…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 March 2012 Psalm 78:32‏

09 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 78:32.   For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.
 
Oh my blessed Friends in Christ, it’s Friday! The end of the workweek is here! And all God’s people declared a lusty shout of  ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Whatever tiredness prevailed in their souls, bodies and minds from the week’s struggles was lifted with the thought of the weekend of rest, of fellowship and the praising of God in like-minded company. And to bring all the weekend entails into proper perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant with godly power. In unison 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.’ Yeh mih people, sometimes the weekend seems busier than the workweek, because we have so much private stuff to do, so that we can get time to go and labour. But instead of worrying too much about the prerogatives of this world, let’s concentrate on those of Jesus and our heavenly home, so that we won’t end up like the Israelites in our Bit: ‘For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.’ It really boggles my imagination when I think about the ungratefulness, lack of faith and trust that permeated the Israelite culture. After the Lord heard their crying about the woeful conditions of their slavery in Egypt, and showed His awesome power by all the plagues He unleashed on Egypt, but not on them. Then when Pharaoh finally allowed them to leave, He found a way for them to leave with a lot of Egypt’s earthly treasure. Furthermore, the Lord parted the Red Sea so that they could get away from the pursuing Egyptian army, then destroyed their pursuers. He kept them away from war by not passing them through the land of the Philistines, led them by a pillar of cloud in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night. And yet they complained about bitter water and no food. So the Lord took care of those in His miraculous ways. But yuh think that meant anything to them. No sir! Neither did they give thanks when He led them to the oasis at Elim. But when they came out of the wilderness of Sin and pitched camp in Rephidim, where there was no water, they quickly got on Moses’ case though. ‘And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me (to death). And the Lord said unto Moses; Go on before the people, and take with thee of 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 of the children of Israel, and because they tempted (tested) the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?’ (Ex.17:3-7) Oh Friends, it’s the same way we have behaved in this last generation; questioning both the presence of God and His goodness to us, after he’d made our way to flourish and prosper when our fathers paid Him His deserved obeisance. Like Israel, we have forgotten where our manna and daily bread come from. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh.1:8) Yes my people, that’s where the success of an individual, a society, a nation and a world comes from! And that’s why our society has stopped flourishing and is quickly heading downhill, like a snowball hurrying down to Hades, which is where we’ll end up if we don’t change our evil ways and return to the Lord God who created us, protects and provides for us. It’s not rocket science people, just pure and simple common sense. But I forgot that doesn’t exist in our society again. Please let’s get it back, so that our society, our nation and world will survive, not in iniquity, but in righteousness and prosperity. Much LOVE!…only a fool…or a madman…knowingly spoils his own life…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 March 2012 Psalm 78:32‏

08 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 78:32.   For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works

Oh Friends, yesterday was indeed a beautiful spring day in my neck of the woods, except for a somewhat blustery wind! And it’s expected to get up to about 12 Celsius again today. What a joy! But I’m still concerned and perturbed by this unseasonable weather, and all the other abnormal weather patterns that we’ve been experiencing around the world for the last few years. I guess abnormal weather is now the order of the day. But thankfully my brethren, we have the ONE and ONLY Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour to rely on, so that whatever comes against us, we can stand up sure and strong in His Holy Name and either defeat it or ride it out! And the true believers offered a sincere prayer of gratitude. ‘Oh thank you Lord, for your LOVING-kindness to the children of undeserving men!’ Oh, if those children of Israel had only been as thankful and true, then the whole course of History would have been changed. Unfortunately though, as our Bit says: ‘For all this they sinned still, and believed not the for his wondrous works.’ Ah Friends, I hope that yesterday we pondered on how those words related to our personal situations, as I asked, and that we made amends with our forgiving and merciful God for any shortcomings thereof. Now let’s continue looking at the Israelites journey. Yesterday we left them enjoying the easy life in the oasis of Elim, without any complaints. But then they entered the wilderness of Sin, a rather appropriate name, for they immediately began to complain against Moses and Aaron, saying: ‘Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots (pots of meat), and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’ (Ex.16:3) Ah Friends, how we like to always have it easy and our way eh! But despite His disappointment at His chosen people’s lack of faith, after all that He had done for them, our God, being such a wonderful Deity, declared unto Moses: ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate (amount) every day, that I may prove (test) them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.’ (Ex.16:4) So the Lord tested them with manna, and they failed, because instead of gathering on the sixth day, enough also for the seventh, some went out to gather it on the Sabbath Day. But they found none, because, as per the Lord’s decree, it was only provided for six days. Obviously this displeased the Lord, and He asked Moses: ‘How long refuse ye (do you refuse) to keep my commandments and my laws?’ (Ex.16:28) Oh Friends, that’s exactly the same question the Lord is asking of us today? When will we stop being so ungodly and return to His fold eh? That’s part of the reason why our world is in such a confused and troubled state. And until we return to a state of godliness and obedience to His commandments, we will continue to live in a confused and troubled state. Thankfully the Israelites eventually learned about the manna. ‘So the people rested on the seventh day. And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.’ (Ex.16:30-31) One more miracle for those unbelieving, ungrateful people. And that doesn’t sound like a bad tasting food either; ‘wafers made with honey.’ But I guess if you have it morning, noon and night, seven days a week, it can get somewhat tiresome. Will we eventually wake up though from our sinful, ungodly, lustful life before it’s too late? I certainly hope so. Now here’s what the scholars have to say about manna: ‘The manna literally means ‘What is it?’ Not only was it remarkable for its size, shape, colour, taste, and variety of uses (Ex.16:14, 23, 31; Num.11:7-8), but especially for its daily appearance at dawn, its tremendous abundance, its strange capacity for breeding worms at the end of each day except the sixth, and its sudden and permanent disappearance as soon as the Israelites entered Canaan (Josh.5:12). It taught the people to look Godward for their daily bread, and it pointed toward the One who claimed to be the true bread from heaven, even ‘the bread of life.’ (John 6:32,35) Oh my people, do we look to our God EVERYDAY for our daily bread, like the Israelites were taught to do, and like Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ (Matt.6:11) I sure hope so, because that’s what the Lord expects from us, and also why He sends us new mercies and blessings every day. It’s all a part of His overall plan to have us trust Him anew each day, so that He can show His genuine and unconditional LOVE for us. Please, let’s accept His LOVING-kindness with joy and thankfulness and do our best to walk in His godly ways, so that He can continue to bless and keep us safe. That’s the only healing medicine for what ails us today my people, so let’s be wise and accept it with gracious thanks nuh. Much LOVE!…it is better to trust in the Lord…than to put confidence in man… (Ps.118:8) 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 March 2012 Psalm 78:32‏

07 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 78:32.    For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.
 
Oh mih people, as I write this, another beautiful day on God’s wonderful earth is in the offing! And I’m serious, for in my area, in the first week of March, the temperature is supposed to rise up around 12 Celsius. And all God’s people in the northern climes emitted a loud and grateful; ‘Thank you Lord! You are indeed the greatest!’ Now Friends, there’s no disputing that our Lord is the greatest, for He truly is, and the initial revelation of today’s high temp is exceedingly wonderful, on the surface, but deep down, what does it really signify? It really signifies that our weather patterns have indeed gone haywire, no matter how some of us try to deny it. For this winter so far, we’ve gotten almost as many warm days with rain as we’ve gotten cold ones with snow. In the thirty odd years I’ve been in Canada, living in the same general area, I’ve never seen this phenomenon before. Meanwhile, consider the numerous tornadoes that ripped through the U.S. this past week. I can’t remember ever hearing about so many tornadoes in quick succession either. And to bring it full circle parts of Europe and Asia were recently hit by cold spells and blanketed with snow like they haven’t experienced in ages. And we haven’t even taken into consideration the warming of the waters in the Arctic and the melting of the icebergs. Putting it all together Friends, I don’t think it portends much good at all. Between our mishandling of the earth’s attributes, and God’s retribution for our disobedience, a period of climate change has been unleashed that can no longer be called subtle. But has it brought us to our senses? Unfortunately NO! And just like the Israelites, our Bit is a disgraceful condemnation of our modern society. ‘For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.’ Now let’s get some pertinent background on the Israelite situation, so that we can better understand our own. Oh my brethren, our God is so concerned about us that we don’t know the half of it. And why am I saying this? Because I just noticed something in the Good Book that I never noticed before, and it moved me. Don’t know if you ever noticed it, but I find it significant enough to mention. When the Lord took Israel out of Egypt, ‘God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent (change their minds) when they see war, and they return to Egypt: But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed (in orderly ranks) out of the land of Egypt.’ (Ex.13:17-18) But yuh know that made no difference whatsoever, for the Israelites still complained and disobeyed no end while going through the wilderness to the Promised Land, that’s why it took them forty long, hard years, and only Joshua and Caleb from all those who came out of Egypt ever set foot there. The Lord also having promised to lead and guide them, did just that: ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night. He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.’ (Ex.13:21-22) He even used the cloud to prevent the Egyptian army camped behind them at the Red Sea from seeing them (Ex.14:20) But they showed no appreciation for that either and instead complained about the army back there ready to slaughter them. The Lord solved that problem by having Moses part the sea, allowing them to cross over on dry land, then engulfed Pharaoh’s army by returning the water to its original position. (Ex.14:21-30) ‘And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared (stood in awe of) the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.’ (Ex.14:31) But for how long my brethren? Only a short period, for after three days in the wilderness without water their complaints began again. And when they did find water, it was bitter and undrinkable (Marah). ‘And the people murmured against Moses, saying, what shall we drink? And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord showed him a tree, which when he had cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance (regulation), and there he proved (tested) them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will bring none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.’ (Ex.15:24-26) Now that was the first incentive the Lord gave Israel to be obedient unto Him. ‘And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and three score and ten palm trees: and they encamped by the waters:’ Now at Elim, there were no complaints, not a word of dissatisfaction was heard, because the living at that juncture was beautiful. It was a true oasis; 70 palm trees for shade, and 12 wells of fresh, drinkable water. What was there to complain about? Nothing! But please note Friends, there didn’t seem to be any praise and thanks either. Doesn’t that remind you of us? How we complain when things get rough, but when God is generous with us, and things are going good, we forget to give Him praise and thanks. Oh Friends, that’s our ‘ponderation’ for today; where in our lives have we complained, but where also have we not given thanks for God’s goodness. Let’s try and make some amends for our ungrateful behaviour today. Much LOVE!…to return ungratefulness for kindness…is the mark of the unrighteous…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 March 2012 Matthew 22:37,39‏

06 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 22:37,39.    Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind…Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself.
 
Aye mih people, a fine Tuesday morning to you and yours! Now we all know that our God moves in mysterious ways, so listen to this mysterious way He worked in me yesterday morning. Just before midday, He sent me this zeppo, this little message, by the Holy Spirit, and the strange thing is that when I sat down and really considered it, what He says makes oodles of sense. And it’s not rocket science either, but plain simple logic and common sense. Well enough suspense, (smile) the theory is…Oh sorry, this is no theory, these are hard, solid facts! Well then, the facts run something like this: Our world is presently in pretty bad shape, and if we don’t do something about it real soon, it’s liable to implode and/or explode. The forces of iniquity are winning the battle right now, but we believers in Jesus know that the powers of darkness are no match whatsoever for the brilliance of our wonderful Lord and Saviour. The iniquity workers, led by that old scoundrel Lucifer, are purveyors of hate, anger, confusion and strife. However, we Christians, led by Jesus Christ, are the purveyors of Peace, LOVE, and Human Kindness. And one thing for sure in this ongoing battle is that the powers of darkness definitely can’t overpower the forces of light. We, the soldiers of Jesus, work with the most awesome weapon ever invented…no, not invented, for you can’t invent LOVE. We, the followers of Jesus, work with LOVE, the greatest weapon ever created! Yes, that sounds better. And it is only a matter of time before the good guys, that’s us believers, come out victorious, because our omnipotent God has imperiously declared that: ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is.54:17) He’s also incontestably declared that: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom.8:37) However Friends, though those promises are wonderful and will be kept, our victories won’t happen by chance, or by just sitting down and wishing them to happen by faith. No! Just like the iniquity soldiers, who work hard to promote and justify their cause, likewise, we, the children of the Most High God Jehovah, have to go out into the fields of evil and sow some good seed, in and with faith. We have to out work and out battle Lucifer’s boys, and right now I believe that they are outworking and out battling us. And that’s not a very good situation for our world my brethren. So since we have the biggest and most powerful bazooka in town, LOVE, let’s get out there and use it nuh mih people. The poor, the sick, the suffering, lonely, lost and oppressed are plentiful out there, yuh know. And they’re waiting to be delivered by us, the helpers of Jesus. Unfortunately we can’t do that by sitting on our comfortable rear ends. It’s certainly going to take a lot of effort and sacrifice, patience, strong faith and fortitude from all God’s soldiers to pull of this LOVE Revolution that He’s planned to save our fast deteriorating world. Oh my Friends, that is the only solution available to us who believe! It’s the only plan that will return our world to its senses and its rightful place, under the outstretched and protective wings of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the ONE, TRUE GOD of this vast universe! Please let’s wake up and smell the roses, or rather the pungent scent of the destruction that’s underway. LOVE is the ONLY WAY TO VICTORY! And as Bruh Paul so wisely told the Thessalonians: ‘But as touching (concerning) brotherly LOVE ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to LOVE one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more.’ (1 Thess.4:9-10) Yes mih people, to change our world, our LOVE Walk has to be ramped up much higher than it currently is. We won’t win any battles, much less wars with the puny attempts at LOVE we’re currently making. If we’re truly to be considered Friends and Followers of Jesus, then there’s only one way to win this ongoing war. As Jesus declared so long ago in our Bit: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind…And Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself.’ Yes people, that’s the winning formula! And since LOVE is an action word, please, let’s put it into serious action nuh. For our children’s sake, let’s do it nuh. Much LOVE!…simply talking LOVE…and not actively walking it…does not any battle win…
 

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