Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 August 2007 Lamentations 3: 31-33.

18 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Lamentations 3: 31-33.    For the Lord will not cast off forever. But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of man.
 
All Thanks and Praise to The Most High for lessening the effects of Hurricane Dean over J.A. and the Caymans! It could have been much worse if Dean had not  veered off some. Just shows that he does answer prayers, because I know that many people were praying for just such an outcome. Anyway, it was a little bit easier deciding on a Bit today. Only had three passages to choose from, and finally decided that Lamentations suited the bill the best, since right now is a time of Lamentation, in many parts of the world. Plus the strange fact that in all my perambulations through the Bible, I never really noticed that book. I knew it was there, but never paid any attention to it until today. Another devious move by The Lord you say? However people, even though lamenting might be in order right now, some praise and thanksgiving should also be offered for having come through the ordeal relatively unscathed, compared to some other parts of the world, like China, India, Taiwan, Peru, etc, who have recently suffered much tribulation through natural disasters too. And please believe the Bit that though He may cause grief, and not willingly either, His mercy and compassion is boundless. So Friends, let’s keep on praying for, and do whatever we can to help, not only our friends and family in the Caribbean, but also for those unfortunate souls all over the world who are facing unexpected tribulation from whatever source. Much Strength and Faith, wrapped in Endless LOVE!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 August 2007 Matthew 12: 34-37

18 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Matthew 12: 34 – 37.    O generation 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.
 
One of those days when I just couldn’t decide what to choose, so many choice choices, so I just asked for guidance, opened the Good Book and those words of  J.C. jumped out at me. He’s warning us to be careful about what we say, because some day our words are going to come back to haunt us. All of us have had occasion to regret things we’ve said, for one reason or another, and throughout Proverbs, Solomon keeps reminding us to be careful with our tongue, since it can cause untold problems. J.C just reiterated the warning. And truly, no weapon yet devised by man, has the power to inflict as painful a hurt as  that little flap of flesh. And its effects lasts a long, long time too. A lot of wars have been caused simply by poorly chosen words. But also, as my Uncle Foster use to say, "Is talk win the war"  because it’s in the peace talks afterwards, when the spoils are divided, that we see the real winners and losers. So please friends, let’s try and consider the possible consequences and repercussions of our words before we utter them nuh, as there’s nothing  in this world as sharp as our little tongue. And as J.C. says, we’ll pay for any hurting words sooner, in our lifetime, or later, at the judgement. Much LOVE, and plenty, plenty bridling of the tongue. (smile)

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 August 2007 Mark 13: 7-9.

18 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Mark 13: 7-9.  And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginning of sorrows.
 
Wow! Those are the words of J.C.  I discovered them today and they seemed so appropriate to our current situation that I had to use them. They are encouraging in one respect; that we should not worry because certain things need to happen before the end finally arrives. In the meanwhile though, wars and all sorts of natural disasters have to happen. And right now we’re seeing an inordinate amount of negative stuff: There are wars and all kinds of strife going on worldwilde; I won’t even try to list them, because they are too numerous; Earthquakes in Peru, Japan, Dominica;  Floods and Heatwaves in Europe;  Long dormant volcanoes suddenly coming to life and erupting; Typhoons, monsoons, hurricanes by other names in India, China,Taiwan and Dean currently cutting a swath northwards through the Caribbean, towards Mexico and the U.S.A. And these are just a few that I can remember happening recently. If we look back at the last decade, I don’t think we’ll find as many natural disasters happening worldwide in such a short space of time. The weather patterns have changed significantly; The Equator is getting cold, while the North and South Poles are getting warmer. Hn! Twenty years ago you wouldn’t get rain in T.O in Jan. or Feb. But now that’s normal. Then the greed and corruption in high places seems to be spreading like wildfire, bringing evermore suffering and poverty to the masses. Don’t even talk about the ethnic cleansing thing, that’s becoming more popular too, with the perpetrators going largely unpunished. And then there’s the terrorism business, sweeping across the world like an out of control juggernaut. Where’s it going to end eh? If J.C. says that all these things are only the beginning of sorrows…Hn! Then I, personally don’t want to see the last days. Anyway, all we as believers can do is live in hope, stand strong in our faith, help one another however we can and pray. Yes Friends, we’ve got to pray, while giving thanks for whatever we have, and spreading as much LOVE as possible. I know it’s not a pretty message, but that’s the reality of the situation. Most of all, never, never forget that The Most High is still in control, so anything is possible. Keep the Faith and Stand Strong!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 August 2007 Isaiah 12: 4-6.

18 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 12: 4-6.    And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord, for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitants of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.         
 
Today is a day of Praise and Thanksgiving! The Most High decreed it! But it’s how he did it that’s amusing. Hn,hn! Our God is something else yes! While sleeping this morning, between 11 and 12 o’clock, I had this dream: I was attending some occasion in my honour. But the service or testimonial, or whatever it was, was draggy and boring, not much audience participation. Halfway through a song, I looked around and saw very few people singing. So bright me, I put up my hand and gently admonished them for not participating. Just then, out the corner of my eye, I spied my Cousin Frank, trying to slip out unnoticed, so I called out to him, asking him not to leave as yet, a few others did the same. A, sheepish, got-caught smile appeared on his round half Chinese face, while he shook his head and indicated by sign language that he had to go. I said let him go in peace; he at least cared enough to show up, apparently several other friends and family members were not as courteous. Afterwards, I turned to the audience and told them we were going to liven things up by saying Randy’s Psalm…what chutzpah eh. As though I know anything about writing Psalms. Then I proceeded to spout something about Thanks and Praise, the audience joined in heartily and the programme moved along smoothly after that. I had to laugh when I woke up. Isn’t Our God marvellous! There are so many parts to Him!  That dream brought to mind something I heard Joel Osteen say recently; that one morning he got up singing a Psalm he had known since he was a little tyke, and he felt that was The Lord putting joy and thanks and praise in his spirit, early in the day, so he could go out and do a good job for him. (Be quiet Daughters)  I figured that He was possibly doing the same thing for me. I also knew that Today’s Bit would have to be about Thanks and Praise, and as soon as I opened The Good Book to look for something suitable, that passage from Isaiah 12 jumped out at me. Oh Friends, let me tell you, it’s so much better and easier if we start our day with some praise and thanksgiving. It puts joy in our heart and allows us to do a much better job of serving Our God. So let’s decide today, right now, to continuously give Thanks and Praise to The Most High! He’s an awesome God!  Funny too. There’s definitely none other like Him!  Mucho LOVE!   P.S. Tried to cut it short, but this was the best I could do.  Yuh know when the adrenaline running how it is. (Smile)

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 August 2007 Job 32: 7-9

18 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Job 32: 7-9.
I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom. But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgement.
 
Elihu, a youngster listening to Job and his three friends arguing back and forth, finally gets angry at them; thinking that Job was being self-righteous, justifying himself and not God, while the other three, who had found no answer to Job’s predicament, yet had condemned him. So he finally threw in his two cents worth. And he does make some sense: It is all well and good to respect your elders and benefit from the wisdom of their many years, but people we revere are not always wise, neither does many years on the planet automatically mean that you understand God’s ways. Elihu says that there is a spirit in every man, which is true, and regardless of their age, the Almighty can imbue them with wisdom. So young people can also be wise and understand the ways of God, if the Most High puts it in their heart. That means we cannot ignore the remarks of the young, just because they are young, and accept those of the aged, just because of their age. We’ve got to listen to everybody with a discerning ear, because even the fool has something wise to say…sometimes. Much LOVE!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 August 2007 Luke 12: 40.

18 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Luke 12:40.
Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
 
Yesterday we talked about the wickedness of Noah’s world, and how God cleansed it through the Great Flood. We also agreed that today’s world is probably  worse, because of the greater number of evil avenues open to us, and wondered how long it would be before it angered God sufficiently to send the Armageddon that He’d promised. Well, today’s verse from Luke, is Jesus warning us to be ready, to be always prepared, have our house in order at all times, because He’ll be coming back when we least expect Him. And the next time, He’ll be bringing the fire with Him, judgement day, and whatever other calamity The Most High chooses to shower down upon unbelieving sinners. So friends, please, please, let’s heed His warning! Let’s endeavour not to be found wanting and unprepared, because it doesn’t promise to be a pretty sight if we’re not ready. Let’s look to Him for guidance and be prepared whenever He shows up in all His Glory!  Much LOVE and Plenty Preparedness! (smile).

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 August 2007 Genesis 6: 5-6.

18 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Genesis 6: 5-6.
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
 
So God cleansed the earth of both man and beast through The Great Flood, leaving only Noah and his family and a pair of all the non-human life forms. But nothing much seems to have changed from way back then. Mankind is still as wicked as ever, possibly more so, because he has more stuff to work with. In spite of all the medical, scientific, economic, social and whatever other advances we’ve made over the years, mankind is still existing in a mostly negative situation. Almost all of the institutions we’ve set up for our supposed good have been infiltrated by greed, envy, strife and unimaginable corruption. So much cruelty, suffering and poverty in a world filled with enough to go around: Brother killing brother; children having children, wars and rumours of wars… Don’t you think it’s grieving God again to see His wonderful handiwork gone astray, corrupted? Who knows what He’ll do next? Remember He promised the fire next time…and He keeps his promises. Much LOVE!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 August 2007 1Thessalonians 1:2

17 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Thessalonians 1:2.
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers.
 
In Today’s Bit, Paul, after greeting the Thessalonians in the name of J.C, informed them that he constantly gave thanks for their fellowship in Christ, and always prayed for them. And that’s the way it should be; a constant giving of thanks and prayers for our fellow believers, asking the Lord to keep their faith strong and guide their footsteps aright in His name. Life is rough enough without trying to make it on our own, and as one of the basic laws of nature states; a cohesive group of anything, moving together as one, will stand a better chance of survival and success, than the same number trying to do it individually. So please Friends, let’s keep on giving thanks for each other, sharing the word, and remembering the faithful in our prayers. All Praise and Glory to The Most High.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 August 2007 Mark 14: 34-36.

17 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Mark 14: 34-36.
And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here and watch.  And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible with thee: take away this cup from me: nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt.

The night before Jesus was crucified, He went into the Garden of Gethsemane, with his disciples. He took Peter, James and John with Him further on into the garden, then told them verse 34 above. It’s obvious His spirit had hit rock bottom. Who wants to die the cruel kind of death He knew was his portion? And so He asked His Father to rewrite the script, which He could easily do, if He so desired. Jesus ended the prayer however, by saying, Not My will but Yours. That’s how we have to behave too: We’ve got to give up our will and do the Heavenly Father’s. It’s not easy, as J.C. knew, but our God knows best, and the only way to serve and please Him is by sacrificing our will for His. If we do so consistently, He’ll reward us in His own way and time. Friends, let’s try and stand strong in His will.  Peace & LOVE!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 August 2007 2 Chronicles 26: 16.

17 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Chronicles 26 :16.
But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
 
How sad eh ? It surely must have broken the Lord’s heart to see the same Uzziah, many years later, after he had prospered him, conveniently forget where his prosperity came from and try to go it on his own. In those days, only priests were allowed to burn incense in the temple, and although Azariah, the Chief priest and 80 other valiant priests went in and tried to dissuade Uzziah, he only got angry at them. But while he held the brazier in his hand to burn the incense, right before their very eyes, he became leprous, and was thrust out of the temple by the priests, although it did not take much effort then, since Uzziah himself hastened out because he realized that the Lord had smitten him. And Uzziah was a leper till his death, had to give up the throne to his son Jotham, and lived apart from everybody else because of his leprous condition. Friends, let’s not forget where our help comes from…it comes from The Most High. He giveth and He taketh. Let’s remember that for our own benefit. Amen!

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