Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 August 2012 Ecclesiastes 9:11

17 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

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

Ecclesiastes 9:11.    I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill: but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Oh Friends, it’s Friday, and I hear you calling out in delirious pleasure: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And I have another little gem to share today. (smile) But before we do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with as much enthusiasm and sincerity as we can muster. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And having tried to put the weekend in its proper perspective, let me share that wonderful gem. Yesterday I bought some Chinese food and in the fortune cookie I found this saying: ‘It’s okay to slow down and smell the roses.’ Well Friends, I must say that’s the God-given truth! And most of know it, but we still refuse to live up to it. Instead we engage in the rat-race we so nicely term the busy life. Oh Friends, if we don’t slow down every so often, sometimes even stop completely, and take stock of what’s really and truly going on around us, we’re going to go crazy, both literally and figuratively. Believe it my people, man was not made to live at the frantic pace we’re currently living at. This non-stop, continuously go, go pace the powers that be are trying to force on us is NO GOOD! It has very negative effects on us, physically, mentally and emotionally. Just consider the high incidence of stress amongst even the young people of our society, who have grown up with this fast lifestyle. They are dropping off and out like flies at a much too tender age because they can’t keep up with the torrid pace the world’s setting. So you can imagine what’s happening to the older folks who are not accustomed to that stressful lifestyle. All this multi-tasking and doing several jobs, just to keep up, is slowly but surely killing us. It’s normal now to claim that we’re so busy, we don’t have time for our friends, families, God or ourselves. What are we so busy doing eh? And what do we have time for then my people? No wonder Cousin Sol, in his experimenting, discovered that wisdom was much better than strength. Listen to him declare it in our Bit: ‘I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill: but time and chance happeneth to them all.’ And that’s an indisputable fact Friends! So whether we’re fast, strong, rich or skilful, there’s no guarantee we’ll survive and/ or prosper because of our attributes, since unforeseen things happen to us all, regardless of our station in life. That’s why it’s not so wise to go running after the things the world considers important. Wisdom, understanding, peace of mind and a strong faith in Almighty God are what we need, especially in these very confused and troubled times. As Jeremiah so rightly declares, re the knowledge of God is man’s glory: ‘Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise LOVING-kindness, judgement (justice) and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.9:23-24) Oh Friends, the Lord made His wishes quite clear to us many, many moons ago, but yet we still insist on following the direction set by the world, which is in the death grip of greedy, evil, ungodly men. How can we then live the life God planned for us if we don’t follow what He says in His Guide Book eh? Obviously we can’t! Oh my brethren, I know that some of you will take umbrage at what I’m saying, claiming I don’t know your personal situation, but that’s too bad. If you don’t want to accept the gospel truth from the Good Book there’s nothing I can do about that. We each have to make our own choices, then live with them here on earth and later answer to God about them. However, unless we all slow down a tad and enjoy the things we work so hard and long for, as well as the people close to us, we’ll be missing out on the true value and meaning of life. Please my people, please stop and take a look at your situation, look at all the stuff you figured you must have, so you worked your butt off to get them. Then ask yourself when last, or if ever, you have truly enjoyed them? Include in that, the nice houses that we so desperately wanted, and we now have. Do we have or take the time to truly enjoy them? Not at all, because we’re too busy working to meet the mortgage payments. My brethren, I implore us to wake up, then stop a minute and smell the beautiful aroma, the ‘unclonable’ perfume of the roses God made to enrich our sense of smell, because we’re missing out on a whole lot of God’s grace and bounty, when we try to keep up with, or run faster than the world. That’s true wisdom! Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…or he’ll eventually feel…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 August 2012 Ecclesiastes 3:14

16 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

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

 

Ecclesiastes 3:14.    I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
 
Oh Friends, I just got a zeppo, (smile) a brainwave, a message from on high, that the action of God is now flowing through us in a pattern of success! Wow! What a wonderful way to greet a new day, one already filled with blessings, LOVING-kindness, mercy and forgiveness! That means we’re certainly dressed for success my brethren! There’s no better way to ignite a storm of passion in our souls for Jesus! And that passion we badly need in these lean and mean times. What’s amusing here though is that the positive action statement I opened with, sits on my desk, right in front of me, printed in large white letters on a blue background, surrounded by several slips of small paper with fortune cookie sayings on them. That means it’s highly visible, and every time I sit at my desk, I ought to see it. But the reality is that very often I don’t notice it at all. I’ve grown so accustomed to it, that even if I see it with my eyes, it doesn’t register in my mind. And sadly Friends, that’s how a lot of things are in our too busy, not properly focused lives. We put up things to serve as reminders, activators and encouragers, but there comes a time when we just look right through them without them registering on our mental apparatus. And the only reason why I noticed that saying just now is because the action of God, His Holy Spirit was truly moving through me and pointed it out, no doubt bringing it to my attention so that I can bring it to yours. Besides being a wake up call for us my people, I believe God is here highlighting our less than stellar areas of reliability; of mental concentration, of self-discipline and self-control, of how we can’t stick to things for any length of time, but continually jump from one thing to another, of how quickly we tire of things that we so desperately wanted and had to have, and crave change just for the sake of change itself. Meanwhile, as Cousin Sol wisely says in our Bit: ‘I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put (added) to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.’ Now that’s all irrefutable truth my people! Our God doesn’t change, and whatever He does, lasts forever. We can’t add to, or subtract from it. Unfortunately though, we can’t say that about our sinful, wishy-washy human nature. And that my Friends is why we have to believe, trust, surrender and have faith in the Lord our God. We can’t do very much in our own strength, and the little we can do never lasts, as we’re always in some sort of quandary as to how to do it, or how it’s going to look. Our heavenly Father doesn’t have that problem, and consequently, we believers don’t need to worry or be anxious about our shortcomings, because our great God, in His awesome power and LOVE, has everything under control and keeps us together if we live in His will. He does all those things so that we can appreciate and reverence Him, truly behold His glorious majesty, and sincerely trust, worship, adore and serve Him. Now let’s listen to some scriptures that authenticate our Bit: We’ll start with words from James, Jesus’ half-brother. And he decisively tells us: ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.’ (James 1: 17-18) All of that is gospel truth my people! So let’s sow those seeds of God’s power, His unchanging nature, His goodness to us, whom He made to be champions, deep in our hearts and minds nuh mih breddren. For that in turn gives us the power to walk this evil earth unafraid of Beelzebub and all his evil cohorts. Now hear Bruh David from Psalm 9, Praise for God’s justice: ‘But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgement. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgement to the people in uprightness.’ (Ps.9:7-8) More confirmation of God’s eternal attributes, and His devotion to righteousness and justice. And from Psalm 102, a cry in distress, we hear the psalmist truthfully declare: ‘My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass. But thou, O Lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.’ (Ps.102:11-12) So why do we weak mortals, sculpted from the dust of the earth, continue to believe that we’re such hot shots eh, when in the twinkling of an eye, the Lord God Jehovah, Creator of this universe and all therein, can so easily snuff out the breath of life that He, first breathed into us? Now hear some more wise and applicable words from Psalm 102: ‘I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yea, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment; as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years have no end.’ (Ps.102:24-27) Oh Friends, that ought to wise us up and show us that the true and only way to find peace and prosperity on this earth is by faithfully worshipping and serving Jehovah God. By the way, the author of Hebrews repeats those same words as justification for his belief. (Heb.1:11-12) So my people, let’s end today just as we began nuh; by believing that the action of God is now flowing through us in a pattern of success. And that’s the living truth! Much LOVE!…Jesus Christ…the same …yesterday…and today…and for ever… (Heb.13:8) 
 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 August 2012 2 Corinthians 5:17

15 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

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

 2 Corinthians 5:17.   Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
 
Oh Friends, praise the Lord and give Him much thanks that we didn’t read our names in the obits today! That means He still has work down here on earth for us to do. And today I want to remind us about looking for and seeing God not only in big, important and extraordinary situations, but also in the small, simple, everyday things of life. That’s how we truly know that He’s always there, always around us. The inspiration to remind us to seek God in small things came about when I looked at some of the sayings on the fortune cookies that I have on my desk, and was guided to share this one. ‘To overlook the little things in life is to miss the biggest part of life itself!’ Now that’s gospel truth Friends, and it’s one of the reasons why we believers don’t see as much of God as we ought. We have this idea that God only shows up in the big things, but that’s certainly not true. God shows up in everything we do, both big and small! And how many big things happen in our lives eh? Certainly not as many as the small things. That means if we only look for God in the big things, we’ll be missing so much of Him in the small things where He delights in showing up. So Friends, please remember that every step we take, every breath we breathe, every thought we think, every movement that we make, in fact whatever we do, Jehovah God is in it. It’s because of Him being in all we do, that we can do anything at all! We need to be in awe and wonder of His LOVE, mercy and kindness all the time. So please look for Him in all aspects of your life, and you’ll be surprised at how you’ll enjoy an even greater relationship with your Creator and Provider. And before we get to our Bit, I’m asking us to pray for the good folk in Western Trinidad, the Diego Martin and surrounding area, which was flooded by serious rain in the last couple of days. Ah Friends, wherever we turn these days, there’s some new natural disaster happening in our misguided, ungodly, troubled world. That’s why we need to get more people to come to the knowledge of Christ, then accept Him and change their ways as our Bit dictates. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ It is essential my brethren that we change our ways when we receive Christ, for we no longer live by the flesh, but by His Spirit. Listen to Bruh Paul on the topic: ‘For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.’ (Rom.8:5-6) Yes my brethren, kingdom people MUST LIVE by the dictates of God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in us, and not by the lusts of the flesh which we should crucify when we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Oh I know it’s easier said than done, especially when the things of the flesh and the world, which look so beautiful and enticing, surround us. But the truth is that they are not really half as nice as they seem. Ole smart-man Lucifer just puts that spin of glitz and glamour on them to fool us, and when we get caught in his carefully planned snare, it’s always so difficult to break out. That’s why we have to carefully look at the things we want to get involved with or in, and consult our Helper, the Holy Spirit, before actually getting involved, because in many, many cases they are just false fronts, covers for Lucifer’s snares. As believers in Christ, we need to do as Isaiah says: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.’ (Is.43:18) Now hear Bruh Paul again to the Roman church: ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom.12:2) Oh my people, the most important part of our transformation into a new man begins in our mind, our thoughts. Until we stop thinking like the world does, and begin thinking like Jesus, we won’t get very far in our spiritual transformation. And now, since I can’t muster any more good arguments, (smile) we’ll let Bruh Paul take us home with his much better explanation to the Ephesians, re the new life in Christ. ‘If so be that ye have heard him(Christ), and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph.4:21-27)  Ah Friends, there’s no more to say, except that we believers need to seriously buckle down and follow the plan Jesus has for our lives here on earth. We’re not doing a good enough job that’s partly why our world is in such a mess. And it is our job to try and fix it. Much LOVE!…all that we are…arises with our thoughts… P.S. And just to prove that He is involved in everything in our lives, just as I was about to move from my desk to the computer, without an ending thought for the day, one of the fortune cookie sayings fell in front of me. And lo and behold, it was our ending thought for the day. Our God does move in simple though mysterious ways, His wonder for us to behold! Much LOVE!
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 August 2012 2 Corinthians 5:17

14 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 5:17.    Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Oh Friends, it’s another beautiful day on planet earth, courtesy of our wonderful God! And all God’s people voiced a loud and grateful, ‘Thank you Father for allowing us to see another day! We praise and glorify your Holy Name! Amen.’ Yes my brethren, we need to give our God thanks every morning that we open our eyes to greet a new day. Now there will be blessings poured down on us from heaven above, but there will also be tests; evil doings that will come against us, so we also need to ask the Lord for strength and courage to face those rough times that try to break us every day. And just now, while weeding out some old pieces of paper that I use as bookmarks when writing the Bit, I came upon two definitions of courage which I was guided to share. I don’t know if I shared them before, but even if I did, it seems we need to hear them again, so that they will enable us to stand strong and courageous as the Good Book advises. (Josh. 1:7) The first quote come from Alicia Mckenzie Swain, who says: ‘Courage is not the towering oak tree that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.’ It certainly takes courage Friends, and plenty too, for a small, fragile blossom, which needs heat and warmth to survive, to rear its tender head in the cold uncaring snow. The next quote on courage comes from Dr. Robert H. Schuller, who declares: ‘Behold! Courage isn’t feeling free from fear; courage is facing fears you feel.’ And that’s gospel truth Friends! For if we waited to be free from fear before we felt courageous, we’d never be courageous, since we’re all constantly surrounded and consumed by some kind of fear each waking hour of each day. Fear is a normal part of our everyday lives, so to make it meaningful we have to constantly move forward, keep on keeping on, regardless of and in the face of any and all fear that tries to pull us down. And right there Friends is where the true Christian spirit rises way above every other philosophy, religion or faith in this world, for through the Holy Spirit of Almighty God, our Comforter and Helper, who dwells within all believers, we are able to successfully rise above all fear. And all God’s people said a loud and thankful: ‘Praise the Lord!’ But unfortunately that ability only comes when we believe in and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour, which means being BORN AGAIN. As Jesus said to Nicodemus, one of the Jewish rulers who suppressed his fear and came to Jesus by night seeking answers, re Jesus and His purpose. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) Obviously poor Nicodemus was shocked and confused by Jesus’ statement, asking how was it possible for a man to enter his mother’s womb again. But, as He was wont to do, Jesus patiently explained: ‘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.’ (John 3:5-6) And that Friends, is the whole crux of the matter! Until we are born again of water (baptized) and of the Spirit, which entails believing that Jesus is truly the son of God, seeking repentance for our sins, and having the Holy Spirit come to live in us, we won’t be able to successfully communicate with our Creator, or after our mortal body dies, enter into His glorious kingdom. But once we’ve accepted Jesus, our Bit then comes into play. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ Yes my brethren, when we receive Jesus into our hearts and lives, we’re supposed to become new people; acquire new godly habits and desires, while throwing away the old lusts and fleshly desires that Lucifer had us falsely believing were the best things for us. But listen to the correct pronouncement on the subject – from Jesus of course: ‘It is the spirit that quickeneth (gives life); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.’ (John 6:63) Oh Friends, though we have fleshly bodies, through which a few good things are possible, please remember that we are first and foremost spiritual beings. Our fleshly body is only a temporary residence for our spirits. And since our fleshly body eventually dies and returns to the dust from which it was originally formed, the question is what then happens to our spirit? Some believe that the body is all there is, and after its death, everything’s finished. However, those of us who hold Jesus as our Lord and Saviour believe otherwise; namely that the spirit lives on, either in paradise with Him, or in a place of utter torment with Lucifer. And each individual must make a personal choice. But how is one to choose eh? Take it from me Friends, the smart money is on Jesus! And why not? Who in his right sense would prefer to live in a place of torment forever, just to satisfy a few earthly lusts and pleasures? Surprisingly though, a lot of people seem to feel that way! But it obviously follows that they are not in their right minds, because you can still enjoy earthly life through Jesus’ system, as well as enjoy an even better time in eternity with Him in paradise. So who’s the fool eh? My people, I’ll leave us to ponder that question to day. Please do so, and seriously too, because your place in eternity depends on the choice you make. As for me and mine though, we’ll definitely choose Jesus. More on this tomorrow, provided we don’t read our names in the obits. (smile) Much much LOVE, truly from the heart, my people!…if in doubt…give Jesus a try…He’s so wonderful…you’ll never want to leave Him…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 August 2012 2 Corinthians 5:17

13 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 5:17.     Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
 
‘Hip, Hip Hurrah!’ Monday’s here Friends! Wow! What an awesome day, since we get to go out into the evil workday world to talk about and live for Jesus!  Now isn’t that a wonderful responsibility? And all God’s people shouted a great and moving ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ No Friends, I haven’t gone crazy, I’m just in an exultant mood. Just thinking about Jesus and all the good stuff we get to do today for Him has ignited my passion. And true passion for Jesus is something too many of us believers lack. Please remember my people that we’re in a spiritual battle with the powers of evil and darkness, and we can only fight competently if we are enthusiastic and gung ho about what we’re fighting for. And sadly, I know some non-believers who are more enthusiastic about Jesus and what He represents, than many supposed believers. Now that doesn’t speak very highly of us, does it? My personal feeling is that the body of Christ here on earth, His Church, is rather lethargic and sedentary. We tend to sit back and let everybody walk over us. We behave as though Jesus is expected to fix all our problems without us lifting a hand on our own behalf, but that’s never going to happen my people. Then again, we fight against each other too much. Jesus’ Church is supposed to be a unified body, not one of numerous dissensions and divisions. I know you’re going to say that other faiths fight amongst themselves too, but that’s their problem. And it’s why WE, believers in Christ, should be working together to provide the perfect example to the rest of the world.  I don’t know the real root of the problem, but it seems that of all the well known faiths, Christianity is the least proactive. We don’t talk or walk our faith sufficiently. And it’s not like you have to be constantly up in everybody’s face with it either. A true Christian has it showing in his demeanour, his behaviour, his character, his integrity, and when the opportunity arises, he talks about it passionately. Oh Friends, even a subdued passion is better than no passion at all! So having said all of that, let’s see if we can’t raise our passion level in Jesus some nuh, by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as we get ready to go out and greet the world in Jesus’ name. All together now, with loud voices, filled with true praise: ‘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 if that doesn’t raise our passion level for Christ, then Friends, I don’t know what will. And before we get into our Bit, please let’s offer up some fervent, heartfelt prayers for the unfortunate people of Iran, who, over the weekend suffered two major earthquakes of over 6 on the Richter scale. They may be of a different faith than us, and consider us the infidel and thus want to destroy us, but they are still our brothers, descendants also of father Abraham, made in the image of Jehovah God. And Jesus teaches that we should show LOVE, mercy, kindness and forgiveness to all God’s children, regardless of their colour, creed, race or class. This is definitely one way we can test our faith, because it’s not easy to extend a hand of hope and help to someone who wants to do us harm. Now turning to our Bit at last. (smile) Oh my brethren, these are some of the most important words Bruh Paul ever wrote, for they reflect the very basic and fundamental principle on which our faith is based. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ Friends, many of us know that scripture and quote it, or some paraphrased version, quite often. But how true is it really of the majority of Christ’s Church eh? I believe in actual fact, in real reality, not the virtual reality we tend to worship these days, that it’s nowhere near the truth. That’s because in actual fact too many believers are still caught up in their old ways, still more interested in the things of the flesh and this world than the things of the Spirit and God’s kingdom. We’re still too much into the money and power for their own sakes, plus the frenetic acquisition and amassing of earthly possessions, wanting what others have, though not knowing they sold their souls to get it, being beguiled by the supposed glitz and glamour of a handful of mostly ignorant and unlearned people we term celebrities, who live very ungodly lives. Oh Friends, that’s definitely not the kind of life that Jesus sacrificed His sinless body, spilled His precious blood on the wooden cross at Calvary for us to live. So please, let’s get serious and improve our kingdom walk nuh. If not for our sakes, then for our children and grand children’s, so that they can still lead a fairly decent life in the future. It’s all a question of LOVE for Jesus and our fellow man; the two great commandments. And since we don’t know when Jesus is coming back to set up His kingdom, the best time to begin is RIGHT NOW! That’s wisdom at its zenith! More on this tomorrow Friends, provided Jesus doesn’t return before then and we’re still around, both of which are real possibilities. Till then, please let’s do as Jesus asks: Let’s LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith and SPREAD His Word! Much LOVE!…the wise man lives by the old adage…make hay while the sun shines…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 August 2012 Proverbs 15:13

12 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 15:13.    A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
 
‘Oh my my, who are those beautiful people over there?’ the elderly lady asks of her young female guide as they walk through the restaurant’s parking lot, pointing to a group of men, women and children laughing, talking, hugging and kissing beside a bus they had just exited. ‘Oh, they are Christians, followers of Jesus,’ the guide replies. ‘Can’t you see their rosy smiles and feel the LOVE, mercy, forgiveness and compassion of Jesus just flowing from them?’ Oh, I’m a bit short-sighted my dear,’ the lady replies. Then taking a few steps closer towards the group, she gleefully exclaims: ‘Oh yes, I can see it now! The joy of Jesus is just radiating out of them! I must go and tell them that. Followers of Jesus are such wonderful people! I only wish I had known Him much earlier in my own life. Then I would have had so much more joy!’ and she totters forward on her spindly legs, ably supported by her cane, to break the good news to the group. Wow! What a heart-warming story Friends! If it only truly happened like that eh? But unfortunately a lot of the time we believers are more looked upon like self-centred egotists because of our overly serious and often sour outward appearance. However, there’s no reason why a scene like that described above couldn’t or shouldn’t happen since we all have the capacity for the attributes of Jesus already planted in us, from the day we first believed. It’s just for us to allow the Holy Spirit to grow those seeds of beautiful emotions and attributes within us. And my people, that outer look of joy and peace has to first start, to come from within us, as our Bit so rightly declares: ‘A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.’ Yes Friends, when our hearts are happy, then it reflects positively on our faces and our outward actions. Likewise when our hearts are sorrowful, we get a negative reflection on our faces and in our actions. In fact my people, the state of our hearts is probably the most important aspect of our faith walk, for remember that’s where the Lord looks when He wants to detect our true motives. And if He finds that our outward actions or words are just a cover or facade for inappropriate motives, He will simply ignore whatever we’re trying to accomplish. But when He sees that our actions and motives are truly synced to His will, then He puts the angels to work on our behalf. And it’s not like we all don’t know, or haven’t experienced both sides of the coin; first where our hearts are happy and we just keep chugging merrily along without a care in the world. And on the flip side, when our hearts are sorrowful over some real or perceived disappointment, then we just become depressed, listless and uninterested in what’s happening around us. The problem though Friends is to try and place ourselves in the first position more often than in the latter. And sadly that’s becoming harder with each passing day in our troubled and strife torn world. But remember Jesus told us that though we would have tribulation here on earth, especially if we spoke His name, we should not worry or be afraid of the world, but instead to have peace and good cheer, for He had already overcome it. (John 16:33) I know that’s easier said than done, but we can do it if we seriously try our best and also invoke Jesus’ help. Anyway, enough of my rambling, (smile) there are some pertinent scriptures I want to share. And we’ll start with the second verse after our Bit: ‘All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.’ (Prov.15:15) It seems that Cousin Sol knew this principle quite well, for earlier on he states: ‘Heaviness (anxiety) in the heart of man maketh it stoop (causes depression): but a good word maketh it glad. (Prov.12:25) And that’s a fact Friends, a good or kind word spoken to us surely cheers our hearts. Now hear Cousin Sol philosophize again: (smile) ‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.’ (Prov.17:22) And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! Sometimes when we’re sad and depressed we also feel physically sick, but once even a little chuckle creeps into our spirit, we begin to feel physically better. That brings to mind the saying that laughter is the best remedy for many our ailments. It’s also the cheapest and easiest because it uses fewer facial muscles than frowns. And you know a whole lot of believers would feel a whole lot better if they would laugh a little more, lighten up, cultivate a merry heart, rather than the sourpuss look and attitude that so many of us possess. Now let’s end with some wise words from Isaiah, re the suffering of the Lord’s servant: ‘The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.’ (Isa.50:4) Oh Friends, that’s a very important scripture, because it reminds us that it’s part of our godly duty to speak a kind, encouraging or cheerful word to our fellow believers, or anyone who needs their spirit uplifted. The Lord’s put that spirit of wisdom, of learning in us, so that we can exhort and build up each other, when necessary. And that’s never been as necessary as it is in these trying times Friends! So please, let’s all decide to work on having cheerful hearts most of the time nuh, so that Jesus’ spirit can flow out of us, and also to talk to each other with uplifting words and ideas. It’s the only way to keep a happy and cheerful groove in Christ’s church. Much LOVE!…each one, teach one…so that each one will uplift the other…
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 August 2012 Jeremiah 24:10

11 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 24:10.     And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.
 
Oh Friends, it’s good to see that we’ve had two wet days consecutively; Wednesday and Thursday! Wow! That hasn’t happened in my area for ages. And then it was only yesterday that we had what you’d truly call rain, not just a series of on and off drizzles. And it’s surely good to hear that some parts of the vast drought stricken areas in the U.S. have also gotten some rain, though still not enough to make any substantial difference. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, places like Manila, the capital of the Philippines and the surrounding area received a month’s worth of rain in just 24 hours this past week, causing the place to look like a vast wasteland. And sadly they’re soon expecting even more monsoon like weather. I believe North Korea and parts of China have also recently been seriously flooded. Oh Friends, let’s pray for them in their time of disaster, and hope too that the current flood waters will recede before the next bout of torrential rain comes. Ah mih people, that brings us to our Bit: ‘And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed (destroyed) from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.’ And I have to chuckle here as I verify that our Lord does move in mysterious ways. That’s because earlier on, when I opened the Good Book to look for a Bit, it opened at Jeremiah Chapter 24, and verse 10 was the first thing I read. I considered it for a Bit since it seemed so appropriate to what’s currently happening around our world. But then I decided I wanted something more positive and went looking for something else. However, after writing the intro, the Spirit sent me back to Jeremiah’s words. And they really are thought provoking Friends, for there’s never been a time when our world has been so rich, yet so poverty stricken; so healthy and medically capable, yet plagued by so much sickness and disease. Neither have we ever been so mentally brilliant, with so much possibility for wisdom to be far flung, yet our world is ruled by foolishness; the foolishness of Beelzebub, instead of the wisdom of God. The same goes for strife: our world is being torn apart by it. It’s much easier to name the few places where there’s little or no strife, than to name the many where strife has more or less become the norm. Floods and other natural disasters are causing havoc right around the world. And when we talk about famine and drought, they too are so widespread that even the rich, developed countries are not immune to them. Everywhere hunger and poverty are raising their cruel heads, while the rich and famous continue to live a dissolute lifestyle, which too many of us are hungering for and trying to imitate.  So my brethren, what does all of that tell us eh? Something must be wrong somewhere, if our oh so highly evolved and developed world is so beset by calamity in all areas of life! And we won’t even talk of the political and economic upheavals that are plaguing us. The problem’s simple though Friends: we have foolishly turned away from serving and worshipping the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, our Creator, to the worshipping of idols, in particular things like money, pride, earthly possessions and power. They have now become our focus rather than Almighty God. But what else can you expect but calamity when the majority of society are just seeking their own good and don’t care about anyone else. A selfish and greedy society is obviously going to be plagued by serious problems like fraud, theft, murder, societal unrest and finally anarchy, because no one’s really interested in the overall society, only their personal aggrandisement. My brethren, please listen to these wise, truthful words of Bruh David from Psalm 37, re the true state of the wicked. ‘A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous. The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs (splendour of the meadows): they shall consume (vanish); into smoke shall they consume (vanish) away. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again (does not repay): but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth. For such as be blessed of him (The Lord) shall inherit the earth (land); and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off (destroyed).’ (Ps.37:16-22) Oh my people, why can’t we understand that wickedness and all that it connotes, might pay in the short term, but eventually it all falls apart, is consumed, vanishes like smoke in our God controlled universe? And the sad part is that many of our leaders – political, economic and religious – know these things, but yet they refuse to stand strong against the evildoers who only want to perpetrate Lucifer’s negative agenda. That brings us to this serious warning from Jesus: ‘Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers (various) places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.’ (Matt.24:4-8) Yes Friends, it is clearly the beginning of the end! But unfortunately only a handful is paying attention to the warning signs of the Saviour. How foolish can we really be eh, with our world crumbling around us, and we obviously unable to fix it in our own strength! Oh my brethren, there are not enough voices crying out in the wilderness of our world, re the second coming of Jesus in all His glory. That means we believers need to do a lot more than we’re currently doing to wake up and shake up an evil, sedentary world where the evildoers are ruling the roost. Please note my people, that though wickedness is in the ascendance, its perpetrators are not sitting on their laurels like we are. They are still working as hard as ever to achieve their evil goals. We have to do likewise Friends, otherwise we’re going to lose the war and bring disgrace to Jesus and His Church. And we certainly don’t want to do that! So please, let’s get real active nuh, and get as many people prepared as possible, for we don’t know when Jesus will come again. He might come tomorrow…or even TODAY!  Much LOVE!…whoso readeth…let him understand…  (Matt.24:15) 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 August 2012 Exodus 20:3

10 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

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

Exodus 20:3    Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Oh Friends, it’s Friday, the day when we all shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ because we’re headed for the weekend and a couple days off work. But yuh know the loudest thanks for today being Friday is going to be in J.A, where Usain Bolt won the 200 metres gold medal again! And not only that, Jamaicans also won the silver and bronze medals in that race. So Jamrock must be in a mess of celebrations now. But as I keep saying, please be careful to mind your business whether you’re drunk or sober, because it’s in those times of celebration that we’re most susceptible to the wiles and lies of Lucifer. So party on J.A. but be on your p’s and q’s for the enemy’s looking for any foothold he can get. And before we go further, let me share a quote from a kaiso by Shadow that I heard the other day that shows true wisdom and Christianity. I don’t know the song, but Shadow truthfully sings in it: ‘Everybody is a somebody. Nobody is a nobody.’ And Friends, that’s exactly the way Jesus looks at all of us! Whether we’re rich or poor, educated or not, sick or healthy; to Jesus we’re all somebodies. Please remember that and let’s act like it. And even more importantly, let’s treat others the same way, regardless of whether they’re considered the dregs of society or not, they’ve all been made in God’s great and LOVING image and deserve to be treated as such. Now let’s chant our Friday Chant with great enthusiasm, in loud voice and sincere hearts. All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And now that we’ve reigned in some of our exuberance (smile) and set the parameters for the weekend, let’s look at our Bit: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ And we all know that if we’re to have a successful walk with Jesus that’s the number one rule. But I also hope that through reading it so often these last few days that it has been renewed in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, and we’ve truly realized that our Creator MUST ALWAYS TAKE FIRST PLACE IN OUR LIVES! There are absolutely no ifs and buts about that. And if you want to play the devil’s advocate and ask why, the answer’s very simple: Because we belong to Him. Hn! He created us, controls our lives, LOVES us so much that He sent His only Son Jesus to die for us, and wants us to LOVE Him too. There couldn’t be any better reasons than those my people. And wonder of wonders, as I’m writing this, I’m actually hearing the rain fall outside. It fell for a good part of yesterday, but mostly as a drizzle. Anyway, turning to the scriptures, listen to Bruh Paul’s take on the subject, where he concludes that there is none righteous. And he shows his vast knowledge of the Old Testament by extracting appropriate bits and putting them together as one. ‘As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre (grave); with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ (Rom.3:10-18) Now here’s a quick brief from the scholars: ‘Paul quotes scriptures to prove universal guilt. Scripture, not Paul, is the judge. See Psalm 5:9, 10:7, 14:1-3, 140:3; Isaiah 59:7,8).’ That’s the different places the foregoing scripture came from. And Friends, if you think that that was a damning situation in Bruh Paul’s time, believe me, it’s even worse in ours, for God has been legislated out of, relegated to the lowest rungs, and almost totally removed from our society. But fortunately, where there’s a warm body, there’s hope, and we have enough warm bodies rooting for Jesus that we can make a difference. But my people, all I can do is encourage us to follow and obey Almighty God. Each individual still has to make that decision seriously, and then diligently pursue it. And to try and solidify my case, I’ll leave us with the definitive word on the subject by our Lord, Saviour, Master, Leader, Brother and Friend, Jesus. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) Yes Friends, that’s gospel truth! If we seek God first in all we do, then all the things we need will be granted us. The Lord’s promised that, and we all know He faithfully keeps His promises. So please, lets get our act together and start making things happen nuh. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Much LOVE!…in God’s Book…obedience brings prosperity…disobedience brings destruction…it’s as simple as that…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 August 2012 Exodus 20:3

09 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

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

Exodus 20:3.    Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
 
Oh Friends, please, please beware of Lucifer, for he’s one very evil trickster! All he wants to do is steal your joy. And I tell you this from personal experience. Now yesterday somebody said something to me, re my behaviour, and because I thought there was some truth to it, I began seriously pondering it. I asked the Lord for guidance, discernment and everything possible, but unfortunately for a few hours there my mind sank into a state of depression and self-doubt. And the sad part is that I don’t usually respect or value this person’s opinion, but because I was already thinking along those lines, I sort of accepted it. But thankfully I’m mature enough now in Christ Jesus, that I just kept focusing on Him and my mind eventually came back around to the truth. The truth that though all the thoughts my mind processed might have been important and necessary, it was also essential not to beat myself up for anything I might do or allow to happen. Oh my people, we all do things or allow things to happen that we possibly shouldn’t, but please, I implore us, please let’s not beat ourselves up over them, because then we’re only playing the game by Lucifer’s rules, and he wins when we do so. He wins when we lose our joy in the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We obviously need to contend with whatever the problem might be, but we cannot afford to let doubts cloud our spiritual path. We just have to keep our minds and thoughts focused on God, His Word and His ever faithful promises, so that we can remain on the straight and narrow path, and not let the deceitful Lucifer lead us astray on to the wide and winding road that only leads to death and destruction. And that’s my testimony for today! I was much surprised by it, but who knows if the Lord simply needed a testimony from me to show the true effects of what Lucifer can do. So please take note Friends, and be very wary of the enemy, for he can turn up in the most unexpected places, at the most unexpected time. And the only way to conquer the ole crook is by first being obedient to our Bit: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ Yes my brethren, we must always strive to put Almighty God first in EVERYTHING we do! That’s the first rule of a successful Christian life! And if we don’t, we’ll only cause more problems than necessary to ourselves, our friends, families and all those we come into contact with. And when a whole society or nation abandons God, then there’s only one outcome; death and destruction! Now listen to this scripture from Jeremiah, re the obedience of the Rechabites: ‘The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father’s commandment; notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not (didn’t listen) unto me. I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return, (turn) ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods and serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.’ (Jer.35:14-15) Yuh see Friends, when children listen to their fathers, both earthly and heavenly, they will be blessed, as the Lord later pronounced. ‘Therefore, thus saith the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil (doom) that I have pronounced against them: because I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard; and I have called unto them, but they have not answered. And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you: Therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want (lack) a man to stand before me for ever.’ (Jer.35:17-19) And I hate to keep saying it Friends, but it’s the truth; that’s the same thing that’s happening to us right now. We have not obeyed the Lord God Almighty in at least the last generation, but instead have kept moving further and further away from Him, that’s why we’re now suffering calamity after calamity, disaster after disaster. And it’s becoming so bad, that before we can fix or recover from one, another one strikes us. Oh Friends, are we that stubborn and stupid, prideful and arrogant that we can’t see what’s happening? We’ve tried all the man made solutions and none of them are working. The only thing left to try is God’s way. And I really don’t know how to get us to do that. I talk the talk and try to walk the walk, but obviously it’s not sufficient. Plenty more of us in the known world will also have to so, before we can get back on the right track. I sincerely hope and pray, and ask you all to do so too, that the LOVE Revolution we so badly need will soon gain serious momentum, so that we can make a positive difference in this fallen, negative world. I pray this in Jesus’ Name. And all God’s people said a loud and penitent ‘Amen!’ Much LOVE!…to every thing there is a season…turn…turn…turn…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 August 2012 Exodus 20:3

08 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

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

Exodus 20:3.    Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
 
Well hello there my wonderful Friends in Christ! How goes the battle this beautiful summer’s day? I sure hope it goes fairly well with us all. But just in case it isn’t going so good, I want us to remember that our great God is still in control of His universe, and He’s seeing all that we do, as well as guiding our lives on the path that He’s planned for each of us. So wherever we are, and whatever we’re going through, please take comfort in knowing that it’s most likely an important time in, or aspect of our spiritual growth which He found necessary to pass us through. So please don’t lose hope and give up, for once the breath of life flows through our mortal bodies, there is always hope for spiritual renewal. Hn! I sure hope that comes across in the positive manner I intended. (smile) But once we become believers, we will be tested to see what we’re actually made of, and if we’re truly fit for kingdom life. And regardless of whatever happens to us, the first and most important thing we need to do is to obey the words of our Bit: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ Yes Friends, that’s the number one commandment! And if we aspire to follow it with all our heart, mind, body and soul, then we should be able to pass all the tests on our earthly journey. It still won’t be easy, but what I LOVE about our God, is though He puts us through the testing fire like gold and silver, He ALWAYS HELPS to pull us through it too. He doesn’t just set the test and leave us stranded. And all God’s people raised a mighty shout of praise to heaven: ‘Thank you Lord, for being so good to the unworthy children of men!’ But for some unknown, unfathomable reason, our world has moved away from serving the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Now we are much more concerned about doing our own thing, and that of Lucifer, rather than obeying the ONE and ONLY God who so LOVINGLY created us in His image, then promised to look after us forever, if we faithfully served, worshipped and obeyed Him. And today we’ll continue looking at some scriptures that contain serious warnings about bowing down to ONLY Almighty God. We’ll start with some words from 2 Kings, re the repopulation of Samaria with people of other nations by the king of Assyria, after he had captured it. And these people eventually established a religion in Samaria that was a mixture of Israel’s corrupted religion and the pagan worship that the outsiders brought. Obviously that was an unworkable arrangement, which led the Jews to ostracize and reject the people of Samaria, as we see in Jesus’ dealings with the woman of Samaria at the well of Jacob. (John 4:9, 8:48) As the Good Book states: ‘So they feared the Lord, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places (places for pagan worship). They feared the Lord, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence (from among whom they were carried away). Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the Lord, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel. With whom the Lord made a covenant, and charged them saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them. But the Lord, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear (hold in awe and reverence), and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.’ (2 Kin.17:32-36) Ah Friends, what’s it going to take for us to realize the seriousness of our situation eh? We’re still bowing to the dictates of man and his man made idols, rather than to Jehovah God, so what can we expect when calamities, mayhem and disaster strike us eh? We’ve seen that man neither has the ability or true desire to fix the big things that are wrong with our world; like the strife, hunger, poverty, homelessness, economic fallout, etc. But yet we adamantly, stubbornly refuse to turn back to the ONLY Being who can straighten it all out; the Most High God, Lord of Hosts. Oh Friends, as the saying goes, there’s none so blind as he who refuses to see. And that’s exactly what we’re doing, refusing to see the real cause and effect of our troubled world. When most of us were obeying God, was there as much ‘sufferation’ as there is now? Certainly not! So why are we letting our leaders and wealthy few lead us down the garden path to certain destruction eh? Please, let’s rise up in Jesus’ name and fight the good fight that He asks us to do nuh. It’s the ONLY way we can ever hope to save our floundering, sinking world, and thereby give our children and their children some hope of a better life in the future. Much LOVE!…to fight…to fight…and yet to fight…to the death…in Jesus’ holy name…that’s the credo of believers…
 
 

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