Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 March 2012 Romans 12:2‏

25 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Romans 12:2.:   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.

Ah mih Friends, it’s another day in the life! A life where we are constantly bombarded by the cares and concerns of the world, especially in these seriously troubled times. And being merely human, these worldly problems often weigh us down to the point where we are ready to give up. But please remember that believers in Christ NEVER GIVE UP! And a persevering and steadfast nature against whatever odds we face is one of the signs that the Spirit of Christ is truly in us. Now the best way to resist and eventually conquer worldly matters is by following our Bit: ‘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.’ Yes mih breddren, the only way to beat this world is by not conforming to it, not allowing the things it considers so important to overwhelm us and/ or make us lose faith, when we can’t measure up to its demands. And that’s only possible when the LOVE of Jesus, His faith and strength are continually working in us! Remember what Bruh Paul says about accepting Christ: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold; all things are become new.’ (2 Cor.5:17) That’s right Friends, to become a true believer we have to get rid of all the old, worldly stuff in our lives, and the first place that change must begin is in our minds, for our minds are the controlling mechanisms of our beings. So if we don’t change our way of thinking, then nothing much will ever change in our lives, and being born again in Christ, literally means that some things must change. As Bruh Paul says in the verse before our Bit: ‘I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service.’ (Rom.12:1) Now hear the scholars explain it; they term it Dedication to God’s Will. ‘God’s will refers to His purpose for the life of the believer. It implies His guidance or direction in all of life’s decisions. Dedication is an act of surrender or submission to His will for our lives whereby we become a ‘living sacrifice.’ Daily dependence on God results in our transformation into the image of Christ. Illustration: When we seek to discern the will of God we must also be committed to doing the will of God as it is revealed in the Word of God. (John 7:17) Application: The believer should evaluate every decision on the basis of biblical principles, knowing that obedience brings God’s blessing.’ And their First Reference is Gen.22:12, where Abraham is about to kill Isaac as God requested, but is stopped at the last moment, when God says to him: ‘for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.’ Oh Friends, that’s what you call true obedience and real faith! God had promised Abraham to be the father of many through Isaac, but was then told to sacrifice him. Hn! How many of us would have prepared for the sacrifice with no arguments, like Abraham eh? Not too many, I suspect. We’d be more like holding our heads and bawling, crying out to God for some explanation of the inconsistency.  Remember though people, ours is not to question God, just to obey whatever He says, even when things don’t look right, for He drew up the original plan for the world, and has everything under control.  Now let’s go home with some appropriate words, from James: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will (wants to) be a friend of the world is the (makes himself an) enemy of God.’ (James 4:4) And the scholars weigh in with this explanation: ‘As Israel was a spiritual adulteress, unfaithful to God, so the church is a spiritual adulteress when she is the unfaithful bride of Christ (cf. Hos.2:5, 19, 20; Matt.12:39) One cannot be both a lover of God, and a lover of the world.’Let’s remember those wise and very true words my people, and let them dictate the way we live; for God. More on this tomorrow, provided we’re still alive and kicking. Much LOVE!…Ye cannot serve two masters…Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Lucifer)… (Matt.6:24)

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 March 2012 Psalm 118:6

24 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 118:6.    The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

Ah Friends, the eccentricity of the weather in my area is causing uncertainties in both people and plants. After a few days of very warm temps, yesterday it was in the low teens, windy and cool. Now today it’s supposed to be even cooler, then warm tomorrow and cool again for the next couple days. People at least have some indication of what it will be like each day, so they can prepare to suit, but the poor plants have no such luck, they work by instinct and familiarity. However, the weather has been anything but familiar this year, and thus the flora are in a quandary as to bloom now or not. I looked out my backyard yesterday afternoon and all the trees were still dry and leafless, except for an apple tree full of yellowish leaves. Now what message did that apple tree get that the others didn’t eh? I have no idea, but Friends, I have this sure message for us; today and every day. When we are caught up in perplexing and calamitous situations, please remember these words of our Bit, taken from a Psalm of thanksgiving for the Lord’s salvation. ‘The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?’ Nothing really my people, but possibly kill ourbodies. And even then, we have strong encouragement from Jesus saying not to be afraid of those who can only kill our bodies, but not our souls. However we should beware of those who can kill both in hell. (Matt.10:28) So of mankind we should not be afraid, but certainly of the powers of spiritual darkness who can kill both our bodies and souls. Now in answer to all that, Bruh David proclaims boldly and eloquently in Psalm 27: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’(Ps.27:1) And again in Psalm 56, he offers up trust and confidence in the God of his fathers: ‘When I cry unto thee, then shall my enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. In God will I praise his word: in the Lord will I praise his word. In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.’ (Ps.56:9-11) Oh Friends, I know it’s not always easy to stand on those platforms of trust and confidence when the evils of the world and their purveyors come against us. But if the Christian faith is truly strong in us, we will be able to withstand the attacks of the wicked. Unfortunately though, one can only develop true and strong faith by undergoing tough times, where we buckle down with the Word, with prayer, with remembrance and thanksgiving for all the Lord’s already done for us. It doesn’t come easy, and one has to make a conscious and serious decision to see things through the eyes of faith. The great men of faith also struggled, sometimes long and hard too. It took Moses sometime to reach the stage where he could confidently declare: ‘The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation (praise Him); my father’s God, and I will exalt him.’ (Ex.15:2) That’s after the Lord parted the Red Sea and led the Israelites safely away from the Egyptian army, which He then annihilated through the rush of the returning waters. Oh my people, doubts will always assail us in this evil and ungodly world, but if the Lord is safely and surely ensconced in our hearts minds and souls, we will be able to deflect the fiery arrows of the enemy. And sadly, right now is one of those times when we desperately need strong and steadfast faith; what with our world been in such a calamitous state. Mankind has gone astray from God’s will and is thus paying a hefty price, which will only get worse if we continue our disobedience. But please remember, as believers in Christ, we have nothing to fear but fear itself, for there is one constant in this world, the Lord God Almighty, who never changes, who has promised us security, and has definitely proven Himself faithful under all circumstances. But we first have to come to Him in true trust and surrender, believing that He is who He says He is, and will always do what He says. We went through that in our Bit of the last few days, so it should come as no surprise. Therefore, in closing, let’s listen to these words of encouragement and exhortation from Bruh David that will keep us enthused, uplifted and on the straight and narrow path to Jesus. ‘My soul (silently) wait thou only upon God: for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps.62:5-8) My fellow brethren in Christ, please let’s take these words to heart, so that they can enable us to stand steadfast and strong in faith as our world reels from one disaster to another. Much LOVE!…what shall we then say to these things…if God be for us…who can be against us… NOBODY…  (Rom.8:31)

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 March 2012 Numbers 23:1

23 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Numbers 23:19.    God is not man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make good?

Oh Friends, it’s that wonderful day again, Friday! And a loud shout rises from the workforce: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes!’ Yes mih people, the weekend is upon us, bringing a brief respite from our labours. But since it’s so short, we need to use it wisely. And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant, as one grateful body 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 set the proper perspective for the weekend, let’s turn to our very profound and encouraging Bit: ‘God is not man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ Oh my people, words of gospel truth from the living God we worship! Yesterday we looked at several scriptures that dealt with the first half of our Bit: ‘God is not man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent:’ Today I have one more to share on that subject. It comes from James in his discourse on faith and humility. He wisely and sincerely tells us: ‘Do not err (be deceived), my beloved brethren. 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.’ (James:16-17) Now here’s a word from the scholars on that; ‘Since all changes are either for the better or for the worse, God is unchanging because He is perfect and cannot get better nor become worse. The Scriptures describe God’s nature, will, and character as immutable or unchanging. Illustration: To be immutable, however, does not mean to be immobile. God also has the qualities of personality and can act, think, create, and make decisions. Application: God is unchanging, therefore, Christians can depend on His LOVE and power, because God has not changed since biblical times.’ And all God’s people made a joyful noise to God for His wonderful attributes and His unchanging nature! Now let’s turn to the second part of our Bit: ‘hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ Oh yes my brethren, all that our great God says, He’ll definitely do and make good, no doubt about it! Listen to Him admonish Moses when the Israelites cried out for meat, which the Lord promised, but Moses doubted His ability to provide. ‘And the Lord said unto Moses, 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.’ (Num.11:23) Later on, quail rained down like water around the Israelite camp. Oh Friends, that shows that even a man of great faith like Moses, who had seen so many miracles, was still only a man, thus limited by finite faith and intelligence. Then there’s Cousin Sol, who at the end of his great prayer: ‘And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest (peace) unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.’ (1 Kin.8:55-56) And we’ll end with an everlasting declaration of truth and faithfulness, after the Lord successfully moved the Israelites into the Promised Land: ‘And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the Lord gave them rest (peace) round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before (against) them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. There failed not aught (Not a word failed) of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of  Israel; all came to pass.’ (Josh.21:43-45) Oh Friends, there’s no more to say! We’ve heard it all! Our God is truthful, faithful and all powerful! Whatever He says or promises will come to pass, both negative and positive stuff! So if we’re wise, we’ll follow the One who truly LOVES and cares for us, the Lord God Jehovah. He’s already shown that great and wonderful unconditional LOVE by offering His Son Jesus as a one-time sacrifice for all our sins, then from His eternal store of grace, offers us free salvation and eternal life by just believing on Jesus. Wow! What an awesome and magnanimous God we serve my people! Please, don’t ever doubt or forget it! Much LOVE!…there are no suitable words in man’s limited vocabulary to truly describe our amazing God…  

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 March 2012 Numbers 23:19‏

22 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Numbers 23:19.    God is not man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make good?

Aye mih breddren, we’ve been granted another day on beautiful planet earth! Praise the Lord! And in my neck of the woods, unbelievably, it’s summer! Hn! I’m still taking it with a grain of salt though, for when and where have you ever heard of twenty something degree temps in the middle of March in the northern climes eh? It seems we’ve just bypassed spring and gone straight into summer mode, as the trees are still brown, dry and brittle, with no leaves whatsoever, for there’s been no rain to talk about either. The birds are singing their thanks and praises to God early in the mornings though. (smile) And I surely hope that we believers are doing the same. Now let’s get straight into our Bit: ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ Yesterday we looked at its basic context; with Balak, king of Moab, hiring Balaam, a false prophet to curse the Israelites, who were coming close to his kingdom in their travel through the wilderness to the Promised Land, and since he’d heard of how they had annihilated other societies, he and his people were sore afraid. But Balaam kept saying, through God’s spiritual intervention, that he could not curse of defy Israel for God had them protected. We also saw how our Bit related to God’s unchanging nature, and His inability to lie since one of His many attributes was TRUTH. Then we began looking at scriptures that corroborated the first part of our Bit: ‘For God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent:’ Unfortunately we only got into one scripture; that where Samuel tells Saul that the Lord’s taken his kingship of Israel. (1 Sam.15:29) Now let’s continue with scriptures that pertain to the first part of our Bit. First up is Isaiah, when he tells the people, who were looking to Egypt for protection, that it’s God, not Egypt who will defend Judah: ‘Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil (disaster), and will not call back (retract) his words; but will arise against the house of evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.’  (Is.31:2) Then in Chapter 51, re the faithful being called to courage, Isaiah again speaks to God’s unchanging nature: ‘Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax (grow) old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished (broken).’ (Is.51:6) And Jeremiah, in lamenting over Judah, solemnly and sadly declares: ‘For this hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent (relent), neither will I turn back from it.’ (Jer.4:27-28) Oh Friends, what will it take for us to understand the great significance and importance of God’s Word, though spoken eons ago, to our current life in these wicked and ungodly times eh? Mankind has been living basically the same way since Adam and Even sinned, but the Lord God Jehovah in His utmost wisdom and great mercy spoke through His prophets, then sent His Only Son Jesus to earth to show us exactly what He desires of us. But sadly we’re still ignoring Him. And if His Word does not change, neither His personality, what can we expect from our disobedience but sorrow and calamity? It’s written right there in the Good Book which most of us acknowledge as being a guide for earthly living, but we mostly do so with our mouth, not with our actions. It traces centuries of time, and graphically shows that when societies are obedient to His will, they prosper, and when they’re not, they suffer. Yet we still choose to follow Beelzebub and his lying, deceitful ways. How wise is that eh? The prophet Malachi, when talking about the paying of tithes, which Israel weren’t doing at the time, said on God’s behalf: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not: therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein (in what way) shall we return?’ (Mal,3:6-7) Oh my people, it’s the same thing God’s saying to us today; return to me and I will return to you. But being foolish and pigheaded, we, like the Israelites before us, are asking in what way? In every way Friends! For it’s obvious that we’re disobedient, evil, ungodly, perverse and everything that’s dark and negative – a la Lucifer! Fellow believers, the times they are getting more calamitous every day, so let’s wake up and realize what’s happening nuh. Disobedience to the Creator of the universe is a patently stupid act! Let’s stop being deceived by the powers of darkness and instead look wisely to Jesus, in whom all our needs and desires can be fulfilled, in addition to His free gifts of salvation and eternal life. Now that’s indeed true wisdom! Much LOVE!…let him who has ears, hear…disobedience to God brings negative consequences…obedience to God, brings positive consequences…and that’s the gospel truth…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 March 2012 Numbers 23:19‏

21 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Numbers 23:19.    God is not man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? 
 
Ah Friends, the Lord’s generosity is again upon us, with a new day dawning, new manna, new blessings and new mercies all being poured down from heaven for our earthly delight. Wow! What a wonderful and ever-LOVING God we serve! And all God’s people joyfully declared: ‘Oh Lord, our God, we praise and magnify Your Holy Name! And we give you abundant thanks for all the amazing things You’ve done and are doing for us! Help us to walk righteously in the footsteps of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. In His Name we pray. Amen!’ Yes mih people, our God is indeed a great God; the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD in the entire universe; its Creator, our Provider and our Protector! Please let us write that indelibly in our hearts, minds and souls, and NEVER forget it, for that certain knowledge is what keeps us keeping on in faith, hope, trust and surrender, through all the misfortunes and calamities of this earthly life. And the basis for all that is found in our Bit: ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ The answers to those questions are available in one word: Absolutely! Now some of us might not know the context of our Bit, so let me briefly enlighten us. It stems from the Israelites journey through the wilderness, en route to the Promised Land, at a point where they were approaching the land of Moab, and Balak, the Moab king and his people were terribly afraid, for they had heard of Israel’s might and prowess. Balak therefore sent for Balaam, a false prophet to come and curse the children of Israel. But throughout all their doings; building altars and offering sacrifices, the Lord kept talking to Balaam and he kept telling Balak that the Lord had blessed Israel, therefore he could not curse or cause them harm. ‘How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? Or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?’ (Num.23:8) Finally, he tells him our Bit. And before we get into the meat and spuds of our Bit, (smile) here’s what the scholars have to say about it: ‘The immutability of God is stated. The word repent is parallel to lie and is coloured in tone by this very association. Here his repenting is related to falsehood. The concept of the truth of Yahweh is related to immutability. Since God is truth, He does not lie; in fact, He cannot lie. He is unchanging. God is utterly different from man. Something that comes far too easily for many men is impossible for Almighty God: He cannot lie.’ And isn’t that the living truth Friends! Our God cannot lie, but we have made it an art. Lies roll off our tongues, like water off a duck’s back; with no problems whatsoever! So what we’re dealing with here Friends, is the unchanging aspect of our God – He’s the same from everlasting to everlasting; His substantial difference to man, in that He is unable to lie; and His faithfulness. He will not renege on His promises. Now let’s look at the first part of our Bit in a little more detail, check out some scriptures that enhance it. ‘God is not man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent…’  Basically it means that God is not like His creation, man; unworthy of trust, truth and faithfulness. He is of a more sterling character, and there’s no need for Him to lie or lead us astray, and then have to admit that He was at fault. And the first scripture we’ll look at comes from 1st Samuel, where the prophet informs Saul that he’s lost the kingship of Israel. And our God is such a wonderful scriptwriter, that as Samuel is walking away from Saul, ‘he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle (seized the edge of his robe), and it rent (tore). And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent (torn) the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent (relent): for he is not a man, that he should repent.’ (1 Sam.15:27-29) Oh Friends, yuh see the immaculate timing of the word ‘rent’ (tore, torn). As a budding writer, these little things truly amaze me about our God. And you know that lack of amazement of believers in the small actions of our God is one of my pet peeves. How can we be passionate about God and His acts if we only seek big miracles, which are few and far between eh? Meanwhile, He’s working plenty small ones in our lives everyday and it’s those that we need to appreciate if we want to become and remain passionate, otherwise we’ll go through life ‘unawed’ by our great God, and thus live a most pitiful and unmoved existence, which is not what Jesus died so horribly to accomplish. Anyway people, it seems like time and space have run out, but we’ll revisit this Bit tomorrow, provided we’re granted grace and mercy to see another blessed day on planet earth. Till then, as always, let’s truly LOVE our God, sincerely LIVE our Faith, and faithfully SPREAD His Word. Much LOVE!…without a doubt…our God is truly the GREATEST Being in the universe… 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 March 2012 Romans 15:5

20 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Romans 15:5.     Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus.

Oh Friends, it’s another beautiful summer’s day, (smile) and we’re alive and kicking! Glory Hallelujah! Though this is officially the first day of spring, it’s really been like summer this past week, and looks to continue. Our wonderful God, in His great LOVE and mercy, has granted us another day on planet! And all God’s people declared in a loud and grateful voice: ‘Thank you God!’ And let’s not only mouth that thanks, but also show it in action by going out into the evil and ungodly world in which we now live and doing stuff that fits into God’s will. Let’s be obedient, LOVING, kind, generous, merciful, and forgiving – all the things that God is; for to be truly considered His followers, we must also have those attributes and then put them into action. As I keep reminding us, Christianity is an action based movement. All talk and no action is a waste of Jesus’ time. Now here are some of the things Jesus does in a little more detail, from Anne Graham Lotz’s book, My Jesus is…Everything: ‘MY JESUS – He supplies strength to the weary. He increases power to the faint. He offers escape to the tempted. He sympathizes with the hurting. He saves the hopeless. He shields the helpless. He sustains the homeless. He gives purpose to the aimless. He gives reason to the meaningless. He gives fulfillment to our emptiness. He gives light in the darkness. He gives comfort in our loneliness. He gives fruit in our barrenness. He gives heaven to the hopeless. He gives life to the lifeless! MY JESUS…is EVERYTHING!’ Oh Friends, isn’t that the gospel truth of all gospel truths! Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is truly EVERYTHING we can ever need or desire! That’s why I can\t understand how we can turn away from Him. But something is obviously wrong somewhere, for too many of us are still behaving like lost sheep, with no shepherd or master. Bruh Paul obviously knew our penchant for stubbornness and waywardness, and thus pleaded with us in our Bit: ‘Now the God of patience and consolation (comfort) grant you to be like-minded one to another according to Christ Jesus.’ But I’m sure he’s groaning mightily and turning over in his grave right now, having seen how badly we’ve strayed from his plea. Oh my brethren, I don’t believe that any organization, large or small is as divided and divisive as Christ’s Church. It’s a sad but unfortunately true commentary. And the hurtful part is that it’s mostly small-minded, selfish, unimportant stuff that’s separating us. And though we can’t expect to agree on everything, the body of Christ should NEVER be as divided and confrontational as it is, pervading the entire organization, from top to bottom, from local to international. Then it’s also between different religions, who all profess to have Christ as their leader. Nor is Christianity the only faith that has these problems. All the other major faiths also have a lot of infighting. No wonder our world is in such a sorry state. What a dreadful waste, what crying shame! Bruh Paul knew how important unity was for the church’s survival, thus his saying it to several churches. To the Romans, he earlier said: ‘Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not (do not set your mind on) high things, but condescend to men of low estate (associate with the humble). Be not wise in your own conceits (estimation).’ (Rom.12:16) Meanwhile, in exhorting the Philippians to steadfastness, he pleads: ‘Only let your conversation (conduct) be as it becometh (be worthy of) the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.’ (Phil.1:27) Then in Chapter 2, he again implores: ‘Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same LOVE, being of one accord, of one mind.’ (Phil.2:2) And in 2nd Corinthians, his conclusion and benediction, he pleads with heartfelt fervour: ‘Finally brethren, farewell. Be perfect (complete), be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of LOVE and peace shall be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints salute (greet) you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the LOVE of God, and the communion (fellowship) of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.’ (2 Cor.13:11-14) And that Friends is my wish and prayer for us all today! In closing, please remember that though coming together will not happen overnight, it certainly depends on each believer coming to the serious realization that without unity, the Church of Christ is doomed! And the sooner we reconcile with each other, the sooner our LOVE Revolution will succeed. Much LOVE!…working together is the only way to success…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 March 2012 Romans 15:5‏

19 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Romans 15:5.   Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus.

Rise and shine my beautiful Friends in Christ! It’s Monday! No moans and groans please. (smile) It’s time to once again join the workweek fray! The enemy is already up and about…and so is Jesus. That means we can’t be lollygagging while battles need to be fought. And as always, before joining the fray, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, with much enthusiasm and heartfelt sincerity. Altogether 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 with the adrenalin of the Holy Spirit now percolating in our bodies and souls, let’s follow our Field Marshall, Jesus Christ, standing high in the stirrups, at the head of His troops, white charger anxiously snorting and eagerly prancing under Him, His raised sword casting brilliant reflections in the bright sunshine, as He gives the order: ‘Christian soldiers, onward into battle march!’ The sword comes down in an outstretched, forward motion, the white charger with reins finally released, tosses its head, snorts gladly and bounds ahead with mane flying… and all true believers, just as eagerly, march forward with battle cries ringing out in the morning air! Ah mih people, I only wish this was as true and easy as writing it was. But unfortunately it isn’t, for Christians are certainly not unified. That’s why Bruh Paul emphasized unity in Christ in our Bit. ‘Now the God of patience and consolation (comfort) grant you to be like minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus.’ Unity of purpose is of the ultimate importance in any walk of life Friends, even more so in our walk with Christ. For as Bruh Paul continues: ‘That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Rom.15:6) Sadly though people, down through the ages Christ’s Church has become so divided and splintered, oftimes over petty, selfish stuff, that now the divisions are too numerous to count and too separated and diversified to mount a centralized fight. And if there’s no unity amongst Christ’s soldiers, then we’ll never defeat the enemy, who are quite unified in their evil, ungodly works. Jesus was very aware of this principle, for when the Jewish leaders accused Him of casting out demons in the name of Satan, He candidly replied: ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against it self, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.’ (Mark 3:23-26) Eternal words of wisdom from the Master, my people! That principle also applies to the Church of Christ. No wonder the enemy is currently winning the war, for they have successfully introduced the battle option of divide and conquer. And now that the Church is splintered in many small groups, it’s much easier to either secretly infiltrate them and stir up more dissension, or simply run them over with superior numbers and better prepared forces. Oh fellow believers, we’re existing in sad, troubled and confused times, where the only wise option is Jesus. But our LOVE Revolution will not work if all the followers of Christ don’t unite and make it a large and powerful force, comparable to the enemy’s. Consequently, I’m imploring us today, above all else, to seek unity among the body of Christ. And I’ll let Bruh Paul take us home with his challenge to the Corinthians, who were having similar problems with divisions in their church. ‘Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing (have a uniform testimony), and that there be no divisions (dissensions, schisms) among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement.’ (1 Cor.1:10) I can’t say it any better than that Friends. It’s now up to each one of us to do whatever we can to bring about unity in Christ’s followers. More on this tomorrow, if the breath of life still blows in us. Till then, let’s sincerely LOVE our God, conscientiously LIVE our Faith, and faithfully SPREAD His Word. Much LOVE!…unity… the power that makes the whole greater than the mere sum of the parts…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 March 2012 Titus 1:16‏

18 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Titus 1:16:       They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Ah Friends, the wonderful weekend weather continues, though all the frivolity of St. Paddy’s Day is over. Time to get back to the Lenten austerity. ‘Bah humbug!’ I hear some of you unwisely declare. Anyway, I sure hope that many believers in the northern climes, who used the cold temps as an excuse for not going to church, will go now, since that excuse no longer holds water. (smile) But knowing this generation, many of us will find some other excuse for not going. Friends, please remember the adages; ‘one hand washes the other, and it takes two to tango,’ meaning that we can’t live this life successfully by ourselves, and if we reject God for spurious reasons, He will not respond favourably to us in our time of need. And don’t forget also, that though God LOVES us a whole heap, He doesn’t really need us, being omnipotent and all that He is, but we definitely and desperately need Him, for without Him, we are nothing. That means WE have to go to Him, because OUR future depends on Him, not vice versa. Consequently, we have to be very careful with whom we associate and listen to, since there are so many false prophets and teachers in this evil, ungodly world just waiting to lead us astray from the truth of God’s Word.  Our Bit says it nicely: ‘They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate (disqualified).’ Yes Friends, con artists abound out there, seeking to trick us out of everything we have. And though they might get our earthly possessions, we certainly can’t allow them to trick us out of salvation and everlasting life; eternal separation from Jesus! No sir! For that is indeed true death!  And the only way to avoid such a calamity is by being able to pick out the wolves in disguise from the flock of sheep wandering around. Now yesterday we looked at some scripture dealing with the first part of our Bit, ‘They profess that they know God.’ Today, let’s move on to the next part; ‘but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.’ And these awesome verses from Bruh Paul to Timothy admirably capture the essence and spirit of the false teacher. ‘For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), lovers of pleasures, more than (rather than) LOVERS of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (mere religion without a true spiritual life): from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive (prey upon) silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts (especially susceptible to false teachers), ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (seeking some esoteric quest for truth apart from God’s Word). Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, (the two magicians in Pharaoh’s court, who tried to duplicate Moses’ miracles – Ex.7:11, 9:11), so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate (disapproved) concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs (the magicians) also was.’ (2 Tim.3:2-9) Oh Friends, yuh sure Bruh Paul didn’t write that recently, instead of almost two thousand years ago, for it’s the perfect description of our modern world! Every evil and ungodly trait he mentions there is now glorified in our world, and it’s become increasingly difficult to pick out the wolves from the sheep for their disguises are so authentic. That’s why each believer has to delve into the Word themselves; read, study, meditate on it and ask questions of trustworthy followers, then plant the truth of God in their hearts, minds and souls, so that when the false teachers and prophets come with their lies and slants, you’ll be able to distinguish them as wolves in sheep’s clothing. Oh my brethren, of all the generations of mankind, this one most desperately needs to know the truth of God’s Word, and unfortunately are not getting taught it. We as parents and leaders of the church have sadly fallen down on our responsibility to teach the generation that comes after us, and now they are solidly under Beelzebub’s thumb, heading for death and damnation in Hades! However, as we all know, while there is life there is hope, but we don’t know how much life is left, so please, let’s begin IMMEDIATELY, RIGHT NOW, to try and teach them the Word before it’s too late. We talk plenty about spreading the Word all over the world, but remember Charity, LOVE, begins at home, so let’s make sure we teach the Word at home first nuh. Only then will be ready to go unto the outside world. Much LOVE!…for the children’s sake…please teach them to pray…from an early age…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 March 2012 Titus 1:16

17 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Titus 1:16.    They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

 HAPPY  ST. PATRICK’S  DAY

Well ‘ello dere me Irish Friends! A Happy St. Paddy’s Day to you and yours! No matter that only my name is Irish, and I’ve never set foot on the Emerald Isle. (smile) But St. Paddy’s Day was always a special day in T&T during my youth, for it was the only day in Lent that you were allowed to party and hear calypsos on the radio. That means we always looked forward to that jubilant break in the middle of a rather austere Lenten season practiced back then. Hope you have a fine day celebrating the Patron Saint of Ireland, with all your green stuff, and enjoy your parades and whatnot. But please remember to be very careful, and drunk or sober, mind your business, for the evil one and his associates are always lurking around these celebrations hoping to entice us into their dark lairs of lust, debauchery and ungodliness. Those workers of iniquity walk around in sheep’s clothing, but on the inside they are really ravenous, voracious wolves disguised as sheep, and they can do untold damage to us and Christ’s Church, if we allow them access to our inner beings. Like Bruh Paul told Titus in our Bit, way back when: ‘They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate (disqualified).’ And that’s the living truth Friends! It’s amazing how plenty time passes in this world, but so many things remain the same, for we also have lots of that type of people circulating in our world, just like Bruh Paul’s day. And unfortunately they might be even more treacherous and devious today with all the new psychological warfare and technology. As Bruh Paul opens this warning passage on false teachers: ‘For there are many unruly (insubordinate) and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake (dishonest gains).’ (Titus 1:10-11) Yes Friends, a lot of fraudsters are running around the globe teaching false and/or subversive stuff solely for dishonest gain, whether it be power, money or some other earthly favour.  In this highly modernized world, all sorts of theories abound, some of which do sound good enough to be true, and the dishonest purveyors of these theories or slants, all claim that they are God driven; ‘they profess they know God.’ But listen to Jesus on the subject: ‘Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils (demons)? and in thy name done many wonderful works (miracles)? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt.7:20-23) Truly my people, all that glitters is not gold, likewise all that sounds like truth is not necessarily true, neither are all those who claim to preach God’s Word, true believers. And we certainly don’t want to get involved with that kind, for when Jesus comes again in glory, we’ll sadly discover that we’re on the outside with Lucifer and his evil workers, looking in at the good life taking place in Jesus’ domain. That would certainly be disastrous on all counts! And Jesus was so serious about that message, He reiterated it in the parable of the ten virgins. Re the foolish ones who did not bring extra oil to the wedding for their lamps, and weren’t there when the bridegroom finally arrived and shut his door. ‘Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt.25:11-13) It’s a rough life this Friends, but we just have to be very careful and concentrate on the eternal things of Jesus, rather than the exhaustible and temporal things of this evil world, for everybody has some wonderful scheme to offer us. Note the high amount of white-collar fraud that’s currently prevalent. And that’s because we’re greedy and thus easily taken in. The con artists feed on that undesirable trait of our character.  How can someone offer us 10 or 15% interest on our money, when the big moneyed people can barely get 5%, if so much? If it sounds too good to be true, then most likely it is a fraudulent deal. The same goes for those claiming to preach the Word. Now let’s end with some appropriate words from 1 John, re tests of true knowledge: ‘And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the LOVE of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.’ (1 John 2:3-6) More on this tomorrow, if we’re still alive and kicking. Till then, please be careful of those evil wolves masquerading as sheep. Stay close to Jesus, that’s where it’s safest! Much LOVE!…things that are eye-catching and ear-pleasing…are not always what they seem to be…often they are just façades for evil…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 March 2012 Galatians 6:10‏

16 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

  Galatians 6:10.    As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
 

Aye mih people, once again it’s Friday, and the unseasonable warm weather continues! And it’s supposed to last all through the weekend, so you can imagine the confusion in the northern climes! The barbeques and bikes are already out, now the gatherings on the back porch and decks will certainly intensify. But let us not get too carried away, for the Lord is still in control, and who knows what His agenda is like for next week. The same way we’re having beautiful weather this week, we can have lousy times next week. However, to keep things in the right perspective for this unexpected warm weekend, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much enthusiasm as we wind down the workweek. ‘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.’ Yes Friends, we need to live a well-balanced life, and the only way to do so successfully is by walking hand in hand with Jesus on this earthly journey. The same thing applies to our Bit: ‘As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ We can’t do that unless the Spirit of Jesus is constantly working in our lives. Bruh Paul’s telling the Galatians, and us too, that we need to seize every opportunity to do good to others, ‘for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’ (Gal.6:7b) And we know that’s gospel! Meanwhile, in Proverbs, Cousin Sol says it thus: ‘Withhold not good from them to whom it is due (the owners), when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.’ (Prov.3:27-28) That basically means that we must help our needy neighbours and not lie to them, saying we can’t or don’t have, when we very well have and can do what is required of us. Consequently, we are to do good to everyone who crosses our path. As Bruh Paul told Titus about the basis of the Christian ethic: ‘That being justified (declared righteous) by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.’ (Titus 3:7-8) And per the scholars on Chapter 6; Applications of new principles: ‘Contextually, doing good refers to the ministry of restoration (v.1), bearing one another’s burdens (v.2), supporting teachers (v.6), sowing to (living in accord with the leading of) the Spirit (v.8), and general perseverance (v.9). Believers are to minister first unto them who are of the household of faith (Christians), and second, to the rest of the world.’ Just like Bruh Paul declared to the Romans, re the service of LOVE to all: ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer; Distributing to the necessity (needs) of saints (believers); given to hospitality.’ (Rom.12:12-13) However Friends, though we ought to take care of fellow believers first, the long and short of the story is that Christians ought always to do good, regardless of whom we’re doing it to. Let’s remember these awesome words of wisdom and write them indelibly in our hearts, souls and minds. ‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (do not lose heart).’ (Gal.6:9) Oh my people, unfortunately our world right now isn’t taken with the idea of doing good. To oneself, yes, but not to others, for we live in a world that glorifies evil and selfishness. And if it is to improve, it’s Christ’s followers, we the believers who will have to bring about that improvement. But sadly, too many of us are also caught up in the selfishness that permeates our society, looking mainly to the things of the earth, rather than to the things of heaven, as Jesus desires. I implore us today, to examine ourselves, and with God’s help, remove any selfishness we find there, because if we don’t remove it, it will eventually, if it hasn’t already, become a stumbling block between you and Jesus. And that’s not a very wise thing to let happen. So let’s try and be kind and generous to all we meet, just like our heavenly Father is kind to us. That’s the only way the LOVE Revolution is going to grow and be successful! Much LOVE!…selfishness breeds selfishness…and goodness breeds goodness…the simple law of sowing and reaping…

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