Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 September 2010 Deuteronomy 15:11‏

04 Sep 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Deuteronomy 15:11      For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

 

Oh Friends, most of us have awakened today in a warm, comfortable bed, with a roof over our heads, food in the fridge or the pantry, clothes on our backs, free from serious illness and disease, plus several other amenities that make our lives fairly easy. But my beautiful Friends in Christ, do we realize that almost two-thirds of the earth’s estimated population of 6 billion souls don’t have most of the stuff we take for granted?  That’s four billion lost souls who can’t get a proper roof over their heads to protect them from the ravages of the weather. Four billion of God’s children who can’t even get sufficient junk food to fill their bloated, hungry stomachs, much less nourishing food to make them grow strong and healthy. Four billion of our brother’s and sisters in Jesus that don’t have clean water to drink and bathe with. Many of them have never even seen clean water. Obviously they can’t practice proper health and sanitation habits, even if they know of them, because of the aforementioned lack of clean water. Consequently, they live, hungry, malnourished, unhealthy, sick and diseased lives. Just think about the number of refugee camps there are around the world, the poor ghettoes, favelas, slums or whatever they’re called in different countries, where many are situated right next to or in big cities with a much better way of life. Consider the many poor communities around the world which have recently suffered natural disasters, like floods, famine, hurricanes, earthquakes etc. You name it, we’ve seen it recently. But what’s going to happen to those poor, unlucky, hapless people eh? What are we doing to help them? Are we doing enough? Are we sincerely obeying the Lord’s command, which our Bit so clearly and irrevocably states? ‘For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide (freely, generously) unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.’ Or are we simply paying lip service to the Lord’s command? I’m sorry Friends, but I get the distinct impression that we’re only paying lip service, because too many are truly suffering while so few are living high on the hog, with enough to still live high, but to also offer sufficient to alleviate the crushing poverty and misfortune of others. Note too that in all the disasters, it’s the poor who usually suffer the most. The rich are either able to avoid them, or rebound because of their wealth, but not so the poor. Just look at two recent disastrous events in our own backyard; Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the earthquake in Haiti. Five years later, New Orleans is still far from recovered, even being a part of the world’s richest and most powerful nation. Why? Because most of the inhabitants were poor minorities, and even during the height of their need never got the treatment they truly deserved. A treatment say like that of the political capital of Washington D.C or any wealthy enclave would receive. The same goes for Haiti. It’s the poor who mainly lost what little they had and some eight months later, still can’t get proper aid and planning to rebuild properly because there’s no serious, long term planning or guidance at the top. The wealthy and corrupt politicians favour the status quo; keep the poor, poor. So despite the large amounts of help promised, precious little is getting through to those who really need it. And that’s the way it usually goes for most of these relief campaigns. For one reason or another, those who desperately need the help seldom seem to get it. Can you imagine the sorrowful plight of those millions of Pakistanis who were displaced by the recent flood? Hn! I shudder to think of what will happen out there! Most of them were poor to begin with, barely eking out a subsistence living. Now, with even that low level of livelihood gone, their future seems non-existent. That is unless we, the more affluent generously pitch in and help with whatever we can. My people, I know that there are all sorts of problems in doing so, that it’s much easier to put forward the theory than to accomplish it. However, I’m still convinced that we’re not doing enough, or as much as we can to help the impoverished and more unfortunate souls of our world. And I’m not even talking about only those suffering in far away places, but also about the poor and beggarly who live right around the corner from us. There’s no real good reason for so many people to be going around genuinely hungry, homeless and sick in our wealthy society. Oh Friends, the only reasonable solution seems to be us believers leading the way, doing what God commanded us to do long ago: ‘Thou shalt open thine hand wide (freely, generously) to thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land,’ Yes my brethren, if we want this world to change, to return to some semblance of godliness, then it’s us who truly believe in God that have to take the lead and perform those godly tasks, because the iniquity worker will not, since he’s only interested in his own  preservation and aggrandisement. I know too that many of us don’t have a lot, but remember it’s not really how much we contribute, but more how much of what we have we contribute. Like Jesus said to His disciples when the poor woman contributed two mites (a farthing). ‘Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury. For all they did cast in of their abundance (surplus); but she of her want (out of her poverty) did cast in all that she had, even all her living (her whole livelihood).’ (Mark 13:43-44) Friends, we don’t have to contribute all our living, but we can all do a little better than we’re currently doing. Let’s sit down this weekend then and take serious inventory of all that we have; whether it be time, talent, physical possessions or money, and try to find a way to help those in greater need than our selves. Remember the word for that is spelt, LOVE! And also that we’re the beneficiaries of the greatest LOVE that’s ever been shown: that of the Lord sending His only Son, Jesus to die for us when we were in a very sad plight of sinfulness. The least we can do is help someone else less fortunate than us, and in so doing, we’ll not only do God’s will, but also pile up rewards for ourselves in heaven. Now what can be better than that eh mih people? Absolutely nothing! Much LOVE!…to help another in need…through our unselfish actions…is to truly show God’s LOVE and compassion…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 September 2010 Proverbs 29:1‏

03 Sep 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 29:1     He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Friday once again! Time to sing the TGIF Song: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your 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 kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.’ Oh my people, I hope we all sang along with great gusto, in an expectant, faith-filled frame of mind, because it’s only with the Lord’s help that we can successfully navigate five days of work, with only two days of rest in between. Now remember that we also have our part to play in the proceedings, so don’t just go all crazy, then mumble and complain that the Lord didn’t help, as so many of us are wont to do. In those cases though, it’s usually because we didn’t help ourselves sufficiently. We can’t expect God to do everything for us, that’s why He gave us freedom of choice and all the other things we so desperately desired. But unfortunately that can lead to two extremes; where we either sit and wait for Him to do everything, or we go out and try to do everything ourselves without asking for or seeking His input. Both extremes are fraught with dire risk my people. We need to find a happy balance between waiting on God to do His part, and then doing ours. Sadly though, some of us never learn that art of balance, and today we’ll continue talking about those of us who continually go out and do whatever we want with no input from God. That’s a foolish way to live, for as Cousin Sol so wisely stresses: ‘He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.’ And we all know that’s true, since we’ve all experienced it in one form or another. But why do we insist on being so stubborn and hardhearted eh, especially when we know the awful price we can pay for such behaviour? Who knows? I certainly don’t. It must be something in our sinful make up that causes such irrational behaviour. We saw that yesterday with God’s chosen people, the Israelites, who several times turned away from God and paid stiff prices. But yet they continued doing it. Oh Friends, we’ve also seen from the Exodus, where the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart against releasing His people, that disobedience to God doesn’t work. (Ex.4:21) Regardless of the punishment the Lord wreaked on Egypt, Pharaoh refused to let them go. Not until after about nine plagues, that of darkness, did Pharaoh eventually relent. ‘And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.’ (Ex.10:24) And even then, Pharaoh wanted them to leave their livestock behind, but Moses, with the Lord’s advice, outsmarted him and Israel left with all their possessions and much wealth from the Egyptians. My people, the Lord God Jehovah is the most powerful entity in the universe, and until we, His mortal creations fully understand and accept that, there’ll always be hell to pay. Look at the ungodly, dissolute manner in which we now live; quite a turn away from that of our parents and grandparents. Yes my brethren, in just two generations we’ve gone from a basically godly society to a depraved, ungodly one. The God of our fathers now plays a much smaller role than ever before in our family lives, our laws, our institutions, even our churches. Just look at all the negative stuff that’s befalling us: The richest nations are experiencing economic disaster and widespread poverty. The most medically and technologically advanced generation is being blighted by all kinds of illness and diseases. We’re even seeing the return of some that were eradicated long ago. Now look at all the natural disasters that are taking place simultaneously all over the world. I’m not saying that they are all God’s retribution, but Friends, we must be doing something wrong somewhere; including polluting the atmosphere, destroying the earth itself and living more for the rotting things of the world than for the eternal things of God. If we read Jeremiah Chap.5, we’ll surely believe He’s talking about our current society. There he refers to the perverseness (wrong directions, wickedness), the adultery, the impiety (ungodliness, lack of reverence) and the spiritual and civil corruption that was prevalent in the Jewish society of his time. Oh Friends, we’ve taken it almost to the nth degree, and if we allow our hardened, stubborn hearts to keep us going in that evil, unwise direction, one day we’ll eventually pay, and in a big way too, just like Israel and all the other ungodly societies. The Lord’s not going to put up with our deliberate ungodliness forever. That much is guaranteed. Therefore Friends, like the wise believers we are, and for our progeny’s sake, let’s learn from the mistakes of those who got too big for their breeches and forgot the Creator of the universe. Remember, rebellion and disobedience against the Lord, does not pay, and can eventually lead to oblivion. And we certainly don’t want that for our society, so let’s go out there and show the unbelievers the truth of God’s Word, and make them see sense, as the old people would say. Till tomorrow then, God willing, go in peace my brethren, and faithfully spread God’s Word, and His unconditional, everlasting LOVE! It’s the only way for our society to survive. Much LOVE!…a society’s continued prosperity…is directly proportionate…to it’s obedience to God…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 September 2010 Proverbs 29:1‏

02 Sep 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 29:1     He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
 
Oh you beautiful Friends in Jesus, we’ve been granted the awesome privilege of seeing another day, of experiencing God’s mercies, His LOVE, forgiveness and also His punishment. Yes my people, unfortunately, everyday we see, gives sin more opportunities to enter our lives, and if we’re not careful, to control it. But if we stick to the Father’s will, and allow His Spirit to guide us, we’ll be able to overcome whatever evil comes our way. However my Friends, not all of us know Jesus, or even if we do, adhere to His spiritual principles. That means, when Lucifer comes a calling, we’re very likely to let him enter our souls and lead us astray. But just remember people, at some stage we always pay for our wrongdoing, especially if we make it a habit. As our Bit says: ‘He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.’ And isn’t that the living truth mih bredden! The old people knew it when they warned: ‘If yuh doh hear, yuh going to feel.’ And many, no, all of us have experienced that negative feeling when we didn’t listen to our parents, teachers or the law. The sad part is that some of us were, and still are so hard headed and stubborn, we insisted on doing wrong again and again, despite the pain and humiliation the punishment inflicted on us caused.  Consequently, some of us ended up going down the wrong road; that broad, wide expanse of highway that the enemy so enthusiastically lures us on to. But then too, oftimes when we get on that road that looks so alluring and beautiful, we sadly discover that there are no exits, that it’s just a long, one way road, meaning we can’t turn back, and are forced to journey along it to wherever it leads, usually to destruction, and often death. Oh my people, it’s the same way our heavenly Father operates. Like any caring earthly parent, He walks and talks with us, and gives us all several chances to be obedient to His will. But if we insist on thumbing our noses at Him, and doing what we want to, as so many of us foolishly do, then there’ll come a time when He says, ‘Stop! Enough is enough!’ And without warning, our arrogant, rebellious nature will be severely punished. Said punishment might not even have an antidote to reverse it. So what happens then? Obviously crapaud smoke we pipe! Oh Friends, that’s not a very wise move for any of us to make. And we have so many good examples to learn from, especially the early Israelites. Even though time and time again, the Lord showed them mercy, kindness, forgiveness, LOVE and prosperity they did not deserve, look at how often they became disobedient, stubborn, moronic and rebelled against Him. And what made it worse is that they were His specially chosen people. We all know how it hurts when those close to us are disobedient and rebellious. And even though they paid dearly every time, yet they still did it. Ah Lord eh! As the Good Book says in 2 Chronicles, during Zedekiah’s reign over Judah, the Lord sent His messengers to warn them of their idolatrous, rebellious behaviour, because there was compassion in His heart for them. But what was their response? ‘But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.’ (2 Chr.36:16) Yes Friends, they abused and misused the Word and the messengers who brought it, till the Lord had no choice but to punish them severely by allowing the Babylonians to capture their land and take them captive to Babylon. The same sort of behaviour occurred when Hezekiah became king and called all the tribes to Jerusalem to keep the Passover. He solemnly warned them: ‘Now be ye not stiffnecked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. For if you turn again unto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.’ (2 Chr.30:8-9) But Friends, you wouldn’t believe what happened. ‘So the posts (runners) passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.’ (2 Chr.30:10) Imagine that nuh! The Lord’s chosen people laughing, mocking and scorning His holy will! Even the possibility that it might help their brethren and children held captive by their enemies didn’t soften their ungodly hearts. Wow! And though many showed up to keep the Passover, enough stayed away that punishment still befell them. My Friends, please take some time to reflect on the state of our society, in light of what we’ve just read. Tomorrow, God willing, we’ll continue with this topic, since it’s rather important. Till then, please walk in peace and good fellowship with all. Much LOVE!…him that heath ears to hear…let him hear…or he’ll surely feel…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 September 2010 Jeremiah 3:23‏

01 Sep 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Jeremiah 3:23     Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
 
Oh Friends, can you believe it’s September 1st already? Wow! Where has August and the rest of the year gone to? The summer has passed and it seems as though I’ve done nothing. But then again, the summer might not be quite finished in my neck of the woods, because it’s going to be thirty something again today. And Friends, that’s Celsius, not Fahrenheit. (smile) Anyway, I turned the page of the Alzheimer’s Society calendar today, some of you might have it, and a most appropriate quote for the times jumped out at me. The Dalai Lama declares that: ‘Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.’ And believe me people, that’s the gospel truth! Happiness is something you’ve got to work diligently at, for at every turn in your life’s journey, there’s something or someone just out to make your life, difficult, miserable and unhappy. So it’s up to all of us to sow the individual seeds to our own happiness. We also need to remember, that no one else is responsible for our happiness, but us. Neither can anyone make us happy, or unhappy, unless we allow them to. That utopian state of happiness lies completely in our hands alone, since it’s an emotional state, and only we control our emotions. And that happiness theme certainly lines up nicely with our Bit, where Jeremiah declares: ‘Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains.’ Yes Friends, many of us look to the hills, mountains, other places and things for happiness and salvation, but the author of Psalm 121, when talking about God’s sustaining power, had the right idea. ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (mountains), from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.’ (Ps.121:1-2) So though we lift our eyes, heavenward, earthward, or wherever my people, it’s extremely important we know and remember that the Lord God Jehovah is the original source of all our help. None of His creations have the awesome power to help us like He does. As Bruh David confidently proclaims in Psalm 124: ‘Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.’ (Ps.124:8) Therefore we can say with full surety, like Jeremiah does in the second half of our Bit: ‘truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.’ And Friends, I’m going to stay in the Old Testament today, just to give us some insight into the fact that even before Jesus came, the ancients knew God, knew His omnipotence, and looked to Him for His saving grace and salvation. But just like us today, they didn’t necessarily abide by His will, to everybody’s disadvantage. But let’s look at some old time scripture that confidently proclaims that salvation is truly of the Most High God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Obviously Bruh David will be the first to step up to the podium, since he spoke of it so much. In Psalm 3; a prayer of confidence in God, he proudly proclaims: ‘Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.’ (Ps.3:8) Likewise, in Psalm 25; a prayer for guidance and protection, he humbly declares: ‘Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all day.’ (Ps.25:5) Meanwhile, in Psalm 51; a prayer for cleansing after his adulterous and murderous liaison with Bathsheba, he sincerely pleads: ‘Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free (generous) spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted to thee.’ (Ps.51:12-13) And finally in Psalm 62, where he boldly declares that God is his rock and salvation: ‘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.’ (Ps.62:6-7) Oh my people, Bruh David was so sure of the salvation of the Lord God of his fathers that he vocalized it in several different situations, as we can see from the quotes above. However, since we don’t want to give the impression that he was the only one who trusted in the Lord’s salvation in ancient times, here are some other important testimonials to that fact. Right at the start of the Good Book, we have Jacob, on his deathbed, prophesying re his children’s future, and staunchly declaring: ‘I have waited for thy salvation O Lord.’ (Gen.49:18) And Moses, in his song to the Israelites, also confidently proclaims: ‘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) And that wily prophet, Isaiah, not to be outdone, in his song of praise by the redeemed, strongly declares: ‘And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is.25:9) And we’ll end with one more quote from Isaiah, when he talks about the Lord, the only redeemer. It’s short, sweet, to the point and true! ‘I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.’ (Is.43:11) And all God’s people joyously shouted: ‘Amen! Glory Hallelujah!’ Oh Friends, let’s remember that and purposely live our lives in accordance with it, just as those stalwart ancients, those men of great faith, did so long ago. It’s one of the wisest decisions we’ll ever make. So, till we meet again tomorrow, God willing, remember to LOVE your GOD, LIVE your FAITH, and SPREAD His WORD! Much LOVE!…the only one who can save us…is the one who created us…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 August 2010 Psalm 36:9‏

31 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 36:9     For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
 
Oh Friends in Christ, the sun will soon rise and bring light to the darkness of night, as well as thirty something degree temps in my area. That is what’s been forecasted for most of this week. But that won’t stop us from having a field day on light, like I promised. The Good Book contains so much stuff on the topic of light though, that we can only highlight some of the more important passages. So, without further ado, here’s the most important scripture on light: ‘And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.’ (Gen.1:3-5) Oh Friends, what an awesome moment that must have been eh! And would you believe, that since then, light is still coming; coming at approximately 186,000 miles per second? Mama Mia! And moving right along, we come to God’s promise, re the future glory of Zion, so aptly conveyed by the very insightful and privileged prophet Isaiah. ‘The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God, thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.’ (Is.60:19-20) My people those are still very important words, so please pay attention to them. It’s all part of God’s promise of redemption. The next important aspect of light to us, my Friends, possibly the most important in terms of spiritual life, are those immortal words of John the Baptist, re the true light. ‘There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.’ (John 1:6-9) And right there began the modern version of light, my people! Now hear the words of that glorious Light that came to earth two thousand years ago, to bring us out of our sinful darkness. ‘And this is the condemnation, that (the) light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (exposed). But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.’ (John 3:19-21) Ah Friends, Jesus does have a way with words. Thereafter, the apostles and the faithful began talking about and spreading the words of the redeeming Light that came down from heaven to save our sinful souls, and the great impact that Light had on us when we believed in and trusted Him. Now here’s the purpose Jesus laid on Bruh Paul, when He unexpectedly confronted him on the road to Damascus, as related to King Agrippa. ‘Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified (set apart) by faith that is in me.’ (Acts 26:17-18) Listen to Bruh Paul again, in his second missive to the Corinthians: ‘For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’ (2 Cor.4:5-6) Yes Friends, it’s all about eroding the sinful darkness of Lucifer’s evil ways in our beings, and replacing them with the saving light and grace of Jesus. Hear how Peter, the rock that Christ built His Church upon, puts it: ‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar (his own special) people; that ye should show forth (proclaim) the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.’ (1 Pet.2:9-10) How much better can it get eh mih breddren? Not much, seeing that we’ve been specially chosen to be God’s own people! And all God’s people sang out loud: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ However mih people, is time now to do away with all the flowery words and speeches and get down to brass tacks, right down to the nitty gritty; the reality of the situation concerning that light we’ve been speaking so enthusiastically about. And here too is where we going to separate the sheep from the goats. Please listen closely to these words of extraordinary importance to believers, from the mouth of our Lord, Saviour and Leader, Jesus Christ. ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lamp stand); and it giveth light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Mat.5:14-16) And from the throats of all God’s people, rang out a loud, sincere ‘Amen!’ Yes my brethren, that’s our job on this earth in a nutshell. And seeing how that awesome Light from heaven has entered our souls and brought us so much joy, peace and happiness, not to mention the wonderful promises of salvation and eternal light and life, let’s all go out seriously now, into the evil, ungodly world and try to bring that same feeling of glory and wonder to others nuh. That’s what Jesus asked His followers to do. And that’s the sermon on light. (smile) Till tomorrow then Friends, God willing, let’s all walk in peace, LOVE and true fellowship with each other, spreading the light of Christ, as we continue on our earthly journey. Much LOVE!…when light replaces darkness…a whole new perspective is achieved…as different as day and night…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 August 2010 Psalm 36:9‏

30 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 36:9     For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

 

As the bright silver rays of the rising sun flare over the eastern horizon, heralding a new day, a new work week, all God’s people, fully dressed in their suit of spiritual armour, vigorously punch their arms heavenward and loudly proclaim the Monday Morning Battle Hymn: ‘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 that we might not like; jobs that might be unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but they serve a useful purpose on this our earthly journey; keeping lives, limbs and families together in fairly comfortable circumstances. 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 to now sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, where we’ll be constantly bombarded and buffeted by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know that the evil enemy can do us no harm once we’re surrounded by your powerful, protective aura. We humbly ask that you give your Holy Spirit charge over and guidance to each and every one of 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 here on planet earth. All this we pray in the name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ And Friends, that Amen was so powerful and stirring that it shook the earth and the heavens, and all living creatures stopped dead in their tracks and took notice. Wow! Oh my people, if we could only bring that scenario to fruition eh. What a wonderful statement we’d make for Christ! I also now realized that the stage we just set ties in very nicely with our Bit: ‘For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light we shall see light.’ It’s especially applicable to the second half that we’re looking at today. The glorious rising of the sun, bathing a dark world in bright light is eerily similar to the Light our Saviour Jesus brings to the dark souls that He saves. One moment those souls are lost in the darkness of sin, then in the next, Jesus quietly enters therein, and like He flicks a hidden switch and voila! That evil darkness is suddenly and thoroughly flooded by a brilliant light, by the joy, the salvation, the awakening that Jesus brings to those souls which truly believe and acknowledge Him as their Lord and Saviour. Oh Friends, what a revelation that is to those souls previously lost in iniquity! Sometimes the jolt, the shock, can be so powerful as to be frightening and unbelievable. But there’s nothing to be afraid of my brethren because light doesn’t bring fear, it drives it away. Darkness is the courier of fear. That’s why Bruh David could state with such conviction: ‘in thy light we shall see light.’ Oh Friends, there are so many connections in the Good Book between our God and light that I got confused trying to figure out what to use where. But through the Spirit’s wisdom and guidance, I eventually found a workable solution: today I’ll quote a few from the Old Testament, then tomorrow I’ll try and put a proper package together. I won’t have the Monday Morning Battle Hymn to worry about, so I’ll be able to do the light topic more justice. (smile) Now the two biggest purveyors of God and light in the Old Testament seem to be Isaiah and Bruh David. Hear some of their proclamations: ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is.9:2) Isaiah is foretelling the birth of the Prince of Peace, Jesus. And on the future glory of Zion, he avidly declares: ‘Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.’ (Is.60:1-3) Meanwhile, Bruh David staunchly proclaims in Psalm 18; a thanksgiving for deliverance: ‘For thou wilt light my candle (lamp): the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.’ (Ps.18:28) And Friends, we all know that most famous proclamation of his: ‘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)Yes mih people, very fitting words for us to close with! Let’s seriously ponder them and take them to heart nuh. They will surely do us a lot of good in this topsy turvy world in which we live. Much LOVE!…oh, the light…the light…what glorious light Jesus brings to our dark and sinful souls…when we place our faith and trust in Him…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 August 2010 Psalm 36:9‏

29 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 36:9     For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

 

Oh Friends, it’s another beautiful day in the annals of planet earth, so let’s get up and begin it with enthusiasm nuh, grateful that we’ve been granted that unbelievable joy; to drink one more day at the fountain of life! And whom do we owe for that generosity? The Lord God Jehovah! So with joyous hearts and longing souls we praise and magnify you oh Lord, sincerely thanking you for your bountiful mercies and LOVING kindness. In Jesus’ Name. Amen! Yes mih people, Bruh David hit the nail on the head in Psalm 36, ‘the steadfast LOVE of God,’ when he says: ‘For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.’ That’s oh so true Friends, since the Lord is the giver of both life and light! But before we get into the intricacies of our Bit, here’s a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer that aptly exemplifies the way true believers, those who have found life and light in Christ, should believe and live. ‘The evidence of optimism is that it…enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself and not abandon it to his enemy.’ Wow people! Truly words of wisdom those! Why you ask? Because that’s exactly how a true believer, one born again in Christ, ought to live; with optimism and enthusiasm, expectations of good, if not great things to come, in other words, with faith. For when you break it down, that’s what faith is; high hopes, beautiful and bountiful dreams, great expectations, a positive future, based on the faithful promises of our God. It is therefore inappropriate for believers to go around, cloudy, gloomy, droopy and negative. You can’t always be bright and smiling, else they’ll think you’re crazy and put you in a straitjacket, but your general demeanour ought to be positive and upbeat, with sincere, encouraging words and acts of hope and kindness for those currently undergoing misfortune, grief, or some other negative emotion. Bruh David said it marvellously in the two verses before our Bit. ‘How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness (fullness) of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.’ (Ps.36:7-8) Oh Friends, what a most wonderful God we serve! And I just LOVE that last line: ‘and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.’ Wow! Now who in his right mind wouldn’t want to do that eh? I can see myself now, just sitting peacefully by that beautiful, gently flowing river, conversing with the Lord and just sipping and nibbling on those fantastic pleasures as He generously offers them! Now those are the things that dreams are made of! (smile) But that brings up the question, if our God is so kind and generous, why are there so many Christians with long, droopy, hangdog faces, and very negative, sour dispositions? Bruh David explicitly said: ‘For with thee is the fountain of life.’ It wasn’t a question, or a maybe, but a sure, strong, positive statement. Why then are so many of us not taking it to heart and having a brighter disposition eh? Some of the gloomiest, most depressing people we know are fellow believers. And the sad part is that you can’t say anything to them about it, else they’ll just flare up in an unchristian manner, or give you the evil eye. (smile) Jeremiah acknowledged that the Lord was indeed the fountain of life when he stated that Israel’s sufferings were the results of her sin. ‘For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.’ (Jer.2:13) There he’s emphasizing that it’s only the Lord who can satisfy the thirsty soul with refreshing life. And Jerry does it again in talking of Judah’s sin. ‘O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters. Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.’ (Jer.17:13-14) Oh my people, the Lord didn’t create us just on a whim and fancy yuh know, but with a sense of purpose; to serve, glorify and have interesting fellowship with Him. Please note, we are the only one of His numerous creations who can do that. So we’re not here just to have a right old sinful time, and when we insist on doing that, then we’ll pay the penalty, such as it is. The Lord considered all the angles when He planned us. That’s why regardless of how rich, powerful, talented or lucky we are, if the Creator of the universe isn’t an integral part of our lives, then a part of us is always empty, lonely and miserable. For our purposes, we’ll simply call it God’s spot within our souls, a spot that no one or nothing else can ever fill. And unfortunately, if it’s void and empty, then that human soul will know no joyous peace and rest, since it is the Lord existing and working within us that provides those earthly goodies. Now Friends, hear the final word from the ultimate authority on the subject; none other than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when talking to the Samaritan woman by the well. ‘Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well (fountain) of water springing up into everlasting life.’ (John 4:13-14) Yes my people, it’s that simple: unless we go to the fountain of life to drink, we’ll be forever thirsty. So let’s wake up and smell the roses nuh. Till tomorrow, God willing, when we’ll continue with the second part of our Bit. Mucho Mucho LOVE!…the living waters of God’s fountain flow plenteous and free…but only those thirsty souls who drink of it…will life everlasting see…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 August 2010 Job 20:4-5‏

28 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Job 20:4-5      Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth, That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

 

Well Friends, I’ve scanned all the obits, and the news is great! I haven’t seen any of our names listed there! Wow! That must mean we’re still alive and kicking, which in turn means that we owe the Lord a great, big: ‘Thank you Father! Thank you for allowing us to enjoy another beautiful day on planet Earth! The going isn’t always easy, in fact it’s sometimes very rough, but we know that you always have our best interests at heart, and won’t allow us to suffer or bear more than we can handle. For these good intentions towards us, we praise your Holy Name and will continue to glorify you through your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen!’ Yes Friends, we’ve been granted at least one more day, so let’s live it to the max nuh! Let’s live it wisely, by doing the best we can in the Lord’s name, with what we have. It might not be anything spectacular, but then we know that our God isn’t all that interested in, or influenced by glorified works. He’s mainly interested in the simple, heartfelt acts we do in His Name for others, especially when they take us out of our comfort zone. In keeping with that statement, we therefore cannot be found guilty of the ungodliness described by our Bit. ‘Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon the earth, That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?’ Words of awesome truth, my people! Now yesterday we looked at the comeuppance of the wicked, and ended by saying that making promises to God and not keeping them is one of the worse things we can do, for then we become worse than the unbeliever, adding liar and hypocrite to our other negative titles. And what does Zophar say about the joy of a hypocrite? That it only lasts for a moment! Oh Friends, hear these wise words of Bildad, another of Job’s buddies, affirming God’s justice. ‘Can the rush (papyrus) grow up without mire (marshland)? Can the flag (reeds) grow without water? Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it witherest before any other herb. So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish: Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider’s web (house). He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.’ (Job 8:11-15) Now listen to Job on the hypocrite’s hopelessness: ‘For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call upon God?’ (Job 27:8-10) Oh my people, the answers to all those questions are negative! That means it’s not behaviour a child of God, a true believer ought to be involved in. So let’s all sit down and take good stock of ourselves, by searching our hearts and asking the Lord to help us find any wickedness, deceit or hypocrisy that’s contained therein. And if we do find some, then further asking Him to help us purge it all, so that we do not end up like Lucifer’s henchmen, stripped of our prosperity, our shining stars dulled, and our souls headed for eternal death and damnation with the prince of darkness. Oh mih breddren…hn, hn! I was going to say that’s a fate worse than hell, then I realized that that was indeed hell. Friends, trying to live a righteous life in this unrighteous, ungodly world is very difficult at best, and though it seems that all around us the wicked is prospering, please don’t pay it too much attention, don’t get taken in by its false front. That prosperity will be short lived. We need to remember, first and foremost that we are spiritual beings, merely existing for a moment of time in our earthly bodies, which eventually die and return to the dust from whence they came. That leaves our spirit free of a physical body. And the big question is what then? It’s the most important question we will ever ask ourselves my people. And it’s one we have to ask and answer before the body dies, because then it’s too late to do anything about our souls, for they have already been pledged to either death and damnation, or salvation and eternal life by the beliefs and behaviour of our human bodies. And, in light of what we’ve just spoken about, it’s obvious that the wicked, deceitful and hypocritical soul will not enjoy salvation that leads to eternal life with the Holy Trinity, but eternal damnation with the master of death. That’s why it’s of the utmost importance that we make the right choice now my people, before it’s too late. We know not when we’ll breathe that last breath of polluted earthly air, but it can be anytime. So in closing, let me urge us all to set our hearts and houses in order, RIGHT NOW, that whenever we breathe our last breath, we’ll be all set, with our souls heaven bound. Just like we take lots of precautions with our earthly possessions, let’s plan ahead for the most important time of our lives, and make proper provision for our eternal souls. It’s the wisest investment we’ll ever make. Much LOVE! …only a soul that seeks the Lord on earth…will see His face in heaven…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 August 2010 Job 20:4-5‏

27 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Job 20:4-5     Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth, That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?
 
Oh Friends, please accept my apology for putting the wrong date on yesterday’s Bit, though I’m sure many of you didn’t notice it. And would you believe that I looked at that line and figured something was wrong, but just did not clue in, until after I had blogged it. Anyhow, the date doesn’t matter all that much, but the day does! Why? Because it’s Friday! So let’s sing the TGIF Song! ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your 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 in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Yes mih people, that’s our TGIF Song! You might not like it’s tone, but that’s what we should be wishing and asking for. And if we pretend to be this big Christian, then slough off the Christian things and ethics we’re supposed to do and have, then we become one of those people whom Job’s friend, Zophar speaks of, the wicked and the hypocrite. And as he so eloquently asks in our Bit: ‘Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon the earth, That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?’ Ah my Friends, those are indeed very truthful words! Though we might see the wicked triumphing and prospering all around us in this ungodly world, please don’t be fooled by their outward success or shining stars for we don’t know how they got them. But one thing is for sure, if they came by them through evil machinations, then those same evil ways will eventually bring them to their knees, and the brilliant light of their shining stars will disappear just like a blown light bulb. (smile) Yes my people, the prosperity of the wicked, though it seems wonderful, only lasts a short time. Bruh David said it thus: ‘I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree (native green tree). Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.’  (Ps.37:35-38) That’s right my brethren; from time immemorial, the wicked has been seen to prosper and triumph over the righteous, but also from then, the time of his prosperity has been very short. Hear Zophar as he continues on the topic. ‘Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; Yet shall he perish for ever like his own dung (refuse): they which have seen him shall say, Where is he? He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.’ (Job 20:6-8) Now do we want to be numbered amongst the fly by night prosperous my people? Certainly not! And how do we prevent that? Again we’ll quote Bruh David from Psalm 37, his true state of the wicked address: ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.’ (Ps.37:34) And the mighty mouths of God’s people filled the air, sending thanks and praises ringing through the heavens and the earth. ‘Thank you Lord! Glory Hallelujah! We give grateful thanks for your great benefaction, and praise your Holy Name! The earth is yours and all therein, and you only mete out mercy to the righteous and penitent! You punish the wicked, sending their souls down to Hades to dwell with Lucifer. Oh Lord, you’re such a kind, forgiving, merciful and gracious God! We LOVE you with all our hearts and souls, and faithfully promise to work together to further your kingdom here on earth. Oh praise the Lord for His goodness to the sinful children of men! Selah!’ And now my Friends, having prayed all of that, we need to go out and genuinely do it. Remember, one of the worse things we can ever do is to make promises to God and don’t keep them. Then we become worse than the unbelievers; adding hypocrite to our other negative titles. But that’s another subject, which we’ll leave for tomorrow; God willing of course. I don’t want to clutter us up with too much information at once, but just enough that we can comfortably read, and inwardly digest in one sitting. In other words, I don’t want to make it too long, because our mental apparatus these days is set with a very short fuse and timer. (smile) Till tomorrow then Friends, please go safely in the Lord’s blessing, and let’s try to do the things we’ve promised our God. If we do, then a big, appreciative smile will appear on His ever LOVING countenance and bring joy to His hopeful heart. Much LOVE!…to serve the Lord God Almighty faithfully…is the only wise way to live this earthly life…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 August 2010 Proverbs 10:12‏

26 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 10:12     The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
 
Top o’ the mornin’ mih beautiful Friends in Christ! It’s a new day, with new mercies overflowing, so let’s offer some thanks and praise to our most gracious and generous heavenly Father. ‘Oh Lord, your humble and obedient servants thank you for allowing us to see the brilliant sun rise once again, and ask that you guide us safely through whatever life brings our way today. We know we’re not worthy to receive all you do for and give us, but we also know and greatly appreciate that you’re an omnipotent and magnanimous God, who takes great pleasure in LOVING His children and guiding them safely through this earthly life. We praise and honour your Holy Name, praying this through your wonderful Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.’ Yes Friends, the best way, the wise way to start our day is with a little prayer, praise and thanksgiving! It just gets our day off on the right foot. And remember to do it all day too, as Bruh Paul advises: ‘Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess.5:17-18) And if we take that advice to heart my people, then most likely our words will be gracious in our dealings with others, making us seem oh so wise. But if we don’t, then the odds are we’ll end up looking like fools. That’s because: ‘The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool swallow up himself.’ And the first place, or the first way to seek wisdom is to look to our God; communicate with Him, re our whole lives, whatever our hopes, fears, doubts, dream and problems. True wisdom declares that we should take them all to the Lord in prayer. Now yesterday we looked at the first part of our Bit, re the wise man’s words being gracious. Today, let’s consider the fool’s response. And the first step along the foolish part is not communicating with our heavenly Father. Yes Friends, regardless of who we are, and all the wealth, talent and power we might possess, if we don’t talk to the Creator, we’re automatically headed down Fool’s Lane. Absolutely no ifs, ands or buts about that! And here we’ll just insert a couple of rather apt verses from Cousin Sol. ‘The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating (babbling) fool shall fall (be ruined).’ (Prov.10:8) And if that verse didn’t catch your fancy my brethren, then try this one: ‘Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.’ (Prov.10:14) Now aren’t those awesome truths Friends? Of course! For we all have had occasion to say and/or do foolish things that caused us to pay a price. Whether it was high or low, we still paid because of our foolish, unwise attitude. And unfortunately, a lot of our foolish behaviour stems from overblown pride and arrogance; thinking ourselves so much better than we truly are. Oh Friends, unless we’re humble, before both God and man, we’ll experience much unnecessary hardship, because our foolish pride will only lead us down the foolish path. There’s nothing that screws up our lives like proud and arrogant behaviour. It causes us to fall in this trap that the author of Ecclesiastes describes so accurately. ‘A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fools heart at his left. Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way (along), his wisdom faileth him (he lacks wisdom), and he saith (shows) to every one that he is a fool.’ (Eccl.10:2-3) Now there’s no good reason for us to portray that image of ourselves, but sadly, for one reason or another, many believers do. Oh Friends, we already have a lot of the world against us, simply because we believe in Jesus and try to walk in His footsteps, we don’t need to give them any more ammunition to battle us with. That means we have to be very circumspect in our dealings with others, since they’ll not noise abroad our good deeds, but will surely broadcast our folly and hypocrisy. One serious word of advice mih people: please, please, let’s stop talking as much as we do. The more we talk is the more opportunity we have to get ourselves in trouble. Everybody seems to be jumping on the bandwagon of this new talkative society that we’re seeing evolve, but Friends it’s just Beelzebub’s work in disguise. It makes money for its proponents, but causes a whole lot of pain and heartache to the foolish who unfortunately embrace it without proper thought, boundaries and priorities. Yes Friends, call me old fashioned! I’m proud to be! I get myself into enough foolish trouble without all those new fangled tools of communication. And the problem is not that they can’t be useful tools, but we use them as lifestyle choices, rather than mere tools. And since most of us live boring, mundane lives, what have we got talk about so much eh? Same old, same old! That means if we don’t have much of our own business to talk about, then we minding other people’s business. And as 3 Canal says: ‘If you don’t have no business; find a business, and stop minding other people’s business.’ Remember too that the devil finds work for both evil hands and mouths to do, and if you’re not securely hooked up with the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, then most likely you’re in enemy country, heading down Fool’s Lane. And that, my beautiful Friends in Christ, is no sensible place to be! Because, as the Preacher says: ‘The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth (consumes) his own flesh.’ (Eccl.4:5) Now how bright is that eh? And we’ll end with a few more verses on unwise behaviour. ‘A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover (express) itself…A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes (blows). A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.’ (Prov.18:2,6-7) Oh Friends, the Good Book is full of examples of foolish and wise behaviour; the former being characterized by much useless talk and incompetent behaviour, while the latter places God first in our hearts, minds and souls. That’s the only way to avoid foolish, unwise behaviour. So please, let’s faithfully promise ourselves to place God first and foremost in all that we say and do, and to consult Him, before we say or do anything at all. Till tomorrow then, God willing, please walk in blessed peace, safety and LOVE. Much LOVE mih people!…the path to true wisdom…is only found…through Jesus Christ…
 

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