Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 July 2010 Isaiah 30:2‏

15 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 30:2     That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt.
 
Oh Friends, yesterday I wanted to add this verse at the end of the Bit as a colour commentary of the Lord, but the Spirit vetoed it. And now we know why. He wanted us to continue talking about the constant rebellion and disobedience to God; in this particular case that of Israel, but in general, all of us not asking His opinion before making decisions. The first verse already spells out the confusion and contention to befall those who don’t take counsel of the Lord, then try to hide it under Lucifer’s cover, not His Spirit, so that they can just keep adding sin to sin. Now He continues to talk specifically about those ‘That walk to go down into Egypt,’ because they feel Egypt is strong and mighty and can help them against their enemies. But Friends, the Lord nips that idea right in the bud, for in Chapter 31 He solemnly declares: ‘Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay (rely) on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord! 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. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen (helped) shall fall down, and they all shall fail (perish) together.’ (Is.31:1-3) My people we cannot ask for a more explicit explanation and warning than that. He spells it out loud and clear, and since His Word doesn’t change, it means that even till today we’re living under the same warning. And what really seems to hurt the Lord in these situations is our utter lack of consideration and respect, the boldfaced disdain we show for Him and His advice, especially when we’re His chosen people, or claim to be believers, followers of His Son Jesus. It’s the common thread in all the statements: ‘and have not asked at my mouth (asked my advice).’ Yes mih people, if we don’t ask the Lord’s advice, He gets a bit perturbed, to say the least. (smile) Here’s another good example of where Israel failed to consult the Lord. We’re talking about the Gibeonites treachery; (Josh. 9) pretending to be from a distant land, come to make a peace treaty with Israel because they’d heard of their God’s might and power. But they were really neighbours. The Good Book tells it thus: ‘And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league (covenant, treaty) with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.’ (Josh.9:14-15) Israel’s failure to seek divine guidance before making that treaty put them between a rock and a hard place. Because of the solemn oath of peace that Joshua and the elders swore, they were forced to keep the treaty, even though it caused them no end of trouble later on. The same thing would happen to the Israelites when they decided to trust their safety to Pharaoh and not the God of their fathers. And He spells it out for them. That’s the beauty of our God, my Friends; He doesn’t leave anything to conjecture, He tells us exactly what His intentions are. ‘Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion (humiliation)…For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still. Now go, write it before them in a table (on a tablet), and note it in a book (on a scroll), that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever.’ (Is.30:3,7-8) Yuh see mih breddren; it is written in the Good Book to warn us forever and ever, not to trust in men, machines nor animals, but in the Lord God Jehovah! Oh Friends, I don’t see why it’s so hard to understand the Lord’s position nuh since it’s basically similar to ours with our earthly children. All the things we don’t like our children doing, are the same the Lord doesn’t want us to do. Although I guess there are some things some parents allow or encourage their children to do that doesn’t sit well with the Lord. And that’s where the parting of ways comes about. But here’s another simple rule of thumb Friends; if we don’t like what our children or others are doing to us, then the Lord doesn’t like us doing it to Him either. And if we’re decent earthly parents, that should serve us in good stead in most of our dealings with our heavenly Father. And that Friends, is the short but sweet lesson for today! (smile) Much LOVE!…as children of the Most High God…we ought to be obedient to His will…else we’ll surely suffer the consequences…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 July 2010 Isaiah 30:1‏

14 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 30:1     Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin.
 
Oh Friends, it’s another beautiful day in paradise! Wow! And if we haven’t seen our names in the morning obits, then let’s all join in glorious praise of our magnificent and magnanimous God nuh. All together now: ‘Praise Him, Praise Him, Glory Hallelujah; He is LOVE, Yes, He is LOVE!’ Now Friends, answer me this conundrum, this riddle I this: If our God is LOVE and all those other great things we talk about, why do we try to run and/or hide from Him, plus revel in disobedience eh? Yesterday we reasoned that the Lord was the ultimate judge of the world, with power to both lift up and abase, but in spite of that we still refuse to acknowledge and obey Him. Today’s Bit is a perfect example of what we’re talking about. The Lord had brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and led them to the Promised Land. At first they were appreciative and obedient, but when they waxed prosperous, instead of becoming wealthy and wise, they became wealthy and complacent, foolishly believing that it was their own strength and wisdom that made them so. Oh my people, today we are also guilty of that sin of complacency and foolish pride. Too many of us get swell headed when we begin moving up in the world. We foolishly affect all sorts of airs and graces, believing that it’s all our own doing. But Friends, nothing could be further from the truth. Nothing in this life is done totally on our own strength; the Lord God Jehovah always has a hand in it, either to cause or allow it, for whatever purpose He desires. And until we sow that fact deep in our hearts, we’ll always have problems with the Lord. In the 30th Chapter of Isaiah, titled, ‘The futility of relying on Egypt,’ the people of Judah are considering making an alliance with Egypt against the Assyrians, without first talking to God about it. What a mistake that mih breddren! Why? Because nothing irks or hurts our God as when we do stuff, make decisions, especially important ones, without Him in the picture. That’s why He instructs Isaiah thus: ‘Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me.’ Just like we feel left out when our close earthly companions or families make important decisions without involving us, the same way the Lord feels slighted and unimportant when we leave Him out of our decision-making. Isaiah continues the Lord’s statement: ‘and that cover with a covering (devise plans, weave a web), but not of my spirit.’ Hn! Oh my brethren, we are being spiritually suicidal when we devise plans without the cover, the protection of the Lord’s Spirit. We are setting up both the plans and ourselves to fail right from the very beginning, because the Lord is a jealous God and wants to be an active participant in all our doings. Why is that so hard for us to understand eh? Now, due to our sinful, disobedient nature, we’re not always going to accept the Spirit’s advice, but we should never be guilty of not first consulting the Lord God Jehovah. As Isaiah says earlier on: ‘Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us" and who knoweth us?’ (Is.29:15) Oh Friends, that’s the height of stupidity! Man might not see you, but the Lord certainly will, for He is omniscient; sees everything, everywhere. So you can’t run nor hide from the Lord, and as the old people said, anything done in darkness eventually comes to light. And I’m sure that all of us have examples of that in our lives. Sometimes the things are small and unimportant, so they don’t create much of a problem, but the more serious ones can surely wreak havoc in our lives when they do come to light. Now that’s also one of the reasons Jesus gave for coming to earth. ‘I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.’ (John 12:46) Oh my people, please realize that darkness is Beelzebub’s cover. He uses it to do his evil deeds. But out Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is a beacon and a bastion of light. He has no need to hide under cover of darkness, for all His doings are open and above board. ‘And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.’ (John 1:5) Yuh see Friends, light is stronger than darkness; darkness cannot stop light from flowing into it. And the lesson, or rule of thumb we can draw from that is, whenever we are doing something that needs to be hidden, or we’re tempted to hide it, then generally speaking we’re doing wrong, and we should stop and consult the Lord before going further. When we try to do things in darkness and without consulting the Lord, we’re doing like He said of the Israelites: ‘that they may add sin to sin.’ Like Moses warned the Israelites, re obedience, when they made the covenant with the Lord in the land of Moab. If anyone turns away from the Lord and serves other gods: ‘And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination (stubbornness) of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst. Then the Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke (burn) against that man, and al the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.’ (Deut.29:19-20) My brethren, please learn that we cannot have peace in our souls if we’re walking with stubbornness, rebellion and disobedience in our hearts. We’re only fooling ourselves if we think so. Why? Because peace only comes from walking in obedience to God’s will. Please remember that, otherwise we’ll be in for a real rough life. Much LOVE!…unless we walk with God…our souls will be dry, wretched and fruitless…
 

Today’s Scrip- Bit 13 July 2010 Psalm 75:7‏

13 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 75:7     But God is the judge: he putteth one down, and setteth up another.
 
Oh Friends, Today’s Bit will be short and sweet! And all God’s people shouted: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’  It will also contain, perhaps the most important lesson we need to learn as human beings; that the Lord God Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is El Numero Uno! Yes Friends, He is Number ONE! No ifs ands and buts about that. But before we get into it, here’s a quote that perfectly exemplifies out theme. It’s attributed to Roger Ascham, (1515-1568) an English scholar and writer, also tutor to Queen Elizabeth I, and says: ‘It is costly wisdom that is bought by experience.’ And mih people, that’s the living truth! There are many ways to obtain wisdom, but unfortunately the most expensive is paying the price through personal experience. As I’ve told my children from day one, the best way to learn is from the mistakes of others. We have all been designated to make some mistakes, but why make more than has been allotted to us eh? There’s a lesson to be learned from every mistake, but many of us don’t learn it and just keep on making the same ones over and over, very often with disastrous results. So it’s essential we try to learn not only from our own errors, but also from those of others. Believe me Friends, all the possible mistakes have already been made. As Cousin Sol says, there’s nothing new under the sun. Whatever we do now, somebody has already done and paid the price. So why do it again since the price doesn’t usually get cheaper, but more expensive with each redoing? But that’s the hard headedness of man; the stubborn, rebellious nature that dictates; ‘I want to see for myself.’ Hn! And sadly Friends, the biggest mistake man has been making from the beginning of time is ignoring the Lord God Jehovah; considering Him of little or no account, taking Him lightly, disregarding Him as a soft touch, easily bamboozled, easily conned. I really don’t know why, for there’s absolutely no wisdom in that approach, and no reason whatsoever to do it. In fact the exact opposite is true. We ought to be taking the Most High God very seriously from all the examples we have of His might, power, glory and anger. Adam and Eve didn’t listen, and consequently paid a horrific price, which we’re still paying even today. The Israelites, God’s specially chosen people, didn’t listen either, not once, but several times, and they too paid a high price; wandering in the wilderness for forty long years, and also being in captivity and slavery on several occasions. And the Good Book isn’t the only place we can find examples of foolish decisions, but man’s history is literally riddled with them, that’s why there’s been so much dissension, wars and all the other negatives throughout that time. But the real head shaker is that despite all the disastrous examples there are of ignoring God or taking Him too lightly, so many of us still do it. Oh my people, if we don’t understand and/or appreciate anything else in this earthly life, please, I beg of us, please understand this one thing, which the psalmist Asaph put so succinctly many years ago. ‘But God is the judge.’ Friends, that’s the most important thing for us to understand and acknowledge. Asaph was so sure of this fact that earlier on in another psalm titled ‘God is the judge,’ he emphatically says: ‘And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.’ (Ps.50:6) Oh my people, why is that so hard to understand and accept eh? Now in the next part of the Bit the psalmist explains his statement: ‘he putteth down one, and setteth up another.’ That says it all right there Friends! If He has the power to raise up as well as to humble, why do we insist on treating Him like a nonentity eh? When we go before our earthly judges we behave ourselves, treat them with courtesy and respect, beg, plead and grovel for mercy because they have power over our earthly lives. But the Mighty One, who has overall control of our physical and spiritual lives, we conveniently ignore, until we find ourselves in trouble. My brethren, I know I promised that this will be short and sweet, but right now the Spirit’s guiding me to the Song of Hannah to prove the point. Please listen closely to Hannah’s words when the Lord changed her barren state and gave her a son, Samuel. ‘My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn (strength) is exalted in the Lord; my mouth is enlarged (smiles) over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none besides thee: neither is there any rock like our God…The Lord killeth and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up…The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.’ (1 Sam.2:1-2,6-7,10) Oh Friends, if that doesn’t wake us up to the reality of God’s omnipotence, then I don’t know what will. Please, mih people let’s take Him seriously, for He is our be all and end all. If we depart this life without doing so, then to put it mildly; crapaud smoke we pipe. We’ll be lost in eternal death and damnation, keeping Lucifer company forever. Now is that wisdom? Not on yuh life! Well let’s show the world some wisdom then nuh. Much LOVE!…he who hath ears to hear…let him hear…for when you don’t hear…you always feel…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 July 2010 1 Corinthians 15:10‏

12 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Corinthians 15:10     But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

 

Oh Friends, we finally got the thunder storm promised so long ago. And it seems that the showers of blessing were so powerful and plentiful that motorists had to pull over and park till it stopped. I didn’t see that, but I surely heard Thor’s hammer violently pounding away in the heavens. And isn’t our God amazing in how one minute the sky is black with clouds and water is pouring noisily down from heaven, then next minute there are bright blue skies and brilliant sunshine, with no trace of the violent storm? Wow! But here’s something that’s not amazing or amusing; it’s Monday morning! Time to rise and shine and hit the road like Jack! Steups! And I hear many of us griping, singing the Monday morning blues. But it’s not really that bad my people. Once we’ve put on our full spiritual armour, we’ll be fine, able to handle anything that Beelzebub throws at us. For with that armour we’re protected by the grace of God, which no being, living or inanimate can thwart. Just remember that. And as promised we’ll continue looking at Bruh Paul’s statement to the Corinthians. ‘But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.’ Yesterday we defined ‘grace’ as God’s unmerited favour and heard what Bruh Paul told the Romans in regard to his mission to the Gentiles. Now hear how he imparted it to the Ephesians. ‘Wherefore I was made (became) a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual (effective) working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.’ (Eph.3:7-9) Yes Friends, Bruh Paul couldn’t have become a minister of the gospel without the grace of God, especially since he was the church’s biggest persecutor. He definitely needed the enabling, enervating grace of our Lord God to rise to that position. Yesterday we also considered that the same grace is granted to each believer to pursue his assigned task, and unlike Bruh Paul, many of us have either squandered or not satisfactorily used that grace, that undeserved favour bestowed on us to do God’s work, which is partly why the church in particular, and the world in general are in such a sad state of disrepair and disrepute. We also asked that each believer should take personal inventory of how we are using and/or abusing God’s grace and try to do better. Now we’ll look at the second half of Bruh Paul’s statement, starting with; ‘but I laboured more abundantly than they all.’ That my brethren, we all know is gospel, for nobody’s done as much or suffered as much as Bruh Paul in the furtherance of God’s Word and the building of His church. The work of all the apostles and big names who walked with Jesus pales in comparison to Bruh Paul’s labours. His missionary journeys are legendary, so is the physical, emotional and mental suffering he endured as a result of his zeal in preaching the gospel; beatings, shipwrecks, stoning, etc. You name it, he suffered it. It’s spelled out in more detail in 2 Cor.11:21-33. And the great thing about Bruh Paul is that he took such joy in the Lord and the gospel, that much of what we read today as part of the New Testament was written by him while in prison, there again showing the mysterious and contrary ways in which our God operates. And those jails were nothing like we have today, but were more like dark, damp dungeons where you were often shackled to the wall and didn’t have much room to move around. But there too, by God’s grace Bruh Paul had ample time and space to sit and think, ponder and meditate and write what the Lord was speaking to his heart. And he ends the statement by admitting that, ‘yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.’ Oh Friends, how true that is! Bruh Paul could certainly not have done and endured all he did without the hand of God present. There were just too many trials and tribulations for one mortal being to undergo without divine help; too much luck and coincidence in his spreading the gospel, beginning with his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus and ending with his beheading in Rome. But as he told the Philippians; ‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his (according to) his good pleasure.’ (Phil.2:13) Yes my people, it’s God who’s working in us, and though we’re not called on to perform the superhuman deeds of Bruh Paul, Jesus does expect us to use our God-given grace much better than we are currently doing. Remember we’re His ambassadors here on earth, so others will look to us for help and guidance in His Name, therefore we ought to be sterling examples of what it means to be a believer, a Christian, a follower of Christ. And with the considerable contention and dissension in the church, we obviously aren’t doing such a good job for Christ, though we are filled with His undeserved grace. Oh my people, what is it going to take for us to wake up and realize that the enemy, the heathen, the iniquity worker is currently winning the war, while we argue and fight among ourselves? Nobody can make us do anything, each individual has to feel the call in their heart to not only get up and proclaim God’s word, but also use the grace we’ve been granted to live it and spread it all over God’s great earth. Remember Friends, that’s the mandate given to us by our Leader, Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.’ (Mat.28:18-20) Oh Friends, Christ’s grace, power, authority and Spirit are always with us. Let’s use them wisely and without delay in what He’s asked of us, for time’s fast running out. Much LOVE!…amazing grace…how sweet the sound…that saved a wretch like me…twas grace that taught my heart to fear…and grace my fears relieved…how precious did that grace appear…the hour I first believed…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 July 2010 1 Corinthians 15:10‏

11 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Corinthians 15:10     But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

 

Oh Friends, like it’s one of those days; I know what I want to say, but not how to say it.  Writer’s block…who knows? As usual, I’ve asked for divine guidance, but it hasn’t come as yet, though I’m sure it will. And when it does come…Brother!  I’ll be able to write more than I can ask, imagine or ever intended. (smile) But Friends, that’s the way of our God; magnanimous in blessing.  When we deal righteously with Him, He returns the favour in abundance, so I’m just waiting patiently for the Lord to pour out His grace on me, like He did with Bruh Paul, so that I can write something worthy of Him and His Word. Wow! Are those words of wisdom or what! (smile) Seriously though people, Bruh Paul told the Corinthians: ‘But by the grace of God I am what I am.’ Now what did he mean by that? I guess we should first ascertain a general definition of that mighty word ‘grace.’ In religious circles it’s usually considered to be the unmerited favour of God, favour, blessings that we don’t truly deserve. And as Bruh Paul says in the prior verse: ‘For I am the least of the apostles, that I am not meet (worthy) to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church.’ (1 Cor.15:9) And in the natural order of things, he might have been right, but then again, that all important word ‘grace’ pops up, that unmerited, undeserved favour of God. Although he might not have earned or deserved it, the Lord saw something(s) in him, like his zeal, education and family background that was an extremely appropriate palette to paint the picture He desired.  Oh Friends, today I believe the Lord is doing the same thing; looking at each of us, analyzing our strengths and weaknesses and deciding what we need to do the job(s) that He’s called us to do. Bruh Paul claims that he was the least of the apostles, but told the Roman church: ‘Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort (on some points), as putting you in mind (reminding you), because of the grace that is given to me of God, That I should be the (a) minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.’ (Rom.15:15-16) Now doesn’t that sound rather unlikely in the natural; for one of the biggest persecutors of the Church, and a zealous Jew of the old law at that, to be given the task to spread the gospel to the heathen, the Gentiles?  But Friends, that’s the way our God operates. He takes great pleasure in using the most unlikely candidate to do His work, thereby confounding both the wise and ignorant, the godly and ungodly. As He delights in telling us: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways…For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is.55:8-9) Now that most certainly puts us in our proper place, doesn’t it? And that’s why Bruh Paul could with a clear conscience state: ‘But by the grace of God I am what I am.’ It wasn’t through his doing, but the Lord’s that He became Jesus’ chief spokesperson to the Gentiles. And so too can each of us make that same claim my people; we are who we are because of God’s grace. He chose us and gave us the wherewithal to work on His behalf. Now remember, every believer has a part to play in the growth of the church, the furthering of Christ’s kingdom, be it large or small, outwardly important or not. In the eyes of the Lord though, every task He assigns is important. Remember too, Bruh Paul’s comparison of the church to the human body; one whole made up of several different looking and functioning parts, but all necessary for the body’s proper overall functioning. (Rom.12:4-8) We all have varying functions to perform to keep the church running properly and growing. However Friends, the problem is what have we done with that grace the Lord has so generously bestowed on us?  Can we, like Bruh Paul, state with strong conviction: ‘and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain?’ Oh mih breddren, it would definitely be wonderful if all of us could acknowledge that with a positive, convincing ‘Yes!’ But unfortunately, the facts speak for themselves; we have not done such a good job with the unmerited favour we have received, for if we had, Christ’s church would not be in the sad, divided, conflicted, contentious state it is in today, neither would the world be as violent, war-like and ungodly as it is. Too many of us have fallen into Lucifer’s trap of worldly lusts and pleasures instead of foregoing them and choosing the righteous living that Jesus personifies. Remember mih people, just talking the Word means nothing if we’re not living it in our everyday lives. Those who hear us say one thing , then see us do something contrary to our words will just consider us first class hypocrites and vehemently turn against the Word rather than joyfully embrace it. So it all boils down to how well we’re using what we’ve been granted free, gratis and for nothing, to accomplish the purpose that God has set for our earthly lives. Hn, hn! I’m chuckling Friends, because it’s happened just as I predicted at the beginning; I now have more to say than what’s required for Today’s Bit, so we’ll just have to continue it tomorrow, the Lord willing of course. However Friends, before we close, let me implore us once again to take proper stock of ourselves and see how we’re using, or not using the unmerited grace and gifts of God in the execution of His divine purpose assigned to us. These are very crucial and critical times; Christ’s church is suffering while the world is going to hell in a hand basket because evil’s running amok with Lucifer’s cohorts in strong control. In light of such extremely negative circumstances, we’re all called upon to critically and truthfully examine our lives, to see where we’re going wrong and change it asap, so that we can  increase the righteous  aspect of our earthly journey, walking ever closer in the footsteps of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Oh my Friends, I pray that we’ll all sincerely do this in His Holy Name. Amen. Much LOVE!…in compelling fashion…let’s LOVE our God…LIVE our Faith…and SPREAD His Word…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 July 2010 Psalm 37:23-24‏

10 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 37:23-24      The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

 

Oh Friends, that rather persistent heat wave thankfully seems to be over now.  ‘Praise the Lord!’ By the time most of you read yesterday’s Bit, showers of blessings were raining down on us from heaven, and though the day was still muggy, it wasn’t as hot as the previous ones. And you wouldn’t believe how cool it is outside now (3.30 a.m), at least 7 or 8 degrees cooler than last night. I guess between the weatherman, praying for his forecast to come through, and we regular people, praying for some respite from the heat, our prayers were finally answered.  And I’m sure that many people who aren’t in the habit of praying, did plead this past week with heaven for help with the heat. Isn’t it amazing how quickly and plentifully we can turn to God in abnormal times, but steadfastly ignore Him at others? It’s certainly the bane of our existence; like the fair-weather friends that exist so much today, only know you in good times, then vanish in bad ones. Unfortunately, it’s a price we all have to pay with the widespread trend of insincerity currently floating through our society. And though those disappointments will hurt, the true believer doesn’t need to worry too much because as Bruh David truly proclaims in our Bit: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.’ And that’s an undeniable fact my brethren! The true believer’s earthly journey is indeed established, guided and directed by the Lord God Jehovah. This happens when we receive Christ as our Saviour and surrender our lives and our will to the Lord and set our hearts to obediently follow His leading. But note Friends, we first have to surrender our all to His guidance, otherwise He can’t lead and guide us safely. Bruh David acknowledges that when he pleads with a hopeful heart: ‘O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.’ (Ps.119:5-6)  When that happens, then we can surely say; ‘and he delighteth in his way.’ It’s only normal to be happy when others do as we desire. And though, because of our innate sinful nature, we oftimes encourage, promote or reward evil, the Lord only takes pleasure in goodness. That’s why Hannah, in her song on the birth of Samuel late in her life, when she was long considered barren, could joyously claim: ‘He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.’ (1 Sam.2:9)  Yes Friends, remember it’s ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.’ (Zech.4:6)  Oh my people, it’s such a joyful pleasure to walk in the Lord’s way! Why? Because when we walk in tandem with Him, He guides and protects us like no one else can. Bruh David said it. ‘Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.’ ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ And if anybody should know a thing or two about the workings of the Most High God Jehovah, it’s Bruh David. And he attests to his proclamation by declaring; ‘I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings (steps). And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.’ (Ps.40:1-3). Oh Friends, Bruh David was no saint, but he tried his best to walk in the Lord’s statutes, and the Lord lifted him up while beating down his many enemies. Bruh David found such favour with the Lord through his earnest desire to walk with Him, that the Lord made him a descendant of His Son Jesus when He came to earth. My Friends, one couldn’t ask for a greater honour than that. And the Lord will surely do the same for you and me, crown us with glory, if we sincerely try to follow His commandments and do His will. Cousin Sol was another man who saw, felt and acknowledged the goodness of our God, so he also could say with great faith and assurance: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).’ (Prov.24:16) Yes my people, if we’re being guided by the Lord on our earthly journey, then there’s no need to fear what life or man can do to us, because we have the faithful promises of our eternal, omnipotent God that He will lead and guide us safely, then receive us in glory. What more can we ask eh? In conclusion Friends, I implore us all to take these words of the psalmist to heart: ‘O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard. Which holdeth our soul in life (among the living), and suffereth not our feet to be moved (slip).’ (Ps.66:8-9) It will certainly serve us all in good stead. Much LOVE!…to walk with God…is to walk safely and unafraid…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 July 2010 Proverbs 10:2‏

09 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 10:2     Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.
 
Aw shucks Friends, the sweltering heat and humidity have still not abated, neither have the promised showers of blessing materialized. Steups! Thanks Mr. Weatherman! He’s promised though that it will be a few degrees cooler on the weekend, but I’m not holding my breath since weather forecasting is such an inexact science. I guess too, more so than ever, people are mouthing ‘T.G.I.F! Thank God it’s Friday!’ as they have a couple days off to rest and try to escape the heat that’s blanketed the area for the past week. However Friends, please, let’s not use the unusual heat as an excuse to forego our fellowship requirements, because there are many of us just looking for any reason whatsoever to not join our fellow believers in worshipping and glorifying our merciful, magnificent, magnanimous God.  Now that’s not only a mistake, but it also shows the low regard we have for our Creator, Provider and Protector. If it was some sort of bacchanalian event, the heat surely wouldn’t stop us from going though. (smile) And that segues quite nicely into our Bit; the first half of which warns us: ‘Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,’ and which we dealt with yesterday. We heard Jesus talking about the unwise idea or decision to focus on amassing earthly wealth. Today we’ll tackle the other half that says: ‘but righteousness delivereth from death.’ And we have two excellent examples from the Old Testament. The first example concerns Ahab, king of Israel, who marries Jezebel and both live evil lives.. The Good Book says, through the prophet Elijah: ‘But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up (incited). And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. (1 Kin.21:25-26) However, when Elijah told Ahab about the wrath the Lord planned to rain down upon his wicked house; ‘he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly (went about mourning). And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.’ (1 Kin.21:27-29) Yes Friends, Ahab quickly got religion when he heard of the terrible things that would befall his family, and the Lord spared him personally because of his repentance and humility. Our next example though, Nebuchadnezzar, didn’t fare so well, because of his pride and arrogance. When Daniel interpreted his dream, he warned him thus: ‘This is the interpretation O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king: That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times (years) shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure (assured) unto thee, after that thou shalt have known (come to know) that the heavens (Heaven, God) do rule. Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness (by being righteous), and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening (prolonging) of thy tranquility.’ (Dan.4:24-27) Yes Friends, Daniel laid it all out very carefully and explicitly for Neb, warning of everything that would happen if he did not change his sinful ways. But just like so many of us who desire to hear truthful advice, but when it doesn’t match our own interpretation of the facts, we ignore it and do our own thing, foolishly take our own advice. Well so did the great king Nebuchadnezzar. A year later, while walking through his grand palace in Babylon, he proudly proclaims: ‘Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom (a royal dwelling) by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?’ (Dan.4:30) But Friends, our God likes His drama so much, that before Neb could finish talking; ‘there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from you (has been taken away). And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like bird claws.’ (Dan.4:31-33) As the old people said mih breddren, when yuh doh hear, yuh does feel. So for seven long years Neb was crazy. All because he refused to humble himself before the Lord God Almighty, foolishly reckoning that all he possessed and accomplished had been done solely through his might and ingenuity. Now Friends, don’t laugh at Neb’s disastrous outcome because many of us today still follow that proud and arrogant pattern, thinking that we’re just so great, that we’re the cat’s meow. And I’m sure a lot of negative stuff has happened to us because of our proud, selfish attitude, possibly not as dramatic or catastrophic as Neb, but enough to make our lives more difficult than necessary. But mih people, we can’t say enough about the mysterious and brainy workings of our God. With Ahab, He had a turncoat believer to deal with, but in Neb, He used a pagan king to show His absolute authority, wonder and glory. "And at the end of the days (time) I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed (considered) as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay (restrain) his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?… Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgement (justice): and those that walk in pride he is able to abase (humble).’ (Dan.4:34-35,37) Oh Friends, that says it all. Hopefully we’ll all learn that we can’t afford to get too high and mighty, too big for our breeches, and leave God out of the equation, for He’ll surely find a way to let us know of His displeasure. Remember, living a Christian life is not easy, especially in today’s cruel, violent and ungodly world, but it sure is the best when we approach it with a real Christ-like attitude, and it certainly bears the best rewards of salvation and eternal life spent in the wonderful company of Jesus. Wow! So in all our dealings today, let’s remember to act in a positive, productive manner. Much LOVE!…idolizing and amassing worldly wealth is useless…but righteous living saves our souls from eternal death and damnation…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 July 2010 Proverbs 10:2‏

08 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 10:2     Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.
 
And the sweltering summer weather continues unabated Friends, with no sign of the promised showers of blessing. Whew! But the important thing is that we’re all alive and kicking; alive to see another glorious day of the Lord’s making and enjoy the undeserved mercy and goodness that He bestows on the sinful children of men. And all God’s people joyfully proclaimed: ‘Praise the Lord, for His goodness and mercy endureth forever!’ Now that’s an undeniable fact! And on that note, here’s a quote from Kay Lyons that admirably suits our purpose of trying to comprehend and live this crazy life, day in and day out. Kay says: ‘Yesterday is a cancelled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have – so spend it wisely.’ And isn’t that the living truth mih people! Yesterday’s gone forever. Tomorrow hasn’t come as yet; and it may never come since we might not live to see it. The only sure thing we have is today, that’s why we’re encouraged to use it wisely. And having said that, if we look at the first half of our Bit; ‘Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,’ we can obviously realize that trying to accumulate earthly treasures, through wicked or ungodly devices, is certainly not a sensible or wise way to use today. And the same goes for each and every today we live my Friends! You’d notice that Jesus was very passionate about not accumulating earthly treasure for the wrong reasons and also through the wrong avenues. He sternly warned His disciples: ‘Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.’ (Luke 12:15) Unfortunately though, too many of us today have yet to heed that warning and learn the lesson it teaches, for we still run behind the treasures of the world, spend most of our lives trying to accumulate them, then when we die, leave it all behind for others to enjoy and fight over. Isn’t it a sort of poetic justice that Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson were so overwhelmed by their earthly fame and fortune, it confounded them and eventually brought about their untimely deaths. But even in death, they are still the biggest money earners. Oh Friends, please let’s learn from those two modern examples, as well as the parable that Jesus told about the rich fool; the one who looked out over his possessions and saw that they were so plentiful that his storehouses couldn’t hold it all. So what did he do? In his selfish wisdom, he decided to tear them all down and build bigger and better ones that would be able to hold all his goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:19-21) Yes Friends, that’s a perfect example of how ‘treasures of wickedness profit nothing.’ The rich fool did not even talk to God about his problems, just went ahead and made his own solitary, selfish decisions. I heard somebody preach about that recently; I believe it was Uncle Charles, Charles Stanley, and they made the point that the rich fool could or should have at least considered giving away the excess of his bounty, the part which could not fit in his already bulging storehouses. That move would definitely have sat much better with the Lord. But mih breddren, in actual life that’s a tough row to hoe, because by nature we’re selfish, ‘grabby-grabby, gravalicious’ and greedy individuals, and sadly the current standards of our world just reinforce that negative image. Consequently, too many of us, even believers, find it extremely difficult to share our bounty with others, especially if we believe we’ve worked very hard for it. However Friends, that’s the whole point about Jesus: His coming to earth as a man, suffering the human frailties and dying that dreadful death on the cross for us, then rising from death to new life. That’s all about unselfishness, caring and helping. Our heavenly Father set the example of selflessness for us by sacrificing His only Son Jesus on our behalf, and because of that, all who believe in Him are assured of eternal life. But we can’t believe in Him, and at the same time live the selfish, evil, ungodly, me and mine life that the world regales and delights in. Instead we need to live a life filled with we and our, with sharing and caring for each other, for widows and orphans and strangers like Jesus did. Oh Friends, space and time are unfortunately upon us, but we’ll continue this topic tomorrow, God willing of course. In the meanwhile, let’s take close stock of ourselves and make sure that we’re not letting the glitzy, glamorous looking but oh so flimsy treasures of earth lead us down the wrong path. No one, believer or unbeliever, is automatically guaranteed protection from it, we all have to make conscious, continuing efforts to thwart that evil feeling, and it’s ever so easy to go astray. My people, please, oh please remember that. Much LOVE!…what’s the point in making it…if you can’t take it eh… 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 July 2010 Luke 10:2‏

07 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Luke 10:2     Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
 
Oh Friends, the Lovin Spoonful sure got it right when they sang about: ‘Hot town, summer in the city. Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty…’ Toronto sure is a hot town this week; what with high temps, humidity and smog alerts, too few public swimming pools, the fallout from the Summits still falling out, the Mayoral race heating up and an electricity blackout on Monday afternoon. Luckily the blackout only affected about a quarter of a million people. Apparently a hydro breaker burst into flames, for whatever reason, and short-circuited almost everything in downtown T.O. However, the systems in place to disconnect the non-working sections from the main grid seems to have worked perfectly, else we could have experienced a repeat of that infamous blackout in 2003, when an Ohio problem left a lot of North America, approximately fifty million people, in darkness. Bravo T.O! In our Bit today, Jesus is sending His disciples out to do some fieldwork, some sowing and harvesting. Now Luke is the only gospel which talks about Him sending out seventy disciples. Matthew and Mark just mention the twelve primary disciples. However, regardless of the number, Jesus is in fact sending His people out to do some missionary work, and at the very outset, He warns them: ‘The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few.’ He meant that a lot of people needed saving, but there were only a comparative few to carry out that highly important mission. Jesus also mentioned that problem to the disciples after meeting the Samaritan woman at the well and convincing her that He was indeed the Messiah. She in turn went back to the city and related her exhilarating experience, which resulted in a large crowd coming out to see and hear Jesus. And while the disciples wondered how Jesus’ physical hunger was fed, though He meant spiritual, He told them: ‘Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.’ (John 4:35) He was obviously referring to the large gathering that had come out of the Samarian city to see Him. Just imagine Jesus lifting up His hand and waving it around the crowd as he said those words. The actual harvesting of crops in the field might have been four months away, but the harvesting of men for God’s kingdom was imminent, right before their very eyes. But my Friends, unfortunately that disproportionate proportion of few harvesters to much harvest that existed in Jesus’ time, still exists today. There are lots of people in this crazy, violent, evil world ready to be brought into our God’s wonderful kingdom, but sadly not enough people to tell them about the Lord, to share Jesus’ important and dramatic story and bring them to salvation and eternal life. How sad that such a situation still exists eh. All over this world there are people in various stages of want and need, many oppressed and suppressed, who would gladly embrace Jesus and His way of life if they could only hear and see it in action. But unfortunately again, this isn’t being widely done as it should be for several reasons; among them lack of persons willing to undertake the necessary missionary responsibilities, which necessitates monetary availability, and even worse, the reluctance and/or lack of sufficient interest in the overall church to do missionary and outreach work. To a certain extent the attitude is understandable since many of the churches in the supposedly rich nations with the current ungodly wave, are struggling to stay alive and open, often experiencing falling membership and thus declining monetary power. But Friends, missionary work is not only needed in far off countries, but also right in our own home towns. Anyone who believes in Christ, tries to live a life worthy of Him and consciously spreads His Word is a missionary and there’s lots of work available. So there’s really nothing to stop us from doing God’s work wherever we’re currently planted. And as Jesus said in the Bit to those He sent out: ‘pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers unto his harvest.’ My people, the same thing is expected of us today, possibly even more so because there are a greater number of lost and unsaved people in the world today than in Jesus’ day. And since salvation can only be attained through a personal relationship with Him, then we need to reach as many individuals as possible so that they too can hear the good news of the gospel and have the opportunity to be saved. Friends, that means prayer for people to come forth to help, must be the first item on our agenda. As Bruh Paul told the Thessalonians: ‘Finally brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course (run, rein), and be glorified, even as it is with you.’ (2 Thess.3:1) It’s a responsibility of all Christians to pray for the furtherance of the kingdom by whatever means possible, including generous monetary support of our missionaries and churches, of our time in charitable work and encouragement to those in the field. Remember Friends, what we’re trying to do, bring others to Christ, is no easy task, since it flies in the face of everything the wicked world stands for. So unless we have a strong, able, motivated, encouraged and financially sound organization, we surely won’t do such a good job of furthering God’s kingdom. But then too, it’s not only organized proselytizing we need, but also the individual kind. We encounter unbelievers every day of our lives which gives us opportunity to talk about our God, and more importantly show His values in the way we conduct ourselves. So wherever we work, live, play or simply hang out, there’s always an opportunity to let God’s light shine through us. It doesn’t mean we have to be dogmatic, argumentative or forceful, Jesus never was, but we do need to get the message out in some form and fashion so that others will have the blessed chance to know the wonderful Saviour we serve and worship. Oh my people, I’m asking us all today to make a serious commitment, that every day, we’ll attempt, in some way or other, to bring Jesus’ glorious story to someone’s attention, whether it be an unsaved person, or a believer who just needs some advice, guidance and/ or encouragement. Sometimes we can do much more as individuals than we realize. Remember too, that there’s great joy in heaven for each converted sinner. We’ll close with some appropriate words from Jesus. ‘And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.’ (John 4:36) Yes Friends, before reaping there’s sowing. and the sower and the reaper need not be the same, they just have to have the same end result in mind, so that they can both rejoice when the harvest is reaped. So let’s all go out and diligently sow seeds for the kingdom, so that in due course someone will reap a bountiful harvest in Christ’s name. It’s the only way to be a true Christian. Much LOVE!…bringing in the sheaves…bringing in the sheaves…we shall all come rejoicing…bringing in the sheaves…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 July 2010 2 Chronicles 16:9‏

06 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Chronicles 16:9     For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
 
Well Friends, it seems like real summer has at last arrived in my neck of the woods, with several days of thirty degree weather and high humidity behind us and a few more in the offing. I actually felt the heat of the sun on my skin today. Wow! And did it ever feel good! Praise the Lord for such small mercies! (smile) Anyway, as promised, we’ll continue talking about our God’s see all and know all abilities. And isn’t it peculiar how several of God’s faithful servants found cause to point it out their people, and sometimes more than once? We have the seer Hanani pointing it out to Asa in our Bit, and yesterday heard Job and Bruh David’s take on the topic. Today we’ll quote a couple more, just to give us some further insight into the workings of the minds of these faithful men; how they thought about and imagined our God. Let’s start with Job again. He had a simple but intriguing question for his friends as he gave forth on his integrity. ‘Doth he not see all my ways, and count all my steps?’ (Job 31:4) And the answer to that my Friends is a resounding YES! The Lord does know all that we see, think and do, even what’s buried in the deepest, most hidden parts of our souls. And yuh know what’s strange mih people, though it’s such a simple, straightforward principle, we seem to need constant reminding of it. Why? I don’t know if it’s because of that same simplicity and straightforwardness, but we tend to easily forget it and do stuff that goes against its very grain. Look at Asa. When the mighty armies of the Ethiopians and Lubim came against him, whom did he call on for help? Almighty God! But when his Jewish brother sought conflict, he ignored God and turned to mortal man. You’d think that he would turn to the Lord God of his fathers in such a weighty matter too? But don’t judge Asa too harshly Friends, because we also do the same nonsense today, although we have more learning, teaching and experience in the ways of our God. I’m sure if we all sat down and reviewed our lives, we’d find several occasions where we’d just have to shake our heads in wonder, sigh and ask; ‘Now why did I do such and such and ignored the Lord, when all I had to do was talk to Him, and no doubt He would have provided a better outcome?’ Some of it might relate to pride and our innate rebellious nature; thinking that we could do it all ourselves and not wanting any external forces involved in our affairs, or even not wanting to bother God with such small and simple matters. But Friends, please understand that there’s no matter too small or simple for God’s attention. We recently said that the Lord wants us to bring ANY and EVERY problem, regardless of their size or complexity, to Him FIRST, NOT LAST! And not doing so is looked upon as sin, rebellion, disobedience and pride. Another of the Lord’s faithful servants who spoke of his God’s extraordinary perception and knowledge was Jeremiah. When he warned Israel with signs of upcoming captivity, he solemnly declared: ‘For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.’ (Jer.16:17) And Jerry is at it again in Chapter 32: ‘Great in counsel, and mighty in work (deed): for thine eyes are upon all the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.’ (Jer.32:19) Yes my people, it means we have to be very careful of what we do since the Lord sees and knows all, and rewards all for their doings, good or bad. And yuh see what happened to Asa when he forsook the Lord and turned to men for help? Hanani told him: ‘Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.’ That brings to mind another king of Israel; in fact their first ever king, Saul. When he did not follow the Lord’s directive, he lost his kingdom. Hear Samuel break the sad news to him. ‘Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.’ (1 Sam.13:13-14) Yes mih breddren, whenever we deal foolishly with the Lord, we often end up paying much more than the gains we achieved from our foolishness. And the Good Book tells us that Hanani’s promise of constant war to Asa was indeed fulfilled. ‘And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.’ (1 Kin.15:32-33) Yes people, when Asa worked with the Lord, his reign was filled with peace. But once he fled from under the Lord’s protective umbrella, his days were darkened with war and strife, and not with strangers, but his Jewish brethren. Now Friends, please let that be a lesson to us. And it won’t hurt to take stock of our lives, just to see if our slighting of the Lord in favour of other things or people is causing any of our current problems. And if so, let’s speedily make amends with Him for our transgression. It’s never too late, and He’s always willing to listen and also to forgive. But we first have to come to Him with a sincere and repentant heart. Much LOVE!…you can’t run…and you can’t hide…and you’ll certainly pay for excessive pride…

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