Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 June 2010 Proverbs 18:24‏

25 Jun 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 18:24     A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh close than a brother.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, the last day of the work week, the start of the weekend, and many of you all can’t wait to get into relaxation and party mode, but please, don’t forget the fellowship part. The Lord needs more attention than we can give Him during the week, so please MAKE TIME for Him on your days off. And remember to pray for our leaders to make good, productive decisions at their meetings here in Toronto this weekend, with no violence or destruction to mar the proceedings. Now here’s a very interesting quote that led me to our Bit. It’s attributed to Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1953) an Indian yogi and guru who introduced many in the West to meditation and spirituality. It says: ‘There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first.’ Ah Friends, how does that resonate in our consciousness eh? Do we consider it true or important? Before we do anything else, let me say that I’m dealing with our Bit today in it’s literal sense, from the positive side, though it was not meant that way. Also, let’s lay out a definition of the word ‘friend.’ The dictionary has two basic definitions: ‘One joined to another in intimacy and mutual benevolence independently of sexual or family LOVE.’ And the second is ‘to befriend or help.’ In truth, they can be linked as one, for a true friend, under the first definition, will help you, and if someone helps you, even a total stranger, they can be considered a friend. So I guess we can have equations where Friend = Help and Help = Friend. Now what draws us to others as friends, or others to us as a friend? There must be some common traits. And I’d like to suggest that our quote above includes two of them; unselfishness and thinking about others first. Another can be found in our Bit: ‘A man that hath friends must show himself friendly.’ And is that ever so true! But what is showing ourselves friendly? In the first place our basic personality must be pleasant. We can’t go around with a sour demeanour all the time and expect people to be drawn to us, we’d get the opposite. It’s like the saying that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Our words and tone of voice must also lend themselves to encouragement and a certain amount of light heartedness. And we must always be willing to help. Hn! Yuh know what Friends, I just realized that when you put all that friend stuff together, what you come up with is a perfect description of a Christian, a follower of Christ. Isn’t that amazing? Although it shouldn’t be, because the best explanation and example of a real, true friend comes from Jesus. ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.’ (John 15:13-15) That’s why I can call you all Friends in the Bit, though I don’t know many of you, for we are all Friends in Christ! We have the same basic goals and beliefs, as well as having pleasant personalities’, unselfishness, willingness to help, and two other attributes that show up in Jesus’ speech; willingness to share and willingness to sacrifice in times of desperation and need. As Cousin Sol puts it: ‘A friend LOVETH at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.’ (Prov.17:17) Yes my people, a true friend possesses a LOVE that cannot be extinguished, neither is it lessened by adversity. That also sounds like the definition of a believer, doesn’t it? Unfortunately though, in our modern society that word friend and what it means has been seriously watered down. The standards of friendship are nowhere what they used to be. Any passing acquaintance is now called a friend, but the underlying responsibilities and qualities are sadly missing. Just look at all the betrayals, backbiting and gossip mongering that’s being perpetrated on supposed friends by friends. Relationships are no longer solid and long lasting as they used to be, since so many are now based on sandy foundations plus our society has moved into a first person phase, of I, me and mine, in other words unadulterated selfishness and ego boosting which aren’t, and can never be a part of true friendship. That brings us to the last part of our Bit: ‘and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.’ Oh my Friends in Christ that’s ever so true! I’m sure all of you know about family members that treat each other terribly, while outsiders bring a much more friendly, sharing and supportive attitude to the table. Why is that eh? I’ve seen it happen so often that it just sickens me. From day one I’ve told my children that family is the most important part of the equation, and that there shouldn’t be any of the senseless, selfish infighting that’s so common today, for if one side falls, it will take down the whole structure. Besides, that type of behaviour is definitely not Christ-like, or Christian. It’s not the way Jesus wants, or expects us to behave. So Friends, let’s see if we can’t do better than we’re doing nuh, and live like true friends. I’m sure we can because we all consider ourselves true believers … Friends. That’s what Jesus called His disciples, the ones who believed in and followed Him. And if we want to do the same, then we’ve also got to be worthy of the name. Tomorrow, God willing, we’ll touch on the negative aspect of our Bit. Much LOVE!…oh what a Friend we have in Jesus…our hopes and fears to bear…  
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 June 2010 Psalm 91:1‏

24 Jun 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 91:1     He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
 
Oh Friends, in these most uncertain and insecure times in our society and our world; times of fear, of terror, much cruelty and violence, economic depression, of hitherto unforeseen stress and a huge increase in mental and emotional instability, the human soul and spirit are desperately seeking a safe place to inhabit, a place of refuge without as much tension and aggravation. In other words, we’re seeking security, protection and a place to hide. Fortunately my Friends, I’m here to tell us that there is indeed such a place, a place where we can escape from much of the current strife, uncertainty and unpleasantness happening in our world. And where is that wonderful hideaway you ask? Oh mih people, it’s as the author of Psalm 91 states: ‘He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.’ Yes Friends, if we seek lodging in the secret place of our God, we shall find a safe harbour under His broad and all encompassing wings. When we’re mature enough in faith to truthfully say like the Psalmist: ‘I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.’ (Ps.91:2) Then, and only then my people, are we on the right track for finding safety and shelter from the ravages of this world. But we can only get on the right track to safety and shelter through faith, trust and complete surrender to the Most High God Jehovah, because as Creator and Caretaker of our universe, He’s the only one able to see, know and control everything that’s happening in our lives and in our world. Moreover Friends, He’s faithfully promised to safeguard all those who sincerely come to Him for help and succour. ‘He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust (take refuge): his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (small shield). Thou shalt not be afraid for (of) the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth (lays waste) at noonday.’ (Ps.91:4-6) Yes my brethren, under the everlasting wings of our God is the only safe house, the only safe harbour in this evil, ungodly world. Listen to some other assurances. From Psalm 27, The Lord is my light and my salvation, Bruh David proudly and unhesitatingly declares: ‘For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me upon a rock.’ (Ps.27:5) Wow, what assurance! Yes my people, in Bruh David’s heart, soul and mind there was no doubt whatsoever that the Lord would look after him and keep him safe from his enemies. Then we have that assurance in even greater measure in Psalm 31, where Bruh David again exalts the Lord God of his fathers and His safe refuge. ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence (secret place) from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord: for he hath shown me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.’ (Ps.31:19-21) Oh Friends, if there’s one thing we know about Bruh David is that during his earthly life he was in tight with the Lord God Jehovah, and many of his bold declarations were based on actual personal experience. From his youth, God referred to him as a man after his own heart, so he must have known what he was talking about. Oh my people, please realize that this earthly life is only a passing phase in our long, everlasting spiritual journey, but it’s very important because it dictates, determines where, and with whom we’ll spend those long days of forever. If we don’t make the right choices now, here on earth, in this physical body, then our spirit will be lost, damned, doomed to Hades, in the evil company of Lucifer. I don’t think anyone in his right mind would want that forever, especially when there’s a much better choice of the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, His Son Jesus, our Sacrificial Lamb and Advocate and the Holy Spirit which lives in and guides us in the ways of godliness down here on earth, then will lead us to everlasting life in a heavenly place with no more tears, pain, sorrow or death. Wow! Now only an utter fool or madman would prefer hellfire and utter desolation and torment with Lucifer than eternal life with a Holy, LOVING, Merciful, Kind, Forgiving and Generous God! Oh Friends, it logically follows then that there is only one safe place of refuge in this world, and that’s under the wide, protective umbrella of Almighty God. My people, the smart money is on the Lord, the Holy Trinity, not Lucifer. And here’s why. Isaiah boldly proclaims: ‘Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible (ruthless) nations shall fear thee. For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.’ (Is.25:3-4) Now Lucifer will certainly try to fool us with his worthless promises of glitz and glamour here on earth, but please remember Friends, that our earthly life is short and is only important in determining where we spend eternity, heaven or hell. So please don’t pay too much attention to it, at the risk of spoiling your spiritual existence hereafter. Oh my brethren, the only sensible and wise way to handle our earthly fears and tears is to do like Bruh David; acknowledge our human frailty and weakness and the omnipotence of the Lord God Almighty, then make sincere prayer and supplication to Him. ‘I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. Show thy marvellous LOVING-kindness, O thou that savest (delivers) by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them. Keep me as the apple (pupil) of the eye; hide me under the shadow of thy wings, From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about (surround me).’ Ps.17:6-9) And He will my Friends, if our hearts are sincere. Yes, the Lord God of heaven and earth will surely protect us from our earthly enemies! Only believe! Much LOVE!…only believe…only believe…all things are possible…only believe…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 June 2010 Psalm 91:1‏

23 Jun 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 91:1      He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
 
Oh Friends, by now most of you would have heard of the two conferences of Heads of Governments, the G8 and G20, scheduled to take place in Toronto and Huntsville this coming weekend, where it’s estimated that over one billion dollars will be spent on security measures. Hn! Right now downtown Toronto and the Huntsville areas are like jails and police states, barricaded with high, specially made metal fences and oodles of police and security personnel. Some people will have a hard time getting into their homes, while many business places are shutting down, just to make life easier for all concerned. And sadly, the Federal Government who’s spending all this taxpayer’s money isn’t going to reimburse anybody for lost business or property damage by protesters. If any violence and damages occurs, they will have to go to their Insurance Companies, which only means that their premiums will further skyrocket. And we talk about democracy! Steups! And don’t even think about the traffic situation, which is already horrendous, and which will only get worse as all these dignitaries roll into town. There are signs all over warning of the serious impediment to vehicular traffic come this weekend. And what was originally supposed to be two meetings of 8 and 20 Heads, has now mushroomed to more like 20 and 30 with all the secret invites that our venerable Prime Minister Mr. Steven Harper has doled out. Even mih old classmate Bruce Golding, P. M of Jamaica has been invited. I wonder if Barack and him going to talk about the ‘Dudus’ situation eh? Another piece of nonsense that’s not supposed to be happening in this modern day and age! Chuh! But it certainly seems that our boy Steven is intent on writing his name large on the world stage. However Friends, you know that our Lord Jesus strongly advised us to have respect for our leaders and also to pray for them. Well, I don’t know when next, if ever, we’ll get the chance, have the opportunity to pray for such a great multitude of them altogether. So despite all the fuss and bother, I’m asking us to seriously and sincerely pray for them; pray that they will talk sincerely and seriously to each other about the many ills and problems currently facing our world, that the Lord will guide them to come up with constructive ideas and plans to help the Lord’s people, and then afterwards to have them positively implement those plans, so that the Lord’s people will indeed be helped, because right now our world is desperately in need of plenty help. So Friends, let’s pray: ‘Oh Lord, our world is in a very sad state of disrepair. We know and acknowledge that it’s not Your fault, but ours. However Lord, seeing that You are the mightiest power in the universe, we’re pleading for Your help. We can’t do it without You. We’re solemnly asking that You send Your Holy Spirit amongst the leaders of our world that will be gathered in unusual numbers in two places this weekend, and please Lord, please let Your mighty Spirit talk to their hearts, both individually and collectively. Please remove the scales from their eyes, the greed and power hunger from their hearts. Let them truly see and appreciate and be really concerned about the mess we’re in. Let them come together in one mind, one heart, one soul and one unity. They keep talking in terms of global policy and activities, well please Lord, let them truly act on that global scale with a global initiative now, because the whole globe is suffering immensely. Please Lord, let the many temptations to be selfish, arrogant and war-like be beaten down through Your Holy Spirit that’s mightier than anything on earth. Oh Lord, we desperately plead for Your help in this matter because it’s only You, the universal Creator, Protector and Provider that can get all these selfish, power hungry leaders on the same path to Peace and LOVE. Oh Lord, we ask that You take this once in a lifetime opportunity to do a mighty work, like many of the other mighty ones You have done over the ages. A mighty work comparable to the parting of the Red Sea, like sending Your Son Jesus to die for us, because that’s the high level of help your earthly children need right now. Oh Lord, we’re asking and believing for such a mighty work, one that will magnificently stand out, that will surely shout Your Holy Name to the high heavens, that will worthily magnify and glorify You till the end of time. Oh Lord, we pray that You pour out Your Spirit and Your heavenly blessing on these men and women in such a positive way that for eons to come, people will talk about the monumental effect this gathering of leaders in Toronto and Huntsville had on our world. These leaders are meeting to determine the destiny of Your people Lord, the effects of which will resound for a long time. We therefore pray for nothing less than a miracle Lord, because You are the ONLY ONE who can lead and guide them to making good, sound, unselfish, godly decisions. Please place in their hearts, minds and souls Lord, this simple, but powerful and provocative quote of George Elliston: ‘How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it,’ for that’s basically all our world needs Lord, just a little more kindness to each other. We pray all of this in the name of Your Son Jesus. Amen! Oh my people, our God does move in mysterious ways yes! I got this zeppo, bright idea, from the Spirit yesterday, that instead of criticizing the whole affair, which on the surface does seem a great waste of time, money and effort, that we should indeed pray for the leaders to do good work. I chuckled at the time, but certainly planned on using it, though not so extensively. However I forgot about it, but when I opened the Good Book to find a Bit, it opened right at Psalm 91 that talks about security and protection and my mind went back to that prompting of the Spirit. Oh Friends, we can’t do anything about the meetings now, but we can certainly pray that no violence and other untoward activities mar the gatherings, and that our leaders come to the table in sincerity and faith, genuinely prepared to bring to fruition a better, fairer, more just, equal and godly world that we all long for and ardently desire. Oh Friends, let’s pray that this will be an epiphany, an awakening, a turning point, a reawakening of sense and responsibility amongst those who rule over us, and they will get the job done in a stellar manner. As always, we pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen. Much LOVE!…if the prayer of one righteous person is heard favourably in heaven…how much more would that of many righteous people be favourably considered eh…so all you righteous… let’s seriously float our prayers heavenward for our leaders nuh…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 June 2010 1 Corinthians 15:51‏

22 Jun 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Corinthians 15:51     Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
 
Oh Friends, another blessed day has dawned, and wherever you are in this big, wonderful world, I hope it’s dawned with brilliant sunshine. However, if it hasn’t, don’t worry, the Lord is still on His throne, still in control of everything. The weather is only doing what He’s programmed it to do, to fit into His overall plans. Let Peace, LOVE and Faith continue to reign supreme in your hearts, and the darker it becomes, let those three likewise increase in strength, so you’ll always have the wherewithal to withstand whatever darkness comes your way. Hope you can make sense from nonsense there. (smile) Anyway, here’s a simple but very appropriate quote on darkness and sunshine from Thomas Fuller. It says: ‘One cloud is enough to eclipse all the sun.’ And that’s so true Friends, especially when we put it into the context of our everyday lives, where one unpleasant comment, one unfair, unfounded criticism, or one unfortunate incident can spoil our whole day. That is if we allow them to. Oh mih people, the clouds can block out the sun all day, or several times per day, but that doesn’t mean the sun isn’t still there in its lofty position, it’s just that we can’t see it. The same thing happens when we allow incidents to block out the sunshine in our lives. It doesn’t mean there’s no joy and sunshine in our lives, but merely that we’re allowing outside influences to control our lives, our expectations. And sadly, many of them are usually of no real importance. Continuing the comparison, we can’t prevent the real clouds from blocking the real sun, but we certainly can prevent those superficial ones from blocking the sunshine in our emotional lives. Sometimes our expectations are too high, sometimes too low, so anything that happens contrary to them, brings a dark cloud over our emotions and often over our entire lives too. Friends, the only way to counteract this is to try and maintain realistic expectations, so that we won’t get too dark and sombre if and when they’re not met. That brings us to the great and certain expectation of our Bit, where Bruh Paul assures us: ‘Beloved, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.’ Yes Friends, ‘In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.’ (1 Cor.15:51-52) Oh my people, we shall all be changed from mortals to immortals. Wow! And what a great day that shall be, when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ embarks on His Second Coming, that in the majesty, splendour and glory befitting His Holiness and Royal Lineage. As the scholars point out, this is not the last trumpet of Revelation 11:15, but of 1 Thessalonians 4:16. The first is the eventual fiery judgement, while the second refers to what many call the Rapture, the first phase of Christ’s return, which involves all Christians alive at that time. They will be caught up to meet Him in the clouds, instantly becoming immortal, while those who have died ‘in Christ’ will be raised from the dead to join the celebration. ‘For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself.’ (Phil.3:20-21) Friends,the best way to possibly bring all of this home is to quote Bruh Paul’s assurance to the Thessalonians, for he went to great pains to explain that all who are ‘in Christ,’ dead and alive will meet with Him in glorified, immortal bodies on that most blessed day. ‘For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus (the dead) will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess.4:14-18) Oh my people, right there is the hope, the assurance that makes our rough and rugged earthly journey all worthwhile. And when this all happens: ‘Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (Is.25:8) O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave (Hades), where is thy victory? (Hos.13:14) The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor.15:54-58) Oh my wonderful Friends in Christ, there’s nothing left for me to say because Bruh Paul said it all. I can only encourage us to stand strong in the Lord, do the right things and be assured that all His promises are true, for He who promised is always faithful. Never forget that. Till next time then, God willing, Much LOVE!…clouds may darken our earthly days…but none shall ever blot our eternal life…that’s Christ’s promise…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 June 2010 1 Corinthians 15:51‏

21 Jun 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Corinthians 15:51     Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
 
Oh Friends, it seems like the ole fella’s turning into a party animal in his old age! (smile) Yeh! For it’s  now two weekends straight that he’s gone a partying. Wow! And was this Father’s Day party ever nice mih people! It was one of the best Father’s Day I’ve had in a long while. I went on a daytime boat ride around the Toronto harbour with my young daughter, entertainment provided by D.J. Dr.Jay and the High Priest of Soca, Toronto’s own David Rudder. Yes, he’s been living in T.O for a number of years now, which makes him a Torontonian, though he still talks about being ‘Trini to the bone.’ Oh Friends, when the party start to jam, is a wonder the good ship Enterprise didn’t flounder with all the jumping and singing. And it also had a four-piece iron section that was right up yuh alley mih Uncle John. And when the iron start to ring out…brudder! Ah sure they could hear it clean across Lake Ontario to the U.S. side. Anyway, enough about my partying. One last note though; I didn’t party as heartily as I did last weekend because my ole knee began to act up. But rest assured, it was hearty enough. Guess the Good Lord figured that I shouldn’t be misbehaving twice in one week. But getting down to brass tacks. Mih Friends, unfortunately it’s Monday again, that means all the partying done for another week, to be supplanted by five days of labouring to make a living. So as usual, please ensure that we’re dressed in our complete suit of spiritual armour so that we can go out there in the evil, cruel world and battle Beelzebub and his iniquitous cronies to the death. All in the name of Jesus! Amen! Yes my brethren, everything we do ought to be done in Jesus’ name, cause He’s the one that enables us to do anything in the first place. And I’m chuckling here because I don’t have a Bit as yet. But I’m confident that our Leader will eventually guide me to an appropriate one. The ole fella’s faith is certainly on a high level this morning mih people! Praise the Lord! However, I do have an appropriate quote to share from Lewis F. Presnall, which wisely advises us to ‘Be content to grow a little each day. If the improvement is the sort of thing which is very slow, do not measure it often. Do a self-comparison every two weeks, or every six months – whatever is appropriate.’  Yes my people, we all need to learn and grow as we mature in life, but we also have to realize that learning and growth, which always include some change, doesn’t happen overnight, so it doesn’t make sense to be too anxious about what’s happening in our lives, whether it’s moving too fast or too slow. Once positive change is occurring, that’s the important thing. Neither do we need to monitor it every day, as some of us are wont to do, for sometimes it will seem as though nothing’s happening, but subtle changes that we cannot always see or measure are in fact taking place, and it’s only with the passing of a fair amount of time we’ll be able to notice and/or quantify that change. Hn! That’s surely a Bruh Paulian type sentence! It’s like those of us trying to lose weight, and every day, several times a day, we jump on the scale to measure our progress. But Friends, that only defeats the basic purpose, since our weight gain or loss won’t change that much in a day, and that constant monitoring only makes us more anxious and jittery, bringing a host of negative ions to bear on what needs to be a positive process. So please, whatever changes we need to make in our lives, or are currently making, don’t try to rush them. That reminds me of one of those old West Indian sayings: ‘Don’t rush the brush or you’ll get dabbed (daubed).’ And come to think of it Friends, is only yesterday, on that Father’s Day boat ride, that I was talking to the Father of one of my surrogate daughters about those same old sayings. We were discussing their great beauty in terms of language and also their great practicality, while surmising that if the children nowadays would only live by them, how much better off they would be, because just like the Bible, the old people had a saying to cover everything. But the problem there is how will the children know, learn and practice them if we, the parents don’t teach and live them ourselves eh? It all comes right back to parental guidance and example mih people. Hn, hn! Now, having digressed there, I’ve forgotten what I was saying before. Oh yes! We were saying that we shouldn’t rush the changes in our lives because rushing only causes confusion, but rather be patient with ourselves and others who are going through those changes. And in any case, if we’ve been decent living people all along, there shouldn’t be any real drastic changes needed in our everyday lives anyway. So let’s not be like the dieters; lose twenty pounds quickly, then put them back on just as quickly. Remember those twenty pounds didn’t go on overnight, all at once, but most likely over a fair period of time, so over a fair period of time is also the best way, the surest way to take them off, and most importantly, keep them off. So let’s pray about the changes we need to make, and ask God to guide us in successfully making them. Rest assured that if we come to Him sincerely, He will deal with us sincerely. It’s all based on the level of our faith, which should be subtly improving every day, but please, don’t try to measure it every day. Oh Friends, that’s what the Spirit guided me to write today. I hope it makes sense. But if it doesn’t, then I’ll leave us with another ole-time saying: ‘You’d better learn to pick sense from nonsense.’ (smile) Much LOVE mih people! Have a safe, productive and wonderful workweek. Now let me go and find a Bit to match this. Hurrah! Fifteen minutes later I’ve found it!. ‘Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people! More tomorrow on that, God willing of course. Oh, I made a typo yesterday. Down at the end where it reads (Prov.43-4) it should read (Prov.4:3-4) Please accept my humble apologies. I don’t ever want to mislead the Lord’s people. More LOVE!…to every thing there is a season…and a time to every purpose under the heaven…. (Eccl.3:1)
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 June 2010 Proverbs 4:1-2‏

20 Jun 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 4:1-2     Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

Oh Friends, here’s wishing a Happy Father’s Day to all Fathers out there, even the ‘deadbeat’ ones! Yes my people, even to those who don’t deserve the name, because Jesus said we should forgive in general, and our own forgiveness, depends on how much we forgive others. True, not all of us are deadbeat dads, but there are still too many who fall unfortunately into that category. And though some of them are just downright doh-care and irresponsible, some genuinely don’t know any better because they didn’t have the proper example set for them either. There possibly were no fathers in their lives, or those that were there didn’t know the importance of a strong, wise, godly father. Unfortunately again, it’s the kind of behaviour or attitude that can easily be passed down from generation to generation. Anyway, here are some qualities, attributes, guidelines that a real and true father ought to portray. I got these from a newsletter published by Real Estate Agent, Gary Sullivan. Thanks Gary. And it says: ‘A Father is neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose LOVE shows us the way. A Father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow. A Father is a truly rich man if his children run into his arms when his hands are empty. A Father is a man who expects his son to be as good a man as he meant to be. A Father is someone who carries pictures in his wallet where his money used to be.’ Wow! What a solid foundation builder is the man who falls into all those categories, who genuinely shows his children the right way to walk in this cruel, evil, violent and greedy world; and that’s with God! The question though is how many of us fathers actually do those things, or reflect a godly and worthwhile lifestyle for our children to follow? For remember, actions usually speak louder than words. Sadly, I suspect that the percentage is way too low, and that’s partly why we have such misguided, unruly, ungodly children in this new generation. Oh Fathers, we are supposed to be the backbone, the guiding light of the family, society’s bread and butter unit. We’re supposed to have wisdom, to both teach and show it in our own lives to our children. Our job as parents is to raise our children properly. But if we lack that wisdom, or refuse to share it, our progeny will undoubtedly suffer, and oftimes the damage is irreparable. We must be able to say like Cousin Sol: ‘Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.’ Granted we are moving away from the die-hard patriarchal society that we once were, but the father in the home is still considered the force behind the family, the one who makes the most important decisions. So if we’re not well grounded in the good, healthy ways of life, we obviously can’t share them with our young as we should. Oh Father’s, this new generation is in great danger of being called the ‘Lost Generation,’ and a lot of the blame lies squarely on our shoulders. We were either too busy doing other things, that includes making a living to support them, and therefore were not around when needed. On the other hand, if we were around, we didn’t pay enough attention and/or sent out the wrong signals; being abusive instead of supportive, allowing the fleshly lusts of the world to colour our lives rather than the spiritual things that lead to godliness. Yes my Friends, as we said yesterday, too many of us have forsaken the spiritual exercises necessary for our souls to prosper, so that we can walk and guide aright. Oh Fathers, and Mothers too, instead of allowing our young free reign in this ungodly world, we should be saying instead like Bruh David did: ‘Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear (reverence) of the Lord.’ (Ps.34:11) It’s the only way to train and raise children properly. And parents, ignorance is no excuse, for two or more persons living together can only function well if there’s fairness and understanding present. So even if we don’t have much book-learning, as the old people would say, we have common sense and we can teach that to our young, for in many cases it works better than formal education. But even what we term common sense seems to be disappearing from our society, which is another story for another day. I also won’t touch the touchy subject of the young men who think they’re such studs, God’s gift to women, and take pleasure in going around impregnating the less than sensible young women, then not supporting the resultant children, but yet thinking they’re so great, such macho men, when in fact they’re low-life scum. Oh Friends, that’s a sore point with me because I’ve seen it happen so much over the years, and it’s always the poor children who suffer. I got into it last year and it took me two days to have my say, so I promised myself to leave it alone this year, because it’s still out there, front and centre, and probably getting worse as the morals, sense of responsibility and common sense of our youth continue to deteriorate. Anyway Father’s, both young and old, it’s time for us to sit down and take full stock of ourselves. It’s definitely not too late. We might not be able to correct some of our mistakes, but let’s apologize for them all, and try to correct those we can. If we don’t, then we’re only doing a further disservice to future generations. And we’ll end with a perfect example of father teaching son. Cousin Sol declares: ‘For I was my father’s son…He taught me also, and said unto me…’ (Prov.43-4) Now here are Bruh David’s words to him. ‘And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.’ (1 Chr.28:9) Oh Friends, what better groundings can a child receive from his father eh! Let’s try and do likewise for our children nuh. Much LOVE!…train up a child in the way he should go…and (even) when he is old… he won’t depart from it…(Prov.22:6)

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 June 2010 1 Timothy 4:8‏

19 Jun 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Timothy 4:8     For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

 

Oh Friends, it’s the weekend, time for fun, frolic and fellowship! And make sure you don’t forget the fellowship part, because it’s the most important of those three F’s.  Now yesterday we discussed the background to our Bit, where Bruh Paul was telling Timothy some of the things it took to be a good minister of Christ; being aware of the apostates with their deceptive lies and evil doctrines, having good doctrine himself and rejecting the false and profane myths which only lead to ungodliness.  At the end though, before we could get into the Bit properly, I went off on a slight tangent, my spirit being awakened by the gross evil, greed and falsehood been perpetrated on our society by those in the top echelons, our political leaders and the captains of industry, commerce and finance. Today, we’ll get into the meat of the Bit which says: ‘For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things.’ And isn’t that the living truth my people! It’s similar to when Bruh Paul spoke to the Corinthians about food, re what is right to eat and whether there should be wrangling over it between believers. ‘But meat (food) commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.’ (1 Cor.8:8) Yes Friends, what we eat is not all that important to God, once it’s not offered to an idol. (1 Cor.8:7) If the Lord made it, then it’s clean, but we must be careful of leading others astray, setting bad examples of eating food offered to idols, for they might be weak in the faith, or just don’t understand and do the same simply because we did it. And likewise as Bruh Paul said to the Romans: ‘For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify (build up) another.’ (Rom.14:17-19) And my brethren, physical exercise surely isn’t important in creating peace or building up each other spiritually, mentally or emotionally, but spiritual exercises are the keys that unlock the portals of the good life, since they are the ones ‘having the promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come.’ Oh my people, godliness is the best remedy for anything that ails us! Meanwhile, physical exercise is only of limited value, even here on earth, for many times, especially in cases of ill health, we’re told to stay away from it. But not so with spiritual exercises that lead to godliness, we can never get too much of them in this life. My Friends those exercises of the spirit are priceless, invaluable, for they help us both here in this earthly life, as well as in that to come. Both Bruh David and Isaiah prophesied this long before Bruh Paul came along. Bruh David emphatically declared in Psalm 37, re the true state of the wicked: ‘Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only causes harm). For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:8-9) And Isaiah, in talking about the future glory of Zion, zealously proclaimed: ‘Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.’ (Is.60:21) Oh Friends, there should be no doubt whatsoever in the believer’s mind that spiritual exercises which lead to godliness are an essential part of their make up. Just like the human body needs food, air and water to survive, our spiritual being needs exercises in godliness to keep it well fed and going strong. If our spiritual being is not constantly fed and nurtured through prayer, worship, Bible Study and acts of service, it will surely die. We’ll lose the appetite, that hunger for God that we definitely need to help carry us through this rough and rugged earthly life and eventually bring us to the eternal and everlasting one in the very presence of Christ Himself. That’s why Bruh Paul could truthfully declare of our Bit: ‘This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.’ (1 Tim.4:9) Oh Friends, there’s absolutely no doubt about that; godliness that results from spiritual exercises is exceedingly profitable to us, it brings innumerable blessings upon our lives, both now and in the hereafter. So please, let’s remember that. And though many of us certainly need to catch up on our physical exercise, (smile) let it not be the overwhelming goal that it is to so many. Instead, let’s allow the exercises of our spirits and souls to predominate, so that we can be richly rewarded, both here on earth, and also throughout eternity with Christ. The whole point being Friends, that both our physical and spiritual beings require exercise to survive and thrive in their particular sphere, it’s just that the latter is more important and needs it more than the former to do so successfully. Hn, hn! There should be smiles on many faces today because our Bit is so short. (smile) Much LOVE!…exercise the soul…more than the body…for the rewards are much greater… 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 June 2010 1 Timothy 4:8‏

18 Jun 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Timothy 4:8     For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

 

Oh Friends, the ole fella’s struggling today. It took me over half an hour to find a Bit that I could get my head around. Nothing I checked seemed to make sense. I guess it’s a form of writer’s block. And worse yet, all my pleas to heaven that time was running out on me, didn’t provide relief any quicker. But our God is a good God, so I had no doubts of eventually finding a suitable Bit, or of Him eventually guiding me to whatever message He wanted to convey today. It was all really a matter of timing. And though I know from loads of experience that He’s never late, I still got caught up in the time element. Oh ye of little faith eh! (smile) Anyway, it seems that today’s topic is exercise. Now Friends, there are basically two kinds of exercise; that of the spirit and that of the body. In this part of Bruh Paul’s message to his young protégé, Timothy, he’s informing him in the basics of being a good minister of Christ. He’s already warned him of the lies and the evils of the apostates, those who once embraced the faith, but then, for whatever reason, turned around and rejected it, and were now fallen under the spell of ‘seducing (deceiving) spirits and doctrines of devils.’ (1 Tim.4:1-5)  Then he continues: ‘If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained (carefully followed).’ (1 Tim.4:6) Meaning, that as he instructs his congregation in the Word, he’s instructing himself too, for preaching good doctrine is an essential step in becoming a good minister of Christ. He would also be faithfully conforming to the truth of the gospel that Bruh Paul’s taught him. ‘But refuse (reject) profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.’ (1 Tim.4:7) Yes, my people, he’s to avoid false, fabricated doctrines because they have no worthwhile substance and only promote ungodliness. The same advice applies to us today Friends, possibly with even greater urgency, since there’s so much more false, worthless stuff in our world today than in Bruh Paul’s time. I have to chuckle here mih breddren because the scholars compare them to the ‘silly, flighty soap-operas of today.’ What sacrilege to the soap-opera fanatics eh! Then Timothy must also endeavour to be holy and pious, which doesn’t come automatically, or even easily, but require much diligence ‘in prayer, Bible Study, obedience, fellowshipping with other believers, and Christian service.’ Now if that isn’t a hard row to hoe, my Friends, I don’t know what is! But as believers, especially ministers, it is necessary to aspire and work seriously towards those goals. ‘For bodily exercise profiteth little.’ Don’t tell that to today’s fitness freaks! They’ll also consider it sacrilege, blasphemy towards their Holy Grail of physical fitness. Nothing’s wrong with physical fitness, we all need to be in good physical shape to live healthy lives, but in today’s world  it’s become too idolized. It’s become one of the idols of the flesh. Like dieting, it’s now a world wide phenomenon, the basis for crooked money making schemes, with oodles of promises, but nowhere near the rewards promised. And with the spread of the obesity epidemic that’s now terrorizing the Western World, mainly because of the junk food we eat and our lazy, couch potato habits, the smart evil-doers are profiting handsomely from our unsatisfactory lifestyle. Ah mih people, it’s the same sort of false, fabricated myths, with unscientific claims that Bruh Paul warned Timothy of, just in a different area of our lives. But the truth is when we pay too much attention to those falsehoods, then we are actually moving away from the godliness we’re supposed to embrace. And there’s so much falsehood that runs our modern world, it isn’t funny. We’re always in search of a cure instead of listening to the old folks, that’ prevention is better than cure.’ And it certainly is my people. We especially see the discrepancies in the fitness, food, medical and pharmaceutical industries. Everybody’s looking for a cure for something, when preventing the illness would be much simpler. Unfortunately though, in our greedy, capitalistic society, the simple approach won’t generate as much profit, capitalism’s god. Just look at cancer. Money is wasted by the billions to find a cure for the numerous kinds of cancer that’s devastating us in this modern, highly scientific and technological time. Cancer was never that widespread before, so why is it burgeoning now? The answer is too simple to admit; all the carcinogenic, cancer-causing stuff we put in our food and water and release in the atmosphere. And everyday we introduce some new, untested or not tested-enough compound to the three essential elements of our lives. So what do we expect eh? But no, the food has to look good and have a long shelf life, while the poisonous effluent from our factories has to be released somewhere, so why not our water and air. Ah Friends, the main priority in our society, instead of being God, all flows right back to the root of all evil, the LOVE OF MONEY! It’s sad but true, the capitalist’s god, money, rules our world like never before. And with the latest talk about global economies and global villages, the power of money will get even stronger. Oh my people, the only way to counter this evil effect is by exercising ourselves unto godliness, which we’ll get in to tomorrow, God willing. And as I keep saying, I don’t see why he won’t be willing since we’re only trying to spread His Word and right some of the many wrongs in our beautiful world. Till tomorrow then, Much LOVE!...healthiness…is next to godliness…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 June 2010 Matthew 7:29‏

17 Jun 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Matthew 7:29     For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
 
Oh Friends, Jesus could have been talking about the state of our weather yesterday, the rain and the winds, in His parable on the two foundations for building life, at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. Why? Because after the long deluge of blessed water, the exceedingly high winds blew for most of the day. In fact they haven’t quite settled down as yet, though they’re not nearly as bad as during the day, when it was a combination of brilliant sunshine with highly mobilized winds. The good news though Friends, is that like Christ’s Church, built on the solid rock, I haven’t heard of any serious misfortune caused by the inclement weather. Everything apparently stood strong and steadfast because they were rooted in sure, solid foundations; just like we Christians are supposed to be solidly rooted in the bedrock foundation of Christ. And I have a quote for us from Marie Sklodowska Curie (1867-1934) the Polish born woman that turned France and the world on its ear with her discovery of radium that led to all the radioactive stuff we have today. She was also the first woman to ever receive a doctorate degree in Science in France. So ladies, don’t believe it when they say that females are not science minded. Marie Curie proved them wrong long ago. Anyway, her quote says: ‘Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.’ Oh Friends, if we follow that sound advice on all matters of life, we will be well served by it at the end, for there’s much truth to it. In many cases we fear things, places and people because we don’t understand them. Likewise, we often find that once we understand those things, places or people, there was really no reason to be afraid of them in the first place. Unfortunately though, it’s a known fact of life that we generally fear what we don’t understand. That’s one of the reasons why Jesus’ message instilled fear into some of His listeners; they simply did not understand what He was talking about. And if you were unschooled, uneducated and steeped in Jewish law and tradition, Jesus’ teaching would have caused you some concern, for it was quite wide ranging and required many people to change their basic way of life. And none of us likes change, especially when it moves us from a comfortable cocoon to an unknown, most likely uncomfortable situation. That’s how it was with Jesus’ listeners, especially the Pharisees and elite Jews. They would have had to give up their exalted social status and hypocritical ways which were very profitable in worldly terms, if they accepted Jesus as the Messiah. It was much easier and more profitable to defame Him and derail His fledgling organization. But Friends, the wonderful thing about our Saviour is that He knew who He was; the living Son of Almighty God, His sinless spiritual Being merely clothed in flesh so He could comfortably interact with His Father’s rebellious and disobedient fleshly creation. He was confident, but not arrogant, self-assured but not proud, with great conviction on what He taught because all His teaching was based on Himself and the church, the kingdom He intended to establish. Here’s an extended quote from the scholars on the topic. ‘The entire Sermon on the Mount is addressed to believers and presupposes faith in Jesus as the Messiah. The works done by the believer are not based on himself but on the ‘rock’, who ultimately is Christ Himself. He is the personal embodiment of all His teachings. Thus, when He finished the discourse, the people were astonished. Amazement engulfed the audience.’ And so it should Friends, if God became man and spoke to us from the depths of His soul like Jesus did! That’s why the Good Book declares: ‘For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.’ Oh mih people, I might as well give us the scholars take on this verbatim too, since they’ve done a fine job of explaining it. ‘The outstanding feature of His teaching was His authority, meaning the divine approval and authoritative constraint with which He delivered His message. Such straightforward preaching, based on the depths of one’s own life, was in direct contrast to that of the scribes, who were the copyists of the Law and the theologians of their day. They had to rely on tradition for their authority, whereas Christ was His own authority.’ Bravo scholars! Yes Friends, when we’re truly doing something that comes from our hearts, that we’re truly confident of and in, we usually come across more authoritatively than if we’re relying on not so sure, second-hand info. Here, Jesus though in the flesh of man, was talking authoritatively like God. And as we showed in a couple instances yesterday, everywhere Jesus spoke, people were astonished by both the high level of His teaching, and also the authoritative way He put it forth. We’ll end today with one more of those instances. This was after he preached in the synagogue on the Sabbath in His hometown of Nazareth. Luke gives a more detailed account of that unfortunate, infamous occasion than Mark. ‘And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?’  (Luke 4:22) Ah my people, we all know that those closest to us are the ones who usually make light of our achievements, but let’s do like Jesus nuh; suffer and swallow the hurt that their rejection must bring, gracefully now, while moving on with what ever tasks the Lord has assigned us. We can’t afford to pay the detractors and doubters too much mind, else they’ll just put more negative strain on our programme. Friends, I know that we can’t be as perfect and authoritative as Jesus, but we certainly can, and should aspire to attain as close a level as possible. So with that in mind, I’m imploring us to plant deep in our hearts, minds and souls, the philosophy of Jesus, the basic ideas outlined in the Sermon on the Mount. Let it, them, take solid root in us, so that it can then generate the confidence and authority we need to go fearlessly into the evil world to spread His Word and further His kingdom. That is our bounden duty. Much LOVE!…our confidence and authoritativeness in sharing God’s Word…is directly proportional…to how deeply rooted it is in our souls…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 June 2010 Matthew 7:28‏

16 Jun 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Matthew 7:28     And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine.
 
Oh Friends, it’s a beautiful morning, rise and greet it with a bright, sunshiny smile! And while you’re at it, declare with confidence: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it! Amen!’ Yes my people, it’s always best to begin our days on a positive, expectant note than in a sour, negative frame of mind. It’s the way Jesus did it. And today I’m going to do something I’ve never done before; I’m going to quote a long passage from the scholars on the Sermon on the Mount. I’ve quoted small bits, or used my own words when needed, but never such a long section. I only discovered it when I’d almost finished my message yesterday, and since it was too long to include there, I left it for today. It’s an outstanding explanation, so let’s get into it. ‘The opening verses of the Sermon on the Mount indicate that this message deals with the inner state of mind and heart that is the indispensable absolute of true Christian discipleship. It delineates the outward manifestations of character and conduct of true believers and genuine disciples. Thus, the life of the believer, described by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, is a life of grace and glory, which comes from God alone. To make this quality of life the product of man’s human efforts (as does the liberal) is the height of overestimation of man’s ability and underestimation of his depravity. To relegate this entire message, Jesus’ longest recorded sermon, to a Jewish-only life-style, as do some dispensationalists, is to rob the church of her greatest statement of true Christian living. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus states the spiritual character and quality of the kingdom He would establish, and the basic qualities of this kingdom are fulfilled in the church He would establish. Virtually every section of this message is repeated in substance elsewhere in the New Testament. Nothing here indicates that this message is to be limited in its application to the people of Israel only.’ Wow! Oh Friends, isn’t that brilliant, though somewhat highfalutin reasoning.  Just as I said yesterday; the Sermon on the Mount is the greatest set of words, the most brilliant philosophy ever stated, and it is an absolute blueprint for Christian living in this crazy, confused, evil world. And right there Friends, is one reason why people were astonished at Jesus’ doctrine; because it was contrary to that taught and done by the world. Jesus came to build something different, something new, something that the world had never seen or heard of before; a Church, a society truly built on the spiritual foundations of grace, glory, forgiveness, mercy and LOVE! Unfortunately, not too many humans, then or now, were willing to give up the worldly lusts of the flesh that it required. But my people, if we want to be real, true followers of the Prince of Peace, of the Mighty Counsellor, of the Sacrificial Lamb, then we’ve got to do like he did on His earthly sojourn; willingly pick up our individual cross and bear it without complaints before the world. It’s not easy, but it’s the only way that unbelievers will recognize us as genuine Christians and pay attention to what we say. Luke, in his description of Jesus teaching in Capernaum on the Sabbath, truthfully declares: ‘And they were astonished at his doctrine (teaching): for his word was with power (authority).’ (Luke 4:32) And after Jesus cast out the demon from a man in the synagogue, the crowd was confounded. ‘And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.’ (Luke 4:36) Yes Friends, the world had never seen or heard anything like Jesus. And one more reason why people were astonished and amazed at Jesus’ power of thought and speech is related to His humble status, and lack of education; a carpenter’s son from the backwater town of Nazareth. And strangely, it’s in His own hometown that Jesus found the least faith, the most unbelief. Just listen to how His hometown crowd reacted when He taught there. ‘And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought (performed) by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses, and of Judah and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.’ (Mark 6:2-3) But Jesus, with that magnanimous soul of His, wrote off the rejection by saying; ‘A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.’ (Mark 6:4) There’s no doubt though that Jesus was tremendously hurt by the sad state of unbelief in His own hometown of Nazareth, which made it impossible for Him to do any great works there. It seems that’s the only place He did nothing of much value during His earthly ministry. How sad. But them’s the breaks! Our own usually show the least respect and interest in our achievements. And here’s one last instance of the power of Jesus’ words, which occurred while He taught in the temple at Jerusalem. The council had heard that the ordinary, more rural people were beginning to accept Jesus as whom He claimed to be, so they sent some officers to arrest Him. However, they returned to the council empty-handed, and when asked why, there response was simple but poignant. ‘The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.’  (John 7:46) Now isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! And neither has anyone spoken like Him since, my people. That obviously means Jesus was, and still is, in a class all by Himself. His teachings are both literally and figuratively out of this world. And I strongly advise us to join Him in His great and most worthwhile mission of bringing all the Father’s human creation together as one, under the unique, but powerful and protective umbrella of His Church, where things like grace, mercy, truth, forgiveness and LOVE abound. Oh my Friends, it certainly is the best way, so please check it out! Much LOVE!…to live a true Christian life…truly adopt the life giving principles… of the Sermon on the Mount…
 

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