Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 February 2010 Psalm 40:1‏

07 Feb 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 40:1     I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Sabbath time again. Wow! It comes around so quickly; that time for meeting, greeting, praising, fellowship and spiritual renewal. Today I saw a calendar that showcased a dark blue, tinted picture of a narrow river with a bunch of rapids and a small waterfall flowing through a gorge of massive rock. Sitting on the other side, on the edge of a cliff is a lone human, dressed in coat etc. to withstand the spray and cold coming from the rapidly moving water. Gnarled branches of aged trees overhang the river. It’s a beautiful scene which gives the impression of being that way since time began, undisturbed by man or beast. The lone human is just sitting there in contemplative mode, elbows resting on his knees, taking it all in. Below the picture, simply stated in large capitals is the word ‘PURPOSE’, and under that is a reputed quote of Mahatma Ghandi: ‘There is more to life than increasing speed.’ And isn’t that gospel mih people! But you can’t say that to this particular generation, for more than at any other time in man’s history we’re focused on speed. Our motto seems to be faster and smaller. Everyday brings a new technological device that’s faster, and oftimes smaller, than its predecessor. So we now expect all our equipment to transmit information in the blink of an eye, getting impatient and angry if we have to wait a few seconds, forgetting that it’s still basically a mechanical device controlled by coded words and numbers that must take time to move information from one place to another. This impatience plus the psychological ploys of the manufacturers and advertising agencies cause us to replace perfectly good equipment for stuff that’s faster and handier, but often not as technologically sound or error free. In all the haste to get the stuff to market to beat the analysts’ projections and upgrade profits, lots of shortcuts are taken, resulting in improperly tested devices and software. As the old adage goes; ‘more haste, less speed.’ And right now our entire life is built around speed, and not necessarily efficient speed. This Scrip-Bit is a perfect example of our very short attention spans. Some people claim it’s too long, when it only takes about five minutes to read. However, if I sent them five e-mails that took a minute each, their complaints would decrease. We’ve grown so accustomed to the ten or fifteen seconds sound bytes that anything much longer gets us confused and irritable. A new illness has even been invented to deal with it; Attention Disorder Deficiency Syndrome. Sadly though, it’s the children who suffer the most since from infancy they’ve been bombarded with quick images and messages, plus all the new video and computer games highlight speed. It’s obvious then that they will grow up expecting everything to happen quickly, and if it doesn’t, they get irritable and throw tantrums and are subsequently diagnosed with ADS and given all sorts of unnecessary, mood altering and harmful drugs. Just think back to our youth, few of us really had short attention spans because we were taught to pay attention and punished if we didn’t do it reasonably well. But Friends, this rushing and insistence on speed only increases our stress levels, unnecessarily inviting all the havoc it can bring to our lives. We need to be more often like the lone human in the picture, in a contemplative frame of mind. Though the water is rushing along, his mind is taking its time. And contrary to what I might have intimated at the start, time doesn’t go along at different speeds, but at the same speed all the time. (smile) It’s our misperception that makes it feel so. To be truly successful in this life and live to a ripe old age like Methuselah, we need to do like Bruh David says in the Bit. ‘I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.’ Oh Friends, that’s what life is all about; making our supplications to Almighty God, then waiting patiently for Him to do whatever we desire. They call patience a virtue because it’s hard to come by, especially in these times of dire speed, but those who acquire it have a much better chance of mastering the intricacies of life, for everything takes time, even our new toys that operate in nano seconds or even smaller bits. Like Bruh Paul says: ‘But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) wait (eagerly) for it.’ (Rom.8:25) Yes my people, whatever we need, want, expect or hope for must be patiently but eagerly awaited, while we keep pressing on. We always have a part to play, and once we’ve done it, then we must learn to wait on the Most High God Jehovah to do His part in His time. Beseeching and pleading won’t make Him move any quicker because sometimes that’s the exact lesson, patience, He’s trying to teach us, trying to see if we really believe all the things we tell others about Him. And I can testify to that from personal experience ever since I began writing the Bit. Remember, He’s the Master and we the servants. We have to do His will, not the other way around, as some of us believe and behave. If we meet His goal, His expectations, then He’ll treat us the way Bruh David says: ‘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.40:2-3) And that Friends, is our PURPOSE in this life: to LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith and SPREAD His Word, so that others may trust, believe in and glorify Him. More tomorrow on this topic, God willing. Till then, slow down, smell the flowers, enjoy a baby’s gurgle and an old-timer’s memories, admire the heavens in all their god-given splendour, and wait patiently on our God. He will do all He’s promised. Much LOVE!…too much speed kills…but patience endures forever…
 

Today”s Scrip-Bit 6 February 2009 John 9:39‏

06 Feb 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 9:39     And Jesus said, For judgement I am come into this world, that they which see not might see: and they which see might be made blind.
 
Ah my Friends, the Lord giveth, but He also taketh. By now most of you know He called Ralston Milton (Rex) Nettleford home a few days ago. Dr, Nettleford, of Jamaican birth, was one of the few persons of Caribbean heritage we can truly call a Renaissance man. His accolades and achievements cover the entire spectrum; from arts, to politics, labour, social causes and academia. He was a Rhodes Scholar, a spirited dancer, having founded the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica, a tireless worker, friend of, professor and one time Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies. He was in Washington D.C. to raise funds for the University when his death occurred via a heart attack, a few hours from his 77th birthday. I first met him as a professor and tutor in the mid to late 1960’s on the University campus in Mona, Jamaica. There I was fortunate to be taught by a young group of bright West Indian nationals with names like Rodney, Girvan, McIntyre and Nettleford. They led the charge to change our colonial mentality and dependence on the mother countries, and energized us to begin thinking that we could do it for ourselves as a region. Dr. Nettleford was certainly a class act; always well dressed and well spoken. The last time I saw him was a few years ago here in Toronto when the U.W.I Alumni Assoc. presented him with an award for his considerable services to the University. He must have been in his late sixties then, but still looked trim and fit as when he taught me thirty odd years earlier, and no doubt could still dance up a storm. I would like to send our condolences to his family and friends from our Scrip-Bit family, for we certainly owe some of what I am to his teaching. We should endeavour to never let his legacy die, for he was a man of many parts, and we’ll certainly miss his wit, intelligence, vitality and social conscience. Having risen from a poor, country background to the heights of the known world, he never forgot his roots. And in keeping with Today’s Bit, he was certainly a man of vision, always with an eye to the future. Now when Jesus said, ‘For judgement I am come into this world,’ it wasn’t as a destroyer but as a saviour. ‘For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) And He said it again later on. ‘And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world but to save the world.’ (John 12:47) Oh Friends, it’s so important that we understand and remember that whatever happened to, with, through or by Jesus, His sole purpose for coming to earth was to save us ungodly sinners. That the blind would be given sight, enabling them to behold the Creator of the Universe; the Most High God Jehovah, while those who refused to acknowledge Him would suffer the sad consequences eventually. But here the plot thickens my people, for the same Jesus that came to save us is also the One who’s going to judge us at a later day, so we’ll have no excuses when He asks why we didn’t believe His words when He first came. ‘For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement unto the Son…And hath given him authority to execute judgement also, because he is the Son of man.’ (John 5:22,27) So there we have it Friends, come the last days, Jesus will be judge, jury and executioner, having already been the bearer of good tidings and incomparable deeds of LOVE, mercy and forgiveness. I really don’t know why it’s so hard for us to believe in Him when His words and the facts, as He points them out, all agree. Why can’t we be like the blind man He gave sight to eh? He experienced a miracle in his life, and being only blind not stupid, he knew that only a true man of God could do such a thing and thus had no problem believing that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. But we, so glorious in our education and wisdom, though we have miracles, not necessarily big ones like receiving sight, but many small ones throughout our lives, still find it difficult to believe. Why? Because we hold the world and all it offers more important and knowledgeable, in higher esteem than we do the Word of God. How sad it is my people that because of the blinding blinkers the world and its evil rulers put on us, we can’t see the true nature of our existence. Oh Friends, let’s wake up and smell the roses nuh! ‘Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.’ (Mat.13:13) That’s how Jesus explained His habit of speaking in parables. Then He continued the blind figure of speech by saying to His disciples, re the Pharisees: ‘Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.’ (Mat.15:14) My people, I implore us not to fall into that sad trap of being blind and being led by blind leaders, else we’ll end up in a terrible state. And don’t you like how Jesus could put down the hypocrite Pharisees? Some of them heard when He spoke Today’s Bit to the man he healed and were bold faced enough to ask if they were blind too. ‘Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.’ (John 9:41)Yes Friends, they mistakenly figured they knew it all. Please, let’s not fall into that trap, for ONLY our heavenly Father knows it all. Be humble, but vibrant in spirit, listen to Jesus and follow Him. That’s the best prescription for success in this life. Much LOVE!…be wise…accept Jesus now… as your Saviour…before you meet Him later…as prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 February 2010 John 9:39‏

05 Feb 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 9:39     And Jesus said, For judgement I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
 
Oh Friends, let’s open our hearts, souls and minds to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on this new morn and invite Him to accompany us again, as we journey through another day of earthly life. He is the best companion we can ever have on any journey. Please thank Him for being there with us yesterday, and ask Him to guide us safely and righteously in all that we do today, that we may be worthy of being called a Christian, His follower. Now Jesus spoke Today’s Bit as a result of foolish hard heartedness and stubborn pride on the part of the Pharisees. Jesus had healed a man born blind by putting clay on his eyes then instructed him to ‘Go wash in the pool of Siloam.’ (John 9:7) The fellow did this without any contention and received his sight. But the know-it-all Pharisees refused to believe that it was so simple. They even called his parents who admitted he was born blind, but had no idea how he received sight, and told them ‘he is of age; ask him; he shall speak for himself.’ (John 9:21) The parents gave that reply because the Jews had already threatened to put anyone who confessed Christ, out of the synagogue. The Pharisees refused to let it go and called him again, ‘and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.’ (John 9:24) The fellow replied that he didn’t know if Jesus was a sinner or not, all he knew was that He had given him sight. But the Pharisees persisted, asking him again what Jesus had done. And like Jesus didn’t only give him sight, but also some gumption, cause he mouthed off to the Pharisees, saying he’d already told them once and they didn’t believe him, why should he tell them again, and if they too wanted to be Jesus’ disciples. Obviously that riled them and they reviled him, saying that they were Moses’ disciples, because they knew that God spake to Moses, but they didn’t know where Jesus came from. Oh Friends, the man’s reply is a thing of beauty. It could only have come from the Most High Himself. ‘Why here is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.’ (John 9:30-33) Oh my people, that is the living truth! It was obvious that Jesus could not have done any miracles if He was such a raging sinner as the Pharisees proclaimed. But they were like so many of us today; ‘none so blind as those who refuse to see.’ Everybody knew the fellow was born blind, not stupid, but they still refused to accept his explanation, because it would have shown them up as the hypocrites and men pleasers that they were. Unfortunately the same stuff happens daily with us. We see things happening in our lives, which could only have one explanation, the work of God, but because of our innate pride and stubbornness, we refuse to accept it as such, since it would mean doing or putting aside things in our lives that don’t gel with God’s plans. And the Pharisees showed their haughty ignorance by telling the man: ‘Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.’ (John 9:34) Ah mih people, we behave the same way when we don’t want to recognize or accept a truth that will change our lives and/or our thinking on long held misconceptions. And the story shows that Jesus didn’t do stuff then forget about it, but always had the pulse of the situation. When He heard that the guy had been kicked out of the temple, He sought him out, and having found him, asked; ‘Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.’ (John 9:35-38) Wow Friends! That was so simple and so touching! Jesus gave the man sight, then told him He was the Son of God, and he believed. How could it be any other way eh? But the Pharisees, and us too, with all our fancy learning, customs and otherwise couldn’t accept it as being that simple. Friends, if we check out the Good Book, we’ll see that our God doesn’t usually make a big hoopla of His doings; they’re usually done in a simple, down to earth manner. And the best place to find or look for God is in the simple things and actions of life. After the man believed, then Jesus told him: ‘For judgement I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.’ Oh my people, seeing here not only refers to the actual act of visualizing with one’s eyes, but also seeing through the eyes of faith with our hearts, minds and souls. And oftimes, that seeing is the most important, for many things in life cannot be explained through normal human sight or logic, but instead need a strong, deep Christian faith to make them even seem possible. That ‘s the ideal to which we should all aspire: to a faith so strong, so powerful, unbendable and unbreakable, that when all the evil forces come against us, showing logical, man made reasons why we’re wrong, or should accept certain things which go against God’s will, then we’ll be able to rebuke them and say like Jesus did in His time of agony in the Garden of Gethsemane; ‘nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Mat.26:39). Yes Friends, we need to always bow to the Lord’s will, even if it may cause us pain and sorrow. More tomorrow on this Bit; if it’s the Lord’s will of course. Till then, Much LOVE!…for we walk by faith…not by sight…
 

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

04 Feb 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 20:1     Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
 
It’s a glorious day Friends! The Lord is out and about overseeing His marvellous creation, and luckily we’re alive to tell of it. Give Him some thanks and praise and bless His Holy Name for all His wonderful works on our behalf! And today we’ll touch on a subject that’s sure to cause some controversy and disagreement; that of imbibing alcoholic beverages. Sol says that ‘Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.’ And he’s quite right. Wine is looked upon as a ‘mocker’ because it deceives those who partake of it, while strong drink is intoxicating and arouses brawling, and neither action would be considered wise living. But Friends there are many other things that we like and claim to be okay but they also deceive us and arouse our brawling instincts. And I don’t know of anywhere in the Good Book where it explicitly says that the consumption of alcoholic beverages is sinful or definitely prohibited for a follower of Christ. In fact Bruh Paul recommended that Timothy should ‘Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities (frequent sicknesses).’ (1 Tim.5:23) And it’s been scientifically proven that certain alcoholic beverages in small quantities can be medicinally helpful. Jesus also turned water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana.’ (John 2:1-10) If it was wrong, He certainly wouldn’t have done it. And I’m sure that on neither occasion were they speaking of what we today call non-alcoholic wine. All the scriptures I can find on the subject speak of excessive imbibing. Bruh Paul told the Ephesians: ‘And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit.’ (Eph.5:18) Meanwhile Peter exhorts us to not live in the flesh, but the will of God. ‘For the time past of our life may suffice us (is enough) to have wrought (done) the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine (drunkenness) revellings, banquetings (drinking parties), and abominable idolatries. Wherefore they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot (dissipation), speaking evil of you.’ (1 Pet.3:3-4) Hn, hn! I have to chuckle because I know that applies to many believers who lived a riotous life of excess before finding Christ, only to have their old party buddies bad talk them when they refuse to continue their former life style. Thankfully mine was not one of dissipation. Although I did participate in some of those things mentioned above, it was very seldom to excess. I luckily learned the way of moderation at an early age. As Bruh Paul told the Philippians: ‘Let your moderation be known unto all men.’ (Phil.4:5) And we see from Peter’s talk that what he’s against is basic excessiveness, for anything done to the extreme is bad. Now I’m not advocating the consumption or none consumption of alcoholic beverages. I’m just trying to show how we can go overboard at times with our own man made laws and customs. I myself have an occasional drink, not as much as before, but even then it was never a lot, and I will continue to do so. If anyone considers it sinful, disgusting or whatever, too bad yes. Let them cast the first stone. The problem with alcoholic beverages is control and to know your limits, because it can cause your perception of reality to be seriously altered. But the same can be said for many medicines handed out willy-nilly since they react differently on different people. Some people like alcohol and some don’t. But if you like it or desire to take the occasional drink, make sure you don’t imbibe more than you can handle or control, because everyone’s capacity is different. Some might be able to imbibe a fair amount without it affecting them, while others just smell the cork and get woozy. (smile) And we have a good example of excess from olden times in Noah. ‘And Noah began to be a husbandman (farmer), and he planted a vineyard. And he drank of the wine, and was drunken: and he was uncovered within his tent.’ (Gen.9:20-21) It so happened that Ham, one of his sons saw him naked and went out and told his brothers Shem and Japheth. Now they went into the tent faces backwards and covered their father, without seeing his nakedness. ‘And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.’ (Gen.9:24) And Noah laid a curse on Ham’s children, Canaan. But according to the scholars, though a lot has been said about Ham seeing Noah naked, it doesn’t seem as if anything untoward, sexual or otherwise took place. What displeases me about the incident is that Noah got up on his high horse and cursed Ham’s descendants, but never considered his own misdemeanour of being a drunken father. And that same attitude has filtered down through the ages till today we blame everybody else but ourselves for our problems. We also blame a lot of stuff on alcohol and illegal drugs without knowing the real or true facts. It’s just a convenient whipping post. Not that they don’t cause problems, but they certainly don’t cause all the accidents or the crime. I’m not even sure that they cause the majority. Have we ever done a proper study of how many people are just so tired and stressed out that they fall asleep behind the wheel? Or why there seems to be so much more abuse within families? Drugs or alcohol can’t cause them all, especially in these times of abnormal stress and anxiety. All I’m saying here Friends is that we can’t blame the litany of our problems on a miniscule number of things. Our society is much too large and complex for that. However, we’ll end with a serious warning from Sol on the topic of wine. And does he ever describe it right! You can tell he was a connoisseur. (smile) ‘Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour (sparkles) in the cup, when it moveth itself aright (goes smoothly). At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like and adder (viper).’ (Prov.23:31-32)Those are very true words Friends. So if you can’t handle it: LEAVE IT ALONE! And if you can, be very careful of how much you imbibe, try and let it be as little as possible, cause it can seriously disturb your perception of reality. In truth though, in these crazy, ungodly times, a whole lot of other things are disturbing our perception of reality, without our brains being muddled with alcohol. You have to be careful of everything these days, even the food you eat, cause it’s loaded with stuff that is cancer causing to make it look nice or stay fresh longer. Much LOVE!…if in doubt on anything…talk to God first…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 February 2010 James 1:2‏

03 Feb 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

James 1:2     My Brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.
 
Oh Friends, the Holy Spirit guided me to begin Today’s Bit with a short prayer. So please join me. ‘Thank you Lord for bringing us safely through another dark and gloomy night into a day filled with the brilliant sunshine of your LOVE and glory. For this we give you eternal praise, and humbly ask that you lead and guide us safely. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.’ Now let me share a quote from Marcus Aurelius. He says: ‘Snow endures but for a season, and joy comes with the morning.’ And he’s quite right, but I don’t know how many people will be joyful this morning when they discover the snowy, slippery condition of the roads, added to the already confusing mass of metal, fibre-glass and humans heading for the concrete jungles to slave for a comparative pittance. But hopefully the believers involved will not be too distraught cause it’s hard to be joyful when you’re crawling along in a traffic jam on slippery, snow covered roads on a dark, cloudy morning, with some fools trying to rush as though it was good weather. All I can say is: ‘Thank you Lord that I don’t have to go out there and face those cruel elements this morning!’ (smile) Anyway, re Marcus’ quote, true believers with some maturity know that no trial or problem lasts forever. Though some may last quite a while, they all will eventually be resolved. For everything there’s a reason and a season. Sol puts it nicely. ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.’ (Eccl.3:1) Friends, that’s the will of God, and until we learn to accept it, we’ll be plagued by unnecessary worry and fear. Now don’t get me wrong, life consists of many problems, right from birth until death, and many of them will bring us to our knees, but if we develop that great faith and trust in the Supreme Being, Infinitely Everything, He will always give us the strength to hang in and see them through. He never said He will solve them all, or even those He solves, to our satisfaction. But as Bruh David rightly says in Psalm 29, titled The voice of the Lord in the storm: ‘The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.’ (Ps.29:11) And James opens his epistle on Christian living talking about the trials and tribulations of life. Oh my people, it’s very important that we pay serious attention to James’ philosophy because it’s the only way we’ll ever live a successful life. Now what’s his prescription? ‘My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.’ I know that sounds like nonsense, for who really wants to consider the various trials and problems we encounter as joyous eh? But here’s a good example, and it shows that James wasn’t talking from hearsay but personal experience. When the apostles were arraigned before the council of elders in Jerusalem for preaching in Jesus’ Name, they were beaten and commanded not to talk about Him. But what was their response? ‘And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.’ (Acts 5:41-42) Wow! So you see Friends, the apostles did practice what they preached. Nobody’s saying it’s easy, for life in general isn’t easy, and neither is the believer’s, as Jesus promised, but as His followers, we do have that internal strength, that fortitude given to us by the Holy Spirit. And the verse after our Bit explains James’ thinking. ‘Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.’ (James 1:3) Hn! I see many faces screwed up and etched with annoyance. But Friends, it’s the gospel truth. The Bible doesn’t lie. The testing of our faith does produce patience. However that word patience and all it entails are sadly being pushed from our consciousness, for we have now become an unholy mob only interested in instant gratification. We want everything now for now, and therein lies the cause of many of our problems, especially the recent economic meltdown. When impatience rides on the back of greed and envy, the only possible result is heart and gut wrenching woe. Once upon a time we saved for stuff. But nowadays we just put it on plastic, read credit, then struggle and complain to pay it off with the usurious interest attached. However James continues: ‘But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ (James 1:4) Yes Friends, our first response and natural instinct when trouble comes a calling is to run from it. Then when we discover that we can neither run nor hide from it, we get angry and bitter. But my people that should not be the believer’s attitude, for God uses adversity to mature us, and we’ll never mature spiritually if we allow our problems to either beat us down or embitter us. The only way we’ll ever grow in the faith is by using God’s strength and facilities to overcome our problems, to gain victory from the jaws of defeat and trouble. Because, as the scholars claim, the believers whom God has the most use for, are those He has bruised the most. And that’s no lie. Look at all the esteemed people in the Good Book, many of them went through some very rough times, but were mightily used by the Lord. And to name a few; there’s Moses, Job, Isaiah, Elijah, my three Bruhs, Joseph, David and Paul. Not to mention the prime example, the most wronged, pained and humiliated of all; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He couldn’t do anything for us unless He suffered the ultimate humiliation; terrible ‘sufferation’ and eventually death on a cross between two criminals, to pay for our sins. So Friends, when we’re beset by problems, please, let us not try to run or hide from them, but rather meet them head on, cause we never know the whats, whys and wherefores behind them. God might be trying to do some work in us, preparing us for promotion, and if we get bitter or weary and give up, then we’ll never know what He had planned for us. We all know it’s not easy, but as James advises: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.’ (James 1:5-6) Yes Friends, the best way to handle trials is by asking our God for the wisdom to understand them, and the strength, fortitude and guidance to endure them. Much LOVE!…when troubles come…the only place to turn…is to God…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 February 2010 Psalm 150:1‏

02 Feb 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 150:1     Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
 
All together now Friends, let’s join in loud but graceful harmony: ‘Praise Him, praise Him, glory Hallelujah! He is LOVE. He is LOVE!’ Yes mih people, that’s the most gospel truth of them all! (smile) Why? Because if yuh doing LOVE, then yuh doing God’s will. Likewise, if yuh doing God’s will, then yuh must be doing LOVE too, for that’s His very nature; nothing else flows from it but LOVE. And it’s so wonderful to begin a new day with praise and thanks to the Most High God, who has so richly blessed us with Life and LOVE. It not only honours God, but also makes us feel good; strong, happy and invincible. Now Psalm 150 is the last of the Psalms, so it’s rather fitting that it’s a song of Praise. And the Psalmist delves in to the questions of where, why, when and who of praise, which we shall try to address. Let’s begin with where as the Psalmist did. And where should our mighty God be praised? The Psalmist rightly says everywhere. ‘Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.’ Yes Friends, from His dwelling place on earth, right up to the great expanse of the holy heavens where He regally sits on His throne controlling the earth, showering us with His many blessings of mercy, grace, forgiveness, LOVE and protection. Bruh David says it in Psalm 145: ‘Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.’ (Ps.145:3) That’s an awesome truth too my people. Our God is so great, all- powerful, all knowing and all seeing. Wow! There could never be another like Him! For that alone He deserves our praise. Just like we acknowledge those humans we consider great, well Our God deserves it even more, cause He’s so mighty that we can’t even begin to understand or comprehend it. The next verse of Psalm 145 is ultra important my brethren, for it deals with the continuity of our faith. ‘One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.’ (Ps.145:4) Oh my people, that’s how we learned the faith, by the previous generation passing it on to us. Now are we doing the same thing? I surely hope so, for if we’re not then future generations won’t have all the wonderful testimony of Almighty God that we now enjoy. So I’m pleading with us to make sure we pass on the good news of Jesus to the next generation, or as many as we live to see. It’s the most important thing we’ll ever do with our earthly selves. That leads to the question of why we should praise the Lord. That’s the easiest one, and the Psalmist answers it quite nicely. ‘Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.’ (Ps.150:2) Moses said it after Israel conquered Og of Bashan. ‘O Lord God, thou hast begun to show thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?’ (Deut.3:24) Yes Friends, we ought to praise God for the great deeds He’s done on our behalf over the ages, and also because He’s just so great, we have to look at Him with awe, wonder and astonishment and bow to such an awesome majesty. And having asked where and why, we now come to how? Yes my people, it’s also important to know how to praise our Great God. The Psalmist answers that question too. ‘Praise him with the sound of the trumpet (cornet): praise him with the psaltery (lute, lyre) and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high-sounding cymbals.’ (Ps.150. 2-4) Yes mih breddren, that means we can praise Almighty God with any instrument that we can invent or make through our God given creativity. But ah have to talk to the Psalmist yes, cause he forgot to mention one of the instruments that praises Him ever so sweetly; the steel pan. (smile) That brings up the question, when can we do it? Anytime at all mih people, preferably all the time if possible. There’s never a right or wrong time to praise our heavenly Father. Note, heaven never closes; it’s a 24/7 establishment. Our Father is always there waiting for our praise and prayers, because He made us to glorify Him. That means He has to be available all the time, if He’s gong to do it right. And we know He always does it right. So now that we know why, where, when and how the Most High God Jehovah should be praised, lets consider the final and possibly the most important question; who should praise God? The Psalmist is right on the ball with the answer. ‘Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps.150:6) For sure mih people, every living thing, everything that breathes should be praising Almighty God, because it’s He that created and formed us with such LOVING care and provides for us. If we’re true followers of His Son Jesus then we ought to have an attitude of gratitude for all the Holy Triumvirate has done, is doing and will continue to do for us undeserving sinners in the future. Oh Friends, we all feel slighted and unappreciated when we do for others and don’t receive a little thanks in return. And what we do for others is comparatively insignificant to what our God does for us. So why then wouldn’t we offer Him much thanks and very hearty praises eh? So, having said all of that, I’m asking us to develop a serious praise habit; meaning all through our waking hours we give our God thanks and praise. It doesn’t have to be fancy, cause He’s not into our words but the motives of our heart. Just a quiet acknowledgment within our souls will do, or a simple ‘Thanks Father, I praise your Holy Name.’ And remember to begin and end each day with praise and thanks too. Your days will run smoother and your sleep will be sweeter. Much LOVE!…praise Him…praise Him…glory hallelujah…He is LOVE…He is LOVE…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 February 2010 Daniel 1:8‏

01 Feb 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Daniel 1:8     But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
 
Ah Friends, February’s on the go, and so too should all believers, thanking and praising God for His everlasting kindness and working sincerely and seriously to further His kingdom. In concert with that line of thinking, hear then these words of Lord Chesterfield. ‘I recommend you to take care of the minutes, for the hours will take care of themselves.’ That means we need to take care of the small things, the details of today and not worry about the past or the future, for today is all we can control. The past is already gone; that’s what today is built on, and tomorrow will be built or depends on what we do, the choices we make today. Therefore, if we seek a good tomorrow, we have to cherish, control and do a good job today. It’s like the clichéd sayings we have down south: ‘Take care of the cents, and the dollars will take care of themselves.’ Or, ‘One one cocoa full basket.’ If we take care of the smallest particle, action or area, the big scene will eventually take care of itself. That’s just how God planned it. And we can surely see that principle at work in Daniel’s strategy in Today’s Bit. ‘But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.’ Yes Friends, Daniel made a studied decision regarding his day-to-day situation, having considered the consequences on his future. We all know the story of how the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, ‘spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed (descendants), and of the princes; Children (young men) in whom was no blemish, but well-favoured (good looking), and cunning (possessing) in knowledge, and understanding (quick to understand)  science, and such as had ability in them to stand (serve) in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning (literature, writing) and the tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat (food), and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing (training) them three years that they might stand (serve) before the king. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.’ (Dan.1:3-6) King Neb sure had his wits about him. If he was able to indoctrinate them with the culture of Babylon, he could use them to control the Jewish minority and indoctrinate them too. The first bit of brainwashing began as soon as the lads entered the programme. Their names were changed from good Hebrew names that reflected their godly heritage to ones praising the Babylonian idols. Daniel (God Is My Judge) was changed to Belteshazzar (Bel Will Protect). Hananiah (God Is Gracious) became Shadrach (Inspiration of the Sun), while Mishael (God Is Without Equal) was called Meshach (Belonging to Aku), and Azariah (The Lord Is My Helper) was named Abednego (Servant of Nego). The second step of indoctrination was the food. It’s obvious that ‘the king’s meat’ consisted of some food the Hebrews considered unwholesome, which the four lads resisted eating. But Friends, as we keep saying, whatever our God brings us to, He will bring us through. And I like how the Good Book puts it. ‘Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender LOVE (sympathy) with the prince of the eunuchs.’ (Dan.1:9) But the eunuch prince didn’t grant Daniel’s wish, scared to lose his head if they came before the king looking much worse than the others. With his heart set though on pleasing the Most High God Jehovah, Daniel turned to the steward Melzar, who had direct control over them and said: ‘Prove (test) thy servants, I beseech thee ten days; and let them give us pulse (vegetables) to eat, and water to drink.’ (Dan.1:12) Ah Friends, when there seems to be no way, our God always provides one. Daniel’s deal with the steward was if after ten days of water and veggies, they looked worse than those who ate the king’s food, he could do whatever he wanted with them. But lo and behold! ‘At the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer (better) and fatter in flesh than all the people which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.’ (Dan.1:15) All praise to our Most Holy God my people! ‘As for these four children (young men), God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning (literature, writing) and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.’ (Dan.1:17) And at the end of the three years when the whole group stood before the king and he spoke with and examined them; ‘among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before (served) the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of (questioned) them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.’ (Dan.1:19:20) That my Friends is how the Lord works in the lives of those who sincerely trust, believe and surrender themselves to Him. Though young, Daniel and his friends were well versed in the Lord, had a solid foundation in the God of their fathers. They changed their names and taught them their customs, but could not change their godly character. Even so should it be with us my people. Our names can be changed and other deities and cultures forced on us, but if we’re confident in the God we serve, then our basic lives and attitudes will remain unchanged. So just like Daniel and his friends passed God’s test in olden Babylon, let’s stand strong together and try to pass ours in this new Babylon nuh. Much LOVE!…as Uncle Charles says…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 January 2010 1 Timothy 4:14‏

31 Jan 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Timothy 4:14    Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
 
Wow! Can you believe it Friends, January is finished already? I only wish the remaining winter months could go as quickly. But that just means the summer months are liable to go as fast, and in no time we’ll be back to square one; winter again. Hn! Same old khaki pants! (smile) Any way, I want to share a little insight that whether it’s winter or summer, rain or snow, regardless of the external environment, you’ll always have a friend with you. And we’re not talking of a spiritual friend, but a real flesh and blood human companion. And if you think that’s too good to be true, then listen to the words of Maxwell Maltz. ‘If you make friends with yourself, you will never be alone.’ Oh mih people, that rates another Wow! Why? Because it’s the gospel truth. When you like yourself and can enjoy your own company for decent lengths of time, then you’ll always have a true and faithful companion by your side; you. The problem though is that many of us don’t like ourselves. For whatever reason(s) we just can’t bear to be alone in our own company. That’s a negative attitude my people. Remember Jesus said to LOVE your neighbour as yourself. And the way some of us dislike ourselves, I certainly wouldn’t want to be our neighbour. (smile) And we’re not talking about inordinate pride or arrogance, but a simple appreciation of ourselves and our decent qualities, which should be overflowing from the well-spring of our souls if we’re true believers. Thus, if we met ourselves as a stranger on the street, we’d be very inclined to strike up a pleasant conversation from the aura that emanates from us. And liking whom we are is a paramount aspect of our faith, else we can’t do the good natured things it calls for with a right heart. Please note too that liking oneself in a healthy manner and being humble, as our faith decrees, are not opposites. They can co-exist quite nicely as they did in our leader, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. That brings us to our Bit, where Bruh Paul is trying to encourage a shy, self-effacing Timothy to get with the programme. ‘Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.’ Timothy was a young preacher in Ephesus, whom the prophet(s) of the day thought was divinely gifted and so informed the church. Thus the church elders laid their hands on him, blessing him, and accepting that God had called him to ministry with a special talent for it. But unfortunately, though Timothy appeared to have all the knowledge to make a good pastor, he couldn’t seem to muster enough chutzpah to exercise a strong authority over the congregation. Consequently, in his second letter, Bruh Paul tries to boost his confidence and exhort him to endurance. ‘When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting (laying) on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of (share with me) the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.’ (2 Tim.1:5-8) Poor Timothy, he must have been even more troubled after receiving that message, knowing that he could never fill Bruh Paul’s shoes. But then Friends, very few of us can ever do that. However it doesn’t mean we can’t perform very useful service on God’s behalf, for all of us are given gifts to be used specifically to further His kingdom. But as Bruh Paul points out: ‘Now there are diversities (various kinds) of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations (ministries), but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations (activities), but it is the same God which worketh all (things) in all.’ (1 Cor.12:4-6) So Friends, the Lord’s endowed each believer with a special talent that we are called on, expected to use in His service. The gifts might be all different, but all serve some purpose in His overall plan. But just like Timothy many of us are not using those gifts anywhere close to their full potential. We’re either unsure, scared, lazy, too busy with worldly things or whatever reason we choose to give. The bottom line though is that we’re not using them satisfactorily. We’re not harnessing ‘the spirit of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ Instead we’re being overcome by the ‘spirit of fear,’ and in many cases are ‘ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.’ Remember Friends, if we’re ashamed of Christ, He’ll also be ashamed of us. As Bruh Paul proclaimed re the power of the gospel. ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.’ (Rom.1:16) That’s it there in black and white mih people. If you’re a true believer then you cannot be ashamed of the gospel for it’s the power of God that brings you salvation and eternal life. So please, let’s get our acts together nuh Friends. Let’s seriously begin using those special gifts that God gave all of us to enlarge and further His kingdom. Don’t be like me and wait till late in life to begin exhorting, educating, edifying, encouraging, or whatever you were placed on earth to do. It’s only if we all work together as one, though using our diverse gifts, that we can ever hope to unify Christ’s Church and truly claim it as ONE BODY with different members. Much LOVE!…to each is granted a talent….not to be hidden under a bushel…but exposed to the light…for God’s ultimate glory. 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 January 2010 2 Corinthians 10:7‏

30 Jan 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Corinthians 10:7     Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.
 
Well my Friends, it’s the weekend again, and you know what that means; worship, fellowship and spiritual refreshing. At least that is what it should mean, but with all things human, there’s always a fly in the ointment. And the fly in the ointment of the Corinthian church was a host of serious divisions amongst the members, with people opting to follow individuals, letting them be their guiding light, rather than the basic doctrine of Christ. That occasioned Bruh Paul to write in his first letter to them. ‘Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you: or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius.’ (1 Cor.1:12-14) Now we can understand some of the distrust and subjectivity because the faith was then new in Corinth, but today, centuries later, there are still divisions in the church over form and function, with different cliques holding different opinions and choosing to follow one person or another. Friends, that’s totally unacceptable behaviour which only causes dissension and eventual downfall. Instead, the exact opposite, unity should be the worldwide goal of Christ’s Church. Jesus said it in plain, simple terms. ‘And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.’ (Mark 3:24-25) Yes my people, that’s the law of nature; anything that’s divided stands a much greater chance of falling apart than staying together. And sadly, the supposed church of Christ today, is more divided than unified. People are still being haughty and arrogant and thinking themselves more Christ like or Christian than others, solely on the basis of outer appearances and behaviour. Just because some people don’t behave pious and holy in their outward, everyday walk doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t pious and holy. By the same token, those that put on the pious, holier than thou act, aren’t necessarily true believers, it could be mere posturing, like Jesus said of the Pharisees. That’s why Bruh Paul told the Corinthians about judging and looking on outward appearances and reassured them that ‘If any man trust to himself that, as he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.’ I know it sound’s confusing, but that’s Bruh Paul’s style. He wasn’t into boasting and the outward piety stuff. He was confident in his abilities and knew where his spiritual authority came from, so though he was very vocal and therefore seemed somewhat showy, he always deflected the human praise away from himself towards God. Meanwhile some of the other leaders seemed to glory in their personal status, taking the glory to themselves, rather than giving it to God. Thus in his second missive Bruh Paul wrote: ‘For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart. For whether (if) we be beside ourselves, it is to (for) God: or whether we be sober (of sound mind) it is for your cause. For the LOVE of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.’ (2 Cor.5:12-15) That says it all Friends. None of us have anything to glory about, because whatever we have comes from and through Christ. We cannot and did not earn salvation and eternal life, so what’s there to blow our horns about eh? Nothing! It’s only through God’s overwhelming grace, mercy, LOVE, and forgiveness that we can even talk about being saved and having an after life. So all those who think they’re such hot shots in ministry and have a special place in Christ because of some outward success, let them think again, for the believer who has nothing to glory about outwardly, also belongs to Christ. ‘For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.’ (Rom.14:7-8) And that’s the living truth Friends. So please, let’s not be followers of those who glorify themselves, because all they have comes from God, and all believers, despite our frailties and regardless of our earthly status, are also fully LOVED and acknowledged sons and daughters of God. Much LOVE!…our earthly duty is just to do our best…so that in all things…God…not us…may be glorified…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 January 2010 2 Corinthians 10:7‏

29 Jan 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Corinthians 10:7     Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.
 
Oh Friends, what the ole fella wouldn’t give for some salt water and sunshine right now eh? Steups! And note, we talking about hot seas and hot sunshine. (smile) Sometimes this cold weather just gets in the bones and sets them to aching, and the best therapeutic remedy for that is good old-fashioned hot sun and warm seawater. The important element here is the heat, God’s natural warmth. Ah Lord eh! But I guess that’s what dreams are for? However, despite the discomfort, I’ll still give the Good Lord thanks and praise for allowing me to see another day, cause once I’m alive and living obedient to His will, anything is possible. And today we’ll continue looking at Bruh Paul’s important question: ‘Do ye look on things after the outward appearance?’ Though Jesus said we shouldn’t, all of us do to some extent because we’re only human and live in a world where it’s very prevalent. But it’s something all believers should be very wary and careful off, cause it can lead us to make wrong judgements and poor choices. The important thing is to be aware of it when we do it, and stop ourselves before we cause hurt or damage, since many of these biased ideas come naturally to us from whatever culture we follow. We spoke yesterday about it on the broader level, where the different religions and denominations are concerned. Now I want to look at it on a more personal and individual basis. And we’re interested in things like how we dress to go to church, how we behave in church, and who sits where? Most of it is based on man made rules and customs; some stringent ones from olden times, going up against the more liberal ones currently in vogue. Now when I was growing up, it was unthinkable, almost sacrilegious for a female to go to church without a hat. No true churchwoman would even consider darkening the church doors with her head uncovered. Today though, in many churches, hats are few and far between, sometimes even non-existent, and there is still some ill will on both sides of the custom. But who’s to say what’s wrong or right in that argument eh? The same goes for clothes. In my time you couldn’t wear jeans or come looking scruffy. Everybody was dressed in their Sunday best, with a spit shine from head to toe. (smile) But nowadays there’s a different ethic. Some say it’s okay to come any old how, because it’s not your clothes you’re going to show off but your heart, and that’s true. However, if Jesus only deals in excellence, then shouldn’t we uphold certain standards too, if we want to be like Him? If we truly want to reverence God, there must be some standards of dress and deportment when we enter His house. The collar and tie stuff might be a bit much, but likewise the scruffy, untidy, even dirty look is disrespectful to God and demeaning to us. There must be a suitable meeting point some where in the middle. The standards don’t have to be onerous and rigid, but they must reflect our overall reverence and respect for the Lord. Now that doesn’t pertain to those who only have raggedy clothes and no facilities to make themselves look prim and proper. Under those circumstances God will still gladly welcome you, though your fellow man might give you a cross, snotty look, and some even refuse you entry. But there again Friends, it’s the man made rules and customs that are causing the problems, not God’s dictates. He says come and worship, and expects a decent appearance, but men lay down some laws that many fellow Christians are not able to follow which turns them off of the faith. And then we wonder why the churches are only half full? But a lot of it is because of our hypocritical posturing. Another toxic point is who should sit where in the church? In my youth, the white, wealthy and socially important normally sat at the front. In some churches pews were even reserved for special people. Many church- goers consider this wrong, while other feel it’s right, especially if the seats are reserved for those who donate fair sums to the church. So once again, who’s right, and who’s wrong? I don’t know if there’s an equitable way to do that, but you definitely don’t want habitual latecomers going up to the front to their accustomed seats, stepping over people and disturbing the service. And I’ve seen that happen a lot in my day. The whole point of the discourse though Friends is to point out some of the petty, trivial and unnecessary actions that happen in our churches and subsequently defeats its purpose, for those things don’t further God’s kingdom, but rather drags it down, making a mockery of the faith. And though we put on nice smiles and good manners, mih people, please remember that’s what’s truly in our hearts always surfaces, and unfortunately usually in unguarded moments and makes us look real foolish and hypocritical. All I’m saying Friends is to put away the piddling nonsense that we all know goes on in the church, and instead focus, as we ought, on Jesus and the godly work we’re supposed to do in His name. My people, if we did that, hn! You wouldn’t believe how much better the church would operate. And we’ll end with a bit of scripture taken from Joel, that in my youth was often wrongly quoted and interpreted, but admirably serves our purpose today. It says: ‘And rend your heart and not your garments…’ (Joel 2:13) We were made to understand, or it was usually quoted as ‘render your heart, not rend’ and used as a biblical truism that the state of your heart was always more important than your outward apparel. I don’t know if it was done on purpose or by mistake, but it’s the gospel truth Friends. Consequently, let us never forget that what’s on the inside is always more important than what’s outside, and don’t go judging others by only what our eyes behold, cause it can cause us to make serious errors of judgement and is also not a part of the Christian ethos. More tomorrow, God willing. Till then, Much LOVE!…. know ye that…the eyes are a very poor judge of the heart…
 

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