Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 July 2008 Hebrews 12:3‏

24 Jul 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Hebrews 12:3    For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
 
Yes my Friends, the Christian race of faith is a tough one; long and full of obstacles. But it’s winnable. We have many examples to follow; ‘wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.’ (vs.2)  Many heroes of faith accomplished it. And having entered the race by becoming a believer, we too should endeavour to do our best. ‘Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set out before us.’ (vs.1) To stand a chance Friends, we’ve first got to ‘lay aside every weight,’ anything that impedes us, like clothing or excessive body weight. Note, successful runners don’t wear much and must be physically fit. Then we’ve got to put aside the sins(s) that easily ensnare us. ‘But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.’ (Col.3:8) That’s the sort of thing Bruh Paul is talking about. And once we’ve thrown off the excessive baggage, we’ve got to concentrate on endurance; staying power. Oh Friends, that’s the biggest obstacle: endurance, for it’s a long race, up hill and down dale, on uneven ground, across raging rivers and foaming oceans, facing many dangerous foes. So it needs plenty stamina, which doesn’t come easily or cheaply. ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.’ (1 Cor.9:24) Now that’s a fact people! All run the whole course, though only one wins the first prize. Bruh Paul exhorts us to run, so that we’ll have a chance to win. You have no chance to win if you don’t enter, then finish the race. Sadly, not many of us have the parts to do it on our own. But we can succeed by ‘Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…’ (vs.2). Jesus is the originator and perfecter of our faith. He’s already blazed the trail and completed the course, so we know it can be done, just not easily. But when things get real rough people, though we have many other human champions to emulate, the supreme example of endurance, is Jesus himself. ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.’ Yes Friends, when the going gets real tough, just think about what Jesus went through: ‘who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (vs.2) He withstood the pain and shame, for the joy of sitting at the Father’s right hand. And Friends, if we endure, some day, we also will sit at Jesus’ right hand. So when you feel like your endurance is waning, don’t get discouraged, look to Jesus, take heart from His rough but successful journey. Stick closely to Him, through faithful study of, and obedience to His Word, along with the guidance of His Holy Spirit. And we won’t only finish the race, but we’ll win it, going away! Oh Praise His Holy Name People, for the righteous example He’s set for us, His true and faithful followers! Much LOVE!…whenever in doubt…just look to Jesus…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 July 2008 Roman’s 13:15‏

23 Jul 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Romans 13:15    Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
 
Oh Friends, Praise Him! Sing Glory Hallelujah! The guava season is over at last, and we can smile, rejoice and carry on with strong, new hope! I’m jubilant cause today we won our first race of the season. Oh happy day! Not me personally, but my trainer, but since we’re a team, we win as one, and lose as one. A heavy weight has certainly been lifted off our shoulders. It’s been very frustrating, for usually by now, we’ve won several races, and been on the board (2,3,4) most of the time. But this year..Hn! We couldn’t even get on the board, much less win one. It’s just been one setback after another. However, like good believers, we persevered. As Bruh Paul says, we had the hope of God fill us with joy and peace in believing, so that we abounded with hope. It wasn’t easy, especially when you make your living as a race horse trainer, and no horses are making money. But we followed Bruh Paul’s advice of Romans 12:12; ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.’ We just kept on doing what we’ve been doing, encouraged each other; saying out loud things like, this too must pass, it’s only a matter of time. The good Lord won’t let us down. He knows we’re doing our best with a right heart. No shortcuts, scheming or underhandedness. Invoking the law of averages; for as ole Confucius says, ‘man who go up to bat often, have better chance of hitting home run.’ Yes Friends, when things aren’t going our way, though we’re doing the right things for the right purpose, we need to try and stay strong, stay positive, talk to God. We need to encourage ourselves in our God, the way Bruh David did when he returned from fighting and found his city of Ziklag burnt to the ground and all the inhabitants, including his two wives taken captive. He was greatly distressed, and more so, when the people contemplated stoning him, blaming him for the loss of their families. ‘But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’ (1 Sam.30:6) He asked God for guidance and direction. And the Lord gave it to him. He smote the Amalekites and recovered all they’d taken. ‘David recovered all.’ (1 Sam.30:19) And more too. That’s what happens when we ask the Lord for direction and follow it, and when necessary, wait patiently for it to bear fruit in His time. Hn, hn! I can chuckle now, but believe me Friends, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve pleaded with the Most High to let the horses win, not so much for my sake, but for hers, because she’s such a hard working, conscientious trainer, who’d rather starve than see the horses lack for anything. But then the horses would run poorly and the disappointment would cut through my heart like a knife. But I kept on asking. Asked today too. And He at last granted my wish. Like He figured we’d borne our tribulation patiently enough, abounding in hope, in the unity that comes when the power of the Holy Spirit is present. Now let’s hope this is just the start of a wonderful turn around. But even if it isn’t, and the troubles persist, I can assure you Friends, that we’ll stand strong and keep on trusting in the Lord’s goodness to those who come to Him in faith, and wait patiently till He’s ready to shower them with blessings. I was particularly touched by the way the whole racetrack was happy for her. That’s because everyone knows she’s a decent, god-fearing person, who doesn’t hold grudges when people take advantage of her good nature, just allows God to deal with her detractors. And He does, people, He does. Way to go Wendy ‘Wonder Woman’ Wolff!’ Much LOVE People!…what makes a true believer? never ending…faith…hope…obedience…patience…prayer…
 

Today’s Scrip-bit 22 July 2008 Psalm 89:36-37‏

22 Jul 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 89:36-37    His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as the faithful witness in heaven. Selah
 
Oh yes Friends, the Lord is faithful, His LOVE par excellence; unconditional, and His promises as dependable as solid rock. He promised to establish Bruh David’s house on high forever. And He did just that, through Jesus. But people, our God is also a God of righteousness and justice, meaning that He abhors sin and wrongdoing. Although He LOVES us down to the ground, His conscience won’t allow Him to overlook our wrongs, without some kind of retribution. So, added to His promise of unconditional LOVE, peace and compassion, is a serious responsibility. ‘If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgements; If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.’ (vs.30-32) That’s a promise too Friends, and we all know that He never breaks them. Just as our earthly fathers, who also LOVE us, will not tolerate disobedience, our heavenly Father won’t either. He’s the leading advocate of ‘Tough LOVE.’  Though He’ll never stop loving us in spite of what we do, He certainly won’t condone disobedience. And if yuh think our earthly parents punishment was tough, Friends, you ain’t seen nothing yet. If yuh really want to see tough LOVE, then just keep on disobeying the Lord. He’s not going to spank you with His bare hands, or with a leather belt soaked in urine, or a tamarind whip, or a pot spoon, or whatever was closest to your parents hands. (smile) No Friends, it will be a different kind of pain, one yuh feel deep down in yuh soul, that’ll hurt more and last longer than anything out parents ever did. You really don’t want to get on the Father’s wrong side, cause with Him, an hour of pain is as long as a day of pleasure. That’s why I’m surprised we can’t see what’s happening in our world today: The natural disasters, the strife and oppression, leading to refugee camps all over the world, famine, hunger, homelessness, with food banks proliferating in first world countries, the terrible poverty, while the rich get richer, the soaring inflation and economic decline worldwide, the outrageous greed and sinfulness, the ungodliness, the ‘doh care’ attitude…Oh Friends, so many negatives are occurring in our world today. A world that’s never been richer or more advanced, yet has never experienced so much tragedy and disaster either. Why are we suffering so much atrocity? Is it because of our blatant disregard of the Lord’s laws, that He’s now visiting our transgression and iniquity with the rod and stripes He promised? It’s entirely possible. As the Jamaican brother that taught us History in High School expounded, feet on the desk, right hand lightly stroking his scraggly grey beard.: ‘What is History? History is a record of the past. And why do we learn History? To understand the present.’ Obviously we’ve failed History. Look at what the Lord did to the Israelites, His chosen people, more than once too. Check out Sodom and Gomorrah, and the numerous cities and nations that got so rich and sinful and relegated Him to the trash heap. And today we’re taking God out of our lives like never before. Shouldn’t that ring some alarm bells? Friends, we need to take the tragic happenings in our world seriously, consider them a sign of displeasure from the Lord, that He’s telling us to wake up and smell the roses before it’s too late. Let’s be safe rather than sorry nuh, and act more in accordance with His will. It can only improve the situation. Much LOVE!…the rewards of obedience… far outweigh…those of disobedience; rods and stripes…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 July 2008 Isaiah 54:10‏

21 Jul 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 54:10    For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.
 
Oh Friends, what powerful reassurance from the Most High! Isaiah 54 talks about the Lord’s everlasting LOVE for Israel. Even though the high places of the earth crumble and disappear, His unfailing LOVE for us, His sinful, disobedient children, will never waiver, falter or die. Isn’t that wonderful? Friends, no one else has a God with such a magnanimous heart! That’s sort of  redundant, since He’s the one and only God. (smile) His LOVE though is so unconditional that…that there are no words to aptly describe it. That’s why Bruh David could claim; ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea…God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.’ (Ps.46:1-2,5) The promises of our God are sacred Friends. He stands on His Holy Word, which inspired so much confidence in our forefathers. And nothing has changed since then. The promise in His Word still stands today, as a ray of hope, a shining beacon to all who call upon Him, from which to draw shelter, guidance and strength. That’s the purpose of the Word people; to uplift us when we’re weak, weary and afraid. Just the very knowledge that such a caring Being is looking out for us, is enough to boost our confidence and strengthen us in the ongoing fight with the powers of darkness and evil. And when He reinforces that concern by also promising, ‘neither shall my covenant of peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.’ Oh Friends, that extra assurance should boost our belief and resolve a thousand fold. There should be no doubt whatsoever left in our timid, fearful, hearts and minds about His deep, abiding concern for us. As Psalm 89, God’s sure promise to Bruh David, declares: ‘My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.’  (vs.28-29) And since Jesus was of Bruh David’s lineage, and we are followers of Jesus, that means those promises also apply to us. Oh Glory be to His Holy Name! His LOVE, peace and compassion will never desert us. His mercy and loving kindness will always be there for us to call on, both in good times and in bad. Friends, if we remember nothing else, please remember that the Lord’s LOVE is unconditional. Regardless of what we do, or how far we stray, we can always return to His fold and count on Him to receive us like the prodigal son, with open arms, calling together friends and neighbours, saying; ‘Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.’ (Luke 15:6) Yes Friends, it’s a mighty, merciful God, Jehovah, we worship. Let’s give Him the unending thanks and praise He’s due. Much LOVE!…there’s no heart…as encompassing as…our heavenly Father’s…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 July 2008 John 10:17‏

20 Jul 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 10:7    Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
 
And the fascination continues Friends.(smile) But whom better to be fascinated by than Jesus eh? What positive assurance and confidence He displays people. ‘Therefore doth my Father love me..’ If Jesus was sure of one thing in His earthly life, it was the great LOVE, His Father had for Him, for He proclaims it often. Listen to John 5:20; ‘For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.’ What a monumental declaration! One, He could not make, unless it was true. And why does the Father LOVE Him? ‘Because I lay down my life that I might take it again.’ More powerful words again people. Ideas too big for the human imagination to grasp then, and even now too. No wonder His listeners felt He wasn’t for real. And if those ideas weren’t monumental and preposterous enough, hear this statement: ‘For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.’ (John 6:38) And that Friends, is why the Father LOVED Him so much; because He was obedient; giving up His exalted position at the Father’s side in heaven, to come down to this wretched earth and die for a bunch of ungrateful, godless sinners, who couldn’t or wouldn’t accept or understand His immense sacrifice. Now who wouldn’t LOVE and adore such an obedient son eh? Most of us wish our earthly sons had even one iota of Jesus’ obedience. And then Jesus clarifies it all people: ‘No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself…’ (vs.18) Get that straight Friends; nobody was taking Jesus’ life, He was giving it up Himself, as a sacrifice for us, and as He pointed out to the disciples.’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.’ (John 15:13-14) Praise Him people! He considered us worthy enough to be called His Friends, and therefore worthy to die for. What unselfishness! Very few of us have the parts to make such a magnanimous sacrifice. And can you believe, that after giving up His most prized possession, His life, for us, we still don’t show Him much gratitude or appreciation. How sad. Then, just to be sure the people understood, Jesus announced; ‘I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it again.’  (vs.18) Wow! It wasn’t a one and done thing people. He could give it, then pick it back up. ‘For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.’ (John 5:26) The Father was indeed generous, but as we know, He never gives us a job to do, without providing the necessary tools to do it. Jesus is a perfect example. The Lord wanted him to be a sacrificial lamb, so He gave Him mental and emotional strength, as well as the power to give His life, then take it up again, since that was the only way Jesus could accomplish His will. Jesus ends with another profound statement. ‘This commandment have I received from my Father.’ (vs.18) Yes Friends, it’s all about obedience. The Lord prizes it above all else. As Jesus said earlier on in John 6:38. ‘For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.’ It’s the same with us people; when we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we’re born again, giving up the old life of sin and sorrow, and taking up a new one of joy and commitment to the sinless lamb who died on that old rugged cross, so that we could have salvation and eternal life. Please, let’s follow His example; be obedient to Him, as He was to His Father. Much LOVE!  …only three things to following Christ…obedience…obedience…obedience…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 July 2008 John 10:15‏

19 Jul 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 10:15    As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
 
Oh Friends, by now you’ve realized that I’m fascinated by Jesus’ philosophy and how He shares it. The past couple days we’ve been looking at His remarks in John 10, about the enemy trying to entice the sheep, believers, away, but the sheep staying put, because they only respond to the shepherd’s voice. With Jesus claiming that He was the good shepherd, come not to destroy but to save His sheep and provide abundant life for them. His sheep knows Him and He knows them. Today, he delves a little deeper into the pastoral scenario, by saying, ‘As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father.’ In Mat.11:27, He expands on this: ‘All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the son will reveal him.’ Yes Friends, that’s certainly a tight knit duo. The Father provides the Son with all He needs, they hang out together, and it’s only possible to know the Father, if the Son reveals Him. ‘I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved…’ (vs.9) So to get to the Father, we must go through Jesus. ‘And I lay down my life for my sheep.’ Words of awesome sacrificial intent people! That’s why He could extend the great invitation to us: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Mat.11:28-30) Oh Friends, where or when will we ever get a better offer eh? Nowhere and no time! Who else is promising to look after us like a good shepherd, even unto death? Who else is willing and able to relieve us of our burdens and bear them Himself? Who’s royalty, but humble enough to desire to teach us lowly sinners, and refresh our weary spirits? Who else is offering an easy yoke and a light burden Friends? Tell me who else nuh? Nobody but our beloved Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! But that’s not all: ‘And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.’ (vs.16)  Sing Hallelujah People! What a caring, thoughtful man! Jesus wanted no one left out from His promise of salvation, that’s why He told the Jews about His other flock, the Gentiles, whom also needed saving. And the Lord is such a great script-writer, that He foreshadowed this from the days of Isaiah. ‘I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles.’ (Is.42:6) ‘The Lord God which gathereth the outcast of Israel, saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.’ (Is.56:8) Oh praise the Lord people! And Bruh Paul assures us that the prophecy was fulfilled. ‘For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us…that he might reconcile both unto God, in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.’  (Eph.2:14,16) Wow Friends! What a mighty man was our Saviour Jesus! Slaying the enemy with one fell swoop, by His sacrifice on the cross, bringing both Jews and Gentiles into one body, bound for glorious salvation under His merciful, astute leadership. Now it’s our turn Friends, to go out into all the world and continue His mission, to bring all His children into the one flock. Let’s do it with vim and vigour nuh. Much LOVE!…a true believer…must model themselves…after Jesus…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 July 2008 John 10.9‏

18 Jul 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 10:9    I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
 
Friends, never were truer words spoken. Jesus is the author of salvation. He died to redeem our sins. It’s only his sinless soul the Father found worthy to pay the hefty price required to cleanse us. So He’s rightfully the only one through whom eternal life can be attained. Yesterday He was talking in general terms about only the shepherd entering the door of the sheepfold, cause the porter won’t let in others. And even if they do manage to get in, the sheep won’t follow strangers, since they only recognize the shepherd’s voice. Hope we’re still only recognizing Jesus’ voice Friends. But sadly, those people did not understand. So He changed His tack, became personal. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.’ (vs.7) Yes, it’s me Jesus, that you’ve got to pass through to get to the sheep. ‘All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.’ (vs.8) He’s referring to the Pharisees. Wonder if they realised that? ‘I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.’ Oh blessed be the name of Jesus! Friends, it’s only because of Him, His goodness, and obedience to the Father’s will, that we have such a bright future to look forward to. Joining His flock means we’ll have the greenest pastures, salvation, life everlasting, and all the good things that go with them. But following the stranger is disastrous; ‘For the thief cometh not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (vs.10) Wow people! That’s one of Jesus” most profound statements; and He made many. He came, not to destroy, but to give us abundant life. What an awesome individual! ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (vs.11) The hireling though, the one working for pay, at the first sign of danger, will run away and leave the sheep unprotected, since he doesn’t really care about the sheep, just the money. (vs.12) And when Jesus talks about the good shepherd, any bright Jews listening, would probably remember Bruh David’s heartfelt anthem, Psalm 23; ‘The Lord is my Shepherd,’ and also Isaiah’s prophecy: ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is.40:11) Oh Friends, such powerful scriptures! They bring tears to the eyes. What a picture of compassion and LOVE, to be found nowhere else to such a degree! ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’  (vs.14) Bruh Paul attests to this: ‘The Lord knoweth them that are his.’ (2 Tim.2:19) ‘I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed..’ (2 Tim.1:12) Then Jesus makes another astounding statement: ‘..and I lay down my life for my sheep.’ (vs.15) Unbelievable people, truly unbelievable! Remember Jesus is saying all this long before He was crucified, meaning He was fully aware of the cruel suffering He had to undergo, but He stood tall, faced up to it like a man. Are we truly appreciative of all that He’s done, and is still doing for us unworthy sinners? ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) Ah Friends, He walked His talk. What an awesome, wonderful person is our Jesus! How can we not love Him eh? Till next time. Much LOVE!…just remembering Jesus’ sacrifices…should make us want to reciprocate…

Today’s Scrip-Bit July 17 2008 John 10:3‏

17 Jul 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 10:3   To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
 
Oh Friends, is Jesus calling our names in the mornings when He’s gathering His flock to lead them out to pasture for the day? For all our sakes, I certainly hope so, cause if He isn’t, then things are real bad with us; meaning we’ve lost fellowship with Him, the worst thing that can ever happen to a believer. We should all be in Mary’s position, when she went seeking Him at the tomb on that glorious resurrection morn. In tears, because His body was missing from the tomb, she pleaded with a man she thought to be the gardener, to tell her where they’d taken Him. But it was Jesus, whom she did not recognize. And ‘Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.’ (John 20:16) Yes Friends, that’s how it should be: Jesus calls us by name, and we reply without hesitation, ‘Yes Lord.’ For, like the good shepherd that He is, ‘when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.’ (vs.4) Wow people! What awe inspiring leadership! After He gathers His flock, like a good, confident leader, He goes to the front, and performs His job; leads. He doesn’t hang back like so many impersonators to leadership, who allow their followers to bear the brunt of the battle. Jesus does that Himself; clears the way for us to travel safely. That’s the hallmark of a great leader; one who leads, not follows his troops into battle. And you know what Friends? That type of leadership brings out the best in followers too. They’d follow that kind of leader to the ends of the earth, even unto death, because they have immense trust and confidence in Him. Are we like that with our leader, Jesus? Are we willing to follow Him to the end, even unto death? I sure hope so. I hope we also know His voice well enough so that when He calls, and only Him, we follow. ‘And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.’ (vs.5) Heaven forbid Friends, that we follow the voice of strangers we don’t know. ‘For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.’ (2 Cor.11:13) Hn! Trust Bruh Paul to know and be able to ferret them out, because they don’t enter through the door, like Jesus. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth;’ (vs.1-3) Oh Friends, please, please let’s open the door to our hearts and souls to Jesus nuh! For He’s the good shepherd. Let’s listen, learn, and become familiar with Jesus’ voice, so that we won’t respond to deceitful calls of strangers and workers of iniquity, but only to His comforting call, and gladly follow, wherever He leads. Much LOVE!…the best prescription for life…be a member of Jesus’ flock…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 July 2008 Matthew 6:1‏

16 Jul 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Matthew 6:1    Take heed that ye do not alms before men to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
 
Another serious warning from Jesus, Friends. Yesterday we dealt with His teaching on prayer, today it’s alms giving or charitable deeds. Again, just like with prayer, we should not be charitable to mainly gain recognition for ourselves, to be considered important, or generous, or wonderful philanthropists. It’s not about us, but about pleasing God. And if we do it simply to impress or please men, then God offers us no reward. What a loss! For we all know the great rewards the Father has in store for those obedient to His will. ‘Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily, I say unto you, they have their reward’ (vs.2) There it is again; that ominous note in Jesus’ voice about the rewards of the hypocrites. I doubt it will be a good reward. So to avoid that unpleasant return people, we should not be publicizing, making a big deal of our charitable efforts. No boasting and beating of our chests, informing the whole world of how charitable we are. ‘But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth.’ (vs.3) We should give so freely, cheerfully and spontaneously, hopefully giving with both hands, keeping each too busy to notice the other. ‘That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.’ (vs.4) Yes Friends, that’s the way our Lord operates; do your deeds quietly, and He’ll reward you openly, and have the hypocrites stammering about injustice. ‘But..huh..how come they get all that eh, and doh seem to do no charitable work? While we, yes we,’ pointing to themselves, ‘who everybody knows, do so much and give so much, yet only get this little bit?’ Hn,hn! I think the Lord gets a kick out of the hypocrites incomprehension of their measly rewards for plenty work. But as we said yesterday people, and will keep on saying, it all comes right back to the state of our hearts; our motives and reasons for our actions. If our motives aren’t right, the Lord will ignore us. The hypocrites motives are completely wrong, they give to please, to impress, and receive recognition from men; ‘everybody knows’  that’s their trump card. But those who receive great rewards, do it quietly, without a lot of hoopla and fanfare; to please God, not to gain human recognition. That’s the whole crux of the matter people; pleasing God or pleasing man. Remember Friends, God despises pride more than most sins. He dislikes them all, but apparently the proud, arrogant, overconfident person, just seems to get His dander up rather fiercely. There’s nothing wrong with doing charitable deeds publicly, in fact, we’re commanded to give generously and cheerfully of our time, talents and resources, it’s just when we adopt the wrong attitude and wrong motive, that it becomes ugly and does us more harm than good. So Friends, let’s give generously in faith, and do good unceasingly to those in need. If others find out, fine, acknowledge it, but don’t keep score and beam it to the whole world. Our God doesn’t take kindly to that. And we want to displease Him as little as possible. And when we pray, ask Him to help us increase our giving, so that we may have more to unselfishly offer the needy. Much LOVE!…our giving…should be…to please God…not man…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 July 2008 Matthew 6:8‏

15 Jul 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Matthew 6:8   Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask.
 
Now that’s an irrefutable fact Friends! Our Creator and guide laid out the plans for each of our lives, so He must know what we need to live successfully. Jesus is teaching here on prayer. When He says, ‘Be not ye therefore like unto them,’ He’s referring to the crowd pleasers, the publicity seekers, those who want to be seen praying and considered righteous. ‘And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They shall have their reward.’ (vs.5) Lord forbid people, that we should pray like the hypocrites! And Jesus’ tone on that last sentence, about they getting their reward. Hn! It sounds a little too ominous for my liking. Don’t think I want to partake nuh. Anyway Friends, praying is to be done seriously to the Lord, not merely for seeking the attention of men. We need to have the right attitude, the right reason, which is approaching God for a worthwhile purpose, with reverence and faith, not just to look righteous in the eyes of men. ‘But when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.’ (vs.6) Now note here people, Jesus is not saying that we should only pray behind closed doors. He’s not condemning public prayer, just its improper use. There’s certainly need for us to pray in church and other public gatherings. What He’s talking about is making a show of it. Just do our personal praying quietly with no attention seeking, or selfish and vain glorious motives. Not to please men, but to please God. And when we please God quietly, He’ll reward us openly, and have the hypocrites confused and angrily stammering: ‘Buh..but how come a bunch of sinners like them getting so much eh? An..and me..me who so righteous…always praying..praying here there and everywhere, only getting this small amount eh? But that not right nuh!’ Hn,hn! We all know the kind. But Friends, it always comes right back to the state of our hearts. Motive is God’s number one priority. Regardless of how religious, righteous and prayerful we think we are, if it’s not for the right reasons, but just for show and attention seeking, then the Lord will look on us with utter disdain. He’s certainly not into ego tripping or plenty talk. Jesus warned: ‘But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.’ (vs.7) Ah people, in the Lord’s eyes, a simple, heartfelt plea for ‘Help!’ is much better than a long rambling, repetitive spiel of woe and want. We only have to tell Him what’s in our hearts. For prayer is not supposed to be a means of changing God’s mind, or even getting Him to answer you, but for enlisting His great desire and inclination to help us. As believers, prayer should flow forth from our faith; the trust and confidence that the Lord knows what’s best for us, and will always act in our best interest. Realizing this Friends, nowadays I seldom pray for anything for myself, cause He knows all the big things I desire. Now I try to sit patiently and wait till He’s ready, for I’ve learned from hard experience, that I’ll get the desires of my heart, but only when He’s ready. So there’s no use in fighting it, but I do work towards them. We’ve got to make the necessary preparations, before He can do His part. Ah Friends, life can be very uncertain and confusing, but through the power of faithful and sincere prayer, to a most merciful and understanding God, we can get relief from the cruel pangs of this wicked world. Please remember, that between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, help is just a prayer away. Much LOVE!…three for the price of one…Wow!…the best deal in town…
 

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