Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 June 2008 3 John 4.‏

15 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

3 John 4    I have no greater joy than to hear my children walk in truth.
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
Yes Friends, today is dedicated to Father’s all over the world. Now, once upon a time, Father’s were held in high esteem, with almost godly reverence and much physical fear, and though many did not deserve that respect, that’s how society was set up. Father provided the strong, manly presence, both mentally and physically. He was breadwinner, master of the household, the one to whom everyone looked up and aspired to be like, and he took his responsibility of caretaker of his family seriously. But sadly, today that august reputation has suffered serious damage due to things like technological advances; we’re less important in reproduction. Economic necessity; one income is no longer sufficient, so more mothers are working. Relaxed, lax mores, with an upsurge in women’s independence and responsibility, and a corresponding decrease in those of young men, while fathering ever more children out of wedlock, with different women. Consequently, the basic unit of society, the family has suffered irreparable damage. Too many households now consist of single parent families. The 2006 Census states that 281,406 of those were headed by men; 20 % of the 1.4 million one parent families in Canada. So we’re not all dead beat dads. But Friends, there are still too many out there. And it’s the innocent children who suffer the most because of it. I’ve told my children that my job is to raise them as close to perfection as possible. And they’ll all say that I’ve done a marvellous job. (smile) And though I haven’t done too badly, there’s still room for improvement. Yes children, I still stand by that. But the only way to raise them with high standards is by teaching them a godly lifestyle. That itself isn’t easy, cause you raise the children and not their minds. But if you inculcate the right things, when the enemy comes a calling, at least they’ll have an option, and hopefully will choose the right one. A Father’s job is also to set a decent example. What kind of example is having several children with different women, or even one with one, and not taking part in their upbringing, neither through physical presence or financial support? Unpaid child support runs in the millions of dollars. The women are partly to blame too, with lax morals, having children with different men, most of them low life, unemployed, with no good intentions. Our young people have to learn to take responsibility for their actions. But how can they when the role models we’re dishing up are the so called celebs who are in and out of jail and /or drug rehab, short lasting illicit relationships, while making the most money, living the most luxurious lifestyle but have little or no education or common sense? How can you expect a youngster to believe in education or morals when the few who do, are often belittled and ridiculed.? Friends, it all boils down to respect for ourselves and each other, which derives from our commitment to God and obedience to His dictates. When John wrote ‘I have no greater joy than to hear my children walk in truth,’ he was referring to a group of believers he had mentored and was glad to hear they were living their faith in a good manner. I found it a very appropriate Bit for Father’s Day. We can ask nothing better from our children. But Fathers, that requires a deliberate commitment to a long process, involving financial support and some physical presence in your children’s lives. By trying to set a good example, by admitting mistakes, giving up things that don’t jive with the the LOVE we’re teaching for God, ourselves and our neighbours. And most important Fathers, please, I implore you; TEACH THEM TO PRAY. It will stand them in good stead all their lives. Much LOVE!…if we follow the Father…our children probably will too…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 June 2008 Psalm 28:

14 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 28:7    The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth, and with my song I will praise him.
 
Unlike Samson, Bruh David knew which side his bread was buttered on. Whenever he found himself in trouble, either through his own disobedience or unkind fate, he never hesitated to call on the Lord. Psalm 28 is one of his many prayers to God for help during those rough times. In his own unique style, he begins by petitioning the Lord for deliverance. ‘Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.’ In Vs.3, he keeps on pleading for God’s goodness and mercy. ‘Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.’ Oh Friends, doesn’t that sound like many of us? Our world is filled with fickle hearted hypocrites, smiling and talking to you nicely on the outside. Hn! But behind yuh back, is an entirely different story, they’re only too willing and eager to jam the knife in, right up to the hilt. Words like trust, integrity, character, decency, no longer are the watchwords of our lives. In this dog eat dog world, it’s everybody for themselves, survival of the fittest. With our economy seemingly on the down swing now, life is getting rougher for everybody, which just leads us to become more selfish and egocentric, only concerned with our own welfare. The popular phrase is; ‘Who cares!’ That aptly describes our society today. And since we’re sinful by nature, it’s very easy to get caught up in the rat race, though, as believers, we ought not to let the wiles of the world entrap and entangle us. But people, that’s only possible if we continually call on the Lord, both in good and bad times; the only way to end up on His good side. ‘Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.’ (Vs.6) Friends, we should be putting ourselves in a position to also shout words of praise and thanks like those, for whenever we come to him with a right, repentant heart, He listens to our pleas. Bruh David knew this, that’s why he kept the Lord at the forefront of his life. And the Lord never let him down. He didn’t always make it easy, but he certainly extricated him from some serious problems. That’s why he could unreservedly declare: ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth, and with my song I will praise him.’ Yes Friends, it’s that kind of trust and faith we need to aspire to, but it’s only possible by having a constant and right relationship with the Most High. Let’s all set that as our goal today nuh. There is nothing in a believer’s life more wonderful and worthwhile. Then let’s pray, with all our heart and soul that we accomplish it. Much LOVE!…how sweet the name of Jesus sounds…in a believer’s ear…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 June 2008 Judges 16:4‏

13 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Judges 16:4    And it came to pass afterward that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek; whose name was Delilah.
 
Ah Friends, as the ole folks say, ‘is woman like them who does turn good man bad yes.’  Delilah’s place is assured in the annals of infamous women. But we can’t blame her for everything. Samson should have known better. He was a judge of Israel, their military leader for twenty years, and although he did great exploits, should have set a better example in his personal life. He was physically strong, but morally weak, violating all his Nazarite vows, by touching a dead body, the lion’s carcass, going to the prenuptial drinking party and shaving his locks. But it seems God overlooked his shortcomings a tad, to bring about the good will he held toward Israel. Even after killing the thousand men with the ass’ jawbone and being revived, by the Lord miraculously causing a spring to spout up from some hollow ground, Sammy continued his disobedient ways. He went to Gaza to visit a prostitute. But the Lord always seemed to be with him, for while the Gazites lay in wait outside the house and by the city gate, intending to capture him when he left in the morning, Sammy left at midnight, taking the big, heavy city gates and posts with him up to a hill in Hebron. Now it’s estimated that Gaza was thirty something miles from Hebron. Wow! It means Sammy was physically, mucho strong, but rather weak where morals, self indulgence and women were concerned. But like us all, he eventually met his Waterloo; ‘And it came to pass afterward that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek; whose name was Delilah,’ whom he moved in with. Delilah was offered eleven hundred pieces of silver apiece, by the Philistine Lords to find out the source of Sammy’s strength. There were about five Lords, making the total haul fifty-five hundred pieces of silver. Friends, that’s mucho dinero, so Delilah accepted the offer and began pumping Sammy for info re his source of strength. Three times Sammy lied to her. Each time she did what he said and had the Philistines accost him, but to their detriment. But persistence, thy name is woman, and Delilah kept prodding him. Now why would any sane man stick around after she betrayed him three times and was still prodding eh?  But stick around he did, and Delilah kept prodding, ‘so that his soul was vexed unto death.’ (Jdg,16:16) He got so worn down, that he finally told her the truth. She immediately called up the Lords, who came with the money, and she had Sammy fall asleep with his head in her lap, then got a man to shave off his seven locks. Sammy was a baldhead! What a pity! Then she woke him and said the Philistines were coming to get him. Poor Sammy, not realizing that Lord’s Spirit had left him, figured he’d do like the other times, but the Philistines captured, blinded and bound him in shackles, then set him to the grinding wheel in the jail. Sometime later, they all gathered in the temple to offer sacrifices and praise to their god Dagon for delivering their enemy into their hands, and they brought Samson out to make sport for them. But they all reckoned without the Most High God, Jehovah. Sammy’s hair was growing back and he was feeling his oats again, so he enticed the lad guiding him to take him to the main pillars of the temple. There, with one hand on each pillar, ‘he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.’ (Jdg.16:30) In death, Samson was selfless and victorious; avenging himself, but also by killing the Philistine rulers, substantially decreasing the threat to Israel . What does Samson’s story teach us Friends? First, disobedience will invariably be punished. Sammy enjoyed his wine, women and song, breaking all the laws he was entrusted to uphold, and he paid dearly with betrayal, blindness, servitude, and finally his life. But in all this the Lord still found a way to make him a hero, to have him accomplish the task he was born for; ‘to begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines,’ Yes Friends, the Lord always wins. Sammy learned that the hard way. Let’s try and learn from his mistakes nuh. Much LOVE!…it doesn’t pay…to disobey…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 June 2008 Judges 13:24‏

12 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

.Judges 13:24    And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.
 
Yes Friends, another bit of drama beautifully scripted by the Lord, to prove that whatever He brings us to, He will also bring us through. Israel had been disobedient again, ‘and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.’  (Jdg13:1) But people, at the same time He also prepared their deliverance, sending His angel to a barren woman. Hn! One of them always seems to play a pivotal role in the lives of His leading men; like the mothers of Samuel and John. The angel told Manoah’s wife, ‘For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son, and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.’ (Jdg.13:5) Nazarites consecrated themselves to God, not eating unclean food, nor imbibing strong drink, or cutting their hair. The angel told her that she shouldn’t touch strong drink or unclean food during her pregnancy either. ‘And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. But, like Adam, women were Samson’s downfall. His first wife was a Philistine. He married her against his Jewish parents wishes, not telling them that it was the Lord’s way of getting back at their enemies. He killed a lion barehanded on his way to arrange the marriage, ‘and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him,’ (Jdg.14:6) then later on found a hive of bees living in the carcass, from which he got honey for himself and his parents. Then he played ‘Riddle I this,’ with the Philistine men at his prenuptial feast, promising thirty sheets and thirty changes of clothes to anyone who could solve it by the seventh day. Since he had kept the whole lion escapade a secret, they could not solve the riddle and threatened the wife to burn her and her family if she didn’t coerce Samson into telling her. Poor woman, afraid for her welfare, cried her eyes out to Samson, who eventually told her. So the men boasted at sundown on the seventh day: ‘What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?’ (Jdg.14:18) But Sammy was cool, just said they found out because they messed with his wife. Then he went out and killed thirty of them to pay the debt, and angrily went back to his parents house. ‘But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he used as a friend.’ (Jdg.14:20) With friends like that, who needs enemies eh? And when Samson found out. Wow! He rounded up three hundred foxes, tied two tails together, set them ablaze and loosed them in the Philistines cornfields. They retaliated by burning Samson’s in-laws. Then Sammy ‘smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.’ (Jdg.15:8) That only caused the Philistines to turn up the heat on the Israelites, until a group went to Sammy and pleaded with him to give himself up. They bound him with two new ropes and took him back to the Philistines, who harangued him. But Friends, like Bruh David and Goliath, Sammy was fighting the Lord’s battle, and when the Spirit came mightily upon him again, he easily broke the ropes, ‘as flax burnt with fire,’ picked up the new jawbone of an ass that was nearby and waded into them with it, then boasted, ‘with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.’ (Jdg.15:16) But the Lord wasn’t finished with Sammy, for when he threw away the jawbone, he discovered he was thirsty and cried out to God, ‘Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst…’ So the Lord took the same jawbone, found a hollow spot and presto! There was water. Sammy drank, and his spirit was revived. The moral of the story; Friends, don’t mess with the Lord! (smile) To be continued. Much LOVE!..He always provides the tools…to do His work…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 June 2008 1 Peter 2: 19-21‏

11 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Peter 2:19-21    For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongly. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it: ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in his steps.
 
Yes my Friends, the Christian walk sure isn’t easy. To walk totally in our Saviour’s footsteps is impossible for mortal beings, since we don’t have His Godly parts, but we’re still expected to bear suffering bravely. Jesus said that if we’re slapped on one cheek, we should offer the other one too. Even forgiving seventy times seven is not enough. We ought to forgive all the time. If somebody steals our stuff, offer them more. Love your enemies, treat them well. Oh People, these are difficult things, foreign to human nature, but Jesus did them willingly for our sake, and if we’re to be His followers, we must give it our best effort. We’re to obey those in authority, even the harsh, unfair ones. ‘For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God, endure grief, suffering wrongly.’ It’s tough, but Jesus expects it. All of the Apostles and early Christians suffered some kind of injustice because of their faith. In fact, from the birth of Christianity, till today, believers have been persecuted for simply being Christians. Many have gone the full mile, giving their very lives. It’s their sacrifices that enabled the Church to grow and the Word to spread and stay alive until our time. It’s now our duty to ensure that the Church keeps on growing and the Word spreading to all ends of the earth, as Jesus asked. It’s comparatively easy to pay the price when you’ve done wrong. As Peter asks, ‘For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently?’ None really. We should all be able to stand our own bounce. But People, it sure is tough, unfair and unjust, when you’ve got to pay for things you didn’t do. But look at it from Jesus’ point of view nuh Friends. He died that tragic death on the cross to wash away our sins. He, ‘who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.’ (1 Pet.22:22) To make matters worse, He wasn’t really given a choice. His Father said go and do it, and He did. Do you think He even wanted to die, much less so violently? Certainly not! Even the night before, in the Garden of Gethsemane, when the emotional pain and anguish assaulted Him, He pleaded for mercy, but the Father denied His request. ‘Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief.’ (Is.53:10) Yes Friends, and in possibly the greatest moment of obedience in mankind’s existence, He accepted His tragic fate, the role He was born to play, and penitently said, ‘Not my will, but thine.’ That’s how we are to be also people; obedient and accepting of our fate under the Lord’s guidance. He won’t lead us astray or cause us to come to unnecessary harm, but He certainly expects us to take the buffets and blows the cruel world meets out, with more equanimity than the ordinary unbeliever. Rest assured that there’s always a good reason  for the things He allows in our lives, both good and bad. That’s why we’ve been given the Holy Spirit; to provide us with some belly and backbone, so we don’t whimper, cry and complain over every little injustice or setback we suffer. The world’s not fair. Jesus learned that the hard way; so must we. Life won’t always be rough, but as Job famously noted to his dissident wife, we can’t expect only good from God and no bad; there must be some balance. It’s just that when we do experience the hard times, the unfair breaks, the obvious injustice, we learn to stand strong; fight them as best we can, but if they do overwhelm us, then we surrender, and say to Him with humble grace, ‘Not my will Lord, but thine.’ Much LOVE!…it’s not for us to reason why…just to bear up valiantly…under the vicissitudes of life…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 June 2008 Hosea 14:9‏

10 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Hosea 14:9    Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
 
Yes Friends, we all claim to know that ‘the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them,’ but why are so many of us not walking the walk eh? Is it that we are not just? Failure to walk the walk doesn’t say much about us or help the cause of Christ, but hinders it, brings it into disrepute. Yesterday we talked about returning to the Lord from our worshipping of fleshly lusts, which put us into His bad books. (Hos.14:1-2) Today we’ll look at some of the reasons why Hosea advocated change, (Hos;14:3-8) There’s one statement that amazes me: ‘neither will we say anymore to the work of our hands, Ye are our God’s.’  (Vs.3) Hn! How can we make something then worship it eh? It doesn’t make sense. Where does it get it’s power from? Had to be from us, since we made it. But something can only be considered ‘worshipful’ if it’s outside of your control, like the Lord God Jehovah, over whom we have absolutely no power. And the benefits of serving the Lord and plentiful and wonderful, as Hosea pointed out to Israel. So let’s consider a few. Hosea says, ‘for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.’ (Vs.3) That’s so true Friends. Throughout the Bible the Lord’s positioned Himself as a champion of widows, orphans and strangers. And believe me, there are a lot of those unfortunates in our society. Remember too people, that mercy is not earnable, but derives from the generosity of our God, His wanting to give us good things we don’t really deserve. ‘I will heal their backsliding…will love them freely; for my anger is turned away…’ (Vs.4) Wow! What a magnanimous deity! He’ll help us curb our worldly lusts and LOVE us freely, cause His anger dissipates once, like lost sheep, we return to the fold. Friends, can you imagine the magnitude of that forgiveness and the depth of LOVE He has for us? It just boggles the imagination! It’s Jesus’ parable about the prodigal son; the penniless, profligate offspring that recognizes the error of his ways and returns home to a hero’s welcome, rather than a sharp dressing down. What more can we ask of Him eh? Not much. But He’s so happy to see us back in the fold that He promises to be like blessed dew to us, and we ‘shall grow as the lily..’ graceful and beautiful, ‘and cast forth roots as Lebanon.’ deep and strong. (Vs.5) Our ‘branches shall spread,’ wide and leafy, like boughs in the fullness of spring. Our beauty ‘shall be as the olive tree,’ considered very comely. (Vs.6) As Bruh David says: ‘But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.’ (Ps.52:3) Beautiful and upright! ‘They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn; and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.’ (Vs.7) Yes people, we shall be fruitful and multiply under the Lord’s tender nurturing. Brings to mind the vision that Daniel saw of a strong tree that grew up to heaven and across the earth, with beautiful leaves and plentiful fruit, ‘and in it was meat for all.’ (Dan.4:11-12) Yes Friends, that one tree fed everybody; fowl, beast and man. Such is the power and glory of our God. Then, I love the way Hosea writes, ‘Ephraim shall say, What have I to do anymore with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.’ (Vs.8) Yes Friends, in the Lord is our fruit found, and Jesus reiterated it in John 15:4-5, when He says He’s the vine and we the branches, and if we abide in Him, then we’ll bear fruit, but if we don’t, we’ll be barren, for without Him we can do nothing. That’s the gospel truth people, ‘And who is wise..shall understand these things? prudent…shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.’ Oh Friends, let’s try to be wise, prudent and just, for the other option is unthinkable. Much LOVE!..let’s all shout..we’ll choose the Lord…Amen!
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 June 2008 Hosea 14:1-2‏

09 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Hosea 14:1-2    O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine equity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
 
Yes Friends, it’s time for us to return to the Lord, our God. There’s certainly too much works of the flesh manifested in our world today. We’re being overwhelmed by the stuff Bruh Paul cited in Galatians 5:19-21: ‘Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, idolatry, lasciviousness, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings and such like.’ The list of negative behaviour is long and costly, with only one end, if we continue down this road; eventual destruction. None of the above things uplift the human spirit; they all demean and denigrate God’s handiwork. Now that certainly isn’t His desire or purpose for us. How did we reach such a low state of grace eh? Believe me people, it’s only by God’s mercy that we’re still existing, for, left completely to our own devices, we’d keep going full tilt down that road of fleshly desires we seem to cherish so much, until we annihilate ourselves. Friends, the basic reason we’ve almost hit rock bottom is very simple; we’ve turned away from the Lord, disobeying His Word. Like Hosea said of the despicable, debauched, idolatrous Israel of his time; ‘for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.’ The same applies to us today. And though some of us are seriously trying to improve it, the evil majority still rules, and sadly, appears to be getting stronger. So how do we extricate ourselves from this sad situation? Again, it’s simple, though not easy: Turn back to following the one and only true God, Jehovah. As Hosea says; ‘Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so we will render the calves of our lips.’ (praising God, not the idols) Joel recommends fasting, weeping and mourning. ‘Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.’ (Joel 2:13) Oh people, what else must be said for us to understand and obey? There’s no other deity worshipped by humans that has Jehovah’s capacity for LOVE, forgiveness and mercy. So what’s the problem eh? Historically, numerous societies have perished on embracing that negative lifestyle, why do we think we’ll escape the same fate? Friends, only the Most High can save us from our foolishness, but time’s running out, which means, to leave our children’s children a decent legacy, we’ve got to start rejecting the false pleasures of the world right now. Let’s take Bruh Paul’s advice in Hebrew’s 13:15: ‘By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.’ Much LOVE!…on the rough, rugged road that’s life…God’s our best bet…the only sure thing…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 June 2008 Psalm 117‏

08 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 117    O Praise the Lord all ye nations: praise him all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.
 
Ah Friends, another week has gone by and another day devoted to thanks and praise has arrived. As I keep saying, when in doubt, thanks and praise is the best answer. Well today my spirit was in a bit of a funk. The arthritic body was tired, suffering from a lack salt water and sunshine: Oh for a dip in the therapeutic ocean! (smile) Sleep was also hard to come by, partly due to the unseasonal thirty something Celsius degree weather we’ve been experiencing this weekend. To make matters worse, I could not figure out why my A/C wasn’t working. I’d put it on before going out to do some repairs on my car, which meant being out in the hot sun in a friend’s driveway. That was frustrating enough since we had to redo certain things, while the sun’s intensity increased, then to get home and no A/C. Hn! I was ready to blow my cool. I checked everything I could, even went outside and tapped the unit a few times. Note, I said tapped, not slapped, (smile) though I was sorely tempted, and amazingly, my language wasn’t very flowery. That’s the truth children. I resisted the temptation; did not let my bosom become foolish. Aren’t you all proud of me? (smile) Even when I realized, that my turning off the main switch for the furnace a few days ago was the problem, I didn’t get too upset with myself. In all this, I did no serious sin. Wow! ‘Praise the Lord…For his merciful kindness is great toward us.’ Now does that mean I’m getting better? I surely hope so. And the point of it all? If I can improve my patience level, then there’s hope for us all. But Friends, it takes a conscious effort, that’s very worthwhile, for there are many tangible benefits. Your spirit doesn’t get thrown out of sync; what anger and impatience does. You think and react more positively in terms of solutions to the problem. You don’t take out your frustrations by destroying stuff, or abusing anybody, including yourself, which saves you money, physical, emotional and spiritual energy, as well as pride. But the biggest benefit of offering thanks and praise when you’ve encountered an intractable problem, is that it takes your mind off yourself and the problem and places it on God; where it should have been in the first place. Oh people, how often do we hear that the first place to run in times of difficulty is to the Most High, but yet we still turn to Him last, only after all our man made solutions have failed. That’s where we flounder most of the time; trying to rely on our own limited resources. That’s also a form of sinful, selfish pride, since from day one, the Lord said to seek Him first when things go wrong, not last. But enough preaching…Steups! I dislike that word, cause it conveys a..a sense of force..of brow beating, which I detest. So let’s just say enough discourse for today. That’s not what some of you are thinking though. (smile) But seriously Friends, let’s start putting this aspect of going to the Lord first into practice nuh. It will certainly benefit us as individuals, societies and nations. Let’s do as Bruh David advised: ‘O Praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.’ Much LOVE!…always remember…our God…He is the key…the answer…to every, everything…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 June 2008 1 Samuel 3:7‏

07 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Samuel 3:7    Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.
 
 Friends, no two people ever seem to come to God the same way. Samuel was born to a barren first wife, Hannah, after she beseeched God for offspring, promising to lend him to God, if He granted her wish. Thus Samuel was apprenticed to the High Priest Eli at a tender age. At that time, Israel was going through one of it’s godless periods, consequently, there was a dearth of prophets in the land, none to reveal the vision of God to the people, corroborating the saying, that where there’s no prophet and no vision, the people suffer. Even the High Priest’s sons were corrupt, so the Lord chastened Eli for not having rule over his sons, and promised to give the High Priest’s role to another line. ‘And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.’  (1 Sam.2:35) Samuel would be the one to begin the revival of God’s word in Israel. But he was unaware of his great calling until that fateful evening, lying in bed, he heard someone call his name. Thinking it was Eli, he got up and ran to him. But Eli hadn’t called, and sent Samuel back to bed. Shortly thereafter, he again heard his name, got up once more and ran to Eli’s side, to find that Eli had not called. That’s where Today’s Bit comes in. Samuel helped Eli with the ministry, but he was still unfamiliar with God’s machinations and with his own role. So total confusion must have reigned in his young mind when he heard his name a third time, went to Eli, and again found it to be a false alarm. But Eli realized what was happening. ‘Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth.’ (1 Sam.3:9) So Samuel went back to bed. And the Lord called yet again. ‘Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.’ (1 Sam.3:10) The Lord then revealed His plans for Israel and in particular the sons of Eli. Finally, Samuel was made aware of his destiny. But since it included the destruction of Eli’s line, he was afraid to tell Eli the Lord’s tidings. Eli had been warned though, and when he got Samuel to tell him everything, his response was admirable. ‘It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth good… And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did not let none of his words fall to the ground.’ (1Sam.3:18-19) Ah Friends, this story tells us so much about the God we worship: His faithfulness; to Hannah, to Samuel, who’s  righteousness He upheld. His fondness for drama. (smile) He likes to interweave His actions, like a good script writer, and also use the most unlikely people to play the leading roles. He could have surely raised up a mighty prophet in a straightforward manner. But that’s not His style. It’s just like He made Jesus poor, lowly and humble. He will also allow us to be disobedient for long periods, but certainly not forever. See how He finally brought Eli’s house to heel. When we get to prolong disobedient acts without any retribution, it just means He’s giving us more rope to hang ourselves, or a chance to get out on our own. The same goes for disobedient societies, and ours is a prime candidate right now. The only safe way Friends, is to acknowledge His supremacy, feed on His word, and stay obedient as best we can. Otherwise, we’re headed for destruction. Much LOVE!…trust and obey…it ‘s the only sensible way…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 June 2008 Galatians 6:8.‏

06 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Galatians 6:8    For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
 
Why then Friends, do so many of us knowingly sow to the flesh? Why do so many believers, who should know better, still let the evil desires of our sinful nature run our lives eh? We will never be totally oblivious of the tantalizing effects that the lusts of the flesh provide, but as followers of Christ, we’re expected to keep them to the bare minimum. The actual flesh of our body dies, rots and disintegrates, returns to the dust from whence it came. Likewise all things associated with or glorified by the flesh; they die and rot too, thus are useless in the next life. And if perchance, we don’t know what the desires of the flesh are (smile) Bruh Paul saw it fit to list them in Gal.5:19-21. Acts like gross immorality, murder, idolatry, hatred, witchcraft, etc. ‘..as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.’ (5:21) How much plainer can he be eh people? The Galatians were apparently backsliding. Having received Christ through faith in the Spirit, they were turning back to the desires of the flesh, which currently dominates our world, causing many of us to do the same thing. Oh Friends, we consist of two parts; a fleshly body that’s inured in sin, and dies after a short sojourn on earth, and a spiritual soul that lives on forever. Now which is more important eh; the one that dies and ceases to exist, or that which lives forever? Of course it’s a no brainer! The spiritual soul is way more important, so we need to carefully cultivate and nurture it, since that’s the vehicle we’ll be inhabiting for all eternity. The fleshly things seem glamorous and glitzy, but Friends the spiritual things ARE bright and attractive. Wherever true LOVE abounds, it must be spectacular! And while, like brass plated gold, the flesh loses it’s sheen, like true gold, the spiritual doesn’t; it retains its lustre forever. That’s why Jesus said we should lay up treasure in heaven, the spiritual realm, and not on earth, because those can rot or be stolen, but in heaven, there’s no rust or thieves. (Mat.6:19-20) And there’s only one way to avoid the disastrous pitfalls of the flesh. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh: and these are contrary one to the other.’ (Gal.5:16-17) Exactly; the two lifestyles are contentious and adversarial. It’s either or. Jesus said that you can’t serve God and Mammon at the same time; you can’t bless and curse out of the same mouth; a vessel can best be used for a single purpose. It therefore behoves us Friends, as followers of Christ, to seriously consider what we’re sowing; be it fleshly or spiritual. ‘Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’ (Gal.5:7) From the day God made man, He implemented that principle. People, we can’t outwit God; disobey Him, then expect to escape divine retribution. So if we wish to reap life everlasting, then Friends, starting right now, we’ve got to be industriously sowing seeds of the Spirit, so later on, we can enjoy that fruitful harvest with Jesus. Much LOVE!…watch and pray…the spirit indeed is willing…but the flesh is weak…
 

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