Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 June 2008 Isaiah 53:3-5‏

05 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 53:3-5    He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him: he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
 
Ah Friends, how sad that one without sin, had to pay our sin debt. But Isaiah’s prophecy was made long before Jesus was born. God foreshadowed it; planted the idea centuries before it happened. That’s why Israel kept looking for the Messiah to come and deliver them from their oppression. But they had it all wrong. They expected a mighty warrior King, decked out in full regalia. Instead, they got a lowly, humble carpenter’s son, facing life as an itinerant preacher. Possibly that’s why many never believed when He did show up; their expectations were off course. They expected physical relief, when God intended spiritual rebirth. How could the great Messiah be a simple joe-blow with a bunch of ne’er do wells hanging on to his frock tails eh? Consequently, as Isaiah prophesied, ‘He is despised and rejected of men;’ scorned and abandoned. ‘A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.’ Oh Friends, that was so true of Jesus’ earthly life. He bore much pain and suffering, both physically and emotionally. As Bruh Paul says,’…but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ (Heb.4:15) ‘And we hid, as it were, our faces from him: he was despised and we esteemed him not.’ What a crying shame people! Isaiah must have had a real good chat with God on this, because so far, he’s perfect in foretelling the dire circumstances that our Saviour would suffer. Like many of us do, people must have turned their heads, or passed by on the other side of the road when they saw Him coming. So just imagine the hurt Jesus must have felt nuh people. You know how we feel about ingrates. The same ones He came to save, vilifying and literally abusing Him. ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.’ Yes Friends, He did bear our spiritual wickedness. ‘Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.’ (1 Pet.2:24) ‘Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.’ We were so stupid and arrogant, we figured He’d been judged, struck down by God for His own wrongdoing. Ah Friends, what a mistake, what a lie! ‘But he was wounded for our transgressions,’ nailed and speared for our sins. ‘He was bruised for our iniquities.’ Yes, it’s for our immoral and evil ways that He suffered such utter humiliation, not His own, for He was God’s Son, perfect in every way. ‘The chastisement of our peace was upon him.’ For sure people! Our peace with God was procured by Jesus undergoing disciplinary action for us. ‘And with his stripes we are healed.’ Oh Friends, those are possibly the saddest, but also the most joyous words ever spoken: It’s surely sad that Christ had to pay for our sins, but it’s certainly wonderful that He did. And it’s only because He was willing to be our scapegoat, by the shedding of His Holy blood, ‘who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification,’ (Rom.4:25) that we can talk about things like salvation and eternal life. So please, please Friends, let’s not forget all that Jesus has done for us. Let’s show some gratitude nuh; shower Him with thanks and praise, and walk humbly in His footsteps. That’s all he asks of us. Much LOVE!…compared to what He’s done for us…Jesus asks very little in return…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 June 2008 Ecclesiastes 12:13-14‏

04 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14    Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
 
So what did Sol deduce from his extensive search for the purpose and meaning of this earthly life? No one was better suited to conduct this survey than him. He had the available time, wisdom, money, help; everything needed to do it properly. In the end he acknowledges that a man should work faithfully and enjoy the fruits of his labour; that’s his reward. However, setting the acquisition of wisdom, knowledge, artistic goods, material riches, prominent positions and such worldly things as our goal is all vanity, because we die and leave them all behind for others to fight over and/or enjoy. So what’s our purpose down here then? The ultimate purpose he concludes, is to ‘Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.’ What a pronouncement Friends! That’s what the wisest man deduced from his extensive survey. As he keeps saying, all else is vanity. But this shouldn’t have been such a momentous revelation, for way back when the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses said to them: ‘And now Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him; and to serve the Lord with all thy heart and with all thy soul.’ (Deut.10:12) And Friends, it hasn’t changed one iota since then. Sol searched diligently and got the same result. Later on, the Prophet Micah said likewise: ‘He hath showed thee O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?’ (Mic.6:8) This means people, that the guiding light, in whatever we say or do, must be the reverence of God and the keeping of His dictates. ‘For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’ Yes Friends, all our acts and words, good or bad, shall be judged on that fateful day the Lord appoints. Sol himself warns: ‘Rejoice, O young man in thy youth…but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement.’ (Eccle.11:9) Jesus reinforced this. ‘But I say unto you. That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement.’ (Mat.12:36) Bruh Paul also referred to it several times in his letters to the churches. ‘Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness..’ (Acts 17:31) So there it is in a nutshell Friends. Sol worked his way through all the pleasures of the world, only to find them lacking, to discover that our main purpose on this earth is to LOVE and serve God faithfully. All else is vanity; useless, with a hefty price to pay later on. ‘For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body…whether it be good or bad.’ (2 Cor.5:10) If that doesn’t spur us on to do good things with a right heart, then Friends, I don’t know what else will. Much LOVE!…him that don’t hear…shall surely feel…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 June 2008 Ecclesiastes 7:8-9‏

03 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ecclesiastes 7:8-9    Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
 
Our God is really something else yes Friends! Although I know His modus operandi ranges from the simple and direct to the eccentric and oblique, His unique manner of showing us the error of our ways still amazes me every time I encounter it, like just now. The Lord pulled a fast one on me, that’s why I was laughing. As usual, I asked for guidance in finding a Bit, but at that particular time, there was anger in my spirit from an earlier petty argument. I subsequently rejected two passages I had previously considered cause they needed some research and I was in no mood for that, and kept on looking for something simpler. I’m currently reading Ecclesiastes for my sight deficient mother, with a bookmark where I’ve reached, so at one point it naturally opened there, and I kept searching. Actually, today I read her the first half of Chapter seven, but obviously paid no real heed to those verses. This time though, through the Spirit’s unfathomable workings, my eyes were irresistibly drawn to them and I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at their timely relevance. Hn,hn! Talk about our God’s wily ways. He probably mused, ‘ So yuh want something easy eh mih son? Well here. No need for research on this, cause you’re a living example.’ And you know what people? As soon as I began laughing, like mist on a sudden breath of wind, my anger just disappeared and my spirit regained its equilibrium. Wow! ‘For laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects.’ (Arnold Glasow) Also, ‘unlike medicine, laughter costs us nothing, and can be partaken of as often as we see fit…A good hearty laugh is therapy for our minds and bodies.’ That’s so true Friends. It’s from a Devotional called ‘One More Day; Daily Meditations for People with Chronic Illness. From that viewpoint, I can surely agree with Solomon that ‘Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.’ The end of my angry mood was certainly better than the start, for while the anger had my spirit in grasp, everything was out of sync; I couldn’t think straight, writing the Bit seemed an onerous chore; the enemy’s negativity controlled my entire being. And Friends, though we know that ‘the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit,’ it’s not an easy thing to do, especially when the evil forces seem to be bombarding you from all sides. Even Solomon, reputed to be the richest, wisest man ever, who supposedly penned these words of wisdom, he made an absolute mess of his life at the end by turning away from the God who had brought him to such prominence. It means that oftimes we’re not too bright, allowing the evil flesh to rule us, instead of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Lord knows that the walk of faith is not easy Friends, that’s why He gave us the Holy Spirit as a guide and helpmate. When the flesh acts up, we’ve got to immediately turn to the voice of truth that resides in our soul. There’s so much irritating nonsense in our world, that it will drive us crazy if we allow it to. I guess that’s why the Most High drew my attention today to that most appropriate verse; ‘Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.’ Please Friends, let’s try and reduce the occasions when our bosoms are foolish. Pray for the ole fella.(smile) Much LOVE!…slow to wrath equals understanding…hasty of spirit equals foolish…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 June 2008 1 Thessalonians 5:13-16‏

02 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Thessalonians 5:13-16    …And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore.
 
More Bruh Paul Friends. Can’t get away from him since he wrote so much of the New Testament. I don’t want to, but oftimes he’s a tad too dogmatic and cerebral, thus hard to digest in large doses. (smile) He’s writing to the church at Thessalonica he helped found, but since he was converting Gentiles, as well as Jews, he was soon forced to leave town through the machinations of the orthodox Jewish establishment. And from his new base in Corinth, he hears about their problems. As it was a young church, without his guiding iron fist, a lot of doubt and uncertainty prevailed, leading to dissension. That’s why he’s trying to reinforce the basic guidelines of the faith. He’d just told them to listen to the elders and leaders, like Timothy and Silvanus, whom he’d left behind, and to stop the infighting, ‘be at peace among yourselves.’ Very reminiscent of the Church’s current state, eh Friends? He implores them to warn the unruly, disobedient members. ‘For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy bodies…that if any would not work, neither should he eat.’ (2 Thess.3:11,10) Hn! I could have sworn Bruh Paul was writing to the old church, not today’s, cause the same things are still happening. ‘Comfort the feeble minded,’ he says. Look after the faint of heart. He said it to the Hebrews too. ‘Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.’ (Heb.12:12) ‘Support the weak.’ Twice, Bruh Paul says this in Romans. ‘Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.’ (14:1) ‘We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.’ (15:1) Yes Friends, all that stuff applies to any church, young or old. ‘Be patient toward all men.’ He outlines this in detail in Galatians 5:22-23. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.’  But Friends there’s a law for it; the law of Jesus, of our Christian faith, because that’s exactly what our Saviour is all about, and if we’re His followers, then we should also be about those things. And when Bruh Paul says, ‘See that none render evil for evil unto any man,’ it’s nothing new. The Lord decreed that to Moses centuries before. ‘Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear a grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.’ (Lev.19:18) ‘But ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.’ Ah Friends, that’s the very basis of our faith. Jesus made it the second great commandment. ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself.’ And Bruh Paul emphasized it so often, in several ways, which time and space don’t allow me to quote. I guess a believer needs to be constantly reminded of the essence of his faith, cause it’s not easy, but our Leader, Christ, expects it of us, that’s our raison d’être. But what endears me to Bruh Paul, is that having prescribed all those unnatural attributes, he has the gumption to add, ‘Rejoice evermore.’ But Friends, that’s exactly how it should be. In spite of our rough earthly journey, if we have all the good things Jesus promised; salvation, eternal life, etc. then we should be happy and rejoice. It’s the only way other’s will believe we’ve really got a good thing going. So let’s rejoice and be happy nuh! Much LOVE!…to a true Christian…rejoicing is an integral part of life…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 June 2008 Psalm 113: 1-3‏

01 Jun 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 113:1-3    Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the Lord’s name is to be praised.
 
Ah Friends, today was one of those days when the ole fella could not decide what to write about, the aging brain was in go slow mode.(smile) But I finally reasoned, that in times of indecision, giving thanks and praise to our Creator is the safest and best thing we can do, and since it was also Sunday, the day many people rest from their labour, it surely seemed the perfect time to raise our eyes and voices to heaven. It’s also obvious where I went seeking a Bit of thanks and praise, since you know I think the Psalms, penned mostly by Bruh David, does that the best. I like their simplicity, their down to ‘earthiness’, coming straight to the point. ‘Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord.’ What could be more straightforward and to the point eh? It brings the Most High to the forefront of the believer’s thoughts, sets the stage for them to open up their heart and pour out whatever is in there. ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.’ It’s still simple, but loaded with kudos to the Father. ‘From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same,’ Yes Friends, all day, and all night too ‘the Lord’s name is to be praised.’  Guess they left out the night because they didn’t have the night life that we do. But we’re supposed to praise Him during all our waking moments people, from sunrise to sunrise. Having focused his attention on the Lord, the writer then launches into the serious ‘heart speak’: ‘The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.’ That’s for sure! ‘Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth?’ The answer Friends: Nobody! And the flow of gratitude and appreciation continues. ‘He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill, That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.’ What a God! He does indeed look after the poor and needy. ‘He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.’ Wow! He even makes the barren fruitful. Who is like unto Him eh Friends? No one! That’s why He deserves our thanks and praise people. Hn, hn! I’m chuckling because I didn’t intend to use the whole Psalm, (Vs.4-9) but it flowed so naturally that I couldn’t help myself. Just goes to show the power of sincere, heartfelt words. They get us right where it matters, every time. Friends, I can’t say it any better than the Psalmist, only advise us to be very attentive to the thanks and praise part of our faith walk, because truly, Great is the Lord and worthy is His Name to be praised. Much LOVE!…when the heart sings sincerely…thanks and praise flow freely…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 May 2008 John 14:27‏

31 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 14:27    Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
 
Wow! What exquisite sentiments my Friends, from the only entity deserving the moniker, Super Star; Jesus Christ! The past two days we’ve been talking about words and their monumental power, especially on the human psyche. We saw God command the world into existence through words, then their destructive effect when used negatively, so it’s only fitting that we also consider how words can encourage and enhance a person’s life or self image, when used positively. And whom better to exemplify that beautiful quality than the Master of Positive Thinking, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He’s talking to His disciples, acquainting them with the stuff that was about to happen; His betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. Note, the disciples were a rag tag bunch of men, without much education, assembled by Jesus, more for their brawn and down to earth attitude than their brains. And when their leader suddenly drops the bombshell about the forthcoming disastrous events, and the fact that He was going away, to some place they couldn’t go just then, it’s obvious they got rather perturbed. But Jesus, always the consummate master of the situation, reassures them. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ In other words, stand strong, stay calm. I know what I’m doing. Everything’s under control. I have your back. Whatever I give you is well given; not like the world; give with one hand, and take back with the other. He’d already opened the dialogue in Vs.1 with, ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.’ Then in Vs.18, He assures them, ‘I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you.’ During the conversation, Jesus throws out tidbits of encouragement and assurance, because He’s very aware of their apprehension, as any sensitive leader would be under those circumstances. And Friends, the Good Book lists numerous instances of people being encouraged, or told to encourage others. Like Bruh David to his son Solomon: ‘I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore; and show thyself a man.’ (1 Kings 2:2) And how can we forget that great encourager, Bruh Paul, with all his letters to the different churches. But possibly, the most famous words of encouragement are those of Our Lord to Joshua, on his becoming  Israel’s leader. ‘I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage.’ (Josh.1:5-6) And to make sure Joshua understands, He says it twice more in Vs.7,9. ‘Only be thou strong and very courageous to do according to all the law…Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ What faith enhancing words my Friends, from the Most High God, Jehovah. Let’s take them to heart, for they are also meant for us, and go out and do likewise; speak encouraging words to each other, for they provide fuel for the fire of our faith. Much LOVE!..they helped everyone his neighbour, and everyone said to his brother, Be of good courage…(Isa.41:6)

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 May 2008 Job 19:1-4‏

30 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Job 19:1-4    Then Job answered and said, How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words? These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me? And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.
 
Poor Job. He was going along nicely, a faithful, righteous man, then unbeknownst to him, the enemy challenged God to test his righteousness. God had confidence in Job and allowed the test; anything but death. So at the enemy’s instigation, his world began falling apart for no apparent reason. Boils suddenly covered his body and he sat in ashes scraping them. His family and his livelihood disintegrated. Then his wife chastened him about his integrity, telling him to curse God and die. But Job resisted that bad advice, asking her if she only expected good and no bad from God. ‘In all this did Job not sin with his lips.’ (Job 2:10) Ah Friends, yesterday we talked about the power of words, today we have a great example of their negative aspect. First, the enemy used negative, challenging words to God. Then Job’s wife gave him negative advice. But the worst part was when three of his friends heard about his dilemma, came to mourn with and comfort him, but ended up haranguing him instead. They lectured him and insisted that he had done some awful wrong, that’s why so much calamity had suddenly befallen him. We noted earlier, that through all the misfortune Job did not sin with his lips. Who knows what was in his heart, but he uttered no disrespectful words about God, even though he was certainly driven in that direction. But he was only human and finally got fed up with his so called friends, and asked them, ‘How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?’ Ah people, the power of words again. His friends were tormenting him, driving him even further down the path of sorrow and grief by their self righteous and unfair accusations, by their hurtful words. Because their vision was short-sighted, they figured that such tribulation could only befall Job if he’d done something terribly wrong, And though he insisted that he hadn’t, they still berated and belittled him. As he said; ‘These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me?’ Poor fella. They kept on shaming and disgracing him with hurtful, uncalled for words, till he had to ask them why they were dealing so harshly with him. Ah Friends, they say words are wind, but blows are unkind, sadly though, in many cases the words hurt more than the physical blows. At least the wounds of the body heal eventually, but sometimes those inflicted on the soul by negative words never heal, or leave badly scarred souls when they do. I like Job’s spirit. He got tired of their posturing and simply declared that even if he had made a mistake, it was his, and had nothing to do with them. Yes people, sometimes we just have to tell people to shut up or buzz off when their words are negatively affecting our souls. By the same token, we’ve got to be careful we don’t do the same thing to others. So again, I implore us to try and utter only good, peaceful, positive, pleasant, uplifting, encouraging words to our fellow man. Much LOVE!…like a pile driver…hurtful words can decimate the human spirit…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 May 2008 Proverbs 18:21‏

29 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 18:21    Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
 
‘And God said, Let there be light: and there was light…And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters…And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place…And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass…And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly…and God blessed them, saying, Be Fruitful and multiply…’ Gen.1. Yes Friends, God spoke the world into existence. So what does that tell us? Words are very powerful. And today we’re talking ’bout the power of words; your words and mine, the tremendous power they have to encourage or discourage, to do good or evil. Solomon said that ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue,’ and it’s the living truth. In the sense that it’s a judge, or some person in high authority, whose words sentence us to die, or live; doctors also pass judgement on whether we’ll recover from an illness or not, and our families decide if to pull the life line. So the power of life and death does really exist in the tongue. But it goes even deeper than that: ‘and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ That’s also gospel people. Whatever you sow with your words, be it good fruit or bad, that’s what you’ll reap. You can’t plant corn and expect to reap peas. Likewise, you can’t sow discouragement and expect to reap excellence. Jesus said, ‘For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ Mat.12:37. Yes Friends, whatever we say will come back to haunt us in one form or fashion, for words are our most important and frequent form of communication, so they are used abundantly. This means we’ve got to be very careful about the words we use, especially in these politically correct times. Chuh! People nowadays have become so sensitive, that the least li’l thing rubs them wrong, provoking outrage. But besides that, generally speaking, if we want good things to happen, we’ve got to use good words. Reverse psychology, saying discouraging words in the hope that it angers the hearer enough to motivate them to prove us wrong, only works in a few cases. Most of the time, discouraging words will bring discouragement. And as everything else Friends, good words have to start at home. So parents, especially mothers who bear the responsibility for most of the nurturing, please start speaking pleasant, encouraging words to your children, from the moment they’re born. I read about this mother who was always saying hurry, hurry to her children. And what do you think the baby’s first words were, after ‘mama and dada?’ Yes, ‘hurry, hurry.’ So although we think they don’t understand what we say, in their own simple way, they do pick up our meanings and nuances. Friends, in these troubled times we all need to hear good, positive words. So let’s take control of our mouths and speak positively and encouragingly to our children, our parents, our spouses, our co-workers, our business partners, anyone we come into contact with. Everybody’s going through tough times, and a smile or a kind, encouraging word might just be the catalyst, the trigger someone who’s hit rock bottom, needs to motivate them to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and move on to do great things. Like the kind hearted man I heard about, who didn’t have any money to give this beggar, but he called him his brother and blessed him. Sometime later, he passed by again and the beggar smiled at him. The man asked why he was smiling since he still had no money to give him. The beggar replied that he had called him brother. No one had ever done that before. So Friends, never underestimate the power of our words. If God made the world through words, then they must be very potent. Let’s use them wisely; for good and not evil. Much LOVE!…talk is cheap…but it’s boomerang effect is rather expensive…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 May 2008 1 John 1:8-10‏

28 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 John 1:8-10    If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
 
Ah Friends, it’s inconceivable that any of us will ever say that we have no sin, but apparently some people in John’s time made that claim. And, Lord forbid, if we do happen to be foolish enough to make such a claim, then we’re not only fooling ourselves, but also lacking in truth. Cause once we’re related to Adam and Eve, then by our very nature we’re sinful, since they were expelled from the beautiful Garden of Eden for their disobedience. And that’s exactly what sin is; disobedience to God’s directives. Or as the dictionary defines it; ‘a transgression against divine law, or principles of morality.’ So there’s no way we can ever truthfully make that claim. Bruh Paul says in Romans 3:10: ‘As it is written: there’s none righteous, no not one.’ He’s referring to Psalm 14:3. And in 3:23, he declares; ‘For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.’ That’s the gospel truth Friends, and it’s sad that from the moment of conception, we’re saddled with a sinful nature. It’s the one sure inheritance our forefathers bequeathed us. That’s the awful reality. But fear not people, there’s also good news, in fact most wonderful news! There’s a remedy, a powerful antidote for that awful smear on our character; Jesus’ tragic death on the cross, redeemed all our sins, and ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive…and cleanse us…’ Wow! Isn’t that marvellous? No other faith can make such a claim. God loved us so much, and felt so much pain because of our sinful behaviour, that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus to die for us, like a sacrificial lamb, to wipe the slate clean of our transgressions. And since then, all we have to do, is believe that fact, and call upon His Holy Name through Christ, our Saviour, with a repentant heart, and He’ll forgive our disobedience. What can beat that eh Friends? Nothing! But that doesn’t mean we can just go out and sin willy nilly, without thought for the consequences, because, come the judgement day, we all have to answer for our wrongs, for His justice and righteousness must be upheld. And though, when we believe and sincerely repent, we’re forgiven, Friends we’ve still got to make a serious and concerted effort to be obedient to His will, else we’re not truly in fellowship with Him, and that’s what the Lord really desires of us, though it’s difficult, since, as descendants of Adam and Eve, disobedience is built into our souls. And anyone who disputes that, is calling God a liar, by denying His Word, which states that we’re all sinners. And for sure, our God doesn’t lie. So even though we’ve unfortunately been yoked with a disobedient nature, our merciful and caring God has provided ample relief through Jesus’ redemptive death. I implore us, please, don’t let it go a begging, let’s take full advantage of it. Much LOVE!…only believe…that’s all it takes…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 May 2008 Philippians 3:7‏

27 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Philippians 3:7    But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
 
Ah Friends, more of Bruh Paul. Seems like I just can’t get enough of him these days. (smile) But I don’t mind, hope you don’t either, for he was the most zealous and colourful apostle; traits that we might do well to follow. Today, he’s writing to the church at Philippi, which had always treated him well, and whom he seems to have greatly appreciated. He’s warning them to beware of pseudo Christians filling them with false doctrine, like they must be circumcised to be a true Christian or receive salvation. (Vs.2) But Paul’s telling them, and us, to reject matters of the flesh, which circumcision is, because God is now worshipped in the spirit through Jesus. (Vs.3) Then in Vs.4 he proclaims that if the worldly things were important, nobody would have occasion to boast more than him, referring to his earlier life, and he goes on to list seven religious credentials, which although the world valued them highly, he could not rely on them for salvation. ‘Circumcised the eight day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.’ (Vs.6-7) In worldly terms, he was perfect. Born to true, blue blooded, orthodox Jews of the prestigious tribe of Benjamin, a member of the well educated Pharisee sect. So zealous for the Jewish religion, as we all know, that he persecuted believers, trying to stamp out Christianity. And he kept the ancient Judaic laws perfectly. But he had reckoned without the power of the Most High, who struck him blind on the road to Damascus, converting him and rearranging his whole life, leading him to say, ‘But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.’ He finally realized that all the things, the religious credentials and human accomplishments that made him important in the ancient Jewish culture, did not bring him closer to God. In fact they were a detriment, moving him further away from the one, true God. The Old Testament ritual, tradition and fleshly works had been replaced by a new covenant with Jesus, which concentrated on spirituality. And salvation could not be acquired by deeds of the flesh, but only through faith and spiritual belief in Jesus Christ. What a transformation Friends! Just goes to show what God can do with the Holy Spirit working in us, and it took some time for the brethren to really trust and accept him. But how could they not, when he showed the same zeal and spoke these moving words. ‘Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.’ Ah Friends, may we be so brave, bold and committed, to echo those sentiments with Bruh Paul. Much LOVE!…nothing at all compares to winning Christ…

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