Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 May 2008 Deuteronomy 28:14-15‏

06 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Deuteronomy 28:14-15    And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.
 
And Friends, the Lord’s not joking, for the curses run from Vs.16 to 68 inclusive; 54 verses outlining the curses, misery and destruction that will befall us if we aren’t obedient, and go a whoring after other gods. There’s only space to list some of the doom He promised. We’ll be cursed in the city, in the field. The fruit of our body, our children, will be cursed, also the fruit of our land and our animals. When we come in and go out, we’ll be cursed. He’ll send cursing, vexation and rebuke in everything we do, until we’re destroyed, because we’ve forsaken Him and turned to evil. Plague and pestilence will cleave to us, until we’re eradicated from the promised land. I’ve got to quote Vs.22. ‘The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew, and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.’ Oh Friends, doesn’t that awful picture just make you want to hold yuh head and bawl, cry out in anguish? That should be enough to drive us from our wicked ways, but it doesn’t seem so. And if we look closely at the calamities currently befalling our world, we’ll see many of those promises coming to pass, because we have become such an ungodly, warlike, evil generation. There are more natural disasters, famine, drought, scarcity of food, greed, financial problems, unemployment, strife and oppression than ever, in the most advanced stage of mankind. With all the scientific, technical and financial know how we possess, there should never be as much want and suffering. Our world is going under when it’s at it’s most brilliant, at it’s zenith. Why is that eh? Could it be because of our disobedience, that God has put those promised curses into motion? People, it’s something to seriously consider. There’s no other good reason for all the negative stuff that’s happening. We’re at such an advanced  stage where we can almost clone man, so why is there still so much suffering? And it’s increasing daily. Oh Friends, you’ve just got to read Deuteronomy 28 for yourself. Verses 1 to 14 are about the good things, but the bad things run for 50 odd. Now doesn’t that tell us how serious God considers disobedience? And if it doesn’t wake us up, I don’t know what will. Oh People, why allow ourselves to be smitten with madness, blindness and astonishment of heart, and grope at noon like the blind grope in the dark, and not prosper in anything, and be oppressed and spoiled for evermore, reduced to eating the flesh of our own children, with no one to save us eh? There’s a better way: Serve the Lord our God with joyfulness and gladness of heart for the abundance of all things He’s bestowed on us. Let’s turn from our evil ways and do it, NOW! Else we’ll soon be just another sad blot, another sorrowful footnote in the annals of man. Much LOVE!…the next big war…will be the last…let’s prevent it nuh…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 May 2008 Deuteronomy 28:12-13‏

05 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Deuteronomy 28:12-13    The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.
 
Ah Friends, what better promise can we get eh? None really, unless it’s the something for nothing scenario that we all crave. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work like that. There are very few instances where you can really get something without giving something in return, whether it be in cash, kind or some other form of payment. And please scrutinize very carefully any offers that purport to require nothing in return, because it’s not in man’s nature to be that generous. Anyway, in Today’s Bit, the Lord promised to open His treasure trove for the Israelites. Imagine that nuh Friends! How many people do you know who’ll gladly give of their treasure? And that promise still holds good today. Our God promises to bless us, to open heaven and send rain to the land to provide a bountiful harvest. In fact, He promised that anything we touch will prosper. We’ll be so prosperous that we’ll be lenders and not borrowers. What generosity! ‘And the Lord shall make thee the head and not the tail;’ Wow! We’ll be leaders rather than followers. ‘And thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath.’ Oh blessed day people! We’ll be rulers; wise and powerful, but obviously showing humility. All people will look to us for guidance. But even our very generous, merciful and forgiving God, requires something in return for such wonderful promises. ‘If that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.’ Yes Friends, it’s quite simple, (smile) to obtain these glorious promises. All we have to do is learn God’s rules and obey them. Is that so much to ask? I don’t think so. And we have it much easier that the Israelites who first got those promises. Their covenant was much stricter and onerous, than the one we obtained through Jesus’ sacrificial death. No more blood sacrifices, self flagellation and trying to personally atone for our sins. Jesus did that once and for all. But we still have to follow the same basic rules laid down in the ten commandments. And when you seriously consider them, they’re not that difficult, especially if you break them down to two, like Jesus did: LOVE your God and LOVE your neighbour as yourself. In other words don’t do to somebody else anything you wouldn’t want them to do to you. And if you consistently follow the path of LOVE, you’ll accomplish this, and receive all the blessings and prosperity that God promised. Much LOVE!…God’s promise has two parts…if we do ours…He’ll do His…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 May 2008 Matthew 18:2-4‏

04 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Matthew 18:2-4    And Jesus called a little child unto him, and sat him in the midst of them. And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
 
Are we listening people? I certainly hope so. But why are we so preoccupied with what we term greatness eh? This whole lecture of Jesus came up because His disciples asked who was the the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Does one person have to be better or greater than another?  And in whose eyes, whose perception will we be greater? Each of us has a different understanding or perception of that intangible ideal. Shakespeare said that all the world’s a stage, with individual roles to be played. The roles won’t all be of equal size, but they are all important for the success of the whole. Like Bruh Paul talks about the physical parts of the body having different jobs, and some parts seeming  more glorified than others, but we all know the example of the least considered part, closing up and making the glorified ones go blind, deaf, dumb, limp,etc. (smile) And Jesus said the last shall be first and vice versa. But we are so taken up with, so fascinated by hierarchy and supposedly prominent positions, that oftimes we sell our souls to sit up where the air is rare. Jesus even warned that at functions we should not run to sit at the high places, for when the honoured guests arrive, we’ll be asked to move lower down. Just think what that would do to your pride. But still we behave like Miss Thomas’ puss that loved high seat, and Humpty Dumpty, who sat on a wall too high for him to handle. The result; they both fell, ‘splat!’ to their everlasting detriment. Jesus continually preached that material wealth and prominent position doesn’t guarantee life hereafter. In fact, if you focus on them, you won’t see any next life. But our society is so taken with the idea of exalted and lowly positions, that we heap honour and respect on the lawyer, the doctor, the rich and the ruling class, who do deserve a certain amount of respect, because they play important roles, but we vilify and look down on the ordinary labourer and garbage collector. But whose withholding of their services has the most profound effect eh? The lowly garbage collector. When he’s on strike, everything backs up. Mounds of garbage lie uncollected, the chances for the spread of sickness and disease greatly increase, and the ungodly stench that rises to high heaven must make Jesus exhale a sad sigh, shake His head and wonder, when will they ever learn? Yes Friends, though our seemingly insatiable desire for exalted status usually backfires, read the celebrity meltdowns, we continue to make it our focus. But as Jesus pointed out, unless we have a humble spirit, a childlike innocence, despite all our worldly riches, high positions and achievements, we wont get into heaven. How much clearer can he be? And please don’t think that having a prominent position in society is wrong, cause it’s not.  It’s how we achieve what we have, and then how we use it. Achieve it honestly, with a right heart, and use it wisely, for good, should always be our motto. As Jesus said in the Beatitudes; Matt. 5:10: ‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ Yes Friends, it’s good advice. Let’s take it, go forth and pursue righteousness, so that we may obtain, the glorious promise of heaven. It’s the only way! Much LOVE!…to come to Jesus…is to do as He says…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 May 2008 Luke 23:42-43‏

03 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Luke 23:42-43    And he said unto Jesus, Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily, I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
 
What a beautiful ending to a tragic life story Friends. And if you haven’t recognized the words, then imagine this scenario: A barren, rocky hillside on the outskirts of Jerusalem, two thousand years ago. At the crest of the hill, three wooden crosses rise from the stony ground. On each cross, a man is impaled, arms outstretched. The man in the centre is innocent, but has been railroaded to his death by an envious, elitist group. Although He can stop it, He doesn’t, because there’s a greater purpose behind the proceedings than the ordinary mind can comprehend. And as the three men suffer the agony of being nailed to a cross, wearing next to nothing, in the arid heat, under a blazing sun, the soldiers and the rabble rousers mercilessly mock and heap scorn on the man in the centre, offering Him bitter vinegar to quench His thirst; spearing Him in the side and taunting Him with words like; ‘If thou be the King of the Jews, save thyself.’ Even the rulers deride Him, saying: ‘He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.’ Then one of the other two being crucified, rails at Him. ‘If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.’ But surprisingly the other man rebukes his friend, asking if he didn’t fear God, seeing that they were in the same condemned situation, and they justly, for they had committed crimes, ‘but this man hath done nothing amiss.’ His next words have been immortalized. ‘And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.’ Oh Friends, what a defining moment in the History of our faith! One sinner rebuked Jesus, the other believed that He was indeed the Son of God. And it gets better: ‘Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’ Wow! Remember recently we saw in Ezekiel 18 where the Lord says that any man who turns from his evil ways and follows Him, shall live, since He has no pleasure in seeing the wicked die. Well Friends, that was a perfect example of His forgiveness and mercy. Jesus was so deeply touched by the one criminal’s belief and faith, that He immediately promised him everlasting life. Nobody seems to have witnessed to him, although he must have heard about Jesus if he lived in the area. I believe it was mostly Jesus’ steely backbone and forgiving reaction to the disgusting charade that convinced him. Oh people, that’s the LOVE of the Father in practical terms, in reality. And though reality is the latest fad in television programming, it’s mostly faked and feigned. But Jesus offering the repentant criminal the promise of heaven, was the real thing. That’s the beauty of our faith Friends: The promises of our God are not merely words spoken in a vacuum, but have practical applications in all areas of our lives. Never forget it. Much LOVE!…if God speaks it…then it’s the living truth…and has a  practical purpose…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 May 2008 John 14:21-23‏

02 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 14:21-23    He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it then that thou will manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
 
Oh Friends, what encouraging and reassuring words from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! He made these statements while preparing the disciples for His tragic crucifixion, joyous resurrection and glorious ascension. Poor disciples, they must have been one confused group, for Jesus had talked about going to prepare a place for them. ‘And where I go, you know, and the way you know.’ Vs.4. But Thomas disputed that. So Jesus told them, ‘I am the way the truth, and the life..’ Vs.6, the only way to the Father, whom they had now seen. But Phillip asked Him to show them the Father. This led to a lecture on His relationship to the Father and talk about not leaving them orphans; the Holy Spirit coming to dwell in them; how shortly they wouldn’t see Him, then they would, but not the world. Then He laid the first half of Today’s Bit on them. If you hear and obey my rules then I’ll consider it LOVE. And anyone who LOVES me, both the Father and I will LOVE him, and I’ll make myself known to them. By then they must have been thoroughly ‘confuffled.’ No wonder, Judas, not the one who betrayed Him, had to ask how He was going to manifest Himself to them alone. Guess they were suffering from information overload. What with their limited education, and Jesus waxing philosophical on a spiritual plane far above their comprehension. But the good news Friends, is that we don’t have that problem. Everything has been straightened out for us, and we understand the spiritual principles Jesus is talking about, and it makes us jump for joy, because we know that once we keep His commandments, it will count for LOVE, and both the Father and the Son will return that LOVE, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and act as a guide and help-mate.Therefore we can rest assured in the Saviour’s promise. And what a glorious promise it is people! It means that we may be sad and lonely, but never alone, for He’s always with us, lending hope and comfort; scared and confused, but never in real danger cause we’re always surrounded by His powerful, protecting arms; tired and stumbling, but never quite falling, for we’re always within reach of His uplifting hand and He catches us before we fall; and even if we do hit rock bottom, it’s not the end, for He’ll always pick us up, and bear us on His strong shoulders, until we find ourselves again. That’s the kind of God we worship and adore Friends. There’s none better. So let’s keep obeying and LOVING him, and receiving His LOVE in return. It’s the only way to find success in this life. Much LOVE!…if you don’t LOVE Jesus…then you don’t know true LOVE…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 May 2008 Ezekiel 18:24‏

01 May 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ezekiel 18:24    But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
 
Ah Friends, after reading Today’s Bit, like the Israelites, we might feel that the Lord’s unfair; his way is not equal, contrary to His claim in Vs.25 and 29. But it is. Yesterday we said that evil doers who accepted Christ, would not die, but enjoy eternal life with Him. That their sins won’t be mentioned and all that merciful, forgiving stuff, and we all clapped with joy. Today though, it’s a different story. ‘When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abomination that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? NO! Likewise, ‘All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned.’ That’s fair, isn’t it? If you turn to the Lord from evil, then your evil deeds are forgotten. So if you turn from righteousness to evil, your good deeds are’nt mentioned. When the Lord calls upon you, whatever state you’re in, righteous or evil, that’s how He’ll consider you, and whatever you’ve done before, good or bad, won’t be taken into account. For, ‘in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.’ Yes people, if we become unfaithful and turn from the Lord, then in our guilt, we’ll pay the price of eternal death. And He reiterates it in Vs. 26 and 33:18. So He’s quite serious about it. Yes,the Lord definitely takes a dim view of believers joining the enemy’s ranks. Nobody likes a turncoat because their allegiance cannot be trusted. James say it thus in 5:17; ‘Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ 2 Peter 2:21 emphasizes: ‘For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.’ Peter then likens it to dogs returning to their vomit, and washed pigs returning to wallow in the mire. Oh Friends, it seems there’s a worse faith for the turncoat believer, than him who turns from evil to the Lord. But we’ve no one to blame but ourselves if the Lord comes and finds us entwined in evil, when we’ve known the Word. We’ve had enough time to set our house in order, and can’t afford to backslide even one bit, since Christ can return at any time, and the price will be eternal death, if we’re found wanting. So Friends, let’s seriously make it our life’s goal, starting right now, if not before, (smile) to live as righteously as possible. That way, if Christ comes, tonight, we won’t be caught with our pants down, living an evil life. Much LOVE!…O Lord…having cleansed us… please help us…not to wallow in the mire again…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 April 2008 Ezekiel 18:21-23‏

30 Apr 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ezekiel 18:21-23.   But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord: and not that he should return from his ways, and live.
 
Oh Friends, what a most magnanimous, merciful and forgiving God we serve! Is there any other like Him? Certainly not! What a promise for us sinful disobedient children! Even the most evil of us, if we forsake our evil ways and turn to the Lord, be obedient to His rules, and live right, then we won’t suffer eternal death. And just to make sure we heard and understood, He repeats it in Vs.27. The next part is even better. ‘All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him:’ Wow! Can you believe it? And just in case you don’t, He says it again in Vs. 24 and 33:16. Yes Friends, our wicked deeds won’t even be brought up. Unlike humans, who forgive, but keep bringing up wrongs, anytime others displease us. Once our God forgives us, it’s forgotten. Oh merciful day! Instead, it’s our righteousness He considers. Oh people, how can we not LOVE and worship such a merciful Being eh? How can we ever find it our hearts to forsake Him? Mercy is something we don’t deserve, but the Lord’s LOVE is so bountiful, He lavishes it on us anyway. But remember, Mercy, as most of His blessings, contains three parts: First, asking for it, then receiving it, then being merciful to someone else. Very seldom does God give us anything for just ourselves. He expects us to share any blessing He provides. That’s why He usually gives us more than we need. But a big stumbling block for lots of us, is receiving. Note, we can receive nothing, until we make a conscious effort and reach out for whatever is offered. Many of us find it difficult to accept anything at all, much less God’s forgiveness and mercy, because we feel we’re not deserving. Now that might be true, but it’s not the point. The Lord knows all our faults, being merciful is just His way of showing His unconditional LOVE for us. So Friends, if you’ve asked for mercy and forgiveness, then they’ve been granted. You now have to let go of any sinful pride and graciously accept them, then offer mercy and forgiveness to someone else. Ah my People, I don’t understand how we can turn away from such a wonderful God, who’s so loving and forgiving to us. ‘Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die…and not that he should return from his ways, and live.’ He sadly asks. No. None whatsoever! And just to make sure we heard, He repeats it in Vs.32. The Lord’s greatest pleasure would be to lose not a single child to eternal death and damnation. Friends, let’s work with Him towards that goal nuh. Much LOVE!…only the true Creator of all…can afford to be so merciful and forgiving…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 April 2008 Proverbs 15:16-17‏

29 Apr 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 15:16-17    Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.
 
Golden words of wisdom indeed Friends! What’s better than revering and respecting the Lord eh? Nothing! Solomon’s simply saying that peace and quietness in a man’s soul with little material wealth, is much better than lots of material stuff with a vexed and troubled spirit. It points back to what his father, Bruh David says in Psalm 37:16. ‘A little that a righteous man hath is better the riches of many wicked.’ Meaning, spiritual riches are way better than material treasure. And have you ever noticed the anomaly of worldly possessions, whenever your material wealth increases, so do your problems: you have more to look after, more people ask more of you, and also more opportunity for theft and fraud. Hn! Only this afternoon I said that to the wife of my youth, referring to Oprah Winfrey. She’s so big now, and getting bigger daily, that it must be increasingly difficult to keep a proper eye on everything. Although you may have good people overseeing each entity, the wider you spread yourself, the greater opportunity there is for wrongdoing. And remember, regardless of who does the actual wrong, if your name is in the public’s eye, your reputation and integrity will eventually suffer. But that’s a personal choice everyone’s got to make. My personal dislike of great material wealth, is that you spend so much time overseeing, protecting or increasing it, that you don’t really enjoy the things it’s supposed to allow you to enjoy. I don’t have that much, but yet it’s difficult for me to find the time to read everything, or listen to all the music I get, because I’m too busy making a living. And it’s getting worse too, what with the sudden escalation of prices for the basics. It means spending more time, making more, just to stay in the same position. That’s exactly why Solo says it’s better to have a dinner of cheap herbs and vegetables, if there is LOVE at the table, than to kill the fatted calf, have the expensive, many course meal, where there’s only strife, no LOVE. Now people, please don’t get the idea it’s wrong to be rich and right to be poor, because that’s not true. Neither are all rich people evil, and all poor ones good. The problem is that focusing too much on the accumulation of material wealth, tends to turn us away from God. The green eyed monsters of greed and envy invade our souls and lead us to disobey God. Friends it is very possible to amass great material wealth being obedient to God’s principles. We have two of the best examples right here; Bruh David and his son Solomon. They didn’t seek material wealth as such, but had their hearts set on God. The Lord took Bruh David from being a lowly shepherd and made him a mighty King. When Solomon asked for wisdom, He not only made him the wisest man ever, but also the richest. Wow! But that’s the way our God works. If we sincerely seek and revere Him, follow His dictates of living in peace and harmony with each other, then He’ll give us the desires of our hearts, and much much more. As always my People, Much LOVE!…wherever peace and true love abound…there will the Lord’s favour…always be found…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 April 2008 Deuteronomy 33:12‏

28 Apr 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Deuteronomy 33:12.    And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.
 
Ah Friends, this life is oftimes difficult, fraught with pain and sadness, that leads us to wonder if God is really real. And if He is, then where is He when we’re undergoing much sorrow and tribulation? But fear not, most worthy child of God, for He is real, still in control, and always with us. Remember though, that His ways are not our ways. His are much more cerebral than our mortal minds can comprehend, so a lot of things will happen that we don’t understand, and seem at odds with His word, but I assure you, there’s method to His madness. Everything He does has a purpose, just more intricate than we can imagine. Look at how long they were prophesying the coming of the Messiah; hundreds of years, and His second coming has been in the works for two thousand years now. So try not to fret unnecessarily when you feel sad and alone, or find yourself in the midst of some critical problem that you can’t handle. The Lord has it under control. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, and has never broken a promise yet, neither will He ever. We’ve just got to try and stay in faith, hard as it may be. Today’s Bit is one of the many promises of the Most High that we find scattered throughout the Good Book. Here Moses is blessing the various tribes of Israel before his death. Referring to the tribe of Benjamin, he said, ‘The blessed of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.’ He’s apparently referring to the warrior traits of the Benjaminites. But it’s a wonderful promise for a warrior; he’ll dwell in safety, the Lord shall cover and shelter him all day long from his enemies, whether it be through physical camouflage, good hiding places, or just His protective Spirit hovering over him. The Lord will also dwell between his shoulders, reside at the source of our upper body strength, from whence the might and power of our arms and chest arise. And since we are all warriors in the Lord’s army my Friends, that excellent promise of safety and protection also applies to us. So you see we really have no need to be sore afraid when the enemy comes against us. And though it’s not easy, we can withstand the enemy’s attacks if we stand strong in the Word; study, believe and live it. Remember Bruh Paul says we can do anything through Christ who strengthens us. And that’s the gospel truth Friends! So let’s put on our fighting spirit and move forward to battle. Much LOVE!…stand up,stand for Jesus…the trumpet sounds obey…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 April 2008 Romans 8:38-39‏

27 Apr 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Romans 8:38-39.    For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
What a powerful statement of faith from Bruh Paul, my Friends! There’s no doubting his strong commitment to Christ. Not many of us can claim that level of faith, but it’s a goal to which we can all aspire. But remember that Bruh Paul was an extraordinary man in an extraordinary time, whose passion for Christ, after his conversion, verged on the insatiable, the fanatical. Very few of us will ever attain his level of faith, for the Lord gave us all different levels of intensity, but it’s a perfect example to hold, and look to for inspiration when our own faith is taxed, and we feel it slowly ebbing away, like the tide on the seashore. Then it can work as a good pick me up, solid encouragement. How can we not be encouraged eh, after considering all the negative stuff Bruh Paul experienced in his walk of faith; the beatings, imprisonment, shipwreck etc.  And yet his enthusiasm, his passion and LOVE for Christ never waned. Instead, it seems to have waxed stronger with every tribulation he faced. In Vs.35, he gutsily asks. ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?’ And confidently answers in Vs.37. ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.’ Wow! What a belief in Christ, especially for a man who spent his early years rabidly persecuting believers. It shows the power our God commands, when he touches someone’s life. We all can’t be brave and steadfast, like Bruh Paul, in the face of what I term ‘adverse adversity’, but we can all be a bit stronger than we are. The soft life we now live; no cutting wood, toting water, working the garden, milking the cows, feeding the other animals, walking to and from school, all these things that instilled some sense of responsibility and commitment, that built grit, perseverance and backbone in us, have sadly disappeared from our increasingly lazy, technological world. Oh people, this soft living has stolen our gumption and ‘stick-to-itiveness.’ We’ve lost  our belly, have no backbone, and usually give up at the first sign of adversity. But Friends, we’re not supposed to quit so quickly, even if there are good grounds to do so. Jesus had plenty good grounds to quit, but He didn’t. And hear what Bruh Paul says: neither death, life, angels, principalities, powers, present or future things, height, depth, or any creature at all, should separate us from God. Granted, not all of us have been endowed with that martyr’s mindset, but all of us can do much better than we’re currently doing. Oh Friends, instead of always looking for the easy way, let’s commit ourselves to standing a bit stronger each day for Christ nuh. He died an ugly death on a wooden cross to redeem our sinful souls. The first Christians also suffered much, so that the message, the Word, could live, breathe and survive for us. It’s now our turn to do the same; stand strong and ensure the survival of the Word. Please, I implore us to let nothing ‘separate us from the LOVE of  God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ Much LOVE!…for the Word to survive… we must fight the good fight of faith…clothed in our spiritual armour…
 

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