Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 March 2008 Matthew 19:27-29‏

27 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Matthew 19:27-29    Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold we have forsaken all, and followed thee, what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
 
Many of us have asked the same question? What’s in it for us? What do we get for giving up things and people we love to follow Jesus? Well Jesus spelled it out for Peter, and the same applies to us my Friends. When Jesus comes again in all His splendour and glory, He promises that His twelve disciples will sit on thrones and rule Israel. They’ll surely be well rewarded in His Kingdom for their sacrifice and passionate faith in Him. Everyone else who has forsaken friends, family and material wealth to follow Him ‘shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.’ Now that’s a mighty generous promise made there by the Saviour. All His followers will receive an hundredfold increase in blessings as well as everlasting life! Wow! Now isn’t that something to look forward to and work towards eh Friends? Some will question the wisdom of giving up what we can see and feel now, for an ephemeral reward in the future, and who knows if there’s really life after death anyway eh? But Friends, just supposing, for argument sake, that there really is life after death, and you don’t do the things now that will cause you to inherit it, what happens then eh? Crapaud smoke yuh pipe! You’ll be thrown into outer darkness forever. So isn’t it better to be safe than sorry? To hitch up your wagon to Jesus’ mighty engine now, rather than chance on missing out on the hundredfold blessing and eternal life He’s promised at His second coming? Which, in comparison to the first, will be like moving from rags to riches. Oh Friends, right now the world is in a financial calamity because the supposedly wise and wealthy hedged their bets on insubstantial man made elements that had no real foundation, so the slightest whiff of adversity brought the whole house of cards tumbling down to everyone’s dismay. The only safe place to hedge your bets people is on Jesus. He’s never broken any promises and never will. In the final analysis Friends, we’ve got two choices: to hook our lowly wagon to the enemy, who promises glitzy earthly possessions that rot and wither, and you can’t take with you when your physical body returns to dust, as it surely will, and if there’s eternal life, you’ll be left in the lurch. Or will we hook up with the one and only Super Star; Jesus Christ, Him who died for our sins?  In whose earthly service we can still acquire and enjoy material stuff, just not make it the focus of our lives, and at the end, eternal life with Him. Ah Friends, there’s only one choice, one sensible option, and I implore us all to choose it and say defiantly, ‘As for me and mine, we’ll follow the Lord, every time.’ Much LOVE!…who knows what the future holds…but the promises of Jesus…Hn…they are the best…by far…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 March 2008 Jonah 2:1-2‏

26 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Jonah 2:1-2.     Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly. And said, I cried by reason of my affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
 
Are you crying to the Lord my Friends in a time of desperation, and it doesn’t seem like He’s hearing or paying any attention to you? Well take heart. So am I. But the truth is that our God always listens and always hears. It’s just that His response and timing doesn’t always match ours. We want to be relieved of a problem now for now. But that’s not God’s style. The problems we’re facing might have a higher purpose that we don’t know about, and if He granted our request immediately, we’d lose the good stuff, the increase He has in store for us if we’d only ‘band our jaw’ and ride out the problem without too many complaints. Look at poor Jonah nuh. He refused to do the Lord’s bidding, then tried to run away and hide. But as the ole people say, ‘yuh could run, but yuh can’t hide.’ That’s so true people. And we know that our God has a tendency to do things in a roundabout way. It’s never as straightforward and simple as it seems. He allowed Jonah to run, then had the whale swallow him, just to teach him a lesson. And as Jonah ‘guttsily’ testified: ‘Out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.’ Yes Friends, wherever we are, in whatever circumstance, good or bad, the Lord is always with us, and always hears our cries of anguish, or songs of praise, and we have to believe that we undergo certain things for reasons that He alone understands. And if we look back on some of the hard times we’ve been through, we’ll notice that almost always, we’ve come out better than before. The problems strengthen us; either financially, spiritually, emotionally and even physically. That’s how we grow and mature as Christians. And as I keep reminding us, it’s not an easy walk, this Christian faith we’ve chosen to follow, for even though we know deep down, that with hope, belief and faith in the Most High, we’ll come though with flying colours, it’s still difficult to drum up the necessary patience to wait on Him.  However Friends, if we’re ever going to be successful in our endeavours, and hoping in the Lord to help us, then patience is something we’ll definitely have to acquire. And here I’m preaching to myself too. (smile) The Mighty One above says, ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ Yes Friends, that’s what we need to do. So whatever unfortunate circumstance you might find yourself in today, remember the Lord is always there to help. Do the best you can, cry out to Him for help, then leave the rest to Him, wait patiently, with thanks and praise and faith. Like Jonah, He might just be trying to teach us a lesson, or testing us for promotion. But please don’t lose hope, cause it’s when things look the bleakest, that we’ve got to hold on the strongest. That’s the enemy desperately trying to hold us back from the good future he knows the Lord has waiting for us. Hope I can remember that too. (smile) Wish all the Bits flowed as easily as this one (wishful thinking) Guess that’s because it relates to me on a personal level also. Anyway Friends, as always, Much LOVE!…and remember…He’s always with us…we just have to stay in faith…and bide our time…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 March 2008 Ephesians 5:1-2,8.‏

25 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ephesians 5:1-2,8.    Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children: And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord: walk as children of light.
 
That’s certainly what we need to do Friends! But have you noticed that when Jesus and the Bible authors talk about things like obedience, innocence, good nature, lack of envy or malice, they use children, lambs or other young animals as examples?It’s because the young of any species have that inborn sense of trust and obedience. That’s why Bruh Paul implored the believers at Ephesus, ‘Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.’ Meaning, like children, to put their hope, faith, and trust in Him, and obediently follow His Word.  ‘And walk in LOVE.’ Oh Friends, that’s at once the source of and answer to our problems right there! If we all walked in LOVE, most of the world’s problems would disappear. Disagreements would still exist, but on a much smaller scale, because walking in LOVE simply means treating each other the way we want to be treated, considering one another’s situations and finding peaceful, productive ways to solve differences, not destructive means like war and strife which don’t really solve the problems, just sidelines them for a while, until they rear their ugly heads again. Paul says that we should follow Christ’s example, ‘as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God…’  But people we aren’t doing that. This Easter season, the churches were no doubt packed, with everyone bemoaning and wailing over Christ’s sad demise on Good Friday, then jubilant and joyful when He arose on Easter Sunday. But Friends, what happens after that eh? We go right back to our same ole spiteful, greedy, material ways, until Christmas rolls around and we begin spouting a whole lot of peace and LOVE again. But Friends, to walk in LOVE means considered, continuous action. Walking is moving, it’s always being in motion. That reminds me of the comic strip I recently read, where a young boy, after church on Easter Sunday, asks his parents, in front of the minister, if they held church every Sunday? The reply was yes. So why do we only come twice a year, he queried? Out of the mouths of babes people. It’s the same question Jesus is pondering. Why did I leave my comfy quarters in Heaven, go down to that wicked place called earth, spend the best years of my life trying to help them, to show them the light, even died a disgusting death to pay their sin debts? And all I asked was a little respect and gratitude, and for them to treat each other decently. And He sadly shakes His head. Is that so hard, is that asking too much? Of course not! But people, He’s such a magnanimous Being, that in spite of our disobedience, He still LOVES us dearly, and sincerely hopes we’ll see the light before it’s too late. Remember, that fateful day of judgement can come at any time. So please, let’s buckle down, stop mouthing empty promises and actually live a life pleasing to our Saviour. Too many others, unfortunately, still don’t know the way. We all complain about the sorry state of our world, but only we can make it better. Jesus already came once, the next time it’s lights out. Bruh Paul states, ‘For ye were sometimes darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord.’ So let’s walk as children of light nuh people! Let’s walk in Plenty, Plenty LOVE!..to clean up our world… we must first…clean up our hearts… Like the ole fella had a burr under his saddle today. (smile)

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 March 2008 Matthew 28:18-20‏

24 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Matthew 28:18-20    And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
 
There it is Friends; the last instructions Jesus gave His disciples, before His Ascension, and, by extension, all future believers. It’s surprising how much He said in those few words. Recently resurrected, He’d been given controlling power over the affairs of men by the Father. ‘All  power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.’ And quite rightly so. He’d earned it by sacrificing His sinless live for our sins. And like a good leader, He hit the ground in full stride, (smile) telling the disciples exactly what He required of them. There were no ifs ands or buts. ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.’ That meant, spread it over the entire planet. ‘Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you.’ That was crystal clear too: Teach the world the philosophy He’d taught and lived by on earth. The principles of Peace, LOVE, Mercy, Patience, Forgiveness, Kindness, Togetherness: In other words, a Oneness in Him, a Brotherhood of Man, a close knit Family in His Holy Person, through His Death and Resurrection. Jesus also required that new believers be baptized in the name of the Holy Triumvirate; the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That’s very important because Christianity is based on the triune nature of the One God. Three separate entities, in the One Almighty Being. It’s through the Holy Spirit, that Jesus, while on earth, communed with His Father. And when we believe and are baptized, its’ that same Holy Spirit that comes to dwell in us, that makes us new creations in Christ; Born again spiritually. The Spirit that guides, protects, advises and generally helps us to walk and grow in the faith. That’s why Jesus could unequivocally say, ‘…and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ Once we become believers, His Spirit comes to live within us forever. But Friends,are we doing as Jesus directed? That’s the big question. Are we spreading and teaching His word of Peace, LOVE, and the Brotherhood of Man all over the world? To some extent. But obviously not enough, since there’s still too much evil in our world. Just look around us people; see the needless pain and suffering, hate, enmity, war and strife,oppression, greed, lust for power and material things. Oh Friends, evil’s in the ascendancy! Whatever happened to the Peace and LOVE Jesus died for, and we were to spread eh? I’m sure He’s disappointed.  But Friends, it’s not too late. If we sincerely LOVE Jesus, lets make a concerted effort to do our little part, in our little corner nuh, and things will surely improve. Let’s do it for Jesus sake nuh people! Much LOVE!…it only takes each one…to teach another one…Amen!
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 March 2008 Mark 16:5-6‏

23 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Mark 16:5-6    And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment: and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is risen: He is not here: Behold the place where they laid him.
 
Hallelujah! Christ is risen! Hosanna! Him that died for us is alive again! Praise His Holy Name! Happy Easter Friends! It’s time once again to celebrate and commemorate the most memorable and auspicious event ever witnessed. That Easter Sunday morn, many moons ago, when our Saviour, Christ Jesus rose from the dead, completing the payment for our sins. Glory Hallelujah! No longer are we in slavery to sin. Jesus’ death and resurrection reconciled us to our Heavenly Father. No more trying to atone for our sins on our own. What a blessed day! What a blessed gift Jesus bestowed on us! Oh people, let’s praise and honour Him for His selfless sacrifice on our behalf! Today, let’s give innumerable thanks! Let’s sing songs of praise and glory, thankfulness and gratitude! It’s a debt we can never repay. However Friends, in light of, and appreciation for what Jesus did for us, we must live a life becoming of Him. Spread His Word of Peace and LOVE, and also live that way, so that others may see our splendid examples and also believe. If we don’t do that, then we’re negating everything He died for. Remember He came to save sinners, like you and me, and now that we’ve heard the truth, we’ve got reach out to others, so that they too may be saved. It’s much easier than that first Easter Sunday, when the women went to the tomb and found it empty, with this unfamiliar man in strange garments sitting there. Imagine their fear and consternation nuh! John 20 says that Mary Magdalene ran back and brought Peter and the disciple that Jesus loved. But having investigated the situation, they returned home, not as troubled as Mary, because they weren’t aware yet that He had to rise from the dead. But Mary stayed at the tomb, weeping softly, until Jesus appeared and asked her why she was crying, then sent her to tell His brethren that He was risen. Imagine the unspeakable joy nuh, though still clouded with some doubt, which dissipated when Jesus appeared to them, behind closed doors later that evening. What a wonderful day Friends! Proving beyond any doubt our Father’s great, unconditional love for us. Being a just and upright God, and us being continually disobedient children, He could not just white wash our sins, something or someone had to pay a price for them. And the only qualified person was His only Son, Jesus. So Friends, in all our celebrations today, let’s not forget the tragic circumstance that led to our joyful redemption, and with increased vim and vigour, renew our pledge of allegiance to our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who unselfishly sacrificed His sinless life to pay for our unworthiness. Much LOVE!…Jesus died for us…the least we can do…is live for Him…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 March 2008 Deuteronomy 31:6&8‏

22 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Deuteronomy 31:6 & 8.    Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee, he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
 
Oh yes Friends, we all need to be strong and courageous, since we are living in some real troubled times. Today’s Bit are the words of Moses; first to the assembled Israleites, telling them that he was relinquishing the leadership through advanced age, and wouldn’t be going to the promised land, because the Lord decreed it. Then he called Joshua before the gathering and offically passed the leadership torch to him, with the advice to ‘Be strong and of a good courage,’ for he had been chosen by God to lead the people into the Promised Land. Then he spoke unto Joshua, some of the most encouraging, influential and reassuring words, one man ever spoke to another. ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee, he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ Friends, those are words we also need to take to heart and live by. In this contradictory time of Easter, can you imagine how Jesus’ small group of followers must have felt; alone, scared and rudderless, as their leader had been brutally crucified. But deep down they had a spark of hope, the belief that He would keep His promise and rise from the dead on the third day. If anybody ever needed those words of encouragment, it was those first Christians, because they were in completely new territory. Jesus had preached a radically different philosophy that displeased the Jewish elite, spurring them to falsely accuse and crucify Him. We have it easier today, because we know for a fact that Jesus rose on that third day, but the enemy is still persecuting His church and harassing His followers, needing us to be constanly reminded and reassured that the Lord is still in control. Yes People, it’s the Most High who surrounds us with His Holy Spirit wherever we are. He will always be with us, never fail, or forsake us, therefore we should not be afraid or dismayed. Please remember that Friends, use it like a mantra, if necessary. We all need that kind of reinforcement, especially when times get exceptionally difficult. But even more important people, when times are good, don’t forget it, don’t forget Him, and lean on your own understanding, because it’s the Most High God, Jehovah, who is our guide and protector in all kinds of weather; fair or foul. Trust Him. Place your faith and hope in Him. Take strength and courage from His promises, so you can stand tall and proud, and achieve your calling. Remember, He will never let you down. Much LOVE!…in sunshine or in rain…our hope and guide…must always be… the  One who bore our sinful pain… 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 March 2008 Mark 15:27-28‏

21 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Mark 15:27-28   And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And he was numbered amongst the transgressors.

Wow! What a day that first Good Friday must have been. The biggest lie ever perpetrated; Jesus a sinner. Deceit and politicking at its very best, between the Jewish elite and Pilate, the Roman governor. Criminals set free, the innocent crucified. Why do we call it Good Friday then, when so much wrong was committed?  Because it was on that day the greatest gift ever, was given to mankind: Jesus, the Son of God, died for our sins on a cross in Golgotha, a rocky hillside, aptly named, place of the skull, bringing the unique and exceptional gift of everlasting salvation to God’s children. The Lord must have been tired of the plethora of transgressions and all the individuals trying to sacrifice and atone for them and decided to end it once and for all. However, to put His plan into action, He needed a scapegoat that was pure and sinless. Sadly, the only person who qualified was His one and only Son, Jesus. Imagine the Lord’s heartache nuh, to sacrifice His only son for our greedy, selfish sins. Just more proof of His great LOVE for us. Not many of us would sacrifice our only son for some ungrateful people. Even the night before, in the garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus prayed with a heavy heart, that He be spared the ordeal, the Lord steeled His heart and refused. They both knew that they had to see the plan through, that’s why Jesus ended the prayer with, ‘nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ Matt.26: 39. And later on, after Judas’ betrayal, when the soldiers came to arrest Him, He told His disciples not to resist, because the scripture had to be fulfilled. And like lots of scripture was fulfilled that day: Isaiah 53, talks about Jesus’ basic demise. ‘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. Vs.5. While the last part of Verse 12 authenticates Today’s Bit; ‘because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.’ John 19:24 talks about them casting lots for Jesus’ clothes to fulfill a scripture from Psalm 22:18: ‘They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.’ John 19:28-29 notes that when Jesus realized that everything was set to fulfill the scriptures, He cried out for thirst, and they gave Him vinegar to drink, after which He died. That was foretold in Psalm 69:21: ‘They gave me also gall for my meat: and in my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.’ And there’s more. John 19:36 mentions, ‘A bone of him shall not be broken,’ which refers to Psalm 34:20. ‘He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.’ While Verse 37 adds, ‘they shall look on him whom they pierced.’  A prophecy of Zechariah 12:10. ‘…and they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him; as one that is in bitterness for his first born. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem…’ Yes Friends, there was great mourning in Jerusalem that first Good Friday, truly an extraordinary day. The Lord had spent a long time setting it up. We know He likes elaborate productions that pose mind-bending puzzles and with the darkness from noon to three o’clock, the earthquake and the rending of the temple’s veil and everybody playing their part admirably, it was certainly a momentous occasion. Possibly the most momentous in the annals of man, after the Creation, since it provided man with a second chance, to be born again through the Saviour, sin free. So even though it was a day filled with grief and sadness, the outcome was wonderful and miraculous. That’s just God’s way to bring joy from sadness. And we should show our thanks and appreciation by living for Jesus and continually praising Him for His awe inspiring, selfless sacrifice that brought us out of deathly darkness into ever living light. Much LOVE…when trivial complaints we seek to mutter…let’s first consider Jesus’ sacrifice…before those trivial complaints we utter…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 March 2008 Colossians 3:23-25‏

20 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Colossians 3:23-25    And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done, and there is no respect of persons.
 
As a young lad, I remember my mother doing good to people who had wronged her, and in my youthful concern, I would try to talk her out of it, even rebuke her. But she would just wave it off and say that she was doing it for me. I couldn’t understand it then, but I do now. She was simply trying to live the Lord’s word, and establish some savings in heaven that I could later draw down on. And believe me Friends, I’ve drawn a lot on her heavenly account over the years, possibly still doing it now. (smile) That’s why I can understand where Bruh Paul is coming from when he says, ‘Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.’ Yes people, all our doings, even though they may benefit other humans now, should be treated as being done for God. This helps us keep our hearts and minds focused on Him, and will hopefully lead us to consider if He’ll approve our deeds, before we do them. Bruh Paul also clearly states that we should perform our activities with enthusiasm, ‘do it heartily’ not begrudgingly. That’s important, since it’s our hearts the Lord reads; the motives behind the deeds. Good deeds are fine, but are even better with good motives behind them. And when our motives are good, a natural enthusiasm emanates from our soul, that keeps us on a perpetual cycle of good deeds with good motives. (smile) Okay, I know that’s pushing it a bit, but the point is, that even when we are called on to do things we find distasteful, we should tell ourselves it’s for the Lord and behave that way. You’ll be surprised at how much of the distastefulness disappears when we adopt that attitude. Remember too, that when we act for God, we’re also storing up savings in heaven for ourselves and our families. ‘Knowing that of the Lord, ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ.’ Yes Friends, whenever we serve the Lord, we lay up rewards; some we receive in this life, the others in the hereafter. But don’t forget now, that there’s another side to the coin. Bruh Paul didn’t. He said in plain terms, that those who do wrong, will pay the price. It doesn’t matter who you are, of high or low estate, the Lord doesn’t care. He is no respecter of persons or their positions; whoever does wrong, pays; simple. There you have it Friends; both sides now. The choice is ours. Let’s hope we all choose to live heartily unto the Most High God, Jehovah. Much LOVE!…it’s so much easier…not to mention rewarding…to do right…rather than wrong…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 March 2008 Acts 16:30-34‏

19 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Acts 16:30-34    And he brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. 
 
Yes! One more victory for Christ!  My Friends, the Most High God brings us to Him in many different ways. Paul and Silas were preaching in Philippi, when a woman possessed with a spirit of divination began following them around, crying out that they were servants of God, who showed the way to salvation. Well, after several days of that, Paul felt sorry for her and cast out the spirit, much to the dislike of the people she worked for as a soothsayer, since it meant they lost income. So they rigged up a case against Paul and Silas for preaching unlawful customs, had them arrested, beaten and jailed. The jailer, aware of the commotion they’d caused, put them into the deepest, safest part of the prison and shackled their feet to the walls. But only their physical bodies had been broken, the Spirit of the Lord remained strong in them, and at midnight, they prayed and sang songs of praise unto God, that the other prisoners heard. In response, the Lord created an earthquake, one so strong that it shook the prison to it’s very foundation, throwing open all the doors, and loosing the shackles on all the prisoners. Imagine the jailer’s consternation nuh, when he woke up and saw all the prison doors open. He drew his sword to kill himself when Paul stopped him, shouting reassurance that everybody was still there. Having satisisfied himself that Paul spoke the truth, he fell down before them and asked what he needed to do to be saved. Then he took Paul and Silas to his house, cleansed their wounds, and with his whole house, received Christ that night. Praise the Lord! What a story Friends! The Lord could have found an easier way to bring the jailer and his family to Him, but it would not have had the same impact. This way, it became a defining moment in the lives of the jailer, his family, and the other prisoners, a night they would never forget, and talk about with awe for the rest of their mortal lives. I’m sure some of the other prisoners were also led to the Lord that night. We all have memorable moments like that, not necessarily a conversion to Christ, but instances that stand out like a beacon in a foggy mist, that we treasure and talk about all the time. And the moral of the story is? It doesn’t matter who you are, where you are, what job you do, whether you’re big or small, lowly or of great esteem, whatever the circumstances, remember my Friends, that the Lord can, and will, always find a way to use you to bring unbelievers to Him and glory to His name. Praise His Holy Name! Amen! And as always, in parting, Much LOVE!…there’s none so lowly…or circumstance so bizarre…that the Lord can’t use for His glory…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 March 2008 Psalm 15‏

18 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 15: A Psalm of David.    Lord who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh truth in his heart. He that backbiteth  not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.  
 
Trust Bruh Dave to ask some insightful question, then provide answers that appear easy, but in the harsh glare of real life, are fairly difficult. In Psalm 15, he’s talking about qualifications for a church worker, but in the light of Jesus teaching, I feel they are qualities we should all have to consider ourselves true followers of Christ. Bruh Dave starts out by saying it needs someone whose walk is upright, who is righteous and has truth in his heart. Now shouldn’t that apply to all of us? Of course! We all need to uphold high standards of personal purity and integrity. That’s just Jesus’ way. Neither should a person be a backbiter with his tongue. Hn! Oh Friends, how many times are many of us guilty of that eh? Say one thing to a person’s face, then something else behind their back. Too often. And we know we shouldn’t do it, yet we persist. Then Bruh Dave talks about doing evil to our neighbours, and ranting and raving against them. We also know we shouldn’t do those things. Jesus said we should do evil to no one, but should love our enemies and neighbours as our selves. True, that’s not always easy, especially with some of the aggressive and ignorant enemies and neighbours some of us have. But it’s a standard to which we should all aspire, as good, practising Christians. The next qualification, condemning or despising a coarse, vulgar, disgusting  person, while honouring those who fear the Lord needs a little reworking, I think. Remember, Bruh Dave lived long before Jesus, and the Old Testament system had a harsher, black or white, no shades of grey approach. But Jesus came with a softer, more loving, less exclusive approach. He came to save sinners, so caring only about God fearing persons wasn’t good enough for Him. We shouldn’t praise or encourage them, but find some way to make them change their ways, to bring them into the fold. Guess He believed that you caught more flies with honey than vinegar, and we must not be too judgemental of so called wrongdoers, since all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and all have some kind of beam in our eyes. (smile) A further requirement is to stand by our word, our promise, not try to welch or weasel out, even though it causes us pain. Neither should we lend money at exorbitant rates, or take financial advantage of those who don’t fully understand the complexity of transactions in which they are involved. Yes Friends, it’s a long list, with high standards, but that’s what our Leader, Jesus, demands of us. And as Bruh Dave so eloquently put it, ‘He that doeth these things shall never be moved.’ Oh People, let’s aim to be amongst the unmoveable ones nuh. We can do it if we try. Much LOVE!…no calling can be successful…unless it aspires to lofty goals…

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