Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 May 2009 Romans 13:11‏

27 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Romans 13:11    And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
 
Oh my Friends, those words are so true, cause every passing day brings Christ’s return and our salvation ever closer to fruition. Many of us were taught about the three things that come not back; the spoken word, the something something, and the lost opportunity. Excuse the ole fella Friends, he’s having a senior’s moment, (smile) can’t think of the third thing. But anyway, I was going to add a fourth, salvation, until I realized that’s also a lost opportunity, for once we die, salvation is no longer possible, and none of us knows when that moment will be, so it’s best we seize the opportunity RIGHT NOW. Remember the other saying; ‘Time waits on no one?’ That’s true too. So we’ve got to use the short time allotted to us wisely. Hear this quote from Lord Chesterfield: ‘Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination, never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.’ Amen! Invaluable words of advice my people! Bruh Paul figured his people were wasting time in ungodly pursuits, just like we are, that’s why he’s saying; ‘it is high time to awake out of sleep.’ We’re letting the lusts of the world rule our lives, and only getting more worried, bitter and frustrated. But that’s a natural consequence when we completely remove God from, or lessen Him in our lives. Oh my people, we need to; ‘Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.’ (1 Cor.15:34) Trust Bruh Paul to tell it like he sees it. But Friends, our problem is not so much that we don’t have the knowledge of God, but rather that we don’t have enough, and a little knowledge is a bad thing. Also, for whatever reason, we’re not prepared to spend the time acquiring that knowledge. Like everything else, it takes time and effort, and it’s portrayed as a dark, dreary and boring undertaking, certainly not as bright, shiny and enticing as the enticements of the world. But my people, we need to seriously ask ourselves what it is we really want. Is it the deteriorating, rusting baubles of this false, fickle and evil world, or the tried and true, stable, everlasting rewards that are only available when we abide by Christ’s rules? That’s the first thing we’ve got to decide. I strongly suggest that we decide in favour of seriously following Christ, cause though the earthly journey might be a bit rough and bumpy, life in the hereafter will be much more pleasant. Why? Because anyone following the lusts of the evil one will be thrown out into everlasting darkness, come the judgement day. And remember, that’s the last straw; after that there’s nothing. And Jesus certainly doesn’t want anybody being condemned to eternal death with that scallywag Lucifer, so it’s time to say like those other people of great faith; ‘As for me and mine, we’ll follow the Lord.’ Time’s a running out. The fateful day is drawing closer. As Bruh Paul right fully declares; ‘The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.’ (Rom.13:12) That’s the gospel truth Friends! Every passing minute brings Jesus’ return closer, and we can’t afford to be found wanting when He shows up. So we should, ‘have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.’  (Eph.5:11-12) Yes my people, it’s high time we eradicate the powers of evil and darkness. Yuh see what they’ve brought our world to with their egotistic dependence on the stupidity of man and Beelzebub. Yes Friends, Beelzebub is stupid in the sense that only a fool would try to overthrow the Lord of Creation. But otherwise he’s certainly cunning and wily like a fox, and the only way we can defeat him is to, ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’ (Eph.6:11-12) Oh my people, we’ve all seen and experienced the unfortunate results of that amongst our friends, families and neighbours, and it’s not a pretty sight. And with time running out, it’s imperative that we ‘walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.’ (Rom.13:13-14) Ah my Friends, if we want to see our confused and depraved world turned around, then we have to give up the debauchery, the resentment, hate, anger and all the evil ways we have. Come out of the darkness into the light, by studying the Word, fellowshipping with other believers and keeping each other strong. This doesn’t mean we can’t have fun and make merry, but with godly circumspection and moderation. The false, substance-less things of the world should not rule our lives. The WORD of Almighty God should do that! Much LOVE!…don’t be caught moaning…time, oh time…where have you gone…then it will be too late… Oh Friends, I just remembered the third thing that doesn’t come back; the shot arrow. Yuh see God is good; the Master of timing. Now oonoo can’t laugh at the ole fella’s senior moment. (smile)
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 May 2009 Jeremiah 3:22‏

26 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Jeremiah 3:22    Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.
 
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s in a bind as to how to start the Bit in a spunky, upbeat mood, so we’ll just have to settle for a dour, dreary beginning. ‘Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.3:20) Oh my people, I believe we are guilty of the same sin. We have disobeyed the Lord and gone astray, worshipping false idols created by men in their ignorant wisdom. That’s why our recent calamities have befallen us, and we are now bemoaning our sin of desertion, as we pay the price.  For ‘A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the Lord their God.’ (Jer.3:21) But my Friends, the good thing is we’ve finally recognized the error of our ways, finally accepted our truant behaviour for what it was, and hopefully are ready to make amends for it. And luckily for us, the arms of our LOVING, merciful and forgiving God are always opened wide to accept those who come to Him in sincere prayer. Thus, like the prophet Jeremiah did with Israel, I’m advising us to; ‘Return ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.’ And what does backsliding mean? The scholars say it can mean two things: Failure of a people, like Israel, to keep their covenant with God; being rebellious and arrogant, wanting to do their own thing. Or the failure of a people to grow spiritually in accord with God’s enlightenment. I beg to offer that we are guilty on both counts. We have both erred from keeping our covenant with Jesus, being a stubborn, egotistic, know-it-all people. Neither did the remnant that stayed faithful, grow spiritually or mature in the faith. We just let it slide, gave in to the stronger voices of the enemy, basically just paying lip service and not putting up a vigorous offence or defence of the faith. That’s why the enemy was able to take so much of God out of the society. But now my Friends, the chickens have come home to roost and we are faced with dire recession. However, I’m sure we’ll rebound, in a leaner, meaner way, as we penitently come back to the Father. For as Jeremiah prayerfully acknowledges; ‘Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.’ And isn’t that a most wonderful truth my people, for which we should all shout; ‘Hallelujah! Praise His Holy Name!’  For ‘Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.’ (Jer.3:23) Oh my brethren, truer words were never spoken! Salvation is only available from the Most High God Jehovah! And unless we believe that, and until we store it deep down in the very depths of our hearts, souls and minds, we’ll always have problems, in particular with backsliding, with wanting to do things our way instead of God’s. Oh Friends, I’m chuckling over what I’m about to write, and I hope you take it the right way. It’s just that the scholars claim in these verses of scripture, that though Jeremiah has to declare God’s judgment, he so longs for his people’s repentance and return to a right standing with their God, that in his vision, he joins with them in confession and contrition. They claim that here Jerry gives us a lesson in ‘speaking the truth in LOVE,’ (Eph.4:15) and in feeling concern. Now I’m no prophet, but I surely long for the day when we’ll all be returned to our right place in God’s favour, and I need to add my own confession and contrition, for I too have sinned and come very short of God’s glory. But one doesn’t need to be a prophet to speak the truth in LOVE, or feel genuine concern, which I am doing right here and now. I don’t know about Jerry, but my life is certainly not as good as it can be and anything I say here you can believe, for whatever happens to our world greatly affects me too. My job is to encourage us, to keep us strong, energized, motivated, steadfast and true in the faith. I surely hope I’m doing that. But I’ve been granted one bit of prophecy, (smile) namely, that our lives will improve in direct proportion to our return, with an unconditional acceptance of Almighty God. In other words, when the majority of us are living in peace and LOVE with each other and obeying God’s commands, then our society will become truly prosperous again. Hn, hn! But ah have to laugh again yes, for that’s no real prophecy, cause any fool fool believer with little knowledge of the scriptures could figure that out. Anyway, for all our sakes my people, let’s try and speed it up nuh. ‘Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.’  (Hos.6:1) Our wonderful God is just waiting with bated breath and wide opened arms for us to come back to Him, so that He can bind and heals us my Friends. Please, my people, let’s not disappoint Him. Much LOVE!…to every thing there’s season… this is the season for LOVE…and for GOD…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 May 2009 Psalm 22:1‏

25 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 22:1    My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
 
Oh my Friends, that sure is a mournful plea; one which all of us have uttered at some time. It’s a cry of heartbreaking anguish, indicating a terrible feeling of loneliness and abandonment. It occurs when we’re futilely struggling against gigantic odds, with no signs of help, of the favour God promises to His diligent followers. Bruh David apparently found himself in a rather serious predicament; beset by enemies before and behind, and it sure looks as though he had lots of them. In this situation he was lost, unsure of how to proceed against the might of his foes. To make matters worse, no assistance appeared to be forthcoming from the God of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whom he’d worshipped his entire life. Wow! A man of such great and steadfast faith, going unattended by his God! Can you imagine how he must have felt totally forsaken? ‘O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.’ (vs.2) Ah my people, what can I say eh? It’s all part of God’s great plan, which we obviously won’t understand because it’s above our comprehension, but also because it involves pain, heartache and suffering, things we’re not very good at undergoing. And it’s significant that that’s the same cry of anguish and forsakenness that Jesus uttered in the last moments of His life on the cross. ‘And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Mat.27:46) The only difference here Friends, is that Jesus’ plea is tinged with a touch of victory, for He knew that once He died, He’d have won the battle for our sinful souls: He’d successfully paid for our sins. But His anguished cry was nonetheless real, in keeping with His human embodiment; that of a tortured soul, for His Father, as Supreme Judge and Jury, had to actually forsake Him, so that He could die the death that would restore us to right standing with Almighty God. And Friends, though at times our problems overwhelm us, and the Lord seems indifferent to our urgent supplications, those are the very times we should definitely not give up, but hold strong and steadfast to our faith and the promises of our ever LOVING, ever Merciful, ever Forgiving God. As Bruh David contends: ‘Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.’ (Ps.22:4-5) The same should be said of us my people by future generations. I know it’s difficult to keep keeping on when everything just seems to be simultaneously tumbling down on us, especially in these recessionary days, where the news is almost always bad and disheartening. But let me remind us that when our Saviour, Jesus, trod this earth, He never took and easy step. From the day He was reputed to be gestating in His unmarried mother’s womb, till today, two thousand years after He died, rose and ascended back to His Heavenly Father, all for our sinful sakes, His Holy Name has been blasphemed and tarnished with every imaginable slur and negative comment. But what was, is and will always be His reaction? ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ (Luke 23:34) Granted, we’re not as holy and strong as Him, but our stated goal is to become more like Him. So, when the hard times do strike, we need to dig down deep, keep calling, keep crying out, keep pleading for that heavenly strength to stay a faithful and steadfast course. And it will be granted eventually. Just don’t doubt. I know that’s easier said than done, but remember when we chose to follow Jesus, we knew, or should have been told, that it was going to be a rough and rocky road to travel, but with the Lord’s help, if we stood strong, we’d make it to our eventual destination with Jesus and be well rewarded. ‘I go to prepare a home for you…So that where I am, ye may be also.’ Oh Friends, in these uncertain times, it’s absolutely necessary to encourage ourselves and others in our God, else we’ll fall apart like the host of the unbelievers are doing. Just keep sticking to your God, like white on rice. (smile) Do your part as best you can, but keep calling on Him, reminding Him of His promises. ‘When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord will I seek.’ Therefore, ‘Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.’ (Ps.27:8-9) We can’t afford to give up my people, cause we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and if the salt loses its flavour and the light turns to darkness, then all hope is lost and we have let Jesus down. It’s therefore good for us to proclaim: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ So, ‘Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait I say on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14) Yes my Friends, all we can do is our best, then cry out for help and believe that it will come, even though it’s just in the nick of time, then wait patiently for it to arrive. I know that’s hard, but it will. Much LOVE!…keep strong my people…work and pray…believe and wait…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 May 2009 Proverbs 3:13‏

24 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 3:13    Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
 
‘Oh happy day! Oh happy day! When Jesus washed…Oh when Jesus washed…When he washed, all my sins away!’ Oh Friends that stands as the happiest day in a believer’s life! And if you don’t agree now, just wait until you’re ushered through those portals of LOVE in Zion, on the fateful day our Lord and Saviour comes to take His followers Home, and you notice that several of your friends and neighbours aren’t there with you. Then you’ll realize what a blessed day it was when Jesus came into our lives. Oh my people, what’s happiness eh? We talk about it so much, spend most, if not all of our earthly lives searching for it. But what’s it really all about? I’ll share a quote from one, George du Marier. ‘Happiness is like time and space – we make and measure it ourselves; it is as fancy, as big, as little, as you please; just a thing of contrasts and comparisons.’ Oh Friends, it’s one of our ultimate goals, but basically it’s all a relative state of mind, and depends on each individual, not on others. Nobody or nothing can make you happy if you don’t want to be happy. Neither can anyone or anything make you unhappy if you sincerely choose not to be unhappy. That’s why a man can have a surfeit of health, wealth and all the earth’s choice things, and still be a miserable, unhappy wretch, while another can be beggarly and destitute, but still take pleasure from seeing the sun rise every morning and hearing the birds greet him with a heart full of joyful song. That’s why Sol, from all his research concludes that, ‘Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.’ When one has wisdom and understanding, it means a plethora of opportunity lies before you. You know about life and how to live it as successfully as we can. ‘For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her.’ (Prov.3:14-15) Oh Friends, yuh hear that! Wisdom and understanding is better than all we hold precious in this lustful, evil world. It is more valuable than gold, silver, rubies, and even all the things our hearts desire. And if we read Job 28, it talks about Mother Nature and all the things that happen on our earth without any apparent help or guidance and asks; ‘But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?’ That’s an exceedingly good question my Friends. ‘Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.’ (Job 28:12-13) That’s also a true statement. So where and how do we acquire those invaluable things, wisdom and understanding, that Sol so highly recommends? Ah my people, from only one source; wisdom is a gift of God. ‘God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven…Then did he see it, (wisdom) and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and stretched it out. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’ (Job 28:23-24, 27-28) Oh my people, there’s the answer we’ve been searching for; wisdom is found in acknowledging the supremacy and awesome Deity that’s our God. So that’s the source of our happiness. Sol agrees, and even goes further: ”The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov.1:7) And isn’t that the unfortunate truth Friends! Many of us hate to learn anything cause it takes effort on our part. Just look at the number of young people who refuse to go to school, preferring to hang out idly on the street corners and eventually get in trouble. Then there are those who show up at school but don’t learn anything because learning means putting out something from within, and the human animal hates to put out. But my people, ‘Wisdom crieth out: she uttereth her voice in the streets…in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long ye simple (naive) ones, will ye love simplicity? (naïveté) and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?’ (Prov.1:20-22) Ah mih breddren, it certainly is sad that so many of us have ignored the Word of the Lord, that gives wisdom and understanding, and therefore happiness, and had to humbled by our current troubles, before we sat down and really took notice of what’s happening around us and why. But remember, while there is life, there is always hope, and wisdom never gives up, it is still calling out to us, urgently imploring us to, ‘Turn you at my reproof: behold I will pour out my spirit unto you; I will make known my words unto you.’ (Prov. 1:23) Yes my people, the opportunity is still there for us to be happy, to embrace the Lord, His Word and all He stands for: Wisdom, Understanding, Peace, LOVE, Mercy, Forgiveness, et al. So please, let’s embrace it today nuh, for tomorrow might just be too late. Let’s give ourselves a chance at that true happiness which we all so eagerly seek, and which can only be found in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Much LOVE!…wisdom and understanding can bring…happiness, gold and silver…but gold and silver can’t bring…wisdom, understanding and happiness…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 May 2009 Isaiah 43:19‏

23 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 43:19    Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
 
Oh Friends, isn’t that a magnificent promise from the Most High? Just like He gives us a new day every 24 hours, He will heal and renew our lives, even bring us out better than before this catastrophe so suddenly overwhelmed, deflated and discouraged us. This is exactly what happened when Israel was punished for its sin. The Lord, our one and only true Redeemer, lifted them up again. And He shall do the same for us if we acknowledge His Lordship, put away our evil deeds and obey Him. As He advises: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.’ (Isa.43:18) Yes my Friends, those things of old will pass away, all the confusion, controversy and contention will be left behind and a new day will dawn with a better and brighter future. Why? Because the Lord promises it. ‘Behold, I will do a new thing;’ He boldly proclaims. And have you ever known our God to renege on a promise? No! Never! As He declares earlier on: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.’ (Isa.42:8-9) Yes my people, that’s our God; omnipotent, omniscient, straightforward and true! This is one of those instances where He’s telling us of good tidings before they happen. Even our fellow man expects our current situation to improve, for one prognosticator was saying today, that though it will not be an easy climb out of the mire in which we’re now suspended, eventually we will get out, with new opportunities, new, greener, energy saving tools, technology, jobs and household equipment. If a man of the world can believe that, then as followers of Christ we ought to have that faith, that solid belief system, that if we’re obedient and faithful, the Lord will eventually make things right. Just like John was told in his visions in exile on Patmos: ‘And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev.21:5) And we expect nothing less from our Lord. So when He proudly proclaims; ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?’ we’ve got to sit up and take notice, pay close attention, for our God doesn’t make idle promises; whatever He says, He does. ‘I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. ‘ Wow! And for any doubting Thomas’s there’s plenty proof of Him doing just that when He led the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt. Oh Friends, the Lord fed them with quail and manna when they had no food in the desert. (Ex.16:12-30) He also had Moses strike his rod against a rock and bring forth water for them, and led them safely through the ‘great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions….’  (Deut.8:15) So it’s nothing difficult or impossible for Him to do. The basic problem lies with us. The Israelites, though warned by Moses, forgot who brought them out of slavery into a land of milk and honey. ‘And thou say in thine heart, MY power and the might of MINE hand hath gotten me this wealth.’  (Deut.8:17) It’s the same thing we did Friends: forgot who caused us to be prosperous and successful. After awhile we began believing our own press. It was our doing alone. But to our great dismay, we soon discovered otherwise. ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other Gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.’ (Deut.8:18-19) Oh my people, we forgot and/or ignored that most important warning, much to our detriment. Luckily for us though, we didn’t perish, but were merely brought to our knees, to be humbled, until we accept our subservient role to the Most High God Jehovah. Oh Friends, if we hope to survive this present catastrophe, we need to become like the people of Nineveh, who, when Jonah finally got around to warning them of the Lord’s displeasure, repented. As their king decreed: ‘But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not. And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said he would do unto them; and he did it not.’ (Jon.3:8-10) Yes my people, our God will certainly do the same for us. We don’t need the sackcloth, but we definitely do need to change our evil, violent ways, and humble ourselves before Almighty God, if we want Him to do that new thing in our lives. Much LOVE!…humility…not pride…is the way to God’s heart…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 May 2009 Psalm 50:6‏

22 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 50:6    And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah
 
And a fine Friday morning to you my Friends in Christ! May the Good Lord shine His divine light on us today and fill our lives with many blessings. Selah! But note, all those blessings aren’t meant for us to keep, to hoard as greedy misers, but to share with others, to pass on to those less fortunate and more needy. Our God delights in us when we share. But if we don’t, then judgement shall be pronounced on us at His appointed time. ‘And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.’ Yes my people, our God is also our judge. To us He is ‘Infinitely Everything.’  And though He can be extremely merciful, He’s not afraid to pass rather harsh judgement. To open Psalm 50, Asaph, the psalmist, acknowledges His awesome power. ‘The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.’ (Ps.50:1-4) Ah Friends, what a mighty and magnificent God we worship: powerful, perfect in all things, fiery and tempestuous; but also LOVING, merciful, forgiving and kind. The psalm serves as a serious warning to us re the Lord coming to judge His people. It reminds us of the overwhelming need to respect His statutes and obey His commandments; to refrain from hypocrisy and false religious rituals; the self-serving work of men, not God. We must not do like the Jewish leaders in Jesus’ time, who were all about formal rituals and outward show, but lacked real spiritual substance. Sadly though my people, a lot of that is still happening today. Many of us just go through the motions; regular church going; serving on numerous committees; always in the limelight, having everyone think we’re so wonderful because we appear to walk our talk. But Friends, much of it is all outward show, for deep down inside we’re really bitter, resentful, envious and frustrated. Our inner and outer beings bear no resemblance whatsoever. Then there are many of us who are just blatantly wicked, unashamedly in cohorts with the enemy, who reject God, resent Him, while casting aspersions  and heaping abuse on His Holy Name. Ah Friends, what an unwise decision, for they too shall be judged when the Lord comes in all His flaming glory. The burning question though my people, the one we need to answer NOW, before the Lord comes to judge, is which side of the great divide will we be on? Shall we be with the faithful and righteous, or the wicked and profane? We’re all sinners, so we’ll all end up before Him, it’s just a matter of where we end up, which all depends on the choices we make NOW, my people. I strongly suggest that we all sit down and seriously consider our options, cause there’s no turning back, no chance to say I’m sorry, once the Lord enters the courtroom in His flaming robes, strikes His mighty gavel and calls the court to order. What will be our reaction when He sits on the bench and proclaims: ‘Hear O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.’ (Ps.50:7) Oh Friends, it can either be a very sad or fairly good day when our Lord testifies against us. But again, it all depends on the choices we make NOW! That day can be any time; today, tomorrow or whenever, but come it will, and we must make a serious decision before our physical bodies return to the dust from whence they came. The Lord doesn’t need sacrifices or anything worldly from us, since it’s all His. As He says: ‘If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof.’ (Ps.50:12) Listen carefully to what our God requires of us Friends. ‘Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ (Ps.50:14-15) Oh praise His Holy Name my people! And His ears should be burning now with all the trouble we have. (smile) That’s the side we want to be on Friends; with those giving thanks, paying their vows, calling upon Him in rough times and glorifying Him. Not with the wicked, who ‘hatest instruction, and casteth my words behind thee. When thou sawest a thief, thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. Thou givest thy mouths to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.’ (Ps.50:17-20) Ah my people, we certainly don’t want to be numbered amongst that lot, for they will receive harsh punishment. And for those of you who remember the old Rude Boy song, ‘Judge Dread’ by Prince Buster, how the rude boys and them begin to weep and moan when he start handing down hundred and five hundred year sentences. Well Friends, that will be like ‘kiddie garter’ when the Lord rules in His courtroom. It won’t be a countable number of years, but eternity, everlasting darkness. As He says: ‘Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God.’ (Ps.50:22-23) Oh Friends, it’s the choice of each individual, so I implore us to make the right choice and glorify God, so on that day we can partake of His Glorious Salvation. Much LOVE!..he who has ears to hear..let him hear..

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 May 2009 1 John 3:20‏

21 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 John 3:20    For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
 
Now isn’t that an awesome truth my Friends! Our God is certainly greater than our hearts, and most definitely knows all, for He is the One who created all things; for example this beautiful spring time morning, with the birds singing His early morning praises in the leafy trees, giving much thanks, that though they don’t sow or reap, they still live well, due to of His bountiful goodness. And so too should we, my people. But concerning our Bit, as Bruh Paul wisely stated; ‘For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.’ (1 Cor.4:4) We can take the first part two ways: Literally, that he knows nothing by himself; everything He knows comes from God, which is true. Or as ‘by’ translated to mean ‘against.’ He knows nothing against himself, but that doesn’t make him free, or justified in his actions, for the Lord will judge him when the time comes, so he will plod on to do the Lord’s work to the best of his ability. So it is with us too Friends, we try to be good and righteous and live the way the Lord desires, but we’re not always successful. It’s easy to say live in peace and LOVE with your brother and your enemy, but when the hard facts of life roll around, it often becomes a real struggle to not only keep our Christian perspective, but even more so to carry it out. It’s so much easier to talk the talk than to walk it. And sometimes we fail miserably, then in turn feel miserable, disappointed, like failures, sinful and unfaithful, in that we were not able to live up to our Christian faith. We couldn’t do as John advises: ‘My little children, let us not LOVE in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and truth.’ (1 John 3:18) Ah Friends, we then unfortunately put ourselves down, feel ashamed, worry and fret. But my people, please remember, ‘For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.’ That’s for sure! So let’s not condemn ourselves in the things we do, for God knows what’s truly going on in our hearts. He can justify us even when we condemn ourselves for our sinful behaviour, since He sees not only our outward actions, be they totally wrong or simply misguided, but delves deep into our hearts and souls to discover our real motives, our true intentions. And if these are genuinely faithful, He is wise and magnanimous enough to forgive us. Remember, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the One True God, from the Beginning to the End, who never changes, but offers grace, mercy, hope, forgiveness and unconditional LOVE to all who humbly submit their earthly lives and spiritual souls to Him. So let’s not be afraid, or timid, in this our downright difficult Christian walk. Our God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, for He knows with our sinful nature that’s impossible, but He does expect us to genuinely try and obey His rules, try and follow in the footsteps of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The important words there Friends are ‘genuinely try.’ If we don’t, He’ll know as soon as He checks out our heart. But if we are sincere in our efforts, though we stumble and fall, He will help us up again if we ask Him to. It’s like riding a horse: They say if you fall off, then the best thing to do is to get right back on again, cause if you don’t do it right away, the fear of falling will take hold of your spirit and make it so much harder for you to ever get back up on a horse. And so it is with our earthly lives my people: When we fall off Jesus’ wagon, then we have to get right back up again, no wallowing in self pity, dust ourselves off, turn to Jesus and say we’re sorry, accept His forgiveness, then jump right back on to the fast moving, plenty bouncing vehicle, on the rough bumpy road of life, with all its numerous twists and turns. Remember yesterday we spoke of not living a life of regrets, to let the past stay in the past, just learn from our mistakes and carry on. It’s the same way if we fall off the Christian wagon of faith my Friends; just set it right with God, then move on, don’t dwell on it. Whatever we do, please don’t let out hearts condemn us, and make us feel unworthy of God’s LOVE and grace, for we are all worthy once we repent and come to Him in genuine prayer. ‘Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then we have confidence in God.’ Exactly my people! ‘And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.’ (1 John 3:21-22) Yes my people, that’s our ultimate goal; to please the Father. And how do we do that? By living an earthly life that’s pleasing to Him, all aspects of it. And what’s the catalyst that helps us accomplish that ideal?  PRAYER! Yes Friends, right living cannot be accomplished without fervent PRAYER, for that’s where we get the strength, the encouragement and patience, the overall fortitude to live right, because it’s certainly not an easy thing to do in this predominantly sinful, ungodly world of ours. So please, let’s stop condemning, ourselves or anybody else; keep repenting and asking forgiveness for our mistakes; keep praying for strength and guidance, so that we can live right and thereby grow and mature in the faith of Christ. Much LOVE!…neither persecutor… judge… nor jury… are we…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 May 2009 Joshua 8:20‏

20 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Joshua 8:20   And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
 
Ah my Friends, on another beautiful morn, with God still on His throne, the ole fella’s here to pass along some friendly advice; that too much looking back is unhealthy. It can cause a myriad of problems, that’s why we’re always advised to look toward the future rather than back to the past. But by the same token, we must review our past every so often, because it’s our history, and we need to understand what went wrong yesterday so we can correct it today. If we do it properly, we can get helpful indicators in terms of where we’ve come from, where we’re at, and where we’re going. As Nat Cole said in his song, ‘Looking Back’; ‘Looking back over my life, I can see where you caused me strife…’ That’s a good indicator to stay away from or be careful of a certain person. Also, ‘I can see signs wise men heed…’ Now that’s something all of us should learn from. In that sense we all need to look back occasionally to judge our progress. The problems develop though, when instead of simply using the past to help us improve, we continue living there. Oh Friends, living without growing or improving is a sad waste of a good life, and if we keep repeating the same mistakes, never learning from them, then we’ll surely end up in a sorry state. Have you ever noticed that those who live in the past are usually sour, bitter and unhappy, because they let their previous mistakes control their lives and subsequently ruin them. As with everything in life my people, we have to develop a fair balance; not too much of any one thing. Bruh Paul put it famously; moderation in all things. Too many of us though insist on rehashing the past and dwelling on the hurts and disappointments we find there; stuff that we can’t do anything about. The Good Book has several instances of where looking back has brought severe misfortune. I guess the most famous is Lot’s wife, when running from the fiery demise of Sodom and Gomorrah. Although explicitly directed not to look back, she did and became a pillar of salt. (Gen.19:15-26) Then there’s also Today’s Bit, where the Lord devised a most ingenious strategy for Joshua and the Israelites to capture the city of Ai. In the evening, they secretly set up troops on two sides of the city, then Joshua and his group went to the front, so that they could be seen. In the morning the men of Ai came out to do battle against Joshua’s group, totally unaware of the other groups lying in ambush. As they approached, Joshua and his men acted as though they were beaten and ran towards the wilderness with the men of Ai in hot pursuit. ‘And the Lord said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand.’ (Josh 8:18) That acted as a sign for the troops in hiding to rise up, go into the city and set it on fire. ‘And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.’ Yes my Friends, when the men of Ai turned to look back at their burning city, Joshua and his group, who’d been running away, now turned back and began attacking the men of Ai. Then the Israelites that were burning the city came back out and caught the poor souls of Ai in a murderous crossfire, from which none of them escaped, except the king, who was later hanged. Note here Friends, the difference between Saul and Joshua in terms of obedience. The Lord told Joshua to completely destroy them, except in this case they could have the spoil. Joshua complied completely, while Saul did not. Anyway my people, unfortunate things tend to happen to us when we look back on our lives, our past mistakes with regrets and wallow in them instead of learning from them and moving forward. Disaster is the usual result when we dwell on the only if I had done this or that. We rob ourselves of hope, of the joy to be found in the mercy, grace and forgiveness of our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: ‘Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.’ (2 Cor.1:10) Yes Friends, Jesus has delivered us from the peril of death, is still delivering us, and we have a great hope that He will continue to do so. But if we live in the past with a regretful attitude, we lose that hope for a better tomorrow. And the current sad, sorry state of our world has made this negative looking back even more important, for it’s a goldmine of sorrows, with great temptation to look back and wonder what if. But please don’t do that. The past is already gone and we can’t recapture it. We need to look forward to a new, better and brighter tomorrow. Do remember your mistakes and learn from them, but don’t dwell on them. It’s a perfect setting for further disaster. Remember too that Jesus also advised against looking back. ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9:62)  And that’s gospel people! If you look back while ploughing, your furrows won’t be straight, and you’ll never make a good ploughman, neither be a good candidate for heaven. Oh Friends, it’s especially in hard times like these that we need to concentrate on, and look towards the future, not to the past. We all know where we went wrong, and too much rehashing won’t help us solve our current problems. Let’s learn from our mistakes and move on. That’s the godly way. Much LOVE!…dwelling in the past…is a sure prescription for disaster…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 May 2009 2 Corinthians 9:10‏

19 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Corinthians 9:10    Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness.
 
Aye Friends, look out yuh windows and shout a friendly greeting to those passing by: ‘Morning Neighb! Start the day off with a little friendliness in yuh soul, which, like cleanliness is next to godliness. (smile) Anyway, the Lord’s provided us with another beautiful day; lots of sunshine, new blessings and mercies that he expects us to go out there and use productively. So shake yuh booty and get a move on. The enemy is already out there engaging in the battle for hearts, we need to get out there and do our part too. And right now there’s a lot for us to do since our society is in a royal mess. We’re floundering, possibly drowning, desperately seeking help and looking for answers, but not finding any. Why? Because ‘Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men. Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled.’ (Hos.10:13-14) Oh my people, it’s an awful truth, but the truth of the situation nonetheless. We’re suffering so badly today because we forgot God and put our trust in men, and sadly, they were found wanting. But I know we’ve finally seen the light and desire to change our fortunes. Now please don’t make me a liar. (smile) But to do that, Hosea says we must ‘Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy, break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness on you.’ (Hos.10:12) Oh Friends, I could not have put it any better. It is indeed ‘time to seek the Lord,’ to turn back to Him in righteousness. And we couldn’t want a better word of encouragement or blessing than Today’s Bit that Bruh Paul wished upon the Corinthians in his second letter. ‘Now he that ministereth seed to the sower, both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness.’ Oh my brethren, that’s exactly what we both need and expect as believers in Christ. The one who ‘ministereth seed to the sower,’ that supplies us with seed to sow is obviously our great God. He gives us the things He wants us to sow, to spread abroad in His Name. ‘For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.’ (Isa.55:10-11) Yes Friends, that’s the Lord’s promise. Just like He gives us rain and snow to nourish our crops in the earth, so will His Word be put in our hearts, and not come back to Him empty, but be successfully disseminated to all the world. Oh my people, our God is such a magnificent and magnanimous Being, that He not only supplies us with His Word; nourishment for our souls, but also food and nourishment for our physical bodies. Then He turns around and multiplies the seeds we sow, both of His Word and the actual seed we plant in the ground, and ‘increases the fruits of our righteousness.’ Wow! Through obedience and faithfulness our harvest is increased; we bring unbelievers to Him and our fields blossom bountifully, thus we are made prosperous. So on both sides of the seed, sower, food and harvest equation, our Lord looks down on us with bountiful blessings. He gives us the wherewithal to spread His Holy Word, and also increases the physical harvest of our food in the fields. As Bruh Paul rightly declares: ‘Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.’ (2 Cor.9:11) Yes my Friends, when all this prosperity comes upon us, we need to be eternally grateful and give much heartfelt thanks and praise to the Most High for His mercy and LOVING kindness, since it’s only through Him that mankind can enjoy any lasting prosperity. Chuh! I sound like a broken record, but Friends it’s very important that we keep hearing and being encouraged until we reach an unshakeable point of understanding that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the GIVER OF ALL THINGS! Without His approval, nothing good happens. And to get His approval we need to be faithful and obedient. There’s no way of getting around that. If we don’t obey, we’re going to suffer, like we’re doing now. And here’s what the Lord promises when we live by His Word. ‘For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.’  (Isa.55:12) And all God’s people said, ‘WOW!’ What a beautiful promise Friends! Only our God can make such a promise and keep it too. Just sit and imagine that scenario for a moment nuh: All of us going about our business in peace and joy, while the hills and mountains sing songs of praise and thanksgiving, and the trees keep the riddim steady with their clapping! Brother! It sure is a marvellous scene my people! Just imagine the LOVE flowing nuh mih brethren! But for that promise to be fulfilled, we have to do our part; that’s turn from our wicked and evil ways, drop our reliance on the frailty of mortal men and turn to God. Nothing less will do. Oh my people, it’s time for us to seek Him with repentant hearts if we seriously want to be extricated from the quick sand in which we’re currently floundering and sinking. It’s all up to us now. Let’s not disappoint our great and merciful God again nuh. He is so heartbroken when we do. Much LOVE!…do remember… that without God…mortal man is incomplete…in all aspects of his life…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 May 2009 Psalm 44:8‏

18 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 44:8    In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
 
Hearken Friends! Another excellent day is at hand! The Lord is on the ball; so is the enemy; and so should we on this holiday Monday, named in honour of Victoria, that noble, fighting Queen of Mother England, whose reign had a rather puritanical tone to it. (smile) Poor Vicky would be flabbergasted to know that her once staid and upright colonies, which she tried so hard to protect from that vagabond and evil scallywag, Beelzebub, had now solidly embraced him and adopted his evil, corrupt ways, with a wide-open society where anything goes. Ah Friends, ole Queen Vic must be turning over in her grave at the level of debauchery and corruption to which we have attained. And though it should almost be summer in the northern climes, there’s frost in the city and snow in the country. But what else can we expect from Mother Nature but this unpredictability when we mess with her normal cycles eh? Now we can only grin and bear it, while contemplating what was, is, and will be, like the writer of Psalm 44; A Maschil (contemplation) of former deliverances and present troubles. The Lord’s great help to Israel is first outlined: ‘But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.’ (vs.7) Then His apparent desertion and reproach is wailed. ‘But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.’ (vs.9) But interestingly enough, sandwiched between those two verses, one of praise, and one of woe, is Today’s Bit. ‘In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name forever. Selah.’ Oh my people, it sounds very much like the situation in which we’re currently mired. One day we were prosperous and victorious, then suddenly brought low the next. Why is that eh? Can it be that we stopped doing or saying like Bruh David: ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.’  (Ps.34:1-2) Instead we did what the Lord said not to do. ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom; neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches…Behold, the days come saith the Lord, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised.’ (Jer.9:23, 25) I consider that a very valid reason for our present demise my brethren. If the Lord has said it once, He’s said it a million times: Honour and obey me, and I will make you prosperous. Dishonour and disobey me, and I will wreak havoc and destruction upon you. We have seen numerous examples of it, and if we’re honest, we’ll admit that in the last two decades we’ve been drifting further and further from the One True God; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We’ve been quietly and systematically removing God from our individual lives and the public places where He’s reigned supreme since the founding of the West. Instead, we’ve gotten caught up in our wisdom, power and riches; egotistically revelling in the useless moniker of the wealthiest and most advanced society ever, which gave us a false sense of security. But Friends, I’m here to inform us that the only true sense of security we can ever have is if we’re living under the wide spread mantle, under the protective umbrella of Almighty God, which we’re surely not doing right now. Hopefully though, many of us who’ve relegated God to the sidelines, are now, in these rough, uncharted waters, either contemplating a return, or actually returning to Him. Luckily for us the Lord is a merciful, forgiving God, who will never turn us away if we come back to Him in good faith. And here is something else we should also realize; that life never runs smoothly, it’s a succession of hills and valleys, just some higher or lower than others, with a few smooth, straight spots in between. As Henry Ford puts it: ‘Life is a series of experiences which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this.’ But that’s gospel my Friends! When times are very rough, it’s hard to believe, or even think, that we’ll benefit later on from those trying experiences, but we surely do. It’s one of God’s ways of building character in us, of making us more like Jesus, which is our ultimate goal. While we’re embroiled in those painful times, we’re certainly not aware of growing or learning. But after things settle down and we look back, we can definitely trace patterns of growth and learning in many areas of our lives. So please, don’t think all bad experiences are worthless, cause they do serve very useful purposes. First, they bring us closer to God, since we naturally gravitate to Him when there’s no one else. Secondly, it’s in those crucial, critical times or moments, when we have to put up or shut up, that we discover what we’re made of, and surprisingly when those difficult times seem to overwhelm us, then we realize we’re actually made of sterner stuff, and with God’s help we can overcome any obstacles or problems. So don’t give up my people, hang in there, these times are only a test of our mettle. Listen here: ‘But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise LOVING kindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.9:24) Oh Friends, our God couldn’t be any clearer. Knowledge of God is man’s glory. And how should we respond? We should first return to Him and plead: ‘Awake, why sleepest thou O Lord? Arise, cast us not off for ever…Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies sake.’ (Ps.44:23, 26) And after we’ve floated that sincere, heartfelt prayer heavenward, then it’s absolutely necessary to do as Bruh David declares: ‘O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.’  (Ps.34:3) That, my people, is the only way to get back into the good graces of our God. Let’s put it into action nuh. Much LOVE!…turn, turn, turn…please turn back to the Lord…

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