Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 May 2009 Job 33:15-16‏

17 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Job 33:15-16    In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon man, in slumberings upon the bed. Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction.
 
Well hello there my Friends, all you beautiful believers in Christ! It’s a glorious Sunday morning, and all roads should lead to church and wonderful fellowship. But if you can’t get to church to fellowship with others, then encourage yourself in the Lord and fellowship directly with Him. He’ll be ecstatic to have your company. Today’s Bit is about dreams; where Job’s friend, Elihu is reasoning with him, chiding him that he has a complaining attitude toward his suffering and a hostile disposition towards God. But God doesn’t have to answer to man; ‘for he giveth not account of any of his matters. (vs.13) That’s something many of us should note and remember, for we often think we deserve and expect answers from the Lord and when they’re not forthcoming we get all peeved and/or angry. But the Lord’s not there for our convenience, we’re here for His. And now that we’ve straightened that out, (smile) let’s talk about dreams. Dreams are one of the ways God talks to or communicates with us. It could be either sleeping or waking; what we call daydreaming; just lost in thought or a deep spiritual awareness. I like how the Lord made this known to Miriam and Aaron when they complained about Moses marrying an Ethiopian woman, and jealously claimed that God didn’t only talk through Moses but through them too. The Lord heard them and His anger was kindled. He ordered all three to go out to the tabernacle, then He came down in a pillar of cloud, stood outside the tabernacle door, called Aaron and Miriam before Him and blasted them. ‘Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so…With him I will speak mouth to mouth; even apparently and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold.’ (Num.12:1-8) The Lord did not consider Moses a prophet, so He appeared to him in one form or another and spoke plainly to him, not in riddles or parables. In olden times dreams and visions were the Lord’s preferred way of speaking to His messengers and those He called to perform special jobs. Bruh Joseph had one about his eventual rise to power, which came true. Martin Luther King Jr. had one re everlasting peace and goodwill betwixt all mankind, and died trying to make it happen. And all of us have had some dream at some time that we considered significant to our lives, which we either acted on or ignored. As Elihu says: ‘For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.’ (Job 33:14) We can all relate to that too, where the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit that came to dwell in us after Jesus ascended, tells us the Lord’s desire. But we either don’t understand it, or it doesn’t fall in with our own plans, so we ignore it. That’s why; ‘In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed. Then he openeth the ears of man, and sealeth their instruction. That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.’ (vs.15-17) That’s so true my people! Sometimes it’s the only way God can get us to listen; in dreams in our deepest slumber, so that He can impart some wisdom to lead us away from our sinful deeds and downgrade our lustful pride. He also talks to us through pain and suffering; (vs.19-22) and angelic beings; (vs.25-28) ‘Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man. To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.’ (vs.29-30) Oh Friends, for my sake, I certainly hope He brought my soul back from the pit, and enlightened me with the light of the living, for I had a dream last night. I only remember the conclusion though. In this dream I apparently had a choice of several routes to the same destination, but was impatient and vacillating; just couldn’t make up my mind which way to go. I remember driving and vacillating, then finally deciding on one. And as I drove, I remember thinking that all the routes led to the same place, with the feeling that all roads lead to God, and all things work together for good to those who LOVE and trust Him. Who knows what the Lord was saying, if anything? As well as He could have been moving in one of His mysterious ways, trying to reinforce exactly what I remembered. Whatever the purpose, I did wake up encouraged, with a better attitude, a renewed sense of confidence and perseverance. Friends, it’s of the utmost importance that we pay attention; listen to and seriously contemplate our dreams, visions or the still, small voices which speak to us, because sometimes the Most High is trying to communicate important matters to us. At other times He might not be. But we owe it to Him and to ourselves to pay close attention, for often they can be significant turning points in our lives, and we certainly don’t want to miss out on anything God has in store for us, cause it’s always in our best interest. Much LOVE! Hope this all makes sense? And even if it doesn’t, still, Much LOVE! (smile) …it always pays…to listen…and contemplate…before acting,,,
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 May 2009 Acts 13:22‏

16 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Acts 13:22    And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill my will.
 
Aye mih Friends, look out there nuh! All yuh see that bright light rising over the horizon? That’s the Light of our lives; Jesus, bringing physical light in the form of the glorious sun, saying it’s time to rise and shine my children. Time to give thanks and praise to our Heavenly Father, then put on our soulful, spiritual armour and step out into the evil world, ready and able to do battle with the enemy, mano a mano. (smile) In other words, like Bruh David. Oh Friends, all yuh wouldn’t believe how excited the ole fella was when he was first led to the scripture where God called Bruh David a man after his own heart. We can never get a better recommendation than that my people! It’s like being called the Friend of God, or being found worthy of Him. Those are the highest echelons of praise and commendation with which we can be honoured by the Lord, and should therefore be our life’s aspiration. Now my excitement about writing on Bruh David shouldn’t be a surprise since you all know that he is mih own own boy. Anything to do with him brings a smile to my face. I guess because of all the great men of faith, his lifestyle most closely resembles mine, with the writing and the music. But sadly mih breddren, that excitement soon waned cause like the Lord had other ideas. Yuh know how they say that man plans, but God is the one who actually decides what’s going to get done, and also gives any increase that comes. Well in this case, before I could get to writing about Bruh David being a man after God’s own heart, I had to write three Bits about Saul, his mortal enemy’s disobedience. Never expected it to take so many either. The problem with Saul though is that he was too impatient, insecure and jealous, and didn’t pay enough attention to the Lord as Bruh David did. Now Bruh David wasn’t a saint, he did his own thing too, but he always tried to hang out with the Most High as much as possible; out in the quiet fields with the sheep, sitting under the sweet smelling shade of a julie mango tree (smile) plucking his harp or strumming his lute, talking to his God from the depths of his heart. And though he wasn’t formally educated like Bruh Paul, like Bruh Joseph, he had that natural affinity with nature, animals, people and his Creator. Like Bruh Joseph, most things he did prospered. I don’t know if the anointing by Samuel at such an early age had any special effect on him, but he certainly behaved himself in his newfound role of giant killer, personal musician to king Saul and successful leader of fighting men. And all the people LOVED him, which they declared when they sang of Saul killing thousands, but Bruh David his ten thousands. Little wonder of Saul’s murderous jealousy. Bruh David would be Israel’s next king, not his own son Jonathan, who became Bruh David’s bosom buddy and blood brother, and the people adored him. Ah Friends, not many of us could have put up with Bruh David’s early misfortune, running from Saul, and still remain sane and faithful. But like Bruh Joseph, his heart was filled with dreams, and after his anointing possibly realized he had an important job to do, and if he obeyed God, then God would protect him. Bruh David had a genuine fondness for God and generally tried to be obedient, but when he wasn’t, he quickly made amends by being repentant and asking for mercy and forgiveness. He was definitely not too proud to beg. He also delighted in giving thanks and praise, and continually blessed the Lord for his LOVE, His mercy, forgiveness, patience, promises, truth, kindness and saving grace. Who wrote some of the sweetest poems of praise and thanks eh? Bruh David! Deh so sweet, they had to sing them and call them Psalms! (smile) Remember Psalm 23? Is only the Lord’s Prayer that more popular or powerful! And Friends, our God knows a good man when He sees one. He knew that amongst His human creations, one like Bruh David only comes along once in a blue moon, so He had to grab him while the grabbing was good. And what’s not to LOVE about Bruh David eh? So hypocrites who sinned just as badly, consider him an adulterer and a murderer. But numerous men have done wrong over the favour and enticements of a woman, starting with Adam. And Bruh David paid dearly for it by losing his child by Bathsheba, having myriad problems with his other children and also losing part of his kingdom. But through it all, he never strayed from the Lord his God; the God of his father’s, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He remained steadfast and faithful his entire life: a life of great highs and sorrowful lows, but overall a life worthy of God. That’s why the Lord called him a man after His own heart and stoutly declared that he would do His will. Aye Friends, who else could think about encouraging themselves in the Lord when he was alone and lonely? He didn’t kill Saul when he had the chance because it wasn’t his place to slay the Lord’s anointed. Who also had the parts, as king, to sing and dance before the Lord when the hypocrites murmured about his gross display? Oh mih people, given his human frailty and weakness, in all aspects of his life, Bruh David was respectful of the Lord. So why wouldn’t the Lord, known for His generosity and kindness to those who trust and obey Him, not protect and enrich Bruh David eh? Ah Friends, I don’t know about all yuh nuh, but on that most auspicious day, when the mighty gates of LOVE in heaven open wide, I certainly hope the Good Lord will greet me with a tight bear hug and a big smile and say, loud enough for everybody to hear;  ‘Welcome mih son! You’re a man after mih own heart!’ I couldn’t ask for better than that. Much LOVE!…though sinful our nature…our hearts can be made right…if we just trust and obey…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 May 2009 Acts 13:22‏

15 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Acts 13:22    And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.
 
Listen up Friends! Morning has broken, like that very first day. Songbirds are singing, the same sweet songs they sang back then. Eden’s arising; cool breezes are a trilling with the leaves, bees are a buzzing, flowers a flowering, insects and animals are a doing whatever they do. But beware, for Beelzebub is also active. Fear not though, for from His throne on high, Almighty God has him under close scrutiny. What’s the only thing missing from this wonderful scenario?  The voices of God’s greatest creation, mankind, rising in thankful song. So let’s all sing then: ‘Praise Him, Praise, Glory Hallelujah! He is LOVE! He is LOVE! Yes, we LOVE you Lord, and praise your Holy Name! Amen!’ Thank you Friends. Now we can truthfully say we’ve been obedient in at least one thing today; LOVING and praising our God. (smile) Let’s see if we can’t continue the rest of the day in the same vein of obedience nuh. Saul wasn’t so lucky though. Yesterday we stopped where Samuel rebuked him. Then he repented: ‘I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.’ (1 Sam.15:24) Now Friends, doesn’t that sound a whole lot like us, where we listen to the voice of other humans rather than that of God? It sure does, since we’ve all sought the favour of men at sometime, seeking their acceptance over God’s, thereby making it more important. But we’ve all paid dearly for that too. Then Saul begged Samuel; ‘Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.’ (1 Sam.15:25) But Samuel refused: ‘for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.’ (1 Sam.15:26) And I just adore this next piece of imagery and drama. Our God is such a dramatist! ‘And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. And Samuel said unto him. The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.’ (1 Sam.15:27) What a psychological and emotional blow that must have been to Saul: humiliation even after repentance. But Friends, that’s the price we pay for disobedience to very straightforward directives. And can you imagine that scene playing out on the big screen in one of Cecil B. DeMille’s biblical epics, with somebody like Charlton Heston as Samuel, when he puts on a rebuking scowl on his already stern features. Wow! However, according to the scholars, in the Near East countries, there’s a custom of seizing the edge of the robe that implies a gesture of submission or supplication. The Lord physically showed His dissatisfaction with Saul, that even when he tried to be submissive, his gesture failed. Oh my people, that’s a good example of how sour things can get when the Lord turns against us for sinful disobedience. Saul seemed to take his comeuppance like a man, though he asked Samuel to help him save face amongst the people. ‘I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God. So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the Lord.’ (1 Sam.15:30-31) Ah my Friends, it’s a strange, unfathomable life this. We never know what will come upon us from one moment to the next. The only surety and safety we have is in the Word of the Most High God Jehovah, to trust and obey it, and even then, tribulation may still befall us. But the big difference is that with the Word distilled throughout our hearts and minds, in conjunction with the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, we have the strength to bear up under any temptation or trial. That means sometimes there are really no good excuses for our disobedience, since we should know better. Saul should have known better, but instead of listening to the Lord, through fear and ego, he listened to his own understanding and the voice of the people, who were all about the spoils. In the end, Samuel had to complete Saul’s job; kill Agag, the king of the Amalekites. Oh my people, we need to remember that ours is not to question why, but to do and hopefully not to die. As true followers of Jesus we have to obey His orders to the ‘t’, else we’ll suffer the consequences of disobedience, which, as we’ve seen in Saul’s case can be very dire. It’s no secret that our God puts a high premium on obedience to His commands, so please, let’s take our time and consider all the ramifications of our actions and see if they line up with the Lord’s directives before we do them nuh. It’s the only safe and sensible way to live under God’s authority. I’ll have some more to say about this tomorrow. Till then, if the Lord’s willing, Much LOVE!…and please remember.. as the ole people say…prevention better than cure…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 May 2009 Acts 13:22‏

14 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Acts 13:22     And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.
 
It’s a beautiful morning Friends! Let’s greet the new day with thanks and praises to our Creator for all His mercies, blessings, forgiveness and the many other good things He showers on those who LOVE and trust Him. Selah! Ah my people, yesterday we saw how the Lord dispossessed Saul of the kingdom of Israel for his impatience and disobedience, in not waiting for Samuel to come and perform his priestly duties. But that was only one instance of his disobedience. Check out this second error of judgement on Saul’s part when the Lord directed him, through Samuel, to destroy Amalek. ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.’ (1 Sam.15:2-3) The instructions seem clear enough, don’t they? Destroy every living thing. ‘But Saul and the people spared Agag, (the king) and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.’ (1 Sam.15:9) And there we have again, the main source of Saul’s fall from grace; disobedience. For the Lord later said to Samuel: ‘It repenteth me, that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments: And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night.’ (1 Sam.15:11) Samuel seems to have had a soft spot for Saul. And you can’t really blame him, for Saul was a big, strapping, good-looking fellow, who seems to have had all the attributes of a king, and Samuel was entrusted with the important task of anointing Israel’s first king and guiding him. Poor Samuel must have been very disappointed by Saul’s disobedience and subsequent fall from grace. Now the next morning when Samuel meets Saul, Saul says to him; ‘Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord.’ (vs.13) Hn! I just had to laugh at Samuel’s repartee. ‘What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?’ (vs.14) Who says the old timers didn’t have a way with words eh! Then Saul trotted out the excuses. ‘I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me…But the people took of the spoil; sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.’ (vs.20-21) Saul tried to put the blame on the people, but he was the king, the one responsible for performing the dictates of the Lord. Many of us do likewise my people; try to shift the blame from ourselves to others, even though it’s our responsibility. Thus Samuel spoke these memorable words on obedience to Saul: ‘Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.’ (vs.22-23) Oh my Friends, on the surface it might seem a trivial matter. Saul and his people destroyed all the Amalekites except their king and the best of the animals, which they hoped to sacrifice to the Lord. So why did the Lord take such great exception to it? Remember He specifically said, ‘utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.’ That’s why. In the Lord’s vocabulary, utterly destroy everything and everybody, means just that; everything and everybody. Not what you choose to destroy. And Friends, many of us behave the same way. We get a directive from God, specifying exactly what to do, but don’t carry it out as directed. Instead we tend to add our earthly human wisdom, and do what we think should be done. But this doesn’t sit well with our Heavenly Father. My people, it’s a simple case of do exactly as I say. Anything less is disobedience and liable to be punished. On a point of interest, according to the scholars, those verses above, (22-23) reinforce the Old Testament view that religious ritual devoid of spiritual reality, and a life lived totally submissive to a sovereign God is worthless. It’s also true of our times too my brethren. We don’t actually burn sacrifices and such now, but many of us still put on a religious show for the world, professing to be such great believers, but inside, hn; we’re evil and empty of any Christian charity, and our private lives totally mock the Holy Name of Christ. Remember though Friends, it’s our hearts the Lord looks at, and like Saul, we can put on all sorts of outward religious affectation, but if it’s not genuine, the Lord will know and deal with us appropriately. Oh my people, time and space are upon us, so it seems we’ll have to continue the story of Saul and Samuel tomorrow, for there’s still more to be said. So until then, as Uncle Charles, Charles Stanley keeps reminding us; ‘Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.’ Much LOVE!…all we’re asked to do…is obey…obey…obey…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 May 2009 Acts 13:22‏

13 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Acts 13:22      And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.
 
Well top o’ the morning to all you fellow believers in Christ! Today I was guided to these words of Bruh Paul in the synagogue in Antioch one Sabbath day, but couldn’t figure out what subject I was supposed to write on. But while checking some references, it suddenly hit me; I got the ‘zeppo’ loud and clear! Hn, hn! ‘Zeppo’ is just T&T slang for a sudden bright idea, a news flash, or sudden understanding. The Lord wants us to concentrate on obedience today my Friends. The word today is OBEDIENCE! Oh my people, unfortunately our God places great emphasis on total obedience to His directives, and many an otherwise good man has faltered and stumbled simply because of their incomplete obedience, considered disobedience. Today’s example is Saul, Israel’s first king, who committed two serious breaches of God’s direction. The first indiscretion was after the prophet Samuel, Israel’s last judge, anointed him king. He directed Saul as follows: ‘And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer brunt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do.’ (1 Sam.10:8) Unfortunately though, Samuel did not show up in Gilgal after the seven days, ‘And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.’ (1 Sam.13:9) In so doing, Saul usurped the priest’s office. And as luck would have it, Samuel arrived soon thereafter and said; ‘What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Therefore said I, the Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt offering.’ (1 Sam.13:11-12) Oh my Friends, on the surface Saul seems to have a good argument: Samuel had not come down to Gilgal in the seven days as he’d promised; meanwhile his enemies were gathering their troops and his own people were scattered, so he felt compelled to do the priests job and offer the sacrifices. But my brethren, what have we always said of our God? That He is the Master of timing. If He intends to save us, we will be saved, even though it’s at the last minute. But sadly, Saul did not seem to understand this principle, neither did he discern it as a test, which he obviously failed. Furthermore, in olden times usurping another person’s job, especially the priest’s, was severely frowned upon. Thus Samuel reproved Saul. ‘Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.’ (I Sam.13:13-14) Ah my people, it might seem like a harsh punishment to us, but from the Lord’s perspective, His commands are just that; commands, and we need to follow them implicitly, to the letter. Look what it cost Saul nuh; the kingdom of Israel forever. It went to Bruh David instead. If Saul had obeyed, we might be talking about the Messiah coming from the seed of Saul, rather than from Bruh David. My Friends we have to be very careful when we’re directed by our God to do something. We cannot afford to vacillate one way or the other; neither can we insert our own interpretation. We must learn to obey those directives completely, else it’s looked upon as disobedience and we suffer some kind of punishment. To us it might seem trivial, not a big deal, but the Lord is a stickler for complete obedience. Let’s remember that and try to stick to the letter of the law nuh, else we’ll pay dearly for our disobedience. Tomorrow we’ll continue in the same vein, looking at more disobedience on Saul’s part. Till then, the Good Lord willing; Much LOVE!…the three principles of obedience…obey…obey…obey…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 May 2009 Psalm 34:21‏

12 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 34:21    Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
 
Oh Friends, it’s late in the morning, or early, take your pick; for as the Bard of Avon said, ‘to go to bed late is to be up early.’ The long and short of the story though is the ole fella’s tired, suffering from lack of sleep and frustration at not being able to find something to write about, and it’s drawing nigh time to send out the Bit. I’ve checked several things, but nothing really speaks to my spirit. But as I say, when in doubt, turn to Bruh David. And behold, the Spirit of the Most High eventually guided me to one of the many truisms in the Good Book. I never doubted that I’d be led to a Bit; time though was of the essence. But as usual the Good Lord came through with flying colours, proving my constant contention that He’s the Master of Timing. That’s my story of faith for today. (smile) However, like Bruh David, we can all learn from our trials. He had narrowly escaped death at the hands of Saul, his benefactor turned bitter enemy, jealous of his anointment to be the next king of Israel, not his son Jonathan. It seems he learned a valuable lesson from that calamity and pours out his heart in Psalm 34. ‘The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.’  (vs.18) That’s oh so true my Friends! The Lord never turns away anyone who comes to Him in sincere repentance.’ ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.’ (vs.20-21) Although the righteous suffer many trials, the Lord protects them from total destruction. All praise and thanks to our God Jehovah! However my people, ‘Evil shall slay the wicked, and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.’ Now that’s a proven fact. Though the wicked may seem to prosper and the righteous suffer, that’s only a short term thing. In the long run the tables will most certainly be reversed. Just look at all those evildoers who prospered in our false, built on sand, with mirrors and sleight of hand economy. Many have suddenly fallen on hard times now. Never in their wildest dreams did they expect to fall, and certainly not as quickly and drastically as has happened. Meanwhile, the righteous, who are suffering too, possibly didn’t lose as much, since they didn’t have that much to lose in the first place, but they have something concrete to fall back on; the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, based on His Holy word, which says; ‘The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.’ (vs.22) That’s an awesome truth my people! No one who puts their trust and faith in the Most High God Jehovah will ever be condemned or held guilty. That’s like money in the bank! Note, the Canadian, not the U.S. banks. (smile) Meanwhile, the wicked shall be brought low by their own wickedness, as the Psalmist relates: ‘And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the Lord our God shall cut them off.’ (Ps.94:21) And if yuh doh believe Bruh David, then listen to Cousin Sol: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.’ (Prov.24:16) Yes my brethren, when the righteous fall, they shall always get back up and continue their righteous ways, but the wicked shall stumble and fall into calamity of their own making. It’s the same story; you reap what you sow. And a perfect example of that is Haman in the Book of Esther. As Prime Minister, he sought to have the Jews in all Babylon controlled areas killed, and went to great underhanded lengths to do so. But what happened? ‘So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.’ (Esth.7:10) Now that’s poetic justice my people! So beware of the evil you plan against others, for it can surely come back to haunt you. Oh Friends, we’re all sinners, saved by the grace of a merciful, forgiving God, and we shall continue to sin till Jesus returns, but there’s no need to think or create evil against our fellow man. It’s a stupid, unhealthy choice. As such, I’ll leave us with two pertinent quotes. Bruh David sings in Psalm 140; A prayer for deliverance from evil men; ‘Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.’ (Ps.140:11) That’s just the nature of evil my people; like the amoeba, it continually recreates itself, and is no respecter of persons. It destroys the very ones who perpetrate it. Now listen to Micah: ‘Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.’ (Mic.7:8) Hallelujah! Yuh see the difference mih Friends? Therefore, Sing praises to His Holy Name my people! So please, ah begging us, let’s cease from evil and do good nuh, so we can avoid destruction and eternal damnation. It’s the only wise and sensible way to live. Much LOVE!...what yuh give out…is exactly what yuh get back…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 May 2009 Hebrews 4:15‏

11 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Hebrews 4:15    For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
 
Oh Friends, Manana! Today it’s Espanol! (smile) Without the proper accents though, cause I can’t get them on the computer. Anyway, Today’s Bit is such a powerful and moving testimony of our faith, that no other supposed deity, has, can, or will ever replicate. I’m talking about the humanity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Which of all the many gods that humans worship ever came to earth and walked among men in human flesh, or promises to return? None my people, none! That’s why our faith is so unique, so poignant, strong, ‘unbendable,’ unbreakable and provides the world’s only solid foundation upon which to build an earthly life. As Bruh Paul boldly declares: ‘For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.’ That’s very important to us believers with mortal needs and feelings, cause it means Jesus, our Advocate, our Be All and End All, the highest of all high priests, now sitting at the Father’s right hand, through His intercession on our behalf, can sympathize with our problems since He personally experienced the full gamut of human emotions and feelings when He walked this earth, two thousand years ago. What a momentous occasion my Friends! Now because of that earthly human experience, when we call upon Him, He is able to empathize with our human weakness and frailties, having also endured them at one stage in His eternal existence. Praise His Holy Name People! Isaiah describes His earthly ordeal thus: ‘He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.’  (Isa.53:3-5) Oh my people, what a horrible time we showed Jesus! He shouldn’t be sympathizing or empathizing with us, but we with Him, for very few of us will ever suffer the persecution, injustice and horrendous, death He suffered. Consequently, we are assured of one thing; when we call upon His Holy Name in our times of trouble, we know that He understands what we’re talking about, due to His personal experience, even including temptation; ‘but was in all points tempted like as we are.’ Yes Friends, Jesus suffered temptation like all of us do. As He said to His disciples at the Last Supper; ‘Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.’ (Luke 22:28) He was tempted, ‘yet without sin,’ since He was God in human form. According to the scholars, two words describe Christ’s temptation; ‘temptability and impeccability.’ The first means ‘to be appealed to,’ and in that sense Christ was tempted, but not with evil or wicked desires, for as God He could not be tempted with evil, or commit sin, due to His ‘impeccability,’ or sinless character. But though Jesus could not sin, didn’t mean He couldn’t be tempted, cause temptation can be real even without sin. We are constantly tempted but don’t sin unless we give into the temptation. As James declares: ‘Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.’  (James 1:13-14) Yes my people, Jesus experienced it all, except the evil desires. And temptation is the most difficult when we choose not to give in to it and sin, so you can imagine how hard it was for Jesus to handle the temptation, since He could not sin in His human form and had no option but to endure it completely. Wow! Imagine us enduring all temptation completely nuh. Impossible! Then too, as the scholars note, during Jesus’ most serious temptations, He did not rely on His attributes, His divinity, but rather on the WORD to resist Lucifer’s enticements. The first time, He rebuked him: ‘It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ (Mat.4:4) The second time: ‘It is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’ (Mat.4:7) And the final time: ‘Get thee hence Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.’ Tell Him Jesus! ‘Then the devil leaveth him, and behold angels came and ministered unto him.’ (Mat.4:10-11) Oh my Friends, that’s how we’re also supposed to behave. When the enemy tempts us with his lies and evil doings, rebuke him in the name of the Lord! Use the most powerful instrument ever designed; ‘THE WORD OF GOD! That will chase Lucifer back to his evil lair, then like Jesus, angels will come and minister to us. It’s not easy. But look at what Jesus did for us: ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor.5:21) It’s precious little to ask, that we, in gratitude, at least try to resist temptation. Much LOVE!…all Jesus asks…is that we sincerely try…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 May 2009 Proverbs 31:10‏

10 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

Proverbs 31:10    Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.

 Well a Happy Mother’s Day to all you Mothers out there! I hope it turns out to be beautiful day, and you receive your one day in the spotlight, though you deserve a lot more, cause it’s not easy being a mother. It’s probably the most difficult job in the whole world since you have no fail-safe manuals to direct or guide you, and it’s certainly the worst paying. It’s a lifetime duty that has no guarantees of a pension or other benefits, and is definitely under appreciated by all and sundry. Most of you probably know the story of the husband who felt all his wife did was sit at home all day long and twiddle her thumbs, while he worked like a dog to bring home the bacon, so he exchanged jobs with her for a day. Bet yuh bottom dollar he was glad to get back to his executive office job the following day! The constant juggling of tasks from early morn to late night was too much for him to handle. That’s why who ever wrote Proverbs 31:10-31 extolled the virtues of a good woman. The scholars claim it should not be considered as king Lemuel’s words, but taken as an anonymous poem. But vs.10 says it all. ‘Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.’ Now isn’t that the living truth my Friends? A good woman is hard to find; a good mother even harder, for she must have all the feminine attributes to entice a man, as well as all the motherly virtues to raise children mannerly and godly, keep a good home and still entice and excite her husband. Wow! No wonder so many women opt out of marriage and/or motherhood altogether. The demands are a lot for one person to bear. And to make matters worse, nowadays, the wife and mother is often expected to have a nine to five job outside of the home too. Consequently, it’s a source of tension within the home and leads in many cases to the breakdown and break-up of the family unit. And once the mainstay group of our society, the family unit, begins falling apart, it will be soon reflected in the society at large, through selfishness, lack of disciple and violence. Consider our current society. However we’ve come to day to praise Mother, not fault her. So let’s do that by highlighting a few virtuous and godly women from the Good Book. We’ll begin with Ruth, who after the males in her family died, migrated to the land of her mother-in-law, Naomi, and cared for her. So much so that when Naomi’s kinsman, the wealthy Boaz, met Ruth, he declared; ‘And now my daughter, fear not; I will do all that thou requirest; for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.’ (Ruth 3:11) It was no secret; the whole town knew that Ruth was a good woman. And she turned out to be Bruh David’s great grandmother. More mysterious, but obviously purposeful workings of our God. Then we have Bruh Paul talking about Timothy’s mother and grandmother: ‘When I call to remembrance, the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice.’ Timothy had godly women around him, just like I did; first my great grandmother Lee, then my mother Molly. Those are the ones who sowed the seeds of any righteousness that’s in me today. Oh my Friends, there are so many godly, virtuous women in the Good Book who played significant roles in their family’s lives that we can only mention a few: like Sarah, Isaac’s mother; Hannah, Samuel’s mother, Elisabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. And we must mention Mary, the mother of Jesus. Look at what she went through. In fact think about the trials that all those women went through for their sons and their families. Remember too that the Bible is based on a very patriarchal society, so any time a woman gets mentioned in it by name, she must have done something significant. But fear not Mothers, for the Lord has you in the palm of His hand, holding you close to His heart. He knows the burden(s) you’re called to bear, and that you don’t get the proper respect or rewards due to you from the sons of men. That’s why you can successfully do all those things you do, because He’s a just and merciful God, never giving you more than you can bear, endowing you with the strength, patience, wisdom, comforting nature and what ever else you need to take care of your family. No man can accomplish your tasks, plus bear and nurture children. So be proud, hold your head up high, and think highly of yourselves, for there’s no other occupation in the world that surpasses that of a Mother. As one proud Mother when asked for her occupation by an uppity Registry Clerk, she replied, ‘Research Associate in the Fields of Child Development and Human Relations. One of the most demanding jobs in the Humanities. And the rewards are more of a satisfaction than just money.’  (smile) But it’s the gospel truth! Please remember too that ‘Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.’ (Prov.31:30) Also, as Bruh David rightly says, through God’s tender mercies, ‘He maketh the barren woman to keep house and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord!’ (Ps.113:9) Please keep on doing that Mothers. You are Distinguished and Indispensable; the major source of God’s goodness here on earth. Much LOVE!…to be a good Mother…ohhh…it’s the hardest hard…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 May 2009 Job 34:21‏

09 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Job 34:21    For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
 
Bonjour mes Amis! Hn! The ole fella going Français, mih brethren. (smile) I sincerely hope that the Good Lord has refreshed your body and mind with a good night’s sleep, and you’re ready and rearing to go out and fulfil His plan for your life. And when we get out there, let’s remember to have a sunny disposition and say a pleasant and cheerful, ‘Morning neighbour!’ to all who cross our paths this bright, sparkling Saturday morning. For if we’re not agreeable, amenable and all the other ‘ables’ the Lord wants us to be, He’ll see, and be displeased with us. ‘For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.’ I guess that would be a ‘truism’ if there ever was one. And ‘There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.’ (vs.22) Now that’s also quite true, reminiscent of the ole people saying, ‘you can run, but yuh can’t hide.’ Most likely that’s where they got it. As Hanani, the seer, rebuked Asa, king of Judah, when he relied on the king of Syria for help and not the Lord: ‘For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.'(2 Chron.16:9) Ah my people, that is what happens when we turn to man for help before God. We know better, and we know we can’t hide from Him, but for some inexplicable reason we still do it. So let’s refresh our minds: The first place to go for help is to the Lord our God, not the last place, after all man made efforts have failed. Now keep repeating it, until it becomes automatic. Anyway, the words of Today’s Bit belong to Elihu, who is tearing his buddy Job’s logic apart. Job figured he was righteous, but God had dealt him a rough hand, had torn him asunder and deprived him of justice. However, since Elihu believed that God would never rain down such tribulation on a righteous, godly man, he figures that Job was deep in iniquity for all that misfortune to befall him. ‘For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his way. Yea, surely, God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgement.’ (Job 34:11-12) Now all he says is true, but just like Job didn’t understand why his sudden woes came upon him, neither can we really say why certain things happen to us, or other faithful believers, cause we can’t comprehend the Lord’s workings. What we need to do, though it be extremely difficult, is accept whatever happens to us as simply coming from God. Using that logic, we can be assured that there is a useful purpose to it, and it will soon pass away. Also, if it’s unjust, God will repay the injustice and eventually bring us out better off than before, like He did with Job. Note, in spite of all his misfortune, Job might have been disillusioned and disappointed, but never lost faith, never cursed God as his wife suggested. A shining example of that fortitude is Bruh Joseph. He experienced it all: from a comfortable childhood, to slavery, to imprisonment, all unjustly, but finally he became Prime Minister of Egypt. Why? Because he knew that God had put a dream of leadership in his heart, and whatever misfortune or injustice befell him, he stayed calm and tried to learn from his problems. Even in slavery and in prison the Lord prospered him, because he remained faithful, then finally fulfilled his dream. And there was a godly purpose behind it all; namely to acquire the experience and skills necessary to rule Egypt, and also in the time of famine, to provide for his family, the same one that sold him into slavery. The Lord sure took a rather circuitous route, but that’s His way, one of mystery and intrigue. He alone could have devised such a convoluted plan and successfully bring it to pass. Oh my people, our God is a great and merciful Being, so we don’t need to run or hide from Him when we do wrong. As Bruh David declared at a difficult time in his life; ‘The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.’ (Ps.34:15) It’s noteworthy too, that several men of faith in the Old Testament made direct reference to God’s all pervasive nature. Here is Sol’s take on it. ‘For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.’  (Pro.5:21) Yes Friends, the Lord keenly observes everything we do.  Our lives are like an open book in front of Him. ‘The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.’ (Prov.15:3) And hear the Lord Himself, as conveyed through Jeremiah: ‘For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.’ (Jer.16:17) Friends, it’s impossible to do wrong and keep it from God, for His eyes are everywhere. He sees right into our hearts, into the very depths of our souls and knows when we’re sinful, even when it doesn’t show in our actions. So let’s stop playing hide and seek with Him nuh, cause He’ll find us every time, very easily too. The right way is to bare our souls to Him; confess, repent and try to do better. He will be merciful if we approach with truth rather than lies. It’s useless to try and hide anything from Him, for as Job said when defending his integrity; ‘Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?’ (Job 31:4) He certainly does my people! So with that in mind, let’s all learn, first and foremost, to take everything to God in prayer! Our lives will be so much better for it. Much LOVE!…our God misses nothing…He hears all…He sees all…and He knows all…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 May 2009 2 Corinthians 4:17‏

08 May 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Corinthians 4:17    For our light affliction, which is for but a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
 
Well hello there my beautiful Friends and fellow believers! The sun and the birds are up shining and singing, where are you? Hope you’re giving thanks and praise, asking for direction and putting on your armour of faith before you step out into our wild and troubled world. Although it seems like a jungle out there, we can take solace and hope from Bruh Paul’s words. ‘For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.’ Meaning, that what we’re suffering now, though appearing burdensome, is really only a light affliction, and will only last for a short time, our earthly life, while unseen to us, these same troubles are actually working in our favour, to achieve for us an eternal glory that far outweighs our current problems. In other words, the trials and tribulations that we undergo with stoicism, are building rewards in heaven for us. But to really appreciate that train of thought, we must get into a spiritual frame of mind. ‘For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.’ (2 Cor.4:16) And how do we not faint while undergoing all these troubles? By turning with hope and faith to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for as Isaiah asks; ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.’ (Isa.40:28-29) Yes my Friends, in rough, desperate times we need to look to the Lord more than ever, for strength, guidance, faith and hope. Now is the time to truly display what living by faith means, by bringing all our resources to the front, ‘while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Cor.4:18) That’s the magic formula my people; concentrate on the things we hope, pray and wait patiently for; the things that will improve our lives. We can’t ignore what’s currently happening, but we can’t dwell on them, for they’ll just drag us further down. We have to tune out the negative while accentuating the positive. And the best way to do this? By looking to Jesus, who promised never to leave or forsake us. And how do we look to Jesus? By tuning in to the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. We need to constantly talk and commune with that internal Being, cause He’s the one sent by Christ, to give us all the requirements for our earthly journey. I know some people don’t hold to the idea of a Spirit living in them, but Friends it’s real, real as the disbelief on your face and in your heart. Try talking to Him and you will see. Believe me, I’m talking from personal experience. But like everything else, it takes time and practice to discern the Spirit’s directions or guidance from that of the enemy or our own sinful nature. It’s imperative that we make it a habit of talking to God as much as possible during our waking hours. Take every little thing to Him in prayer; even things we’re sure about. He’ll answer us and lead us aright. But remember you’ve got to listen carefully for the answer, for He doesn’t always shout it out, sometimes it comes like a still, small voice from the Spirit within. Now make sure it’s the true answer, not just the one you want to hear, and when you get one that’s contrary to your expectations, you have to get up the necessary gumption, the backbone and belly, the faith to do it. ‘For we walk by faith, not by sight:’ (2 Cor.5:7) Oh Friends, our world is a difficult place to live in at the best of times, but when it’s all awash in turmoil, like now, ahh..it’s almost impossible, and the only thing that will see us through is our sincere belief and faith in the Most High God Jehovah. And what is faith? ‘Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’ (Heb.11:1) And why is faith so important to Christians? Because ‘without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb.11:6) Yes my people, that’s our passport to success: Our God will see us through, but we must diligently seek Him, trust and have faith in His Word. And right now is the perfect time to show the world, the enemy, who’s been brought to his knees by his evil deeds, our fighting faith and trust in ‘I AM’ the Almighty God, Creator of all, by standing strong, spreading His Word and living the way He desires. It’s our chance to reclaim the world from a traitorous Beelzebub for our Holy God. And I’ll leave us with a noteworthy quote from Robert Veninga: ‘Faith has a powerful effect in helping people recover a sense of balance, tranquility and hope.’ Amen my people! So let’s put our faith to work nuh. Till next time, God willing, go faithfully with Him, amidst Much LOVE!…when times are tough…the tough rise above them…through faith…

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries