Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 March 2008 Amos 5: 4,14-15‏

15 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Amos 5: 4,14-15     For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel; Seek ye me, and ye shall live. Seek good and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgement in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
 
Yesterday in Amos 4, the Lord was bent on destroying Israel. Today in Chapter 5, He is giving them a second chance, once more showing His magnanimity; His merciful, forgiving nature. ‘Seek ye me, and ye shall live.’ That must have been very encouraging to the Israelites. He’s telling them to reject their sinful ways of idolatry, oppression of the poor, corruption, drunken revelry and such other things that He abhors. ‘Seek good and not evil, that ye may live.’ Friends, that statement also holds true for us today. We’ve become so attuned to and comfortable with evil, that sometimes it leaves us unmoved, and that’s not right. If we want the Most High God to be with us, we’ve got to be constantly aware of the evil around us, and do our best to forsake it, cause it only drags us down, destroys communication with God and draws us out of His loving fold. ‘Hate the evil, and LOVE the good.’ That’s the Lord’s edict. How many of us are seriously doing that today eh Friends? Only each individual and God really know. But it’s essential people, if we want to remain in God’s good grace and enjoy His wonderful blessings and benefits. ‘Establish judgement in the gate,’ is another of His directives. That means be righteous, honest and  true; stop oppressing the poor and needy. Let your laws be just and equitable, which hope fully will lead to right decisions. If those conditions are satisfied, then ‘it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.’ It’s the same message He’s sending us today, my Friends. Note that He was so angry and fed up with His chosen that He did not make a definitive promise, but simply states, ‘it may be.’ I believe He’s reached that same stage of ‘fedupness’ with us, and if we don’t smarten up soon, we’ll feel the brunt of His anger, and ‘wailing shall be in the streets.’ Now that was a solemn promise, not a simple maybe. We don’t need to experience His wrath, we have enough other problems to deal with right now, so please, let’s do as He says nuh: ‘Seek ye me…Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you…’ Much LOVE!…the loving kindness of God…is much more desirable… than His displeasure…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 March 2008 Amos 4:11-12‏

14 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Amos 4:11-12    I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet ye have not returned unto me saith the Lord. Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.
 
What a frightening thought Friends! ‘Prepare to meet thy God,’ who’s in an angry mood. But it didn’t seem to bother the Israelites much. I know I keep harping on them, but the Bible is basically their history. They were supposed to be God’s chosen people, but somehow kept falling by the wayside. They provide the perfect example of how not to live in God’s sight. Today’s Bit is the end of a litany of punishment the Lord meted out to them over the years. He concludes with, ‘yet ye have not returned unto me.’ He wrecked their high life for oppressing the poor and needy, destroyed their dwellings and their animals. He watched them go a whoring after other Gods up to Bethel and Gilgal, while offering sacrifices every morning and tithes every three years. ‘I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet ye have not returned unto me…’ T&T people will know about ‘clean teeth’, the branch of a particular tree used for cleaning teeth, forgot it’s name now. However, continuing with the woes of Israel:  He withheld rain for three months before the harvest, from some cities, while allowing it to fall in others. The crops that had no rain, withered from the drought, while those with rain prospered. Even when the drought stricken people went to the prosperous cities for water, they weren’t satisfied, they couldn’t get enough, ‘yet ye have not returned unto me.’ He smote them with blasting and mildew, and when their fruit trees and vineyards were laden, He caused the palmerworm to devour them. ‘Yet ye have not returned unto me.’ He sent pestilence amongst them, like He’d done in Egypt. Their young men were slain, their horses taken away, the stench in their camps was disgusting.  He overthrew some of them like He’d done with Sodom and Gomorrah, with fire and brimstone, then plucked them out of the disastrous situation.’Ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet ye have not returned unto me.’ What a stubborn and hard hearted people! To suffer such misfortune and continue their disobedience. Hn! Unfortunately though, our lives seem to be following a similar pattern. All sorts of disasters are happening in our world, both natural and man made, but are we trying to figure out why?  Is it the hand of God? The hand of the enemy? Who knows? But when there’s so much drought and famine in the midst of plenty; so much strife and turmoil when so many are crying out for peace; widespread poverty and destitution in the midst of so much wealth; so much wickedness and evil in a world that’s reputedly calling for loving kindness, Friends, something must be wrong somewhere. No one has the definitive answer to our problems, but for us, believers, in times of trials and tribulation, there’s only one place to find an answer, one deity to turn to, our God, the Most High Jehovah. He knows all and controls all. So Friends, today, I’m imploring us not to follow the Israelites example. Instead, let’s learn from their mistakes, so that down the road, our children would be proud to acknowledge, that when adversity overtook us, without hesitation, we turned unto the Lord. Much LOVE!…even blind men see the light…whilst fools refuse to…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 March 2008 Judges 10:13-16‏

13 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Judges 10:13-16      Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods, wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
 
How many times did the Lord bail out the Israelites eh people? Too numerous to mention! But He  named some: the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Zidonians, the Amalekites, the Maonites, ‘did oppress you; and ye cried unto me, and I delivered you out of their hand.’ (vs.12) And yet, after every time, they turned against Him and went back to the useless man made gods. This time He read them the riot act in Today’s Bit. Oh Friends, many of us are doing the same thing today. We cry to the Lord for help, then after He helps us, we conveniently forget Him and turn once again to our wicked, selfish ways, until the next time tribulation taunts us. That’s neither right nor sensible people, because one day the Most High is going to tell us the same thing He told those ungrateful Israelites. ‘Shove off nuh! I’m tired helping you. Go and let whomever you chose over me, help you.’ It’s interesting, though sad, that the Israelites really had the gumption, the ‘bold face’ each time to run back to the Lord in repentance. The Book of Judges documents the many times the Lord saved their bacon, from the time they left Egypt, especially after the death of Joshua, when a new generation arose that did not know the Lord and worshipped the gods of their neighbours. Obviously this provoked the Lord to anger, and He allowed their enemies to conquer them. Chapter 2:16 says, ‘Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges which delivered them out of the hand that spoiled them.’ And though the Lord imparted strength and wisdom to the judges, the people still did not listen. It appears that we’re doing likewise today. There are many god inspired people out there trying to keep us on the straight and true path to God, but we seem intent on taking the wide, rambling one towards the enemy. How long, oh Friends, before the Lord gets tired with our ‘wishy washy’ ways and turn us away when we cry to Him? How long eh? Hn! But our God is something else yes! When the Israelites repented, put away the strange gods and began serving the Lord again, Verse 16 says, ‘and His soul was grieved for the misery of the Israelites.’ Imagine that nuh! After all their ‘boldfaced’ disobedience, the Lord still felt sorry for them. What a magnanimous God we worship Friends! But that doesn’t mean we can take advantage of His merciful nature for ever. It’s got to stop sometime. So I’m asking us to be safe rather than sorry. Unlike the Israelites, let’s stay faithful and obedient all the time nuh. He’s the most powerful Being in existence, very merciful and forgiving too, why risk His anger and wrath eh? Let’s be sensible, and do the right thing. Much LOVE!…it’s wiser…and less traumatic…to learn from the mistakes of others…than from your own…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 March 2008 Hebrews 13:7-9‏

12 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Hebrews 13:7-9    Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and forever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
 
It is most comforting and encouraging to have a leader, Lord and Saviour like Jesus Christ, who is constant and never changing; ‘the same yesterday, today and forever.’ Bruh Paul’s telling the Hebrews to remember to listen to the elders of the church, those who introduced them to the word of God, and to follow their faith, paying particular attention to the end, the outcome of their talk and conduct. Their words and actions must agree with the fact that Jesus is a never changing Being. His philosophy and way of life stays the same. He’s steadfast and reliable; not a shady, chameleon-like character. That’s why Paul warned them to be careful about different doctrines, including some strange ones. People were going around then preaching different things; some with Christ, some without, and others, a combination. But in Paul’s view, if they did not teach the never changing nature of Christ, His rock strong, steadfastness and reliability, they were to be ignored. Friends, the same thing’s happening today. There are all sorts of people out there purporting to preach the Word of God, but obviously they are not preaching the same thing, otherwise there would not be as much divisiveness amongst religions nor amongst individual churches. One would think that if everybody was on the same basic wavelength, there would be more cohesiveness, cooperation, understanding, LOVE and forgiveness between God’s People, since that’s what His Word teaches. But obviously the wavelengths are different. Right now the Church is in a heated debate about same sex marriage. The Anglican’s have split over it. The Catholics are still under siege for the widespread sexual impropriety of their  priests, plus the use of old Latin terminology in their Mass, the right of women on the altar, the celibacy of clergy. Everyone has a serious complaint. And everyone claims their opinion is the right one. So who knows? There are logical grounds for many of the arguments, but in the final analysis, one has to follow one’s heart and the Bible. I guess that’s why Paul said it’s a good thing that the heart is sanctified through grace, and not all the other man made niceties that some have used to no avail. What we’ve got to remember Friends, is that regardless of whom we listen or follow on earth, on the Day of Reckoning, we will all have to answer individually to the Most High Judge. Excuses or ignorance won’t cut it then. The Lord’s going to say, ‘I gave you a heart full of grace, My Holy Spirit and a Book of Rules. Those were more than enough.’ Much LOVE!…be careful Friends…the enemy’s lurking everywhere…in many, different guises…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 March 2008 Psalm 137:1-4‏

11 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 137:1-4   By the Rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?
 
Because no land is strange to the Lord, and wherever you go, it’s still His song. We all know the popular song ‘By the Rivers of Babylon, based on these words. But the Israelites self pity was hollow, since it was their disobedience that caused their downfall. And don’t look so smug, because we’re no different today. Friends, we do things we know are wrong, then wallow in self pity and cry, ‘woe is me’ when we suffer the consequences. But the old clichés been saying it for ages: ‘However yuh make yuh bed, is just so you going to lie in it; When yuh doh hear, yuh feel.’ It’s nothing new; actions equals consequences. And at some stage, one catches up to the other. That’s what happened to the Israelites, and is happening to us today. We’re paying for our sinful disobedience with all the trouble that’s overtaking our world. Bruh Dave says the Israelites hung their harps on the willow trees by the river when their captors asked them to make merry and sing one of their old songs. But how could they sing the Lord’s song in a strange land eh? I say easily. In the first place it’s the only songs you know, and your captor is asking you to sing it. If you don’t, that could lead to even harsher times, remember consequences and actions. And no land is strange to the Lord. He made the earth and all therein, so wherever you sing His song, it’s His land. Then again, it’s one of the few things in this world that’s really yours, cause it’s buried deep within your soul. No one can take it away unless you allow them to. Like your physical body, it goes wherever you go. It’s the only hope of solace that you always have with you. Now if the Israelites were smart, that’s when they would have burst out in song, praising and worshipping their God. Singing their song would surely have brought a few converts, because that’s how the Lord works, and also made them feel better spiritually and physically too, since there’s nothing that uplifts the human spirit like giving thanks and praise to the Most High in song. A good example is our forefathers, who were shipped like cattle from Africa to the New World as slaves. They knew nothing about Christianity, it was their master’s faith, but they ended up practising it more sincerely than their masters. It’s the Negro Spirituals, based on the Lord’s promises in the Bible that they sang continuously in the cotton and sugar plantations in a strange land that gave them the strength and faith to keep on keeping on, in the sure, certain hope that one day their children would be born free. And eventually it happened, the physical shackles were removed, although the mental ones are still kept in place, subliminally. Friends, whatever your circumstances, free or bond, in your own country, or taken ‘aforeign’, the Word of the Lord, His Song, can never be taken away from you. It may be muted, as the early Christians and New World slaves were forced to practice their faith in secret, but never, never removed from your soul, your spirit, unless you allow it. And when times get hard, that’s when you need to sing and praise Him the most. Much LOVE!…remember…only in death…can the song of the Lord…be truly quelled…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 March 2008 Isaiah 40:9-11‏

10 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 40:9-11    O Zion, that bringest good tidings, Get thee up into the high mountains; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold the Lord God will come with a strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
 
Oh yes Friends, it’s only fitting that we should raise our voices, fearlessly and faithfully, and shout to all the world, ‘Behold your God, People!’ There’s none like Him. ‘Behold the Lord God will come with a strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him.’ For He’s mightier than the mightiest; stronger than the strongest; an unstoppable force! He created the heavens, the earth, and all therein! Lord of Lords! King of Kings! The One and Only True God! That’s our God Friends! Hn,hn! Got to tell myself, hold down brother, hold down, don’t get too carried away. I guess the continuation of Isaiah’s rhetoric from yesterday got me going. Now that’s not a bad thing, because we need to recognize, admire and praise the power and majesty of our God. But as the old people say, ‘Drunk or sober, mind yuh business.’ It’s not just about talk, but lots of action too, which Bruh Isaiah also highlights. ‘Behold his reward is with him, and his work before him.’ Note, even the Most High, works, though He doesn’t need to. And He doesn’t showboat that awesome strength either, instead He stresses, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit.’ He prefers to work quietly in the background, through His Spirit, rather than His mighty arm. Then, Bruh Isaiah, having proclaimed the Lord’s might and majesty, skilfully shows His other side: His loving, tender, merciful, kind nature. ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ Oh People, how wonderful! He’s talking about us. That’s how the Most High guides and protects us; like a shepherd taking care of his sheep. And when we are sad and broken, unable to fend for ourselves, He tenderly picks us up and places us against His loving, generous heart to regenerate our strength, carrying us till we’re well again. Oh Friends, how can we not LOVE, worship, adore, praise and revere such a magnificent, ever loving, ever caring Being eh! That is why we’ve got to do our part; spread His Word and live that life of LOVE that he extols, so that all mankind will eventually praise Him and shout to the high heavens: ‘Behold, Our God!’ Hn! Like the ole fella in full cry today people (smile) As always though, Much LOVE!…it’s so uplifting…when we praise…thank…and glorify…our Heavenly Father…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 March 2008 Isaiah 40:6-8‏

09 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 40:6-8    The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: Surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever.
 
Now which voice said, Cry? According to Isaiah, ‘The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’ (Vs.3) This is after he prophesied to King Hezekiah that Babylon would overrun Israel and take them away to captivity. Then he launched into a monologue about the greatness of our God. His logic is interesting. All flesh is grass, and whatever good thing flows from it, is like a pretty flower in the field. However, the grass withers and dies, while the flower fades. Why? Because that’s the way the Lord decreed it. His spirit blows over it. Now since he’s already said, that all flesh is grass, and people are flesh, the logical deduction is ‘Surely the people is grass.’ And since the flower fades and the grass withers and dies, then if people are grass, then they too must wither and die. Elementary eh, my dear Watson! (smile) ‘But the word of our God will stand forever!’ Amen! That’s the clue that Sherlock Holmes was missing , the vital clue he needed to solve the mystery. Even though the substance of the earth withers and dies, the Word of the Most High God shall never disappear, it shall live on forever. And there’s evidence to prove it. The Word has already survived thousands of years; from the days of our Father, Abraham, through Moses and all the Old Testament Prophets, to Jesus and His Disciples, right down to us in this day of rampant sin and turmoil. Note however, that it will only live on if we teach it to our children. And right now I think we’ve got to do a better job in that respect, than we’re currently doing. Too many of them are running around out there in the crazy, evil world without a clue about the Word. They are lost, and consequently are prime targets for the enemy’s ferocious onslaught. Remember People, it’s the Word that gives us the necessary strength to repel the enemy, and if our young uns don’t have the powerful protection of its armour-like qualities, then they are very likely to fall into the enemy’s clutches, as so many have already done. So it behoves us Friends, to get out there, on the battlefield that’s the world, and fight. Fight for our children and the future generations; spread the Word, bring people to the One and Only True God. We wouldn’t want to make Bruh Isaiah a liar now, would we? (smile) Then we have to ensure that the Word of our God is passed down, so his claim will be justified, ‘but the word of our God shall stand forever.’ Much LOVE! …we can’t experience the strength of the Word…until we know…and live…the Word…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 March 2008 Ezekiel 7:25-27.‏

08 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ezekiel 7:25-27    Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none. Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet, but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients. The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled: I will do unto them after their way, and according to their deserts will I judge them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.
 
The Lord must certainly have been hurt and angry at His chosen people, Israel, to make such a terrible pronouncement  through Ezekiel. But Friends, that’s what happens when we continually disobey God’s rules. It’s true He’s long suffering, merciful, forgiving and all that good stuff, but if wilful disobedience continues unabated, at some stage He’s going to get fed up and say, enough’s enough. I certainly hope I’m wrong, but it seems like He’s losing patience with us. Look at the chaos and turmoil in our world. If He was impressed with us, He could intervene, but sadly, there’s no intervention, things are getting worse daily. Can it be like Bruh Zeke said? ‘Destruction cometh!’ Similarities do exist; for instance peace. There are numerous areas of strife, where peace has been continuously sought after, but all to no avail: the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Central America, and then there’s poor Mother Africa. Oh Friends, her soul has just been ripped apart with turmoil and strife over the years. In some places there are generations who don’t even know the meaning of peace, have never experienced it. There is mischief galore; evil works abound everywhere. Our leaders and visionaries entrusted with our future seem clueless as to what’s happening and why, and are blindly leading us down the wide, rough road to destruction. Some of the rich are getting richer, but many are losing their shirt and joining the ranks of the poor, headed towards destitution. Is this a time when our God is saying, ‘I will do unto them after their way, and according to their deserts will I judge them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.’ Oh people, I hope not. But the only way to stem this tide of violence and misfortune Friends, is to turn back to the One and only True, Living God, Jehovah. He is just and merciful and always open to repentance. But Friends we’ve got to raise a storm of passion now, stir up a LOVE revolution, a return to a Christian way of living, if we ever hope to avoid the self destruction and conflagration that we’re speedily heading for. Let’s get up and do something about it now please. Much LOVE!…the time to act…is NOW…tomorrow…may be too late…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 March 2008 1 Peter 2:9-12,15‏

07 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Peter 2: 9-12,15    But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into marvellous light. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of the foolish man.
 
Listen up Friends! Peter’s writing to strangers, scattered all over the then known world, but all joined together in the same worthy cause; believers in Jesus Christ. I like how he terms them, ‘a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.’ Yes Friends, that’s us too. Although we may be strangers, living in different parts of a much larger world, we are still all joined as one body in Christ; ‘now the people of God…now having obtained mercy.’ So, as the Rock on which Christ built His Church says, we should sing out the praises of the one, Jesus, who brought us out of darkness into the marvellous light, by dying on the cross to redeem our sins. He also admonishes us to stay away from fleshly lusts that corrupt the soul. Refrain from things that will drive us back into the arms of the enemy. He further advises us to keep our conversation and behaviour honest and above board, so that the unbelievers, amongst whom we dwell, and who think we’re evil, will see our continued good works, and eventually change their minds, believe and glorify God. Friends, that’s our purpose, our mission; to win over unbelievers. So though we are a diverse lot, in different locations, in various stages of Christian growth, we are all ONE in the Lord, joined by a sameness of mind, principles and beliefs, working together for the glory of God. But we can only do that by upholding the high principles of our leader, Jesus. Bruh Peter put it so nicely: ‘For so is the will of God, that with well doing, ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.’ Please my Friends, let’s not be weary in well doing, so that others may see the marvellous light Jesus showed us. Much LOVE!…when we lead the way…others will follow…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 March 2008 Deuteronomy 23:21-23‏

06 Mar 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Deuteronomy 23: 21-23    When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform, even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.
 
Promises, Promises, Promises! A sweet sounding word that carries an awesome responsibility; defined as ‘an assurance given to a person that one will do, or not do something, or will give or procure him something.’ A vow is a solemn, more serious promise, that in olden times was considered sacred, and not given lightly. A man’s word was as good as gold, you could take it all the way to the bank. His honour, his integrity, his reputation, depended to a great extent on whether or not he kept his promises. In Today’s Bit, Moses is warning the Israelites about making vows to God. You had better keep them, because God will hold you to it, and impute it to you as sin. It’s better not to vow and be held sinless. Even when we promise something that’s not required by God’s law, once we open our mouth, it should be kept. Friends, that point of view should also apply to our fellow humans. But sadly, it seems to have withered and died over the years. Now we say, promises are made to be broken. Oh People, how unfortunate! It’s the bane of our society. We make vows that we have no intention of keeping. A man’s word is no longer honourable. Integrity has disappeared. A handshake no longer seals a deal. Even written contracts are broken with impunity. It’s even supported in the law; ‘Buyer Beware,’ so disreputable sellers can make false claims and promises, but the onus falls on the buyer. Where has our trust and decency gone eh? Scam artists are having a field day, especially amongst the older folks, who still retain some of that trusting mentality. More often than not, the crooks get away with it too. We’ve even dressed it up in a nice name; ‘white collar crime,’ and it seems to incur much less punishment than the ‘blue collar’ kind, although it usually causes much more damage. Something  is wrong with that picture Friends. As somebody said, nowadays, promises are the devil’s best friend. Anyway, I’d like to see us go back to the days when a promise was a promise; it meant something; you intended to keep it, and not the frivolous, insincere intentions we now spout. It’s the only way we can restore some of that trust we’ve lost in each other. It’s interesting how we talk about God’s promises and expect Him to keep them, but what about us eh? If we’re followers of God, then we have that same responsibility. But talk is so cheap and plentiful now, with the cell phone rage. We’ve become a talkative society, mostly talking because we can. Friends, I’m imploring us to let our words be fewer and more meaningful, and when we make a promise, a pledge, a covenant, however we term it, let’s be sincere and have the good intention to keep it. That’s God’s way. It should also be ours. Much LOVE!…remember…a vow…is a vow…is a vow…
 

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries