Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 January 2008 2 Peter 2: 20-21‏

25 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Peter 2:20-21    For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
 
Oh Friends, we all know that a life truly dedicated to Christ can be rough at times. But once we’ve embraced the Faith, we cannot, we must not, go back to where we came from; the materialism and all the other negative aspects of our crazy, misguided world. Peter is saying that having escaped the wickedness of the world through acknowledgement of Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, if we get entangled in that negativity again, and are overcome by it, succumb to it, then it’s a sad, sad day, ‘ the latter end is more than the beginning.’  Friends, turncoats are liked by nobody, because they can’t be trusted to remain loyal to any one side. Bruh Pete claims that we would be better off not having known the Lord at all, than knowing Him and then going back to our wicked ways. The price we pay for jumping ship is much higher than if we had never signed on at all. Bruh Pete maintains that when we make that about turn, we’re living up to the proverb about the dog returning to its vomit, and a washed pig, going back to wallow in the mud, because that’s all they know, and seem to like. Yes people, it’s hard to stay focussed in today’s world with all the glitz and glamour hurled at us from every side. But remember, all that glitters is not gold, but mostly gold plated or just shiny brass. So when these trials come against us, we’ve got to stand strong, call on the Most High to help us resist the temptation to revert to our more sinful ways. Don’t be afraid. The Lord understands. He knows that to genuinely perform our calling, we’ve got to be in the evil world, to be where the sinners are. As Jesus said, He came to save sinners, that’s why He hung out with them. The same goes for us: We can’t help Him, if we sit in our ivory towers, far away from the reality of it all. We’ve got to mix and mingle too, but with the realization that we’re the ones who must instigate change in the world, not the other way around. We’ve got to be in the world, but not of the world. As I keep saying Friends, it’s not easy. There’s a whole lot of lovely stuff out there to make our mouths water, and a whole heap of people to encourage us to partake. However, if it does not fit J.C’s plan, then we’ve got to resist the temptation. And my people, we can do it; through prayer, a strong resolve, maturation in the Word and the able assistance of our help-mate, the Holy Spirit. Much LOVE!…nobody loves a backslider…least of all Jesus…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 January 2008 Obadiah 1:3-4‏

24 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Obadiah 1:3-4    The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwelleth in the clefts of the rocks, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exaltest thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.
 
Beware, ye proud and haughty! That’s Obadiah’s warning to the people of Edom. They exalted themselves without consideration of the Most High, and He intensely dislikes those particular traits of pride and ‘self exaltation.’ He likes to be given His just due. Understand this people, we can do nothing without the Lord’s help. So if our star happens to shine rather brightly and we rise to abnormal heights, don’t pound your chest and figure it was all your doing. The Creator, most likely, had a hand in it. Hn! But have you ever noticed that the wealthy and pretentious just seem to gravitate to high places to build their luxurious abodes? It’s always something Hills, Heights, or Cliffs, but invariably the homes of the power brokers tend to be on higher ground than those of ordinary folk. And oftimes, how much you possess, dictates how high up you live. But have you also noticed the contradictory phenomenon, that at the foot of most of these posh mountainsides, resides a poor, ghetto-like enclave? You’ve got to pass through the run down section, to get to the wealthy heights. Friends, there’s nothing wrong with building a nice house in the high hills. The problem develops when you allow that to become a status symbol; believing that you’ve arrived, that it gives you bragging rights, makes you better than others, and you begin strutting like a peacock, forgetting your humble roots, being consumed by the powerful, but also destructive sin of pride. Sadly though, our society today is mired in the adulation of the so-called celebrity; the ego-maniacal system that overnight, creates stars and superstars out of fickle, feeble persons without any real inner strength or substance. Notice too, that these insubstantial stars crash and burn just as quickly. The latest being Heath Ledger; Star Extraordinary, Sex Symbol. It seems he had the world by the tail, but at age 28, he crashed and burned, alone, in a lonely hotel room, apparently of an overdose of something or other. Friends, this fast, high stepping, loose living, better than thou lifestyle that’s so prevalent today, is not conducive to the good, brotherly relationships the Most High wants us to cultivate. It only causes us to try to outdo each other, then primp and preen and boast about what we have and where we live. The acquisition of material wealth is quite acceptable, when used to help our brothers, not lord it over them. As the Crown Prince of Reggae, Dennis Brown, says in one of his songs, ‘Birds fly too fast, miss their nests, and if yuh run, run too fast, yuh bound to tumble down.’  Friends, please don’t let that happen to us. Selfish, high minded living is not what Jesus is about, and if we foolishly exalt ourselves as eagles, and build our nests on high, ‘thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.’ Much LOVE!…remember…pride goeth before a fall…always did… and always shall…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 January 2008 Luke 12:37,38,40‏

23 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Luke 12: 37,38,40.  Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord, when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth to serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
 
Warning Friends! Urgent Warning! The Master can return at any time. Those are His words of solemn advice, advance notification in Today’s Bit. It therefore behoves us to be ready. Like the servants He talks about, we should always be watching, waiting and ready for whatever time He comes; be it late night or bright noon day. If we’re not ready, then we’ll be left behind. Simple as that. As Jesus says in verse 39, if the house owner knew when the thief was going to come, he would be ready for him. But obviously he doesn’t, that means he’s always got to be on the lookout, since the thief can strike at any time. We are caught in the same kind of dilemma; we know for sure that Jesus is coming back, just not when. It could be today, tomorrow, or many moons yet, that’s why we’ve got to get right with Him, right now. Tomorrow may be too late. Who knows if any of us will wake up tomorrow, or if He’ll come while we’re asleep? That’s why Friends it’s extremely urgent to set our house in order: repent of our sins; acknowledge Him in our hearts as Lord and Saviour, gracefully accept the forgiveness He died to provide us, then live as obediently to His will as possible; spread His word vocally and through our lifestyle, and be constantly on the lookout for His coming again. We don’t want to be caught unawares, that would be a disaster from which we’ll never recover, since the next time He comes will be the LAST. Friends, I don’t want to belabour the point, but it’s one of the most important aspects of our Christian Faith; to be ready for the Lord’s coming. We’ve made our earthly world safe, with provisions for all sorts of disasters; smoke alarms and fire extinguishers in our homes, firemen to out the big ones, police to fight crime, hospitals, health workers, and ambulances for sickness, even 911 and several other Hotlines for different emergencies. But Friends, what about the life after this one eh…eternity? Is your security system in place? Are you ready? If J.C came tomorrow, would He find you watching and ready? Let’s hope so. Otherwise, please, I implore you, please get connected with Him, right now, this very minute, so that you can be ready when He comes again to receive us in Glory. I can’t overstate it’s importance. That’s why Jesus solemnly warned, ‘Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour, when ye think not.’ Much LOVE!…remember… he who hesitates is lost… and Jesus doesn’t want to lose a single soul…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 January 2008 Psalm 139: 7-10‏

22 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 139:7-10    Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
 
Wonderful words of strength and encouragement from Bruh David, people! And it ties in beautifully with the theme of the Holy Spirit that we’ve been talking about the last few days. Long before Jesus’ came, Bruh David knew about the all embracing, all knowing power and majesty of God’s Spirit. Discovered it as a lonely shepherd boy, with lots of time to think, and dream and eventually experience the powerful presence of some unknown entity in his soul. He most likely could not name or explain the phenomenon, but he surely felt it moving and working within him. And as he matured, that entity within him also matured, until he finally divined that it was the awe inspiring Spirit of his God that dwelt in him. At some stage of that maturation, he realized that the Spirit was also a guide, not that he always followed its guidance. That’s why he could express his sentiments with such surety. ‘Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?’ He gratefully acknowledges that wherever he goes, so will his God, within him. Friends, it’s the same with us. When we believe, His Spirit comes to dwell in us, and matures with us as we mature in the Word. Remember, our God exists as a Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and being made in His image, we also exist as a Trinity of mind, body and soul, three different functional levels. The Father though, likes to work mostly through the internal, the spiritual side. That’s why we’ve got to pay particular attention, listen closely, to that still, small voice within us, whenever it speaks, even if we don’t agree with it, or do as it says, since it’s often the Most High trying to communicate with us. As Bruh David found out, through hard experience, we can’t run nor hide from it, because it dwells within us, and, like one of our internal organs, goes wherever we go. Meaning, we can neither run nor hide from our God since He lives within us in His Spirit form. And why would we want to run or hide from our Heavenly Father anyway? If we’ve done wrong, and are genuinely sorry, He’s only too willing to forgive us. So who in his right mind would want to run from such a loving and merciful Father eh? However, He gave us the power of choice, and unfortunately, we’ve become a very, disobedient and self indulgent animal who needs to be occasionally reminded that we are not the end all and be all; our God is, and whether we go to heaven or hell, fly away on the wings of the morning or plumb the depths of the sea, ‘Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.’ Oh Friends, what an awesome, awesome Truth! Please, listen, believe and follow! Much LOVE! …remember…yuh can’t run…and yuh can’t hide…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 January 2008 John 14: 16-18‏

21 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 14: 16-18    And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
 
Another marvellous promise of Jesus: If you believe in Him, He will comfort you through the Holy Spirit. Most definitely my Friends! Today, we’re continuing with Jesus’ last strategy session with His disciples. He knew that His grand entrance on the main stage was imminent, that the curtain would soon rise and set in motion the most powerful story in Man’s History. So like any good general and wise leader, He brought His troops together to finalize their battle plans, so that everyone would be on the same page when the battle was joined. In Today’s Bit, He is reassuring them that they won’t be leaderless, since He would not be there in the flesh, or bear the brunt of battle alone, cause He would pray to the Father, who would send them another Comforter, one that would stay with them forever. The Spirit of Truth would be sent to dwell within them. A Spirit only people like them, who had seen and known Him, and therefore the Father, could receive. Then, with the disciples undoubtedly hanging on His every word, He promised with the utmost sincerity:  ‘I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.’  Friends, I don’t know how the disciples felt, whether they were really reassured, what with all the controversy Jesus had stirred up in the area by His unconventional teaching, and the turmoil His crucifixion would soon cause, but I do know that we are the lucky recipients of their faith, hard work and suffering. We have no cause to doubt or be afraid. We know for a fact that He kept His promise to have the Holy Spirit dwell within and comfort them, and He does the same for each believer. Jesus knew that His followers would face a lot of difficulty in spreading His Word, which did not jive with the accepted norm, that’s why He arranged a help-mate for us; the Holy Spirit. Friends, that help-mate is Jesus, in Spirit form, keeping His promise. ‘I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.’  Much LOVE!…remember…the Most High said…Not by might, nor by power…but by My Spirit…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 January 2008 John 14: 6-7‏

20 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 14: 6-7    Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
 
More powerful, encouraging, liberating words people, from the One and Only! His answer to the query of doubting Thomas, about where He was going and how He would get there. It’s a continuation of yesterday’s prep talk that Jesus gave His disciples concerning His ascension. Friends, these are some of the most important words ever spoken. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ How profound! But also simple and straightforward. If you want to get into the Father’s presence, you’ve got to go through the Son. Guess we could liken Him to the Executive Assts. of some of today’s CEO’s. You can’t darken their space unless you go through the Assistant first. So there it is Friends, laid out in plain terms for us. If we want to come into God’s presence, we’ve first got to make an appointment with His Executive Asst; His Son; Jesus Christ, otherwise we’ll never get to where the Father’s holding court. Jesus also made another interesting, slightly rebuking comment to His disciples, saying that if they had really known Him, Jesus, they would also have known His Father, but from then, they could consider themselves to have known and also seen Him. That’s because Jesus was just like His Father. As we say, ‘oh, he looks just like his father eh, a chip of the old block!’  But Jesus was more than just a chip, He was the ‘spitting image’: the Father in Son form. That’s why He could afford to make those seemingly rash and outlandish statements. And we’ve also got to understand that the disciples were simple, down to earth, uneducated folk, who had forsaken their friends and families, and in some cases a decent livelihood, to follow this unconventional preacher, who, having put their lives in jeopardy, was now telling them that He was going away and all that other stuff. Of course they would be concerned and confused. Luckily for us though Friends, it’s already been spelt out for us, so we don’t need to be concerned or confused. But it’s also why we have no excuses for not readily accepting the gracious mercy and forgiveness offered through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Friends, I strongly suggest that we all get connected with Him right now, because His train is pulling out for the glory land at any time, and in the immortal words of one of Lord Kitchener’s early calypsos, ‘Last train to San Fernando…and if you miss this one, you’ll never get another one…’  People, this is the ONLY train to Glory! Please, please don’t miss it. Much LOVE!…believe Him when He says…I am the only way… it’s the Gospel Truth…! 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 January 2008 John 14: 1-3‏

19 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 14: 1-3    Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you  unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.
 
Oh Friends, what a heart-warming bit of encouragement! From our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, no less. ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.’ Ahhh! Can’t you just feel the weight of the world fall right off your weary shoulders? (smile). But People, it’s for real; very consoling and reassuring. We take comfort from lesser statements of lesser mortals, how much more comforting it is to hear the immortal Son of God, say to us. ‘Let not your heart be troubled ‘ eh? Plenty, plenty consoling and comforting, reassuring and encouraging! Jesus is talking to His disciples, explaining what He expected of them, and what was to be, prepping them for His ascension. He was at the top of His game, and went on to make the most awesome promise. ‘I go to prepare a place for you.’ His disciples were obviously baffled by His statement, as evidenced by Thomas saying in Verse 5. ‘Lord, we know not whither thou goest.’  But today Friends, we aren’t baffled, not in the least. We know exactly what He meant and where He was going: To His Father’s house in Heaven, the one with many mansions, where He would begin preparing a place for us, and all those who’ve ever believed in Him, so that when He comes again in all His Glory and Majesty, He’ll take us Home to be with Him forever; right through eternity. And if you don’t believe me, a lesser mortal, then Friends, listen to the words of the one and only, Jesus Christ; Son of the Most High, Redeemer of Sins, Saviour of His People, Light of the World: ‘I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.’ Amen! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Give thanks to our Wonderful Saviour! The ole fella’s fired up people. (smile) So stop worrying and fretting. Let’s just get right down to the nitty gritty and do the work we’ve been called to do. He will always be there to help us. Gospel Truth People! Much Much LOVE My Friends!…remember… promises of the Most High…the Most Faithful…are never broken…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 January 2008 Romans 3: 17-18‏

18 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Romans 3: 17-18    And the way of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
 
It’s so sad Friends, that those words are applicable to way too many of us today. Peace! What’s that? A veritable figment of our imagination, since we only pay lip service to it. How can it be otherwise eh, when most of the earth is consumed by war and unholy strife? In Romans 3, Paul is comparing the Jews and Gentiles way of life, how each relates to God. His conclusion. None is better; ‘…they are all under sin…there is none righteous, no, not one.’ And he goes on to show that both groups have the same shortcomings, which includes Today’s Bit. We seem to be war mongers much more than lovers of peace. We are the only animal that kills for fun. All others kill for either food or protection. But the human animal takes great joy in killing, especially itself, for rather, spurious, insignificant reasons; greed, simple fun, perceived disrespect, differences in culture and outward appearance, religious fanaticism, or some other kind of ism. All to what purpose eh people? The many wars and conflicts that have engulfed and damaged our beautiful earth over the last few centuries have proven or solved nothing. It’s basically the same issues over and over again, some in just a different guise. Somebody thinks they are better, or more worthy in some egotistical, and/or hypocritical way than some body else, or they feel aggrieved by some perceived injustice, and away we go. Is it worth all the turmoil and destruction? I don’t think so. And the worst part is that a lot of it is done in the name of God. How contradictory eh! All the religions preach Peace and LOVE, but they all wage war on the same premise. How disheartening.  As Bruh Paul claims, ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ We obviously don’t revere and respect Him enough, else we would not be engaged in so much conflict, certainly not in His Name. Oh Friends, we’re sliding down a slippery slope to total destruction, and we’re picking up speed too. There aren’t too many areas left where serious confrontation is not the order of the day. And new ones are constantly popping up, without resolving any old ones. So if we’re not careful, our entire planet, beautiful Mother Earth, could soon be engulfed in worldwide conflict from which she’ll never recover. Is this the legacy we want to leave? I doubt it. The only way to avoid this is for all of us to seriously start mending fences, building and repairing bridges that have caused  the angry, unholy divisions amongst God’s children. Friends, let’s start doing it now, today, before it’s too late. Let’s talk to our rulers, our politicians, the power brokers, our neighbours, friends and families, to ourselves. We have enough natural disasters to deal with, we don’t need a whole set of stupid, unnecessary man made ones too. Much LOVE!…consider this…societies that ignore God’s word…eventually perish…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 January 2008 2 Timothy 3: 10-12‏

17 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Timothy 3: 10-12    But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience. Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
 
Oh Friends, it is indeed a rough and rocky road we travel when we set out to be sincere followers of Jesus Christ. Nobody knew this better than Paul. He certainly paid the price for his beliefs. Say what yuh want about him, he always stood up for his convictions, and did his work with positive zeal. He persecuted the early Church  with such a frenzy, that even after his conversion, believers were still scared of him. But it’s with that same zealous spirit that he embarked on his work for Christ. None of the other Apostles seemed driven like him. As he tells his protégé, Timothy, ‘But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience.’ Yes Friends, Jesus said it, and He spoke from hard experience too; anyone who follows Him will experience much heartache and sorrow. Paul echoed that, not only in words but in his life. He didn’t falter in spite of all the affliction he suffered. In fact, he said it made him strong, when he suffered for Christ. Right on Bruh Paul! However Friends, a faithful walk with J.C doesn’t mean we’ll all suffer like Paul, or Jesus, Himself. It just means that at times we’ll have a tough, uphill climb, because the things we’re trying to instil, like peace, LOVE, kindness, mercy and forgiveness run contrary to the teachings of the world, which is currently controlled by the powers of evil. So obviously they will resent our positive actions, because if we succeed, sorry, when we succeed, they’ll lose their evil choke hold on the world, be destroyed and cast into outer darkness, along with their wicked ways. So do not despair people. We’re on the winning team. Any team that has Jesus as its leader can’t help but win. The going might be rough, but at the end of time, there’s no doubt about the winner! As Bruh Paul staunchly stated, ‘what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.’ Friends, He’ll do the same for us. He won’t let us suffer unnecessarily, if we are doing His will. And no suffering will be in vain. So let’s stand strong! With the help of the Holy Spirit, let’s resist the enemy, and with a steely faith, do whatever the Most High has called us to do. He’s promised to be always with us. On that you can rely. It’s like money in the bank…the good ones,that is. (smile) Much LOVE!   remember…though the road may be rough…and the way dark…the light of victory shines brightly at the end…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 January 2008 Hebrews 13: 1-3‏

16 Jan 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Hebrews 13: 1-3    Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourself also in the body.
 
Today’s Bit was easy, as it was one of those I had to choose from yesterday. It also continues in the same vein; talking about the traits we need to cultivate and practice. Bruh Paul is telling the Hebrews to let brotherly LOVE continue. That’s for sure, since it’s somewhat difficult, if not impossible to claim you LOVE Jesus, whom you’ve never seen, and not LOVE your brother whom you’ve seen. Also be careful when you’re entertaining strangers. Always give of your best, because it could be an angel, a good samaritan, or somebody who is supposed to play a helpful role in your life, and if you’re anything less than gracious, it could spoil everything the Most High had planned for you. Remember, the Lord plans lots of good stuff for us, but almost always, for it to kick in successfully, we have a part to play, and if we don’t, then we miss out on the good thing. So we’ve got to be very careful how we treat people we don’t know. Paul also encourages us to think about those who are in bonds, whether it be in jail, as hostages, or whatever situation that reduces their freedom. The same thing goes for those suffering other types of adversity; be it sickness, a natural or man made disaster. We need to put ourselves in their place, pray for them, then do whatever we can to help. It’s so easy in these turbulent and unsettled times to lose your freedom, your material possessions, your health and even your life. And if any mishap befalls us, we’ll surely be looking for help and sympathy too. Bruh Paul recognized the need for us to stick together, to help each other. That’s the only way any group can survive, much less prosper. It’s all about empathy, kindness, brotherly LOVE; walking in Christ’s footsteps. And although we can never fill His shoes, we must attempt to tread the path of goodness and mercy, righteousness and truth that He has trod. Friends, it’s the only way that we can truly become His followers. Remember, He was a DOER, much more than a talker. And this quote from the song ‘Behold’ by Culture, admirably reflects these sentiments. ‘This world is like a mirror. If you face it smiling, It will smile right back to you. So do unto others, as you would have them do.’ Much LOVE!…more Culture…the countenance of one man…brighteneth another…
 

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries