Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 November 2007 Philippians 4:13

26 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Philippians 4:13.   I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me!
 
Now that’s for certain sure! O Friends, O Friends, is there a better way to start your day than proclaiming that essential fact; that mainstay of believers, that solid root that provides the unshakeable foundation of the Christian Faith? Certainly not! So let’s proclaim it again loudly nuh. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me!’ Beautiful Friends, Beautiful! Wow! Words like those speak volumes, and opens up our hearts, souls and minds. Makes us wholly receptive to the wonderful thoughts, ideas and emotions supplied by the Holy Spirit, that enable and strengthen us in our Christian walk. Hn, hn,hn! I had to chuckle, because it certainly seems to have gotten my adrenalin flowing, got the Sprit working. So it must be true eh! Yes People, J.C said that we’re nothing without Him. But with Him working in us, we can do wonders, perform miracles, like moving mountains. With just a little faith, as big as a mustard seed, and they seem to be pretty small, we can do anything. But Friends, the clincher here is that J.C, through the Holy Spirit, must be on the inside, must dwell within the inner depths of our soul. We cannot be as strong and productive as we need to be if He’s on the outside looking in. He needs to be One with us. We need to move in unison, in synch with Him; follow His lead. And we all know that once He’s leading us, we’ll never go wrong. That was Paul’s basic message to the people of Philippi: life may be rough, and Paul certainly knew about that, but with the One who died for our sins actively working in us, nothing’s impossible. That’s the same message I’m reiterating, sending out again today people. How do you think Bruh David slew Goliath, or Samson the thousand men? Not with a sling shot or a donkey’s jawbone. Those were only the physical tools. But it was the enabling power of the Mighty, Mighty Spirit of the Most High that brought them victory over seemingly stronger and more formidable foes. Deep, deep down, they believed…so they were victorious. Friends, the same holds true for us. Only believe, truly believe in the core of our beings…and we’ll eventually be victorious too. Much LOVE!…trust and obey, for there’s no better way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey.
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 November 2007 Psalm 68:1-3‏

25 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 68: 1-3.   Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him, flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
 
Be glad and exceedingly rejoice my righteous and believing Friends! More inspirational and encouraging words from Bruh David, that seemed somewhat familiar when I first read them. Later on, I realized that the idea is contained in a Peter Tosh song, though for the life of me I can’t remember the name. But I can clearly hear him saying ‘…as the wax melteth, so let them be melteth Jah Jah! Let them be scattered, battered, mattered…’ or sentiments to that effect. Yuh see, is not me alone who likes Bruh David’s lyrics (smile,) Anyway, it’s a fitting destruction for the enemy; those dark, dangerous, intimidating forces of evil, who try to undermine the power and good works of the Most High. Friends, we must always be on guard, extremely careful not to let them get a foothold in our lives, because, like a cancerous cell, they secretly invade our being, then immediately multiply like crazy,and in no time at all will be controlling our behaviour. Using us to do the devious, destructive work of the enemy and not the good, kind works of our Heavenly Father. Remember, it’s a war Friends, between the forces of good and evil. And the enemy plays real dirty; he has no scruples, will use anything or anyone to gain an advantage. So we must always be on a constant alert, a constant lookout for the searching, slimy tentacles of evil. However Friends, however, the good news is that we have the most amazing, most powerful powers riding shotgun for us, those being, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit! What an awesome trio eh! So there is no need to fear, just have faith, stand strong and ask our outriders to scatter the enemy, drive them away like smoke before the wind, melt them like wax…then be grateful, give thanks and exceedingly rejoice. Much LOVE!…the powers of evil never rest, so be extra careful.
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 November 2007 Psalm 67.‏

24 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 67:  God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us. Selah. That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. Let the people praise thee, O god, let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him. 
 
It’s one of those days when I just asked for guidance, opened the Good Book, saw Psalm 67 and decided to use it all. It’s a song of prayer and praise. Bruh David is in good form; strong voice. He’s asking the Most High to shower us with mercy and blessings, so that the whole earth would see and recognize His awesome power. But Friends, it’s a two way street: In return for those blessings, we should be glad, sing for joy and shower Him with praise, because He’s such a righteous judge and governor. And know too, that when we sing and praise Him, He blesses us, the earth multiplies her yield, we live in peace and harmony. It’s a never ending circle: We praise Him, He blesses us; He blesses us, we praise Him! The U.S recently celebrated their Thanksgiving. Hopefully an appropriate amount of thanks and praise was offered. Today, I’m saying a special ‘Thanks Lord!’ for achieving my three score years… hopefully at least another ten to go (smile). It’s been a long, arduous road, with many obstacles along the way, but overall, it’s certainly been adventurous and interesting. Could not have done it without His help though. He’s brought me through it all, safe and sound…well, disregarding the usual infirmities of aging. That’s why I’m saying another mighty big, ‘Thanks Lord!’ And as Bruh David shouts out in Today’s Bit, not once, but also twice: ‘Let the people praise thee, O God: let all the people praise thee!’  Friends, He’s been awfully good to us, so let’s give Him His rightful due nuh. Much LOVE! …and plenty, plenty thanks and praise!
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 November 2007 1 John 4:16…‏

23 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 John 4:16…   GOD IS LOVE.                  

                                                                            MAJORING IN LOVE! 

Two nights ago, while watching my 3rd Drama Queen, Joyce Meyer preach, she said something that stirred me up something powerful. She talked about a major in LOVE; like a subject in school, and I just went WOW! Now wouldn’t that be most excellent; if we could all major in LOVE! Hence the title above. That thought touched me deeply because I’m a great believer in LOVE, and try to practice it as best I can, remember though I’m only human too eh, so I’m not perfect (smile) Anyway, today I went searching for an appropriate Bit and finally found it in 1 John 4: 16: GOD IS LOVE! The remainder of the verse says, ‘and he that dwelleth in LOVE, dwelleth in God, and God in him.’  But I only needed the first three words since it’s the best, the most compelling and accurate description of our Heavenly Father that a human mind can comprehend. Nothing else comes close to those four letters joined together to form that powerful, all encompassing word LOVE! You know J.C gave us two major rules to live by; LOVE your God and your neighbour. But in actual fact it’s only one. All He’s told us to do is LOVE! And as Joyce pointed out, if all we ever did was LOVE, then we would not have to worry about anything else, since LOVING is doing everything that pleases God. Yes People! All we need to do is go around in a constant state of LOVE. And remember Friends (and children too) that LOVE is an ACTION word. It means doing, not simply talking. It means actually being kind, caring, considerate, humble, patient, forgiving, understanding, helping and those selfless things, that for some reason though, too many of us find so difficult to do. J.C said in Luke 6:27-28; ‘to LOVE your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.’  Now that’s real LOVE in ACTION!  I know it’s hard to practice LOVE amongst those who don’t, or in the face of adversity, but it’s the standard we should all aspire to. It’s the human perfection, the utopian ideal, the closest we can come to being God-like. Much LOVE!…with plenty, plenty LOVE practicing…and always, always remember, the greatest act of LOVE ever…The Most High, giving His one and only Son, J.C. to die on the cross to redeem out sinful souls! How much more LOVING than that can we get eh Friends?

Today’s Scrip=Bit 22 November 2007 Psalm 47:6 & 68:19‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 47:6 & 68:19.   Sing praises to God, sing praises unto our King, sing praises.  Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

 HAPPY THANKSGIVING  DAY SOUTH OF THE 49th PARALLEL!

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the good, ole U.S of A. Praise the Lord! The world has never before seen, nor will ever see a country like it again. Talk about contradiction though: At once the most outwardly prosperous, yet having enormous poverty. Possessing the most religions, if not the most religious, but simultaneously, the most sinful. Supposedly the most democratic, but very much racially motivated and divided. Having some of the best places of learning, yet sadly an abnormally large portion of the population is uneducated. Having the best and most powerful armaments, but unable to win wars in the desert and jungle. I’ve always said that if Mao really wanted to learn about Contradiction, he should study the U.S.A. However, this is not meant to be a negative critique of our Friends to the south. We all know their faults and foibles. This is their biggest day of the year and we’re offering our heartfelt congratulations. It’s the day when most families come together to give thanks and praise and celebrate their good fortune. It’s not closely tied to any one religion, like Easter and Christmas, so the diverse cultures feel freer to join in the celebration. And that’s the way it should be! It’s the biggest day of LOVE in the U.S!  I feel sorry for the poor turkeys who gave up their lives for the occasion. But the Business People are happy. Money and good wishes are flowing like water from a broken dam. Let’s just hope that some of it trickles down to it’s suffering, unfortunate, poverty stricken citizens. LOVE is also abounding today. Friends, let’s pray that a fair amount of it will last all year long, and that they’ll continue to give Thanks and Praise to the Most High. Much LOVE!…. we’ve got to pray for them, that they stand strong, because a lot of us are still tied to their navel strings, and as they go, so do we.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 November 2007 Haggai 2: 4-5‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Haggai 2: 4-5   Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord, and be strong, O Joshua. son of Josedech, the high priest, and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts. According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.
 
Haggai’s words are featured today again since it’s a continuation of yesterday’s story. After suggesting that the Israelites consider their ways, the Lord informed them that He had purposely allowed their misfortune because they had refurbished their houses while forsaking His. However, being a kind, considerate and magnanimous entity, He gave them a second chance. They should go to the mountain and get wood to rebuild His house. That would give Him great pleasure and glory. Reluctantly they obeyed. But He’s such a loving, faithful God, that a month later, while they were struggling to build the temple, He sent Haggai with another message; one of encouragement and inspiration; Today’s Bit. He also told them that the new church would be magnificent, much nicer than the old one, and in that one He would give them peace. Oh Friends, what else can the Most high do to show His LOVE for us eh? He never changes. If we are obedient to Him, He deals decently with us, but if we aren’t, what else can we expect? We don’t show half as much disrespect for our earthly fathers as we do for the One in Heaven, possibly because we know the immediate physical thrashing the earthly ones will bestow on us. But remember Friends, He’s promised that we will pay for our disobedience, even though He LOVES us dearly and will always be there to strengthen and guide us. He doesn’t specify when, where, or how we’ll pay, but make no mistake people, we’ll pay. He also gave us freedom of choice, but be warned, there’s no freeness in freedom. It always comes with a great responsibility. So Friends, please, please, let’s choose wisely; let’s choose to be His obedient followers nuh! Much LOVE!…note, the price of disobedience is never worth the pleasure.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 November 2007 Haggai 1: 5-7‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Haggai 1:5-7   Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider you ways. Ye have sown much and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
 
I like that suggestion  from the Most High; Consider your ways! Apparently at that particular time, the Israelites were living in good houses while the Lord’s lay in ruins. So He sent the prophet Haggai to talk to Zerubbabel, the son of the Governor of Judah, and Joshua, the son of the High Priest. Note, He did not talk to the two fathers who were actually in power, but to the sons. Shows that He needed new blood, to accomplish the tasks He had in mind. And our God certainly has a most interesting way of getting His message across. He says; Now look here, yuh sowing plenty, but yuh only reaping little bit. Yuh eating and drinking, but yuh not satisfied. Yuh wearing clothes- plenty fine dan dan – but nobody warm in them. And the ones of you who actually working and earning a honest penny, all yuh doh have nothing to show for it. Oonoo doh have no savings! Wuh happen? Like oonoo putting oonoo money in a bag full a holes or something? Hn,hn,hn! I had to chuckle after writing that. But it hit the nail on the head. I just like His modus operandi, because I didn’t choose Today’s Bit either. I simply asked for guidance in choosing one and opened the Good Book, right at the beginning of Haggai and saw those words, Consider your ways, underlined in green. This is also the first time I’ve ever taken a Bit from Haggai. I don’t even have the book listed amongst my possible Bits. Friends, this tells me that the Most High is also sending us that same message. Just look at our current society: more people are working at two or three jobs than ever before, and still can’t make ends meet. Plus look at stuff like homeless shelters, food banks and soup kitchens. Previously, food banks and soup kitchens were only open during times of war, but now…hn! they’re open all the time, and can’t even get enough food to satisfy the people who come for aid. Imagine that nuh people! In such prosperous times as these, where people working harder than ever, but yet their standard of living is falling. That doh make sense. There’s never been a time of more poverty, homelessness, loss of jobs, drug and alcohol abuse, despair, discontent, violence, greed, suicide, hypocrisy, outright wrongdoing and evil, except possibly for the Depression and Prohibition Era. That sterile cliché; the poor is getting poorer, while the rich is getting richer, has never been truer. Oh Friends, People! Why is it, like the Israelites of old, we’re putting out more, but receiving less? We must be doing something wrong, somewhere.  And just like those Israelites, I believe the Most High is sending us the same message…CONSIDER YOUR WAYS!  Much LOVE!…if we seriously consider our ways, we definitely can make worthwhile improvement. 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 November 2007 Hebrews 4:16‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Hebrew’s 4:16    Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
 
Strong, powerful, encouraging words from Paul today. He’s saying that we should come before the Father with confidence and ask for whatever we need. Note however, that that confidence should be wrapped in an underlying humility, not laced with boastful pride or arrogance, for there’s nothing our Father dislikes more than a proud, arrogant person. And Paul’s reason for such a statement? He claims we have a High Priest in Heaven; J.C. intervening on our behalf, who was, at one stage, human like us, and though He remained sinless, He’s nonetheless very aware of our weaknesses and problems with the enemy because He was also tempted during His brief sojourn down here. So we should not be afraid to talk to Him since He understands what we’re going through. But remember  Friends, there must always be an air of humility, not grovelling, but a sincere respect when we communicate with the Most High. He likes, strong, confident followers, all leaders do, but they must also be obedient and follow the rules. So if we are sincerely trying to be obedient servants, there’s no need to fear when we find ourselves in a jam. In fact, He has steadfastly maintained that we should always come to Him first. Yes people, the Lord’s the first avenue of help we should seek when things get rough. If we need to go to other mortals, then He’ll direct us to them, but He should always be our first line of both defence and offence. In light of the promises He’s made; to always be with us, to help and guide us, to empower us with His Holy Spirit, how can it be otherwise eh Friends? He’s the most powerful Being in the universe…Our Heavenly Father! Much LOVE!…and remember, no entity can grow without strong, confident, obedient members.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 November 2007 Isaiah 43:..1-3…‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 43:..1-3…   …Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by name; thou art mine. When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers; they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy saviour…
 
Oh what a wonderful, loving, thoughtful God we worship! Who else but Him would think to utter those soulful words of comfort and reassurance eh? And believe you me, we certainly do need lots of reassurance in these crazy times. Yes Friends, although we can’t always be bubbly and bright, there’s no need to be overly downhearted either. We can assume an even keel, thanks to the Most High, who has weighed in with a powerful promise. Fear not! He proclaims. That alone should be enough to strengthen our hearts and minds. But He’s such an awe inspiring Being, and knowing our fragility, He expands on it: I have redeemed thee, called thee by name, thou art mine! How wonderful! And not only does He acknowledge His Fatherhood, He also assures us that He’ll be with us in times of trouble: neither floods nor fire shall harm us, because He’s the Lord, Our God, Our Saviour! What an awesome, heart-warming promise! How can we not LOVE and honour Him? So Friends, with that heavenly reassurance, let’s go forth, united and strong in His LOVE, and enthusiastically do the work He’s called us to do. As always…Much LOVE!…with plenty faith and enthusiasm.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 November 2007 Genesis 5: 25-27‏

22 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Genesis 5:25-27    And Methuselah lived an hundred and eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech: And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech, seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.
 
Today was one of those days when I could not decide what to write about. None of the powerful underlinings in my Bible stirred me. I felt a need to talk about something different. So I began at the front of the Bible, flipping through the pages. I didn’t get very far, Genesis 5, to be exact, when a bright orange underlining, the last verse, caught my eye. It spoke about Noah being five hundred years old when he fathered three sons. That still did not thrill me, but for some reason I began reading backwards, and lo and behold I discovered the story of Methuselah. I had to chuckle because I realized it was a ‘Divine Moment.’  I had not heard about Methuselah in ages, but shortly before that, he’d been mentioned in a Devotional I read. His claim to fame was being the person to live the longest in mankind’s storied history: Nine hundred and sixty nine years…Wow! His father, Enoch, had him at sixty five, but lived for another three hundred years, producing children. Methuselah himself was a hundred and eighty seven when he had Lamech, Noah’s father. And Noah was born when Lamech was a hundred and eighty two. So what’s happened since then eh? How come we’re considered lucky to get to seventy? And most of us have already lost the power to father children long before that. Back in those olden times they didn’t have the wonderful technology and medicines that we now have either. So how did we get from there to here? I guess that they also did not have the deadly diseases we’ve faced. It was a much simpler time: Physical work was the order of the day. Nights were long and restful. No setta partying and staying out late, nor as many demands on their time, so possibly less stress. I’m sure they had their own stressors, but nothing like us. And yes…the food. It was all organic. No pesticides, or all the other carcinogens we put in our food to make it look good or last long. And all this talk about organic now…chuh! It’s just so much talk, because once we introduce the unhealthy stuff  anywhere in the food chain, it’s highly likely to spread; whether it’s windblown, or transmitted by insects, animals or humans. So what’s the purpose of this discourse you ask? Truthfully, I’m not sure. I believe the Holy Spirit just lead me to make the longevity comparison between our forefathers and ourselves, possibly to highlight our negative tendencies where food and parenting are concerned, and encourage us to curb them in whatever little way we can. Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear (smile)

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries