Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 October 2007 Deuteronomy 15:11‏

21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Deuteronomy 15:11.    For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor and to thy needy, in thy land.
 
But why should there always be poverty eh, especially when there is currently so much prosperity in the land? That might have been closer to the truth when Moses was laying down the principles for the Israelites to live by, but it definitely should not be true today. Granted, everybody can’t be filthy rich, but nobody should be dirt poor either in the midst of such abundance. The income disparity; the gap between the haves and have nots is much too wide, and sadly, instead of decreasing, it’s growing even wider, not only in the western countries, but all over the world. That snide saying about the rich getting richer and the poor, poorer, is no joke. It’s a fact. Recent statistics have shown that in the last twenty years or so, the incomes of the wealthy have increased by much much more than that of the working class. The latter’s real earning power has actually fallen, what with inflation and actual roll backs in worker’s wages. And it’s only the lowly worker who’s bearing the brunt of the burden to increase the almighty bottom line, because the remuneration for those at the top have spiralled to the point of obscenity. Food banks, children going to school hungry and Homelessness have now become the rule rather than the exception. But millionaires are also now a dime a dozen, and soon, so will billionaires. All to what purpose Friends? We can’t take any of it with us, so we’ve got to try and lessen, if not stop this terrible inequity, else it’s only going to get worse. As believers we’re supposed to help each other in whatever way we can. As Moses said, we’ve got to open our hands wide to our brothers, to the poor and needy in the land. It’s our bounden duty. So please, please, let’s all try, let’s all concentrate on helping those who don’t have, by sharing some of what we have, no matter how little, by getting our wealthy friends and associates to recognize the problem and work with us to alleviate it. Then we’ll really be walking our talk, really doing the will of God. Much LOVE…and MUCH MORE SHARING with the less fortunate!
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 October 2007 1 Chronicles 28:9‏

21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Chronicles 28:9    And thou Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee: but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever.
 
That’s David talking to Solomon, after the Lord dashed his hopes and plans to build Him a fabulous House of Worship, because of his nefarious activities. Instead, the Lord said that his son Solomon would build it. However, David was savvy enough on the workings of God, not to let that disappointment sting his ego too much. Neither does he mince words, he gets straight to the point. And it’s a simple, straightforward message: Know Our God, learn about Him; serve Him willingly and truthfully, because He’s all powerful and knows all our thoughts and desires. You can’t hide anything from Him. And if you actively seek Him, you’ll find Him. But if you ignore Him, He’ll do the same to you, at your great loss. These are the things we should be telling our children from birth, so it can seep into their subconscious and lay a good foundation. Then we’ve got to find ways to continually keep Him front and centre in their lives, otherwise we’ll be doing them a great disservice. A lot of parents aren’t doing that today, for whatever reason, that’s why so many young people are turning away from God. The bright lights and beautiful, valueless, inanimate things of the world are making a bigger impact on them than our God. That means we are failing our children, a sad commentary on us. Is it too late to fix it? I hope not. And how do we fix it? I’m not sure. All I know is that we can’t give up without making a serious effort. We obviously can’t brow beat them with it at this late hour. That’ll just drive them further away. Hopefully a gentler approach will work; where we keep talking, not preaching, picking our spots a little more judiciously, and most important, living the kind of life we’re talking about, then leaving the rest to the Master. It’s been proven that examples work more forcibly on the mind than words or precepts. Much LOVE…and plenty, plenty, plenty luck with bringing our children back to the loving arms of the Most High. Sorry Daughter, couldn’t make it any shorter. Yuh know the ole fella, once he thinks it’s important, he’s got to have his say.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 October 2007 Zephaniah 2:3‏

21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Zephaniah 2:3    Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgement; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.
 
Today’s Bit sees the Prophet Zephaniah calling on all the people to seek God, get in His presence through humility and right thinking, so that when the Lord’s anger was unleashed they might be saved from it. He was warning them about the rising power of the Babylonians and their advertised intentions to conquer the surrounding nations. The same situation applies today, except, instead of a particular  nation conquering us, it’s the worldly, Godless way of living that’s become so prevalent recently. It’s taking over our lives, and we’ve got to be constantly on guard against any further encroachment. Schools no longer teach about God. Churches are squabbling over the direction they should take, leading to a weakening of their role in the society, while families are falling apart through lack of proper values to give them a solid foundation. God is being taken out of our lives bit by bit, with some secular governments even wanting to legislate Him out completely. The faith based society our fathers founded is slowly being eroded, slowly been driven back by the onslaught of worldly pressures and inducements, and Friends, if we don’t do something to stop that erosion, we’ll soon become a Godless society. The forces of evil are aligned against us; its power hungry, unbelieving, selfish, greedy, money grubbing tentacles are ever spreading, trying to entrap us in its clutches with the false promises of wealth, high living and pretty things. But please beware people, it’s just a flimsy house of cards and mirrors that looks good on the outside, but is really devoid of any worthwhile substance. J.C said that he was coming back someday. He did not say exactly when, but He gave us some clues; like numerous wars and rumours of war, children having children etc.  Those things are happening now, so who knows if Judgement Day is near? But J.C also warned us to be always prepared, for it can come at any time, and those who are found wanting will have a hefty price to pay. Friends, that’s the message for today. Let’s play it safe nuh; let’s seek the face of God; let’s be humble and live right, so that whenever that fateful day comes, when hellfire and brimstone are unleashed, we’ll be safely ensconced in His ever-loving, protective arms. Much LOVE!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 October 2007 James 1:19-20‏

21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

James 1:19-20.    Wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
 
I wish the whole world could understand that, because impatience is so rampant in our society today that it’s approaching epidemic proportions. In all aspects of life we are constantly bombarded by the need for speed: On the highways, at stop signs, on our computers, our cell phones, even in our homes. You name it, speed is the name of the game. We’ve apparently lost the ability to wait, so we’re seeing an increase in things like road rage, line up rage, people getting annoyed rather quickly because others are taking too long to move. Even in our homes, a large number of people have no need of a stove, they just nuke it; quicker, less mess, but also more toxic. I’m sure you also see that impatience is very prevalent, however, do you realize that all it does for us is add stress and the inherent problems of that silent killer. A perfect example is, I just went and turned on my computer, so by the time I am finished doing a rough draft of this Bit, it will be ready to rock and roll. It takes so long now and causes me stress while waiting for it, that I’ve developed the habit of doing something else while it’s booting up. And it’s only taking longer because of the amount of stuff I’ve recently put on it, half of which possibly isn’t even necessary, but I still want it to boot up almost immediately. Friends, we’ve got to slow down, we’ll reach the grave fast enough. Remember that the race isn’t always won by the swiftest, but usually by the one who perseveres the smartest. And when we have problems, especially imaginary ones, let’s remember to stay quiet for a while, take some deep breaths if necessary, relax before you talk or act, and ask the Most High for some patience and wisdom, because if we just burst out impatiently, we’re liable to say or do something that just inflames all concerned, which could lead to a further deterioration of the situation. I can testify to that, because I’ve noticed that the older I get, the more impatient I become. I just can’t tolerate some of the nonsense I see happening around me. But then again, as they say, physician heal thyself. I’ve got to learn not to let some of those things bother me. And you know it’s usually the little, piddling, not overly important things that make us lose our cool. More wars have been fought over, impatient words and rash actions than you can imagine. But the most unfortunate thing that happens when we get angry too quickly is that we lose our connection to God. The lines of communication get blurred or busy, or like a satellite transmission in a thunderstorm, we lose the connection completely. That’s something we definitely don’t want to happen. So Friends, I’m appealing to us, let’s not get carried away by the mad rush to get everything done yesterday. Slow down, be patient, keep the lines open so you can talk to The Master, and He’ll see you through the impatience. Whew! It’s long, but have PATIENCE,(smile) and read it through. Can it be another of His devious workings, knowing that we have very short attention spans? Hn!  I won’t put it past Him. Much LOVE!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 October 2007 Psalm 42:5‏

21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 42:5    Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
 
I saw this Bit a couple days too late, because that is exactly the position I found myself in last Sunday: My spirit was at an unexplainably low ebb. I could not understand why, since nothing had gone wrong to cause such a drastic downward spiral. In fact, some things had gone even better than I expected. But for that whole day I fought that malaise in my spirit. I read all the Bible verses and stuff that usually strengthen me, hn! But nothing worked. I even had trouble deciding on a Bit. And when I finally thought I’d done so and began writing it, I changed my mind in mid stream. I kept on asking the Most High for a reason, but you know how He operates. It was not until sometime in the late afternoon, when I decided to have a nap, that I got some sort of an answer. He insinuated that it was just one of those things, one of those things we all have to go through. How could I encourage people with a downcast, hurting spirit, if I had not experienced it myself? Hn! Obviously I gave a low, mirthless chuckle at that explanation, and though not at all thrilled by the situation, continued fighting the good fight, until later that night I finally wrote a Scrip-bit I thought was pretty good. The one about J.C teaching in the temple, saying that the Father had not left Him alone, but had sent the Holy Spirit to help Him. Hopefully it was that same Holy Spirit, that fabulous Helper, that was then working in me, to bring me out of the unholy funk I’d been in. That  made me feel somewhat better, sort of restored my confidence, and I finally perked back up. Since then, I’ve been pretty good. Just goes to show once again, His mysterious ways of working, although I was not particularly thrilled about that one. Friends, there’s nothing as deflating and miserable as a disquieted spirit, especially when there’s no apparent reason for it. So whenever that happens, and it happens to all of us at some time or another, just remember that the Lord is still in control, and though you may not be able to see or understand His reasoning, there’s some hidden purpose, and if you’ll just hang in and continue to fight the good fight, sooner or later your spirits will be restored to even greater heights. Much LOVE and plenty perseverance… that’s the only way we’ll succeed.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 October 2007 1 Chronicles 4:10‏

21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 Chronicles 4:10.    And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.
 
What a wonderful petition! Jabez was of the line of David in early Israel. Verse 9 claims that he was more honourable than his brethren, and his mother called him Jabez because she was unhappy when she had him. Someone today has written a book titled the Prayer of Jabez or something like that, extolling the merits of Jabez’s petition. I have not read the book  myself, so I can’t say whether it’s good or bad, but I certainly hope that the author does not tell his readers to simply recite the words of Jabez and expect miracles shortly thereafter. I think that would be a great injustice and I doubt it will work anyway. I’m sure the fact that Jabez was honourable had a lot to do with God granting his request. He does not grant requests of such magnitude willy-nilly. Friends, it’s a good prayer, containing all the right elements; blessings, prosperity, protection and guidance. It’s also short and to the point. But if we’re looking to receive all the good stuff our God has to offer, we’ve got to at least attempt to have a right heart and follow His guidance. He knows full well that occasionally we’ll slip or stray, but we can’t ask Him to be with us and keep us from evil, then knowingly go and do something contrary to what He proposed. Let us always remember that the believer’s life is a two way street: If we want the Most High to look down on us with love and tender care, we’ve got to abide by His rules. It’s that simple. The only thing we get for nothing is Salvation, through J.C’s death, and even then, we’ve got to believe. It brings to mind two old sayings; one hand washes the other, and it takes two to tango.  As always, Much LOVE…with constant praying and most honourable walking.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 October 2007 John 8: 29‏

21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 8: 29.    And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
 
Jesus was teaching in the treasury of the temple when He spoke those words. As usual the upper class Jews were hurling questions at Him, trying to have Him make some detrimental or blasphemous statement that they could use against Him later on. His following was growing daily and that impacted negatively on their authority and well-being. But little did they know that they were dealing with the ultimate wordsmith, the one who gave new meaning to the word parable, and if He did not want them to, they could never trip Him up. They obviously could not understand what He was talking about because they did not believe His claim of being the Son of God. Consequently they could not comprehend the existence of the world’s most powerful triumvirate: The Father, Son and Holy Sprit. And that is what J.C was referring to. His Heavenly Father had not set Him adrift, but had sent the third member, The Holy Spirit, the Helper, to dwell within Him, to give Him the much needed strength to do the job assigned to His earthly, human form. Friends, that’s exactly what happens with us too when we become believers and accept J.C as our Saviour. The Father sends the Holy Spirit to live in us, to strengthen and guide us, to give us the wherewithal we need to live a Christian life. And though, unlike J.C, we can’t make that bold statement that we always do the Father’s will, that Helper, that Comforter, that Nurturing Spirit never leaves us. It’s always there working in us, even when we don’t follow it’s guidance, because the Father and His Son have promised that once we accept Them into our lives, They will never leave us or forsake us. And we know that They never break a promise. So let’s go out there, to all the highways and byways, with the inner strength of that Holy Spirit and spread His word and do the things that please Him. Much LOVE!
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 September 2007 Psalm 18:30-32.‏

20 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 18:30-32    As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he’s a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock, save our God? It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
 
‘And all God’s people said…Wow!’ as Dr. Schuller of the Chrystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California would exclaim. I can now understand why David, in spite of all his imperfections was still considered God’s Friend. No one else has ever written such beautiful, expansive, evocative, powerful words of adulation and adoration in The Most High’s honour. And he’s done it so extensively, in so many Psalms that it just boggles the imagination Where did he find time to write it all? What with hisconstant warring, womanizing and Kingly duties. Anyway, in Today’s Bit, David emphatically states that our Creator’s way; His behaviour, His manner of doing things is perfect. No wishy washy Being, Our God. His word; His edicts, His pronouncements, His promises, are all tried and true; have all been tested and proven correct and above board over many generations. The same thing goes for His powers of protection: He’s a shield and comfort to those who faithfully put their trust, their lives, in His hands. As I noted the other day, He’s like All State; He has safe hands. With all that power and authority going for Him, David could rightly ask, ‘For who is God, save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God?’ In terms of human comprehension, that’s exactly what He is; A ROCK! Strong, Firm, Steadfast, Unmoveable, Unchanging! The same yesterday, today and forevermore! Ever faithful! All Powerful! Wow! What a resume! And as David also noted, it’s that same Supreme Being that lovingly and generously bestows strength upon us. Not only the physical attribute, but also wisdom, knowledge, understanding, perseverance, courage and fortitude, so that we can overcome the evil machinations of our enemies and withstand great adversity, all the while following the right path; the straight and narrow one that leads right back to Him. Friends, in light of all His majesty and power, plus His ever flowing largesse towards us sinful, undeserving souls, how can we help but LOVE, Worship, Praise, Thank and Glorify The Magnificent  One, who, of His own accord, breathe beautiful, bountiful life into us eh? Much LOVE..in His Holy Name!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 September 2007 John 4:32-34‏

20 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 4:32-34.    But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath anyone brought him ought to eat?   Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 
 
At one point through their travels in Samaria, just after He had spoken to the woman at the well about those who drank His water should never thirst, J.C’s disciples encouraged Him to eat. But in His usual, roundabout, ‘parablic’ manner (smile) He seriously informed them that He had food they didn’t know about. This drove them to wondering and questioning amongst themselves  if anybody else had brought Him food. Again, in His characteristic ‘puzzle-type’  way of speaking, He simply told them that His food was to do the will of The One who sent Him, and to complete His work. Friends, that’s also our meat, our job in a nutshell. If  J.C. figured that the most important thing for Him to do was what His Heavenly Father wanted, and to also finish the job with which He was entrusted, namely dying for our sins, then how can we, who claim to be believers and His staunch followers do any less eh? We’ve got to do the work we were placed on the earth to do. Everyone has a special job, a different assignment to accomplish…Hn,hn! Guess mine is to ramble on and try to keep us focused on The Most High through my ramblings. But the humour aside, as Paul said somewhere, the Church is like a human body with many different parts and we all have a part to play in building and maintaining it. Consequently, like anything with moving parts, it only runs smoothly if all the parts play their part and work together as one. Friends, let’s all have a look at ourselves, decide what part we were created to play, then go out there and play it with great gusto. Let’s show them that the Lord’s team is indeed a winner! Much LOVE…and plenty buckling down to do what He created us to do.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 September 2007 Isaiah 55:6-7.‏

20 Nov 2007 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 55: 6-7    Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him turn unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him: and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
 
‘Civilization is in ruins! Fear stalks the land! War is everywhere!!!’ Now doesn’t that sound like a fitting description of our current world? And would you believe I got that quote from the Hagar The Horrible comic strip of a couple days ago. That was the report the lookout gave Hagar. He must have been very astute, although I don’t think it needs too much brain work to see that we are heading downhill, like a tumbling tumbleweed, picking up speed as we go. I guess it must have been the same with Isaiah’s world; sin, fear, greed, cruelty, oppression, extreme poverty, idolatry and war, all the negative stuff was rampant, that’s why he called for his people to turn back to God. I find it interesting, though very puzzling, why throughout most of the Old Testament, the prophets were constantly calling for the people to return to God. Why did they turn from Him in the first place? Wasn’t it Him who had provided for them throughout all their wanderings, captivity etc? It seems to be just the nature of the human animal; ungrateful; know you in rough times, then forget you in good ones. It’s no different in modern times either. Every so often we have a big God revival, especially in times of great upheaval and disaster, where, for a short period, He’s at the forefront, with His name on the tip of everyone’s tongue, whether it’s good, bad or indifferent. But then, as soon as things settle down and prosperity returns, we conveniently forget The One who caused all our good fortune and revert to our wicked, idolatrous ways. Friends, what’s wrong with us? Are we brain dead, or just plain stupid? Can’t we realize that a prosperous, sharing, peaceful world is only possible if we consistently live by God’s rules, not only when it suits our selfish purposes. Or is it that we don’t really want a peaceful, prosperous world, but rather prefer the destructive, war like manner in which we currently abide. Whatever the answer is though Friends, I’d strongly suggest that we do as Isaiah said: Let’s seek the Most High while He may be found, and call upon Him while He is near. This also means that the wicked and unrighteous will have to change their ways and thoughts. O People! Let’s have a God Revival now nuh! We need one badly. We desperately need showers of His mercy to rain down on us and experience His abundant pardon for our numerous sins!  Much LOVE!

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