Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 May 2017 Proverbs 4:1.

10 May 2017 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Proverbs 4:1.   Hear ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

Oh my Scrip-Bit friends and family, another glorious day on God’s great earth is opening up before us! Let’s give the Lord some thanks and praise for that nuh. It’s not everyone who went to bed last night that got up to see the rising sun this Wednesday morning, so we ought to count ourselves very blessed indeed. 

Oh, one of these mornings we won’t wake up either, (smile) but until then, let’s rejoice in the blessing of every new day that we see, and give many thanks to our Creator and Provider for each opportunity to behold the splendour of nature here on earth! 

And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord for His LOVING-kindness to the undeserving children of men!’ 

And without a doubt, our God does shower us with LOVING-kindness; things like grace, mercy, and forgiveness that we do not deserve! But that’s the kind of magnanimous God He is! So please let’s never forget it, and suitably show our gratitude. 

Now here is some wonderful advice on living ‘A Life of Lasting Significance,’ I discovered on a card on my desk this morning. It comes from Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley). 

And he says to live a life of lasting significance we must: ‘Ensure that your interactions with others are truly meaningful and eternally impactful by: Modelling a steadfast desire to follow Jesus and a sincere faith in His will and ways. 

Demonstrating reverence for God’s work. Teaching others how to listen to and obey the Lord. Expressing a sincere LOVE, a forgiving heart, and a generous hand in every situation.’ 

Now that’s some wonderful advice every Christian ought to write deep in their hearts and do their best to put into practice, for remember, without works faith is dead, and they will know us by our works. 

And I guess one of the best ways to achieve that goal above is by paying serious and sincere attention to our Bit. ‘Hear ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.’ 

And before I go any further, let me share some info from the scholars that I wanted to share yesterday, but didn’t. ‘4:3-4. Three generations are linked together in the transmission of wisdom. Note that it is transmitted by personal influence, especially in the home.’ 

Yes friends, those words refer to verses 3 and 4 of chapter 4 that we read yesterday. You can read them for yourselves, but what I want to point out is the fact that the wisdom of God is transferred most often by personal influence, by the way we demonstrate it in our personal lives to those around us, especially in our homes. 

As the old adage so rightly says; Charity begins at home! And that’s exactly where it ought to begin! We parents and elders have to show the young people the LOVE and wisdom of God first in our homes. 

We can’t wait and expect them to find or learn them when they go to school or to church, especially in these godless times, when those things are no longer taught in schools, and churches are teaching, God alone knows what! 

Remember my brethren, the teaching of, and the reflections, the mirror images of God have to begin at home! 

Now let’s check out some other scriptures that agree with out Bit. Listen as Bruh David calls to us from Psalm 34 – The Lord hears the righteous. 

‘Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and LOVETH many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit). 

Depart from evil, and do good, seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut of (destroy) the remembrance of them from the earth.’ (Ps.34:11-16) 

Oh precious people of God, that’s the simple, practical way to live a life of godliness! It couldn’t get any simpler than that: speak truth, do good, seek peace! Those are all the basic elements of our Christian faith. 

Now hear this last scripture from Cousin Sol. ‘My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother. For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.’ (Prov.1:8-9) 

And the scholars tell us. ‘1:8. My son begins the first of 10 similar discourses in which the father appeals to the son to listen to his counsel and choose wisdom over folly. The mention of the mother shows that the original setting of the book was the home, not the court or school.’ 

‘1:9. Chains about thy neck, that is, an adornment or thing of beauty in one’s life.’ 

Ah mih people, again we see the critical importance of teaching our faith at home, if we want to continue propagating it. So please, I implore us, if we want to see our children live wholesome, godly lives, then we desperately need to get back to teaching and living the fundamentals of Christianity in our homes. 

Now let’s end by sincerely and truthfully declaring our Wednesday Wail. As one strong voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. 

My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And as always, let’s go out and put all that we’ve talked about into action nuh, so that we can glorify our great God and Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!

…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 July 2014 Mark 5:36b

19 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mark 5:36b.  Be not afraid, only believe.

And then it was Saturday; a bright, vibrant, radiant day, made by Almighty God so that His people could rejoice and be glad in it! And all God’s children declared a loud and grateful, ‘Thank you Father!’
 
Oh my people, can you believe that we’re more than halfway through July already, and also this year of 2014? I swear that the days are running faster than they usually do. And most of you will no doubt agree, because your lives also seem to be moving at breakneck speed, where one day just morphs into the other, without any apparent break.
 
And though I don’t remind us as often as I should about our New Year’s resolution of following Jesus more closely, I do hope that you are faithfully adhering to it. And you can tell me what you will, but the Father will read the truth in your hearts.
 
Anyway mih lovelies, this morning I want to share with you the opening couple of lines of the poem Endymion by the English Romantic Poet, John Keats (1795-1821) It reads: ‘A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never pass to nothingness.’
 
Now we all know that the value of art usually increases with age, but so too do people. As the days go by on our earthly journey, we get more mature and grace-filled, so that increased knowledge, experience and wisdom make us more valuable. The only problem is that unlike the physical works of art, we pass away to nothingness.
 
But that’s just our physical bodies. Our spiritual beings are still alive and kicking, especially in the LOVED ones that we have left behind. They continue to hold dear the traditions, the respect, the care and the LOVE that we lavished on them when we were alive. So all that and any other physical heirlooms we might have bequeathed to those around us will continue to live on, to survive, as they pass those things to others down through the ages.
 
So in essence, like the physical art, we too never pass into nothingness either. And here’s the end quote on the subject from the One More Day Devotional, Daily Meditations for People with Chronic Illness. It bravely declares: ‘I am comforted by the traditions of family and faith and by the meaningfulness they add to my life.’
 
And that’s how it ought to be my brethren, for when we approach death’s door, it’s usually family we want to see, and faith we hold on to, so we can easily transition from this life to the next.
 
And it all boils down to one word: ‘BELIEF!’ We live a life guided by our beliefs. Hopefully the major belief is that in Jesus Christ, for it is the best belief to build your life around.
 
And I just LOVE how Jesus puts things so simple and straightforward, as He says to Jairus in our Bit: ‘Be not afraid, only believe.’
 
Nothing to it Friends, just believe. And it is truly that simple, we just like to make a fuss over it. We believe the nonsense, the lies that the advertisers tell us in their forked tongued messages without batting an eyelash. Hn! But when it comes to believing in Jesus, the most important belief in our lives, the one that will either separate us from God forever, or keep us on the inside looking out, we get all hot and bothered, ask a whole lot of questions and put up a whole lot of roadblocks. Why eh, my people?
 
I think that it’s generally because we’re afraid. It seems to be such a big decision to make, for it deals with our lives in the hereafter, something we don’t want to think about just yet, plus the worldly artifacts are so beautiful to look at and possess, and we erroneously believe that believing in Jesus means we can’t enjoy the good things of earthly life. But that’s a fool’s wisdom Friends, for Jesus said He came so that we could have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
 
The problem is that we don’t want any borders, any boundaries placed on our activities and behaviour, but yuh see what that desire is causing all over our world; strife and destruction. But my people, this life can only be lived in prosperity and safety if we adhere to certain strict guidelines. Anything else will only bring anarchy, as we’re seeing in so many places nowadays.
 
However Friends, I’m running out of space and time, so let’s get to some scriptures where Jesus highlighted belief in God. And there’s none better than the story of Him raising His friend Lazarus from the dead.
 
Jesus was out of town when he got the message from the sisters, Martha and Mary, saying ‘Lord behold he whom thou LOVEST is sick.’ (John 11:3) But despite His great LOVE for Lazarus and his sisters Jesus remained a further two days before He went to Bethany where they lived. By the time He got there Lazarus was already dead for four days.
 
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming she ran to meet Him and rebuked Him, saying, ‘Lord if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.’ (John 11:21-22)
 
Now is that strong belief, great faith or what my people! She just knows that whatever Jesus asks of God, God will grant. How many of us are even willing to say that today, much less believe it eh, even though we have much more info and insight than Martha did?
 
The Good Book continues: the conversation: ‘Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
 
Jesus saith unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this?
 
She saith unto him, Yea Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.’ (John 11:23-27)
 
What a powerful passage of scripture my brethren! Note the interplay between Jesus and Martha: He claiming to be the giver of eternal life, and she believing without missing a beat! That’s how it ought to be in all believers’ lives my Friends!
 
So today, please let’s sit and consider our personal response to Jesus’ question; ‘Believest thou this?’ And hopefully, we shall all blurt out without hesitation: ‘Yes Lord: I BELIEVE!’ Much LOVE!

…it all begins with…believing…and it all ends with…believing…only believe…