Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 June 2021 Matthew 15:11.

26 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 15:11.     Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

And then it was Saturday, our lazy, couch surfing day! And the nature of today is even more conducive to lazing around. Meaning that it’s a wet and windy Saturday morning. Oh yes, we had rain from yesterday afternoon straight through to the early hours of this morning. As the old people would warn; be careful what you wish for eh, because you might just get it. 

But thankfully, though we wished for rain, it was not the shower bound type we received, but just a constant drizzle. That meant the ground had time to absorb it and thus lessen the possibilities of flooding. Our God is so good and understanding! Give Him some thanks and praise nuh people! 

Now, let’s turn to our Saturday business, checking out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one says: ‘It’s sad when someone you know becomes someone you knew.’ Now is that ever so true! A lot of times we are heart broken when our relationships end, especially when it was someone whom we thought we’d do a lifetime with and then they end rather nastily too. 

But that’s life friends. We have people in our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. But most of them are either for a reason or a season, very few are there for a lifetime. And until we learn that and move on, broken relationships will always cause us more heartache than necessary. 

And that brings us to the second quote which follows from the first. ‘Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.’ Yes friends, growth and change are painful, but ofttimes that’s what a broken relationship portends; it’s time for us to move on up. And those people in our lives are not the ones to move on up with us, so they have to go. As they say, the Lord closes one door, then opens another that has different people in it, with a brighter future. 

And though it’s always hard to give up the old stuff, if you stay with it, you will eventually become more frustrated and disgusted with your old situation, than if you had moved on to the new one. Sooner or later, you will feel as though you are spinning your wheels in mud, or stuck in a rocking chair, rocking vigorously but not going anywhere. Yes, change isn’t always pleasant, but sometimes it’s necessary to get our adrenaline flowing. 

Then we come to this quote. ‘Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect.’ And is that ever true! Life owes us nothing my people! In fact, it’s we who owe life. We owe it the duty of being responsible and making a positive and productive difference in it. We are not put here just to enjoy the perks of life, but to add to them. 

Entitlement is not our God-given due, as so many of us seem to think. So, unless we are making a positive difference in our everyday walk, we are shortchanging life. And that’s even more important for believers in Christ Jesus, because His desire is for us to make disciples of those we meet by telling them about the good news of His gospel and more importantly, living the way His gospel dictates. For people respond more to examples than words. 

And all of that leads us to this next quote. ‘Sometimes you’ve got to be able to listen to yourself and be okay with no one else understanding.’ Yes my brethren, though others can and will give us advice, both good and bad, in the long run, we are the ones who must make the final decision. And that’s not always easy, especially in our current mish-mash, topsy-turvy world. But it is important that we are strong enough to live with whatever decisions we make, regardless of whether others understand or appreciate them. For, in the long run, we are the ones who have to live with the decisions we make, not the other people. 

And when you are a child of the Most High God, you are enabled by His Holy Spirit to make right decisions, and to stand strong with them. No need to be wishy washy, and wavering, or fence-sitting to see what eventually happens. Yes, precious people, being able to make timely, positive decisions is definitely one of the benefits of being a child of Jehovah God! Glory be! 

That brings us to our last quote. ‘Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.’ Ah my brethren, that’s true in spades! We must all face the death of our mortal bodies at some time or the other, we cannot do anything about that, but we certainly can stop the good aspects of our lives from dying while our bodies are still alive. And we’re talking about our humanity, the thing that makes, or is supposed to make us different from the wild animals; compassion and caring for each other. 

Hn! But today, unfortunately we behave more like the wild animals than the wild animals, the inhumane and uncaring way we treat our fellow man. Most of us are born with good ideals and inclinations, despite our basic sinful nature, but the sad part happens when we refute those good inclinations and accept the bad ones that so much of our world tend to recognize as more beneficial. We are talking about things like greed, envy, taking advantage of others, and the complete renunciation of the fruit of the Spirit. That’s ‘LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), meekness, temperance (self-control).’ 

Oh my people, when any of those things die in us, while our bodies are still alive, the loss to ourselves and the world is incalculable. It means our world is about to get darker, the enemy is winning the battle, as we become less tolerant and caring, but more negative and adversarial. That’s not the kind of world we want to live in, or leave for our children to experience. And remember what Jesus said about our internal traits. ‘Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.’ (Matt. 15:11) 

And that’s the gospel truth friends! What we put into our mouths doesn’t defile us, but what comes out of our mouths defiles us. That’s because the things that come out of our mouths come from our hearts, while what goes in comes out as bodily refuse. As Jesus explains: ‘For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things that defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defile not a man.’ (Matt. 15:19-20) 

So whenever the goodness of God dies in us friends, it is indeed a sad day; a day to mourn for the well-being of our world. And right now, so much of the goodness of God has died in so many of us, that it’s no wonder our world is going through a rather dark and grievous time. And for it to turn around, it means that we, the disciples of Christ must do a better job than we’re currently doing. So let’s get to it nuh. Much LOVE!

…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…                                                                            

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 December 2015 Proverbs 4:12

12 Dec 2015 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 4:12.   When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened (hindered); and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 

And then it was Saturday; a day for sleeping in for some, but for others, a day for household chores and shopping, and the myriad of things that could not be done during the workweek. Ah chuh! 

Yes friends, I know it’s a never ending cycle, but it’s important that we find time for ourselves, to rest and renew our spirits and physical energy during the weekend, otherwise we’ll drop down from the wear and tear, and all the stuff that seemed so important will still be there for someone else to do. So please play it smart, do your best, but please don’t kill yourself in the process.  

Now here are some wise words from our Friend Anselm, who never misses an opportunity to inspire us towards a better tomorrow. It’s a two for one play. And the first play says: ‘The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.’ 

And all of that is quite true my brethren, but by the same token, like we said above, we can’t let those desires take over our lives to the detriment of other things. Regardless of what we do, we need to live balanced lives. So, seeking personal excellence doesn’t mean neglecting everything else but that driving force within you. And yes, it’s true that Christ desires excellence amongst His followers, but not at the expense of their health. 

And note too, we have to keep that desire to win, and to succeed according to the world’s demands on a tight leash, otherwise we’ll just drive ourselves and those around us crazy, because the world today is success driven, at any and all costs. Achieving material wealth, economic prominence and political power are what the world determines success by. But thank God, as followers of Jesus Christ, we don’t have to kill ourselves proving to the world that we can be successful by its unwise and unhealthy standards. 

That brings part two of Anselm’s wisdom into play. ‘A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.’  And therein lies the crux of the matter; not the desire to achieve, but the desire to beat others. Yes my brethren, when we introduce that aspect of competition and comparison, as the world likes to do, then we get ourselves in serious trouble. 

For as Bruh Paul says to the Corinthians, re comparisons. ‘For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise.’ (2 Cor.10:12) 

The sad fact is that such comparisons lead to things like jealousy, resentment, anger and broken relationships, which effectively defeats the cause of excellence that you’re trying to achieve. So friends, please don’t compare yourselves to others, because it will just contaminate your souls. 

The Lord didn’t make us to be comparisons, but to be unique individuals, standing in our own perfect space. Please remember that the next time you feel like comparing yourself to someone else. 

And finally it’s time for our Bit. But to get some idea of the context, let’s go back a couple verses. In this section Cousin Sol is talking about avoiding wickedness. ‘Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. 

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened (hindered); and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast (firm) hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.’ (Prov.4:10-13) 

Now that is undeniable truth my brethren! For when we harness wisdom – the wisdom of God that is – to our lives, then we can never go astray or fall by the wayside, for wisdom is the very essence of our godly and righteous lives. She is indeed our very life! That’s why we can’t afford to let her go or diverge from her paths.  

And we see the folly of forsaking wisdom as Cousin Sol wisely continues. ‘Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it (do not tread on it), turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except (unless) they have done mischief (evil); and their sleep is taken away (they are robbed of sleep), unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.’ (Prov.4:14-17)  

Words of divine wisdom Friends! But unfortunately, in our current world we’re eating way too much ‘bread of wickedness’ and drinking excessive amounts of ‘wine of violence.’ 

Now that could never be a good thing for the followers of Jesus. For ‘The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.’ (Prov.10:19) 

Ah my people, how are the wicked foolish and gone astray eh? ‘But the path of the just is as the shining (bright) light, that shineth more and more (ever brighter) unto the perfect day.’ (Prov.4:18) Now friends, that’s where followers of Jesus ought to be! 

And we’ll close with these words of gospel truth from Cousin Sol. ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to (place on) thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver thee.’ (Prov.4:7-9) 

Now there’s nothing better than that for us to achieve in this world my brethren. So let’s go and get it nuh. Much LOVE!

…get Jesus…and you’ll find wisdom and understanding…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 January 2012 Psalm 149:6‏

06 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , ,

Psalm 149:6.    Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.
 
Yes mih Friends, once again it’s Friday, the start of the weekend! And ah know that the remnants of the Christmas and New Years sprit still bubbling in many of you, though for some it’s simply morphing into a Carnival sprit (smile), so there’s still plenty of enthusiasm still around to shout ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ But as always, we need to curtail some of those weekend activities, so we don’t go overboard and get embarrassed by falling into the enemy’s clutches. Therefore, to help us keep the weekend in proper perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant. All together now, with the same enthusiasm and vocal might that we shouted ‘TGIF!’ ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And now that we have the weekend on a tight rein – hn – let’s look a little further ahead; to the whole year of 2012. In so doing, let’s give plenty thanks that 2012 IS a year of accomplishment, healing and renewal for us individually, as well as for our violent, strife-torn, confused, ungodly, oppressive, greedy, sinful world. We’re seeing this through the eyes of faith my brethren, knowing that as a united group, God’s people will make a big and positive difference right here on earth this year. Oh Friends, if our world gets any worse than it is, then we’ll be in such dire straits that recovery may be impossible, for right now we’re just teetering on the brink of destruction. That’s why 2012 is the watershed year, a year of awakening, where old things become new, broken relationships are fixed, where commonsense and wisdom come to the fore and thus improve the selfish, antagonistic atmosphere currently prevailing. Oh Friends, 2012 just has to be a big year for us. I feel it in my bones that this year is special, and special in a good way too. And how could it not be eh, when believers are getting together instead of separating, renewing their faith and trust in Christ, fully surrendering their all to Him, and battling Beelzebub and his evil cronies with a renewed intensity, fanned by the blazing flames finally rekindled in our bellies. (smile) I might be smiling Friends, but this is serious business. Saving our world for our children, for posterity, is no laughing matter. In the last two decades we’ve allowed Jesus’ kingdom to go downhill, but unfortunately most of us only have one more decade here on earth in which to build it back up, and make it progress even further. That means we have to work extraordinarily hard to redo the twenty years damage in only ten. Consequently, from here on in, we all have our work cut out for us. But we know that with Jesus on our side, anything is possible. And to help us reinvigorate the kingdom, our Bit is invaluable. ‘Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.’ Yes Friends, it’s a dual purpose job; uplifting the righteous and simultaneously fighting the wicked. And we definitely need the former if we’re to be successful at the latter. We can’t win any battles without the sounds of praise and worship in both our individual and collective lives. Oh my people, I don’t know if I’m successfully imparting the urgency that I feel, but believe me, our world is facing a very grave time. We’re at a significant crossroads, and the wrong move(s) can send us all plummeting into further strife and confusion, from which we may never recover. That’s why it’s so important that believers put on the full armour of God (Eph.6:11-20) and get out there and seriously fight the enemy, with the Sword of the Spirit, the mighty weapon that cuts deeply to bring about conviction and repentance. ‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in (hidden from) his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (must give account). (Heb.4:12-13) Oh my people, that’s how powerful the Word is, and as believers we have to use it in our earthly fight, for in the end we shall all be held accountable. And I’m sure that none of us wants to get a thumbs down sign from Jesus when we’re called to account. So mih breddren, let’s get up off our fat fannies and do the job we’ve signed up to do nuh, otherwise the consequences might be catastrophic!  Much LOVE!…to be told on the day of reckoning…well done good and faithful servant…we first have to stand strong and tall in Jesus’ name…down here on earth…