18 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bed of roses, a better tomorrow, a continuous process, a negative emotion, a series of small things, a small leak will sink a big ship, abhor that which is evil, aspires to inspire, busy, capable of saving, Christ's church very leaky, Christians, cleave to that which is good, cliques, different functions, distracting quality of social media, divisions over petty stuff, excellence, faithfully care for each other, focus on being productive, Friend Anselm, genuine, gossip, great things, have a gander, Help Lord, hypocrisy, I came down from heaven, I had fainted, Joyce Meyer, let love be without dissimulation, LOVE, many members in one body, no belly and/or backbone, not to do mine own will, ONE body in Christ, our physical bodies, pandemic of Covid 19, physical distancing, resentment, saints in Christ, social media, the Father's will, the human body, the land of the living, the One who died, the seed that falls on barren ground, the will of him that sent me, to save our spiritual selves, to see the goodness of the Lord, tweeting, unfeigned, unless I had believed, vein of evil, walking with Christ, worry is like a rocking chair
Romans 12:9. Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good.
Wow! Another beautiful day in the land of the living! And who says life isn’t great eh? It might not be easy, but it sure is wonderful! (smile) No wonder Bruh David could confidently write in Psalm 27: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps. 27:13) Yeh friends, we need to believe if we’re going to see God’s goodness in and on our lives!
Remember, He never said that life would be easy, but faithfully promised to be with us every moment of every day and help us get through all our difficulties. The problem is that many of us seem to think that once we start walking with Christ, life will just be a bed of roses…
Hn! But I have news for you…ofttimes it gets harder before it gets better! That’s why so many of us turn back before we can encounter the real treasure of following Christ, like the seed that’s fallen on barren ground and betwixt thorns and weeds. No backbone and/or belly! But please remember that walking with Christ is not for the faint of heart, but He does strengthen and enable you if you step out in faith! End of monologue! (smile)
And since it’s Saturday, let’s have a gander at the quotes our fine friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Let’s hope I can do them justice. And the first one declares (awright!): ‘Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.’ And that’s generally true! Just look at all the wonderful inventions in our world; very few of them come in one piece, but are made of several, if not many small pieces melded and welded together to make one big whole.
That’s just like the human body. How did Bruh Paul put it? ‘For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office (function): So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one (individually) members one of another.’ (Rom. 12:4-5) Yeh friends, it takes many small parts of different functionality to make a great whole, like we of many people, creeds and races are one big body of Christ!
But the next quote is even more vital and important for great things to run properly. ‘Watch the little things; a small leak will sink a great ship.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth! Comparatively speaking it wasn’t a big leak that sunk the Titanic. But sink it, it did! And it’s even more important with us, the body of Christ, His church, which is very leaky these days, with all the gossip, divisions over petty stuff, the resentment, the many li’l cliques and the vein of evil that unfortunately can be found within it.
No wonder the body of Christ is so disjointed and not moving together as one big, great, smoothly working machine! That’s why Bruh Paul pointedly said to the church at Rome: ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good.’ (Rom. 12:9) That means Christians must faithfully care for each other in spite of the circumstances and responses. The caring must be genuine and unfeigned.
And having said all of that, we come to the next quote: ‘Worry is the most wasteful thing in the world.’ I don’t know if it’s the most wasteful thing, but I do know that it’s up there amongst the top wasteful things. Consequently we can’t worry about what’s happening in our lives, our church or our world, because worrying won’t help in the least bit. It only makes things worse by taking away what li’l positivity we have left to use on righting the ship. As Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say. ‘Worry is like a rocking chair, you can sit and rock in it all day and still not move anywhere!’
And that’s so true, since worry is a negative emotion that only keeps you back from seriously tackling your problem. It’s also why this next quote is ever so timely: ‘Focus on being productive, instead of busy.’ And isn’t that the living truth! It’s the best advice our world can have and take right now! Why? Because we all talk about being so busy – busy doing what eh? It’s the first excuse that we come up with nowadays. We’re too busy to call each other, too busy to get together, too busy to read God’s Word and spend time with Him, etc. etc.
But what the hell are we so busy doing? Not a darm thing! Except if you want to call the anemic pandemic of texting and all the other unnecessary foolishness that goes on social media, which is our go to for all of our needs these days. Hn! Just imagine how important social media has become when the most powerful leader in the world does most of his business there, spends more time tweeting than reading his briefings. (grimace)
But that’s the new normal…and with the current pandemic of Covid-19, with physical distancing being such a big thing, it’s become an even bigger part of our lives, and thus also a bigger and more important tool for those who wish to spread evil and lies and stir up unnecessary disturbances.
That brings us to this last quote: ‘Excellence is a continuous process and not an accident.’ Oh so true my people, oh so true! A life of excellence is the ONLY thing that we should all aspire to. And you’ll note from the quote that it’s a continuous, life- long process, and it doesn’t happen by accident, we have to consciously seek it and pursue it. It’s like true, divine peace, and the righteousness of God. And if you are, or want to be a true follower of Jesus then you need to embrace the word ‘excellence’ and all that it stands for, because that’s Jesus watchword! While here on earth, He followed the Father’s will diligently and with excellence.
You’ll note that He never did anything on His own, or took credit for anything, but it was always the Father’s will, and likewise the credit. As he said so plainly: ‘For I came down from heaven , not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.’ (John 6:38) And He did a bang-up, most excellent job my brethren! That’s why the Father gave Him the highest name possible, to whom all knees must bow and all voices declare that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
So my fellow saints in Christ, on this Saturday morning when we are surrounded by all sorts of known and unknown predicaments and circumstances, let’s not be fearful or worried, but let’s sincerely turn to the One who died to save our spiritual selves, Jesus Christ, for He is also capable of saving our physical bodies. That’s what He’s there for: for us to cry out to Him in times of desperate need: ‘Help Lord!’ Much LOVE!
…who is the ONLY ONE that can help us…JESUS CHRIST….
P.S. Just to prove my point about the distracting quality of social media. The Bit is partially late because early on I was interacting with three different people at the same time. (smile) Much LOVE!
12 Jul 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: active faith, antidote, blind men, building up, busy, but by my spirit, by the flesh, clinging to God, compassion, creativity, curse, danger, defeats the purpose, doing nothing, doing the Lord's work, enable me, enthusiasm, error, essential trait, eternal life, faithful believers, feeling fresh, going to bed, good for evil, great is thy faithfulness, grin and bear it, have mercy on us, help others, his compassions fail not, holy faith, immorality, inconsequential stuff, James, Jesus Christ, Jesus healing, Jude, keep quiet, making a difference, mediate, mercy, negative word, never too busy, new every morning, not by might, not consumed, our eyes be opened, out of the fire, pain, painkillers, power, praying, prosper, rebuked, received sight, rendering evil for evil, revitalized, save, self-control, self-discipline, share, share the gospel, Son of David, strength, succeed, the fallen, the garment defiled, the Holy Ghost, the Lord's help, the Lord's mercies, the lost, the LOVE of God, Thursday Blessings, tired, wake up, with fear
Lamentations 3:22-23. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Ah friends, I thought when one went to bed, one was supposed to wake up feeling fresh and strong and revitalized? So why is it when I get up these days I’m tired and full of more pain than when I went to bed eh? Does that only happen to me? Chuh! It just defeats the purpose of going to bed. (smile)
And I really don’t want to have to continually be taking painkillers, because they cause their own set of problems. So we’ll just have to grin and bear it and move along as best we can with the Lord’s help and daily compassion. Oh yes, it’s still compassion time! That’s the Lord’s decree, not mine!
And Jeremiah said it best: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’
Ah mih breddren, I don’t know about you all nuh, but right now I’m waiting for some of that new compassion and mercy to kick in in my life, especially my ole bod, that will enable me to go about doing the Lord’s work with definitely more strength and enthusiasm than I now feel. But enough about me, let’s turn to the scriptures.
And hear this first scripture for today on compassion. It deals with Jesus healing two blind men. As Jesus passed by, they cried out to Him; ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And the multitude rebuked them (told them to keep quiet), because they should hold their peace; but they cried out the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.’ (Matt.20:30-34)
Oh what a wonderful person is our Jesus! And friends, yuh see there another essential trait of Jesus: He was never too busy to stop and help others. It’s something that we modern day believers ought to acquire too. We claim we’re so busy nowadays, but half the time we’re busy doing nothing, or busy doing inconsequential stuff when more important stuff is there to be done.
Now listen to Jude, Jesus’ half brother on the subject. ‘But ye beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying by the Holy Ghost. Keep yourselves in the LOVE of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference (distinction) And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted (defiled) by the flesh.’ (Jude 20-23)
And the scholars offer these explanations on those verses. ’20. The antidote for error is not simply to pull back from wrong but also to be built up in what is right, especially through clinging to God in prayer.’
’21. Here Jude stresses our role in being kept. In verse 1 he has already used a form of the same word ‘preserved’, most likely to denote God’s own role and ability in “keeping” His children in His grasp. Jude expects a literal return of Jesus.’
’22-23. An important factor in keeping one’s own faith active and vibrant is exercising it serving others. Even where there is danger or extreme immorality involved, God call on believers to mediate His LOVE for the fallen and share the gospel with the lost.’
Hope those explanations are helpful in understanding Jude’s words. And isn’t it interesting how Jesus’ two brothers, James and Jude did not believe Him while He was here on earth, but became faithful believers after He left. I guess that’s a most pertinent example of God’s saying through Zechariah: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord.’ (Zech.4:6b)
And this last scripture on compassion comes from Peter, as he talks about the behaviour of wives and husbands. ‘Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, LOVE as brethren, be pitiful (tenderhearted), be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing (reviling) for railing (reviling): but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.’ (1 Pet.3:8-9)
Yeh friends, it’s all about living in understanding, compassion and brotherly LOVE; not returning evil for evil, but rather consuming evil with good as God desires of us, knowing that in so doing, we will be well rewarded in due course of time.
And yuh know what, the Lord hasn’t even waited till heaven comes to reward us, He’s had great compassion on us right down here on earth through the wonderful blessings that He’s already bestowed on us in our Thursday Blessings. Let’s declare them now in strong voice and sincere hearts.
‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Yes mih people, ALL those blessings are ours, we just have to receive them, then go out and share them with others. That’s why they were given to us. Much LOVE!
…unless we show true compassion…we cannot be considered true believers…
14 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cakewalk, a compassionate heart, a passing observation, a positive outlook, a rich man, abundance, action, all things are possible, busy, Christ, Christians, courage, creativity, curse, desires of our hearts, divine protection, dreaming, easier for a camel, effort, enter the kingdom of God, faith, faithful, favour, get up off of our rear ends, go out of my mind, goals, help, hemming and hawing, holy spirit, hotter, in the name of Jesus, Jesus beheld them, Joyce Meyer, LOVE Revolution, medication, medicinally induced dreams, middle of September, my neck of the woods, negative word, nightmares, personal testimony, power in the Word of God, promotion, put your money where your mouth is, required tools, self-control, self-discipline, success, summertime, supernatural wisdom, take on dreams, talent, the distance between dreams and reality, the less fortunate, the living truth, the Lord came calling, Thusrday Blessings, to go through a needle's eye, wake up tired, with God, with men this is impossible
Matthew 19:26. But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible.
In the summertime…summertime…summertime… Yeh friends, can you believe that in the middle of September, in my neck of the woods, we’ve been having constant temps in the mid to high 20’s range?
Wow! This week has been hotter than many in July and August. You can actually feel the sun burning your skin. Now please note, this is just a passing observation, it’s not a complaint, (smile) for we will take that kind of weather any and every time!
And I now understand why sometimes I wake up tired instead of refreshed. That’s because my medication has me dreaming constantly, and in the dreams I’m always busy doing something. It’s a good thing they are not nightmares, (smile) otherwise I’d go out of my mind.
And I just noticed an interesting take on dreams on a sticky I have in my Bible. It comes from sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer). And she says: ‘The distance between dreams and reality is called action.’ Now that’s the living truth!
Now she’s not talking about my medicinally induced dreams (smile) but the things we’d like to achieve, our cherished goals, the desires of our hearts. Unless we get up off our rear ends and put them into action, they will always remain dreams, unrealized ones to boot.
And I guess many of us have dreams of things we’d like to do for Christ, but we’re not actioning them, so they are still dreams…useless to everyone, including Christ.
Ah friends, as the ole people would say, to get things done, we’ve got to put our money where our mouth is. And that’s no lie. Until we put sincere and diligent effort into ANYTHING we want to do, NOTHING will get done.
And having Christ and His Holy Spirit on our side, as our more than willing associates and helpers, then NOTHING is impossible to us… if we seriously and willingly make the effort to put whatever it is into action.
Note Jesus’ words to His disciples after He told them that ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’ (Matt.19:24) Obviously the disciples were amazed by that statement and were left wondering, who then could get into heaven?
And in our Bit, our Master had an answer for their problem.‘But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible.’
Oh mih people, mih people, until ALL we Christians truly believe that statement deep down in our hearts and souls, and not just pay lip service to it, then our Christian faith and Christ’s LOVE Revolution will not progress as Jesus desires it to.
Too many of us refuse to put into action the things God puts in our hearts to do because we don’t believe that they can or will ever come to pass. But here’s a personal testimony. Some ten, almost eleven years ago when the Lord came calling about the Bit, I laughed and told Him I didn’t know enough scripture to do something like that.
But he persisted and eventually I gave in. And the first Bits were merely verses from the Bible, possibly with just a few words from me. But over time, as I have been faithful to His work, the Lord has been faithful to me and helped me until I’ve reached the current level.
Now, as Sister Joyce likes to say: I still haven’t arrived, but I’m certainly not where I used to be. And believe me friends, writing this Bit for over ten years now hasn’t been a cakewalk, but the Lord has guided me each and every step of the way.
Many times I’ve begun by telling you I didn’t know what to write about, but then I’ve ended up writing oodles of stuff. Do you think that was just me and my brilliance? Of course not! It was the Holy Spirit of God inspiring me to do His work.
And yuh think I was planning to give a testimony this morning? Not at all! But that’s where the Lord led me. So please friends, if the Lord has put anything in your hearts to do that falls under His will, stop hemming and hawing and get to it. For He won’t EVER ask you to do something and then not give you the required tools and help to do it.
And having said all of that, let’s declare those powerful Blessings of Thursday, which our wonderful God has so magnanimously rained down on us. In full voice now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Now let’s go out and share those magnificent blessings with the less fortunate, as our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ desires. Much LOVE!
…there is unbelievable power in the Word of God…if we would only use it…
28 Apr 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good time, a horn of salvation, a peculiar people, Abraham, all our cares, amenities, benefits, bless the Lord, borders, busy, Christians, covenant, crowns, destruction, enemies, enthusiasm, fellowship, followers of Christ, forget not all his benefits, forgiveness of sins, forgives iniquities, free time, Friday chant, fun, fun and games, furthering your glorious kingdom, generosity, generous help, gift, good things, good works, grace, grateful, hectic, holiness, improvements, in Jesus' name, in soul body and mind, iniquities, ironic, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, king, lawgiver, LOVE, loving-kindness, lustful world, lusts of the flesh, magnanimity, mercy, Mighty Deliverer, misguided soul, o my soul, oath, one iota, our Lord and Saviour, partying, prophets, reality, redeems thy life, refreshed, relaxation, rest, restraints, righteousness, sanity, satisfies thy mouth, save, sins, steadfastness, take for granted, tender mercies, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, thanksgiving for god's mercy, the Christian life, the Lord is our judge, the weekend, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, Titus, withour fear, zealous, Zechariah
Psalm 103:2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Well mih breddren, like we’ve successfully completed another week of work in this confused and way too evil and lustful world!
And sadly, it leads too many of us to enjoy the lusts of the flesh too much in our short time off. We try to make up for what we think we’ve lost during the workweek.
That’s why so many of us joyfully declare: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Oh boy, that means the weekend is here! Time for fun and games, partying and letting all our cares drift away to wherever they go! It’s all about a good time now! Oh thank God for Fridays and the weekends yes!’
And as I keep saying, the sentiments are understandable, but the reality is not. We do have little free time during the workweek, much less that a generation ago, when times were not so hectic and busy.
And that’s sort of strange, when all the improvements we’ve made, were supposedly to help us get more free time. How ironic eh, with plenty more amenities, we have even less free time now than then!
But that doesn’t mean we have to overdo the lighter side of life either when we finally get some time off. If we are to keep our sanity and some sort of steadfastness, our lives must have some borders, some restraints that we will not loosen. And our Friday Chant gives us a good example of that.
So let’s chant it now nuh, with as much enthusiasm as the misguided soul above declares his Friday mission. ‘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 all of that segues very nicely into our Bit:‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.’
And friends that’s exactly what we ought to do, every day, every waking moment of our lives! For remember, all the earth and its contents are His, and it’s only through His magnanimity and lavish generosity that we can enjoy even one iota of the things we enjoy!
Now let’s look at a few of those things that Bruh David declares we ought to appreciate in this psalm titled – Thanksgiving for God’s mercy.
‘Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps.103:3-5)
Ah mih people, if those are not things to be everlastingly grateful for, then I don’t know what is nuh! But yuh know what? Unfortunately, too many of us, simply don’t know, don’t pay attention to, or simply take those things for granted, and that includes Christians.
But just think about it nuh friends, we have a God who forgives all our iniquities, all our sins, all our transgressions! Wow! That certainly is something to be thankful for! Listen to these scriptures nuh that uphold that contention.
Isaiah declares: ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us… And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven all their iniquity.’ (Is.33:22, 24).
Now hear Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, as he declares at John’s birth. ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up a horn of salvation (a Mighty Deliverer) for us in the house of his servant David;
As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our lives.’ (Luke 1:68-75)
And friends, we all know that promise was miraculously and marvelously fulfilled by the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! So why we don’t appreciate our wonderful God more than we do eh? I really can’t say nuh. But eventually, we’ll all have to answer that question to our Maker.
Now let’s close with these moving words of Bruh Paul to Titus on the Christian life. ‘For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (age);
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar (his own special) people, zealous of good works.’ (Tit.2:11-14)
Oh my faithful followers of Christ, there’s absolutely no doubt that we need to be much more diligent in doing Christ’s work, if we are to truly show our thankfulness for His saving grace and mercy! Much LOVE!
…there is no greater gift in this evil world…than the forgiveness of sins…
07 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dark world, be obedient to god's will, busy, Caribana, consequences, death cannot celebrate thee, desire, diligently learn, disobedience, eagerly utter the memory of thy great goodness, expectant faith, fellowship, flavourless, forms of communication, Friday chant, friends, fun, generous help, get on our horses and ride, glorious kingdom, God's greatness is beyond our understanding, great is the Lord, hope for thy truth, hungry hope, immerse ourselves, Jesus Christ, lazy, light, LOVE, magnificent and magnanimous God, make known thy truth, make me to understand, making the effort, men shall speak of thy awesome acts, not interested, one generation shall praise thy works to another, passionate about God, praise thy works, putting up a good fight for Jesus, quicken me according to thy word, relaxation, rest, righteousness., salt, salvation, seek first the kingdom of God, sing of thy righteousness, so shall I talk of thy wondrous works, spread the good news of Jesus, spread the word, teach me thy statutes, tell others about Jesus, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the father to the children, the godless infidel, the gospel of Jesus, the grave cannot praise thee, the living shall praise thee, the Lord's greatness, the right perspective, the things of God, the things of the world, the way of thy precepts, wisdom, wisdom of the ages, wondrous works
Psalm 119:27. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of (meditate on) thy wondrous works.
And then it was Friday; a short workweek for many of us after the Caribana weekend. And yuh better believe many of us are truly thankful as we tiredly shout: ’TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday yes! Mama yo! Though the week’s been short, it’s been truly rough. So hard to catch yuhself after all the Caribana partying. Thank God for true that is Friday oui!! Definitely going to rest this weekend away.’ Hn, hn!
Yes Friends, when we abuse our body it does come back to haunt us. But remember the weekend is not solely for rest, but also for participation in godly fellowship, so to help us keep the right perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant with whatever verve and gusto we can muster. (smile)
As one now: ‘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.’
Yes my people, it’s ever so important that our souls, bodies and minds be renewed and refreshed so that we can go back out with a spring in our step, hungry hope and expectant faith in our souls, to continue putting up a good fight for Jesus against the godless infidel.
Yes, because our mission is to be salt and light to a dark and flavourless world, as well as to spread the good news of Jesus all around the globe! Jesus delegated that awesome job to a handful of men before He ascended into heaven, and look at the wonderful work they’ve wrought.
Two thousand years later, it is now our turn to spread the Word, to bring Jesus and His wonderful salvation to the masses. And no generation has ever had the ability to really spread the gospel of Jesus all over the world, like we now have, with the many forms of almost immediate communication at our command.
So please let’s get a move on with it nuh. No excuses will be tolerated. (smile) Do we want to be labeled the generation who could, but didn’t? Obviously not!
Therefore let’s get on our horses and ride; tell others about Jesus, and above all, live a life that’s pleasing and obedient to Him, so that those we talk to will see the genuine LOVE and desire working and reflecting in us. That’s the only way to do it my brethren.
That brings us to our most appropriate Bit. ‘Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of (meditate on) thy wondrous works.’
Yes my people, we can’t talk sensibly about what we don’t understand, therefore we need the Lord’s help to bring us to a true understanding of His Word. Like at work, we need a supervisor to explain the instructions, the duties of the job, otherwise we’d just make a mess of things.
The psalmist says earlier in this section of Psalm 119, under the heading – Make me to understand thy way: ‘My soul cleaveth unto (clings to) the dust: quicken (revive) thou me according to thy word. I have declared my ways, and thou heardest (answered) me: teach me thy statutes.’ (Ps.119:25-26)
Ah Friends, we desperately need to know God’s Word, but unfortunately too many of us are either too lazy, too busy, or simply not interested in making the effort it requires to do so. However we are quite ready, willing and able make the effort to acquire and learn about the things of the world though!
I’m sorry Friends, but that’s not the way it ought to be. Remember Jesus said that our first requirement is to seek the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and then all the things of the world that we need would be granted to us. (Matt.6:33)
If we unwisely choose to do it the other way, then we’ll just have to suffer the consequences. For remember too that there ARE consequences for disobedience.
My people, we need to be able to talk about our God as sincerely as Bruh David does in Psalm 145 – The Lord is gracious. ‘Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable (beyond our understanding). One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
I will speak of (meditate on) the glorious honour (splendour) of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible (awesome) acts: and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly (eagerly) utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.’ (Ps.145:3-7)
Oh Friends, are we that passionate about our God, about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? I don’t think so. At least not sufficient of us supposed believers. But then again, we can’t be passionate about Jesus when we don’t spend sufficient serious time in His Word.
We ought to be able to sincerely shout out like Isaiah: ‘For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit (grave) cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.’ (Is.38:18-19)
Yes Friends, we are the living, and we are the fathers to the children, so please let’s praise and make known our magnificent and magnanimous God, for therein lies the wisdom of the ages. Much LOVE!
…only as we diligently learn…and deeply immerse ourselves in the things of God…can we talk wisely and sincerely about Him…
06 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pox on our society, ashamed, at thy right hand, bless my soul, bombarded, busy, cares of the world, compliced, do thy will, enjoy the beauty of god's world, fast paced society, follies, fortress, fullness of joy, God's presence, goodness, gossip media, greased lightning, guidance and protection, Guide, heartfelt cry, in thy presence is fullness of joy, jehovah god, know my heart, know my thoughts, lead me, Lead me in thy truth, lifestyle of the rich and famous, like chickens with our heads cut off, LOVE, loving kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, mercy, mish-mash society, on thee do I wait, one on one, outpouring of God's word, overseer, perception, perfect antidote, pleasures for evermore, power of God, prayer, presence, refuge, righteousness., Rock, salvation, search me, seek God, Show me thy ways, sinful, slow down, solution, stressed out, studying God's Word, sufficent time to spend with God, superiority, supremacy, teach me, teach me thy paths, the answer to our problems, the blind leading the blind, The God of my salvation, the good shepherd, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the land of uprightness, the middle of the workweek, the path of life, the way everlasting, thou art my God, thou wilt show me the path of life, thy spirit is good, tow seconds worth, traffic jams, troubled times, trust, try me, turn back to God, ungodly, ungodly world, Wednesday, wisdom at its zenith, working in tandem
Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Aye Friends, can you believe that it’s already Wednesday, the middle of the workweek? Brother! The days they are moving along like greased lightning. Truly though, the days aren’t really any faster than normal nuh, it’s just our perception. We live in such a busy and fast paced society that everything just seems speeded up.
And our God doesn’t want us being so busy with the cares of the world that we don’t have sufficient time to spend with Him. However that’s exactly what happens to many of us; we lead such busy lives, or rather believe we lead such busy lives that we can’t seem to find time to give God His two seconds worth, because that’s just how much time we dedicate to most things.
That attitude is wrong though my people. We need to slow down and enjoy the beauty of God’s world around us, and also spend a fair amount of time in His presence, studying His Word and communicating one on one with Him, for remember the joy of the Lord is our strength. (Neh.8:10) Only as we are filled with His strength can we be truly joyful. Or put the other way; only as we are filled with His joy can we be strong.
Ah mih people, everyday we’re bombarded with some new device that’s faster, and can do more stuff, but do we really need that? I don’t think so. What are we going to do when we reach the point that we can’t go any faster eh? It’s ironic, but the only place that many people slow down is in their daily commute to and from work, in the massive traffic jams that occur every day of the workweek, and even on Saturdays and Sundays nowadays.
The other day I got caught on the highway during the afternoon rush hour and was I ever surprised to see the number of vehicles parked up in the 12 to 16 lanes of highway, going nowhere fast. I don’t know what’s the answer nuh Friends, all I know is that it’s a pox on our society. We lose so much time and money sitting in traffic every day that it’s not funny.
Isn’t it laughable though, that with all our brilliance in other areas of life, we still can’t find a better, more productive and positive way for the basic function of getting to and from the jobs that provide our livelihood. That’s why we’re so stressed out and keep running aimlessly, like chickens with our heads cut off.
There’s no need to worry though Friends, for we have the perfect antidote to all those problems; seek God sincerely and continually and He will give you the necessary parts to handle our crazy society. It’s as simple as that. But for many of us in these modern times that’s just too simple and easy. Unless a solution is complicated, we find it difficult to accept.
But Friends, just listen to the words of our Bit and then tell me why I’d refuse to do what it says eh? ‘Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’ That’s sounds so wonderful to me, so why would I want to bother with anything else eh?
Oh my people, please, let’s wake up and appreciate the goodness and LOVING-kindness of our magnificent and magnanimous God nuh! Instead of trying to rid our society of Him, let’s bring Him back with a great outpouring of His Word and His marvellous LOVE!
That’s the answer to most of our problems in the world today; reinstating Jehovah God as our guide and overseer.
Sadly though, too many of us are caught up in the frenzied lifestyle of the rich and famous, seeking to copy it in our own lives, or wasting our time by paying too much attention to their follies and sinful, ungodly lifestyles. That’s why all the gossip media is flourishing in these troubled times.
Anyway, enough of my venting, (smile) let’s see what the scriptures have to say about the subject. Listen to Bruh David’s call on God from Psalm 25 – A prayer for guidance and protection. ‘’Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.’ (Ps.25:4-5)
Oh Friends, are we crying out to God for His guidance and direction, and waiting patiently for Him to answer our prayers? I surely hope so, otherwise we’re losing out big time on His goodness and mercy. For He is the only one who can successfully lead and guide us through this mish-mash society and ungodly world.
Listen to Bruh David again, this time from Psalm 31. ‘In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust (do I take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock (rock of refuge), for a house of defense (fortress) to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.’ (Ps.31:1-3)
Yeh Friends, it’s all about our God; about working in tandem with Him! That’s the only way we’ll ever be able to successfully navigate this madhouse that our world’s become.
Now more Bruh David, (smile) this time from Psalm 143: ‘Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.’ (Ps.143:10)
Oh my people, I don’t how else to put it nuh, but that Bruh David knew on which side his bread was buttered. And since this seems to be a Bruh David day, (smile) let’s end with some more of his fine words from Psalm 139- The everlasting presence and power of God.
He tearfully declares: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts (anxious thoughts): And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps.139:23-24)
Oh Friends, oh Friends, that ought to be the soulful, heartfelt cry of every believer this morning!
Let’s seriously and sincerely turn back to God nuh my people, for that’s where all the good answers lie! Let’s wise up and acknowledge His superiority, His supremacy, and the fact that we can do very little without Him. That is indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…following the world…is like the blind leading the blind…but following Jesus…oh bless my soul…that is like the Good Shepherd leading his sheep…
04 Jan 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 2013, 2014, abundance drive, achieve, act on, Anselm's Quote, ashamed, Atlantic Canada, be prepared, believe, better tomorrow, blessings, blizzards, Britain, busy, calamity, can't serve two masters, change of address, communication with God, compatible, conceive, culture difference, disastrous, doing life God's way, emotional manner, Facebook, friends, frost and ice quakes, garbage, god, God is good, good news, gospel, have faith, ice storm, idolater, indisputable truth, Inspirational message, Israel, Jesus, Judah, life is good, like a lion, Living well, Mammon, material things, Mother Nature, negative consequences, obsolete, other gods, pe persistent, power outages, pride, prophet jeremiah, prosperity, rain, rich and famous, save, self-importance, slums, social media networks, Southern Ontario, spiritual, technological stuff, the things of God, tidal surges, time for God, time of trouble, transgressed, unlimited potential, unwise, upscale community, weather, wind, wisdom, worldly ways, worshipping idols
Isaiah 2:8. Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.
Oh Friends, 2013 went out like a lion in respect of the weather, and 2014 has certainly continued lion-like in its wake. (smile) The clean up is still going on in Southern Ontario from the ice storm, added to that there’s been frigid temps and blowing snow causing whiteouts and accidents. We have also experienced an infrequent reality called a frost or ice quake; loud, breaking noises caused by the thick ice cracking up. They don’t appear to be dangerous though.
Meanwhile Atlantic Canada is still digging out from their blizzards, with power outages, and unfortunately is expecting more bad weather. Across the pond though, it’s rain, tidal surges and wind that are causing problems, especially along the coasts of Britain.
And in a strange difference of culture, apparently the Power Companies will be made to pay for the power outages, unlike in North America, where it’s simply blamed on Mother Nature. Now isn’t that an interesting difference.
But Friends… Chuh! I spelled Friends wrong again! I thought I had broken out of that habit. But apparently not. Got it right that last time though. (smile)
As I was saying I have some good new for us, a place where we can all go to get away from this disgusting weather. This comes from an inspirational message I get everyday from a Friend. It’s called Anselm’s Quote for the Day, Inspiring You for a Better Tomorrow.
And this one was so interesting and appropriate to our situation that I decided to share it with all the Scrip-Bit Family. Some of you might have already heard it, but I think I it’s important and inspirational enough to hear it again.
It says: ‘This is my change of address notice for 2014. I have moved out from 1 Beggars Alley, located at 2 Poverty Lane at the corner of Bleak and Buster Circle. As of today, I have a brand new home. My new address is: Living Well on 3 Abundance Drive, located at the corner of Blessings Street and Prosperity Peak.
No longer will I allow myself to travel on Begging Peter to pay off Paul route, located at a dead end intersection called: I Don’t Have, it connects with Borrowers Junction. I no longer hang out at Failure’s Place, near Excuses Avenue, next to Procrastination Point.
I’ve moved on to an Upscale Community called Higher Heights with unlimited potential and opportunities for me to succeed. Look at me, each day that I’m awake, I am thankful to be a product of my new environment. All my clothes are tailor made. I’m dressed in life’s finest.
Let me introduce you to all of them: Conceive, Believe, Act on, Have Faith, Be Persistent, and Always be Prepared to Achieve. Life is Good because God is good! Care to change your address?’
And all God’s people declared a loud and joyful ‘YES!’
Oh Friends, it would be so wonderful if most of us would certainly change our addresses this year and do move to a better neighbourhood, not necessarily in a physical manner, although that might be good for some, but most certainly in a spiritual and emotional manner, because that is exactly what is wrong with our world today; we don’t take seriously enough the things of God.
And that’s all Anselm is talking about there yes; doing life God’s way! It’s in total sync with our faith and all that it entails. But we are so full of pride and our own self-importance that we prefer to live by the dictates of the evil, ungodly world, immortalized in the words of our Bit. ‘Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.’
Ah mih people, can’t we see, don’t we understand that the stuff we’re making, and allowing to rule our lives is basically garbage, and the merchants are simply sucking us into buying stuff that we truly don’t need and can’t afford?
Just look at the i-phone, the smart-phone, the i-pad, and all the other technological stuff that’s been thrown at us as being so necessary. How long does one last eh? Within a year’s time, most of them are obsolete, and the new stuff on the block isn’t even compatible with the old stuff, but you are encouraged to keep in fashion and style and buy the new version.
All it’s doing is making money for the already rich and famous. You all love Facebook so much, the fellow who started it is now one of the richest men in the world, and getting richer everyday. But what are you getting, just more trouble with greater possibility of your personal stuff been stolen, and the improper stuff we are sending over these social media networks causing serious negative consequences.
Oh my people, all that stuff is keeping us so fictionally busy, that we can’t find time for God. That’s disastrous and very unwise. Listen as the prophet Jeremiah conveyed God’s words to Israel, when they were in the same situation, worshipping idols and other gods, too busy to communicate with the ONE who created them.
‘As the thief is ashamed when he is found (out), so is the house of Israel ashamed, they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, Saying to a stock (tree), Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth (begotten me): for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.
But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble (calamity): for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah. Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye have all transgressed against me, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.2:26-29).
And that’s all gospel, indisputable truth my brethren! We have not only turned our faces, but more disgustingly, our backs on God. But in times of calamity, even from the mouth of the biggest idolater, the first words to blast forth are ‘Oh God!’ or ‘Help me God!’
Unfortunately Friends, we can’t have it both ways, we either serve and worship God completely, or we stick with the material things and worldly ways that appear to be more important to us. It’s up to each of us, whether we change our address and come up higher, or remain in the slums that we’re currently living in.
I’d strongly advise my people, that we make serious attempts to do the former, because that’s the zenith of wisdom. Much LOVE!
Jesus said it so plainly…no man can serve two masters…ye cannot serve God and mammon… (Matt.6:24)
20 Feb 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: afraid, anxious, assurance of God's presence, awaken, blessings of obedience, busy, christianity, confidence, eternal, friends and neighbours, future, gospel truth, inwardly digest, Jesus' desires, mark, material prosperity, past, peace, prophet, psalm 3, read, secret smile, seer, sleep, The Lord sustains, The Lord's a shield, the Lord's guidance, today, tomorrow, trust, ungodly world, victory, walk safely, wisdom
Psalm 3:5. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.
Oh Friends and neighbours, yesterday has flitted away to time eternally past, and tomorrow has not yet come in from the cold, or if you prefer, from the eternal future. But glory of glories, today’s here! So please let’s use it wisely nuh. It’s all we have, so let’s not waste it, for it will never come again. Yes, I know that when tomorrow comes we’ll call it today, but no two days are ever the same, regardless of what you call them. The opportunities and problems of today are all we’re sure of. Some may be better tomorrow, or they may be worse, but we can only work with what we have at hand. Consequently, I’m asking us to work positively, efficiently and in an excellent manner with what we have today, as Jesus desires of His followers. That’s why He encouraged us to: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought (worry) for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt.6:34). Now that doesn’t mean we should not make general plans and such for tomorrow, but it’s best to concentrate on the problems and opportunities of today. That brings us to the question; when you got up this morning, did you wonder how you achieved it? I’m sure many of us didn’t because we were too busy and anxious getting ready to face the day in the evil, ungodly world in which we live. But Friends, I’ll let you in on a li’l secret; (smile) let you know why and how you got up this morning. Our Bit says it all: ‘I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.’ And that’s the gospel truth people! The only reason you were able to lie down and sleep, then get up, most likely refreshed in body, soul and mind, is because the great God who created the universe and all therein made it happen. He granted you sleep, and sustained you through it all. It’s one of the blessings of obedience He promised the Israelites long ago, and by extension all who serve and worship Him thereafter. ‘If you walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do (perform) them; Then I will give…’ and He goes on to specify material prosperity, victory over enemies, the assurance of His presence, and personal freedom. (Lev.26:3-13) But the particular verse we’re interested in is verse 6, the first half: ‘And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid:’ No wonder our world is topsy turvy and confused, with a large portion of the population so anxious, worried and stressed out, needing man-made drugs and psychoanalysis to cope with everyday life and help them to sleep. Yes Friends, we don’t need a seer or prophet to tell us that we’re one of the most sinful generations ever, that’s why our society is going downhill so quickly. In any case, just like the Israelites of old, when the seer or prophet warns us of our iniquities and their consequences, we don’t pay them any attention, but rather try to hurt, humiliate, ruin and even run them out of town. Oh my brethren, without a doubt, the obedient nation or person will flourish under the Lord’s watchful and LOVING guidance! Hear how Zophar, Job’s buddy describes it, if Job gives us his sinful ways and walks in righteousness. ‘And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit with thee (court thy favour).’ (Job 11:18-19) And please note the superscript to Psalm 3 from which our Bit comes; A prayer of confidence in God, written by Bruh David when he fled from Absalom his son, who was trying to usurp his throne. In verse 3 He confidently acknowledges: ‘But thou, O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) mine head.’ One can’t get any more confident than that my fellow believers.He also penned Psalm 4; An evening prayer of trust in God, where he boldly declares: ‘Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’ (Ps.4:7-8) Oh Friends, it’s only through the Lord’s goodness and mercy that we rise up everyday and walk safely! And we’ll end with some further words of wisdom from Cousin Sol, exhorting us to obedience. ‘Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation of (trouble from) the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).’ (Prov.3:23-26) Never have truer words been spoken my brethren! So please let’s take them to heart today; read, mark and inwardly digest them, then try and bring our attitudes and behaviour into line with God’s Word, that we may rest in peace and awaken to walk safely, under His great protective umbrella of LOVE, peace, mercy and forgiveness. That Friends and fellow believers, is the wisdom of the wise. Much LOVE!…Oh Lord…when I lay me down to sleep…my soul I pray you’ll keep…and when I awaken to a brand new day…my feet, I pray you’ll guide in safety and peace…
17 Aug 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: busy, enthusiasm, frantic pace, Friday chant, God's kingdom, justice, life, loving kindness, multi-tasking, passion, rat-race, righteousness., sincerity, smell the roses, stress, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, the race is not for the swift
Ecclesiastes 9:11. I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill: but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, and I hear you calling out in delirious pleasure: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And I have another little gem to share today. (smile) But before we do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with as much enthusiasm and sincerity as we can muster. ‘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 having tried to put the weekend in its proper perspective, let me share that wonderful gem. Yesterday I bought some Chinese food and in the fortune cookie I found this saying: ‘It’s okay to slow down and smell the roses.’ Well Friends, I must say that’s the God-given truth! And most of know it, but we still refuse to live up to it. Instead we engage in the rat-race we so nicely term the busy life. Oh Friends, if we don’t slow down every so often, sometimes even stop completely, and take stock of what’s really and truly going on around us, we’re going to go crazy, both literally and figuratively. Believe it my people, man was not made to live at the frantic pace we’re currently living at. This non-stop, continuously go, go pace the powers that be are trying to force on us is NO GOOD! It has very negative effects on us, physically, mentally and emotionally. Just consider the high incidence of stress amongst even the young people of our society, who have grown up with this fast lifestyle. They are dropping off and out like flies at a much too tender age because they can’t keep up with the torrid pace the world’s setting. So you can imagine what’s happening to the older folks who are not accustomed to that stressful lifestyle. All this multi-tasking and doing several jobs, just to keep up, is slowly but surely killing us. It’s normal now to claim that we’re so busy, we don’t have time for our friends, families, God or ourselves. What are we so busy doing eh? And what do we have time for then my people? No wonder Cousin Sol, in his experimenting, discovered that wisdom was much better than strength. Listen to him declare it in our Bit: ‘I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill: but time and chance happeneth to them all.’ And that’s an indisputable fact Friends! So whether we’re fast, strong, rich or skilful, there’s no guarantee we’ll survive and/ or prosper because of our attributes, since unforeseen things happen to us all, regardless of our station in life. That’s why it’s not so wise to go running after the things the world considers important. Wisdom, understanding, peace of mind and a strong faith in Almighty God are what we need, especially in these very confused and troubled times. As Jeremiah so rightly declares, re the knowledge of God is man’s glory: ‘Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise LOVING-kindness, judgement (justice) and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.9:23-24) Oh Friends, the Lord made His wishes quite clear to us many, many moons ago, but yet we still insist on following the direction set by the world, which is in the death grip of greedy, evil, ungodly men. How can we then live the life God planned for us if we don’t follow what He says in His Guide Book eh? Obviously we can’t! Oh my brethren, I know that some of you will take umbrage at what I’m saying, claiming I don’t know your personal situation, but that’s too bad. If you don’t want to accept the gospel truth from the Good Book there’s nothing I can do about that. We each have to make our own choices, then live with them here on earth and later answer to God about them. However, unless we all slow down a tad and enjoy the things we work so hard and long for, as well as the people close to us, we’ll be missing out on the true value and meaning of life. Please my people, please stop and take a look at your situation, look at all the stuff you figured you must have, so you worked your butt off to get them. Then ask yourself when last, or if ever, you have truly enjoyed them? Include in that, the nice houses that we so desperately wanted, and we now have. Do we have or take the time to truly enjoy them? Not at all, because we’re too busy working to meet the mortgage payments. My brethren, I implore us to wake up, then stop a minute and smell the beautiful aroma, the ‘unclonable’ perfume of the roses God made to enrich our sense of smell, because we’re missing out on a whole lot of God’s grace and bounty, when we try to keep up with, or run faster than the world. That’s true wisdom! Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…or he’ll eventually feel…
SCRIP-BITS 