Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 November 2014 Psalm 118:21

08 Nov 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 118:21.   I will praise thee: for thou hast heard (and answered) me, and art become my salvation.

Well it’s Saturday Friends… the day for sleeping in late and/or getting up early to do the household chores and run the errands that we couldn’t do during the workweek. Oh, in this go, go, go society of ours, there is always something else to do, something else that’s demanding, that’s screaming out for our time and attention. 
 
But you know what my people? In this rat-race society we have to make definite time for two things; rest, and quiet time with Almighty God!
 
Without those two things running at optimum levels, regardless of how good, how accomplished we are in the ways and busyness of the world, our brilliant construction will collapse and fall as soon as anything strong comes against it, because our physical and spiritual foundations are insufficient to support the worldly structure we’re trying to build. 
 

That reminds me of Jesus talking about the two men, one who built his house on a poor foundation of sand (the world and its values) and the other who constructed his on the strong foundation of rock (Jesus Christ).
 
And when the storms came, as they invariably do, the wind and rain washed away the foundation of the house built on the sand and the house itself collapsed. But the one built on the foundation of rock staunchly withstood the elements. (Luke 6:46-48)
 
That my Friends, is what happens when we rush about madly, trying to achieve and acquire the things the world considers important, of top priority, and we’re not kind and considerate to our physical and spiritual needs.
 
And the sad part is that we now see such foundations crumbling much more often than we did a generation or two ago, when the pace of life was much slower and more in tune with God. Unfortunately it is also happening to younger and younger persons all the time.
 
The unrelenting thrust of today’s pace of life, and the resultant stress and strain are taking a serious toll on the society’s young, because that’s all a lot of them know – always in a rush, multitasking, constantly on the social media networks – and neither the body nor the mind were built to withstand such abnormal pressures.
 
Anyway my brethren, for those of us who have learned the lesson of life – many the hard way – to build our structures on the strong foundation of Jesus, our Bit today helps us to acknowledge where our wisdom and contentment come from. ‘I will praise thee: for thou hast heard (and answered) me, and art become my salvation.’
 
And that’s no lie, my fellow believers, for our God is ever so worthy of praise, because he has heard and answered our heartfelt prayers, even to the sending of His only son Jesus to be the sacrifice, the propitiation for our sins, and thus ultimately our Saviour, the reason for our reconciliation to the Father, and therefore our salvation.
 
And the sound of God’s people suddenly and solemnly ring out to high heaven: ‘Thank You Father! Thank You for sending Jesus to bring us back to You. We LOVE and adore You, and praise Your Holy Name!’
 
And that’s why the psalmist began Psalm 118 – Thanksgiving for the Lord’s salvation- this way. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord: for he is good: because his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.’ (Ps.118:1) And throughout the psalm he continually repeats that verse, so by the end, that thought, those serious and sacred words have been indelibly written in your soul.
 
And talking about answered prayer, listen to these verses from Psalm 116 – Praise for deliverance from death. ‘I LOVE the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me (listened to me), therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.’ (Ps.116:1-2)
 
Oh my people, that’s simple logic and common sense! If you’ve called upon the Lord, and He heard and answered you, then you’d be a fool not to keep on calling on Him. And as I researched our Bit, I was amazed to find some very poignant and prominent verses of scripture in rather close proximity to it. I had some idea of where they were to be found, but never really made the connection until now.
 
Hear these memorable verses of scripture that follow our Bit. ‘The stone which the builders refused (rejected) is become the head stone of the corner (the chief cornerstone). This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:22-24)
 
Yes Friends, most of us know those scriptures, but I suspect that only a few know that they come one right after the other in the same psalm.
 
And we’ll close, most appropriately with the last two verses of Psalm 118, ‘Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.’ (Ps.118:28-29)
 
Gospel truth Friends, gospel truth! Let’s remember that, and wisely build our lives around them. Much LOVE!
 
…any structure, edifice, family or organization…is only as strong as its foundation…and the best, the strongest  foundation is Jesus Christ…

 

 


 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 July 2014 Matthew 6:19

24 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 6:19.       Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin, destroy), and where thieves break through and steal.

Aye mih Friends, it’s Thursday, what’s new, what’s on the agenda for today eh? I know that all of us have lofty plans for the day, but just remember, for them to succeed, we have to commit these plans to the Lord, link them with His plan and will for our lives.
 
As Bruh David so wisely advises in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps.37:5-6)
 
But first things first my brethren; let’s give our wonderful God a mighty shout of praise and thanks for causing us to see another marvelous day here on earth, for without His goodness and tender mercy, His LOVING-kindness and forbearance, that wouldn’t be possible.
 
So please pray with me, this prayer that Jesus taught us. ‘Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one): for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’ (Matt.6:9-13)
 
Yes my people, it’s always best to acknowledge our heavenly Father before we begin asking Him for this and that. It just shows our respect, our reverential awe for His holiness, His spectacular majesty and awesome power, and that we’re not merely interested in whatever good things He might have to offer us.
 
For also remember that He can see, and does read the true motives of our hearts, so any hypocrisy we try to hide from Him WILL BE exposed to His supernatural sight. Consequently, I don’t understand how so many of us still come to God with deceitful thoughts and attitudes, thinking to fool Him. Absolute stupidity!
 
Anyway, that brings us to our Bit, a very significant teaching of Jesus. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin, destroy), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt.6:19-21)
 
Oh Friends, what a very instructive and hopefully convincing passage of scripture, that all of us will sincerely and confidently take note of!
 
And the scholars have this to say about those verses. ‘6:19-21. The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term treasures implies the addition or accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (either on earth or in heaven).
 
The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather of rewards for faithful service, as illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus.’
 
Yes my brethren, unlike the world’s theory that we should aggrandize ourselves with the worthless physical riches of the earth, Jesus is advising us to store up the favours and rewards for godly and righteous service in heaven.
 
And it’s a proven fact that wherever the choice things of our heart are located, that’s where our attention will be focused. So if the treasures of the world hold the place of highest esteem in our lives, then that’s where our focus, our priorities, will lie.
 
However, if the rewards and riches found in heaven speak more to us, then it’s on heaven and heavenly things that our focus and priorities will be trained.
 
And though the riches of the world are nice to have, running behind them, making ourselves slaves to collecting them is not a very wise idea. For that path only brings immense headaches and pain, in the long run causing us to forsake our friends and families, and most importantly our God.
 
Now let’s look at some scriptures that support our Bit. And the first comes from the pen of wise Cousin Sol, where he unequivocally declares: ‘Labour not (do not overwork) to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
 
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? (Will you cause your eyes to fly on it, and it is not?) For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.’ (Prov.23:4-5)
 
And who should know the effect of riches my people, better than the richest man ever eh? And it is the gospel truth, as we can see from the many who have laboured long and hard to attain material wealth, then lost it all, in no time at all.
 
And there are also many stories of people who have made and lost several earthly fortunes in a lifetime. So it’s essentially easy to amass earthly riches, but the problem is keeping them.
 
And we’ll end today with those wise, famous and memorable words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us therewith be content.
 
But they that will (desire to) be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).
 
For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds of) evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
 
But thou, O man of God, flee these things (shun a LOVE of money); and follow after (pursue) righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim.6:6-12)
 
Oh my people, that passage of scripture says it all! So please, I implore us, let’s all look seriously today at our attitude towards material wealth, and wisely place it at the nether end of our priorities, not make it the goal of our lives.
 
Instead, let’s make the accumulation of heavenly rewards our raison d’etre, our reason for living. Now that’s the wisdom of everlasting life! Much LOVE!
 
…earthly wealth can easily be lost…and in any case we leave it all behind…when we go to collect our heavenly rewards…so why doggedly pursue it eh…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 May 2014 Philippians 4:13

29 May 2014 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 4:13.     I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 
Oh Friends, I certainly wasn’t able to sit on my deck yesterday afternoon and enjoy the warm, healing rays of the sun, for it was a tad chilly, just like the weather people had said. And it looks like today will be just the same. Oh the annoying vagaries of the weather eh!
 
However, with bated breath, hungry hope and expectant faith, we are patiently waiting for those ‘lazy, crazy days of summer’ to arrive. (smile) For we know that they will eventually appear, because the Lord has decreed it, just not exactly when.
 
And so, as we wait with eager patience for all that God has in store for us, let’s make, or rather reaffirm this pledge, this declaration of intent, since we have invoked it before.
 
‘I can do all things through Christ. God has new opportunities for me. I am not settling for where I am now. I’m stretching myself, and pursuing what He (God) has put in my heart. God’s plan for my life is greater than I could imagine, and I am determined to be who He wants me to be. This is my declaration of what I can do through Christ.’
 
And all of God’s people proclaimed a loud and lusty: ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’
 
Yes Friends, please remember that when we partner with Christ, when we have Him and His Holy Spirit buried deep in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, when He’s our true guide and leader, anything at all is possible through His omnipotence!
 
And that’s something we Christians don’t take as seriously and believe as strongly as we ought to, for if we did, a lot of us wouldn’t be in some of the unfortunate and/or untenable situations that we’re currently in.
 
Unfortunately, too many of us simply pay lip service to our Bit. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’
 
Oh Friends, that’s a basic tenet of our faith! If we don’t truly believe that, and even more importantly put it into practice, then our faith is useless, since we can’t successfully fight the evil powers of this world in our own strength.
 
Now just before our Bit, Bruh Paul made two other famous statements to the Philippians. Speaking in appreciation of a gift they’d sent him (most likely money), he declares: ‘But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me (concern) hath flourished again (revived); wherein ye were also careful (though you surely did care), but ye lacked opportunity.
 
Not that I speak in respect of want (regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I both know how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.’ (Phil.4:10-12)
 
Oh my fellow believers, what mighty words, and also lessons that each and every Christian ought to learn and apply!
 
Now here is some worthwhile info from the scholars on those verses and our Bit. ‘4:10. Wherein ye were also careful, or, “regarding your care for me, you really were concerned”: Paul acknowledges that they were concerned about his needs all along, but they lacked opportunity to minister to him.
 
4:11. Not that I speak in respect (because) of want: Paul’s ability to be content despite the circumstances assures the readers that his joy of verse 10 is not solely over his “need” being met at their expense. He implies that he could have done without their financial aid. For justifies this implication.
 
I have learned…to be content: The Greek here suggests that contentment is a lesson learned neither in a classroom nor overnight, but through many practical experiences in life.
 
4:12. By listing some specific examples, this verse elaborates upon the very general and broad “in whatsoever state I am” of verse 11. Be abased means literally to discipline oneself, that is, to tighten the belt in lean times. To abound means to live in prosperity.
 
Every where and in all things I am instructed (or, “in all circumstances I have learned the secret of how”) to be full, that is, “well-fed” To abound means to have plenty. To suffer need means to go without.
 
Paul has acquired the skill for successfully living with little and with much, the latter probably being harder: “For one man who can stand prosperity, there are a hundred that will stand adversity.” (Thomas Carlyle).
 
4:13. The apostle’s ability of knowing how to live skillfully on little or in prosperity does not mean that he is a spiritual superman.
 
The reason he can live in such extremes is not owing to his own ability. Rather he can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth him, thus enabling him to adapt to his various, ever-changing circumstances.
 
God orders Paul’s various situations, and God gives him the strength to be content in them all, trying and perplexing though they may be.’
 
Oh yes my brethren, it’s God’s provision that enables us to be strong and content in any and every situation. But it’s not an easy thing to accomplish and can only be learned though life’s hard lessons.
 
That’s why it’s so awfully important to have the Holy Spirit of Jesus firmly entrenched in our being, so that we can have the necessary help to face all our situations, be they good or bad.
 
Steups! And it’s interesting that I had one of those situations a little while ago. In the middle of copying verse 10, above, the power suddenly went, and I lost a little of what I had written. But I didn’t pull out my hair and scream to high heaven, as I would have done previously. 
 
Now I was unhappy and annoyed, but over the years I’ve learned to save stuff as I write, so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, or has been in the past, when I had to start over from scratch.
 
So I had to reboot and all of that, and with my already waking up late, it just makes the Bit even later. I don’t like it when the Bit is late, but life happens, and I just have to grin and bear it. (smile)
 
Oh, one more thing, for those of you who happen to check out my Blog site, please accept my humble apologies for the different fonts and sizes that have been appearing on it lately. That’s not my fault. I post it properly, but somehow or the other when wordpress, my blogging site, converts it, these days it comes up that way.
 
I’m not thrilled with it all, and I’m trying to have it fixed. But until then please bear with me. Chuh!
 
Anyway, we have lots to meditate and ponder on today, to learn to live contentedly in whatever situation we find ourselves, so let’s get to it nuh. (smile) And I know it’s long, but that makes up for yesterday’s short one. (smile)  
 
And I hope that the Bit helps us all to keep our focus on Almighty God, as it’s designed to do. For that’s wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
 
…to know, know, know Him (Jesus)…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE HIM…for He makes everything worthwhile…

 

 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 September 2013 Psalm 135:15.

27 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 135:15.   The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
 
All hail the power of Jesus’ Name this Friday morning Friends!
 
And all believers joyfully declared: ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His Holy Name! Thank Him for allowing us to see another bright and bountiful day! Thank Him that it’s Friday and we’ll soon get a much needed respite from our labour! Yes, thank God, it’s Friday!’
 
And that’s the way it ought to be my people, because it’s Almighty God who enables us to do all that we do. He is most definitely the ONE who enables us to get jobs, wealth, prosperity, peace joy and LOVE in this ungodly world, in these very troubled times!
 
As you can see mih breddren, Friday has come around again, and as always, we need to chant our Friday Chant, so that we can choose and keep the right options presented or available to us, and thus gain true perspective. (smile) 
 
So let’s chant in full and grateful voice nuh: ‘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.’
 
Great chanting mih people! Now let’s turn to our new Bit. ‘The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.’
 
And yuh know what Friends, all that stuff that’s gone before fits our Bit to a ‘T’. And it wasn’t my brilliance either, but the leading of the Holy Spirit. It’s only after I decided on the Bit that I realized how pertinent it was to the weekend.
 
And you ask why? Because it’s usually on the weekend, when we have some spare time, time to ourselves, that we most often turn to the idols of the world, the man made stuff which takes up so much of our time, and leaves little, if any for God.
 
We can always make, or find time for the television, the 500 channels with so much nonsense on most of them, that only about a dozen, if so many, are truly worth watching. Don’t talk about the computers, the cell phones, the tweeting on Twitter, the posting of our private and personal business on Facebook and all the other social media.
 
Unwise actions that are only getting us in trouble and causing our young people to get even dumber than they already are, while the purveyors of all the nonsense clap their hands in evil contentment and laugh all the way to the bank.
 
And they’re numerous other worldly things that we pay unnecessary attention to, which then become idols; like cars, houses, money, political power and social status, hoping that they will bring us joy and happiness on this earth.
 
But Friends, I’m hear to tell you that it’s all a fallacy, a fantasy, a great sham, engineered and perpetrated by Lucifer and his evil cohorts, to turn us away from the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
 
If you ask a lot of supposed believers, when last they went to church or read their Bibles, too many would be at a loss to give you an answer. And when you ask them why, the answer is usually they’re too busy.
 
Too busy doing what eh? Too busy pandering to the idols and things of the world! But my brethren that’s the wisdom of the foolish! For if you’re too busy for God now, in your time of need, He will also be too busy for you.
 
Our God LOVES us unconditionally and with great passion, but just like we don’t, or rather are not supposed to put up with disobedience from our children, He doesn’t put up with disobedience from us.
 
And listen to the psalmist as he continues to tell us about the greatness of the Lord and the vanity, uselessness of idols. ‘The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.’ (Ps.135:15-18)
 
And that’s the gospel truth my people! The idols of the world are pure foolishness! Some of them are indeed useful in our earthly lives, but to place as much attention on them as we do, to kill ourselves in acquiring them is certainly not wise.
 
How can you treat stuff made by man, as God eh? Especially when they have eyes but can’t see; ears that can’t hear, mouths without breath and can’t talk, and the men who made them have to carry them around.
 
Oh Friends, I’ll leave us to ponder those questions that we’ve raised today, sincerely hoping that many of us who worship these idols will see the light, will get some godly insight into our unwise actions.
 
May the Lord open our eyes and grant us true wisdom this Friday morning, for we badly need it. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Much LOVE!
 
…where’s the sense in worshipping dead idols eh…when there’s a vibrant and living Deity…known by names such as… Yahweh, Jehovah, The Most High, Almighty God…who’s created all…and still controls everything…  
 
P.S. No complaining about the length of the Bit today please, because it’s pretty short. (smile) Much LOVE!
 
 
       
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 January 2013 Deuteronomy 28:2

05 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

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

Deuteronomy 28:2.      And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. 
 
Oh Friends, I have some wonderful news to share with you this morning!  I want to tell you that, ‘I, I am blessed. Yes, I’m saying that I, I am blessed. I want to tell the world, that I. I am blessed! Oh mih people, we out here in Western society are so blessed, we have so much to be thankful for, and yet we don’t appreciate it. We’re always complaining about what we don’t have and never seem to stop wanting more, even when we can’t use what we already have. But Friends, if you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, food on your table, a job to go to, no matter how lowly and humble – remember Jesus was a lowly carpenter – and your children are healthy, then you can join me and sing: ‘I, I am blessed. Tell the world that I, I am blessed. Let’s tell the world, that we, we are blessed!’ Oh my brethren, the followers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the most blessed people in the whole wide world! Please let’s act like it nuh. What could be better than the sure promise of LOVE and peace, harmony and contentment, salvation, eternal life and joy in heaven, where there will be no more tears, no more pain and no more sorrow eh? My people, we have such a lot to be thankful for here on earth; 90 percent of the world has so much less than us. And we have so much to look forward to when Jesus comes again. Let us therefore give much praise and thanks and glory everlasting to our great and wonderful God, who LOVES us with such a stormy passion, that He even sent His One Son, Jesus, to die a horrible sacrificial death on our behalf, so that we could be reconciled, be reunited with Him. That’s the greatest blessing ever! So let’s sing again, and really mean it. ‘Oh we, we are blessed. Let’s tell the world that believers, followers of Jesus are blessed.’ Oh Friends, I don’t even know who sings the song, but I’ve heard on the radio a few times. It’s a nice l’il reggae ditty that just resounds with so much truth, that I couldn’t help but sing the chorus. And today, the Lord just made it erupt in my soul and share it with you. So for whatever it’s worth, let’s sing again nuh, let’s give thanks and praise to the Most High, the Father of LOVE and all wonderful things: ‘Oh I, I am blessed. Yes we, we are blessed. Let’s tell the world that God’s children are blessed!’ And there’s absolutely no doubt about that my breddren, as is clearly stated in our Bit, which falls under the blessings of obedience. ‘And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.’ My fellow believers, from the very beginning, the Lord promised to bless us if we followed His dictates. That’s the just, kind, righteous and thoughtful God that He is. Hear how Moses put it to the Israelites at the outset of their journey through the wilderness, en route to the Promised Land. ‘And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth.’ (Deut.28:1) Now here are some of the blessings the Lord promised for obedience to His Will. ‘Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shall thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body (offspring), and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine (cattle), and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store (kneading bowl). Blessed shall thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shall thou be when thou goest out.’ (Deut.28:3-6) Oh Friends, how could there be any better promise than that eh? No way! The scholars even say that those three verses contain six blessings that extend to every sphere of life. So why wouldn’t we follow the Lord’s Word eh, if such goodness and mercy is going to follow us when we’re obedient to it. And is not like we haven’t seen it in action. It worked for the Israelites and for numerous nations over the ages. But somehow or other when we get fat and prosperous by following the Lord, some weird thing creeps into our minds and souls that then tends to turn us away from Him. I believe we get a bit too big for our britches, thinking that all the prosperity was our doing, when in fact it had everything to do with God’s goodness to obedient followers. So what happens then? When we get too proud and arrogant for our own good, the Lord simply takes away His goodness and mercy and allows us to do it our way, which eventually ends up in a fiasco every time. Note our present situation. A couple decades aback, when we were obedient and prosperous the little gnat from Lucifer invaded our minds and told us that it was all our doing. And fools that we were, we believed him and removed Jehovah God from the prominent position He once held in our society to an also ran role.  Now look at the sorry state we’re in. Ah mih people, I don’t know what to say or do to get us to see the light nuh. And what I find interesting is that in this chapter the section on blessings only runs from verses 1-14, but that on curses for disobedience runs from verses 15-68. Wow! Doesn’t that tell us something Friends? I’d strongly suggest that we read Deuteronomy Chapter 28 a few times, just to get it indelibly imprinted on our minds, that disobedience is both foolish and way way more disastrous than obedience to the Creator’s Will. In closing Friends, I ask that we listen to these oh so truthful words of the psalmist: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps.118:8-9)  Now my people, please, please let’s write them in our hearts, minds and souls so that we can obey God and be blessed. That’s wisdom at its highest height! Much LOVE!…I have set before you…life and death…blessing and cursing…therefore choose life…that both thou and thy seed may live… (Deut.30:19) 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 November 2012 1 Timothy 6:10

14 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

1 Timothy 6:10.     For the LOVE of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 
 
Oh Friends, it’s Wednesday, and according to the old nursery rhyme, Wednesday’s child is full of woe! Now the dictionary describes woe as affliction, bitter grief, distress and calamity. And though there could be a tad of truth to the rhyme, generally speaking, once we have the Holy Spirit of Jesus living in us, leading and guiding us on this earthly pilgrimage, woe is something we don’t often experience. Of course we’ll have rough times, but constant, serious, negative problems are not usually associated with God’s children. So please, let’s not dwell on the negative aspects of our lives. Instead, let’s dwell on these 12 Aspects of True Wealth that come from my ‘Off the Wall’ topics. These 12 aspects of true wealth are posted in my young daughter’s larger than normal, multicoloured writing on the right hand wall of my study, right in my sight line, but as with many of the other things posted there I hardly notice them. I’m sure I look at them sometimes and they don’t even register on my mental screen. Like so many other things that have been in our lives for a long period of time, they tend to become invisible. Anyway, here are those 12 Aspects of True Wealth: (1) A positive mental attitude. (2) Sound physical health. (3) Harmony in human relationships. (4) Freedom from fear. (5) Hope of future achievement. (6) The capacity for applied faith. (7) Willingness to share one’s blessings with others. (8) To be engaged in a labour of LOVE – like writing the Scrip-Bit has become to me. (9) An open mind on all subjects to all people. (10) Complete self-discipline. (11) Wisdom with which to understand people. (12) Financial Security. Ah Friends, what a wonderful set of aspirations! But let’s note that the first 11 aspects basically comprise the tenets of our Christian faith, and secondly, that the money matter is placed LAST. Yes my people, money is not the most important aspect of our lives, as so many of us are being led to believe in this money-hungry, ‘gravalicious’ world. If we have the first eleven, the money will come. Let’s remember that and stop running down money and worshipping it more than the God who created it and us. Remember, as our Bit so rightly states: ‘For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds of) evil; which while some coveted after (in their greediness), they have erred (strayed) from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ And that is most definitely the gospel truth my people! Now money is not the only source of evil, but it’s certainly a most important one. And sadly, too many of us are letting the getting of money, its dogged pursuit, become our end all and be all. Now Friends, that isn’t a very wise idea at all, since it generally leads to greed and avarice taking over our souls, consequently causing us to forsake Almighty God in the mad rush for earthly wealth. And please note what Bruh Paul says before our Bit: ‘For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us therewith be content. But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).’ (1 Tim.6:7-9) Oh Friends, there’s no disputing those facts, but though we know them deep down inside, yet we still insist on letting the pursuit of money be our overwhelming goal. But as the scholars so appropriately point out, we must not believe ‘that material possessions have no place in the Christian’s life. By the figure of speech food and raiment stand for all of life’s basic necessities. These are all the believer needs, and having these he can be content.’ Our problem is that we desire to have too many material possessions, more than we can ever need or use, which is the way the world sees it, and which isn’t the way true believers ought to see it. And to prove my point, listen to the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol, on the subject. ‘For wisdom is a defense (a protective shade), and money is a defense: but the excellency (advantage) of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.’ (Eccl.7:12) Yes Friends, money is important, we all need it, and it can be an advantage when we have it, but the advantage of knowledge over money is that it improves our entire life, the way that money can’t. Look at all those who have money and yet are still miserable and unhappy. Oh, I know many of you will take the money and the unhappiness, but if you first have wisdom, you can always make money, but having money doesn’t necessarily bring or mean that you have wisdom. Just look at the numerous fools that have made several fortunes and lost them each time. Wisdom not only helps you to make money, but more importantly, it also guides and enables you to keep it. That’s enough for us to ponder on today Friends. So please, let’s worship the Lord God Jehovah and not money or material possession, that’s the zenith of wisdom. Much LOVE!…if you can buy it with money…then you can’t take it to heaven with you…

 

Next Newer Entries