Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 October 2012 Proverbs 15:8

07 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 15:8.     The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
 
Buenos dias mi amigos! That’s Espanol, Spanish for Good Morning Friends! What a way the ole fella is waxing linguistically these days eh! (smile) But please don’t ask me to say much more than good morning or good evening cause the old brain, through lack of use, has forgotten most of the French and Spanish it once knew. Now just a gentle reminder for those who celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday, that it’s very important we get together with other believers and encourage ourselves in our wonderful God with praise, thanksgiving and joyful worship. Remember Christ’s church is ONE body, though made up of many individual parts, and unless those parts work together in harmony, meaning believers working in faithful tandem, the body won’t progress, won’t stay strong and grow, but will regress and eventually fall apart like our human bodies do when we abuse or don’t take good care of them. And we certainly don’t want Christ’s church to fall apart, so, if at all possible, let’s get out today and celebrate the awesomeness of the God we so enthusiastically serve and worship. That brings us to our Bit: ‘The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.’ That’s the living truth my people! The Lord doesn’t want anything to do with the wicked. Hear the scholars comment on it. ‘The best that the wicked can offer God religiously is completely rejected.’ And why not, since they are not sincere in their efforts. What the Lord desires more than anything else is sincerity in our dealing with Him, and for that matter, also with our fellow man. As our Bit rightly declares; ‘but the prayer of the upright is his delight.’ And remember Friends, we can fool ourselves and each other, like the Pharisees, with our outward show of righteousness, but we can’t fool God, who looks at the motives of our hearts and not simply our outward actions. We all know the famous words of Samuel to Saul, when he disobeyed God’s orders to destroy all of the Amalekites and their property, but he saved the king, Agag, and allowed the people to keep spoil to offer blood sacrifice. ‘Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft (divination), and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.’ (1 Sam.15:22-23) It’s the same relationship we cultivate with our children, where we want them to do as we ask, rather than what they think we want. And the scholars note that: ‘Those verses reinforce the Old Testament viewpoint that religious ritual devoid of spiritual reality and a life of total allegiance to a sovereign LORD is worthless. (cf. Ps.40;6-8; Is.1:10-20; Mic.6:8)’ Absolute truth my people! And since I know many of you won’t look up the scriptures provided, I’ll include some of them here. In Psalm 40, Praise for answered prayer, Bruh David proclaims: ‘Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume (scroll) of the book it is written of me. I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.’ (Ps.40:6-8) And that’s how it should be! Now listen to this excellent example of the ritual worship, when Isaiah calls to the people of Judah to repent. ”Hear the word of the Lord ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offering of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread (trample) my courts? Bring no more vain oblation (futile sacrifices); incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with (endure); it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.’ (Is.1:10-13) The scholars have an excellent commentary on that: ‘The prophet addressed the people of Judah as if they were the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. His criticism of their hypocritical religion should not be taken as a rejection of the divinely ordained sacrificial system. Rather, it is a condemnation of their superficial worship. They were merely going through the ritual of religion with no real heart for God. Vain oblations are worthless offerings. Even the solemn meeting became nothing more than a sinful gathering because of their wrong motives.’ Unfortunately though Friends, a lot of that stuff is also happening today. Too many of us are just talking God, with no serious intent in our hearts, merely going through the outward motions. But that doesn’t sit well with our God at all. If there’s no genuine delight in Him, and a faithful following of His dictates, then all our prayers, sacrifices, etc, will be worthless. And we’ll close with the poignant words of Micah on the subject. ‘Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body (my own child) for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to LOVE mercy (LOVING-kindness), and to walk humbly with thy God?’ (Mic.6:6-8) Nuff said my people! Please, let’s allow wisdom to lead and guide us in the dealings with our God. Much LOVE!…the words and actions of an insincere heart…will never get God’s attention…much less His approval…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 September 2012 Proverbs 12:10

20 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 12:10.     A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

Well hello there my wonderful Friends in Christ Jesus! Hope you’re up and about in good health and strong faith. Here’s a piece of a favourite hymn that I read this morning and thought should get us started today. ‘Lord, great is thy faithfulness. Morning by morning new mercies I see. All that I needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness unto me,’ Wow! And since that’s gospel truth, all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Name of the Lord God Jehovah, for He is indeed faithful to the undeserving children of men!’ Now, without further ado, let’s turn to our Bit because we have plenty to say. (smile) ‘A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.’ We saw yesterday that it basically meant that righteous folk were kind to animals, while the wicked are unfailingly cruel to them. We also saw where the Lord himself instructed Moses to tell the Israelites not to kill any mama birds and young ones or eggs in the nests, but to let the mother go so that she could replenish the earth with her breed. (Deut.22:6-7) True wisdom my people, for that was an integral part of God’s plan for the earth to replenish and refurbish itself. Later on, Moses also commanded the people: ‘Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn (threshes out the grain).’ (Deut.25:4) That obviously means all animals should be treated with a certain amount of kindness and mercy, especially if they are working to produce food and other stuff for us. The scholars rightly claim that Bruh Paul used that verse to demonstrate that a human labourer was also worth his labour. He says in 1 Cor.9: ‘For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen (Is it oxen God is concerned about)? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and he that tresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.’ (1 Cor.9:9-10) And a few verses later he continues his argument for proper rewards for one’s labour: ‘Even so hath the Lord ordained (commanded) that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.’ (1 Cor.9:14) He’s stating there that just like the priests in the Old Testament were remunerated for their priestly duties, likewise the New Testament preachers also have a right to be rewarded for their priestly efforts. And as it pertains to humans also being worthy of their work, that directive also came down from the Lord through Moses, long ago. Leviticus 19, re laws of holiness and justice, boldly proclaims: ‘Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.’ (Lev.19:13) Then in Deuteronomy 24, re oppression of servants, Moses reiterates that dictate: ‘Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates: At his day (each day) thou shalt give him his hire (wages), neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it; lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee.’ (Deut.24: 14-15) Jesus also raised the matter in Matthew 10, when he instructs his disciples to preach only to the lost sheep of Israel (only Jews). He tells them: ‘Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses (money-belts), Nor scrip (bag) for your journey, neither two coats (tunics), neither shoes (sandals), nor yet staves (staffs), for the workman is worthy of his meat.’ (Matt.10:9-10) He’s there agreeing with Bruh Paul that a preacher deserves to be well looked after, so they were to rely on the gifts and hospitality of those to whom they preached. Then in Luke 10, where Jesus sends out the seventy disciples to save souls from the plentiful harvest, He instructs them: ‘And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire (wages). Go not from house to house.’ (Luke 10:7) That means Jesus recognized the principle that honest work ought to be paid for honestly, either in cash or in kind. But unfortunately Friends, today that ethic has been thrown by the wayside, because employers now try their very best to pay their employees as little as possible, and many withhold employees wages much longer than necessary. Even the governments are encouraging that travesty by having laws that have no teeth, that grant no real justice to the hard done by employee, thus allowing the employer to take advantage of the poor workers. We see that here in Ontario a lot with seasonal farm workers who come from other countries to harvest crops, and with foreign nannies who have contracts with families. In sickness and accidents, the farm workers are often just sent back home with no real provision for their health, and if they complain too much about their lot, they are usually just fired. The nannies are usually made to work many more hours than stipulated in their contracts, without overtime pay, and sometimes in very poor living conditions. And don’t talk about the illegal immigrants, especially those who can’t speak much English. The employers take terrible advantage of them, and when they complain and ask for their hard earned wages, they are effectively blackmailed with threats to report them to the Immigration authorities. And taking your case to the courts or tribunals set up to handle these matters is usually too expensive in both time and money for the already disadvantaged worker. So many just shut up and bear their burdens quietly. And the sad part is that the ones who engage in these illicit, inhumane practices are usually the ones who can afford to pay a decent wage. No wonder why man’s inhumanity to man makes millions mourn! The governments know that these injustices are being perpetrated, but they don’t truly care, because many of the guilty are their friends, families and associates. But Friends, one thing is sure; the purveyors of wickedness will eventually get their comeuppance! If not in this life, then for certain in the next. God has promised it, and we know He’s faithful. And we’ll close with a verse from Bruh Paul to Timothy, where, as he’s wont to do, he puts Old and New Testament scripture together to make his point. ‘For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward (wages).’ (1 Tim.5:18) There he successfully quotes both Moses and Jesus. Please Friends, let’s not lose hope in this evil and ungodly world. Remember that we’re the light of the world and the salt of the earth, and if we persevere to the end, we’ll be well rewarded. Much LOVE!…cruelty to any of God’s creations…man or beast…will eventually bring forth justice…from our righteous God…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 September 2012 Psalm 90:12

15 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 90:12.       So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
 
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s starting late this forecasted cool and cloudy Saturday morning, plus he’s tired, although I got lots of rest, and I don’t have a clue about what I’m going to write. (smile) How is that for a start eh? But our God is a good and merciful Deity and has promised not to give us tasks to perform in His Name without the necessary tools to perform them. And I’ve had personal experience in this area for the last how many years, therefore I’m not worried about my lack of info, late start or tiredness. Remember that Jesus also promised that the Holy Spirit will tell us what to say when the time is right, be it in persecution or writing on His behalf. (Matt.10:19-20) So right now I’m depending on those promises, (smile) because I know that our God is faithful and won’t let me down in my time of need. Oh Friends, when is the nonsense going to end eh? When full scale war breaks out? I’m talking about the latest acts of violence against American life and property in the Muslim countries because of a reputedly derogatory video against the prophet Mohammed. Now who in their right senses would produce such a video and upload it to You Tube knowing the reverence lavished on that spiritual leader by his followers, and the fanaticism with which his name is protected, especially at a very sensitive time like this? The fellow in the middle of the production apparently said he wanted to stir up the pot. Well he certainly has! And if the reports are true that he’s a Coptic Christian, can you imagine the problems it will cause those poor folks who are already so badly treated and persecuted in the Muslim countries. Ah Lord eh! Some of us definitely need our heads examined yes, for the last thing we need is a religious backlash and upheaval in these already turbulent times. No wonder in his only Psalm, and therefore the first in the Psalter, Moses pleaded with God in our Bit: ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).’ That video certainly wasn’t an act of wisdom. However he knows that his days are truly numbered now, and has taken to hiding. But as the old people say, you can run, but you can’t hide, and one day they’ll catch up to him and he’ll pay the price for his folly. What makes matter all the worse is that it was done on the anniversary of the bombing of the World Trade Centre. Don’t you think that gave more ammunition to the already highly motivated fanatics to remember and celebrate with more murderous behaviour? Now why is it that we need to know the number of our days before we can seek wisdom eh? That should be a priority from the very start! But I guess mankind likes to push the envelope right to the limit, then try to smarten up just before we reach the end of our leashes. But that ought not to be so my people. I guess the Lord doesn’t let us know our life span, because too many of us would live evil, ungodly lives, then at the last minute repent and plead for mercy. In Psalm 39, A prayer for self-understanding, Bruh David asks the same basic question, but in a slightly different manner. ‘Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as a handbreadth; and mine age is nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity (vapour).’ (Ps.39:4-5) But Friends, we don’t need to know how frail we are, just to know that we are indeed frail ‘…like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.’ (Ps.90:5-6) And like Moses lamented over his people Israel so long ago: ‘For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end.’ (Deut.32:28-29) Moses could be talking about our society today, for this current version is so mired in evil and ungodliness that they don’t know whether they are coming or going. Sadly, many of those involved in all the lustful, idol worship and worldly activities that are now so prevalent, don’t have a clue as to what they really are involved in, and what their end will be like if they keep on living that worldly life. That’s because they have no real knowledge of their Creator, or believe the evolution theory, and thus think that they can get away with murder. But Friends, we believers know how wrong they are, and it’s our job to try and wake them up to the reality of the situation. Remember Jesus said that there’d be great joy in heaven over one repentant sinner, more than over ninety nine righteous ones, who need no repentance. (Luke 15:7) And James tells us that for every sinner we bring to repentance, we shall save a soul from death and also hide plenty sins. (James 5:20) So my brethren, please let’s not worry about the number of our earthly days, but instead behave as though today is the last one, and go out into this evil, ungodly world and behave appropriately; that is winning souls for Jesus, with the wisdom we have already received through the power of His Holy Spirit. That’s truly wisdom at its highest! Much LOVE!…Christians ought to revere Jesus as highly as other faiths revere their leaders…    P.S. Yuh see, Friends, the Lord was indeed faithful to me. The Bit’s not too late, and it does make some sense. (smile) Much LOVE!

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 July 2012 Proverbs 10:30

08 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 10:30.    The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked will not inhabit the earth.

Oh Friends, it surely must have been days like these, hot and muggy, that encouraged John Sebastian of Loving Spoonful fame, to write these simple but provocative words, some forty odd years ago. ‘Hot town, summer in the city, Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty. Cool cat, looking for a kitty. Going to look in every corner of the city,’ And it doesn’t seem as though there’s going to be much let up all this coming week. The temps will remain in the high twenties, with no apparent rain in the offing either. Some people claim to have had some decent showers yesterday morning, but in my neck of the woods all we had were darkened skies, some thunder and a sprinkling of heavenly blessing that lasted less than five minutes, then the sunshine reigned supreme for the rest of the day. But just remember Friends, regardless of our personal situations, the Mighty, Omnipotent One who created all that there is, is our God, and like the sun, He’s still reigning on His heavenly throne, therefore in light of all the generous promises He’s given us, we have nothing to fear, if we walk in humble obedience to His law. Now that’s a good Bruh Paulian sentence; long and complex. (smile) And our Bit confirms what’s stated in that sentence. ‘The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked will not inhabit the earth (land).’ That’s just one more thing, another of God’s promises we can stand strong on Friends, that we can put our trust in, surrender our freedom of choice to. If Jesus, who knew the Father intimately, could trust Him to come to earth as a man, and suffer as men do, to sacrifice His holy, sinless life for unworthy sinners, then be lifted back up to Him in glory, who are we, mere sinful mortals, to question the Almighty eh? Today we’ll continue looking at some of those curses and blessings that are found throughout the Good Book, especially the Old Testament. And first up are words from Malachi, when the Lord rebuked Israel’s unfaithfulness for the umpteenth time: ‘And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay (take) it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will corrupt your seed (rebuke your descendants), and spread dung (refuse) upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it…For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law (shown partiality).’ (Mal.2:1-3, 7-9) That one is for priests in particular Friends! And aren’t there lots of them around today who fit that description? For sure! However people, not everyone that suffers affliction has necessarily fallen under a curse of God, but everyone who continually disobeys God’s law, will pay a hefty price. A good example of that is Job. There the Lord allowed Lucifer to run roughshod over Job, not because he was unrighteous, but to prove his righteousness. His Friend Bildad, though wrong about Job’s unrighteousness, did have some truthful words to say: ‘If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake (arise) for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.’ (Job 8:6-7) So my brethren, it’s quite possible to be fairly righteous here on earth, and yet suffer serious affliction. But there’s always a greater good, a higher reason of God than we can understand for any misfortune that befalls us, because He’s faithfully promised to work everything out for our good. And we all know that after Job humbled himself and prayed for his friends who wrongly accused him, the Lord gave Job twice as much as he previously had, so faithfully fulfilling Bildad’s words above. Therefore my people, it is definitely in our best interest to obediently serve and worship the Creator and Controller of the universe. And we’ll end with some scriptures where Moses clearly spells it all out to the Israelites. ‘Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which he have not known.’ (Deut.11:26-28) And I particularly like this verse: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) this day against you, that 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) Oh Friends, please let’s take Moses’ words to heart and do them nuh, so that our families may enjoy God’s eternal blessings. It’s an act of eternal wisdom. Much LOVE!…cast not away therefore your confidence…which hath great recompense of reward…for ye have need of patience (endurance)…that, after ye have done the will of God…ye might receive the promise…  (Heb.10:35-36)
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 July 2012 Proverbs 10:30

07 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 10:30.    The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.
 
Oh Friends, yesterday was indeed a hot one! Even the wind was hot! Thankfully to day won’t be as hot – at least that’s what the forecasters say, but you can’t trust them too much with their rather inexact science. A couple of days ago, they were predicting storms in my area, Hn! Up to now we haven’t seen a drop of heavenly blessing! The grass is not as dry as before though, because the Duchess has been blessing it with plenty earthly water. Just hope I can pay the water bill when it comes. (smile) Anyway Friends, all over North America the heat’s been abnormally rampant, one commentator even links it to global warming, but we need more evidence to justify that. However, whatever the cause, it’s hot, so please take care to put on sun screen if you’re going outside for any length of time, drink lots of cold fluids to keep hydrated, and try to stay in cool, shaded, or air-conditioned areas. And remember, as believers in Christ, we have to look on the positive side of the ledger; the glass being half-full rather than half empty, of which our Bit quite rightly informs us. ‘The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.’ Ah mih people, wise words from Cousin Sol! It’s also a very important premise, as well as fact, under the rule of Almighty God, and it’s clearly stated several times and several ways in His Word. Let’s look at a few of them. In Psalm 37, the true state of the wicked, Bruh David says it this way: ‘For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth (land); and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off (destroyed).’ (Ps.37:22) Meanwhile, in an earlier chapter of Proverbs, Cousin Sol states it thus: ‘The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation (dwelling) of the just.’ (Prov.3:33) Yes Friends, the Most High looks down on those who sincerely try to walk in obedience to His Word with much favour. Not so the wicked and disobedient though. Listen to what he told the Israelites on the way to the Promised Land, re the penalties for disobedience. ‘But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments…I will also do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption (a wasting disease), and the burning ague (fever), that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart; and ye shall sow your seed in vain (without profit), for your enemies shall eat it.’ (Lev.26:14,16) And that’s the good part! Oh my people, please make it a point to read Leviticus 26, if you don’t know it, and see the difference between the blessings of obedience and the penalties for disobedience. The latter takes up almost two pages, while the former does less than one page. That just goes to show Friends, how serious our God is about obedience to His Word. Now hear this from Zechariah, re the curse of the flying roll: ‘Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off (purged out, expelled) as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth (swears falsely) shall be cut off as on that side according to it. I will bring it (the curse) forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.’ (Zech. 5:3-4) The Lord’s serious about His curses and blessings Friends. As you can see there’s even a special one for thieves and blasphemers. But remembering that the glass is half full rather than half empty, let’s end on a positive note, the blessings of the righteous. In the very first Psalm, the psalmist profoundly proclaims: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful (mockers). But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law does he meditate (ponder, contemplate) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps.1:1-3) Wow! As I keep saying, what a wonderful and gracious God we serve and worship! Yes my people, that is the Lord’s desire, His promise to those who are faithful and obedient to His Word. Please, I implore us, let’s ensure that we’re numbered amongst the righteous nuh, so that we will be eternally blessed as the Lord has promised. That’s the only earthly avenue that projects true wisdom. Much LOVE!…let us hold fast the profession of our faith…without wavering…for He is faithful that promised… (Heb.10:23)  P.S. No complaints about length today though Friends, cause it’s short and sweet! (smile) Much LOVE!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 March 2012 Numbers 23:1

23 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Numbers 23:19.    God is not man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make good?

Oh Friends, it’s that wonderful day again, Friday! And a loud shout rises from the workforce: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes!’ Yes mih people, the weekend is upon us, bringing a brief respite from our labours. But since it’s so short, we need to use it wisely. And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant, as one grateful body 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.’ And now that we’ve set the proper perspective for the weekend, let’s turn to our very profound and encouraging Bit: ‘God is not man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ Oh my people, words of gospel truth from the living God we worship! Yesterday we looked at several scriptures that dealt with the first half of our Bit: ‘God is not man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent:’ Today I have one more to share on that subject. It comes from James in his discourse on faith and humility. He wisely and sincerely tells us: ‘Do not err (be deceived), my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning.’ (James:16-17) Now here’s a word from the scholars on that; ‘Since all changes are either for the better or for the worse, God is unchanging because He is perfect and cannot get better nor become worse. The Scriptures describe God’s nature, will, and character as immutable or unchanging. Illustration: To be immutable, however, does not mean to be immobile. God also has the qualities of personality and can act, think, create, and make decisions. Application: God is unchanging, therefore, Christians can depend on His LOVE and power, because God has not changed since biblical times.’ And all God’s people made a joyful noise to God for His wonderful attributes and His unchanging nature! Now let’s turn to the second part of our Bit: ‘hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ Oh yes my brethren, all that our great God says, He’ll definitely do and make good, no doubt about it! Listen to Him admonish Moses when the Israelites cried out for meat, which the Lord promised, but Moses doubted His ability to provide. ‘And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord’s hand waxed short (Is the Lord’s power limited)? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.’ (Num.11:23) Later on, quail rained down like water around the Israelite camp. Oh Friends, that shows that even a man of great faith like Moses, who had seen so many miracles, was still only a man, thus limited by finite faith and intelligence. Then there’s Cousin Sol, who at the end of his great prayer: ‘And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest (peace) unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.’ (1 Kin.8:55-56) And we’ll end with an everlasting declaration of truth and faithfulness, after the Lord successfully moved the Israelites into the Promised Land: ‘And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the Lord gave them rest (peace) round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before (against) them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. There failed not aught (Not a word failed) of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of  Israel; all came to pass.’ (Josh.21:43-45) Oh Friends, there’s no more to say! We’ve heard it all! Our God is truthful, faithful and all powerful! Whatever He says or promises will come to pass, both negative and positive stuff! So if we’re wise, we’ll follow the One who truly LOVES and cares for us, the Lord God Jehovah. He’s already shown that great and wonderful unconditional LOVE by offering His Son Jesus as a one-time sacrifice for all our sins, then from His eternal store of grace, offers us free salvation and eternal life by just believing on Jesus. Wow! What an awesome and magnanimous God we serve my people! Please, don’t ever doubt or forget it! Much LOVE!…there are no suitable words in man’s limited vocabulary to truly describe our amazing God…  

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 March 2012 Proverbs 15:21

14 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 15:21.   Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.

Oh Friends, it’s supposed to be another beautiful summer’s day in my area; (smile) with temps in the mid teens again. Wow! The whole week is supposed to be like that. It’s nice, but a little intimidating though, because who knows what we’ll have next week or later on, when it should really be springtime. However, there’s no need to worry, whatever happens we’ll handle it with Jesus’ help. And all God’s people shouted, a rousing ‘Amen!’ Now here are some of the things Jesus knows about us, from Anne Graham Lotz’s book, – Jesus is my…Everything: ‘Jesus knows: the small secrets of your heart, The unspoken dreams of your imagination, The unrevealed thoughts of your mind, The emotional shards of your feelings, The paralyzing fears for your future, The bitter resentments of your past, The joys and heartaches, The pleasures and pain, The successes and failures, The honours and humiliations, The deeds and the doubts. He knows all about you, inside and out, past, present and future.’ Yes Friends, there’s nothing that Jesus doesn’t know about us! That’s why we have to pay serious attention to our Bit: ‘Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom (discernment): but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.’ If we want to be good associates of Jesus, we can’t afford to find joy in foolish things. We need to have proper discernment about what He requires of us. And if we don’t have it, then we sincerely ask for it. As James says: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he will receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8) Ah mih people, it’s indeed a sad situation in which we currently find ourselves, where those who lack true wisdom, true discernment are ruling the world, and apparently having great joy doing so. No wonder God’s great creation is so embattled and embittered! Hear Cousin Sol in an earlier chapter on the wise and foolish contrasted: ‘It is as sport to a fool to do mischief (evil): but a man of understanding hath wisdom.’ (Prov.10:23) No doubt about that Friends! And as believers, we’re all supposed to actively and diligently cultivate things like wisdom, understanding, knowledge and discernment through sincere communication with our heavenly Father, from whom these things come, and who as James just said, willing gives to all who ask sincerely. For remember that ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou doest embrace her. She shall give to (place on) thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver thee.’ (Prov.4:7-9) And it all begins my brethren by reverencing Almighty God! Thus when we acquire wisdom and understanding we’ll walk uprightly in God’s ways and not foolishly, like the workers of iniquity, who take joy in the ways of evil. As Bruh Paul said to the Ephesians: ‘See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time (making the most of every opportunity), because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be (continually) filled with the Spirit. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God (doing what pleases Him).’ (Eph.5:15-21) Yes my people, those are the things believers ought to engage in. But unfortunately we’re not doing as much of them, or to as high a degree as we should. Consequently, our world is falling apart right before our very eyes. Let us therefore try to upgrade or increase those things which bring us wisdom and closeness to God, and will also further the LOVE Revolution that’s currently lighting up our world, and slowly but surely turning it around. Oh Friends, please do your best to encourage the LOVE Revolution which will bring our world back to faith, hope, LOVE, trust, true and faithful surrender to Jesus and Almighty God, where it’s supposed to be! Much LOVE!…in the words of the old song…only LOVE can break a heart…but by the same token…only LOVE can mend it again…for LOVE is the most overwhelming emotion in existence…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 March 2012 Proverbs 17:17‏

13 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 17:17.    A friend LOVETH at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
 
Oh Friends, our God is into His mysterious workings with me today. Earlier on, I was reading my Bible, the one I got from my mother, and I happened to come across this bookmark that asked the age old but very important question ‘What is a Friend? Here’s the answer it provides: ‘A friend is someone very dear who shares your hopes and dreams, who shows you that the grayest day is brighter than it seems, A friend will bring you happiness that lasts a lifetime through – I know, for that’s the kind of friend I found when I met you.’ I had a Selah moment – then excitedly said to myself, ‘But that’s Jesus they’re talking about!’ For that’s the kind of friendship He brings to our lives when we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour! And believe me, the words to that old but blessed and BELOVED Hymn ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus,’ immediately rose up in my soul. I couldn’t remember all the words at the time, so I checked them out just now, and here they are: ‘What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Ev’rything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Ev’rything to God in prayer. Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer. Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of care? Precious Saviour, still our refuge; Take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In his arms He’ll take and shield thee; Thou wilt find a solace there.’ Oh my people, who could want for a better Friend than Jesus eh; the most powerful Being in existence, Master of all He surveys, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein, yet humble and LOVING enough to befriend the worthless and ungrateful children of men? How could it not be a wonder and a blessing to associate with such a magnificent and majestic Being! He fulfills the words of our Bit to the nth degree: ‘A friend LOVETH at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.’ The scholars claim: ‘A true friend has unquenchable LOVE that is not diminished by adversity.’ And that’s the gospel truth people! It brings to mind the human friendship of Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi, when their men folk die in a foreign land and Naomi plans to return to her people and tells Ruth to go back to her own. ‘And Ruth said, Entreat (urge) me not to leave thee, or to return (turn back) from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. When she (Naomi) saw that she (Ruth) was steadfastly minded (determined) to go with her, then she (Naomi) left speaking unto her (didn’t try to dissuade her any more).’ (Ruth 1:16-18) Now that’s a wonderful illustration of friendship! And for that ‘stick-to-itiveness’, the Lord rewarded her with being the great grandmother of Bruh David, a member of the line from whom Jesus was descended. Wow! Doesn’t our God write wonderful scripts! Oh fellow believers, though Jesus is Lord and Master of ALL, He is still capable of being a Friend; the ‘BESTEST’ Friend ever, as the young people would say! Please also look to Him as such, and whenever you need a friend to talk to, or just to sit quietly with, please turn to Him, for there’s NO ONE like Him; a Friend in need and a Friend in deed, One who promises never to leave or forsake you, to help you bear all your burdens, give you salvation and eternal life. And you can be sure He’ll never bad talk you behind your back or spread all your heartfelt secrets abroad, as so many supposed human friends do. (smile) Yes my brethren, Jesus is the Friend of all Friends! Please turn to Him in your time of need, and you’ll be surprised at the awesome friendship you’ll develop, and quickly too, once you bare your heart to Him. And this is not hearsay people, but personal experience. I’m reminded of last summer when I was sick and we’d sit down on my front porch during the midnight hours and reason. And yuh know what, while I sat on the chair on the porch, Jesus would always sit on the step below me. That’s how humble He is in His friendships! So please turn to Jesus RIGHT NOW if you need a faithful friend, and you’ll never experience one moment of regret. I guarantee you that! One note of caution here. Not because Jesus is all powerful and otherwise, means that being His friend will automatically make life easy for you, and you’ll just sail through it without a problem. On the contrary, you can be sure that he’ll always tell you like it is. He won’t mince words and only tell you what you want to hear. If you’re wrong, He’ll so inform you, but in His masterful, non-demeaning, non-judgemental way, with the utmost of care, consideration and LOVE. Just like our earthly friends sometimes need to give us a blast to make us smarten up, Jesus will do the same thing, just in a less controversial and belittling manner. Oh my people, I can’t begin to tell you the privileges, benefits, blessings, etc. etc. that comes from having Jesus as your personal ‘BESTEST’ Friend! You have to experience it to really understand the peace, calm, warmth, joy and understanding He brings into our lives, when we allow Him to walk this rugged earthly journey with us! Trust me, it’s real, and it’s beautiful! I wouldn’t lie to you on something as important as this. Till next time then, please walk with Jesus beside you, every step of the way. That’s the only way to successfully navigate this earthly journey. Much LOVE!…looking for a real true Friend…then try Jesus…He’s undoubtedly the ‘BESTEST’ there is…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 March 2012 Psalm 78:32‏

10 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 78:32    For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.

Oh Friends, who says our world and weather aren’t shrouded in mystery and eccentricity these days eh? Two mornings ago, I woke up and it was raining. Yesterday morning it was snowing.  This morning it will possibly be frozen hard and cold like ice, with the only constant over those three days being the cold, blustery March winds. But please remember that since Jesus is our Leader, there’s no need to worry, for in His awesome power we can handle anything that comes against us. Now listen to some of what our Jesus is and does; from Anne Graham Lotz’s book, ‘My Jesus is…Everything.’ ‘My Jesus: He discharges the debtors. He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent. He beautifies the meek. He is the key to knowledge. He is the wellspring of wisdom. He is the foundation of faith. He is the doorway of deliverance. He is the pathway to peace. He is the roadway of righteousness. He is the gateway to glory. He is the highway to happiness. My Jesus is…Everything!’ Selah. Oh my people, please spend a few moments contemplating all those attributes of our Lord and Saviour. Then tell me if He isn’t the GREATEST! Without a doubt! And He hasn’t changed from DAY ONE! That’s why the Israelites’ behaviour through the wilderness en route to the Promised Land is so perplexing, as our Bit declares: ‘For all this they sinned still, and believed not on his wondrous works.’ Yesterday we saw them crying out for water in Rephidim, and the Lord had Moses smite the rock in front of the elders to give them water. So He gives them manna, heavenly food, and water, but they’re still not satisfied and cry out for meat. At that point Moses cries out to God, even to take his life, because the stress of leading the ingrates was telling on him. (Num.11:10-15) This kindled the Lord’s anger and He told Moses to get seventy of the elders and bring them with him before the tabernacle. ‘And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. And say thou unto the people, Sanctify, yourselves (set yourselves apart) against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh (meat); for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?’ (Num.11:17-20) Oh Friends, isn’t our God wonderful! Yuh want flesh eh, then you’ll get so much, so quickly, you soon won’t want it! I’m sure that will remind some of us of our youth, when we were overly greedy and our parents did likewise; gave us so much that we soon got tired of it. Moses himself questioned the Lord about providing meat for so many people, only to be rebuked: ‘Is the Lord’s hand waxed short (Is the Lord’s power limited)? Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.’ (Num11:23) Oh Friends, our God might be a sweetheart, but He’s definitely no pushover. And after the Lord came down and spoke to the elders and Moses outside the tabernacle, the elders began to prophesy as the Lord’s Spirit came upon them. Then they heard that two elders who had remained in the camp were also prophesying. Joshua told Moses to stop them, but Moses was so fed up, he wished that God would put His Spirit on everybody and let them all be prophets. Then they returned to the camp, and a wind came forth from the Lord, and it began raining quails; enough to fill a day’s journey on either side of the camp, and two cubits (36 inches, 3 feet) high. And the greedy Israelites gathered quails for two days and a night, then they began to feast. (Num.12:24-32) But sadly Friends, they didn’t understand the Lord’s motives: ‘And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people (the Lord’s anger was aroused), and the Lord smote (struck) the people with a very great plague. And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah (Graves of craving): because there they buried the people that lusted (yielded to craving).’ (Num.12:33-34) Ah Friends, one more indication that the Lord doesn’t speak in jest. And I don’t think that’s it’s the complaints themselves that really irked the Lord, because if you’re in the wilderness without food and water, it can be problematic. But what got Him angry were their short memories, their spirit of rebellion, their ungratefulness and lack of faith in His promises to lead and guide them safely. How quickly they forgot the many miracles He did on their behalf, invoking our present day mantra of, what have you done for me lately? It’s obvious they doubted His faithfulness in spite of all that He’d previously done. Unfortunately Friends, our current society is jut like that of the Israelites: we want and expect everything now for now, behaving as though life owes us a living, constantly wanting more, and sadly forgetting who brought us the prosperity we had; the Lord God Jehovah. My brethren, please let this be a lesson to us in these troubled times. We have not walked obediently before the Lord our God, therefore our society has been filled with much anguish, sorrow, disappointment and pain. Those things have not happened by chance, but through the Lord’s doings. And the only way to solve our problems is to return to God’s fold, as a nation, walking obediently to His dictates, otherwise our world will keep sinking deeper in the mire in which we’re now wallowing, until we’re completely swallowed up. Much LOVE!…history is a record of the past…and we study it…so that we can learn about the present…

 

 

 

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