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Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 August 2013 Luke 18:14.

18 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: abased, arrogance, Bible Study, boastfulness, condemned, confession, contempt, contrition, corruption, dance, despicable, divisions, exalted, extolled, false accusation, fasting, fellow believers, fellowship, first shall be last, forgiveness, futile arguments, glorify God, God's mercy, haughtiness, high esteem, humble, hypocrite, justification, justified, last shall be first, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, motives of our heart, outward actions, outward religious expression, penitent heart, pharisee and the publican, Pharisees, piety, praise, pride, Pubilcans, rejoice, religion, repentance, resentment, restore fourfold, Sabbath Day, salvation, seat of sin, sing, sinner, son of Abraham, Son of man, sunday fellowship, superiority, tax collectors, the letter of the law, theology, tithes, true state of heart, true wisdom, undeniable truth, unworthiness, wonderful god

Luke 18:14. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Oh mih people, is Sunday; fellowship day for most of us! So please let’s get out there and gather with those of like minds, and sing and praise and glorify our great and wonderful God! Wow! What a privilege that is!

And all God’s people joyfully declared: ‘Yes, let’s fellowship in the name of the Most High God Jehovah! Let’s sing and dance and rejoice before Him, for His goodness, mercy and LOVING-kindness endures forever!’ And that’s certainly gospel truth!

By the way, for those of you who celebrate the Sabbath on Friday or Saturday, I surely hope that you got out and joined your fellow believers in giving thanks and praise and worship to our Creator, because one of His earliest commands was to keep the Sabbath Day holy. (Ex.20:8)

And we won’t argue about which day should be rightly considered the Sabbath Day, since that will only bring about more futile arguments and cause more resentment and divisions, of which we already have more than enough. Suffice it to say, that whatever day your denomination has chosen, just make sure you do as the Lord commands.

And today Friends, I want to again talk about the parable of the Pharisee and the publican or tax collector, but in a little more detail. I am also going to quote the verses again, because the scholars have some very interesting info on each of them, info I believe can be very useful in our Bible Study.

So here we go: ‘Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.’ (Luke 18:10)

The scholars say thus about that verse. ‘Publicans (tax collectors) were known for being corrupt. Pharisees on the other hand were held in high esteem by most. Listeners here would have expected the Pharisee to be extolled and the tax gatherer condemned.’

Yuh see that mih breddren, because we look up to outward religious expression, we’d be quick to condemn the corrupt tax collector, while raising up and praising the hypocrite Pharisee. So please don’t let outward expressions of piety fool us. That’s why God chooses to look at the motives of our heart and not outward actions.

Turning to the next verse: ‘The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.’ (vs.11)

And the scholars nail this: ‘Standing was a usual position for prayer, but here standing suggests a certain arrogance. (Compare the sinner’s hesitancy in vs.13) A sense of personal superiority is not a good reason for thanking God. It is rather in itself a cause for repentance.’

That’s undeniable truth Friends! Please remember that our God totally dislikes pride and arrogance.

Meanwhile, the ole hypocrite Pharisee continues: ‘I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all I possess.’ (vs.12)

And the scholars declare: ‘This is not exaggeration, but an example of how Pharisees truly exceed the letter of the law in their piety. But their pride and contempt for others reveals the true state of heart.’

No wonder Jesus was always on their case.

‘And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote (beat) upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.’ (vs.13)

To which the scholars note: ‘The heart was regarded as the seat of sin. The publican’s action implies acute contrition and a sense of personal unworthiness. To obtain forgiveness he thinks not of his own works but solely of God’s mercy.’

And that’s the way it ought to be my people! For as Jesus tells us in our Bit: ‘I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.’

And the scholars say of that verse: ‘The publican’s anguished confession would be followed by results in keeping with his repentance. (See 19:8.) But justification by faith comes independently of the works which that justification produces. Such works are the result and not the cause of God’s accepting the sinner.’

And we see this all borne out in Luke 19:8, where Zaccheus the tax collector, confesses in repentance after he associates with Jesus. ‘And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.’ (Luke 19:8)

To which the scholars add: ‘Zaccheus’s confession reveals a penitent heart. If does not suggest doubt that he is guilty of wrong doing; the only question is to what extent. Leviticus 6:1-5 stipulated that illegally gained money had to be returned, plus one-fifth. A fourfold return was legislated where livestock were concerned. (Ex.22:1, 2 Sam.12:6).’ Please read those scriptures.

And what was Jesus’ reply to Zaccheus’ contrition? ‘This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:9-10)

Oh Friends, let’s hope from all that, we gain the wisdom to do away with foolish pride, arrogance, haughtiness, boastfulness, superiority and all those similar things that the world cherishes, but which the Lord finds totally despicable! For that my brethren, is indeed true, true wisdom! Much LOVE!

…in the day of reckoning…he that is first (proud) on earth…shall be last in heaven…and he that is last (humble) on earth…shall be first in heaven…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 August 2013 Psalm 118:14

16 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: awesome works of God, be not afraid, beautiful imagery, body, bringing lost souls to Jesus, deceit, declare the works of the Lord, evil, exaltation, excellent things, fellowship, fortress, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, godless world, gospel, greedy owners, harmonious voices, hell in a hand basket, high tower, in Jesus' name, incontestable truth, irrevocable truth, Isaiah, joy, live joyfully, liveable wage, magnanimous god, magnificent, make a positive difference, mercy, mighty, mind, mire of greed, most important role, oppression, oppressive, owners of capital, praise, profound proclamation, prophecy, psalm 118, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, Rock, salvation, selfish purposes, sing to the Lord, soul, spirituality, Thank God it's Friday, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord be praised, the Lord is exalted, the Lord is my salvation, the Lord is my song, The Lord is my strength, the right hand of the Lord, the righteous, the voice of rejoicing, tool of justice, triumphal doxology, true believers, true perspective, trust, valiantly, war, week of work, weekend, weekly reprieve, wells of salvation

Psalm 118:14. The Lord is my strength and song, and has become my salvation.

And then it was Friday again mih people; the eve of the weekend, the short weekly reprieve from massa’s labour.

And all the working people joyfully declared: ‘Thank God is Friday yes! This labouring business getting too hard now oui! What with all the layoffs and cutbacks, we doing even more work now than before, for the same measly pittance. Is time for a four or three day workweek yes! Why we have to work more than twice the amount of time we rest eh?’

Good question Friends, but one that I can only guess at an answer. That being, is so the oppressive and greedy owners of the capital see it. And we lucky to be even getting two days off a week, because many people around the world still labouring seven days a week for not even a liveable wage.

That’s just the way world is set up, where the strong, the rich and powerful fix things to suit their own selfish ends and purposes, with little, if any regard or respect for the wishes and feelings of their fellowman. Anyway, the whys and wherefores are now elementary, we just have to live with it and say, the Lord be praised.

But in addition to that we can chant our Friday Chant, which gives us a bright and true perspective on the weekend and its uses. So let’s all chant with loud, sweet, harmonious voices. ‘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.’

Now that’s how we ought to face the weekend my people! And furthermore, let’s add our Bit to the mix. ‘The Lord is my strength and song, and has become my salvation.’ That gives us an even better perspective, since we’re all better off when the Lord God Jehovah is our rock and high tower, our strength and our fortress.

And the psalmist was so moved by our Bit, that he continued in full adoring and reverent voice: ‘The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles (tents) of the righteous: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.’ (Ps.118:15-17)

Yes Friends, all of that is the absolutely incontestable, irrevocable truth! For rejoicing and salvation is indeed found wherever the righteous gather!

And as for the Lord’s right hand…Hn! It’s just mighty and magnificent to whatever purpose it’s put to; whether as a tool of justice, war, basic strength or mercy! That’s why it’s so exalted!

And as true believers, we will certainly not die, but live joyfully declaring the awesome works of the Lord to all and sundry, all over the world.

Oh my brethren, what an important role we have to play in the bringing of lost souls to Jesus! It’s actually the most important role of each believer’s earthly life. All others are subject and secondary to that one.

And that great man of God, Isaiah, felt it so forcefully and completely that he couldn’t help but make this profound proclamation. ‘Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he has also become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings (deeds) among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.’ (Is.12:2-6)

Oh mih breddren, what lovely praise and exaltation on behalf of our wonderful, magnificent, majestic and magnanimous God!

There’s nothing I can say to add to or better that, except possibly this last sentence from the scholars’ explanation. ‘With beautiful imagery, Isaiah closes this section of prophecy with a triumphal doxology of praise.’

And that’s gospel Friends! So please, today and everyday henceforth, let’s find some way, regardless of how small it might be, to make a positive difference in our troubled, calamitous, evil and godless world.

For without our righteous action in Jesus’ holy name, our badly guided world will continue to wallow in the mire of greed, evil, oppression and deceit, and will eventually end up in hell in a hand basket.

Remember though, that out job is to prevent such a disastrous thing from happening. So let’s get some serious action going along those lines my people, so that our heavenly Father can look down on us and be pleased, and not regret that He ever sacrificed His One Son for our abominable sins.

Remember too, that any time we don’t walk in the Father’s will, we’re making a mockery of Jesus’ death. And we definitely don’t want to do that. Nuff said.

Now let’s go out and put our hands to the plough. And remember – don’t ever look back. Much LOVE!

…the pilgrim’s earthly journey is rough…but with Jesus first and foremost in his heart…the endless miles pass away like nothing…under his divinely guided feet…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 August 2013 Proverbs 20:1

02 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: abuse of alcohol, alcohol, alcoholism, brawling, brown girl in the bottle, Caribana, caribana festivities, crime sprees, deception, delusion, dissipation, domestic violence, drunkenness, enslavement, evils of alcohol, fatal accidents, fellowship, fire water, frame of mind, free ride, freedom, Friday, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, holy spirit, intoxication, irreparable harm, jesus name, Lucifer, lust of the flesh, mind yuh business, moral intemperance, moral states, Pan competition, predicament, prohibition, prowling with a vengeance, relaxation, rest, rhetorical questions, right frame of mind, Scotia Bank Carnival, smell the cork, sordid tale, strong drink, stumbling, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the will of God, truth, unconscious wounds, understanding, wine, wisdom

Proverbs 20:1. Wine is a mocker, strong (intoxicating) drink is raging (arouses brawling): and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

Oh Friends, it’s Friday 2 August 2013… Wow!! I got it right! And I did check the bottom right hand corner of the computer console to make sure. (smile) And yuh know what else? It’s not raining! Yesterday turned out quite nicely, and allowed the Caribana festivities to go on, unimpeded by rain. I just hope it stays that way for the Pan Competition tonight.

And one more thing; while I’ve been writing, the populace has been going crazy shouting, ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Thank God we finally emancipated, we independent, we free! Thank God we free at last! Glory Hallelujah!’

Yes Friends, we are indeed free, free from all sorts of stuff; be it slavery, work for the weekend, relationships, Lucifer, etc. But please remember that any kind of freedom always brings with it certain responsibilities, for then we have nobody to turn to, or blame for whatever predicament we find ourselves in.

So there’s really no free ride in this life, contrary to what some of us think and /or believe. That’s why it’s necessary to always keep our wits about us and be guided by the Holy Spirit, rather than the lust of the flesh. So let’s chant our Friday Chant to get ourselves in the right frame of mind to handle this long weekend, where Lucifer will be out prowling with a vengeance, looking for any toehold he can latch on to.

With one accord now, let’s chant: ‘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 that brings us smack, dab right to our Bit. ‘Wine is a mocker, strong (intoxicating) drink is raging (arouses brawling): and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.’

Words of undeniable truth my brethren! For when the fire water gets in our brain and body, it sure causes us to do all sorts of foolish, unwise things. And I’m going to quote a couple verses of Bruh Paul’s famous speech to the Ephesians, which we heard yesterday, because I want to include some important notes from the scholars.

Here’s what Bruh Paul told the Ephesians. ‘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 filled with the Spirit.’ (Eph.5:17-18)

Now here’s what the scholars have to say. ‘5:18: This verse gives an example of what is and what is not the Lord’s will (v. 17) Believers are not allowed to be intoxicated with alcoholic beverages; the reason for this prohibition is wherein is excess; that is, drunkenness leads to moral intemperance.

This is clearly contrary to God’s will. His will is that Christians be filled with (by) the Spirit; that is, they are to allow Him to fill them with God’s own life, character and virtues. The analogy between these two moral states is this: a person filled with wine is under its influence; similarly, a Christian is filled with the Spirit when He controls his thoughts, attitudes and actions.’

Oh my people, please let’s take all this stuff seriously, otherwise we’re liable to end up in serious trouble – physically, financially, emotionally – and blow whatever good thing(s) we have going for us, both with man and with God! Such is the power of alcohol, especially when it is encouraged by the wiles and taunts of Beelzebub.

I personally don’t have a problem with a drink now and then, here and there, but unfortunately many of us can’t handle it, so the wisest choice is simply to leave it alone. And all of us are very aware of the great toll that the abuse of alcohol is taking on our society; the drinking and driving, the fatal accidents, the crime sprees, the domestic violence, etc. etc. So please, please, if you know you can’t handle it, just leave it be nuh.

Hn, hn! I just remembered the old saying re some people only have to smell the cork and they get drunk. (smile) But it’s quite true. A lot of people can’t even smell the fumes from the bottle without getting tipsy. That’s because the alcohol reacts on everybody in different ways.

Now let’s end with some wise words from Cousin Sol, re the brown girl in the bottle. Sorry, nowadays she comes in all different colours, sizes and potencies, but the end result is the same.

Listen as Cousin Sol tells the sordid tale. ‘Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling (complaints)? Who hath wounds without a cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry (linger) long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look thou not upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour (sparkles) in the cup, when it moveth itself aright (goes smoothly).

At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like and adder (a viper). Thine eyes shall behold strange women (strange things), and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst (heart) of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick (hurt); they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it (another drink) yet again.’ (Prov.23:29-35)

Oh what fools we are my brethren! Though we know the evils of alcohol, we continue to imbibe it unwisely, then fall on our faces, promise never again, then get back up and do it all over again.

And here’s what the scholars say about Cousin Sol’s story. ’23:29-35: Six rhetorical questions drive home the fact that alcoholism has both physical and psychological effects (v.29). These effects are further specified: physical and psychological poisoning (v.32); delusion (v.33), stumbling (v.34); unconscious wounds (v.35a); and enslavement (v.35b).’

There we have it Friends, in black and white! So this Caribana weekend… forget the Scotia Bank Carnival nonsense, because it will always be known as Caribana. Yes, this Caribana weekend, when so many opportunities abound to get black up and make fools of ourselves, do harm, sometimes irreparable harm to ourselves and others, let’s remember Granny’s advice nuh. ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, mind yuh business.’

And that’s eternal wisdom my brethren. Much LOVE!

…to drink or not to drink…that is the question…for one can lead to two or more…but none…will preserve a clear head…and also stymie Lucifer…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 July 2013 Psalm 104:35

26 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: be glad in the Lord, bless the Lord, blessed are the righteous, bright eyed, bushy tailed, chomping at the bit, Christ's Church, Christ's gospel, consume sinners, conviction, deliverance, end of the wicked, excellence, eyes of faith, faith, faithfulness, fellowship, Friday, Friday chant, fruitful and prosperous, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, good things of God, Jesus, jesus name, lies, LOVING actions, meditation of God, passion, peace, plight of the wicked, psalm 104, refreshed in soul body and mind, relaxation, repentance, salvation of the righteous, second chances, sing praise to God, sing unto God, spreading the good news, surrender, testify in Jesus' Name, thank God, the ungodly shall perish, the weekend, time of trouble, transgressors, trust, vigour, vim, wickedness in the world, wiles of Lucifer

Psalm 104:35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.

Well Friends, our favourite day, Friday, is here at last! And the people declared a loud ‘Thank you God for that yes! It’s been a rotten week, we’re tired and just want to go home and sleep for the next two days!’

Ah mih breddren, I know how it is. I too have had a tiring week, though I can’t understand why, since I didn’t work exceptionally hard. But that doesn’t mean we should just go home and sleep away the weekend. Of course some rest is essential, but we’ve got to pack more than that into our two days off.

So let’s chant our Friday Chant that’s a useful catalyst to show us the right way to use our much deserved time off. 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.

Yes Friends, that’s how we ought to use the weekend, with some fun, fellowship and relaxation, so that come Monday morning we’ll be bright eyed and bushy tailed, just chomping at the Bit to get back to work and let our lives testify in Jesus’ Name.

No my people, I’m not off my rocker, or not as yet anyway. (smile) But that’s the way Jesus wants His followers to operate; full of vim and vigour, passion, excellence and all the other things He brings to those who LOVE and revere Him.

That’s why the psalmist confidently declares in the two verses before our Bit: ‘I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.’ (Ps.104:33-34)

Yes my people, that’s how we believers in Christ ought to behave!

Then the Psalmist declares in our Bit, his wishes for those who follow the evil Lucifer. ‘Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.’

Please note that though the psalmist’s request calls for getting rid of evildoers, he still ends with blessing and praise to Almighty God. That’s because the Psalm is basically one of praise, and God is indeed worthy of our praise. And today we’ll continue looking at some scripture that deals with plight of the wicked and ungodly.

In Psalm 1, Blessed are the righteous, we’re treated right off the bat to the difference between the godly, who don’t associate with evildoers, who delight in the law of the Lord, and meditate on it constantly. Thus, they will be fruitful and prosperous. (Ps.1:1-3)

The evildoer though is a completely different kettle of fish. ‘The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps.1:4-6)

Now Friends that’s some of the best advice we can ever get! But do you think we take it? Not a chance! We still fall so easily for the lies and wiles of Lucifer, and prostrate ourselves to the things of the world, instead of before God.

And if you don’t believe the psalmist there, then listen to Bruh David from Psalm 37, as he tells us about the true state of the wicked, versus that of the righteous. ‘Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps.37:37-40)

Oh Friends, why do we choose not to believe the good things of God, as easily as we do those of Lucifer eh? Is it because it takes eyes of faith, trust, and complete surrender to behold the things of God, whereas the things of the world are readily and physically apparent?

I know it’s often hard to rely on faith, but that’s the beauty of believing in Jesus. Look at all He’s done for us, selflessly and sacrificially! It should therefore be a no-brainer to trust and believe in Him, since we’ve seen graphic and physical evidence of His faithfulness.

And I’ll leave us with one last thought on our Bit. Now if the Lord truly wanted to get rid of all the evil and wickedness in the world, with His might and power, don’t you think He could do it just by speaking the necessary words, as He did to create the universe and all therein? But it’s obvious that right now He has another plan in mind; that being the believers of Christ’s church bringing them to conviction and repentance.

Remember our God is known as the God of second chances, and right now He’s giving everybody a fair chance to hear the message and accept it. Consequently, that means we have to do a better job of spreading the good news of Christ’s gospel, than we’re currently doing. Selah.

Yes Friends, chew on that for a spell, and see if it doesn’t make sense. Much LOVE!

…there’s no need to weigh the merits of good versus evil…for good has already prevailed…it has triumphed through the LOVING actions of Jesus…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 July 2013 Psalm 99:1

19 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: bowing down, commandments, eternal truth, evil, exalt the Lord, exaltation, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorify, glorious kingdom, God is holy, God's justice, going to hell in a bucket., graven images, hello mih lovelies, idols, iniquity of the fathers, LOVE, magnificent God, modicum of circumspection, party time, perverse world, pinnacle of wisdom, Praise the Lord, rebellious, relaxation, religion, rest, righteousness., spiritual fellowship, spirituality, spiritually refreshed, stubborn, stupidity, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Lord is great, the Lord is high above all people, the Lord reigns, the Lord's ways, the weekend, theology, things of the world, uprightness, wake up and smell the roses, wicked, worship

Psalm 99:1. The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubim; let the earth be moved.

Well hello there mih lovelies! Once again it’s Friday… And everybody jumps up and shouts, ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! The workweek soon finish, and the weekend begins! Party time is here!’

Not so fast my people. It’s true the week is ending and we have some free time, but it should not all be devoted to partying, not even the greatest portion. So let’s chant our Friday Chant that gives us a better idea of how to use our weekend.

All together 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 Friends, the weekend should be broken up into party time, relaxation and spiritual fellowship, because it’s only two lousy days off we have, then the whole work cycle begins again. And if we’re not well rested and spiritually refreshed, we’ll begin the week even more tired than we finished it, and won’t be good for anything, especially furthering Jesus’ kingdom.

So let’s have a little ‘modicum of circumspection’ this weekend nuh, especially since it’s summer and the urge to let loose and party is so great.

Anyway, my area was hit with another hot day, and another one is expected today. What amuses and amazes me though, is the wind behaviour. During the day yesterday, the wind was blowing strong. It even forced me back inside around 5.30 p.m when I went outside on my back deck to read the papers.

However, around 8.30 p.m. the sun was still up, I went out on the front porch, and surprise surprise, nary a breath of air was stirring. But then at around 1 a.m, the breeze was blowing fresh and strong again.

Hn! Who’s to understand it eh? Only the Lord God Jehovah! For as He says, His ways and thoughts are much higher than ours. (Is.55:9)

And in any case, He created the wind and all that there is in our universe. Not only that, but as the psalmist states in our Bit, which comes from Psalm 99, God has been faithful: ‘The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubim; let the earth be moved (shaken).’

Yes Friends, the divine kingdom of the Lord is at hand!

And the psalmist continues to talk about the greatness of the king. ‘The Lord is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.’ (Ps.99:2)

And as true believers, we know that it’s so. Therefore, ‘Let them praise thy great and terrible (awesome) name; for it (He) is holy.’ (Ps.99:3)

Ah my people, our mouths should be so filled with praise and thanksgiving to our great and mighty God and King, that we should have little time for anything else. But unfortunately, in this wicked, perverse and godless world, we seem to have time for everything else but God.

And the psalmist continues, telling us next about God’s justice. ‘The king’s strength also LOVETH judgement; thou doest establish equity (uprightness), thou executest judgement and righteousness in Jacob.’ (Ps.99:4)

Those are words of eternal truth my people! Therefore, ‘Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.’ (Ps.99:5)

Now worshipping and glorifying our magnificent God is exactly what we should be doing down here on earth my brethren! But are we doing that? Sadly, the answer is an unfortunate NO!

Compared to the level of exaltation and worship our wonderful God deserves, what we’re giving is like a drop in the bucket. Instead though, we’re worshipping, glorifying and bowing down to the things of the world. They have become more important to us than God.

But please remember Friends, our God doesn’t share His divinity kindly or otherwise with any other, be it beast, man or thing. And He makes this abundantly clear right from the very outset.

‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to (worship) them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous god, visiting (punishing) the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. And showing mercy to thousands of them that LOVE me, and keep my commandments.’ (Ex. 20:3-6)

Oh my people, it’s right there in black and white, simple and straightforward! So what is there that prevents us from doing as He says eh? Why is our world so ungodly, so evil, so full of idols and other graven images to which we are shamelessly bowing down to eh?

Yuh know, in one breath we declare how great our God is and all that, but then in the next, we magnify the things of the world above Him. That doesn’t make sense my people. In fact it’s utter stupidity, because we’ll never get away with it, for He’s told us so in no uncertain terms.

But like our forefathers, we’re just stubborn and rebellious, like to do our own thing, thinking we’re so great. I beseech us though fellow believers, to remember these momentous words of Jesus.

‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5)

More words of eternal truth Friends! Without Jesus we can do nothing worthwhile in our own strength. So please, let’s wake up and smell the roses nuh, cause our world is going to hell in a bucket. Let’s take Jesus and all He stands for seriously, or else we’ll live to regret it.

Let’s do instead as the psalmist wisely advises. ‘Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.’ (Ps.99:9)

Now that my brethren is the very pinnacle of wisdom! Let’s be wise and reach for it nuh. Much LOVE!

…he that hath ears to hear…let him hear…else he’ll be sorry…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 July 2013 Psalm 92:8

12 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: Alpha and Omega, anointed, blessings, body soul and mind, cedar of Lebanon, chinks in our armour, christianity, courts of God, Creator of the universe, enemies, faith, fellowship, First and the Last, forgiveness, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorify, glorious kingdom, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, iniquity workers, Jehovah-Jireh, Jesus, Lucifer, mercy, Most High, no accounting for taste buds, old age, only true God, palm tree, prince of darkness, psalm 92, race of life, refreshed, relaxation, religion, renewed, rest, salvation, setting our sights on heaven, smart money, surrender to Christ, sweet jesus, Thank God it's Friday, thanks and praise, the righteous shall flourish, the wicked, trust, truth, weekend, wisdom

Psalm 92:8. But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore.

Well hello there Friends, neighbours and fellow believers, it’s Friday once again!

And all the people stood up, and in one accord, with hands, hearts, eyes and heads uplifted to heaven, solemnly declared: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and our labour will soon be over for another week. Thank You Sweet Jesus! Thank You for sacrificing Your life for us and giving us the chance to be reconciled with the Father, and be able to spend eternity with Him! We LOVE You, and glorify Your Holy Name!’

Yes my people, it is meet and right to give praise and thanks to Jesus for the enormous act of selflessness and LOVE that He performed for us at Calvary. Now let’s chant our Friday Chant which will give us the right perspective on the use of the weekend.

‘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 Friends, let’s use the weekend wisely, so that Lucifer won’t find any chinks in our armour and take advantage of them.

Time now though to turn to our Bit; a spanking, brand new one! And I can hear some shouts of ‘Yeah! A new Bit!’

Ah mih people, I don’t know why some of us always want something new everyday, especially when there’s more left to be said on the subject. But as they say, there’s no accounting for taste buds.

Anyway, our new Bit is quite simple, straightforward and the ultimate in truth. ‘But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore.’

And that my brethren is gospel, eternal, everlasting, undeniable, irrevocable and all the other kinds of truth put together! (smile)

That’s because our God is the ONE TRUE God, the ONLY God there is in this universe! He is the FIRST and the LAST, the ALPHA and OMEGA, (Rev.1:8) Creator of the universe and all therein! The ONE who watches over mankind and provides for them; Jehovah Jireh! He sees all, knows all, and is all-powerful! In other words, He IS the most potent force in the universe!

But yet so many foolish men refuse to bow to Him and accept His gracious mercy, blessings, and forgiveness for their abominable sins. How sad eh people, that we allow the con-man Lucifer and his evil con-artists to con us into believing that the flimsy, destructible crap that the world has to offer, is what we should be about, instead of setting our sights on the wonderful, indestructible, everlasting things of heaven.

But Friends, please listen to the verses that surround our Bit. ‘O Lord, how great are thy works! And thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish (senseless) man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this. When the wicked spring (up, sprout) as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever.

But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore. For, lo, thine enemies, O Lord, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. But my horn (strength) shalt thou exalt like the horn of a unicorn (wild ox): I shall be anointed with fresh oil. Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.’ (Ps.92:5-11)

Yes my people, those who don’t believe that the Most High God Jehovah is the ONE and ONLY TRUE God in existence, will be destroyed in His good time.

But those who believe in Him; ‘The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat (plump) and flourishing (green); To show that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.’ (Ps.92:12-15)

Oh Friends, what more can I say eh? Not much. Except to reiterate that we should not put our trust in mankind or things of the world, but in the omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent Spirit of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, because that’s where our salvation truly lies.

Remember that Jesus has already conquered death, the grave and Lucifer, (Rev.1:18) so putting trust in the fallen angel, the prince of darkness is totally foolish, since he’s already been rendered powerless for some two thousand years now. He has no real power over us, and can only hurt us if we allow him to.

So my brethren, this Friday morning, in mid-July 2013, let’s all promise ourselves to sincerely surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, put our absolute trust and faith in Him, and live a life that’s worthy of Him. That’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!

…the smart money is on Jesus…He’s the overwhelming favourite to win the race of life…and He won’t let us down…you can count on that…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 July 2013 Jeremiah 1:6

05 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: 4th July celebrations, a walk with Jesus, adjustments, birthday celebrations, christianity, common sense, essence of wisdom, excuses, faith, fellowship, forsaken the Lord, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's kingdom, glorious kingdom, God's assurances, great victory, I cannot speak, I'm a child, introspection, Love the Lord, nations prosper, New Year's resolution, people volunteer, relaxation, reluctance, right mood, right perspective, simpering, sing praise to God, sufficency for God's service, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, unworthiness, weekend, when leaders lead, whimpering

Jeremiah 1:6. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

Oh Friends, it’s Friday… And everybody’s jumping and shouting, whooping and hollering: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! No more work! Party Time!’

Yes mih people, the weekend is here and the party mood is taking over, especially in the good ole U.S. of A, where the 4th of July birthday celebrations continue in full glory.

But Friends, as we remind ourselves every week, the weekend is not just for fun and frolic, but also for rest and contemplation. And would you believe that July is already a week old. That means we should also take some time over this weekend to do our monthly reflection and introspection on our New Year’s resolution; that of taking a closer walk with Jesus this year.

I recommend this because it’s much easier checking out small steps in short time periods, than trying to figure out how we’ve done over long periods. It’s also easier to make adjustments as we go along, than wait for a whole year to pass before trying to adjust. And besides when we keep track over short periods, we’re less likely to forget or move away from our resolution.

Anyway, let’s get in the right mood, the right perspective for this upcoming weekend by chanting our Friday Chant. With one accord 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.’

Now let’s all go and put those words into serious action, so that we can stay on the right path.

And turning to our Bit: ‘Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child (youth).’

Yes Friends, it’s the same as the last two days, because Moses took up all the time yesterday with his ceaseless simpering and whimpering, even though God gave him so many assurances.

But as the scholars’ declare: ‘Jeremiah’s sense of unworthiness recalls others such as Moses (Ex.3:4), Barak (Judg.4:8), Gideon (Judg.6:15), Saul (1 Sam.10:22), David (2 Sam.7:19), Solomon (1 Kin.3:7), and many others who understood clearly that the sufficiency for God’s service comes only from God Himself. (c.f. 2 Cor.2:16)’

And all that’s true my brethren, but how long are we going to put up barriers and excuses even when God is plainly promising to be with us and help us eh?

Let’s check out Barak. In his time judges ruled Israel, the current one then being the prophetess Deborah. Israel had again forsaken the Lord their God and enemies were lined up to come against them.

Then Deborah sent for Barak ‘and said to him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw (deploy troops) toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand. And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me; then I will not go.

And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour (be no glory for you); for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.’ (Judg.4:6-9)

Ah mih breddren, another instance where people are reluctant to answer God’s call. And would you believe the great victory that Deborah and Barak wrought over their enemies! So much so that they sang a song afterwards: ‘Praise ye the Lord, for the avenging of Israel (when leaders lead in Israel), when the people willingly offered themselves (volunteered).’ (Judg.5:2)

Yes Friends, when leaders truly lead, and the people willingly volunteer to do service to God, their nations prosper!

And the song of Deborah and Barak continues: ‘Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel… So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that LOVE him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest for forty years.’ (Judg.5:3,31)

You can read the in between portion of their song of victory in Judges 5. But Barak, like many of us, was at first reluctant to answer God’s call, and only with Deborah’s leading, did he take up the mantle of God to fight for his God and country.

Ah Friends, I don’t know why we’re so reluctant to answer God’s call to do His work nuh, but as soon as a sinful man calls we go running to do his oftimes evil bidding!

Is it that we revere or have more faith in man than in Jehovah God, our Creator and Provider? I surely hope not. But that’s how it seems, for we always come up with some excuse not to do God’s bidding, but when we eventually do, we discover what a joy and pleasure it is to answer His call.

So let’s promise ourselves my brethren, from today, from RIGHT NOW, we’ll no longer hesitate or find excuses not to heed God’s call, but as soon as He calls, we’ll say, ‘Yes Lord, thy servant hears, and will gladly do your bidding!’

That my Friends, is the very essence of wisdom and common sense! Much LOVE!

…to willingly answer God’s call…without any fuss or excuses…is the mark of a mature believer…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 June 2013 Titus 3:8

28 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: affirmations, affirming Christ-like stuff, baptizing, believing in jesus, bestowed on man, blessed opportunity, body, born again, bounden duty, Canada Day, children of God, Christian ethic, confidence, cooperate with God, damnation, death, directive to the disciples, eternal life, evil, excellence, fellowship, Friday chant, generous help, gift, glorious kingdom, good works, grace, greatest gift, hammer, holy spirit, hope, justified, lamp, lawn sprinkler system, life, light, Live our fatih, Lord and Saviour, Love God, mercy, mind, mirror, modicum of circumspection, new life, only way, profitable, promise, refreshed, regeneration, relaxation, rhythm of the falling rain, right perspective, salvation, soul, sound of rain falling, spiritual armour, spirituality, Spread God's Word, sufficient fun, summer madness, sword, teach all nations, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, the name of the Father, the SON, the weekend, thinking right things, true believer, truth, ungodly world, wisdom, works of righteousness

Titus 3:8: This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

Oh Friends, there’s nothing nicer than awakening in the early morning hours to the gentle sound of rain falling outside! That happened to me earlier on, and it was a tad difficult to get up out of the warm, cozy bed, as I lay there listening to ‘the rhythm of the falling rain; pita pata, pita pata.’ (smile)

But I eventually forced my self to get up, like I might have to force myself and go out in the rain and turn off the lawn sprinkler system, that’s just spurting away like crazy out there, while the rain is falling. Now it’s not supposed to come on if the rain’s falling, but I can’t curse it today because I’m not sure if it came on before the rain began to fall. I know though that when I went to bed around 2.30, no rain was falling.

Anyway, I’ll give it a few more minutes, and if it doesn’t turn off automatically, then I’ll go and turn it off. Oh, the headaches that these supposed modern conveniences cause eh! I believe the guy was here up to yesterday trying to time it properly.

But Friends, here’s the good news, it’s Friday! And all the voices rose like one: ‘Yes, oh yes! TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! The weekend’s here at last! What a blast it’s going to be!’

And in Canada it’s certainly going to be a blast, except for those unfortunately flooded out in the Western Provinces, because it’s the long weekend when we celebrate Canada Day, our Independence, on Monday. So you can imagine what it’s going to be like, especially if it’s sunny and warm.

I finally had to go outside and turn off the sprinkler, if only to minimize the real risk of flooding, because who knows when the rain will stop, plus stopping an unnecessary increase in my water bill, which has gone up a fair amount since the sprinkler system was put in.

Anyway, summer madness will definitely be on display this weekend, so let’s see if we can keep it in check a little by chanting our Friday Chant, which gives us a better and brighter perspective on how to handle it.

All together 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 brethren, we have to enjoy the couple days off, but as Jeeves would say, ‘with a modicum of circumspection,’ so that Lucifer doesn’t even find one li’l pinhole in our spiritual armour, that he can use to cause us to go against God’s will.

But instead that we should do as our Bit tells us. ‘This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.’

Yeh Friends, it’s the same Bit as the last two days because there’s some useful information from the scholars that I thought was important to share with you. It’s on the topic of regeneration, which we read about yesterday.

‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed (poured out) on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That we being justified (declared righteous) by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope (strong confidence) of eternal life.’ (Titus 3:5-7)

Now, per the scholars: ‘Regeneration refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in the salvation experience that produces new life in the believer. To express this concept, Jesus used the expression “born again” in His conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:3-7). Regeneration is the work of God, through the Holy Spirit, of placing in one who has faith a new nature, capable of doing God’s will.

The Holy Spirit is the agent or divine workman of this regeneration. His instrument is the Bible, which is likened to a hammer that judges sin (Jer.23:29), a mirror that reveals sin (James 1:23), a sword that defeats Satan (Heb.4:12), and a lamp that guides the believers (Ps.119:105).

Illustration: People are instantaneously “born again,” the moment they trust Christ as Saviour (1 Pet.1:23). Application: Christians should be careful to cooperate with God in growing as children of God after they are regenerated, or given new life. (First Ref. John 3:3; Primary Ref. Titus 3:5; cf. Eph.1:15)

Oh Friends, what greater gift can we be honoured with eh? None really!

Just ponder it for a Selah moment nuh: To be able to move from a situation of eternal death and damnation immediately to one of salvation and eternal life, simply by believing in Jesus, that He’s the Truth, the Light, the Life and the ONLY Way to God.

What a most blessed opportunity that is! One that we as believers have wisely taken hold of, but also need to share with others, because it’s the greatest gift ever bestowed on mankind, and right now too many people have not heard about it, so they’re still living in darkness, seriously threatened by eternal death and damnation, because they don’t know better.

And they won’t know better unless somebody tells them the Good News. And that somebody is us, Friends, the church of Christ!

Please remember Jesus’ last directive to the disciples: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20)

Yes my fellow believers, that’s our job, our bounden duty! But we can only accomplish it by first thinking the right things, affirming Christ-like stuff, then going out into this evil, ungodly world and putting them into action.

Please, let’s live up to the promise we made when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour nuh; that is truly LOVING our wonderful God, sincerely LIVING our Christian faith, and faithfully SPREADING the Lord’s Word!

That my brethren is definitely wisdom and Christian ethic at their highest levels. And Jesus desires nothing but excellence from His followers. Much LOVE!

…to act like a true believer…our thoughts must first be in sync…with those of Jesus…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 June 2013 Psalm 73:1

21 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: baubles and bangles, boasting, christianity, clean hearts, destiny of the wicked, divine perspective, elixir, envious, everlasting truth, extravagance, fellow believers in Christ, fellowship, forgiveness, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, God is good, God's sanctuary, grin and bear it, having the last word, heart-filled faith, hungry hope, jealousy, levity, lustful eyes, mansions, merciful, peals of laughter, pride, psalm 73, refeshed in body, relaxation, renewed, rest, reverence, righteousness., sour countenances, spirituality, straight and narrow, stumbled, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the last word, the weekend, trust, wait for the Lord, wickedness

Psalm 73:1. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart.

‘Oh Friends, is it really Friday already?’ I foolishly ask.

And my Friends shout back, ‘Yes it’s really Friday already! Praise the Lord!’

‘But how come it come around so quickly this week eh?’ I continued, somewhat perplexed. ‘But wasn’t it just Monday?’

‘Look nuh,’ my wonderful Friends replied, getting a tad disgruntled, ‘we don’t care how quickly it seems to come around to you nuh! We’re just glad that it come around, and we could shout and sing, ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday, and the weekend’s here!’

All I could do at being told in no uncertain terms of their one desire was laugh and say, ‘Okay pardners, whatever you say.’

But they insisted on having the last word. ‘Yes, mih brother, whatever we say goes! Remember that eh.’

And we all burst out into big peals of laughter at our foolishness. But my people, laughter is indeed good for the soul. It’s a wonderful elixir that’s not only free, but also available all the time, any time at all. And some, or rather plenty of our Christian brothers and sisters should try using it more often, and leave their sour, very unChristian-like countenances behind.

And now that we’ve gotten some levity in our spirits, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much sincerity 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.’

Now that ought to keep us somewhat on the straight and narrow this weekend. (smile) And we’d better not stray, because as our Bit so wisely advises us: ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart.’

Yes Friends, our God is indeed good to those whose hearts are clean and pure, that are set on Him and His righteousness, not on the wickedness of the world. And we have a classic example of that particular problem as the psalmist Asaph declares in his psalm, re the mystery of prosperous wickedness.

‘But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I almost stumbled); my steps had well-nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands (pangs or pain) in their death: but their strength is firm.

They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain (serves as a necklace); violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness (bulge with abundance): they have more than heart could wish.’ (Ps.73:2-7)

Oh my people, that’s a very true picture of how the wicked look and how they operate! And yuh know what? When we see them driving their fancy, expensive cars, living in their big mansions, while eating and drinking of the best of everything, wearing designer duds, and showing off about it too, we often feel envious, especially if we’re have a hard time simply making two ends meet.

That’s what happened to Asaph. He was on the verge of falling, of losing his faith, when luckily he woke up to the reality of the situation. And how did he do that? ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (Ps.73:17)

As the scholars put it: ‘Not until the psalmist entered God’s sanctuary and received a divine perspective on the wicked’s prosperity did he find his answer to the problem (vv. 17-28) He saw the destiny of the wicked (vv. 17-20); therefore he repented of his foolishness (vv.21-22) and found his happiness solely in a warm and growing relationship with God (vv. 23-28)

The point of the psalm is driven home even more dramatically when remembering that Asaph, the author, was a spiritual man who grew up with deeply religious training. (1 Chr.15:16-19; 16:4-7; 2 Chr.5:12; 29-30)’

Oh Friends, I know it’s hard to just grin and bear the blatant extravagance and boasting of the wicked. Yuh see even the deeply religious and spiritual man Asaph had a hard time not falling into Lucifer’s sinful trap. But please note how he got out of it; by going to the Lord’s sanctuary and immersing himself in the Word and finally realizing the destructive end of the wicked.

‘For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (who are unfaithful to thee).’ (Ps.73:27)

And that’s the gospel truth Friends! So please stand strong and not let envy and jealousy of the evildoers cause you to stumble and fall, for our wonderful God has promised so much more to those who wait on Him.

Listen to how the palmist puts it in Psalm 130, superscripted, My soul waiteth for the Lord. ‘If thou Lord, shouldest mark (take note of) iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (reverenced with awe).

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say more than they that watch for the morning.’ (Ps.130:3-6)

Now that’s how we should behave my brethren! Watch and wait for the Lord with hungry hope and heart-filled faith! Let the wicked enjoy their earthly benefits, which will perish with them. Let’s say like Bruh David in Psalm 86, titled, ‘Teach me thy way, O Lord.’

He solemnly declares: ‘Rejoice (make glad) the soul of thy servant: for unto thee O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.’ (Ps.86:4-5)

That’s definitely, undeniable, irrevocable, everlasting truth my people!

So please, let’s not allow the flimsy and flashy baubles and bangles of the world to excite our sinful flesh and tear us away from what is true and full of substance; the Lord God Jehovah and His Word. If we stand strong, in due time we’ll be even better rewarded than the wicked, and with everlasting rewards too.

Now let’s go out with the wisest words that Asaph wrote in Psalm 73: ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps.73:28)

And all God’s people gave a joyous shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’ Much LOVE my fellow believers in Christ!

…when Lucifer tries to control out lustful eyes…that’s the time to give Jesus full control of our faith filled hearts…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 June 2013 Philippians 3:17.

18 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a closer walk, an example, beloved son, better late than never, blessed Jesus, church at Corinth, destiny, destruction, dishonour, earthly things, empowerment, emulate, enemies of the cross of Christ, eternal destruction, evil age, faithful Christians, fellowship, glory, gluttony, God is their belly, good works, hedonistic lifestyle, imitator, incorruptibility, indelibly written, infamy, integrity, licentiousness, old hymn, press on diligently, reverence, sexual immorality, shame, sincere leadership, sinful nature, Spirit of God, steadfast, straight and narrow path, the right tools, unbridled lusts, walk closely with God, walking faithfully in God's Spirit, wholesome advice

Philippians 3:17: Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example.

‘Just a closer walk with thee. Blessed Jesus let it be. Always walking close to thee. Let it be, dear Lord… let it be.’

Oh Friends, those words from that favourite old hymn are very significant in a believer’s life; so significant that they should be written indelibly in our hearts and be constantly on our lips!

Yes my brethren, if we’re to walk closely with God, as believers ought to, then we certainly need His empowerment to help us, because that’s something we simply cannot do on our own. Our sinful nature, our weak will, and Lucifer’s constant prodding just won’t allow us to do it. But we have to walk that close walk to be true and faithful Christians!

And we have some excellent advice in our Bit on that subject, where Bruh Paul is talking to the Philippians, encouraging them to keep pressing on towards the mark, walking faithfully in the Spirit of God.

‘Brethren, be followers together of me (join in following my example), and mark (note) them which walk so as ye have us for an example (a pattern).’

And the scholars it thus: ‘Paul asks the Philippians to imitate him. (But) due to his absence they cannot observe him (personally), so he tells them to imitate those among them who live as he does.’

And my people, that admonition holds up even until today, and will be forever applicable as long as believers walk this ungodly earth, since we cannot do it all ourselves, but need like-minded persons around us to help and encourage us. That’s why fellowship amongst believers is ever so important, especially in these rough, trying and godless times!

Bruh Paul also said basically the same thing to the church at Corinth. ‘Wherefore I beseech (urge) you, be ye followers of (imitate) me. For this cause have I sent unto you Timothy, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.’ (1 Cor.4:16-17)

That’s why we need learned, responsible brethren like pastors and such to teach and show us the proper way to walk with Christ. All Christian congregations need good, strong, knowledgeable and sincere leadership and guidance, if they are going to thrive and succeed in doing the will of God.

And not wanting the Corinthians to forget that, Bruh Paul reminds them of it in Chapter 11. ‘Be ye followers (imitators) of me, even as I also am of Christ.’ (1 Cor.11:1)

Oh Friends, in this godless, evil age, we certainly need all the reminders we can get about walking safely, securely and faithfully with Jesus!

Now why is that so important eh? Bruh Paul goes on to explain it after our Bit. ‘(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind (set their mind on) earthly things.) (Phil.3:18-19)

And are there ever numerous enemies of the cross of Christ today my brethren; in fact there are more enemies than friends!

Now hear how the scholars explain those verses. ‘For provides the first reason the readers should emulate the apostle’s life; there are many professing Christians whose worldly, hedonistic lifestyle can corrupt them unless they imitate Paul. These enemies of the cross are described in four ways:

(1) Their end or destiny is destruction, that is eternal punishment. (2) Their God is their belly. In submitting to, and being controlled by their earthly nature, they worship their sensual desire by surrendering themselves to gluttony, sexual immorality, licentiousness, and all manner of unbridled lusts.

(3) Their glory or reputation consists in their shame – they are well known indeed, their renown being that of ignominy (dishonour, infamy). (4) Their mind is constantly on earthly rather than heavenly things.’

And isn’t that the living truth! Oh Friends, earthly excesses are all around us, and sadly have now become the norm rather than the exception. But as followers of Christ we can’t afford to get caught up in all the immorality and godlessness that’s so prevalent today.

It’s not easy Friends, and Jesus knows that, because it’s everywhere we turn, protruding from almost every little nook and cranny. Bruh Paul also recognized that ungodly lifestyle in his day, that’s why he’s so adamant about us staying on the straight and narrow path. But if he thought things were bad in his day, he’d have a fit, a heart attack when confronted by the high levels of evil and wickedness that’s running rampant in today’s world.

That’s why it’s ever so important for us to surround ourselves with true and faithful believers, otherwise we’re liable to get sucked into the evil and immorality that’s running riot.

Oh my brethren, in this age we also need to be pressing on diligently and steadfastly towards the mark; that’s walking faithfully in the dictates of God. And thankfully, this advice that Bruh Paul gave to Titus so long ago, still holds true today. Listen to it carefully.

‘In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness (integrity), gravity (reverence), sincerity (incorruptibility), Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part (an opponent) may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.’ (Titus 2:7-8)

Yes my fellow believers, that’s sound, wise and wholesome advice; advice that can surely benefit us all! So please, let’s read, mark, learn and inwardly digest it nuh, and thus be enabled to have that close or closer walk with Jesus, which we all so badly desire. Much LOVE!

…just as every job requires the right tools…to walk with Jesus…one must also acquire the right tools…

P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit Friends, I simply got up late, then had problems finding a Bit that suited what I wanted to say. But as always…better late than never! (smile) Much LOVE!

SCRIP-BITS