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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.

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, 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 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 14 June 2013 1 Corinthians 13:4

14 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: absolute wisdom, anger, bitterness, busybodies, christianity, detriment of friendships, envy, errant believer, error of our ways, fellowship, forgiveness, Friday chant, generous help, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, gospel truth, gossip, hate stirs up strife, heed God's call, hurricane season, imminent danger, itinerant musicians, jealousy, kind to each other, live in the Spirit, Love covers all sins, Love doesn't envy, Love doesnt boast, Love is kind, Love isn't arrogant, Love suffers long, multitude of sins, negative emotions, praise his holy name, qualities of Love, ramp up our faith, refreshed in soul, relaxation, rest, rising floodwaters, sacrificial blood, seek Love, sinful behaviour, sufficent fun, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the pit of corruption, the weekend, trangressions, trust in Almighty God, truth, walk in the Spirit, walk with Christ, wisdom, wrath

1 Corinthians 13:4: Charity (LOVE) suffereth long, and is kind; charity (LOVE) envieth not; charity (LOVE) vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.

Oh Friends it’s Friday! And some workers gathered around a group of itinerant musicians, raucously applaud: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! The weekend’s here, and work soon done. Ah say, thank God is Friday yes!’

Yes my people, Friday is an important day in our week; for some it’s the start of their Sabbath, for others it’s the start of their weekend and two days off of work, and most importantly it was the day on which Christ was crucified, the day He sacrificed His sinless life for our sinful ones.

And all God’s people said, ‘Glory Hallelujah! What a wonderful Lord and Saviour we have. Praise His Holy Name! Amen!’

Anyway Friends, since it’s Friday, let’s chant our Friday Chant to get us into the right frame of mind to face the weekend in a positive, Christ-like manner.

‘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 that ought to give us the right perspective to handle the weekend. However, before we look at our Bit, let’s spend a moment in prayer for the unfortunate residents of the Fort McMurray area in the Western Province of Alberta, who are now facing imminent danger and the loss of their homes and belongings to rising floodwaters.

Oh Friends, so far it seems like this is the year of the flood and tornados, and the hurricane season hasn’t even gotten in to full swing yet. But we simply can’t afford to let disasters get us down.

In fact, as disasters strike, we need to lift, to ramp up our faith and trust in Almighty God, who’s promised to look after all those He’s called and have sincerely heeded that call. (Rom.8:28)

And when we consider our Bit, we see how extremely important it is, because, ‘Charity (LOVE) suffereth long, and is kind; charity (LOVE) envieth not; charity (LOVE) vaunteth not (does not brag on) itself, is not puffed up (arrogant).’

Yes my people, that’s truth of the absolutely undeniable kind!

Now yesterday, we saw in the passages before our Bit (vs.1-3) that regardless of our other attributes, that we’re useless, nothing, unless we have LOVE. And then the Good Book explains the basic God-like qualities of LOVE. (vs.4-8)

Today, we’ll take a gander at some scriptures that deal with the qualities that our Bit talks about; the long suffering of LOVE, its kindness, its lack of envy, its humility and lack of boasting, as well as its non-arrogant nature.

And what better place to begin than in the wisdom of Cousin Sol’s words, as he contrasts the attributes of the wise and those of the foolish. He states in matter-of-fact language, that ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.’ (Prov.10:12)

And isn’t that gospel truth Friends! Our negative emotions wreak havoc in all aspects of our lives, but that wonderful attribute of LOVE, covers, brings God’s caring and harmonious nature to the front, leaving all negative issues in its wake.

As Hezekiah so wisely states in His glorifying prayer after his healing: ‘Behold, for (my own) peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in LOVE to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.’ (Is.38:17)

Oh my brethren, the wonderful works of the amazing God we serve never ceases to amaze me! In His great LOVE for us, He throws our sins behind Him and forgets them, even more so since Jesus paid for them with His sacrificial blood.

Meanwhile, in Ephesians, Bruh Paul lectures us on the kindness aspect of LOVE: ‘Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph.4:31-32)

Oh Friends, we can never find a higher level of God-like behaviour than forgiveness, especially when it’s based on the fact that God has forgiven us such a multitude of abominable sins! And that can only happen through a sincere LOVE for Christ!

Then in Galatians, re walking in the Spirit, Bruh Paul touches on the question of envy and jealousy. ‘If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory (conceited), provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal.5:25-26)

Ah mih fellow believers! I had to let out a long, loud sigh there because, unfortunately too many of us Christians aren’t truly walking in the Spirit, for envy, deceit and selfishness have become hallmarks of our modern society. And though we’re supposed to be in the world, but not a part of it, sadly, we allow the negativity of the world to greatly invade and influence our spirits, and thus our walk with Christ.

Now listen to James, re saving an errant believer. ‘Brethren, if any of you do err (wander) from the truth, and one convert him (turns him back); Let him know, that he which converteth (turns) the sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide (cover) a multitude of sins.’ (James 5:19-29)

Again my people, it’s that attitude of kindness and caring, of not being judgemental, the lack of pride and arrogance in our fellow believers, that helps to turn us around when we’re faltering, and allows God to not only correct our sinful behaviour, but also blot out our sins.

And we’ll end with a last word of absolute wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘He that covereth a transgression, seeketh LOVE; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very (the best of ) friends.’ (Prov.17:9)

And isn’t that the everlasting truth of man’s behaviour! Unfortunately, many of us have personally experienced it through unreliable gossip and the running mouths of the busybodies who take pleasure in spreading it, to the very real detriment of friendships.

Well that’s it for today my people. I certainly hope that these few words (smile) -as if I ever write few words eh – I do hope though that they provoke serious thoughts in our souls, which then lead to serious Christ-like actions in our lives. I sincerely pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Much LOVE my brethren!

…a true walk with Christ entails many things…but none more important than LOVE…

P.S. Sorry that this is somewhat late Friends, but my allergies acted up earlier on and I took some medication to calm them down, but apparently they calmed me down too much. (smile)

And though I wrote a rough draft without any problems, I’ve been in a semi-fog while transcribing it to the computer, making a set of foolish mistakes, which obviously annoyed me. But the Lord in His LOVING-kindness gave me the wherewithal to complete it without losing my mind. Much LOVE!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 June 2013 Proverbs 4:26

07 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a just and righteous God, absolutely essential, austerity, bad government, belt-tightening attitude, breeding ground, captures the heart, captures the mind, consider your path, deceit, deceitful mouth, diligence, don't turn to the right or to the left, fellowship, Freedom Day, Friday chant, generous help, glorious kingdom, God faithfully promised, God's righteous kingdom, guiding light, heart, hold on to our faith, human-rights, jobless, jobs, lies, look straight ahead, lucky minority, mind, mire of greed, negative atmosphere, peace, perverse lips, productive society, refeshed in soul, remuneration, rest and relaxation, rightful entitlement, rush hour traffic, short attention spans, spirituality, successful society, sufficient fun, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, thanks and praise, the benefits of work, the weekend, wisdom, work ethic, worldwide dilemma, worsening economy

Proverbs 4:26: Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

Oh Friends, it’s Friday; Freedom Day! Hn, hn! Yes, the weekend is finally here, and there are joyous shouts all around the world of ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Freedom Day here at last!’

And though it’s only a measly two days off from labouring, for the lucky ones that is, we tend to so eagerly look forward to it from the very first day of work on Monday.

Ah Lord eh! Just imagine going to work in the rush hour traffic on Monday and already wishing that it were the Friday rush hour traffic taking you home. Something’s definitely wrong with that picture Friends!

How can we ever be a truly positive and productive society when work is perceived as such an invasive and negative action, such a terrible burden? This generation has lost the work ethic our parents and grand parents had, and which is absolutely essential in building a successful society.

I don’t believe that our forefathers really LOVED work all that much, but they certainly understood the benefits it brought, and there are indeed a whole lot of them. Just be out of work for any length of time and you’ll see what they are.

But unfortunately, we’ve raised our children not to value work, or the ethic that it instils in us, even though we’ve had to work our butts off to give them what they belief is their rightful entitlement.

And in this ever worsening economy, where jobs, decent and/or otherwise are constantly disappearing and thus shrinking, along with the remuneration offered, that negative atmosphere certainly doesn’t help those who are genuinely interested in work.

Ah Friends, the questions and answers to our worldwide dilemma are many and complex, and will not be easily solved, especially with the current misguided belt-tightening attitude that is sweeping governments across the world.

I was taught that the role of government was to help the people in tough times. But obviously the reigning principles are preaching the opposite lesson, with the new watchword being ‘austerity.’

May the Lord have mercy on us yes, and catch us before we sink even further into the mire of greed and bad government!

However Friends, as believers, the most important thing for us to do is to hold on tightly to our faith in a just and righteous God, who has faithfully promised to look after us, come what may.

So before we go out to labour today, we the lucky minority, let’s give some thanks and praise for whatever we have, be it much or little, and chant our Friday Chant. That will allow us to have and keep a right perspective on the upcoming 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.

Yes my people, please let that mindset hold and guide us for today.

And now for our Bit, which blends nicely with what we were just talking about. But we also need the scripture before and after it to get the context, the true picture, the true essence of our Bit, where Cousin Sol is talking of wisdom being life and health.

‘Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward (deceitful) mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.’ (Prov.4:23-27)

Ah Friends, what words of awesome wisdom! Cousin Sol has been called the wisest man ever, for very good reason.

Now here’s some good info from the scholars. ‘Heart could often be translated “mind” in the book (Proverbs). Since the Hebrews had no separate word for “mind,” the word “heart” often served to represent the seat of intellect. The key to the whole man is his mind. Whatever captures the mind, captures the man.’

And isn’t that the everlasting truth, my brethren! Whatever our mind conjures up, is what we tend to dwell on. That means we have to be ever so careful about the things we think on.

Consequently, deceit and lies must be eradicated from our minds. We have to look straight ahead, focus on what’s before us, always seeking God’s righteous kingdom, and not turning away either to the left or the right. It’s of the utmost importance that we truly consider the path we tread in this earthly life, not letting our feet lead us to where evil lies.

And this is not mere talk, my fellow believers, it’s stuff that should be completely rooted in our hearts and minds, for without that guiding light, our lives will continually veer from right to left and back again, bringing us no sense of peace or righteousness.

Now there’s more scripture to be addressed on this topic, but if I do so today, it will make the Bit too long, and I always have to keep in mind our busy schedules and short attention spans. (smile) So we’ll let that suffice for today. We have enough stuff to ponder anyway, and the Lord willing, we’ll continue on this subject tomorrow.

Till then my fellow believers, please let’s thoroughly consider the things we allow to engulf our minds, for therein lies the way to our hearts, and the direction we take in this earthly life.

And may the Lord bless and keep us, make His face to shine upon us, and give us His wonderful peace, until we meet again, be it here on earth, or in heaven above. Much LOVE!

…the mind is the breeding ground…for either good or evil…so the one we breed…depends entirely on us…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 May 2013 Ecclesiastes 4:2

31 May 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a genuine Christian, absolute confidence, cancer, Comforter, death where is thy sting, eternal death, eternal life, fellowship, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, good and faithful servant, grave where is thy victory, harbingers of bad news, loving kindness, man's inhumanity to man, much work to be done, oppressions increase vanity, positive outlook, positive outlook on life, praised the dead, refreshed in soul, rejoice exceedingly, relaxation, rest, rest in peace, right perspective, sad voice, scourge of mankind, second sense, sense of logic, the bitter in soul, the way of the grave, the weary be at rest, welcome home

Ecclesiastes 4:2. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.

Oh Friends, it’s Friday… But a somewhat subdued one, because when I got up earlier on, I saw the message light on the phone blinking, and I wondered if it was really a message or just the phone malfunctioning as it sometimes does.

You can imagine my concern, since I’d gone to bed late and there had been no calls up to that time, and calls late at night are usually harbingers of bad news.

And I had a second sense when I checked the message and heard this small, sad voice with its lilting British accent asking us to call when we received it. There was only one conclusion to be drawn from that; my wife’s Aunt, Aunt Ivey, had finally gone home to be with the Lord from over the pond in England.

That supposition unfortunately turned out to be true. I believe we can change that last sentence though, and say fortunately, since she had been suffering for sometime with mankind’s dreaded scourge, cancer.

I spoke to her several times on the phone, but only met her once, however from the little I saw, and what I heard from others, she was one of the sweetest, dearest persons you could ever find; a genuine Christian, thoughtful and kind, raising several children, none of which belonged to her.

She reminds me of my mother, Molly, and my mother-in-law, Enid, women who all had tough lives, but never allowed the dirtiness and evil of the world to affect their pleasant, positive outlook on life.

Aunt Ivey, you’ll certainly be missed a whole lot by all those whom your life touched. Your LOVING-kindness won’t ever be forgotten. And I know that right now you are talking with the Saviour, and He’s embracing you and saying, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant! Welcome home!’ May you rest in peace with Him forever.

Ah mih people, though we know that we all must go the way of the grave at some time, it still brings sadness to our souls. But those of us left behind cannot afford to grieve too long or too intensely, because there is still much work left behind for us to do, by those saints who’ve gone on before us.

So on this Friday, the last day in May 2013, let’s chant our Friday Chant to put the right perspective in our souls for this 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 pay serious attention to what we just chanted Friends, because in the long run it can be the deciding factor in our fate, between eternal life and eternal death.

And no, I didn’t go looking for a Bit on death, that’s where I was guided. But before we get to it, let’s look at what brought Cousin Sol to that unusual conclusion.

He opens the chapter, oppressions increase vanity, by saying: ‘So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side (at the hand) of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.’ (Eccl.4:1)

Oh my brethren, Cousin Sol saw so much oppression in the world that he began to believe that the oppressed would truly be better off dead. Thus he declares in our Bit: ‘Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.’

It’s a challenging statement, but it does have some sense of logic to it. Why stay here on this evil, ungodly earth, oppressed, dispossessed and with no comforter, when you could be living a much better life in heaven with the Lord, your comforter and Saviour?

Bruh Paul struggled with the same question. He felt like he would much prefer to be with Christ in heaven, but he had work to do down here.

And Cousin Sol continues in the same vein: ‘Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.’ (Eccl.4:3)

And sadly my people, we can still voice the same opinion today, thousands of years later, because the oppression of mankind is at an all time high. I don’t know if man’s inhumanity to his fellow man has ever been this gross, especially when we’re supposed to be living in the most enlightened times ever.

And if the oppressed choose death over life, we can’t really fault them because many of us in their positions would probably feel and do likewise.

And we’ll conclude with some appropriate scripture from Job, where he bewails the day of his birth. ‘There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.

Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul; Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?’ (Job 3:17-22)

Oh Friends, none of us really know the answers to those questions posed by Job, but of one thing we’re very sure; when this earthly life is over, we shall all be in a better place, with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which means we can handle anything meted out to us here on earth with absolute confidence, for He has faithfully promised to look after us down here, then LOVINGLY receive us to Himself when we shuffle off this mortal coil.

There can be no better promise, no better ending than that! Much LOVE!

…O death…where is thy sting…O grave…where is thy victory… (1 Cor.15:55)

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 May 2013 Psalm 49:20.

24 May 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: awesome truth, beasts that perish, boasting of riches, brainless beasts, christianity, death and damnation, destinies of the wicked and righteous, drunk or sober mind your business, eternal life, ever-LOVING God, evil, evil men, fellowship, Friday chant, generous help, glorious kingdom, God's people, Granny's warning, honour, jealous of the evil rich, Jesus, Memorial Day, psalm 49, relaxation, rest, resurrection through Jesus, riches are woefully inadequate, riches cannot redeem, rising above the ungodly drive for riches, seek first the kingdom of God, sufficient fun, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the righteous man, try the Best, understanding, ungodly

Psalm 49:20: Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

Oh Friends, it’s Friday! And the loudest shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ comes from the workers in the U.S, where they are celebrating Memorial Day weekend, in honour of the fallen soldiers, the valiant brethren who gave their lives to protect our freedom.

Those of us in Canada and other parts of the British Commonwealth where Victoria Day was celebrated last Monday, are also happier than usual, because this was a short work week.

But Friends, please be aware of all the evil, ungodly stuff we can get into with too much free time on our hands. So let’s all remember Granny’s wise warning: ‘Sonny Boy, drunk or sober, mind yuh business.’

And let’s all be careful of how, where and with whom we celebrate, for it takes only the smallest niche for Lucifer to wangle his evil way into our lives. And to help us develop the right approach, and keep everything in its proper perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant.

As one voice 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 with that matter settled, let’s turn to our Bit: ‘Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.’

And that’s the God awesome truth, my people! Men that are granted a lot, wealth, power and position, and don’t understand the laws of the Most High God Jehovah, are just like the brainless beasts that just live and die and return to the dust from whence they came.

The Psalm is aptly titled, ‘Trust in God, not wealth.’ Another awesome truth!

Per the scholars, the psalm, like the Book of Proverbs, stands out ‘with its bold contrast between the destinies of the wicked and righteous. It addresses and age old question: the prosperity of the wicked. The psalmist lived in a day when many evil men were boasting of their wealth (vv.5-6).

The psalm was therefore written to enable God’s people to rise above the ungodly drive for riches. There is first an invitation to listen (vv.1-4): the poet calls on all men because the psalm has a universal application. Second, he demonstrates how woefully inadequate riches are (vv.5-12): on the day of one’s death they cannot redeem (vv.6,7).

Finally the divergent destinies of the wicked and the righteous are vividly stated (vv.13-20): the wicked man has no hope beyond this life (v.14), but the righteous man will be resurrected to eternal life (v.15)’

Oh Friends, all those aspects of life that were true back then, are still true today, and unfortunately we still don’t understand them. Why do I say that? Because the wicked still boast of their riches, and we’re still jealous of them.

And we still tend to put wealth and the drive to attain it before the search for the kingdom of God, which Jesus so adamantly warned us to do. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)

Yes my people, if we seek God first, then all we need will be forthcoming from our heavenly Father. Now that can also include the same, but more lasting wealth that the wicked accumulate by wicked ways. So wealth is not only possible through wicked means, for there are many wealthy Christians, who obtained it through the auspices of God.

And we’re also reminded that once this earthly life is over, the wicked doesn’t have a chance in hell of seeing heaven, despite all of their earthly riches. However, the righteous man will see resurrection through Jesus and have eternal life with Him.

So what’s your choice Friends? The wickedness and evil of this world that lead to death and damnation, or the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which brings salvation and eternal life?

Each of us has to choose the path we’ll follow. No one else can choose it for us. They can certainly advise us on it, as I’m doing now, but in the long run it all boils down to individual choice.

Ah my people, let’s sincerely hope that we all choose Jesus, because that’s the wise choice, for who wants to exist with Lucifer and all his evil cohorts in darkness, death and damnation, when we can enjoy a rich and righteous life with Jesus for all eternity.

And all God’s people said a loud and hearty: ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’

Now I do have more to say on this topic, but adding the remainder will make the Bit too long, so we’ll close here for today, keeping it short and sweet. You know I never like to pressure us with too much information all at once, what with our short attention spans and busy lives. (smile)

So more on this tomorrow, God in favour. Till then my Friends and fellow believers in Jesus, please, let’s walk safely, firmly ensconced and protected under the broad and mighty wings of our omnipotent and ever-LOVING God, doing His will and thus furthering His glorious kingdom. Remember, that’s our earthly mandate. Much LOVE!

…you’ve tried the rest…now try the BEST…Jesus…I guarantee, you’ll never regret it…

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