Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 January 2015 Isaiah 43:2‏

29 Jan 2015 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 43:2. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the fire kindle upon (scorch) thee.

Well Friends and neighbours, as I write this at roughly 4 p.m. T&T time; that’s an hour ahead of the north country, I can only laugh, well not really laugh, but chuckle silently, because if I laugh I’m afraid I’ll start a bout of coughing. Hn, Hn!

Anyway, this is day two of my adventures in Paradise…. And there have been many already –not big dangerous ones, but the small, mostly time consuming, annoying variety. Well let’s begin at the beginning.  
 
Oh, first let me apologize for not putting the Bit verse at the top of yesterday’s Bit, although everyone should have recognized it. But I got interrupted while writing it, and by the time I came back, my laptop was dead and I had to hunt around in all the confusion to find the power cord.
 
Then having found it, my anxiety, or rather my anxiousness (anxiety tends to have a negative connotation while anxiousness is positive) to get it out took over and I did not review it as closely as I should have. Mea culpa, mea culpa. (smile)
 
But let’s cut to the chase now. Yesterday after I left you, the duchess and I went out to a nearby mall to change some money and buy sim cards for our cell phones. We accomplished the former, but not the latter. One place had none, while the line up in the other was too long. But since we had a land line at home the cell phones weren’t a necessity.
 
We also bought some of the Colonel’s fare, a big bottle of pop and some ice-cream – lovely, decadent food to tide us over until we went grocery shopping later in the day. I just wanted to have a dip in my water hole and get some sleep before I did anything else.
 
Well the water hole adventure was something else! Firstly it’s completely stone covered at the top, which I could see, but once I got into the water, it was still mostly stones at the bottom. And I don’t mean gravel-like stuff, but real stones which made it hard to keep your balance, and since the tide was out, I had to go out further than I desired to even get into the low level of water.
 
I was quite surprised because I bathed there at least twice last year and I would have certainly remembered it if it had been that bad. But it was the saltwater that my mind and body had been craving and clamouring for all along, so I just lay there and let the waves lap over me for about half an hour.
 
But lo and behold, when I was ready to leave, I got up, not without some effort, but because of the uneven stone bottom I couldn’t find my balance, so I fell back down in the shallow water on my left elbow. No damage done though. Obviously I chuckled, thinking it only to be an aberration.
 
But the next time I stood up, the same thing happened. That time I fell on my right side. Thankfully, no damage done still. The chuckling then wasn’t so carefree. I realized that I had a problem. I solved it though by moving closer to the shore line on my hands and bottom in the water, for there wasn’t enough water to swim.
 
Finally, the third time I stood up, I was able to catch my balance and make my way gingerly back to the shore where I had left my slippers. By the time I got there though, I thought that the soles of my feet would be thoroughly lacerated, but through the Lord’s help and the medically wonderful salt water they were not. Ah Lord eh!
 
So back at the ranch I had my decadent food and went to sleep. But a couple hours later when I got up, neither the duchess nor I felt like going grocery shopping, so we decided to leave it till this morning. We had enough stuff to get us through. So we just unpacked and lazed around, trying to get our mojo together, then went to bed shorty after eleven.
 
Unfortunately though, around 3 a.m. I woke up with a serious bout of coughing and wheezing. The first sign that my superman day was over. (smile) But when that subsided, I went outside and sat on the deck…
 
Oh Friends, was that ever beautiful! A panoply of brilliant stars covered the blue sky, with a three quarter full moon adding its bright light. The breeze was strong and cool and had the leaves and trees dancing to up an upbeat tempo, not forgetting the night creatures who were singing their wonderful songs of praise to their omnipotent and magnanimous creator!
 
Wow! It almost blew my mind. And when you added the roar of the surf off to my left breaking over the reef, then that same water lapping much gentler at the shore in front of me, I forgot all sense of sickness. It was truly a time of peace and harmony!
 
I sat out there for about half an hour, sometimes giving thanks and otherwise just admiring the beauty that’s nature and silent communing with my Creator and my God. I came back in around 4 o’clock and went back to bed without too much trouble.
 
However when I got up around nine thirty this morning, it was a whole different story. I felt lousy and tired, the cough began acting up again, and I realized that my superman day was over. I wasn’t really as strong and healthy as I had felt yesterday. I guess it was just the adrenalin and the emotions that were making me feel that way.
 
Anyway, to cut a long story short, the duchess and I finally got ready to go out shopping, only to find the left front tire of the car flat. Mama Mia. Can you imagine the consternation? We had just had an argument over some petty stuff, then the land line at home wasn’t working. Earlier on I had made a call which turned out to be the wrong number, and thereafter I could not get a dial tone.
 
So there we were, at odds with each other, no telephone, no car, and nobody around to ask for help. The duchess finally decided she was walking up the street, about a quarter of a mile away, to the Magdalena Grand Hotel to get something to eat, while I fiddled around, like Nero when Rome was burning. (smile)
 
I finally realized too that I had to walk, after asking two groundskeepers if they had a phone I could use and getting negative answers from both.
 
But Friends, as I keep saying our God is a good and great God. He realized that I was not in fit shape to walk up the street in the hot sun, so just as I was exiting the compound a good Samaritan showed up in the person of a gentlemen in a car also about to leave, who gave me a lift.
 
Turned out that he had lived in Canada for a number of years, but now had returned home for good. We picked up the duchess along the way, dropped her off at the hotel, then I went to the office where I got another car and returned to the hotel. By this time I was really feeling lousy, and walking all over the hotel looking for the duchess didn’t make feel any better.
 
Several people had seen her, but none could say in what direction she had finally gone. At last I decided that she must have gone back home, although I had told her to wait there for me. But as I was exiting the hotel, a lady pointed her out to me, over on the left hand side of the entrance, next to a cafe, under an umbrella having coffee.
 
The long and short of the story is that she couldn’t get anything to eat in the hotel before noon, lunchtime, and she finally found the café outside selling coffee and cakes. By then I was in such poor shape I decided we’d just stay there for the twenty minutes until noon, have lunch and then come back home, which we did.
 
The buffet was wonderful, but I wasn’t able to do it justice. That means I was really sick. I’m feeling somewhat better now, but still not up to scratch, and it’s 26 degrees outside. So I’m staying home till the sun goes down. Didn’t plan on making this so long, but that’s what came out, and I don’t have the energy to go back and edit it now. (smile)
 
And our Bit says it all: ‘When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the fire kindle upon (scorch) thee.’
 
Ah mih people, I am in somewhat rough shape, but I’m not troubled nor worried. I am happy, knowing that this too must pass. Our faithful God has promised it, and He is indeed faithful who promised. Got to go out shopping now.
 
Much LOVE!…living a godly life isn’t just wine and roses…but it does have great rewards…

 

 



 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 July 2013 Luke 10:33

30 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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

Luke 10:33.    But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him. 

 
Oh Friends, what is our wonderful city of Toronto coming to eh? A couple days ago the police fired nine shots at an 18 or 19 year old youth on a streetcar, who apparently only had a knife. And it seems like they also tasered him. Now, from what I’ve gathered, there wasn’t any hostage taking situation or anything like that, but they still took him down the easy way.
 
Yesterday though, hundreds of angry family and citizens marched through downtown Toronto expressing their disappointment and dismay, vociferously protesting the heavy handed display of force by the police in that particular incident, and the cowboy, Wild West behaviour of cops in general these days.
 
They seem to think that they are a law unto themselves and can do as they please, and the sad part is that nothing ever seems to happen to them when they step out of line. Not one cop has been found guilty of any offence, serious or otherwise and sentenced to jail time. The investigating body always seems to find that the cops did no wrong.
 
Meanwhile, the Police Chief and the head of the Board that oversees them, just keep on mouthing a set of foolish platitudes and excuses, while the cops continue running roughshod over those they’re supposed to be protecting. And the funny thing about justice is that it must only be done, but it must also appear to be done. And that’s certainly not happening around here these days.
 
And why do you have to fire nine shots at a man in an enclosed streetcar, surrounded by law enforcement officers, who didn’t seem to be causing anybody on board any problems? Nine shots sure are a lot. Those cops should be taken back to the range and taught how to shoot.
 
Anyway Friends, let’s see if we can get some understanding of this oftimes macabre life, by turning to our Bit. ‘But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.’
 
Now yesterday we weighed in on the enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans, as well as the point that Jesus wanted to prove, re LOVING our enemies. Today, we’ll look at how we can do that, despite the dislike or other negative emotions in our souls.
 
And the main way to do that is by having and showing compassion to them. LOVING here doesn’t necessarily constitute or involve hugging and kissing etc, but more treating others we might dislike with compassion, as the Samaritan treated his natural enemy, the injured Jew, while his fellow Jews passed him by on the other side. 
 
Oh my brethren, at times like those, our personal feelings or feuds MUST be put aside for the greater good of mankind!
 
And how does the dictionary define compassion? ‘Pity inclining one to spare or help, sympathetic pitying.’ I don’t like the use of the word pity there, because it implies a sort of negative, condescending connotation. I believe empathy might be a better word.
 
However, from that definition, we can clearly see that the cops in the situation above displayed no compassion whatsoever. They were not interested in helping the young man, but simply in putting him down, in quelling the dangerous situation. And it’s been proven over the last few years that the cops don’t have sufficient training in how to deal with unstable people, and apparently little or no inclination to learn.
 
However, let’s look at some scriptures that deal with that great word, compassion, which should be a staple emotion in each and every believer in Jesus. Unfortunately though, many of us don’t show it, and instead react with the same take down mentality as the trigger-happy cops.
 
The first scripture deals with another parable of Jesus, that of the lost, the prodigal son, who, when he realized the mess he had made of his life, decided to go back home, apologize to his father and ask for a servant’s position. ‘And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.’ (Luke 15:20)
 
Note Friends, that the father didn’t even wait to hear what the son had to say, but immediately welcomed him with opened arms, his only interest being that the son he’d lost had been found, and returned home in good shape.
 
And that’s exactly how our heavenly Father deals with us! His main concern, regardless of our failures and apologies, is that we come back home to Him, safe and sound. Just returning home to Him brings forgiveness and compassion.
 
Wow! What a wonderful God we serve my people! It amazes me everyday when I think about the LOVE, mercy, compassion, forgiveness and grace that He confers on us, even though we’re lost, unworthy and like the things of the world, like the prodigal son did.
 
Now the important question is, do we act like that towards our fellow man? Not as often as we should. Even our close friends and family we try to beat down when they do wrong. How then can we be compassionate to strangers and enemies eh?
 
The only way is if the Holy Spirit of Jesus is actively working in our souls, since our normal human nature is to react in an antagonistic manner. That means then that compassion is something we have to consciously and actively work on, since it doesn’t come naturally. And we all know it’s not easy to LOVE and be compassionate to neighbours and enemies, but it’s what Jesus desires and fully expects from ALL of His followers.
 
And we’ll end with this description of Jesus, when He saw the many lost and scattered souls that daily flocked around Him, just dying to be saved. ‘But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted (were weary), and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.’ (Matt.9:36)
 
Oh my brethren, the same can be said of today’s generation! There are enormous numbers of people running around lost, looking for a shepherd to take care of them, and we believers are the ones who are meant to bring them to salvation, for we are Jesus’ latter day disciples. 
 
And as He told the ones He actually walked with: ‘The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.’ (Matt.9:37-38)
 
Yes Friends, let’s pray that the Lord will move in many hearts of His people, to go out and help to save the lost, the poor, the downtrodden, the sick and needy, because our society desperately needs it.
 
Yes my people, if we’re ever to climb out of the mire in which we’re currently floundering, many more believers have to go forth and harvest the lost souls, with lots of compassion. That’s heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
 
…true compassion comes from a heartfelt feeling of…LOVE, kindness, mercy and forgiveness…in other words…from a heart filled with the attributes of Jesus…
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 July 2013 Luke 10:33

29 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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

Luke 10:33.   But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.
 
‘Monday, Monday! Oh how we believers LOVE that day! No Friends, it’s not a typo. I know that many of us would rather say: ‘Oh how I LOVE to hate that day!’
 
But that’s not even worldly wisdom my brethren, much less wisdom of the godly type. For even worldly wisdom dictates that we do something constructive and productive with our time, so that we can get ahead in the material aspects of life, and godly wisdom adds the winning of souls for Jesus to the mix.
 
So, all in all, Monday is a very important day in the life, whether you’re a believer or not, since if you don’t work at a worldly job, you most likely won’t eat, and if you don’t work for Jesus, your rewards in heaven would be minimal or even non-existent.
 
And having said all of that, which hopefully won’t fall on deaf ears, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great conviction, to reassure Jesus that we’re up and about and ready to join the battle on His behalf against the evil Lucifer and his band of evil cohorts. So let those vocal chords loudly declare in sweet harmony, our convictions, re Jesus and His Holy and most worthwhile cause.
 
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
 
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour.
 
We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
 
And you can see that if we adhere to what we just sang, then we’d not be like the priest and the Levite, who both passed by on the other side, but be as Jesus desires of us, like the Samaritan in our Bit. ‘But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.’
 
Ah my brethren, that word compassion is a mighty word, and a defining one in the lexicon of the believer. But before we get into that, let’s get some historical background from the scholars on the basic situation. ‘Jews and Samaritans were bitter rivals (John 4:9). The Samaritans were despised for having at least partial Gentile ancestry (due to Assyria’s conquest of Samaria in 721 B.C) and for having a different worship centre (Mount Gerizim; John 4:20).
 
Thus Jesus’ parable was highly provocative. Samaritan was to Jesus’ hearers automatically a term of reproach. To portray a Samaritan as fulfilling the commandment (see v.27), but Jews as circumventing it, would be a supreme insult to the listening lawyer (v.25) and the rest of His audience.’
 
Now that gives us some insight into the true meaning and importance of the parable. It also reminds us of one of Jesus’ many other provocative and unorthodox but wise teachings; LOVE your enemies, of which He reassures us thus: ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you;
 
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors, sinners) the same? and if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt.5:43-48) 
 
Oh my people, I never intended to use all of that scripture, but after reading it, I realized that I had to since one part was no good without the others. And now I’ve seen some interesting info from the scholars that brings greater understanding to it.
 
‘The law of LOVE, sometimes called “law of Christ,” summarizes the ethical principle of the Sermon on the Mount. “LOVE thy neighbour” summarizes the entire second table of the law (cf. Lev.19:18-34). But the unscriptural addition “hate thine enemy” was a popular concept in Jesus’ day. 
 

The admonition LOVE your enemies is one of the greatest statements Jesus ever made. The LOVE enjoined in this passage is LOVE that originates from God Himself. Man is not commanded to attempt to LOVE his enemy on the basis of mere human affection but rather on the basis of a LOVE that comes from God.
 
The quality of LOVE commanded here is expressed by giving. Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that persecute you. LOVING an enemy involves doing good toward that enemy in order to win him over to Christ.’
 
Oh Friends, there’s a lot for us to ponder on and meditate today, so let’s get to it nuh. Let’s consider the Good Samaritan and LOVING our enemy aspects of lives, and if we’re falling short in these areas, then let’s come to the Father and ask for His gracious forgiveness and His awesome strength to get with the program. For that my Friends, is heavenly wisdom. Much LOVE!
 
…to reciprocate kindness is natural…but to truly serve Jesus…we must take it one step further…be kind to those who are not kind to us…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 July 2013 Matthew 25:35

06 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 25:35.    For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in.

Oh my beloved Friends and fellow believers, welcome to another momentous day on God’s great earth! And you know it’s momentous just by us being alive, so you can imagine what it’s going to be like when we add the new mercies and blessings that are being prepared to flow like an open tap from heaven to lighten and brighten our day!
 
And all God’s children declared a loud and heartfelt ‘All thanks and praise be to Jehovah God, for His goodness and mercy towards us!’
 
However Friends, having been cultivated with that wonderful grace of God, it’s our obligation to share it with others in less fortunate circumstances. And this quote from Helen Keller (1880-1968), the American author, political activist and lecturer, but also the first blind//deaf person to acquire a Bachelor of Arts Degree, gives us some insight into what happens when we seek excellence in living.
 
‘When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.’ And that’s gospel truth my brethren!
 
Generally speaking, we can never be sure of the effect our words and actions will have, both on ourselves and on others. That’s because of what’s known as the ripple effect; like when you throw a stone in the water, it doesn’t only disturb the water that it actually hits, but also a certain amount that surrounds it. You can see the ripples moving outward from the point where the stone made contact with the water.
 
The same goes for our words and actions Friends. They can have far reaching, far away effects on both ourselves and others, especially in these times of almost instantaneous and far flung communication. Whatever kind of stuff we send out, be it negative or positive, you can bet your bottom dollar it will breed the same reaction.
 
That’s why we’re always obliged to do our best, especially as believers in, and followers of Jesus Christ, whose motto is LOVE, framed with excellence, kindness, mercy and forgiveness. We definitely cannot afford to say or do things that reflect negatively on the body of Christ, His church.
 
But unfortunately it’s happening quite a lot. Many believers don’t take the time to consider how their words and behaviour affect the church, of how people perceive them when they talk and pursue various forms of action. It all boomerangs back on us, and on Christ’s overall body eventually.
 
That’s why the infighting and pettiness amongst the different religions draws such negative criticism from both believers and unbelievers. We’re supposed to be ONE body in Christ, but we surely aren’t acting that way. How can we spouting peace and LOVE to all and sundry, but living like cats and dogs with each other eh?
 
Jesus told us to go out and spread the gospel to the very ends of the earth, (Matt.28:19-20) but that doesn’t only mean talking it, but more importantly living it! As I keep reminding us, Christianity is an action movement, which should be buttressed by the talk, not vice versa. 
 
That brings us to our Bit and the verse after it. ‘For I was an hungered (hungry), and ye gave me meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.’ (Matt.25:35-36)
 
Yes Friends, that’s what it means to be a true Christian; helping others, meeting their physical needs where possible, while sharing the good news of the gospel with them. That’s why God gave each of us talents, (re Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matt.25) to use them for good, to make a difference, to make the world a better place for all to live in, not to selfishly hoard them and use them only for our own benefit.
 
That’s why in Jesus’ parable, those who used their talents to bear increase, were given more, while he that hath little and hoarded it, lost it eventually.
 
The same goes for us today my fellow believers. We can’t see people suffering and don’t try to help in some form and fashion. We can’t be like the Jewish priest and Levite who passed by on the other side of the road when they saw their fellow Jew lying bruised and battered on the ground. Instead we have to be like the Good Samaritan, who, though he was his avowed enemy, nonetheless stopped and looked after him.
 
That’s what Jesus was, is, and always will be about; helping the poor and downtrodden. He didn’t come to earth to be served, but to serve, and that’s exactly what He also expects of us, His followers. And for those who adhere to that way of life, come the judgement day, they will be assembled as sheep on the right hand of Jesus. (Matt.25:31-33) 
 
‘Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (Matt.25:34)
 
But to those on His left hand, the goats: ‘Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels…. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.’ (Matt.25:41, 46) 
 
Ah mih people, regardless of how much we talk, what we do is even more important, because in the long run, that is what will get us into Jesus’ good books, that is what will earn us rewards in heaven. So please Friends, let’s cut back on the talk, and raise the level of true Christian action and activity nuh, for there’s too much suffering and misfortune in our world for us to just sit back and do nothing about it.
 
The evil doers like it so, but out Lord and Saviour Jesus doesn’t, and wherever we are, in whatever position, there are ALWAYS opportunities for us to do good, to help others, to live that true Christian life.
 
And I pray that today the Lord will allow His Holy Spirit to rise up in us, and we’ll forget all the petty, selfish, immaterial things that are keeping us apart, and we’ll truly become ONE body in Christ, and follow His motto of LOVE, framed in excellence, kindness, mercy and forgiveness. That’s undoubtedly wisdom at its highest level. Much LOVE!
 
…on which side will you be numbered…with the sheep…or with the goats…now is the time to make that monumental decision…