Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 January 2013 Proverbs 1:10

16 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 1:10.     My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

Aye mih Friends, have you seen or encountered any of the new mercies and blessings that our great and wonderful God has showered down on earth for this Wednesday? Well I have! And I want to tell you that they are terrific! Wow! I don’t know where our God finds those marvellous mercies and blessings to shower down on us everyday nuh, because everyday they just keep getting better and better. But I suppose that since He is God -omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent – then He can do anything. That means that the many earthlings who don’t believe in Him are not too bright, they don’t know what they’re missing. But fortunately, yes Friends, praise the Lord that we believers do! That’s why we sing and dance and praise and worship our Creator, the Lord God Jehovah, with such passion, such intensity. We know without a doubt, on which side our bread is buttered. That’s why Cousin Sol warns us in our Bit, right at the outset of his proverbial words of wisdom. ‘My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.’ Ah Friends, those words are few, but they pack a mighty wallop! They contain more wisdom than all the words and works of the evil world, for if we follow them, they will keep us from making very grave and serious mistakes, many of them irreparable and even life threatening. Hear how Cousin Sol continues and cements his argument for not walking knowingly with sinners. ‘If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for (to shed) blood, let us lurk privily (secretly) for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: We shall find all precious substance (wealth), we shall fill our houses with spoil (plunder): Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain (keep) thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. Surely in vain (futility) the net is spread in the sight of any bird. And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily (secretly) for their own lives. So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.’ (Prov.1:11-19) Oh my brethren, truer words have never been spoken! For once we get involved with sinners and evildoers, we’ll eventually end up selling our souls to Beelzebub instead of Jesus. And believe me, the evil one has nothing really good or worthwhile to offer. His enticements may look bright and shiny in the sunlight, but in the dark of night their true cheapness and unworthiness comes out. It’s all a facade Friends, to catch us in his evil web, then confine us to eternal death with him. Now that’s certainly not a nice picture to imagine ourselves in. Jesus paints a much better and more realistic picture of heaven. And at least we’ve seen and heard what Jesus can do. Lucifer definitely can’t match His talents, so why walk with him eh? Anyway, hear how Bruh Paul puts it to the Ephesians, when talking about the ways of the believer. ‘And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done in secret. But all things that are reproved (exposed) are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.’ (Eph.5:11-13) The scholars explain it this way. ‘Reprove is better translated “expose.” The believer’s duty is expressed here in two ways. Negatively, he is not to have any fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, that is, not to indulge in the sins of the unsaved. Positively, he is to “expose” (reprove) these sins, that is, bring them to light and show them for what they really are, so that the unbeliever may see their hideous nature and their terrible consequences. For tells why the Christian must expose the sins of the lost. If it is shameful even to discuss their iniquities in decent company (cf. v 3) how much worse is the committing of these sins. Hence we need to bring them to light.’ Ah mih people, a good and simple measuring stick for all that is, if the thoughts and actions before us can’t stand the light of day, but must remain secret, we should not be involved in them. Now listen to the psalmist Asaph’s take on the subject from Psalm 50, God is the judge – and is He ever! ‘But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? See thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself: but I will reprove (rebuke) thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation (conduct) aright will I show the salvation of God.’ (Ps.50:16-23) Oh Friends, that says it all! If we kow-tow with the wicked, then, like them, we’ll be eventually destroyed. However, if we live to praise and glorify our heavenly Father, then we will see His wonderful salvation that culminates in eternal life with Him. Now I ask you, which of those two options will you choose? Please ponder it seriously today, because we don’t know when Jesus will return, could even be today, and your eternal destiny depends on your individual choice, BEFORE He returns. Now may the good Lord shower you with wisdom, so that you’ll make the right choice. Much LOVE!…choose you this day…whom ye will serve…but as for me and my house…we will serve the Lord…  (Josh.24:15)
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 December 2012 Ecclesiastes 5:13

06 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

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

Ecclesiastes 5:13.     There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
 
Oh Friends, I thought I was improving on all fronts yes, but was I ever wrong, for yesterday I suddenly developed some pains in my left side. I believe they come from strained muscles, caused by lifting up our heavy suitcases several times on Monday, no doubt in the wrong manner, in the rush to get about. Then my ole back began to act up too. They have me walking like a true old man, with mincing steps and halting gait. (smile) The strange thing though is that this all happened almost two days after the travel, with no prior warning. But you know what Friends, I have the ‘rightest’ antidote for all those aches and pains right here, and I’m going to share it with you. It’s taken from the Hour of Power Devotional by Robert H Schuller, and titled, ‘A Prayer of Hope.’ Please pray it with me, because we all need that wonderful energizing emotion called HOPE. ‘I have a strong, serene feeling that God is planning something good for me today. I cannot explain it, but I have a deep feeling that wonderful things are in store for me. I am expecting God to surprise me with His tender mercy. He will turn my hurts into halos. He is guiding my life in such a way that whatever happens to me will prove to be a beautiful blessing. Thank you, Lord. Amen.’ Now doesn’t that make us feel better? It sure does, even by just lightening our emotional load a tad. That brings us to our Bit, taken from a passage called the vanity of life. ‘There is a sore (severe) evil which I have seen under the sun, namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.’ Oh my people, those are indeed wise and truthful words from Cousin Sol! And he continues to warn us thus: ‘But those riches perish by evil travail (misfortune): and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is a sore (severe) evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.’ (Eccl.5:14-17) Oh my brethren, we all know that we brought nothing in to this world and will take nothing with us when we leave, yet we continuously create this great desire to accumulate earthly wealth, too often just for the sake of accumulating wealth. But as the scholars wisely note: ‘Wealth is easily lost and is therefore an unsure foundation for life.’ How true that is fellow believers! And Cousin Sol wisely continues his warnings in the next chapter, the vanity of riches. ‘There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth (lacks) nothing for his soul (himself) of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity (futility), and it is an evil disease (affliction).’ (Eccl.6:1-2) That’s a situation we see everyday Friends, yet we still hunger and thirst to achieve those earthly showpieces of wealth. We even go to terrible lengths; kill, deceive, suppress and oppress to achieve them. All to what purpose eh? For as the scholars again so wisely point out: ‘Prosperity is not necessarily good. Accumulation of wealth does not always result in the use of it.’ Instead my people, we should be hungering and thirsting after the righteousness of God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, because that’s where true satisfaction, salvation and eternal life lies. Listen to Cousin Sol again: ‘If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good (satisfied with good things), and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth (a stillborn child) is better than he. For he cometh in with vanity (futility), and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.’ (Eccl.6:3-4) Ah mih breddren, if we do no good in this world, with or without riches, then our lives are wasted. An untimely birth is better than an unsatisfied life. So are we going to take these lessons to heart, and stop running down material wealth, earthly power and influence? I certainly hope so. And just as a gentle reminder, I’ll leave us with the wise words of Bruh Paul on the subject, written long after Cousin Sol’s warnings, but just as powerful and appropriate, especially in this crazy, troubled, evil and misguided world. ‘For the LOVE of money is the root of (all kinds of) evil; which while some coveted after, have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Tim.6:10) Undeniable words of truth and wisdom my Friends! So please pay attention, and today let’s turn our hearts and minds to considering how our personal attitude to the accumulation of earthly wealth fits in with God’s Word. And then, let’s truly try to make it fit better nuh, for from such things are wisdom and understanding acquired. Much LOVE!…at birth, we brought nothing…at death, we’ll carry nothing…so why the unwise desire for endless accumulation during life eh…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 November 2012 1 Timothy 6:10

15 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

1 Timothy 6:10.     For the LOVE of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
 
Oh Friends, a beautiful Thursday morning is dawning out there! Praise the Lord! But according to the old nursery rhyme which we seem to be following this week, (smile) Thursday’s child has a far way to go. Unfortunately there is some truth to that, and not only for children born on a Thursday, but for all of us, regardless on what day of the week we were born. Our earthly journey can indeed be long in number of years, but thankfully, believers in Jesus have the wherewithal to withstand whatever comes against them in this life. And though Bruh Paul’s truthful declaration: ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God;’ (Rom.3:23) involves us in ungodly activities, we, as followers of Jesus, also have the antidotes for that kind of behaviour. True repentance of sin that brings God’s generous forgiveness, with His mercy, grace and compassion, all help to lighten our heavy earthly loads. Not forgetting Jesus’ invitation for all who are heavy laden to come to Him and take His yoke, which is easy, and His burden which is light. (Matt.11:28-30) And to cap it all off, we also have the Holy Spirit that dwells within each believer, to give us wise and safe guidance and counsel along the straight and narrow way that we’re supposed to walk. Oh Friends, that’s why believers are called blessed! What with the new gifts our heavenly Father pours out on us each and every day, there’s no way for anybody to experience a better life on this earth than a true Christian. Unfortunately though, too many of us have repudiated the notion of God, or simply don’t believe in Him, and have chosen instead to go our own way, following the wide and winding path of this evil world. Consequently, we’ve lost all sight of and faith in God, foolishly turning to worldly idols like that spoken of in our Bit. ‘For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds of) evil; which while some coveted after (in their greediness), they have erred (strayed) from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ Oh my people, truer words have never been spoken! We just have to look at the mad rush nowadays to get money, either to hoard it, or to purchase material possessions. Money now seems to be the very lifeblood of our society and our world, and is thus causing a lot of evil stuff, a lot of grief and heartache. Fraud and corruption are possibly the biggest crimes going now, especially with the Internet spreading its dreaded tentacles far and wide. Almost everyday I get some e-mail about somebody wanting me to help them move oodles of money from somewhere to somewhere else, and if I, like a fool accept those grandiose promises from people I don’t know, I will only end up losing what little I have. But obviously some people are accepting them, otherwise they wouldn’t be persisting with the schemes. That just goes to show how greedy some of us are. Corruption is also rampant all over our world, from the highest position, right down to the lowest. Why? Because regardless of how much we have, we all still crave money, and/or the things that can be bought with it. But I’m here to remind us Friends, that money, or whatever it can buy is not the most important thing in our world. Serving and worshipping Almighty God with all our hearts, minds, bodies and souls is the NUMBER 1 commandment! Not running down money and earthly possessions. And until we begin seriously following that first commandment, our lives and our world will continue to be an ungodly mess. Sadly, money has been the source of negative actions from long ago, and today we’ll look at a perfect example found in the Good Book. During the early days of the church, the brethren lived a somewhat communal lifestyle, with everybody pooling their resources and sharing it as was necessary. However in Acts 5, we have the story of a husband and wife team, Ananias and Sapphira, who sold a plot of land but kept back a part of the money, lying that what they offered, was what they had sold it for. But the Lord revealed Ananias’ deceit to Peter, who then reprimanded him. ‘Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power (control)? why has thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost (breathed his last): and great fear came on all them that heard these things.’ (Acts 5:3-5) Then some three hours later, the wife, Sapphira shows up, and not knowing that her husband had died, also lied to Peter about the money. ‘Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt (test) the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway (instantly) at his feet, and yielded up the ghost (breathed her last): and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.’ (Acts 5:9-11) Oh Friends, maybe that is what we need to happen today to wake us up from our greedy, lying state of mind! Ananias and Sapphira were not compelled to give all they had, because it was voluntary giving, but the hypocrisy caused their downfall. Besides that, they were lying to God, through His church, to which they belonged. Luckily for us, the Lord doesn’t often strike us dead when we play the hypocrite. That’s enough for us to ponder today my people. And please, please, let’s all be wise and consider our individual feelings and behaviour towards money nuh, because both our earthly lives and salvation depend on us having the right attitude towards it. Much LOVE!   …money…money…money…REMEMBER…it’s NOT #1
 
 

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

14 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

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

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 November 2012 John 3:36

07 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

John 3:36.    He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
 
Oh Friends, it’s all over now, bar the shouting! Barack Obama has been re-elected as President of the U.S.A, and I believe he was indeed the better of the two candidates. However my people, the next step will be the most important in this era of U.S. politics, meaning unless there is some UNITY, some give and take, some compromise on either side of the two major parties, the U.S. will continue to slide into the abyss of poverty and disenchantment, where they are now headed. The staunch holding on to party ideology is nothing but a selfish, egotistical, ploy for political power, and helps the country in no manner whatsoever, but drags it down, and makes it a laughingstock of the rest of the world. Everybody claims to have God and the country’s best interest at heart, but that’s only empty rhetoric, when the two sides of the government, one controlled by either party, would rather see the country embarrassed, and the government brought to its knees because of their intransigence over budget cuts and deficits. And who ran up the deficit through unnecessary wars and tax breaks to the undeserving wealthy? The last Republican President! He took eight years to make a mess of the country, but then they expected Obama to fix it in four, especially when hindered by the economic depression caused by the unrelenting greed and crookedness of that same wealthy elite. Ah Lord eh! Anyway Friends, as we’ve already decided, this is a time of prayer, not only for the U.S and its leaders, but also for the whole world. So let’s pray diligently that all leaders, as well as citizens, will wake up and realize that our world is spinning out of control, and that only repentance and a return to sincerely worshipping and serving the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will bring any reprieve. And the fact that over the last forty or so years America has become one of the most sinful, if not the most sinful nation on the planet doesn’t help matters, because as we keep saying, as America goes, so does most of the world. To be honest, the whole Western world has moved so far away from the God of their ancestors, that we’re now being likened to Sodom and Gomorrah, the twin cities of evil in the Old Testament, which the Lord finally destroyed with brimstone and fire when He could no longer stand their evil abominations. When will we understand eh Friends, that the Lord will give us a leash to do as we please for only so long, and if we insist on constant disobedience and rebellion, He’s going to pull that leash tight and call us to account? And our Bit clearly reminds us of that. ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.’ It doesn’t take a rocket scientist mentality to understand that my people. And the sad part is that we’ve had so many examples over the course of history, from the Israelites of old, to all the modern Western colonial powers, who began as godly societies, but once they got big and prosperous by the hand of the Lord, perished by that same hand, when they later got too big for their breeches, figuring that it was their own power that allowed them to rise to the top. But somehow or other, every nation that finds themselves in that predicament always thinks that they are the exception to the rule. Unfortunately Friends, there are no exceptions, and we still won’t learn that. As the old people would say, like what ever Lucifer gave us to rub, we ate instead, then became disoriented and foolish. But anyway my brethren, please listen to the truth of the matter from Jesus Himself. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that (the) light is come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (exposed). But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.’ (John 3:16-21) That says it all Friends! And you can’t dispute that right now our world revels in darkness and the things that relate to it. Just look at the movies, books and video games that are currently being favoured, too many of them are based on darkness and the evil stuff that flows from it. Meanwhile, the things to do with LIGHT, LOVE and GOD, have all been placed on the back burner or being slowly but methodically phased out and/ orerased. That certainly does not say or do very much for us re being godly nations. My people, I can only encourage us to pray sincerely for the strength and determination, the faith and LOVE of God to powerfully rise up in us believers, that we might go out into the world and make a big and positive difference. Otherwise…crapaud soon smoke we pipe. Much LOVE!…only when good intentions…are turned into positive action…are they of any true value…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 September 2012 Ephesian 6:12

27 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 6:12.     For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 
 
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella’s extremely bright and bubbly this morning! Wow! I can’t even wait to write the Bit, my enthusiasm level is so high. Don’t ask me why I’m so enthusiastic this early in the morning, because nothing in particular happened over the past twenty four hours to excite me this much. I can only guess, that like Bruh David, my efforts to encourage myself in the Lord are working. (1 Sam.30:6) And all I can say is: ‘Praise be to the Lord our God, who never rejects those who seek him with sincere hearts!’ Now here is a chorus from a song by Ras Shiloh that I heard yesterday and found it rather appropriate to our current world situation. Ras Shiloh melodiously chants: ‘Give a little LOVE. Show a little LOVE. Live in righteousness. Give a little LOVE. Show a little LOVE. That’s what the world needs today.’ And isn’t that the God awesome truth my people! LOVE given and shared is about the only thing that will tone down the raging fires of hate, anger, greed, violence, cruelty, oppression and suppression that are terrorizing our wonderful world today! And undoubtedly that giving and showing of LOVE needs to start with us Christians, because the evildoers are not interested in the beautiful emotion of LOVE. However, LOVE is the mainstay of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that’s why He sacrificed His, Holy, sinless life for us. If the Godhead that we worship didn’t LOVE us so much, none of that would ever have happened. So it’s our responsibility to keep that LOVE going…and remember, with no conditions attached – unconditionally. That’s a very important part of the whole equation my brethren. It’s our bounden duty to rise up and further the LOVE Revolution that Jesus started. And here’s the best way to begin doing so. It comes from the title of another song, one by Mavado, simply titled, ‘HOPE and PRAY.’ Yes Friends, before we can achieve anything worthwhile, we first have to engage in those two actions; HOPE and PRAY. For without HOPE we won’t last very long in, or be very attentive to any activity in which we’re involved. And without PRAYER… Oh Friends, I don’t need to tell us that without SINCERE PRAYER to our heavenly Father, most, if not all of our activities will get bogged down in failure. That means we need to first have HOPE for our families and ourselves, our neighbours, our nations and our world. Then we have to PRAY SINCERELY for the Lord to bless us and move the LOVE, mercy, forgiveness, truth, wisdom and understanding that He’s already sown in our souls, in a faithful and positive manner, so that we can make serious inroads into the evil that currently has our world in its vice-like grip. It means that we ‘be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.’ (Eph.6:10) Unfortunately though my brethren, the wickedness of Lucifer has spread all over, upstairs, downstairs and sideways, like the tentacles of an octopus. That’s why our Bit warns us so strongly about the fight we’re in. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of) wickedness in high places.’ It’s obvious that a lot of the evil that’s permeating our world must be in the high echelons, otherwise it wouldn’t be as pervasive and powerful as it is. Many of us would be surprised to know of the great amount of demon worship that happens in high places. It brings to mind the high places in the Old Testament where the Israelites in their rebellious times worshiped foreign gods. The only difference now is that we’re doing it much more secretively. That’s why Bruh Paul says we need to ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph.6:11) And the armour of God, as Bruh Paul declares in Eph.6:13-18, consists of; the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the sandals of peace, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, the Good Book. Oh Friends, unless we’re fully dressed in that spiritual armour, we’ll have an exceedingly hard time fighting the evil demons that are trying to take over our world. So please, everyday we awaken, let’s first dress ourselves in that armour. Even if we’re not leaving home, it’s still important to put it on, because we never know how, when and where Lucifer and his evil minions will strike. They can attack us right in our own homes. And we’ll end with some interesting and important words on the subject from the scholars. ‘Several activities in the Bible may involve demons. Sometimes they cause physical disease or mental suffering. However, not all mental disorders are demonic in origin. Demons also tempt people into immoral practices. They originate and propagate false doctrines taught by heretical religious groups (1 Tim.4:1). The Bible also teaches that some people were possessed by demons (Mark 1:23). Although demons are committed to do evil, God will use them to accomplish His plan during the end of the age (Rev.16:14) Illustrations: Demons are also objects of worship in various occult practices forbidden by God. These include divination (an illegitimate means of determining the will of God), necromancy (efforts to communicate and interrogate the dead), magic (using formulas and incantations), sorcery (perhaps the nonmedical use of drugs), witchcraft, and astrology (Deut.18:10-12) Application: When the Ephesian Christians who were “dabbling” in the occult repented, there was a great revival in that place. No Christian can ever justify his participation in demonic activities. (Ex.7:11; Eph.6:12; Heb.1:4) There you have it Friends. No participation in demonic activities. Rather fight them to the death in our spiritual armour. Please pay serious attention to this message, because if we’re not prepared, Lucifer will breach our souls and cause us much heartache. Much LOVE!…if you’re not properly attired for battle…then you’ve lost before you’ve even begun…  P.S. Please read the scriptural references provided by the scholars. They are authentic and will give us greater understanding of the subject. Much LOVE!
 

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

13 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 17:13.     Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house. 
 
Oh my wonderful Friends in Christ, yesterday turned out to be a beautiful summer’s day in my area, with a warm but not too hot sun, a cool, refreshing breeze and cloudless blue skies. Wow! A perfect summer’s day in any language! And today promises to be a day of the same high calibre. All praise and thanks be to our Most High God Jehovah! Some of you might not understand my enthusiasm for what you consider a normal, ordinary day. But up here in the northern climes we have to cherish and relish those days like gold, since the winter weather will be soon upon us, and the days will become so short and oftimes so dark that you can’t even see the sun, much less feel its warmth. And with the weather being so precarious and unstable these days, you can’t predict with any real surety, what it will be like from one day to the next. So those of you, who have constant sunshine and warmth all year round, please be very thankful for it eh! Don’t add yourselves to the already teeming ranks of those who disregard our Bit. ‘Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.’ I meant there, that God’s giving you good days, but you’re treating His blessings with callous indifference, simply taking it for granted. Ah mih people, evil has become so ingrained and prevalent in our society in the last thirty or so years that it’s mind-boggling. So much so that we take a lot of evil stuff for granted and just do them without thinking. Simply put, the moral fabric of the entire world has just plumb gone to hell in a bucket! When there’s no proper evaluation or even consensus over right and wrong, good and evil, what else can we really expect eh? Some of the things we do now without any pricks of conscience, thirty years ago we wouldn’t even have contemplated them, much less put them into action. Friendship, or what passes for friendship, is not as strong as it once was. We make all sorts of promises just because they are convenient, without ever intending to keep them. We boldly and blatantly curse our parents, leaving them to suffer avoidable pain and sorrow in their old age, being less warm and kind to them than in any other generation in history. We use today’s fast and busy society as an excuse to just dump our parents in an old people’s home and basically forget about them, visiting them once in a blue moon. As our Bit says: How can we not suffer the burning pangs of evil, when we repay kindness with wickedness? That’s our God’s universal and everlasting prescription for such unjust, unrighteous behaviour! In Psalm 109, A prayer for the punishment of the wicked, Bruh David says it thus: ‘For (in return for) my LOVE they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my LOVE.’ (Ps.109:4-5) Yes Friends, just look at all the fraudulent acts that have recently been unearthed, where thousands of people have lost their life savings and retirement money to evil schemers, many of whom were relatives and/or close friends. Consider the failure of the big banks, through greed and excessive remuneration to the top echelons. People put their money in the banks and these other schemes in good faith, and what do they get in return? NADA, NOTHING! The same goes for our greedy and untrustworthy politicians and civic officials. They can’t seem to do anything that’s right and good because they have little or no backbone and are thus been played like the proverbial puppet on a string by the evil ringmasters. But Friends, they will all get their comeuppance eventually, and I can assure you it won’t be good, because our God is keeping score and will repay them when the time’s right! Many have already succumbed to ill health, suicide and jail, their families humbled and shamed, while many are still living in dire fear of being caught. Evil has no place to run and hide Friends, please remember that. Whatever is done in darkness will eventually come to light and the perpetrators, or their families WILL pay. Many of us have suffered evil at the hands of those we trusted or treated with a good and righteous heart, only to be cast adrift later on with an unholy ‘see you later alligator’ attitude and wave off. I can tell from personal experience that those things do hurt very much my people, but sometimes we just have to grin and bear them. I like how Bruh David says it in Psalm 38; the prayer of a penitent heart: ‘But mine enemies are lively (vigorous), and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is (that is good).’ (Ps.38:19-20) Yes Friends, it hurts the most when we have gone out of our way to do the good and right thing, then get suckered for it. But as Peter so rightly advises: ‘And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy (blessed) are ye: And be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.’ (1 Pet.3:14-15) I know that’s hard to do Friends, but it’s the way Jesus wants His followers to be. Remember He suffered immeasurable unfairness and evil for our sakes, and never complained. We are called to do likewise, and with His help, through His Holy Spirit, we can indeed leave the evil hurts we suffer to God to rectify. That’s wisdom at its zenith. Much LOVE!…the pilgrim’s journey is long and arduous…but with Jesus stoking the fires of his heart…he is able to withstand…and eventually overcome…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 August 2012 Psalm 37:8

19 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 37:8.     Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
 
Oh Friends, yesterday was one of the many perfect summer days we’ve recently experienced in the Greater Toronto Area; bright sunshine, a cool breeze and a multiplicity of  (plenty, plenty) LOVE and JOY floating all around! (smile) And speaking of LOVE and JOY, I also discovered an amazing truth: nobody can party like Christians when they truly let their hair down and decide to party. In actual fact, logic dictates that by reason of our overwhelming LOVE for each other and the abundant JOY that dwells in our souls, both so freely granted by Christ, the Master of LOVE and JOY, we ought to be the heartiest partiers around, since partying is a direct derivative of those two outstanding emotions. ‘Elementary, my dear Watson!’ as the renowned British sleuth, Sherlock Holmes would say to his sidekick. (smile) And I proved it yesterday, when my local church had a boat cruise out on Lake Ontario. Oh Friends, a day cruise on a lovely summer’s day around Toronto’s harbour is a joy to experience. To the waterfront side, you have the daily increasing concrete jungle cluster of high-rise buildings lining it as far back as you can see, with the C.N. Tower, towering majestically above it all. Meanwhile, out on the water, the many sailboats and different kinds of watercraft dance all around on the beautiful but deceitful and treacherous waters of Lake Ontario, weaving in and around the outlying islands which all have their own activity. I even saw one lone, brave sailor paddling his little canoe over the swells, way outside. Better him than me yes! The only thing that possibly beats that sight is a night time cruise, which shows up the sparkling lights of the buildings and the outlying islands. And believe me, yesterday between 12 and 4 p.m. the St. Francis congregation, our friends and families, we mash up the T.O. harbour on the Riverboat Gambler, an old paddle wheel cruiser! Chuh mih people! I didn’t see any of the many other boats out there, big or small, with a party as hearty as ours! Even the broken and lame, like myself, were hopping and rocking! Ditto for several people who were in wheelchairs! To tell you how good it was, I sat next to a grandmother soon to be ninety seven years old. Yes Friends, 97 large ones, and she was as aware and sprightly as a young doe! (smile) Well just a little exaggeration really. She reminded me of my ole mother Mols, who’s partying somewhere up in heaven now. Anyway mih brethren, the food was good, the beverages wet and refreshing, and the music was most excellent! It was strictly ‘big people music,’ as Dr. Jay, a local D.J. calls it. None of the chupidness that the young people nowadays call music. Call it ole school, or whatever, but when the rockers, the soca and the funk cascaded across the deep, dark green waters of Lake Ontario there wasn’t a foot not tapping or a finger not drumming to the scintillating riddims! I never knew that some of those people who look so serious and sedate in church could step that well. And the best part is that it was all led by our partying leader, our very own Pastor Jeff. He definitely set the tone for the afternoon’s proceedings right from the very start. And it’s amusing that as we were leaving the boat, one of my faithful readers told me that he was sure to read about it in Today’s Bit. At the time though I wasn’t even thinking about the Bit, but concentrating on my aching knees and what the later hours would bring. But it seems like you were right Scottie. And James, you missed an excellent gathering of God’s people, dancing, singing and giving praise to their Creator. So yuh see Friends, that’s why people ought to come to know Jesus. Not so much for. the partying, which is surely interesting, but for the abundant LOVE and JOY He instils in the hearts, minds, bodies and spirits of His followers. And that’s exactly why Bruh David so strenuously and sincerely warns us about the true state of the wicked in our Bit: ‘Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm).’ Now that’s undoubtedly gospel truth mih breddren! And here’s why: ‘For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider (look diligently for) his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’ (Ps.37:9-11) Oh Friends what better life can you desire, and above all, also get on earth, than that which Jesus promises… no, not only promises, but also faithfully delivers to all those who wisely choose to put their belief, faith and trust in Him eh? NONE WHATSOEVER! So why are so many of us so reluctant to accept the abundance of LOVE, JOY and PEACE He offers here on earth, then SALVATION and ETERNAL LIFE with Him when we depart this evil and troubled earth? It surely boggles my mind. Many even become angry and violent, at the very mention of His Name. There must be something awfully powerful about Jesus yes, if He could bring out such contrasts in humans. No other name in history has ever caused, or will ever cause so much controversy. Oh Friends, just reading the gospel stories about Jesus, His humility, His LOVE for mankind, especially the poor, the downtrodden, sick and needy, His constant willingness to help, the way He bore His burdens, including the physical cross and the sacrifice of His sinless life on it without a whimper, how can you not feel close to Him, not LOVE him eh? Only if your heart, mind and spirit are wrapped up in evil, false pride, selfishness and greed could you fail to understand and comprehend His great gift and selflessness to mankind. And as we like to do whenever possible, we’ll end with some definitive words on the subject from Jesus. ‘The thief cometh not but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:10-11) Nuff said my people! More on this tomorrow if God favours us with the breath of life. Till then, please let’s seriously consider the true state of our lives nuh, ensuring that we embrace Jesus, so that it will be well with us. That is certainly wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!…as for me and mine…we’ll most definitely follow Jesus…hope you and yours…come to the same wise conclusion too…
 
 

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