Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 February 2013 James 3:16

25 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

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

James 3:16.     For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 

Oh Friends, it’s Monday once again! And a joyful shout goes out from all of God’s people: ‘TGIM! Thank God is Monday, so that we can go out and bring the heathen to their knees before Jesus, tearfully repenting and pleading for forgiveness, salvation and eternal life! Hn, hn! That will be the day eh Friends. But don’t worry, I’m not giving up on us. My hope is plentiful, and looking through the eyes of faith, I can see the Lord working in and on us right now, and in His own time, we’ll all be that enthusiastic to get out into the wicked, ungodly world that now rules the roost, and reap the great harvest of unbelievers out there just waiting to hear the Word and see true Christian living in action. Ah mih people, that’s the beauty of Christianity; any and everything IS POSSIBLE with our omnipotent God! If He can create this great universe and all in it, and if, as Jesus says, He can pass a camel through the eye of a needle, (Matt.19:23-26) then NOTHING’S IMPOSSIBLE to Him. But until that fateful day when we’re all that mature in Jesus, we’ll continue to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get our engines revving. So without further ado, let’s belt it out with great gusto, make the heavens sit up and take notice. All together 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!’ Awright Friends! All heaven sat up and took notice of our sincere and heartfelt prayer. There were shouts of: ‘Yes! Way to go!’ The Father even gave Jesus a friendly jab on the arm, saying; ‘Good job, Son!’ That means we can’t let Jesus down now, after the Father was so proud of Him. And to keep that productive and positive trend going, one of the first things we need to do, in all walks of our lives, is to get rid of the malignant jealousy and strife that inhabit it. For as our Bit so poignantly points out: ‘For where envying and strife is (self seeking exists), there is confusion and every evil work.’ And that my brethren, is the gospel, gospel truth! It’s so true that it takes two ‘gospels’ to state it. And the first place we need to start is in our immediate families. I pray everyday that there’ll be no strife in my family, because I’ve seen how evil and destructive it can be. And I’ve also been telling my children from long ago, that if I see any of that foolishness amongst them after I’m gone, I will come back to haunt them. (smile) But seriously Friends, there is way too much envy and disagreement in our families today. We see strife between spouses, between parents and children, and way too often between siblings. That’s because every one in the modern family has their own agenda and expectations and refuse to sit down and talk it out sensibly. They much prefer to get up in arms and thus create anger, resentment, bitterness and all the other negative things that strife brings, and will quickly break up a relationship, be it in or between families, friends or neighbours. As Micah warned so long ago:  ‘Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide (companion); keep (guard) the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.’ (Mic.7:5-6)  That’s possibly even truer of today than in Micah’s time. And unfortunately this selfish, adversarial relationship is also being played out in other areas of our society; like schools, workplaces, playing fields, and ever so sadly in Jesus’ church too. I don’t know if that selfish, jealous, confrontational attitude began from below or on top, but it is prevalent throughout all society, and has even moved on to nations. It’s much easier to name the places where there is little or no strife, than to name those where there is, that’s because they are so numerous. Violence and strife are possibly the number one products of our world now. And we’ll end there for today, as time and space have run out. But since this is such an important topic, we’ll continue it tomorrow, God willing obviously. Till then Friends, let’s make a conscious effort to sincerely walk in peace and LOVE nuh, just as Jesus did in His earthly sojourn, and wants us to do in ours. It’s the only way we’ll prevent Jesus’ heart from breaking. Much LOVE!…as the LOVE Revolution goes…so goes the peace of the whole world…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 February 2013 John 11:35

18 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

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

John 11:35.          JESUS WEPT.

Oh Friends, it’s Monday! And surprisingly there’s a smattering of applause, along with a few shouts of ‘TGIM! Thank God is Monday yes!’ Wow! It’s taking hold people, we’re being a little more receptive to Mondays than we were. (smile) We still have a long way to go though, before we come to the stage where Monday’s don’t bother us, where Jesus is satisfied with our attitude towards the workweek. But thankfully, while there’s life, there’s always hope. So hopefully one day we’ll attain that eager beaver attitude to get up and go out to labour on a Monday with a big grin on our faces, joy in our hearts and the steadfast determination to excel at whatever we do in Jesus’ name, obviously with His awesome help. Yes Friends, I am hoping for plenty, dreaming very large. But until such time we’ll continue to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. And today’s a lucky day for some of us in Ontario where it’s a holiday, celebrating Family Day. So if you’re one of the lucky ones that get to stay home today, please sing with great gusto and enthusiasm to encourage those who have to go out and labour. So in unison, sweet harmony and vocal strength, let’s sing. ‘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 now that we’ve got our motors running, heading for the highway – as I believe it’s BTO – Bachman, Turner Overdrive- sings in their song, (smile) let’s try and keep that verve and excitement going all day nuh, show unbelievers what a good example of true Christianity looks like in action. And Jesus just lifted His right hand, fist clenched in a power salute, and joyously declared: ‘Right on brethren!’ And that’s no joke Friends, for Jesus is always pleased when we perform as we ought to. He’s definitely not a one dimensional Being. Just as our Bit can say: ‘JESUS WEPT,’ because He was sad, He also shows joy when He’s pleased. Now yesterday we saw how our Saviour wept, sadly adding His outpouring of grief at Lazarus’s death with the family and other mourners. But that’s not the only time the Scriptures say He wept. Luke describes how on Palm Sunday just before His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the disciples and other believers were rejoicing and praising God, some of the Pharisees told Him to rebuke the disciples and make them stop. (Luke 19:39) Ostensibly, as the scholars suggest, because all the tumultuous activity would bring the wrath of the Roman soldiers down on them. And also because they didn’t want to see Jesus proclaimed king. But Jesus answered them: ‘I tell you that, if these should hold their peace (keep silent), the stones would immediately cry out.’ (Luke 19:40) The scholars’ think that reply might have referred to Habakkuk 2: 11. Please look that up for yourselves. Anyway, the Good Book continues: ‘And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it.’ (Luke 19:41) Then He spoke about it’s destruction in the not too distant future, (Luke 19:42-44) possibly the Roman devastation of A.D. 70. The scholars’ comment on that scripture thus: ‘Jesus laments over Jerusalem. He was not fooled by the ardour of the welcoming mob. The picture is one of Jesus being overcome with emotion following the months or years of preparation for a ministry whose terrible climax would take place here.’ So it seems He didn’t shed tears like at Lazarus’ grave, but here it was more of an internal crying, a weeping of His heart. And that Friends, brings us to the finale, (smile) two basic points. First that Jesus felt and experienced all the human emotions, suffering, joy, disappointments, the highs and lows that we feel because His ‘humanness’ was for real. Therefore, since He experienced all, and even much more than we’ll ever go through here on earth, it definitely qualifies Him to be a most powerful intercessor and advocate for us at the right hand of the Father’s throne. It’s as they say: ‘He who feels it, knows it.’ And Jesus certainly felt it! So my brethren, let’s not be afraid to call on Him for all our needs, both in the good times and the bad, because no one else understands what we’re going through down here on earth better than Him, since He experienced it all first hand, and thus has a deep compassion and empathy for our hardships. That’s why He’s our bright and shining star; both of the day and night! No one else can ever attain such majesty. Much LOVE!…until you walk a mile in my shoes…you’ll never really know my troubles…thank God Jesus did that yes…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 February 2013 Psalm 8:9

04 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 8:9.     O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

Oh Friends, it’s Monday…! And my pronouncement brings a sudden burst of joyous shouts of ‘TGIM! Thank God it’s Monday! Time to get out there and work for Jesus!’ Wow! Wonders never cease, but daily they increase! Ah mih people, I’m not idly day-dreaming, for if we live long enough, sooner or later we’re going to get that energetic and enthusiastic response on a Monday Morning. Right now the response is not as good as it could or should be, but it’s getting better with each passing week, and when the LOVE Revolution gets into full stride, that’s the genuine response Christ’s people will have. They’ll be ever so eager to get out into the wicked world and join the battle with Beelzebub and his evil cohorts. But until then, we still need to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to put us in the mood, to kick start our motors. So let’s raise our voices in song to heaven with much enthusiasm. Fake it if you have to. (smile) But do raise your voices loud and clear. All together 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 your powerful, protective aura hovers over us. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that your 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!’ Now that wasn’t too bad, but definitely not as good as it has been. There were too many obvious fakers. Anyway, the most important results were obtained; it got our adrenalin bubbling, and our minds focused on Jesus. Now let’s turn to a most appropriate Bit for today. ‘O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!’ And all God’s people declared: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Our God is indeed great! He is the ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD, and most worthy to be praised!’ And that’s the gospel truth Friends! Our Bit comes from Psalm 8, where Bruh David talks about God’s glory and man’s honour. But my people, are we truly upholding those two principles? When you look at the evil, ungodly way our society behaves, you tend to doubt it very much. But it’s what we ought to do, how we ought to behave. It’s our bounden duty as believers to exalt and glorify our God, and to live honourably with each other. But sadly in these evil, disastrous times, those are two other things that have become the exceptions rather than the rule. When we should all be running to God for succour and solace, foolishly, we are running away from Him. My brethren, please listen to what our actions should rightly be, coming from Psalm 113 – God’s mercies are many. ‘Praise ye the Lord (Sing Hallelujah). Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praise. The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!’ (Ps.113:1-6) Yes Friends, that’s what our words and behaviour ought to proclaim! Now let’s reinforce that with more truthful words from Psalm 148 – All creation to praise the Lord. The psalmist first calls out individually to each of God’s creations to praise Him, then ends: ‘Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent (exalted); his glory is above the earth and heaven. He also exalteth the horn (strength, dominion) of his people, the praise of al his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah).’ (Ps.148:13-14) Oh my people, why aren’t God’s creations praising Him the way we should eh? And don’t say because we’re too busy living our daily lives, for that’s hogwash, since our God desperately wants to get involved in all that we do, morning, noon and night. If anybody should be involved in all aspects of our lives, it’s Him! The truth I believe, is that we’re too taken up with false glitz and glamour of the world, and are constantly pursuing and acquiring its wealth and material possessions. That obviously leaves little or no time for God. Plus we feel that if we are true to God, then we’ll have to give up the things of the world. Now that’s true to a certain extent, especially when we begin to worship them, to see them as the be all and end all of our lives. But true believers, as I keep saying, have nice worldly things, not in spite of, but because they are blessed by God for their faith and sincere fellowship with Him. Remember Jesus also told us in no uncertain terms that if we set the kingdom of God as our first priority, that all of our needs would be met. (Matt.6:33) Obviously we all won’t live in wealth and splendour, but we won’t lack for anything in our day to day existence. But that doesn’t seem good enough for too many of us, so therefore we keep running down the things of the world. And don’t forget what the preacher told us in yesterday’s Bit; that it’s useless, futile, and vain to spend our lives amassing worldly possessions, since we can’t take any of them with us, when we return naked to the dust from whence we came naked. (Eccl.5:15) And we’ll end with some more truthful words from Psalm 113 – The greatness of the Lord and the vanity of idols. ‘Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord. Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praise unto his name; for it is pleasant…. For I know that the Lord is great, and that out Lord is above all gods.’ (Ps.135:1-3, 5) That says it all Friends! So today, let’s seriously ponder our reactions to the things of the world and to the things of God, and begin having them lean towards the latter nuh. That’s the ultimate in wisdom. Much LOVE!…a fool and his earthly possessions…are soon parted…but a wise man in tune with Jesus…lives richly forever…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 January 2013 Revelation 3:1

28 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

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

Revelation 3:1.    And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

Oh Friends, it’s Monday, so let’s be up and at ’em nuh! No pussyfooting and complaining today. Let’s act like the adults, the believing adults we’re supposed to be and cut out the whining and moaning every Monday morning. Jesus is tired with it. He’s saying to us in Cocoa Tea’s words, ‘My people, stop it! Drop it!’ We all know that Monday is a working day, therefore it’s our responsibility to be prepared. That means to stop abusing the weekend, so we can step out smartly on Mondays when the battle call sounds. Now to help us get into a groove and strengthen our resolve, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as though we really mean it. In unison 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!’ Yes my people, that’s the kind of attitude we need to constantly foster, so that Mondays bring energy and determination, rather than fatigue and listlessness. And our Bit today is a very good reminder of that. ‘And unto the angel (messenger) of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art (but you are) dead.’ Yuh see Friends, Jesus wasn’t mincing words there with the church at Sardis. He was telling it as He saw it. They were alive, yet dead, like many of us are today. Now here’s some historical background, re the scholars, on the city of Sardis. ‘Sardis, the ancient capital of the rich and powerful kingdom of Lydia, was located about 30 miles south of Thyatira. The name may mean “Escaping.” It was destroyed by the Persians under Cyrus. Under Roman rule, in the New Testament era, it never regained its earlier prominence. It only possessed its former name of greatness, not those great works. The city was destroyed by an earthquake during the rule of Tiberius Caesar (A.D.17) and rebuilt by him. This indebtedness promoted emperor worship in Sardis and eventually prompted compromise by the church. So the church was now virtually dead in spirit and works, and is representative of dead orthodoxy. Today a small Turkish village named Sart lies near the site.’ Oh my brethren, I sure hope all of that rings an alarm bell in our minds re the modern day church, because we are behaving just like the people of Sardis; living on past glory, worshipping idols. Our spirits are basically dead, we have no real passion for Christ, we’re not excited to be believers and to be working energetically for our Saviour. Consequently, many of the orthodox churches are regressing, not progressing. Petty divisions and dissensions are further weakening Christ’s body. That should not be so my people. Please, let us not become like the people of Sardis, a mere shadow of our great past. And here then is the antidote proposed by the Master Healer Himself. ‘Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect (complete) before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment (garments); and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.’ (Rev.3:2-5) All I can do is warn us to pay serious attention to Jesus’ words there Friends. Our society is floundering, and as the serious remnant of Christ’s church we need to strengthen what is left and help to keep the sound teaching of the apostles alive till the day of Jesus’ return, which could be anytime. Please, I implore us, let’s try and be numbered amongst those worthy to be wearing white when Jesus returns, and our names written in the Lamb’s book of life, so that we can be sure of everlasting life with Jesus, because it’s only the names of genuine believers He will include therein and make mention to the Father. Much LOVE!…please listen carefully…and do as advised…for the consequences of disobedience will be life altering…

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 November 2012 2 Peter 3:9

05 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

2 Peter 3:9.    The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Monday…! And all true believers in Jesus lustily declared, ‘Thank You Lord!’ Okay, so by the world’s standards I’m missing a few screws by being glad to see Mondays roll around. But Friends, in Jesus’ domain, we are called to welcome every day, to see each one as a blessing, especially Mondays, because it gives us more opportunities to get out into the wicked, godless world and help bring the heathen hordes to repentance. Remember that’s our main purpose here on earth, re the Great Commission. (Matt.28:19-20) So to whine and complain and feel hard done by just because we have to go out and labour on Mondays, is plain un-Jesus-like. Now let’s see if we can’t become more Jesus-like by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with lots of vim and vigour. As one earthly based, but heavenly sounding choir 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!’ That was beautiful my people! Lots of clapping and calls for an encore in heaven. (smile) And now that the adrenalin’s running, let’s get out there and make a difference for Jesus! But why the rush you ask, since our Bit clearly states that: ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ Ah Friends, please understand that at some stage even the Lord’s patience will run out and He will set the mighty conflagration He’s promised in motion. And the problem is that none of us know when that will be, it could be today, tomorrow, or even another two thousand years from now. When yuh see, even Jesus didn’t know, you must understand how close to His chest the Father’s playing that card. ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels in heaven, but my Father only.’ (Matt.24:36) And Peter solemnly warns in the verse after our Bit: ‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief (robber) in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that were therein shall be burned up.’ (2 Pet.3:10) Oh my people, I’m sure that none of us want to be involved in that fervent heat nuh! That means we have to be in a state of constant readiness; working righteousness in true faith, filled with hungry hope and great expectations, fully relying on the awesome promises of God. As Peter continues: ‘Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation (conduct) and godliness, Looking for and hasting (hastening) unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless.’ (2 Pet.3:11-14) Now isn’t that something to look forward to Friends? Most definitely! And we’ll end with some clarification from the scholars, re that scripture. ‘The day of the Lord here refers to the return of Christ in judgement, not the Rapture, since this day results in final apocalyptic judgement. The heavens that shall pass away with a great noise are the atmospheric heavens. The elements shall melt with fervent heat certainly could refer to a nuclear holocaust. Thus Peter urges his readers to look beyond this present world to the new heavens and a new earth characterized by righteousness.’ Oh Friends, the only way to avoid that fervent heat is by getting in with Jesus as soon as possible, meaning RIGHT NOW, because we don’t know when we’ll give up the mantle of this earthly life, and once we do that, there’s no going back and changing our minds. So please, let’s all sit down today and seriously contemplate our personal situations, vis a vie Jesus and our eternal salvation. It’s the MOST IMPORTANT matter on earth for us to consider. Much LOVE!…to be with Jesus till eternity…or not to be with Jesus…that is the question…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 October 2012 Psalm 39:1

15 Oct 2012 2 Comments

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

Psalm 39:1.        I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. 

Oh Friends, it’s Monday, that wonderful day! And all God’s people responded with a rousing, ‘Yeah! Thank God it’s Monday, and we get to go out to work!’ Wow! What wonderful believers! (smile) Okay, so I’m a tad on the crazy side, but that’s how our LOVING, Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ wants us to react on a Monday morning, not with the moaning and groaning, the pity party and foul moods we usually exhibit. And foolishly or otherwise, I’ve promised Him that I will eventually get us to be as enthusiastic about Mondays as we are about Fridays. Now I’m sure you all don’t want to see me break my promise to Jesus. So please help the ole fella here nuh, help me by changing the gloomy Monday morning outlook, starting RIGHT NOW, as we sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, with plenty vim and vigour. All together 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!’ Most excellent my people, most excellent! Jesus was proud of us. Now let’s go out into the evil, ungodly world and win some souls for Him, as He commissioned us to do. (Matt.28:19-20) And what shall we talk about today eh? I don’t have a clue. (smile) Okay Lord, okay, if that’s Your wish, I’ll finally obey. And I’m referring to a couple of things that have been bugging me for the last few days, but I’ve resisted the urge to say anything. However the Lord seems to want me to bring it up. Regular readers will remember that a couple days ago we were dealing with not talking or writing as much as we do in general, but even more so in the social media that’s chocked full of negative consequences. Well after the second day, I read about a couple things that greatly disturbed me about our ever so wonderful Internet, but I pushed it aside. However, it kept coming back through the newspapers and the television, and I guess now’s the time for me to get it off my chest. By the way, if we’re going to talk about talking too much, we can use the same Bit, since it’s still very appropriate. ‘I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue; I will keep (restrain) my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.’ Oh Friends, if what I’m about to say displeases you, then too bad, but it’s at sad times like these we, especially parents, have to take a serious look at our selves and our methods of rearing the children God gave us. Our society has sadly plummeted to rather deplorable and dumb standards, but what else can we expect from our general behaviour? Anyway, it seems that a couple of years ago, a grade 7 female student in British Columbia, Canada’s western coast province, in concert with supposed friends, published a picture of her breasts on Facebook. Steups! Right there the stupidity began! What in heaven’s name are you taking half-naked pictures of yourself and putting them out there for, especially at such a tender age? She must have been around 12 or 13, because she’s fifteen now. But unfortunately, a year later some evil type sent her a note that he wanted her to take more pictures of herself and send them to him, otherwise he was going to spread the old one all over the place. She claims she didn’t know who he was, or how he got hold of her earlier picture. But that’s relatively easy if you know how the systems work. But to make a long story short, he ended up doing exactly what he’d promised; sent the stuff to her friends, school mates etc. etc. That resulted in her being ostracised by all and sundry. Changing schools and cities didn’t make any difference the evil followed her everywhere she went. She was even physically beaten in addition to the jeers and verbal abuse. When she couldn’t take it anymore, she put out a warning to others using flash cards, then apparently committed suicide this week. Oh she’d tried it before, by drinking bleach, but fortunately she was saved. And here’s the headline on the story in Saturday’s Toronto Star newspaper. ‘Death by anti-social media.’ And as is our usual habit, we’re nicely calling that kind of criminal blackmail, cyber bullying, and everybody’s up in arms about it. Steups! When are we going to learn eh people? Everyday we hear about more and more criminal activities being perpetrated through and over the Internet, and it’s difficult to find the culprits, but yet still we go ahead and put stuff out there that has no reason whatsoever to be out there. And the sad part is that even after Amanda Todd’s terrible demise, many people are still gloating and happy and calling her terrible names. Now is that a nice society? I wouldn’t even ask about it being godly, because you don’t have to be godly to be nice or sympathetic. Oh Friends, we’ve run out of time and space, so I’ll leave the rest of my rant for tomorrow. But please, please learn from this disastrous mistake, that the Net is not all that the evil perpetrators and financial benefactors want us to believe it is. It does have it uses, but one of them is certainly not spreading your life history in cyber space for every Tom, Dick and Harry to see and be able to use and abuse. Much LOVE!…anything man-made…can always…and WILL eventually be used for evil…against society in general…or another man in particular…

 

 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 September 2012 Habakkuk 1:2

03 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

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

Habakkuk 1:2.    O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! 

Oh Friends, it’s Labour Day! And I hear a resounding shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ That’s because many of us don’t have to go to work this Monday morning. But since it’s also such a beautiful day, and the Lord has shown us special favour to see and enjoy it, please, my fellow believers, let’s rise and shine, offer Him a word of thanks and praise, then with a broad smile on our faces, boldly declare, as we raise our right hands in a tightly closed fist: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it, come what may!’ Now that might be very easy to do for those who are not going to work. But please, let’s remember those who have to go out and labour in this non-stop, 24/7 busy society. And in empathy with them, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty soul and enthusiasm, and wish them well on the start of their new work week. As one enchanting voice 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!’ Now that ought to wake us up and get us ready to face the ungodly world, even those who will stay at home partying. (smile) And Friends, though it’s good to party, of course in moderation, when I first read our Bit, it wrought a loud sigh of concern re our turbulent and troubled world. The prophet Habakkuk declared that his prophecy was a burden, (Hab.1:1) an heavy load placed on him by the Lord, to warn Judah of its upcoming punishment for their continued disobedience and rebellion toward Him. They would eventually be invaded and captured by the Chaldeans. According to the scholars, the name Habakkuk means “Embracer” or “A Wrestler” which provides the key to his prophecy. It’s a record of him wrestling with God on behalf of his people. Hence his heartfelt plea: ‘O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!’ Oh Friends, I’m sure that there are many of us believers who feel the same way about our current society as Habakkuk felt about his. We pray and cry out to God, but it seems as though He doesn’t hear us, or simply ignores our pleas to save us, because the violence and evil in which we are now mired grows worse every day. Habakkuk’s further description of Judah’s society appears to be an exact replica of ours. ‘Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance (trouble or toil)? for spoiling (plundering ) and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife (there is strife) and contention. Therefore the law is slacked (powerless) and judgement (justice) doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about (surround) the righteous; therefore wrong (perverse) judgement proceedeth.’ (Hab.1:3-4) Oh Friends, that could be any one of us writing about the disgraceful, disgusting society in which we now live, where things like greed, envy, injustice, lawlessness, legal theft, strife and confusion reign supreme. And it’s oh so sad, that on a Labour Day, where the celebration of gains in the working class should be happening, the Lord has guided me to a Bit that instead reminds us of the many gains we’ve lost and the rigid determination of the greedy, evil powers that be to take away even more. Oh my people, please, I implore you, don’t be fooled by the nice, sweet words of our leaders and their wealthy captains of industry, their sole aim is to take us back to the harrowing times of the Great Depression, where workers had no rights whatsoever and were treated worse than slaves or animals. And they’re slowly but surely doing it by breaking the Unions, which themselves have gotten too unwieldy and bureaucratic to fight back, and also by having workers fighting against each other; the old but ever so successful, divide and conquer tactic. It’s all about the bottom line now Friends. There’s not even a tad of a social conscience in the 99% now. Wherever the labour is cheapest, their capital flows without a note of concern for the poor, helpless, jobless workers they’re leaving behind. But you know what my people? We can’t afford to stop praying for the wickedness to cease, or at least be tightly reined in, while we continue doing the good works that God ordained us to do. As Bruh Paul exhorted the Ephesians: ‘I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation (calling) wherewith ye are called. With all lowliness and meekness (gentleness), with long-suffering, forbearing (bearing with) one another in LOVE; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’ (Eph.4:1-3) Yes my brethren, regardless of the Lord’s overall plans, we must endeavour to keep keeping on, doing what He desires us to do, remembering that His thoughts and wisdom are much greater than ours, and that He’s promised that everything will work out for good to those whom He’s called and respond to His call with LOVE! (Rom.8:28)  And I sincerely pray that today, the Holy Spirit will rise up in every one of us and give us the strength, faith, hope, wisdom, understanding, peace and passion to do so in a most worthy manner. In Jesus’ Name. Amen! Much Much LOVE, my beautiful fellow believers in Jesus Christ, our wonderful Lord and Saviour!…a believer’s duty…to do God’s will for our lives…come what may…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 March 2012 Romans 12:2‏

26 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Romans 12:2.    And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.

Oh Friends, our heavenly Father has once again blessed us this Monday morning with a strong breath of life, so let’s be up and about His business nuh; no mewling and whimpering. Remember Jesus’ answer when confronted by His parents, after He remained in Jerusalem reasoning with the elders in the temple: ‘How is it that ye sought me? Wist (knew) ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?’ (Luke 2:49) Well Friends, unfortunately we also have important duties to perform for our God. I know it’s Monday and difficult to get moving, but it’s what we signed up for when we accepted Jesus. So let’s get energized by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in full voice. 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!’ That ought to get our adrenalin flowing. And to further propel us, let’s consider the wise advice of our Bit: ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ Now the whole purpose of becoming a Christian is to become like Christ, as much as is humanly possible. However, that doesn’t come naturally, for our basic human nature fights against it, thus we have to consciously remake, retool ourselves in Christ’s image. And to do that we need to take three ground floor actions; don’t conform to the world’s sinful, ungodly nature, but transform ourselves, by first renewing our mind, changing the way we think, and therefore act, which will then be the way God wants us to act. John describes this quite nicely in his first Epistle: ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17) Wow! Friends! That’s true, true gospel! If we follow the world and its unholy lusts, we’ll definitely end up in Hades with Lucifer and all his evil cohorts, separated from the living God for all eternity. And believe me, that’s the worst thing that can ever happen to a spiritual being, such as we are! So if we truly want to ‘prove what is (the) good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God,’then we have to take Bruh Paul’s advice to the Ephesians: ‘And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph.4:23-24) That means refraining from things like; lying; letting anger seethe in our souls, thus allowing Lucifer a foothold for evil; stealing, but instead working honestly; gossiping, but rather talking encouraging and uplifting stuff. (Eph.4:25-29) Bruh Paul then sums it up with this poignant verse: ‘And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’ (Eph.4:30) Yes Friends, the Spirit of God is truly grieved and disappointed when we claim to be His children, but do things that obviously fall outside His will. Therefore, if we really want to be excellent soldiers in Christ’s army, we have to continually, read, study and meditate on His Word, then take those actions He desires us to take, not our own, or the world’s. It’s the only way to be a true believer. Much LOVE!…the transformation from sinner to saint…is a rigorous…but oh so rewarding process…

 

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