Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 October 2012 Jude 3

23 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

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

Jude 3.   Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.
 
Oh my fabulous Friends in Christ, congrats are in order! I looked through the obits this morning and I didn’t see any of our names, that means we’re still alive and kicking! Praise the Lord! But unfortunately there was one name I knew; Lincoln Alexander, who died last Friday at the ripe old age of 90. And who was Lincoln Alexander, you ask? Well let’s see where to start? I guess the beginning is as good a place as any. He was born in 1922 in downtown Toronto of West Indian parents, in a time when racism was still rife in the country. However Lincoln Alexander grew up to be, not only one of the FIRST BLACK lawyers in the city, but also the FIRST BLACK Member of Canada’s Parliament, the FIRST BLACK Cabinet Minster in the Canadian Government, and finally, the FIRST BLACK Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Ontario. Wow! Imagine a poor BLACK man of West Indian parentage accomplishing all that in those racist times nuh! It seems like he was always chocked full of confidence, but like many truly confident people was still able to be very humble and approachable. I remember when he first became Lieutenant Governor, a lot of folks weren’t happy, but by the end of his term, many of the same ones were pleased with the way he handled himself in the mainly ceremonial post. I don’t know why, in this supposed modern day and age, when BLACK people are very prominent and successful in all walks of life, all over the world, the white populace still gets all up in arms over a BLACK leader. Take for example Barack Obama in the U.S. It doesn’t matter one iota that his mother’s family was and is white, the race card is still being strenuously played. It seems that a dollop of the tar brush is powerful enough to overcome any other colours. Before Obama, they had a fool who ruled for eight years, ran the country right into the ground. But his lack of brainpower and leadership skills didn’t matter because he was white. Then they’re all getting on Obama’s case because he didn’t fix all the wrongdoing in four years, especially with no meaningful cooperation from the other side. Chuh! Anyway, I want to end the comment on Lincoln Alexander with a statement from the current Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, David Onley, as posted in the Toronto Star newspaper “When racism was endemic in Canadian society, he broke through barriers that treated visible minorities as second-class citizens, strangers in their own land.’ And that’s the gospel truth Friends! Onley knows something about discrimination, because he has some physical movement problems and operates from a wheelchair. That was also a sticking point for some people when he was appointed to the post. Anyhow Linc -as he liked to be called- rest in peace my brother. You have been a shining beacon of light to ALL people in this dark world, and for that Jesus will reward you abundantly in the next life. And now, turning to our Bit: ‘Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once (for all time) delivered to the saints.’ I guess you can say Lincoln Alexander did that in his own way. He stood up for his rights and what he believed in, and didn’t let his racist enemies beat him down and give up the fight for a right and good life. Oh Friends, it’s the same way we believers need to stand up strong and fight for our belief in Jesus, because there’s a whole evil world out there trying to put Him down, make Him of no consequence. And sadly, through our less than sterling resistance, they have succeeded in curtailing His importance, position, and power in many aspects of our society and our lives. And if we don’t get serious and truly ramp up our fight against the powerful evildoers, Christ’s church will eventually be decimated and of no use. Now that’s something all of us claim we don’t want to happen, but it won’t be prevented by us merely sitting on our comfortable fat fannies and not putting up strong resistance, and fighting back too. Anyway, what I really wanted to talk about today, is why Jude thought it so very important to write to his friends and fellow believers about earnestly contending for their faith. However, because of time and space constraints, I’ll leave it for tomorrow, when hopefully I won’t have to eulogize anyone else, especially one of our Scrip-Bit family. And we’ll end with an appropriate exhortation on the subject from Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth. ‘Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men (be brave), be strong. Let all your things be done with charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor.16:13-14) And that’s as it should be my brethren! So let’s relight that fire, that flame of passion we once had for our faith nuh, and rise up in Jesus’ name, like the sure conquerors that we are and fight to the death for what we believe in. That’s the way true believers operate. Much LOVE!…if it’s not worth dying for…then it’s not worth fighting for…
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 September 2012 Job 42:1-2

29 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

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

Job 42:1-2.    Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee (no purpose of yours can be withheld). 
 
Oh Friends, it’s no lie, what goes around, comes around! I’m referring to a newspaper article I read earlier this week that claims someone in Egypt was arrested under the Blasphemy Act for destroying a Bible. And instead of creating a storm of anger and causing unnecessary destruction to lives and property, all God’s people joyfully shouted: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ What’s good for the goose should also be good for the gander. It’s time people of other faiths have respect for God’s Holy Word and don’t irreverently desecrate or destroy it. How truthful the story is, and what will happen next is another story, but it should at least cause others to stop and think before they damage the Good Book. And on a brighter note, here’s something I read a while ago in a booklet on Bruh Joseph. It’s called The Leader’s Prayer: ‘Lord, when I’m wrong, make me willing to change. When I’m right, make me easy to live with. So strengthen me that the power of my example will far exceed the authority of my rank.’ Yes Friends, we all need to develop our leadership skills because as followers of Christ, we are all leaders in our own right; leading people to Him, and we can’t do it properly without knowing how. Neither is there an easy way to learn it, for good leadership skills are born of adversity, per the many examples in the Bible and real life. And as the song, I think it’s the ‘Gambler’ by Kenny Rogers says; we have to know when to hold and when to fold, and we can only accomplish that by working with and through Almighty God. And we see that in our Bit, when Job finally submits to God. ‘Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee (no purpose of yours can be withheld).’ Before that, Job thought he was doing so good and even through his friends’ admonishment, he still stuck to his claim of righteousness. Then God challenges him out of the whirlwind. ‘Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man, (prepare yourself); for I will demand of thee (question you), and answer thou me.’ (Job 38:2-3) God then goes on to show Job his ignorance in Chapters 38-41. And at last in Chapter 42, Job humbles himself before the challenging questions of Almighty God. ‘Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee (question thee), and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee: Wherefore I abhor (despise) myself, and repent in dust and ashes.’ (Job.42:3-6) Oh Friends, sadly, many of us fall into the category of doubting God, or thinking that we know much more than we really know, but it’s all a lie, and comes from false pride in our frail mortal powers. Listen to the scholars explain those first six verses of chapter 42; ‘The point of all God’s questions was not lost on Job: he has a new awareness of the wisdom of God’s hidden plans, a new sense of the limits of his own wisdom, and a new sensitivity to his own sin. He admits that his has been a limited perspective, and he totally submits to God’s will and authority.’ That’s exactly what many of us need to do my people. Instead of blowing our own horn, we need to truly bow down to the Creator and Master of our universe, pay Him the total homage that He so richly deserves, humbly submit to not only His will and authority, but also to His infinite wisdom and knowledge. As He rightly says, His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours, (Is.55:8-9) so how can we be more knowledgeable than Him eh? The same sort of thing happened to Sarah and Abraham when the Lord promised them a child of their own loins in their old age. Sarah laughed, and Abraham had his doubts. But just like the Lord straightened out Job, He straightened out Sarah and Abraham with some biting words. ‘Is there anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.’ (Gen.18:14) Oh my people, why are we so hard headed and stubborn eh, and continually doubt God’s awesome power, in spite of all the instances we have of it? Remember Jesus’ words to the disciples: ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’ (Matt.19:24) And the disciples were astonished, wondering then, who could be saved. Then Jesus replied: ‘With men this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.’ (Matt.19:26) And that’s gospel truth Friends! Unfortunately though, many of us say it, but don’t really seem to believe it, judging from the way we act. And yet again, Jesus declared in His time of sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane, shortly before His crucifixion, when He tearfully prayed to the Father. ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt (will).’ (Mark 14:36) And the scholars make an interesting observation here. ‘By the word Abba, Jesus addresses God with the household term for Father. This was unheard of in Palestinian Judaism at that time. It points to Jesus’ unique relationship to God.’  And Friends, because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross, we also have a unique relationship with the Father, where we can come to Him without fear of rejection. So please, let’s not think too highly of ourselves, for whatever reason, or too little of our God, because that’s a sure formula for destruction. Much LOVE!…it is God who gives us life…and the wherewithal to sustain it…so it’s foolish to exalt oneself above Him…remember the rich, proud, selfish fool…(Luke 12:16-20)