Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 February 2013 Job 34:21

07 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

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

Job 34:21.     For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
 
Oh my fellow believers, our great God in His infinite wisdom and mercy has done it again.! Yes Friends, He’s blessed us with another day of life on this earth. And though the earth’s a mess, we believers have been given the honourable task of fixing it in Jesus’ Name. Isn’t that wonderful? But mih people, like every other project in life, if we’re not excited to do it, then we won’t give of our best. The same goes for the work of Jesus. If we’re not excited to live a life of faith, and good works in action, backed up by the Word, then we’re wasting our time and Jesus’ too. In the first place, it’s not an easy job, with Lucifer and all his evil minions fighting against us. In the second, only as much as we put out, will we get back. It’s the old story of you reap what you sow. And Friends, I don’t have to tell us that in these trying times our witness for Jesus, both in words and deeds is certainly not good enough! So today, let’s each one of us, search our hearts and ways, and see where we’re falling down on the job, and sincerely try to improve it nuh. That’s the only way we’ll ever improve the situation, ever get the LOVE Revolution really ‘revoluting.’ (smile) Anyway, I have a serious invitation for you, from the famous British poet and playwright, Robert Browning (1812-1889). And the invitation is to ‘Grow old along with me! The best is yet to come.’ And that’s gospel Friends! I’m finding these latter days to be the best days of my life. I’ve done most of what I’ve always wanted to do. Not necessarily to the level I’d hoped, but I now know how to do all the things I’ve imagined. I’ve achieved a fair state of economic well-being. My children are grown and on their own, and I’ve found a peace so peaceful in Jesus, that in spite of the problems I still encounter, I don’t worry about them no more. I do the best I can, then leave the rest to the Lord. That doesn’t mean I agree with all God’s decisions, or don’t have concerns, and oftimes serious ones too, but the difference now is that I’ve found a level of faith to truly believe that the Lord will bring me out of them, sometimes battered and bruised, but usually better off and with stronger faith than before. Having surrendered my soul to Him, all I can do nowadays is say ‘Thanks Lord,’ then grin and bear it as best I can. So my brethren, I’m asking us to grow old together in the peace and LOVE of Jesus. It’s the greatest thing since sliced bread! (smile) And why shouldn’t we, since it’s the wisest choice in light of our Bit? ‘For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.’ If our God sees everything we do, then we’d be foolish to do stuff that doesn’t sit well with Him. For as Cousin Sol says in Proverbs 15: ‘The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.’ (Prov.15:3) It’s just like when we were young and wanted to do mischief, we’d try to hide from our parents. With them we could have been successful, because they couldn’t see us all the time. But even then, as they kept telling us, the things done in darkness usually come to light, and eventually they’d find out, and we’d pay the price. However Friends, the difference with our God is that we simply cannot hide from Him because He watches us ALL the time. So the wise money should be on doing good in His awesome, all seeing sight. Listen to how Jeremiah puts it in his prayer, re our God: ‘Great in counsel, and mighty in work (deeds): for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.’ (Jer.32:19) Oh my people, it couldn’t be any plainer than that. Yet we still insist on doing what we know is wrong, somehow hoping to get away with it. But hear how Hosea says it, re Israel’s rebellion against God. ‘When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered (uncovered), and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood (fraud); and the thief cometh in, and the troop (band) of robbers spoileth without (plunders outside). And they consider not (do not say) in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings (deeds) have beset (surrounded) them about; they are before my face.’ (Hos.7:1-2) And please remember Friends that the Lord has not changed, from day one to the end, He is and will be the same. So what makes us think that we’re so special eh, that our wrongdoings won’t be looked upon with judgement and justice like the Israelites of old? If the Lord can punish His chosen people, why would He spare us, some of the most ungodly and evil humans who ever walked the earth? And we’ll end with this poignant and powerful scripture that encapsulates all we’ve been talking about. It’s from Hebrews 4, re the present danger of unbelief. ‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight (hidden from Him): but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (must give account).’ (Heb.4:12-13) Now here’s the scholar’s explanation of those verses. ‘For the word of God: The reason given for one’s careful scrutiny of his life involves the reality that God is intently scrutinizing it. His word is quick (living). This word is first in the Greek and is the emphasis. God’s Word is not old or archaic; it is alive. It is not inept or inactive; it is powerful (active). It reaches into the inner secrets of man’s mind to discern even his thoughts and intents. Likewise, God’s eyes sees man as though he were naked, unable to hide behind excuses or pretense.’ Amen mih breddren! And if that doesn’t wise us up, then I really don’t know what will nuh. Much LOVE!…the awesome power of the Word…and the all seeing eyes of God…should cause us to wake up…repent…and do right…
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 December 2012 LUke 1:28

18 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

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

Luke 1:28.    And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
 
Oh Friends, it’s one of those days when the ole fella had a busy yesterday, keep forgetting I’m not 25 anymore, (smile) then went to bed late, and had a hard time getting up this morning. But today’s also a very important day in the ole guy’s life; it’s my forty-first wedding anniversary! Wow! Yes mih people, forty-one years ago, the Duchess tied up my foot (smile) on a serene and sublime Saturday at St. Crispin’s Anglican Church in Woodbrook, Port of Spain, Trinidad. It sure was a fun day…what I remember of it! So thanks for all your congrats, but don’t think it was easy; interesting, yes; oftimes fun, yes; but nothing is easy for forty-one years. There have been many ups and downs, a couple periods of separation, but somehow or other, we always got back together again. I guess that was the Lord’s doing – and sometimes I question His wisdom in that respect. (smile) But Friends, overall, it has been good. And it seems like we’ll still be together for the foreseeable future. Only the Good Lord knows that though. Now here’s an interesting quote attributed to Jean Giraudoux (1882-1944), a French novelist, playwright and diplomat. It says: ‘Sadness flies on the wings of the morning and out of the heart of darkness comes the light.’ That’s undeniable truth my brethren! We see it happen all the time. The night, or merely being in a dark place, usually has us thinking morbid thoughts, or just being sad and blue, even when there’s no reason to be so. Even in times of sickness, we often feel sicker at nights. But oh brother, when the sun rises over that eastern horizon, it’s like a new day is born in our lives, and suddenly all the sadness, sickness, morbidity and every other evil thing just disappears. Oh Friends, it works in the same manner with Jesus! When you’re suffering and struggling with the temptations and evil forces of this world, your soul experiences darkness, negative thoughts and untrue images of finality. But once the SON rises in your life…oh what a beautiful day appears; joy, gladness and true positivity enter your soul! Your spirit sings and dances with pleasure when it encounters the wonderful Spirit of Jesus that comes to live within you, after He’s risen in your heart. Mama Mia! Then, and only then, can we truly say that we’ve seen the light! We become new people, look at life differently, and begin coming up over our problems instead of stagnating and suffering under them. Oh Friends, I could carry on in this enthusiastic vein all day, but we have a Bit to deal with, a most enthralling one today. ‘And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail (Rejoice), thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ Oh fellow believers, you know we constantly talk about the men of great faith listed in the Good Book, and tend to ignore the few women whose names are mentioned there. But some of the women had greater faith than some of the men. And the one I want to consider today is Mary, the mother of Jesus, whose faith I believe was only surpassed by her son’s. Just imagine this scenario nuh: You’re an ordinary teenaged girl in a backwater town called Nazareth, engaged to be married to an ordinary man named Joseph, a carpenter by trade. Your life’s simple and uncomplicated, without any great expectations, possibly just looking forward to marriage and raising a family. But then, one day, all of a sudden, out of the blue, an angel appears and greets you in that highly respected fashion. In the first place, many of us would be downright scared by the whole scenario and possibly run away, bawling our heads off in the process. But we see the strength of Mary’s character right off the bat. She doesn’t get all flustered and discombobulated. The Good Book simply says: ‘And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind (considered) what manner of salutation (greeting) this should be.’ (Luke 1:29) Then the angel explained the situation. ‘And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:30-33) Now can you imagine somebody, angel or otherwise, telling you that two thousand years ago, when even to this day of great technological advances, it still takes the sperm of a man to mate with the egg of a woman to create a human embryo? And that doesn’t seem as if it’s ever liable to change. The only difference is that it’s no longer necessary for the man to actually and physically lie with the woman to create another human. We’d either run them out of town, calling them mad, or laugh them to scorn. But Mary’s reaction is quiet and thoughtful, without any fuss. And her one question is simple and very logical. ‘Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)?’ (Luke 1:34) Now that’s a very good question Friends, one that we’ll answer tomorrow. But in the meantime, please ponder Mary’s situation; that surprising meeting with the angel, and her calm reaction, then consider our own response under similar circumstances. There must have been a whole lot of unseen depth to Mary’s character for the Lord to choose her to bear His Son in human form. In the same way, our God is seeing a whole lot more to each of us than is physically visible, and that’s why He’s talking to us about all sorts of things. Most likely they’re not as big and memorable as Mary’s situation, but they’re all still very important to our lives and our doing His will. The problem is, are we receiving it with the calm, grace, trust and faith like Mary? Please, let’s ask ourselves that question today, then do whatever it takes to answer it with a resounding ‘YES!’ Therein lie the seeds of wisdom and greatness. Much LOVE!…when the Lord speaks to our hearts…what’s our reaction…
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 November 2012 Ephesians 5:8

26 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 5:8.     For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.

Oh Friends, another Monday has dawned sunny and bright on God’s Little Acre! Praise the Lord! And as He would have it, I’m sitting here on the porch of my cottage in Store Bay, enjoying the cool breeze that’s blowing across the compound, writing encouraging words of LOVE, Peace and Togetherness to you. Oh, I can feel your pain (smile) as you get up to go and labour this Monday morning after a hectic weekend – Thanksgiving in the U. S. and the Grey Cup in Canada. And I can imagine the mess that Toronto must be in seeing that the hometown Argonauts won the 100th edition of our famous game! But don’t worry about anything Friends, for our great God has everything under control, and He has the ‘rightest’ remedy for whatever ails you; just turn to Him, asking in all sincerity for healing, strength and courage to do His will today. And we’ll help and encourage each other by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, harmoniously and with as much energy as we can muster. 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!’ Yes mih people, that should get us going in the right direction, with more energy than we previously had! And please remember that going out to earn an honest living, is one of the many ways in which we can please and glorify our wonderful God and further His righteous kingdom. That’s why in leading up to our Bit, Bruh Paul expounds to the Ephesians on what a believer ought not to do. (Eph.5:1-7) Then in our Bit, he reminds them of what they had become: ‘For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.’ That’s the absolute truth my brethren! If we’ve been converted from children of darkness to children of light by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, then we have to give up the things of darkness and concentrate on the things of light. As the song by Germaine Cowan so rightly says, since I’ve rearranged my life to suit Christ; ‘The things I used to do, I do them no more. The places I used to go, I go there no more.’ And that’s exactly as it ought to be Friends! For all old things have passed away, and we’ve become brand new creations in Christ. Now here are some scholarly observations on the subject. ‘Darkness indicates that the readers used to be spiritually unenlightened, and accompanying this ignorance was immorality with its resultant guilt and misery. Light denotes that the recipients are now to be religiously informed. Their knowledge of the truth is attended by moral purity and happiness.’ And after our Bit, Bruh Paul continues: ‘(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.’ (Eph.5:9-10) And the scholars here direct that; ‘Because of constant temptations and solicitations to evil, believers must always be proving or discerning what is and what is not acceptable unto the Lord.’ Yes Friends, it’s a constant battle we wage against the powerful forces of darkness, so we have to be constantly on the lookout to do God’s acceptable will, and not that of Beelzebub. Then Bruh Paul continues his warning: ‘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 of them in secret.’ (Eph.5:11-12) And here’s what the scholars have to say about those two verses. ‘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 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.’ Then on verse 12, they explain: ‘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 the worse is the committing of these sins. Hence, the need to bring them to light.’ Ah my people, there are indeed some real atrocious deeds been perpetrated by the evildoers in these wicked and troubled times. ‘But all things that are reproved (exposed) are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.’ (Eph.5:13-14) Yes fellow believers, we need to diligently root out sin from our lives and the lives of those around us where possible. And as the ole people would say, ‘whatever is done in darkness will eventually come to light.’ And that’s the gospel truth! And even better, the gospel of Christ will bring us out of the darkness into the light, for that’s its basic purpose. So mih breddren, let’s seriously ponder our deeds today nuh, and see where we’re falling behind, giving into the things of darkness, then uproot them with the light of Christ’s gospel, so that we stay true to our faith and calling. It’s not easy, but with God’s generous help, we can surely do it. Much LOVE!…only by storing the truth and light of the gospel in our hearts…can we reject and expose the darkness and evil of Lucifer…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 November 2012 John 3:36

08 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, the ole fella’s in somewhat of a sad state this cold, autumn morning because I heard about a real tragic situation last night, one that could have been prevented if some of the participants had acted as true Christian adults. Apparently the whole situation developed because of anger, resentment and a desire for revenge. But Friends, as the large black letters on a white background of paper, taped to the side of my filing cabinet so rightly says: ‘Anger slays the simple – And Resentment kills the fool.’ And that’s gospel my people! Consequently, that’s why Bruh Paul so fervently warns: ‘Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph.4:26-27) Our anger should not go to bed with us. We ought to get rid of it as quickly as possible, because holding on to it causes us to make wrong decisions, which gives Lucifer all kinds of opportunities to invade our souls and lay his evil eggs therein. These eggs can then stay and hatch into resentment and bitterness that just sours our souls and drives us away from the peaceful, LOVING arms of Almighty God. And that’s something we don’t ever want to do. I just hope and pray, that our kind and merciful God can comfort those involved in this unfortunate tragedy, in their time of grief and heartache. And that’s not all Friends, we have plenty more praying to do, for more natural disasters have struck on this side of the world. An earthquake of 6.3 magnitude occurred off Vancouver Island on Canada’s West Coast a couple days ago. Shocks were felt fairly far away, but thankfully no sizeable damage seems to have happened. But in Guatemala, an earthquake of 7.4 magnitude occurred yesterday, killing some 48 people so far. Then to make a bad situation even worse, it seems like a nor’easter storm blew over New York and New Jersey yesterday, bringing strong winds, rain and wet snow. That just plunged many people back into darkness and misery after Sandy’s terrible onslaught last week. Ah Friends, our God certainly seems to be telling us something. And that something might just be involved with our Bit: ‘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.’ Yes my people, He’s warning us to heed His call to conviction and repentance. This seems to be the only avenue left open to us, since we’ve tried everything else that we can in our own power, and it’s just not working. Yesterday we saw where Jesus solemnly declared that he had come to earth to save those who would believe in Him, and that those who didn’t believe were already condemned to eternal separation from the Father. He also stated that mankind LOVED darkness because their deeds were evil, and did not want those deeds exposed to the light that He brought. (John 3:16-21) And that’s the living truth my brethren! It couldn’t be any simpler Friends; you either believe in Jesus and live in the light, or don’t , and perish in the darkness. Now listen to Jesus again on the subject. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.’ (John 6:47-51) Oh my people, the Creator of the universe is still in control of His creation, and ALWAYS will be. So why are we so adamant and insistent on rebelling against His dictates eh, especially when we have no real power to control our own lives or circumstances? Look at Hurricane Sandy and all the other natural disasters that seem to be happening one after the other, we have no power whatsoever to stop or control any of them. And yet we foolishly refuse to bow to the great I AM. Oh my brethren, all these disasters are meant to be wake up calls for us, and we’re ignoring them at our own peril. No wonder John declares at the end of our Bit, that those who don’t believe in Jesus shall not see eternal life, but the wrath of God will fall upon them. Now hear Bruh Paul tell it to the church at Rome. ‘For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold (suppress) the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God is manifest (evident) in (among) them; for God hath shown it unto them.’ (Rom.1:18-19) Yes Friends, God has shown it to us, but we obstinately refuse to believe and follow it. Listen to the scholars on that scripture. ‘In order to express His nature (holiness, truth and justice), God must punish sin. Since sin personally offends God, no one should be surprised that sin makes God angry. To deny His anger is to reject the necessity of Christ’s reconciling work on the cross. God’s wrath is revealed both in nature and in the Scriptures. Illustration: The rage that today is vented against sin will someday be completely unleashed in hell against those who refuse to accept the satisfaction (propitiation) that Christ made on the cross for sin. Application: Since this propitiation by Christ suffices for the whole world, there is no reason anyone should spend eternity in hell unless he voluntarily rejects God’s truth. (First Ref. Gen.49:7; Primary Ref; Rom.1:18: cf. John 14:2)’ That tells the tale like it truly is my Friends. Now it’s up to us, individually, to either accept or reject it. Note though, the repercussions of either avenue. The smart money would be on accepting it. Much LOVE!…he who refuses to hear…shall surely feel…and feel plenty too…
 

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 2 November 2012 1 Peter 2:9

02 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

1 Peter 2:9.    But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, but unfortunately many of us in North America and the Caribbean are not as jolly as we usually are on a Friday. There are very few shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ and even the few that we’re hearing lack the usual joy and expectant hope that the weekend usually brings. And we can lay it all at the feet of super-storm Sandy, which has seriously ravaged us over the past week. Millions of people are seriously hurting, both physically and emotionally, without food and light. Some have no water, while others have too much, from the resultant flooding. Oh Friends, this is a very disastrous time in which man’s humanity to man needs to be shown, must take first place. So please, let’s concentrate on helping those in dire need now, and most importantly, let’s pray diligently for them. Remember the Lord heareth the prayer of the righteous (Prov.15:29), and also, as we saw yesterday, intercessory prayers are one of our major responsibilities. So let’s get seriously praying nuh Friends and fellow believers. This is also an excellent opportunity for all nations to come together in prayer to Almighty God. We need to use it as a wake up call, an opportune time for nations to repent and return to diligently worshipping and serving the Most High God Jehovah, Creator and Controller of us all. It’s time to return to His caring and LOVING confines, for who knows if He specifically designed Sandy as a means of drawing us closer to Him, since it’s mostly in times of dire need that many of us run to Him seeking His powerful help and fatherly mercy. Yes my brethren, it’s the opportune time to reinvigorate the LOVE Revolution we’ve been trying to forge without much success. But as everything to do with true (agape) LOVE, it must first start with believers. Why? Because God is LOVE, and we are His LOVING subjects. And as our Bit so rightly reminds us: ‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar (his own special) people; that ye should show forth (proclaim) the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.’ Yes Friends, as representatives of Christ here on earth, we need to be at the forefront of helping, giving, caring, sharing and LOVING, because that’s what Jesus is about. And though it’s never easy to walk in Jesus’ footsteps, as His loyal followers we have to at least attempt to do so. With that in mind, let’s boost our spirits some and remind ourselves of the true purpose of the weekend, by chanting our Friday Chant. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Ah my brethren, hopefully that gets us to stop for a moment and ponder our personal goals and directions in Jesus this weekend. Now let’s continue looking at some scripture that validates our Bit. Yesterday we looked at two passages from Isaiah, today we’ll continue with another from Chapter 42, re the Lord’s servant coming to glorify Him. ‘And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things (places) straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.’ (Is.42:16) Oh Friends, every time I read about God’s awesome promises, it makes me shake my head in wonder at our lukewarm acceptance of them, or our complete disbelief. No wonder our lives and our world are so messed up. Now hear this scripture from Acts, where Bruh Paul testifies of his conversion on the road to Damascus to king Agrippa. While lying flat on his back, having been blinded by a burst of heavenly light, Jesus informs him. ‘But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear (reveal) unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan into God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in me.’ (Acts 26:16-18) There we go Friends, from the very beginning, God’s purpose was definitely to take us out of the darkness of sin, by introducing us to the light found in His Son Jesus. Now why can’t we understand that and live by it eh? I really don’t know nuh. And we’ll end with some more energizing words from Bruh Paul, from his message to the Corinthians, re God’s power in the ministry. ‘For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’ (2 Cor.4:5-6) What an awesome and caring kindness on God’s part my people! Now let’s go and do our part by seriously and diligently living for Jesus. That’s the least we can do, after all the selfless sacrifices He’s made for us. Much LOVE!…to truly know Jesus…is to LOVE Him…and greatly desire to live your life for Him…
 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 November 2012 1 Peter 2:9

01 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

1 Peter 2:9.    But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
 
Oh Friends, it’s already the first day of November! Can you believe that? Soon it will be December, then January 2013! Wow! 2012 has sure passed quickly, and it’s time again to check on the resolutions we made at the start, to see if we really and truly kept them. I sure hope though that we kept the ones where we vowed to increase our LOVE for Jesus, thus becoming more like Him, as well as being more passionate in doing His work here on earth. Remember the Lord doesn’t take very kindly to broken promises. So we have two months left to ramp up that Christian faith in our hearts, and put it into serious action. And why do we need to do that? Because as our Bit explains, we are God’s own people. ‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar (his own special) people; that ye should show forth (proclaim) the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.’ Yes Friends, we have been chosen by God, through Jesus Christ to do His work, to be ambassadors on His behalf, to bring others to the knowledge of His TRUTH and LIGHT, out of the plague of darkness and sin. This New Testament Church of Christ, to which all believers belong, has a unique and special relationship with God, having been chosen to represent Him, like Israel did in the Old Testament. Now here’s some scholarly info on the Priesthood of believers. ‘Every believer has the privilege and responsibility of direct access to God. Illustration: In the Old Testament, the family of Aaron was designated as a priesthood to God. In the New Testament that priesthood becomes the birthright of every Christian. Like their Old Testament counterparts, believer-priests have the privilege of access to God. Application: With privilege comes a twofold responsibility – sacrifice and intercessory prayer. The sacrifices of the believer are his body (Rom.12:1-2), his praise to God (Heb.13:15), his substance (Rom.12:13), and his service (Heb.13:6) The Christian ought also to pray on behalf of others. (Col.4:12). (First Reference, Job 42:10) Primary Reference, 1 Pet.2:9; cf. 1 Cor.9:19)’ Please check out those scriptures Friends, for they will certainly enhance our understanding about our duties as a chosen people of God. But it’s also important that we note, as Peter continues after our Bit: ‘Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.’ (1 Pet.2:10) And all God’s people gave a mighty shout of ‘Thank You Jesus!’ Yes Friends, before Jesus came, Gentiles had no real relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, were not accounted as His people, only the Jewish nation. However, through God’s great LOVE and Jesus’ selfless sacrifice on the cross at Calvary, ALL peoples were given the opportunity to become truly associated with the Most High God Jehovah in a personal relationship. Mama Mia! What a great God we serve and worship Friends! For remember, it was nothing that we did or deserved, but the LOVING-kindness and grace of God that brought us out of darkness into the light. So we have no reason whatsoever to boast or beat our chests in self-satisfied pride. Don’t ever forget that it was through God’s undeserved mercy that we were made righteous and reconciled to Him, and not through our own efforts. We need to remember that, because we’re behaving just like the Israelites did on numerous occasions; when they got prosperous, they forgot who brought them to the dance, who allowed them to become prosperous. Yes my brethren, we’re seeing a lot of false pride and idol worship in our society right now, that’s why it’s so ungodly, so messed up and on the brink of destruction. Anyway, let’s look at some scriptures that validate our Bit. And we’ll start off way back when with Isaiah’s prophecy, re the Birth of the Prince of Peace. In strength and in truth, he dutifully proclaimed; ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is.9:2) Hallelujah! That’s us mih breddren! Can you imagine what we’d be like if Jesus had not come and shone His magnificent, majestic light on us? Hn! I refuse to even consider the negative ramifications of that! And we’ll continue with some more of Isaiah’s prophecy, for he was the prophet entrusted with the most info on the Messiah’s coming. In this section, he’s talking about the servant of the Lord, Jesus, coming to glorify the Lord. ‘I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.’ (Is.42:6-7) According to the scholars; ‘The ministry of the Messiah is described in verse 6 as a covenant to the Jews and a light to the Gentiles. It therefore foreshadows the twofold purpose of Christ’s ministry to both the Jews and the Gentiles.’ And that prophecy was borne out by the words of Jesus. ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt.18:11) Yes my people that was Jesus’ intent, and now He has passed the baton to us, to continue that work; saving lost souls in His Name. Please, let’s live our lives so that we may do justice to that great purpose of Jesus, thereby saving many from eternal separation from our Heavenly Father. More on this tomorrow, God in favour. Till then, let’s walk in the light, as the children of light that we’re supposed to be nuh. Much LOVE!…remember…we’re in partnership with God…therefore we need to do our part…
 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 October 2012 Psalm 139:17

03 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 139:17.      How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
 
Ah mih people, another day is upon us, possibly filled with the same old, same old, but the good thing about being a believer in, and a follower of Christ is that our lives are never the same every day. That’s because Jesus leads us on so many different and interesting adventures, that we never know what to expect from one day to the next. Walking with Jesus is full of ups and downs, but it’s certainly never dull, but always interesting and adventurous. And if you’re following Jesus and your life is not interesting and adventurous, then something is definitely wrong. You’re not following Jesus as closely as you ought to, for when you’re walking closely with the Saviour, wherever you are, there’s always an opportunity to do something good in His Name. Therefore Friends, let’s all take a closer look at whatever is happening around us, so that we can spot those easy to miss opportunities to serve Christ. Now here’s an interesting story, I read in the Toronto Star newspaper, I believe it was back in August. It deals with then President Richard Nixon’s farewell emotional speech on August 9 1974 in the White House, surrounded by his staff, family and friends We all know he left in disgrace, because of the Watergate fiasco. Apparently, as he was about to end, he raised his arm as if to point out the importance of his next words. Then he said: “Always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself.’ Wow Friends! What words of wisdom! The article ends with the thought that Nixon had learned that lesson a little too late, for he had already destroyed himself, through the hatred that he’d perpetrated and inspired. The sad part though my brethren is that too many of us still live our private lives in a world of hate, bitterness, anger and resentment. Those negative emotions are already too prevalent and pervasive in our society, we don’t need them in our private lives too, or else we’ll just end up destroying ourselves like Nixon, but then it will be too late. Consequently, let’s try and learn from his mistake and that of so many others nuh, and put hatred and enmity aside, and instead live in LOVE, the wonderful, uplifting LOVE of Christ! It’s the only answer to the problems that surround us. And we have such a wonderful example of that caring attitude of our God in our Bit today. ‘How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!’ Oh Friends, yuh think Beelzebub really cares about like that? No Way! But our heavenly Father surely does, because every day He blesses us with new mercies and whatever else we need to make a successful pilgrimage down here on earth. And though our earthly journey might be difficult, it is still filled with an inner joy because of His unconditional LOVE and faithfulness. Meanwhile all that ‘thiefing’ joker, Beelzebub wants to do is just steal our joy and drag us down to his abysmal level, living a constantly depressed and miserable live, encompassed by anger, hatred and resentment. Now yesterday we looked at some scriptures that showed us the awesome thoughts and plans the Lord has in store for us. Today we’ll look at a couple more, starting with words of Bruh David from Psalm 40, Praise for answered Prayer. There he joyfully proclaims: ‘Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward; they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.’ (Ps.40:5) And isn’t that the living truth Friends? Our God has done so much through the ages, is still doing a lot, and has lots of great plans for our future. So why should we jeopardize all that beneficence by associating with Lucifer and his evil morons eh? No reason whatsoever my people! The purveyors of evil and darkness can NEVER do for us what the God of LIGHT and LOVE can. Remember whenever LIGHT shows up, it always overtakes, overpowers darkness, which only proves that LIGHT is more powerful than darkness. The crowning glory of all that my Friends is highlighted by these words of our God, spoken through Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is.55:8-9) And that’s how it ought to be my people! A God’s ways and powers must be higher and stronger than those of His subjects, otherwise He’s no god at all, and we don’t need him. And to prove that point, we’ll end with some interesting thoughts from the scholars, re the comparative attributes of God. ‘Psalm 139. The comparative attributes of God contrast human abilities with the divine nature. Everyone has some knowledge, but only God has all knowledge (omniscience). Everyone has presence, but only God has presence at all times everywhere (omnipresence). Every person has some degree of power, but only God has unlimited power (omnipotence). Illustration: Psalm 139 lays a foundation for understanding the comparative attributes. The omniscience of God is seen in verses 1-6. The omnipresence of God is seen in verses 7-11. The omnipotence of God is seen in verses 12-16. Application: A Christian’s response to the comparative attributes of God, should be to surrender to His leadership because He is wise, He is able to protect us, and He knows the true way to life with Himself. (Gen.3:8, Ps.139:1, Eph.1:8) What more can I say eh Friends, than that’s gospel truth, and we should do as it says. Please read the scriptures at the end too, for they are very informative. Much LOVE!…be not wise in thine own eyes…fear the Lord…and depart from evil…It shall be health to thy navel (body)…and marrow (strength) to thy bones…  (Prov.3:7-8)  


Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 March 2012 Psalm 118:6

24 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 118:6.    The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

Ah Friends, the eccentricity of the weather in my area is causing uncertainties in both people and plants. After a few days of very warm temps, yesterday it was in the low teens, windy and cool. Now today it’s supposed to be even cooler, then warm tomorrow and cool again for the next couple days. People at least have some indication of what it will be like each day, so they can prepare to suit, but the poor plants have no such luck, they work by instinct and familiarity. However, the weather has been anything but familiar this year, and thus the flora are in a quandary as to bloom now or not. I looked out my backyard yesterday afternoon and all the trees were still dry and leafless, except for an apple tree full of yellowish leaves. Now what message did that apple tree get that the others didn’t eh? I have no idea, but Friends, I have this sure message for us; today and every day. When we are caught up in perplexing and calamitous situations, please remember these words of our Bit, taken from a Psalm of thanksgiving for the Lord’s salvation. ‘The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?’ Nothing really my people, but possibly kill ourbodies. And even then, we have strong encouragement from Jesus saying not to be afraid of those who can only kill our bodies, but not our souls. However we should beware of those who can kill both in hell. (Matt.10:28) So of mankind we should not be afraid, but certainly of the powers of spiritual darkness who can kill both our bodies and souls. Now in answer to all that, Bruh David proclaims boldly and eloquently in Psalm 27: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’(Ps.27:1) And again in Psalm 56, he offers up trust and confidence in the God of his fathers: ‘When I cry unto thee, then shall my enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. In God will I praise his word: in the Lord will I praise his word. In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.’ (Ps.56:9-11) Oh Friends, I know it’s not always easy to stand on those platforms of trust and confidence when the evils of the world and their purveyors come against us. But if the Christian faith is truly strong in us, we will be able to withstand the attacks of the wicked. Unfortunately though, one can only develop true and strong faith by undergoing tough times, where we buckle down with the Word, with prayer, with remembrance and thanksgiving for all the Lord’s already done for us. It doesn’t come easy, and one has to make a conscious and serious decision to see things through the eyes of faith. The great men of faith also struggled, sometimes long and hard too. It took Moses sometime to reach the stage where he could confidently declare: ‘The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation (praise Him); my father’s God, and I will exalt him.’ (Ex.15:2) That’s after the Lord parted the Red Sea and led the Israelites safely away from the Egyptian army, which He then annihilated through the rush of the returning waters. Oh my people, doubts will always assail us in this evil and ungodly world, but if the Lord is safely and surely ensconced in our hearts minds and souls, we will be able to deflect the fiery arrows of the enemy. And sadly, right now is one of those times when we desperately need strong and steadfast faith; what with our world been in such a calamitous state. Mankind has gone astray from God’s will and is thus paying a hefty price, which will only get worse if we continue our disobedience. But please remember, as believers in Christ, we have nothing to fear but fear itself, for there is one constant in this world, the Lord God Almighty, who never changes, who has promised us security, and has definitely proven Himself faithful under all circumstances. But we first have to come to Him in true trust and surrender, believing that He is who He says He is, and will always do what He says. We went through that in our Bit of the last few days, so it should come as no surprise. Therefore, in closing, let’s listen to these words of encouragement and exhortation from Bruh David that will keep us enthused, uplifted and on the straight and narrow path to Jesus. ‘My soul (silently) wait thou only upon God: for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps.62:5-8) My fellow brethren in Christ, please let’s take these words to heart, so that they can enable us to stand steadfast and strong in faith as our world reels from one disaster to another. Much LOVE!…what shall we then say to these things…if God be for us…who can be against us… NOBODY…  (Rom.8:31)

 

Next Newer Entries