Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 August 2016 Proverbs 18:21.

22 Aug 2016 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 18:21.     Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.

And then it was Monday…with all the wake up devices going off around the world, and millions of people rolling over, muttering curses, steups’, chuhs, etc. in disgruntlement and frustration at the signal to get up and get ready for work! 

What a sad state of affairs it is for the majority of the world’s population on a Monday morning; thinking about how lousy they feel, the traffic jams they will undoubtedly encounter, the nasty weather out there, the bosses and co-workers they have to put up with for another week, etc. etc.  

Meanwhile, a handful of smart, peaceful, relaxed and refreshed individuals roll over, are excited to greet the new day, and simply declare: ‘TGIM! Thank God it’s Monday! Time to return to work and do my thing! Thank God for Mondays!’ 

For whatever reason that group doesn’t allow the many negatives to disturb them. Oh, I would like to say that they are a bunch of Christians, but I know that’s taking it a bit too far. (smile) But friends, until and unless we change our work systems, or utilize the weekends properly, preparing wisely for Monday, there’ll always be a lot of angst, anger, frustration and other negative reactions to getting up and going to work. 

And the strange part is that the rest of the week doesn’t bring about such a rash of anger and disgruntlement as does Monday. Anyway, we working on it, and will eventually bring it down to a minority, but until then, let’s continue to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to raise our spirits and encourage us to be up and about the Lord’s business. So let’s belt it out with as much enthusiasm as we can muster, remembering that our choirmaster, Jesus, expects us to put on a good show. 

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!’ 

Ah mih people, that wasn’t too bad, but just barely average. Jesus wasn’t thrilled, but neither was He terribly displeased, in His wonderful way of understanding our foibles and frailties. Now let’s keep that adrenaline fuelling our motors as we go out to meet the enemy in battle, paying close attention to the very important words of our Bit. ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ 

Oh my brethren, my brethren, those are words of such importance in a Christian’s life that we ignore them at our very peril! Remember what Jesus said yesterday? That we will all have to account for our words come the judgement day, and that we’ll either be justified or condemned by them. (Matt.12:36-37)  

So please, I implore us to be very careful with our words. Let’s stop and think before we speak. James puts it thus: ‘Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:19-20) So true my friends. 

And the scholars expand on those two verses. ‘1:19. This is a key verse because it expresses three topics that James develops later: hearing, verses 19-27; speaking, 3:1-12; and wrath, 4:1-12.’ 

‘1:20. Trials require silence and patience because talk inflames anger, and anger inflames talk. Anger also distracts from listening to God.’ And not listening to God is something we surely don’t want to be guilty of as believers! 

Now let’s listen to Cousin Sol from his contrasts of the wise and the foolish. ‘He that speaketh truth showeth forth (declares) righteousness: but a false witness deceit. There is that (one who) speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is (promotes) health’ (Prov.12:17-18) More words of absolute truth friends! 

And the scholars tell us. ‘12:18. Words have the power to penetrate where no sword can touch; for good or for evil. A wise man uses his tongue for constructive purposes.’  

Now the first sentence of the scholars’ explanation is ever so true! Words can hurt and cut us to pieces more than any sword can. However, the last sentence is unfortunately not true of our current society, for nowadays we don’t use words constructively; we don’t care what we say or to whom we say them, we wield them more like a sword, intentionally out to hurt others. 

We don’t seem to consider the feelings of others in this age of technology and mass communication. And I believe those supposed areas of progress bear a lot of the blame for that negative behaviour, since we didn’t talk as much or at such length before they allowed us to do so. 

And we’ll end there for today. But please, please my people, let’s take time to stop and think before we talk, because the words we speak here on earth, will definitely play a big part come the judgement day in heaven. Much LOVE!

…a word to the wise is sufficient…and Christians are supposed to be wise…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 October 2012 Jude 3

25 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 earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
 
Ah mih Friends, yuh see why I’m not a big fan of this wireless communication revolution. I’ve been trying for about the last forty minutes to send a message to two friends in Jamaica, re how Hurricane Sandy was treating them. I seem to have gotten off the first one okay, but five minutes later the second one refused to go. They told me that the server was busy, then something went wrong, to check the service status of Hotmail. I did that, but they claimed it was working properly. Then I was advised to report the problem to Microsoft, which simply told me thanks for reporting it, but to click on to some user services advice site. Now why do I have to go to other users for advice with a Microsoft problem eh? Steups! I finally logged off of Internet Explorer – I started out with it, and I still prefer its set up to the other browsers – and logged into Firefox. At least there I was able to open the draft e-mail, but after that I still got the same run around, and finally another server busy notification. Now what’s happening at 3.30-4 in the morning that Hotmail’s server is so busy eh? Laugh at me, but I still like my telephone and my typewriter. Yes, they may be slow, but they always work, and I don’t lose valuable time and info. Believe me, if I wasn’t writing this Scrip-Bit, my computer would remain unused and unopened for several days. That reminds me of one time in the early days, before the Bit, Hotmail banned me for a month, because I had over 500 unopened e-mails. Hn, hn! Ah Lord, longing for the good, old days! When the wireless stuff works, it’s fine, but the slightest glitch causes untold headache, plus loss of time, money and info. So now I don’t know when I’ll be able to send out the Bit. It’s a good thing I usually do a rough copy by hand, then transfer it to the computer. I just seem to get my thoughts together better that way. Anyhow, I was planning to talk about Hurricane Sandy that seems to be cutting a dangerous path across my second home, the lovely island of Jamaica. And if you’re wondering why I call it my second home, it’s because I lived there from 1966-1969, attending the University of the West Indies on the Mona campus. Don’t ask me what I studied -partying, hanging out and beating pan. (smile) In fact that’s where I became a man, while suffering the first real hardships of life on my own. But you know what Friends, although those were possibly the roughest times I’ve ever been through, overall, I enjoyed it tremendously, because the people treated me like a million dollars, though they didn’t know me from Adam. I now realize that it was the hand of God moving on my behalf, amidst all the testing that He was putting me through, apparently priming me for this work, some thirty odd years later. Believe me Friends, there were a few times if the Lord hadn’t intervened, I wouldn’t be writing this Bit. But enough about me, let’s offer up some serious, heartfelt prayers for the wonderful, though currently down on its luck, island of Jamaica and its beautiful people, asking the Good Lord not to allow Sandy to do too much damage to the already suffering land. Oh fellow believers, I guess a loud ‘Praise the Lord’ is in order, because I just tried sending that message again (4.30) and it seems to have gone through. So, hopefully the Bit will go through too, when I’m finished writing it. And our Bit is the same as the last couple days: ‘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 earnestly contend for the faith which was once (for all time) delivered unto the saints.’ Now yesterday we looked at why Jude felt it necessary to write the epistle, because of the false teachers who were slyly infiltrating the church of Jesus. We also saw that it’s now an even bigger problem in these current times with the availability of untold information and the ease of mass communication. That’s why brethren it’s becoming ever more important to closely watch, monitor and verify what we read, and whom we listen to. This also makes it extremely important for each of us to consistently read and become very familiar with the Good Book, so that we can at least ask questions as we seek the TRUTH. For if we personally don’t know what the Word says, then we can’t counter what anyone else tells us, which is absolutely necessary in these times of much false teaching and teachers. And before we go any further, please note, as one scholar, Bill Crowder, points out, in contending for the faith, we should not be contentious. (smile) That means we have to do it without too much fussing and fighting, quarrelling and belligerence. But instead, as Bruh Paul warns Timothy: ‘And the servant of the Lord must not strive (quarrel); but be gentle unto all men, apt (able) to teach, patient, In meekness, instructing (correcting) those that oppose themselves (are in opposition); if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of (so that they may know) the truth.’ (2 Tim.2:24-25) Ah Friends, that’s sometimes difficult to do, but if we are to be true followers of Jesus, we have to try and adopt His methods. And Jesus was never quarrelsome or argumentative. So I guess that’s one more facet of His Holy nature that we have to incorporate into our faith walk. Unfortunately space and time have run out on us, so, until tomorrow then, hasta manana, when we’ll resume this topic, provided that fits into God’s plans. And if it doesn’t, then we’ll be in an even better situation, in heaven, resting comfortably in the bosom of Jesus. (smile) Much LOVE!…believers MUST read, meditate on and understand the Good Book…so that they won’t be easily led astray…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 October 2012 Psalm 39:1

12 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

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.
 
Ah Friends, you don’t know how many of us have been dying to see this day, this day called Friday! Some of us have been focused on it since leaving home on Monday morning to go to work. So much so, that by lunchtime on Monday, we’re asking, ‘Isn’t it Friday yet?’ And you wouldn’t believe the note of disbelief in our voices, that Friday could be taking so long to come. (smile) But that’s how much we seem to value Fridays. Well Friends, I come bearing good tidings, today is Friday. At last Friday has arrived. And all the worker bees joyfully declare: ‘Yeah! TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes!’  So to celebrate the universal looking-forward to the day before a short freedom from the drudgery of the workplace, let’s joyfully and enthusiastically chant our Friday Chant. As one beautiful voice 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.’ And now that we’ve straightened out our focus and perspective for the weekend, let’s have a gander at our Bit: ‘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.’ And sadly, that’s something we all need to try and accomplish, especially in these times of so much easy and quick communication. The technology is encouraging us to talk a lot more than we should, and behold, the wicked are often the providers and controllers of the technology we use to communicate in this accelerated age of mass communication. Now what does that mean to the believer? In terms of our Bit, it means first of all that we shouldn’t become too deeply involved with, or totally entrenched in the social media apparatus, because they all have built in features to grab your private information and spread it to whomsoever they will, often for a price. So when we put too much of our private information out there, it’s scary to think of the places it could end up and the dishonest uses it could be put to. This social media set up is being used for a lot of fraudulent and criminal purposes. But then, if you can’t resist the temptation of the social media juggernaut, then please, I implore you again, be very careful what you say or write, because as we see everyday, somebody is getting in trouble for the info they shared. It’s also a matter of simple logic Friends; the more we say or write, the more opportunities we have to say or write the wrong thing. Remember what James says about the tongue? ‘Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth (sets on fire). And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue (set) among our members (bodily parts), that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature (existence); and it is set on fire of hell.’ (James 3:5-6) Yes Friends, that’s the living truth, for our tongues have either directly or indirectly caused the majority of the problems in our world today. And in these times of plenty written communication, the tongue is now also wagging the finger when it writes. The sad part is that most of us don’t have much of real importance to say. Or if we do, it can often be communicated in seconds. So why keep on eh? Because we have been conditioned to think that the social media stuff is so great, the greatest thing since sliced bread, and if you’re not totally involved in it, then you’re outside the mainstream of society. Ah mih people, the evil, ungodly followers of Lucifer are just pulling our strings like a puppet, and we are allowing them to do so. Our Bit comes from a psalm of Bruh David, where he’s praying for self-understanding, and I’d like to suggest that we should all be searching for that, instead of just thoughtlessly expatiating in the new medium. It’s time for us to look inside ourselves to see what’s wrong in there, rather than outside, where there’s a lot of heartache and trouble to be found. Bruh David continues after our Bit: ‘I was dumb (mute) with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred. My heart was hot within me; while I was musing (meditating) the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue, Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.’ (Ps.39:2-4) Yes Friends, it’s to our God we should be turning, not the evil stuff that’s sprouting up all over our world, nicely called the social media. Don’t get me wrong, it has it’s useful purposes, but too many of us are being too easily caught up in its all consuming web of lies and deceit. That’s enough for us to ponder today. More on the subject tomorrow if the Lord sees it fit to give us life. Till then, please, let’s keep our talking and writing to a minimum, so that we stand less chance of getting in trouble, and if we have a problem, please, let’s look to our Great God first. That’s as it ought to be. Much LOVE!…words of wisdom…stop…listen…and think…before talking or writing…  P.S. I sure hope I did that. (smile) Much LOVE!