Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 January 2013 Proverbs 22:15

07 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 22:15.     Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
 
Oh Friends, that wonderful day called Monday has come around again! And all God’s children said a hearty ‘Yeah!’ No, I’m not crazy or foolish, just a tad eccentric in wanting to change the attitude of followers of Jesus, so that we don’t abuse the weekend and when Monday rolls around we’re not so blue, tired, whiny and miserable. Instead we’ll be bubbling up with energy, brimming over with it, just dying to get out into the evil, ungodly world that now surrounds us and bring the many lost souls out there to Christ. And I’m going to do it, if it takes me until my dying day – with God’s help of course. And I can hear some of you chuckling and shaking your head in sympathy, sadly muttering, ‘Now we know that he’s truly crazy.’ Aye mih people, I’m just trying to do what God has put it in my heart to do. Anyway to help us accomplish that God-given task, let’s therefore sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with a whole lot of enthusiasm and sincerity. All together now, let’s rock the world this Monday Morning: ‘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!’ Oh Friends, that wasn’t as good as it could or should be, and I’ll chalk it up to the lingering after effects of the Christmas and New Year’s frivolity, but it should be good enough to get us moving. Now let’s move on to our challenging, controversial, but oh so right and truthful Bit. ‘Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.’ Yesterday we looked at some scriptures that warned and encouraged us to instil the Word of God early into the hearts of our children, so that there would be less cause for us to seriously discipline them at a later date. And granted even a century ago we were too harsh and abusive with our offspring. But now we’ve moved right along to the other end of the continuum, where we’re absolutely too lenient with them. In the last few decades we began listening to the wisdom of the world rather than that of God, to the crooks and charlatans about the distastefulness and abusiveness of corporal punishment, and have now abandoned it completely, giving them instead mood and mind altering drugs at a very tender age to combat a whole set of ridiculous neuroses dreamed up by those same crooks and charlatans. All to what good eh my people? To none whatsoever! Because we’ve ended up with a generation of weak, spineless, suicidal, drug addicted, rude, unmannerly, disrespectful, disobedient, selfish, immoral, ungodly, greedy children. Yes people, sadly we listened to all the namby pamby supposed mind doctors and others bewailing that we can’t hit little Johnny or Jenny because that would just make them turn out badly and resort to violence too. Hogwash! What have all the little Johnnies and Jennies’ that didn’t get a good cut-tail every once in a while turn out to be now eh? Violent and undisciplined, ending up in jails and mental institutions at an alarming rate. If we’d pay attention we’d notice that the majority of crime, particularly the violent kind, is being committed mostly be young people, then hopefully we’d ask ourselves why. Why do you think God punished His chosen people Israel so harshly for their disobedience eh, even to the length of several times removing them form the land of the living, or allowing them to be carried into captivity? Because He knew man’s penchant for sinful, unfettered, take it to the limit, ungodly behaviour, and He LOVED them too much to allow them to destroy themselves with earthly lusts and evils. Friends, that’s how we were supposed to LOVE our children too, but unfortunately we did not, we got too soft and lenient with them and thus they took, and are still taking advantage of the situation. Instead of some corporal punishment as the Good Book advises, we sent them to their rooms, where they had all the toys of today to play with, so they never missed nor learned anything from that. My people, as followers of Christ, we cannot pick and choose what to believe of the Bible. It’s either we believe and live by all of it, or we don’t believe any of it. If it says that we must administer some corporal punishment to our children every so often, then so be it. But a lot of that is our fault because we never taught them the Word of God properly in the first place. When you’re taught that from an early age, you understand what’s what, and thus you don’t make half as many mistakes or be as disobedient to require much corporal punishment. My Friends, there’s method in God’s seeming madness. Enough of my spiel though, because this is a very touchy subject with me. And you can see which side I’m on. I’ve been around too long and seen too many children lose their way because of both parental and societal misguidance. Let’s turn now to some scriptures that uphold the wisdom of our Bit. And isn’t it strange that many of them come from the Proverbs of Cousin Sol. Listen up my brethren. ‘He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him chasteneth him betimes (promptly).’  (Prov.13:24)  And again: ‘Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying (do not set your heart on his crying).’ (Prov.19:18) And one more time: ‘Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.’ (Prov.23:13-14)  Ah Friends, as I’ve said on several occasions, we’ve done a great disservice to our children by trying to raise them as though we were bleeding hearts and they would break if we touched them too hard. I can understand the reasoning behind some of it since some of us grew up in real tough situations, but I’m sure you’d agree that many of those tough situations have since proven beneficial when the hard times of life have accosted you. Sadly though our children cannot handle hard times since they are not accustomed to it. As the Good Book says, we get stronger when we face adversity, it forms strength of character. Anyway, it’s not too late for us to begin rectifying the situation. Obviously for those already grown we can’t administer corporal punishment, but we certainly can use other more supposed civilized methods. On a point of interest, I don’t know why we insist on thinking that we’re civilized nuh, when we’re the biggest barbarians ever, just well camouflaged, like wolves in sheep’s clothing, as our actions prove over and over. And here’s one last example to prove my point. Have you ever noticed that the children of rich folks who have everything handed to them on a silver platter, without any responsibility or accountability, more often than not turn out to be the biggest wastrels ever, as opposed to those who are taught to be responsible at a young age? All we’ve done is just lowered the level from mostly rich children not being taught responsibility to children from all income groups. But remember Friends, the results we get come from what we plant and how we nurture it, and we can’t expect to do the same thing over and over and get different results. Please ponder on how we are raising our children today and let’s get back to the godly way, which doesn’t mean a whole lot of corporal punishment, but certainly more of the Word at an early age and more teaching of responsibility and accountability. Much LOVE!…you can’t plant corn and expect to reap peas…or even not nurture the corn properly… and yet expect to reap a great harvest…

 
 
 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 December 2012 Luke 2:19

24 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

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

Luke 2:19.     But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Christmas Eve…and Monday too! And though it’s the holiday season, because of the 24/7 society we now live in, it means many people still have to go to work, and plenty of us still have last minute shopping to do and seasonal preparations to complete. So without further ado, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in loud and in especially thankful voice, for the most wonderful present ever given, Jesus Christ. 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 Friends, this Christmas Season can be such a wonderful time, with all the friendly greetings and such! Why can’t we do it all year round eh? It would certainly lessen the tension in our stressed out, strife-filled world. Oh, I know it’s asking a lot. But I can always hope, can’t I? Anyway, today I want to continue looking at some of the abnormal situations Mary, Jesus’ mother, experienced because of His special status, and her reaction to them. Yesterday we stopped where Simeon and Anna blessed Him in the temple, and spoke such awesome words re the direction and challenges of His life. Today, we move forward some twelve years later where Jesus accompanies His family to the feast of the Passover in Jerusalem. Now when they began the journey back home, unbeknown to His parents, Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. They assumed that he was with their relatives, but on looking for Him after a day’s journey they couldn’t find Him amongst the company. So in obvious worry, they returned to Jerusalem. ‘And it came to pass that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors (teachers), both hearing them and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us (done this to us)? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing (anxiously). And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist (knew) ye not that I must be about my father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.’ (Luke 2:46-51) Ah Friends, no doubt Mary is hurt and aggrieved when her 12 year old son upbraids her thus. But then we encounter again that silent internal strength of hers, where she experiences stuff she doesn’t understand, but knows she has to endure it because of Jesus’ special status. Let me mention one theory of the scholars here, that’s the supposition that Mary herself was the source of Luke’s intimate knowledge of the details of Jesus’ birth. And it’s a prudent supposition, because only his gospel includes all those closely held family details. Now after that we don’t hear about Jesus for twenty years, until He begins His ministry being baptized by John the Baptist. The Good Book just says: ‘And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.’ (Luke2:52) It seems He settled down to a normal human life and obeyed His parents as good Jewish children would. The next instance I want to mention is where Jesus is out preaching, and someone tells Him that His mother and family want to talk to Him, but because of the crowd, they couldn’t get close to Him. And what was Jesus’ reply? ‘My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.’ (Luke 8:21) I don’t know if that statement ever got back to Mary, but if it did, it surely hurt and tied up her heart in knots too, as well as making people around Him consider Him somewhat insensitive. But it’s this next interaction between mother and son that I particularly like. This time though, Mary has the upper hand. It’s at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, where Jesus, His disciples and Mary are all at. And behold, of all the unlikely things, they run out of wine at the wedding. ‘And when they wanted (ran out of) wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee (what does your concern have to do with me)? His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.’ (John 2:3-5) And we all know that eventually He told the servants to fill up the six nearby water pots with water, then to draw out the contents and present it to the master of the feast. And it was the best wine ever! I like how Mary just told Him what was needed, then flounced off and left Him with the servants. She obviously had more than just an inkling of His capabilities and also the goodness of His heart. Now Friends, this next interaction between mother and son is the last, but it’s certainly the one that hurt the most. This takes place at Jesus’ crucifixion. The Good Book describes it thus: ‘Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by whom he LOVED (John), he saith unto his mother, woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.’ (John 19:25-27) Even in all that unbearable suffering, Jesus shows His caring for Mary by having John look after her. But nonetheless that must have been the worst pain Mary ever felt, seeing her beautiful son impaled on that wooden cross, all battered and bruised, and it must surely have brought back the words of Simeon , spoken some thirty three years earlier at Jesus’ presentation. ‘(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.’ (Luke 2:35) Ah Friends, the lives of all mothers are filled with worrisome thoughts and concerns over their children. But I doubt that any other mother in history ever went through the agonizing cycle that Mary went through, right from the announcement of Jesus’ impending birth, up to His crucifixion. But please note the faith and fortitude with she bore it all, no unnecessary whining or complaining, because she knew that all the stuff was happening for a godly and most important purpose. Likewise, most of the things happening in our lives are also for godly, important reasons. Therefore, we also ought to bear them in like fashion. As our Bit describes it: ‘But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.’ Much LOVE!…our reaction to hardship and misfortune…shows the level of our wisdom, understanding and maturity…in Christ Jesus…
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 December 2012 Psalm 3:6

03 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

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

 

Psalm 3:6.    I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about.

Ah Friends, unfortunately it’s Monday! Steups! And as they say, an end to all good things must come. Chuh! The end of the weekend is here, as well as the end of my vacation on God’s L’il Acre of Tobago. This will be my last message from the cosy cottage at Store Bay. It’s certainly been a most wonderful vacation, and it’s somewhat heartbreaking to see it end. No more sea baths, cocks crowing, nor dogs barking – a big ‘confufulation’ is going on right now in the background; about eight or nine of them just barking their heads off. But as our faith so rightly teaches, when the Lord closes one door, He simultaneously opens another of even greater opportunity and blessing. So let’s praise His Holy and LOVING Name this Monday morning at the beginning of December, the time of Christmas celebrations, when He showed His great, unconditional LOVE for us by sending our Saviour, Jesus Christ to be born in a humble stable in the lowly village of Bethlehem. Instead of being miserable and downcast, let’s raise our voices heavenward in prayer and praise to the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD, Jehovah, Creator of this marvellous universe and all therein. Let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with real vim and vigour, so that the Father and all the heavenly host will 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!’ That was great mih people! Heaven sat up and took notice! Jesus was immensely proud, raising a fisted right hand in victory! Now let’s go out and work His work with faith, strength and fortitude, so that we can bring those lost souls with whom we come into contact, safely and LOVINGLY into His wonderful fold. And we have a Bit today that exemplifies true faith and trust in God; encouraging words of Bruh David from Psalm 3, A prayer of confidence in God, written when he fled from his son Absalom, who sought to overthrow him. ‘I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about.’ Now that’s showing supreme faith, confidence and trust in the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! And the good thing about our Bit Friends, is that Bruh David didn’t just mouth those words, he lived his entire life by them. That means we have a perfect example of what the Lord can and will do in our lives if we submit wholly to His Will; a wonderful relationship, filled with LOVE, mercy, grace and forgiveness. What can be better than that eh my brethren? NOTHING! That’s why I don’t understand how people, once they know about Jesus, can ever turn away from Him, because He’s certainly the BEST thing to ever happen to mankind. Ah Friends, the unbelievers, and some of you doubting, fence sitting believers, really don’t know the awesome peace and joy that comes into your hearts and lives when you fully embrace Jesus and His way of life nuh. And here I can talk from personal experience, as sometimes I’m amazed at the peace that has flooded my soul in the last few years, as I try to walk faithfully with the Saviour. Now please, please note, that following Jesus is not an easy row to hoe, because there are all sorts of tests to pass, but Friends, it is definitely an exciting and adventuresome journey. Now listen to this marvellous verse from one of the most beloved and well known scriptures, Psalm 23; the Lord is my Shepherd, which memorably declares, with uncompromising faith: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps.23:4) Wow! Doesn’t that just build enormous strength and confidence in our souls? Of course! And we’ll end with the glorious words of faith and trust from Psalm 27, the Lord is my light and my salvation. Hear Bruh David tell it like it truly is. ‘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? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’ (Ps.27:1-3) Oh my people, let’s go out now, into the evil world that surrounds us, bolstered by those strong, encouraging exhortations, and make a positive difference for Jesus today! It’s the main purpose of our earthly pilgrimage. Much LOVE!…if Jehovah God is for us…then who can be against us eh…NOBODY!…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 October 2012 Deuteronomy 31:6

29 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

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

Deuteronomy 31:6.     Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
 
Oh Friends, blessed greetings on this cold, wet, uninspiring Monday morning! (smile) And plenty thanks be to our wonderful God also, He who so LOVINGLY looks after all our needs! I do hope that all of us who are slated to receive some of ‘Frankenstorm’ Sandy’s wrath have battened down our hatches and made good preparations to withstand the onslaught. Meanwhile, for those of you who have already experienced its ravages, I hope and pray that you are being strong in faith and doing your best to get yourselves back together again. And the rest of you, please pray some righteous, earnest, heart-felt prayers that Sandy doesn’t do nearly as much damage as he or she is scheduled to do. Now Sandy hasn’t even gotten close to me as yet, and I’m already experiencing a bigger leak than normal in the laundry room of my basement. Ah Lord eh! And to make matters worse, the wind and rain is not allowing my fix-it-all guy to get up on the roof, where we suspect the problem lies. But if that’s the biggest damage I suffer, then I’ll gladly live with it. And remember Friends, in the simple, but oh so wise words of the old sage – this too shall pass. So let’s invoke our Bit right now to help us in our time of anxiety. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ Yes Friends, fear is a major factor in all of our lives these days, it’s just that some handle it better, through FAITH and PRAYER, than others. And with that in mind, this first day of our new workweek, when many are afraid of the pending calamity, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, so that our fearful, lazy, bluesy spirits can be lifted, that they may soar like eagles heavenwards together with our prayer, and embolden us, regardless of the circumstances we face, to go out into the unfriendly, ungodly world and make a significant mark for Jesus. All together now, as the harmonious earthly choir that we are. (smile) ‘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!’ There we go my People! All of heaven was pleased with our heady effort! No excuses now for not getting out in a good, strong, faithful, courageous frame of mind. Oh, before we go any further, let me apologize for a typo yesterday. When I quoted the Lord’s command to Joshua, that His Word should constantly be in his mouth, I associated it with Josh.1:9, instead of Josh.1:8. Mea Culpa! Ah Friends, when sin came into the world, it brought fear with it; a sad lack of confidence in many aspects of our lives. But the caring and understanding Deity we serve and worship, realized our human frailty and gave us an outlet to conquer fear through His Holy Word. And throughout the Good Book, especially in the Old Testament, there are numerous examples of God’s assurance to His chosen people. Possibly the most reassuring of all God’s assurances on fear is when Pharaoh’s army was about to overtake the Israelites as they approached the Red Sea, on their journey out of centuries of bondage in Egypt. Although they had witnessed the calamities that the Lord had rained down on Egypt because of Pharaoh’s refusal to let them go, they nonetheless cried out in great fear to Moses, saying it would have been better to remain in slavery in Egypt than to die in the wilderness, cruelly slaughtered in their helpless state by the Egyptian army. But what was Moses’ response? ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace (be quiet).’ (Ex.14:13-14) And we all know how the Lord instructed Moses to lift his rod over the Red Sea, and it was parted, allowing the Israelites to walk over on dry land. However, the Egyptian army was totally annihilated when they tried to cross over, as the Lord rejoined the waters. Up to this day Friends, I believe that’s the most awesome miracle the Lord’s ever done, both in terms of emotional drama as well as sheer physical size. I’ve forgotten the exact figures quoted by people who studied the situation, but it required several miles of space between the waters for some two million Israelites, plus all their animals and household belongings to cross in one night. Now Friends, if you had personally experienced such a miracle, would you have ever had any further doubts in the amazing power, strength and LOVING-kindness of the God of your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? I’d hope not. But unfortunately the Israelites were so fickle and faithless that they complained all the way to the Promised Land, even though the Lord miraculously led them by a pillar of fire at nights, and a cloud by day and also provided food (manna) and water for them along the way. Then when they finally arrived at the border of the Promised Land, they were too scared to go over the Jordan and fight for it, as the Lord instructed. They listened to ten of the twelve spies they sent to reconnoitre the land, who claimed that though the land was fruitful and prosperous, the inhabitants were too big for them to conquer. That’s why they wondered in the wilderness for forty years until all of the generation that had left Israel had died. ONLY Joshua and Caleb, the two spies who voted to go in and fight, ever set foot on the Promised Land. Even poor Moses, after so much struggle with the Israelites, was only allowed to see it from a far off hill, because of his disobeying God’s order to talk to the rock and not strike it at the waters of Meribah-kadesh. (Num. 20:11-13) Ah mih people, such is the negative effect of fear. Please, let’s not allow it to conquer us. Much LOVE!…the only thing that conquers fear…FAITH IN ALMIGHTY GOD…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 September 2012 3 John 4

17 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

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

3 John 4.        I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 

Oh Friends, let’s rise and shine this glorious Monday morning like the brilliant sun that’s peeping over the horizon. That’s with a strong sense of purpose; a sense of purpose that dictates we’ll live as best we can for Christ today! Let’s quickly dispel the grumbling, grouchiness, dismay, anxiety and blues that come rolling around every Monday morning when we have to get up and face the boring, exasperating music of work again. Most of us have no choice but to labour for a living, so let’s ditch the negatives that rise up against us every Monday, and instead grab hold of the positives, like we’ll be able to pay the mortgage and car loans, plus clothe and feed our children, and hopefully pay the million and one other bills that need to be paid. So with all that in mind, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. And though some of you are just getting up, and your voices are still croaky with sleep, (smile) let’s give it our best shot. As one harmonious 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!’ Now that’s my people! The angels were jealous, and Jesus was real proud! So please keep the enthusiasm going, even when the adrenalin returns to normal. And our Bit blends in quite nicely with all that’s gone before: ‘I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.’ Here in his third epistle, John’s writing to a close friend, Gaius, whom he truly cherishes, and wishes to prosper both in physical and spiritual health. He continues by telling of his great joy on hearing the news of Gaius’ steadfastness – he both talked the talk and walked the walk. (3 John 1-3) And having that wonderful news sink into his soul, John declares the glorious words of our Bit, which are so heart-warming that we shall repeat them. ‘I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.’ John isn’t speaking of his own children, (don’t know if he had any) but generally of those whom he helped to come to Christ. To him, nothing could be more beautiful and fulfilling than to hear that they were still walking the straight and narrow path. And no doubt all of us will feel the same about any persons whom we helped in their walk with Christ. But Friends, now I want to go even one step further and solemnly declare that for a believer, there’s no joy comparable to that of hearing that our children, our own flesh and blood are walking steadfastly in and with Christ, the way we taught them! Wow! Nothing can be more rewarding than that my brethren! Yuh hear that mih children? (smile) There’s no greater joy you can bring to the ole fella’s heart than to know that you are walking and talking in true faith as your mother and I endeavoured to teach you, but which first began with your Grandmother Molly. It brings to mind, Bruh Paul’s reminder to Timothy. ‘When I call to remembrance the unfeigned (genuine) faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.’ (2 Tim.1:5)  So please don’t make me a liar children. (smile) Oh Friends, I’m sure you all will agree that there’s no greater blessing a Christian parent can take to his or her grave, than that of knowing their offspring is walking faithfully in the light and truth of Jesus, for that means the gospel will continue to be carried to the whole world, as Jesus commanded, and that the hope for our world to improve will remain strong. Unfortunately though Friends, too many parents of this generation will return to the dust from whence they came without that satisfaction. That is because we have not done such a good job with our children in their early formative years, by teaching them the Word and how to resist temptation when it comes along. So now, too many of them are sadly caught up in the false, glitz, glitter and glamour of the world, on the road to a sad ending, writhing in its vice-like tentacles. That’s why our world is fast slipping into the mire of quicksand that the evil one has laid out for those who foolishly choose to accept his ungodly lifestyle, rather than Jesus’ repentance and salvation based way. But Friends, there’s still hope, because the breath of life still flows through our mortal bodies. But we have to act fast, like RIGHT NOW, working first on those close to us, then on others like our co-workers, to extricate them from the evil tentacles of Lucifer and bring them to the kind, ever-LOVING, peaceful rest, with salvation and everlasting life that’s found under the yoke of Jesus. More on this tomorrow, if life and limb allow. Till then, may the good Lord bless and keep us safely as we go out into this wicked world to work on His behalf. Much LOVE!…saving souls from eternal perdition…that’s why Jesus came to earth…the same is required of His followers…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 July 2012 Acts 5:29

30 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

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

Acts 5:29.    Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God, rather than men.
 
Oh my people, my people, it’s a beautiful Monday morning! So let’s rise and greet it with joy nuh; the joy of our great God, from whence comes our strength! And I have to chuckle at the amount of moans, groans, excuses and inappropriate language I receive in response. But Friends, Monday is a day like any other, it just happens to be the day we return to work after a couple days off and we tend to feel lethargic and lazy to get back into the crazy, slave-like workweek routine. That makes it an unalterable fact, so we might as well just learn to like it, or at least try and live it productively, instead of casting that negative net over it, as we’ve been conditioned to do. And the first step we’re going to take to bring it into a positive and productive pattern is to sing a wonderful, loud and lively rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. So altogether now, let’s banish those Monday blues with joyful praise to our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God. ‘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 Friends, if we don’t get right into God and His Word as soon as we get up, especially on a Monday morning, the enemy will likely creep in and set the wrong tempo and thus spoil our day, which we obviously don’t want to happen. And now we’ll turn our attention to our Bit: ‘Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God, rather than men.’ Oh my brethren, that’s where the believer’s earthly walk has to all start from; obeying our Supreme Maker and not the creation of His hands. For if we keep on obeying men, our world is just going to sink deeper in the mire of greed, selfishness and evil that’s now got it by the throat in a deadly stranglehold. We believers are very guilty of standing idly by while the wicked have their way with God’s world and His people. It’s time we stop doing that and stand up to them Friends, else Christ’s Church runs a real risk of slowly fading into oblivion. And that’s something we definitely can’t afford to let happen. What a great disappointment it would be to Jesus, after giving up so much for us. No Friends, we need to be strong and stand up to the wicked man, who is trying to remove God from our society. We can take an example from the apostles who had much more to lose than we do in those days of unrest and serious persecution of Christ’s Church. The whole thing started after Peter and John healed a lame man by the temple. When the Jewish elders found that out, they took the apostles to task, asking: ‘By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them…Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole… Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:7-8, 10, 12) We all know that’s gospel truth Friends, but how many of us have the parts to proclaim it unashamedly like the apostles eh? Too many believers today suffer from a combination of shame, fear and lethargy when it comes to proclaiming the Word of God, that’s why Christ’s Church is in such sad shape. The early believers both literally and figuratively laid their lives on the line to proclaim the gospel, but we who have much less to fear, are afraid to do so. Just imagine the guts it took for Peter and John to talk back to the Jewish council when they told them to stop preaching Christ crucified. ‘Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.’ (Acts 4:19-20) Yes Friends, that took plenty B. B and B for lowly, uneducated folk to talk to the powerful council in such a disrespectful manner. But all the council could do was threaten them again, then release them, ‘finding nothing how (for which) they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.’ (Acts 4:21)  Oh mih fellow believers, that’s what happens when we go out and diligently and sincerely do God’s work: the people see and believe and glorify the Father! And that’s our main purpose here on earth. But unfortunately we’re not doing a very good job at it at all. We either preach one thing then do something completely different, which leads the people to believe we’re hypocrites like the Jewish elders in Jesus’ time, or we just do nothing at all and allow the wicked to take over. Both approaches are totally unacceptable my Friends, which means we have to change our habits if we want to successfully bring others to Jesus. And we’ll end with some wise advice from Peter: ‘And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy (blessed) are ye: and be not afraid of their terror (threats), neither be troubled. But sanctify (set apart) the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer (a defence) to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (reverential awe).’ (1 Pet.3:13-15) Oh Friends, please let’s follow that wise and wholesome advice nuh, so that we can truly do our bounden duty, seriously affect the lives of others and bring them to belief in Jesus. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. Much LOVE!…if we obey God to the best of our ability…then man won’t have any hold or sway over us…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 July 2012 Revelation 21:4

23 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

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

Revelation 21:4.    And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Oh Friends, it’s Monday, it’s Monday, the day we’re all learning to LOVE! What you say, LOVE Monday? Yes! Because we’re realizing it’s a day that provides wonderful windows of opportunity; for we get to go to work and interact with all sorts of people, where we can joyfully witness for Christ and personally testify to His sacrificial, undying LOVE for all of humanity. And isn’t that our basic purpose here on earth; to win souls for Christ and further His righteous, glorious kingdom? So let’s be up and about our heavenly Father’s business nuh! Let’s chase away those evil, ungodly, lazy Monday blues by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as though we really mean it, with great gusto and enthusiasm. So as one loud, sweet voice now, 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!’ Now that surely makes us feel better, gets the adrenaline liberally flowing through our entire bodies! And my fellow believers in Christ, today we should be twice as joyful because of our wonderful Bit: ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ Wow! Now who wouldn’t be happy, in fact ecstatic about such a divine promise eh? No more pain, sorrow, tears or death! That’s pure heavenly stuff Friends, and certainly attainable when and if we hang with Jesus until the very end! Yes my brethren, all the smart money is on Jesus, not that evil, lying fool Lucifer. The undeniable, unassailable fact is that Lucifer can’t offer us any of those things that Jesus offers in our Bit, but Jesus can surely give you all the worldly things Lucifer can, and more too, if He so chooses, if it falls into His plan for your life. So where are you going to put your money? On Jesus of course, cause He’s the only sure thing in this universe! And as the Lord would have it, I just heard two appropriate kaisos on the T&T radio station, Power 102.1 fm. The first wisely proclaimed that we adults and parents should restrict our own selfish desires and ‘Think about the children.’ And that’s ever so true Friends, because we have done our children a very serious injustice by not teaching them properly about God and the wealth of evil found in this world. That’s why such a high proportion of them are falling for the worthless, glitzy things of the world being brandished before them by Lucifer as the things and lifestyle to work towards. And we all know that to be an utter lie! For the things of Jesus and the lifestyle He personifies are what they should be seeking after. But sadly too many parents never followed the wise advice of the Good Book, which instructed us to ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and (even) when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ (Prov.22:6) And that’s the gospel truth Friends, as many of us old timers can testify to, because all of us at some time in our lives get lost and stray from God for a while, but once we have that solid foundation built into us in our youth, we always find our way back to the straight and narrow path. But it has to be instilled from young, otherwise you won’t truly know right from wrong and will thus be susceptible to anything. And the second kaiso wisely advises us to ‘Look on the bright side, I see a silver lining. Look on the bright side, for the bright side is where we going.’ Now that’s certainly also gospel truth Friends! For the bright side is the one with light, which means Jesus’ side, and that’s exactly where we’re going. So taking into account all of that, then Christians should be the happiest people on Planet Earth! But sadly that is not the case, for too many of us walk around with a sour looking, poor me one disposition and demeanour. That’s why our LOVE Revolution, our witness for Christ is not picking up as much speed and people as it should, for who would want to be associated with sour, miserable people eh? Anyway Friends, the good news is that it’s not too late for us to increase our enthusiasm and passion for Jesus, and consequently our efforts to further His glorious kingdom. My people we need to get a move on with our winning of souls because it certainly seems that the end times are in the offing and there are still too many people who have not even heard about Jesus, much less accepted Him as their personal Lord and Saviour. So if we hope to realize the Father’s dream of not losing even one soul to Beelzebub, we have to get a determined, diligent move on RIGHT NOW! So mih breddren, this Monday morning let’s ponder these things and raise our level of involvement in God’s work. It’s the wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!…who is the Truth…the Light…the Way…Jesus Christ…the ONE who died for us at Calvary… nobody else ever did such a selfless act for all mankind…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 July 2012 Psalm 102:15

16 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 102:15.     So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

Oh Friends, our God is truly something else yes!  Remember yesterday I implored us to pray for rain to quench the parched earth? Well shortly after I sent out the Bit, I went outside and saw a hazy darkness hovering over the land. My passion rose immediately, and I went ‘Wow!’ I thought that it was surely a quick working of our prayers, even though some of us had not even yet read the Bit. However, a couple of hours later, not a drop of blessing had fallen and the sun was out big and bright and hot. Hn! Yeh, though our God is great and all that, in reality, it was a just little too good to be true. But hang on, in mid-afternoon, the skies again became dark, this time with Thor pounding some on his anvil with his hammer. Then around 5.30, wonder of wonders, the welcome noise of raindrops hitting my window began. It was one of those sounds that makes your heart lurch in thanksgiving, and brings a tear of gratitude to your eyes. However that feeling of thanksgiving and gratitude were short-lived, just like the rain, for in less than minutes, after a couple of scattered showers it was all over, and the mighty sun came shining through again. Chuh! I don’t know if the showers of blessing even made a dent in the parched land. It’s like when you’re dying of thirst and all you can get is a mere mouthful of water. That got me to wondering if enough righteous people didn’t pray, or that we just don’t have sufficient righteous people in the first place? (smile) But as the old people would advise, let’s just be thankful for small mercies. At least it rained some. And now after all that preamble, and possibly having said nothing therein, (smile) let’s get down to brass tacks nuh. It’s Monday my Friends, and many of us are singing the Monday Morning Blues because we have to get up and go out to make a living after a lazy weekend. But please remember people that we’re true followers of Jesus, and though He never took an easy step in His earthly life, He always went out with LOVE and joy in His heart and a big, beautiful smile on His face, because he knew that He had to go out and do the Father’s work, regardless of His feelings or opinions. The same applies to us Friends. We’re not going eat or have a roof over our heads unless we go out and labour. And in the course of that labouring, we’re also required to show our LOVE for God and our neighbour, as well as LIVE our Faith, and SPREAD the good news of Christ’s gospel. That means we have to be strong, faithful, diligent, fortitudinous, persevering and NEVER GIVE UP people! Oh my brethren, I know that living for Jesus is a tough row to hoe, but that’s just the way it is. Jesus doesn’t deal in mediocrity. He’s always in pursuit of excellence. So let’s chase away those vapid Monday Morning Blues and instead put on our spiritual armour, sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, then head out into the evil, ungodly world and win some souls for Christ. All together now Friends, in one loud, enthusiastic, meaningful voice: ‘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 Jesus is pulsating in our very souls Friends, let me go and find a suitable Bit, because this is one of those times where the Spirit just gave me a starting thought, then allowed me free rein to run with it. And you all know how I like that. (smile) Oh Friends, I’m back in less than two minutes! Our God is so good to me eh! The Good Book was already opened at Psalm 102, so I decided to peruse it, and voila there was our Bit! ‘So the heathen (nations, gentiles) shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.’ Now isn’t that exactly what we’re called to do my brethren; bring the Word of our God, His omnipotence, glory, mercy, forgiveness and LOVING-kindness to unbelievers?  Remember Jesus’ last command to the disciples was to spread the gospel to all the world, (Matt.28:19-20) and since we’re now the current disciples, that’s become our duty. Now listen to these wise words of Cousin Sol when he dedicated the temple. ‘Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake; (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.’ (1 Kin.8:41-43) Yes mih people, our duty is to go out into the highways and byways, wherever there are unsaved people and bring them to a knowledge of Jesus, of the Holy Spirit, and of the Father, so that the name of the Holy Trinity will become a household name in all the world and our wonderful Three In One God glorified. Please, let’s go out this Monday Morning full of vim and vigour, with hearts filled with a burning passion for Jesus, so that we can increase our efforts to do our bounden duty and bring untold glory to God’s kingdom. Much LOVE!…oh what joy there is in heaven…when even one sinner repents…and today there’ll be lots of joy up yonder…because many sinners shall repent…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 July 2012 Galatians 6:7

09 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

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

Galatians 6:7.    Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 

Oh Friends, it’s Monday, the day we all LOVE! And I suddenly hear a whole lot of hissing, booing, and cursing. ‘What, LOVE Monday! Are you crazy man? What have you been drinking or smoking?’ Unfortunately Friends, all I’ve been doing is drinking water. (smile) Oh I know how we all hate to get up and go to work after a fun-filled weekend, but there’s a good logic towards LOVING Mondays. Sadly though, it comes from that same getting up and going out to work, for that causes us to go out amongst the heathen hordes where we can propagate the gospel, which we all know is our bounden duty. Note that some of Jesus’ last words to His disciples were: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.’ (Matt.28:19-20) And where else can we teach others about Christ eh, if not in the world, outside of our comfortable homes? So my people, if we’re true, devoted, diligent and faithful followers of Christ, we should be just dying for Monday to roll around, so that we can get back out there amongst the numerous unwashed, passionately broadcasting the most excellent, never-ending benefits of embracing Jesus Christ, the One and Only Superstar, as our Lord and Saviour! And Friends, I know we all want to do just that, but though our spirit is willing, our fallen flesh is weak. Anyhow, we also know that where there seems to be no way, our Saviour will always make one. And for Mondays, it’s through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, where we lively up ourselves in the Lord, give our willing spirits a boost, that jumpstart it requires to get us rolling. So all together now, in one loud, brash, defiant, but yet humble and worshipful mood. (smile) ‘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’re all set and rearing to go my brethren, let’s check out our ever so important Bit: ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked (outwitted, outfoxed): for whatsoever a man soweth (does) that shall he also reap.’  Oh Friends, that is the gospel of all gospel truths, for it’s the very foundation, the overriding principle on which God has built His Word and His Universe! As you should all know by now, we cannot outwit or outfox God, for He is all powerful and all-seeing. The scholars give this example: ‘To disobey God’s commands and then escape divine punishment would be to outwit God, thus making a mockery of Him and His Word.’  That will NEVER happen Friends! Therefore, whatever we practice or do, be it good or evil, we will eventually reap a harvest of the seed we’ve sown. I like to think of it as a boomerang; no matter how far you throw it, it will eventually come back to you. Likewise, our deeds will come back to prosper or haunt us. So Friends, if we want to reap things like happiness, prosperity and generosity, then we first have to sow seeds of happiness, prosperity and generosity. The Lord will not give them to us unless, like the farmer, we first plant a seed. So let’s get out there and plant plenty good seeds nuh, so that we can reap an exceedingly abundant harvest of good! Now here’s an appropriate scripture for us to ponder on today: ‘For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth of the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.’ (Gal.6:8) More gospel truth Friends! Please let’s pay close heed to it. Much, much LOVE, mih people!…the wise will sow seeds of LOVE…while the wicked those of hate…but both will reap their reward in the same currency in which they sowed…for you can’t plant peas and expect to reap corn…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 July 2012 2 Peter 1:8

02 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

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

2 Peter 1:8.    For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Oh Friends, unfortunately it’s Monday! Please no moaning and groaning, (smile) because it means labouring time again…except for us lucky ones in this great, north country of Canada, where we’re celebrating our 145 Birthday. Happy Birthday Canada! But since the first of July fell on a Sunday, today, Monday becomes the de facto holiday. And yuh better believe the birthday party is going to go right down to the wire tonight, with barbecues flaming, fireworks lighting up the night skies, and a good time being had by all. But a word of caution Friends. As Granny used to say: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please remember to mind yuh business.’ Yes Friends, it’s ever so important that we don’t overdo the good times, and be very careful not to give the evil enemy any leeway into our lives. Now, for the benefit of all those who have to go out and face the evil hordes of Beelzebub this morning, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in loud voice, as one. 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 mih people, that should hold us in good stead, give us a strong foundation as we go out to do the Lord’s work today! But here’s some more help that comes from our Bit: ‘For if these things be in you (are yours), and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren (useless) nor unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.’ And what are these things Friends, that Peter’s talking about that shall make us abound and be fruitful in Christ? Well to find out the things that will help us to grow in grace, we just have to look to the verses before our Bit: ‘And beside this (also for this very reason), giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance (self-control): and to temperance patience (perseverance); and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity (LOVE).’ (2 Pet.1:5-7) Oh my brethren, without a doubt, if all those good and excellent things abound in us, how can we not grow in Christ and be exceedingly fruitful eh? Now here’s what the scholars have to say about those character builders: ‘In this section Peter urges his readers to grow to spiritual maturity. Add to your faith indicates the areas of growth that follow after salvation. Virtue is moral excellence. Knowledge is spiritual truth. Temperance is self-control. Patience is endurance. Godliness is God-likeness. Brotherly kindness (Gr. philadelphian) is brotherly LOVE. Charity (Gr. agapen) is volitional LOVE. This process is a lifelong cycle of spiritual growth for all believers.’ Oh Friends, I’m sure when some of us look at all those requirements for spiritual growth, we’ll get cold feet. But please don’t be afraid, for we’re not expected to develop that Christ-like character overnight, but it’s a process we have to go through, like the making of steel from basic iron ore, and it takes time, sometimes our entire lives. And be sure that if you’re serious, and your heart’s in the right place, the Lord will see it and offer all the help you need. In Jesus’ words: I am the true (genuine) vine, and my Father is the husbandman (the vinedresser). Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth (prunes) it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” (John 15:1-2) So we don’t have to worry, our God will guide us kindly and carefully. Remember His yoke is easy and His burden light, (Matt.11:30) so He won’t try to force it all on us at once. He knows what we’re all capable of and will guide us at the speed to which each of us is capable. And finally, as Bruh Paul told the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil.1:6) Yes Friends, rest assured that whatever work the Lord begins in us, He will finish. He will continue working in us until Jesus returns. Re the scholars: ‘This speaks of the Christian’s eternal security. For God had a purpose in view when He began His saving work in the Philippians, and that purpose will neither be abandoned or unrealized.’ My people, the same reasoning applies to us. God will never leave nor forsake us. Please, let’s write that indelibly in our hearts, minds and souls, so that we can stand strong in Jesus. Much LOVE!…to be LOVED…to be LOVED…oh what a feeling …to be LOVED by Jesus…

 

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