Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 June 2019 2 Corinthians 5:17.

15 Jun 2019 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 5:17.      ​Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
 

Saturday, O Saturday, how I do LOVE thee…even though I don’t get to sleep in as late as I would like to! (smile) Yes, for many of us Saturday is simply a day to sleep in as late as possible, after five early morning risings to join the rat race called going to work. But unfortunately some of us do have work to get up and do, even on a Saturday, like writing the Bit, so we don’t have that luxury. 

Aye mih big daughter, are you going to write me and sigh again, that I’m complaining? (smile) Brother! The other day when I spoke about how inconvenient it was going to the hospital everyday for the radiation therapy, the lady accused me of complaining! But to each his own yes. As the song says, ‘only he who feels it knows it.’ Still LOVES you a whole lot though mih first born! (mucho hugs & kisses) 

Anyway, enough pussyfooting, it’s Saturday and our friend Anselm has sent us a whole slate of quotes this past week, as he sincerely aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one says: ‘If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.’ And unfortunately, that’s no lie! If you allow the expectations of others to rule your life, then it will always turn out their way, and not yours. Neither can you do the same thing all the time and expect a different result. 

Then there’s this: ‘Being positive is like going up a mountain. Being negative is like sliding down a hill. A lot of times, people want to take the easy way out, because it’s basically what they’ve understood throughout their lives.’ Yes, if you want to do something right, you have to expend time and energy, as if you’re indeed climbing a mountain. It just doesn’t happen on a lazy, negative slide downhill. 

And is our current society ever famous for taking the easy way out! Everything we do these days is about how fast and easily we can do it. ‘Now for now’ is our motto! Patience, or taking our time and putting some blood and sweat into our activities has fled from our society. So it’s not surprising that that’s all this current generation knows. 

Therefore we have to: ‘Watch out for the joy-stealers: gossip, criticism, complaining, faultfinding, and a negative, judgmental attitude.’ Especially in these current strife-filled times, for those are negative actions that are very persuasive and prevalent today! What with all the t.v shows that only feature resentment, deceit and strife! And when they are added to the sewer that’s called the social media, where negativity, falsehood and utter nonsense proliferate, what else can you expect of our society eh? 

Now listen to this quote: ‘For a really long time, I thought being different was a negative thing. But as I grew older, I started to realize we were all born to stand out; nobody is born to blend in.’ And that’s the living truth my people! Why do you think the Lord made each of us with things like different fingerprints, and that no one in this entire world is exactly the same as anyone else eh? Because He wanted us to be individuals first and foremost, not clones. 

And He also had a special and separate plan for each person He created. And that’s why, as believers, as His followers, Jesus admonished us to be the salt of the earth, and not to hide our lights under a bushel, otherwise we’d be wasting the Father’s talents and purposes that He’s placed inside each of us. He didn’t just want His followers to blend in with the crowd, but to stand out, loud and proud! 

And this last quote is a very interesting one: ‘One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. And so when I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don’t invest any energy in them, because I know who I am.’ 

Now that’s wisdom of much magnitude anyhow you cut it! But since this is a Christian Blog, (smile) then we ought to talk about that in Christian terms. I don’t know if the author of the quote meant it that way or not, but we can only be strong in who we are if we first know and then constantly remember who we are in Christ Jesus, because He is the ONE who gives us all that we need to live this life being true to ourselves and pursuing our God-given goals! 

And the first thing we need to know is as Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ Oh friends, is it ever important that we see and think differently when we come to Jesus! We are a new creation, and therefore need to look at the world and the things of Christ in a new and different way. 

We must put aside our old habits and pick up new ones that involve Christ and His desire for our lives. We need to sincerely believe that ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:13) As well as ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:19) 

Yes my brethren, those are two foundational scriptures that a believer must have written indelibly in his or her heart, soul body and mind, else he or she will not be able to function wisely as an ambassador for Christ and enjoy the abundance of life He died to give us! 

And one last thing that Bruh Paul highlighted to the church at Rome: ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; the Jew first, and also to the Greek.’ (Rom.1:16) Oh my people, my people, if it’s one thing we must NEVER do is be ashamed of Christ and His saving gospel! It doesn’t make sense to claim you are a Christian then be ashamed to acknowledge the One and the actions that make you who and what you are! 

And Jesus said it very clearly: ‘Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.’ (John 10:33-34) 

So basically when we know who we are in Christ, we must believe that He will help us to do everything He calls us to do; He will also provide all that we need, if we seek Him earnestly, and we can’t ever be ashamed of Him and deny Him in public, as so many supposed believers do, else He will do the same to us in His Father’s heavenly court. So there it is in a nutshell! It’s all up to us now! Much LOVE!

…only in Christ…can we ever become…what we were created to become…

P.S. Yes, it’s long and late, but chocked full of useful info! (smile) Much LOVE! 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 September 2016 Proverbs 3:5-6.

24 Sep 2016 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:5-6.    Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.

Well friends, it’s the first Saturday in the northern climes fall season.  So what is it to you eh, you ask? Well if you’re living in a tropical climate, then it means zero, zilch (smile). But if your abode is in the north country, then you have to start taking out jackets, sweaters, long pants, and long johns for some, and put away the skimpy tops and shorts till next summer. 

The thing that annoys me about autumn though is that sometimes the days look so bright and warm and sunny, and you go out dressed for such, but as soon as the sun begins to set, the cold weather creeps in, and you find yourself not suitably dressed for it. And yet, many of us still flaunt the macho image by being not properly dressed in those in-between times. 

That’s why so many people get sick around this time. Anyway, to each his own, and as the man said, if you don’t pay me now, you’re going to pay me much more later on, when things like arthritis begin to take their toll. It’s just like Christians who don’t do what they are supposed to, and pay a hefty price later on. (smile) 

Now since it’s Saturday, let’s turn to a couple of quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us. And the first one is certainly good advice. ‘Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams.  Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential.  Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.’ 

Yes friends, we should not dwell on the negatives in our lives, but we must learn from them and then move on to the bright future that lies ahead, gloriously waiting for us, as we follow Jesus. 

And the second one is ever so true. ‘Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.’ 

Gospel truth mih people, and I can testify to that on a small level. But you’ll notice the numerous hangers’ ons, the large entourages that travel around with the reigning celebrities in good times. However, when the rough times come, a lot of it from spending lavishly on those same leeches and parasites, they simply disappear and look for another sucker.  

And the best way to prevent such shenanigans is by paying heed to our Bit. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ 

Ah friends, truer words were never spoken, or better advice ever given! 

Hear how the scholars explain it nuh.  ‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning “rely on, depend on”; lean not, meaning do not depend on your own native instincts; and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths straight before you.’ 

It makes perfect sense my brethren! God is the omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present Creator of the universe and He controls every aspect of it, so He is obviously the best person to get into partnership and fellowship with, if we truly want to be successful. 

Now one thing is for sure, He will not forsake you when times get rough and you have to ride the bus rather than preen in the limousine. He will be right there riding the bus beside you. That’s the kind of God we worship my people; faithful and trustworthy to the very end! 

And listen to how Cousin Sol continues after our Bit. ‘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)  

More wonderful words of wisdom my fellow believers! Unfortunately though, we can give others the best advice possible, but it’s still their decision to act on it or not. As they say, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. The same goes for human beings, especially in these godless and ever so lustful and sinful times! 

And then again, sometimes we try it, but don’t get the results we want, or they don’t come as quickly as we desire, so we lose faith. But if we pay serious attention to Bruh David’s words from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked – we’ll see that after he says: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).’ He then specifies: ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps.37:3-4) 

Yuh see friends, we need to take pleasure in being obedient to God, before we can get the desires of our hearts. The Lord doesn’t just give out desires for no good reason; we first have to invest time, energy, trust and faithfulness in the relationship. Another thing we need is patience, here considered perseverance. 

Bruh David ends Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation thus: ‘Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:14) Notice how he emphasizes waiting, both at the beginning and at the end of that wonderful encouraging and uplifting verse. 

Ah friends, impatience is one of the serious mistakes we make as Christians. We want to apply the now for now system of the world, but that is not God’s way. He will give us all we desire, but in His own time and in His own way. And until we learn to wait patiently on Him, while keeping a good attitude and being obedient, we’ll never fully attain the great plans He has for our lives. 

More on this tomorrow, the Lord willing. Till then, may He bless and keep us safely, and cause His wonderful countenance to shine upon us, and give us His peace which surpasses all understanding. That’s my prayer for us this day. Much LOVE!

…only as we obey…trust in…give thanks…delight in…and are faithful to Almighty God…will our lives be truly blessed…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 June 2015 Psalm 27:14‏

24 Jun 2015 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 27:14.   Wait (in patient faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in patient faith), I say, on the Lord. 

Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella had a rough night. Mama yo!

I went to bed around twelve, much earlier than usual, but unfortunately the sleep wasn’t great, for I woke up twice during the night with cramps in both legs. Glory Be! (smile) What else can I say eh? Even now I can still feel the knot in my right calf.

But yuh know what my fellow believers? This is a brand new day, and we have to embrace it as such. The sun’s shining brightly, and the construction noise is starting up in my area. (smile)

So though this earthly life might be a bit rough at times, we desperately need to remember that our great God is still on His heavenly throne running things and consequently place all our cares in His most capable hands. I don’t understand why I’m having cramps when I believe I’m doing all the things I should do to prevent them. 

But them’s the breaks, and as I keep preaching, I just have to grin and bear them, believing that God must have some higher purpose that my small, finite and fragile mind can’t comprehend.

And since today is Wednesday, let’s wail our most appropriate Wednesday Wail. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.

My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’

And that’s exactly how it ought to be my brethren! And our most encouraging and uplifting Bit demonstrates the point very nicely. ‘Wait (in patient faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in patient faith), I say, on the Lord.’

Oh my people, if only we were a society imbued with patience eh, what wonderful and marvellous things our God would do in our midst!

But sadly we are not. All our modern inventions have driven us down the road of impatience, because they are making things happen quicker and quicker. In some respects that’s good, but in others it’s not, because it only breeds a wrong sense of immediacy in everything.

And that’s the current state of our society, where we want everything now for now, if not yesterday. And unfortunately that now for now attitude is moving us even further away from the God of our fathers, who desires us to wait patiently in faith on Him. No wonder our world is so quickly going to hell in a hand basket.

As a result, we are in desperate need of Christians to delay, or rather to stop that descent into Hades. And how do we do that?  

By turning sincerely and seriously back to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, once again honouring Him with our lives and waiting patiently with hungry hope and expectant faith for Him to guide us on the straight and narrow path that leads directly to Him.

Ah mih people, it’s a sad commentary on our lives, but way too many of us supposed believers are still too hooked on the flashy, but flimsy things of the world, and are not sufficiently focused on the everlasting things of God. And until we change that, things will never get better. It certainly is sad, but it’s oh so true!

Now let’s look at some scripture that support our Bit. And we’ll begin way back in olden times, when Jacob in his last days was blessing his sons. After blessing Dan, Jacob faithfully declares: ‘I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.’ (Gen.49:18)

And knowing the ole crook that Jacob had been earlier in life, and how he ended up, gives us a positive outlook, that we too can turn our lives around if we so desire, and if we partner sincerely with Jacob’s God.

Now listen to Isaiah as he foreshadows Israel’s deliverance. ‘Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.’ (Is.8:16-17) Yeh Friends, deliverance is in the offing, but one needs to wait for it, to seek the Lord with all thine heart, body and soul!

And again in a hymn of praise, Isaiah unconditionally declares: ‘The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh (make level) the path of the just. Yea, in the way of thy judgements, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.

With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.’ (Is.26:7-9)

Oh Friends, what wonderful sentiments! But it’s obvious that the Lord’s judgements aren’t yet in this world, for we surely have not learned righteousness.

And we’ll close with these words of Bruh Paul on the Christian life to Titus. ‘For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (age);

Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing (Second Coming) of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar (His own special) people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.’ (Titus 211-15)

Oh my brethren, those words of heavenly wisdom also apply to us today. As we look with expectant hope and faith for the Second Coming of Jesus, let us make sure that we do the best we can in all aspects of our lives. We know exactly what is required of us, so please, let’s do it nuh. It’s all in our best interest. Much LOVE!

…if for nothing else but the LOVE of our children…Christians would be well advised…be wise…to follow God’s guidance…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 May 2015 Psalm 46:1‏

12 May 2015 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 46:1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in time of trouble.

Oh Friends, oh Friends, it’s one of those days when the ole fella is a tad under the weather. Nothing to really talk about, but just not humming on all cylinders yet. (smile)

But you know what, last night, or this morning, if you prefer, for the first time this year, I sat out on my porch around 1.30 and communed with nature and my Maker.

Oh Friends, it was so serene and peaceful that I didn’t want to come inside and go to bed. (smile)  Just feeling the cool breeze wash over me in the quiet of the night hours, after the rain had washed everything clean, and watching the trees dance a slow waltz to the music of the wind… Ah, it brought such peace and calm to my soul!

You know, I believe one of our big problems in this current society is a lack of admiration and communication with nature in its natural state. Just sitting and admiring God’s handiwork seems to be a lost art these days.

We’re too busy to just sit and enjoy and admire the things God made for us to just sit and admire and get His peace and serenity in our souls. What a waste that is my people!

But here is a poem from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H Schuller) Hour of Power devotional, which I shared last year, and feel the need to share again this year, that addresses that problem; our basic busyness and impatience. It’s titled: ‘Let Go and Let God.’

And it says: ‘As children bring their toys with tears for us to mend, I brought my broken dreams to God, because He was my Friend. But then, instead of leaving Him in peace to work alone, I hung around and tried to help with ways that were my own.

At last I snatched them back and cried, “How can You be so slow?” “My child,” He said, “what could I do? You never did let go.”

And that, my people, is exactly how we operate with God. We come to Him in prayer, but then don’t give Him the chance to do it in His own time and pace, because we are programmed by this ever-busy, impatient society, to want things now for now.

But that’s not how our God works, my brethren. And until we realize that, and give Him the time and space to work on our problems, we’ll never be happy or satisfied with Him.

Please remember though, the wise and sage words of our Bit. ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in time of trouble.’

Yes Friends, Almighty God, the Creator of the universe and all therein is our source of refuge and strength in times of need! It seems only logical to seek the help and advice of the One who created us, and all else that there is!

But we, through foolish pride and sinful arrogance simply refuse to bow to God’s supremacy, instead choosing the evil and wicked ways of the world to base our lives upon. Friends, the Bible calls that a fool’s wisdom.

Please remember Moses’ exhortation to obedience to the Israelites during their journey to the Promised Land: ‘Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgements, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.

Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

For what nation is there so great, who hath (a) God so nigh (near) unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgements so righteous as all this law, which I have set before you this day?’ (Deut.4:5-8)

Yes my people, great nations follow the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! That is how they become great. But once they get too big for their britches, and start moving away from God, then a time of hardship and decline is ushered in, because of their folly.

You see it in the history of the Israelites and many other powerful nations of the world, and of course in our current society, where we became great because our society was built on the foundation of the rock of Christ.

But as all the others, once we got powerful, we foolishly thought that it was our strength that got us there, and now we’re trying move God out, and our problems are quickly multiplying, while our prosperity is declining with each new day.

Oh Friends, oh Friends, unless we turn back to sincerely worshipping and serving the Most High God Jehovah, our society will end up in ruins. There are no ifs, ands and buts about that! So please, let’s wake up and be wise nuh.

Let’s accept the truth of Bruh David’s words from Psalm 62. ‘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.62:7-8)

Oh my people, that is such obvious truth, that I can’t understand how we don’t see it, especially with all the supporting evidence to prove it. But I guess that stems from our natural prideful and sinful nature, in conjunction with all the embellishments and eye-candy that’s constantly been bombarded on us by the evil society in which we live.

However Friends, as true believers in, and sincere followers of Jesus, we’re not supposed to embrace the things of the world, but the things of God.

And we’ll end with this most appropriate warning from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom.12:2)

Words of absolute wisdom my brethren! Please, I implore us to take them to heart, and put them into serious action, if we desire our society to be prosperous and powerful. Much LOVE!

…Christians should be IN the world…but not OF it…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 March 2015 1 John 1:9‏

28 Mar 2015 Leave a comment

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

1 John 1:9.   If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Well Friends, it’s a Saturday morning at the end of March and that encouraging and uplifting season of spring has been touted as being in the air. Technically it’s now spring, being that for over a week now. But the reality of the situation is entirely different. It’s minus plenty outside right now, and the high for later on is only about a big fat ZERO, with the wind chill factor of the strong and cold March winds making it even worse.

Oh for the warm, tranquil, scenic and idyllic climes of Tobago! (smile) But I do believe that the weather is taking a negative toll on the populace. It’s been a pretty bad winter and it just keeps dragging on with no seeming end in sight.

And then the time change hasn’t helped matters either. However my people, our world wasn’t designed and set up haphazardly. Our God put plenty thought into it, and just like night follows day, and vice versa, spring always follows winter, this one is just taking its own sweet time. (smile)

And you can guess that the word for today is ‘PATIENCE!’ It’s a word though that’s fast fading from our vocabulary. But like the Roman dramatist, Plautus (254-184 B.C) is reputed to have said, way back then: ‘Patience is the best remedy for every trouble.’

And he does have a point, especially in this rat-race society of ours, where we’re accustomed to the quick- fix, the now for now stuff; like fast food drive ins, credit cards to spend cash we don’t have, etc. etc. We even expect to be healed quickly of all and any sickness that befalls us. But that unfortunately is not always the case. More often than not we need to execute patience and allow the passing of time to fix our brokenness.

It would do our society a whole lot of good if we would learn to wait. There’d be less stress, and thus less heart attacks in relatively young people, less debt, and less of a whole lot of other negative things. And unfortunately many of us Christians are being pulled into the crazy vortex of the world’s lunatic rush for everything.

Remember, we are supposed to be in the world, but not of it. (Rom.12:2)  James also tells us that friendship with this world means enmity with God. (James (4:4) And John in his first epistle clearly tells us not to LOVE this world nor the things in it, for if we do, then the LOVE of the Father is not in us.’ (1 John 2:15)

So Friends, please let us cut down on the haste and the inability to wait, for it will only cause us bigger problems in the long run. And Bruh Paul reminds us, that as Christians, if we hope for something that we can’t see, then we ought to wait with patience, perseverance and eager expectation for it, it will come, all in God’s good time.  (Rom.8:25)

That brings us to our Bit. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’

Oh Friends, that’s one of the most important verses in the entire Bible, that’s why we’re spending so much time on it. Sin, as we know, has been man’s Achilles heel ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. Now sin is very obnoxious to our holy and just God, and that is why He sent Jesus down from heaven to save us from them. And the Good Book has a lot to say about it, from the earliest days right down to the last ones.

So let’s look at a couple of scriptures that deal with sin nuh. We’ll begin with a most appropriate passage, one that nicely describes what we were just talking about.  It comes from John, when he was baptizing in the Jordan. ‘The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ (John 1:29)  

And Friends, if anybody should know about that, it was John, for he was sent as the harbinger to proclaim Jesus’ coming and His message of salvation!

Now listen to this passage from Psalm 103; Bruh David’s song of Thanksgiving for God’s mercy. ‘The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness).

He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgression from us. Like a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps.103:6-14)

Again my people, if anybody ought to know about sins and their forgiveness, it is Bruh David, for he passed through his fair share of sinfulness, but the Lord forgave him whenever he cried out in confession and begged for mercy. And yuh see what he says, ‘as far as the east is from the west,’ the Lord has removed our sins from us.

Oh what a mighty and merciful God we serve my people! No other deity does anything like that. So I don’t see why it’s so difficult for us to come to the Lord and confess our sins, when we re guaranteed forgiveness and LOVING –kindness!

Friends, we’re allowing the wicked world in which we live to brainwash us with its fleshly lusts and bright, shiny but unworthy stuff, and that’s not wise. So please let’s wake up from our foolishness, and attain unto wisdom nuh; let’s confess our sins to Almighty God and be forgiven. Now that is heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!

…confession is always good for the soul…especially when it brings forgiveness and mercy…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 July 2014 John 21:22

23 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

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

John 21:22.   ‘Jesus saith unto him, If I will (desire) that he tarry (remain) till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.’  
 
‘Just one of those days, just one of those days…’
 
Yes Friends, it was just one of those days, or rather nights, when impulsively, and some may say foolishly, I was lured by the sweet song of the summer siren on to my front porch late last night, until after 1 a.m. And what was I doing out there at that late hour?
 
Why, simply enjoying the cool, fresh morning air, eating watermelon and playing games on the Duchess’ I-pad, watching the lightning flash around me, listening to the thunder roll ominously, communing with my wonderful God, until the rain finally began falling. Mama Mia! And I might have been out there even later if the rain hadn’t begun blowing in on me. (smile)
 
And when I did get to bed, this time lulled by the sweet song of the falling rain, I obviously didn’t have the parts to resist the temptation to sleep in until after six o’clock this morning. And that’s my story…and I’m sticking to it! (smile)
 
Yeh mih people, I’ve promised myself to enjoy this summer, come hell or high water, for who knows how many more I’ll see eh? And as far as I’m concerned the weather’s been most excellent; not too hot, with a cool breeze blowing most of the time, thus making the need for air conditioning unnecessary.
 
Although I’m not doing anything terribly exciting, simply enjoying the days as they pass by, with a deep peace in my soul, doing what I can and not worrying about what doesn’t get done, waiting with hungry hope and expectant faith, trusting the Lord to work everything out in His own time and in His own way.
 
And my fellow believers that is exactly where a lot of us fall down; we’re eager to do stuff, but we can’t wait for God’s timing. Unfortunately we fall for the world’s now for now folly, its need for constant busyness, and therefore rush to do whatever it is, outside of God’s timetable. Obviously our plans fail or falter, and then we get frustrated and miserable.
 
Trust me Friends, for I certainly know of wherewith I speak from loads of personal experience. (smile) There are all sorts of things that I’ve wanted to do, and thinking it was God’s will, set out to do them, only to realize that it wasn’t yet on His schedule. Now there are some that I’m still hoping to do, but am playing it, or trying to play it cool right now, expectantly watching and eagerly waiting to see how God’s plan for my life unfurls.
 
Oh Friends, there are too many good things He’s put in my heart, that never to allow them to come to fruition would be a total repudiation of His Word, re to give me the desires of my heart. And I know that our wonderful God will NEVER allow His word to be repudiated.
 
As He says in Isaiah: ‘So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void (without fruit), but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.’ (Is.55:11)
 
And all God’s children sang out with a loud, lusty and joyful, ‘Praise the Lord for His LOVING-kindness to the children of men!’ 
 
So my brethren, if today you find yourself in a similar spot, just rearing to go on some project that God’s placed in your heart, please be careful, talk to Him and make sure that it’s His time for it, because if it isn’t, you’ll only end up disappointed, and even begin doubting or struggling with your faith.
 
Now that doesn’t mean you have to go to the other extreme and rest on your fanny, conveniently using the excuse that it’s not God’s time. (smile) Don’t worry, I struggle with that too. Everyday I ask Him whether what I sometimes consider laziness or lethargy in not doing certain things is His will?
 
For whenever I plan to do some things which to me need doing, other things just seem to crop up and overshadow them, and I’m left wondering whether it was my fault, or simply God’s mysterious moving.
 
The important thing though my people, is not to worry. Be obviously concerned, and keep talking to God about whatever is happening, but never, never worry, for worrying won’t help, but often makes matters worse.
 
Ah mih breddren, regardless of what some may say, please be assured that our God is a great and wonderful God; most excellent in compassion, mercy, forgiveness and LOVE! He’ll never lead us astray, and above all, He keeps His promises!
 
So whatever He’s sincerely promised, He WILL deliver, He WILL fulfill, but we need to work in consort with Him, not He with us, for remember, He is the Boss, our Creator, Provider, Guide and Strong Tower.
 
And now that I’ve written all of that from the heart, guided by the Holy Spirit, let me go and find a Bit that will fit it. (smile) Soon come.
 
Oh Friends, I’m back in less than five minutes, with a Bit that fits. Now listen up closely. ‘Jesus saith unto him, If I will (desire) that he tarry (remain) till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.’
 
In other words, mind your own business. Don’t look too closely at what I’m doing in the lives of others, simply concentrate on what I’m trying to do through you.
 
That was just one of the many times that Jesus rebuked Peter. It occurred after He’d asked Peter three times, if he LOVED Him, got an affirmative reply each time, then each time told Peter to feed his sheep. (John 21:15-19)
 
The Good Book then informs us: ‘Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus LOVED, (John) following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do (what about this man)? Jesus saith unto him, If I will (desire) that he tarry (remain) till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.’ (John 21:20-22) 
 
But as is often the case, though we hear the same words, we often interpret them differently, for the Good Book continues: ‘Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will (desire) that he tarry (remain) till I come, what is that to thee? This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. (John 21:23-24)
 
Yuh see Friends, the amazing power of jealousy and envy and gossip? Apparently John was one of the few, if not the only one not to consider Jesus’ statement as meaning that He wouldn’t die.
 
And we’ll end with an interesting explanation from the scholars. ’21:20-23. Perhaps John added this account to counteract a commonly believed notion that Jesus had predicted that John would not die. He did outlive all of the other disciples. In fact, all of the others were probably dead by the time John wrote this beloved gospel in about A.D. 85’
 
Ah my fellow believers, it’s obvious to us today that Jesus never meant that John should never die, but in the simple, uneducated minds of those early disciples, especially after seeing all the miracles Jesus performed, that was certainly a possibility.
 
All Jesus was saying to Peter, and to us, is what 3 Canal so wisely and to the point say in their song: ‘Mind yuh business, mind yuh own business, seek your own interest, stop minding (other) people’s business… And if you ent have no business, well yuh better find a business, seek yuh own interest and stop minding people’s business, mind yuh own business…. Yuh too darm farse…’
 
Ah Friends, Jesus could not have put it any better. (smile) And if we’d only follow that wise formula, all our lives would be so much better; less frustrating, and not fraught with the envy, jealousy and resentment that now cloud them.
 
Those words, my people, slang-like though they may be, are indeed full of godly wisdom. Let’s follow them nuh… provided we want to live better lives. Much LOVE!
 
…the Lord has different plans for different lives…it’s not our job or purpose to question them…just to follow His plan for OUR LIFE…

 

 

 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 November 2012 Proverbs 16:32

03 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 16:32.    He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
 
Oh Friends, oh Friends, yesterday we saw the sun in our area for the first time in several days! Wow! Now it wasn’t a big, bright, powerful, burning orb, but it produced enough light and glare that I had to put on my sunglasses, which had been languishing in my car for I don’t know how long. And though the wind and rain had also stopped, the ground was still soaking wet from all the heavenly moisture that fell upon it this past week. Now where was all that moisture when we so badly needed it in the hot, dry summer eh? Anyway, since we keep proclaiming that Jehovah God is still in control of the universe He created, and since His mental prowess is also much greater than ours, we have to accept that He knows what He’s doing, just grin and bear it, and say ‘Thank You Lord.’ However, that is something a lot of us believers are not able to do, especially in this now for now society in which we currently live, where the technological advances have brought us to expect everything immediately, if not sooner. Do you see how we behave when we have to wait, or line up for anything? Look at how we behave in the supermarkets or the gas stations, if we find the person in front of us is, in our opinion, taking too long? The same thing happens on the road when we dipsy doodle in and out of traffic, or cut somebody off, just to get one car length ahead. The one that takes the cake though is how we behave when we’ve been waiting for a parking spot for a few minutes, then someone else suddenly comes up and drives right into it. Hn! That sort of action has become so commonplace now, that we even had to coin a term for it; road rage. Oh my brethren, our society has become so soft and spoilt that the minute, or rather the second we don’t get our way, we’re much more liable to explode in anger with all sorts of deleted expletives fouling the atmosphere, than we would done even ten years ago. But Friends, our Bit tells it differently, tells it the way it ought to be. ‘He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.’ And that’s the living truth my people! When we learn to control our angry emotions and outbursts, then we’re better than the mighty men of valour and also the conquerors of cities. Now isn’t that something? Yes my people, when we control ourselves we display an essential attribute that is sadly lacking these days, thanks in part also to the busyness of our society. I know it’s sometimes difficult to do with so many people working two and three jobs just to make ends meet. Then we definitely don’t have a waiting mode. But Friends that impatience and tendency to always be in a hurry leads to all sorts of negative stuff like anger, that produces verbal abuse, which can very easily lead to simple assaults, that then turn into out and out violence. Oh my brethren, it cannot be overstated that we all need to slow down, take some time to think seriously about our irrational behaviour that’s now at an all time high. Cousin Sol, the wisest man ever, knew what he was talking about when he wrote: ‘He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit (impulsive, short tempered) exalteth folly.’ (Prov.14:29) And isn’t that the awesome truth Friends! Besides making us seem wise and understanding, being slow to anger also helps us live longer, since our blood pressure and heart rates aren’t flaring up all the time with adrenalin surges. It also stops us from making a lot of wrong and painful decisions, which we often make in anger mode. That’s why the mind people caution us not to make hasty, angry decisions, because our topsy turvy emotions will blind us to what’s wise and right. I’m sure all of us can look back on times when we made decisions in anger mode, then lived to regret them. And the sad part is that many of those decisions made when we’re angry cannot be turned around once made, so we often live to rue the day we made them. No wonder James declares: ‘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 2:19-20) Now that’s wisdom at its zenith my people! And the scholars have this to say: ‘Trials require silence and patience because talk inflames anger, and anger inflames talk. Anger also distracts from listening to God.’ There’s no disputing that! But unfortunately the only way to develop that kind of wisdom is first to slow down, stop letting the make believe busyness of modern life get us all worked up, because then we are liable to easily blow a gasket over  petty, trifling, immaterial stuff and get ourselves in unwanted trouble. Listen to Cousin Sol again on the subject. ‘The discretion of a man deferreth his anger (makes him slow to anger); and it is his glory to pass over (overlook) a transgression.’ (Prov.19:11) That’s gospel Friends! We’re living in such an angry world today that negative things life strife, hatred and resentment are much more prevalent than positive stuff like Peace and LOVE, which make for a much better life. And we’ll let Bruh Paul take us home with some of the best words ever penned on the subject, as he wisely advises the fledgling church at Ephesus. ‘Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph.4:31-32) I can’t say it any better Friends. I can only advise us to sit and seriously ponder Bruh Paul’s words as they pertain to us individually, then diligently, in prayer, and in conjunction with our most wonderful God, work towards acquiring that peace of spirit and mind which is even more valuable than the ability of the mighty to conquer cities. Much LOVE!…anger and strife…eventually lead to death and destruction…but peace and LOVING-kindness…gently usher us along the path to salvation and eternal life…