Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 February 2013 Psalm 21:6

27 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 21:6.     For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.

Oh Friends, it’s now the hour just before the dawn, long celebrated as the darkest hour of the night. But contrary to that statement, my area right now (4.30 a.m) is bright and beautiful, as everything is covered in a dazzling display of virgin snow. Even the leafless trees are shrouded in white, as the strong wind has them doing an uptempo dance to its unrelenting beat. The housetops, roads and cars parked there are also covered with the white stuff. It won’t stay beautiful for much longer though, as mankind begins to traverse his difficult and unruly way through it. As promised by the weather forecasters, it began in the early evening. When I went out for a few minutes around 7.30 p.m. it was merely wet snow. However, by 10 p.m. everything and everywhere was completely covered in white, looking beautiful, but in reality ever so treacherous and deceitful, like so many other beautiful things …and people… in our tumultuous world. And I certainly know who’s not going out there today! (smile) Don’t want to risk another unfortunate experience like the one I suffered in the last big snowfall a few weeks ago. Yes Friends, no more slipping and sliding, damaging my old car, getting stuck in my driveway and the lane. No siree! Oh Brother, I forgot that today is Wednesday; Bible Study day! But we’ll see how the weather and road cleaning shape up by Bible Study time in the evening. Anyway mih people, despite all the roadblocks that are put in our way in this earthly pilgrimage, we still need to live the life that Jesus desires of us. It’s only when we write His Word deep in our hearts, minds and souls, then live it out in our actions, that we can confidently say we are true believers in and followers of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And here I’ll share a li’l poem about that, by Eva Rose York (1858-1935), editor, teacher, organist and composer in western Ontario. It simply says: ‘I will not pass this way again; Then let me now relieve some pain, remove some barrier from the road, or brighten (lighten) someone’s heavy load.’ Oh Friends, it’s so touching in its simplicity, but yet so poignant with its message to Christians, as it encapsulates our Christian beliefs in those few words…show you care and help somebody. It can be a sort of mantra for us my brethren. I believe I’ve shared it before, but it’s says so much about us, that I felt compelled to share it again, especially in these rough times when we believers are less caring and action oriented that we ought to be. That brings us to our Bit, grateful words of Bruh David from Psalm 21, superscripted; Praise for victory. ‘For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad (joyful with gladness) with thy countenance (presence).’ Oh Friends, that state of thankfulness comes with the territory; surrendering one’s life to the Lord, putting your absolute hope, trust and faith in the ONE who created us. It shows maturity and true wisdom; a stage that as true believers we should all be striving for. Hear how Bruh David continues after our Bit: ‘For the king trusteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved (shaken).’ (Ps.21:7) Awesome words of truth, my brethren! Oh how I desperately wish our leaders and those in power could gain such wisdom and the amazing power, grace and mercy that go with dedicating one’s life to walking with Jesus! What a wonderful place our world would be! But unfortunately the powers of darkness and the evildoers who currently rule the roost will not bow out or give up the fight very easily. But that’s why Bruh David is also confident that: ‘Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger; the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.’ (Ps.21:8-9) Yes Friends, when we walk sincerely with God, our enemies are defeated, either exterminated or brought low as our footstools. (Heb.10:13) With that also go these words from Psalm 45; A psalm for the king’s marriage. ‘Thou LOVEST righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above they fellows (companions).’ (Ps.45:7) Ah mih people, our God blesses us intentionally when we keep Him uppermost in all we do, especially if we’re people of privilege and power. And we’ll end with another verse of truth and wisdom from Bruh David, from Psalm 16, where he seeks preservation and blessing. ‘Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy: at thy right hand there pleasures for evermore.’ (Ps.16:11) Yes my fellow believers, all those things are entwined and embedded in our lives when we choose to walk with Almighty God, our wonderful Creator and Caretaker! Today, let’s raise our level of involvement with Him nuh, as true wisdom dictates. Much LOVE!…only when we associate closely with God…will our wrongs be made right…and our enemies be defeated…forever…  P.S. This weather is really crazy yes! Would you believe it’s raining now (6 a.m) turning the snow to slush. Let’s hope it washes away everything before the temp falls later and it all turns to ice. Please be careful all of you who have to go out there. And if you don’t have to go, don’t go! (smile) Much LOVE!
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 February 2013 Psalm 5:9

24 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 5:9.     For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
 
And yet another glorious day in the life begins my Friends, so let’s start it with some thanks and praise nuh. Let’s sing a verse of the old hymn that could probably be called ‘Old Faithful’ because it’s been around for a long time and whenever we sing it, it also regenerates our faith in the faithfulness and trustworthiness of our Wonderful God. Sing with me: ‘Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. Morning by morning new mercies I see. All that I needed, thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.’ And isn’t that the awesome truth my fellow believers! We can all attest to the faithfulness of God in our lives; in the past, the present, and if we continue clinging to Him, also in the future. He’s just that kind of LOVING, trusting, generous and merciful God to all those who serve and worship Him in truth and sincerity. And all God’s people loudly and joyously declared: ‘All praise and thanksgiving be unto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who made the earth, heavens, and all therein, and who controls it with LOVE, mercy, justice and forgiveness! Oh Lord, we your humble servants truly LOVE You, and this Sunday morning we bless and praise Your Most Holy Name! Amen.’ Oh Friends, did you see the big smiles on the faces of our heavenly Father and our Saviour, Jesus Christ as those heartfelt prayers reached up to heaven? Even the heavenly hosts were smiling and adding their own ‘Praise the Lord! For He is good and merciful and forgiving!’ Ah mih bredden, if there could only be such smiles and happiness down here on earth, instead of the many frowns, heartaches, sadness, tears and pain that currently envelop our world, that have us in an ever tightening choke hold. But I guess that’s the price we have to pay for being a fallen creation. And sadly, we’re not helping the situation by consciously steering our lives to the sinful side of our nature, instead of the righteous and godly side. We all have that pocket in our souls permanently reserved for our Maker, which nothing or no one else can fill, but unless we consciously venture to fill it with Him, our lives will end up a total mess. And if you don’t believe me, just take a look around at our society with so many people hurting and searching for relief from their many sorrows. Unfortunately though, they are searching in the wrong places, heading in the wrong direction. They’re turning to manmade aids; drugs, booze, shrinks etc, which are not helping, but making them worse, increasing their pain and sorrows. Ah Friends, there’s only one antidote for the human state, one prescription to ease his pain and suffering: that’s Almighty God, his Maker and Controller! And until we realize that and turn back to Him in droves, just like we’ve turned away in droves, the human state will remain one of exceedingly vile, evil, ungodly conditions. Tragic loss, pain and ‘sufferation’ will continue to be his unenviable lot. That brings us to our very appropriate Bit: ‘For there is no faithfulness (uprightness) in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness (destruction); their throat is an open sepulchre (tomb); they flatter with their tongue.’ And isn’t that the undeniable truth about the state of our society my fellow believers? It sure is! Now let me share a testimony of our Lord’s delightful faithfulness. When I began writing today, I had no clue what I was going to write about. I had not even opened the Good Book to look for a Bit. I just had the verse of the ‘Old Faithful’ Hymn written on a piece of paper, and contrary to my usual method of writing, where I do a rough copy on paper first, I just began writing on the computer and the words and ideas just flowed, so I continued, until I got to the unenviable lot of humans. Then I began chuckling, asked the Lord to guide me to an appropriate Bit, and opened my Bible. And, lo and behold, according to His great faithfulness, I found one in less than five minutes. Just goes to show Friends, that if we genuinely seek our God, we’ll find Him, and He will answer our prayers, especially where it pertains to His Word. Now let’s turn to some thought provoking scripture to corroborate our contentions. This comes from Bruh Paul’s writing to the Romans. ‘There is none righteous, No, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre (grave); with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ (Rom.3″10-18) Oh Friends, doesn’t that describe our world to a T?  It certainly does. Bruh Paul uses his vast knowledge of the scriptures, using various bits and pieces to highlight our insufficiency and sad, degenerate state. Listen to the scholars comment on that passage. ‘Paul quotes scripture to prove universal guilt. Scripture, not Paul, is the judge. See Psalm 5:9; 10:7; 14:1-3; 140:3; Isaiah 59:7-8’ Those are some of the scriptures Bruh Paul uses in that very revealing section of Romans. And rather appropriately, just as we began, we’ll end with a glowing testimony from Isaiah on the Lord’s faithfulness. ‘O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.’  (Is.25:1) And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! So let’s go out now and do as that great prophet just said; praise and exalt the name of the Most High God Jehovah, for it is right and meet so to do. Much LOVE!…only in the faithfulness of our heavenly Father…can man put absolute trust…
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 November 2012 Proverbs 11:10

23 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 11:10.    When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! The Friday that’s now becoming known as ‘Black Friday’, the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving. As usual, the U.S is busy exporting its very commercial culture, and sadly it’s now wreaking havoc in Canada. It’s forcing the local merchants to get into the nonsense too, having sales the same day, trying to match U.S. prices, to stop Canadians form cross border shopping, which takes a lot of money out of our economy. And as usual, it’s moving from the sublime to the ridiculous! What began a few years ago as early Friday morning shopping, has now morphed into late Thursday night shopping. That means you can’t even enjoy your Thanksgiving Day in peace, but have to rush through it, so you can get to the store and line up hours before it opens. And you wouldn’t like to see the wild, animalistic behaviour we put down; rushing and shoving and behaving real foolish. Ah Lord eh! Instead of mankind becoming more sensible and god-like with all the advances and amenities with which we’re blessed, we’re becoming dumber, more stupid and very evil minded. Oh fellow believers, please, let’s pray that this stupid, ignorant, evil behaviour that’s now clouding our world doesn’t go to its logical end – self-destruction – but someday soon we’ll come to our senses and, once and for all time, repudiate Lucifer and his evil doings, and find the God of our fathers once again. Anyway, some people are still joyfully shouting ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Therefore let’s chant our Friday Chant to enable us to put the weekend in its proper perspective. As one vociferous, but harmonious choir now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Yes mih people, that should cause us to tone down the weekend some, bring a modicum of circumspection to our activities. And the ole fella’s still giving plenty thanks, as I continue to write from the porch of my cosy cottage in Store Bay. I didn’t do much yesterday; slept out most of the day. I guess the body was really tired from the steady spate of activities since Monday. But I did get a dip in the salt after the sun set, and again, while floating in cross-like fashion, and looking up at the half moon, gave heartfelt thanks to our wonderful God for all His marvellous blessings. Oh Friends, I could really get addicted to that habit yes! (smile) And to raise the excitement, I bought some curry crab and dumpling with some T&T callaloo thrown in at a food booth at the Bay. Oh my people, was it ever tasty! The ‘nana’ (gravy from the curry crab) tasted like manna from heaven, just like I remembered it! Then late at night, while flipping through the channels  on the t.v. I came across the movie ‘Jesus of Nazareth’; an old Franco Zeferrelli production that hooked me. I hadn’t heard the Word for a few days, and regardless of how much you read it for yourself, hearing it takes you to another dimension, so to speak. It was so moving that at times it brought unbidden tears to my eyes. Surprisingly too, it’s the first movie I’ve watched in ages. Consider it then, another of our God’s mysterious movements. And what does all of that have to do with our Bit? Frankly Friends, I don’t know, because I don’t have a Bit as yet. But soon come, going to seek one now. Oh mih breddren, I’m back, less than two minute later! What a faithful God we serve and worship Friends! And as our Bit declares: ‘When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.’ Now that’s undeniable truth! We don’t have to look very far to see it. In whatever country, province, city, town or village you’re reading this, I know you can connect to it through personal experience. That brings up the rather important question of why are the righteous allowing the wicked to run so much of our world, and consequently causing so much pain, suffering and heartache? One would think that we’d get rid of them as quickly as possible. But unfortunately, the reality is totally different. And not because Lucifer has power over this world of darkness, we should allow his evil minions to rule over us. Through Jesus, who has conquered death, the grave and hell, with His sacrificial death and resurrection, we have the awesome power to run Beelzebub and his wicked cronies out of town. But we’re either too lazy, too comfortable in our prosperous lifestyle, or simply too timid and afraid to do so. Listen to Cousin Sol again on the subject. ‘When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden (will be sought after).’ (Prov.28:12) Oh Friends, we all know the truth in that statement, yet we allow the wicked to rise in power over us. Oh my brethren, it’s time to change that state of affairs in our world. It’s time to implement righteous rule, so that our world can derive positive benefits. As Cousin Sol further declares: ‘When the righteous are in authority (increased), the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn (groan, suffer).’ (Prov.29:2) And we all know that people all over the world are moaning and groaning, suffering, in great misery, because the wicked are ruling. Please Friends, let’s do something to change it nuh. Remember that with our God, all things are possible, but we have to get up off our fat fannies and do our part too. The Lord’s not going to do it all for us. So please, today, let’s ponder the level of our involvement in making a better and more godly world, and do our best to improve our involvement, if it’s only by a small amount, for without our strong stand of faith, all will eventually be lost, and we definitely don’t want to disappoint Jesus, to break His gentle heart anymore than we’re already doing, by letting that happen. Much LOVE!…we can only stand up for Jesus…by faithfully obeying the trumpet’s call…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 November 2012 Matthew 3:17

11 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 3:17.    And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Well Friends, it’s another day in the life. Most of us have awakened to greet it, but some have not. And they might even be the lucky ones, having escaped the agonizing bondage, the blood, sweat, tears and pain that come with this earthly life. Now for those of you who don’t know, or don’t remember, today is Remembrance Day in Canada and the British Commonwealth, and Veterans Day in the U.S, where we celebrate the lives and achievements of those who fought and died in the great wars that our countries have been involved in over the years. And it should be a great day of recognition, but sadly all the pomp and splendour belies the disgusting manner in which the families of the dead veterans and those still alive today are treated in North America. They receive miserly pensions, poor health care, lack of jobs and no real respect. The Federal Government in Canada is even trying to claw back money from those veterans who manage to make a few pennies on the side to augment the li’l pittance the unfeeling, hypocritical gov’t gives them. But every Remembrance and Veterans Day we chug out the hyperbole and hypocrisy about those who fought to protect our freedom and way of life. The reality of the situation though is an entirely different thing, with so many vets and families suffering from all sorts of physical, emotional and mental illness. The gov’ts, like many Christians, talk a fine talk, but sadly lack true action. It’s a crying shame Friends, the way we treat those who put their lives on the line so that we can live the evil, greedy, ungodly lifestyle we’re so bent on living in these confused and troubled times. And since the elimination of the draft, it’s been mainly the children of the lower classes who’ve enlisted to fight our battles. The children of the rich and powerful are actively protected from that. No wonder it’s the lower classes that suffer the buffeting and fall out from wars. Anyway, that’s my two cents worth on the facade of respectability we try to put on to the world for our fallen and battered heroes. Let’s hope the gov’ts soon wake up to the reality of the dreadful situations most veterans and their families are mired in, and greatly improve the overall situation with more action and less talk. That finally brings us to our Bit: ‘And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ Now Friends, that’s the perfect situation of matching talk to action and vice versa! Our heavenly Father desired to save us from the hellfire and damnation of purgatory, but instead of just wishing and hoping, He sacrificed His sinless Son to give us victory over the grave and death. What an awesome and most magnificent Deity we serve and worship my brethren! Please don’t ever forget it, as no greater sacrifice has ever been, or will ever be made throughout all the ages of the universe. And today I just want to share some scripture where the Father did indeed let us earthlings know how proud He was of Jesus. We obviously have that occasion in our Bit when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, as we discussed yesterday. Then there’s the time when accompanied by Peter, James and John, the inner circle of the disciples, Jesus went up into the mountains: ‘And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment (clothes) was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses, and Elijah talking with Him.’ (Matt.17:2-3) Now according to the scholars; ‘The verb (Gr. metamorphoo) indicates a transformation of essential form, proceeding from within. See Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 3:18, where it is used of the spiritual transformation of the believer’s new nature. The witness of Peter in 2 Peter 1:17-18 verifies the testimony that this was a real experience, not a vision.’ And as usual, Peter, always bold and provocative, tells Jesus: ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he yet spake, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.’ (Matt.17:4-5) Oh Friends, can you imagine the disciples’ reaction! The Good Book describes it thus: ‘And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore (greatly) afraid. (Matt.17:6) Even in these modern times with all the technological innovations, we would have been scared to death too my people. Jesus had to come and touch them and say; ‘Arise, and be not afraid.’ (Matt.17:7) And to make matters worse, when they got up, they saw nobody but Jesus there with them. (Matt.17:8) Who says our God doesn’t move in mysterious and often scary ways eh? Now the next time the Father spoke up for Jesus was around the feast of the Passover in Jerusalem, when some Greek Jews attending the feast, decided that they wanted to meet Jesus, and so communicated to his disciples. Then Jesus began telling them that His time was near, and about dying to self and following Him. (John 12:20-26) Then He announced: ‘Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause (purpose) came I unto this hour. Father glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.’ (John 12:27-28) Yes Friends, the Father again declared His support for the Son. And blind and deaf as we are to many spiritual things, some of the listeners said it thundered, while others claimed an angel spoke to Him. But Jesus told them: ‘This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes, Now is the judgement of this world: now shall the prince (ruler) of this world (Satan) be cast out.’ (John 12: 30-31) The scholars explain. ‘Now means at the Crucifixion, not when he (Satan) is bound before the Millennium, or when he is cast into the lake of fire. Shall…be: because the Cross was still a future event.’ Then Jesus continued: ‘And I, if I be lifted up (crucified) from the earth, will draw all men unto me.’ (John 12:32) Oh my people, Jesus was lifted up, but the pertinent question now is will we be amongst those whom He draws unto Him? I certainly hope so. Please, let’s ponder that today, and make sure the answer is an emphatic ‘YES!’ for it’s the best option available to mankind. Much LOVE!…can Jesus look down on you…and say that He’s well pleased…that should be every believer’s goal…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 May 2012 Matthew 7:7

19 May 2012 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 7:7.     Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Oh Friends, today is the one-year anniversary of my prostate surgery. May 19 2011 was indeed a noteworthy day for me, having the scourge of our generation removed from my insides. And thank God so far I am still cancer free! It was by no means an easy go. That night afterwards in the hospital was rough. I remember trying to get up from the bed, and not being able to. Eventually, after several unsuccessful tries and crying out to God, I finally managed to get up. Hn! Neither was the recovery easy, though the wound itself caused fewer problems than the ancillary stuff, like bladder and bowel movements. Now it seems unreal that a year has since passed. But Friends, the knee surgery some six months before and the prostate surgery were certainly two turning points in both my physical and spiritual lives. Through an eye-opening faith, I found peace in both instances and truly learned to talk to and listen to God in those painful, uncomfortable experiences. And to celebrate it all, the Lord guided me to two quotes to share with you today. The first comes from Henry Ford, who enabled us to have that wonderful invention, the motorcar. He says: ‘Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize.’ And that’s very true Friends, as most of us can attest to. Each experience in our lives makes us bigger, and often better people, though at the time we don’t realize it. It’s only in hindsight that we really realize our growth. And it’s something that I can personally vouch for too, because after the two surgeries, then the unexpected death of my mother soon after, my life seems to have moved up the ladder of faith and trust a step or two. Then there’s this quote from another great builder, Robert H. Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. He tells us that God never let’s anything happen to you, unless it’s loaded with opportunities. That’s also gospel truth Friends! For whatever God allows to happen to us, there’s always something good and worthwhile we can take away from it. My surgeries and my mother’s death, all within about nine months, though they appeared to be negative, unfortunate occurrences, yet I took away positive things from them. My faith and trust in God certainly increased, along with a closer personal relationship.  I began talking to Him more and also getting more answers to my prayers. It’s no lie Friends, that when you go through hard times, you develop a greater appreciation for your Creator and definitely realize that He IS REAL! Amongst those things I learned was the reality of our Bit: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ Oh Friends, it wasn’t once or twice that I cried out to God for a bligh in both my spiritual and physical pain! Neither was it once or twice He gave me the bligh! This obviously convinced me of the truth of our Bit; whatever we need, we must ask for it, seek it out or knock confidently on the door behind which it is hidden. But remember, we shouldn’t only go to God for material, worldly stuff, it should also be consistent with His will for our lives, else we won’t get it, or He’ll allow something that will teach us a hard but worthwhile lesson. But ask, seek and knock, we must do. Jesus reiterated that principle after He spoke to the unfruitful fig tree: ‘Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt.7:19-22) Yes my people, it is necessary to ask in prayer, with great faith, for whatever we desire. As Jesus pointed out, faith is the great catalyst, so great that it can cause us to move mountains. And I surely hope that this Bit will encourage all who read it, to get into a closer relationship with God, to fervently seek Him, especially in rough times, and pour out your hearts to Him. He will listen, and He will heal, because He’s the best medical practitioner there is. And finally, when those rough times have passed, don’t simply forget God, but keep seeking and talking to Him, with thanks and praise. Also, please sit and ponder those rough times and try to learn from them. There’s always something we can learn, whether it’s something we should or shouldn’t do. Oh Friends, there’s no need to fear, for the Lord will guide you to where He wants you to be, if you’ll just surrender your all to Him, and walk with Him in trust, faith and LOVE. My brethren, God’s ways are not our ways, therefore we won’t always be happy with the outcome of some situations, but it’s in those unfortunate times where we truly learn that there’s a great and powerful Spiritual Being out there ruling the universe, and if you stay in close contact with Him, overall, your life will certainly be blessed. That’s wisdom at its very best, so please follow it. Much LOVE!…through sincere trust, faith and belief in Jesus…ANYTHING is possible…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 May 2012 Psalm 113:9

13 May 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 113:9.    He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.

 HAPPY  MOTHER’S  DAY!

Yes Friends, in this troubled year of 2012, we should all be praising the Lord for His goodness and mercy toward us! And on this most significant Mother’s Day of my life, I want to wish all you mothers out there on God’s great earth a happy Mother’s Day! Most of you definitely deserve it. And this Mother’s Day is significant to me because it’s the first one I’m experiencing without my biological mother. Oh Mols sugar, the ole fella misses you today, and the tears are welling up in my eyes as I write this, remembering all the good times we spent together. But I know that you are in a much better place now, no more pain and suffering, and you know all I ever wanted was your happiness, for like so many mothers, especially the single ones, you never took an easy step in your life, but it never made you bitter or resentful. Instead, you were always full of joy and good cheer. You also showed me by example how to live a good Christian life. And for that I’ll forever be grateful ‘M’. Sorry about that short break Friends, but the tears began flowing uncontrollably for a moment. It’s strange, for though I miss my mother, and still talk to her every day, I haven’t cried over her in months. I guess the many good Mother’s Day memories just stirred up the dormant emotions. But enough of my sentimentality, let’s get on with writing the Bit. (smile) Ah Friends, mothers are the most important people in our lives. They physically carry us in their wombs for nine months, then experience excruciating pain to birth us, then spend the best years of their lives nurturing and guiding us. Wow! What towers of strength! They are also the ones who usually form our character by their teaching and everyday example. Chuh! Stop it nuh tears! They want to flow again as I remember the excellent teaching and example my mother Molly set me. Unfortunately it was only late in life, after hearing some horrendous stories about other mothers, that I realized she was amongst the best mothers in the world. Oh my brethren, I have so many examples of her unconditional LOVE and wise guidance, some of which I never took, and afterwards paid a hefty price. She was never loud and ignorant with me, but I could always tell when she was displeased, and in my time, I sure felt the rod, in my case, the strap of correction, which undoubtedly made me a better person today. The Good Book says God is LOVE, and it seems that He put a greater portion in mothers then in fathers, for they are usually the catalyst, the binding thread that keeps families together. Where there are strong, LOVING mothers, there are strong, LOVING families! Some believe that because Eve was the originator of sin, the Lord placed the arduous task of child bearing and rearing on her and her fellow women. But even if that’s so, He also gave her the parts to bear her earthly burden, just as He does for each of us. (1 Cor.10:13) The sad part of the story though is that just as mothers can be good examples, they can also be bad ones, and I want to share a couple scriptures about mothers that caught my attention. The first one is about Deborah, the prophetess, who once judged Israel. In her time she brought peace and security to Israel after she and Barak defeated their enemies. And in her joyful song of praise, she astutely declares: ‘The inhabitants of the villages ceased (village life ceased), they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.’ (Judg.5:7) No better description of nurturing and guidance beside ‘MOTHER’ can be found in any language. Now let’s introduce our Bit for today: ‘He maketh (causes) the barren (childless) woman to keep house (dwell in a home), and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.’ There is indeed method to our God’s seeming madness my people! Look at all the supposed barren women, from Sarah onward, who through faith, prayer and trust in Almighty God, eventually became wonderful mothers. One of the best examples of that is Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel. She cried out to God in her barren state, and promised to dedicate any offspring to the Lord. The Lord in His LOVING-kindness blessed her with Samuel, and she kept her vow and gave Him to be the Lord’s servant at an early age. (1 Sam:2) Unfortunately though, we also have mothers like Athaliah, whose son, Ahaziah, ruled Judah for a time. Hear how the Good Book refers to her: ‘He (Ahaziah) also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly.’ (2 Chr.22:3) How sad it is when a mother can actively encourage her children to do evil. But that’s the nature of the beast; some are good and some are bad. Let’s just hope that overall, we get more good apples than rotten ones. Oh Friends, on this Mother’s Day, please, let’s all honour and show LOVE to our Mothers, in spite of their shortcomings, for they are human just like the rest of us, and thus liable to make mistakes. And  anyway that’s a God-given commandment, not a mere suggestion of mine. ‘Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ (Ex.20:12) So regardless of how or what our parents turn out to be, it’s our bounden duty to honour, LOVE, and cherish them! My Friends, let’s seriously and actively live that commandment  from today onward nuh. Much LOVE!…a mother’s job…is to be the bedrock…the backbone of the family…  P.S. Sorry this is so late Friends, but I went to church and it took about two and a half hours, which I’m not accustomed to. But it was indeed time well spent, the congregation was very welcoming, and I enjoyed the refreshing sense of worship in a West Indian congregation that I haven’t experienced in a long while. Took me back to my boyhood days in Tobago. Much LOVE!

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 April 2012 Proverbs 20:19

26 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

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

 Proverbs 20:19.    He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

Ah mih people, it’s another day in the life! A day that will hopefully bring lots of joy and gladness and little or no pain and sorrow. But it sure is reassuring to know that regardless of what comes our way in this calamitous world, today or any other day, that we have a strong and powerful Being in Jesus to back us up, console and protect us. And all God’s people gave a mighty shout of praise: ‘Oh thank you Jesus!’ Now Friends, here’s another instalment of ‘My Jesus is…Everything,’ from the book of the same name by Anne Graham Lotz. ‘MY JESUS: He had no predecessor, and He will have no successor. He is the Lion, and He is the Lamb. He is God, and He is Man. He is the seven-way King: He is the King of the Jews…that’s a racial King. He is the King of Israel…that’s a national King. He is the King of righteousness…that’s a moral King. He’s the King of the ages…that’s an eternal King. He is the King of heaven…that’s a universal King. He is the King of glory…that’s a celestial King. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! MY JESUS IS…EVERYTHING!’ Yes my brethren, we serve and worship the Highest Power in the universe, which should make us untouchable, but being fallen humans, we’re still gullible and liable to embrace evil words and people. Hear how our Bit puts it: ‘He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not (don’t associate) with him that flattereth with his lips.’ And my people, that’s the awful truth! There are too many people in our society, including believers, who make it a habit to go around spreading tales, false and true. Gossip mongering has become a fanatical pastime of our society. Just check out all the gossip papers, the tweets and facebooks and all the other places where we place personal information that can be easily obtained by anyone with a smattering of computer knowledge. Then we have the reality t.v programmes, the soap operas and the paparazzi who run around invading the lives of supposed celebrities. All of this has now become a multi-billion dollar business. Secrets are no longer safe. And why has it become so widespread? Because we, the ordinary folk, think these people live such glamorous lives and through them we get some sort of reflected joy, both wishing and imagining ourselves living the same glamorous lifestyle. But Friends, have you noticed that most of the stuff, both true and false that comes out about those people, and thrills us too, is mostly negative? I sure don’t want to behave like most of them, because they have no real class. Though they might have money, power and much earthly possessions, their standards are lower than lower, but unfortunately that’s the kind of people our society looks up to. And we encourage it by buying the rags, filled with heifer dust, and watching the foolish, insipid t.v shows. Tell me, in these soap operas and the latest trend, the reality shows, do you see anybody living decently or sensibly, in spite of their great wealth and power? No! It’s always fighting and backbiting! What then can you expect from our children when that’s all their young minds are inundated with? And don’t tell me if you constantly watch the nonsense it won’t seep into your souls! That’s a fool’s wisdom, for anything we concentrate on for a period of time, will have some effect on our minds, the way we think and live! And that’s certainly not the way Jesus sacrificed His holy, sinless life for us to live! Oh my brethren, from way back when, in Leviticus, God sternly warned the Israelites: ‘Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood (life) of thy neighbour: I am the Lord.’ (Lev.19:16) What part of that is so difficult to understand eh? But as usual, we have ignored the majority of the Lord’s edicts, and have made gossiping, tale bearing, etc. big business and given it a huge, legitimate place in our lives. I’m sure we don’t like others going around babbling our business. But if it’s someone else’s, we welcome it with great joy and words like: Oh god girl! Is that really true? Yuh really mean that so and so did so and so? Tell me more girl…tell me more! Ah can’t wait to hear the whole juicy story!’ But yuh know what Friends, when we encourage others to go around spreading gossip, be it true or not, we’re doing everybody, including ourselves, a great disservice, because those same people will go around spreading tales about us. And then we’ll get all hot and bothered, completely forgetting that we encouraged it in the first place. I’ll end with some earlier words of Cousin Sol, where he describes the situation thus: ‘A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.’ (Prov.11:13) Ah Friends, let’s ponder those words today and then search our minds and souls to see if and where we’re encouraging this negative type of behaviour; a behaviour that’s definitely contributing to the lawlessness and ungodliness of our world. We can’t continue like this Friends, the moral decay and depravity have already driven us to distraction, the next step down is destruction, either by our own efforts, or God’s!  More on this tomorrow, God willing. Till then, please walk safely and securely with Jesus. Much LOVE!…the most deadly sins don’t leap up on us…they creep up on us…

Today”s Scrip-Bit 6 April 2012 Luke 26:46

06 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

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

Luke 26:46.     And (Jesus) said unto them. Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day. 
                                                                 

 GOOD  FRIDAY!

 

Ah Friends, it’s Friday; Good Friday, time for your sacrificial demise! How does it feel now that the moment is truly at hand eh? Many of us are off work today because it’s a public holiday in Christian societies, so there’s no need to shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ implying a grateful release from our weekly labours. In fact, I doubt that any of us would really be thanking God for this particular Friday, if it truly meant our sacrificial demise on a wooden cross, because we’re all afraid, not so much of dying per se, but dying such a horrible, excruciating death. Fear of the terrible pain, the endless humiliation, the hot sun beating down on our bruised and battered bodies, would bring immense concern to any normal human being. And Jesus was a normal human being in one sense; He felt pain and sorrow like us all, thus the thought of His sacrificial demise did affect Him, although He knew that was the major purpose for His birth. Now that ability to experience pain and suffering, and so understand ours, is just one more thing that enamours us to Him. Consequently, on the night prior to His crucifixion, Jesus went up into a spacious but quiet Garden, Gethsemane, along with His disciples. He left the majority at one spot, telling them: ‘Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder (over there).’  (Matt.26:36) Then He took Peter, James and John and went deeper into the garden, ‘and began to be sorrowful (deeply grieved) and very heavy (deeply distressed).’ (Matt.26:37) The pressure was getting to Him. And His next words to the three with Him, clearly manifests this. ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye (stay) here and watch with me. And he went a little further and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt.26:38-39) Note that Jesus desired His favourite trio to watch and pray with Him, but unfortunately they didn’t understand the true significance of His actions and fell asleep. None of them really believed that His crucifixion was imminent. Therefore, when Jesus came back and saw them sleeping, He scolded Peter: ‘What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt.26:49-41) Ah Friends, it’s the same way we often behave when others close to us are going through unfortunate situations, especially when we don’t truly know or understand what’s happening in their lives. What’s really important though, is Jesus asking the Father, if at all possible, to relieve Him of the upcoming adversity. However, He did acknowledge that the Father’s will was supreme. And so should we in times of adversity, if we’re faithful believers. Twice more did Jesus go and pray the same prayer: ‘O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except (unless) I drink it, thy will be done.’ (Matt.26:42) Though Jesus asked to be relieved of the obligation to save sinners by the painful shedding of His precious, innocent blood, like an obedient Son and Servant, He acquiesced to the Father’s will, knowing that it was the ONLY solution under God’s justice system. Now here’s an interesting observation from the scholars: ‘The prayer for the cup to pass is not due to Jesus fear of death. Jesus questions the will of the Father as to the necessity of drinking the cup. While this may refer to death (“he tasted death”) it is more likely that the cup represents the wrath of God against sin, the divine wrath Christ would incur on the cross as man’s sin-bearer. In the awful anguish of that moment, the sin of the world was poured on Christ and He became “sin for us” (2 Cor.5:21). Thus the Righteous One dies a substitutionary death for guilty mankind.’ Anyhow Friends, regardless of whether Jesus was afraid to die, or He just didn’t want the weight of all the world’s sins on His shoulders, yet He obediently sacrificed Himself on this Good Friday two thousand years ago to pay an extraordinary, exorbitant price with His sinless life, so that sinful souls like us could be rescued from the waiting depths of Hades. We call it Good Friday, but it was really a bitter-sweet day: bitter because Christ had to die such a cruel death, but sweet because it was only through His dying and rising again that we could ever receive the gracious promises of Salvation and Eternal Life. And All God’s people cried out in loud, unified voice: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Oh my brethren, we all know what happened after: Judas, comes to Gethsemane with a mob from the Jewish elders, betrays Jesus with an unholy kiss, and all His disciples run away and leave Him in the lurch. Then He is brought before the Jewish Council, the Sanhedrin, where He is cross examined and humiliated, with Peter denying Him three times. Then He’s taken before the Roman Governor Pilate, who finds Him innocent, but sends Him to Herod, because He’s under Herod’s jurisdiction. But Herod sends Him back, and Pilate finally washes his hands of the whole affair. Then, instead of releasing Jesus, as was expected, he bows to the demands of the crowd, stirred up by the elders, and releases Barabbas, a convicted murderer. Then comes the flogging and further humiliation, and finally the awful crucifixion. While hanging from the cross, Jesus is so concerned about us that He even asks for our forgiveness: ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ (Luke 23:34) Then just before His final moment, Jesus utters the words that we believe shows His greatest hurt or disappointment. ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt.27:46) Separation from His Father was the most acute hurt. There He uses the opening line of Psalm 22, Bruh David’s cry of anguish and song of praise. And after all that ‘sufferation’ He bore on our behalf, yet we don’t truly appreciate Him. How sad my people. This is not what I had planned to write, but it’s where the Holy Spirit led me, and trying to be obedient like Jesus, (smile) I complied. Tomorrow we’ll see my original plan. Till then my fellow believers, please spend some serious time contemplating what this day truly means to us, and hopefully we’ll all come to a greater appreciation of Jesus’ and LOVE Him even more than we now do. Much LOVE!…to know, know, know Him, is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 March 2012 Proverbs 15:21

14 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 15:21.   Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.

Oh Friends, it’s supposed to be another beautiful summer’s day in my area; (smile) with temps in the mid teens again. Wow! The whole week is supposed to be like that. It’s nice, but a little intimidating though, because who knows what we’ll have next week or later on, when it should really be springtime. However, there’s no need to worry, whatever happens we’ll handle it with Jesus’ help. And all God’s people shouted, a rousing ‘Amen!’ Now here are some of the things Jesus knows about us, from Anne Graham Lotz’s book, – Jesus is my…Everything: ‘Jesus knows: the small secrets of your heart, The unspoken dreams of your imagination, The unrevealed thoughts of your mind, The emotional shards of your feelings, The paralyzing fears for your future, The bitter resentments of your past, The joys and heartaches, The pleasures and pain, The successes and failures, The honours and humiliations, The deeds and the doubts. He knows all about you, inside and out, past, present and future.’ Yes Friends, there’s nothing that Jesus doesn’t know about us! That’s why we have to pay serious attention to our Bit: ‘Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom (discernment): but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.’ If we want to be good associates of Jesus, we can’t afford to find joy in foolish things. We need to have proper discernment about what He requires of us. And if we don’t have it, then we sincerely ask for it. As James says: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he will receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8) Ah mih people, it’s indeed a sad situation in which we currently find ourselves, where those who lack true wisdom, true discernment are ruling the world, and apparently having great joy doing so. No wonder God’s great creation is so embattled and embittered! Hear Cousin Sol in an earlier chapter on the wise and foolish contrasted: ‘It is as sport to a fool to do mischief (evil): but a man of understanding hath wisdom.’ (Prov.10:23) No doubt about that Friends! And as believers, we’re all supposed to actively and diligently cultivate things like wisdom, understanding, knowledge and discernment through sincere communication with our heavenly Father, from whom these things come, and who as James just said, willing gives to all who ask sincerely. For remember that ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou doest embrace her. She shall give to (place on) thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver thee.’ (Prov.4:7-9) And it all begins my brethren by reverencing Almighty God! Thus when we acquire wisdom and understanding we’ll walk uprightly in God’s ways and not foolishly, like the workers of iniquity, who take joy in the ways of evil. As Bruh Paul said to the Ephesians: ‘See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time (making the most of every opportunity), because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be (continually) filled with the Spirit. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God (doing what pleases Him).’ (Eph.5:15-21) Yes my people, those are the things believers ought to engage in. But unfortunately we’re not doing as much of them, or to as high a degree as we should. Consequently, our world is falling apart right before our very eyes. Let us therefore try to upgrade or increase those things which bring us wisdom and closeness to God, and will also further the LOVE Revolution that’s currently lighting up our world, and slowly but surely turning it around. Oh Friends, please do your best to encourage the LOVE Revolution which will bring our world back to faith, hope, LOVE, trust, true and faithful surrender to Jesus and Almighty God, where it’s supposed to be! Much LOVE!…in the words of the old song…only LOVE can break a heart…but by the same token…only LOVE can mend it again…for LOVE is the most overwhelming emotion in existence…
 

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