Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 October 2017 John 10:10.

24 Oct 2017 Leave a comment

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

John 10:10.   The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

And then the rains fell – soft and gentle upon the thirsty land. Oh friends, what a joy it is to see and hear the rain falling gently, especially when you’re lying in bed with your special someone beside you! (smile) 

Oh yes, the rain fell in my neighbourhood most of yesterday afternoon and last night. And thankfully it wasn’t a great flood-like outpouring of water, but a constant, steady drizzle that resembled a gentle caress rather than a fierce bear hug. 

And I believe both the land and its inhabitants benefit more from that type of rainfall than big, gushing streams of water all at once. 

Now here is a quote attributed to Jürgen Moltmann (April 8, 1926 -) a Reformed German theologian and Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology at the University of Tübingen, Germany. 

He is most noted as a proponent of his “theology of hope” and for his incorporation of insights from liberation theology and ecology into mainstream Trinitarian theology. Whatever that means. (smile) 

But he is obviously a man of some learning and some importance in the church, and thus we should pay some attention to what he writes. ‘The more passionately we LOVE life, the more intensely we experience the joy of life.’ 

And that my people is gospel truth! The more we LOVE life, and throw ourselves into it, the greater joy we receive from it. It’s all about the passion we bring to whatever we do, especially the living of life itself! We can’t always hide from life, for that’s unhealthy. 

But as the devotion from our One More Day Daily Meditations for People with Chronic Illness tells us. It’s better to ‘live the drama, LOVE it, cry with it, and at times even hate it. Choosing to live life on its terms brings enthusiasm and passion into our experiences. 

Our decision to LOVE life – despite the highs and lows – allows us to delight in the highs and to accept the lows as unavoidable, but momentary setbacks. Although hiding from reality can sometimes insulate us from the pain, it also blinds us to the joys and wonderment of living fully.’ 

Now we all know that the basic philosophy of our Christian faith is to live life to the full, as Jesus our leader declares in our Bit. ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ 

And the only way to have a truly abundant life is by getting passionately involved with it, whether it be for good or for evil. 

Obviously it’s much better to live a passionate life entrenched in goodness, by being fully yoked to the aims and desires of Jesus Christ, so that we can enjoy all the good things, the wonderful rewards He has in store for those who sincerely believe in and work for Him. 

Unfortunately though my brethren, that passion for Christ that we’re talking about seems to be sadly lacking in His church these days. 

A handful of us might be showing such passion, but most of us are simply just plodding along, taking life as it comes, which we sometimes need to do, but generally speaking, not responding with the energy and enthusiasm we need to overcome it. 

Please note that Jesus didn’t just give us abundant life, He had to painfully earn if for us, by sacrificing His sinless self on the cross. So who are we now to just expect to go through life without any problems eh? 

Remember what Job said to his wife in the middle of his calamity? She said to him: ‘Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil (accept calamity)? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.’ (Job 2:9-10) 

Yeh friends, it’s not easy to accept calamity with a smile, but when we look at the overall picture, sometimes we need to do it. We just cannot afford to let life dig us into a hole in both our circumstances and our emotions, because that’s a hole from which it is often very difficult to get out of. 

Now here’s an interesting explanation from the scholars on those two verses from Job. ‘2:9. Job’s wife suggested that Job do what Satan had predicted: curse God. After all she had been through, it is no wonder she was ready to give up all hope. 

But Job recognized that both good and evil come from God’s hand, though one by His active will and the other by His permissive will. God can permit evil things to happen for good ends (cf. Gen.50:19-20). In all this did not Job sin is proof enough that Satan was wrong and was sorely defeated. Satan does not appear in the book again.’ 

Good riddance! So friends, in general, what we bring to life, is what life gives to us. But at times, life can be quite contrary, so as believers, we need to stand strong and with the help of Jesus, fight life on our terms, not on his. And we can only do that when we bring a strong and passionate LOVE for Christ to the table. 

Now let’s go home declaring that passion we have for Jesus in our Tuesday Mantra. ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen!’ 

Now let’s go out and action that LOVE…with passion. Much LOVE, my faithful brethren in Christ!

…from today…I will be enthusiastic about life…regardless of what it brings…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 July 2015 Matthew 5:14

30 Jul 2015 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 5:14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

Oh Friends, I’ve run out of well known summer ditties to greet you with. (smile) But believe me, another beautiful summer’s day is in the offing on this terrific day called Thursday! Wow! The Lord in His ultimate wisdom, grace and mercy has prepared it especially for us to enjoy, and to do His wonderful bidding.

So let’s say it with joy and heartfelt gratefulness nuh: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL and SHALL rejoice and be glad it in! Glory Hallelujah!’

Glory to the great and mighty King that sits upon His throne in the high heavens and satisfies our longing souls with His tender mercies, grace, forgiveness, compassion, understanding and unconditional LOVE! Mama Mia!

Oh Friends, there ought to be nobody happier than us Christians, we faithful followers of Jesus in this beautiful world that the Lord in His wisdom and generosity has created. And the good news is that it does not seem like it’s going to be a scorcher, at least not yet, because a nice cool and gentle breeze is blowing out there, and both the sun and the Son are shining incredibly brightly in their respective elements. Oh Glory to God!

Ah mih people, please excuse the ole fella for his extra passion and passionate speech this morning. I guess it’s because I woke up feeling the best I’ve felt in ages! Glory to God again! The old aches and pains weren’t as bad as usual. I feel light and feathery, like I can just up and fly away! (smile)

It’s possibly due some to a shot of cortisone I got injected into my right shoulder yesterday, ostensibly to ease the agonizing arthritic pain in my right shoulder, but it seems to be helping everything, obviously with a touch of God’s favour and enormous grace.

Oh, I know the basic aches and pains most likely won’t go away, but I am enormously thankful and grateful for any bit of relief I can get. More thanks and glory to God! He’s so wonderful!

Now here is this most important, outstanding and truth bearing quote from George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), the well known Irish born playwright and co-founder of the famous and prestigious London School of Economics, writer of plays like ‘My Fair Lady,’ and winner of the Nobel Peace prize for Literature in 1925.

George is reputed to have said that,’Life is not a “brief candle.” It is a splendid torch that I want to make burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.’ And we know that he did just that with all his world-renowned achievements!

Now it’s our turn my brethren to do the same. You’ll notice how we pass on torches at our big games to try and keep the flame going, the passion, the memories alive for those who come after us. That’s the only way later generations will know and understand where they are coming from, just like we learned it from those who went before us.

And note too, the batons we pass on during our relay races, which is symbolic of how we ought work together and pass on stuff to others in our everyday lives. And my One More Day Devotional for People with Chronic Illness, which is where I found George’s quote, adds an interesting statement to the situation.

‘If we assume that each one of our “small candles” represents another of our strengths, we can blend them together to form a torch of hope.’ 

I just LOVE that idea Friends! ‘A torch of Hope! Wow! I believe that is exactly what Jesus is looking for from us when He declares in our Bit: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.’ Oh isn’t that the gospel truth!

Then Jesus goes on to elucidate after our Bit. ‘Neither do men light a candle (lamp) and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lamp stand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.5:15-16)

Yes Friends, being a light unto this darkened world is one of the two things Jesus desires of us down here. The other is to be the salt of the earth, as He says before our Bit.

‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men.’ (Matt.5:13)

Isn’t it interesting how Jesus used two basic, simple things like salt and light to spell out the way He wants his followers to be different from the rest of the world. It’s all a part of His simple, but wise and knowledgeable philosophy.

Now here is some stuff the scholars have to say on those topics. ‘5:13. The Beatitudes are followed by a summary statement of the basic character of the Christian’s life as salt and light. Ye are the salt of the earth: Again the phrase “ye are” indicate that only the genuinely born-again person is salt and can help meet the needs of the world.

Salt adds flavouring, acts as a preservative, melts coldness, and heals wounds. Thus it is a very appropriate description of the believer in his relationship to the world in which he lives.’  

And that’s exactly why Jesus chose it as a foundational characteristic of His followers!

‘5:14-16. Ye are the light of the world describes the essential mission of the Christian to the world. He is the condition (salt) to meet the world’s needs and he has a mission (light) to the world. His light is to clearly shine forth into the darkness of human depravity.

He is to set his light upon a candlestick, not hide it under a bushel, that is, a basket. Darkness is the absence of light; and darkness cannot dispel the light, but the smallest light can dispel the greatest darkness’

Oh mih people, what more can I say to all of that indisputable truth eh? Not much, except to encourage us to raise the level of our passion for Christ and His work, so that we won’t be found wanting when the day of Judgement arrives and the Lord asks us: ‘What did your salt flavour, and where did your light shine?’ As believers, that is the ultimate in wisdom! Much LOVE!

…let’s all put our small individual lights together…and form a torch…a torch of hope…that we can blaze across this world of inordinate darkness…and thus bring light…the light of Jesus to a needy, depraved and  fallen world…

P.S. Oh Friends, I know it’s long and late, but is it ever so true and heartwarming! (smile) Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it – obviously with the Lord’s help and guidance. Much LOVE!

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 June 2013 Philippians 1:12

22 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 1:12.    But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.
 
Oh Friends, oh Friends, as the old people would say; when is not one thing, is something else yes! And unfortunately, the current something else in my life goes like this. A few days ago, we discovered that our kitchen sink was backing up; not too badly, but bad enough to cause problems. I tried plunging it several times without any luck.
 
Then I called a semi-retired handyman from my church to come and have a look at it. He came on Thursday morning, tried snaking it with his small snake, but to no avail either. So he suggested I call this professional outfit that had all the tools and experience.
 
I did that, and they eventually came on Friday morning, after promising to come on Thursday evening. But I guess that was the Lord moving in one of His mysterious ways, since what we went through in the daytime would have been even more agonizing in the evening hours.
 
To make a long story short, they snaked the pipe about three times, with a bigger and longer snake, but still to no avail. The water still came back up after running for a couple of minutes. We then moved to the basement where the pipe from the kitchen sink met the main drain. To get to that, we had to cut out a portion of my finished studio, which obviously I would have preferred not to do, only to find that the blockage was in the main drain itself.
 
Mama Mia! We couldn’t even open the trap because when we tried water began backing up. I must say that neither the plumber nor I was happy. He, because he was looking at a rather big and difficult job, and I because I was looking at possible water and other damage to my basement, as well as a huge repair bill.
 
It seems that a big glob of grease and other stuff is blocking the pipe. An accumulation of many years, which entails getting a water flushing machine or some such thing at a cost of $650.00, and labour on top of that for two plumbers at $180.00 per hour, and all of that has a tax of 13% on it.
 
So you can imagine that I’m not a happy camper this morning. Hopefully, I will be a tad happier, though plenty poorer by the time they finish the job, this afternoon.
 
Anyway Friends, the moral of the story is NOT TO, NEVER flush oil or grease down your sinks, because it doesn’t always go right down into the main sewer system but stays in your pipe system and clogs it up after a while, causing problems like mine. Get a bottle, a bucket or some other kind of container and pour your grease and oil in that, and then dispose of that in some other fashion, but definitely not down your drains.
 
I guess I have to be thankful though that the blockage didn’t get into the heart of the main system, where it would have caused all the pipes in the house to back up, but apparently stayed in the drain leading to it. And for that I say, Thank You Lord!’
 
So that’s what I have to look forward to today. But enough of my griping (smile). A lot of people would gladly have that problem rather than the ones they do have.
 
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which seems rather appropriate under he circumstances. ‘But I would ye should understand (I want you to know), brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen (turned) out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.’
 
And that’s the gospel truth Friends! Why? Because all Bruh Paul’s hardships, imprisonments, floggings, shipwrecks etc, eventually turned out for good, helped to further the Word because others recognized his zeal and passion for Christ.
 
As the scholars explain: ‘Things … have fallen out means “have occurred.” Paul tells his readers that his imprisonment has occurred for the purpose of furthering or spreading the gospel. The word rather suggests that the Philippians were anticipating the reception of bad news as a result of Paul’s captivity. He informs them rather to the contrary.
 
In His wisdom and sovereignty God has deliberately designed His servant’s present circumstances, as undesirable as they may be, for the gospel’s benefit. Two positive results of Paul’s imprisonment are given in verse 13, 14. (1) Caesar’s palace learned the gospel from him (v13); and (2) many Roman Christians were stirred to preach the gospel during his bondage.’
 
Ah Friends, our God does certainly move in mysterious ways! We’d think that all Bruh Paul’s trials and tribulations would cause people to turn away from Christ, but it had the exact opposite effect.  
 
As he so eloquently says: ‘So that my bonds (chains) in Christ are manifest (well known) in all the palace (by the praetorian palace guards), and in all other places. And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing (becoming) confident by my bonds (chains), are much more bold to speak the word without fear.’ (Phil.1:13-14)
 
Yes Friends, our God oftimes uses our hardships and difficulties to draw others closer to Him. When they see our faith and strength in Him, they begin to believe. A good current example is what’s happening to me. I don’t like it, not by a long shot, but I have to grin and bear it. Now someone with a lesser problem might look at that and say, well if he could bear up under that, then I can bear up under my lesser problem.
 
And the Lord does that in all our lives; using our trials as encouragement for others. So though Bruh Paul was in jail in chains, he witnessed to all the guards that came by, and when they realized that he was no criminal, just zealous in the preaching of Christ and the gospel, many believed and witnessed to others.
 
Likewise the Roman believers were inspired by Bruh Paul’s stance for Christ and they too began spreading the gospel with much fervour. The scholars put it very nicely. ‘The whole church, thus stirred, did more in spreading the Good News than Paul could have done by himself had he not been in jail.’
 
So my fellow believers, let us not shirk or run and hide from whatever befalls us, even though they be negative circumstances, because you never know what the Lord’s reasons are for causing them.
 
Let’s just hold on tightly to His promise of working out everything for the good of those He’s called and who sincerely try to follow Him. (Rom.8:28) That’s true faith and wisdom in a nutshell my brethren! Much LOVE!
 
…when we endure trials and tribulations with steadfast faith and strength…God uses us to further the gospel by our example…

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 August 2012 2 Corinthians 5:17

13 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational 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.
 
‘Hip, Hip Hurrah!’ Monday’s here Friends! Wow! What an awesome day, since we get to go out into the evil workday world to talk about and live for Jesus!  Now isn’t that a wonderful responsibility? And all God’s people shouted a great and moving ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ No Friends, I haven’t gone crazy, I’m just in an exultant mood. Just thinking about Jesus and all the good stuff we get to do today for Him has ignited my passion. And true passion for Jesus is something too many of us believers lack. Please remember my people that we’re in a spiritual battle with the powers of evil and darkness, and we can only fight competently if we are enthusiastic and gung ho about what we’re fighting for. And sadly, I know some non-believers who are more enthusiastic about Jesus and what He represents, than many supposed believers. Now that doesn’t speak very highly of us, does it? My personal feeling is that the body of Christ here on earth, His Church, is rather lethargic and sedentary. We tend to sit back and let everybody walk over us. We behave as though Jesus is expected to fix all our problems without us lifting a hand on our own behalf, but that’s never going to happen my people. Then again, we fight against each other too much. Jesus’ Church is supposed to be a unified body, not one of numerous dissensions and divisions. I know you’re going to say that other faiths fight amongst themselves too, but that’s their problem. And it’s why WE, believers in Christ, should be working together to provide the perfect example to the rest of the world.  I don’t know the real root of the problem, but it seems that of all the well known faiths, Christianity is the least proactive. We don’t talk or walk our faith sufficiently. And it’s not like you have to be constantly up in everybody’s face with it either. A true Christian has it showing in his demeanour, his behaviour, his character, his integrity, and when the opportunity arises, he talks about it passionately. Oh Friends, even a subdued passion is better than no passion at all! So having said all of that, let’s see if we can’t raise our passion level in Jesus some nuh, by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as we get ready to go out and greet the world in Jesus’ name. All together now, with loud voices, filled with true praise: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Now if that doesn’t raise our passion level for Christ, then Friends, I don’t know what will. And before we get into our Bit, please let’s offer up some fervent, heartfelt prayers for the unfortunate people of Iran, who, over the weekend suffered two major earthquakes of over 6 on the Richter scale. They may be of a different faith than us, and consider us the infidel and thus want to destroy us, but they are still our brothers, descendants also of father Abraham, made in the image of Jehovah God. And Jesus teaches that we should show LOVE, mercy, kindness and forgiveness to all God’s children, regardless of their colour, creed, race or class. This is definitely one way we can test our faith, because it’s not easy to extend a hand of hope and help to someone who wants to do us harm. Now turning to our Bit at last. (smile) Oh my brethren, these are some of the most important words Bruh Paul ever wrote, for they reflect the very basic and fundamental principle on which our faith is based. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ Friends, many of us know that scripture and quote it, or some paraphrased version, quite often. But how true is it really of the majority of Christ’s Church eh? I believe in actual fact, in real reality, not the virtual reality we tend to worship these days, that it’s nowhere near the truth. That’s because in actual fact too many believers are still caught up in their old ways, still more interested in the things of the flesh and this world than the things of the Spirit and God’s kingdom. We’re still too much into the money and power for their own sakes, plus the frenetic acquisition and amassing of earthly possessions, wanting what others have, though not knowing they sold their souls to get it, being beguiled by the supposed glitz and glamour of a handful of mostly ignorant and unlearned people we term celebrities, who live very ungodly lives. Oh Friends, that’s definitely not the kind of life that Jesus sacrificed His sinless body, spilled His precious blood on the wooden cross at Calvary for us to live. So please, let’s get serious and improve our kingdom walk nuh. If not for our sakes, then for our children and grand children’s, so that they can still lead a fairly decent life in the future. It’s all a question of LOVE for Jesus and our fellow man; the two great commandments. And since we don’t know when Jesus is coming back to set up His kingdom, the best time to begin is RIGHT NOW! That’s wisdom at its zenith! More on this tomorrow Friends, provided Jesus doesn’t return before then and we’re still around, both of which are real possibilities. Till then, please let’s do as Jesus asks: Let’s LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith and SPREAD His Word! Much LOVE!…the wise man lives by the old adage…make hay while the sun shines…
 

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

23 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

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

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

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 July 2012 Revelation 21:4

22 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

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

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

Oh Friends, please joyfully proclaim with me this beautiful Sunday morning: ‘This is the day the Lord God Jehovah has made, and regardless of all my troubles and unfortunate, unfavourable circumstances, I WILL most definitely rejoice and be glad in it! Amen!’ Yes Friends, that’s how true believers ought to greet each new day in this evil, ungodly world that surrounds us. That’s because we know for a fact that our God is controlling and running things, and everything will eventually work out well for all those who serve and worship Him with fullness of heart. With God in control, we are assured that the universe is undoubtedly unfolding as it should, as He designed it to unfold. And if we are certain of all that, then our hearts should abound with oodles of LOVE and passion for Him. So intent should we be on our God that we just can’t get enough of Him, with great joy and peace enveloping our souls as we look forward to that fateful day when there’ll be no more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain, nor crying, nor death, but just everlasting life in the presence of Jesus Christ. And all God’s people shouted a grateful: ‘Thank You Lord!’ Yes fellow believers, that is the faithful promise enshrined in our Bit today: ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ The old heaven and earth with all their sorrows and heartaches will have gone up in flames, to be replaced by the new heaven and earth, where only LOVE, joy, peace, prosperity, kindness and truth shall reign forever thereafter.  And this is one occasion where we can see that the Bible is not just a hodge podge collection of writings, but a solemn chronicle with a truth and purpose from beginning to end, because all through it, those things were promised, individually, as well as together. Let’s check out some of the scriptures that bear those promises. Listen to this first declaration from Isaiah: ‘He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is.25:8-9) Yes mih breddren, from way back then, long before Jesus ever came to earth, the Lord was proclaiming a new and wonderful state of life for His chosen people. And in Rev.7, John proudly and truthfully proclaims: ‘They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on (strike) them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed (shepherd) them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears (every tear) from their eyes.’ (Rev.7:16-17) Wow mih people! What wonderful promises! Why aren’t we more believing then? Something must be seriously wrong with our hearts and minds if we hear such awesome promises declared for sincere believers, yet the majority of us are still trying our best to rid our society and our world of the ONE who created it and us, and also made those genuine promises. Now hear Isaiah again, cause he was the one the Lord chose to tell us the most about His anointed coming to save and cleanse us. This passage is from the chapter titled, ‘The faithful are called to courage.’ And that’s a must Friends! ‘Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning (sighing) shall flee away.’ (Is.55:11)What beautiful intentions Friends! Isaiah says basically the same thing in Chap. 35:10, but he embellishes this version, adding a greater sense of triumph to it. And my imagination remains boggled by the wide lack of acceptance of these promises, even after God faithfully sent His only Son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary to pay for our disgusting sins. Oh Friends, after the Lord made us and Adam blew our heritage, the Lord wasn’t compelled to do anything more for us nuh. He gave us freedom of choice to do as we wished, but His LOVE for us was so all-consuming that He just couldn’t sit idly by and see His most ingenious creation go, both literally and figuratively to Hades in a bucket. So out of the goodness of His heart, He provided an escape route for us. A very easy one too; just believe in and follow His Son Jesus and we’ll be blessed forever thereafter. Hn! And yet we still refuse to believe in and follow the Lord’s anointed. Now my people, that surely is not wisdom! So please, let’s consider and ponder our personal situations all over again, and try and come up with the right solution this time. More on this tomorrow, God in favour. Till then, may He bless and keep all who sincerely trust and believe in Him in perfect peace. This I pray in Jesus’ Name. And all God’s people rang the heavens with a mighty shout of ‘Amen!’ Much LOVE!…the only way to enjoy a pain and sorrow free eternal life…is to come to the Father…through the Son…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 July 2012 Proverbs 19:1

20 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 19:1.    Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

Oh Friends, it’s Friday, and the drought continues! Though people are still excitedly trilling, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ the parched land is definitely not so thrilled. Now something has to be wrong with my area yes, because yesterday was much cooler than the past many days, it was also very cloudy, and at least three times that I know of, a few drops of rain fell. And when I say a few drops, I really mean a few. Hn! It happened to me a couple times while I was out driving yesterday evening, and neither time did I have to even make one pass of my wiper blades, the drops of blessing were so few. Ah Lord eh! But for all that Friends, we must still be excited and passionate about serving the Lord, for we know that He works out all things for good to those whom He calls and who LOVE, worship and serve Him sincerely. (Rom.8:28) Yes mih people, the Lord God Jehovah, creator of heaven, earth and all therein, is still on His lofty throne controlling all things in His universe, at a height of intelligence that we can never meet or even comprehend. That’s why He’s given us faith, hope, LOVE and all the promises; so we can believe in Him and be assured of His unconditional care and concern for us. So with all that in mind, let’s forget about the world and chant our Friday Chant, so that we can bring the excitement of Friday and the weekend into proper perspective. Now, as one sweet, heavenly voice, (smile) let’s chant! ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And having put the weekend in its right perspective, let’s see if we can’t do the same with what our Bit talks about nuh: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’ Wow mih breddren! Isn’t that a remark of awesome truth? It sure is! Why? Because that word ‘integrity’ is a must have trait, one that must exist in all followers of Jesus! We can’t truly be followers of Jesus until or unless we’re also people of high, outstanding integrity. And what does integrity mean? The dictionary talks about ‘uprightness as evidenced in character and actions.’ So it’s basically about things like honesty, dependability, trustworthiness, goodness, morality, truthfulness and virtue. All the positive things that make the Lord look down on us with favour. It speaks of a person with a reliable image, whose character we can trust. Unfortunately that’s another trait, like wisdom, that’s disappeared from our modern society. Nowadays we can’t even trust our preachers, the supposed men of God, for too many of them are mere charlatans and crooks. And why is our world, its economy, relationships within and between nations, as well as relationships within and between religions in such a mess eh? Because the people whom we trusted to take of it lacked, and still lack sufficient integrity to do so properly. They were instead impelled by personal aggrandizement, greed and all the evils associated with the followers of Beelzebub. So Friends, it’s truly much better to be poor and of good character and integrity than it is to be rich, a fool and a crook. Cousin Sol says it thus later on: ‘Blessed is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.’ (Prov.28:6) So though you’re rich and have no integrity – which sadly a lot of rich people don’t have because their gains have come by ill gotten means – you’re still a jerk and a fool, and of no use in God’s kingdom, except as an example of what not to be. Yes Friends, unless we diligently seek and aspire to have a character like Jesus, one that’s honest, reliable and trustworthy, we’re fooling ourselves about working for the kingdom. Now we all can’t be perfect, but we certainly have to try hard. That’s why Jesus lambasted the Pharisees in Matthew 23. Jesus really ripped them apart because they put on a good outward show, but inside they were, totally selfish, greedy and evil. And because Jesus saw through them and wanted to clip their wings, they tried so desperately to run Him out of town. They were supposed to be the righteous, the leaders of the society, but unfortunately lacked the integrity to do the job aright. So my brethren, if our leaders, priests, and those in high places lack the necessary integrity and character, as is being so blatantly showcased and revealed nowadays, how can we expect to have a godly, truthful, or even prosperous society eh? Oh Friends, I keep reminding us of this absolute truth: our society and world cannot improve unless we have leaders and other people in high positions with exemplary character and integrity. And sadly that’s not going to happen unless and until we believers get up off our fat fannies and do something serious about it. We’re very good at griping and complaining, but it’s time for us to stand up and be counted, become people of true integrity and try to rebuild our fallen society with people of that same bent. And it’s got to start with each one of us, then move on to our friends, families and neighbourhoods. Only then will we have a serious chance of regaining control of God’s universe from Lucifer and his evil cohorts. That’s the thought for us to ponder today Friends. And please ponder it seriously, for our actions now, will later on affect the livelihood of our children’s children. Till we meet again, God willing, please walk with Him in peace, LOVE and integrity. Much LOVE!…take care of your character…and your reputation will take of itself…true words of wisdom my people…