Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 September 2013 Habakkuk 2:4

12 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

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

Habakkuk 2:4.   Behold, his soul which is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. 

 
Oh Friends, another God-sent day is on the horizon. But whether it’s going to be hot and sunny, like the past two days, or cold and rainy, I can’t tell you, because I’ve seen two different forecasts in the last few hours. Around 10 p.m. last night, it said 31 degrees and rain, but at 2.30 this morning, it’s saying 24 and sunshine, and that’s after rain, thunder and lightning last night. So you go figure nuh!
 
The weather forecaster’s job right now is one of the most unpredictable in the world. But my brethren, regardless of what happens with the weather, believers in Jesus will stand strong, steadfast and upright because of their enduring faith, as our Bit so wisely declares: ‘Behold, his soul which is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.’ 
 
And I guess you’re wondering why there’s no wandering preamble? Well I have plenty stuff to share, and I want to get it all in today, while keeping the Bit at a reasonable length. So right away, let’s get to some scholarly explanations re our Bit.
 
‘2:4. Two classes of people are contrasted (1) the proud, haughty Chaldeans who will be the victors in the forthcoming conflict; and (2) the righteous ones of Judah who will appear to be defeated in the forthcoming conflict, but in reality will be the victors because of their faith in the Lord.
 
The just shall live by his faith is often quoted in the New Testament in support of the doctrine of justification by faith. (See Rom.1:17; Gal.3:11; Heb.10:38) Thus, this Old Testament prophecy anticipates the New Testament gospel which shall ultimately conquer the nations and bring them to Christ.’
 
And that’s exactly what the New testament Gospel has been doing Friends; conquering both individuals and nations and having them kneel at Christ’s footstool in true repentance to receive His ultimate gifts of salvation and eternal life! What can be more pleasing to our heavenly Father eh? Nothing, except for the whole, entire earth to believe and receive salvation, not losing a single soul to the enemy Beelzebub!
 
But just remember my fellow believers, that our most important job here on earth, our bounden duty, is to help bring those lost souls to Jesus. So if we don’t do right, that’s LOVE God, LIVE our Faith, and SPREAD His Word, then we’re part of the problem and not of the solution.
 
Oh, and by the way, I hope you all checked out the reference from yesterday, Daniel 5:30-31, where Habakkuk’s prophecy came through in the middle of the night. Belshazzar, the Chaldean king was slain and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom.
 
And today’s certainly your lucky day Friends, sorry blessed day (smile) because I’ve planned to quote all the scriptures the scholars referenced above, including this one from John.
 
 ‘The Father LOVETH the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth (remains) on him.’ (John 3:35-36)
 
Yes my people, those who don’t believe in the light and life of the Son, darkness, death and destruction will continue to dog them forever. And as Bruh Paul said to the Roman church, when he talked about the power of the gospel and the guilt of mankind.
 
‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.’ (Rom.1:16-18)
 
Ah mih breddren, the gospel of Christ is so powerful that it can propel you from the very demonic gates of sin, death and Hades right to the golden arches of heaven, through salvation, so you can enjoy life eternal.
 
Wow! I say it every day: what a mighty and LOVING God we serve my people! Everyday we should just be falling all over ourselves to live for Him, to give Him the thanks and praise He so worthily deserves!
 
But instead we foolishly resist His entreaties and advances, push Him aside, and live with hate, bitterness, anger and revenge as the prominent emotions in our lives, rather than those of Peace, LOVE, Mercy and Forgiveness which flow from Him.
 
And then we wonder why life is so rough. Hn! The answer is so simple; we’ve turned away from Almighty God. We no longer obey His commandments, so how do we expect to receive His blessings and LOVING-kindness eh?
 
Oh Friends, I think I have to change my plans here yes, because I’ve just seen some explanations from the scholars re the last two verses above, which I believe will help us understand those scriptures better, so here goes.
 
‘1:17. Righteousness, God’s essential attribute is revealed. It is not man’s invention; it is God’s revelation. Left to himself, man would never have thought of it. From faith to faith: It’s source and end are the same. To those who possess God’s righteousness Paul pronounces, The just shall live by faith. What one believes does make a difference. If he believes the gospel he has life (union with God); otherwise he has death (separation from God).
 
1:18. The wrath is not the revelation of a future judgement of God or of the Great Tribulation, but a present revelation that parallels the present revelation of God’s righteousness (cf.1:17). This revelation comes from heaven.
 
Ungodliness is failure in the religious realm. Unrighteousness is failure in the moral sphere or injustice toward man. Who hold (lit. “hold down,” “suppress”) the truth in unrighteousness. They received the truth concerning the wrath of God but hindered it and prevented it from completing its work.’
 
Oh my fellow believers, I do hope that brings a clearer understanding of those scriptures. So we’ll end there, and if God’s willing, will continue this topic tomorrow, for we all know that the best laid plans of mice and men usually go astray, (smile) and it’s the Lord’s plan that carries the day.
 
Till we meet tomorrow then, may we walk in the sunshine of God’s countenance, may peace and LOVE guide our footsteps as we continue looking to Jesus for strength and faith to face this evil, ungodly world. Much LOVE!
 
…if you don’t believe in Jesus…then you’ll pay the price…just like Lucifer is doing…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 June 2013 Philippians 1:12

23 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, at long last my kitchen sink is operational again! Glory Hallelujah! But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. First off, the plumbers were supposed to arrive around 10 a.m. So I got up, got myself together and waited for them. But eleven o’clock came and went, then twelve, without any action or news. 
 
So I eventually called the office, only to learn that they’d been sent out on an emergency call earlier in the day, but they would be there as soon as possible. Steups! That asap though was two p.m.
 
Obviously I wasn’t happy because I had wasted four hours of my time that could have been used much more constructively than just hanging around waiting for them. The plumber wasn’t happy either because he figured that the office had called me about the delay. On top of that, by the time they arrived it was raining intermittently. 
 
Anyway, we put aside our unhappiness and did what was necessary to get the job done. There was a fair amount of grease in the drain, but not enough to cause any serious problems, and by four p.m. we were done. And the price was just a mere eleven hundred and forty something dollars! (smile) What else can I do but grin and bear it eh?
 
Much to my surprise though, I discovered that it included a charge for an hour’s travelling time…the ole crooks and them! And though I knew they didn’t travel anywhere close to an hour to get to my house, I didn’t argue over it. I was just glad to get the problem fixed, also reasoning that if I was being robbed, I’d let the Lord deal with it, since He says that’s His department, He’ll right the wrongs done to His people. (Deut.32:35; Rom.12:19)
 
Oh, I need to make one correction from yesterday, where I stated that the tax rate was 15%, it’s actually 13%. So my life is back to normal again. Thank the Lord! But those three days of inconvenience really brought home to me how unappreciative we are of our favoured society status, with all our modern conveniences. Not until we have to do without them for a period of time, do we truly see how they impact out lives.
 
We complain about the hard and rough olden days, but the places that we got water from then, the stand pipe or the river never got clogged. The clothes line in the backyard never jammed, or the scrubbing boards and the river stones break down, neither did the outhouse back up. (smile) We never had the problems we have now with these supposed modern conveniences. But we’ve become so lazy and pampered, that many of us can’t operate unless we have all the conveniences.
 
Anyway, let’s turn to our Bit now: ‘But I would ye should understand (want you to know), brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out (turned out) rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.’ It’s the same as yesterday, because I thought there was some more important scripture there for us to address.
 
Now yesterday, we saw where Bruh Paul’s imprisonment, unlike normal expectations, worked to further the spreading of the gospel amongst the unlikely Roman praetorian palace guards, and also emboldened the Roman Christians to get up off their frightened fannies and preach the Good News of Christ with zest and enthusiasm.
 
Oh that more of us today would do likewise my brethren, because the preaching and sharing of the gospel is very badly needed in these evil, ungodly, trying and troubled times! And we have nothing to fear, except fear itself, unlike the early Christians who faced serious persecution for their beliefs.
 
However, listen to Bruh Paul from where we left off yesterday. ‘Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention (selfish ambition), not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds (chains): But the other of LOVE, knowing that I am set (appointed) for the defense of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.’ (Phil.1:15-18)
 
And that’s an awesome fact Friends! Some people were preaching for the wrong motive, merely for self-aggrandisement, and sadly, many are still doing the same thing today.
 
But, per the scholars: ‘The right motivation is LOVE- LOVE for God, for Paul, and LOVE for unbelievers. Improper motives are envy, strife (v 15), and selfish ambition. Some egotistical Christians were jealous of the apostle and rejoiced over his imprisonment, for it gave them opportunity to be in the limelight. Supposing to add affliction to his bonds: They hoped that when Paul learned of their being the centre of attention, his chains would become particularly galling to him.’
 
But no such luck! Instead he gloried in the fact that the gospel was being preached, and his chains didn’t bother him one bit! Oh my people, are we thus conditioned, that whatever our circumstances we’re glad to hear the gospel preached? I surely hope so, because then we’ll truly be on our way to becoming mature Christians. 
 
Per the scholars: ‘Paul was so selfless and so concerned for Christ that, whether the preaching came from proper or improper motives, he rejoiced in the truth being proclaimed. To be sure, he was grieved over the wrong motives of some, but to him motivation was secondary, while propagation of the truth was primary.’  
 
Ah Friends, the gospel of Christ is so powerful that it causes even those with selfish, ulterior motives to preach it! However, since we are true believers, let’s all go out and preach it with the right motive nuh, that of LOVE: LOVE for God and LOVE for all mankind. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Much LOVE my brethren!
 
…spreading the Good News of Christ…from a heart of LOVE…is the only thing that will bring about the much needed…LOVE Revolution…
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 January 2013 2 Chronicles 24:20

03 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

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

2 Chronicles 24:20.    And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.
 
Oh Friends, I came to write the Bit just now, with no intro in mind. But as usual, the Lord, in His awesome LOVING-kindness pointed me to one. I went to straighten out a picture on my cluttered desk and inadvertently disturbed some other stuff, amongst them a couple of the sayings we find in the Chinese fortune cookies. And while replacing them, this particular one, struck me as being rather relevant to today. It simply says: ‘All that we are arises with our thoughts.’ And that’s ever so true my people, because our thoughts are what guide and propel our actions. That means bad or evil thoughts will lead to similar actions, while good, wholesome thoughts will bring good, wholesome actions. And that’s exactly what we’re trying to do at the beginning of this New Year via our Bit; change our concentration from being uppermost on Lucifer and the mindless things of the world, to Jesus and the awesome, soul-inspiring things of heaven. ‘And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.’ The Bit is quite plain and to the point Friends. The people of Israel had turned from the God of their fathers, who had given them prosperity, to worshipping idols. And it’s obvious if you worship idols, or any other supposed god beside He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you will not prosper. Moses said that to the Israelites, long, long ago. ‘And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress (overstep) the commandment of the Lord? but it shall not prosper (succeed). Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten before (defeated by) your enemies. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with you.’ (Num.14:41-43) But they didn’t listen to Moses, rebelliously went out to battle, and were totally slaughtered. The same thing happened with our Bit. The king Joash had been saved as a baby by his sister Jeho-shabeath from the wicked queen Athaliah, who usurped the throne after her son Ahaziah’s death, killing all the royal heirs. Now, Jeho-shabeath was the wife of Jehoiada the priest, and they hid Joash in the temple for six years, while Athaliah reigned wickedly over the land. (2 Chr.22) In the fullness of time though, through Jehoiada’s influence and cunning, the people rebelled against Athaliah, slew her and made Joash king at the age of 7. ‘And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.’ (2 Chr.24:20) However, after Jehoiada died at age 130, Joash listened to the fawning princes of the land who came and made obeisance to him. ‘And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served groves (wooden images) and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.’ (2 Chr.24:18) But our God LOVES us so much that He just doesn’t give up on us. ‘Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the Lord; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.’ (2 Chr.24:19) Oh Friends, that’s the same thing that’s happening in our crazy, confused, misguided world today! The Lord’s sending His messengers to us to tell us repent and come back to Him, else our lives will be devastated. But just like the Israelites of old, we’re not listening. We still insist on going about our own disobedient, rebellious way, instead of doing God’s will. What do you think will be the eventual out come eh? Listen to this. When the Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah and he testified against his people, they conspired against him, and stoned him on the orders of Joash, the king. Joash conveniently forgot the goodness of Zechariah’s father, Jehoiada, who raised him like his own son. But remember Friends, our God says that revenge is His, and he will repay in due time. (Deut.32:35) Consequently, at the end of that year, the Syrian army invaded Judah and Jerusalem, killed the princes, left Joash badly wounded, and sent an abundance of spoil back to Damascus. (2 Chr.24:23) Now please listen carefully to this next verse Friends. ‘For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. So they executed judgement against Joash.’ (2 Chr.24:24) Yuh see mih people, the Lord rights all wrongs in His own way and time! And believe me, right now He is righting some of our wrongs with the devastating changes and problems we’re facing. That’s why I’m urging us to repent and turn back to Jehovah God this year of 2013. It’s imperative that we do so Friends, because I believe this will be a watershed, make or break year. Hear how Cousin Sol tells it in Proverbs. ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.’ (Prov.28:13) It couldn’t be any plainer than that mih breddren. Life is tough all around and none of the schemes or solutions of men are working because the problems are too big and complex for our puny minds to even conceive, much less solve. And if we can’t solve our problems, then the only logical and wise move is to turn to Jehovah God, the Creator, Controller and Provider of the universe. And we’ll end with this appropriate piece of scripture, a warning from the prophet Azariah. Please pay close attention to it, because it’s exactly what’s happening right now. ‘And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. And he went out to meet (before) Asa, (the king) and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them. And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations (turmoil) were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. And nation was destroyed of (by) nation, and city of city: for God did vex (trouble) them with all adversity. Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.’ (2 Chr.15:1-7) That’s the Word of the Lord Friends; we shall either live by it, or die without it. Much LOVE!…he who does not obey…will certainly pay…that’s the Lord’s decree from day one…and it hasn’t changed…neither will it ever…
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 November 2012 John 3:36

08 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

John 3:36.    He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
 
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s in somewhat of a sad state this cold, autumn morning because I heard about a real tragic situation last night, one that could have been prevented if some of the participants had acted as true Christian adults. Apparently the whole situation developed because of anger, resentment and a desire for revenge. But Friends, as the large black letters on a white background of paper, taped to the side of my filing cabinet so rightly says: ‘Anger slays the simple – And Resentment kills the fool.’ And that’s gospel my people! Consequently, that’s why Bruh Paul so fervently warns: ‘Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph.4:26-27) Our anger should not go to bed with us. We ought to get rid of it as quickly as possible, because holding on to it causes us to make wrong decisions, which gives Lucifer all kinds of opportunities to invade our souls and lay his evil eggs therein. These eggs can then stay and hatch into resentment and bitterness that just sours our souls and drives us away from the peaceful, LOVING arms of Almighty God. And that’s something we don’t ever want to do. I just hope and pray, that our kind and merciful God can comfort those involved in this unfortunate tragedy, in their time of grief and heartache. And that’s not all Friends, we have plenty more praying to do, for more natural disasters have struck on this side of the world. An earthquake of 6.3 magnitude occurred off Vancouver Island on Canada’s West Coast a couple days ago. Shocks were felt fairly far away, but thankfully no sizeable damage seems to have happened. But in Guatemala, an earthquake of 7.4 magnitude occurred yesterday, killing some 48 people so far. Then to make a bad situation even worse, it seems like a nor’easter storm blew over New York and New Jersey yesterday, bringing strong winds, rain and wet snow. That just plunged many people back into darkness and misery after Sandy’s terrible onslaught last week. Ah Friends, our God certainly seems to be telling us something. And that something might just be involved with our Bit: ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.’ Yes my people, He’s warning us to heed His call to conviction and repentance. This seems to be the only avenue left open to us, since we’ve tried everything else that we can in our own power, and it’s just not working. Yesterday we saw where Jesus solemnly declared that he had come to earth to save those who would believe in Him, and that those who didn’t believe were already condemned to eternal separation from the Father. He also stated that mankind LOVED darkness because their deeds were evil, and did not want those deeds exposed to the light that He brought. (John 3:16-21) And that’s the living truth my brethren! It couldn’t be any simpler Friends; you either believe in Jesus and live in the light, or don’t , and perish in the darkness. Now listen to Jesus again on the subject. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.’ (John 6:47-51) Oh my people, the Creator of the universe is still in control of His creation, and ALWAYS will be. So why are we so adamant and insistent on rebelling against His dictates eh, especially when we have no real power to control our own lives or circumstances? Look at Hurricane Sandy and all the other natural disasters that seem to be happening one after the other, we have no power whatsoever to stop or control any of them. And yet we foolishly refuse to bow to the great I AM. Oh my brethren, all these disasters are meant to be wake up calls for us, and we’re ignoring them at our own peril. No wonder John declares at the end of our Bit, that those who don’t believe in Jesus shall not see eternal life, but the wrath of God will fall upon them. Now hear Bruh Paul tell it to the church at Rome. ‘For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold (suppress) the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God is manifest (evident) in (among) them; for God hath shown it unto them.’ (Rom.1:18-19) Yes Friends, God has shown it to us, but we obstinately refuse to believe and follow it. Listen to the scholars on that scripture. ‘In order to express His nature (holiness, truth and justice), God must punish sin. Since sin personally offends God, no one should be surprised that sin makes God angry. To deny His anger is to reject the necessity of Christ’s reconciling work on the cross. God’s wrath is revealed both in nature and in the Scriptures. Illustration: The rage that today is vented against sin will someday be completely unleashed in hell against those who refuse to accept the satisfaction (propitiation) that Christ made on the cross for sin. Application: Since this propitiation by Christ suffices for the whole world, there is no reason anyone should spend eternity in hell unless he voluntarily rejects God’s truth. (First Ref. Gen.49:7; Primary Ref; Rom.1:18: cf. John 14:2)’ That tells the tale like it truly is my Friends. Now it’s up to us, individually, to either accept or reject it. Note though, the repercussions of either avenue. The smart money would be on accepting it. Much LOVE!…he who refuses to hear…shall surely feel…and feel plenty too…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 September 2012 Proverbs 17:13

14 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 17:13.    Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

Oh Friends, our wonderful God again blessed my area yesterday with a perfect summer’s day! Wow! All praise and thanks be to You O Lord! But I don’t think today is going to be so nice, because they’re calling for cooler temps and rain. But when has a little rain and some cool weather ever stopped God’s children from joyously shouting on a Friday: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday?’ Never! That’s because we’re so wrapped up in our Fridays; first because it’s the end of the work week and then it’s also the start of our labour free weekend. However Friends, before we allow our exuberance to aimlessly carry us away, let’s chant our Friday Chant, so that we can keep everything in its right perspective. So with the same enthusiasm that we just shouted, ‘TGIF!’ and ‘Thank God it’s Friday!’ let’s all chant as one. Blow the roof off heaven mih people! (smile) ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And now that we’ve curbed our aimless enthusiasm with ‘a modicum of circumspection,’ as Jeeves the butler in the P.G. Wodehouse books was wont to say, let’s turn to our Bit. ‘Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.’ Those are certainly words of invaluable truth my people, for that’s how our most just and righteous God has set up His everlasting kingdom. Evil has no place in it; especially for those who return evil for good. Being evil is bad enough, but returning a good favour with evil consequences, is the lowest of the low. Now yesterday we ended with Peter telling us that we should be joyful when we suffer for righteousness sake. (1 Pet.3:13-14) However Friends, we all know it’s rough to suffer injustice and don’t long for some kind of revenge. That’s just our natural human nature. But James tells us this: ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried (has been proved), he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that LOVE him.’ (James 1:12) Accepting evil for good and not making any noise, comes with the territory my brethren. Jesus suffered immeasurable evil for our sakes, but He never complained. Granted we don’t have all the parts that Jesus had, but we can still stand strong in His Holy Name. For you see what’s the end of returning evil for good? Evil will remain forever in the house, the family of that person(s). Now is that a legacy we want to leave our descendants? Absolutely not! And it’s not only Jesus who endured evil for good, but many other faithful followers did too. Hear Jeremiah tell his story: ‘Give heed to me, O Lord, and hearken (listen) to the voice of them that contend with me. Shall evil be recompensed (repaid) for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul (life). Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for (concerning) them, and to turn away thy wrath from them.’ (Jer.18:19-20) Poor Jerry ended up in jail for warning his people about the coming calamity from God if they did not repent of their evil ways. Now listen to Bruh David, who knew a thing or two about suffering evil at the hands of those he treated well, like Saul and his own son Absalom. He declares thus in Psalm 35, a prayer for rescue from enemies: ‘Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute (pursue) them. For without cause have they hid (hidden) for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul (life) – shades of Jeremiah – …False (fierce) witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge (asked me) things that I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling (sorrow) of my soul.’ (Ps.35:6-7,11-12) Oh Friends, I know that many of us are still suffering the heartfelt pangs of receiving evil in return for good. But as I tried to show, it’s a part of our heritage, our faith, to suffer, especially on Jesus’ behalf. And though it’s never easy, we have to try and rise above the situation of returning evil for good, and when it happens to us, we have to look at it as a test from God, who has promised to strengthen us in all our misfortunes and also reward us if we stand strong and steadfast in His Word and His Will. And we’ll end with some poignant words from Jesus on the subject. After he told the Jews: ‘I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones to stone him. Jesus answered them. Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?’ (John 10:30-32) And we think we have it hard! Oh my people, let’s ponder today on the trials and tribulations that Jesus unfairly bore on our behalf, so that we could be reconciled with the Father. Then let’s allow His Holy Spirit to rise up in us and strengthen us, as we make our own difficult pilgrimage through this earthly life. Much LOVE!…but I say unto you which hear…LOVE your enemies…do good to them which hate you…bless them that curse you…and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you… (Luke 6:27-28)
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 August 2012 Galatians 5:1

30 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

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

Galatians 5:1.    Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
 
Oh Friends, our world’s a mess; man-made disasters as well as God sent calamity. You name it, and we’re suffering it. And on a more personal level, millions of Christians are still suffering persecution in numerous places, simply because they believe in Christ, talk about Him and try to live by His Word and His will. One extreme example of that is the Christian teenaged girl recently imprisoned in Pakistan for supposedly burning some pages of a holy book. Now you cannot get a straight story about her age, what she actually burnt, or how it all came about, cause all they have left is ashes, but the Muslim people are all up in arms calling for her death, due to some vague and unenlightened blasphemy law that’s only being used and abused to satisfy personal agendas, and vendettas, especially against Christians. Hundreds of believers had to flee their homes as the Muslim mobs cried out for vengeance. And there’s no justice to be had for God’s people! Ah Friends, it’s not fair, but unfortunately it’s part of being a believer in some places. But remember though, that the name of Jesus is the most powerful and controversial name on all the earth. It’s the name to which all knees shall eventually bow and all voices make confession to. So there will always be those who want to engage in some kind of controversy over it. However, here is the true insight on the matter: ‘The action of God is flowing through us, through all believers in a pattern of success right now!’ Yes my people, regardless of our troubles, the Lord’s blessing us all today with a strength of purpose that will inevitably bring success. Jesus had it and was able to overcome His problems and so will we. But that success doesn’t just come without any effort on our part. We need to be strong and keep living by faith to see that success. That’s why our Bit encourages, exhorts and admonishes us to: ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.’ Words of impeccable wisdom that all believers ought to live by! Here’s what the scholars have to say about it. ‘The verse can be rendered: “For freedom Christ freed us. Therefore stand fast and do not again be subject to a yoke of bondage.” The “freedom” in view is freedom from the law, here called “a yoke of bondage.” Paul wants the Galatians to “stand fast,” that is retain their spiritual freedom.’ Likewise my brethren, believers in these turbulent times need to stand fast in their faith, retain the spiritual freedom that Christ died to give us, and not to become slaves to the law again. And Bruh Paul uses as an example the Jewish law of circumcision, which at the time was causing much friction between the Jewish and Gentile believers. He says that circumcision will not provide any special benefits, or bring you any closer to Christ, but it will enslave you to the law. It’s an external ritual or symbol, showing that you accept the law, and therefore are dependent on man’s legality to provide salvation, rather than on God’s grace. But by the same token, being uncircumcised doesn’t profit you anything either. ‘For we through the Spirit (eagerly) wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by LOVE.’ (Gal.5:5-6)  So whether we’re circumcised or not, we’ll not benefit spiritually from that physical state. Thus, if we try to be justified by the law, we will not have the favour, the grace of God that Jesus died for us to have. But through faith, instilled in and kept working in us by the Holy Spirit, believers can, and do find justification, and hope for the salvation promised by Jesus, in and through His sacrificial death. As the scholars declare: ‘Faith is man’s response to God who LOVES him, and this divine LOVE that produces human faith results in his justification.’ So my brethren, please let us not become too entangled with man’s law, which will only yoke us in slavery once again. Now listen to Bruh Paul’s exhortation to steadfastness to the church at Philippi: ‘Only let your conversation (conduct) be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing (no way) terrified by your adversaries: which is to them and evident token (a proof) of perdition (destruction), but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.’ (Phil.1:27-29) And the scholar’s give us a good explanation on the meaning of fellowship to believers. ‘Fellowship, one of the keys to spiritual growth, occurs when Christians share their walk with God in an atmosphere of LOVE and respect. Fellowship occurs when everyone communicates in LOVE with other believers, and the whole assembly becomes strengthened as a result. Sometimes fellowship requires confessing our faults (James 5:16) as we strive to develop a unity of spirit and mind. Those who work to hinder the fellowship of the brethren practice a sin that is hated by God (Prov. 6:19) Illustration: The church at Philippi was particularly noted for its spirit of fellowship, but Paul’s warning to two women in the church reminds how we must constantly work to maintain fellowship (4:1-3). Application: Fellowship is so vital that we cannot live for God by ourselves. As we develop deeper relationships with others, we should remember that we come to resemble those with whom we fellowship. (Matt.18:19). Now, sadly, true fellowship is something that’s missing from Christ’s church today. I’ll rephrase that, because there is some. Let’s say it’s not as strong and united as it ought to be, otherwise there wouldn’t be all the divisions and divisiveness found in Christ’s body. Friends, please realize that only in unity is there strength, and we believers are fighting an uphill battle against the spiritual forces of evil and bondage, so it’s absolutely necessary that we stick together if we want to be successful. And today, let’s pray for all those who are suffering disaster, or being unfairly persecuted. Let’s send up plenty prayers to heaven, for the Lord to assuage some of our problems down here on earth. Much LOVE!…if the Lord hears the prayer of one righteous person…won’t He pay more attention to the prayers of plenty righteous people…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 March 2012 Leviticus 19:18

30 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Leviticus 19:18.     Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.

Oh Friends, it’s the big day, Friday! And all God’s people breathed a grateful sigh of relief and mouthed in true gratitude; ‘Oh, thank God it’s Friday!’ I know some of us have had a rougher week than others, but the beauty of having Jesus as our Saviour is that we can all lay down our burdens and rest in Him, in His peaceful, calm and caring personality. So let’s throw off that tiredness by now putting it in His hands, and also chanting our Friday Chant, to give us a better perspective on the upcoming weekend. As one loud and prayerful voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And with that perspective Friends, let’s see if we can’t do what our Bit commands us nuh: ‘Thou shalt not avenge (take vengeance), nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.’ Some of you are displeased because we’re still focused on this Bit, but that’s just a spoiled brat attitude. And furthermore, how can we move on when we haven’t learned all the lessons it teaches? It’s like repeating a year or semester of school because we have failed our exams. And believe you me people, we are definitely failing this lesson of LOVING our neighbours as ourselves, else our world would not be in such a troubled state. The truth is that we will never be calm, peaceful and filled with true joy until we truly begin LOVING others as ourselves. But perhaps I’m being a bit presumptuous here, because if we’re not carrying out the first and greatest command of our God; to LOVE Him wholeheartedly, how can we be expected to carry out the second one; to LOVE our neighbours as ourselves? As the scriptures ask, how can you LOVE a God you can’t see, and not a neighbour that you can see? It is somewhat confusing, but believe me, it’s often much easier to LOVE the God you can’t see than the neighbour whose behaviour rankles our very being. But as believers, that’s what we’re called to do, and we’ll continue with some scriptures on the topic that I never got to yesterday. And we can only be blessed by hearing Jesus’ words once more. When asked about the most important commandments, He declared that LOVING the Father was the first and most important: ‘And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.’ (Mark 12:31) Friends, those are words we ought to write indelibly in and on all parts of our beings to continually remind us of them. Then we ought to put them into sincere practice if we want to be seen as true Christians, and not the hypocrites that many, with good reason, take us to be. My brethren it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell us that we’re definitely not obeying the two most important commands of the ONE and ONLY TRUE God, Jehovah, and that if we continue this disobedience we’ll only end up in more hot water and greater calamity than we’re already facing. In Romans, Bruh Paul wisely advises us thus: ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.’ (Rom.12:9) That should be simple common sense, not only for believers, but for all those who wish to live calm and peaceful lives, since evil only brings strife and stress. Later on, to the same Roman church, Bruh Paul, in talking about our LOVE walk, tells them: ‘Owe no man anything, but to LOVE one another: for he that LOVETH another hath fulfilled the law….LOVE worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law.’ (Rom.13:8,10) James also weighs in on the problem with these words of wisdom: ‘If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.’ (James 2:8) Oh Friends, isn’t it very encouraging to know that we’re doing well if we LOVE our neighbours as ourselves? It should be, but unfortunately it isn’t to too many of us. However, let’s go home with a biting bit of scripture from Bruh Paul to the Galatians: ‘For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.’ (Gal.5:14-15) Oh my people, truer words were never spoken, because we can now see it taking place in our crazy world, where there’s little or no LOVE, and we’re consuming each other like gluttons. How sad! But that’s the current nature of the beast. I implore us though to make positive changes as soon as possible, or else with all the strife and anger, resentment and call for vengeance, the greed and jealousy, plus the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, we’ll eventually wipe ourselves off of Mother Earth. All that’s now left to say is let’s wake up and smell the fresh bread that Jesus is so LOVINGLY baking for us, if we only do as He asks. It would surely be a sin if we allow it to go to waste, just because we didn’t LOVE each other. Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…the consequences of disobedience is calamity…and ultimately death…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 March 2012 Leviticus 19:18‏

29 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Leviticus 19:18.     Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.
 

Hi there mih people! How goes it? I hope it all goes well with you. And if by chance it doesn’t, then I certainly hope that you are resting safe and secure in the LOVING arms of Jesus, giving ALL your problems to Him, while taking up His easy yoke and light burden, for that’s why He sacrificed His holy, innocent life on our behalf. He redeemed our sins so that we could live a decent, comfortable, prosperous life here on earth. But by the same token, we also have a very important part to play in making His words come true. And today Friends, you’re not going to hear much from me, cause I’m going to jam us with scripture. And I can hear some of you in the background saying, ‘Thank you Lord.’ (smile) Today we’re going to invest in scripture that pertains to the second most important command of our God, which we are not obeying, and which is causing a myriad of serious problems in our world. And it all begins with our Bit: ‘Thou shalt not avenge (take vengeance), nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.’ Yesterday we looked at scripture that pertained to the first part, vengeance, today we’ll look at some that deal with the second half; LOVING our neighbours as ourselves. But first, here’s a scripture on vengeance that I just discovered and felt compelled to share. It’s from Proverbs, wise words of Cousin Sol. ‘Say not thou, I will recompense (repay) evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.’ (Prov.20:22) Please remember that Friends: REVENGE is the Lord’s job, not ours. We have to wait patiently and let Him do His thing on our behalf in His own, good time. Now moving on to the second part of our Bit: ‘thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself.’ Oh Friends, when I consider how we disobey that command, I just have to bow my head in shame and ask the Lord to be merciful unto us, because our lack of decency towards each other is the major source of most of our problems. We will never like everybody, but it’s our God-given responsibility, as Christians, to treat each other decently; be kind, merciful and forgiving. Remember Jesus said that whatever we sow we shall eventually reap. And my people, that’s exactly what’s happening in our world today; we’re reaping the evil fruits of the evil seeds we’ve sown. Can you imagine what a truly wonderful world this would be if we just treated each other the way we’d like to be treated? Oh mih breddren, there’d be such joy in heaven and also here on earth! But we’ve become so selfish and greedy that we expect others to treat us well, even though we treat them like garbage. Anyway, enough of me, let’s get to the scriptures I promised before time and space runs out. And we’ll start with Jesus during the famous Sermon on the Mount, where He proclaimed: ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt.5:43-48) Oh Friends, that’s the bedrock of Jesus’ philosophy; do good regardless of the circumstances. And I did not plan to quote all of that, but the Spirit said to do it, so therefore being the obedient son I am, I did. (smile) Then later on in Matthew 19, when the rich, young ruler asks Jesus about gaining eternal life, He quotes him the Ten Commandments, amongst them being: ‘Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself.’ (Matt.19:19) Again, when some smart aleck lawyer tries to give Jesus a run for His money and asks about how to inherit eternal life, Jesus asked him what was written in the law? The lawyer replied: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he (Jesus) said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.’ (Luke 10:27-28) But like most lawyers, thinking they’re so smart, he tries to one-up Jesus by asking who was his neighbour. This led Jesus to tell them the parable of the Good Samaritan. And right there Friends, we have what’s wrong with our world. The priest and Levite, supposed holy and righteous men of his own culture were too busy and selfish to look after the injured man. But the Samaritan, a veritable enemy, had the Love, mercy and kindness to stop and look after him. Oh my brethren, that’s the kind of world Jesus wants us to build! As He said earlier, LOVE thine enemies, that way they’ll see the real Christian Spirit of Jesus in us. Think back to the Bit a few days ago where we spoke of the Anglican minister with the two Muslim workers, working in harmony to help all and sundry, regardless of race or creed. That’s what LOVING our neighbours as ourselves truly is. And for all of our sakes, let’s try to do more of that nuh Friends, so that out heavenly Father will smile down on us. It’s definitely in our own best interest. Much LOVE!…it can’t be said too often… you reap what you sow…so sow good seed…that you may reap good fruit…
 

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