Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 July 2015 Colossians 3:2‏

06 Jul 2015 Leave a comment

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

Colossians 3:2.    Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.

Oh Friends, oh Friends, a fair number of hypocrites came to church yesterday, (smile) and did we ever sing and dance, praise and worship God, and enjoy each other’s company! Wow! So much so that we all left the house of God in great spirits, with our LOVE, peace and godly enthusiasm boosted sky high! Oh Glory to God, my people!

That’s why on this summer’s morn, this Monday morning, we are able to get up and get ourselves together to go out and labour without a lot of fuss and complaining. We set the tone for the rest of the week by affirming our convictions with Almighty God on the first day. And that’s why I keep advising us, that our Sundays set the tone and tempo for our Mondays.

Now for those of us whose spirits are still burdened and heavy laden, let’s get our act together by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much verve and gusto. As one earthly, but angelic sounding choir, 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!’

Oh Friends, that was wonderful, marvellous! And most importantly, Jesus was thrilled. You could tell by the dazzling smile on His face as lost in the music, He swayed and wielded – no, not wielded, because that carries a sense of a crude, rough and heavy manner – but rather, as He gently, lightly, but firmly caressed the air with His conductor’s baton. (smile)

Yes my people, I don’t know what happened, but we are definitely on the ball this morning. As we sang, we must obviously have done what our Bit says. ‘Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.’

Oh, if we could only do that in all the other areas of our lives, what a truly wonderful world this would be! But unfortunately that’s not the case; the things of the world still hold too much sway over us; we’re way too materialistic and not sufficiently spiritually concerned. And per the Good Book, my brethren, that is not a very good or wise way to be.

Cousin Sol puts it this way in Proverbs. ‘Labour not to be rich (do not overwork): cease from thine own wisdom.’ (Prov.23:4)

And why is that? As Bruh Paul explains to Timothy. ‘But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).

For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil; which while some coveted after, they have strayed from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many arrows.’ (1 Tim.6:9-10)

Ah Friends, what absolute truth! When our main ambition is to be rich, to be materially wealthy, we lose sight of our godly purpose and fall into all sorts of compromises and wrong doing, just to make money. In other words we make money our idol, our god.

And that’s obviously not right. At least not in the eyes of our Creator and heavenly Father, who has faithfully promised that if we seek His righteousness, He will provide us with all we need to be  successful in this world. (Matt.6:33) Unfortunately, too many of us don’t seem to believe Him and thus kill ourselves working for the almighty dollar.

Now here is an important explanation from the scholars. ‘6:10. The root of all evil means a root or source of all kinds of evil. The LOVE for money is not the only source from which evil comes. Coveted after means that some have “striven after” money as the goal of life.’

Yes my brethren, money, in and of itself is not bad, and we definitely need it to live, but when we make amassing it our be all and end all, begin coveting it, that is when we lose our way. Remember the last of the Ten Commandments; thou shalt not covet. (Ex.20:17) And that means anything that belongs to someone else. Any time you covet anything, it’s a sin. So the moral of the story is to not let material wealth be your guiding light, but rather Jesus, the true light of the world.

Now let’s conclude with some more wise and wonderful advice from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Charge (command) them that are rich in this world (present age), that they be not highminded (haughty), nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute  (give), willing to communicate (share); Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.’ (1 Tim.6:17-19)

Oh Friends, what powerful and wise words! The scholars explain them thus: ‘6:17-18. Paul charges wealthy believers (1) not to be proud and look down on those who are not rich, (2) to confide in God, rather than in unstable riches, (3) to be rich in good works by generously sharing their surplus of financial resources with the needy. To be ready to distribute is to be generous in sharing. To be willing to communicate is to be liberal in giving.’

Now please notice as the scholars remind us: ‘Salvation is not purchased by the giving of money, but generosity demonstrates the reality of one’s faith. Since the believer trusts God and not money, he gives. This giving shows where his heart is and that he views his wealth in light of eternity.’

More words of wisdom Friends, so please let’s ponder on it all and then come to some right conclusions re our attitude towards money, for that will certainly make or break us. Much LOVE!

…money is good and necessary…but LOVING it…allowing it to rule your life…is fraught with many serious pitfalls…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 July 2014 Matthew 6:19

24 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 6:19.       Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin, destroy), and where thieves break through and steal.

Aye mih Friends, it’s Thursday, what’s new, what’s on the agenda for today eh? I know that all of us have lofty plans for the day, but just remember, for them to succeed, we have to commit these plans to the Lord, link them with His plan and will for our lives.
 
As Bruh David so wisely advises in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps.37:5-6)
 
But first things first my brethren; let’s give our wonderful God a mighty shout of praise and thanks for causing us to see another marvelous day here on earth, for without His goodness and tender mercy, His LOVING-kindness and forbearance, that wouldn’t be possible.
 
So please pray with me, this prayer that Jesus taught us. ‘Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one): for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’ (Matt.6:9-13)
 
Yes my people, it’s always best to acknowledge our heavenly Father before we begin asking Him for this and that. It just shows our respect, our reverential awe for His holiness, His spectacular majesty and awesome power, and that we’re not merely interested in whatever good things He might have to offer us.
 
For also remember that He can see, and does read the true motives of our hearts, so any hypocrisy we try to hide from Him WILL BE exposed to His supernatural sight. Consequently, I don’t understand how so many of us still come to God with deceitful thoughts and attitudes, thinking to fool Him. Absolute stupidity!
 
Anyway, that brings us to our Bit, a very significant teaching of Jesus. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin, destroy), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt.6:19-21)
 
Oh Friends, what a very instructive and hopefully convincing passage of scripture, that all of us will sincerely and confidently take note of!
 
And the scholars have this to say about those verses. ‘6:19-21. The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term treasures implies the addition or accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (either on earth or in heaven).
 
The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather of rewards for faithful service, as illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus.’
 
Yes my brethren, unlike the world’s theory that we should aggrandize ourselves with the worthless physical riches of the earth, Jesus is advising us to store up the favours and rewards for godly and righteous service in heaven.
 
And it’s a proven fact that wherever the choice things of our heart are located, that’s where our attention will be focused. So if the treasures of the world hold the place of highest esteem in our lives, then that’s where our focus, our priorities, will lie.
 
However, if the rewards and riches found in heaven speak more to us, then it’s on heaven and heavenly things that our focus and priorities will be trained.
 
And though the riches of the world are nice to have, running behind them, making ourselves slaves to collecting them is not a very wise idea. For that path only brings immense headaches and pain, in the long run causing us to forsake our friends and families, and most importantly our God.
 
Now let’s look at some scriptures that support our Bit. And the first comes from the pen of wise Cousin Sol, where he unequivocally declares: ‘Labour not (do not overwork) to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
 
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? (Will you cause your eyes to fly on it, and it is not?) For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.’ (Prov.23:4-5)
 
And who should know the effect of riches my people, better than the richest man ever eh? And it is the gospel truth, as we can see from the many who have laboured long and hard to attain material wealth, then lost it all, in no time at all.
 
And there are also many stories of people who have made and lost several earthly fortunes in a lifetime. So it’s essentially easy to amass earthly riches, but the problem is keeping them.
 
And we’ll end today with those wise, famous and memorable words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us therewith be content.
 
But they that will (desire to) be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).
 
For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds of) evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
 
But thou, O man of God, flee these things (shun a LOVE of money); and follow after (pursue) righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim.6:6-12)
 
Oh my people, that passage of scripture says it all! So please, I implore us, let’s all look seriously today at our attitude towards material wealth, and wisely place it at the nether end of our priorities, not make it the goal of our lives.
 
Instead, let’s make the accumulation of heavenly rewards our raison d’etre, our reason for living. Now that’s the wisdom of everlasting life! Much LOVE!
 
…earthly wealth can easily be lost…and in any case we leave it all behind…when we go to collect our heavenly rewards…so why doggedly pursue it eh…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 November 2012 1 Timothy 6:10

14 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

1 Timothy 6:10.     For the LOVE of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 
 
Oh Friends, it’s Wednesday, and according to the old nursery rhyme, Wednesday’s child is full of woe! Now the dictionary describes woe as affliction, bitter grief, distress and calamity. And though there could be a tad of truth to the rhyme, generally speaking, once we have the Holy Spirit of Jesus living in us, leading and guiding us on this earthly pilgrimage, woe is something we don’t often experience. Of course we’ll have rough times, but constant, serious, negative problems are not usually associated with God’s children. So please, let’s not dwell on the negative aspects of our lives. Instead, let’s dwell on these 12 Aspects of True Wealth that come from my ‘Off the Wall’ topics. These 12 aspects of true wealth are posted in my young daughter’s larger than normal, multicoloured writing on the right hand wall of my study, right in my sight line, but as with many of the other things posted there I hardly notice them. I’m sure I look at them sometimes and they don’t even register on my mental screen. Like so many other things that have been in our lives for a long period of time, they tend to become invisible. Anyway, here are those 12 Aspects of True Wealth: (1) A positive mental attitude. (2) Sound physical health. (3) Harmony in human relationships. (4) Freedom from fear. (5) Hope of future achievement. (6) The capacity for applied faith. (7) Willingness to share one’s blessings with others. (8) To be engaged in a labour of LOVE – like writing the Scrip-Bit has become to me. (9) An open mind on all subjects to all people. (10) Complete self-discipline. (11) Wisdom with which to understand people. (12) Financial Security. Ah Friends, what a wonderful set of aspirations! But let’s note that the first 11 aspects basically comprise the tenets of our Christian faith, and secondly, that the money matter is placed LAST. Yes my people, money is not the most important aspect of our lives, as so many of us are being led to believe in this money-hungry, ‘gravalicious’ world. If we have the first eleven, the money will come. Let’s remember that and stop running down money and worshipping it more than the God who created it and us. Remember, as our Bit so rightly states: ‘For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds of) evil; which while some coveted after (in their greediness), they have erred (strayed) from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ And that is most definitely the gospel truth my people! Now money is not the only source of evil, but it’s certainly a most important one. And sadly, too many of us are letting the getting of money, its dogged pursuit, become our end all and be all. Now Friends, that isn’t a very wise idea at all, since it generally leads to greed and avarice taking over our souls, consequently causing us to forsake Almighty God in the mad rush for earthly wealth. And please note what Bruh Paul says before our Bit: ‘For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us therewith be content. But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).’ (1 Tim.6:7-9) Oh Friends, there’s no disputing those facts, but though we know them deep down inside, yet we still insist on letting the pursuit of money be our overwhelming goal. But as the scholars so appropriately point out, we must not believe ‘that material possessions have no place in the Christian’s life. By the figure of speech food and raiment stand for all of life’s basic necessities. These are all the believer needs, and having these he can be content.’ Our problem is that we desire to have too many material possessions, more than we can ever need or use, which is the way the world sees it, and which isn’t the way true believers ought to see it. And to prove my point, listen to the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol, on the subject. ‘For wisdom is a defense (a protective shade), and money is a defense: but the excellency (advantage) of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.’ (Eccl.7:12) Yes Friends, money is important, we all need it, and it can be an advantage when we have it, but the advantage of knowledge over money is that it improves our entire life, the way that money can’t. Look at all those who have money and yet are still miserable and unhappy. Oh, I know many of you will take the money and the unhappiness, but if you first have wisdom, you can always make money, but having money doesn’t necessarily bring or mean that you have wisdom. Just look at the numerous fools that have made several fortunes and lost them each time. Wisdom not only helps you to make money, but more importantly, it also guides and enables you to keep it. That’s enough for us to ponder on today Friends. So please, let’s worship the Lord God Jehovah and not money or material possession, that’s the zenith of wisdom. Much LOVE!…if you can buy it with money…then you can’t take it to heaven with you…