Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 March 2022 ​Proverbs 1:7.

23 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 1:7.      The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and understanding.

Oh friends, like so many other things in this crazy world, the bright spring-like weather was too good to last! We had it for three consecutive days. Let’s be thankful for it and show our endurance and faithfulness by embracing the cold, wet scene out there in our neighborhood, that’s even got some white precipitation, actually ice, speckling the ground. (smile) It’s not much mind you, but at this time of year, we don’t want to see any white on the ground at all. Matter fixed! 

And that’s why, this Wednesday morning in late March of this confusing and oh so uncertain year of 2022, we are going to listen to the amazing wisdom that flowed from the pen of Cousin Sol so long ago, when he declared at the beginning of Proverbs: ‘A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain (acquire) unto wise counsels.’ (Prov. 1:5) 

And that’s the indisputable truth my faithful brethren in Christ! If one is wise, one will always pursue learning, and seek out the counsel, the wisdom and understanding of other wise persons. And that’s even truer, if possible, (smile) for believers in Christ Jesus, because He desires us to keep on learning all through our earthly lives, since we can never know enough about the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and the more we know, the better off we will be. 

Now, before we go further, let’s talk about a couple of definitions, namely that of ‘wisdom’ and ‘understanding.’ The former basically means ‘wise behaviour or living, or good sense.’ On the other hand, understanding ‘means the capability to distinguish between true and false, good and bad, what matters most and what does not matter at all.’ 

So, hopefully, when we have wisdom and understanding, we can live a full and meaningful life. However, two verses later, Cousin Sol injects one more important principle by warning that ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and understanding.’ (Prov. 1:7) 

Wow! Now that’s the key to the whole matter of wisdom and understanding; having a reverential awe of Jehovah God! Yes friends, without that awesome reverence of God we can never acquire true wisdom and understanding because they come from Him, for He is the original fountain of wisdom and understanding.

 And Cousin Sol corroborates that when he says in Proverbs 3: ‘The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths (deeps) are broken up, and the clouds drop down dew.’ (Prov. 3:19-20) There you have it friends! As the scholars explain: ‘Wisdom is so important that God himself used it in creating the world.’ 

The patriarch Job, also had something to say about wisdom and understanding. While undergoing his trials and tribulation, he asked this most material question: ‘But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding. (Job 28:12) Then, after setting out many different scenarios, he ends with this magnificent answer. ‘And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’ (Job 28:28) 

Mama Mia! What an awesome scripture! Yes friends, wisdom is God’s gift to mankind…but we must diligently seek it throughout our lives. And now, having gained some insight into the origin of wisdom and how to acquire it, let’s go back to that most important verse which talks about ‘the fear of the Lord.’ 

And the scholars give us a good explanation on it. They say that ‘The fear of the Lord means submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view here. It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner. The beginning does not mean that ‘the fear of the Lord’ is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but that it is the controlling principle of wisdom.’ 

And so it is my people! To keep on acquiring wisdom throughout our lives, like Jesus desires of us, we must always have the reverence of God blossoming in our souls, bodies and spirits, for without it, true wisdom is not obtainable, no matter how hard we try. And please remember that we’re not talking about wisdom as the world defines it, but as God, the original source of ALL wisdom does!  

So, now that we have some understanding of true wisdom and understanding, (smile) I think we’ll end for today, because it’s already late and continuing with the second part of our Bit will make it even later and too long. And for those of us who have chosen the path of true wisdom by reverencing Almighty God, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

As one strong, sincere and confident voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And we all know that if we endure to the end, that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So please let’s concentrate on, plan on enduring to the end nuh, so that we can enjoy it. Much LOVE!

…with God’s gift of free will…we can either be wise or foolish…but each choice has consequences…for good…or for bad…  

P.S. Please accept my humble apologies for the lateness of the bit, but I had an important matter to go out and attend to. But as they say…Better late than never! (smile) Much LOVE! 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8       

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 April 2021 Isaiah 10:1.

14 Apr 2021 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 10:1.     ​Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness (misfortune) which they have prescribed;

Morning mih bredrin. Yuh know, I was just thinking of how to begin today’s sermon, (smile) that’s what a friend of mine calls it, and for a moment I was lost in thought, thinking in my own strength, when suddenly it occurred to me, ‘Why not check the Good Book and see what it says eh?’ Yes friends, wisdom in spades! So I turned to the Lord’s Word, to check what it says at the place where I had opened it. And, lo, and behold, it had opened at this very appropriate scripture in Isaiah. 

Listen up closely please. ‘Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness (misfortune) which they have prescribed; To turn aside (deprive) the needy from judgement (of justice), and to take away the right (what is right) from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!’ (Is. 10:1-2) 

And yuh better believe that Isaiah could be writing to our very society right now, because it is so tarnished with greed, corruption and every evil thing in the corridors of power that those words written so long ago about the evils in Israel, also apply most appropriately to this current time. But what saddens me ever so much, is not the evil itself, but the blatant manner in which it is now perpetrated. 

Oh, there’s always been greed and corruption and all the other negative stuff in leadership circles, but it’s never been as blunt, blatant and doh-care as it is now! Our current leaders simply don’t care about anything or anybody else but themselves and their evil cronies and just do whatever suits their evil and ungodly purposes, and who don’t like it, tough! They feel they are so entrenched in power, that the ordinary man in the street, the ones to whom they owe allegiance, fidelity and good governance, can’t touch them, so they’ve become bold faced enough to be thinking about dictatorship. 

Yes friends, another era of strongmen, of dictators, is currently blossoming all over our world, and it doesn’t augur well for the lowly and downtrodden, because that’s where dictators, the morally empty and inept cowards usually plant their heavy yoke. But my people, those fools who crave earthly power so badly that they are willing to sell their souls to Satan and his evil dominion for it, unfortunately don’t realize that there is a power greater than all of us, including the evil one, and when that august personage, the Lord of hosts is his name, is ready to wreak vengeance on the perpetrators of evil, they don’t stand a chance of escape, like a snowball in the fiery chambers of hell! 

Hear how the prophet describes that time of awakening nuh. ‘And what will ye do in the day of visitation (punishment), and in the desolation which shall come from far? To whom will ye flee for help? And where will ye leave your glory? Without me they shall bow down under (among) the prisoners, and they shall fall under (among) the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still (in judgement)’ (Is. 10:3-4) Oh my faithful believers in Christ, what a sad day it will be for the evil ones, when the Lord of hosts unfurls His awesome plan of justice for the poor and downtrodden! As the prophet queries: ‘To whom will ye flee for help?’ 

That reminds me of an old reggae song ‘Johnny yuh too bad,’ by the Slickers, featured in the Jimmy Cliff movie, ‘The Harder They Come.’ And the lyrics say: ‘Walking down the road With your pistol in your waist, Johnny yuh too bad. Walking down the road With your ratchet in your waist, Johnny yuh too bad. Yuh just robbing and yuh stabbing and yuh looting and yuh shooting And yuh too bad. 

Yuh just robbing and yuh stabbing and yuh looting and yuh shooting, And yuh too bad. One of these days When you hear a voice say come, Where you gonna run to? One of these days When you hear a voice say come Where you gonna run to? Yuh gonna run to the rock for rescue There will be no rock, Yuh gonna run to the rock for rescue There will be no rock.’ 

Oh my fellow believers, in the day of judgement, that fateful day, when the Lord of hosts comes seeking justice for His people, the wicked will run to their rock, the evil one, for protection, but he will not be around, because the Mighty One of Israel will have already tethered him, securely imprisoned him in the fiery realms of hell! 

For the life of me, I just can’t fathom what’s so grand and enthralling about a lot of power nuh, because the more power you have the more responsibility comes with it. And likewise money: the more you have, the more you have to take care of. But mankind just seems fascinated by the aura of power and prestige and money. But please remember what Bruh Paul told Timothy about the LOVE of money: ‘For the LOVE of money is the root of all evil (all kinds of evil): which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Tim. 7:10) 

Yes my brethren, whenever we covet something, it leads us astray, and often to ruin, because the inherent power of the word means we will do anything to get what we covet. And sadly, that’s what happens to so many of us, we covet the wrong things in life, like power, money, social status, and the things the world considers so important and must have.

But in the truthful words of Jesus, what we need to do is seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all those things shall be added unto us. (Matt. 6:33) And the beauty of getting those things from Jesus is that once we get them from Him, the probability of losing them is very low, unlike when we get them through selling our souls to Satan. 

As the scholars explain: ‘10:1-4. A prophetic Woe is pronounced against those administrators who pervert justice. These government officials have abused their power and are now called to God’s bar of justice.’ And my Scrip-Bit friends and family, I sincerely hope that none of us will be amongst the sad and sorry lot that will eventually be called to God’s bar of justice, because it will be a sad day of reckoning. So for those of us who sincerely try to keep evil out of our souls, let’s go home now declaring (awright!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’  

And there’s indeed no better place for us to be focused my fellow saints, because if we persevere to the end, that promised future will be even more glorious and amazing than we can either think or imagine. Much LOVE!

…the option of heaven…is definitely more appealing…than that of hell… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8                

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 January 2021 2 Timothy 1:12b.

21 Jan 2021 Leave a comment

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

2 Timothy 1:12b.     ​ for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.

And it seems that the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden went off smoothly yesterday, with none of the expected fireworks. Thank God for that! We didn’t need anything else to further complicate the situation. 

And yes, there were a lot of nice words spoken about unity and getting along together, but let’s see how that works out in real life nuh, when the newness of it all settles down, and the hard slog of everyday politics begins. 

Thankfully too, that all three branches of the government are under the control of the Democratic Party, so there won’t be occasion for the acrimonious contention that existed recently with one party controlling two branches and the other one. 

But enough of all of that yes. Let’s pray that situation improves so that the whole world can concentrate on other important stuff, for though the American power is in decline, unfortunately what happens there, still affects most of us. 

And there’s plenty stuff that we don’t and never will know, but here are some things that ALL of Christ’s followers and believers ought to know. It comes from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, and it’s appropriately titled ‘I Do Know.’ 

Please pray with me: ‘There is much I cannot fathom concerning the vast, indescribable universe created by our majestic God. There is much I will never comprehend. I want to sing and shout, so utterly overwhelmed I am with the magnitude of God. But I do know with confident certainty that I belong to the God of the universe – the Creator of all that exists. 

I know that I, a mere mortal, am forever linked to divine destiny. I know that my life has purpose and dignity. I know that God has chosen me as the object of His lavish LOVE; that His thoughts toward me are thoughts of kindness and mercy; that He has inscribed me in the palms of His hands. 

I know that all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely, inseparably mine – now and throughout all eternity. This I do know!’ 

Oh my people, can we really proclaim that with the ultimate certainty it deserves? I don’t think so nuh, because too many of us are still too fearful of the world and what it brings, and too in LOVE with the things it offers! And moreover, if we were that certain about the things of God, our lives would not be in the state of utter dismay, division and decline that they are currently in. 

The world is still holding too much sway in the lives of believers, and until we let most of it go, we will keep on being miserable and not able to truly appreciate our wonderful God and all the things and plans and good purposes He has for our lives. 

Let’s remember that the world is not the only entity that offers wealth and power and status, our great God offers them too, but under a different set up, and you don’t have to strive, kill yourself to achieve them, if He desires you to have them. 

And just like we have to bow to the world to get them, so do we have to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness and they will be added unto us. The difference here is that God’s treasures are not fleeting and easily lost, but are lasting and immortal. 

And the Bible Promise for our reading, as well as our Bit, explain why we can have that immovable and unbreakable trust in the Lord God Almighty. Bruh Paul is writing to Timothy in his second epistle, exhorting him to endurance, something we badly need to also have in these oh so trying and tiring times. 

‘Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’ (2 Tim. 1:11-12) 

Oh friends and fellow believers, can we make those statements with heartfelt certainty? I hope so, because to reach spiritual maturity those are things, characteristics that must show out in our everyday lives. 

Others must see that we’re not ashamed of Christ, not afraid of the world, but live for Him, because we have committed ALL we have and are to Him, and believe that He will do whatever He says, for His promises are always faithful and true. 

And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘1:12. Persuaded (Gr. peitho). The perfect tense indicates that “I was persuaded in the past and remain so now.” That he is able to keep refers to the assurance of salvation which is committed…against that day, when we will stand before the judgement seat of Christ.’ 

Meanwhile, Peter, in his talk of believers being good stewards of God’s grace puts it thus. ‘Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful creator.’ (1 Pet. 4:19) 

And Bruh David puts it as only he could: ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass…. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. 

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only cause harm). For the evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:5,7-9) 

Truer words were never spoken my brethren! So let’s do our best to live by them nuh, so that our lives can truly reflect the LOVE and compassion of God. Now let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!) our Thursday Blessings, which have been so generously bestowed on us so we can help others. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! 

I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’ 

And now, as good ambassadors of Christ, let’s go out and share those blessings just as generously with others, as they were shared with us. Much LOVE!

…oh…the wonders of our great God…how magnificent and magnanimous He is…