Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 May 2018 Proverbs 16:18.

09 May 2018 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 16:18.    Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (stumbling).

And then it was Wednesday; the midway point of the workweek, but yet another glorious day seems to be in the offing in my area! This spring weather is really outdoing itself yes! (smile) 

But unfortunately not all around is wine and roses and glorious weather, because the Hawaiian people are still being plagued by their convulsive volcano, and those things can be so temperamental that you never know what they’ll do or when. So please, let’s continue praying for them and helping however we can. 

And this morning I’m going to give us a few reminders about what is what in our faith. (smile) First off, please remember that ‘Faith gives us that inner joy of dreaming again.’ Yeh friends, it’s the presence of faith, catapulted by hope that enables us to dream. Without them dreaming wouldn’t happen. 

And remember too, that there’s ‘Serenity in the LOVE of God.’ In fact that’s the dwelling place of Serenity, so if you don’t have the LOVE of God within you, then you won’t be able to achieve Serenity. And lastly, this one is ever so important, remember that ‘Your ego is not your amigo.’ 

Definitely not mih breddren! Our ego more often than not lines up as our enemy, because it’s pride based and has us panting for the things of the flesh and behaving in a fleshly manner. So when it begins to cozy up to you, please check it very carefully before you accede to its desires. 

I guess that can only lead to a lesson on pride and egotistic stuff. (smile) Thus our Bit: ‘Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (stumbling).’ And we all know that to be gospel truth! 

Unnecessary pride and haughtiness and a rather bombastic ego never last long. How could they eh, when the Lord declares amongst the seven things He thoroughly dislikes is ‘a proud look (haughty eyes).’ (Prov.6:17a) 

And Cousin Sol continues later on in Proverbs: ‘The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the forward (perverse) mouth, do I hate.’ (Prov.8:13) 

Meanwhile Isaiah declares in his condemnation of Ephraim: ‘Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim…The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden (trampled) under feet:’ (Is.28:1,3) Yeh friends, those that are full of pride shall eventually be brought low. That’s why Cousin Sol advises after our Bit: ‘Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil (plunder) with the proud.’ (Prov.16:19) 

And the big thing nowadays is to be in the upper echelon of society, to walk with the rich and famous. We boast about whom we know and associate with in the corridors of power. But friends, that show doesn’t get us any place really, for what happens when our supposed rich and famous associates are no longer rich and famous eh? 

And it something that happens everyday. Being rich and famous isn’t guaranteed for a lifetime, especially if you flaunt your worldly assets in people’s faces. You know the ones who put you up there will bring you down even faster than they put you up, and take even more joy in doing so. 

Remember the scripture we recently quoted from the prophet Obadiah re the destruction of Edom. ‘The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as (high as) the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.’ (Obad.3-4) 

Yes my brethren, pride and power and pomp and glory and fame and riches do not make the man that God desires. I think John says it best in his first epistle. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. 

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interests), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.’ (1 John 2:15-17) 

That’s the word of the Lord my people. And if we believe that it’s true, then if we are wise, we will pay serious attention to it, and try to follow it as best we can. What more can I say eh? We all have to make these personal decisions for ourselves. 

Now let’s go home joyfully declaring our position with and in Jesus through our Wednesday Wail. In strong and sincere voice 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 for those of us who wisely plod on to the end, will that future ever be glorious! Much LOVE!

…if the Lord hates it…then it doesn’t make sense to have it…and He surely hates pride…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 April 2017 Jeremiah 13:16.

11 Apr 2017 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 13:16.   Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.

Oh friends, welcome to a cloudy spring day in my neck of the woods. I was planning to rev us up with all sorts of good things, like it’s not the physical aspect of the day that really counts, but what we do with the day in Jesus’ name. And to invoke that well-known verse of Psalm 118 – ‘This is the day the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ 

However, when I opened my e-mail I was greeted by some sad and bad, but also in a sense good and comforting news. My priest, Father Jeff, had written to inform me that one of my friends and fellow parishioners, Jacqueline Kitson had passed away this morning. 

And she fell victim to none other than our current scourge, the death-maker called cancer. What hurts some is that she was hospitalized a few days ago and I had promised to go and see her, but everyday I was either too busy, or not feeling up to scratch myself. But I spoke to her on the phone yesterday and promised faithfully to come today. 

Ah Lord eh! The good news scenario though is that she is now home with her heavenly Father and not suffering the pain and inconvenience that she’s been enduring over the past couple of years. She might have been small in stature, but had a big and strong heart, fighting the dreaded scourge every inch of the way. 

I remember the Sunday mornings during this last winter when I would pick her up and take her to church, she was always bright and positive in spite of her illness, bravely enduring the long trips to Toronto for the chemo and other treatments. 

And for a while there during the latter part of the year she seemed to have been in a stage of remission; eating fairly well, putting on some weight and looking better than she’d done for a few months. She even got out to the church’s annual dinner and dance last fall and partied up a storm. Everybody was glad to see her dancing and enjoying herself. 

But the cancer reared its ugly head again a couple of months ago and this time she was not able to fight it off. Rest in peace Jackie my friend. You are gone but not forgotten. You will always remain in our hearts and thoughts until we meet again in the Great Beyond! 

That’s why my brethren it’s ever so important to heed the admonition of our Bit: ‘Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.’ 

Yes friends, we need to pay serious attention to God’s word at all times, for we know not when our number will be called up yonder. And it would be very unfortunate and damaging to our eternal situation if the grim reaper were to appear before we’re quite ready. 

We need to be always in a state of preparedness my people, looking continually to the light that’s Jesus, and giving our magnificent and magnanimous God all the glory and honour, the praise and thanksgiving that He so rightfully deserves. 

Walking in continual darkness does not become a child of God, for children of God have seen the light and gloriously acknowledge it! 

And we have a good example of God’s judgement when the men of Ai defeated the forces of Israel, and Joshua bewailed the Lord for the defeat.  (Josh.7:1-9) 

‘And the Lord said unto Joshua, get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing (things devoted to the Lord), and have also stolen, and dissembled (deceived) also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 

Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed (devoted to destruction): neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.’ (Josh.7:10-12) 

Yeh friends, contrary to popular opinion, our God is not a joking God, as Israel found out when they disobeyed His commands. So the long and short of the story is that Joshua searched all the people, until he came to one man named Achan. 

‘And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 

When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonian garment, and two hundred shekels of silver; and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted (desired) them, and took them; and behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.’ (Josh.7:19-21) 

Yuh see friends, all of Israel suffered because of one man’s greed and covetousness. And what became of Achan and his family? ‘And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.’ (Josh.7:25b) 

It’s not easy my friends, but it’s very worthwhile to remember that disobedience to God’s commands always have consequences, very serious ones too. 

Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, with much enthusiasm, faithfully believing what we say. 

‘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!’ 

And now it’s time to go out and put it all into action my brethren! Much LOVE!

…only the light of Jesus…can prevent us from stumbling in the darkness of this world…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 August 2013 Proverbs 20:1

02 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 20:1.    Wine is a mocker, strong (intoxicating) drink is raging (arouses brawling): and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Friday 2 August 2013… Wow!! I got it right! And I did check the bottom right hand corner of the computer console to make sure. (smile) And yuh know what else? It’s not raining! Yesterday turned out quite nicely, and allowed the Caribana festivities to go on, unimpeded by rain. I just hope it stays that way for the Pan Competition tonight.
 
And one more thing; while I’ve been writing, the populace has been going crazy shouting, ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Thank God we finally emancipated, we independent, we free! Thank God we free at last! Glory Hallelujah!’
 
Yes Friends, we are indeed free, free from all sorts of stuff; be it slavery, work for the weekend, relationships, Lucifer, etc. But please remember that any kind of freedom always brings with it certain responsibilities, for then we have nobody to turn to, or blame for whatever predicament we find ourselves in.
 
So there’s really no free ride in this life, contrary to what some of us think and /or believe. That’s why it’s necessary to always keep our wits about us and be guided by the Holy Spirit, rather than the lust of the flesh. So let’s chant our Friday Chant to get ourselves in the right frame of mind to handle this long weekend, where Lucifer will be out prowling with a vengeance, looking for any toehold he can latch on to.
 
With one accord now, 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 that brings us smack, dab right to our Bit. ‘Wine is a mocker, strong (intoxicating) drink is raging (arouses brawling): and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.’
 
Words of undeniable truth my brethren! For when the fire water gets in our brain and body, it sure causes us to do all sorts of foolish, unwise things. And I’m going to quote a couple verses of Bruh Paul’s famous speech to the Ephesians, which we heard yesterday, because I want to include some important notes from the scholars.
 
Here’s what Bruh Paul told the Ephesians. ‘Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit.’ (Eph.5:17-18) 
 
Now here’s what the scholars have to say. ‘5:18: This verse gives an example of what is and what is not the Lord’s will (v. 17) Believers are not allowed to be intoxicated with alcoholic beverages; the reason for this prohibition is wherein is excess; that is, drunkenness leads to moral intemperance. 
 
This is clearly contrary to God’s will. His will is that Christians be filled with (by) the Spirit; that is, they are to allow Him to fill them with God’s own life, character and virtues. The analogy between these two moral states is this: a person filled with wine is under its influence; similarly, a Christian is filled with the Spirit when He controls his thoughts, attitudes and actions.’
 
Oh my people, please let’s take all this stuff seriously, otherwise we’re liable to end up in serious trouble – physically, financially, emotionally – and blow whatever good thing(s) we have going for us, both with man and with God! Such is the power of alcohol, especially when it is encouraged by the wiles and taunts of Beelzebub.
 
I personally don’t have a problem with a drink now and then, here and there, but unfortunately many of us can’t handle it, so the wisest choice is simply to leave it alone. And all of us are very aware of the great toll that the abuse of alcohol is taking on our society; the drinking and driving, the fatal accidents, the crime sprees, the domestic violence, etc. etc. So please, please, if you know you can’t handle it, just leave it be nuh.
 
Hn, hn! I just remembered the old saying re some people only have to smell the cork and they get drunk. (smile) But it’s quite true. A lot of people can’t even smell the fumes from the bottle without getting tipsy. That’s because the alcohol reacts on everybody in different ways.
 
Now let’s end with some wise words from Cousin Sol, re the brown girl in the bottle. Sorry, nowadays she comes in all different colours, sizes and potencies, but the end result is the same.
 
Listen as Cousin Sol tells the sordid tale. ‘Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling (complaints)? Who hath wounds without a cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry (linger) long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look thou not upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour (sparkles) in the cup, when it moveth itself aright (goes smoothly).
 
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like and adder (a viper). Thine eyes shall behold strange women (strange things), and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst (heart) of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick (hurt); they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it (another drink) yet again.’ (Prov.23:29-35) 
 
Oh what fools we are my brethren! Though we know the evils of alcohol, we continue to imbibe it unwisely, then fall on our faces, promise never again, then get back up and do it all over again.
 
And here’s what the scholars say about Cousin Sol’s story. ’23:29-35: Six rhetorical questions drive home the fact that alcoholism has both physical and psychological effects (v.29). These effects are further specified: physical and psychological poisoning (v.32); delusion (v.33), stumbling (v.34); unconscious wounds (v.35a); and enslavement (v.35b).’
 
There we have it Friends, in black and white! So this Caribana weekend… forget the Scotia Bank Carnival nonsense, because it will always be known as Caribana. Yes, this Caribana weekend, when so many opportunities abound to get black up and make fools of ourselves, do harm, sometimes irreparable harm to ourselves and others, let’s remember Granny’s advice nuh. ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, mind yuh business.’
 
And that’s eternal wisdom my brethren. Much LOVE!
 
…to drink or not to drink…that is the question…for one can lead to two or more…but none…will preserve a clear head…and also stymie Lucifer…