Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 March 2013 Isaiah 53:10

29 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 53:10.     Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.                           

HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY!

Oh Friends, it’s Friday, Good Friday to boot! So here’s wishing us all a Happy Good Friday! And the usual response of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ are few and far between. Perhaps because it’s a holiday for most of us? Or more likely because this is the saddest day in the Christian calendar, when our Leader, our Messiah was horribly dehumanized, shamefully crucified on a wooden cross on that barren hill called Golgotha, or more nicely put, Calvary. And there are also those who wonder how could there ever be a happy Good Friday? To them it’s an oxymoron, composed of contradictory words. How could there be any happiness in the cruel, innocent death of a gentle, peaceful, LOVING man? The answer to that dear Friends, is that without that death, there would be no resurrection come Easter morn, no salvation, no eternal life with the heavenly Father for lost, hopeless sinners like you and I. That’s where the happiness lies my brethren. Like many things in life, especially seeds, we have to oftimes die, die to self, before we can sprout fully alive and victorious. And yes, today is indeed a very sad day; wherever death is, it’s usually sad. But this day of death is the saddest of them all! For in response to the one who came to help and save, look at the terrible treatment He was destined to face. Isaiah nails it in his prophecy of ‘The suffering Servant.’ ‘Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm (power) of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no (stately) form nor comeliness (splendour); and when we shall see him, there is no beauty (physical appearance) that we should desire him. He is despised (disdained, scorned) and rejected of (forsaken by) men; a man of sorrows (severe pains), and acquainted with grief (injuries): and (because of his severe personal suffering) we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs (spiritual sickness), and carried our sorrows: yet we (mankind) did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten of (struck down by) God, and afflicted. But he was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions (sins), he was bruised (utterly crushed) for our iniquities (moral evils): the chastisement of our peace was upon him (correction or discipline which procured our peace with God); and with his stripes (wounds) we (our spiritual condition) are healed (cured). All we like sheep have gone astray (desperately lost); we have turned everyone to his own way (totality of sinful humanity); and the Lord hath laid on (violently struck) him (with) the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought (was led) as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison (out of oppression) and from judgement (illegitimate trials): and who shall declare his generation (consider it among his generation, his potential life)? for he was cut off out of the land of the living (by a violent death) for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked (crucified between two thieves), and with the rich in his death (buried in the tomb of the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea); because he hath done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.’ (Is.53:1-9) Yes Friends, Jesus endured such inhumane ‘sufferation’ though he did no violence, nor any evil or deceit was ever found in Him. But as our Bit says: ‘Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise (crush) him; he hath put him to grief (pierced Him): when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin (guilt offering), he shall see his seed (future believers), he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.’ Oh my brethren, I know it sounds awfully cruel and unjust, especially when our God is supposed to be such a LOVING God. But the fact is that He’s first and foremost a just and righteous Deity. And without a sinless sacrifice, no reconciliation with the Almighty would be possible. For we had all fallen short of the glory of God in our sinful behaviour, and the wages of sin is ultimate death. And since Jesus was the only other sinless soul besides the Father, only His sacrifice would cleanse the slate. Anyway, the Good Book continues after our Bit: ‘He shall see of the travail (distress) of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil (plunder) with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered amongst the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.’ (Is.53:11-12) Ah mih people, there’s certainly method to our God’s supposed madness! Let’s see how the scholars describe it. ‘In these verses we see the personal Messiah, the Son of God, who alone can atone for sin. His message is rejected (v.1); His person is refused (v.2); and His mission is misunderstood (v.3). Nevertheless, His vicarious suffering, (delegated, done for another) provides atonement for our sins (vv.4-6), and though He suffers (v.7) death (v.8) and burial (v.9), He will ultimately be exalted (vv.10-12) To miss the fact that Jesus Christ is the central figure in this passage is to stumble in unbelief over the cornerstone and foundation of all the gospel.’ Now per our Bit in particular, they say: ‘The phrase he shall prolong his days indicates that the Servant’s ministry will not end with His violent death, and certainly implies His resurrection. The pleasure of the Lord refers to God’s ultimate purposes which will be accomplished by the atoning death and resurrection of the Servant. The chapter ends with the glorification and exaltation of the Servant of the Lord. His intercession refers to His priestly ministry, by which He makes intercession on the basis of His own substitutionary death.’ So Friends, though it all seems complicated, cruel and unjust, it was the only way out for God to reconcile us back to Himself, which He desperately wanted to do because of His great and unconditional LOVE for us, His most accomplished though most ungrateful creation. And though our hearts are sad today my brethren, we’ll end on an upbeat note, for we know that as Bruh David so rightly says: ‘weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’ (Ps.30:5b) Now let’s go home chanting our Friday Chant, to give us the right perspective on the day and this fabulous weekend. In one loud voice: ‘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.’ Much LOVE!…before a plant can sprout…a seed must die…likewise…before a great work can be accomplished…suffering must be endured…

  

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 March 2013 1 John 4:2

22 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

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

1 John 4:2.    Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.

Oh brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s Friday… And all around the world, joyous shouts rise up to heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday and labouring finish for another week yes!’ Well not quite mih breddren, because we still have to labour today Friday, but just the idea, the expectation of not having to face the evil, ungodly people we work with, the traffic jams and snowy, icy roads for a couple days raises the human emotion of joy to a higher level. And on that point, I looked outside just now and saw my driveway covered in snow. Hn! I thought this was supposed to be spring. But spring obviously hasn’t sprung as yet, because the banks of the roads are still snow covered, and instead of rain we’re getting flurries of the white stuff. In my area though we still need to be very thankful because we haven’t gotten as much snow as many other places. But back to our weekend gig. Just a reminder that it’s not all for fun and frolic. So let’s chant our Friday Chant that brings the whole situation into its proper perspective. All together 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.’ Yes my people, it’s all about resting up and fellowshipping so we can go back out next week and continue the battle in Jesus’ Name. Now let’s turn to our Bit: ‘Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.’ A most interesting Bit that my people! And we’ll continue from yesterday, where we saw that there are many false prophets and spirits trying to gain control of our lives, but there’s ONLY ONE, that’s truly worthwhile, that of Jesus Christ. And John told us that the easiest and best way to know whether there’s truth in a spirit or doctrine is if Christ is spoken of as being real flesh and blood, during His earthly sojourn. We also saw where Jesus declares that a lot of those claiming to be His followers will be turned away at the end time because they only had outward facades of Christianity, while their hearts were truly tuned into the frequency of Beelzebub. So Friends, a reminder that we have to be very particular of whom and what we let into our lives and our souls. Bruh Paul, in talking to the Corinthians about spiritual gifts, had this to say on the subject. ‘Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb (silent) idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed (anathema): and that no man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.’ (1 Cor.12:2-3) Yes my brethren, if the Spirit of God is truly in us, we can’t speak badly of Jesus, and the only way we can acknowledge Him as Lord and Saviour is through the Holy Spirit. Now here’s some info from the scholars re the ‘Dumb idols: The pagan worship at Corinth involved a pagan exercise of “tongues.” The practice of “ecstatic utterances” was common in the cults and in the worship of various Greek gods and goddesses.’ I guess this could have an impact or caused some confusion between the idol worship and the Christian speaking in tongues, with the possibility of the idolaters using it to influence early Christians. Anyway, turning to Bruh Paul and the Romans. In speaking of righteousness being obtained by faith in Christ, he declares: ‘But what saith it? The word is nigh (near) thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed (put to shame).’ (Rom.10:8-11) And here’s an important note from the scholars on the last two verses. ‘Confession is made unto salvation: One is not saved by his mouth’s confession, but rather, the mouth testifies readily of the grace of God in Christ, which has been received by faith.’ That means salvation is much more than just confessing Jesus with our mouths. Our hearts, faith and the grace of God, all joined in perfect harmony, are necessary to be saved. Now that’s enough info for us to process today Friends, so we’ll end on that note. Tomorrow we’ll pick up the topic again, the Lord in favour, for there’s more scripture to be highlighted on this most important subject of divining the true Spirit of Christ. Till tomorrow then, please walk safely in fellowship with Almighty God and man. And may the Lord bless us and give us His awesome peace which passes all human understanding. Much LOVE!…it’s time for all believers to step up and sincerely…LOVE Our God…LIVE Our Faith…and SPREAD His Word…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 March 2013 Matthew 12:33

15 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 12:33.     Either make the tree good, and his fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

Oh Friends, Friday’s up…! And it’s not Robinson Crusoe’s man… (smile) It’s another new today named Friday, bringing all the new daily mercies and blessings of our wonderful God! And the effervescent cries, shouts, hoots and hollers of ‘TGIM! Thank God is Friday, and the labouring for another week soon finish!’ echo all around the globe. But sadly they echo in too many polluted areas, a fact that causes untold problems for the human breathing apparatus. But that’s the price of progress, they say… Hogwash! The price of cheap, greedy, ‘gravalicious’, doh-care-about the planet progress yes! Anyway mih people, it’s Friday and a lot of the world’s happy because they won’t have to labour for massa for two whole days. And all God’s children gave a mighty shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Yes my brethren, it’s certainly nice not having to hit the road and the unending traffic jams for two days, but by the same token, we need to use that time off wisely. So let’s chant our Friday Chant that helps us put the weekend into proper perspective. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And having reminded ourselves of how to use the weekend properly, let’s turn to our very interesting and important Bit. ‘Either make the tree good, and his fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt (bad), and his fruit corrupt (bad): for the tree is known by his fruit.’ And that’s gospel truth Friends! Now yesterday we saw where Jesus told the multitude that stuff we put into our mouths doesn’t defile, but what comes out of us does. (Mat.15:10-11) Later though, Peter came back and asked Jesus to explain the parable because the Pharisees had been angered by it. (Matt.15:15) And Jesus gets a little testy with Peter. ‘Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out (eliminated) into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.’ (Matt.15:16-20) Oh my people, that’s the living truth, as we all know, if we’re honest with ourselves. That’s because deep down inside of us, our souls, is really where all our good and evil thoughts and actions begin, take root, sprout, then are noised abroad. So again we have to be rather careful about what’s in our souls, for what’s there will eventually come forth from our mouths, and if they are evil intents, then evil words will emanate and unfortunately spoil our witness. Jesus felt that our internal intent was so important, that He also used the good and bad tree analogy when talking about false prophets. ‘Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening (ravenous) wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil (bad) fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil (bad) fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.’ (Matt.7:15-20) Please note Friends, the emphasis Jesus places on the fruit; the work, the action, the deeds of those involved in ministry. What we say is important, but lots of times, what we do is actually much more important. Our actions should at all times reflect our words. As James says, ‘faith without works is dead.’ (James 2:20) Meaning we can talk all we want, but if we don’t back up that talk with action, the talk is of no use, simply wasted breath. And we’ll end with another analogy of Jesus to trees and fruits, where He talks to the disciples about the vine and the branches. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it will be done unto (for) you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples.’ (John 15:4-8) Oh Friends, Jesus could not have explained the philosophy of His ministry any simpler or clearer! Now it’s up to us to embrace it and comply with it as fully as we can. If we don’t, then we’ll be cut down like the useless, withered branches and cast into the fire, as well as have to account for all our words on the judgement day. So let’s be very careful of what we say and how we act, because inappropriate words and actions not only affect our witness here on earth, giving Jesus a bad name, but also where we spend eternity. Much LOVE!…Christians…by their very nature…with the Holy Spirit dwelling in them…ought to be always good trees…thus always bearing good fruit…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 February 2013 Jeremiah 5:25

15 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 5:25.     Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

Oh Friends, it’s Friday! And suddenly I’m inundated by silence? No ‘TGIF’s! No ‘Thank God is Friday!’ Why is that eh? Is it because it’s the first Friday in Lent that we’ve lost our enthusiasm for the weekend? That shouldn’t be so my Friends. We should be happy and rejoicing every Friday, whether it’s Lent or not. That’s because the rejoicing is for the end of the labouring week. We finally have time to rest and relax, and spend even more time with our heavenly Father, than we do during the work-week. And anytime we get the chance to spend more time with the Father, oh mih people, that’s a serious cause for rejoicing! So let’s not stop being joyful, whatever the circumstances, for remember the joy of the Lord is our strength, (Neh.8:10) and if we allow the ‘thiefing’ Lucifer to steal it from us, then half of our life is lost. Remember Lucifer can’t take it unless we allow him to. In fact he can take nothing whatsoever from us unless we let it go, for he has no power over us, since Jesus has already won the war and defeated death, the grave and hell, Lucifer’s domains. So having all of that in mind, let’s enthusiastically chant our Friday Chant to get us in the right frame of mind for this first weekend in Lent. Like one big choir 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 let’s keep that fire burning all weekend please Friends! Get introspective, but with a good demeanour, not the sour, draggy, despondent, woe is me attitude so many of us believe is called for during Lent. Now let’s turn to our Bit: ‘Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.’ Oh my people, my people, those words are even truer today than they were when Jeremiah spoke then about Judah. And why are the good things withholden from us? It says right there in the Good Book: ‘But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone (departed).’ (Jer.5:23) And isn’t that more wretched truth again! In the last generation we have removed God so far from our lives that a great portion of the society has no idea of whom He is or what He stands for. And the sad part is that despite all the turmoil in our lives, we insist on further removing God from the small space He now occupies, instead of running to Him with open arms and repenting of our folly. As the scholars’ say of Judah’s rebellion: ‘Theirs was a stubborn willfulness that could only be termed utter folly (v 21). Accordingly, their lives are marked by deceit. Therefore, they have deprived themselves of God’s natural blessings. (cf.Deut.28:15-68)’ And that chapter of Deuteronomy is where the first 14 verses deal with blessings, and the remaining 54 deal with the curses that will ensue for disobedience. Oh Friends, that should be a telling tale to us today, because foolishly and proudly we have also deprived ourselves of God’s natural blessings through our constant rebellion and disobedience. Listen to the basic blessings of which we have deprived ourselves: ‘Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season; he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’ (Jer.5:24) Please note the many horrible natural and man-made disasters that have been striking our tragic world in unusual numbers over the last few years. Also the widespread famine, poverty, homelessness and sickness that’s uncharacteristically overtaken our world at the very height of its powers. No other generation on the face of the earth has ever been as advanced as ours, yet our world is suffering in the same areas of our prowess, much more than some of the lesser advanced generations ever suffered. We just have to look at the enormous strides we’ve made in agriculture, wealth, construction and medicine, to shake our heads and sadly wonder why in all those areas we’re still suffering immensely, when there’s no real need for it. And why is that, you wonder my brethren? Jeremiah gives us some insight into the problems by telling us how Judah turned from the Lord. ‘They say, if a man put away (divorces) his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall (would) not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord. Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lain with (violated). In the ways thou hast sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness. Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’s (harlot’s) forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.’ (Jer.3:1-3) Ah Friends, that should speak severely to our consciences, because we have behaved, and are still behaving just like Judah did. But please remember the disastrous punishment they received; their cities devastated, and their people taken away captive to other lands. The Lord might not use the same punishment for us, but we WILL be punished if we continue in our rebellion and disobedience! And if you look around, you’ll see a whole lot of unusual negative stuff already happening in our society. So please let’s start paying serious attention to what’s happening around us, for the Lord is no respecter of persons or societies, and if we’re continually disobedient we’ll eventually pay. But the good news though is that with our wonderful and magnanimous God, while there’s life, there’s always hope. And that hope can be found in Jeremiah 3:4. ‘Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My Father, thou art the guide of my youth?’ Yes Friends, if we cry unto the Lord in sincere repentance and change our wicked ways, and once again begin worshipping and serving Him in word and deed, then He’s merciful and magnanimous enough to forgive us. It’s our ONLY HOPE my people. And it’s the wisest bit of wisdom we can ever attain in this evil, ungodly world. So let’s get to it nuh! Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…otherwise he’ll surely suffer the wages of sin…death…eternal separation from Almighty God…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 February 2013 Isaiah 10:1

01 Feb 2013 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.

Oh Friends, Friday has come around once again, with the pleasant anticipation of rest from our weekly labour. Please note though, that it is also the first day of February, meaning that the days are passing quickly, so please don’t put off stuff for later. And as the joyous shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ resonate in the atmosphere, sighs of gratefulness and thankfulness also emanate from the many hearts affected by the situation. And since there’s no better means of saying thanks and giving praise to our wonderful Creator than by offering heartfelt affection in song, let’s chant our Friday Chant with all the energy and enthusiasm that’s filled our thankful hearts to bursting. Let’s open the floodgates of our hearts and send the contents swiftly and sweetly up to heaven. As one harmonious choir 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.’ Yeh mih people, that was marvellous! Heaven felt its sincerity. But as we come back down to Mother Earth and her hard scrabbled life, we encounter too many situations as described by our Bit. ‘Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness (misfortune) which they have prescribed.’ Oh Friends, that’s calling down judgement and justice on the administrators who pervert God’s justice. Those who have abused their power and authority. As Isaiah further describes it: ‘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.10:2) And sadly we all know that in the halls of government and industry today, the righteous administrator is more the exception than the rule. It’s amazing how everyday we read or watch the news we see some new, unexpected angle of corruption raising its ugly head to further defame our governments and captains of industry. Oh by the way, corruption is also rampant in the church too, so don’t think it’s all righteousness in Christ’s body, for in far too many cases the church leaders also have their own agendas to look after. It seems as though no transaction or administrative procedure can take place without bribery or some other unjust activity also involved. Hear how Bruh David describes the transgressors in Psalm 58 – the denunciation of the wicked. ‘Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation (ye silent ones)? Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder (cobra) that stoppeth her ear. Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely (ever so skilfully).’ (Ps.58:1-5) Oh my brethren, what an appropriate description of our leaders and rulers today eh! And possibly the biggest and most invasive form of modern day corruption is the legal activity termed lobbying. Hn! That’s because it’s out and out bribery, however you try to legally justify and classify it! One group pays another group to influence those in power, to make laws and decisions that are in their favour. Meanwhile the poor man doesn’t have that kind of leverage, neither monetary power nor influential clout to do the same. So the scales of justice are immediately biased in the favour of the rich and powerful. No wonder the corrupt, mickey-mouse, greedy politicians and administrators, in all levels of government are lining their pockets and making pronouncements that favour the already well-heeled upper class. Right now the gun lobby is the best example of that. The recent spate of gun violence in North America calls undeniably for stronger gun control laws. But the big guns, speaking both literally and figuratively, are spending billions of dollars to fight the wishes of the people, the ones who are suffering mightily from the gun crimes. And don’t fool yuh fat, many of the representatives in Washington are going to bow to the evil perpetrators of lax gun rules, because they will be afraid for their plush jobs, knowing that the gun lobby will work tirelessly to unseat them in the next election, if they don’t stand with them now. But hopefully Friends, there will be enough people with righteous consciences and strength of purpose to defeat the wicked on that score. Enough for today though. We’ll continue this interesting but unpleasant topic tomorrow, God in favour. Till then, please ponder the untenable corruption so rampant in all walks of our lives, and see if there is anyway that you can make a difference, regardless of how small, cause it’s only when we all get together and fight in unity, do whatever we can, that good results are had. Much LOVE!…the wicked shall not prosper for long…in the world of a righteous God…that’s a proven fact…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 January 2013 Isaiah 39:8

18 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 39:8.    Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.

Oh Friends, it seems that the white stuff’s been flying around in places it doesn’t usually fly, like parts of the U.S South. In the last week or so, it’s been battering places like Texas and Maine, now Virginia and other southern states are seeing snow, to which they’re not accustomed. Unfortunately, the white powder has also blanketed parts of Eastern and Western Canada. Thankfully though, it hasn’t done much in my area, until yesterday evening. Before that, we were having some spring like temps, and what snow was on the ground was melting. And even now, the snow we have is not a lot. ‘Praise the Lord!’ I’m sorry for the many, all over the continent, who will get caught up in the woeful traffic conditions on their way to work this morning. But just remember that it’s Friday, give a joyful shout of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ then take your time driving on the snow covered, icy or slushy roads. But yuh know, it’s unfortunate and somewhat unfair that in places like T&T, this Friday will be truly very joyful with all the pre- Carnival activity that’s taking place down there. However, we up here in the cold northern climes know that though life is not fair, our God is good, and He will look after us in whatever untenable or unpalatable situations we find ourselves in. And to give credence to that belief, let’s chant our Friday Chant with as much enthusiasm as we can manage. ‘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.’ Now that should serve to quell whatever anxiety we felt and give us the right perspective in handling the weekend. And our Bit today is a rather interesting one. ‘Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good (Just) is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For (at least) there shall be peace and truth in my days.’ Now why would Hezekiah, king of Judah, make such a reply eh? According to the scholars’, the story goes like this: A former king of Babylon, Merodach-baladan, apparently trying to wrest Babylon back from the new Assyrian ruler, Sennacherib, sends an ambassadorial delegation to Hezekiah, with a present, letters and congratulations on his recent recovery from illness. Now the king was also possibly looking for allies in his quest to retake Babylon, and Hezekiah, somewhat impressed by this attention, showed the king’s messengers all his treasures. The Good Book declares that: ‘there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.’ (Is.39:2) Shortly thereafter, the prophet Isaiah shows up and asks Hezekiah about the men and their business. Hezekiah tells him that they came from Babylon. ‘Then said he (Isaiah), what have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them.’ (Is.39:4) Ah Friends, obviously vanity and pride had something to do with Hezekiah’s behaviour; showing total strangers all his treasure. But that’s not so strange since even today we do it too. When friends come to visit, and even virtual strangers, we take them around our houses or businesses to show them our treasure, not knowing what’s in their minds. That sort of boasting or showing off of our earthly possessions, has often proven to be disastrous, for unawares we have entertained thieves and scoundrels, who have subsequently caused us grief, in one form or another. In Hezekiah’s case, Isaiah used the incident to prophesy the imminent Babylonian captivity of Judah. ‘Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. And thy sons that shall issue (descend) from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ (Is.39:5-7) And our Bit today, is Hezekiah’s answer to Isaiah’s prophetic vision. Now can you imagine giving that sort of meek, well if the Lord says so, is so, response to such a catastrophic prophecy? I doubt very many of us would, because we’d be too concerned about our children and our earthly possessions. We’d possibly slap Isaiah upside the head and run him out of our house. But Hezekiah took it coolly enough, possibly because he realized his serious error in judgement that his pride and vanity had caused. Then, sensing that there wasn’t anything he could do to change the situation, decided to calmly accept God’s will, whatever it turned out to be. He was at least heartened by the fact that there would be peace and truth during his reign. Oh Friends, perhaps we can learn something today from Hezekiah’s acceptance of God’s will, especially when we’re wrong. Instead of acting out, as we tend to do when it doesn’t coincide with our desires, we can repent, apologize or admit the error of our ways, and ask for the Lord’s forgiveness. It’s much better than making a fuss or trying to fight the Lord’s will. Ah my brethren, please let’s remember that earth is not our true home, just a way-station on our journey to that marvellous resting place Jesus has promised. That means we cannot afford to let the earthly possessions in our stewardship take us away from the true reality, that heaven’s our home, and what’s really important is the treasures that we store there, not the undistinguished things of the earth. Much LOVE!…for where your treasure is…there will your heart be also…  (Matt.6:21)

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 December 2012 Psalm 71:4

14 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 71:4.    Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

Oh Friends, it’s Friday; the penultimate one before Christmas! And there were joyful shouts of: ‘Yesss, TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ Then the parang section started up; ‘Maria, Maria. Aye Maria…’ Ah mih people, the ole fella’s feeling better than he has in several days. Thank the Lord! Though I’m not completely over the stupid cough and cold yet, at least I can breathe much easier today. Anyway, we all know that life is rough and not often fair, but we also know for sure that our God IS GOOD! And all God’s people said a loud and thankful ‘Amen.’ And since it’s Friday, that means we have to chant our Friday Chant to put the weekend in its true perspective. Therefore as one voice, let’s chant sweetly: ‘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.’ Now, hopefully, that will keep us minding our ps and qs, so that we don’t go overboard this weekend, especially with all the Christmas celebrations in the air. Please remember Friends, that the enemy is always on the prowl for captives, (1 Pet.5:8) more so in times of celebration, when he knows that we let our hair down and are most susceptible to his advances. Today though, we ask for help for those of us in our mature, advanced years, and who are still besieged by Lucifer and his evil cronies, who don’t necessarily distinguish targets by age, all believers are worthwhile targets. The problem however, is that the older we get, the more feeble in mind and body we also become, thus often making us an easier mark for the powers of darkness. We have a very good example of that in the numerous frauds now being carried out against the aged in our society. Consequently, the psalmist writing in Psalm 71, a prayer for help in old age, solemnly implores the Lord in our Bit: ‘Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.’ Yes my people, it doesn’t matter whether it’s in our old age or our youth, when our enemies pressure us, we need to cry out to our ever-faithful God for deliverance. As the psalmist continues: ‘For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth. By thee have I been holden up from the womb (upheld from birth): thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels (womb): my praise shall be continually of thee.’ (Ps.71:5-6) Please note my brethren, that this old psalmist has been a staunch believer from his youth, and though he has seen some rough times, he’s made up his mind to keep on praising the Lord, come what may. Oh Friends, have we made that monumental commitment to Almighty God as yet? Have we already declared, or are willing to declare, like the old man, beset round about by enemies, that come hell or high water we’ll keep praising, thanking, serving, and worshipping the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Now that’s a very important question we need to sit and seriously ponder, and hopefully decide in the affirmative, because there’s none other than Jehovah God, who can successfully deliver us from the hands of our enemies. Oh mih breddren, I just had to plead with the Lord for escape from my enemy, as a coughing spell suddenly attacked me. (smile) And believe me, a cough is my deadliest enemy. There’s no sickness I despise as much as a cough, because it activates my asthma, and in my youth and early manhood, I coughed enough to last me several lifetimes. But thank the Lord that doesn’t happen too often anymore, so my life is fairly smooth in that respect. And just to show that it’s not only us old fogies who cry out to God for help, we’ll end with some verses from Psalm 140, where Bruh David, at the height of his manhood, implores the Lord for deliverance from evil men. ‘Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; Which imagine mischiefs (plan evil things) in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war. They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders (asps) poison is under their lips.  Selah (Ps.140:1-3) Yes Friends, ponder that for a moment, see if you know anybody like that. Then later, like the old psalmist in our Bit, Bruh David gives his reasons for crying out to the God of his fathers. ‘I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord. O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered (provided a shelter for) my head in the day of battle. Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device (scheme); lest they exalt themselves (be exalted).  Selah.’ (Ps.140:6-8) That just goes to show people, that there’s no shame or disgrace in crying out to God when evil comes against us. In fact that’s just what the Lord of hosts desires, so that He can truly and faithfully show that He is indeed our protector and deliverer. So if any evil stuff is coming against you today, fellow believers, please don’t be afraid to cry out in faith and sincerity to Almighty God, cause protection and deliverance are His forte. Much LOVE!…only a proud, arrogant fool…refuses to cry out to God…in times of real need…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 December 2012 2 Timothy 2:1

07 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

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

2 Timothy 2:1.     Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.’

Oh Friends, it’s Friday, and I’m hearing more ‘TGIF’s’ and “Thank God it’s Friday’ than I’ve heard for a little while. I guess we’re all beginning to catch ourselves and regain our joy after all the natural disasters we’ve recently suffered. It’s also the Christmas season, when we celebrate the most important birth ever, that of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and that’s always a joyful time. Today, December 7th, is also an important day in my life, because it marks the 40th anniversary of when I stepped off a plane at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, to begin life as a Canadian. But just imagine that nuh! It’s been forty, long, hard, but interesting years I’ve lived in the cold North Country. Wow! If you’d told me when I landed that cold December day in 1972, that I’d still be here after forty years, I would have laughed and said you were crazy. But here I am, after all that time, and though Canada has been somewhat rough, what with the weather and all the other inconveniences of life, it has taught me a lot, things that I might not have learned had I stayed in the West Indies. I now know, that if I can survive and prosper here, I can do the same anywhere in the world. And though Canada is slipping, like so many of the developed countries, it’s still the BEST big country in the world! Way to go Canada! And all God’s Canadian people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’ The major problem though is that too many of us believers are sitting on our fat, comfortable fannies, enjoying the laurels of yesteryear, expecting them to last forever, without any more hard work or sacrifice. But Friends, I’m here to tell us that only hard work and sacrifice keeps us at the forefront of anything, be it a simple game or a big country. And to help us remember that, and to write it in the depths of our souls, where we need it most, let’s chant our Friday Chant, with much gusto. As one loud, harmonious 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.’ Oh my people, hopefully that will help us be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, as Bruh Paul tells Timothy in our Bit: ‘Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.’ And my brethren, we need to do just that, if we truly desire to follow Jesus and enlarge His righteous kingdom. In part, this entails: ‘And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.’ (2 Tim.2:2) And though that’s a very worthwhile task, it’s never easy, for we’ll experience opposition once we speak the name of Jesus, as He says in John 15:20. Oh my people, especially in these most wicked and sinful end times, we badly need endurance, perseverance, fortitude, plenty belly and backbone to be able to stand strong and do Jesus’ work. As Bruh Paul tells Timothy: ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.’ (2 Tim.2:3) Now that is an area in which I believe we’re seriously falling down. Christians these days are a bit too comfortable in, and preoccupied with the ways and material wealth of this ungodly world. We’re also too lethargic when coming to proselytizing, finding all sorts of mamby pamby excuses for why we’re not doing a better job for Christ. But please note Bruh Paul’s reminder to Timothy. ‘No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.’ (2 Tim.2:4) That means fellow believers, we cannot afford to get caught up in the trifling, mundane, petty, greedy, envious, ungodly, war-like affairs of this world. We need to keep our eyes of faith steadfastly focused on Jesus and the job He’s called us to do. ‘Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evildoer, even unto bonds (chains); but the word of God is not bound (chained). (2 Tim.2:8-9) Bruh Paul is here citing examples of two people, Jesus and himself, who suffered real hardship for the cause. And though most of us will never be asked to withstand the hardship and pain those two endured, we will all be required to come up better that we’re currently doing. To improve our work for Christ, means we also have to improve our knowledge and understanding of His mission. Just like in other aspects of life, believers are expected and need to grow daily in knowledge and understanding of the Word. A stagnant, non-growing believer is to all intents and purposes, a dead believer. That means we have to learn to do as Bruh Paul says in verse 10. ‘Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s (chosen ones) sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.’ (2 Tim.2:10) Yes Friends, we the saints of glory in Jesus Christ, have to bear our burdens in this evil, corrupted world with patience, endurance and perseverance, which we can only do with the help of the Holy Spirit that indwells us, plus diligently committing the Word to our hearts and minds, and glorifying God with much prayer, praise and thanksgiving. As I keep saying, walking strong with and for Jesus, is not an easy row to hoe, but when we do it with joy and gladness, it’s certainly interesting, exciting and adventurous. So today, let’s all take stock of our soldiering on Christ’s behalf, and then make whatever changes are necessary to improve it. Only then will we be walking the true and fruitful path to freedom, salvation and eternal life. Much LOVE!…working for Jesus is difficult…but the rewards are definitely worth it…

 

 

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