Today’s Scrip-Bit   21 May 2022 Proverbs 13:20.

21 May 2022 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 13:20.     He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Well hello there Saturday, you beautiful day! Yes, right now you’re somewhat cloudy, but I’ll take you every time, because you’re mine to do with as I please! When you come around, you make no demands on my time, you allow me to do whatever I want; eat, sleep, party, laze around, go out, stay in…it’s all up to me! So why wouldn’t I cherish you eh? In whatever form you come, rain, shine or snow, you’re still Saturday, and mine to do with as I please. (smile) 

But yuh know what? I just realized that statement was not quite true, for on Saturdays we have to check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us during the past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. (smile) But we can live with that one li’l thing, can’t we? Oh yes! And this first quote falls right into our wheelhouse. ‘Every day, do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.’ Now that’s not rocket science, just simple common sense. Whatever we do today, ought to help improve our tomorrow, otherwise it’s not worth doing. Why do something consciously that will spoil our tomorrow eh? 

Unfortunately, a lot of us do that because we don’t think before we act. We don’t sit and wisely consider the consequences of our actions. That’s not wisdom my people. Look here, the world will bring enough unfortunate circumstances to our tomorrows without any help from us. So, starting today, right now, let’s promise ourselves to think before we act. Before we make any decisions, let’s ask ourselves, will this improve my tomorrow or make it worse, will it improve my testimony for Jesus or detract from it? Remember we’re supposed to be living for Jesus, so whatever we do is very important in His scheme of things. 

And the Good Book gives us so many warnings on the subject, especially in Proverbs 13:16-25,  where Cousin Sol, the wisest man ever, contrasts the doings of the wise and the foolish. Please listen closely to this warning. ‘Every prudent man dealeth (acts) with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.’ (Prov. 13:16) In other words, ‘Wise people think before they act; fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness.’ Then hear this other snippet of wisdom nuh. ‘He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.’ (Prov. 13:20) 

Yes friends, as our parents use to tell us: ‘Show me your friends, and I’ll tell you who you are.’ And that’s no lie, for we say a lot about ourselves with the friends we choose. And today’s second quote is like the first. (smile) ‘Always desire to learn something useful.’ Now that’s common sense at its best! What’s the point of learning something that’s not useful eh? None whatsoever! But that’s today’s style. We fill up our heads and time with a lot of nonsense, stuff that serves no useful purpose in our lives. 

Just consider the amount of foolishness, outright lies and other ‘unuseful’ stuff that’s floating around the internet and social media nuh…But we just lap it up willy-nilly, without checking to see if it would be of any benefit to our personal situations. We get so immersed in it that it begins to dictate our thoughts and lifestyles. All this nonsense about influencers and people getting so many likes on their posts that are invariably doctored or simply untrue. Do we know who these people that are paid big money to influence us really are? No! Ninety nine point nine percent of the time we don’t. But we allow them to influence the way we live. That’s utterly ridiculous and foolish my fellow brethren in Christ. 

The only thing we need to influence us is the BIBLE; the Word of the Lord! It’s the believer’s guidebook and thus contains EVERYTHING for successful living down here on earth…and up in heaven too. That’s what we ought to be reading and following, not the nonsense that’s being prevaricated by the ungodly world as truth and wisdom! Don’t forget these marvellous words of truth from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17) 

Yes friends, ALL we need for living is found in the Lord’s Word! Then there’s this quote. ‘Don’t let one cloud ruin your whole day.’ That’s more wisdom in spades my people! So often we allow one mishap to ruin our entire day, especially if it happens early in the day. Somebody offends us, or we do something wrong and we spend the rest of the day being offended or mad at ourselves, and consequently we are unable to do anything productive, making it a wasted day. As we said earlier, life will bring us enough problems, we don’t need to go out of our way to make our own. So please, let’s stop making one cloud ruin our day nuh, stop letting one, usually unimportant circumstance steal our joy which comes from Almighty God. 

And no, all that we’re saying isn’t always easy, thus, as the next quote wisely tells us: ‘Be patient. It won’t happen overnight. Just hang in there and have faith that it will work out.’ That’s the gospel truth friends. Nothing worth having comes quickly, therefore we must be patient and persevering if we truly want whatever it is. Failure is oftentimes also a big part of the process. But we need to get back up and continue our efforts every time we fail. Remember the saying: ‘Failure is not really failure until you stop trying.’ 

Yes, only when we stop trying can we say that we’ve truly failed, for if we get back up and keep running our race, there’s always the chance for success. And as always, Cousin Sol has something to say on the subject. ‘For a just (righteous) man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).’ (Prov. 24:16) Yes friends, we can always trust Cousin Sol to have a word for us in good season. (smile) 

Then this last quote says it all my people. ‘The only thing we never get enough of is LOVE; and the only thing we never give enough of is LOVE.’ And there’s no doubting those words of wisdom, because if there was more LOVE in our world, both given and received, it would not be in the shambles that it’s currently in. For LOVE truly makes the world go round, it brings out all the Christ-likeness in us. But hate, like what our world is currently filled and overrun with, merely brings out the strife, resentment, envy and all the other negative and evil things of the enemy. It causes nothing but destruction! 

Look at how long it takes to build anything, but then look at how quickly it can be destroyed. LOVE focuses on building, but hate concentrates solely on destruction. And I believe these words of Jesus, as He explains about being the good shepherd, admirably convey that sentiment. ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) 

Ah mih people, Jesus indeed came to build not to destroy. He wasn’t a thief, but a good shepherd. And good shepherds build, look after and save their flocks. And Jesus said it quite plainly. ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) And building can only be accomplished through the spreading of LOVE. So please, please, let’s remember that my fellow saints in Christ and go out into the hating world and spread LOVE, the LOVE of Jesus, so that we can counteract the destructive hate of the enemy. That’s what Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!

…what the world needs now…is LOVE sweet LOVE…it’s the only thing…there’s just too little of… (Jackie DeShannon) 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 January 2015 Matthew 10:16

02 Jan 2015 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 10:16.  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless (innocent) as doves.

Well Friends, at last there’s a smattering of that much LOVED and hated white stuff on the ground in my area this Friday morning, the 2nd day of 2015!

It’s been a while since we’ve seen snow around these parts, and though it’s not a lot, it’s enough to glaze the roads in a suit of white. So though it looks so virginal and harmless, it can still be dangerous. That means those who unluckily have to go to work today, will have to be cautious in their driving.

On the other side of the coin, there are those who haven’t worked much in the last two weeks because of the way the holidays have fallen. Consequently, we need to chant our Friday Chant even more than normal, to remind us of what is what in these times of celebration. (smile)

So let’s get the day started with a rousing and sincere 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.’

Oh Friends, I do hope that we have been celebrating with a ‘modicum of circumspection,’ and not giving Lucifer any openings to creep into our souls, since it’s when we let our hair down that he usually finds a spot to invade our inner man.

And today I want to share an interesting and rather relevant New Year’s message I got from my friend Anselm yesterday, in his quotes to ‘Inspire us for a better tomorrow.’

It reads as follows: ‘We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential.’

Now that’s a new and different approach isn’t it? Instead of looking for negative things, things to fix, let’s look for the positive things that we can build on.

Then Anselm gives us a few  ‘Things to think about for 2015: 1. Talk less; listen more; 2. Remind yourself you are not the General Manager of the Universe; 3. Sit on your ego; 4. Take one day at a time; 5. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you to do and let go of the anxiety. If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it; 6. Pray.’ 

Oh my people, all of that stuff is so true, we can’t refute any of it! And please note his last bit of advice; ‘Pray.’

Ah my fellow believers, in these troubled and tremulous times, we do need to fill the atmosphere with prayer, for it’s the most important and most powerful force in the universe!

Remember, Jesus told us ‘that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) For it’s exactly when we’re tempted to give up, to lose heart, that we need to pray most fervently.

Then Bruh Paul told the Ephesians to pray always. (Eph.6:18); the Thessalonians to ‘pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess.6:17); and to Timothy he said ‘that men ought to pray everywhere.’ (1 Tim.2:8) So my brethren it’s rather obvious that prayer ought to be a very big and important part of a believer’s life!

That brings us to our Bit: ‘Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless (innocent) as doves.’

Yes Friends, Jesus is asking every one of His followers to go out into the evil, ungodly world, without malice and forethought, but with great wisdom and innocence. However, before we can even dream of doing that, we need to be aware of God’s faithful, and unchanging Word, else the world will just chew us up and spit us out like chewing tobacco.

That’s why I want to remind us today that ‘the Bible is God’s Word to us, still fresh through all the ages. And if we read it, we‘ll find God’s wisdom on its pages.’

Oh my people, it is ever so important for believers to read God’s Word, so that we can know what He is saying to us! The Bible is our Guidebook for life here on this earth, so we can’t get good and correct guidance and direction for our lives unless we read and study it.

You can’t be a true believer and not make reading the Good Book a habitual and integral part of your life. Remember too Friends, that we have resolved that in 2015 we will all endeavour to walk closer with Jesus, have a more personal and heart warming relationship with Him, than we’ve had before.

Now that means we have to read and study His Word more, pray more, fellowship more with other believers, and also do more good works in His name. That’s the only way we’ll ever increase our faith, grow and mature in our relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

Please remember too my people that we are basically a longing for God, cause that’s how He made us. There’s an little empty pocket of space in our souls, and until we fill it with Jehovah God, we’ll never be truly happy or peaceful.

Now time and space have run out on us, and I do hope that what’s turned out to be a sort of refresher course in Christianity (smile) will wake us up, and greatly benefit us all during this new year of 2015, as we sincerely endeavour to walk more closely with Christ and make a positive difference in our lost and greatly disturbed world.

So till we meet again tomorrow, God willing, please go safely, in peace, wisdom and LOVE! Much LOVE, my fellow believers in Christ!

…no human being is really at peace…until he has come to God by faith… (St. Augustine)