Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 October 2019 Hebrews 12:14.

11 Oct 2019 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 12:14.    ​Follow (pursue) peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

 

Welcome to another hot and hazy day in Kingston, Jamaica my dear people! I don’t know if it’s just cloud cover, dust from factory outputs, or a combination of both, but the haze they generate keep preventing me from seeing the nearby harbour and the distant mountains properly! But yuh know what? I’ll take it over the cold weather every time! (smile) And I hear that you all might be having snow, lots of it, for Thanksgiving next week. Hn! Just make sure it’s all gone by the time I get back oui! (smile) 

But it’s Friday all over the world, and what happens on a Friday? Working people sing their weekend song of short freedom. So let’s hear what the workingman has to say today nuh. And as always, he’s quite vocal: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! The weekend, the weekend! Mama Yo! Is party fuh so! From tonight, right back to Monday night! Might’n be even able to go to the slave driver work on Tuesday nuh, cause ah all partied out… 

And so it should be, because is Thanksgiving weekend, so we have to give plenty thanks for all we have…and giving plenty thanks involves having plenty parties. So we can all shout: ‘Party! Party! Party!’ Yeh it’s going to be a hot time in the land this weekend, what with all the gobble gobble (turkey) on the table, the pumpkin pie and what have you! And the drinks going to flow like water too! Yuh better believe that! Brother, the Lord surely not going to be able to say we not thankful nuh! Give Him thanks for Fridays and weekends that we have a li’l freedom to do we own thing!’ 

Yeh friends, it’s all meet and right to celebrate and give thanks for our many blessings, but as believers in Christ Jesus, we can’t be like the ordinary workingman and go way out on the limb, we have to remember Granny’s warning: ‘Sonny boy, ah beg yuh, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ And yuh better believe if we don’t mind our p’s and q’s the devil going to mind them for us, getting into our business and screwing them up even more than we already doing. That’s why our Friday Chant is not as ebullient and effusive as the workingman’s song. We take a somewhat more serious look at the situation. 

So please chant with me now nuh in all sincerity: ‘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 friends, let us enjoy ourselves, but with a modicum of circumspection, as butler Jeeves would say. 

And following on from that, we come to where we left off in the scriptures yesterday, re Hebrews warning against disobedience. The author wisely tells us: ‘Follow (pursue) peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail (fall short) of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane (godless) person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat (food) sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited (wanted to inherit) the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.’ (Heb.12:14-17) 

And what does all of that mean? Hear the scholars: ‘12:15. Root of bitterness accurately portrays the nature of bitterness. First it is hidden, but when it is discovered its noxious roots have spread and it springs up as something much bigger and more destructive (cf. Deut.29:18).’ That’s gospel truth friends; the roots of bitterness spread far and wide and fast like a cancer! ‘12:16-17.Profane person: This profanity (Gr. bebelos) involves far more than one’s speech; it is a quality of one’s life. The author sees this quality exemplified in Esau, even though Esau was not a vile man. In fact, he was less of a crook than his brother Jacob. 

The author accurately focuses on the one area that revealed Esau as profane – the selling of his birthright. To “profane” is to regard something as unhallowed, to treat something sacred as common. Being totally concerned with his temporary and material needs, Esau gave them priority over his rights as the firstborn son and his responsibilities as the heir to the blessing of the Abrahamic covenant. (Gen.25:29-34). The result in Esau’s life was that afterward, when he wanted the blessing, he was rejected. He repented with tears, but the situation was irrevocable.’ 

Ah mih people, many of us like to take the easy way out, then regret it, and try to turn it around, but unsuccessfully. It’s like burning a bridge behind you, then wanting to go back the same way you came. That’s ofttimes impossible. So please let’s think before we act nuh, and thus not get ourselves in those untenable and often irreversible situations. 

As Bruh Paul said to the church at Rome: ‘Be not wise in your own conceits (estimation). Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest (have regard for good things) in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men… Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:16c-18, 21) 

And if you don’t believe Bruh Paul, then listen to Bruh David from way back when: ‘What man is he that desireth life, and LOVETH many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit). Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.’ (Ps.34:12-15) 

What more can I say eh mih people? Not a whole lot. Bruh David and Bruh Paul said it, so who am I to say them nay eh? So let’s be wise and sensible and godly and do like they advise us nuh, because anything else will just bring disaster. Much LOVE!

…blessed are the peacemakers…for they shall be called…the children of God… 

P.S. The first of the big parties, the Gala, is tonight. So as the man said…Party fuh so! But with Granny’s warning in mind. (smile) Much LOVE!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 September 2018 Matthew 25:23.

13 Sep 2018 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 25:23.   His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Oh, I know it’s a tad cloudy outside, but the good news is that a couple of rays are pushing valiantly, keeping keeping on to burst through the cloud cover! Wow! And yuh know what? If only one ray is alive and persevering, then there is hope; hope that bright sunshine will eventually permeate our now cloudy atmosphere! Mama Yo! 

In the same way friends, if only one seed of faith is planted and taking root in a believer, then eventually it will grow into a big tree, blossom forth and bear much beautiful godly fruit! Glory to God my brethren! For it’s only through His supernatural auspices that such a miracle can ever happen. 

And like some form of a miracle happened when we prayed yesterday that Hurricane Florence wouldn’t devastate North Carolina, because it has been downgraded to something like a category 2 from a 4! More Glory to God my people! And it does show the power of prayer. Oh, Flo might still damage North Carolina, but definitely not as badly as when she was packing bigger winds. Thank the Lord for small mercies! 

And on that point we do have a lot of inadequacies; because we think that only the big things are important enough to thank God for. But friends, it’s those li’l, everyday occurrences that we should be ever thankful for, since they are the ones that cause our lives to run smoothly and in sync. 

And moreover, the Lord wants to be involved in EVERY aspect of our lives, even the ones that seem small, ordinary and unimportant to us. Remember when we come to God, it means FULL SURRENDER; no holding back ANYTHING, although foolishly, we always try to hold back something from His piercing gaze. 

But remember my brethren, our God is omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present, so He sees all, knows all and is everywhere at the same time! That means there is nowhere or nothing we can hide from Him, but He wants us to come to Him voluntarily, through our LOVE for Him, that’s why He gave us freedom of choice. 

So please don’t try to hide yourself, or anything in your life from God, because the old saying is ever so true: ‘you can run, but yuh can’t hide!’ And many of us, even believers need to remember that! Remember again my fellow believers, if the Lord can’t trust us to be faithful in small things, why would He trust us with big things eh? 

That brings us to our Bit, where Jesus is telling the parable of the talents, and the servant given two talents, produces two more, so the master says to him. ‘His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’ 

It’s the same with us friends; we trust others with small matters before we trust them with big ones. If they prove trustworthy in the small things then we promote them. It happens on our jobs all the time. And Jesus reiterates that truth later on when talking of the parable of the dishonest steward. ‘He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.’ (Luke 16:10) 

And the prophet Zechariah, long before Jesus came, in his vision with the candlestick of seven lamps and two olive trees, to rebuild the Lord’s temple, he declared: ‘For who hath despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run (scan) to and fro through the whole earth.’ (Zech.4:10) 

Joshua and Zerubbabel would be enabled to rebuild the temple through God’s Spirit: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.’ (Zech.4:6b) Then the small nation of Israel would be a future blessing to all the world through the coming of the Messiah, and the Lord’s Spirit would be available in abundant supply. So friends, from small beginnings do come large endings, so please don’t despise small things, rather treasure them, for you know not what they might turn out to be later on. 

And so saying, we have seen the Lord’s Spirit turn from blessing us in small ways to mighty grace and mercy. Wow! So let’s declare our Thursday Blessings so that others can see what they have to look forward to when they surrender wholeheartedly to Jesus. And remember too, that a blessing is not a blessing unless it’s spoken over someone or something. 

So, as one body now, with sincere heart: ‘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!’ 

Now why wouldn’t I believe sincerely in Jesus if He blesses me so wonderfully when I believe eh? The next step though for us believers is to go out and share ALL those blessings with the less fortunate, for that’s why Jesus blessed us so bountifully! Much LOVE!

…heaven’s blessings are meant…to be shared generously…not to be hoarded selfishly…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 May 2017 Proverbs 4:1.

10 May 2017 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 4:1.   Hear ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

Oh my Scrip-Bit friends and family, another glorious day on God’s great earth is opening up before us! Let’s give the Lord some thanks and praise for that nuh. It’s not everyone who went to bed last night that got up to see the rising sun this Wednesday morning, so we ought to count ourselves very blessed indeed. 

Oh, one of these mornings we won’t wake up either, (smile) but until then, let’s rejoice in the blessing of every new day that we see, and give many thanks to our Creator and Provider for each opportunity to behold the splendour of nature here on earth! 

And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord for His LOVING-kindness to the undeserving children of men!’ 

And without a doubt, our God does shower us with LOVING-kindness; things like grace, mercy, and forgiveness that we do not deserve! But that’s the kind of magnanimous God He is! So please let’s never forget it, and suitably show our gratitude. 

Now here is some wonderful advice on living ‘A Life of Lasting Significance,’ I discovered on a card on my desk this morning. It comes from Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley). 

And he says to live a life of lasting significance we must: ‘Ensure that your interactions with others are truly meaningful and eternally impactful by: Modelling a steadfast desire to follow Jesus and a sincere faith in His will and ways. 

Demonstrating reverence for God’s work. Teaching others how to listen to and obey the Lord. Expressing a sincere LOVE, a forgiving heart, and a generous hand in every situation.’ 

Now that’s some wonderful advice every Christian ought to write deep in their hearts and do their best to put into practice, for remember, without works faith is dead, and they will know us by our works. 

And I guess one of the best ways to achieve that goal above is by paying serious and sincere attention to our Bit. ‘Hear ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.’ 

And before I go any further, let me share some info from the scholars that I wanted to share yesterday, but didn’t. ‘4:3-4. Three generations are linked together in the transmission of wisdom. Note that it is transmitted by personal influence, especially in the home.’ 

Yes friends, those words refer to verses 3 and 4 of chapter 4 that we read yesterday. You can read them for yourselves, but what I want to point out is the fact that the wisdom of God is transferred most often by personal influence, by the way we demonstrate it in our personal lives to those around us, especially in our homes. 

As the old adage so rightly says; Charity begins at home! And that’s exactly where it ought to begin! We parents and elders have to show the young people the LOVE and wisdom of God first in our homes. 

We can’t wait and expect them to find or learn them when they go to school or to church, especially in these godless times, when those things are no longer taught in schools, and churches are teaching, God alone knows what! 

Remember my brethren, the teaching of, and the reflections, the mirror images of God have to begin at home! 

Now let’s check out some other scriptures that agree with out Bit. Listen as Bruh David calls to us from Psalm 34 – The Lord hears the righteous. 

‘Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and LOVETH many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit). 

Depart from evil, and do good, seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut of (destroy) the remembrance of them from the earth.’ (Ps.34:11-16) 

Oh precious people of God, that’s the simple, practical way to live a life of godliness! It couldn’t get any simpler than that: speak truth, do good, seek peace! Those are all the basic elements of our Christian faith. 

Now hear this last scripture from Cousin Sol. ‘My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother. For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.’ (Prov.1:8-9) 

And the scholars tell us. ‘1:8. My son begins the first of 10 similar discourses in which the father appeals to the son to listen to his counsel and choose wisdom over folly. The mention of the mother shows that the original setting of the book was the home, not the court or school.’ 

‘1:9. Chains about thy neck, that is, an adornment or thing of beauty in one’s life.’ 

Ah mih people, again we see the critical importance of teaching our faith at home, if we want to continue propagating it. So please, I implore us, if we want to see our children live wholesome, godly lives, then we desperately need to get back to teaching and living the fundamentals of Christianity in our homes. 

Now let’s end by sincerely and truthfully declaring our Wednesday Wail. As one strong 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 as always, let’s go out and put all that we’ve talked about into action nuh, so that we can glorify our great God and Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!

…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 May 2016 Psalm 33:15

12 May 2016 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 33:15.   He fashioneth their hearts alike (individually); he considereth (understands) all their works.

Ah mih breddren, another beautiful day has dawned, and we have been granted the godly opportunity to see it and make our mark in this topsy-turvy world for Jesus! 

We have been destined to uproot the evil and the ungodliness that is causing such havoc and heartache in our once beautiful and godly world. 

Are you up to the task? Of course you are! As true believers and followers of Jesus, we all have been empowered to make a difference in this life, even though it may just be a small one. 

Yes, not all of us can make major contributions to God’s cause, but we all can make minor ones, which still glorify His precious and holy name and have others thirsting for the salvation and eternal life that He so freely and generously offers. 

So let’s never believe, much less say that we’re too small and insignificant to make worthwhile changes, because we are not. As children of God we are imbued with all that’s necessary to do good works in the name of Jesus. 

So as we continue our earthly pilgrimage on this new day, let’s sincerely decide that we will do our best to bring the awesome blessings and mercies of our great and awesome God to the hungry and thirsty people of our intensely struggling and greatly suffering world. 

And to help us do that, let’s declare our Thursday Blessings with much chutzpah, plenty passion and positive emotion, backed by the all-important sincere belief, in what we’re declaring. 

As one now: ‘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!’ 

Ah mih people, what a strong and positive declaration! It only requires us now to go out and put it all into action amongst both the heathen and the believer alike, so that much needed improvements in our world can be made by the godly example that our lives so vividly project. 

As I keep saying, it’s only through our worthwhile examples that others will be sincerely drawn to Jesus. That brings us to our rather appropriate Bit, taken from Psalm 33 – Praise to the Lord for his creation. 

Let’s set the scene first though. ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. The Lord looked down from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike (individually); he considereth (understands) all their works.’ (Ps.33:12-15) 

Yes friends, from His home in the high heavens, the Lord looks down on each of us individually, checking out the hearts that He has fashioned in each of us, appropriate to whatever plan He has designed for our lives, paying close attention to, and understanding all that we do, be it great or small. 

That’s the faithful and awesome kind of God we serve and worship; One who takes a significant interest in ALL that each and every one of us does. He doesn’t play favourites, or consider anything too small or insignificant to be worthy of His interest. 

And that is something a lot of us believers have problems with. We can’t believe that our great God is interested in our lowly selves, as well as our lowly doings. But my people, our God is so wonderful that He is interested in each soul that He has created and in each and everything that goes on in our lives. That’s why He’s so awesome and magnificent! 

And we have a great bit of scripture to uphold our assertions. This from 2 Chronicles, where King Asa is rebuked by the prophet Hanani for not trusting in the God of his fathers and instead relying on a pagan king to fight for him. 

‘For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect (at peace with or loyal) toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. 

Then Asa was wrought with the seer, and put him in a prison house, for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time…. And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not the Lord, but to the physicians.’ (2 Chr.16:9-10,12.) 

You see my people, Asa in his egotistical self, sought not his omnipotent God, neither in the major aspects of war, or in the smaller things, namely his diseased feet and thus paid a hefty price for such disobedience. 

Please my brethren, let us take serious notice today, and everyday of our omnipotent but very jealous God, and run everything that concerns us by and through Him, before we turn to anything or anyone else. For that is indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!

…it’s certainly not wise to turn to humans first…then to God as a last resort…God desires to be first…each and every time…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 February 2013 Job 34:21

05 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

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

Job 34:21.     For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
 
Ah Friends, I don’t have a soul-stirring intro for you this morning, (smile) but I do have some wonderful news: Jesus is alive and kicking! Kicking very strongly too! Not no mickey-mouse business. What can be better than that eh? Nothing really, for that means His followers, which we are, will also be alive and kicking strongly, since as He goes, so do we. And all Jesus’ followers proclaimed a powerful proclamation: ‘Jesus is alive! He is alive today and forever! Blessed be the name of Jesus! Amen.’ But Friends, if we’re His followers, then we have to get up off our fat fannies and actually do some strong kicking, do our job to help the LOVE Revolution that Jesus began to make some serious progress, cause it won’t be done for us. Jesus has already done His part, it’s now time for us to do ours. We can’t ride on Jesus coattails and hopefully get by either, because as our Bit reminds us: ‘For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.’ Yes mih people, Jesus’ eyes are forever on us, and He’s also constantly monitoring the motives of our hearts, so it’s even worse than being on Candid Camera. We can’t get away with anything; neither external nor internal. But in spite of that, many of us still try to pull the wool over Jesus’ eyes. What a joke friends! And we not only make ourselves look foolish when we do that, but we also reveal the low level of our faith, and our lack of true understanding of Jesus. But don’t despair my brethren, for it doesn’t mean that Jesus will push you aside and leave you to flounder aimlessly, because it’s the lost, the sick, the lonely, oppressed and misunderstood that He came to save, as He so poignantly declares in Matthew 18. ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt.18:11) Ah mih breddren, what a wonderful person is our Jesus! Words certainly can’t describe Him adequately. What do we call Him? Wonderful Counsellor, Prince of Peace, Heavenly Advocate, Sacrificial Lamb, etc. etc! Wow! No one entity can play as many roles as He did, and still does. Please praise Him for His glorious service and sacrifice to the children of undeserving men! But as our Bit explains, there’s one drawback for us to Jesus all embracing powers; He sees all that we do, all the time. And in these evil, ungodly times, we definitely need to buckle down and start behaving like true followers, not like the hypocrite Pharisees of old. For remember that Jesus experienced the same problems and emotions that we do, when He sojourned here on earth. That means when we don’t do as we should, He will experience great disappointment. It’s just like how we’re disappointed when those close to us do wrong. And I believe that disappointing Jesus is one of the worse things we can ever do. After all He’s done, the sacrifices He’s made on our behalf, the least we can do is try to please Him, since we can never repay the LOVING-kindness that He’s shown us. But getting back to our Bit, I want to share some scriptures that also declare that the eyes of our Creator are constantly on us. Now there are so many that most likely I won’t be able to share them all today. Anyway, let’s begin with the time that Asa, king of Judah, was rebuked by the seer Hanani, for relying on the king of Syria for help in war, rather than on the God of his fathers. ‘For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward (loyal, at peace with) him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore henceforth thou shalt have wars.’ (2 Chr.16:9) But instead of turning to the Lord and repenting, Asa got angry, threw Hanani in jail, and oppressed some of his people at the same time. Now listen to Asa’s end: ‘And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign, was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not the Lord, but to the physicians.’ (1 Chr.16:12) Oh Friends, when we are rebuked by the Lord, please let’s not get angry and do foolish things that we’ll live to later regret. For our God only rebukes us because He LOVES us. It’s always for our own good. Just like when we rebuke our children for wrongdoing, it’s not so much to punish them, but to make them see the error of their ways, because we care for them, and want them to stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to salvation and eternal life. That’s the same thing our God wants for us. As Job says, in speaking of his integrity. ‘Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? If I have walked with vanity (falsehood), or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; Let me be weighed (let Him weigh me) in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.’ (Job 31″4-6) Ah Friends, living in this fallen, ungodly world is difficult at the best of times, and we will make mistakes, but overall the motives of our hearts should be right with God. Integrity is one of the pillars on which Jesus built His church, but unfortunately, today we’re seeing that pillar of integrity slowly crumble as we either turn away from Jesus, or pay mere lip service to His challenges. How can we expect others to believe in Jesus when we don’t follow through on our promises eh mih people? When we say one thing and do another? When we fight amongst each other over petty stuff, then go out and preach Peace and LOVE? It just doesn’t work like that my brethren. And we’ll end with some wise words from Cousin Sol. ‘For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth (observes, weighs) all his goings.’ (Prov.5:21) Oh Friends, please, let’s do like the Lord today nuh and ponder our goings, and make sure that they are on the straight and narrow path, for that’s wisdom at its zenith. Much LOVE!…to those who know right…but do wrong…the price of justice rises even higher…