Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 July 2017 Job 13:15a.

22 Jul 2017 Leave a comment

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

Job 13:15a.   Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…

Ahoy there mih friendlies! (smile) It’s a cloudy Saturday morning in my neck of the woods, perfect for pure, unadulterated lazing around the house! (smile)  Is that your perception too? 

Oh, yuh know our lives are so busy now, that even on our days off, some of us can’t afford to just lay around and do nothing. Steups! 

Whatever happened to the promises that as our world became more motorized, our lives would become freer eh, we would have more spare time? That’s a joke! Because with all the supposed amenities we now have, we’re still busier than we’ve ever been. 

Anyhow, just one word of warning; however you choose to spend today, just make sure that our heavenly Father is at the centre of it, let Him lead and guide you as He so desires. For that’s the ultimate in wisdom my Christian brothers and sister! 

Now, since it’s Saturday, let’s look at quotes from our friend Anselm from this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And like our buddy Anselm had a problem-filled vision this week, for they all revolve around problems. (smile)  

Here is the first one: ‘It is wise to direct your anger towards problems – not people; to focus your energies on answers – not excuses.’ Now that’s very true, but it’s not always easy turn our anger away from others, because invariably they are the source of our problems. 

And the second says: ‘Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them.’ That’s also true, because it’s usually easier to dance around the problem than fight through it. 

Now this one, we should all pay serious attention to. ‘Relationships survive on trust, and if that is broken at any point, it’s pretty much the end of the relationship. Besides, inability to communicate leads to problems.’ 

And is that ever so true my people! There’s nothing that destroys a relationship as quickly and totally as a failure of trust. Sometimes they can be repaired, but very often they just disintegrate, leaving behind all sorts of acrimony and bitter feelings, because it’s so hard to replace trust once it’s lost. 

And to make it even more difficult, nowadays, despite all the many wonderful methods of communication that exist, we still don’t communicate with each other as well as we should. It seems like true communication is a lost art of this society that’s predominantly focused on communication. Hn! What a paradox! 

Now here is another meaningful quote. ‘You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.’ 

Yeh friends, we must never ever underestimate our importance, because we never know what sort of influence our words and/or behaviour might have on others. We often make great and lasting impressions on people we don’t even know, which can change their lives, as well as the course of history. 

Now here’s the last quote, and my favourite. ‘Expect problems and eat them for breakfast!’ Isn’t that beautiful mih breddren? We all know problems will crop up, but let’s not allow them to disturb our God-filled mien (mood, character), let’s just eat them up and spit them out – with God’s help of course!  

Ah mih people, we’ve spent so much time and space on those quotes, that we don’t have much left for our Bit, which is one of the most powerful statements in the Bible, and the epitome of trust. 

We’re talking about those memorable words of Job when he experienced terrible disaster; almost immediate loss of his health, family and fortune. His friends and family thought that his calamity was caused by some secret sin, and his wife even encouraged him to ‘curse God and die.’ (Job 2:9b) 

However, Job stood tall, defended his integrity and faithfully declared: ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…’ 

Ah current saints of God, how many of us say words akin to those when we are going through some calamity eh? I don’t think as many as should. And that’s possibly because we don’t hold our great and wonderful God in as high esteem as Job did. 

In our current society, the popular term is ‘what have you done for me lately?’ So if God hasn’t come through for us lately, we’re quite liable to dismiss Him as being a fraud and a charlatan like the fallen angel Lucifer. But that’s the biggest mistake we can ever make my people! 

Remember, God isn’t there to cater to our whims and fancies, we were made to serve and worship Him. He is the boss! Whatever He says goes…and when He says it too. 

But He isn’t a petty tyrant, like so many of the other supposed gods that don’t truly exist. Instead, He’s a compassionate and LOVING Father who only wants us to do His will. 

And please notice Job’s later behaviour, after the Lord took him to task and humbled him for a spot of arrogance. The Good Book tells us: ‘And the Lord turned the captivity of Job (restored his losses), when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before… so the Lord blessed the latter end of job more than his beginning…’ (Job 42:10, 12a) 

Yes my brethren, that’s how our Lord will bless us when we stand humble but strong in integrity, faith and trust before Him. Please let that be lesson, a great motivator for us. Much LOVE!

…in proportion to our trust in…and reverence of God…so shall be our portion of blessings…

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 March 2014 Ecclesiastes 7:20

30 Mar 2014 Leave a comment

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

Ecclesiastes 7:20.     For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
 
So how is the Scrip-Bit family this Sunday morning eh? I hope we’re all standing strong and steadfast in faith, and giving God all the glory, as we should.
 
And as always, we expect those who celebrate the Sabbath on a Sunday are going to get to God’s house, at sometime today, to fellowship with other believers. That’s one of the best ways to share our faith and keep it strong.
 
Now I want to share an interesting quote from one Abraham Mazlow (1908-1970), an American psychologist, considered the Father of Modern Management Psychology. He states: ‘This confrontation with death… makes everything look so precious, so sacred, so beautiful, that I felt more strongly than ever the impulse to live it, and to let myself be overwhelmed by it.’
 
Wow! How true that is my Friends! For I’m sure you’ve noticed that whenever we become really sick, unto possible death, or have been in a life threatening accident, or narrowly escape serious injury from whatever circumstances, how we suddenly become very concerned about our lives?
 
And it doesn’t even have to be us who has the close call with the grim reaper, but just someone we know, and it forces us to consider our own mortality. Then we suddenly wake up and realize how wonderful life is, and begin to, or promise ourselves to enjoy it more fully.
 
Ah mih people, why wait till we come face to face with death before we truly appreciate life eh? Life is indeed beautiful, and despite the many negatives in our world, none of us really want to go over to the other side just yet. (smile)
 
So regardless of our circumstances, let us buck up and start enjoying this mortal life today nuh! This life that Almighty God has so generously breathed into our bodies. That was His original purpose for doing so yuh know. And if we don’t enjoy and appreciate it, means we’re being disobedient to His wish.
 
Now here is another interesting proposition, namely our Bit: ‘For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.’
 
And that, most of us realize is indeed gospel truth! Our sinful nature began when our forefathers Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, against God’s very specific command not to do so. Hn!
 
And since then, that sinful nature has just become more sinful and despicable with each passing day. Until now, in this wealthy, modern technological society, sin is the number one box office draw, being totally rampant in its many forms and fashions.
 
And though some of us might try to do good, try to be righteous, unfortunately the seeds of sin have been so deeply sown in our souls, and have sprouted up in so many different ways to make that virtually impossible. No wonder Bruh Paul could write to the Romans: ‘For all have sinned, and come (fall) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom.3:23)
 
And to help us understand that, here are some thoughts from the scholars. ‘3:23. A personal sin may be one of commission (doing something that is prohibited) or a sin of omission (failing to do what is required of us). It may also express itself in either an act or attitude.
 
Illustration: Sin is portrayed in Scripture as falling short of God’s glory (v.23), going astray like a wandering sheep (Is.53:6), transgressing or overstepping the law (Ps.51:1; Luke 15:29), and trespassing, which means exercising our own wills in the realm of divine authority (Eph.2:10).
 
Sin brings hideous results, affecting not only our relationship with God, but also our relationship with others. If not checked, sin will destroy the natural process of every person.
 
Application: Christians should not sin, but if they do, they should remember their Advocate (Jesus Christ), and confess their sins in order to restore fellowship with God (1 John 1:9-2:2). (First Ref. Gen.3:6; Primary Ref. Rom 3; cf. Ps. 51:5).’
 
Yes Friends, I surely hope that gives us a better appreciation of what sin is, and what it can do. Please check out those reference verses too. If we’re not careful, sin can, and will totally destroy us, as well as those associated with us.
 
That’s why we keep stressing not to let the ole crook, the wily deceiver Beelzebub to get even a fingernail hold in our lives. We have enough sinful nature already, no need to encourage him and make it even worse.
 
And we’ll close with some verses from Cousin Sol’s prayer when he dedicated the temple. ‘If they, (Israel) sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;
 
Yet if they bethink themselves (come to their senses) in the land whither they are carried away captive, and turn  and pray unto thee (repent) in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;
 
If they return to thee with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name: 
 
Then hear thou them from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.’ (2 Chr. 6:36-39) That speech can also be found in 1 Kings 8:46-50, with a few variations.
 
However my people, in this oh so sinful world of ours, what we desperately need to do is what Cousin Sol advised; sincerely repent and turn back to Jehovah God so that He can forgive us of our abundant sins. That Friends, is the ultimate in wisdom! Much LOVE!
 
…so what’s it going to be eh…forgiveness and eternal life…or stupidity and eternal death…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 March 2014 Proverbs 21:17.

05 Mar 2014 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 21:17.   He that LOVETH pleasure shall be a poor man: he that LOVETH wine and oil shall not be rich

                                                           ASH  WEDNESDAY !

Well Friends, the partying done now! Yes, it’s Ash Wednesday morning, the first day of Lent, so I hope that you exercised and exorcised all your pleasure demons over the last few days of serious partying. (smile) That’s because now is a time to settle down, a time for serious reflection on our relationships, especially between God and us.

Lent is the time to look deep into our souls and examine what we truly believe, and consequently how we live our lives, based on our grounding belief, our foundational faith, for all of us have faith in something, hopefully Jehovah God, and not man or some man-made idol.

Anyway, this season of Lent is a serious time, and we ought to seriously consider how we live our lives, giving the pleasure centres of our bodies and souls a well-deserved break. Hn, hn!

Now that doesn’t mean we ought to stop enjoying life, or eschew all pleasure, but rather not let the pleasures of life be all that important. Instead, let’s contemplate on how Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness and how Lucifer tempted Him, tried his very best to get Him to go against God’s will.

And in light of that, let’s see what temptations have been coming against us, and how we’ve been handling them, hopefully with graceful aplomb like Jesus, telling the deceitful fool Lucifer: ‘Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.’ (Matt.4:10)

And we all know my brethren, that that’s truth of the highest order! But that doesn’t stop the ole scoundrel from continually snapping at our heels, especially in one soft and weak area of our sinful nature, that of pleasure.

That’s why Cousin Sol declared so profoundly unto us, the words of our Bit. ‘He that LOVETH pleasure shall be a poor man: he that LOVETH wine and oil shall not be rich.’ 

And unfortunately, I know that Lucifer has a wide grin on his evil, devilish face this Ash Wednesday morning, because over the last few days, he’s managed to get many of us to compromise our godly beliefs in the pursuit of fleeting worldly pleasure.

But please remember that ALL of it can be forgiven, though only some forgotten, and a lot of it will haunt us for the remainder of our lives. There will always be some reminder of our less than stellar performance during that period.

The important thing though is not to beat up ourselves and continually bewail our misery over it, since that portion of our lives cannot be relived, and our mistake(s) be undone. And this wisdom comes from personal experience, not hearsay. We need to come to God in sincere repentance, ask for His merciful and generous forgiveness, then face the problem squarely; stand our bounce.

That’s one thing I’ve always tried to drive into my children’s head from they were young, and try to practice it myself. If you’ve done something wrong, be man or woman enough to take the responsibility for it.

And after all that ‘sermonizing’, (smile) let’s look at some scriptures that uphold the truth of our Bit. And we’ll begin with some instructive words of Bruh Paul to Timothy, re widows. ‘But she that liveth in pleasure (indulgence) is dead while she liveth.’ (1 Tim.5:6)

And the scholars’ note says: ‘5:6. This may be paraphrased, “But the widow who indulges in luxurious living, though physically alive, is spiritually dead.”

And I just want to point out here my people, that that statement also applies to widowers, in fact to all and sundry, because once we’ve allowed earthly indulgences to control our lives, we do become spiritually dead. 

Then in Hebrews 11, that great chapter on faith, in talking about Moses, the author proclaims: ‘By faith, Moses, when he was come to years (came of age), refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures (passing pleasures) of sin for a season;

Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasure in Egypt: for he had respect unto (looked at) the recompense of the reward.’ (Heb.11:24-26)

Yes my brethren, likewise, we are to shun the calling of the pleasures of sin, and esteem the reproach of Christ of greater sanctity and worth than that of the world.

And we’ll let James take us home with his very voluble and valuable warning to the rich. ‘Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted (have rotted), and your garments are moth-eaten.

Your gold and silver is cankered (corroded): and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for (in) the last days.

Behold, the hire (wages) of the labourers who have reaped (mowed) down your fields, which is of you (you kept back) by fraud, crieth (cry out): and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth (Hosts).

Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton (indulgent); ye have nourished (fattened) your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.’ (James 5:1-6)

Yeh Friends, that’s the way it goes! All our riches, garnered on the backs of those unfairly treated will eventually rot and be of no use to us. We who have lived to serve pleasure, will in the end reap displeasure!

So please, as true believers, let’s wake up and see unrestrained pleasure for what it really is nuh – an unwise and foolish means of moving away from Jehovah God to the sinful camp of Beelzebub.

Now is that what we really and truly want to do? I sincerely doubt it. So please, let’s pull up our ‘britches’ (breeches) nuh, and stop allowing the sinful pleasures of our sinful world to control our lives. Now that’s the ultimate in wisdom! Much LOVE!

…Cousin Sol had it all…wisdom, wealth and time…but found no satisfying, gratifying, or long lasting pleasure…in the worldly pleasures his divine blessings afforded him…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 May 2013 Exodus 20:12

12 May 2013 Leave a comment

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

Exodus 20:12.     Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
 
HAPPY  MOTHER’S  DAY!

Oh Friends, on this comparatively chilly Sunday morning in May, where we’ve gone from highs of twenty odd last week, to highs of around ten this weekend, with rain in the forecast, a lot of Mother’s Day celebrations will have to be brought inside. But nonetheless, we wish each and every mother a joyous and happy Mother’s Day! It’s unfortunate that we only set aside one day every year to celebrate Motherhood, when in fact it should be celebrated every day, in view of their very valuable contribution to society. Do you realize that once a woman becomes a mother, she never has a real day off, because she’s always concerned about something in her family, be they old or young. And sadly too, like so many other festive occasions, Mother’s Day has become more of a commercial undertaking than a true emotional celebration. But regardless of all the negative aspects that have crept into the day, all mothers should be celebrated, whether they are good, bad or indifferent. And that’s the outspoken and provocative dictate of Almighty God, our Creator and Controller! Our Bit states it in no uncertain terms. ‘Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ Yuh see my brethren, honouring one’s parents was so important to our great and wise God that He made it one of the rules, one of the Ten Commandments He gave to the Israelites when He made them His chosen people. So giving mothers honour and respect should not depend on their individual qualities, but on the blanket command of our God. And really Friends, which member of all societies is truly the most important eh? Without a doubt it’s Mothers! For they carry us in their womb for nine months, imagine the discomfort nuh, all the time still working and keeping the home. Then consider the pain and agony of childbirth. No pain in this world can be as excruciating as that. That’s what mothers say, and I won’t doubt them. I’m just glad I don’t have to experience it. (smile) But yuh know what? After all that pain and anguish, when they think that their nether regions will be torn apart, they embrace the young one with such LOVE and joy, it’s unbelievable. And then, the many years they spend guiding the young, nurturing them physically, mentally and emotionally, having to put up with a lot of negative behaviour from the same ones they’re trying to raise and help. That reminds me of our behaviour with our LOVING God. And nowadays, in these rough economic times, many mothers are forced to go out to work, while still bearing the responsibility of looking after her husband, children and home. And yuh tell me they’re not worth much more LOVE and affection than we show! One day a year can never recompense them for all the LOVE, pain, heartache, neglect and abuse they suffer from the very ones they LOVE and care about. No wonder the Lord commanded Moses to tell the Israelites once again in Leviticus: ‘Ye shall fear (revere) every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.’ (Lev.19:3) Yes Friends, our parents are God’s representatives here on earth, so just as we revere the Lord, we ought to hold our parents in great reverence. And I know that there are many unworthy parents out their in our evil and troubled world, but the quality of parenting doesn’t really matter in the larger scheme of things, for they are all human and thus fallen and liable to make mistakes. The Lord however says to respect them, simply because they are your parents. And if you’re a believer, then you ought to do just that, whether or not their parental efforts deserve it. And it’s also very unfortunate that mothers bear the brunt of scorn and negative recognition in most societies, almost all of which are patriarchal, with the father figure holding enormous sway. But wise fathers know the real power behind their thrones, the mothers! For without them, family life would suffer even more than it’s doing now, because they are the cornerstones of the family, the ones who hold it together despite all the negative factors. There’s no doubt also that women are the stronger of the sexes, for men, with all their machismo and strong, well sculpted bodies could never do all the jobs that mothers do without whining and complaining every step of the way. I appreciate mothers, but sure am glad that I’m not one. (smile) And Molls baby, I haven’t forgotten you sugar. This is the second Mother’s Day that I’m without you, but you know you’re always right here in the centre of my heart, you and God. How could I ever forget you eh, after all that you’ve done for me? NEVER! NO WAY! I miss the good times we use to have, and the way I could come to you with any problem and you wouldn’t put me down, even though I was wrong. Above all, you showed me real unconditional LOVE in action. I know you never took an easy step in your life, and sometimes I didn’t understand what was happening, but you never complained, just did what you had to do. And your LOVE for the Lord enabled you to make it through those many rough spots in your life. You showed me the way a true mother ought to behave, though I didn’t always agree with you. And for that I will be forever thankful. I know that one day we’ll meet again, when there’ll be no tears, no pain, no sorrow, just joy and gladness in worshipping the Lord. Till then, I’ll do my best to be worthy of your LOVE and upbringing. Now Friends, let’s end this Mother’s Day Bit with appropriate advice from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.’ (Eph.6:1-3) That’s the ultimate in wisdom my people! So let’s honour our parents, especially our mothers today. The Lord will look upon us with favour for doing that. Much LOVE!…a mother is the closest thing to God on earth…conceiving, bearing, birthing, nurturing, guiding, providing, caring, LOVING…etc, etc…