James 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
Oh Friends, what a rather appropriate Bit for the last day of this volatile, unstable, and frightfully demoralizing year 2008! We’ll all be glad to see the last of it. But sadly, nothing’s going to change unless we change the senseless, destructive way we live, both internally and externally with others. As James asks; ‘From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?’ That’s an awesome truth people! The strife amongst us; between couples, families, friends, neighbours, organizations, countries, our entire world, is built on the unsafe quagmire of our unsatisfied, selfish, evil desires. James further explains: ‘Ye lust, and have not, ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.’ (vs.2) We murder, covet, do serious battle with each other, but still end up empty handed. Why? Because we don’t ask. And even when we do ask, ‘Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.’ (vs.3) Oh Friends, we strive with one another over worldly possessions and selfish pride, instead of turning to God in prayer. But even when we pray, we have the wrong purpose in our hearts, still concentrating on the same worldly pleasures, possessions, power and position, so that we can lord it over others. Obviously our God, who looks scornfully on the proud and envious, won’t give us those desires of our hearts that we’re just going to waste on worldly stuff, cause ‘the friendship of the world is enmity with God…whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.’ (vs.4) One cannot LOVE the world and God at the same time. Jesus said it. ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.’ (Mat.6:24) But it’s exactly what we try to do Friends. And if we listen to Bruh Paul, we’ll understand why. ‘For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.’ (Rom.7:18-19) Hn,hn! Trust Bruh Paul to go round in circles. But he’s simply saying that in his heart, he wants to do good, but can’t, and is doing evil, though he doesn’t want to, since his flesh has only sinful desires. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.’ (Gal.5:17) And Friends, as believers and followers of Christ, we’re commanded to walk by and live in the Spirit, not the flesh. Not an easy task at the best of times, but one we’re committed to when we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour. But how do we do this successfully? James gives us some direction. ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands…purify your hearts…Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-10) Oh people, let’s all vow that we’ll leave the lusts of the flesh behind in this old year nuh, ‘For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.’ (James 3:16) God didn’t make us, neither did Jesus die that painful death for us to live a dog eat dog life. Rather, let our New Year’s resolution be to walk faithfully in the Spirit; honouring truth, peace and righteousness. For ‘the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.’ (James 3:18) Wishing you and yours a happy New Year. It will be our best yet. Now don’t party too hearty tonight. Remember what the ole people say; ‘Drunk or sober mind yuh business.’ That means if yuh drink, don’t drive. Much LOVE!…kick out the flesh with the old year…ring in the new year with the Spirit…
Oh Friends, what a rather appropriate Bit for the last day of this volatile, unstable, and frightfully demoralizing year 2008! We’ll all be glad to see the last of it. But sadly, nothing’s going to change unless we change the senseless, destructive way we live, both internally and externally with others. As James asks; ‘From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?’ That’s an awesome truth people! The strife amongst us; between couples, families, friends, neighbours, organizations, countries, our entire world, is built on the unsafe quagmire of our unsatisfied, selfish, evil desires. James further explains: ‘Ye lust, and have not, ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.’ (vs.2) We murder, covet, do serious battle with each other, but still end up empty handed. Why? Because we don’t ask. And even when we do ask, ‘Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.’ (vs.3) Oh Friends, we strive with one another over worldly possessions and selfish pride, instead of turning to God in prayer. But even when we pray, we have the wrong purpose in our hearts, still concentrating on the same worldly pleasures, possessions, power and position, so that we can lord it over others. Obviously our God, who looks scornfully on the proud and envious, won’t give us those desires of our hearts that we’re just going to waste on worldly stuff, cause ‘the friendship of the world is enmity with God…whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.’ (vs.4) One cannot LOVE the world and God at the same time. Jesus said it. ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.’ (Mat.6:24) But it’s exactly what we try to do Friends. And if we listen to Bruh Paul, we’ll understand why. ‘For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.’ (Rom.7:18-19) Hn,hn! Trust Bruh Paul to go round in circles. But he’s simply saying that in his heart, he wants to do good, but can’t, and is doing evil, though he doesn’t want to, since his flesh has only sinful desires. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.’ (Gal.5:17) And Friends, as believers and followers of Christ, we’re commanded to walk by and live in the Spirit, not the flesh. Not an easy task at the best of times, but one we’re committed to when we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour. But how do we do this successfully? James gives us some direction. ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands…purify your hearts…Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-10) Oh people, let’s all vow that we’ll leave the lusts of the flesh behind in this old year nuh, ‘For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.’ (James 3:16) God didn’t make us, neither did Jesus die that painful death for us to live a dog eat dog life. Rather, let our New Year’s resolution be to walk faithfully in the Spirit; honouring truth, peace and righteousness. For ‘the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.’ (James 3:18) Wishing you and yours a happy New Year. It will be our best yet. Now don’t party too hearty tonight. Remember what the ole people say; ‘Drunk or sober mind yuh business.’ That means if yuh drink, don’t drive. Much LOVE!…kick out the flesh with the old year…ring in the new year with the Spirit…
SCRIP-BITS 