2 Chronicles 33:12 And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday morning, cold and miserable, when the basic work week, read rat race, begins anew. That means believers need to be fully clothed in their spiritual armour before they leave home to face the enemy hordes, beginning on the crowded highways, leading to the concrete jungles where we slave during the day for a pittance. Those are the times when we’re most vulnerable to Beelzebub’s wiles and lies. So please listen to Bruh Paul and dress for maximum protection. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.’ (Eph.6:11) Otherwise we might just end up like Manasseh, one of Judah’s kings, who rebuilt all the high places and altars of heathen worship that his father Hezekiah had destroyed. ‘So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel. And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken (obey). (2 Chron.33:9-10) But what else is new eh Friends? The human spirit has rebelled against authority from the earliest times, even when we know that doing so will undoubtedly mean loss, hardship and punishment. And so said, so done: ‘Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns (with nose hooks), and bound him with fetters (bronze chains), and carried him to Babylon.’ (2 Chron.33:11) Oh my people, when are we going to learn eh? It’s the same thing we’re doing now, rollicking and rolling in all sorts of ungodliness that is breaking our heavenly Father’s heart. Just like we don’t like to punish our children, but must if they disobey, He has to do the same with us. For though He’s a titan of LOVE, He’s also one of truth and justice, meaning that at some stage of the game we will pay for our disobedience, just like Manasseh. The sad part is that we only seem to smarten up after we’ve been punished. Why is that eh? Can we have a mental screw missing or something? Or are we just so proud and arrogant, believing we know it all, that we blatantly ignore numerous previous examples of godly retribution and figure it won’t happen to us? Why? I don’t know. The Lord’s been saying it from day one: ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’ (2 Chron.7: 14) And since we worship and unchangeable God, that means the decree still stands; ‘disobey and you will be punished,’ and it will stand till the end of time. However, it’s both amusing and sad that once misfortune befalls us, we’re suddenly transformed from big and bumptious, to small and humble, like Manasseh. ‘And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.’ Oh Friends, isn’t that a vivid reminder of our own behaviour? When things are going good, we have no time for God, but once we run into trouble, we’re quick to cry out to Him. Obviously Manasseh never learned from his father’s submission to the Lord, nor we from ours. He didn’t understand that prevention is always better than a cure. ‘Nothwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.’ (2 Chron.32:26) Some of us, like Manasseh, apparently can only learn the hard way. Then we get all teary eyed and fall on our knees and beg for mercy. That’s exactly what Manasseh did. ‘And prayed unto him: and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God.’ (2 Chron.33:13) Praise the Lord for His LOVING kindness and mercy yes mih people, cause we’re no different. Only when trials and tribulations beset us that many of us even remember there’s a God. But Friends, it should not be a sort of knee-jerk reaction. We should be walking in obedience to the Lord’s will from the very beginning. As Peter rightly advises: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet.5:6-11) Friends, that’s how true believers are supposed to operate. So let’s smarten up and behave the way we should nuh. Much LOVE!…if yuh doh hear…yuh surely going to feel…
Oh Friends, it’s Monday morning, cold and miserable, when the basic work week, read rat race, begins anew. That means believers need to be fully clothed in their spiritual armour before they leave home to face the enemy hordes, beginning on the crowded highways, leading to the concrete jungles where we slave during the day for a pittance. Those are the times when we’re most vulnerable to Beelzebub’s wiles and lies. So please listen to Bruh Paul and dress for maximum protection. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.’ (Eph.6:11) Otherwise we might just end up like Manasseh, one of Judah’s kings, who rebuilt all the high places and altars of heathen worship that his father Hezekiah had destroyed. ‘So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel. And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken (obey). (2 Chron.33:9-10) But what else is new eh Friends? The human spirit has rebelled against authority from the earliest times, even when we know that doing so will undoubtedly mean loss, hardship and punishment. And so said, so done: ‘Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns (with nose hooks), and bound him with fetters (bronze chains), and carried him to Babylon.’ (2 Chron.33:11) Oh my people, when are we going to learn eh? It’s the same thing we’re doing now, rollicking and rolling in all sorts of ungodliness that is breaking our heavenly Father’s heart. Just like we don’t like to punish our children, but must if they disobey, He has to do the same with us. For though He’s a titan of LOVE, He’s also one of truth and justice, meaning that at some stage of the game we will pay for our disobedience, just like Manasseh. The sad part is that we only seem to smarten up after we’ve been punished. Why is that eh? Can we have a mental screw missing or something? Or are we just so proud and arrogant, believing we know it all, that we blatantly ignore numerous previous examples of godly retribution and figure it won’t happen to us? Why? I don’t know. The Lord’s been saying it from day one: ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’ (2 Chron.7: 14) And since we worship and unchangeable God, that means the decree still stands; ‘disobey and you will be punished,’ and it will stand till the end of time. However, it’s both amusing and sad that once misfortune befalls us, we’re suddenly transformed from big and bumptious, to small and humble, like Manasseh. ‘And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.’ Oh Friends, isn’t that a vivid reminder of our own behaviour? When things are going good, we have no time for God, but once we run into trouble, we’re quick to cry out to Him. Obviously Manasseh never learned from his father’s submission to the Lord, nor we from ours. He didn’t understand that prevention is always better than a cure. ‘Nothwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.’ (2 Chron.32:26) Some of us, like Manasseh, apparently can only learn the hard way. Then we get all teary eyed and fall on our knees and beg for mercy. That’s exactly what Manasseh did. ‘And prayed unto him: and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God.’ (2 Chron.33:13) Praise the Lord for His LOVING kindness and mercy yes mih people, cause we’re no different. Only when trials and tribulations beset us that many of us even remember there’s a God. But Friends, it should not be a sort of knee-jerk reaction. We should be walking in obedience to the Lord’s will from the very beginning. As Peter rightly advises: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet.5:6-11) Friends, that’s how true believers are supposed to operate. So let’s smarten up and behave the way we should nuh. Much LOVE!…if yuh doh hear…yuh surely going to feel…
SCRIP-BITS 