James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.
Oh Friends, it’s today again! We constantly talk about yesterday and tomorrow, but we always seem to end up in today. Why is that eh? Many great minds have pondered that question, but can’t find an answer. But I can. And it’s very simple. The Creator, the Most High God Jehovah designed it that way. Wow! Aren’t you proud of me? (smile) The Lord didn’t want us living in yesterday bemoaning our sinful past, or looking too much into tomorrow, trying to figure out what it held in store for us, but wanted us to concentrate on today, because that’s all we have and all we can truly handle. Now listen to this quote about tomorrow by James Baldwin, the famous black American author of the mid 20th century. ‘The future is like heaven – everyone exalts it but no one wants to go there now.’ And isn’t that the living truth my people? When I read that today, I couldn’t help but laugh, for we all talk about heaven; how it’s so great and whatever, but ask us if we want to go there? ‘Oh yes, but not right now though.’ Hn hn! There’s always that proviso; yes, but. Heaven is always pencilled in for somewhere down the line, never now, never today, but in some distant tomorrow. Now that’s all well and good Friends, for the earth’s not such a bad place if you know how to handle it. And though heaven sounds great, nobody’s ever gone there and returned to tell us about it, so with man’s inherent fear of the unknown, we’d rather put it off for as long as possible. However, be that as it may, I have a little secret to share, and it’s that none of us will ever see heaven unless we do as James advises: And the first requirement is to ‘Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.’ And that’s one of God’s earliest promises my people. If you seek Him, try to draw near to Him, you will find Him, and He will draw close to you too. But Friends, let’s get one thing straight, we’ve got to seek Him, not Him seek us. Oftimes we get the relationship with God confused and mixed up, believing that He’s there to serve us. But sadly Friends, the opposite is true. He made us to serve and glorify Him, provided we choose to do so. Yes, we have the option to not serve Him, but if we decide to serve and glorify Him, then He’s also provided all the tools we need, including Jesus, mercy, grace, salvation, forgiveness and eternal life. Now the ball’s in our court. He did His part, providing all we need, it’s up to us choose to serve Him or Beelzebub. And if you don’t believe me, hear the warning of the prophet Azariah to Asa, king of Judah. ‘The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.’ (2 Chron. 15:2) Nothing can be plainer than that my people. So if we want to live the good life in that lush land of milk and honey called Heaven at some future date, then we must actively, consciously and seriously seek our Creator, the Lord God of heaven and earth, else heaven will be closed to us. And though Jeremiah was in a saddened, perilous state, listen to his acknowledgement of our topic. When the waters covered him in the dungeon and he figured it was the end, he cried out to the Lord, and ‘Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.’ (Lam.3:57) And Bruh David joyfully proclaimed: ‘When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.’ (Ps.27:8) And we all know the hard times those two men went through but yet lived full and glorious lives because they kept the Lord their God before them at all times. That’s the good part my people, but hear what happens when we don’t continually seek the Lord and calamity befalls us; ‘Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early (diligently), but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose to fear the Lord: They would (have) none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.’ (Prov.1:28:30) Yes my brethren, if we don’t look to the Lord our God at all times, then when disaster strikes, He will not help us. Remember, the onus is on us to find Him and stay close to Him. But Friends, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is such a wonderful, magnanimous, forgiving and merciful Deity, that though we run from Him to Beelzebub’s corner, we’re always welcome to return, if we come in repentance and obedience. And His rules only seem onerous when compared to Lucifer’s style of anything and everything goes in the negative direction. Jesus said it; ‘that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.’ (Luke 15:7) And the perfect example of returning to the Lord’s welcoming arms is the story of the prodigal son, told by Jesus. ‘And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him… For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.’ (Luke 15:22,24) Oh Friends, that’s how our great and merciful God responds when He sees us coming home. He’s so happy to see us coming back that He doesn’t wait for us to come close, but runs to greet us, wraps us in a great, big bear hug and showers us with kisses while tears of joy run down His face. My people, some of us have had prodigal children return and have treated them that way, while some we have turned away, for whatever reason, but Almighty God will NEVER turn away any of His children who come repentant and seeking forgiveness, because His motto is one simple word: LOVE. That my people is what He’s about, and what we should also be concentrating on. Remember Jesus said that there were only two basic commandments: ‘LOVE your God, and LOVE your neighbour as yourself.’ Well let’s practice them nuh, since we claim to His followers. Time and space have run out, so more tomorrow, God willing. Till then Much LOVE!…the only way to get to heaven… is to seek God…and when you find Him…LOVE Him faithfully…
Oh Friends, it’s today again! We constantly talk about yesterday and tomorrow, but we always seem to end up in today. Why is that eh? Many great minds have pondered that question, but can’t find an answer. But I can. And it’s very simple. The Creator, the Most High God Jehovah designed it that way. Wow! Aren’t you proud of me? (smile) The Lord didn’t want us living in yesterday bemoaning our sinful past, or looking too much into tomorrow, trying to figure out what it held in store for us, but wanted us to concentrate on today, because that’s all we have and all we can truly handle. Now listen to this quote about tomorrow by James Baldwin, the famous black American author of the mid 20th century. ‘The future is like heaven – everyone exalts it but no one wants to go there now.’ And isn’t that the living truth my people? When I read that today, I couldn’t help but laugh, for we all talk about heaven; how it’s so great and whatever, but ask us if we want to go there? ‘Oh yes, but not right now though.’ Hn hn! There’s always that proviso; yes, but. Heaven is always pencilled in for somewhere down the line, never now, never today, but in some distant tomorrow. Now that’s all well and good Friends, for the earth’s not such a bad place if you know how to handle it. And though heaven sounds great, nobody’s ever gone there and returned to tell us about it, so with man’s inherent fear of the unknown, we’d rather put it off for as long as possible. However, be that as it may, I have a little secret to share, and it’s that none of us will ever see heaven unless we do as James advises: And the first requirement is to ‘Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.’ And that’s one of God’s earliest promises my people. If you seek Him, try to draw near to Him, you will find Him, and He will draw close to you too. But Friends, let’s get one thing straight, we’ve got to seek Him, not Him seek us. Oftimes we get the relationship with God confused and mixed up, believing that He’s there to serve us. But sadly Friends, the opposite is true. He made us to serve and glorify Him, provided we choose to do so. Yes, we have the option to not serve Him, but if we decide to serve and glorify Him, then He’s also provided all the tools we need, including Jesus, mercy, grace, salvation, forgiveness and eternal life. Now the ball’s in our court. He did His part, providing all we need, it’s up to us choose to serve Him or Beelzebub. And if you don’t believe me, hear the warning of the prophet Azariah to Asa, king of Judah. ‘The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.’ (2 Chron. 15:2) Nothing can be plainer than that my people. So if we want to live the good life in that lush land of milk and honey called Heaven at some future date, then we must actively, consciously and seriously seek our Creator, the Lord God of heaven and earth, else heaven will be closed to us. And though Jeremiah was in a saddened, perilous state, listen to his acknowledgement of our topic. When the waters covered him in the dungeon and he figured it was the end, he cried out to the Lord, and ‘Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.’ (Lam.3:57) And Bruh David joyfully proclaimed: ‘When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.’ (Ps.27:8) And we all know the hard times those two men went through but yet lived full and glorious lives because they kept the Lord their God before them at all times. That’s the good part my people, but hear what happens when we don’t continually seek the Lord and calamity befalls us; ‘Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early (diligently), but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose to fear the Lord: They would (have) none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.’ (Prov.1:28:30) Yes my brethren, if we don’t look to the Lord our God at all times, then when disaster strikes, He will not help us. Remember, the onus is on us to find Him and stay close to Him. But Friends, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is such a wonderful, magnanimous, forgiving and merciful Deity, that though we run from Him to Beelzebub’s corner, we’re always welcome to return, if we come in repentance and obedience. And His rules only seem onerous when compared to Lucifer’s style of anything and everything goes in the negative direction. Jesus said it; ‘that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.’ (Luke 15:7) And the perfect example of returning to the Lord’s welcoming arms is the story of the prodigal son, told by Jesus. ‘And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him… For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.’ (Luke 15:22,24) Oh Friends, that’s how our great and merciful God responds when He sees us coming home. He’s so happy to see us coming back that He doesn’t wait for us to come close, but runs to greet us, wraps us in a great, big bear hug and showers us with kisses while tears of joy run down His face. My people, some of us have had prodigal children return and have treated them that way, while some we have turned away, for whatever reason, but Almighty God will NEVER turn away any of His children who come repentant and seeking forgiveness, because His motto is one simple word: LOVE. That my people is what He’s about, and what we should also be concentrating on. Remember Jesus said that there were only two basic commandments: ‘LOVE your God, and LOVE your neighbour as yourself.’ Well let’s practice them nuh, since we claim to His followers. Time and space have run out, so more tomorrow, God willing. Till then Much LOVE!…the only way to get to heaven… is to seek God…and when you find Him…LOVE Him faithfully…
SCRIP-BITS 