Oh Friends, it’s Friday; time for fun, frolic and fellowship! It’s also Caribana weekend in T.O. But unfortunately it doesn’t seem as if the ole fella’s going to have much, if any fun and frolic, just some fellowship, because my knees are not in the best shape, and I don’t really need to make them any worse before I get some medical insight into the problem, and hopefully some restorative help. In any case, the Caribana scene doesn’t hold that much fascination for me anymore because I think the quality has dropped, and even if my knees were good, I doubt I’d be doing much partying anyway. But it would be nice to have the choice. The Good Lord must have a good reason for whatever He’s allowing to come upon me, but since He hasn’t let me in on it, I’ll just have to grin and bear it, faithfully claiming that this too shall pass, and anytime one door closes, another opens. (smile) But who knows God’s plans eh? He might just decide to make me whole, so that I can get in some fun and frolic too. As the old people would say, ‘while there’s life, there’s hope.’ So I’m not giving up just yet Friends. (smile) However, let’s turn to our very interesting subject; the seven deadly sins of Cousin Sol, three of which we’ve already covered; ‘a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. It’s now time to consider; ‘A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations.’ That’s a heart that devises wicked plans. Oh Friends, that’s the grand daddy of them all, for all sin basically comes out of an evil, wicked heart. And there’s so much written about the wicked and wickedness in the Good Book that we could talk about from now till next never. Some might even wonder why it’s called the Good Book then? My people that’s because it’s written to show the good way, and you can’t show the good way without commenting on the bad. It’s just that since Adam was a boy, mankind has been revelling in evil rather than good, so the paragon of all books is filled with the many misdeeds of men to remind us of what not to do and the various negatives that occur when we do evil. That means we can only get in a few of those models of wicked hearts due to our limited time and space. But before we do that, let’s get some idea of what believers are battling against when we talk about wickedness. Here’s how Bruh Paul put it. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (spiritual hosts of) wickedness in high places.’ (Eph.6:12) That, my Friends, is the definitive statement on wickedness. It includes stuff like divination, an illegitimate means of determining God’s will; necromancy, efforts to communicate with and interrogate the dead; magic, using formulas and incantations; sorcery, witchcraft and astrology. Check Deut.18:10-12 for the Lord’s proclamation against those occult dealings. And that’s why we need to ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (sly schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph.6:11) Now we can look at some wicked dealings. We’ll begin with the destruction of the world by the flood. Why did God destroy the world and all His wonderful creations? ‘And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination (thought or intent) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (all the day). And it repented the Lord (the Lord was sorry) that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.’ (Gen.6:5-7) Oh mih breddren, what a hurtful heartache that must have been for the Lord eh! But He never did quite destroy everything; Noah found grace in His sight and went on to replenish the earth after the flood. However we went right back to our original wicked selves, immersed both our flesh and spirit in Lucifer’s evil ways. God’s chosen people, Israel, who should have known better, led the way despite much captivity and punishment brought on them by the Lord. Many a time they turned from the God of their fathers and worshipped idols and false gods of heathen nations. We’ll mention one particular time, under the rule of Ahab and his wife Jezebel. The Good Book says: ‘But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up (incited). And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.’ (1 Kin.21:25-26) Luckily Ahab eventually saw the light and the Lord did not destroy him personally, but brought trials and tribulations to his offspring. Now Friends, I want to look at two situations where wickedness could have been perpetrated but because of two faithful men, it never happened. I’m talking about Bruh Joseph when Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him, but he refused her advances, saying: ‘There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’ (Gen.39:9) And we all know the outcome of the story; she lied to her husband and Bruh Joseph was innocently imprisoned. Nothing much has changed since then, except it’s more common place now, entrenching the saying that ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. And the next story is that of Saul and Bruh David, whom Saul spent a fair amount of time trying to kill because of wicked imaginations in his heart. This is when Bruh David had Saul at his mercy outside the cave, but he refused to kill him though his followers wanted him to. And his basic reason for not doing it? ‘I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ (1 Sam.24:10) But the strange thing is that Bruh David was also the Lord’s anointed, but that did not stop Saul from chasing him like a wild animal. Furthermore Bruh David informed Saul: ‘As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee…The Lord therefore be judge between me and thee, and see and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.’ (1 Sam.24:13,15) Oh Friends, that’s the difference between a true believer and a not so true one; though you’re caught between a rock and a hard place you still opt to do the right thing. That’s because you revere your God so much, you trust and believe that He will always bring you safely out of harms way when He’s good and ready. The wicked can’t make that connection though with Lucifer or the false gods and idols that they follow. And we’ll end with some words on the subject from Jesus: A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, but when he saw that Jesus didn’t wash before dinner he was amazed. Jesus read his thoughts and said to him: ‘Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening (grasping or robbery) and wickedness.’ (Luke 11:39) Yes my brethren, so it still is with many of us today; we put on the clean and right persona on the outside, but inside, in our hearts, where it really counts, we’re as wicked as all hell. Please my people, this should not be so, and like Ahab, we can change our wicked ways if we seriously repent and surrender our lives to God. Let’s all look at the deepest parts of our hearts and see what’s there, and if there happens to be any wicked imaginings, please, let’s try and root them out immediately by turning to God, asking Him to forgive us, then trying to live with a right heart. Otherwise: ‘Upon the wicked he shall rain snares (burning coals), fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest (a burning wind): this shall be the portion of their cup (their portion to partake of)’ (Ps.11:6) Your choice my people. Till tomorrow then, God willing; Much LOVE!…he who doesn’t hear…shall surely feel…
SCRIP-BITS 