SCRIP-BITS

Oh Friends, like it’s one of those days; I know what I want to say, but not how to say it.  Writer’s block…who knows? As usual, I’ve asked for divine guidance, but it hasn’t come as yet, though I’m sure it will. And when it does come…Brother!  I’ll be able to write more than I can ask, imagine or ever intended. (smile) But Friends, that’s the way of our God; magnanimous in blessing.  When we deal righteously with Him, He returns the favour in abundance, so I’m just waiting patiently for the Lord to pour out His grace on me, like He did with Bruh Paul, so that I can write something worthy of Him and His Word. Wow! Are those words of wisdom or what! (smile) Seriously though people, Bruh Paul told the Corinthians: ‘But by the grace of God I am what I am.’ Now what did he mean by that? I guess we should first ascertain a general definition of that mighty word ‘grace.’ In religious circles it’s usually considered to be the unmerited favour of God, favour, blessings that we don’t truly deserve. And as Bruh Paul says in the prior verse: ‘For I am the least of the apostles, that I am not meet (worthy) to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church.’ (1 Cor.15:9) And in the natural order of things, he might have been right, but then again, that all important word ‘grace’ pops up, that unmerited, undeserved favour of God. Although he might not have earned or deserved it, the Lord saw something(s) in him, like his zeal, education and family background that was an extremely appropriate palette to paint the picture He desired.  Oh Friends, today I believe the Lord is doing the same thing; looking at each of us, analyzing our strengths and weaknesses and deciding what we need to do the job(s) that He’s called us to do. Bruh Paul claims that he was the least of the apostles, but told the Roman church: ‘Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort (on some points), as putting you in mind (reminding you), because of the grace that is given to me of God, That I should be the (a) minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.’ (Rom.15:15-16) Now doesn’t that sound rather unlikely in the natural; for one of the biggest persecutors of the Church, and a zealous Jew of the old law at that, to be given the task to spread the gospel to the heathen, the Gentiles?  But Friends, that’s the way our God operates. He takes great pleasure in using the most unlikely candidate to do His work, thereby confounding both the wise and ignorant, the godly and ungodly. As He delights in telling us: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways…For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is.55:8-9) Now that most certainly puts us in our proper place, doesn’t it? And that’s why Bruh Paul could with a clear conscience state: ‘But by the grace of God I am what I am.’ It wasn’t through his doing, but the Lord’s that He became Jesus’ chief spokesperson to the Gentiles. And so too can each of us make that same claim my people; we are who we are because of God’s grace. He chose us and gave us the wherewithal to work on His behalf. Now remember, every believer has a part to play in the growth of the church, the furthering of Christ’s kingdom, be it large or small, outwardly important or not. In the eyes of the Lord though, every task He assigns is important. Remember too, Bruh Paul’s comparison of the church to the human body; one whole made up of several different looking and functioning parts, but all necessary for the body’s proper overall functioning. (Rom.12:4-8) We all have varying functions to perform to keep the church running properly and growing. However Friends, the problem is what have we done with that grace the Lord has so generously bestowed on us?  Can we, like Bruh Paul, state with strong conviction: ‘and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain?’ Oh mih breddren, it would definitely be wonderful if all of us could acknowledge that with a positive, convincing ‘Yes!’ But unfortunately, the facts speak for themselves; we have not done such a good job with the unmerited favour we have received, for if we had, Christ’s church would not be in the sad, divided, conflicted, contentious state it is in today, neither would the world be as violent, war-like and ungodly as it is. Too many of us have fallen into Lucifer’s trap of worldly lusts and pleasures instead of foregoing them and choosing the righteous living that Jesus personifies. Remember mih people, just talking the Word means nothing if we’re not living it in our everyday lives. Those who hear us say one thing , then see us do something contrary to our words will just consider us first class hypocrites and vehemently turn against the Word rather than joyfully embrace it. So it all boils down to how well we’re using what we’ve been granted free, gratis and for nothing, to accomplish the purpose that God has set for our earthly lives. Hn, hn! I’m chuckling Friends, because it’s happened just as I predicted at the beginning; I now have more to say than what’s required for Today’s Bit, so we’ll just have to continue it tomorrow, the Lord willing of course. However Friends, before we close, let me implore us once again to take proper stock of ourselves and see how we’re using, or not using the unmerited grace and gifts of God in the execution of His divine purpose assigned to us. These are very crucial and critical times; Christ’s church is suffering while the world is going to hell in a hand basket because evil’s running amok with Lucifer’s cohorts in strong control. In light of such extremely negative circumstances, we’re all called upon to critically and truthfully examine our lives, to see where we’re going wrong and change it asap, so that we can  increase the righteous  aspect of our earthly journey, walking ever closer in the footsteps of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Oh my Friends, I pray that we’ll all sincerely do this in His Holy Name. Amen. Much LOVE!…in compelling fashion…let’s LOVE our God…LIVE our Faith…and SPREAD His Word…

Oh Friends, that rather persistent heat wave thankfully seems to be over now.  ‘Praise the Lord!’ By the time most of you read yesterday’s Bit, showers of blessings were raining down on us from heaven, and though the day was still muggy, it wasn’t as hot as the previous ones. And you wouldn’t believe how cool it is outside now (3.30 a.m), at least 7 or 8 degrees cooler than last night. I guess between the weatherman, praying for his forecast to come through, and we regular people, praying for some respite from the heat, our prayers were finally answered.  And I’m sure that many people who aren’t in the habit of praying, did plead this past week with heaven for help with the heat. Isn’t it amazing how quickly and plentifully we can turn to God in abnormal times, but steadfastly ignore Him at others? It’s certainly the bane of our existence; like the fair-weather friends that exist so much today, only know you in good times, then vanish in bad ones. Unfortunately, it’s a price we all have to pay with the widespread trend of insincerity currently floating through our society. And though those disappointments will hurt, the true believer doesn’t need to worry too much because as Bruh David truly proclaims in our Bit: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.’ And that’s an undeniable fact my brethren! The true believer’s earthly journey is indeed established, guided and directed by the Lord God Jehovah. This happens when we receive Christ as our Saviour and surrender our lives and our will to the Lord and set our hearts to obediently follow His leading. But note Friends, we first have to surrender our all to His guidance, otherwise He can’t lead and guide us safely. Bruh David acknowledges that when he pleads with a hopeful heart: ‘O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.’ (Ps.119:5-6)  When that happens, then we can surely say; ‘and he delighteth in his way.’ It’s only normal to be happy when others do as we desire. And though, because of our innate sinful nature, we oftimes encourage, promote or reward evil, the Lord only takes pleasure in goodness. That’s why Hannah, in her song on the birth of Samuel late in her life, when she was long considered barren, could joyously claim: ‘He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.’ (1 Sam.2:9)  Yes Friends, remember it’s ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.’ (Zech.4:6)  Oh my people, it’s such a joyful pleasure to walk in the Lord’s way! Why? Because when we walk in tandem with Him, He guides and protects us like no one else can. Bruh David said it. ‘Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.’ ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ And if anybody should know a thing or two about the workings of the Most High God Jehovah, it’s Bruh David. And he attests to his proclamation by declaring; ‘I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings (steps). And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.’ (Ps.40:1-3). Oh Friends, Bruh David was no saint, but he tried his best to walk in the Lord’s statutes, and the Lord lifted him up while beating down his many enemies. Bruh David found such favour with the Lord through his earnest desire to walk with Him, that the Lord made him a descendant of His Son Jesus when He came to earth. My Friends, one couldn’t ask for a greater honour than that. And the Lord will surely do the same for you and me, crown us with glory, if we sincerely try to follow His commandments and do His will. Cousin Sol was another man who saw, felt and acknowledged the goodness of our God, so he also could say with great faith and assurance: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).’ (Prov.24:16) Yes my people, if we’re being guided by the Lord on our earthly journey, then there’s no need to fear what life or man can do to us, because we have the faithful promises of our eternal, omnipotent God that He will lead and guide us safely, then receive us in glory. What more can we ask eh? In conclusion Friends, I implore us all to take these words of the psalmist to heart: ‘O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard. Which holdeth our soul in life (among the living), and suffereth not our feet to be moved (slip).’ (Ps.66:8-9) It will certainly serve us all in good stead. Much LOVE!…to walk with God…is to walk safely and unafraid…

Oh Friends in Christ, it’s Monday! And some of you are saying, ‘Chuh! No need to remind me.’ Yes, we all know that it’s the start of another work week, and that means before we venture out to do battle with Beelzebub and his evil cohorts we must ensure that we’re fully dressed in all our spiritual armour, else the wicked will easily vanquish us. Only if we’re fully protected by the Lord’s armour are we able to fight the good fight successfully. And having provided that gentle reminder, (smile) let’s move on to our Bit. Today we’ll be continuing in the same vein as yesterday; that of God’s see all and know all ability, and what happens when we don’t turn to and trust Him, but instead seek the strength of man and false gods. And we have a very good example of that in Asa, king of Judah. In the beginning, his reign was beset by wars and much contention amongst the people, but once the prophet Azariah warned him about seeking God when he could be found and not forsaking Him, Asa took heart, got courage and put away all the abominable idols out of the land of Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim, and restored the altar of the Lord. Then he gathered the tribes under his rule, plus strangers from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, who flocked to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord was with him. They offered sacrifices and plunder to God and agreed to diligently seek the God of their fathers, even to the extent that whoever refused should be put to death. They swore allegiance to the Lord and rejoiced, for their hearts were right, and the Lord gave them peace. There was no more war until the35th year of Asa’s reign. That’s a brief synopsis of 2 Chronicles 15. However, in the thirty sixth year, Asa Baasha, king of Israel decides to build the city of Ramah up close to the border of Judah, which would effectively close the border between the two. And what does Asa, king of Judah do in response? He buys the services of Ben-hadad, king of Syria, to invade Israel. Hn! Ben-hadad agrees, invades Israel and causes much destruction. When Baasha hears about the destruction the Syrians have wrought amongst his subjects, he stops building Ramah. Then smart man Asa takes all the stuff Baasha’s left behind and he builds instead the cities of Geba and Mizpah. (2 Chr.16:1-6) And though on the surface everything seems hunky-dory, it’s not, for shortly thereafter, Hanani, the seer, comes and drapes up Asa in the Lord’s name. ‘Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host (army) of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand.’ (2 Chr.16:7-8) Oh Friends, that’s the message right there: Instead of relying on the Lord like he’d done before, this time Asa relied on the sons of men. And please note that our claiming to be loyal followers of the Lord, then relying on man in times of trouble, an act we’re very guilty of today, simply does not compute. It’s like a slap to God’s face; a hurtful rejection. And don’t forget, the Lord’s a jealous God. He made that quite clear very early on. It’s the FIRST commandment: ‘Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.’ (Ex.20:3) So there can be argument about that, for right up front He specifies that nobody or anything; man, beast or inanimate object, should ever be relied on before Him. But Asa obviously did not follow that commandment, especially after he’d sworn to seek the Lord and obey all His statutes. As Cousin Sol reminds us in Ecclesiastes: ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl.5:4-5) Oh Friends, I know the saying today is that promises are made to be broken, but our God doesn’t play that foolish game. He’s a man of His word, and expects His devotees to be the same. So anything we promise Him to do, we ought to do it. Just as we expect Him to keep His promises, He expects us to keep ours. Consequently, we can’t promise to follow His leading and commandments, then at the first sign of trouble or problems, run to men for help before even consulting God. No way Jose! As Hanani told Asa: ‘For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect (at peace with, loyal to) toward him.’ Yes Friends, that’s the Lord’s purpose and great desire; to look after his loyal followers. But if we don’t turn to Him and ask for help, but look to other avenues first, how can we consider ourselves His followers eh? Here’s how Job put it: ‘For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. There is no darkness or shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.’ (Job 34:21-22) Bruh David says the same thing, but he uses the positive approach: ‘The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off (destroy) the remembrance of them from the earth.’ (Ps.34:15-16) And the moral of the story my people is that we cannot play games with God. If we say we’re His followers then we have to behave and live like it. We can’t make promises then renege on them. Please remember that our God is the most powerful being in the universe, who sees all and knows all and doesn’t hold with the foolishness of the world. He has His own rules and regulations and if we choose to follow Him, fine, but we have to follow Him all the way, not halfway, or in the world’s wishy-washy manner. He’s a kind and wonderful Father, but like us earthly parents, He has laws that his children must obey, or they will pay the price. Nuff said for today! We’ll continue this tomorrow, God willing. Till then; Much LOVE!…truly following God…is an all the way…whole life gig…

   HAPPY 4th  JULY  U.S.A.

Yes Friends, it’s the 4^th of July, Independence Day in the U.S! A memorable day in the annals of its History, some two hundred and thirty four years ago, when they beat back their British masters and ancestors to win their freedom, and the ability to govern themselves without any outside interference. And they have lived up to that ideal in some respects. But Friends, that word Freedom; that idea, that common, heartfelt desire and yearning of man is a helluva thing! It sounds good and right, but it’s also a very hard taskmaster, bearing an awesome amount of responsibility, which not all of us are prepared for or qualified to handle. Then you are in total and complete control of yourself and your destiny. There’s no big brother, mother or father to look after you, and it’s never easy to look after yourself in a healthy and desirable fashion. That’s why all those wars over nation and statehood oftimes lead to the supposed winner’s lifestyle and livelihood decreasing rather than increasing in standard. The navel or apron string that once buoyed us up is no longer there to help keep our heads above water, and we then have to sink or swim on our own strength and ingenuity. And if you’ve never governed yourself before, that can be real difficult, for just like the freedom we long for, life is also a cruel taskmaster. Now the same principles apply to both individual and national freedom. That brings to mind young adult children chomping at the bit to leave home, frustrated and annoyed at their parents suffocating rules and regulations. However, when they do break away and gain the supposed freedom they longed for, they discover that it’s not all it was cracked up to be; it’s not a sweet and soft bed of roses. They’re now responsible for every aspect of their lives and it scares them, so they run back home to Mum and Dad, where they feel safe in the protective cocoon of the family unit. And Friends, so it is with all of us, individually as well as nationally. We all want to be free to do as we please, but unless we harness it all with a strong and solid sense of responsibility, anarchy will eventually rule. And we got a taste of that recently in Toronto and a little earlier on in Greece; a taste that not many of us liked at all. But just as we look at our fellow humans and nations to see how they’re conducting themselves, likewise the Lord looks critically upon us all; individuals and nations. That’s why in the section of Chap.5, titled, exhortation on fidelity in marriage, Cousin Sol asks this eternally important question: ‘And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished (enraptured) with a strange (an immoral) woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger (seductress)?’ (Prov.5:20) Now that’s an exceedingly good question Friends. Why indeed would we fall prey to seduction and sexual temptation eh? ‘For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth (observes) all his goings.’ Sadly my people, that statement doesn’t only hold true for illicit sexual affairs, but for all the affairs of men, from the basic individual right up to the affairs of the most powerful nations. Our Lord God Jehovah watches over it all. He sees, He ponders, contemplates and cogitates, and in His own good time He acts. So those of us, both nations and individuals who feel we can either run or hide from God are in for a sad awakening. Because, as Cousin Sol says: ‘His own iniquities shall take (entrap) the wicked himself, and he shall be holden (caught) with cords of his sin. He shall die without (for lack of) instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.’ (Prov.5:22-23) Oh Friends, though Cousin Sol was speaking here explicitly about the adulterer, the same conditions apply to all sin, to all nations and individuals. Remember Bruh Paul’s words to the Romans: ‘For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.’ (Rom.3:23) You also saw how the Lord punished Israel both individually and nationally for her wickedness and idolatry. So why would He be any different with us today eh? No reason whatsoever mih breddren! My people, our God is a Spirit; that means He has no physical body to restrain Him, consequently He can be all places at the same time. This gives Him the ability to also see everything that’s happening, wherever and whenever, as it happens. He’s also omnipotent: the most powerful Being in the universe. So if He knows all, sees all, is everywhere and is also powerful, why would we think that we can escape His constant surveillance of our actions eh? Only the wicked and foolish might be tempted to think that. At least I hope so. I hope the wise, the righteous, would be perceptive enough to know that we have to carefully mind our P’s and Q’s where the Lord God Jehovah is concerned. Unfortunately though, I think that some believers do believe that they can get away with constant wrongdoing, but that’s just not true. My people, our God is indeed a forgiving, merciful and LOVING God, but remember He’s also a just and righteous God, with an exemplary and complex character to maintain. So to be true to Himself, he must also execute the just and fair aspects of His character, which means punishing sin, redeeming the righteous, etc. So please don’t ever think that we can run and hide from Him, or get away Scot free from punishment for our sins. There’s always a price to be paid for ungodliness. And the thing we all need to realize is, that He misses nothing, for ‘The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and good.’  (Prov.15:3) Till we talk again tomorrow then Friends, God willing; Much LOVE!…you can’t run…neither can you hide…from an omnipotent, omniscient Spiritual God…

Oh Friends, Daniel is not here with us today, but his words of long ago still resonate loudly and clearly in terms of our current situation. In his prayer for his captive people, Israel, he bemoans: ‘O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face (shame), to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.’ (Dan.9:8) And of a truth my people, our lustful, cruel, ungodly, idolatrous situation certainly mirrors that of Daniel’s time. We have sinned so much against the Lord, that a less magnanimous God would have wiped us out long ago. Indeed my Friends, this is one of the most sinful generations in a long time. Those of recent times did sin, but at least they had some sense of God about them, at least the basics, to know right from wrong, but this generation doesn’t have a clue about God; what He considers good or bad, right or wrong. They just follow the worldly, lustful crowd in doing whatever feels good or right to them. It’s all a flesh based system. The spiritual part of their lives matters not, if they even know about it. But fortunately, or unfortunately, our God has showed and proven His largesse of heart time and time again in Israel’s case. This enabled Daniel to confidently say: ‘To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.’ And that, my people, is the living truth! There’s no other being in this world that’s as forgiving and merciful as the Lord God Jehovah! How many times could He have totally eradicated His chosen people Israel for their disobedience and rebellion eh? Numerous! But He did not. He allowed them to be captured, enslaved and to endure other forms of punishment, but never annihilation. Nehemiah, in his prayer for God’s mercy and help in his efforts to rebuild Jerusalem, shamefully confessed: ‘But they and our fathers dealt proudly (acted presumptuously or insolently), and hardened their necks (stiffened their necks, became stubborn) and hearkened not (did not heed) thy commandments. And refused to obey, neither were they mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them, but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.’ (Neh.9:16-17) Yes Friends, our God is magnanimous, merciful and forgiving, but we cannot afford to be continually flouting His laws, else someday He’ll just get fed up with our sinful, rebellious behaviour and cause us a whole lot of grief, pain and confusion. We’re already seeing a lot of that in our world today. And sadly, many of us believe that since our God is so nice, we can take advantage of His mercies and get away with it. But Friends, that’s a fallacy, for we’ll all pay, one way or another, sooner or later, for all those grievous hurts we’ve caused our God; the continuous humiliation and disgrace we’ve brought to His Holy Name. Bruh David got it right when he said: ‘But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.’ (Ps.130:4) And Friends, that’s not a scared, trembling in our boots kind of fear, but a healthy fear; one of wonder, astonishment, of respect, of reverential awe. But how many societies today hold the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in such awe and wonder eh? Not too many. Lucifer seems to be more their guiding light. But can Lucifer pardon, or show mercy, or bring lost souls to redemption? Not on yuh life! Why? Oh mih people, because Lucifer is just another fallen angel like us. All he has to offer are worthless earthly trinkets, then death and eternal damnation. However, as Bruh David proudly proclaims: ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps.130:7-8) And all God’s people gloriously proclaimed: ‘Praise the Lord God of Hosts for His goodness and mercy to the sinful children of men!’ But Friends, please note that though Bruh David says that the Lord will redeem Israel from all its wrongs, it by no means gives us license, or free rein to keep on doing wrong, for remember the wages of sin is death, and if we recklessly continue to do wrong, at some stage we will pay. Our God’s a great God, but He’s not a pushover. And we don’t call the shots, He does. And He’s decreed, that to get all those benefits, we need to concentrate on Him, not Lucifer; meaning that we seriously need to rein in our rebellious, disobedient attitude. As Isaiah declares: ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is.55:7) Yes Friends, to receive forgiveness and mercy we need to: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.’ (Is.55:6) My people, our God is always near, but He won’t intrude uninvited into our lives. We need to invite Him in. Bruh David knew this, that’s why he said it so often in his writings. ‘For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon thee.’ (Ps.86:5) Again Friends, the important part of it all is that we call on the Lord to come into our hearts.  And as we try to do whenever possible, we’ll close with the definitive statement on the subject from our Leader and Saviour Jesus Himself. ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup (dine) with him, and he with me.’ (Rev.3:20) There we have it Friends; to get all the good things the Lord has promised, we need to invite His Son Jesus into our hearts and live a life worthy and becoming of His Holy Name. So please, let’s try and improve the godliness quotient in our lives nuh, so that future generations won’t have to write such scathing, but true criticism of us, as Nehemiah and Daniel wrote about their forefathers. Much LOVE!…to know right and do wrong…is worse than doing wrong, not knowing right…