Psalm 6:1 O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
Oh Friends, can you believe September is almost over! Wow! Where has the month gone eh? And sadly, we have yet another disaster to deal with. The same hurricane Igor that devastated Bermuda on the weekend, did extensive damage to Canada’s east Coast, especially Newfoundland, late Tuesday evening. Ah Lord eh! With winds averaging 140 kmh, and record rainfall of some 200 hundred millilitres in five hours, Igor left a long, sad, heart rending trail of devastation across Newfoundland. With that major disaster comes another call for aid and prayer. The prayer is no problem, and I ask us all to say a word to the Father on their behalf, but where is the aid going to eventually come from if we keep having such major problems so often? And as these disasters were taking place the hundred or so most powerful leaders on the planet were meeting in New York City for the United Nations’ annual General Assembly, to discuss ways of improving and hopefully saving our world. Hn! But if those meetings go as usual, then nothing much will happen. They are apparently trying to upgrade and/or enforce some resolution they passed in 2000, which ten years later has barely seen the light of day, and has improved very little, if anything at all. Ah Friends, for some unknown reason or reasons our leaders just can’t seem to work together for the general good of mankind. Now it’s easy for us to sit back and criticize them, but please remember, in reality the situation is never as cut and dried as it appears. However, having said that, there’s no doubt they can do a whole lot better than they’re currently doing, for now they’re basically doing nothing. All the negatives; war, strife, dissension, anger, hatred, oppression, poverty, disease and sickness are on the rise, instead of being on the wane. I guess the ordinary man has only two choices; to elect better leaders, and to pray diligently that the Lord will direct their hearts away from greed and evil towards His much more pleasant attributes of care and compassion. Oh my people, let’s remember to pray for our leaders every day, because our livelihood and well being ultimately depends on decisions they make and actions they take. Now turning to our Bit: ‘O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.’ Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all of our leaders could get down on their knees and solemnly and sincerely plead for mercy from the Most High God Jehovah, then change their evil ways? Yes, it surely would. But unfortunately we can’t hold our breaths waiting for that to happen, because it never will, since too many of them have already sold their souls to Beelzebub. What a pity! Anyway my brethren, I can’t think of a better way to wrap up this series on chastening than by quoting the author of Hebrews, when he expounds on God’s discipline. We’ve heard it all before, but this is like an overview of the subject; brings it all together in one general statement. Listen up…and listen good too: ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (be discouraged) in your minds (souls). Ye have not yet resisted unto blood (bloodshed), striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked by him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, wherefore all are partakers, then are ye bastards (illegitimate), and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which have corrected us, and we gave them reverence (respect): shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure (as seemed best to them); but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ (Heb.12:3-11) And all God’s people said a big, loud, ‘Thank you Lord!’ Hn, hn! I wish. But seriously Friends, that’s the whole word on chastening in a nutshell. Please, let’s take it seriously and live by it nuh, for by so doing we’ll cause ourselves much less pain and heartache, and consequently all those around us. That’s because though each individual pays for their trespasses, unfortunately others suffer when that happens. So let’s wisely consider the consequences for all concerned, before we commit acts that will lead to chastening. Till we meet again, either on earth or in heaven, walk safely with God. Much LOVE!…obedience…is always better than chastisement…
Oh Friends, can you believe September is almost over! Wow! Where has the month gone eh? And sadly, we have yet another disaster to deal with. The same hurricane Igor that devastated Bermuda on the weekend, did extensive damage to Canada’s east Coast, especially Newfoundland, late Tuesday evening. Ah Lord eh! With winds averaging 140 kmh, and record rainfall of some 200 hundred millilitres in five hours, Igor left a long, sad, heart rending trail of devastation across Newfoundland. With that major disaster comes another call for aid and prayer. The prayer is no problem, and I ask us all to say a word to the Father on their behalf, but where is the aid going to eventually come from if we keep having such major problems so often? And as these disasters were taking place the hundred or so most powerful leaders on the planet were meeting in New York City for the United Nations’ annual General Assembly, to discuss ways of improving and hopefully saving our world. Hn! But if those meetings go as usual, then nothing much will happen. They are apparently trying to upgrade and/or enforce some resolution they passed in 2000, which ten years later has barely seen the light of day, and has improved very little, if anything at all. Ah Friends, for some unknown reason or reasons our leaders just can’t seem to work together for the general good of mankind. Now it’s easy for us to sit back and criticize them, but please remember, in reality the situation is never as cut and dried as it appears. However, having said that, there’s no doubt they can do a whole lot better than they’re currently doing, for now they’re basically doing nothing. All the negatives; war, strife, dissension, anger, hatred, oppression, poverty, disease and sickness are on the rise, instead of being on the wane. I guess the ordinary man has only two choices; to elect better leaders, and to pray diligently that the Lord will direct their hearts away from greed and evil towards His much more pleasant attributes of care and compassion. Oh my people, let’s remember to pray for our leaders every day, because our livelihood and well being ultimately depends on decisions they make and actions they take. Now turning to our Bit: ‘O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.’ Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all of our leaders could get down on their knees and solemnly and sincerely plead for mercy from the Most High God Jehovah, then change their evil ways? Yes, it surely would. But unfortunately we can’t hold our breaths waiting for that to happen, because it never will, since too many of them have already sold their souls to Beelzebub. What a pity! Anyway my brethren, I can’t think of a better way to wrap up this series on chastening than by quoting the author of Hebrews, when he expounds on God’s discipline. We’ve heard it all before, but this is like an overview of the subject; brings it all together in one general statement. Listen up…and listen good too: ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (be discouraged) in your minds (souls). Ye have not yet resisted unto blood (bloodshed), striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked by him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, wherefore all are partakers, then are ye bastards (illegitimate), and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which have corrected us, and we gave them reverence (respect): shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure (as seemed best to them); but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ (Heb.12:3-11) And all God’s people said a big, loud, ‘Thank you Lord!’ Hn, hn! I wish. But seriously Friends, that’s the whole word on chastening in a nutshell. Please, let’s take it seriously and live by it nuh, for by so doing we’ll cause ourselves much less pain and heartache, and consequently all those around us. That’s because though each individual pays for their trespasses, unfortunately others suffer when that happens. So let’s wisely consider the consequences for all concerned, before we commit acts that will lead to chastening. Till we meet again, either on earth or in heaven, walk safely with God. Much LOVE!…obedience…is always better than chastisement…
SCRIP-BITS 