SCRIP-BITS

Matthew 5:2.    And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying…
 
Oh Friends, how I wish I could be like Jesus; pick up my pen and teach you all with the authority and calmness of spirit that He had. (smile) But unfortunately none of us can match His charisma and authority, which doesn’t mean we ought not to try and get ourselves as close as humanly possible, for that’s that whole raison d’être behind our Christian exercise; to become more like Jesus with each passing day. A fine Bruh Paulian sentence! (smile) And though it’s truly a huge undertaking, as followers of Jesus, we are duty bound to undertake it, and if we’re truly serious, then, with His help, we’ll be fairly successful. But to fulfill that role we need to do the things He did. And I’m still amazed every time I see how cool, calm and collected He was, though the outward pressure was mounting everyday as His time drew nearer. One of the things that made Him so calm and sure was His constant communication with His heavenly Father. Throughout the gospels we see Him taking time to be alone with the Father, to talk to Him and ask for much needed strength, vitality and guidance. Now if Jesus, the Son of God, could do that despite His own godly attributes, why can’t, or don’t we, mere mortals, do the same eh? Why do we feel we’re too big to talk to our Creator and God about our needs and problems? It’s just foolish pride, arrogance and stupidity on our part, my people! While on earth, Jesus made no attempt at self-aggrandizement, He gave all the glory to God, and so should we. And here’s a quote that I’ve intended to use for some time, but never did. I guess the Lord didn’t think it appropriate until now. It’s attributed to the 26th President of the U.S. the multi-faceted Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919): ‘It’s the little things well done that make up a truly good life.’ And that’s gospel mih brethren! We expect the big things to cause big problems, but it’s the little things that really frustrate us, and get our stress levels up. But when we get them right…ahhh! We experience such feelings of relief and worthiness. And yuh know Friends, doing the little things right was Jesus’ trademark. He was always kind, friendly, never condescending or patronizing, hobnobbed with rich and poor, saint and sinner, Jew and Gentile, but was never hypocritical either. He always called a spade a spade, though He’d try to do it in such a manner that you’d not take extreme umbrage at His remarks. Oh Friends, how many of us can say that we do the little things right eh? Not too many I estimate, if we’re truthful about it. For we bad-talk each other, gossip, are rude and unmannerly, look down on others not as wealthy or physically endowed as us, and a host of other small, seemingly insignificant things, which, when put into proper context are very significant, for they do cause a lot of strife and resentment amongst the human family. We’re all way too hypocritical. We dislike others and form negative opinions simply because of their differences in race, culture or creed. Sometimes we dislike and resent people on sight, without knowing a single thing about them. As the old people would say, ‘just because our blood didn’t take them.’ And because of that we treat them with less respect, kindness and LOVE than we should. And though some of these dislikes on sight turn out to be correct, in most cases the opposite is true; we end up liking these people very much. Oh my people, if there’s one thing Jesus never did was disrespect others. He might not like you, or what you stood for, but He always treated you as a child of His Father. And that’s the way we ought to treat each other! Some of you must be asking what has all of this got to do with our Bit: ‘And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying…’ because you haven’t heard Jesus open His mouth yet? And the answer is everything, for Jesus didn’t only teach by word of mouth, but more importantly by the way he conducted Himself, by His lifestyle, His Christ-like or Christian way of life. And that’s exactly how we His followers should be teaching too; by the way we live our everyday lives, more so than spouting a lot of scripture, then living a worldly, ungodly, lustful lifestyle. As I keep saying, that’s the main downfall of Christianity; the vast difference between what we say and what we do. Jesus showed us the perseverance and steadfastness we need to adopt in one particular example of His teaching; when He taught in His hometown of Nazareth. We’ll use Mark’s version. ‘And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought (performed) by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Judah, and Simon? are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin (relatives) and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save (except) that he laid his hands on a few sick folk (people), and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages teaching.’ (Mark 6:1-6) Oh Friends, I’m sure this hurt and disappointed Jesus more than any other rejection He received in His ministry, because it was His own people whose disbelief was so great. And though they were astonished at His wisdom, their inferiority complex did not allow them to belief that such a bright, shining diamond could have been mined in their area. Aren’t we all like that though, tending to reject the accomplishments of those close to us? We certainly are! Jesus’ people, according to Luke, were so angry, they ‘rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong (over the cliff). But he passing through the midst of them went his way.’ (Luke 4:29-30) Wow! What a reaction from your own people! Re the scholars, there are cliffs in Nazareth, which is some 1000 feet above sea level. They’re not sure though whether it was a miraculous deliverance, or Jesus just stared them down and with His overwhelming personality and presence, walked away untouched. And we’ll close with one last exclamation on Jesus’ teaching; when He went up to Jerusalem as a man to celebrate the Passover. The Pharisees sent some of their henchmen to arrest Him as He taught in the temple, but they did not do so because His time had not yet come, and they were afraid the people would riot. However, when they returned to their Pharisee masters, and were asked why? ‘The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.’ (John 7:46) And that’s the gospel truth my people! Let’s remember it and conduct our lives to suit. Till tomorrow then, God in favour, walk safely under His protective wings. Much LOVE!…a true Christian…one who not only talks…but also walks…like Christ did…
 

Matthew 5:2.    And he opened his mouth and taught them saying…
 
Oh Friends, I’m chuckling early tonight. Whenever I open the Good Book to seek a Bit, I usually scan the pages it opens at first, to see if it’s a sign, or if there’s anything worthwhile. Many times it’s been a sign, or I’ve found worthwhile stuff. Tonight I opened it at Jeremiah 16, and though there were useful passages, they were all negative; talking about death, destruction and captivity. I contemplated it for a minute or so, then shook my head and said, ‘No Lord, I can’t keep bombarding the people with negative stuff. They need something a little more encouraging and uplifting.’ Hn, hn!Thankfully, the Spirit didn’t seem to object, so I happily moved on, and was led to this Bit about Jesus. Oh Friends, I don’t know about you all nuh, but I just LOVE Jesus’ style; cool, suave, unflappable and somewhat reserved, never too high or too low. It reminds me of my father. In all the years I knew him, I never saw him angry and annoyed, or lose his cool. Whatever the problem, though he might not like it, he always seemed to deal with it in a calm, reasonable, sensible manner. I never truly appreciated his calm, impeccable, unflappable demeanour before, but these days, I often wish I could be like him. But I guess I was just born to be a brawling, angry, loudmouth, though the Lord’s working on me. Yes children, He is, though you all might not think so. (smile) And the amusing part of it all is that my wife claims when she first met me, she thought I was so sweet and quiet, never said much. Now, many years later, she’s constantly telling me to shut up. (smile) But getting back to El Numero Uno, Jesus. The Bit says: ‘And he opened his mouth and taught them saying…’ What did He say to them? ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.’ (Matt.5:3-4) And He went on to teach them the Beatitudes, which we all know is how He began the  famous Sermon on the Mount. But check this out mih people. When Jesus was finished with the Beatitudes, He went on to expound about; the salt of the earth, the light of the world, on the law, on anger, on adultery, on divorce, on oaths, on LOVE for enemies, on alms giving, on prayer, on fasting, on treasures in heaven, the light of the body, trusting one master, on judging others, the golden rule, the strait gate, false prophets, on turning away hypocrites at heaven’s gate, and on the two foundations, rock and sand. Wow! Friends, can you imagine any preacher today getting up and speaking so candidly and so authoritatively on all those topics in one sermon? Not on yuh life! Most of them can barely cover one topic, much less all those. But Jesus did it; in His inimitable teaching style too, thus the following reaction from the crowd. ‘And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine (teaching): For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.’ (Matt.7:28-29) Yes mih people, our Lord and Saviour just had a completely different style, one we’d all do well to try and imitate; cool, calm and comforting. And the fact of the matter is that wherever He went, people were astonished at His wisdom and His ability to clearly put over His thoughts and ideas. The first instance of this unbelievable poise and wisdom shows up when He’s just twelve. He went up to Jerusalem with His family for the Passover, but did not go back home with them. When His parents discovered He was missing, they returned to Jerusalem to look for Him, and three days after their initial departure, found Him in the temple ‘sitting in the midst of the doctors (teachers), both hearing and asking them questions.’ (Luke 2:46) Imagine that nuh people; at 12, Jesus was reasoning with the learned men in the synagogue. And what was their reaction? ‘And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.’ (Luke 2:47) So at 12, Jesus was indeed holding His own with the literati, the learned class. Now what would our reaction be to such an occasion or event eh? Here’s Jesus’ parents reaction. ‘And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us (done this to us)? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing (anxiously).’ (Luke 2:48) But by age 12 Friends, Jesus was already hot to trot on His avowed mission. ‘And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist (knew) ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?’ (Luke 2:49) Poor parents! Sounds like most of today’s children. ‘And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.’ (Luke 2:50-52) Oh Friends, most of us would want to knock His block off for telling us nonsense at 12, re being about his father’s business. Wasn’t I His father? You think I could have told my mother that, though she was so nice and sweet. No way! I’d possibly lose a couple teeth. But thankfully, the Lord gave Jesus’ parents, especially Mary, discernment to understand, well not really understand, but to realize that they had a unique child, and it was best to just keep their cool and take the matter in stride. I guess one could say that was Jesus’ coming out moment. Anyway, time and space are upon us. I do hope though that this gives us a little more insight into Jesus’ character and style, and that we’ll all try our best to emulate Him. As usual, the Spirit led the way, because I never planned to quote all those verses at the end. But His reasoning was sound, so like the obedient son that I am, I obeyed. (smile) We’ll continue this tomorrow, God willing of course, for both the Spirit and I have much more to say. Till then, please walk safely with the Lord. Much LOVE!…it would be so great…if all of us…could be cool like Jesus…
 

Psalm 48:1.     Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

Oh Friends, that dreaded day, Monday, has come around again to rudely interrupt our calm, peaceful, relaxing weekend. However, for us believers, it should not be a day to be feared, but one to embrace with wholehearted joy. Hn, hn! I know some of you are pouting and sarcastically mouthing; ‘Yeh, right!’(smile) In fact, each day the Lord grants us here on earth should be greeted as an undeserved blessing and treated as such. And Monday ought to be treasured because it’s when we get to go back out into the evil, ungodly, workday world and fight for our God and His righteousness. Enough talk though, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Oh Friends, I hope that stirred us up enough to make us want to dash into battle on the Lord’s behalf!  But in your haste, please don’t forget your spiritual armour. And if it didn’t stir you up, then I’m sure our Bit will: ‘Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.’ Wow! Isn’t that empowering, encouraging, reassuring and comforting? It sure is! Oh mih people, knowing that we worship such a mighty and magnificent God is surely an awe-inspiring phenomenon, since there is NO OTHER like Him in the entire universe! The psalm from which our Bit’s taken is aptly titled; ‘God is our God.’ That certainly deserves another ‘Wow!’ for they are words of wisdom. It’s one of those Songs of Zion, describing the glory of Jerusalem, how God delivered her from her enemies. ‘Beautiful for situation (in elevation or height), the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge.’ (Ps.48:2-3) And in Psalm 46, ‘God is our refuge and strength,’ the psalmist proudly proclaims: ‘There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles (dwelling places) of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved (shaken): God shall help her, and that right early (at the break of dawn)…The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.’ (Ps.46:4-5,7) Yes Friends, Jerusalem and Mt. Zion, the city and haven of our great God and King, have successfully withstood its enemies during the years through God’s powerful machinations. Even when the city was reduced to ashes and rubble, He rebuilt it, and it will be highly exalted in the new kingdom, therefore His people do praise and worship Him for His LOVING-kindness. And it’s a theme found throughout the Psalms. Psalm 76, ‘The Victorious God,’ says it thus: ‘In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel. In Salem (Jerusalem) also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion. There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.’ (Ps.76:1-3) Meanwhile, Psalm 87 describes the glories of Zion: ‘His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord LOVETH the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.’ (Ps.87:1-3) Now listen to Jesus’ take on the subject in His talk on oaths. ‘But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.’ (Matt.5:34-35)Yes Friends, our God is great! There’s no doubt about that. We’ve seen it from the time of creation. But by the same token Him and His works are so great that they often overwhelm our puny minds and souls, either making us feel very inferior or making us fearful. But there’s really no need for either people because in His unrivalled wisdom and absolute faithfulness, He’s promised that whoever seeks Him, will find Him, and if we continually worship and adore Him, He’ll never leave nor forsake us. And all God’s people joyfully shouted, ‘Thank you Lord!’ because there’s no one else who can make such awesome, truthful claim but our God of grace, mercy, forgiveness and unconditional LOVE. And if we sincerely believe, and have surrendered total control of our lives and our destiny to Him, then it’s our bounden duty to get out into the evil, ungodly world in which we now live, and give it our all, to swing the pendulum back in His direction. Oh Friends, this is not really for or about us, but our children, whom we’ve done a great injustice by not imprinting the Word of God sufficiently in their souls, and allowing our world to become so evil that it swallows them up without even a fighting chance. But it’s not too late. We can still turn it around if we seriously want to. So let’s rump up that desire, get out there in our flaming chariots and ride…ride for God! Much LOVE! …while there’s life…there’s always hope…

Psalm 18:1.    I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength.

Oh Friends, you know I don’t like to dwell on the negatives, but when they happen, especially with some frequency, we must pay attention. Today though, we need to offer some praise and thanks to the Most High God that hurricane Tomas did not lash Haiti with its full force, but merely with some high winds and water that caused some property damage and flooding, but as far as I know, no loss of life. Thank you Lord! Thank you! The unfortunate people of that corrupt, poverty stricken country could not withstand another terrible disaster, not having really recovered from any of the many they sustained in the last few years. We ought to be also thankful that most of the other Caribbean islands only received high winds and rain. St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the surrounding small islands weren’t as lucky though. Neither were the people on Java, where the volcano on Mt. Merapi exploded again on Friday, more violently than it’s done in a century. Imagine the flames and other stuff it expels on explosion, shooting some ten thousand feet in the air nuh! Or the dust from it settling on cars over 400 kilometres away! The death toll has obviously risen, many from just inhaling the gas released by the volcanic explosion. Oh Friends, oh Friends, what’s happening? Why are these terrible disasters happening now, and with such frequency, and when are they going to end? ONLY the Most High God Jehovah has the answers to those very perplexing and troubling questions. We have to get down on our knees and pray my people! Call out to Almighty God for mercy, grace, forgiveness or whatever it is we need to staunch the flow of disasters! Though I guess we first have to live right, to live godly, or sincerely promise to do so and turn away from the sinful, ungodly life we’re currently living. That’s why Bruh David, in thanksgiving for deliverance from his numerous enemies, in particular his nemesis Saul, uttered these special words of wisdom, hope and faith. ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength.’ Oh Friends, I’m chuckling, for the Spirit is at work early tonight, at his mysterious best. Earlier on, I spent some time searching for a Bit, considered several, but rejected them all, including this one. But since I was going to begin with the disaster story, I decided to go ahead and start, then worry about a Bit after. Well lo and behold, in the middle of writing the intro, I glanced at the opened Bible next to me and was most surprised to find it opened at Psalm 18. I really don’t remember leaving it opened there, though I must have, but by the time I was done writing the intro, it certainly seemed to be the most appropriate Bit. Why? Because my people, when disasters and troubles rage all around us, the first, best and wisest place to look for help is to our God. For as Bruh David continues: ‘The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).’ (Ps.18:2) Yes Friends, only the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has all those attributes; attributes we can faithfully call on and rely upon in times of trouble, sorrow, pain and grief. No other animate or inanimate creation in this universe possesses all those qualities. Thus He is the right ONE to whom we should all flock, to whom we should all offer much praise, thanks and worship. Bruh David learned this through hard experience, and never forgot it, as he consequently proclaimed: ‘I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps.18:3) Ah my brethren, those are words and sentiments we should also loudly and sincerely proclaim, since they are the source of truth, peace, strength and righteousness. The psalm is basically a reworking of Bruh David’s Song in 2 Samuel 22, and he also sings the same sentiments in Psalm 144, titled, ‘I will sing a new song,’ which, re the scholars, is a compilation of several others. (8, 18, 33, 102-104) ‘Blessed be the Lord my strength (rock), which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight (battle). My goodness (LOVING-kindness), and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust (take refuge); who subdueth my people under me.’ (Ps.144:1-3) Oh my people, I know that life is rough, and though we sincerely try to live right, sometimes so much unfortunate, wrong stuff comes against us that our faith falters and we begin to question our beliefs and motives. But please don’t be afraid, and don’t worry unnecessarily because that’s a natural response to trouble and heartache, and it happens to all of us at some stage in our walk of faith. Friends, I beg of you, though we may falter, let us never fall, let us never give up, for it’s in those tough, desperate, disastrous times that we need the Lord God Jehovah the most. For, as I said above, He’s the only ONE with all the parts to make us whole and to lead us right. Remember we’re merely weak, frail, innately sinful beings, thus we tend to be contrary, fearful and double minded, but if we sincerely LOVE and trust the Lord, the most powerful and potent force in the universe, He has promised to make things right for us. And we know that He faithfully keeps all His promises. So in these very troubled times my brethren, the wisest thing we can do is listen to Bruh David, who certainly knew what he was talking about, and continue serving and worshipping the Most High God. Remember too, Jesus’ words: ‘The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt LOVE the Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:’ (Mark12:29-30) If we consider ourselves true believers, then let’s genuinely practice that command, for it will surely bring fulfillment to our lives. Till tomorrow then, God willing, walk with Him in peace and safety. Much LOVE!…Faith 101…LOVE THY GOD…

Proverbs 16:1.    The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.

Jeremiah 18:6.    O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
 
Oh Friends, I hear you crying out with joy: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ You’ve just been dying for the weekend to come, after an abnormally busy and trying week. Well if it’s Friday, then let’s chant our Friday Chant: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.’ Yes Friends, go home and rest and recuperate, but don’t become couch potatoes. (smile) On another interesting note, last night I went into that wonderful city of Toronto to visit my mother and daughter…and there’s no sarcasm in that statement because I consider T.O. to be the best big city in the world. Anyway, along the highway there’s this big billboard which displays somebody’s advertising, I don’t remember whose, but at the bottom there’s usually a crawl with some worthwhile words. Today’s words were: ‘Leaders are those who empower others.’ Certainly words of wisdom! But they saddened me, because if they were true, then it reflected very badly on those in charge of our world. Which leaders are empowering us eh? The people of the world are being systematically stripped of what little power they have by the band of mostly incompetent, greedy, power hungry folks at the top. The other side of the equation declares then, that if the people are not being empowered by those in charge, then to all intents we have no leaders. And that’s a fact my people! Those at the top today are either weak, wishy-washy and corrupt, or too strong, domineering and corrupt, tending towards dictatorial powers. Where are those who truly have the people’s best interest at heart eh? I guess they don’t exist anymore, or they’re just not interested in playing the new politics. But fortunately Friends, there’s one leader who’s still interested in the people, and will always be; that’s the Lord God Almighty! He’s the only one we can trust to tell us like it is. That’s why He spoke our Bit to Jeremiah: ‘ O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.’ Oh my people, I sincerely believe this message is a serious warning we should be paying close attention to. Why? Because I can’t ever remember being so intense, so ardent and emotional when writing a Bit, like I was last night. As I said, I was most surprised to find myself so tightly wound up. Usually, once I decide what I’m going to write, I’m fairly loose and easy going. Hn! But not last night. And to top it all, not one of the scriptures that I’d researched and planned to use, made it into the Bit. It was all the Spirit’s leading and guidance. And my brethren the only reason I can come up with for such intensity is that the message has imminent meaning; it’s something we should carefully consider right now, for whatever it implies isn’t very far away. And having said that, I surely hope I’m only a voice crying in the wilderness. But let’s look at the scriptures I had planned for yesterday. And the first one comes from Isaiah, from his prayer for help, for God to come down and intervene in the affairs of the world. ‘And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us (caused us to melt), because of our iniquities. But now O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. Be not wroth very sore (furious), O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.’ (Is.64:7-9) Oh my people, it would do us all a wealth of good if we could all pray those words, since Isaiah’s situation back then certainly mirrors ours now. The Lord is far from us because we have forsaken Him. Calamity after calamity is raining down on our sinful, ungodly world through His direct direction or His not stopping them. But either way Friends, if we ever needed the Most High God, Infinitely Everything in our lives and our world, it’s right now, for we are definitely on the brink of the precipice, and it’s only His merciful hand that can stop us from going over. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Romans: ‘Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing (wanting) to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to (prepared for) destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore (beforehand) prepared unto glory. Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?’ (Rom.9:20-24) Oh my brethren, those are all very good questions, the answers we don’t know since we don’t know God’s plans for our world. However, we do know two things; it’s very evident that things are not right in our world, and are daily becoming worse, and the Lord’s certainly not happy with our sinful, disobedient behaviour. Oh sorry, we know three things! And the third is that in the Lord’s just sight, continued disobedience is usually met with suitable punishment, which can take any form He desires. And the only way to avoid that punishment is to return to Him, give up our lustful, fleshly desires, obey His will, serve and worship Him faithfully; for He’s promised those who sincerely do so will not be destroyed. Oh Friends, for our children’s sake, let’s wake up, let’s smarten up and diligently encourage our evil world to return to the God of our fathers, if we want to avoid certain destruction. Much LOVE!…if the evil nation repents…I will relent of the punishment…says the Lord God of Hosts…
 

Jeremiah 18:6.    O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
 
Oh Friends, today we’ll learn the Potter’s Lesson, like Jeremiah did when the Lord sent him down to the potter’s house to observe him at work. And it was a marvellous teaching tool! ‘The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the (Potter’s) wheels. And the vessel that he made (was making) of clay was marred (ruined) in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.’ (Jer.18:1-4) Yes my people, Jerry saw the potter at work. The first vessel he made was ruined, so he redid it into another vessel. Now note, he used the same clay, just moulded it into a different artefact. And therein lies the lesson Friends! For God’s next words to poor Jerry was our Bit: ‘O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord, Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine, O house of Israel.’ And my Friends, that’s the gospel truth! The Lord created us, and He can do with us as He likes, the same way the potter moulds the clay in whatever shape or form he desires. Remember how the Lord formed us? ‘And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ (Gen.2:7) So in effect He used the same clay-like dirt that a potter uses to form us, then He breathed life into that lifeless, inanimate body, so that it could breathe, move, talk, and above all, worship Him. But unfortunately, somewhere along the way we fell from grace, and sadly, are still falling today. Israel, the focus of the Lord’s attention, foolishly deserted the Lord for man-made gods and idols, the same insane road our lustful society is lurching down today. Oh mih people, are we so stupid and hard of heart not to understand what’s happening? We must be, otherwise we wouldn’t allow it to happen. Hear the Lord’s very significant statement to Jerry after our Bit: ‘At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it. If that nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.’ (Jer.18:7-8) Remember Nineveh? And believe me my people, the Lord has definitely pronounced against our society! However, because of the goodness of His heart and His great LOVE for us, He is willing to recant of the evil that He’s earmarked for us. And I say it again people; our society has been earmarked for destruction! If we don’t or can’t see that, then we’re surely in for a lot more pain and heartbreak. And the ONLY way to avoid that destruction is by turning back to the Lord God Jehovah from whom we unwisely turned to narcissism; to worship ourselves and the works of our hands. Oh Friends, if you don’t believe what I’m saying, just look around you, at our society, at the whole world. Everywhere, everything and everybody’s in a state of turmoil and utter confusion. There’s nowhere in this world today that you can find a society going along on a decent productive, relatively calm clip. Don’t be fooled and misled by the media and the governments about China, India and the South Asian countries who are supposedly riding high in economic terms. The question though Friends, is what price the supposed man-made success? Most of their large populations are still living in dire poverty with very poor or no human rights. And they have very little hope for it improving, because the greedy handful who are enjoying the outward success on the backs of their labour either do not intend to, or are very reluctant to share it with them. But Friends, we’re talking about the majority of a nation, not the wealthy, powerful few! Now listen as the Lord continues His conversation with Jerry: ‘At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent (relent) of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.’ (Jer.18:9-10) Oh Friends, please remember that our God doesn’t make empty promises, and that they last for generations. Now in the first section He promises that nations who turn from their evil ways to worship and serve Him, will not be destroyed. However, the nations that He’s shown favour to, or intend to prosper, if they turn to evil, they will be destroyed. Oh my people, our God is not doubled minded, please don’t ever forget that. If He goes to the trouble of saying something, then He most certainly means it. Now Israel was once greatly favoured, but foolishly revoked the Lord’s hold on their lives when they became prosperous. And what happened? Their society was overturned and their people taken away into captivity. But years later, when they awoke from their stupidity, the Lord, in His graciousness, restored their prosperity. Oh Friends, it’s the same scenario that’s been enacted today. After the calamity that was World War 11, our Western Civilization rose like a phoenix from its ashes on the strength of God’s Word, His awesome grace and mercy. Then, at some point in the last few decades, with the overwhelming increase in new technology, we suddenly got too big for our breeches, turned our backs on God, relegating Him to the nether reaches of our consciousness, while we embraced Beelzebub and his false, glittering, worldly lusts. But I’m here to tell us that there’s yet hope my people. Just as the Israelites woke up from their stupor and turned back to the God of their fathers and prospered, we can do likewise. So without further ado, let’s wake up from our Beelzebub induced stupor and reclaim the Lord God Jehovah as our God and Guiding Light! Oh Friends, it’s the only way! Otherwise, we’re marked for sure destruction. And though I’m ending with a chuckle, surprised at the intensity with which the Spirit moved me in writing the Bit, my people, it’s a very serious state of affairs. The whole world’s in an uproar, and we are in very grave danger unless we smarten up, for just like Israel, the Lord’s using our enemies to destroy us. Please, let’s wake up and intensify our fight against the evil that’s now so rampant. That’s if we want our progeny to enjoy any of the earth’s goodness. Till next time, whenever and wherever, go in LOVE and peace with the Lord. Much LOVE!…if yuh doh hear…yuh certainly going to feel…

Daniel 12:13.    But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
 
Oh Friends, I didn’t have any spellbinding, uplifting opening words for today, so I went looking for a worthwhile quote. (smile) And I found this interesting one attributed to C.H. Pearce in the Arthritis Calendar. It says: ‘The difference you make today counts in all our tomorrows.’ Now there’s much truth in that statement, since whatever we do today, regardless of its nature, will have consequences tomorrow for us, and also for many that depend on or are associated with us. Therefore it’s essential that before we do most things, we consider the consequences that will come forth from those actions. Unfortunately in our evil, ungodly, selfish, ‘doh care’ world today, many of us don’t consider the consequences of our actions, which then lead to a whole host of negative results. If you look around our world, a lot of the nonsense that’s happening is due to someone, somewhere not thinking their actions through before embarking on them. So Friends, we’re asking us all, from today and henceforth, to carefully consider our actions and the possible reactions and repercussions before we do them. It’s the only way to avoid a rash of negative consequences. And if we do that, while walking faithfully and steadfastly with the Lord, then at the end, we’ll also be considered worthy to be spoken to like Daniel was: ‘But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot (arise to thine inheritance) at the end of the days.’ Oh my people, that’s like Jesus greeting us at the pearly gates with a hug, a big smile and saying: ‘Welcome, thou good and faithful servant!’ Having been carried away captive as a youth from Jerusalem to Babylon, Daniel lived right amongst the heathen, though it wasn’t easy. But the Lord, in His great overall plan, had given him wisdom through the power of discernment, of prophecy and the interpretation of dreams. These talents enabled him to interpret the Babylonian kings’ dreams and also run the kingdom on an efficient basis, which somewhat lessened their anger when he refused to bow to their false gods and idols and accept their heathen culture. Ah Friends, even today that’s not an easy thing to do, so you can imagine the huge amount of backbone, belly and manly parts that Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, must have had to stand up to their conquerors and refuse to give up their Jewish faith or culture. Oh people, if we supposed believers had half the guts and true faith that those Jewish youths had, our world would be a much better place than it is. But sadly, too many of us are still too scared to really stand up for our faith, for what we believe in, for Jesus, although there’s no threat of persecution or imprisonment or death, as was the case back then, and still is in some countries. So, generally speaking, we have no one to blame but ourselves for the ungodly turn our world has taken, and it’s only through our standing strong and fighting for change will the pendulum swing back in favour of the Lord God Jehovah. But getting back to our Bit. Daniel lived a long life, saw several kings on Babylon’s throne, and made several prophecies about Christ’s kingdom to come. (Dan.10,11,12) And just as our quote stipulated, Daniel’s actions in his day, have made a lot of difference in the tomorrows of all the faithful that have come after him. Thus he was advised by the angel in his vision, to stop worrying and rest. Like Bruh Paul would later say, he’d run a good race and his reward would come eventually. Though he would not live to see his prophecies fulfilled, he was promised that when the time came, he would be resurrected to receive his reward; ‘for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.’ O my brethren, the same promise holds true for all those who trust in and walk faithfully with Daniel’s God. At the end time, we will all be resurrected to receive our rewards. Wow! Isaiah said it this way of the righteous man: ‘He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.’ (Is.57:2) And John in Revelations had this to say: ‘And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.’ (Rev.14:13) And all God’s people joyously shouted; ‘Thank you Lord! We praise and bless your Holy Name for your goodness to the sinful children of men!’ Oh my Friends, that ought to give us hope and faith to continue doing good works and living the life Christ died for us to have! Just knowing that at the end, all the hardship and pain we bare in doing good and living right will be rewarded ought to spur us on to bigger and better things in His name! And we’ll close with one more enticement to do good and live for the Lord. ‘Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.’ (Ps.1:5) Yes Friends, that’s certainly a telling tale. At the end, sinners will not mix with the righteous, so if we want to be amongst the latter, then we’ve got to get a move on NOW, change our evil ways and dwell righteously in Christ. Otherwise our lot will be cast amongst the dead and eternally damned, not a very nice scenario, however you look at it. Till we talk tomorrow, God in favour, please trust in the Lord, walk safely, and do good. Much LOVE!…the choices are twofold…eternal life and light…or eternal death and darkness…it’s your decision…
 

Romans 13:14.    But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.
 
Oh Friends, more disastrous happenings; Hurricane Tomas ripping up St. Lucia and flooding parts of Tobago. Ah Lord! When it going to finish eh? But yuh see, even God’s Little Acre, Sweet Tobago, isn’t immune from His wrath. (smile) Luckily, when Tomas passed by T&T it was still a tropical storm, else they would have been devastated too. Ah mih Friends, I don’t like harping on the disasters, but the reality is that they are increasing everyday, and unfortunately it’s not the virtual type we simulate on our modern technology, but the real reality that confuses, complicates and often destroys our lives and livelihood. That means we’ve got to pay serious attention to them. And it’s reached a stage where the most we can do is pray for the luckless ones who suffer the ravages of the disasters. I heard that Tomas was heading for the Dominican Republic, let’s hope it’s not true, or that it by passes the country, or that its power has been severely curtailed by the time it gets there. And above all Friends, pray that it doesn’t touch Haiti! I don’t think that they could withstand one more natural disaster. Please add these unfortunate people to our prayer list, which unfortunately is getting longer and longer with each passing day, partly because not many of the earlier disasters have been sufficiently cleaned up that they no longer need our prayers. Sometimes I just have to sadly sigh, shake my head and ask, ‘Why Lord?’ though I know I won’t get an answer. But as Bruh Paul says, the only way to handle this life and the unfortunate, incomprehensible things that happen in it, is to adopt Christ’s attitude: ‘But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.’ That basically means walking this earthly life in LOVE, faith and honesty with God and each other, as Christ would have us, for all believers belong to the same body, the One Church that bears His Holy Name. As he told the Galatians: ‘For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond (slave) nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.’ (Gal.3:27-29) Oh my people, we’re all one big family in Christ, regardless of our colour, creed or race, whether we’re free or enslaved, male or female, and should live as such. Consequently, ‘let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly (properly), as in the day; not in rioting (revelry) and drunkenness, not in chambering (licentiousness) and wantonness (lewdness), not in strife and envying.’ (Rom.13:12-13) Ah mih breddren, even in good times that’s a tough task to handle, much less in these rough economic and ungodly days. However, if we really want to be true followers of Christ, then we have to buckle down, put our whole hearts, souls, bodies and minds to the task and simply do it without any complaining or contention. Please realize this truth my people, for our world to have much of a future, or any future at all, we the believers have to make a valiant effort to improve its godly quotient. Why you ask? Because Lucifer’s followers won’t do it, since they like to wallow in the lusts of the flesh that currently dominate the ungodly landscape. Our Bit clearly spells it out: ‘and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.’  We shouldn’t be seeking occasion to satisfy the fleshly lusts of our inherently sinful nature, which only lead to death and eternal damnation. Instead, we should be looking for opportunities to do and show works that uphold the spiritual life we enjoy in Christ. And Bruh Paul’s talk of walking in the Spirit, admirably outlines this: ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.’ (Gal.5:16-18) Yes my Friends, it’s absolutely necessary that we concentrate on living a spiritual rather than a fleshly life, for it’s the only road that leads to true salvation. And if you’re not sure about the works of the flesh and the Spirit, you can read Bruh Paul’s list in Galatians 5:19-26. Now since we began on a sad, negative note, let’s end on a happy, positive one that shows God’s true faithfulness and His awesome timing. Recently, the last week or so, I’ve been wrestling with a problem, not a life changing one, but big enough for me to spend some time on it. For some reason, I just could not figure out how to solve it. Obviously I prayed and pondered, but no answers were forthcoming and I was starting to get a little frustrated. But lo and behold, I got a letter in the mail yesterday with no indication of where or whom it came from, however when I opened it, quite unexpectedly, the answer to my problem was revealed. Praise the Lord my people! It didn’t solve the problem, but it certainly showed me how to do so. And the timing couldn’t be better! Isn’t our God wonderful? For sure He is! With that said, Friends, let’s continue holding fast to our faith, seeking the Lord in all we do and waiting patiently for His answers and guidance. It’s the only way to lead a successful life on this planet Earth. Till we talk again tomorrow, God willing, please go safely to LOVE and serve the Lord. Much LOVE!…the things of the flesh gleam and glitter…but remember…all that glitters is not gold…
 

Psalm 36:7.    How excellent is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.