SCRIP-BITS

Psalm 96: 4.    For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
 
Only dos mas mi Amigos! Dos mas dias before a loud ‘Feliz Navidad!’ rocks the world. (smile) Yes Friends, I don’t know if the Espanol (Spanish) is grammatically correct, but it’s the eve of Christmas Eve, meaning there are only two more days to that fateful day of Christmas, when Jesus Christ was born. And imagine the number of different languages in which Merry Christmas will be loudly voiced nuh, for Christianity might not have as many followers as some other religions, but we’re definitely spread farther and wider than any other. Consequently, the Lord God Jehovah, as it ought to be, is well known in more parts of the universe than any other supposed deity. Therefore we can sing with full truth and confidence with the psalmist, in his call to praise God. ‘ O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; show forth (proclaim the good news of) his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen (gentiles), his wonders among the people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.’ (Ps.96:1-4) Yes Friends, without a doubt, our God is GREAT! As the author of Psalm 95 lustily declares in another song of praise to our great and glorious King: ‘O Come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.’ (Ps.95:1-3) And Christmas time my people is one of those occasions when we ought to be totally and everlastingly grateful to our God and shower much thanks and praises on His Holy Name, for being so gracious, merciful and LOVING to send His Son to spend time with us, to teach us His kindly ways, then sacrifice His innocent life on the cross for us. Wow! No other supposed deity could even consider and hatch such a plan, much less execute it to perfection like He did! Why? Because they obviously don’t have the necessary parts, since as the psalmist so truthfully proclaims: ‘For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Give (ascribe) unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.’ (Ps.96:5-7) Ah mih breddren, it’s so sad to see so many people worshipping idols, false gods, when the One and Only True God, Creator of the universe and all therein, is sitting on His throne in splendour and glory, ruling the universe, LOVING His people, being merciful and forgiving to them, and tearfully crying out to the numerous lost souls to come to Him for succour and safekeeping. What a truly magnificent God we worship my people! That’s why believers can say, as Bruh David joyfully proclaims in his personal thanksgiving for deliverance: ‘I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (strong rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps.18:1-3) And remember Friends, Bruh David wasn’t talking this stuff from hearsay, but from personal experience. That means our God is such a wonderful example of a true Deity, that all we can really do, if we are wise, is bow down and worship Him, pay Him delightful and deserving homage and obediently serve Him. We certainly need to esteem Him more highly than we’re doing in these trying and ungodly times. Therefore we will end with some more precious and truthful words from another of Bruh David’s songs of praise, Psalm 145, this one titled, ‘The Lord is gracious.’ ‘I will extol (praise, exalt) thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable (beyond our understanding). One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.’ (Ps.145:1-4) Oh Friends, let’s make a Christmas resolution to LOVE, praise and bless our Lord’s name more than ever before nuh, because it’s badly needed in these troubling and war-like times. And unfortunately it’s only we believers who can do that worthwhile and most necessary job. So let’s get to it nuh. But yuh know what Friends? The last verse of what we just read is definitely the most important part. Believers definitely need to pass on their LOVE, worship, reverence and obedience of the Most High God from generation to generation. That’s the only reason it has survived such a long time and finally made it’s way to us, and the only way it will survive for future generations. Yes my people, we are the torch bearers of the Word for our generation, so please, I beg and implore us, please let’s make sure that we pass it on to the next one. And not merely pass it on, but hand it over with a big, bright flame, a torch burning brightly and powerfully for the Lord! And there’s no better time to do this than at Christmas, by telling and retelling the most miraculous and heart-warming story of LOVE and caring ever written. Much LOVE mih people!…let all believers rise to the occasion…and keep the flame of Jesus…burning ever so bright…by LOVING our God…LIVING our Faith…and SPREADING His Word…