SCRIP-BITS

John 14:28.    Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye LOVED me, ye would rejoice, because I said I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
 
It’s a beautiful morning! Oh yes Friends, it is indeed a gem of a day! Maybe not particularly in our physical, economic or health environments, but for certain sure in our spiritual domain. For once again God has granted us the awesome privilege of seeing another day filled with new blessings and mercies. Oh what a most magnanimous and magnificent Deity we serve; the One and Only True God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Give Him much thanks and praise my brethren. And all God’s people lifted their hands, heads, hearts, eyes and minds heavenward and joyfully proclaimed: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Alpha and Omega, Creator, Provider, Father and Friend, we LOVE you dearly and give grateful thanks for your many blessings showered upon us, a lot undeserved. Above all, we offer untold thanks for your great sacrifice of LOVE, sending your Only Son Jesus to die on the cross to save our sinful souls. For that, and every other good thing that you’ve so generously bestowed on us, we sincerely praise and humbly bless your Holy Name. Amen! And now Friends, hang tight, I’ve got to go and find a Bit. (smile) Yes, on the way down to my study to write the Bit, the Spirit planted that beautiful morning idea in my brain, and I decided to see how it would play out on paper first. And that’s how it’s played out! So soon come! Oh Friends, I’m back…in two minutes. Yes, that’s all it took for me to find a Bit. I opened the Good Book at John 14 & 15, and the first words I read were: ‘Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye LOVED me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.’ Another amazement factor my Friends! And who says God isn’t good eh? I sure hope He continues to bless me by providing a Bit so easily every day. (smile) But the Spirit just gave me an aside: ‘I wouldn’t count on that nuh mih son.’  And I won’t, because I know that in this life there comes both good and bad, easy and hard, and we must learn to also accept the bad and hard with a right spirit, confidently working them through with God’s help. Now, as the pastor likes to ask: ‘Is anybody getting any help from this, this morning?’ I certainly hope so, because the Spirit has the ole fella on a roll this beautiful morning. (smile) Ah Friends, some of you might think there’s too much levity in it, but that’s one of the serious downfalls of us Christians; we don’t levitate our spirits, rejoice in Christ enough. If we’re so happy in Jesus, then it ought to show in our normal, everyday behaviour. Our Lord and Saviour always went around with a kind and pleasant demeanour, while here on earth, so why do so many of us go around with long, drawn, sour faces and dispositions eh, and supposedly being humble by dragging ourselves as it were, in the dirt, to show our humility? I’m sorry mih people, but that approach is really fleshly pride, and a sin against Holy God, for He wants us to be joyful and prosperous, going around with praise and thanksgiving, blessing and LOVING others, the same way he blesses and loves us…that’s unconditionally. And you certainly can’t do those things if you’re lost in a negative mindset. Listen to Jesus’ command to His disciples in the verse before our Bit. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Yes mih people, there’s no need to be worried or afraid, because we have Jesus’ peace deeply ingrained in us. And if we’re not worried and afraid, and have peace, then we should be happy and rejoice. It’s only logical. So Friends, let’s promise ourselves to go around as if we really and truly have the peace, joy, hope and LOVE of Jesus in us nuh. Otherwise we’re making a mockery of His teaching, His sacrifice on the cross and our faith. Nobody has life easy all the time, be ye rich and powerful or poor and lowly, Jesus certainly didn’t. But if we adopt a pleasant attitude, even in the rough times, we’ll be surprised at how comparatively easy and unruffled we’d get through those tough occasions. Yes mih breddren, it’s all in the attitude, the demeanour, the presence we bring to life, that makes the difference between it being pleasant, or at least tolerable, and not darm hard and intolerable. That’s why some people just seem to sail through life, while others struggle, complain and mourn in the same basic circumstances. Oh Friends, I surely hope I’m making an impact on us this morning, in terms of the attitude we espouse in this life, in our daily walk with Jesus, in being obedient to His Father’s will. We all know it’s not an easy row to hoe, but if we truly have Jesus in our hearts, then life should be a blast! Well you know what I mean. Although I see no reason why, with Jesus deeply rooted in our souls, life can’t be a blast…and also a hoot! (smile) So please, I implore us to go out into the evil, ungodly world with joy in our hearts and a youthful spring in our steps, so that the unbelievers and naysayers will become jealous, and eventually come pleading for that joy, hope and LOVE we have in Jesus. Much LOVE mih people!…if Jesus is in our hearts…then a  peaceful joy…should be radiating from our lives…   P.S. I think I’ve got to go back to ABC class, kiddie-garter, to learn to spell ‘Friends’ yes, because that’s about only the second time I’ve spelt it right all night. (smile) Much LOVE!
 

Isaiah 40:1.    Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
 
Oh Friends, our God has certainly come out to keep my amazement in Him full and functional! Why, you ask? Because there’s been another amazement factor! I came down just now to write the Bit, feeling somewhat tired and unenthused, with a couple things on my mind that I can’t seem to resolve. So I sat there in contemplation, trying to bring my thoughts to the task. After a few moments my eyes were drawn to a note I have stuck on the desk in front of me. I’ve already shared it with you, but it’s certainly worth sharing again. It says: ‘Our task is to take hold of God’s grace, to endure our afflictions with patience without growing weary. In time, He will ‘perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us.’ We must ‘wait on the Lord’ and ‘be of good courage.’ Oh Friends, after reading that, you know my spirits were lifted, and I turned to the Good Book with some enthusiasm. And as the Lord would have it, I opened it at Isaiah 40, which is superscripted ‘Comfort through trust in the Lord.’ Hn, hn! And that customary chuckle that rises up from my soul whenever the Lord amazes me, did rise up. But how could it not, when I read: ‘Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.’ Ah mih breddren, the Lord does move in mysterious ways! For when Isaiah wrote those words, he was looking beyond the imminent captivity of Judah by her enemies. He foresaw a day of salvation when the Lord’s favour and mercy would be abundantly bestowed on them. I am also here to encourage us, to say that whatever our problems and sorrows might be now, there is a good future awaiting us if we stand strong and steadfast in the Lord. It might take what we consider a long time to come to fruition, but be sure that it will come, once we stay faithful and trust in Almighty God. Be consoled by the scripture: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; for he is faithful that promised.’ (Heb.10:23) And if that isn’t sufficient, then read Hebrews 11, that great chapter on faith, which points out how many of our fellow believers suffered, waited over long periods of time for God’s promises to be fulfilled, but never wavered in their belief. I believe that’s exactly what the Lord’s calling us to do today; wait patiently on Him, in faith. Unfortunately that’s not always easy to do, but it’s all part of our makeover to be like Jesus. And we can certainly do it, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, if we hunker down, determine in our hearts, minds and souls to please and serve Almighty God, come what may. Now according to the scholars, if we break down our Bit, there’s more to it than just what the words say. For example, ‘Comfort ye,’  (nachamu) means both ‘repent’ and ‘console.’ This implies that true repentance must be enacted before divine consolation is gained. And the words, ‘my people’ (‘ami) refers to those who are in a covenant relationship with God. The logical deduction Friends is that all believers, we who are in a covenant relationship with Jehovah God, need to repent, bare our souls to Him, before we can really receive His consolation. The onus is on us to remain faithful in the relationship. That means my people, as individuals, as small groups, as churches, villages, towns, cities and nations, we need to repent and confess before Almighty God, so that He can heal us, and also our world, both of which so desperately need healing. Isaiah wasn’t talking to individuals per se, but to the whole nation of Judah, which had gone astray from God and would receive His just judgement. But along with the justice also came the eventual pardon. We have to do likewise today, for the supposedly godly nations have all gone astray, and we’re now in a time of much tribulation on account of our disobedience. As Hosea declares: ‘For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk (the stalk has no bud): the bud shall yield no meal (it shall never produce meal): if so be it yield (if it should produce), the strangers (aliens) shall swallow it up.’ (Hos.8:7) Yes Friends, we have indeed sown many winds of iniquity, and are currently reaping the painful fruit in a whirlwind of death and destruction. However, our God would not have promised comfort if there was no hope for us in our disobedience. So let’s listen to His words, through the prophet Joel, for the second time in the past week, and do as He desires nuh. ‘Therefore also now saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend (tear) your heart, and not your garments, and turn (return) unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of evil (relents from doing harm).’ (Joel 2:12-13) Oh my people, please, let’s show some wisdom and allow those words to be our comfort and saving grace nuh, as we stay steadfast and true to Almighty God. Much LOVE!…repent… for the kingdom of God…is nearer than we think…

Isaiah 51:1.    Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.
 
Oh my wonderful Friends in Christ, I hope we’re all in fine fettle this Tuesday after Valentine’s Day, and that we did our part yesterday to increase the outpouring of LOVE in our badly famished world. But even more importantly, I implore us to try and keep up that level of affection we showed to all God’s children yesterday. I know we can’t be at the top of our game every day, but we can certainly be so on most days. And that’s all Jesus really asks of us; to give it our best all the time. Now I heard somebody say recently that regardless of how old or mature we are in the faith, we should never lose the ability to be amazed by God’s doings. And that’s true Friends. We need to continually see God through child-like faith, with stars in our eyes and wonder on our minds, without doubt or distrust, so that we can keep appreciating His goodness and mercy in our lives. It’s only then that our hearts can truly be moved by His wondrous Spirit. That brings me to today’s amazement factor. As I was cleaning up some paperwork on my desk before writing the Bit, I came upon a newsletter put out by Gary Sullivan, a Real Estate Agent in my area, whom I’ve mentioned before. The good thing about Gary’s newsletter is that it has all sorts of good, useful ideas and quotes, more stuff than houses for sale. Anyway, this issue has a short piece on Wilma Rudolph, the famous Black American athlete of the 1960’s, with a couple of very interesting quotes. However, before making a firm decision to use them I decided to find a Bit first. As usual, I opened the Good Book, asking the Lord to guide me to a Bit. Lo and behold, I opened it to Isaiah 51, which is superscripted, ‘The faithful are called to courage.’ A chuckle naturally rose from my soul because Wilma Rudolph’s life was one of exceptional faith and courage. So choosing the first verse of that chapter was a no-brainer. And I obviously said a grateful, ‘Thank you Lord,’ for it’s not always so easy to find a Bit. That’s the kind of stuff I mean when I say we should keep being amazed by God’s doings; small incidents that don’t shake the earth, but do help tremendously in our lives. The big stuff will always amaze us, but it’s the appreciation of the small things that will keep our hearts young and joyful in the Lord. Oh Friends, as Isaiah called his people to courage back then, so am I calling all true believers to have faith and courage today, to stand strong and steadfast in the Lord, no matter what trials and tribulations come our way. ‘Hearken to me, ye that follow after (pursue) righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.’ Yes mih people, all of us who pursue righteousness, who put our trust and faith in Jesus Christ, we need to steadfastly look to Him, the rock, the tower of strength from which we were made and from whence comes our power. Remember, God made us in His own image, so we already have the seeds of some of His features, like trust, strength and faith planted in us. Now we have to nurture those seeds so that they may grow bountifully in our lives. But unfortunately too many of us pay more attention to the hole in which we’re in, our negative circumstances, rather than focusing on Christ, the strong tower. Remember Friends, that Jesus is the only one who can truly lift us up out of any mire in which we’re stranded. And Wilma Rudolph’s story is a glowing example of that rising from the mire of adversity through faith and courage…and hard work. We always tend to forget the hard work, but that’s very necessary too. As a grown woman and successful athlete, she staunchly declared: ‘Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion. The potential for greatness lives within each of us.’ And that my brethren is gospel truth! Hear her story: Born prematurely in 1940, 4 1/2 pounds, to a poor backwoods family in Tennessee, 20th of 22 children, she suffered all sorts of illnesses at a young age, including scarlet fever, pneumonia and then the clincher, polio. That meant she had to wear leg braces. The doctors claimed she’d never walk again, but in God’s sphere, never doesn’t exist. And so, in His overall plan, she was gifted with a mother of great faith, who told her that she could do whatever she wanted, and that she would walk again. Thankfully, she believed her mother and not the doctors, and at 9 took off her braces, and by 12 was walking normally. Obviously it wasn’t easy, but that’s the strength of the human spirit, especially when it’s surrounded and supported by others of faith and trust. The rest is history: a basketball star in high school, a top class sprinter in university, a bronze medal winner on the U.S relay team in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Then four years later, at the Rome Olympics in 1960, the crowning glory: three gold medals; the 100 and 200 metres races, and the anchor of the 4 x 100 relay team, thus becoming the first female runner to win three gold medals at the same Olympic Games. Wow! And all God’s people declared with joyful tears: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Yes Friends, things that look impossible when we look to man or Lucifer, become possible when we look to God, our sure rock and strong tower. So let’s promise ourselves, today, RIGHT NOW, that we’ll stop letting Lucifer and his evil cohorts lead us down the garden path to ruin. Instead, we’ll look up to Jesus, who only desires to raise us heavenward. And we’ll end with one more quote from Wilma Rudolph, a telling one too: ‘Believe me, the reward is not so great without the struggle.’ That my people is also gospel, because we don’t appreciate our good fortune half as much if we don’t struggle for it. So let’s keep the power to dream alive and kicking nuh! Much LOVE!…to overcome…you must look up…at Jesus…
 

1 John 4:11.    Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.

Jonah 2:9.    But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.

Psalm 86:5.  For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Oh Friends, it’s a new day and we’re still alive and kicking! Wow! And why is that? As Jeremiah says in his deepest, darkest days of lamenting: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam.3:22-23) And is Jerry ever right my people! Without the Lord’s daily renewals of things like grace, mercy, forgiveness and righteousness, we’d be lost before the day even began. We wouldn’t know which way to turn. Many of us would even be afraid to venture out of bed. However Friends, with the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as our faithful guide and protector, when we fearfully open our eyes in the morning, despite all the problems we went to bed with, we’re certain of a place to run for succour, a strong rock, a solid foundation, where all our needs will be met, and most importantly, a place of refuge from which we will NEVER be turned away. Yes people, in the Lord God Jehovah is found and oasis of LOVE, comfort, joy and peace. No other being, mortal or otherwise, can provide what our God provides, for those who walk obedient to His will. That’s why Bruh David could publicly proclaim with great assurance: ‘For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.’ And all God’s people joyfully declared: ‘Thank you Lord for being such a wonderful God, Father and Friend!’ There’s one requirement though Friends; we have to come or go to the Father and make oblation to Him on a regular and consistent basis. It is our duty and responsibility to call upon Him, initiate contact, and place our prayers, request, petitions and problems before Him. We have to be willing to live by His rules and regulations. Psalm 86 is superscripted, ‘Teach me thy way O Lord.’ And Bruh David begins by saying: ‘Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul (life); for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily (all day long). Rejoice (make glad) the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.’ (Ps.86:1-4) Oh Friends, what a poignant and powerful declaration of faith in only four, short statements! In quick succession he admits his inadequacy, asks for preservation of his life, states his constant trust, pleads for mercy and gladness in his soul. Now that sounds like an excellent model of prayer and petition for us to follow, provided we can sincerely back up our claims. And the good thing about God’s benefits my brethren, is that they’re not only available to individuals on a personal basis, but also to nations and groups of any size who are willing to accept His dominion. ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ (Matt.18:20) The Psalmist knew that and therefore strongly proclaimed it: ‘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) Now where else can we find such a kind, generous and LOVING Deity eh Friends? Nowhere else! Because our God is the ONE and ONLY True Deity! And a loud consensus went up from God’s people: ‘Yes! Yahweh IS the ONLY true God!’ Hear Bruh David from ‘the Lord is gracious,’ a psalm of praise: ‘Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable (beyond our understanding). …The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion: slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.’ (Ps.145:3,8-9) Ah mih people, if we’d only wake up from the stupor cast on us by the world’s ungodly ways and glitzy possessions and understand and appreciate the Lord’s unique character and LOVE for us, not only as individuals, but as groups and nations, then we’d experience such a wonderful change in all aspects of our lives and countries. And believe me Friends, right now we need the Triune God-head much more than at any other time in the world’s existence. Why? Because we’re at the zenith of our civilization, and with all our success in the fields of technology, medicine and weapons of war, it’s now easy to destroy it all in one fell swoop.  And it’s obvious that some of us want to destroy our very civilization, else our world would certainly not be in the disgusting mess that it’s in. However my brethren, as we always emphasize, where there’s life, there’s always hope. And we’ll close with a scripture of hope from the prophet Joel, when he called on his people for repentance and fasting. ‘Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting and with weeping, and with mourning; And rend (tear) your heart, and not your garments, and turn (return) unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of evil (relents from doing harm).’ (Joel 2:12-13) Yes Friends, all things are possible, if we’d only put our full and sincere trust in Almighty God. Much LOVE!…seek the Lord with all thine heart and soul…and thou shalt find Him… (Deut.4:29)

Job 14:1.    Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
 
The noise is deafening! The air is filled with hysterical shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ as the small group of people jump around deliriously and pump their clenched fists in the air. Yes Friends, it is Friday! The day we’re always wishing to hurry up and come. But please remember that the weekend is not only for fun and frolic, but also for fellowship. So let’s chant our Friday Chant, which will give us direction and encouragement in the coming days. ‘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 mih people, we have survived another week of work, but how many more we survive depends solely on the Lord our God. And unfortunately, length of physical life on this planet earth is very short, especially if we consider it in terms of God’s time scale. Peter says: ‘that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.’ (2 Pet.3:8) And Moses concurs in Psalm 90: ‘For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.’ (Ps.90:4) So Friends, when we think of our earthly journey as generally being three score years and ten, that’s absolutely nothing in God’s sight. It doesn’t even come close to the centuries that the people of the Old Testament lived. If you want to see some serious years that they lived back then, check out Genesis 5. That’s why we say as old as Methuselah, who lived nine hundred and sixty nine years. Wow! Imagine living that long nuh? No way! So Job is telling the truth, whether it’s by God’s standards or the ancients, when he says in our Bit: ‘Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble (turmoil).’ And if anybody was qualified to talk of trouble, calamity and life’s woes, it’s certainly Job. Then he continues talking about the brevity of earthly life. ‘He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down (fades away): he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.’ (Job 14:2) The author of Ecclesiastes also held the same theory of earthly life. ‘For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation (striving) of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief (task grievous); yea, his heart taketh not rest (even) in the night. This also is vanity (futility).’ (Eccl.2:22-23) Oh Friends, all those claims do have some substance; our lives are comparatively short and troubled filled, but that doesn’t mean we ought to yearn for, or opt for death to set us free. On the contrary, we ought to desire long life, especially if we’re believers in Jesus, because that gives us a definite purpose here on earth of spreading God’s Word. And when the Spirit of Jesus lives in us, then we have the wherewithal to overcome the tribulation, as Job eventually did, and also enjoy the good times that are included. Not every day is totally good or bad, most of them are somewhere in between, for we do get good and bad happenings on the same day. The problem is not to let the bad ruin the good, which too many of us are wont to do. Oh my brethren, who ever said that life was made for living was telling the gospel truth. Our Creator didn’t make us just to sit on earth to vegetate and complain, but to live life to the fullest. Why do you think He sent His Son Jesus to die for us? So that we could have life, and have it more abundantly, even to the point of having it eternally. He also gave us the parts and the power to overcome the earthly woes that beset us; namely His Holy Spirit, filled with guidance, help, protection and provision. However Friends, Chuh! Ah spell it wrong again. Been doing that for the last couple days. Regressing in mih old age. (smile) Yes mih Friends…Ah Lord eh! Would you believe ah spell it even worse than before! Steups! Anyway Friends…Whoopee! Right at last! We also have to play our part by surrendering our lives and our trust to Him, and walking obediently in His will, for He’s the Boss. Without us following His instructions, the partnership will falter and everything will crash for us. Remember that all the Lord does is not for His benefit, but for ours. He doesn’t need anything we have, but we need lots from Him. So, though life’s short, difficult, unpredictable, and however you want to classify it, let’s keep at the forefront of our minds, two things; that out God is good, also just and fair. That means He won’t put us through any hardship without a purpose. Whatever He allows to come against us will eventually be used for our good, our improvement; our becoming more like Jesus, the ultimate goal. Therefore Friends…wrong again…let’s stop complaining as much as we do re the difficulties of our lives, and instead try to help somebody else, for there’s always someone whose life is rougher than ours. When we do that, it takes our mind off of our troubles and glorifies God. Besides, we have the wonderful Spirit of Jesus Christ living in us, so what’s there to complain about eh? Much LOVE!…the Lord is a great rewarder of those who obey His will…both in this life…and the next…

Ecclesiastes 9:16.    Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
 
Oh Friends, our God constantly amazes me with His unerring actions. Today’s amazement comes from my picking up a little card on my desk with a prayer on either side. I shared one already and considered sharing the other today, but in the heat of the excitement (smile) I put it aside and went searching for a Bit. I eventually found one dealing with wisdom. Then I was led to read the prayer again, which I did, though more seriously, only to discover that it basically asks the Lord to grant us wisdom in our earthly journey. The obvious conclusion was that it should be shared. So here it is: ‘O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgement, And light riseth up in the darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldest have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from false choices, and that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.’ Yes mih people, the best thing to ask the Lord for is wisdom to guide our earthly affairs, for as Cousin Sol says earlier on in Ecclesiastes: ‘For wisdom is a defence (a protective shade), and money is a defense: but the excellency (advantage) of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.’ (Eccl.7:12) And again: ‘Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men (rulers) which are in the city.’ (Eccl.7:19) So people, from whatever angle we look at it, wisdom appears to be the best single gift or attribute we can have, although it’s not always looked on favourably when found in lesser mortals, or those of lowly status in our society. Our Bit describes it to a T. ‘Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.’ And that’s all gospel truth mih breddren! Cousin Sol came to this important conclusion after recounting the story of a little city with a small population. One day a mighty king came with all his forces and besieged this little city. But fortunately within the city was found a poor wise man, who, by his wisdom delivered it. Unfortunately though, after that, he was totally forgotten. (Eccl.9:14-15) Oh Friends, that happens constantly in our world today. The voice of the poor, uneducated and supposed unwise person is never heard or paid attention to. For some unfathomable reason our society seems to think that only book learning brings wisdom. And even then it must be inculcated into a person of fair economic means for it to be appreciated or considered. What egotistical and hypocritical nonsense mih people! For some of the best lessons in wisdom are learned from the ordinary living of life, where it’s called common sense or street smarts, and oftimes the poor have it in extraordinary amounts because they simply need it to survive. And if wisdom is predominantly gleaned from book learning, why then is our world so shoddily and inefficiently run, when so many of our leaders and upper strata persons have plenty of both wealth and book learning eh? Sadly, I don’t know the answer to that million-dollar question, but I do know that the ordinary man in the street usually has a good grasp of what it takes to make life worthwhile, because if he doesn’t, then crapaud smoke ‘im pipe. Ah mih people, the poor are always judged to be foolish and unwise, which theoretically leads to their poverty. And the sad part is that this theory is not only held by the powerful and wealthy, but also by their fellow poor. And we’ll end today with possibly the greatest and most compelling example of that; Jesus preaching in His hometown of Nazareth. We’ll use Mark’s gospel, since it gives the fullest 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 had 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? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.’ (Mark 6:1-3) Yes Friends, just because Jesus was a lowly carpenter’s son, his own lowly people felt uncomfortable and offended by His great outpouring of wisdom. Instead of being happy that one of their own had improved Himself, they let envy and stupidity cloud their minds and behaviour. It was bad enough that the scribes and Pharisees found Jesus offensive, but when your own aren’t happy with your improvement, then that really hurts. Oh my brethren, please, let’s not be so judgmental that we can’t listen to and appreciate the advice and/or wisdom of someone who doesn’t have all the trappings that society considers necessary to be wise. It’s something we all have been guilty of at one time or another, but it’s neither fair nor wise, for wisdom can truly be found anywhere, anytime, even in a person of poor and lowly societal status. Much LOVE!…judge not by appearances…remember God chose the weak and foolish…to confound and embarrass the wise and strong…
 

Luke 2:49.    And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?
 
Oh Friends, please give thanks and praise to our heavenly Father for allowing us to see another day! The weather and our circumstances might not be the greatest, but there’s nothing to beat seeing another day on planet earth, for in living under God’s rule, the possibilities are unending. And all God’s people lifted their voices in praise to their Creator. Wow! What a wonderful God we serve my people! Everyday I awaken, I’m overwhelmed by His goodness and mercy to the undeserving children of men! And why is He so wonderful to us? Because He is LOVE; the very personification of the word! Now here is a quote on the subject. ‘LOVE is like wildflowers. It’s often found in the most unlikely places.’ I don’t know who said that, but it’s gospel! It’s taken from a 3 feet high, by one foot wide cream cardboard poster with a two inch flowery border that’s been sitting in my study for umpteen years now, a gift from one of my daughters. But like so much of the stuff with which we surround ourselves, we see them all the time, but they don’t really make any impression on our minds. And so it is with this poster. However, sometime in the past two weeks, the Spirit finally led me to read its contents. And lo and behold, I was amazed at what I read. Beginning with a heading that says: ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU,’ it then launches in to a series of beautiful quotes, the one above being the first. You’ll obviously hear some of them in the future. So yuh see mih young D, it’s not that I didn’t appreciate your gift, it just wasn’t the right time to use it. (smile) And Friends, I can personally attest to the truth of that statement, since I’ve found LOVE in some real strange and unexpected places. And we’re not talking about romantic LOVE, though that does occur in some strange ways and places too, but simple LOVE towards a fellow human being. The number of places where I’ve been and people didn’t know me from Adam, yet treated me like a long lost son or friend are numerous. And they could only have been made possible by the LOVE of God flowing through the hearts of those who befriended me. So Friends, I humbly ask, why aren’t we seeing more of this LOVE circulating in our world eh, especially since it fits in so seamlessly with our Bit? ‘How is it that ye sought me? wist (knew) ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?’ Yes mih people, we also ought to be about our Father’s business; spreading, showing, living and sowing the seeds of LOVE, which He personifies. But instead, our world is dominated by hate, violence, crime, greed and all the other negative emotions, while the wonderful, exciting feeling of LOVE is left to die by the wayside. How sad eh! Now here are the beautiful scriptures I promised, re Jesus being about His Father’s business. We’ll start with Jesus’ most disappointing event, teaching in His hometown of Nazareth. ‘And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?’ (Luke 4:22) And we all know how they got angry at Him, thinking Him too uppity, being just a carpenter’s son and all that, and tried to run Him out of town. But Jesus, being the ultimate big-hearted soul, simply consigned their hostility to the theory that: ‘No prophet is accepted in his own country.’ (Luke 4:24) Meanwhile down in Capernaum, where Jesus lodged for a spell and taught in the synagogue on the Sabbaths, the reception was entirely different. ‘And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power (authority). (Luke 4:32) They appreciated Him, didn’t get angry at Him, unlike His townsfolk. Now pertaining to His work ethic, hear these pronouncements. ‘My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’ (John 4:34) That in answer to the disciples’ offer of food, after speaking to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. And in talking of the Son’s relationship to the Father, He says: ‘My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.’ (John 5:17) This further incensed the Jews, who figured it blasphemy, by saying that God was His Father, and thus considering Himself equal with God. And finally, when the work was done, He says: ‘I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.’ (John 17:34) Oh my people, my people, how many of us at the end of our days will be able to stand up and say that to Jesus eh? How many of us like Bruh Paul will be able to say: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim.4:7) I certainly hope all of us will. But that will only be possible if we increase our efforts NOW, so that many more people will come to know and LOVE our Lord and Saviour Jesus. Much LOVE!…followers of Jesus…the seeds we’re sowing…are they bearing as much righteous fruit as they ought…
 

Luke 2:49.    And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?
 
Oh Friends in Christ, another day in the life has been generously granted to us, let’s take it and run with it in an acceptable direction nuh. A direction that will both please and glorify our heavenly Father. As Jesus so aptly put it; let’s be about our Father’s business. But first, check out the scene in our Bit, and contemplate it in terms of your own upbringing. You and your parents go on a trip with other families, to commemorate an important occasion, but when it’s over and everybody’s headed home, your parents can’t find you amongst the company. Three days later, they find you in the church in erudite conversation with the elders. And when your mother says to you: ‘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) Now remember Jesus is only twelve eh. You think you could reply: ‘How is it that ye sought me? wist (knew) ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?’ Hn! Some of us wouldn’t even have been asked any questions, just grabbed by the ear or scruff of our collar and dragged away. And even if we were asked, yuh think we’d ever dare give Jesus’ reply? No way Jose! We’d certainly get our block knocked off, for it would be considered a rude reply to our parents’ generation, and dealt with as such. And though poor Mary and Joseph didn’t quite understand Jesus’ reply, they knew that He was special and it doesn’t seem as if they made a big fuss over the incident, and Jesus obediently went back down to Nazareth with them. The Good Book though says: ‘but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.’ (Luke 2:51) Ah mih people, Jesus was certainly something else. But a wonderful something else! And I like how from an early age, He knew His calling; to be about His Father’s business. Friends, do we know our calling? I surely hope so. And if we don’t, then we’d better find it out soon, cause we can’t afford to waste too much of our lives in aimless wandering. Another great thing about Jesus is that He doesn’t shun the work He’s been called to do, and sets us a beautiful example of doing what we must, even if it goes against the very grain of our human nature. And He’s also quite focused on His earthly duties. Listen to His words when He heals a blind man on the Sabbath Day. ‘I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ (John 9:4-5)Yes Friends, that’s the way we should also operate; doing whatever the Lord has called us to do, despite the problems and ‘sufferation’ it might cause us. Now that’s often easier said than done, but we can make it a tad easier if we take the spiritual and eternal view of the situation, keep that as our focus, instead of the earthly ramifications. As I recently said, living for Jesus is not easy, but all He asks is that we sincerely try. Remember He experienced the same earthly problems as us, and more too, so He clearly understands and appreciates our situation, and will most certainly grant us spiritual help if we take the bull by the horns and persist in our endeavours in His Name. Now when Jesus talks of being about His Father’s business, what does He mean? We get a glimpse of it during that same Passover trip to Jerusalem when His parents found Him in the temple with the elders, both listening to them and asking questions. ‘And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.’ Imagine a twelve year old country boy reasoning with the learned elders nuh! So at 12, Jesus was already primed with His Father’s Spirit, though we’d call Him gifted or precocious. Then later on, when He actually began His earthly ministry, the Good Book describes it thus: ‘And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. And they were astonished at his doctrine (teaching): for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.’ (Mark 1:21-22) Yes mih people, there was authority, godly authority in Jesus’ teaching, not the wishy-washy acts of the hypocrite scribes and them. Even the poor and uneducated could identify a major difference in His teaching. And though we all can’t preach with the power and authority of Jesus, we all ought to try and bring, or show a difference in our witness, one that will let others know we’re not the usual run of the mill, worldly influenced person, but a serious and sincere follower of Jesus Christ. We don’t have to be different like night and day, even a subtle, positive difference will suffice. Oh Friends, that’s enough for us to think on and contemplate for today. Tomorrow, our God in favour, we’ll continue in this same vein, for there are some beautiful scriptures I want to share with you. Till then, LOVE your God, LIVE your Faith, and SPREAD His Word! Much LOVE!…our purpose on earth…to be about Jesus’ business…