SCRIP-BITS

‘Thank you Lord! We praise, honour and glorify your Holy Name, for so mercifully blessing us with another beautiful day on Planet Earth!’ And the grateful cry of God’s people echoed all around the world as they gave Him heartfelt thanks for the new mercy and grace available each new day from His unending wellspring. Wow! Isn’t that wonderful? It sure is. Yes Friends, the first thing we ought to do every day when we open our eyes, or simply become conscious and realize that we’re still alive, is to offer up a prayer of thanksgiving, because it means that the Lord isn’t finished with us down here, He still has earthly work for us to perform. And if He still has stuff for us to do, then we know, with full assurance, that He will safely lead and guide us if we surrender our all to Him, and try to keep a right heart. As Bruh David says in our Bit: ‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ That’s ever so true my people! When we sleep, read His Word and meditate on it, the Lord restores our souls. He washes away the filth of the world that’s clogged them up during our interaction with the evil that constantly surrounds us. He refreshes our minds, will and emotions, bringing them back into sync and harmony with His thinking and His priorities. Now this needs to be an everyday occurrence since we interact with the wicked world everyday. But as usual, we first have to come to Him and offer up our petitions, then remain faithful and patient, knowing that in His time, He will do what is necessary for us to succeed; that He will lead us along paths of righteousness so that His Name can be glorified. Now judging from the number of times Bruh David appealed to God for righteous guidance, nobody understood this principle better than him. Here are a few examples of his constant pleading for righteousness and right leading. In Psalm 5, a prayer for protection, he pleads: ‘Lead me O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.’ (Ps.5:8)  Then in Psalm 25, a prayer for guidance and protection, he declares with heartrending honesty and desire: ‘Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day…All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great. What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease (in goodness) and his seed (descendants) shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.25:4-5,10-13) And again in Psalm 27, the Lord is my light and my salvation, he genuinely pleads: ‘Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain (smooth) path, because of mine enemies.’ (Ps.27:11) The last example comes from Psalm 143, superscripted, teach me to do thy will: ‘Cause me to hear thy LOVING-kindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee…Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken (revive) me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off (put an end to) mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.’ (Ps.143:8,10-12) Oh Friends, from those excerpts it’s plain to see that Bruh David constantly asked for the refreshing of his soul, and guidance for his daily walk. And so should we, my people. But the big difference between Bruh David and too many of us is stated right there in the last line above: ‘for I am thy servant.’ Yes mih breddren, Bruh David sincerely tried to walk in obedience to God and please Him, that’s why he could keep asking for guidance and protection, which the Lord gladly gave him. Now a lot of us go to God for all sorts of stuff, which is okay, but do we truly attempt to walk in paths of righteousness, are we meek and humble, do we have the servant attitude that Jesus displayed? Those are the million dollar questions? Fortunately, or not, only the individual believer and God know the true answers. However Friends, it’s imperative that at some stage of our lives, the sooner the better, if we intend to mature as Christians, we should be able to answer those questions with a joyful, YES! It doesn’t come easily, but if we sincerely desire to walk with God, then we’ll seek Him in all aspects of our lives, and we’ll find Him, as he has promised: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer.29:13) Nuff said mih people! Much LOVE!…seeking and finding God…all has to do with the state of our hearts…

Oh Friends, the ole fella is in a bleh mood. Nothing’s really wrong, but I guess it’s one of those times when we feel down spirited for no good reason. And having said that, here’s an insight which some of us might not realize. It’s a quote from the ‘Hidden Treasures, abundant living in the riches of proverbs,’ by Gloria Copeland. No I haven’t finished reading it as yet. (smile) It says: ‘The Counselor Himself, the Holy Spirit, lives in your spirit to lead and guide you – but you have to take the time to draw from the deep waters of His counsel.’ Now that’s an overwhelming fact in a believer’s life my people! Once we’ve accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us, but if we don’t pay careful attention, talk to and listen to Him, His presence will be all for nought. It just doesn’t happen by osmosis, but by specific action on the believer’s part. The same thing applies to our Bit. ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures (pastures of tender green grass): he leadeth me beside the still waters (waters of rest).’ If we don’t get actively involved in the whole Christianity action Friends, then we’re just wasting Christ’s time and ours. How do you think the shepherd finds green pastures for his sheep, or calm waters for them to rest by? He has to actively search out these places, and then the sheep must be willing, trust Him enough to follow His lead and guidance. Now yesterday we saw how Jesus used the shepherd and sheep analogy to help us understand what He’s all about. But my brethren, the whole thing is a partnership between Jesus and those who choose to believe in Him. Jesus has already done His part, and it’s up to us now to do ours; listen carefully to Him, through His Spirit that dwells in us, then follow Him by taking the necessary action that helps us stay true to our beliefs.  And though that’s a pretty tall order living in this violent, greedy, evil world, Jesus has made it much easier by calling us to Him with His great invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30) Oh Friends, how many of us have taken that invitation to heart and truly accepted it eh? Not nearly sufficient of us, I’m afraid, else our world would not be in the mess it’s in! But that’s also one of the ways that the Good Shepherd is leading us to a place of nourishment and rest beside calm streams of water. Once we hold on to His proffered hand, wherein lies strength, safety, security and provision, the stress and strain of this wicked world will no longer affect us to the degree that it does when we try to handle it on our own. And that’s where Jesus wins them all my people; in the sure strength and majesty of His awesome power backed by His unrivalled LOVING-kindness! Oh Friends, truly walking with Jesus ought to bring at least one thing to our humble spirits; a sense of peace, an awareness that things are under control, and we don’t have to worry though we’re surrounded by hell fire and brimstone, because our Good Shepherd has us resting beside calm and peaceful waters, munching rich and nourishing grass. And if we don’t have that peace of mind as a believer, then something’s wrong, something’s getting in the way of our communication with the Most High God, and we need to fix it ASAP. And here’s one more thing which many believers overlook; the onus is on us to accept Jesus, and allow Him to live through us. Jesus doesn’t owe us anything. He’s already sacrificed His life, thereby paving the way for us to come to salvation and eternal life. It’s like the law of offer and acceptance: The spilling of His precious blood offers us a way to escape death and eternal separation from Almighty God. Now it’s up to us to accept or decline that offer. And declining Jesus’ superb offer is the biggest mistake we can ever make in this earthly life, for the ramifications will sadly haunt us till eternity. There’s no other offer than can even come close, for acceptance also means living under His wonderful yoke into the next life. Hear John, the beloved disciple, tell it as the Holy Spirit revealed it to him. He saw a numberless multitude, dressed in white robes, sitting before the throne of God, offering thanks and praise, honour and glory: ‘These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in the temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on (strike) them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed (shepherd) them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears (every tear) from their eyes.’ (Rev.7:14-17) That’s the beautiful reality true believers have to look forward to Friends! You’d be crazy not to grab it NOW, while there is yet time, and hold on to it for dear life! I know I’m going to. Hope you are too. Much LOVE!…as for me and mine…we’ll follow the Good Shepherd…to the ends of the earth…and even beyond…   P.S. I’m no longer in a bleh mood, but full of energy and vitality! (smile)

Oh Friends, I don’t know if the Lord is in a humorous mood or what, but in certain parts of Toronto, there is fresh snow on the ground.  It was supposed to rain, and it did begin as heavenly blessings, but somewhere along the line it turned into the unwanted, wet, white stuff. Chuh! Most likely though it will be gone by mid-morning. ‘Sing praises!’ But for those of us getting on the highways this wet and slippery Monday morning, please be careful. And to bolster our energy, all the different kinds, let’s really get into 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 incredible 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!’ Wow mih people! That certainly was inspiring, and it’s also a perfect segue into our Bit: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.’ That’s why we just prayed to Him, asking for help, guidance and strength. And because of His kind and caring awesome power, our spirits and lives are indeed energized, made strong and fearless. ‘Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (the heart) of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps.46:2-3) Ah Friends, I don’t know how unbelievers do it nuh, but if I didn’t have the Lord’s strength and wisdom to guide me, I’d probably be constantly worrying and eating my heart out over the numerous problems that face me everyday. Now that doesn’t stop the problems from coming against us, but it definitely gives us the wherewithal to deal with them in a calm and rational manner. And that’s why I’m encouraging us to put all our faith and trust in the Most High God Jehovah, TODAY. And if you’ve already done that, then actively invoke His help in your lives, reach out to Him, constantly call on His Holy Name, while walking in obedience to His will. Please note my brethren, that the last part of that sentence is even more important than the first, for it’s very easy to cry out to God in times of trouble, but being obedient in stressful circumstances can be extremely difficult. The good part though is that He does give marks for a sincere heart and genuine effort. Oh Friends, as I keep stressing, the only thing we need more of in this crazy, evil, violent world is GOD, because He is the ONLY ONE who can successfully help us deal with the many problems our world is currently facing. For us to make it through these dark, tremulous times, we need more godly people exhibiting true godly behaviour, rather than the present predominance of evil. However Friends, time and space are up, but this is such an important topic that we’ll address it again tomorrow, our God in favour. And we’ll close with some immortal words of Bruh David, rightly encouraging us to stand strong in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. ‘In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps.62:7-8) Truly words of wisdom my people! Much LOVE!…our universe is so highly specialized…that only its Creator…can fix it…

Oh Friends, it’s a beautiful Sunday morning! The birds are singing joyful songs of praise, the air is fresh with the clean breath of spring, we are alive and kicking, and most important of all, our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God is securely enthroned in His high heaven controlling everything, with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ seated at His right hand advocating and interceding for us, while the Holy Spirit works within us here on earth. Wow! And all God’s people gratefully declared: ‘All praise, honour, thanks and glory be to the Holy Trinity, that guides us with such deep LOVE and understanding!’ And now my people, if we belong to a Christian denomination that celebrates the Sabbath on Sunday, then it’s time to get moving, to get to church, so you can worship, praise, honour and glorify God in fellowship with other believers. And if you can’t make it to church for whatever reason, then turn on your television or your radio to a good church broadcast, or simply pick up the Good Book and spend some more time than normal with God. Remember, He says that at least one day a week, He expects us to get together to make it a holy day in His honour. And Friends, it truly doesn’t matter what day we celebrate the Sabbath on, once we celebrate it. Some of you might beg to disagree, but that’s the sort of thing which causes unnecessary dissension and divisions between believers and allows Beelzebub to infiltrate Christ’s church, to divide and conquer. That’s why Jesus and the Pharisees couldn’t get along either, because they were too fixated on what they considered the law and were sadly lacking in the compassion that Jesus wanted to see. And do you really think that the Lord’s up there in heaven wringing His hands in worry or concern over which day we choose to get together and fellowship in His name? I truly doubt it. I believe He’s much more concerned that we do get together and fellowship on the most convenient day, the one that would bring most of us out. Anyway, turning to our Bit: ‘He brought me forth also into a large (broad) place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.’ Oh my brethren, how many of us can make that statement in all sincerity eh? In my estimation, not sufficient. Each believer ought to be able to say that with genuine feeling and belief, for if we’re truly walking with the Lord, then that’s what He will do for us. Bruh David declared those words in thanksgiving for deliverance, after the Lord had given him rest from his many enemies. ‘He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented (confronted) me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay (support).’ (Ps.18:17-18) Yes my people, the Lord God Jehovah is a sure, faithful and strong support for all those who believe and trust in Him, and are willing to surrender their entire lives to His guidance. And though Bruh David committed some awful sins, yet he never lost focus of God, he kept honouring, worshipping and calling out to Him for guidance and direction. That’s why God looked upon him with such favour. Listen to him in Psalm 4; an evening prayer of trust in God. ‘Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged (relieved) me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me (be gracious to me), and hear my prayer.’ (Ps.4:1) And again in Psalm 31, trusting in the Lord, he soulfully proclaims. ‘I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy; for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities (troubles); And hast not shut me up (given me over) into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room (wide place).’ (Ps.31:7-8) Then in Psalm 118, he joyfully declares: ‘Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever. I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place. The Lord is on my side, I will not fear: what can man do unto me?’ (Ps.118:4-6) Ah mih people, it’s very unlikely that any of us will ever have to contend with the hardships that Bruh David encountered and endured, but in spite of all his problems, he remained steadfastly focused on the God of his fathers. Consequently he earned the trust and title of a man after God’s heart. Oh Friends, I implore us today, to stay focused on God, to begin seriously working towards that designation, because it speaks of the real closeness, the same basic vision between us and our God. Nothing can ever bring us closer to Him than that. Much LOVE!…I have been young, and now am old…yet have I not seen…the righteous forsaken…nor his seed begging bread… (Ps.37:25)

Oh Friends, it’s supposed to be another beautiful spring day! Wow! Let’s hope it stays like that now, notwithstanding the last time I said something like that, snow fell.  But I do believe the Lord has proven His point and gotten a good chuckle out of it, and will now allow us to have true spring weather. The birds are joyfully singing, so that’s a good sign. And all God’s people, tired of the long, drawn out winter weather, and acutely suffering the winter blahs, erupted in a loud and grateful: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Yes Friends, it’s easy to get tired and discouraged when negative stuff keeps coming at us in seemingly unending waves. But you know what? Our Bit today can act as a comprehensive blanket for anything that comes against us. It’s like Linus in the Peanuts comic strip; once he has his blanket with him, he can handle any situation, but without that protective blanket he feels very vulnerable. Our Bit is the Lord’s message through Isaiah to Ahaz, king of Judah, when Syria and Ephraim, the northern kingdom of Israel, were planning an alliance to invade Judah, the southern kingdom. ‘And say unto him, Take heed (be careful). And be quiet (be calm); fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails (stubs) of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and the son of Remaliah.’ Oh my people, those are words that our God has sent us in repeated messages down through the ages, though oftimes we refuse to heed them. One of the most popular messages in that vein is Moses’ instructions to the Israelites at the Red Sea with the Egyptian host hot on their heels, hungry for blood. ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord, which he will show you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace (be quiet).’ (Ex.14:13-14)  And we all know the great miracle the Lord performed there; parting the Red Sea so that Israel could walk across on dry land, then rejoining the waters which swallowed up the whole Egyptian army. It’s imperative my brethren that we place all our battles in God’s hands, for there are very few, if any, that we can win on our own strength. But unfortunately we are all so stubborn and hardhearted, always wanting to do things our way, that’s why we are stymied so often. Hear this passage, re the futility of relying on men, when Israel decided to rely on Egypt, instead of turning to the God of their fathers for help. ‘For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.’ (Is.30:15) Please note those last four words my Friends: ‘and ye would not,’ because it’s the same foolish, disobedient, egotistical attitude that we possess today. We obviously haven’t learned from the numerous examples of not waiting and trusting in the Lord down through time, starting with our forefathers, Adam and Eve. But as the Lord told Judah, after promising that Syria and Ephraim would eventually be destroyed: ‘If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.’ (Is.7:9) And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! If we don’t believe the Lord’s Word, then crapaud smoke we pipe! And I can guarantee that’s not a very nice or encouraging situation. Therefore, in closing, we’ll proffer some wise advice from Jeremiah, a man who saw and suffered it all, but at the end of the day unhesitatingly and overwhelmingly voted for the Lord God Jehovah. ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam.3:24-26) Oh my people, I implore us to indelibly write those words of wisdom in our hearts, minds and souls, then seriously put them into practice in our everyday lives. Why? Because the only way to prosper in both this life and the next, is by hoping in and waiting on Infinitely Everything, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Much LOVE!…to hope…to pray…to wait…to see through the eyes of faith…even in bleak and desperate times…that’s the hallmark…of a TRUE CHRISTIAN…