Jeremiah 13:16. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. Four more days Friends! Just four more days to the big day, Christmas, when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was born lowly and humble, in that rickety, old, broken down stable, amongst all the crude and foul smelling animals. But what a mighty man He became despite His less than auspicious beginnings! Only our Lord God Jehovah could have devised such a complicated and mind boggling but ever-LOVING plan to save His sinful earthly children. That means my people, that although we were also born in lowly circumstances, we too can rise to great heights by placing our faith, hope and trust in Jesus. And they say that our God isn’t wonderful and wise! Chuh! That’s total chupidness mih breddren! That’s simply Lucifer’s lies, to get us to follow him. So Friends, this Christmas season, let’s show the world what we believers in Christ, Christians, are truly about nuh. Let’s allow Jesus’ LOVE, compassion, care and kindness to be front and centre in our lives, so that He can be glorified and win the hearts of some of the many who don’t know Him, but desperately need Him. Oh Friends, it’s imperative that we do as the prophet Jeremiah declares: ‘Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken.’ (Jer.13:15) And what has the Lord our God said? The words of our Bit: ‘Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.’ My brethren, that’s not an idle threat, but a solemn promise of Jehovah God. And we know that He keeps all of His promises. Back then, God’s people, the Israelites were running amok in sin, glorifying Lucifer rather than the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, sadly, just like we’re doing today Friends. And furthermore, the Lord declared unto them: ‘But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.’ (Jer.13:17) And Friends, that’s exactly what happened to Israel when they refused to heed God’s warning. Note too, that just as it hurts our earthly parents when they have to punish us for disobedience, the same way it hurts God, His soul weeps when He has to inflict punishment on us, because He LOVES us so much. Oh my people, unfortunately the Lord’s saying the same thing to us today that He said to the Israelites in Jeremiah’s time. ‘Glorify me, instead of Lucifer. Turn from your evil ways and accept my easy yoke and light bondage. Otherwise you’ll be plunged into darkness, death and destruction.’ And we all can certainly acknowledge that what’s taking place in our world today is not simply as the world turns, but there is definitely and element of divine retribution involved in the macabre madness that’s terrorizing our entire planet. For there’s no peace, only endless strife; no LOVE, only anger, resentment and hatred; no joy, only sorrowful hearts and souls; no light, only gloom and darkness. Oh my brethren, is that the way we truly want to live, or the kind of world we want to bequeath to our children? I sincerely doubt it. So let’s pick up the pieces of our fallen and broken selves and turn back to Almighty God, who will gladly put us back together again; make us whole and clean in His sight once again. For though all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put the fallen and broken Humpty Dumpty back together again, our wonderful, omnipotent, LOVING and caring God can, and will make us whole if we turn to Him in true conviction and repentance. So if we truly want to improve the woeful condition of our world, our souls and our lives, then I implore us today, to do just that. Much LOVE!…in darkness there’s only fear…but in light…the God of LOVE is there…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 December 2011 Jeremiah 13:16
21 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: abraham isaac, dark mountains, gross darkness, jehovah god, prophet jeremiah, saviour jesus christ
Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 December 2011 Ecclesiastes 7:19
20 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: earthly pleasures, peace and goodwill, smile jesus, true wisdom
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the breath of life is still flowing through us this brand new morning! All thanks and praise be to our most wonderful heavenly Father for thus blessing us! And it’s only five more days to Christmas! Wow! I think we should devise a way to bottle this festive season and sell it, or preferably just give it away all year round, for it’s the only time that our world has some semblance of LOVE, Peace and Goodwill to each other. It’s really the only time we sort of fulfill the second great commandment of LOVING our neighbours as ourselves. But I guess that dream is never going to come true because it would go directly against everything Lucifer and his evil cronies stand for – that is unless they can make money from it. Anyway Friends, let’s never stop trying to make this world a better place than it now is, because it’s what Jesus requires of us, and what our children, and their children badly need. And the best way to do that is through Wisdom. As our Bit so rightly declares: ‘Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men (rulers) which are in the city.’ So if Wisdom strengthens the wise, making them mightier or wiser than ten city rulers, why aren’t we all desperately seeking it then eh? Possibly because true Wisdom is a God thing, and many of us, though we refuse to admit it, are simply afraid of God and things concerning Him, mostly because we feel that it infringes on our earthly pleasures. But Friends, we all know that we can’t have both the things of heaven and those of earth simultaneously preeminent in our lives; it has to be either one or the other, though it doesn’t stop us from trying. (smile) Jesus was very adamant about that: ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to (be loyal to) the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (earthly riches).’ (Matt.6:24) And therein lies the crux of the matter my brethren. However, since we’ve chosen to be believers, to serve God come what may, let’s look at some scripture that proclaims Wisdom; where it comes from, and how it benefits us. Psalm 111 tells us: ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.’ (Ps.111:10) Yes Friends, that’s gospel! Here fear is described as the ‘awe filled reverence toward the Lord.’ And sadly, until and unless we develop that kind of admiration, adoration with a touch of awe filled wonder in it, where we go: ‘Wow! What a majestic Deity!’ we will never truly understand or attain wisdom. And we can never leave out Cousin Sol’s words whenever we speak of wisdom, since he’s considered the wisest man that ever drew breath – except Jesus of course, who was really God in human form. (smile) Now listen to Cousin Sol expound on the subject of Wisdom: ‘Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline (turn away) from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: LOVE her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to (place on) thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.’ (Prov.4:1-9) Oh my people, those aren’t only the words of Cousin Sol, but also of our heavenly Father. That’s how He wants us to live. And I can’t put it any better so I won’t even try. In fact it’s self-explanatory. So today, when we’re in the midst of celebrating our Master’s birth, let’s ponder those words nuh, let’s think seriously on them, and see how they fit the situation in each of our lives, and then make the necessary corrections so that we can begin to acquire true wisdom, that mighty intangible that allows us to live this earthly life with pride, joy and godly fulfillment. Much LOVE!…if you’re not reverencing the Lord…then you’re not…and will never be wise… P.S. And it is truly short today my young D, so please, no lip about it’s just shorter than normal. (smile) Much LOVE!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 December 2011 Ecclesiastes 7:19
19 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: glory hallelujah, goodwill to all mankind, saviour jesus christ
Ecclesiastes 7:19. Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday – and a special Monday too – six days before the greatest celebration in the world! We’re talking about Christmas Day, when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was born, the first step in the warm, wonderful and true LOVE that our God showed by redeeming us from sin and death! Wow! Isn’t that an awesome reality? It sure is! As the Good Book so triumphantly declares: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) And all God’s people shouted a resounding ‘Glory Hallelujah! Thank you ever so much Lord!’ Yes Friends, no greater LOVE than that has ever been, or will ever be shown! So what if we have to get up and go out and labour this cold Monday morning eh? Jesus did way more than that on our behalf. And since we’re in this special festive season of Christmas, with LOVE, Peace and Goodwill to all mankind in such abundance, let’s not murmur and complain about having to work, but instead adopt a right attitude, an attitude that will be pleasing to Jesus and reminiscent of His time, His walk here on earth. To help us get that good attitude then, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as though we truly mean it. With one, loud voice now: ‘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!’ Now if that didn’t get your adrenaline flowing, ready for battle, my Friends, I don’t know what will. (smile) And yuh know people, that all falls into line with our Bit: ‘Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men (rulers) which are in the city.’ Wisdom is indeed a mighty mover and shaker! Hear how Cousin Sol describes its awesome power in Proverbs 21: ‘A wise man scaleth the city (climbs over the walls) of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence (trusted stronghold) thereof.’ (Prov.21:22) That tells us Friends, that wisdom is more powerful than brute strength. Or as we’d say in the vernacular: ‘Brains will beat brawn any day.’ Cousin Sol also declares in Proverbs 24, that: ‘A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.’ (Prov.24:5) And that’s an undeniable fact my brethren! The wiser we become, the stronger we get, not necessarily in physical terms, although that’s possible too, but for sure mentally, emotionally and spiritually. But what then is this wisdom that’s so wonderful, and where can it be found? We’ll end with an insight into those questions from Cousin Sol: ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy (One) is understanding. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.’ (Prov.9:10-11) Yes Friends, wisdom comes from God, beginning with the reverence and awe in which we hold Him. Only when we have Almighty God as the be all and end all of our lives, can we ever hope to attain, to receive, to achieve that great intangible called Wisdom! More on this tomorrow, provided the breath of life still blows in us. Till then, let’s do our duty nuh, by sincerely LOVING our God, LIVING our Faith and SPREADING His Word. Merry Christmas, with Much LOVE!…be wise…fear God…so that you may get…wisdom, understanding and long life…
Today`s Scrip-Bit 18 December 2011 Proverbs 7:2
18 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
Proverbs 7:2. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Well hello there all you beautiful believers in Christ; born again and filled with His Holy Spirit! How goes it this Sunday morning? I sure hope that you are enjoying the Lord’s mercies and blessings. But if by chance you’re not, then please don’t get too downhearted and discouraged, stay strong in your faith for Jesus promised that He’d never leave nor forsake anyone who believes and trusts in Him. And we’re assured that God faithfully keeps all His promises. So whatever the circumstance(s), just lean on Him, acknowledge Him as the focus and power in your life, and in His time, He will make things right. Now that’s not always easy to do, but we’ve already been endowed with His Spirit, which means we already have the power within us to do whatever is necessary, we only have to take hold, assume control of it and use it correctly. And a couple of those things we need to do to take hold of Christ’s righteousness, power and Spirit are pointed out in our Bit: `Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.’ Again, that can be difficult, but to get there, we must first make a conscious decision to live in God’s will, then things will start to fall into place. As Jesus said: `But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) Yes Friends, if we look towards the things of God, rather than the things of this world, the Lord will give us all we need to function properly here on earth. And one of the things required in focusing on God is keeping His commandments, doing His will. Not necessarily being subservient to Him, but getting into conformity with Him, having the same will as He does. As we saw yesterday when we dealt with the first part of our Bit; ‘Keep my commandments, and live,’ Moses gave the Israelites a choice of obeying God and living, or disobeying and dying. He even pleaded with them, ‘Therefore, choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut.30:19) And when believers keep the Lord’s commandments that’s exactly what we’re doing. Now let’s turn to the second part of our Bit; ‘and my law as the apple of thine eye.’ Here we come to the problem of focus again. Literally speaking the apple of our eye is the pupil, the opening that actually allows light into the eye, and thus one of the most important parts of the eye mechanism. And when we talk about things being the apple of our eye they are generally things that are very pleasing to us, things that we treasure. So in other words, the Lord wants us to focus on His law as well as treasure it, let it be pleasing to us, not burdensome. Bruh David, in pleading for protection from his enemies said: ‘Keep me as the apple (pupil) of the eye; hide me under the shadow of thy wings, From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about (surround me).’ (Ps.17:8-10) He wanted the Lord to keep a watchful eye over him, safeguard him as one does with one’s treasure. And in Moses’ song, he first reprimands the Israelites: ‘Do ye thus requite (repay) the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is not he thy father that hath bought thee? Hath he not made thee and established thee?’ (Deut.32:6) Then he told them to check out their history, ask the elders and their fathers what the Lord had done for Israel of old. ‘For the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the Lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about (encircled him) he instructed him, he kept him as the apple (pupil) of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.’ (Deut.32:9-12) Oh Friends, that’s the kind of relationship the Lord wants to have with each of us, but it’s not possible unless and until we do our part and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, then focus solely on Him, while keeping His commandments and treasuring His law. Please remember we’re in a partnership with God, thus both sides have responsibilities, but God won’t do His part until we do ours. And we can see this very clearly in the words of Zechariah: ‘Deliver thyself, (escape) O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled (plundered) you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.’ (Zech.2:8-9) And yuh know what people; too many of us are dwelling with the daughter of Babylon today, that’s why our world is in such a sorry state, and until we escape from her ungodly clutches, we won’t be considered the apple of the Lord’s eye, and He won’t work on our behalf. So please Friends, let’s wake up from our lazy slumber, focus on God’s kingdom, by obeying His commandments and treasuring His law, so that He can once again seek our best interest. It’s the only way for us to get back into God’s good graces. Much LOVE!…what’s your focus…God’s kingdom…or Lucifer’s…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 December 2011 Proverbs 7:2
17 Dec 2011 1 Comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: friends check, god watches, presence of god
Proverbs 7:2. Keep my commandments, and live, and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Oh Friends, check out this scene between two female neighbours nuh. Is early in the morning, the cocks just finish crowing. The first woman, tall and thin, is outside sweeping her yard, when the second, recently awakened, opens her front door and steps out onto her porch. Standing at the railing, she sighs, stretches her buxom body, inhales a deep lungful of the cool, fresh morning air, and gratefully whispers: ‘Thank you God for making me see another day.’ Then she calls out to the woman sweeping her yard: ‘Morning neighbuh.’ The woman replies, a tad haughtily: ‘Well morning to you too neighbuh. How yuh do this morning? Ah sure hope the good Lord cause you to sleep well last night and make you wake up strong this morning, ready to do His work.’ And the first woman, a tad miffed, because the one sweeping the yard always behaves as though she is so holy and godly, replies in a slightly sarcastic tone: ‘But what else yuh expect eh neighbuh, since I’m a chile of God? Lemme tell yuh something, lemme tell you how it really is with me. Now listen close: ‘The Light of God surrounds me. The LOVE of God enfolds me. The Power of God protects me. The Presence of God watches over me. Wherever I am, God is….And all is well.’ Yes Friends, that’s how it’s supposed to be with all God’s children! We don’t need to play or think that we’re better than each other in God’s sight, for we aren’t. We’re all God’s children and He LOVES us equally, so the one upmanship so prevalent among believers is totally unnecessary and only breeds resentment and anger which sadly reduces our ability to do our kingdom work. By the way, I got that little poem re the LOVE of God, from the front page of my mother’s Bible. Many of us know it, but I believe she added the ‘And all is well part,’ because it was written to the side at the end. Anyway, if you read our Bit, God doesn’t have time to play favourites. Cousin Sol says it plainly: ‘Keep my commandments and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.’ This is taken from the chapter on the wiles of a harlot, whom we obviously should not follow, but it certainly has to do with more than immorality, in fact it encompasses our entire lives. We’ll break it down into two parts and look at the first one today. ‘Keep my commandments, and live…’ Ah mih people, the Lord’s been saying that since Adam was a boy. (smile) Basically it means what it says; live the way I command you, and life will be good. You’ll be prosperous, not only in monetary terms, but in all aspects of your lives. And with the coming of Jesus, it now means that you’ll also receive salvation and eternal life if you believe in Him. The opposite also holds true: if you disobey my commands, then life will be rougher than it needs to be, and you’ll face death, and eternal separation from God in Hades with Lucifer. The Lord explicitly told Moses to warn the Israelites, on the way to the Promised Land, not to live like the Egyptians they’d left behind, or the Canaanites where they were going. ‘Ye shall do my judgements, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the Lord your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgements: which if a man do (does) he shall live in (by) them.’ (Lev.18:4-5) Then the Lord went on to list a whole lot of forbidden immoral acts. But it all comes down to the same thing Friends; obeying the dictates of our God, living the way He wants us to live. In talking about a father’s wisdom, Cousin Sol says: ‘He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments and live.’ (Prov.4:4) Meanwhile Isaiah, re a free offer of mercy for all declares: ‘Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live: I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.’ (Is.55:3) Yes my people, it’s all about hearing the Word of God and obeying it. Now here’s the perfect situation to explain this topic. As a condition for restoration and blessings, Moses informs the people: ‘See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to LOVE the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgements, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shall be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce (announce) unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut.30:15-19) Oh Friends the Lord couldn’t put it any clearer than that. It’s simple and straightforward; obey me and live, disobey and die. The choice is ours. Let’s hope we all wisely choose the first option, especially at such an auspicious occasion as Christmas; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’s birth. Much LOVE!…as for me and mine…we will LOVE and serve the Lord…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 December 2011 2 Corinthians 9:6
16 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: mind yuh business, saviour jesus christ
2 Corinthians 9:6. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, and we’ve awakened to another wonderful day in God’s great universe! Wow! Please give Him some thanks and praise for that. And this a special Friday too, because it’s the weekend before Christmas. Only nine more days till that joyful celebration of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’s birth! So you can imagine the rocking riddims as well as the sweet angelic music that’s reaching up to heaven from earth. Mama mia! I guess you can call it a cornucopia of music, because it’s all kinds from all over God’s earth. And that’s the way it should be my people. A celebration of Christ’s birth ought to be rich and rollicking, for no one else, no other birth has meant so much to mankind. But before we get carried away in the celebrating, let’s slow down and chant our Friday Chant nuh, so we can get a right perspective on the weekend. Altogether now, in one great voice: ‘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, as the old people would say; ‘drunk or sober, mind yuh business.’ Regardless of the authenticity of the situation, we can’t afford to go overboard and give the enemy an opening to sow his negative seeds of destruction. And now that we’ve gotten the celebration part straightened out, (smile) let’s turn to our Bit, which is another awesome working of God’s nature within His universe. ‘But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully (with blessings) shall reap also bountifully.’ Yeah mih people, however our hearts lead us, so shall it be returned to us. And since we all know how the programme works, I’m not going to try and reinvent the wheel, I’m just going to let some relevant scriptures do the talking to our hearts, minds and souls. And we going to begin with some awesome words of Jesus, some definitive words, that strike right to the heart of the topic. ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom (fold in garment used as a pocket). For with the same measure that ye mete (use) withal it shall be measured to you again.’ (Luke 6:38) Oh Friends, those words of the Master are so revealing and relevant that we should be able to stop right here. But sadly, our hearts are so stone cold and hard that we need more scriptures to keep chipping away at them. Now listen to some wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that witholdeth more than is meet (right), but it tendeth (leads) to poverty. The liberal (generous) soul shall be made fat (rich): and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. He that witholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.’ (Prov.11:24-26) And again from Cousin Sol: ‘He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.’ (Prov.19:17) And we’ll end with one of my favourite scriptures from Hebrews, where the writer, who could only be Bruh Paul, or his clone, is talking about service well-pleasing to God. ‘Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’ (Heb.13:1-2) Yes Friends, that statement is oh so true! I’ve experienced it personally and have also seen it in the lives of others. You can come into contact with a stranger only to realize later on that they are able to make a substantial difference in your life, but that difference will only be made if your initial response was up to scratch, meaning Christian-like. What I like about that scripture is that it helps to keep us grounded and focused all year round, re our Christian principles. Anyway, now that we’ve been reminded that whatever we give out, and however we give it out, the same will be returned to us in like manner, let’s light up our hearts this Christmas season, be joyful, generous and full of LOVE, for our embattled world badly needs such joy and generosity. However, as I believe Jeeves would say, let’s adjust our attitudes with ‘a modicum of circumspection.’ Let’s not get carried away with the celebrating and forget the real reason for the season…the birth of Jesus. Merry Xmas to all, and to all a Happy New Year! Much LOVE!…to live and give…at all times…from a right heart…that’s the Master’s desire for all His children…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 December 2011 2 Corinthians 9:6
15 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: death and resurrection, heart of thanksgiving, jesus birth, saviour jesus christ
2 Corinthians 9:6. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Oh Friends, we’re in the midst of the Christmas season, the yearly celebration of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ’s birth. Wow! What a joyful occasion! Some two thousand years ago, God gave His only Son, Christ, to be our Redeemer… And all God’s people suddenly rose up and echoed a loud and thankful prayer to heaven. ‘Thank you Lord for sending your Son Jesus to be born in human flesh, to die and be resurrected on our behalf, so that we could be reconciled to you! We give you much thanks and praise for your generosity to us sinful sons of men! Amen.’ Now that’s what comes out of a heart of thanksgiving Friends! Anyway this season of Christmas is one of, if not the most joyous times on earth, where we celebrate with lights, feasts, gifts, good wishes and thanks, all in recognition of the greatest gift ever given; Jesus. Consequently, through Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection we now enjoy reconciliation with God the Father, as well as salvation and eternal life. And another powerful and heartfelt ‘Thank you Lord!’ rises up to heaven. Please remember that our God, though it no doubt ached His heart tremendously, willingly gave His Son so that we might be saved, for that was the only way out of eternity in Hades for us. It thus behoves us to have the same willing and generous Spirit of God, if we are believers in Christ. As Bruh Paul tells the Corinthians in our Bit: ‘But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully (with blessings) shall reap also bountifully.’ Yes my friends, that’s the law of nature. If you only sow or give a little, then you’ll receive only a small harvest. However, if you sow or give generously, your harvests will also be plentiful. And be careful, for it’s not only how much you give, but also the attitude with which you give, as Bruh Paul declares in the verse after our Bit: ‘Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity (compulsion): for God LOVETH a cheerful (joyful) giver.’ (2 Cor.9:7) Yes my people, whatever God puts in our hearts to give, let’s give it with praise and thanksgiving, not grudgingly, or as though we’ve been compelled to give, for our God likes His children to be joyful and generous givers, just like He is. Remember all the new mercies and blessings He showers down on us daily. He does it with a willing and generous heart because He LOVES us so much. It’s the same way He wants us to give from a LOVING heart, not a begrudging one. And we can corroborate this by listening to Bruh Paul’s admonition to the Galatians. ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.’ (Gal.6:7-8) And that’s an indisputable fact Friends! It’s not only how we sow, but also what we sow, that shall return to us. It’s just like a boomerang; you throw it out and eventually it comes right back to you. That’s just the way the Lord set up His universe. And none of this should come as a surprise to any of us, for we’ve all grown up hearing things like: ‘You’ve got to give to get… It is better to give than to receive.’ Now many of us despise clichés, but they did not become household sayings without some truth to them. So let’s end to day by checking out a couple more scriptures that deal with our topic. And we’ll begin with Psalm 112 – blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. The psalmist tells us that: ‘A good man showeth favour (is gracious) and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion (justice)…He hath dispersed (distributed), he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn (strength) shall be exalted with honour.’ (Ps.112:5,9) Awesome words of truth my brethren! And finally, listen to Cousin Sol’s divine wisdom: ‘He that hath a bountiful (generous) eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.’ (Prov.22:9) Ah Friends, such is the way of our great and generous God; the more you give from a right heart, the better will be your rewards, both here on earth and in heaven. So this Christmas season, let’s share joyfully with others, so that a good and proper reflection of God’s goodness to us will be seen by the world, and hopefully bring others to worship at His nail scarred feet. More on this tomorrow if we awaken to another day. Till then, let’s sincerely LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith and SPREAD His Word. Much LOVE!…generous giving is of God…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 December 2011 Psalm 68:4
14 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
Psalm 68:4. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him.
Oh Friends, it’s another beautiful day in the life! And I surely hope that we all gave the Lord some thanks and praise for causing us to see it. It would be rather ungrateful and unbecoming of us if we didn’t offer some gratitude for all the mercies and blessings He showers down on us each new day. But I know that our Scrip-Bit family is full of true believers who praise our wonderful God every day, and sincerely seek to do His will, so I’m not worried about our thanksgiving or our LOVE for Jehovah God. And please don’t make me a liar! (smile) Now here’s a simple but interesting quote from Real Estate Agent, Rob Kelly’s Christmas Newsletter. It’s attributed to George Herbert (1593-1633) the Welsh born English poet, orator and Anglican priest, and says: ‘Every mile is two in winter.’ And it sure does seem so at times Friends! Those days when you have to trudge through the calf-high snow and /or sludge, and it’s so cold, although the sun’s shining brightly, that you’re afraid to breathe…Steups! Then every mile doesn’t seem like two, but more like five! (smile) But yuh know what, we believers, especially those in the cold climes, are extremely hardy stock, and with Jesus ruling our lives, we ought to be. For Jesus, if nothing else was physically strong when He lived on earth. He had to be from walking all those endless miles to preach the gospel. Note, the only time the Good Book describes Him not walking is during His triumphant entrance to Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday, not even a magnificent charger or great chariot, but a lowly donkey. Hn, hn! Most of us today, with our comparatively easy lives, would die if we had to walk anywhere. See how we always look for the nearest parking spot to the door, when we go out. That alone shows how we detest walking, which is so good for both body and soul. Anyway Friends, I want to continue with our Bit of the last couple days, because it’s so important that we give praise to Jehovah Jireh, our great Provider, for all the things He’s done, is doing, and plans to do for us. We all know that if we do something good for others and they don’t even offer a perfunctory thanks, then we get all peeved and miffed, which doesn’t encourage us to do anymore good for that particular person, and even people in general. Well just think how our God feels when He showers us with His LOVE and we don’t even say a simple ‘Thank you Lord.’ So let’s do as our Bit says nuh: ‘Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol (praise) him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him.’ Wow mih people! And yuh know that last part there about ‘rejoice before him,’ that brings to mind Bruh David’s behaviour when they brought the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem. The Good Book declares: ‘And David danced (whirled about) before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.’ (2 Sam.6:14) Yes Friends, there was much singing and rejoicing when the physical symbol of the Lord’s avowed care and concern for Israel was brought to Jerusalem. The scholars say Bruh David’s ‘dancing or whirling about was an expression of spiritual joy.’ Likewise, we can and should also give expression to our spiritual joy. Jesus died that we might be redeemed of our sins, and that certainly is something to be overjoyed about and give much thanks and praise for. Now let’s take a look at some scriptures that praise and honour God, so that some, if not all of the praise can psychologically rub off on us. (smile) And there’s nobody that does that as well as Bruh David. Yes, I am biased. (smile) So here goes: From Psalm 29 – the voice of the Lord in the storm – he proudly proclaims: ‘Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty (majesty) of holiness.’ (Ps.29:1-2) And from Psalm 30 – a thanksgiving for deliverance from death – he loudly declares: ‘I will extol thee O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.’ (Ps.30:1) Meanwhile, the psalmist in Psalm 66 – the great works of God – cried out: ‘Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled (praised) with my tongue.’ (Ps.66:16-17) And finally Friends, a scripture that truly shows the greatness of our God. We talking about when the pagan king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, was humbled by God for his pride and arrogance, and made to behave like an animal for seven years. (Daniel 4) By the way, the scholars claim that Neb’s behaviour is physically possible because there’s a mental illness called zoanthropy, where a man thinks and behaves like an animal. However, listen to Neb’s testimony, when he finally regained his sanity. ‘Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgement (justice): and those that walk in pride he is able to abase (humble).’ (Dan.4:37) Oh Friends, if a pagan king’s heart can be so changed that he extols our God in such fashion, why can’t we supposed believers do the same eh? That’s a question for each of us to mull over and decide individually. Much LOVE!…to praise Him…to praise Jesus…my Lord and Saviour…that’s all I’m living for…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 December 2011 Psalm 68:4
13 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
Psalm 68:4. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
Oh Friends, it’s Christmas, it’s Christmas, that wonderful time of year when Christ was born! Wow! What a momentous event my people! So momentous that it deserves another Wow! (smile) But truly Friends, Christmas is possibly the happiest time of year all over the globe, for even non-Christians join in the festivities. It’s for sure the time of year when peace and goodwill are at their highest level on planet earth. What a shame that that heightened spirit of friendliness and decency couldn’t last all year round! Our world would be such a wonderful place in which to dwell. And the sad part is that we really don’t have to LOVE everybody, because that’s a physical impossibility. All we need to do is treat others decently, as the second great commandment says; treat them like we’d want to be treated. But judging from the way we treat each other, many of us don’t like ourselves and want to be treated unfairly, be oppressed and abused. Oh Friends, for this coming year of 2012, please, let’s make one resolution that we vow to keep, even going out of our way to keep it; and that’s sincerely trying to improve the way we treat the people we come into contact with. That’s obviously not asking much, but it will surely go a long way towards improving many personal relationships as well as our world in general. Now if we treat the people we meet everyday decently, familiar ones as well as unfamiliar, then eventually those people will get the message, the Holy Spirit will work in their hearts, and they will also begin treating those in there sphere decently too, thus creating an increasingly cumulative effect of decency around the world. Okay, so I’m dreaming some, but that’s what dreams are made for. And remember we recently said that all things were possible with our omnipotent God. So please don’t knock it until you try it. But seriously Friends, that would be such a wonderful thing; a real Christ-like, a true Christian act, that would make Jesus so proud of us. Remember His assuring words form the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.’ (Matt.5:9) And I’m sure all of us would like to, or already do call ourselves God’s children. But are we really? Are we seriously doing the things that will get us into that classification? Remember too that we can fool one another and our selves by our outward conduct and actions, but we can’t ever fool God, who checks our hearts for right motives. And another great benefit to our peacemaking and keeping of the second great commandment is that it will encourage so many others to provide personal testimony and sing praises to our wonderful God, as our Bit so wisely advises: ‘Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol (praise) him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.’ Ah mih people, when true LOVE is in our heart, meaning God, it’s so much easier to be joyful and thankful. And as we said yesterday, if our God is so good and so great, then why aren’t we praising and extolling His Holy Name much more than we’re currently doing eh? Why isn’t our exultation in His service louder and more widespread eh? Unfortunately I can’t answer those questions, but I can surely give us a solution to it: let’s start seriously concentrating on praising our God, on making it a habit, like Bruh David says in Psalm 145: ‘I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day I will 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 declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour (splendour) of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible (awesome) acts: and I will declare thy greatness.’ (Ps.145:1-6) Yes Friends, if we seriously begin praising our most worthy God, one thing will lead to another, and soon many others will be praising Him too. And isn’t that what this life, both earthly and heavenly are all about? Note though that Bruh David makes it abundantly clear that one generation has to tell the upcoming one about God, else they won’t know about Him, and right now that’s a serious failure amongst too many of us. Please, let’s make that our second New Year’s resolution; (smile) to tell others, especially the young people about our Mighty God. We will be doing our bounden duty and it will also benefit our world immensely. Much LOVE!…Scrip-Bit family resolutions for 2012…treat others better…tell more people about Jesus…than we did in 2011…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 December 2011 Psalm 68:4
12 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
Psalm 68:4. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
Oh come let us adore Him! Oh come let us adore Him! Oh come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord! Oh Friends, oh Friends, it’s not only at Christmas time that we should be singing Christ’s adoration, but every single day of both our earthly and heavenly lives we should be extolling His Holy Name, because of who He is, what he stands for, and what He’s done for us unworthy sinners! So on this beautiful Monday morning, (smile) when we once again have to engage the enemy in the workweek battle, let’s give thanks and praise for strength and guidance by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. In chorus now: ‘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!’ So now that both the body and spirit are awake, let’s go hither valiantly and capture the evil enemy soldiers and bring them to Christ for cleansing. And as our Bit today, we appropriately have some words of adoration from Bruh David, the master of the genre. ‘Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol (praise) him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.’ Yes Friends, if Jehovah God is our God, and He’s such a great God, then it’s incumbent on us to sing His praises for His eternal majesty, extol His Holy Name and rejoice in His presence, otherwise our words aren’t true. And before Bruh David, there was Moses, who, on his way home to the Lord, blessed the tribes of Israel, as they wandered disobediently in the wilderness, saying: ‘There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heavens in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine, also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency (majesty)! And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee (submit to you); and thou shalt tread upon (down) their high places (places of pagan worship). (Deut.33:26-29) Oh Friends, since then nothing has changed, our God and His Word still rule the universe, which means that the exaltation of Moses still stands, as well as the promises in it. The problem though lies in the fact that we have to actively take hold of those promises and make them ours, through faith, hope, trust and obedience. Nothing’s going to just fall into our laps and prosper us, especially if we continue to revel in sin, as we’re currently doing. Oh my people, the Lord has stated His case from day one, and the same case still stands today: Obey and live; disobey and die. So if we want to enjoy the good life, we have to trust His will and be obedient. As simple as that. If we don’t obey, then we’ll surely pay a hefty price. More on this tomorrow, God willing. Till then, let’s sing His praises, glorify His Name, and live the way He wants us to live nuh. Much LOVE!…if you’re happy in Jesus…then sing it out loud…let the world know…share your happiness…as Jesus desires…
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