Psalm 125:3. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.
Well hello there mih beautiful breddren in Christ! How we doing this brand new morning eh? I hope we’re all healthy, wealthy and wise (smile) and giving immense thanks to our great and generous Creator for causing us to see another wonderful day! And yuh know how I’m always advising us to not only look for God in the big, once in a while things of life, but more so in the small, everyday things, well here’s a quote that teaches us the same. It’s taken from Real Estate Agent Rob Kelly’s recent Newsletter, and is attributed to Albert Schweitzer -1875-1965, the German born humanitarian, theologian, missionary, organist and medical doctor. It says: ‘In the hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that bloom at their feet.’ And isn’t that the unfortunate truth my people! Our society is so focused on big things, big happenings, larger than life plans, that we consistently fail to see and appreciate the small things and happenings that swirl around us. And the sad part is that oftimes the small happenings are much more integral to our lives than the big ones. How often can you realistically have big events eh? Not very often. But the small, supposedly insignificant ones happen all the time, and if we don’t see and appreciate them for what they truly are – the LOVING hand of God – then we’ll foolishly deny ourselves a whole lot of His wonderful, amazing and mysterious movements. Oh Friends, only seeking the big things, which are few and far between, keeps our faith stagnant, only growing when the big happenings happen. But looking for and enjoying the small mercies and blessings keeps our faith vibrant and constantly growing since we’re always focused on God and are aware of what He’s doing in our lives every day. And if we do that, then we’ll be able to appreciate our Bit even more, because it deals with the redeeming hand of God constantly hovering over us. ‘For the rod of the wicked (the sceptre of wickedness) shall not rest upon the lot of (the land allotted to) the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands (reach) unto iniquity.’ Yes Friends, that’s the living truth, as is the title of Psalm 125: God surrounds His people! Hear how the psalmist begins the Psalm: ‘They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about (surround) Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.’ (Ps.125:1-2) Wow! What assurance! If you’re a serious and sincere believer then those words ought to reverberate with peace, joy and great confidence in your heart, soul and mind, because they are gospel! Oh Friends, we can’t only hold these truths intellectually and expect them to truly benefit us, but more so with a great spiritual faith, continually putting them to the test in our everyday lives. That’s why the Lord had them written in the Good Book. Listen to Cousin Sol’s take on in it Proverbs 22: ‘He that soweth iniquity, shall reap vanity (trouble): and the rod of his anger (wrath) shall fail.’ (Prov.22:8) Now hear Eliphaz, Job’s buddy, tell it like it truly is: ‘Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, they that plough iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils (anger) are they consumed.’ (Job 4:7-9) Oh my brethren, the Word doesn’t lie. That’s why it was given to us, so we can rely and stand on its faithful promises with the greatest confidence and assurance. That means there’s no doubting the words that great man of God, Isaiah spoke concerning the fall of the King of Babylon and Israel’s preservation: ‘The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.’ (Is.14:5) My people, we have to take these words to heart and live our earthly lives based on them, otherwise the works of iniquity that are still being propagated will drive us crazy. Yes, when we live by the strong, rich, heartfelt, LOVING assurances of our omnipotent God, then our souls rest in peace and comfort, and we acquire the strength to fight the wicked enemy, since we know that we’ll eventually be victorious. Oh Friends, it’s only a matter of time -the Lord’s timing- before the wicked are defeated and removed from memory. Please remember that, and live by it. Much LOVE!…what’s the point in having safe, strong assurances…and not living faithfully by them eh…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 February 2012 Psalm 125:3
09 Feb 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: albert schweitzer, loving hand, small mercies, unfortunate truth
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 February 2012 Psalm 34:15
08 Feb 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: basic nature of man, economic ladder, historical romance, psalm 34, refined methods, romance novel
Psalm 34:15. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s tired this morning because I was up late engrossed in a historical romance novel. Yes it was raunchy and interesting, (smile) but the sad part is that our lives today seem to simply be a reflection of a few hundred years back. There’s still the overwhelming amount of deceit and treachery; of pride and arrogance of those with wealth and power; there are still lots of strife and wars, both internal and external; plus the greed, and backbiting, the corruption, the family disputes, the denial of justice and oppression of those on the lower rungs of the social and economic ladder. We only seem to do it more quickly now with the advent of modern technology and other more refined methods and accoutrements. So though times have changed and the human animal has put on a more humane facade, the basic nature of man and society are still the same. Ah Lord eh! It’s obvious that the modern tools of living life have taught us nothing. We might look different on the outside, because we’re dressed in different clothing, but we still thrive on selfish, greedy, corrupt, evil behaviour. And because society is so much more widespread, those ungodly attributes are also more widespread and thus more difficult to eradicate. But remember Friends, where there’s a will, there’s always a way. And that way is through the Lord God Jehovah, because as our Bit truthfully declares: ‘The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry.’ There’s absolutely no doubt about that my people, for the Lord has faithfully promised it! And the corresponding, or reverse verse to our Bit is the next one: ‘The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off (destroy) the remembrance of them from the earth.’ (Ps.34:16) There we have both sides of the coin Friends: Heads, the Lord is hearing and looking after the righteous. Tails, He’s eliminating the memory of the wicked from the earth. What a wonderful God we serve and worship people! And if you don’t believe me, then listen to that man of great faith and patience, Job, as he speaks on the justness of God. ‘Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom. He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor (justice to the oppressed). He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.’ (Job 36:5-7) Oh my people, riding under the banner of the Most High God is the only wise and sensible choice we have in this earthly life! Now hear the psalmist declare it, when he offers praise to the Lord for his creation: ‘Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.’ (Ps.33:18-19) And furthermore, remember when Jesus gave sight to the man blind from birth, by mixing clay, anointing his eyes, then telling him: ‘Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash.’ (John 9:11) He believed enough to do as Jesus said and received sight. But then he was hounded and reviled by the Jewish elite, claiming that he was a disciple of Jesus, wanting to know if what he said was true. And as the Lord is wont to do, he used the lowly to confound the wise. ‘The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.’ (John 9:30-31) Ah mih people, I don’t understand why it’s still so hard to accept Jesus after all He’s done, from the time of His birth, two thousand years ago, till now? There are so many examples that justify He is who He says He is, but yet we still refuse to accept Him. And even worse, some who claim to accept Him, only do so half-heartedly; they still put most of their trust and faith in the world, the things and people thereof. Oh Friends, there’s a reason why Peter quoted portions of Psalms 34 and 37 in his speech on the behaviour of wives and husbands. ‘For he that will LOVE life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile (deceit). Let him eschew (turn away from) evil, and do good; let him seek peace and ensue (pursue) it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.’ (1 Pet.3:10-12) My brethren, I implore us to renew our faith and trust in Almighty God today, so that it will go well with our families, our nations, our world and us. Much LOVE!…only as our eyes are steadfastly focused on God…will our lives be steadfast and secure…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 February 2012 1 Kings 13:9
07 Feb 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: first king of israel, glory hallelujah, heavens earth, king jeroboam, king josiah, prophet of judah
1 Kings 13:9. For so it was charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, not turn again by the same way that thou camest.
Oh Friends, another beautiful day is dawning with plenty blessings and mercies in store for those who LOVE, serve and worship the Most High God Jehovah! And all God’s people gave a resounding, unified shout of thanks and gratitude: ‘Glory Hallelujah! All praise and glory be to thee oh Lord, Creator and Controller of the heavens, earth and all therein!’ Yes mih people, it’s only right and proper to give thanks to the One who created us and still looks after all our earthly needs. But in order to get all those blessings and mercies, we need to be ever obedient to God’s will. If it’s one thing the Lord doesn’t take lightly it is disobedience. Yuh see what happened to Saul, the first king of Israel when he usurped the priest’s authority by offering burnt offerings? He lost the kingdom. The Lord anointed Bruh David as king instead. Today’s Bit Friends, highlights another such story of disobedience. King Jeroboam was doing evil in the Lord’s sight, worshipping at high places and altars to Baal in Bethel. But this fateful day, a prophet of Judah accosted Jeroboam at the altar and warned him of the Lord’s displeasure at his perfidy. The prophet prophesied of King Josiah’s birth, who would clean up Israel’s idol worship, and gave Jeroboam a sign that the altar would be torn apart and the ashes poured out. (1 Kin.13:2-3) Soon after that, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar ordering his guards to arrest the prophet. But lo and behold, ‘his hand which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar was also rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.’ (1 Kin.13:4-5) Jeroboam was obviously dismayed and said to the prophet: ‘Entreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored (to) him again, and became as it was before.’ (1 Kin.13:6) Yes Friends, therein lies the omnipotence of our God! There is indeed no other like Him, so I’d strongly suggest that we pay very close attention to His dictates. Once his hand was restored, Jeroboam invited the man to come home with him to dine and be rewarded. But the prophet declined, invoking our Bit: ‘For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.’ So the man went home by another route. But Friends, when the enemy sets out to get us, or the Lord decides to test us, it’s with an intensity we can only resist with and through the veritable strength of the Lord and His Word. Now in Bethel there lived an old prophet who heard about the other prophet’s doing from his sons. So he saddled his donkey and went after him. He found him sitting under an oak tree and invited him back to his house for refreshment. Quite properly the younger man refused, once again invoking our Bit. The older man then said: ‘I am a prophet also as thou art, and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied to him.’ (1 Kin.13:18) So the young man went back with the old prophet and ate and drank with him. However, in the midst of the meal, the Lord appeared unto the older man: ‘And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre (your corpse shall not come to the tomb) of thy fathers.’ (1 Kin.13:21-22) Ah Friends, when we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place, the only sensible thing to do is follow the Lord’s directive regardless of what anybody else tells us. After eating and drinking, the young man went out again: ‘And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him; and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.’ (1 Kin.13:24) Eventually the older man heard about it and said: ‘It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him,’ (1 Kin.13:26) Finally, the older prophet went out looking for the young, ‘and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.’ (1 Kin.13:28) Yes Friends, a live lion standing idly beside a dead man and a live donkey, could only be the work of our God. Oh my brethren, please believe that whatever our God says will come to pass. We have so many examples of it, that our current ungodly behaviour and disobedience just boggles the mind! How can we be so foolish eh? I beg of us today to inspect our hearts and souls and see if we’re disobeying the Lord’s directives in any way, and to please, please, rectify it before it’s too late, cause it’s the only wise course available. Much LOVE!…he who doesn’t hear…who disobeys…shall certainly feel…shall certainly pay a hefty price…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 February 2012 Ecclesiastes 10:6
06 Feb 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: humble servants
Ecclesiastes 10:6. Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
Oh my wonderful associates in the body of Christ, unfortunately I’m the bearer of bad tidings. I’m here to tell you that it’s Monday morning. That means you have to get up and face the music; once again go out and slave for massa for another few pennies this week. Please don’t harm the messenger. (smile) Yes Friends, sadly, it is Monday and I decided to try the soft soap approach to day rather than the regimental sergeant-major style of bluster and bluff. I doubt it will work any better though, because we’ve become such a lazy, ‘unindustrious’ comfort-stricken society that unless we’re forcefully prodded, like sheep, we find it extremely difficult to get up off of our over-padded fannies and be productive of our own accord. Anyway, the important thing is that Jesus is calling us out to do battle on His behalf, so please let’s get a move on for the enemy’s already forming ranks. And to help unleash the necessary flow of adrenaline and faith, let’s ardently sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. In loud unison 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!’ Ah mih people, it’s not easy following Jesus when this evil, ungodly world holds Him in such contempt and ridicule, and thus His followers too, but let’s be brave, be wise, and realize that the battle is the Lord’s not ours. Whatever evil the iniquity workers set to come against us, if we stand steadfast in faith, the Lord will turn it around for our good. That’s the basic story behind our Bit: ‘Folly is set in great dignity (exalted positions), and the rich sit in low (a lowly) place.’ And isn’t that so often the truth, as we can see by the recent undoing of so many foolish, arrogant leaders – and there are yet many more to fall. The verses immediately before and after our Bit subtly declare: ‘There is an evil which I have seen under the sun as an error which proceedeth from the ruler…I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth (ground).’ (Eccl.10:5,7) Yes Friends, it happens all the time. The scholars aptly describe it as; ‘Many unnatural reversals are the experience of life.’ And isn’t that the sad truth. When we set ourselves up as something or someone we’re not, and don’t deal righteously with our fellow man, we almost always end up paying a substantial price. One of the best examples of our Bit in the Good Book is the story of Haman in the Book of Esther. During the days of the Jewish captivity in Babylon, Mordecai, Queen Esther’s uncle, discovered a plot to kill the king and the plotters were subsequently hanged. Now ‘After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman…and advanced him, and set his seat (rank) above all the princes that were with him…but Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.’ (Esth.3:1-2) Right there Friends the problem arose: Haman was elevated to a status that he was not competent to fill because of his pride and arrogance, and when everybody but Mordecai bowed to him, he got annoyed and devised a plot to destroy Mordecai and all his fellow Jews. However he did not know that Queen Esther was also Jewish, because she’d kept her true background secret. And as the Preacher so wisely states: ‘He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh (breaks through) a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.’ (Eccl.10:8) And that’s exactly what happened to Haman. In this case the plot to destroy the Jews backfired, and they ended up getting the upper hand. Moreover the gallows he presumptuously built to hang Mordecai, turned out to be his. ‘So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified (subsided).’ (Esth.7:10) They eventually hanged Haman’s ten sons too. (Esth.9:14) As the old people would say; turn about is certainly fair play! Oh my brethren, that’s what is possible when we fervently serve and worship the Lord God Jehovah. Though others are out to harm us, He turns it into success for His children. If you don’t know the full story of Haman, please read it in the Book of Esther, And I further implore us to learn well from it, for it is very relevant to today’s society, where greed, arrogance, pride, lack of trust and integrity rule the roost. Let those things not be numbered amongst the traits of God’s people. Much LOVE!…it all comes right back to the basic tenet of God’s law…what you sow…you will eventually reap…and oftimes in greater quantity…so be careful what you sow…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 February 2012 Matthew 26:41
05 Feb 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: almighty god, amazing god, christian fraternity, face of god, principles of christianity, stages of faith
Matthew 26:41. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.
Oh my people, it’s another wonderful day on the face of God’s beautiful earth, filled with bountiful mercies and blessings! Please give Him some thanks and praise for that! And what do we have planned for this wonderful day? It’s Sunday, so I surely hope that fellowship is in the offing for those who celebrate the Sabbath on Sundays. And for those who don’t, I’m taking it for granted that you’ve already fellowshipped on whatever day you celebrate your Sabbath. Don’t make me a liar now. (smile) Oh Friends, it’s so important for us to get together to praise and worship our amazing God because constant interaction with the enemy during the week tends to wear us down, and drain our faith. So at least once a week we need something to rejuvenate us, and there’s nothing like godly fellowship to strengthen and rebuild our trust in Almighty God. One of the principles of Christianity is that we encourage and build each other’s faith, but sadly I don’t think we do it sufficiently. It seems like we’re more intent on following the ways of the world and breaking down our brethren for any perceived wrongs, instead of trying to help them right the wrongs and stand strong in faith. But Friends, this is indeed a foolish and short-sighted behaviour, since the Christian fraternity is like a chain, where the weakest link will always be the first one attacked by the enemy, and if that link isn’t properly shored up and strengthened, then the whole chain will break apart, regardless of how strong the other links are. That’s why Bruh Paul warned the Thessalonians: ‘Wherefore comfort yourselves together (encourage each other), and edify (build up) one another, even as also ye do (are doing).’ (1 Thess.5:11) We’re not all at the same levels or stages of faith, which means that some are stronger than others and can withstand more temptation than others, but if we work together as one, helping and encouraging each other, as we’re supposed to, then the weaker links will be protected from the enemy and over time will grow stronger, as will the body of Christ, His Church. Please note that this is not a one and done occurrence, but must be a regular, constant and ongoing procedure until Christ comes back to claim His kingdom and clean up things. That’s because there will always be weak and weaker links as new believers come to Christ, and they will need their faith strengthened through encouragement and support from other believers. No wonder Jesus reprimanded his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane when He found them sleeping, while He was struggling to come to terms with His upcoming crucifixion. ‘What, could ye not watch with me one hour?’(Matt.26:40) In the true Spirit of Christ, they should have also been up and praying, trying to comfort and encourage Him in His time of difficulty. Consequently, He warned them in our Bit: ‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ And that’s the living truth Friends! Our flesh is so weak that it’s become a great liability, especially in these times of overwhelming glitter and glitz, and so often brings us such disastrous results that we swear to never live by it again. But unfortunately we do. That’s why we need to seriously adopt Bruh Paul’s advice to the Galatians: ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.’ (Gal.5:16-17) Yes Friends, our sinful human flesh and the Holy Spirit are on absolutely different wavelengths, they have contrary desires and yearnings, therefore never the twain shall meet, they shall always be adversaries. As the scholars describe it: ‘The Christian then is a battlefield, having desires to do good and evil. The outcome is that ye cannot do the things that ye would: the flesh seeks to thwart the Spirit who, in turn, attempts to frustrate the flesh’s evil desires.’ That we all know from hard experience my brethren is the gospel truth! So how do we eradicate, or at least alleviate this contrariness in our souls eh? By doing exactly what Jesus advises; watch and pray. We have to be exceedingly careful in these evil, ungodly times as to what’s happening in and around us, because there are so many wonderful looking and appetizing threats to our righteousness that we can easily get ‘confuffled’ and go the way of the flesh. Obviously we don’t want to do that too often, so we also have to stand steadfast in prayer, asking God for help to overcome the temptations that come against us. It’s no use asking Him not to send temptations, because they will come regardless. If Satan tempted Jesus, then who are we to escape it? So the best we can hope for is to not succumb to them. And we’ll conclude with Bruh Paul’s wisdom to the Corinthians on the topic. ‘Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor.10:12-13) And that He certainly will do! Oh Friends, let’s sincerely promise ourselves for this year of 2012, that we’ll upgrade our level of trust and belief, by diligently watching and praying and thus staying out of temptation, as well as helping and encouraging each other, for those are the basic dictates of our faith. Much LOVE!…believers must always be on the lookout…for the wily devil that’s the tempter…and endeavour not to let him in to our inner sanctums…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 February 2012 Psalm 29:11
04 Feb 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: decent health, glorious world, prayer of thanks, psalm 29, wise plans, wonderful god
Psalm 29:11. The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.
Oh Friends, it’s a new day, and we’re still alive and kicking! Wow! The breath of life God breathed into us so long ago still sustains us. And to make it even better, most of us have decent health, homes, and children, plus sufficient food, clothes and many other blessings. We lack for nothing essential. Therefore, to show that we’re truly grateful and thankful for all the good things we have, let’s take a moment and offer our wonderful God a prayer of thanks nuh. ‘Oh Father in heaven, You are so LOVING, kind, merciful and forgiving of Your earthly children, although we don’t deserve most of Your blessings. We know that You LOVE us unconditionally because You sent Your only Son, Jesus to die on the cross, to sacrifice His precious, sinless blood in atonement for our terrible wrongs, so that we could be reunited with You. For that we thank and praise You much more than words can ever say, and ask that You allow Your Holy Spirit to continue working in us, leading and guiding us in the direction You want us to go. Please keep on blessing us Father, and also bless those unfortunate ones who don’t have as much as us. Please give them more, while helping us to bless them from what You give us. And for the many that are being unfairly persecuted around the world in Your Name, we humbly ask that You give them the strength and faith to withstand that unfair persecution, and if it falls within your wise plans, please alleviate their suffering. We faithfully promise to LOVE You as we should, to LIVE our Faith with enthusiasm and steadfastness, and to SPREAD Your Word all over Your glorious world. All this we pray on the precious shed blood of Your Son, and our Saviour Jesus. Amen.’ Yes mih people, we are indeed a blessed lot! I sure hope we realize it and are eternally grateful. But that is what happens when we diligently seek, serve and worship the Lord God Jehovah! Our Bit declares that with utmost certainty: ‘The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.’ The Good Book doesn’t lie because it’s the Word of God, who cannot lie. And today we’ll continue looking at some scriptures that reinforce those reassuring words of our Bit, starting with a declaration of Bruh David. Now Friends, please don’t think that I orchestrated this, for though I am biased towards Bruh David and his writings, (smile) they are so widespread that you can find a commentary of his on almost any topic. This particular scripture comes from Psalm 68; God has gone before his people. And it confidently declares: ‘Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds. O God, thou art terrible (awesome) out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.’ (Ps.68:34-35) Oh my brethren, true believers certainly can’t argue with or dispute those sentiments! Turning now to Psalm 107, titled God’s wonderful works to the children of men. Here, the psalmist most assuredly proclaims: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps.107:8-9) There again Friends, that’s just gospel truth! And finally, for the piece de resistance; the scripture which most of us know and quote, but don’t seem to actually let it lift our hearts and spirits. It comes from Isaiah Chapter 40; headed; Comfort through trust in God. A true and most fitting heading! Now let’s listen to the these wonderful words of inspiration and allow them to lift our hearts and souls, brighten our lives, and give lots of thanks for the day Christ redeemed our sinful souls; the greatest day in mankind’s history. Oh my people, ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is.40:28-31) That says it all Friends! Now I only have to wish us peace, health, happiness and Much LOVE!…it doesn’t make sense to believe in a God…who cannot, strengthen, empower and lift you up…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 February 2012 Psalm 29:11
03 Feb 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: glorious kingdom, jesus name, kingdom of god, lord god, psalm 29, way to mars
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, it’s Friday! Thank God it’s Friday! At last the weekend’s come and the week of drudgery and slaving for massa for two measly pennies is almost done. Thank the Lord! Yes Friends, it often feels like the week will never finish, what with fighting the traffic two ways everyday, and fighting with all sorts of people otherwise. Then comes Friday, and our spirits soar like a rocket on it’s fiery way to Mars or some extra terrestrial destination. (smile) But a word of caution is necessary here, for the weekend is not supposed to be only for fun and games, some serious stuff still has to go on if the kingdom is to be kept alert and safe. And to remind us of that, let’s chant our Friday Chant, with as much, if not more verve than we did ‘Thank God, it’s Friday!’ As one voice now: ‘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.’ That brings us to our Bit: ‘The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.’ Oh my brethren, those are words of undeniable and infallible truth! The Lord God Jehovah does indeed strengthen His people and also blesses them with peace. Why do you think our world is in such turmoil eh? Because the majority of its inhabitants are not in partnership with God, they’re not His people. They are Beelzebub’s people, for they worship, idolize and greedily seek after the things of this world, rather than the things of heaven. Remember Jesus’ warning on that topic? ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) It’s only logical Friends, that if we’re in partnership with the Creator of the universe, the great Provider, Protector and the most powerful Being there is, that strength, LOVE, peace and prosperity will govern our lives. If we’re in cahoots with some lesser light, like Lucifer, then what do you expect but strife and turmoil, hatred and anger, greed and envy, and all sorts of backbiting, with feeding frenzies like piranhas let loose. Obviously those involved with the Most High God Jehovah do not behave in such negative fashion. That’s the beauty of harnessing your wagon to God’s powerful and peaceful engine! Now let’s hear some scriptures that corroborate our Bit, beginning of course with words of Bruh David, (smile) from Psalm 28; a prayer for God’s help: ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed (Messiah, commissioned one.’ (Ps.28:7-8) If anybody knew about God’s strengths and mercies, it was certainly Bruh David. Meanwhile, the teary eyed prophet, Jeremiah, in spite of his tears, was able to confidently declare in the Lord’s name: ‘For I have satiated (satisfied) the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul. Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.’ (Jer.31:25-26) Both Bruh David and Jeremiah knew without a doubt that their bread was buttered on the Lord’s side, so they had no problems in serving and worshipping Him. I only wish that the majority of earth’s inhabitants were as sure my Friends. And we’ll end fittingly with the words of the greatest of men, Jesus, who though He was God incarnate, still bowed and was obedient to His heavenly Father in all things while He sojourned here on earth. And these words are taken from His most famous sermon, that on the Mount: ‘Blessed are they which do thirst and hunger after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt.5:6) What more can we ask of our God eh Friends? If we seek after Him and His kingdom, we will want for nothing. So let’s be wise and sincerely, actively and diligently do that nuh. More on this tomorrow, if we’re still alive and kicking. Much LOVE!…to seek…to strive…but never to faint or give up…in Jesus name…Amen!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 February 2012 Job 33:15-16
02 Feb 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: deep sleep, glory hallelujah, heavy on my mind, preposterous idea, utter amazement, vision of the night
Job 33:15-16. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction.
Oh Friends, I guess I went to bed yesterday morning with the thought of God’s people coming together heavy on my mind. Consequently, I believe I dreamed that it happened. Now I’m not a hundred percent sure, but yuh know when you have those feelings that something significant happened in your dreams, but you’re not really sure exactly what took place. Well that’s the feeling I experienced when I got up. At first I thought it might be the enemy filling my mind with what seems like a pipe dream, given the truly disappointing witness today amongst God’s people. What with the great disparity between churches, the venomous dissension and total disrespect for each other currently being exhibited. But then I realized that Lucifer wouldn’t even want me to think such traitorous thoughts, much less put them on paper and spread them around the world. So the idea had to come from Almighty God. That lifted my sprits considerably, and caused me to continue with the dream. Wow! I excitedly thought. What a wondrous moment, what a wondrous miracle that would be if all God’s people actually came together to work for the good of His kingdom! It would surely be something to shout from the rooftops to all the world: ‘God’s people are coming together! God’s people are coming together! Glory Hallelujah!’ You’d hear millions of people just crying that out in utter amazement, faith and joy. And all of a sudden, the pace of kingdom building would just miraculously pick up. Now Friends, I know to some of us, God’s people seriously coming together really sounds like a pipe dream, a thoroughly preposterous idea, given the way we’re living at the moment, but is it really such a huge undertaking? I don’t think so. Not if we all got seriously interested, put aside our selfish, petty desires, and began diligently working at it. If Lucifer’s cronies can come together to further the cause of evil, why can’t God’s children do the same to further His purpose of peace and LOVE eh? I think Beelzebub would take a fit, have a veritable heart attack if that was to happen. And our God would certainly bend over backwards to help us make that awesome dream of His come true, where he doesn’t even lose one of His children to the enemy. What a day of rejoicing that would be in both heaven and on earth! The rafters of the world would certainly shake with the deafening, thundering roar of praise and worship that would ensue! Wow Friends! What power there is in our dreams! That’s why our Bit and the verses around it are so important. It’s Job’s supposed friend Elihu reasoning with him. ‘For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction. That he may withdraw man from his purpose (turn man from his deed), and hide pride from man.’ (Job 33:14-17) Yes Friends, many times it’s in our deepest sleep that our God connects with us and puts His desires in our hearts. Hear what He said when Miriam and Aaron complained against Moses: ‘Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.’ (Num.12:6) That was way back then when the Holy Spirit was not entrenched in all believers, but with the coming of Christ things changed somewhat, and now all believers have the Holy Spirit living in them. And what’s the purpose of the Holy Spirit? To lead and guide God’s children. That means nowadays He speaks to each of us individually, not only prophets, which by the way I am not. (smile) So please my brethren, I beg of us, let’s keep dreaming that dream nuh, that marvellous dream where all God’s people finally come together and chase Lucifer to Hades by his lonesome self, where he belongs. Thus allowing the wonder of God’s kingdom to envelop the whole earth, and the wonder of His majesty to fill the universe with His glory. I know that if we keep dreaming it in sincere faith, and doing our best to make it happen, then not only simple logic, but also God’s great promise will eventually cause it to happen. So Friends, in this year of 2012, one of such positive and tremendous promise, let’s all say like Martin Luther King, ‘I have a dream; a dream of God’s people coming together and making a monumental difference.’ If we sincerely believe that and work towards it, it will surely happen. Remember God’s promise, that whatever we ask for in faith and then see through the eyes of faith, He will grant. Much LOVE!…the LOVE train carrying the LOVE Revolution…is getting longer and longer…with each passing day…Oh give praise and thanks to Almighty God!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 February 2012 2 Corinthians 13:11
01 Feb 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: 2 corinthians 13, benediction, commercial money, mark 6, money cause, valentine s day
2 Corinthians 13:11. Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of LOVE and peace shall be with you.
Oh Friends, it’s February, imagine that nuh! The first month of 2012 has certainly passed rather quickly, and I sure hope that you’ve paid off your Christmas debts, because the greedy commercial money making machine is about to start on us with the Valentine’s Day spiel. Ah Lord eh! There’s always something every few weeks to try and relieve us of the funds we don’t have, thus we end up constantly in debt. And I guess that’s good for the ones who hold our debt, but definitely not for us, the debtors. Anyway people, as believers we have to be wise and be good stewards with God’s money, cause it’s not really ours, we’re just here on earth to manage it for a short time in His name. So please, let’s be prudent and try to pay down our considerable debt this year. Every so often we do need to buy gifts, but don’t allow the world to browbeat us into buying what we cannot afford. And if someone feels slighted that we didn’t buy them gifts, especially if they know of our reduced circumstances, then simply pass on them. Like Jesus said: ‘shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them.’ (Mark 6:11) For they don’t really care about your well-being, just what you can give them. And the sad part is that if we would live like our Bit says, we wouldn’t have these selfish and petty confrontations or disagreements. ‘Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect (complete), be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of LOVE and peace shall be with you.’ Now Bruh Paul wrote our Bit as a conclusion and benediction to his second letter to the Corinthians, but believers today would be wise to use it as our opening parameters rather than closing ones. Instead of saying finally, we should possibly say: ‘Greetings, brethren. Here’s how we ought to live: First and foremost be perfect…’ then go on and name the other parts that he highlights. Oh Friends, if we lived just one iota of the way Bruh Paul specifies here, life on this troubled and directionless planet would be so great. As Bruh Paul said to the Romans: ‘Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not (do not set your mind on) high things, but condescend to men of low estate (associate with the humble). Be not wise in your own conceits (estimation). Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest (have regard for good things) in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men.’ (Rom.12:14-18) That Friends, in a nutshell, is how we ought to live here on earth: in peace, harmony, LOVE and understanding with each other. For if we are one body in and of Christ, then all the parts of that body should be treated with respect and honour, working together for Christ’s good, not the tearing apart and destruction, the strife and selfishness that’s actually taking place in Christ’s church today. Oh my people, we all know that living for Jesus is not easy in this sinful, ungodly world, but we also ought to know that if we sincerely turn to Him and stick steadfastly with Him, He will enable us to live a life that’s pleasing to Him. We just need to build up our faith and stay the course, even when trials and tribulations want to knock us down. Don’t despair, Jesus promised that He’ll never leave or forsake us, and if you believe His promise, then He will faithfully keep it. The problem is that we need to rise above the ordinary world and all the distractions that it brings. Our focus should constantly be on Jesus, through prayer, through reading and meditating on His Word, then putting it into practice through helping, building up and encouraging each other, rather than tearing down and demoralizing, as we tend to do. Oh Friends, without us being of the same basic mind set and travelling in the same general direction – towards Jesus – we can never be unified and thus do a good job in Jesus’ name. That’s because for any organization to be successful, the builders must have the same basic principles and be going along the same basic paths. Therefore, I’m imploring us today, to start setting our sights on unity within Christ’s church, for that’s the only way it will survive and eventually grow. It’s simple common sense Friends, as Jesus so wisely pointed out: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.’ (Matt.12:25) So if we’re serious about furthering God’s kingdom, let’s begin by uniting, making peace amongst all the different parts of the church, living in LOVE and contentment, helping and encouraging each other, so that the God of LOVE and peace will be with us. So till next time, my people, as Bruh Paul said to the Ephesians: ‘Peace be to the brethren, and LOVE with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that LOVE our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.’ (Eph.6:23-24) Much LOVE!…only as believers sincerely and diligently work towards unity…will Christ’s church stand strong and evolve…
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