1 John 4:8. He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.
Oh Friends, please rise and greet another new and glorious day! There’s never been one quite like it before, and there’ll never be another quite like it again! That just shows the power, the skill and the craftsmanship of our mighty and wonderful God Jehovah. And the same way He crafts days that seem alike, but yet are different, in that same manner He crafts humans that may look alike, but each and every one has his or her own distinctive peculiarities; like how no two fingerprints are the same. What does that say about our God, besides His ingenuity eh? It says that He also likes diversity. That’s why there are so many different looking, speaking and thinking humans in the world. The same goes for the flora and fauna He created. But Friends, there’s one thing that’s inherent in all of God’s creations; that’s LOVE! His LOVE for all that He created, though not necessarily the other way around. However, to know God, we must know LOVE. As our Bit so rightly declares: ‘He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.’ And that’s the awesome truth my Friends! And how has that great LOVE of God been most amazingly and brilliantly shown? ‘In this was manifested the LOVE of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.’ (1 John 4:9) Yes my people, God proved His great LOVE for us by sending His sinless Son, Jesus to die, so that we might live! Wow! What a magnificent and caring Deity! And all God’s people gave Him a shout of thanks and praise for that marvellous gift of grace! But folks, the great thing about our God is that He’s not only a God of LOVE; a one dimension God, but also exhibits several other wonderful characteristics, included in which are holiness and justice, which need to be understood in relation to all the others. Now hear a scholarly explanation: ‘The nature of God is His “essence” or His “substance.” God’s nature includes all that He is that makes Him uniquely God. Any complete definition of God’s nature should include the following seven aspects: Spirit, person, life, self-existence, unchangeableness, infinitude, and unity. (See John 4:24 for a definition of God.) Without these things, God would not be God. Illustration: Because God is so difficult to comprehend, Jesus became a man revealing the essence of the Father and proclaiming truth concerning God. (John 1:14,18) As we read the gospel accounts of the ministry of Christ, it becomes easier for us to understand what God is like. Application: The first commandment of the law requires that we LOVE and worship God as He truly is, implying we should study the nature of God. (Ex.20:3; Matt.22:37-38) (First Reference, Gen.1:2; Primary Reference, 1 John 4:8; cf. John 4:24) And since I know that some of us are too lazy to look up the scripture references, I’ll spoil us (smile) by quoting a couple of them. Genesis 1:2 says: ‘And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon (was hovering over) the face of the waters.’ We already have 1 John 4:8, which is our Bit. And in John 4:24, Jesus tells us some important things about God: ‘God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.’ Oh Friends, I didn’t plan on including this next scholarly explanation, but it sort of explains some of the attributes they talk about above. ‘John gives three descriptions of God. He is Spirit (John 4:24), LOVE (1 John 4:8), and Light (1 John 1:5). God is a spiritual being who is invisible and without a body; He is a divine person who reveals Himself in perfect intellect, emotion and will; He is the source and personification of all material and spiritual life; He is self-existent; He is eternal in relationship to time; He is unlimited in relationship to the immensity of space; He is immutable (unchanging) in His nature; He is the unity of all existence; and He is consistent in His being – that is, He corresponds in actual fact to His nature and attributes as they are revealed to us.’ But Friends, here is an important distinction I want us to understand re LOVE and God. In the verse before our Bit, John declares: ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God.’ (1 John 4:7) However mih breddren, not everybody that LOVES is naturally of God, or even knows Him. The scholars explain it better than I can. ‘John returns to the theme of mutual LOVE. Perhaps the false teaching he felt compelled to combat had contributed to suspicion and contention in the fellowship. In context, John is not saying that everyone who LOVES is somehow a Christian, whether they trust in Christ or not. He makes it clear elsewhere that true knowledge of God entails right belief about Christ, as well as right response to God, including LOVE of others. Mere human LOVE apart from Christ’s redeeming presence and motivation falls short of LOVE in its fullest dimension as a human response to God’s perfect and infinite compassion. (cf. 1 Cor.13)’ That’s the LOVE Chapter people! So Friends, unless our LOVE is seated, is deeply rooted in the person of Jesus Christ, it falls short of the LOVE that God engenders. Thus it is certainly good to LOVE others without reference to God, but LOVE only reaches its highest point, its pinnacle, its true focus when Christ is involved. And hopefully, with all that scholarly knowledge under our belts, our passion and understanding is lifted, and we now can do a better job of bringing others to Christ, as we have been commissioned to do. Much LOVE!…to LOVE is good…but it’s not truly wonderful or true…unless it includes God…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 June 2012 1John 4:8
10 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: a new day, dimensions of God, distinctive peculiarities, diversity, God is LOVE, God's craftmanship, jehovah god, LOVE, manterial vs spiritual life, only begotten Son, substance or essence of God, thanks and praise
Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 June 2012 1 John 4:10
09 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: a new day, attain heaven's bliss, burning passion for Jesus, death and damnation, gift of God, God's grace, not works, propitiation for our sins, saved through faith, unconditional LOVE, wages of sin
1 John 4:10. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 June 2012 Psalm 39:7
07 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: God's righteous kingdom, hope, hope against hope, hope for the righteous, Hope in Jesus, my glory rejoices, my heart is glad, penitent heart, prisoners of hope, Psalm 37, self-understanding, wait for the Lord, wellspring of hope
Psalm 39:7. And now Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.
Oh Friends, it’s a new day, and I’m expecting new blessings and mercies, even though some things still remain the same; like my aching jaw and acting up allergies, something they haven’t done in a long while. However, I know that good things are going to happen today, and enough of them to cover and saturate the bad ones. Why is that eh? Because deep down in my spirit I have HOPE; HOPE in the Lord Jesus Christ. As our Bit from Bruh David’s prayer for self-understanding says: ‘And now Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.’ Yuh know, for the last couple days, after reading or hearing that scripture somewhere, it’s been playing in my mind, and even more so today as I came to write the Bit. That told me the Lord wanted us to bathe in His HOPE today, to resuscitate the springs of hope in our mortal lives, which seem to be running low, so that we can stand strong and go forward bravely, building His righteous kingdom. So here goes; as many scriptures on HOPE, as we can fit in to the space we have available. And first up are words from Psalm 16; Bruh David’s Michtam (Contemplation) on preservation and blessing: ‘I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.’ (Ps.16:8-9) Now here are some more wise words from Bruh David, who wrote the book on Hope, from Psalm 38, the prayer of a penitent heart. When all his enemies were ganging up against him, he solemnly declares: ‘But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs (responses). For in thee, (I wait for thee) O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear (answer), O Lord, my God.’ (Ps.38:13-15) Now that’s what I call hope Friends! How many of us can sit quietly while others are bashing us, saying all sorts of nasty, untrue things about us, and we just sit quietly and wait for the Lord our God to hear and respond on our behalf? Not very many. But that’s how we ought to be. And turning to Cousin Sol: He simply declares: ‘The wicked is driven away by his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope (refuge) in his death.’ And that’s an indisputable fact my brethren! We know where we’re going when these mortal bodies bite the dust. Heaven, with Jesus! Therefore we have great hope here on earth! Yes Friends, the righteous, those that walk under the protective wings of Jehovah God are fuelled by hope in His everlasting promises and His great mercies. And the Preacher states his theory of hope thus: ‘For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.’ (Eccl.9:4) I guess that can be roughly translated by our saying that while there’s life there is hope, which is an undeniable fact my people. Now hear Jeremiah, re the blessedness of trusting the Lord: ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is, for he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer.17:7-8) Oh Friends, truer words were never spoken! How much more hope and encouragement do we need to believe in the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob eh? And here’s a scripture I like, but don’t hear too often. Zechariah declares on behalf of Zion’s future king: ‘Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’ (Zech.9:12) Oh mih breddren, that term ‘prisoners of hope’ should be applicable to all followers of Christ, because hope is such an integral part of our Christian walk, and without it, we’d just die a dog’s death! But because there’s such a thing as hope, that our forefather Abraham embraced so wholeheartedly: ‘Who against (contrary) to hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.’ (Rom.4:18) Yes Friends, without a deep-seated hope and faith in God, where would Abraham be, in fact where would we all be today? He believed, trusted and hoped in God’s promise enough to walk as God desired. How many of us can truthfully make that statement today eh? Obviously not sufficient, otherwise our world wouldn’t be in such a mess. And Bruh Paul, re the service of LOVE to all, talks to the Romans about; ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation, continuing instant (steadfast) in prayer.’ (Rom.12:12) And we’ll conclude with this memorable scripture from Bruh Paul: ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then we do with patience (perseverance) (eagerly) wait for it.’ That’s gospel truth Friends! So regardless of what ever is currently happening in our lives, or around the world, let’s not lose sight of the enormous importance of HOPE in a believer’s life. And just to keep us focused, we’ll reiterate the immortal words of our Bit: ‘And now Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.’ Words of truth and strength mih people! Much LOVE!…to hope…to hope…and yet to hope…that is the Christian’s strength…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 June 2012 Proverbs 16:20
06 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: acceptance, bear burdens, blessed, comapssion and mercy, divine intervention, fidelity, happiness, healing presence, labour of LOVE, overcome challenges, peace, suffering, trust in the Lord, wisdom
Proverbs 16:20. He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.
Oh Friends, it’s just one of those days: Yesterday, while in-ground sprinklers were being installed in my yard, they apparently cut the phone line. So now I have no main phone or Internet because the two go together. Then to make matters worse, I have a tooth that needs root canal work that’s giving me a dull, throbbing toothache and headache, and I’m also fasting for a blood test that I should have taken a couple months ago. I don’t do fasting very well, that’s why it’s taken so long, and my allergies are acting up as I try to write the Bit manually, while waiting for Bell to come and fix the phone line sometime after lunch, between 12 and 5. You never get a shorter window. So you can see that the ole fella’s not in the best frame of mind. However, because we are true and strong believers in Jesus Christ, we know that He will give us the grace to handle it wisely. But nonetheless, here’s an appropriate prayer for the situation, taken from the Devotional, A Journey of LOVE; Walking with St.Therese of Lisieux: ‘My LOVING God, you have shown me by your life that suffering comes with the human condition. While I do not seek out suffering, I do need your healing presence to bear its burdens. Help me to experience your compassion and mercy toward me and to walk your path of fidelity, acceptance and peace. I make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.’ Yeh mih people, for some reason our lot on earth comes with suffering. But with Jesus on our side, we shall do well and overcome any challenges that come our way. And our Bit confidently assures us of that. ‘He that handleth a matter wisely (wisely heeds the Word) shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.’ Oh Friends, there’s absolutely no doubt about either of those statements! If we handle our affairs according to the Word of God, we will indeed find good, be blessed through divine intervention, because God has promised peace, LOVE, joy and prosperity to all who acquiesce to His holy will. ‘For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of LOVE, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.’ (Heb.6:10) Yes my brethren, our God is a great rewarder of those who serve Him faithfully, who aspire to live by His Word. And Jesus promised, in no uncertain terms, that when we are persecuted for His name’s sake, we should stand strong in faith. ‘Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt.5:12) And there’s no doubt either that those who sincerely trust in the Lord will be happy. Nobody knew that better than Bruh David, as he proudly proclaims: ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing.’ (Ps.34:8-10) And if Bruh David says it’s so, then Friends, we know for sure that it is so, because he’s talking from personal experience. Now hear this warning from the psalmist, on why do the heathen rage: ‘Kiss the Son (an act of homage and submission), lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.’ (Ps.2:12) There you have both the good and the bad, my people. If you don’t revere the Son of man, then you can suffer in His wrath. But you’ll certainly be blessed if you put your trust in Him. It couldn’t be any clearer Friends. Now let’s end with some more encouraging words from Bruh David: ‘But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest (protecteth) them: let them also that LOVE thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass (surround) him as with a shield.’ (Ps.5:11-12) And that’s the gospel truth Friends, as any of us who have walked with God for any length of time know. And He’s just done it for me, sending a Bell technician long before the appointed time to fix my phone and Internet problem. So please, let’s continue our godly walk, so that others can see the blessings we receive, and also want to come to Christ as their Lord and Saviour. It’s what we are supposed to do, and there’s nothing better that can happen to a human’s life, especially in these troubled times. Much LOVE!…it’s high time for us buckle down and do our bounden duty…to truly LOVE our God…sincerely LIVE our Faith…and diligently SPREAD His Word…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 June 2012 Psalm 119:148
05 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: complacency, exciting life, homelessness, hunger and thirst for God, joblessness, meditate on thy word, moving from weakness to strength, negative tensions, poverty, standing on God's promises
Psalm 119:148. Mine eyes prevent (are awake through) the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.
Oh Friends, it’s a new day, and sadly I have to find a new Bit to write on! It seems strange though, since I haven’t had to look for one for at least a week now. But as they say, all things must end, and I guess that will help to reduce any complacency that’s recently sneaked into my spirit by having it so easy. Anyway, let’s begin the day with an interesting prayer from Dr. Robert H Schuller’s Hour of Power Devotional. It’s titled, ‘I Will Move…’ and boldly declares, with heartfelt desire: ‘Lord, I want your heart to be in my heart. For in you I come alive, moving ahead from boring death to exciting life! In your promises, I will move from discouragement to hope. In your pardon, I will move from shame to glory. In your power, I will move from weakness to strength. In your providence, I will move from failure to success! Thank you Lord. Amen.’ Yes Friends, that’s the kind of prayer we need to send up to heaven, and I sure hope it spurs us on this morning to walk in the redeeming light of Christ. Now let’s turn to our Bit, which wasn’t so difficult to find, for I used the old adage, when in doubt, turn to the Psalms, (smile) and the Lord looked down on me with favour and guided me to these most appropriate words for these troubled times we live in. ‘Mine eyes prevent (are awake through) the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.’ Oh my people, if ever there was a time for us to fervently watch and pray, it’s definitely NOW! That’s because our world is steadily falling apart, being convulsed with negative tensions like anger, hate, strife, bitterness and resentment. Beelzebub has the upper hand right now, but to what purpose, for our world is reeling from man made economic distress. Thousands are losing jobs every day, while the homeless are also becoming more plentiful, and real poverty is spreading its ugly face all over the globe, when there is more than enough to go around. Hn! What a sad state of affairs eh! And we can thank our greedy group of elite people for these anomalies! I guess they’ll answer that charge by saying they’re only fulfilling their destiny, re the rich will get richer, while the poor will get poorer. Hogwash! Oh Friends, each human being is a creation of Almighty God, LOVINGLY made in His image, therefore, if we knock or belittle any of them, we’re doing the same to our God. That’s obviously not right, nor to anyone’s benefit. But we can only do what we can, and hope and pray that others will do the same, all in Jesus’ Name. Anyway, let’s look at a few scriptures that uphold the claims of our Bit; that agree we ought to be reading, meditating, hungering and thirsting for the Word and the Ways of our great and wonderful God. Hear these glorious words from Psalm 42, An intense longing for God: ‘As the hart panteth after (deer longs for) the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps.42:1-2) Then later on, the psalmist confidently declares: ‘Yet the Lord will command his LOVING-kindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.’ (Ps.42:8) Ah mih breddren, if there’s no longing in our souls, no hunger and thirst for God in them, then things are truly bad with us, and will continue to be bad until we become desperate and seek Him. Listen to Bruh David as he so eloquently talks of God satisfying the hungry and thirsting soul: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.’ (Ps.63:1) And what’s so good and interesting about hungering and thirsting for God is that it leads to this awesome state of satisfaction in learning His ways and obeying His Will. ‘My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.’ (Ps.63:5-7) Yes people, those are the wonderful things that happen to us when we concentrate on the eternal things of God and not on the temporary, temporal things of man! Our lives are substantially enriched, and not necessarily with money or earthly possessions, but with the more important intangibles like peace, LOVE, joy, wisdom, understanding, mercy and forgiveness; the wonderful attributes of our Holy God and Saviour Jesus Christ! And as we like to do whenever possible, let’s close with the definitive words on the subject from the world’s greatest teacher, Jesus: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt.5:6) And that’s no lie Friends! So please, let’s up the ante on our hunger and thirst for Christ nuh, because that’s the only avenue which will both keep us faithful and steadfast here on earth, but also ensure our eternal destiny! Much LOVE!…when we yearn for and seek Jesus…our souls are mightily strengthened…and all fear is successfully negated…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 June 2012 Acts 1:5
04 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: be filled with the Spirit, further your glorious kingdom, importance of the Spirit, invincible, led of the Spirit, sow to the Spirit, sure conquerors, walk in the Spirit
Acts 1:5. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday; back to labouring for massa’s crumbs! And don’t fool yuhself, if he has his way, we’ll soon be labouring for crumbs! But hopefully we’ve used the weekend wisely, so now we’re ready, set and able to go out into Lucifer’s cruel, evil world and give him heck. And to further boost our enthusiasm and strength of purpose, let’s proudly sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much gusto! All together 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!’ And now for the last time, (smile) let’s turn to our wonderful Bit; prophetically promised by Christ, then so amazingly fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost, and since then, down through the ages, in each new believer, in so many different ways. ‘For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ And in Bruh Paul’s case, none more mysterious and miraculous, who, after being a serious persecutor of the early Christians, through the intervention of Christ’s Spirit, became the most famous, zealous and expert authority on the subject. Though, as the scholars point out, he was commissioned to work in Christ’s name by a God-appointed disciple, Ananias (Acts 9:15-17), by contrast, his apostolic authority did come directly from Christ, not by succession through one of the apostles. As he says at the beginning of Galatians: ‘Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.)’ (Gal.1:1) Unlike the other apostles, he received his call from the resurrected, glorified and exalted Jesus. Wow! Yes Friends, in Bruh Paul we certainly see the amazing and mysterious workings of our God. He didn’t know Jesus in the flesh, but yet wrote most of the New Covenant (Testament) that Jesus made with man. How? Through the workings of the Spirit, revealing God’s desire and intent to him. It’s amazing that he preached and wrote about the workings of the Spirit more than all the other apostles, even those who personally walked with Christ on earth. He certainly impacted the lives of the Gentiles, to whom he was commissioned to preach the gospel, with the importance of the Spirit. Today, I just want to highlight some of his extraordinary, but oh so truthful remarks on the ways of the Holy Spirit. And we’ll begin with when he talks about ministers in the New Testament to the Corinthians. ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able (sufficient as) ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.’ (2 Cor.3:5-6) He’s talking here about the difference between the external ways of the Old Testament, as opposed to the internal approach of the New. Bruh Paul bombards both the Galatians and the Ephesians with much talk on the Spirit, but unfortunately we only have time and space for a few of the more famous ones. In Galatians it’s Chapter 5, re walking in the Spirit: ‘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. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.’ (Gal.5:16-18) Then there’s oft the quoted one later on in the same chapter. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law…If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory (conceited), provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal.5:22-23, 25-26) And the last one from Galatians: ‘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.6:8) From Ephesians comes first a prayer for inner growth: ‘That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.’ (Eph.3:16) And re the armour of God; ‘And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.’ (Eph.6:18) And in Colossians, re false teaching he reminds them: ‘For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your (good) order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.’ (Col.2:5) Oh Friends, Bruh Paul talks about the Spirit so much in his writings, that you’ll have to look up the Concordance of your Bible to see them all. However, we’ll end this series of messages on the Holy Spirit with a rather appropriate reminder from Ephesians: ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit.’ (Eph.5:18) Yes my people, if we have to be filled with, be under the influence or controlled by anything, please let it be the Holy Spirit of Jesus which will leads us aright. And in closing, I sincerely hope that our conversations on the Spirit have been useful, have increased our knowledge and will benefit us immensely in the future. Much LOVE!…remember…it’s the Spirit…the worker bee of the Holy Trinity…that’s been commissioned to lead and guide all believers…but He can’t do it without your conscious permission…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 June 2012 Acts 1:5
03 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: Ananias, baptism, fellowship, holy spirit, Lord's Day, mysterious workings of the Lord, new blessings and mercies, praise and thanks, Saul of Tarsus, why persecute you me
Acts 1:5. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
And a fine Sunday morning to all you believers in Jesus Christ, wherever you are! I hope you are excitedly looking forward to all the new blessings and mercies the Lord’s planned for us today. And if you celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday, that you intend to go and fellowship, celebrate the Lord’s Day with other believers; offer thanks and praise and receive encouragement that builds our faith. Let’s forget what happened yesterday and start a clean page today, with improvements in as many areas of our lives as possible, thus satisfying the Lord’s desire for us to reflect a little more of Jesus’ character each and every day. And we can’t do that without the power and guidance of His Holy Spirit that so conveniently indwells us, which Jesus so generously promised in our Bit, before His Ascension. ‘For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ Now today I want to look at another dramatic instance of the Spirit in operation. However, before doing that, let’s hear from the scholars, re the Personality of the Holy Spirit. ‘The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity – equal with the Father and Son in essence, separate in person, and submissive in duties. Since one major aspect of God’s nature is that He is a person, it follows that the Holy Spirit is a person. The Scriptures clarify this by ascribing the attributes of personality to the Holy Spirit, addressing Him as a person, describing the personal actions of the Holy Spirit, and ascribing masculine pronouns to the Holy Spirit (John 14:17; 16:13) Illustration: Ananias and Sapphira lost their lives in a foolish attempt to deceive the Holy Spirit. This was because He is a divine person who is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. Applications: Because He is God, the Holy Spirit is worthy of receiving believers’ adoration, LOVE, and worship; also the Christian can engage in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. (First Ref. Gen 1:2; Primary Ref. John 14-16) Oh Friends, please read the scriptures the scholars identify, so that you can better understand what they’re talking about. And if you don’t know the story of Ananias and Sapphira; they were a married couple in the early days when the church was becoming communal in all things. They sold their earthly possessions but under reported their gains, and both dropped down dead after lying to the apostles about it. ‘But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?’ (Acts 5:3) Then when Sapphira came up with the same story, he said: ‘How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt (test) the Spirit of the Lord? behold the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.’ (Acts 5:9) So said, so was it done! Please note whom Peter accused them of lying to; the Holy Spirit, because that’s the Person of the Trinity who deals with our everyday, earthly matters. Read the whole story in Acts 5:1-11. Now let’s turn to today’s main protagonist; Saul, -Saul of Tarsus. Remember we first came upon that name when they stoned Stephen to death in Jerusalem; ‘the witnesses laid their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.’ (Acts 7:58) Saul, the great persecutor of the brethren. ‘And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter (murder) against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired (asked) of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this (the)way (believers), whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.’ (Acts 9:1-2) But lo and behold, on his way to Damascus, he was suddenly blinded, both literally and figuratively by a brilliant light from heaven, which caused him to fall to the ground. Then he heard a voice saying to him: ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou Lord? and the Lord said, I am Jesus who thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (goads, prods). And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.’ (Acts 9:4-6) Ah mih breddren, yuh see how the big, bad, bully boy Saul was easily tamed by Jesus! And not even Jesus in the flesh, but Jesus in the Spirit! That just goes to show how powerful the Spirit is in its own right! So literally blinded by the light, Saul had to be led by his companions to Damascus. ‘And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.’ (Acts 9:9) Then the Lord, in His mighty and mysterious workings called upon a disciple in Damascus named Ananias (a common name among Jews, not to be confused with the Ananias and Sapphira story) and instructed him to go and meet Saul, who was expecting him to come and lay hands on him and restore his sight. But even Ananias queried the Lord because of Saul’s terrible reputation as a persecutor of the church. (Acts 9:10-14) ‘But the Lord said unto him, go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes (something) as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith (at once), and arose and was baptized.’ (Acts 9:15-18) Oh Friends, what else do we need to convince us of the Holy Spirit’s enormous power eh! If it could bring the mighty Saul to his knees so easily, how can we try to fight against it in our puny, less than stellar lives? So as I’ve been advocating all along, let’s get in touch with and stay intimately connected to the Spirit of Jesus that dwells within us. It’s wisdom to the wise! Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 June 2012 Acts 1:5
02 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: be careful what you ask for, Cornelius the centurion, ferocious winds, God- no respecter of persons, God-fearing men, Holy Ghost baptism, Holy spirit granted to the Gentiles, magnify God, ungratefulness, water baptism
Acts 1:5. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
And the rains fell, driven in big sheets of water by a ferocious wind, blowing wither and why, only the Lord knew! Yes Friends, that’s what happened in my area today. When I wrote yesterday’s Bit, the rain had petered out to a mere drizzle, but later on in the day it just poured down like crazy, accompanied by an angry wind that wanted to blow away everything in its path. So be careful what you wish or pray for, because it might come with such force or in such abundance that you can’t handle it. That brings to mind the time in the wilderness when the Israelites were tired of eating manna, morning, noon and night, and hungered for meat and food like back in Egypt. So they cried out to Moses, who in turn cried out to God. This ungratefulness so angered the Lord that He decided, yuh want meat, well take meat, and caused an enormous amount of quail to fall around the camp. He provided so much meat that they shouldn’t only eat it for a few days, ‘But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you…’ (Num.11:20) Shades of what some of our parents did when we wanted something too much. (smile) Thankfully though, it seems the wind and rain have gone back to wherever they came from and all God’s creations are happy that He blessed us with heavenly water. Just hope that there wasn’t too much wind or water damage. Anyway, it’s time for our Bit: ‘For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ Please bear with the ole fella Friends, for another day or two, cause it’s ever so important that we know as much as possible about the workings of the Holy Spirit, since it’s the prime mover and shaker in the lives of true believers. Without knowing what it is and how it works, you’ll be lost as a child of God. And today we’ll look at probably the second most important action of the Spirit in the early days of the church. In Acts 10, we read about Cornelius the centurion, a God-fearing man, having a dream to send for Peter in Joppa. At Joppa, Peter also had a dream telling him to go to Cornelius. (Acts 10:1-23) A day later, they got together in Caesarea, explaining to each other their dreams and reservations, and Peter went to Cornelius’ house, where he found many other God-fearing people. And though it was unlawful for a Jew to associate with Gentiles, Peter realized and said to Cornelius: ‘but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying (objection), as soon as I was sent for…’ (Acts 10:28-29) He was referring to the stuff God had showed him in the dream. Then Peter preached to the Gentiles, opening with these astute remarks, no doubt engendered by the power of the Spirit within him: ”Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons (is impartial): But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.’ (Acts 10:34-35) Then as Peter continued, an amazing thing happened: ‘While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision (the Jews) which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak in tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed (asked) they him to tarry (stay) certain days.’ (Acts 10:44-48) Ah Friends, the mysterious and amazing movements of our God! The promise of Jesus to bring all his sheep together, both Jews and Gentiles was begun right there in granting the power of the Holy Spirit unto the Gentiles too. But as always, when we step out to do God’s will, there’s backlash from supposed authorities. Sometime later, when Peter was back in Jerusalem, the other apostles chastised him for associating with Gentiles, saying, ‘Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. But Peter rehearsed (explained) the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by (in) order to them’ (Acts 11:3-4) He explained the dream to them, and the messengers that came for him. ‘And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house. and he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace (became silent), and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.’ (Acts 11:12-18) There my Friends, that’s how we Gentiles, non Jewish people received the Holy Spirit, and from then on became entitled to receive it, once we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ! How great and generous is our God eh? Impartial and caring to all and sundry. May we adopt that attitude, sharing the Word and all that we have with His children, regardless of race, colour, creed or class. That’s what Jesus died to promote! Much LOVE!…the Spirit which indwells a believer…can only do as much, or as little…as the believer allows Him to do…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 June 2012 Acts 1:5
01 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: appreciation, blasphemy, blessings of rain, bribery, enthusiasm, Friday, full of faith and power, fun and fellowship, God's creations, God's glorious kingdom, holy spirit, intimacy with Jesus, renewed and refreshed, thanks and praise
Acts 1:5. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many day hence.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! Friday June the 1st to boot! Another month has quickly come and gone! But today, instead of only singing ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ the people in my area are also shouting: ‘All praise to our heavenly Father, for He has finally sent some blessed heavenly water upon the earth!’ Yes Friends, some early morning rain has finally fallen around here. Not a whole lot, but all God’s creations; fauna, flora, earth and humans are indeed thankful for it. Thanks too for your prayers, which assuredly help. And for all His LOVING-kindness to undeserving man, let’s give our great God another shout of appreciation nuh! And all God’s people gratefully shouted: ‘Thank You Lord!’ Now since we’re in such a joyful frame of mind (smile) let’s chant our Friday Chant with much enthusiasm. 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.’ Yes mih people, it’s the weekend, and we free from labour, at least outside labour, for two whole, big days. Wow! Please, let’s use that time wisely. Now turning to our Bit: ‘For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many day hence.’ Oh Friends, I know some of you are tired hearing about the Holy Spirit, but please don’t minimize its importance in our lives, because it is the engine of Jesus which works in us, drives us to live for and like Him. If we ignore the power of the Spirit, we’re also ignoring Jesus, and thus not receiving the full benefits of His sacrificial death. In fact, the more you become intimate with the Spirit, the more you become intimate with Jesus, and the better your life will be, for the Spirit was specifically granted to us as Jesus’ divine presence and guide for earthly living. Today I want to point out the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of one particular early believer – Stephen. We first read about him in Acts 6, where the apostles needed to get away from the everyday hustle and bustle of running a church and become more involved in actually spreading the gospel. In light of this, they chose seven men to look after the church’s administration. Stephen was one of them. ‘And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost…’ (Acts 6:5) At that time Jerusalem was awash with believers and much talk about the gospel, with the Holy Spirit playing a major role. The Good Book says: ‘And Stephen full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue…disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. (Acts 6:8-10) Note the importance of the Spirit in his preaching. Unable to reason successfully with Stephen, these evil men bribed others to say they had heard him blaspheme, and he was subsequently arrested. A trumped up charge of blasphemy seems to have been the only way to get a believer arrested in those days. But our God moves in such mysterious and amazing ways, that when Stephen was brought before the council, the Good Book says: ‘And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it has been the face of an angel.’ (Acts 6:15) Then Stephen rose up, and in his defence gave a marvellous speech outlining Jewish history and all it’s subsequent hypocrisy, corruption and atrocities down through the ages. He really lit into the council. (Acts 7:2-53) It’s a must read my people! But then, when the council couldn’t take his withering truth any longer, for ‘they were cut to the heart (furious) and they gnashed on (at) him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, (as he was) calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.’ (Acts 7:54-60) Oh Friends, that’s the enormous power the Holy Spirit can generate in a believer who is truly filled with it! Let’s pray and ponder today, that all believers will come to know and glorify the Holy Spirit as much as Stephen did, and thus be able to bring others to Christ through his personal testimony. Oh my brethren, it’s obvious that the evil, ungodly rulers of this sinful world cannot handle the power and truth of the gospel that’s preached through the hardworking Holy Spirit, so let’s keep on preaching it nuh! Much LOVE!…believers are only as powerful…as the intimacy they have…with the Holy Spirit…
SCRIP-BITS 