Proverbs 22:2. The rich and poor meet together (have this in common): the Lord is the maker of them all.
Oh Friends, I haven’t even begun writing and I’m already behind the eight ball on two counts: I’m starting late, (5.10 a.m) and then I don’t have any words of wisdom, or even any smart-aleck words to greet you all with today. (smile) So I’ll just have to resort to a tried and true intro. Let’s all stop for a moment, raise our heads, hearts, eyes and tightly clenched right fists heavenward, as we vocalize loud and true: ‘This is the day the Lord has made! Under ANY and ALL circumstances, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ Oh Friends, I sure hope that brought a chuckle and/or smile to your physical being, and also lightened your overall attitude to life. Far too many of us take life too seriously and end up worried, anxious and stressed out, when there’s no real reason to be thus. Notice how Jesus was always calm and collected, even though He was being rudely and unfairly treated by His own Jewish people, and knew that the terrible rite of crucifixion awaited Him. Now we can never reach Jesus’ level of calm, but my brethren we can certainly aspire to a higher state than we’re currently experiencing. So regardless of our circumstances, we can all stay on an even keel, if we truly concentrate on the attributes of Jesus, which we all have planted in us, but need to nurture so that they will grow strong and true. For as our Bit reminds us: ‘The rich and poor meet together (have this in common): the Lord is the maker of them all.’ And that’s the living truth my people, though at times it certainly doesn’t seem so. We need to remember that before God, ALL are equal; rich, poor, talent, not talented, etc. etc. Later on in Proverbs, Cousin Sol puts it this way: ‘The poor and the deceitful man (the oppressor) meet together (have this in common): the Lord lighteneth both their eyes (gives light to the eyes of both).’ (Prov.29:13) That’s an indisputable fact, since the Lord is the Creator of all mankind! And in Job 25, when Bildad was questioning how man could be justified with God, he makes this undeniable statement: ‘Dominion and fear are with him: he maketh peace in his high places. Is there any number of his armies (can his armies be counted)? And upon whom doth not his light arise?’ (Job 25:2-3) And the answer to both questions my brethren is an unequivocal NO! Meanwhile, Jesus, in talking about having LOVE for our enemies, makes this definitive statement on our topic: ‘But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.’ (Matt.5:44-45) And Friends, if Jesus says it’s so, then obviously it must be so! ALL the creatures of God’s universe have at least one thing in common; He made them ALL! Though they may look, walk, talk and think differently, they have ALL been sculpted HIS deft, agile and creative hands. As Job declares when he talks of his integrity and doing what he believed pleased God: ‘If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with (complained against) me; What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, (punishes), what shall I answer him? Did not he that made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?’ (Job 31:13-15) That’s gospel truth my people! Try as we may, we can’t get away from the fact that God made us all, in His own image to boot! That means we’re ALL special, whether we’re rich or poor, strong or weak, righteous or unrighteous, and why He LOVES us so unconditionally. Now listen to Elihu, one of Job’s other buddies, as he declares: ‘Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked (worthless)? and to princes, Ye are ungodly (wicked)? How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes (Yet he is not partial to princes), nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? For they are all the work of his hands.’ (Job 34:18-19) So Friends, let’s stop putting ourselves down because we might not meet the world’s ungodly standards. Remember that however we are, that’s how God made us, and He had a good reason for doing so, though we might not see or think it. Yes Friends, there was method to God’s madness (smile) despite our oftimes negative opinions. Therefore, we can end today’s Bit, in the same spirit and manner in which we began. All together now, with eyes, hearts, heads and hands raised heavenward: ‘This is the day the Lord has made. We WILL rejoice and be glad in it, come what may!’ Now let’s go forth my brethren, rejoicing, giving thanks and praise for who we are, and more importantly, whose we are: Almighty God’s! Much LOVE!…God’s talents are so awesome…that He can make anything or anyone…for any purpose…His heart desires…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 August 2012 Proverbs 22:2
21 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: attributes of jesus, calm and collected, Creator, equality, give thanks, god, nurture, poor, praise, rejoice, rich, ungodly, womb, worthless
Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 August 2012 Psalm 37:8
20 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: advice, anger, awe, conquerors, dreams, enthusiasm, evil, eyes of faith, fear, humble servant, imagination, invincible, joy, pride, prosperity, righteous, sin, songs of praise, vitality, wisdom, wrath
Psalm 37:8. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 August 2012 Psalm 37:8
19 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: anger, controversy, downtrodden, eternal life, evil, evildoers, greed, humble, humility, Jesus, joy, Lake Ontario, LOVE, meek, needy, party, peace, poor, pride, resentment, salvation, selfishness, sick, Toronto, worry, wrath
Psalm 37:8. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Oh Friends, yesterday was one of the many perfect summer days we’ve recently experienced in the Greater Toronto Area; bright sunshine, a cool breeze and a multiplicity of (plenty, plenty) LOVE and JOY floating all around! (smile) And speaking of LOVE and JOY, I also discovered an amazing truth: nobody can party like Christians when they truly let their hair down and decide to party. In actual fact, logic dictates that by reason of our overwhelming LOVE for each other and the abundant JOY that dwells in our souls, both so freely granted by Christ, the Master of LOVE and JOY, we ought to be the heartiest partiers around, since partying is a direct derivative of those two outstanding emotions. ‘Elementary, my dear Watson!’ as the renowned British sleuth, Sherlock Holmes would say to his sidekick. (smile) And I proved it yesterday, when my local church had a boat cruise out on Lake Ontario. Oh Friends, a day cruise on a lovely summer’s day around Toronto’s harbour is a joy to experience. To the waterfront side, you have the daily increasing concrete jungle cluster of high-rise buildings lining it as far back as you can see, with the C.N. Tower, towering majestically above it all. Meanwhile, out on the water, the many sailboats and different kinds of watercraft dance all around on the beautiful but deceitful and treacherous waters of Lake Ontario, weaving in and around the outlying islands which all have their own activity. I even saw one lone, brave sailor paddling his little canoe over the swells, way outside. Better him than me yes! The only thing that possibly beats that sight is a night time cruise, which shows up the sparkling lights of the buildings and the outlying islands. And believe me, yesterday between 12 and 4 p.m. the St. Francis congregation, our friends and families, we mash up the T.O. harbour on the Riverboat Gambler, an old paddle wheel cruiser! Chuh mih people! I didn’t see any of the many other boats out there, big or small, with a party as hearty as ours! Even the broken and lame, like myself, were hopping and rocking! Ditto for several people who were in wheelchairs! To tell you how good it was, I sat next to a grandmother soon to be ninety seven years old. Yes Friends, 97 large ones, and she was as aware and sprightly as a young doe! (smile) Well just a little exaggeration really. She reminded me of my ole mother Mols, who’s partying somewhere up in heaven now. Anyway mih brethren, the food was good, the beverages wet and refreshing, and the music was most excellent! It was strictly ‘big people music,’ as Dr. Jay, a local D.J. calls it. None of the chupidness that the young people nowadays call music. Call it ole school, or whatever, but when the rockers, the soca and the funk cascaded across the deep, dark green waters of Lake Ontario there wasn’t a foot not tapping or a finger not drumming to the scintillating riddims! I never knew that some of those people who look so serious and sedate in church could step that well. And the best part is that it was all led by our partying leader, our very own Pastor Jeff. He definitely set the tone for the afternoon’s proceedings right from the very start. And it’s amusing that as we were leaving the boat, one of my faithful readers told me that he was sure to read about it in Today’s Bit. At the time though I wasn’t even thinking about the Bit, but concentrating on my aching knees and what the later hours would bring. But it seems like you were right Scottie. And James, you missed an excellent gathering of God’s people, dancing, singing and giving praise to their Creator. So yuh see Friends, that’s why people ought to come to know Jesus. Not so much for. the partying, which is surely interesting, but for the abundant LOVE and JOY He instils in the hearts, minds, bodies and spirits of His followers. And that’s exactly why Bruh David so strenuously and sincerely warns us about the true state of the wicked in our Bit: ‘Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm).’ Now that’s undoubtedly gospel truth mih breddren! And here’s why: ‘For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider (look diligently for) his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’ (Ps.37:9-11) Oh Friends what better life can you desire, and above all, also get on earth, than that which Jesus promises… no, not only promises, but also faithfully delivers to all those who wisely choose to put their belief, faith and trust in Him eh? NONE WHATSOEVER! So why are so many of us so reluctant to accept the abundance of LOVE, JOY and PEACE He offers here on earth, then SALVATION and ETERNAL LIFE with Him when we depart this evil and troubled earth? It surely boggles my mind. Many even become angry and violent, at the very mention of His Name. There must be something awfully powerful about Jesus yes, if He could bring out such contrasts in humans. No other name in history has ever caused, or will ever cause so much controversy. Oh Friends, just reading the gospel stories about Jesus, His humility, His LOVE for mankind, especially the poor, the downtrodden, sick and needy, His constant willingness to help, the way He bore His burdens, including the physical cross and the sacrifice of His sinless life on it without a whimper, how can you not feel close to Him, not LOVE him eh? Only if your heart, mind and spirit are wrapped up in evil, false pride, selfishness and greed could you fail to understand and comprehend His great gift and selflessness to mankind. And as we like to do whenever possible, we’ll end with some definitive words on the subject from Jesus. ‘The thief cometh not but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:10-11) Nuff said my people! More on this tomorrow if God favours us with the breath of life. Till then, please let’s seriously consider the true state of our lives nuh, ensuring that we embrace Jesus, so that it will be well with us. That is certainly wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!…as for me and mine…we’ll most definitely follow Jesus…hope you and yours…come to the same wise conclusion too…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 August 2012 Psalm 135:1
18 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: friends, glorify God, Jesus Christ, joy, praise, Praise the Lord, pride, the Comforter, the Great Commission, the Helper, the Holy Spirit, the kingdom of righteousness, the Word, vanity
Psalm 135:1. Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord.
Oh my wonderful Friends in Christ Jesus, we’re on the cusp of another beautiful day on God’s great earth! And all God’s people raised a mighty and grateful shout of joy heavenward: ‘Thank You Lord!’ Now why are we still here breathing the earth’s air; refreshing in some places, almost poisonous in others, and not up yonder enjoying the excellent life eh? Because there’s still work to be done down here; lots of it too. That work includes spreading the Word of God, and the right and true way of Jesus, as He asked us to do in what’s termed the Great Commission. (Matt.28:19-20) So let’s roll up our sleeves and seriously get going on that nuh my people. A very large percentage of the world has never heard about the wonderful God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, nor of His Redeeming Son Jesus, neither of the divine Helper and Comforter, the Holy Spirit, and it’s our job to introduce them to all of that, help them to believe, then seek the kingdom of righteousness thereafter, so that their souls can be saved from eternal death and separation from God in the last days, that might soon be upon us. And how do we do that? By educating them on the Word, by encouraging them in difficult situations, by practical and/or physical help, and very importantly by being worthy examples of all that we preach and teach. And last, but definitely not least, let us not forget another important aspect of our faith walk; the aspect of Praise! Yes Friends, Praise is of the utmost importance in a believer’s life, but sadly, I don’t think we do enough of it, that’s why I chose our Bit today from Psalm 135, re the greatness of the Lord, and the vanity of idols. ‘Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord.’ And why should we do that? The psalmist continues by telling us: ‘Praise ye the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant… For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.’ (Ps.135:3,5) Without a doubt my brethren, our God is a great God and worthy of our praise! It says so numerous times in the Good Book, with good reason too. Let’s look at a few of those scriptures, beginning with Psalm 50; a Psalm of Asaph, superscripted, God is the judge. And Asaph loudly and truthfully proclaims: ‘Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation (conduct) aright will I show the salvation of God.’ (Ps.50:23) Yes my people, one of the reasons our God created us was to glorify Him, and one way of doing that is by showering Him and His Holy Name with praise! Meanwhile, Psalm 33, titled Praise to the Lord for his creation, opens with this wonderful declaration: ‘Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.’ (Ps.33:1) Once again Friends, we’re advised that praise to the Most High God Jehovah is right and comely for all those who worship and believe in Him. And isn’t that the living truth! Then Psalm 111, Praise the Lord for His care, tells us: ‘Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah)! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. The works of the Lord are great, sought out of (studied by) all them that have pleasure therein. His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth forever.’ (Ps.111:1-3) And the Psalms are not the only place where praise is declared unto God, though it’s found there more than anywhere else in the Good Book. Now listen to Daniel, after the Lord showed him the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king’s dream. ‘Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the season: he removeth kings, and setteth (raises) up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know (have) understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired (asked) of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.’ (Dan.2:19-23) Oh my brethren, isn’t that just cause for great praise? It surely is! Now listen to Moses immortalize praise for God in his song of victory over Pharaoh’s army: ‘Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods (mighty ones)? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?’ (Ex.15:11) And the answer to ALL those questions Friends, is an unequivocal NOBODY! And in Deuteronomy, Moses again encourages the Israelites to praise the God of their fathers. ‘Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave (hold fast), and swear by his name. He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done terrible (awesome) things which thine eyes have seen. Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.’ (Deut.10:20-22) Most excellent reasons to serve and praise the Lord my people! And not to disappoint you all, I will end with a few words from Bruh David, (smile) who praised the Lord more than most. This comes from Psalm 52, caution to the prideful wicked. ‘Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness (destruction). But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God (see Jer.11:16): I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.’ (Ps.52:7-9) And all God’s people uttered a loud and glorious ‘Praise the Lord, for He is worthy to be praised! Amen!’ Yes Friends, our God sure is worthy to be praised. So let’s go out and prise Him today and for ever more nuh. That’s wisdom at its highest! Much LOVE!…praise to our great God…is what He rightly deserves…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 August 2012 Ecclesiastes 9:11
17 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: busy, enthusiasm, frantic pace, Friday chant, God's kingdom, justice, life, loving kindness, multi-tasking, passion, rat-race, righteousness., sincerity, smell the roses, stress, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, the race is not for the swift
Ecclesiastes 9:11. I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill: but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, and I hear you calling out in delirious pleasure: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And I have another little gem to share today. (smile) But before we do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with as much enthusiasm and sincerity as we can muster. ‘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.’ And having tried to put the weekend in its proper perspective, let me share that wonderful gem. Yesterday I bought some Chinese food and in the fortune cookie I found this saying: ‘It’s okay to slow down and smell the roses.’ Well Friends, I must say that’s the God-given truth! And most of know it, but we still refuse to live up to it. Instead we engage in the rat-race we so nicely term the busy life. Oh Friends, if we don’t slow down every so often, sometimes even stop completely, and take stock of what’s really and truly going on around us, we’re going to go crazy, both literally and figuratively. Believe it my people, man was not made to live at the frantic pace we’re currently living at. This non-stop, continuously go, go pace the powers that be are trying to force on us is NO GOOD! It has very negative effects on us, physically, mentally and emotionally. Just consider the high incidence of stress amongst even the young people of our society, who have grown up with this fast lifestyle. They are dropping off and out like flies at a much too tender age because they can’t keep up with the torrid pace the world’s setting. So you can imagine what’s happening to the older folks who are not accustomed to that stressful lifestyle. All this multi-tasking and doing several jobs, just to keep up, is slowly but surely killing us. It’s normal now to claim that we’re so busy, we don’t have time for our friends, families, God or ourselves. What are we so busy doing eh? And what do we have time for then my people? No wonder Cousin Sol, in his experimenting, discovered that wisdom was much better than strength. Listen to him declare it in our Bit: ‘I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill: but time and chance happeneth to them all.’ And that’s an indisputable fact Friends! So whether we’re fast, strong, rich or skilful, there’s no guarantee we’ll survive and/ or prosper because of our attributes, since unforeseen things happen to us all, regardless of our station in life. That’s why it’s not so wise to go running after the things the world considers important. Wisdom, understanding, peace of mind and a strong faith in Almighty God are what we need, especially in these very confused and troubled times. As Jeremiah so rightly declares, re the knowledge of God is man’s glory: ‘Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise LOVING-kindness, judgement (justice) and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.9:23-24) Oh Friends, the Lord made His wishes quite clear to us many, many moons ago, but yet we still insist on following the direction set by the world, which is in the death grip of greedy, evil, ungodly men. How can we then live the life God planned for us if we don’t follow what He says in His Guide Book eh? Obviously we can’t! Oh my brethren, I know that some of you will take umbrage at what I’m saying, claiming I don’t know your personal situation, but that’s too bad. If you don’t want to accept the gospel truth from the Good Book there’s nothing I can do about that. We each have to make our own choices, then live with them here on earth and later answer to God about them. However, unless we all slow down a tad and enjoy the things we work so hard and long for, as well as the people close to us, we’ll be missing out on the true value and meaning of life. Please my people, please stop and take a look at your situation, look at all the stuff you figured you must have, so you worked your butt off to get them. Then ask yourself when last, or if ever, you have truly enjoyed them? Include in that, the nice houses that we so desperately wanted, and we now have. Do we have or take the time to truly enjoy them? Not at all, because we’re too busy working to meet the mortgage payments. My brethren, I implore us to wake up, then stop a minute and smell the beautiful aroma, the ‘unclonable’ perfume of the roses God made to enrich our sense of smell, because we’re missing out on a whole lot of God’s grace and bounty, when we try to keep up with, or run faster than the world. That’s true wisdom! Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…or he’ll eventually feel…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 August 2012 Ecclesiastes 3:14
16 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: adoration, blessings, champions, dressed for success, eternal, faithful, forgiveness, God's work lasts forever, good gifts, Jesus, justice, loving kindness, mercy, reverence, righteousness., storm of passion, unchanging God, unfocused
Ecclesiastes 3:14. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
Oh Friends, I just got a zeppo, (smile) a brainwave, a message from on high, that the action of God is now flowing through us in a pattern of success! Wow! What a wonderful way to greet a new day, one already filled with blessings, LOVING-kindness, mercy and forgiveness! That means we’re certainly dressed for success my brethren! There’s no better way to ignite a storm of passion in our souls for Jesus! And that passion we badly need in these lean and mean times. What’s amusing here though is that the positive action statement I opened with, sits on my desk, right in front of me, printed in large white letters on a blue background, surrounded by several slips of small paper with fortune cookie sayings on them. That means it’s highly visible, and every time I sit at my desk, I ought to see it. But the reality is that very often I don’t notice it at all. I’ve grown so accustomed to it, that even if I see it with my eyes, it doesn’t register in my mind. And sadly Friends, that’s how a lot of things are in our too busy, not properly focused lives. We put up things to serve as reminders, activators and encouragers, but there comes a time when we just look right through them without them registering on our mental apparatus. And the only reason why I noticed that saying just now is because the action of God, His Holy Spirit was truly moving through me and pointed it out, no doubt bringing it to my attention so that I can bring it to yours. Besides being a wake up call for us my people, I believe God is here highlighting our less than stellar areas of reliability; of mental concentration, of self-discipline and self-control, of how we can’t stick to things for any length of time, but continually jump from one thing to another, of how quickly we tire of things that we so desperately wanted and had to have, and crave change just for the sake of change itself. Meanwhile, as Cousin Sol wisely says in our Bit: ‘I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put (added) to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.’ Now that’s all irrefutable truth my people! Our God doesn’t change, and whatever He does, lasts forever. We can’t add to, or subtract from it. Unfortunately though, we can’t say that about our sinful, wishy-washy human nature. And that my Friends is why we have to believe, trust, surrender and have faith in the Lord our God. We can’t do very much in our own strength, and the little we can do never lasts, as we’re always in some sort of quandary as to how to do it, or how it’s going to look. Our heavenly Father doesn’t have that problem, and consequently, we believers don’t need to worry or be anxious about our shortcomings, because our great God, in His awesome power and LOVE, has everything under control and keeps us together if we live in His will. He does all those things so that we can appreciate and reverence Him, truly behold His glorious majesty, and sincerely trust, worship, adore and serve Him. Now let’s listen to some scriptures that authenticate our Bit: We’ll start with words from James, Jesus’ half-brother. And he decisively tells us: ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.’ (James 1: 17-18) All of that is gospel truth my people! So let’s sow those seeds of God’s power, His unchanging nature, His goodness to us, whom He made to be champions, deep in our hearts and minds nuh mih breddren. For that in turn gives us the power to walk this evil earth unafraid of Beelzebub and all his evil cohorts. Now hear Bruh David from Psalm 9, Praise for God’s justice: ‘But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgement. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgement to the people in uprightness.’ (Ps.9:7-8) More confirmation of God’s eternal attributes, and His devotion to righteousness and justice. And from Psalm 102, a cry in distress, we hear the psalmist truthfully declare: ‘My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass. But thou, O Lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.’ (Ps.102:11-12) So why do we weak mortals, sculpted from the dust of the earth, continue to believe that we’re such hot shots eh, when in the twinkling of an eye, the Lord God Jehovah, Creator of this universe and all therein, can so easily snuff out the breath of life that He, first breathed into us? Now hear some more wise and applicable words from Psalm 102: ‘I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yea, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment; as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years have no end.’ (Ps.102:24-27) Oh Friends, that ought to wise us up and show us that the true and only way to find peace and prosperity on this earth is by faithfully worshipping and serving Jehovah God. By the way, the author of Hebrews repeats those same words as justification for his belief. (Heb.1:11-12) So my people, let’s end today just as we began nuh; by believing that the action of God is now flowing through us in a pattern of success. And that’s the living truth! Much LOVE!…Jesus Christ…the same …yesterday…and today…and for ever… (Heb.13:8)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 August 2012 2 Corinthians 5:17
15 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: beautiful, blessings, enticing, floods, God is always around, gospel truth, Helper, Jesus, new man, new things, old man, old things, perfect will of God, prayer, renewal of minds, spirituality
2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Oh Friends, praise the Lord and give Him much thanks that we didn’t read our names in the obits today! That means He still has work down here on earth for us to do. And today I want to remind us about looking for and seeing God not only in big, important and extraordinary situations, but also in the small, simple, everyday things of life. That’s how we truly know that He’s always there, always around us. The inspiration to remind us to seek God in small things came about when I looked at some of the sayings on the fortune cookies that I have on my desk, and was guided to share this one. ‘To overlook the little things in life is to miss the biggest part of life itself!’ Now that’s gospel truth Friends, and it’s one of the reasons why we believers don’t see as much of God as we ought. We have this idea that God only shows up in the big things, but that’s certainly not true. God shows up in everything we do, both big and small! And how many big things happen in our lives eh? Certainly not as many as the small things. That means if we only look for God in the big things, we’ll be missing so much of Him in the small things where He delights in showing up. So Friends, please remember that every step we take, every breath we breathe, every thought we think, every movement that we make, in fact whatever we do, Jehovah God is in it. It’s because of Him being in all we do, that we can do anything at all! We need to be in awe and wonder of His LOVE, mercy and kindness all the time. So please look for Him in all aspects of your life, and you’ll be surprised at how you’ll enjoy an even greater relationship with your Creator and Provider. And before we get to our Bit, I’m asking us to pray for the good folk in Western Trinidad, the Diego Martin and surrounding area, which was flooded by serious rain in the last couple of days. Ah Friends, wherever we turn these days, there’s some new natural disaster happening in our misguided, ungodly, troubled world. That’s why we need to get more people to come to the knowledge of Christ, then accept Him and change their ways as our Bit dictates. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ It is essential my brethren that we change our ways when we receive Christ, for we no longer live by the flesh, but by His Spirit. Listen to Bruh Paul on the topic: ‘For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.’ (Rom.8:5-6) Yes my brethren, kingdom people MUST LIVE by the dictates of God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in us, and not by the lusts of the flesh which we should crucify when we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Oh I know it’s easier said than done, especially when the things of the flesh and the world, which look so beautiful and enticing, surround us. But the truth is that they are not really half as nice as they seem. Ole smart-man Lucifer just puts that spin of glitz and glamour on them to fool us, and when we get caught in his carefully planned snare, it’s always so difficult to break out. That’s why we have to carefully look at the things we want to get involved with or in, and consult our Helper, the Holy Spirit, before actually getting involved, because in many, many cases they are just false fronts, covers for Lucifer’s snares. As believers in Christ, we need to do as Isaiah says: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.’ (Is.43:18) Now hear Bruh Paul again to the Roman church: ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom.12:2) Oh my people, the most important part of our transformation into a new man begins in our mind, our thoughts. Until we stop thinking like the world does, and begin thinking like Jesus, we won’t get very far in our spiritual transformation. And now, since I can’t muster any more good arguments, (smile) we’ll let Bruh Paul take us home with his much better explanation to the Ephesians, re the new life in Christ. ‘If so be that ye have heard him(Christ), and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph.4:21-27) Ah Friends, there’s no more to say, except that we believers need to seriously buckle down and follow the plan Jesus has for our lives here on earth. We’re not doing a good enough job that’s partly why our world is in such a mess. And it is our job to try and fix it. Much LOVE!…all that we are…arises with our thoughts… P.S. And just to prove that He is involved in everything in our lives, just as I was about to move from my desk to the computer, without an ending thought for the day, one of the fortune cookie sayings fell in front of me. And lo and behold, it was our ending thought for the day. Our God does move in simple though mysterious ways, His wonder for us to behold! Much LOVE!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 August 2012 2 Corinthians 5:17
14 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: baptized, blessings, born again, Christian spirit, Comforter, courage, fear, fleshly lusts, gospel truth, Helper, holy spirit, new man, personal choice, spiritual beings, tests, thanks and praise
2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Oh Friends, it’s another beautiful day on planet earth, courtesy of our wonderful God! And all God’s people voiced a loud and grateful, ‘Thank you Father for allowing us to see another day! We praise and glorify your Holy Name! Amen.’ Yes my brethren, we need to give our God thanks every morning that we open our eyes to greet a new day. Now there will be blessings poured down on us from heaven above, but there will also be tests; evil doings that will come against us, so we also need to ask the Lord for strength and courage to face those rough times that try to break us every day. And just now, while weeding out some old pieces of paper that I use as bookmarks when writing the Bit, I came upon two definitions of courage which I was guided to share. I don’t know if I shared them before, but even if I did, it seems we need to hear them again, so that they will enable us to stand strong and courageous as the Good Book advises. (Josh. 1:7) The first quote come from Alicia Mckenzie Swain, who says: ‘Courage is not the towering oak tree that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.’ It certainly takes courage Friends, and plenty too, for a small, fragile blossom, which needs heat and warmth to survive, to rear its tender head in the cold uncaring snow. The next quote on courage comes from Dr. Robert H. Schuller, who declares: ‘Behold! Courage isn’t feeling free from fear; courage is facing fears you feel.’ And that’s gospel truth Friends! For if we waited to be free from fear before we felt courageous, we’d never be courageous, since we’re all constantly surrounded and consumed by some kind of fear each waking hour of each day. Fear is a normal part of our everyday lives, so to make it meaningful we have to constantly move forward, keep on keeping on, regardless of and in the face of any and all fear that tries to pull us down. And right there Friends is where the true Christian spirit rises way above every other philosophy, religion or faith in this world, for through the Holy Spirit of Almighty God, our Comforter and Helper, who dwells within all believers, we are able to successfully rise above all fear. And all God’s people said a loud and thankful: ‘Praise the Lord!’ But unfortunately that ability only comes when we believe in and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour, which means being BORN AGAIN. As Jesus said to Nicodemus, one of the Jewish rulers who suppressed his fear and came to Jesus by night seeking answers, re Jesus and His purpose. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) Obviously poor Nicodemus was shocked and confused by Jesus’ statement, asking how was it possible for a man to enter his mother’s womb again. But, as He was wont to do, Jesus patiently explained: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’ (John 3:5-6) And that Friends, is the whole crux of the matter! Until we are born again of water (baptized) and of the Spirit, which entails believing that Jesus is truly the son of God, seeking repentance for our sins, and having the Holy Spirit come to live in us, we won’t be able to successfully communicate with our Creator, or after our mortal body dies, enter into His glorious kingdom. But once we’ve accepted Jesus, our Bit then comes into play. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ Yes my brethren, when we receive Jesus into our hearts and lives, we’re supposed to become new people; acquire new godly habits and desires, while throwing away the old lusts and fleshly desires that Lucifer had us falsely believing were the best things for us. But listen to the correct pronouncement on the subject – from Jesus of course: ‘It is the spirit that quickeneth (gives life); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.’ (John 6:63) Oh Friends, though we have fleshly bodies, through which a few good things are possible, please remember that we are first and foremost spiritual beings. Our fleshly body is only a temporary residence for our spirits. And since our fleshly body eventually dies and returns to the dust from which it was originally formed, the question is what then happens to our spirit? Some believe that the body is all there is, and after its death, everything’s finished. However, those of us who hold Jesus as our Lord and Saviour believe otherwise; namely that the spirit lives on, either in paradise with Him, or in a place of utter torment with Lucifer. And each individual must make a personal choice. But how is one to choose eh? Take it from me Friends, the smart money is on Jesus! And why not? Who in his right sense would prefer to live in a place of torment forever, just to satisfy a few earthly lusts and pleasures? Surprisingly though, a lot of people seem to feel that way! But it obviously follows that they are not in their right minds, because you can still enjoy earthly life through Jesus’ system, as well as enjoy an even better time in eternity with Him in paradise. So who’s the fool eh? My people, I’ll leave us to ponder that question to day. Please do so, and seriously too, because your place in eternity depends on the choice you make. As for me and mine though, we’ll definitely choose Jesus. More on this tomorrow, provided we don’t read our names in the obits. (smile) Much much LOVE, truly from the heart, my people!…if in doubt…give Jesus a try…He’s so wonderful…you’ll never want to leave Him…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 August 2012 2 Corinthians 5:17
13 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: all God's children, aura of love, dissensions, divisions, earthly possessions, enthusiasm, faith, glory hallelujah, humble servants, Jesus, lies, Monday, money, passion, passion for Christ, power, praise, taunts, the Word, vitality, wiles
2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
‘Hip, Hip Hurrah!’ Monday’s here Friends! Wow! What an awesome day, since we get to go out into the evil workday world to talk about and live for Jesus! Now isn’t that a wonderful responsibility? And all God’s people shouted a great and moving ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ No Friends, I haven’t gone crazy, I’m just in an exultant mood. Just thinking about Jesus and all the good stuff we get to do today for Him has ignited my passion. And true passion for Jesus is something too many of us believers lack. Please remember my people that we’re in a spiritual battle with the powers of evil and darkness, and we can only fight competently if we are enthusiastic and gung ho about what we’re fighting for. And sadly, I know some non-believers who are more enthusiastic about Jesus and what He represents, than many supposed believers. Now that doesn’t speak very highly of us, does it? My personal feeling is that the body of Christ here on earth, His Church, is rather lethargic and sedentary. We tend to sit back and let everybody walk over us. We behave as though Jesus is expected to fix all our problems without us lifting a hand on our own behalf, but that’s never going to happen my people. Then again, we fight against each other too much. Jesus’ Church is supposed to be a unified body, not one of numerous dissensions and divisions. I know you’re going to say that other faiths fight amongst themselves too, but that’s their problem. And it’s why WE, believers in Christ, should be working together to provide the perfect example to the rest of the world. I don’t know the real root of the problem, but it seems that of all the well known faiths, Christianity is the least proactive. We don’t talk or walk our faith sufficiently. And it’s not like you have to be constantly up in everybody’s face with it either. A true Christian has it showing in his demeanour, his behaviour, his character, his integrity, and when the opportunity arises, he talks about it passionately. Oh Friends, even a subdued passion is better than no passion at all! So having said all of that, let’s see if we can’t raise our passion level in Jesus some nuh, by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as we get ready to go out and greet the world in Jesus’ name. All together now, with loud voices, filled with true praise: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Now if that doesn’t raise our passion level for Christ, then Friends, I don’t know what will. And before we get into our Bit, please let’s offer up some fervent, heartfelt prayers for the unfortunate people of Iran, who, over the weekend suffered two major earthquakes of over 6 on the Richter scale. They may be of a different faith than us, and consider us the infidel and thus want to destroy us, but they are still our brothers, descendants also of father Abraham, made in the image of Jehovah God. And Jesus teaches that we should show LOVE, mercy, kindness and forgiveness to all God’s children, regardless of their colour, creed, race or class. This is definitely one way we can test our faith, because it’s not easy to extend a hand of hope and help to someone who wants to do us harm. Now turning to our Bit at last. (smile) Oh my brethren, these are some of the most important words Bruh Paul ever wrote, for they reflect the very basic and fundamental principle on which our faith is based. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ Friends, many of us know that scripture and quote it, or some paraphrased version, quite often. But how true is it really of the majority of Christ’s Church eh? I believe in actual fact, in real reality, not the virtual reality we tend to worship these days, that it’s nowhere near the truth. That’s because in actual fact too many believers are still caught up in their old ways, still more interested in the things of the flesh and this world than the things of the Spirit and God’s kingdom. We’re still too much into the money and power for their own sakes, plus the frenetic acquisition and amassing of earthly possessions, wanting what others have, though not knowing they sold their souls to get it, being beguiled by the supposed glitz and glamour of a handful of mostly ignorant and unlearned people we term celebrities, who live very ungodly lives. Oh Friends, that’s definitely not the kind of life that Jesus sacrificed His sinless body, spilled His precious blood on the wooden cross at Calvary for us to live. So please, let’s get serious and improve our kingdom walk nuh. If not for our sakes, then for our children and grand children’s, so that they can still lead a fairly decent life in the future. It’s all a question of LOVE for Jesus and our fellow man; the two great commandments. And since we don’t know when Jesus is coming back to set up His kingdom, the best time to begin is RIGHT NOW! That’s wisdom at its zenith! More on this tomorrow Friends, provided Jesus doesn’t return before then and we’re still around, both of which are real possibilities. Till then, please let’s do as Jesus asks: Let’s LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith and SPREAD His Word! Much LOVE!…the wise man lives by the old adage…make hay while the sun shines…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 August 2012 Proverbs 15:13
12 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: cheerful countenance, compassion, depression, disappointment, forgiveness, good words, laughter, LOVE, mercy, merry heart, motives, smile, tribulation
Proverbs 15:13. A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
‘Oh my my, who are those beautiful people over there?’ the elderly lady asks of her young female guide as they walk through the restaurant’s parking lot, pointing to a group of men, women and children laughing, talking, hugging and kissing beside a bus they had just exited. ‘Oh, they are Christians, followers of Jesus,’ the guide replies. ‘Can’t you see their rosy smiles and feel the LOVE, mercy, forgiveness and compassion of Jesus just flowing from them?’ Oh, I’m a bit short-sighted my dear,’ the lady replies. Then taking a few steps closer towards the group, she gleefully exclaims: ‘Oh yes, I can see it now! The joy of Jesus is just radiating out of them! I must go and tell them that. Followers of Jesus are such wonderful people! I only wish I had known Him much earlier in my own life. Then I would have had so much more joy!’ and she totters forward on her spindly legs, ably supported by her cane, to break the good news to the group. Wow! What a heart-warming story Friends! If it only truly happened like that eh? But unfortunately a lot of the time we believers are more looked upon like self-centred egotists because of our overly serious and often sour outward appearance. However, there’s no reason why a scene like that described above couldn’t or shouldn’t happen since we all have the capacity for the attributes of Jesus already planted in us, from the day we first believed. It’s just for us to allow the Holy Spirit to grow those seeds of beautiful emotions and attributes within us. And my people, that outer look of joy and peace has to first start, to come from within us, as our Bit so rightly declares: ‘A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.’ Yes Friends, when our hearts are happy, then it reflects positively on our faces and our outward actions. Likewise when our hearts are sorrowful, we get a negative reflection on our faces and in our actions. In fact my people, the state of our hearts is probably the most important aspect of our faith walk, for remember that’s where the Lord looks when He wants to detect our true motives. And if He finds that our outward actions or words are just a cover or facade for inappropriate motives, He will simply ignore whatever we’re trying to accomplish. But when He sees that our actions and motives are truly synced to His will, then He puts the angels to work on our behalf. And it’s not like we all don’t know, or haven’t experienced both sides of the coin; first where our hearts are happy and we just keep chugging merrily along without a care in the world. And on the flip side, when our hearts are sorrowful over some real or perceived disappointment, then we just become depressed, listless and uninterested in what’s happening around us. The problem though Friends is to try and place ourselves in the first position more often than in the latter. And sadly that’s becoming harder with each passing day in our troubled and strife torn world. But remember Jesus told us that though we would have tribulation here on earth, especially if we spoke His name, we should not worry or be afraid of the world, but instead to have peace and good cheer, for He had already overcome it. (John 16:33) I know that’s easier said than done, but we can do it if we seriously try our best and also invoke Jesus’ help. Anyway, enough of my rambling, (smile) there are some pertinent scriptures I want to share. And we’ll start with the second verse after our Bit: ‘All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.’ (Prov.15:15) It seems that Cousin Sol knew this principle quite well, for earlier on he states: ‘Heaviness (anxiety) in the heart of man maketh it stoop (causes depression): but a good word maketh it glad. (Prov.12:25) And that’s a fact Friends, a good or kind word spoken to us surely cheers our hearts. Now hear Cousin Sol philosophize again: (smile) ‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.’ (Prov.17:22) And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! Sometimes when we’re sad and depressed we also feel physically sick, but once even a little chuckle creeps into our spirit, we begin to feel physically better. That brings to mind the saying that laughter is the best remedy for many our ailments. It’s also the cheapest and easiest because it uses fewer facial muscles than frowns. And you know a whole lot of believers would feel a whole lot better if they would laugh a little more, lighten up, cultivate a merry heart, rather than the sourpuss look and attitude that so many of us possess. Now let’s end with some wise words from Isaiah, re the suffering of the Lord’s servant: ‘The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.’ (Isa.50:4) Oh Friends, that’s a very important scripture, because it reminds us that it’s part of our godly duty to speak a kind, encouraging or cheerful word to our fellow believers, or anyone who needs their spirit uplifted. The Lord’s put that spirit of wisdom, of learning in us, so that we can exhort and build up each other, when necessary. And that’s never been as necessary as it is in these trying times Friends! So please, let’s all decide to work on having cheerful hearts most of the time nuh, so that Jesus’ spirit can flow out of us, and also to talk to each other with uplifting words and ideas. It’s the only way to keep a happy and cheerful groove in Christ’s church. Much LOVE!…each one, teach one…so that each one will uplift the other…
SCRIP-BITS 