2 Corinthians 9:6. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, and we’ve awakened to another wonderful day in God’s great universe! Wow! Please give Him some thanks and praise for that. And this a special Friday too, because it’s the weekend before Christmas. Only nine more days till that joyful celebration of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’s birth! So you can imagine the rocking riddims as well as the sweet angelic music that’s reaching up to heaven from earth. Mama mia! I guess you can call it a cornucopia of music, because it’s all kinds from all over God’s earth. And that’s the way it should be my people. A celebration of Christ’s birth ought to be rich and rollicking, for no one else, no other birth has meant so much to mankind. But before we get carried away in the celebrating, let’s slow down and chant our Friday Chant nuh, so we can get a right perspective on the weekend. Altogether now, in one great voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Yes Friends, as the old people would say; ‘drunk or sober, mind yuh business.’ Regardless of the authenticity of the situation, we can’t afford to go overboard and give the enemy an opening to sow his negative seeds of destruction. And now that we’ve gotten the celebration part straightened out, (smile) let’s turn to our Bit, which is another awesome working of God’s nature within His universe. ‘But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully (with blessings) shall reap also bountifully.’ Yeah mih people, however our hearts lead us, so shall it be returned to us. And since we all know how the programme works, I’m not going to try and reinvent the wheel, I’m just going to let some relevant scriptures do the talking to our hearts, minds and souls. And we going to begin with some awesome words of Jesus, some definitive words, that strike right to the heart of the topic. ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom (fold in garment used as a pocket). For with the same measure that ye mete (use) withal it shall be measured to you again.’ (Luke 6:38) Oh Friends, those words of the Master are so revealing and relevant that we should be able to stop right here. But sadly, our hearts are so stone cold and hard that we need more scriptures to keep chipping away at them. Now listen to some wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that witholdeth more than is meet (right), but it tendeth (leads) to poverty. The liberal (generous) soul shall be made fat (rich): and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. He that witholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.’ (Prov.11:24-26) And again from Cousin Sol: ‘He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.’ (Prov.19:17) And we’ll end with one of my favourite scriptures from Hebrews, where the writer, who could only be Bruh Paul, or his clone, is talking about service well-pleasing to God. ‘Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’ (Heb.13:1-2) Yes Friends, that statement is oh so true! I’ve experienced it personally and have also seen it in the lives of others. You can come into contact with a stranger only to realize later on that they are able to make a substantial difference in your life, but that difference will only be made if your initial response was up to scratch, meaning Christian-like. What I like about that scripture is that it helps to keep us grounded and focused all year round, re our Christian principles. Anyway, now that we’ve been reminded that whatever we give out, and however we give it out, the same will be returned to us in like manner, let’s light up our hearts this Christmas season, be joyful, generous and full of LOVE, for our embattled world badly needs such joy and generosity. However, as I believe Jeeves would say, let’s adjust our attitudes with ‘a modicum of circumspection.’ Let’s not get carried away with the celebrating and forget the real reason for the season…the birth of Jesus. Merry Xmas to all, and to all a Happy New Year! Much LOVE!…to live and give…at all times…from a right heart…that’s the Master’s desire for all His children…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 December 2011 2 Corinthians 9:6
16 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: mind yuh business, saviour jesus christ
Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 December 2011 2 Corinthians 9:6
15 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: death and resurrection, heart of thanksgiving, jesus birth, saviour jesus christ
2 Corinthians 9:6. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Oh Friends, we’re in the midst of the Christmas season, the yearly celebration of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ’s birth. Wow! What a joyful occasion! Some two thousand years ago, God gave His only Son, Christ, to be our Redeemer… And all God’s people suddenly rose up and echoed a loud and thankful prayer to heaven. ‘Thank you Lord for sending your Son Jesus to be born in human flesh, to die and be resurrected on our behalf, so that we could be reconciled to you! We give you much thanks and praise for your generosity to us sinful sons of men! Amen.’ Now that’s what comes out of a heart of thanksgiving Friends! Anyway this season of Christmas is one of, if not the most joyous times on earth, where we celebrate with lights, feasts, gifts, good wishes and thanks, all in recognition of the greatest gift ever given; Jesus. Consequently, through Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection we now enjoy reconciliation with God the Father, as well as salvation and eternal life. And another powerful and heartfelt ‘Thank you Lord!’ rises up to heaven. Please remember that our God, though it no doubt ached His heart tremendously, willingly gave His Son so that we might be saved, for that was the only way out of eternity in Hades for us. It thus behoves us to have the same willing and generous Spirit of God, if we are believers in Christ. As Bruh Paul tells the Corinthians in our Bit: ‘But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully (with blessings) shall reap also bountifully.’ Yes my friends, that’s the law of nature. If you only sow or give a little, then you’ll receive only a small harvest. However, if you sow or give generously, your harvests will also be plentiful. And be careful, for it’s not only how much you give, but also the attitude with which you give, as Bruh Paul declares in the verse after our Bit: ‘Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity (compulsion): for God LOVETH a cheerful (joyful) giver.’ (2 Cor.9:7) Yes my people, whatever God puts in our hearts to give, let’s give it with praise and thanksgiving, not grudgingly, or as though we’ve been compelled to give, for our God likes His children to be joyful and generous givers, just like He is. Remember all the new mercies and blessings He showers down on us daily. He does it with a willing and generous heart because He LOVES us so much. It’s the same way He wants us to give from a LOVING heart, not a begrudging one. And we can corroborate this by listening to Bruh Paul’s admonition to the Galatians. ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.’ (Gal.6:7-8) And that’s an indisputable fact Friends! It’s not only how we sow, but also what we sow, that shall return to us. It’s just like a boomerang; you throw it out and eventually it comes right back to you. That’s just the way the Lord set up His universe. And none of this should come as a surprise to any of us, for we’ve all grown up hearing things like: ‘You’ve got to give to get… It is better to give than to receive.’ Now many of us despise clichés, but they did not become household sayings without some truth to them. So let’s end to day by checking out a couple more scriptures that deal with our topic. And we’ll begin with Psalm 112 – blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. The psalmist tells us that: ‘A good man showeth favour (is gracious) and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion (justice)…He hath dispersed (distributed), he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn (strength) shall be exalted with honour.’ (Ps.112:5,9) Awesome words of truth my brethren! And finally, listen to Cousin Sol’s divine wisdom: ‘He that hath a bountiful (generous) eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.’ (Prov.22:9) Ah Friends, such is the way of our great and generous God; the more you give from a right heart, the better will be your rewards, both here on earth and in heaven. So this Christmas season, let’s share joyfully with others, so that a good and proper reflection of God’s goodness to us will be seen by the world, and hopefully bring others to worship at His nail scarred feet. More on this tomorrow if we awaken to another day. Till then, let’s sincerely LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith and SPREAD His Word. Much LOVE!…generous giving is of God…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 December 2011 Psalm 68:4
14 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
Psalm 68:4. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him.
Oh Friends, it’s another beautiful day in the life! And I surely hope that we all gave the Lord some thanks and praise for causing us to see it. It would be rather ungrateful and unbecoming of us if we didn’t offer some gratitude for all the mercies and blessings He showers down on us each new day. But I know that our Scrip-Bit family is full of true believers who praise our wonderful God every day, and sincerely seek to do His will, so I’m not worried about our thanksgiving or our LOVE for Jehovah God. And please don’t make me a liar! (smile) Now here’s a simple but interesting quote from Real Estate Agent, Rob Kelly’s Christmas Newsletter. It’s attributed to George Herbert (1593-1633) the Welsh born English poet, orator and Anglican priest, and says: ‘Every mile is two in winter.’ And it sure does seem so at times Friends! Those days when you have to trudge through the calf-high snow and /or sludge, and it’s so cold, although the sun’s shining brightly, that you’re afraid to breathe…Steups! Then every mile doesn’t seem like two, but more like five! (smile) But yuh know what, we believers, especially those in the cold climes, are extremely hardy stock, and with Jesus ruling our lives, we ought to be. For Jesus, if nothing else was physically strong when He lived on earth. He had to be from walking all those endless miles to preach the gospel. Note, the only time the Good Book describes Him not walking is during His triumphant entrance to Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday, not even a magnificent charger or great chariot, but a lowly donkey. Hn, hn! Most of us today, with our comparatively easy lives, would die if we had to walk anywhere. See how we always look for the nearest parking spot to the door, when we go out. That alone shows how we detest walking, which is so good for both body and soul. Anyway Friends, I want to continue with our Bit of the last couple days, because it’s so important that we give praise to Jehovah Jireh, our great Provider, for all the things He’s done, is doing, and plans to do for us. We all know that if we do something good for others and they don’t even offer a perfunctory thanks, then we get all peeved and miffed, which doesn’t encourage us to do anymore good for that particular person, and even people in general. Well just think how our God feels when He showers us with His LOVE and we don’t even say a simple ‘Thank you Lord.’ So let’s do as our Bit says nuh: ‘Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol (praise) him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him.’ Wow mih people! And yuh know that last part there about ‘rejoice before him,’ that brings to mind Bruh David’s behaviour when they brought the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem. The Good Book declares: ‘And David danced (whirled about) before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.’ (2 Sam.6:14) Yes Friends, there was much singing and rejoicing when the physical symbol of the Lord’s avowed care and concern for Israel was brought to Jerusalem. The scholars say Bruh David’s ‘dancing or whirling about was an expression of spiritual joy.’ Likewise, we can and should also give expression to our spiritual joy. Jesus died that we might be redeemed of our sins, and that certainly is something to be overjoyed about and give much thanks and praise for. Now let’s take a look at some scriptures that praise and honour God, so that some, if not all of the praise can psychologically rub off on us. (smile) And there’s nobody that does that as well as Bruh David. Yes, I am biased. (smile) So here goes: From Psalm 29 – the voice of the Lord in the storm – he proudly proclaims: ‘Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty (majesty) of holiness.’ (Ps.29:1-2) And from Psalm 30 – a thanksgiving for deliverance from death – he loudly declares: ‘I will extol thee O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.’ (Ps.30:1) Meanwhile, the psalmist in Psalm 66 – the great works of God – cried out: ‘Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled (praised) with my tongue.’ (Ps.66:16-17) And finally Friends, a scripture that truly shows the greatness of our God. We talking about when the pagan king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, was humbled by God for his pride and arrogance, and made to behave like an animal for seven years. (Daniel 4) By the way, the scholars claim that Neb’s behaviour is physically possible because there’s a mental illness called zoanthropy, where a man thinks and behaves like an animal. However, listen to Neb’s testimony, when he finally regained his sanity. ‘Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgement (justice): and those that walk in pride he is able to abase (humble).’ (Dan.4:37) Oh Friends, if a pagan king’s heart can be so changed that he extols our God in such fashion, why can’t we supposed believers do the same eh? That’s a question for each of us to mull over and decide individually. Much LOVE!…to praise Him…to praise Jesus…my Lord and Saviour…that’s all I’m living for…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 December 2011 Psalm 68:4
13 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
Psalm 68:4. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
Oh Friends, it’s Christmas, it’s Christmas, that wonderful time of year when Christ was born! Wow! What a momentous event my people! So momentous that it deserves another Wow! (smile) But truly Friends, Christmas is possibly the happiest time of year all over the globe, for even non-Christians join in the festivities. It’s for sure the time of year when peace and goodwill are at their highest level on planet earth. What a shame that that heightened spirit of friendliness and decency couldn’t last all year round! Our world would be such a wonderful place in which to dwell. And the sad part is that we really don’t have to LOVE everybody, because that’s a physical impossibility. All we need to do is treat others decently, as the second great commandment says; treat them like we’d want to be treated. But judging from the way we treat each other, many of us don’t like ourselves and want to be treated unfairly, be oppressed and abused. Oh Friends, for this coming year of 2012, please, let’s make one resolution that we vow to keep, even going out of our way to keep it; and that’s sincerely trying to improve the way we treat the people we come into contact with. That’s obviously not asking much, but it will surely go a long way towards improving many personal relationships as well as our world in general. Now if we treat the people we meet everyday decently, familiar ones as well as unfamiliar, then eventually those people will get the message, the Holy Spirit will work in their hearts, and they will also begin treating those in there sphere decently too, thus creating an increasingly cumulative effect of decency around the world. Okay, so I’m dreaming some, but that’s what dreams are made for. And remember we recently said that all things were possible with our omnipotent God. So please don’t knock it until you try it. But seriously Friends, that would be such a wonderful thing; a real Christ-like, a true Christian act, that would make Jesus so proud of us. Remember His assuring words form the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.’ (Matt.5:9) And I’m sure all of us would like to, or already do call ourselves God’s children. But are we really? Are we seriously doing the things that will get us into that classification? Remember too that we can fool one another and our selves by our outward conduct and actions, but we can’t ever fool God, who checks our hearts for right motives. And another great benefit to our peacemaking and keeping of the second great commandment is that it will encourage so many others to provide personal testimony and sing praises to our wonderful God, as our Bit so wisely advises: ‘Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol (praise) him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.’ Ah mih people, when true LOVE is in our heart, meaning God, it’s so much easier to be joyful and thankful. And as we said yesterday, if our God is so good and so great, then why aren’t we praising and extolling His Holy Name much more than we’re currently doing eh? Why isn’t our exultation in His service louder and more widespread eh? Unfortunately I can’t answer those questions, but I can surely give us a solution to it: let’s start seriously concentrating on praising our God, on making it a habit, like Bruh David says in Psalm 145: ‘I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day I will bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable (beyond our understanding). One generation shall praise thy works to another, and declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour (splendour) of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible (awesome) acts: and I will declare thy greatness.’ (Ps.145:1-6) Yes Friends, if we seriously begin praising our most worthy God, one thing will lead to another, and soon many others will be praising Him too. And isn’t that what this life, both earthly and heavenly are all about? Note though that Bruh David makes it abundantly clear that one generation has to tell the upcoming one about God, else they won’t know about Him, and right now that’s a serious failure amongst too many of us. Please, let’s make that our second New Year’s resolution; (smile) to tell others, especially the young people about our Mighty God. We will be doing our bounden duty and it will also benefit our world immensely. Much LOVE!…Scrip-Bit family resolutions for 2012…treat others better…tell more people about Jesus…than we did in 2011…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 December 2011 Psalm 68:4
12 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
Psalm 68:4. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
Oh come let us adore Him! Oh come let us adore Him! Oh come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord! Oh Friends, oh Friends, it’s not only at Christmas time that we should be singing Christ’s adoration, but every single day of both our earthly and heavenly lives we should be extolling His Holy Name, because of who He is, what he stands for, and what He’s done for us unworthy sinners! So on this beautiful Monday morning, (smile) when we once again have to engage the enemy in the workweek battle, let’s give thanks and praise for strength and guidance by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. In chorus now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ So now that both the body and spirit are awake, let’s go hither valiantly and capture the evil enemy soldiers and bring them to Christ for cleansing. And as our Bit today, we appropriately have some words of adoration from Bruh David, the master of the genre. ‘Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol (praise) him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.’ Yes Friends, if Jehovah God is our God, and He’s such a great God, then it’s incumbent on us to sing His praises for His eternal majesty, extol His Holy Name and rejoice in His presence, otherwise our words aren’t true. And before Bruh David, there was Moses, who, on his way home to the Lord, blessed the tribes of Israel, as they wandered disobediently in the wilderness, saying: ‘There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heavens in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine, also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency (majesty)! And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee (submit to you); and thou shalt tread upon (down) their high places (places of pagan worship). (Deut.33:26-29) Oh Friends, since then nothing has changed, our God and His Word still rule the universe, which means that the exaltation of Moses still stands, as well as the promises in it. The problem though lies in the fact that we have to actively take hold of those promises and make them ours, through faith, hope, trust and obedience. Nothing’s going to just fall into our laps and prosper us, especially if we continue to revel in sin, as we’re currently doing. Oh my people, the Lord has stated His case from day one, and the same case still stands today: Obey and live; disobey and die. So if we want to enjoy the good life, we have to trust His will and be obedient. As simple as that. If we don’t obey, then we’ll surely pay a hefty price. More on this tomorrow, God willing. Till then, let’s sing His praises, glorify His Name, and live the way He wants us to live nuh. Much LOVE!…if you’re happy in Jesus…then sing it out loud…let the world know…share your happiness…as Jesus desires…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 December 2011 Mark 10:27
11 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
Mark 10:27. And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, through divine blessing we’re still alive and kicking this beautiful Sunday morning. Wow! All thanks and praise to our most wonderful God! And so to honour His bountiful blessings and mercies in our own small way, let’s all be grateful and say: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will, we shall, and we are definitely going to rejoice in it!’ Let’s get all those tenses in there. (smile) Yes mih people, what’s the purpose of God blessing us with the breath of life if we don’t enjoy it eh? None whatsoever! And to further infuse us with God’s desire and purpose, here’s a rather appropriate quote, attributed to Antoine de St. Exupery (1900-1944) the French writer and pilot. It says: ‘In these times one must write with one’s life. This is the challenge to all of us.’ Oh my brethren, those are words of infallible truth! We’re all supposed to make a difference with our lives, but even more so in difficult, trying and tumultuous times like we’re currently experiencing. That’s when the Spirit of Christ has to rise up in us, above and beyond everything we’ve ever done, so that His Church can be strengthened and His kingdom furthered. In good times that’s fairly easy since everyone’s happy and joyful. In times of God’s abundance and prosperity, everyone’s singing His praises. But when things turn sour, for whatever reason(s), like they are now, that’s another story. Everybody becomes gloomy and miserable, conveniently forgetting God, His Word, and all They encompass. But Friends, that’s the time when we need Them the most, for it’s only God and His Word that will keep us steadfast and strong in a mad, evil world, and help us ride out the rough times, as well as enable us to eventually return to health and prosperity. Oh Friends, everything in our human sphere revolves around God and His Word! If They aren’t front and centre in our lives, then our lives fall out of balance, out of sync. It’s the ballast that keeps our ship from aimlessly drifting towards some rocky shore, keeps us on a straight and true course. Now all of that is only possible because of what Jesus says in our Bit: ‘And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.’ That’s gospel my people! If all things weren’t possible with God, then He’d be undependable and we wouldn’t need Him. But because all things are possible with Him that’s why He’s God; the ONE and ONLY TRUE God! And if we don’t believe that, then I’m sorry for us, because it’s our overwhelming disbelief and disobedience to Jehovah God that’s the main reason for our world presently being in such a terrible state. But enough of me, let’s hear what the Good Book has to say on the topic. Now listen to the very first sentence on the very first page. ‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.’ (Gen.1:1) Oh Friends, that tells us that our God is truly a mighty Deity, able to do all sorts of wonderful, superhuman, miraculous things! Just read the first two chapters of Genesis and you’ll realize how powerful the God we worship is. In fact He’s so powerful that He’s considered omnipotent; all-powerful, none else in the entire universe as powerful as Him. Now hear the psalmist state His case: ‘Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall all 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 shall have no end.’ (Ps.102:25-27) Meanwhile Nehemiah said it thus: ‘Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshipeth thee.’ (Neh.9:6) Then Jeremiah enthusiastically proclaimed: ‘Ah Lord God! Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard (difficult) for thee.’ (Jer.32:17) But here’s the definitive word mih breddren; the word of all words: ‘Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?’ (Jer.32:26-27) And the unequivocal answer to that question my people, is a big, bold, NO! So, having finally discovered the truth of our God’s omnipotence, it’s now up to us to take hold of the baton and run the race He’s laid out for us, trusting Him to lead, guide and protect us every step of the way, as He has so faithfully promised. Trust me, or rather trust Him, for if you sincerely do that, you’ll never regret it. Much LOVE!…true wisdom is knowing the truth…and then steadfastly acting on it…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 December 2011 Mark 10:27
10 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
Mark10:27. And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Oh Friends, it seems that ole man winter is finally catching up to us with cold temps and flurries of snow in my neck of the woods. But that’s okay, we’ll ride it out like we always do because of our faith, hope, trust and surrender to Almighty God. We know He’s a good God, who will never leave nor forsake us, and will work out all things in His people’s favour eventually, so bring on the winter! And I hear a lot of ‘Steups’ and ‘Chuhs’ in the background from our readers in the northern climes, wondering if I’m crazy. (smile) Who knows? I just might be. But here’s an interesting quote taken from Real Estate Agent, Rob Kelly’s Christmas pamphlet. The quote’s attributed to Terri Guillemets, and it says: ‘The colour of springtime is in the flowers, the colour of winter is in the imagination.’ And that’s so true Friends, because in winter the land is mostly white, covered with snow, or simply dark and harsh, with only drab, dead colours. Thus to spruce it up some, we have to use our imaginations, fool ourselves into thinking it’s so beautiful, otherwise the drabness and/or the total whiteness will drive us crazy. Now today’s Bit is something we all know, but don’t truly believe, else we’d put it into practice more often. ‘And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.’ He had just told His listeners that ‘It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’ (Mark 10:25) Obviously they were all astonished and wondered who then could enter heaven. But our focus today is not on getting into heaven, but on all things being possible with God. And that’s because, as I said earlier, though we might think and talk it, deep down we don’t believe it, otherwise many of our decisions and actions would be entirely different. So let’s look at some scriptures that enhance or prove Jesus’ statement. And we’ll start way back when, with God promising Abraham and Sarah a son in their old age. Sarah laughed and Abraham, that man of great faith, was rather dubious. Hence the Lord’s admonition: ‘Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.’ (Gen.18:14) And when the time was ripe, Sarah, in her nineties, and Abraham, at one hundred, did have a son, Isaac, just as the Lord promised. (Gen.21) And if we turn to 2 Kings 19, when the Assyrians were threatening to overrun Judah, King Hezekiah made sincere obeisance to God. ‘And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubim, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth…Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.’ (2 Kin.19:14,19) And what happened? The Lord sent Isaiah to talk to him, promising to defend Judah. And so said, so done! During the night the angel of the Lord smote the Assyrians. (2 Kin.19:34-36) Isaiah himself famously proclaimed: ‘Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is.40:28-31) And why is that my people? Because our God is a great God, who can do all things! He made the heavens, the earth, and all therein and still controls everything that takes place in and around them, therefore nothing’s impossible to Him. Please let us believe that with all our heart, soul, body and mind, and also diligently act upon it, otherwise our faith will be seriously limited. As Bruh Paul reassuringly declared: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:13) And that’s the gospel truth my people! More on this tomorrow, if we live to see another blessed day. Till then, please let’s LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith, and SPREAD His Word, as is our bounden duty. Much LOVE!…there’s only ONE God…who made everything…and can do anything…remember that…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 December 2011 1 Thessalonians 5:6
09 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! ‘Yeah, we know that!’ comes the spirited reply. And I know that you know it’s Friday because I can hear you singing all over the land: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’, with the sparkling riddim of the quatros pumping out in a T&T parang style. And there’s a special exuberance to this Friday because it’s Christmas time, always the most festive season in the West Indies and amongst it’s far flung diaspora. As usual though, we have to pull back on the reins a little every Friday, so we don’t get caught up in all the weekend hoopla and lose our perspective. To help us gain the right perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much enthusiasm and gratitude to our Heavenly Father. As one 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.’ Now that should set us straight and guide us on the right path for the weekend. And you’ll notice that our Bit today is something you read yesterday: ‘Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober (self-controlled).’ That’s because I was guided to expand a tad on the sleeping and not watching aspect of our lives. Oh my people, too many of us today are caught up in the busyness, the things and affairs of the world and don’t pay enough attention to the spiritual stuff that’s going on around us. As believers, true followers of Christ, we need to be always on guard, self-controlled and disciplined, not lazy, slothful and/or drunken. We all know the parable of the ten virgins that Jesus taught (Matt.25), where they waited for the bridegroom ‘s arrival with lamps to light the way. Five took extra oil, just in case the bridegroom was late, and five didn’t. And as luck would have it the bridegroom was late, that led Jesus to point out: ‘While the bridegroom tarried (was delayed) they all slumbered and slept.’ (Matt.25:5) So that when he did show up, no one was really watching, and by then the lamps of the five who did not take extra oil went out for lack of oil, and the five who took extra, refused to share with them. Likewise Friends, we can’t afford to slumber and sleep while waiting for Jesus’ return. We have to be up and about, keeping an alert watch, for we don’t want to be caught napping when He returns, which could be anytime, day or night, today or tomorrow. Unfortunately though, many of us believe we have much time to prepare for His Second Coming, and we might have, but we also might not have any time to get ready if He comes suddenly. ‘Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.’ (Luke 12:40) Friends, those were the warning words of Jesus. That’s why we need to be ever alert and always ready for His auspicious coming again in glory, whenever it might occur. Peter, the solid rock on which Christ promised to build His Church, possibly said it best: ‘Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm) strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet.5:8-11) That’s my advice for us today my brethren. Please, let’s wisely take it and do our diligent duty for our wonderful God. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen. Much LOVE mih people!… enjoy the weekend and get with the festive season…but please remember the real reason for the season…Jesus… P.S. What a way the Bit short today Friends! There certainly shouldn’t be any complaints about lenght today. (smile) Much LOVE!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 December 2011 1 Thessalonians 5:5
08 Dec 2011 1 Comment
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s feeling lousy this morning. I’m sneezing and sniffling, my stomach’s bloated and grumbling, my ying and yang seem to be out of sync, and to add insult to injury, my cup of black coffee with sugar and lime juice isn’t thrilling me like it usually does. That means both my physical and mental energy are not what they should be. But yuh know, just as sleet, snow nor rain stops mail delivery, neither shall my human ailments stop the Bit from going out to all and sundry. (smile) All thanks and praise to our great God that I am able to write something sensible. Don’t know what as yet, but I have no doubt that the Lord will provide, because it’s His Word we’re dealing with, and He’ll never allow it to be frustrated or left in the lurch. Soon come, going to look for a Bit. Bravo! Back in less than ten. Thanks to our good and caring God! Now here’s a quote from the Covenant House December Calendar, attributed to Charles Dickens, which says: ‘It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas.’ And that’s so true my brethren, though it might be better to be children all the time. Why? For a number of reasons I guess. The first being that Christmas celebrates the birth of a child, Jesus. And children enjoy Christmas more than anyone else, because they are basically innocent, trusting and accepting, unlike adults, who allow mundane, worldly affairs to dull their enjoyment of life and living. That’s why Jesus told His disciples, ‘for of such is the kingdom of heaven,’ (Matt.19:14) when they tried to stop children from coming to Him. And before that: ‘Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.’ (Matt.18:3-5) Yes Friends, that’s how high a level of importance that Jesus places on children. A righteous attitude is one that reflects childlike properties of simple, heart-felt, unquestioning trust, faith and surrender to the Father’s will. And note Bruh Paul’s continued use of the word children, not adults, in our Bit. ‘Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.’ And Friends, Christmas is definitely a time of light; when the light of God, in the form of baby Jesus, came to earth to show lost mankind the way, to light our path, to take us out of darkness into the beautiful light of our heavenly Father. And if we indeed walk as children of light, then we will not face God’s eventual wrath, as those who walk in darkness will, when Christ comes again to deliver the righteous. As Bruh Paul warned the Ephesians, re the ways of the believer: ‘Let no man deceive you with vain (empty) words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be ye not partakers with them. For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.’ (Eph.5:6-8) And we all know that there are plenty of false teachers around, lots of wolves in sheep’s clothing, just looking for easy prey to attack and devour. That means my people, as believers, as children of light, we have to be very careful in whom and what we trust, listen to and associate with, lest we be led astray down the dark, destructive path of the enemy. Consequently, it’s necessary for us to follow Bruh Paul’s wise advice: ‘Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober (self-controlled). for they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and LOVE; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort (encourage) yourselves together (each other), and edify (build up) one another, even as also ye do (are doing.’ (1 Thess.5:6-11) Please mih people, let’s go out and do just that nuh, so that we can bring glory to God’s name and further His most righteous kingdom. Much LOVE!…and there came at Christmas time…a light…shining in the darkness…to show the children of men…the right and true way…to salvation and eternal life…JESUS…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 December 2011 John 6:37
07 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
Oh Friends, our God is great! Please believe that with all your heart, mind, body and soul! I just sat down here in my basement office to write the Bit, having of course asked for guidance first, but after a few minutes went by, I still couldn’t think of anything to write. Then my eyes fell on one of the sayings you get from the Chinese fortune cookies – I have a few on my desk. This particular one says: ‘A cheerful heart makes its own song.’ And isn’t that gospel mih people? It sure is! So my heart immediately began to sing and my pen to flow with ease. Wow! And who says our God isn’t wonderful and doesn’t help us in time of need eh? Tell them the ole fella says deh lie! And furthermore Friends, when I think about all the good things that the Father, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus, has done for us, our hearts should always be cheerful and brimming over with thankful, happy song. Consider the precious gifts He’s bestowed on us nuh; gifts like grace, mercy, forgiveness, unconditional LOVE, salvation and eternal life. Those are things we could never earn on our own merit, but are yet ours, freely given, if only we believe on the Son. And yet so many of us supposed believers live sad, bedraggled, miserable lives. No Friends, believers, followers of Jesus should never be constantly or totally miserable and unhappy. Life indeed gets all of us down at some time or another, but believers should never stay down for long, because there’s always HOPE in Jesus. Just check out our Bit: ‘All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise (certainly not) cast out.’ Oh Friends, which other supposed god is big, brave, bold and sure enough of Himself to make such a pronouncement eh? None Friends, NONE! Only the ONE TRUE God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has the power and the necessary parts to make such a bold, definitive statement! And I admire Jesus’ confidence when He says: ‘All that the Father giveth me shall come to me…’ There He’s showing exceeding great faith in His Father. And as He confirms later on: ‘It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.’ (John 6:45) That’s more gospel truth there mih people! And isn’t it wonderful how Jesus uses the Old Testament to prove and lay the foundation of His New Testament? Yes Friends, if we check out Isaiah 54:13; Jeremiah 31:34; and Micah 4:2, we will find that those prophets said exactly that. Oh mih breddren, there’s one thing about Jesus which I don’t think we emphasize or appreciate enough, and that’s His obedience, faith and trust in His Father. So okay that’s three things. (smile) Though He was God incarnate, everything He said and did was based on the will of His Father. ‘For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ (John 6:38-40) Now people, that’s the same sort of trust, obedience and faith that we should show in Jesus. But unfortunately, too many of us run scared when times get rough, and turn to our own or the world’s misplaced endeavours. Jesus had rough times too here on earth, but every single time He turned to the Father for help, and that’s how we should also be turning to Him. Don’t you hear Friends what our Saviour says in the Bit: ‘and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.’ Wow! NOBODY that comes to Jesus will be turned away! You can take that like money to the bank Friends! And we’ll end up today with some further clarification and strengthening of that promise with some more wonderful words from Jesus. ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck (snatch) them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck (snatch) them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.’ (John 10:27-30) Oh mih people, I sure hope what I’ve written here makes sense and also encourages you to stand strong for Jesus, because sometimes when the Spirit gets working in me, I get carried away. (smile) But if one is to get carried away, then Jesus is the perfect person to get carried away on. Nuh true? So let’s all get carried away on Him nuh! That would just fill heaven with untold joy and have not only the angels singing and dancing, but also the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, cause there’s nothing they desire more than that all should come to the knowledge and glory of God! Much LOVE!…if Jesus is in your life…and you’re not excited…then something’s wrong…for who’s the most exciting personality in the world…the ONE SUPERSTAR…JESUS!
