2 Chronicles 24:20. And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.
Oh Friends, it’s day 2 of 2013, and for many of us the common grind and daily task begins again today. But can I plead one heartfelt plea with us? Please, as this Christmas and New Year seasons wind down, please let us not go back to the crude, rude, unmannerly, resentful, disgusting way we’ve been treating each other in the past year. It’s just not becoming of us, my people. For once in our life, let’s allow the goodwill and fellowship of the season to continue right through the New Year nuh. We don’t have to hug and kiss, or even like everybody we come into contact with, but we can surely have a more civil tongue in our heads and more pleasant demeanour. That doesn’t cost us anything, but it shows the true heart of Christ. As I said yesterday, there’s only one New Year’s resolution our entire world needs to make, and that’s to purpose a closer walk with Jesus! And being kind and considerate to our fellow humans is the first step in that direction. As the great philosopher Plato reputedly said eons ago; ‘The beginning is the most important part of the work.’ And that’s no lie Friends! I can attest to that just in writing the Bit everyday. The biggest hurdle is to get started. But once I do, everything comes together smoothly. And I’m sure most of you can also attest to the universal fact that making the first move in anything, always takes the most effort and courage. The Chinese Proverb puts it this way: ‘The longest journey begins with the first step.’ That’s also undeniable truth! So if we really want to have a closer walk with Jesus this year, it means we have to begin at the beginning, for though it’s the hardest part of the process, it’s also the most important. For to accomplish anything, we have to begin somewhere, sometime. Now does that get me any marks as a philosopher? (smile) From the lukewarm response, I’d guess not. But it’s the truth anyway. Now turning to our Bit: ‘And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.’ Oh Friends, I believe this will be the most important Bit of this year 2013, because it’s where we take stock of ourselves and those connected to us, of our individual society and of our world. It’s when we seriously try to turn the tables on the evil spirits and people who are currently controlling our lives and our world and ruining them. And what amazes, as well as disturbs me, is that the answer to all our problems is so easy, it’s right before our very eyes; turning back to having a true and sincere faith in Almighty God and having Him play significant roles in our individual lives and our societies. But for some unexplainable reason we seem afraid and/or reluctant to do it. But I do know it’s the right thing for us to do. It’s the only action that will get us out of the sad state we’re currently mired in. But unfortunately, right now, most of us seem to be listening to a different tune from Lucifer and his evil cronies, and thus they are now holding sway. Believe me though, my brethren, if only we, the church, the body of Christ could get back to working AS ONE, instead of fighting each other, we’d eat up, defeat the enemy in no time at all. But it’s the foolish divisions among Christ’s people that allow Beelzebub’s minions to rule the roost. The enemy is successfully using the old divide and conquer tactic on us. But unless and until the mostly petty and unimportant dissensions and differences are seriously addressed and worked out between Christ’s people, His church will not attain any real victory here on earth. But the devil’s in the details; reducing things like power struggles, streamlining doctrines, etc. etc. It’s always the selfish, power hungry, have to be right attitudes that spoil the show. And sadly, that’s not the attitude championed by Christ. It’s time Friends, for us to put up, or simply shut up. It’s time for Christ’s church to come together, to form a cohesive group, preaching what Christ preached, not what we want to preach or hear. If this doesn’t happen very soon, the church is just going to get more fractured and lose what little authority and acceptance it has left. And it’s only true believers, those who are willing to make the sacrifice, like Jesus did, who will affect or cause positive change in the evil doings of our world. But until we work together as ONE, that will never happen. Oh please, my fellow brethren in Christ, I’m appealing, pleading, begging, whatever action it takes, for us to get real serious about our faith, to get together and fight for it, otherwise we’re going to eventually lose it. Just look at some of the other faiths nuh, who though they worship dead and incompetent gods, their great belief, courage and zeal has them fighting tooth and nail to promote their unrighteous cause. Meanwhile, we, the Christians, who supposedly worship the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD, fight amongst ourselves, sit on our laurels, seeking individual fame and glory, and refuse to make the effort to seriously come together and make a concerted effort to win the world for Christ, as He so humbly asked us to do. Oh Friends, I’m chuckling here, because this is one of those times when I was led to just get on our case about our dissensions and divisions, our inactivity, our hypocrisy, and all the wrong and bad things in the church, as we know it. Ah Lord eh! When will we learn my people, when will we wake up to the reality that life’s passing us by, and that our efforts are both lacklustre and insufficient? I don’t know if my pleas will make any difference to anything, but Friends, somebody’s got to cry out for unity between Christ’s people and His church, or else we’ll all just keep on going down to hell in the hand basket of petty divisions, of evil and worldly lusts we’ve chosen to put ourselves into. In closing, I just hope and pray that the Lord will take us to task this notable year of 2013, and put it in our hearts to truly be an example of righteousness to the unbelievers, as well as the believers, because they too need proper examples to help them guide their lives on the right path. But Friends, most of that can, or will never happen unless we start to truly LOVE our God, truly LIVE our Christian Faith, and truly SPREAD the WORD of God, as we ought to. Much LOVE!…may the good Lord convict our hearts and minds…at the start of this New Year…RIGHT NOW…to walk ever closer to Him…and thus increase and glorify His righteous kingdom…Amen…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 January 2013 2 Chronicles 24:20
02 Jan 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: body of Christ, civil tongues, closer walk with God, commandments, differences, dissensions, doctrines, evil spirits, fellowship, glorify God, God's righteous kingdom, goodwill, heartfelt plea, New Year's resolutions, pleas, pleasant demeanour, positive change, power hungry, prosperity, religion, sacrifice, transgressions, true heart of Christ, unity
Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 January 2013 2 Chronicles 24:20
01 Jan 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: 2013, closer walk with God, commandments, faithful promises, forgiveness, forsaken God, gospel truth, Happy New Year, heady times, heartfelt greetings, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, never give up, New Year resolutions, New Year's Day, prosperity, Spirit of God, transgressions, victory, wisdom, words of wisdom, worldly things, worldy idols
2 Chronicles 24:20. And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.
Aye Friends, it’s New Year’s Day 2013! Wow! That calls for enthusiastic, heartfelt greetings. Happy New Year to all my Scrip-Bit Family! And please remember that 2013 will be an even better year for us than 2012 was. The Lord’s promised this, and we all know that He faithfully keeps all of His promises. I guess you also realized that the Bit would be late today, because like many of you, I did a bit of partying last night, celebrated New Year’s all around the world, right up to Calgary at 2 a.m. my time. The party was small, just family, but rousing and interesting. Made me believe the wisdom of staying home, cause when I got tired in the wee hours, I just went upstairs to my bed. And I admit that it was a bit difficult getting up this morning. When the Lord woke me up around 5 a.m. I pleaded, ‘No Lord, please, not yet!’ (smile) And in His wisdom and wonderful LOVING-kindness, He granted me another hour’s rest. Yuh see why I LOVE Him so! No doubt many of you are in the same boat, not in a rush to read my words of wisdom this first day of 2013, (smile) as I wasn’t in a rush to write them. But like the mail, the Bit must go out! Better late than never. Now turning to the problem of resolutions… yes, it has become a problem, because we rush to make them at the beginning of the year, often with good intentions, but a short while thereafter, we either forget them or intentionally discard them. That’s mainly because they are mostly worldly things. However Friends, you know there’s only one resolution we really need to make at the beginning of each year; and that’s just to promise that we’ll walk closer with Jesus. Now that encompasses everything! If we simply concentrate on walking closer with Christ, then everything else will fall into their rightful places. That’s why Jesus was so emphatic and adamant with those memorable words: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) And that, my brethren, is the only strategy we really need to follow in this current, evil, ungodly age! That brings us to our first Bit of this New Year, one I consider rather appropriate for these undoubtedly wicked times. ‘And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.’ And that’s the gospel, gospel truth my people! If you’re honest with yourselves, you’ll realize that many of the woes and disasters that have recently befallen our individual societies, and our world in general, is because like the foolish, fickle Israelites of old, who were supposed to know better, we too have turned away from Jehovah God and taken to worshipping Lucifer and his evil, worldly desires. A few days ago, while doing my daily Bible reading, I came upon our Bit, and it struck me as being so relevant to our times that I wanted to rush and use it, but I was guided to hold it until today, a more significant occasion, where people were liable to pay more attention to it. And in one of His small, but nonetheless mysterious and miraculous movements, the Lord caused me to hear a song last night that fits in very appropriately with it. The title of the song is simply ‘Superior’ by an artist called Gentleman. And the chorus goes like this: ‘I know Jah LOVING is superior. Your devil complex inferior. Worshipping material. Bowing to your silver and gold.’ Oh my brethren, that is such an apt description of our current world, that I couldn’t let it go by unnoticed! Unfortunately though, I don’t know what to say or do to change that evil, unwise behaviour, since all my best words and actions seem to fall on deaf ears, so powerful is the current lure of Beelzebub and his worldly lust. But what makes us the champions that we truly are, my fellow believers, is that we don’t EVER give up. The victory has already been won; it’s just for us to keep on fighting tooth and nail to ensure that it stays that way. Oh my people, this year of 2013 gives us the great opportunity to make a brand new start, to seriously consider all the options available to us, and to wisely choose to follow Jesus, cause he’s the ONLY way to salvation and eternal life! I won’t badger us with much scripture today, because I know that even in the best of times we seem reluctant to read it, so you can imagine the resistance this New Year’s day, with all the celebrations going on. However, I will badger us to use logic and common sense, to just look around and see what’s really happening in our world, and remember, if you’re old enough, the bye gone days when our world leaned more towards righteousness and Jehovah God than the evil of Lucifer, and consequently it was also much more prosperous, merciful, LOVING, and forgiving. And if you’re too young to remember those heady times, then please read your Bible, ask your parents or older associates, and check out the history of your own country and the world over the last fifty years, and you’ll understand what I’m talking about. Anyway, enough for today. Please, let’s all give much thanks and praise to our heavenly Father for bringing us safely through another fateful year, and allowing us to see this new one, where we’ll all seriously endeavour to walk closer with Him. That’s my special wish and prayer for us this wonderful upcoming year of 2013! And all God’s people said a loud, grateful and enthusiastic ‘Praise the Lord! Amen.’ Yes Friends, 2013 will be a most memorable and victorious year, not only for believers, but also for our entire world. Please believe it, see it with your eyes of faith, so that with God’s help, we can bring it to reality. Much LOVE!…just a closer walk with thee…this year of 2013…blessed Jesus is my plea…walking ever closer to thee…let it be…dear Lord…please let it be…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 December 2012 Psalm 34:7
31 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: absolute truth, angel of the Lord, aura of love, battle hymn, entusiasm, eternal life, fear not, holy spirit, humble servants, innocence, lies, Monday Morning, New Year's Eve, psalm 34, rejuvenation, renewed vitality, reverence God, righteousness., salvation, spiritual armour, taunts, the Lord's anointed, the prophet Elisha, wiles
Psalm 34:7. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 December 2012 Psalm 135:5
29 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: blessings, Creator, ends of the earth, exaltation, forgiveness, god the father, God's omnipotence, great god, holiness, Jesus Christ, living truth, loving kindness, man-made idols, mercy, miracles of God, mysteries of God, praise, priorities, respect, reverence, strong Provider, wonders, worship
Psalm 135:5. For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
Ah Friends, welcome to another day in the life! One filled with plenty blessings, mercy and forgiveness from our heavenly Father, Creator and strong Provider. For His undeniable LOVING-kindness to us undeserving children of men, we ought therefore to be very thankful, and in return show Him the utmost honour, reverence, respect and worship He so richly deserves. But on the other hand, being the true ingrates that we are, too many of us expect to experience and bask in that LOVING-kindness, but refuse to give Him the glory that’s rightfully His. That’s a very unwise move though Friends, because the Lord is greater than the useless idols to which so many of us bow down. Our Bit puts it quite succinctly and truthfully: ‘For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.’ And that’s the living truth Friends! How do we know that? Listen to the next two verses. ‘Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in the earth, in the seas, and all deep places. He causeth the vapours (water vapour) to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.’ (Ps.135:6-7) Yes my brethren, the entire universe is the work of His hands and His imagination. Like a potter creating pottery from scratch, He created the universe, doing whatever He pleased with His creation. So how then can any of these other supposed gods be stronger and greater than Him eh? NO WAY! And today we’re going to get into some scriptures that justify our contention…sorry, it’s not a contention, but a definite fact. We’re going to begin with Moses, a man who certainly experienced God’s greatness in his life; what with forcing Pharaoh to set the Israelites free, then parting the Red Sea for them to cross over on dry land, while swallowing up the Egyptian army, then leading a bunch of miserable, ungrateful people, their animals and their belongings through the wilderness to the Promised Land of Canaan, promised many years before to their father Abraham. Moses could therefore rightly state in his song: ‘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 definitive answer to all those questions my Friends is, ABSOLUTELY NOBODY! None of the other supposed deities can hold a match to the candle of our God; the ONE TRUE GOD; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! And later on, when Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought Moses’ wife and two sons to meet him in the wilderness and heard about the wonders the Lord had done on behalf of His people Israel, he too was forced to concede: ‘Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt (behaved) proudly he was above them.’ (Ex.18:11) Even Cousin Sol, when he was planning to build God’s temple, he was so overwhelmed by the magnitude of his task and the awesome power of God, that he declared in wonder: ”And the house which I build is (will be) great: for great is our God above all gods.’ (2 Chr.2:5) And my people, those men not only heard about the great God of Israel, but more importantly they experienced His greatness personally. So there is absolutely no reason to doubt them. And I daresay the lives of many of us modern day believers are also filled with the mystical, miraculous works of God. So why then do we still doubt Him eh? I guess because we’re just naturally fickle and fainthearted, wanting everything easy and now for now. But sorry Friends, that’s not how our God operates. We need to do His will first, and in His time, He will reward us. Remember, He’s the Creator, and He runs the show, not us, the created. And now, turning to Psalm 95, listen to the psalmist declare the Lord’s omnipotence. ‘Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him, with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand (possession) are the deep places of the earth: the strength (heights) of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.’ (Ps.95:2-5) Meanwhile, in Psalm 96, the writer confidently proclaims: ‘Declare his glory among the heathen (Gentiles), his wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.’ (Ps.96:2-6) And in Psalm 97, we read: ‘For thou Lord, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.’ (Ps.97:9) And last but not least, hear Bruh Paul’s proclamation on the subject. ‘For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we (live) by him.’ (1 Cor.8:5-6) And that my brethren is the gospel truth! So today, please, let’s rethink our priorities, and give praise and thanks where praise and thanks are due – to Almighty God! That’s true wisdom. Much LOVE!…no other supposed deity…has the power of the Lord God Jehovah…for they are mere idols…creations of man…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 December 2012 Proverbs 9:4
28 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: discretion, don't fear getting old, faith walk, forsake foolishness, Friday chant, God's glorious kingdom, healthy, henry wadsworth longfellow, knowledge, opportunities, rest and relaxation, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, the simple, understanding, wealthy and wise lifestyle, wisdom, wise advice
Proverbs 9:4. Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
Well Friends, and all you party people, it’s Friday! And a loud, joyous shout of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ rises to heaven. And to make matters even better, though for some worse, it’s the Friday before the long New Year’s Eve weekend. So you can imagine the party preparations that are currently been made. Mama Yo! Everybody will be going out on Monday night in their Sunday best, their evening finery to celebrate the birth of a New Year. But all I have to say is remember, drunk or sober, mind yuh business. (smile) I know some of you are tired hearing me say it, but it’s essential that we do remember to be careful about whatever we do, especially when we’re partying, cause that’s when our level of attention to spiritual matters is pretty low, and it’s very easy then to give the enemy a chance to break through our defences. Anyway, let’s chant our Friday Chant, to help us put the weekend into its proper perspective. All together now, sweetly and sincerely: ‘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, that’s how we have to handle the weekend. Now here’s a quote from the famous American poet and educator Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) that’s particularly for us old fogies, but which, if the young people reading this are smart, will also take to heart. It simply states: ‘For age is opportunity no less Than youth itself, though in another dress, And as evening twilight fades away the sky is filled with stars, invisible day.’ Ah mih old Friends, there’s no fear in getting old, because it’s a time of maturity and wisdom. So please don’t let the age thing get you so down that you become afraid of life and refuse to keep on living a healthy, wealthy and wise lifestyle. Opportunities still abound for us old folks. As Henry so nicely puts it, those opportunities are only now dressed in clothes of a different fashion. That brings us to our Bit, an invitation from Wisdom: ‘Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth (lacks) understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled (mixed). Forsake the foolish (foolishness), and live; and go in the way of understanding.’ (Prov.9:4-6) Oh mih breddren, in this evil, ungodly age, many more of us need to turn away from the lustful world of the flesh and heed wisdom’s call to come in unto her and partake of her generous table, forsaking the foolishness of this world, for that of godliness and spiritual understanding. Let’s hope that in the upcoming year of 2013 many more of us will take that wise advice, for without it we’ll be even more lost and stupid than we already are. Therefore it’s not surprising that throughout the Good Book, readers are strongly advised about the wisdom of the simple, the unlearned to seek and gain understanding in spiritual matters. Let’s look at a few of those scriptures. In Psalm 19; the creation and covenants of God, Bruh David confidently proclaims: ‘The law of the Lord is perfect, converting (restoring) the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.’ (Ps.19:7) And in Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, the psalmist again confidently declares: ‘The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.’ (Ps.119:130) Meanwhile, in Proverbs 1, in outlining its purpose, Cousin Sol boldly tells us that one of the reasons is ‘To give subtilty (prudence) to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.’ (Prov.1:4) And the scholars break down that verse thus: ‘The simple are naive young people open to any influence, among the chief addressees in the book. Knowledge means the apprehension of reality, including an experiential knowledge of God. Discretion refers to the power of formulating and carrying out right measures.’ Yes my brethren, unfortunately, all of us are simple to some degree, some more so than others. That means we all need to look to God’s Word for enlightenment, wisdom and the proper way to live this earthly life, so that it will all eventually rebound to the glory of our heavenly Father. Remember that glorifying God is also a major part of our earthly tenure, and we can’t do that until we know what He wants, requires, likes and dislikes. So today I’m asking us to ponder on this important fact; are we learning more about God everyday and thus constantly growing in the character of Jesus? And if so, are we putting that knowledge, that wisdom, that understanding we’re daily gleaning into the normal routine of our lives, so that our faith walk with Jesus is daily improving? I really hope so Friends, for that’s truly wisdom at its finest. Much LOVE!…to improve our faith walk…we need to daily learn more about God…then Jesus-like…put it into practice…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 December 2012 Luke 2:11
25 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: Christ the Lord, Christmas, Christmas presents, Everlasting Father, glory hallelujah, God's LOVE, good news, grace of God, holy spirit, Hugs, Jesus, Jesus saves, joy, Merry Christmas, mighty god, mind yuh business, prince of peace, Prosperous New Year, reason for the season, saviour, snow, Wonderful Counselor
Luke 2:11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
MERRY CHRISTMAS 2012!
Well Friends, neighbours, fellow believers, and also you unbelievers, it’s CHRISTMAS DAY! Glory Hallelujah! At last the big day that’s been causing so much confusion in our already confused world has arrived. Merry Christmas to one and all! And believe me, the ole fella is shaking it a tad on the rough side this morning, because I went to church last night and didn’t get to bed until the wee hours of the morning. And when the Lord woke me up, some half an hour ago, at minutes to six, I really didn’t feel like getting up. But in good Jesus fashion, I forced myself to get up, because there was the Lord’s work to be done, a Bit to be written. Even now, I’m still a bit dozy, waiting for my two helpers, the caffeine and the Holy Spirit to kick in and raise my level of awareness. (smile) Chuh! I just turned around to take a sip of coffee and found that it all gone, so I have to settle for some water. Anyway Friends, as usual, the Lord’s in my corner and is guiding my every word, so I’m not worried. He’s so wonderful that He led me to Today’s Bit, as soon as I opened the Good Book, and has already shown me what He wants me to say, so it’s only left up to me to pull myself together and do His will. And since I try my best to be obedient, here goes. First off, let me say that I got two wonderful Christmas presents last night. The first one being my two daughters going to church with me. And a loud and grateful ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ rises up to heaven. I had asked them earlier on to go with me, but since they hem and hawed, I just decided to go by myself. But lo and behold, when I was ready to leave, they duly informed that they were coming. How can I look a gift horse in the mouth eh! Then on the way to church, I asked what had made them come. They informed me that that was my Christmas present, and gave me a big ‘Merry Christmas Daddy!’ Now I certainly would never look askance at my daughters going to church with me, for whatever reason. Then, wonder of wonders, when I got to church, I saw a long lost parishioner, one of my favourites, who had stopped coming to church for a while. Now don’t be jealous the rest of you, cause I have plenty favourites at church. (smile) But my heart definitely leapt for joy, and I said a heartfelt, ‘Thank You Lord!’ because he’s been an integral part of our leadership group, and it certainly hasn’t been the same these many months without him. Welcome back James! The Lord definitely moved you to return to the fold of St. Francis at a most appropriate time. Now what else did I want to say…? Oh yeh! On coming out of church after midnight, we discovered some wet snow gently falling. The Lord was obviously covering all His bases, giving the snow enthusiasts a little bit, so that when they sang about a white Christmas, they wouldn’t be lying. And strangely enough, there’s still a smattering of the white stuff in the area, so those who like it will wake up to it, though I guess it will all be melted away by lunch time. One more thing before we get into our Bit. Last week a fellow church member gave some of us a wonderful flyer explaining ‘WHY GOD MADE HUGS!’ AndI think it’s very worthwhile to be shared on this blessed day. Please say with me: ‘Everyone was meant to share God’s all-abiding LOVE and care; He saw that we would need to know a way to let these feelings show. So God made hugs – a special sign, A symbol of His LOVE divine, A circle of our open arms To hold in LOVE and keep out harm. One simple hug can do its part To warm and cheer another’s heart. A hug’s a bit of heaven above That signifies His perfect LOVE.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! That’s exactly why Jesus came to earth – because of the Father’s great LOVE for us. And at the bottom of the flyer, there’s a coupon that’s good for one free hug, along with the admonition, ‘Hug someone you LOVE today!’ Please, please my people, let’s ensure that we do that on this special day nuh. If possible, hug many, but please hug at least one person today, show them God’s true LOVE, which is what the season is all about, as our Bit so nicely puts it: ‘For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’ Oh mih breddren, that’s definitely the best thing that ever happened to our world! Isaiah prophesied it so beautifully centuries before it was fulfilled. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’ (Is.9:6) And all those things surely describe Jesus to a T. But the last one, ‘Prince of Peace’ is what He particularly wants us, His followers, to focus on. He desires us to be peaceful souls and not the snarky, resentful, jealous, greedy people we can too often be. And according to our Bit, Jesus is also our ‘Saviour.’ Listen to how the angel of the Lord explained Mary’s predicament to her betrothed, Joseph. ‘And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (SAVIOUR): for he shall save his people from their sins.’ (Matt.1:21) Now hear the scholars’ timely comments on that verse. ‘Call his name JESUS: The name of the child Jesus (Heb. Yehoshua) means “Jehovah Saves.” This points to the very purpose of Christ’s coming into the world – to save sinners. Placed early in the New Testament, this statement becomes the foundational concept of the gospel. Jesus, by His very name and nature, is the Saviour.’ Yes Friends, Jesus surely did save us from the penalty of death, which we so rightly deserved for our abominable sins, and for which we should all be eternally grateful. And as to being ‘Christ the Lord,’ listen to Peter tell it in his famous speech at Pentecost. ‘For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until, I make thy foes thy footstool…Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ (Acts 2:34-36) There you have it Friends, the fulfillment of the scripture. So let not your hearts be troubled. Our God is still on His throne running things. But please, please Friends, on this Christmas Day of 2012, let’s all take time out from all the fun and frolic, to have a quiet moment and seriously ponder, and sincerely appreciate the true reason for this glorious season; the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Now go and have a good time with your friends and families, but remember, DRUNK OR SOBER, MIND YUH BUSINESS! Don’t give the evil, ever-lurking Beelzebub even one iota of a chance to disrupt the proceedings and steal your joy. MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR! Much LOVE!…what a truly wonderful world this would be…if we took the joy, the good news and the grace of God…through Jesus Christ…out into the world everyday…instead of just at Christmas time…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 December 2012 Luke 2:19
24 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: aura of love, christmas eve, humble servants, Jerusalem, Monday, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my Father's business, Passover, ponder in our hearts, rejuvenation of spirit, seasonal preparations, spiritual armour, spirituality, strife-filled world, thankful voice
Luke 2:19. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
Oh Friends, it’s Christmas Eve…and Monday too! And though it’s the holiday season, because of the 24/7 society we now live in, it means many people still have to go to work, and plenty of us still have last minute shopping to do and seasonal preparations to complete. So without further ado, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in loud and in especially thankful voice, for the most wonderful present ever given, Jesus Christ. As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Ah Friends, this Christmas Season can be such a wonderful time, with all the friendly greetings and such! Why can’t we do it all year round eh? It would certainly lessen the tension in our stressed out, strife-filled world. Oh, I know it’s asking a lot. But I can always hope, can’t I? Anyway, today I want to continue looking at some of the abnormal situations Mary, Jesus’ mother, experienced because of His special status, and her reaction to them. Yesterday we stopped where Simeon and Anna blessed Him in the temple, and spoke such awesome words re the direction and challenges of His life. Today, we move forward some twelve years later where Jesus accompanies His family to the feast of the Passover in Jerusalem. Now when they began the journey back home, unbeknown to His parents, Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. They assumed that he was with their relatives, but on looking for Him after a day’s journey they couldn’t find Him amongst the company. So in obvious worry, they returned to Jerusalem. ‘And it came to pass that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors (teachers), both hearing them and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us (done this to us)? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing (anxiously). And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist (knew) ye not that I must be about my father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.’ (Luke 2:46-51) Ah Friends, no doubt Mary is hurt and aggrieved when her 12 year old son upbraids her thus. But then we encounter again that silent internal strength of hers, where she experiences stuff she doesn’t understand, but knows she has to endure it because of Jesus’ special status. Let me mention one theory of the scholars here, that’s the supposition that Mary herself was the source of Luke’s intimate knowledge of the details of Jesus’ birth. And it’s a prudent supposition, because only his gospel includes all those closely held family details. Now after that we don’t hear about Jesus for twenty years, until He begins His ministry being baptized by John the Baptist. The Good Book just says: ‘And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.’ (Luke2:52) It seems He settled down to a normal human life and obeyed His parents as good Jewish children would. The next instance I want to mention is where Jesus is out preaching, and someone tells Him that His mother and family want to talk to Him, but because of the crowd, they couldn’t get close to Him. And what was Jesus’ reply? ‘My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.’ (Luke 8:21) I don’t know if that statement ever got back to Mary, but if it did, it surely hurt and tied up her heart in knots too, as well as making people around Him consider Him somewhat insensitive. But it’s this next interaction between mother and son that I particularly like. This time though, Mary has the upper hand. It’s at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, where Jesus, His disciples and Mary are all at. And behold, of all the unlikely things, they run out of wine at the wedding. ‘And when they wanted (ran out of) wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee (what does your concern have to do with me)? His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.’ (John 2:3-5) And we all know that eventually He told the servants to fill up the six nearby water pots with water, then to draw out the contents and present it to the master of the feast. And it was the best wine ever! I like how Mary just told Him what was needed, then flounced off and left Him with the servants. She obviously had more than just an inkling of His capabilities and also the goodness of His heart. Now Friends, this next interaction between mother and son is the last, but it’s certainly the one that hurt the most. This takes place at Jesus’ crucifixion. The Good Book describes it thus: ‘Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by whom he LOVED (John), he saith unto his mother, woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.’ (John 19:25-27) Even in all that unbearable suffering, Jesus shows His caring for Mary by having John look after her. But nonetheless that must have been the worst pain Mary ever felt, seeing her beautiful son impaled on that wooden cross, all battered and bruised, and it must surely have brought back the words of Simeon , spoken some thirty three years earlier at Jesus’ presentation. ‘(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.’ (Luke 2:35) Ah Friends, the lives of all mothers are filled with worrisome thoughts and concerns over their children. But I doubt that any other mother in history ever went through the agonizing cycle that Mary went through, right from the announcement of Jesus’ impending birth, up to His crucifixion. But please note the faith and fortitude with she bore it all, no unnecessary whining or complaining, because she knew that all the stuff was happening for a godly and most important purpose. Likewise, most of the things happening in our lives are also for godly, important reasons. Therefore, we also ought to bear them in like fashion. As our Bit describes it: ‘But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.’ Much LOVE!…our reaction to hardship and misfortune…shows the level of our wisdom, understanding and maturity…in Christ Jesus…
Today”s Scrip-Bit 23 December 2012 Luke 2:19
23 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: anguish, blessed, by faith, circumcision, deliverance, division, eternal separation from God, Gentiles, God is in control, Holy Ghost, jesus birth, offer sacrifice, quiet contemplation, redemption, relative poverty, sword
Luke 2:19. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
Oh Friends, it’s Sunday; the eve of Christmas Eve! (smile) That means there are only two more days to the big one; Christmas Day. And what a celebration that will be! However, please, let’s remember we’re celebrating because of Jesus’ birth, the incarnate Son of God, come to earth as man, so that He could eventually rescue us from eternal death and separation from our Creator. And all God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Jesus!’ Now yesterday we saw how Jesus was born and all the ramifications necessary to fulfill the prophecies concerning Him in the Old Testament. We also saw some of the challenges Mary faced in her young, inexperienced life, and the way she handled them with graceful faith and quiet contemplation. Today, I want to continue looking at Mary’s journey as the mother of Jesus, and some of the unusual things she experienced because of it. The next instalment of the story begins when Jesus is eight days old and is taken according to custom to be circumcised and presented to the Lord. ‘As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.’ (Luke 2:23-24) The first verse there comes from Ex.13:2, and the second from Lev.12:8. And the scholars add this interesting note to the last verse. ‘It is indicative of the relative poverty of Jesus’ family that they could not afford to offer a lamb as part of the cleansing and dedicatory ritual.’ Imagine that nuh people, the earthly family of God’s Son was so poor, all they could afford to sacrifice at His presentation before His heavenly father were some cheap birds. What does that say about God wanting Him to be really lowly and suffer human lack eh? Anyway, at the temple in Jerusalem, there was this old, devout priest, Simeon, who really believed that the coming of the Messiah was the only thing that could ever bring peace and prosperity to Israel. ‘And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came (guided) by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him (Jesus) up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word (the promise earlier on); For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people. A light to lighten (to bring revelation to) the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.’ (Luke 2:26-32) There again Friends, as promised, Simeon was guided by the Holy spirit, so that he was in the right place at the right time to see and hold Jesus, the Lord’s salvation. The next verse is interesting as it shows Joseph and Mary’s reaction to Simeon’s prophecy. The Good Book says: ‘And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.’ (Luke 2:33) But that wasn’t all: ‘And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set (destined) for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.’ (Luke 2:34-35) Wow Friends! Yuh hear all that confusion. And the scholars tell us that, ‘Here for the first time the parents hear a startling prophecy that Jesus’ significance will extend even to the Gentiles. This would be surprising even if it had not come from an apparent stranger.’ Oh fellow believers, how would you react after hearing such good and bad things about your first-born, from a total stranger eh? According to the scholars, Jesus would bring deliverance, but also division and anguish. That both redemption and judgement were bound up in His birth. And that last verse with the ominous warning to Mary, that a sword would also pierce her soul. Hn! I don’t think many of us would have been ecstatic about any of it. Then to add to their confusion, after Simeon was done, a prophetess by the name of Anna, took over. ‘And she was a widow of about four score and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.’ (Luke 2:37-38) Ah Lord eh! Poor Mary and Joseph! I’m sure that though they had some inkling that Jesus would be different, would be special in some form and fashion, I doubt that in their lowly estate they could have really comprehended the true stature of their first-born. And the Good Book ends this exercise thus: ‘And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed (became) strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.’ (Luke 2:39-40) And like most mothers, even those whose sons don’t have any exceptional qualities or abilities, I’m sure Mary kept a wary eye on Jesus, surely noticing certain nuances and idiosyncrasies, the little differences between Him and the other children in the community. And her reaction to it all was no doubt just as our Bit says: ‘But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.’ Wise woman that! Just wish that the majority of us could be like her. Much LOVE mih breddren!…not all we see or hear…will we readily understand…but as true believers…oftimes we simply must accept it all by faith…knowing that our God is always in control…
