Lamentations 3:31. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
Well a good Wednesday morning to all you beautiful images of the ONE TRUE GOD, out there on planet earth!
How goes it mih lovelies? Good, I hope. It’s not too bad with me, though I’m tired, because I didn’t get to bed until after one, reading an interesting British set novel. Yuh know when the story gets juicy, (smile) then you see you’re almost at the end, so you decide to finish it. But for some reason, it always takes longer than you expected. Well that was my dilemma this morning.
But our most wonderful God, in His everlasting mercy and LOVING-kindness, looked down on me with favour and guided me to this poem I had sitting amongst some other papers. I don’t think I’ve shared it before, but if I have, it’s good enough to be heard one more time, especially in the middle of the work week when we’re generally in a state of flux; in no man’s land, neither here nor there, not fully acclimatized to it, but not yet desperately looking forward to Friday.
But let’s listen to this and allow it to raise our spirits and give us a boost to keep on living for Jesus, doing His bidding, and causing others to come to Him and LOVE Him as we do. There’s no official title, but I’ll call it, ‘The Promises and non Promises of God.’
‘God hath not promised skies ever blue, flower-strewn pathways all our lives through; God hath not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain. God hath not promised smooth roads and wide, swift, easy travel needing no guide; God hath not promised we shall not bear many a burden, many a care. But God hath promised strength for the day, rest amid labour, light for the way; grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying LOVE.’
Now all of that is certainly undeniable truth Friends! And I do hope it lifts our spirits and gives us strength, courage and faith to keep on keeping on, because patience, perseverance and constant plodding in the face of all adversity are the hallmarks of the pilgrim. And pilgrims we all are, on this earthly journey to our heavenly home.
And though we encounter much difficulty on the journey, there is one thing we can be absolutely sure of, as our Bit tells us. ‘For the Lord will not cast off for ever.’ And that’s truly, truly gospel my people!
As the Good Book continues: ‘But though he causes grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly (with delight), nor grieve the children of men.’ (Lam.3:32-33)
Yes Friends, our God does not go out of His way to make life hard for us, or to unfairly punish us, but disciplinary measures (smile) are sometimes necessary to bring us into line with His divine will, or keep us on the right path, the straight and narrow one that leads to heaven, though we take rebellious delight in speeding down the wide highway that leads to death and destruction and the evil company of Lucifer.
But listen to the wisdom of the psalmist on the subject. ‘The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity (futile). Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest (instructeth), O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest (relief) from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off (abandon) his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. But judgement shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.’ (Ps.94:11-15)
So my fellow believers, there’s no need to fear. Our God will never leave us or forsake us, neither will He afflict us unnecessarily. And if He does decide that chastening is called for, then we can take pleasure from it, (smile) for we know that He’s only disciplining us for our own good. That’s because He LOVES us with such passion and doesn’t want us to go astray. It’s just like when we discipline our children because we LOVE them, not because we want to hurt them.
And we’ll close with some more reassuring words from the Good Book on God’s discipline: ‘My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord LOVETH He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? …Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ (Heb.12:5b-7, 11)
That says it all Friends! Our God treats us like His children, and though our natural nature doesn’t like discipline, sometimes it is indeed necessary. And the sad part of it all, is that if God doesn’t discipline us occasionally, then we’re not His children. And I’m sure none of us want to hear that.
So let’s go out today nuh, walking in the power, faithfulness and trust of our omnipotent and LOVING God, knowing that he is looking over and looking out for each one of us, who’ve placed our faith in Him, His Son Jesus, and His Holy Spirit. When we do that, NOTHING on this earth can touch us. Much LOVE!
…when one walks confidently with God…the powers of darkness flee in fear… from the blinding light that’s Jesus…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 July 2013 Psalm 102:12
23 Jul 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: #One, bouncing baby boy, change them, Christ's body, christianity, commercialism, death, disappearing act, everlasting truth, fake, feather in our cap, floundering ship, generations will remember the Lord, God will never die, grow old, holy spirit, hoopla, it's a boy, Jesus Christ, King of Kings, knock off, Lord of Lords, miss a trick, monarchy, monkey see monkey do, name game, omnipotent god, put that in your pipe and smoke it, royal birth, sales pitch, sin, that too shall pass, the British throne, the church, the foundations of the earth, the futility of idols, the grave, the greatness of God, the Hit Parade, The Lord shall endure forever, things of God, things of the world, wonderful god, work of thy hands
Psalm 102:12. But thou, O Lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, it’s a boy! Whoopee dee! Another possible king for the British throne. Yes mih people, the long awaited day arrived yesterday. Prince William and Princess Kate had a bouncing baby boy!
Now that’s nice to know and all that, but the fuss so much of the world has been kicking up in the last week or so, is it truly necessary? In one breath a lot of people want the monarchy gone, but in the next they’re going gaga over the birth of one more royal for them to support and bow to.
Ah Lord eh! Oh, how I wish they’d give our great and wonderful God even a li’l bit of the enthusiasm and anticipation that this royal birth has created. Christianity would certainly be moving big mountains!
And can you imagine all the nonsense people have been sending to the poor couple, who need no material stuff, just some privacy, plus the name game with its betting and favourites, and the monkey see, monkey do actions… Chuh! Now that’s really going overboard.
Those actions though will certainly bring a smile to the faces of the managers of commerce, who won’t miss a trick, with some sort of sales pitch to have their cash registers constantly ringing, while we line up to spend money we can’t afford on stuff we don’t need.
But because Princess Kate’s royal baby has it, it’ll be a feather in our cap to have the same brand too, even if it’s a knock off, a fake. Steups! How foolish can we get eh!
But you know what my brethren? All that too shall pass; the royalty, the people falling over themselves, the commercialism, and all the other hoopla. However, as our Bit says: ‘But thou, O Lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.’
And that my Friends, is the everlasting truth of all truths! Whatever else happens, our God will NEVER die, take a powder or pull some disappearing act! That’s because He’s #ONE on the Hit Parade and will ALWAYS BE #ONE!
In fact, before the Hit Parade ever came into being, our great God was already alive and running things. And even when the Hit Parade is no more, our wonderful and omnipotent God will still be around, and still running things in the universe He’s created! Now put that in yuh pipe and smoke it! (smile)
Oh Friends, it would be so heart warming if those same people who are making such a fuss over the royal baby – many of whom I’m sure call themselves Christians – would do so over the true Monarch of the World, the Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Jesus Christ, to whom they’ll all have to bow and answer to and confess that He is indeed #ONE!
It would definitely be wonderful if they could pass down the story of Jesus to their children, as they’ll do that of the newborn royal. Ah mih people, we let the unimportant things of the world so cloud, and have so much sway over our lives, that there’s very little left for the important things of God.
But in spite of all that, as the psalmist so rightly says in Psalm 135; the greatness of the Lord and the vanity of idols: ‘Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations.’ (Ps.135:13)
And though as I said yesterday, I was worried about our passing down the Word to the next generation, deep down I believe the psalmist’s words will hold true until the last days.
The Good Book does say that God’s remembrance will not fail, because Christ’s body on earth, His church will keep it alive forever. But my fellow believers, this won’t happen automatically, we’re expected to get up and make it happen, just like the believers of old did.
Isn’t it amazing though, that all they had for the longest while was an oral tradition to tell the story, and they remained strong and told it, otherwise we wouldn’t have had it. But now, though we have so many different and all pervasive ways to do it, we’re not even keeping up, much less spreading it.
Now hear Jeremiah on the subject from Lamentations: ‘Thou, O Lord, remainest forever; thy throne from generation to generation. Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time? Turn thou us unto (back to) thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old. But (Unless) thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth (angry) against us.’ (Lam.5:19-22)
Yes Friends, even in His lamentations, Jeremiah acknowledges God’s power, remembrance and eternality right down through the ages! And we have it much better, because since then Jesus came to earth and has defeated sin, death and the grave. So why can’t we do better than we’re doing eh?
We should be saying, and believing like the psalmist. ‘I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. Of old thou hast laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yea, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment; as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed (descendants) shall be established before thee.’ (Ps.102:24-28)
And all God’s children shouted, ‘Glory Hallelujah!’
But in the meantime my people, I think it would do us all a lot of good to pray Jeremiah’s prayer, because our God is definitely not happy with us, and it’s only through the power and the working of His Holy Spirit in us that we’ll be able to turn this floundering ship called Christianity around. Much LOVE!
…how long, O Lord, how long…before you cause us to be turned around eh…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 22July 2013 Psalm 102:12
22 Jul 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: Alpha and Omega, aura of love, battle hymn, bondage, commissioned Moses, confidence, earn a living, educating our children, enthusiasm, essential life, eternal, evil, falling prey, falsehood, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, God shall endure forever, godly work, graven images, heavenly Father, holy spirit, humble servants, I AM, idols, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, legacy to future generations, lies, Lucifer's guile, material things, Monday, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative reinforcement, negativity, permanent existence, rejuvenation of spirit, remembering God, renewed vitality, sovereign, steadfast faith, subservience, sure conquerors, the First and the Last, ungodly world, unproductive habit, useful purpose, utmost importance, weary souls, wicked taunts, wiles, win souls for Jesus
Psalm 102:12. But thou, O lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.
And the crier cried: ‘Lo, behold, it is Monday!’ And all God’s children responded with a joyful shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah! Thank the Lord it is Monday, and we can go out to earn a living and win souls for Jesus! Amen.’
Now Friends, that’s the correct response to the notification that Monday’s rolled around once again. Look at it this way nuh, if there was no Monday, then there’d be no Friday for you to get all excited about. Elementary eh, my dear Watson!’ (smile)
Oh Friends, I just want us to get out of this ridiculous, negative and unproductive habit of being tired and blue and miserable on Mondays, because it just colours our entire week in negativity. Yuh know when you begin one way, it’s difficult to finish another, and all we’re doing here is falling prey to Lucifer’s guile and falsehood, which only keeps us in bondage and subservience.
Anyway, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with passion and enthusiasm nuh, so that Jesus will know that at least we’re trying to get out of the slump that we’re in.
As one voice 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!’
Oh Friends, I hope that woke us up, and we’re now ready to join the battle with much gusto. And if that woke us up, then listen to our Bit, which will keep us strong and steadfast in faith. ‘But thou, O lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.’
And that my fellow believers is the truth in spades! Our God will certainly endure for evermore! Remember He’s declared that He’s Alpha and Omega, the FIRST and the LAST (Rev.1:11), and our God does not lie. That means He’s been eternally sovereign since the beginning of time, and will be till eternity.
He made this clear to Moses when He commissioned him at the burning bush (Ex.3). Moses claimed He didn’t know God’s name. ‘And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the Children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.’ (Ex.3:14-15)
And re the scholars: ‘The significance of the name of God given in verse 14, I AM THAT I AM, constitutes that idea that the ‘I AM” in Exodus 3 reveals God as the Being who is absolutely self-existent, and who, in Himself, possesses essential life and permanent existence.’
And with all the miracles He’s worked and the faithful promises He’s kept down through the ages, there’s no need for us to be afraid of anything or anyone, for our God has proven that He is alive and indeed mightier than all the idols and graven images mankind chooses to worship. And you’ll also notice the truth that the remembrance of the Lord God Jehovah has been passed down to every generation until now.
However my brethren, I am worried about that aspect of our Bit, because our generation has not done such a good job in educating our children about God and all that He stands for, being too busy to acquire the material things of the world. We’re also allowing the workers of iniquity to take God out of our schools and public places without a fight, more negative reinforcement for our children.
And sadly, if it keeps going like it is right now, in a couple of generations, the very memory of the ONE TRUE GOD might be lost forever. And that would certainly be a blight on our generation, because we would have been the ones who began the downfall.
Anyway Friends, enough for today. I’ll leave us to contemplate the unfortunate situation we find ourselves in, and hope that we’ll seriously consider improving our godly work, because it’s of the utmost importance in our lives and our legacy to those of future generations. Much LOVE!
…in every age…the current believers are responsible…for keeping God’s Word and His memory alive…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 July 2013 Proverbs 11:25
21 Jul 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: blessed, blessed on earth, bountiful eye, bread, cheerful giver, do good, due season, enthusiasm, everlasting truth, forgiveness, further God's kingdom, generosity, generous soul, God is not mocked, God's approval, God's goodness, God's LOVING embrace, good deeds, goodness, he that thinks of the poor, he that waters, household of faith, human affection, illness, jamaica gleaner newspaper, linked to Jesus, living God, lose heart, LOVE, material rewards, merciful, mercy, move mountains, my needs fulfilled, one true God, passion, pity, positivie attributes, Praise the Lord, prosperous, protection from enemies, pure and blamesless hearts, reap corruption, reap eternal life, richly blessed, right hearts, right motives, sickbed, sorrows turned to joy, sow to the flesh, sow to the Spirit, spirituality, summer, surrender to God, the cockles of God's heart, the hands of god, the hands of poverty, the helpless, the less fortunate, the Lord strengthens, the needy, the orphan, the poor, the powerless, the sick, the stranger, the widow, today's gem, well doing, wise, worthy of praise, you reap what you sow
Proverbs 11:25. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Ah Friends, at last some decent summer weather! Yes, it’s still warm, but not hot and humid, now in the mid 20’s instead of the 30’s, with a cool, refreshing breeze to minimize the heat. That’s what we finally had yesterday, and are likely to have for the next few days. All the seasons have their good points, but it’s when they get to the extremes, that they lose the human affection. (smile)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 July 2013 Proverbs 11:25
20 Jul 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a cheerful giver, bring healng, cheapskates, church community, courage and joy, foundational law, generous soul, give as you can, god, God's image, God's laws, God's likeness, God's mercy and grace, good measure, good works, gracious God, hearts and hands, insight and vision, kindness, live the gospel of Jesus, living truth, LOVE, LOVING acceptance, negative challenges, negative changes, offering, pressed down, prosperous, ready our hearts and hands, religion, renew us, running over, shaken together, sincere desire, sinfulness, spirit of jesus, spirituality, unrestrained giving, walk humbly, willing heart, wisdom, with blessings, you reap what you sow
Proverbs 11:25. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Oh Friends, ole Toronto and its environs experienced a wicked rainstorm yesterday evening! In a matter of minutes the sky suddenly changed from bright sunshine to cloudy darkness, the wind blew with a vengeance, and the rain came tumbling down in torrents, making it extremely difficult for drivers to see out their windshields, despite the best efforts of their wipers.
But we’ve been expecting that glut of rain, and needed it too, to cool down the hot and humid land. Some more rain began falling after midnight, but mostly drizzles. It’s the lightning that’s been playing out there for a couple hours, continuously lighting up the nightscape with its brilliant flashes.
Anyway, here’s a rather relevant prayer I recently found among some papers. I must have gotten it from my mother’s stuff, because I don’t remember it. And very appropriately it’s titled ‘Renew Toronto.’ But Friends, this prayer is desperately needed for our entire world which is undergoing so many negative changes and challenges that we’re powerless to keep up with them, even the odd time when we understand what’s happening.
Only with God’s help can we mange and hopefully overcome them. So please pray with me: ‘Gracious God, in your wisdom and LOVE You create us in your image and likeness, You call us to be your Presence in the world.
Let the Spirit of Jesus grow with us for this journey – inspire in us insight and vision for our Church community – ready our hearts and hands to bring healing to our sinfulness – move our feet to live the Gospel of Jesus with courage and joy.
Renew us, Gracious God. Renew us by your LOVING acceptance of us. Renew us to do justice, to LOVE kindness, and to walk humbly with you, our God, To renew the face of this earth. Amen.’
Yes my brethren, we do need God’s mercy and grace to help us renew and rebuild our world. And our Bit gives us some insight into one way to do it. ‘The liberal (generous) soul shall be made fat (rich, prosperous): and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.’
And there’s plenty of truth in that saying Friends! The generous person shall be made prosperous, because that’s just one of God’s laws. From early times, He stipulated it thus: ‘Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.’ (Deut.16:17)
At that particular time they were talking about contributions to feasts, but fellow believers, our God wants that to be an ongoing feature, an everyday occurrence in our lives.
Listen to Bruh Paul as he talks to the Corinthians about God LOVING a cheerful giver. ‘But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully (with blessings) shall reap also bountifully (with blessings).
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. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.’ (2 Cor.9:6-8)
And that’s the living truth Friends! What we give and how we give it is terribly important in God’s domain, for He’s laid down the foundational law that we will reap whatever we sow.
Now here’s some info from the scholars on those verses. ‘9:6. One’s return is determined by his investment (cf. Prov.11:24, Luke 6:38; Gal.6:7) The expression (ep’ eulogiais) ordinarily translated “with blessings” here has the sense of “generously.” While it does not suggest indiscriminate giving, it does denote “unrestrained” giving.
9:7 Cheerful giver: The giver is to have a willing heart and a sincere desire to participate in the offering. Paul is not so much interested in their money. Nor is God, for that matter, as the passage from Proverbs 22:9 indicates. The Greek term ‘hilaron,’ from which the English “hilarious” derives, is best rendered as the English text suggests, “cheerful.” Giving is not a joke. It is serious business, but it is a delightful experience all the same.’
And that’s just more truth my people! Giving is sometimes hard, but it always makes us feel better afterwards. Yes, you cheapskates. (smile) And please pay careful attention that last verse, where God will always enable you to have sufficient, so you can generously give away some.
So however you cut it my brethren, we can’t lose if we work with God out of a generous and cheerful heart. And we will close today with some most valuable words from Jesus on the subject.
‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom (the fold in a garment used as a pocket). For with the same measure that ye mete (use) withal (with that same measure) it shall be measured to you again.’ (Luke 6:38)
Now Friends, if Jesus said it, then it must be true! So let’s go out and practice it nuh. It will certainly help us to renew the face of our planet earth as we prayed earlier on. Much LOVE!
…he who refuses to give…or gives unwillingly…will receive the same treatment…in his time of need…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 July 2013 Psalm 99:1
19 Jul 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: bowing down, commandments, eternal truth, evil, exalt the Lord, exaltation, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorify, glorious kingdom, God is holy, God's justice, going to hell in a bucket., graven images, hello mih lovelies, idols, iniquity of the fathers, LOVE, magnificent God, modicum of circumspection, party time, perverse world, pinnacle of wisdom, Praise the Lord, rebellious, relaxation, religion, rest, righteousness., spiritual fellowship, spirituality, spiritually refreshed, stubborn, stupidity, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Lord is great, the Lord is high above all people, the Lord reigns, the Lord's ways, the weekend, theology, things of the world, uprightness, wake up and smell the roses, wicked, worship
Psalm 99:1. The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubim; let the earth be moved.
Well hello there mih lovelies! Once again it’s Friday… And everybody jumps up and shouts, ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! The workweek soon finish, and the weekend begins! Party time is here!’
Not so fast my people. It’s true the week is ending and we have some free time, but it should not all be devoted to partying, not even the greatest portion. So let’s chant our Friday Chant that gives us a better idea of how to use our weekend.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes Friends, the weekend should be broken up into party time, relaxation and spiritual fellowship, because it’s only two lousy days off we have, then the whole work cycle begins again. And if we’re not well rested and spiritually refreshed, we’ll begin the week even more tired than we finished it, and won’t be good for anything, especially furthering Jesus’ kingdom.
So let’s have a little ‘modicum of circumspection’ this weekend nuh, especially since it’s summer and the urge to let loose and party is so great.
Anyway, my area was hit with another hot day, and another one is expected today. What amuses and amazes me though, is the wind behaviour. During the day yesterday, the wind was blowing strong. It even forced me back inside around 5.30 p.m when I went outside on my back deck to read the papers.
However, around 8.30 p.m. the sun was still up, I went out on the front porch, and surprise surprise, nary a breath of air was stirring. But then at around 1 a.m, the breeze was blowing fresh and strong again.
Hn! Who’s to understand it eh? Only the Lord God Jehovah! For as He says, His ways and thoughts are much higher than ours. (Is.55:9)
And in any case, He created the wind and all that there is in our universe. Not only that, but as the psalmist states in our Bit, which comes from Psalm 99, God has been faithful: ‘The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubim; let the earth be moved (shaken).’
Yes Friends, the divine kingdom of the Lord is at hand!
And the psalmist continues to talk about the greatness of the king. ‘The Lord is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.’ (Ps.99:2)
And as true believers, we know that it’s so. Therefore, ‘Let them praise thy great and terrible (awesome) name; for it (He) is holy.’ (Ps.99:3)
Ah my people, our mouths should be so filled with praise and thanksgiving to our great and mighty God and King, that we should have little time for anything else. But unfortunately, in this wicked, perverse and godless world, we seem to have time for everything else but God.
And the psalmist continues, telling us next about God’s justice. ‘The king’s strength also LOVETH judgement; thou doest establish equity (uprightness), thou executest judgement and righteousness in Jacob.’ (Ps.99:4)
Those are words of eternal truth my people! Therefore, ‘Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.’ (Ps.99:5)
Now worshipping and glorifying our magnificent God is exactly what we should be doing down here on earth my brethren! But are we doing that? Sadly, the answer is an unfortunate NO!
Compared to the level of exaltation and worship our wonderful God deserves, what we’re giving is like a drop in the bucket. Instead though, we’re worshipping, glorifying and bowing down to the things of the world. They have become more important to us than God.
But please remember Friends, our God doesn’t share His divinity kindly or otherwise with any other, be it beast, man or thing. And He makes this abundantly clear right from the very outset.
‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to (worship) them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous god, visiting (punishing) the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. And showing mercy to thousands of them that LOVE me, and keep my commandments.’ (Ex. 20:3-6)
Oh my people, it’s right there in black and white, simple and straightforward! So what is there that prevents us from doing as He says eh? Why is our world so ungodly, so evil, so full of idols and other graven images to which we are shamelessly bowing down to eh?
Yuh know, in one breath we declare how great our God is and all that, but then in the next, we magnify the things of the world above Him. That doesn’t make sense my people. In fact it’s utter stupidity, because we’ll never get away with it, for He’s told us so in no uncertain terms.
But like our forefathers, we’re just stubborn and rebellious, like to do our own thing, thinking we’re so great. I beseech us though fellow believers, to remember these momentous words of Jesus.
‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5)
More words of eternal truth Friends! Without Jesus we can do nothing worthwhile in our own strength. So please, let’s wake up and smell the roses nuh, cause our world is going to hell in a bucket. Let’s take Jesus and all He stands for seriously, or else we’ll live to regret it.
Let’s do instead as the psalmist wisely advises. ‘Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.’ (Ps.99:9)
Now that my brethren is the very pinnacle of wisdom! Let’s be wise and reach for it nuh. Much LOVE!
…he that hath ears to hear…let him hear…else he’ll be sorry…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 July 2013 Matthew 13:22
18 Jul 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a positive idea, altruistic service, among thorns, assuage earthly lusts, bears fruit, beware of what you ask for, by grace are ye saved, cares of the world, children of disobedience, children of wrath, choke the word, common sense, controlled speech, deceitfulness, deceitfulness of riches, deserting God's army, desires of the flesh, diligence, dr robert schuller, evil, faith, foolish pride, godliness, good ground, grace, hears the word, hot and humid day, Hour of Power, living for Jesus, loved the world, Lucifer's wicked ways, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, mind of a believer, new creations, passion, positive manner, pure religion, rich in mercy, separation from the world, sins, smart money, summer time, the world's spell, trespasses, truth, understanding, ungodly world, walking in God's will, win souls, wisdom
Matthew 13:22. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Oh Friends, it’s ‘Summer time! And the living is easy…’ Well not for those who don’t have A/C or a cool basement to inhabit these last few days. For it was another hot, humid day in my neighbourhood, except that there was a decent breeze during the day. But as soon as the sun disappeared, the wind did the same.
Sitting on my porch, late last night, I had to strain to see any movement in the leaves on the trees. And again, even the insects refused to come out of their cool lairs to play in the dark, as is their wont. (smile)
Today seems like it will be more of the same. We’ve been calling for summer all along, and now that we have it, we’re not too thrilled. That reminds us of the old saying; beware of what you ask for, because when you get it, it might not be all you expected.
But let’s get right to our Bit, because there’s plenty stuff to share. ‘He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care (cares) of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.’
Ah Friends, how sad it is when we allow the cares of the world to choke our godliness and make us unfruitful! But here’s this little prayer, or poem, from Dr. Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power Devotional, which puts our shortcomings in the right perspective.
It’s titled, ‘My Walk,’ and goes thus: ‘O God, I’m inspired. For you have just impressed this truth into my mind: The most powerful force in the world is a positive idea in the mind of a believer who is walking in your will! I now reach forth my life and say, “God, put my life into the centre of your will.” Amen.’
Now Friends, that’s how we should be walking with our God, in a positive manner, passionately doing His will!
And as Jesus adds in the last verse of the parable on the sower. ‘But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth (produces), some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.’ (Matt.13:23)
Yes my people, that’s how we ought to be; hearing the Word, understanding it, then using it to successfully bring forth fruit, win souls, get others interested in living for Jesus!
However, too many of us still keep resisting Him, paying more attention to the things of the evil, ungodly world, things that sadly only raise up the lusts of our flesh and the lusts of our eyes, and cause us to walk in foolish pride.
Bruh Paul pointed this out to Timothy when he told him: ‘Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having LOVED, this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.’ (2 Tim.4:9-10)
Yeh mih people, Demas fell under the world’s spell and deserted Bruh Paul. And unfortunately that sort of thing is still happening today; believers are still deserting God’s army to assuage their earthly lusts in the wicked ways of Lucifer.
Meanwhile, listen to Bruh Paul as he tells the Ephesians about grace and faith. ‘And you hath he quickened (made alive), who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Among whom also we all had our conversation (conducted ourselves) in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved.’) (Eph.2:1-5)
Yes Friends, all of us, like the Ephesians were once following the tendencies, values, pursuits and deeds of this evil world, until God sent Jesus to save us, and we became new creatures, new creations in Christ. Unfortunately though, too many of us are still following the world’s vision and values, foolishly reluctant to give them up and fully embrace Christ.
But listen to James talk about hearing and doing the Word nuh. ‘If any man among you seem to be (thinks he is) religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain (useless). Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.’ (James 2:26-27)
That says it all Friends!
But here are a few words from the scholars on those verses. ‘In verses 22-25 James has rebuked mere listening – by the hearer who does not do. In verses 26 and 27 he rebukes mere doing – by the doer who leaves his inner life unchanged. James offers not a formal definition but three key aspects of pure religion: controlled speech, altruistic service, and separation from the world.’
Now my brethren, it’s up to us to choose whom we will follow, the world, or Jesus. I’d suggest you make that decision right now, because time is running out, and decide to follow Jesus, for that’s where the smart money, the wisdom and common sense lies. Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…we will definitely follow Jesus…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 July 2013 Mathew 13:22
16 Jul 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a heart for any fate, all knees shall bow, all tongues confess, be not conformed to this world, be up and doing, become unfruitful, believers in Christ, cares of the world, choke the word, Christ's Church, Christian dedication, comfort zone, conduct, deceit, deceitfulness of riches, dramatic days, enthusiasm, faith, fatal attraction, friend of God, friend of the world, glory to Jesus, god the father, henry wadsworth longfellow, humdrum lives, hypocrisy, ignorance, Jesus christ is Lord, LOVE Revolution, lusts, make a difference, passion, precious lives, present thinking, renew your mind, resentment, righteousness., routine, sower of seed, take action, taking risks, talk the talk, things of the world, thorns, trust, unforgiveness, value systems of the world, walk the walk
Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 July 2013 Philippians 1:10
15 Jul 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: almighty creator, approve excellent things, aura of love, battle hymn, be a person of excellence, discernment, enthusiasm, fruits of righteousness, glorify God, glorious endeavour, glorious kingdom, holy spirit, humble servants, inebriated with joy, interact with unbelievers, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, lazy, lies, loving kindness, Monday, Monday Morning, morally pure, my people, overly comfortable, prayer, raise heaven's roof, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, scared, selfish, sincere, spread the gospel, steadfast faith, sure conquerors, talk the talk, thanksgiving, the day of Christ, too big for our britches, ungodly world, walk the walk, weary souls, wicked taunts, wiles, win souls for Christ, work ethic
Philippians 1:10. That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.
Oh Friends, it’s our favourite day of the week, Monday! And I hear all sorts of complaining, many wondering if I’m mad or just stupid. Hn, hn! No Friends, I’m not any of them…well possibly a little of each, (smile) but not so much that it will affect my credibility.
Now don’t you think that Jesus likes Mondays? He surely does! Because that gives His followers many more opportunities to go out and interact with unbelievers, showing them His philosophy of LOVE through their actions of LOVING-kindness, and also spreading the Good News of the gospel.
So why shouldn’t we like Monday’s too eh? Aren’t we supposed to like whatever Jesus likes? For sure! But we’re just a combination of scared, lazy, selfish, overly comfortable and generally gotten too big for our britches followers. We talk the good talk, but don’t walk the necessary walk.
Anyway my people, it’s Monday and we have to go out and labour if we want to eat, so let’s get over our puny, miserable selves, get up and get ourselves together and go out and win souls for Christ as we ought to.
And to help us in that most glorious endeavour, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle hymn with plenty gusto and sincerity. All together now, in one, loud, harmonious voice. Let’s raise the roof on heaven!
‘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!’
Awright mih people! We did indeed raise heaven’s roof! Jesus was singing with us, as He always does, but this time He was also laughing heartily, pointing to the Father and saying: ‘Yuh see Father, them’s my people! They truly believe in me, and will go out and glorify me, so that we can all glorify You! I know there was a good reason why I sacrificed my life for them!’
The Father just smiles indulgently, looks at Jesus, who’s inebriated with joy that His people were putting on such a good show, and says: ‘Thank You Son! I know it was a bit much to ask, but I surely didn’t want to lose any of them, especially to that fallen fool Lucifer.’
And Jesus, positively gushing with enthusiasm and confidence, assures Him. ‘Don’t worry Father, my people, my body, my church, in conjunction with the Holy Spirit, won’t let us down. You won’t loose one single one to that foolish fool Beelzebub. My people will help us to reconcile them all to You. I solemnly promise.’
Now yuh hear that mih breddren! Jesus promised the Father that we’ll take care of business down here with the Holy Spirit’s help, and we certainly cannot disappoint Him, after all He’s sacrificed for us! So this Monday morning, let’s raise the level of our LOVE, passion for, and faith in Jesus and just go out and do our best to make that promise come true nuh.
Remember our two basic jobs on earth are to spread the gospel and glorify God, neither of which we’re currently doing to the best of our ability. And if you want to work for Jesus, you have to display a wonderful work ethic, because He only deals in excellence, not no wishy-washy, compromising, any old how behaviour like our world currently seems to favour.
Now I have to go and find a Bit that encompasses all that. (smile) But no worries. Soon come!
I’m back people! It took me a little longer than I expected, about fifteen minutes, but that’s because I had a few options to consider. However, once I saw this scripture, I felt that would be the one. But we’ll start with the verse before it, and continue with the one after it, to keep everything in the proper context.
This is Bruh Paul talking to the Philippians about thanksgiving and prayer. ‘And this I pray, that your LOVE may abound yet more in knowledge and in all judgement (discernment); That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.’ (Phil.1:9-11)
Yes Friends, we need to try our best to be excellent in all things. Remember we saw this verse recently, when talking about ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus.’ (Phil/1:6)
That’s when the scholars explained that ‘Things that are excellent means “things that really matter.” This refers to important issues. As the Philippians LOVE increases in knowledge and discernment (vs.9), they will be able to accurately distinguish the vital and worthwhile things in life from those that are not.’
The Philippians are worried about Bruh Paul’s imprisonment, but he wants them to realize that his imprisonment was important, serving a useful purpose in God’s plans, causing him to spread the gospel to those around him, and thus working everything out for good as He’d promised. (Rom.8:28)
Bruh Paul wants the Philippians to be sincere, morally pure in their daily dealings, thus bearing fruits of righteousness that will glorify God. Oh my people, the very same thing applies to us today!
And though we’ve heard the scholars take on (vs.11) before, we can definitely stand to hear it again. ‘This verse could be translated, “Filled with the fruit that is righteousness, which comes through Jesus Christ for the purpose of glorifying and praising God.” The believer who is pure and without offense before God (v.10) has divinely developed in him a practical “righteousness” or daily moral life that measures up to God’s standards in character and conduct. The ultimate purpose for this “righteousness” is to glorify God.’
And that’s gospel Friends! So let’s go out and do our bounden duty nuh! We have all the tools we need, plus the expert help of the Holy Spirit, so what are we waiting for eh? Please get a move on, for we just cannot disappoint Jesus. Much LOVE!
…our God doesn’t deal in halfway or half-hearted measures…it’s simply…all…or nothing at all…
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