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, I came to write the Bit just now, with no intro in mind. But as usual, the Lord, in His awesome LOVING-kindness pointed me to one. I went to straighten out a picture on my cluttered desk and inadvertently disturbed some other stuff, amongst them a couple of the sayings we find in the Chinese fortune cookies. And while replacing them, this particular one, struck me as being rather relevant to today. It simply says: ‘All that we are arises with our thoughts.’ And that’s ever so true my people, because our thoughts are what guide and propel our actions. That means bad or evil thoughts will lead to similar actions, while good, wholesome thoughts will bring good, wholesome actions. And that’s exactly what we’re trying to do at the beginning of this New Year via our Bit; change our concentration from being uppermost on Lucifer and the mindless things of the world, to Jesus and the awesome, soul-inspiring things of heaven. ‘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.’ The Bit is quite plain and to the point Friends. The people of Israel had turned from the God of their fathers, who had given them prosperity, to worshipping idols. And it’s obvious if you worship idols, or any other supposed god beside He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you will not prosper. Moses said that to the Israelites, long, long ago. ‘And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress (overstep) the commandment of the Lord? but it shall not prosper (succeed). Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten before (defeated by) your enemies. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with you.’ (Num.14:41-43) But they didn’t listen to Moses, rebelliously went out to battle, and were totally slaughtered. The same thing happened with our Bit. The king Joash had been saved as a baby by his sister Jeho-shabeath from the wicked queen Athaliah, who usurped the throne after her son Ahaziah’s death, killing all the royal heirs. Now, Jeho-shabeath was the wife of Jehoiada the priest, and they hid Joash in the temple for six years, while Athaliah reigned wickedly over the land. (2 Chr.22) In the fullness of time though, through Jehoiada’s influence and cunning, the people rebelled against Athaliah, slew her and made Joash king at the age of 7. ‘And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.’ (2 Chr.24:20) However, after Jehoiada died at age 130, Joash listened to the fawning princes of the land who came and made obeisance to him. ‘And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served groves (wooden images) and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.’ (2 Chr.24:18) But our God LOVES us so much that He just doesn’t give up on us. ‘Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the Lord; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.’ (2 Chr.24:19) Oh Friends, that’s the same thing that’s happening in our crazy, confused, misguided world today! The Lord’s sending His messengers to us to tell us repent and come back to Him, else our lives will be devastated. But just like the Israelites of old, we’re not listening. We still insist on going about our own disobedient, rebellious way, instead of doing God’s will. What do you think will be the eventual out come eh? Listen to this. When the Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah and he testified against his people, they conspired against him, and stoned him on the orders of Joash, the king. Joash conveniently forgot the goodness of Zechariah’s father, Jehoiada, who raised him like his own son. But remember Friends, our God says that revenge is His, and he will repay in due time. (Deut.32:35) Consequently, at the end of that year, the Syrian army invaded Judah and Jerusalem, killed the princes, left Joash badly wounded, and sent an abundance of spoil back to Damascus. (2 Chr.24:23) Now please listen carefully to this next verse Friends. ‘For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. So they executed judgement against Joash.’ (2 Chr.24:24) Yuh see mih people, the Lord rights all wrongs in His own way and time! And believe me, right now He is righting some of our wrongs with the devastating changes and problems we’re facing. That’s why I’m urging us to repent and turn back to Jehovah God this year of 2013. It’s imperative that we do so Friends, because I believe this will be a watershed, make or break year. Hear how Cousin Sol tells it in Proverbs. ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.’ (Prov.28:13) It couldn’t be any plainer than that mih breddren. Life is tough all around and none of the schemes or solutions of men are working because the problems are too big and complex for our puny minds to even conceive, much less solve. And if we can’t solve our problems, then the only logical and wise move is to turn to Jehovah God, the Creator, Controller and Provider of the universe. And we’ll end with this appropriate piece of scripture, a warning from the prophet Azariah. Please pay close attention to it, because it’s exactly what’s happening right now. ‘And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. And he went out to meet (before) Asa, (the king) and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them. And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations (turmoil) were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. And nation was destroyed of (by) nation, and city of city: for God did vex (trouble) them with all adversity. Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.’ (2 Chr.15:1-7) That’s the Word of the Lord Friends; we shall either live by it, or die without it. Much LOVE!…he who does not obey…will certainly pay…that’s the Lord’s decree from day one…and it hasn’t changed…neither will it ever…
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
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 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 30 December 2012 Psalm 45:6
30 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: Alpha and Omega, drinking drivers, forever and ever, foundation of the earth, glorious majesty, goads, God's glorious majesty, God's longevity, God's throne, Love righteousness, New Year's Eve, oil of gladness, prescription for contentedness, sceptre of righteousness, the Lord reigns, the only true way, the strength of the Lord
Psalm 45:6. Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter.
Well Friends, it’s another new day on God’s great earth; the eve of New Year’s Eve! How are the party plans coming along? I hope they’re more interesting than mine, because the duchess and I have again decided to party at home, as we’ve done for the last few years. We must be getting old – but certainly not cold – (smile) since we just can’t be bothered with the hassle of dressing up and going out in the cold, especially when we now seem to have more snow around New Year’s Eve than Christmas Day. Then the parties that we went to were fairly far away from our house. The worse part though was after partying heartily, having to drive all the way back home, while keeping an eye out for Babylon, lurking around some corner to catch drinking drivers. It just doesn’t seem worth the headaches, and besides we’re quite content to ring in the New Year at home in whatever fashion we choose, then when we’ve had enough, just roll into bed. You certainly can’t beat that prescription for contentedness! (smile) The old people would possibly characterize that attitude as, after one time is two. But if you’re satisfied with your decision, and the situation is not ungodly or detrimental to anyone, then that’s your business. Whoever wants to handle the hassles and go out to party, let them, hopefully though with no ill effects afterwards. Anyway, enough of the partying stuff, we’re here to talk about our great and wonderful God. And our Bit describes His longevity and glorious majesty with unerring accuracy. ‘Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter (scepter of righteousness).’ Words of absolute truth, my people! Our God has been enthroned in the heavens since the beginning of time, and will still be entrenched there at the end. Thus it’s very important that mankind recognizes this fact and wisely and humbly accept it. For try as we may, we will never be able to get away from Him, or His statutes, His judgements and His dictates. That’s why it makes so much sense to simply accept His sovereignty and stop fighting Him. As Jesus told Bruh Paul when He knocked him down on the road to Damascus: ‘I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (goads).’ (Acts 9:5) Here is how the scholars describe it: ‘Saul is depicted as a rebellious beast that fights against the prod of its master (cf.26:14). He is persecuting Jesus in that he is afflicting the body of Christ. When someone does something for or against a Christian, Jesus Christ not only knows but feels it just as we do (cf. Matt.25:35-40) He is moved with the feeling of our infirmities (Heb.4:15)’ Oh Friends, the same thing goes for us today. If Jesus desires to get our attention, it’s impossible to go against His prodding. I can tell you that from personal experience. So why don’t we just stop trying to fight His calling on our lives eh, since fighting is useless? The psalmist says it with great confidence: ”The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved (shaken). Thy throne is established of old; thou art from everlasting.’ (Ps.93:1-2) Even Jeremiah, in his time of great sorrow, admits in his Lamentations: ‘Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.’ (Lam.5:19) And the author of Hebrews, talking about the Son being superior to the angels, quotes our Bit and the verse after it, mixed up with other parts of the Old Testament, a favourite tactic of Bruh Paul. ‘But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God is for ever and ever: A scepter (ruler’s staff) of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast LOVED righteousness and hated iniquity (lawlessness); therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows (companions). And, thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands. They shall perish, but thou remainest: and they all shall wax (grow) old as doth a garment; And as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.’ (Heb.1:8-12) Oh my brethren, that says it all! And like we always like to do whenever possible, we’ll give Jesus the last word as He testifies to John in Revelations. ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.’ (Rev.22:13) End of story Friends! So please, today, in this most appropriate Christmas season, at the advent of the year 2013, let’s be wise and seek Jesus and His everlasting kingdom nuh, as He so LOVINGLY desires us to do. It’s the only true way! Much LOVE!…whoever wants to live forever…must embrace Jesus and all that He stands for…before their earthly pilgrimage ends…
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…
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