Luke 12:19. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry.
Oh Friends, the amount of mail I get from people, Charities in particular, asking for money is overwhelming. Even those I already give to keep asking for more, as though there’s an unlimited supply just waiting to be doled out. Some of them really do good work, while a fair amount are just out and out crooks, just using the charitable moniker as a front, to indulge their own criminal actions. Charitable giving has become a real big business now. And when you see the immense salaries been paid to the heads of these charities, it just sickens you. The long and short of the story though is be very careful of whom you give to. But then too, when I see the emaciated bodies of children al over the world starving for a little nourishment, that also sickens me, knowing that there is so much in our world, that NOT ONE SINGLE child really needs to go hungry; definitely not for the length of time it takes them to die of starvation or some other preventable disease. Oh Friends, it certainly doesn’t say much for our humanity nuh! And don’t for one moment believe that this unfortunate situation is only taking place in poor, undeveloped countries! Not by a long shot mih people! It’s also happening very much in the supposed rich, developed countries too. Things like Food Banks and Soup Kitchens that first arose because of the Great War, are now a constant in developed societies. Sadly too, in many of these countries, poor as well as rich, the upper crust are greedily feeding their faces as hogs at a trough, and wasting even more, while the poor grovel, and search for food in garbage pails and dumps. Hn! What a wonderful picture we portray! Is that what Jesus asked or wants us to do? Certainly not! He wants us to look after the poor, the sick, the needy, the hurting, the widows and orphans. But unfortunately we’re doing a very poor job of it. We’re falling into the world’s theory of survival of the fittest, and all I care about is me. Sorry if you don’t have. That’s your rotten luck, but you won’t be getting any of mine! Oh my people, that goes against every thing that Jesus stands for! The Good Book says: ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’ (Acts 10:38) Oh my brethren, we believers have the same things that Jesus had; the Holy Ghost power and the Father. So why aren’t we doing more of the good works that Jesus did eh? The rich and famous meanwhile have nothing like that in their arsenal. Instead theirs is the selfish, greedy, I, me, mine behaviour which our Bit, taken from Jesus’ parable of the rich fool, so wisely puts into proper perspective. This parasite had more than he could shake a stick at, but instead of sharing, he decided to build bigger barns to store his goods, while patting himself on the back for his wisdom. ‘And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry.’ Yeh Friends, that’s how many of us behave. ‘But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:20-21) We see and hear about the infighting between wealthy families everyday. And a good example of that are the shenanigans that took place this past week in Michael Jackson’s family. And it all boils down to one thing; MONEY! Remember Bruh Paul’s warning to Timothy: ‘For the LOVE OF MONEY is the root of all (kinds of) evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Tim.6:10) And that’s ever so true my people! We just have to look at how our world is falling apart, primarily because of money. One way or another, money and the amassing of earthly possessions are responsible for our downfall. Remember too what Jesus told the disciples just before the parable of the rich fool: ‘Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.’ (Luke 12:15) But not too many of us fine Christian souls pay serious heed to that warning, because we’re just like the rich fool, just going on insatiably after the things of the world, and only paying lip service to God’s Word. And Cousin Sol hit the nail on the head when he declares: ‘When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes.’ (Eccl.5:11) Oh Friends, it’s not necessarily the wealth that sends us on the wrong path, but more the drive for the wealth, like the LOVE of money! But we can only use so much ourselves. The remainder, if we choose to save it all, then we can only look at it. However, please remember that we’re only stewards of God’s goodness, and whatever He gives us over and above our needs, is meant to be shared with the less fortunate. Please my people, from today, let’s concentrate some more on helping others nuh, like Jesus did. Let’s try and share a little more of our resources with the needy, and thus alleviate some of the dreadful spectres of suffering that sadly pervade our world of plenty. That would make Jesus so proud of us. Much LOVE!…when so few have so much…the great numbers with little…must suffer great deprivation and want… P.S. I did not forget about our ongoing Bit, but some info from a charity just raised my ire, and the Spirit guided me to this. Much LOVE!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 July 2012 Luke 12:19
28 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: charitable giving, crooked charities, do like Jesus did, food banks, good works, hunger, LOVE of Money, poverty, rich fool, rich toward God, soup kitchens
Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 July 2012 Acts 5:29
27 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: constant pressure, don't give up, Friday chant, fun-fellowship, labour free weekend, mysterious movements of God, obey God not man, refreshed bodies, renewed minds, rest-relaxation, suffer the inevitable consequences, TGIF!
Acts 5:29. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! And all God’s people released a tired but grateful sigh as they mouthed: ‘Thank God is Friday yes!’ They have been looking forward to this day and the weekend of no labour, from since Monday morning as they left home to go to work. And unfortunately the constant mental, emotional and physical pressure of going to work for those five days has taken a toll on them. But Friends, I’m here to buoy and calm our spirits so that we don’t get too lethargic or too effervescent over the next couple of days. And we’ll start doing that by chanting our Friday Chant with as much gusto as we can muster. All together now, in one loud, prayerful voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Yes Friends, I know that some of you have it fairly rough, having young children to look after before work, then fight the traffic to work and deal with all sorts of emotional and physical situations there, then fight the traffic back home and look after your families again. Some of you work even harder at home on the weekends, cleaning up and preparing for the following week, than you do at the job that hopefully pays you a living wage. But don’t worry my people, the Lord sees all your efforts and eventually you will be well rewarded, if you don’t give up. Just remember that living for Jesus is not an easy lifestyle, but it certainly is interesting and oftimes adventurous, cause we never know what’s the next situation He’s going to throw up before us. Remember too, that whatever He brings us to, He will also bring us through it, if we allow Him to lead and guide us. This brings us to our Bit: ‘Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.’ And that my friends is gospel, gospel truth! Believers ought to obey the dictates of God if they seriously conflict with the dictates of men. And why is that? Simply because the law of God is higher than that of men. God is our Creator, Controller and Provider, while man is merely flesh and bones and cannot create or control most of the stuff around him. Our Bit gives us a perfect example of upholding God’s law over man’s. The apostles had been preaching Christ crucified and risen in the temple at Jerusalem, with great crowds gathering to listen and many being saved. This obviously did not sit well with the Jewish leaders, so they dragged the apostles off to jail, warning them to stop preaching Christ. But please remember my brethren that our God is the greatest Being in the universe, and when you’re doing His work nothing is impossible. Consequently, as the Good Book notes: ‘But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught.’ (Acts 5:19-21a) Yes mih people, our God does move in mysterious ways, His sovereignty to show and glorify! So later on, when the elders, gathered together in the council chambers, sent for the apostles, they couldn’t be found in the prison, though all the gates and other security measures, including the keepers were perfectly all right and in place. And isn’t it strange that the elders who were supposed to be such godly and righteous beings doubted the situation. It just shows how little they really knew about or trusted God. But in the midst of their disbelief, someone came into the chamber and told them: ‘Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.’ (Acts 5:25) Now can you imagine the anger, rage and disbelief that must have gone through that hypocritical bunch of council members? But good for them, they were smart enough to tread softly: ‘Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them (the apostles) without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.’ (Acts 5:26) It makes me chuckle Friends, because in the final analysis, in spite of all their big talk, the council was afraid of the people, so they made sure that the apostles were taken without any fuss. And when they’re finally brought before the council, the high priest pompously declares: ‘Did we not straitly (strictly) command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ (Acts 5:28) That’s when the apostles put them in their place, told them where to get off. In the words of our Bit, they solemnly declared: ‘We ought to obey God rather than man.’ Oh Friends, that’s how we believers ought to act when we’re threatened or challenged by a secular power, or even a wrong, hypocritical religious one, re speaking the Word of God! And we’ll end with a brief explanation of our Bit by the scholars. ‘Peter is not sanctioning civil disobedience, as he makes clear in his first epistle (1 Pet.2:13-17; cf. Rom:13:1-7). We are to obey the civil government; but when it goes contrary to the explicit commands of God, we must obey God and be ready to suffer the consequences.’ Yes my people, if we’re to truly follow Jesus, then there will inevitably be consequences to pay, some light, but also harsh and difficult ones. However, we must always have that faith, that depth of feeling, that whatever the consequences, we will gladly pay them. In Jesus’ name. Amen. More on this tomorrow Friends, if God’s willing. Till then, please walk safely under His protective umbrella, proclaiming His holy name wherever we go, and willingly accepting whatever consequences come our way. Much LOVE!…whatever beliefs we hold…there will always be consequences to pay for holding them…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 July 2012 Acts 20:24
26 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: finish our course with joy, happiness, happiness is an attitude, heavenly blessings, joy, joy of the lord, we control our happiness
Acts 20:24. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Oh Friends, the Good Lord has finally blessed my area with a decent amount of heavenly blessings. Last evening we had a couple of half decent showers, but then at around 2 a.m, the fun began. The thunder rolled, the lightning flashed and the wind blew real strong. It was so strong that I had to get up and close my bedroom windows, blinds and curtains because it was blowing them all around like crazy. And even when I closed up everything, the lightning still flashed so brightly that it lit up the room. At 5.30 when I got up, the road and the land were still wet, meaning it was a good amount of heavenly blessing that fell. All I can say is a grateful, ‘Praise the Lord!’ Let’s hope He doesn’t give us too much now, so that it becomes a negative situation, moving from drought to flood. Anyway, I just got up from my desk and the Lord led my eyes to one of several fortune cookie edicts that I have strategically placed around it. The sad part is that though they’re right in front of me, I hardly notice them. And this one, though it brought a chuckle to my soul, I don’t even remember it being there. It says though, rightly and wisely that ‘Happiness is an attitude.’ And isn’t that the living truth Friends! For if we don’t make a conscious decision, then a conscious effort to be happy, we’ll never be. That’s because there will always be something that or someone who will negatively affect our emotional system if we allow it. Now there are two important points to consider here. The first is as I just alluded to; our allowing external forces to control our happiness. No one or nothing can do that unless we allow it. And have you ever noticed how the small, insignificant negative things can play and prey greatly on our emotions, while under those same circumstances, it takes a big, positive happening to make us feel happy? Now that’s the crux of the matter my people; feeling happy. We tend to allow situations, circumstance and even people to control our happiness because it depends on our feelings. That’s why so many of us are on what looks like a roller coaster ride; one minute up, next minute down, the next minute up again. However Friends, that’s not why Jesus sacrificed His precious life for us. He didn’t intend for us to live that kind of see-saw emotional life. Happiness in a believer should be a fairly constant emotion, given all the good promises that we have from our God and Creator. And it’s time we stop allowing outward stimuli to control our happiness factor. In fact Friends, we shouldn’t even be talking about happiness because that’s usually a fleeting, emotional state. What we should be really talking of is joy; the deep, eternal, everlasting state of contentment that’s only to be found in true association with Jesus. It’s the place where our soul just bubbles over with a rich, enervating, stable state of continual peace and satisfaction. Yes Friends, that perpetual state of elation can only be found in accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, then being obedient to His Word and Will. That’s why Bruh Paul in our Bit, although he was used and abused and suffered much calamity in his missionary travels, could say with such confidence to the Ephesian elders: ‘But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.’ Ah mih people, not all of us can be as stalwart and diligent in serving Jesus, but we can all make a serious effort to not let the fleeting things of the earth distract us from doing His work. Earlier on, Bruh Paul also draws attention to the race run by John the Baptist: ‘And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes (sandals) of his feet I am not worthy to loose.’ (Acts 13:25) Oh my brethren, we each have a race to run, one set out by the Lord as part of His Master Plan, and we cannot run it successfully unless and until we put aside the fleeting things of the world and embrace God’s will for our lives with a deep sense of commitment and expectation of the good things to come, just as those who’ve come to true faith before us did. And as Bruh Paul declares in his last testament to Timothy: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim.4:7-8) Yes mih people, that is what we should all aspire to say at the end of our earthly race, when we’ll also hear these soothing, joyful words from the lips of Jesus: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the Lord.’ (Matt.25:23) And all God’s children said a hale, hearty, joyful and grateful: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise the name of the Lord, for He is good to His children! Amen.’ Oh my brethren, please let’s glory in the joy of our God, for remember that’s where our true strength lies! Much LOVE!…as much as Jesus abides in us…thus shall be the level of our joy… P.S. Sorry it’s late but I got up late, then couldn’t find or make up my mind on a Bit. Them’s the breaks sometimes. It’s not always fun and laughter and easy as pie. (smile) Much LOVE!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 July 2012 Proverbs 22:6
25 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: earthly possessions, focus on God, God - first and foremost, raise a child right, strength of purpose, teach the children about God, the t.v is not a parent, treat fellow believers well
Proverbs 22:6. Train up a child in the way he should go: and (even) when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Oh Friends, I don’t know if you all are like me, but some days I just get tired of people and their foolish antics. I maintain that there’s only one thing wrong with this world, and that’s human beings. Without them the world would be such a beautiful, uncomplicated place. Yesterday was one of those days when I got fed up with people. I won’t get into the whys and wherefores, but suffice it to say that I was very disappointed in certain people, who, to my thinking, could surely have acted better than they did. Anyway, I’m over that now. The Lord gave me the strength of purpose to put it behind me and to just concentrate my focus on Him, since He’s the One leading me and guiding my life, not the untrustworthy people around me. Oh Friends, that’s a very important lesson for all who intend to be serious, diligent workers for Christ, because the enemy and those whom he cajoles into doing his dirty work can cause us to be seriously distracted and lose our sense of priority, which should ALWAYS BE GOD, FIRST AND FOREMOST! I now realize why Christianity is not further ahead than it is; in great part because of the way we treat each other. We often treat perfect strangers much better than fellow believers. And what did Bruh Paul say to the Galatians about that? ‘As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ (Gal.6:10) That means we’re to be especially nice to other believers. But unfortunately that advice is not heeded by too many of us believers. We show a lot of jealousy, anger and resentment towards each other, with so many little cliques and gossip-mongering groups within Christ’s church today. It must certainly break His heart to see His people fighting amongst themselves over petty, worldly things and causes, and not doing nearly as much of what He’s asked us to do; namely spread the good news of His teachings and help the poor, sick, hurting and needy. Yes Friends, believe it or not, admit it or not, Christ’s people are still too taken up, too fascinated by the glitzy, worthless things of the world and amassing earthly possessions. And the only way to overcome the desire for those things that are not of God is to get real close to Him, concentrate all our efforts on doing His will, truly surrender our lives to Him, and let Him lead and guide us where He wants, for He has a Master Plan for all our lives. My people, Jesus is somewhat disappointed in His Church. We’ve stood by and allowed the minions of Lucifer to remove Him and His worship from a large part of our society. His Name and His Word are no longer spoken in schools and in many homes where the young can hear it, thereby breaching some of His very specific rules. ‘…Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.’ (Deut.4:10) ‘And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.’ (Deut.6:6-7) Oh Friends, those words were so important that Moses repeated them in Deut.11:18-19. For if the young are not taught about God, how will Christ’s Church survive from generation to generation? But instead of teaching our children about God, we give them all the junk that the world wrongfully considers important and plunk them in front of the television for hours on end so that they can absorb more worldly mores that definitely go against God’s Word and Will. The television has become such a handy tool for parents now, that it’s widely said and believed that it’s the television and not the parents who raise children these days. So what else can we expect eh Friends? And I’m chuckling here now because I never intended to write about my disappointment, but the Spirit in His wisdom led me to it, either as a testimony to others, or because He knew that if I didn’t get it off my chest it would just stay there and rankle my soul. Anyway, He killed two birds with one stone. (smile) I didn’t even know what our Bit was until a moment ago when the Spirit led me to the gospel truth of Cousin Sol’s words. ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and (even) when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ Yes Friends, that’s the only way to leave a legacy of God behind us. It has to be a part of the children, of the future generations so that it can last. Otherwise it’s just going to die, and when Jesus asks us at the judgement why we didn’t teach the children His Word, as was required of us, what will our answer be eh? ‘Sorry Jesus, we were too busy running behind Beelzebub and his foolish, worthless things and indulging in our selfish, lustful pleasures.’ Oh Friends, that definitely won’t cut it! And we’ll end with some more wise words on the subject from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture (training) and admonition of the Lord.’ (Eph.6:4) Oh my people, it couldn’t get any plainer than that, so let’s start teaching the Word to our children and grandchildren nuh. And please note, that though some of our children may now be adults, it’s never too late for us to guide them to the Word, we just have to do it diplomatically. (smile) So let’s get a move on, so that we won’t be blamed too much for the lost generation. Much LOVE!…it’s never too late to learn about God…or come to rest in the warm and caring arms of Jesus… P.S. I hope it’s coherent, since I didn’t plan it. But then as I always say, true believers know how to pick sense from nonsense. (smile) Much LOVE!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 July 2012 Revelation 21:4
24 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: alive and kicking, all negative things have passed away, awesome promises, believers-happy people, continuing drought, earthly possessions, glory hallelujah, hedging bets, increase in food prices, life and death, new heaven and a new earth, Praise the Lord
Revelation 21:4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Oh Friends, I was planning to tell you all that yesterday was another scorching day in my area, with a strong, hot wind and barely a sprinkling of heavenly blessing late in the evening. But I’ve changed my mind now. (smile) I’m getting tired talking about the weather and ensuing drought which has already caused food prices to increase. So let’s leave that alone and turn to something positive. There’s nothing we can do about the drought or increased prices anyway. And what’s more positive than being alive and able to experience and enjoy another day on God’s great earth filled with his numerous and most delectable blessings? And all God’s people joyfully declared a loud and grateful: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise be to our Great God! May He reign forever! Amen! And again, Amen!’ As I said yesterday Friends, believers should be the happiest people on the earth since we have such a wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who not only sacrificed His holy, sinless life for a bunch of worthless sinners, but also is going to provide a wonderful home for our spiritual bodies when our physical ones die and return to the dust from which they were made. And in that glorious home, with Jesus presiding, there shall be no negative occurrences ever again. Wow! And that’s the living truth Friends, because it’s been promised in our Bit: ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ And given such an awesome promise, it really amazes me that people read and hear about it, yet totally disregard it and all the other awesome promises contained in the Good Book. That’s why I keep saying that true wisdom has disappeared from our society, for any truly wise person would at least place a serious bet on, hitch their wagon to someone like Jehovah God, who’s made all those promises and faithfully brought all the necessary ones to fruition. We already know we can’t take our earthly possessions with us when we die, so why are we still so intent on amassing so much of it eh, only to leave it behind for others to fight over? I’m sure that all individuals on planet earth have experienced an experience which didn’t come from their natural, conscious thoughts or selves. That therefore means that there’s something more to humans than a physical body; some non-physical thing also exists within us. So my question is what happens to that non-physical subconscious element when the physical body dies? Does that die too? Not according to God’s Word! So wouldn’t it make sense to at least hedge our bets and pay some attention to our non-physical side? Of course! But certainly not the way the money-men have been foolishly and unfortunately hedging their bets. You can’t make something from nothing, unless you’re God, and that’s what they’ve been trying to do. Oh Friends, when you hedge your non-physical side with Jesus, and for that matter your physical side too, you CANNOT LOSE, because Jesus has guaranteed a good life in eternity for those who pledge themselves to Him! Now let’s look at some scriptures that uphold our awesome Bit. And what better place to begin than with Isaiah as he speaks God’s words re new heavens and a new earth: ‘For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But ye be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall no more be heard in her, nor the voice of crying.’ (Is.65:17-19) What a joyful promise my brethren! Meanwhile, in his exhortation to endurance, Bruh Paul tells his protégé Timothy: ‘But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.’ (2 Tim.1:10) Yes Friends, the gospel of Christ is where we need to go to find the good news about life and immortality! And to the Corinthians, Bruh Paul makes these unequivocal statements: ‘For he (Jesus Christ) must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.’ (1 Cor.15:25-26) Oh my people, yuh know what’s happening then? ‘And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death (eternal punishment). And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.’ (Rev.20:14-15) Yes Friends, that will be that, if your name’s not found recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life! You will be eternally separated from God; the worst thing that could ever happen to a spiritual being. So I’m pleading with us, begging us to get serious about our spiritual lives, if we don’t want to be eternally separated from our Creator. And we’ll end with the definitive word on the subject from Jesus. This is what He told the beloved disciple John, in His Revelation: ‘Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.’ (Rev.1:17-18) Oh Friends, please listen to Jesus and act wisely, for your eternal salvation depends on it! Much LOVE!…he who holds the key to the door…is the master of those behind it…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 July 2012 Revelation 21:4
23 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: glorious kingdom, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, passion for Christ, praise and thanks, rejuvenation of spirit, spiritual armour, winning souls
Revelation 21:4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday, it’s Monday, the day we’re all learning to LOVE! What you say, LOVE Monday? Yes! Because we’re realizing it’s a day that provides wonderful windows of opportunity; for we get to go to work and interact with all sorts of people, where we can joyfully witness for Christ and personally testify to His sacrificial, undying LOVE for all of humanity. And isn’t that our basic purpose here on earth; to win souls for Christ and further His righteous, glorious kingdom? So let’s be up and about our heavenly Father’s business nuh! Let’s chase away those evil, ungodly, lazy Monday blues by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as though we really mean it, with great gusto and enthusiasm. So as one loud, sweet voice now, let’s sing: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Now that surely makes us feel better, gets the adrenaline liberally flowing through our entire bodies! And my fellow believers in Christ, today we should be twice as joyful because of our wonderful Bit: ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ Wow! Now who wouldn’t be happy, in fact ecstatic about such a divine promise eh? No more pain, sorrow, tears or death! That’s pure heavenly stuff Friends, and certainly attainable when and if we hang with Jesus until the very end! Yes my brethren, all the smart money is on Jesus, not that evil, lying fool Lucifer. The undeniable, unassailable fact is that Lucifer can’t offer us any of those things that Jesus offers in our Bit, but Jesus can surely give you all the worldly things Lucifer can, and more too, if He so chooses, if it falls into His plan for your life. So where are you going to put your money? On Jesus of course, cause He’s the only sure thing in this universe! And as the Lord would have it, I just heard two appropriate kaisos on the T&T radio station, Power 102.1 fm. The first wisely proclaimed that we adults and parents should restrict our own selfish desires and ‘Think about the children.’ And that’s ever so true Friends, because we have done our children a very serious injustice by not teaching them properly about God and the wealth of evil found in this world. That’s why such a high proportion of them are falling for the worthless, glitzy things of the world being brandished before them by Lucifer as the things and lifestyle to work towards. And we all know that to be an utter lie! For the things of Jesus and the lifestyle He personifies are what they should be seeking after. But sadly too many parents never followed the wise advice of the Good Book, which instructed us to ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and (even) when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ (Prov.22:6) And that’s the gospel truth Friends, as many of us old timers can testify to, because all of us at some time in our lives get lost and stray from God for a while, but once we have that solid foundation built into us in our youth, we always find our way back to the straight and narrow path. But it has to be instilled from young, otherwise you won’t truly know right from wrong and will thus be susceptible to anything. And the second kaiso wisely advises us to ‘Look on the bright side, I see a silver lining. Look on the bright side, for the bright side is where we going.’ Now that’s certainly also gospel truth Friends! For the bright side is the one with light, which means Jesus’ side, and that’s exactly where we’re going. So taking into account all of that, then Christians should be the happiest people on Planet Earth! But sadly that is not the case, for too many of us walk around with a sour looking, poor me one disposition and demeanour. That’s why our LOVE Revolution, our witness for Christ is not picking up as much speed and people as it should, for who would want to be associated with sour, miserable people eh? Anyway Friends, the good news is that it’s not too late for us to increase our enthusiasm and passion for Jesus, and consequently our efforts to further His glorious kingdom. My people we need to get a move on with our winning of souls because it certainly seems that the end times are in the offing and there are still too many people who have not even heard about Jesus, much less accepted Him as their personal Lord and Saviour. So if we hope to realize the Father’s dream of not losing even one soul to Beelzebub, we have to get a determined, diligent move on RIGHT NOW! So mih breddren, this Monday morning let’s ponder these things and raise our level of involvement in God’s work. It’s the wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!…who is the Truth…the Light…the Way…Jesus Christ…the ONE who died for us at Calvary… nobody else ever did such a selfless act for all mankind…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 July 2012 Revelation 21:4
22 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: faithful must have courage, former things are passed away, God is running things, great joy and peace in our souls, living fountans of water, new heaven and earth, no more death, no more pain, no more sorrow, No more tears, passion for Christ, perfect peace, rejoice and be glad in the Lord
Revelation 21:4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Oh Friends, please joyfully proclaim with me this beautiful Sunday morning: ‘This is the day the Lord God Jehovah has made, and regardless of all my troubles and unfortunate, unfavourable circumstances, I WILL most definitely rejoice and be glad in it! Amen!’ Yes Friends, that’s how true believers ought to greet each new day in this evil, ungodly world that surrounds us. That’s because we know for a fact that our God is controlling and running things, and everything will eventually work out well for all those who serve and worship Him with fullness of heart. With God in control, we are assured that the universe is undoubtedly unfolding as it should, as He designed it to unfold. And if we are certain of all that, then our hearts should abound with oodles of LOVE and passion for Him. So intent should we be on our God that we just can’t get enough of Him, with great joy and peace enveloping our souls as we look forward to that fateful day when there’ll be no more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain, nor crying, nor death, but just everlasting life in the presence of Jesus Christ. And all God’s people shouted a grateful: ‘Thank You Lord!’ Yes fellow believers, that is the faithful promise enshrined in our Bit today: ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ The old heaven and earth with all their sorrows and heartaches will have gone up in flames, to be replaced by the new heaven and earth, where only LOVE, joy, peace, prosperity, kindness and truth shall reign forever thereafter. And this is one occasion where we can see that the Bible is not just a hodge podge collection of writings, but a solemn chronicle with a truth and purpose from beginning to end, because all through it, those things were promised, individually, as well as together. Let’s check out some of the scriptures that bear those promises. Listen to this first declaration from Isaiah: ‘He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is.25:8-9) Yes mih breddren, from way back then, long before Jesus ever came to earth, the Lord was proclaiming a new and wonderful state of life for His chosen people. And in Rev.7, John proudly and truthfully proclaims: ‘They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on (strike) them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed (shepherd) them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears (every tear) from their eyes.’ (Rev.7:16-17) Wow mih people! What wonderful promises! Why aren’t we more believing then? Something must be seriously wrong with our hearts and minds if we hear such awesome promises declared for sincere believers, yet the majority of us are still trying our best to rid our society and our world of the ONE who created it and us, and also made those genuine promises. Now hear Isaiah again, cause he was the one the Lord chose to tell us the most about His anointed coming to save and cleanse us. This passage is from the chapter titled, ‘The faithful are called to courage.’ And that’s a must Friends! ‘Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning (sighing) shall flee away.’ (Is.55:11)What beautiful intentions Friends! Isaiah says basically the same thing in Chap. 35:10, but he embellishes this version, adding a greater sense of triumph to it. And my imagination remains boggled by the wide lack of acceptance of these promises, even after God faithfully sent His only Son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary to pay for our disgusting sins. Oh Friends, after the Lord made us and Adam blew our heritage, the Lord wasn’t compelled to do anything more for us nuh. He gave us freedom of choice to do as we wished, but His LOVE for us was so all-consuming that He just couldn’t sit idly by and see His most ingenious creation go, both literally and figuratively to Hades in a bucket. So out of the goodness of His heart, He provided an escape route for us. A very easy one too; just believe in and follow His Son Jesus and we’ll be blessed forever thereafter. Hn! And yet we still refuse to believe in and follow the Lord’s anointed. Now my people, that surely is not wisdom! So please, let’s consider and ponder our personal situations all over again, and try and come up with the right solution this time. More on this tomorrow, God in favour. Till then, may He bless and keep all who sincerely trust and believe in Him in perfect peace. This I pray in Jesus’ Name. And all God’s people rang the heavens with a mighty shout of ‘Amen!’ Much LOVE!…the only way to enjoy a pain and sorrow free eternal life…is to come to the Father…through the Son…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 July 2012 Isaiah 1:18
21 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: all have fallen short of God's glory, all have sinned, create a clean heart and right spirit, let us reason together, purge me with hyssop, rebellion, scarlet sins, take your trouble to the Lord in prayer, white as snow
Isaiah 1:18.Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Oh Friends, yesterday was as beautiful a summer’s day as you can get; not too hot, just the right temp, low to mid twenties, with a brisk, cool breeze blowing to keep things right. But alas, still no rain. Ah well, what we going to do eh? The Lord God Almighty in His eternal wisdom will send the rain when He sees fit. In the meantime, we just have to grin and bear it, just keep on doing the right things, those we know that will make Him happy. And one of those things is sitting and talking, reasoning with Him on a consistent basis. As Isaiah says in our Bit on the Lord’s behalf: ‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ What a wonderful, ever-LOVING and caring God we serve my people! A Deity who wants us to come to Him with all our problems, to repent of our sins, so that we can be made righteous and whole. Wow! And here’s how the situation will play out: ‘If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ (Is.1:19-20) A plain and simple declaration Friends! Comply, and you’ll prosper; rebel, and you shall be destroyed! And isn’t that what’s unfortunately happening in our world today my brethren? We’ve rebelled; rejected and removed the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob from most of our lives. So what else do we expect eh, but sorrow, hardship and eventual destruction? Remember the basic premise of the Lord’s words don’t change, so if they were relevant in Isaiah’s time, they’re still relevant today. Now here’s some background on the scripture from the scholars. ‘The prophet’s appeal to come and reason together reveals God’s gracious invitation to all men. It literally means to be “reasonable” by repenting and turning to God. Their sin is described as scarlet and red like crimson, referring to their blood guiltiness before God. The term crimson also means “worm,” referring to the colourfast red dye of the scarlet worm. The eradication of this stain turns it snowy white and is symbolic of the life-changing grace of God, which delivers men from the guilt and condemnation of sin. Thus the prophet reminds his readers that God stands ready to cleanse and forgive all who will turn to Him.’ How is that for a wonderful opportunity to get into God’s good graces eh people? And we definitely need that opportunity, for as Bruh Paul said to the Romans: ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom.3:23) That means we all need God’s cleansing and healing. And the Lord spells this out later on when declaring that He’s the ONLY Redeemer: ‘I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance: let us plead (contend) together: declare thou (thy case), that thou mayest be justified. Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers (mediators) have transgressed against me. Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.’ (Is.43:25-28) Does that sound familiar Friends? It should, because that’s exactly what we’re doing now; transgressing against the Lord. That’s why we’re suffering so much disaster and calamity under the weight of His curse. Now here’s a good example of how to react when we transgress. In Psalm 51, Bruh David’s prayer for cleansing, after he’d fooled around with Bathsheba, he sorrowfully declares: ‘Behold, I was shapen (brought forth) in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps.51:5-10) Yes Friends, it’s oftimes that kind of urgency and humility that we need to bring to the Lord, so that He can cleanse and heal us of whatever pathetic wrong we’ve done. I really don’t know what’s so difficult to fathom about the situation nuh. The Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein says to obey His laws and you’ll prosper. If you don’t, then you’ll suffer and be destroyed. We haven’t obeyed His laws, therefore we’re suffering and being slowly destroyed. However, in His LOVING-kindness, He’s left an opening for us to be restored to a right relationship with Him, through repentance and belief in His Son, Jesus Christ. So what’s the problem eh Friends? Why are we so stubborn and foolish, that we won’t even give God a try and see if He’s for real? But instead we prefer to remain fixated on Beelzebub and his worthless earthly things and evil doings. Please remember Jesus’ words my brethren: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) Oh my fellow believers in Christ, those are the words of wisdom we need to ponder today and see how we shape up when they are applied to our particular situation. Then let’s take the necessary action to do whatever it takes, so that we can be right with our heavenly Father. That’s wisdom at its highest level. Much LOVE!…who truly LOVES you…and is willing to take the time to talk to you…ONLY the Lord God Jehovah…cause He’s special…ONE of a kind…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 July 2012 Proverbs 19:1
20 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: complaining, drought, Friday chant, fun and fellowship, honesty, hypocrites, integrity, passion for Christ, rich fool, serve and worship God sincerely, the many promises of God, trust, wisdom
Proverbs 19:1. Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, and the drought continues! Though people are still excitedly trilling, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ the parched land is definitely not so thrilled. Now something has to be wrong with my area yes, because yesterday was much cooler than the past many days, it was also very cloudy, and at least three times that I know of, a few drops of rain fell. And when I say a few drops, I really mean a few. Hn! It happened to me a couple times while I was out driving yesterday evening, and neither time did I have to even make one pass of my wiper blades, the drops of blessing were so few. Ah Lord eh! But for all that Friends, we must still be excited and passionate about serving the Lord, for we know that He works out all things for good to those whom He calls and who LOVE, worship and serve Him sincerely. (Rom.8:28) Yes mih people, the Lord God Jehovah, creator of heaven, earth and all therein, is still on His lofty throne controlling all things in His universe, at a height of intelligence that we can never meet or even comprehend. That’s why He’s given us faith, hope, LOVE and all the promises; so we can believe in Him and be assured of His unconditional care and concern for us. So with all that in mind, let’s forget about the world and chant our Friday Chant, so that we can bring the excitement of Friday and the weekend into proper perspective. Now, as one sweet, heavenly voice, (smile) let’s chant! ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And having put the weekend in its right perspective, let’s see if we can’t do the same with what our Bit talks about nuh: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’ Wow mih breddren! Isn’t that a remark of awesome truth? It sure is! Why? Because that word ‘integrity’ is a must have trait, one that must exist in all followers of Jesus! We can’t truly be followers of Jesus until or unless we’re also people of high, outstanding integrity. And what does integrity mean? The dictionary talks about ‘uprightness as evidenced in character and actions.’ So it’s basically about things like honesty, dependability, trustworthiness, goodness, morality, truthfulness and virtue. All the positive things that make the Lord look down on us with favour. It speaks of a person with a reliable image, whose character we can trust. Unfortunately that’s another trait, like wisdom, that’s disappeared from our modern society. Nowadays we can’t even trust our preachers, the supposed men of God, for too many of them are mere charlatans and crooks. And why is our world, its economy, relationships within and between nations, as well as relationships within and between religions in such a mess eh? Because the people whom we trusted to take of it lacked, and still lack sufficient integrity to do so properly. They were instead impelled by personal aggrandizement, greed and all the evils associated with the followers of Beelzebub. So Friends, it’s truly much better to be poor and of good character and integrity than it is to be rich, a fool and a crook. Cousin Sol says it thus later on: ‘Blessed is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.’ (Prov.28:6) So though you’re rich and have no integrity – which sadly a lot of rich people don’t have because their gains have come by ill gotten means – you’re still a jerk and a fool, and of no use in God’s kingdom, except as an example of what not to be. Yes Friends, unless we diligently seek and aspire to have a character like Jesus, one that’s honest, reliable and trustworthy, we’re fooling ourselves about working for the kingdom. Now we all can’t be perfect, but we certainly have to try hard. That’s why Jesus lambasted the Pharisees in Matthew 23. Jesus really ripped them apart because they put on a good outward show, but inside they were, totally selfish, greedy and evil. And because Jesus saw through them and wanted to clip their wings, they tried so desperately to run Him out of town. They were supposed to be the righteous, the leaders of the society, but unfortunately lacked the integrity to do the job aright. So my brethren, if our leaders, priests, and those in high places lack the necessary integrity and character, as is being so blatantly showcased and revealed nowadays, how can we expect to have a godly, truthful, or even prosperous society eh? Oh Friends, I keep reminding us of this absolute truth: our society and world cannot improve unless we have leaders and other people in high positions with exemplary character and integrity. And sadly that’s not going to happen unless and until we believers get up off our fat fannies and do something serious about it. We’re very good at griping and complaining, but it’s time for us to stand up and be counted, become people of true integrity and try to rebuild our fallen society with people of that same bent. And it’s got to start with each one of us, then move on to our friends, families and neighbourhoods. Only then will we have a serious chance of regaining control of God’s universe from Lucifer and his evil cohorts. That’s the thought for us to ponder today Friends. And please ponder it seriously, for our actions now, will later on affect the livelihood of our children’s children. Till we meet again, God willing, please walk with Him in peace, LOVE and integrity. Much LOVE!…take care of your character…and your reputation will take of itself…true words of wisdom my people…
Today”s Scrip-Bit 19 July 2012 Ecclesiastes 2:13
19 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: divine wisdom, enjoy life, going through the fires of life, Jesus is the Light, light stronger than darkness, stop complaining, thanks and praise for life, vanity, vexation of spirit
Ecclesiastes 2:13. Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
Oh Friends, our God was indeed merciful to us today, allowing us to see another beautiful day on Planet Earth! Please give Him some thanks and praise for that. I know that some of us might think we’d be better off dead because of the horrible times we’re currently undergoing, but that’s a fallacy, a lie of Lucifer. Remember at one stage of his life, Bruh Paul badly desired to be with the Lord, but eventually realized that he still had tasks on earth to perform, so he had to continue doing his earthly time. (Phil.1:21-26) The same goes for us Friends. The Lord would not have allowed all we’re going through without a definite purpose, a sure-fire plan to raise us up higher at some stage of our lives. So let’s remember that when we’re going through the fires of life, that’s when we’re growing in faith and stature in God’s eyes. And the less we whine and complain about it, the better off we’ll be. Let’s be like the proverbial seed that’s planted in good, but dark and lonely ground. Let’s endure our troubles without too much hullabaloo, while like the seed, we’re going through that dark period of our lives. Remember the Lord faithfully promised that He’d never leave nor forsake us. (Heb.13:5) So if we endure faithfully like the seed, one day we’ll burst out of the darkness into the light and live prosperously and righteously in the sight of the Lord. It’s not easy, but it’s certainly doable with God’s help. And since faith only grows through adversity, we must suffer some adversity in this life, if we want to be true followers of Jesus. And if we stand strong and do what’s right, then eventually we’ll be able to say like Cousin Sol says in our Bit: ‘Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.’ And that’s the living truth my people! Have you ever noticed how it takes a whole lot of darkness to cover up light, but just a little light to expose a whole lot of darkness? That’s because light is so much stronger and penetrating than darkness. That’s why wise people are attracted to the Light that’s Jesus, rather than the horrible darkness that’s Beelzebub. And as we were saying yesterday, there was no one better positioned at the time than Cousin Sol to do the research on the purpose of life, for he had both the earthly attributes of time and money, and the divine wisdom of God. So whatever he thought of or desired, he went after it. But sadly at the end of his experimentation and research, he concluded that ‘all was vanity (futility) and vexation of spirit (a grasping for the wind), and there was no profit under the sun.’ (Eccl.2:11) Yes Friends, killing ourselves to amass earthly possessions, or to enjoy earthly pleasures doesn’t profit us at all. It turned Sol off so much that he declares: ‘Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity (futility) and vexation of spirit (a grasping for the wind). Yea, I hated all my labour under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took (toiled) under the sun. For there is a man whose labour is in (with) wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity (with skill); yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion (heritage). This also is vanity and a great evil.’ (Eccl.2:17-21) Ah mih people, we see that happening everyday, more and more in our society, where people work hard for their money then leave it to a bunch of slackers, or else the situation ends up in the courts and the lawyers get most of it. So what’s Cousin Sol’s final conclusion then on it all? He says: ‘There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto (have enjoyment), more than I? For God giveth to a man that (who) is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail to gather and heap up (the task of gathering and collecting), that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.’ (Eccl.2:24-26). True words of wisdom Friends! And we’ll end with a brief explanation of that passage from the scholars. ‘This passage is the first of seven that give one of the solutions to life’s problems: enjoy life and work as God’s gifts. When a man toils in his own strength, he is bound to suffer pain and grief. The answer then is for him to enjoy his work by receiving it as a gift of God. Elsewhere, work is said to be part of God’s curse on man (Gen.3:17-19), but it can become the sphere of God’s blessing. To eat and drink, used five times in the book, must be understood in a good sense. Solomon always counsels the fear of God, and the concept is used in the Old Testament in a good sense (Deut.14:26; 1 Kin.4:20).’ So Friends, let’s remember that ALL things are vetted by God, and He’s given us work and the opportunity to enjoy the pleasures of the earth, once we do so in consort with Him and His will. So let’s search diligently for wisdom, so that we can operate wisely before our God nuh. Much LOVE!…wisdom is good with an inheritance…and by it there is profit…to them that see the sun… (Eccl.7:11)
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