SCRIP-BITS

Psalm 46:1.    God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
 
And the rains came and washed all the snow away. Glory Hallelujah! Yes Friends, that’s what happened yesterday morning. The snow didn’t even last till daylight. Our God’s such a good God! And that’s exactly why so many people of great faith, all down through the ages, have pinned all their hopes on Him, have surrendered all their dreams to His guidance. As Bruh David so faithfully and rightly declares in our Bit: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.’ Oh people, please note the explanation of ‘a very present help’ – ‘an abundantly available help.’ Yes Friends, help is always available from our God, whether we’re in trouble or not, and in abundance too, because He’s not a mean, stingy, parsimonious Deity, but a very kind and generous benefactor to all who sincerely seek and worship Him. As Moses, in exhorting the Israelites to obedience gloriously proclaimed: ‘For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them (a god so near), as the Lord our God is in all things that we call him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgements so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?’ (Deut.4:7-8) And the answer to both questions my brethren is a big, resounding ‘NONE!’ However Friends, the next verse is the kicker: ‘Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul (yourself) diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons.’ (Deut.4:9) Now that’s where we have badly fallen down my people. We haven’t sought the Lord as diligently as we should, or kept His statutes, neither have we taught them to our children. How sad! And that’s why our world is in so much turmoil, for where there is no God, or in our case, the people don’t listen to the Word of God or His spokesperson, then they perish. But fortunately, as our Bit says, we can always find solace and strength in abundance if we turn to the Lord in times of trouble, for; ‘He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.’ (Ps.46:9) So my people, the logic is simple. If we want the strife and enmity currently predominating our world to end, all we need to do is sincerely turn to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who authoritatively tells us: ‘Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.’ (Ps.46:10) And He will be exalted, when we believers get our act together and truly understand that we’re in a very serious spiritual war with a lot at stake. All the hopes and dreams of Jesus and His Church are dependent on our righteousness and good example to the heathen. And if we don’t get up and do it, then tell me Friends, who will eh? The Lord’s depending on us to fight the war here on earth, to get all His children to come together, to worship and adore Him, to come to salvation and eternal life, so that He will lose none of them to death and eternal separation with Lucifer. That’s how important our earthly task is. And if we’re not focused on it, then we’re not helping in the fight against Lucifer and his evil minions. We might even be hindrances, obliquely helping the enemy by our refusal to actively join the fray. But all is not lost my Friends, for our God is indeed a gracious and merciful God, as Bruh David tells it in Psalm 145. And if you’re in trouble, you just need to lay bare your heart to Him, because: ‘The Lord is nigh (near) unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The Lord preserveth all them that LOVE him: but all the wicked will he destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.’ (Ps.145:18-21) And all God’s people uttered a loud ‘Amen!’  So Friends, in these troubled and worrisome times, it is imperative that we turn to the ONLY ONE who can help us; the same ONE who created us; the Lord God Jehovah! So please, let’s genuinely turn to Him TODAY, while there is yet time, that as He has promised in His Holy Word; we may LIVE. Much LOVE!…stand up…stand up…for Jesus…the trumpet’s call obey…till every foe is vanquished…and Christ is Lord indeed…

Psalm 46:1.     God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 18:19.     He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

Isaiah 7:4.    And say unto him, Take heed (be careful), and be quiet (be calm); fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails (stubs) of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

Proverbs 18:7.     A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
 
Happy April (All) Fool’s Day Friends! Now don’t go out and play any serious pranks on anyone. By the way, March did not go out whimpering, for after writing yesterday’s Bit and hoping for no more snow, when I looked outside, the place was white. Hn! Not the real heavy stuff though, because it was gone by midday, but it was still snow, enough to give our God a li’l chuckle at my expense. Who says He doesn’t have a sense of humour eh! Anyway, today is Friday, and I know you all are chomping at the bit to chant our Friday Chant. So here goes; loud and clear now. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And I hope we all uttered those positive words with a positive outlook, because all through life we bring to ourselves the fruit of our words. If we speak negatively, then negative fruit is what we reap. But when positive stuff that agrees with God’s Word flows from our lips, then good, positive fruit is harvested. Our Bit declares it quite rightly: ‘A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.’ Oh Friends, it’s ever so important that we guard our tongues, for: ‘Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth (sets on fire)! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members (the tongue is so set), that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature (existence); and it is set on fire of hell (by Satan).’ (James 3:5-6) Yes my people, we all know that the tongue is small but very powerful, capable of creating much strife and contention if we allow it to do so. Many a war has been started by an unwise, unruly and foolish tongue, that’s why Bruh David wisely advises us to: ‘Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit) (Ps.34:13) For if we speak evil, deceitful stuff, like a boomerang, it will surely come back to haunt us one day. Cousin Sol also declared that: ‘Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.’ (Prov.10:14) And I’m sure all of us have heard someone shoot off their mouth without thinking, or done it personally, even in justified anger, and sadly paid the price later on. This other proverb spells it out even more clearly. ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ (Prov.18:21) Please note the amount of people that are getting in trouble these days for their thoughtless, unwise words, either through texting, talking or one of the many forms of communication that our world now embraces. And the reality is that most of us have very little of interest or use to communicate, which leads us to communicating nonsense…and pay the price. Please remember that my people. As the Preacher proclaims: ‘The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.’ (Eccl.10:12) It’s a fact that many of us have at times been swallowed up by our useless talk and incompetent behaviour, but it’s time to stop that unwise kind of action Friends. For those of us who find our lives aren’t going so good, then maybe it’s time to change the words we use, the way we talk about things. Instead, let’s have our words line up with God’s Word, regardless of our circumstances or of how we feel. Oh my people, our words are so important in all aspects of our lives that Peter thought it fit to reuse Bruh David’s advise in his own message. ‘For he that will LOVE life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew (turn away from) evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue (pursue it). For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.’ (1 Pet.3:10-12) Truer words have never been spoken my brethren, so please take them to heart. And whoever said that words are wind but blows are unkind was talking somewhat foolishly, for words have the ability to hurt more than any blow, and the hurt from the blow usually heals quicker and with fewer side effects than those of words. So please Friends, starting NOW, let’s all seriously watch the words we speak. And the first step in that regard is to think before we talk, a crime which too many of us are guilty of nowadays. Much LOVE!…the tongue…it hot and tallawa…so powerful…that it can either make or break us…

Proverbs 17:14.    The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.
 
Oh Friends, it’s another beautiful day in God’s kingdom! Hallelujah! We’re alive and kicking! All praise and thanks be to God! Sadly though our world is too full of Beelzebub’s main weapon; strife. Everywhere we turn on God’s great earth it’s either existing in abnormal proportions, or the seeds for it’s birth have already been sown. But here are some wise words concerning it from Gloria Copeland’s book, ‘Hidden Treasures,’ re abundant living in the riches of proverbs. ‘In order to walk in God’s wisdom and keep the door of your life closed to the devil, you must diligently guard against strife and seek diligently to LOVE others.’ Yes my people, LOVE is the only antidote for strife! And I like how our Bit characterizes strife: ‘The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.’ Such words of wisdom mih Friends! Strife begins so easily; like turning on your tap, first slowly, in a trickle, then the flow grows ever bigger and faster. That’s how strife operates. Even like a dripping faucet. The drip starts out small, but note, those drips never get smaller, always bigger. I believe the Amplified Bible refers to it as a crack in a dam. It’s the same principle of starting out small. And that’s the awful truth about strife my brethren; it usually starts out small, but quickly increases if left unchecked. That’s why our Bit says we ought to ‘leave off contention, before it be meddled with.’ We need to nip it in the bud, stop the contention before the quarrel begins. It’s the only way to conquer strife my Friends, for as these two verses of the Good Book concur, strife is the devil’s own handiwork. ‘He LOVETH transgression that LOVETH strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction. He that hath a froward (deceitful or crooked) heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief (evil).’ (Prov.17:19-20) Lucifer’s followers delight in creating strife, for it kills whatever peace and LOVE that exists in a particular situation, and that’s their life’s goal. But we believers have to listen very closely to Proverbs 10:12, and diligently put it to work in all aspects of our lives. ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.’ And isn’t that the way it truly is! As James so rightly puts it: ‘For where envying and strife is (where self seeking exists), there is confusion and every evil work.’ (James 3:16) And Bruh Paul warned the Corinthians: ‘For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions (dissensions), are ye not carnal (fleshly) and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?’ (1 Cor.3:3-4) Yes Friends, we certainly are being carnal, of this world, when we exhibit things like greed, lust and envy, which always bring strife, much to Lucifer’s delight, but our Lord’s displeasure. However my people, there is a way to guard against that persistent enemy called strife, for just as Cousin Sol tells us about the disease, he also gives us the remedy. ‘The discretion of a man deferreth his anger (makes him slow to anger); and it is his glory to pass over (overlook) a transgression.’ (Prov.19:11) Or as James says: ‘Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:19-20) And Bruh Paul told the Ephesians: ‘Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph.4:31-32) Oh Friends, there’s only one thing left to be said; make sure you keep strife out of your family and your home, for that seems to be the easiest place for it to start. And as Cousin Sol says right at the beginning of Chapter 17: ‘Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than a house full of sacrifices (sacrificial meals or feasting) with strife.’ (Prov.17:1) And as the old people were wont to say: ‘Charity (LOVE) begins at home,’ and that’s the first place we’ve got to stop strife from taking root. So let’s all seriously consider the strife in our lives, and with the help of God’s Word and His awesome LOVE remove it, so that both our individual lives and our world will experience some much needed peace. Much LOVE!…unfortunately…strife in our lives and hearts…blocks the flow of communication…with our wonderful God…
 

Psalm 104:33.    I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
 
Oh Friends, the ole fella is shaking it a bit rough this morning, with some sneezing and a strep throat. Hope it’s only my sinuses acting up. But yuh know what? I am alive and kicking, so ‘Praise the Lord!’ And just as rain, snow, sleet, sun or any disaster never stops the mailman from delivering the mail, likewise, nothing, no sickness or tragedy is going to stop me from writing the Bit. (smile) But I’d better not get too high and mighty on that nuh, before the Lord challenges me, because that’s How He operates. You boast about something, then soon thereafter that very same boast comes back to haunt you. In any case my people, though something might very well stop me from writing the Bit, for sure, nothing but death will cause me to stop doing what today’s Bit proclaims: ‘I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.’ Yes Friends, nothing but death should stop us from singing the mighty and worthy praises of our Great God Jehovah! Regardless of the physical shape of our bodies, while we have breath in them, once we can put two and two together in our minds, the Lord’s praises should always permeate our souls. And all God’s people shouted a powerful ‘Amen!’ Please remember that one of the purposes for which we were created is to commune with and worship the Most High God. Our praise and worship is essential to His happiness. It won’t change who He is, but just as we expect our children to be obedient and respectful, our heavenly Father expects us to praise and worship Him. And to emphasize the importance of communication with our God, the psalmist, after writing our Bit, then continues: ‘My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.’ (Ps.104:34) And that’s exactly how it ought to be my brethren! When we read and contemplate on God’s Word, it should bring us joy, a sense of peace should overwhelm our spirits, and make our souls glad, for that is it’s purpose. It wasn’t only given to guide and educate, but also to enliven and gladden us with all the truth of God’s promises contained therein that we can boldly rely on. The Good Book was not written to make us sad, but glad; to give us encouragement and hope of a good future, especially God’s promises of salvation and eternal life through Jesus’ all-embracing sacrifice on the cross. What news can bring greater joy that that eh? NONE mih people, NONE! That’s why men of faith have been singing the Lord’s praises and blessing Him from days of old. Now hear Bruh David in Psalm 63, when he talks of God satisfying the thirsting souls of men. ‘Because thy LOVING-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied with marrow (the best fat) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.’ (Ps.63:3-5) And all God’s people sang a loud ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ And Friends there was never a more righteous sinner than Bruh David, and he paid for his mistakes, but through his constant devotion to the God of his fathers, the Lord still looked upon him with great favour. Why won’t He do the same for us, if we sincerely try to walk in His will? No reason whatsoever my brethren! And we’ll end with some more encouraging words, these of Bruh Paul, re singing praises to our Father. ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph.5:18-21) We can’t beat that advice my people, so let’s take it to heart and do it nuh. It will bring a big smile to our Lord’s face, a tear of joy to His eyes and a gentle, tender tug of LOVE to His heart. Till tomorrow then, if it’s on God’s agenda. In the meanwhile, please walk safely with Him, offering much thanks and praise for His goodness to us. Much LOVE!…it is both meet and right…to offer thanks and praise to our God… P.S. And the gospel music I’m listening to while I’m editing the Bit is saying exactly that: ‘I will lift my hands, I will worship you. We lift our hands to worship you Lord. Almighty God, I worship you. Not just for what you’ve done, But who you are. So I lift my hands and worship you Lord…’ Much LOVE!
 

Hebrews 2:1.    Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.