SCRIP-BITS

Oh Friends, the BIG DAY is over now! But please note that the Christmas Season is not, so let’s continue to portray and put into action those sentiments that the angels proclaimed when Jesus was born: ‘PEACE ON EARTH; AND GOODWILL TO MEN!’ Oh mih people, those words evoke such a powerful and godly inclination that our world would instantly turn into a paradise if more of humanity followed them. And yuh know, if only the majority of Christians applied it, our earth would still be much improved, since we Christians talk a good talk but too often don’t follow it up with the necessary action. And here’s a recent example of that. I heard of these believers going to one family’s home after church on a Sunday morning for brunch. In that group, there was one man apparently deeply indebted emotionally to the older homeowner for their Christian support during a rough time of grief, when his wife passed away. Now some disagreement arose between both men over some innocuous matter, and my talebearer (smile) was most shocked at the manner in which the younger man berated the older one, in front of all their church companions, so soon after church. Obviously that soured the gathering to some extent and could not be construed as peace and goodwill either. Here’s an even more telling example. My local church building houses three different denominations with relations not the best between them, mostly because of monetary matters. But in any case, on a Sunday morning when I’m leaving, another denomination is coming in, and would you believe that many of them pass me by with a stone face, not even a smile or a good morning greeting. I guess I’m also guilty of not engaging them in a friendly Christian manner. Oh mih breddren, what ever happened to 3 Canal’s engaging dictum eh: ‘Morning Neighbuh, morning?’ (smile) But unfortunately Friends, it’s those kinds of things that unbelievers see and hear about that turns them off of the Christian experience. And you really can’t blame them if believers in the same ONE, TRUE, GREAT GOD can’t at least be civil to each other. No wonder the enemy is busy, successfully removing our God from our lives bit by bit, because instead of fighting the evil enemy, we’re fighting our supposed brothers and sisters in Christ. What a crying shame my brethren! That only belittles the Church of Christ and paints everybody with a tar brush. Anyway, enough negative talk this Boxing Day, let’s get positive. So Friends, how was your Christmas Day? I sincerely hope it was most excellent, and that whatever gathering you were a part of had a good time, and Christ was included in some form and fashion. I must say that mine was quiet but excellent, with only close family members. The highlight of my day though was that my ole mother surprised me by showing up at my humble abode in all her arthritic splendour (smile) after insisting that she was not leaving her own home. And I wasn’t happy so much on my account, but for her and her care-giver; that they didn’t have to spend Christmas Day in the little two be four apartment and not actively participate in the seasonal joy and fun-filled fellowship with the rest of the family. Thank you Lord for that! But those of you who know the old girl, know that she can be very stubborn when she feels so inclined. I guess some of her reluctance to go out nowadays is basically due to a combination of shame and pride she wrongly feels because she is wheelchair bound and can’t manage most of her own affairs. But that’s an unfortunate human trait. And Friends, would you believe that the Spirit was also in cahoots with my family on this matter. (smile) I say that because in the afternoon I kept phoning my mother’s place to read the usual prayers for her, but couldn’t get an answer. Obviously I began to get concerned since she never said she was going out, and I almost got into an argument with my family over it when they began making what I considered simplistic excuses. I knew that my younger daughter and her boyfriend had gone out, but I figured it was to visit their own friends. I never even considered the possibility that they had gone to get her, since she had been so adamant about not leaving home. And it wasn’t until I heard some commotion in my driveway that the Spirit finally enlightened me as to what was happening. One moment I heard the noise, and then suddenly, in the next, I received the brainwave. That’s why I can truly say this Christmas Day of 2010: ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.’ He truly showered my family with blessings on this anniversary of His Son’s Birth! Oh my people, I also hope that all of you were blessed in some special way this Christmas Day of 2010. And even if we weren’t, please don’t lose hope, faith and trust in Almighty God, for the world might not be fair, but it’s an unassailable fact that the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob IS GOOD! We don’t, and won’t always understand His complicated chess moves, but whatever He does is always in the long-term best interest of His children. So please stand strong and true under His righteous wings, and He will surely see you through. Much LOVE!…whoever sacrifices their only son…especially for undeserving, ungrateful others…must have a big heart…full of LOVE…

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 Oh Friends, it’s CHRISTMAS DAY! That fateful day when Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour was born in Bethlehem of Judea, some two thousand years ago! Wow! Thank you Father God for sending your Son to earth to save us. There’s never been a greater act of LOVE in man’s history, and for that we’re eternally grateful. Ah Friends, our Bit plays out Jesus’ birth as something simple and down to earth: ‘And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger (feed trough); because there was no room for them in the inn.’ But I believe that in reality it wasn’t that simple at all. Now see if you can picture this scene. I don’t know how this will turn out, but it’s where the Spirit led me. It’s a cold but cloudless and bright starry night in Judea: ‘Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright.’ In the sleepy town of Bethlehem it’s even more peaceful. ‘O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by; Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light; the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.’ So Jesus is born in this rough and crude stable and laid in a feed trough because there’s no room for his family in the local inn. ‘Away in the manger, no crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay, The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.’  And around the hills and valleys of Bruh David’s city, shepherds are guarding their sheep, bundled up against the bone chilling cold, when all of a sudden an angel, with God’s glory shining all around him, appears out of nowhere and startles them. This unexpected state of affairs obviously frightens the poor shepherds. ‘The first Noel the angel did say Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay; In fields as they lay, keeping their sheep, On a cold winter’s night that was so deep. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel. They looked up and saw a star, Shining in the east beyond them far, And to the earth it gave great light, And so it continued both day and night.’ The angel tells the shepherds where to find the baby, but before they could do anything, from out of nowhere again, a host of heavenly angels appear, the greatest choir ever assembled, and they begin singing and praising God. ‘Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the new-born King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled! Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies; With the angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem! Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the new-born King!’ Obviously after all this surprising pandemonium, the shepherds, with typical human inquisitiveness, decide to go and check out this baby Jesus that the Lord had seen fit to tell them about. So they hustle over to Bethlehem proper, and just as the angel said, they found Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus in the manger. They paid their respects then went around spreading the good news, re what the angels had told them and they had seen – wish we could get some gossips to spread the good news today. (smile) Then the shepherds go back to their lonely jobs, but now in great spirits, thanking and praising God for all that they’d experienced. ‘Angels we have heard on high, Singing sweetly through the night, And the mountains in reply, Echoing their brave delight. Gloria in excelsis Deo. Gloria in excelsis Deo.’ Oh Friends, the story gets better as the night rolls on, but I’m going to use a bit of poetic license here because the gospels are a bit confusing. Luke tells of the shepherds, but not the wise men, while Matthew tells of the wise men but not the shepherds, and most likely the two events didn’t occur on the same night, since Matthew says that the wise men entered a house. (Matt.2:11) However to enlarge the grandeur of the scene, I’ll put both episodes together.  So now it’s later on in the evening, and even more activity is happening in normally staid, quiet Bethlehem. That’s because three kings from the East, possibly descendants of Jewish captives in Babylon, because they know the scriptures and came to Jerusalem searching for this new-born King of the Jews, whom the unconcerned Jewish elite directed to Bethlehem. But Herod the king paid attention, telling them to come back and let him know where they found the baby. These kings had followed a big, bright cross-shaped star from way back home, and after leaving Jerusalem, the star was still before them. ‘We three kings of Orient are, Bearing gifts we traverse afar. Field and fountain, moor and mountain, Following yonder star. O star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright, Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect Light.’ And yuh know what mih people? ‘This star drew nigh to the northwest, O’er Bethlehem it took its rest, And there it did both stop and stay, right over the place where Jesus lay.’ And all God’s people said ‘Wow!’ Imagine the commotion around this old stable in quiet Bethlehem nuh with the camels and the entourages of these men. Then the three magnificently dressed men, long flowing robes and beards, jewel encrusted scimitars and daggers by their sides, enter this lowly stable. Probably never entered such a lowly place before, but they leave their egos outside.  And in all this commotion what happens? ‘The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.’ Yes friends, even at birth Jesus was aware of His royal heritage and how to behave. ‘Then entered in those wise men three, Full reverently upon their knee, And offered there in his presence, Their gold, and myrrh, and frankincense.’ These three powerful men prostrate themselves before Baby Jesus and offer Him symbolic gifts: Gold, because only the earth’s most valuable asset would do for such a mighty monarch. Frankincense, an incense like resin, akin to the stuff burned in the temple before God, because He was Deity. And the myrrh, used for anointing bodies before burial, to symbolize His epic death, some three decades later. Meanwhile, poor Mary and Joseph are sitting around the feed trough in which their godly Son lies, overwhelmed by all the hoopla, just kindly accepting the gifts and glad tidings from all who came to pay their respects. The Good Book says though: ‘But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.’ (Luke 2:19) Wise woman, that Mary! Oh Friends, I forgot to mention that throughout the entire event the heavenly choir was outside rocking up a storm of sweet music. Tunes like: ‘O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold him, Born the King of angels; O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O Come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.’ And it wasn’t earth alone rocking nuh mih people; they were having a merry ole time in heaven too. Rocking to stuff like: ‘Joy to the world! The Lord is come; Let earth receive her king; Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.’  And Friends, the parties, both in heaven and on earth, went on until the morning light, until the daytime star arose in the east. (smile) Never before, or again, was there ever such a splendiferous night! Wow! And all God’s people wept with joy, then belted out in song: ‘Then let us all with one accord, sing praises to our heavenly Lord; That hath made heaven and earth of naught, And with His blood mankind hath bought. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel. ‘ Oh Friends, I sure hope the Christmas story was interesting, for I had a lot of fun writing it. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a happy New Year. Don’t overdo the eating and drinking, and find some time to get Christ involved. Much LOVE!…peace on earth…goodwill to all…those are the sentiments of the season…

Just five more days mih people and we’ll all be joyfully shouting: ‘Merry Christmas!’ while hugging and kissing friends and family we haven’t seen in a long while, and busy opening gifts. However Friends, let’s hope that we don’t spend the entire day only in riotous living, but do make some time to sit, stand or lie quietly and contemplate the true meaning of the day; Jesus giving up His heavenly home to become one of us. We also should offer God much praise, thanks and gratitude for being selfless and caring enough to send His only Son to redeem and reconcile us to Him. That’s the perfect example of TRUE LOVE my people! And Christmas Day should be celebrated as a day of LOVE; not merely talking it, but actively showing it to our God, our neighbours and ourselves, giving thanks for both earthly and heavenly blessings. Hn, hn!  Sorry Friends, but I’ve now got to burst that nice Christmas bubble and remind us that today is Monday, the start of a new workweek, which unfortunately means we have to go out and face the enemy forces anew. And though this week some of them might be a tad nicer because of the upcoming holidays, please be careful, for the enemy never truly let’s up and will use any occasion or trick to fool us into letting down our guard. So let’s sing our Monday Battle Hymn with some extra gusto. ‘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 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!’ And now Friends, with the adrenalin pumping and being suitably attired spiritually, let’s go out and engage the enemy in Jesus’ Name. But please, in our haste and eagerness to overcome the enemy, let’s not forget the words of our Bit: ‘The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.’ It’s an inescapable fact my brethren that one day we’ll all answer for our lives before the Most High God, and there’ll be no room for excuses then. Therefore it’s a good idea, every so often, especially when we‘re undergoing adversity, to ask God to do some early judging to see if there’s anything wrong with us, which might or might not be the root cause of our adversity. Psalm 7 is one of Bruh David’s prayers for deliverance. He must have figured that he was doing okay in the righteousness and integrity department, but yet Cush the Benjamite, one of Saul’s most fearsome and ruthless relatives kept hunting him down like a wild animal. Unable to fathom the situation, as was his custom, he turned to the God of his fathers for enlightenment; to check out his heart and his conscience and let him know if he was guilty of some wrong doing unawares. Oh Friends, I can’t think of a better way to stay in God’s good grace than by appealing to Him for a regular righteousness and integrity check up, not just when adversity strikes. Just like our cars and other mechanical apparatus, as well as our physical bodies, need occasional check ups and refurbishment, so do our hearts, souls and consciences, since they are also continually working and being filled with all sorts of unwholesome stuff. Oh Friends, it’s so easy to walk outside of God’s will without realizing it, especially in these overly lax and ungodly times. So many things came against Bruh David, what with his many enemies, that it sure seems like he was continually asking the Lord to judge him. We’ll quote one instance here before closing, where it seems he was being falsely accused. ‘Judge (vindicate) me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide (slip). Examine me, O Lord, and prove (try) me; try my reins (test my mind) and my heart. For thy LOVING- kindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.’ (Ps.26:1-3) Oh Friends, can we come before the Lord God Almighty and truthfully pour out those words? Some of us can, and some can’t, though all believers ought to. So this Christmas season, let’s promise ourselves that we’ll make a serious effort towards accomplishing that goal nuh. We can’t always go to the Lord pleading for forgiveness without making some improvement along the way to our personal righteousness and integrity quotient. Let’s try and clean up our acts NOW, rather than later! Till tomorrow then, God willing, walk safely with Him. Much LOVE!…Now is the time to clean up our inner man…for it will be too late…come the judgement day…

Just six more days to that momentous occasion Friends! Yes six days from today, there’ll be much rejoicing, singing and story telling about Christ’s Birth. Isn’t it a wonderful story my people? It sure is! No other religion can boast of their God caring so much for them that He came to earth, humbled Himself in lowly human form, then sacrificially offered His life, so that we awful sinners might have life eternal. Wow!  It sure says a lot about Christianity. While other religions look to some distant, far away deity, Christians have their God living right within them. It can’t get any better than that my brethren! And the Christmas season is important because that’s where it all began. Without Christmas, without Christ being born we would have none of the benefits of Christianity, with honourable mention to justification, righteousness before God. In our Bit, Bruh David pleads with the Lord: ‘And enter not into judgement with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified (righteous).’ And he was quite right Friends, as we heard from other men of great faith yesterday. On our own, we could never even come before a holy and just God, much less consider ourselves righteous. But then my people, a most wonderful thing happened; Jesus was born in a seedy manger in the backwater town of Bethlehem on Christmas Day, and that got the ball rolling in a simpler, more personal, godly direction. Oh Friends, before Jesus came we had no real choice. Yes, we could believe in God before, but then the focus was on works. The law directed that only through good works could we obtain salvation, and how many good works did that take eh? But with the coming of Jesus, with His sojourn here on earth, all of that changed; we were granted a choice to believe or not to believe in Him. And if we believed that He was indeed the Son of God, and that His sacrificial death on the cross paid for our sins, then Hosanna! We were made righteous by the precious blood of Jesus shed on Calvary, and could now stand before a just and righteous God and claim righteousness through His Son! What a great day that was for mankind! Now listen to Bruh Paul hold forth on the subject: ‘Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth shall be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without (apart from) the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned and come (fall) short of the glory of God; Being justified freely (without any cost) by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (a mercy seat) through faith in his blood, to declare (demonstrate) his righteousness for the remission (passing over) of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified (declared righteous) by faith without (apart from) the deeds of the law.’ (Rom.3:19-28) Oh Friends, what moving and intense passage of scripture. Let’s see if we can break it down a little. The man-made law that Bruh Paul talks of was never meant to justify man, but to convict him, to prove him guilty. But with Jesus’ sacrificial offering, a new age of dispensation of grace came into being, a gift of a personal relationship, and the old law no longer held sway. The focus was no longer on guilt and conviction, but now on righteousness through faith in Christ. For all of us have sinned; either done what we shouldn’t (commission), or didn’t do what we should (omission) and thus fallen short of God’s standards. But thanks be to Jesus, we have been made righteous at no cost to us, through the unmerited favour of God’s grace, and our redemption paid for by Jesus with His shed blood. Jesus’ sacrificial death satisfied God’s righteous demands: He remained just and righteous and our sins were pardoned. However Friends, in spite of propitiation, that act of God driven by His great LOVE for us, where Christ’s shed blood was deemed sufficient to pay for the sins of all mankind, the full set of benefits from that merciful act can only be attained by those who accept that provision for sin, through faith in Jesus Christ. Only then are we justified, made right with God. And it’s certainly surprising and foolish too, that so many people refuse to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, for in that state of unbelief, they will never see God’s face through salvation and eternal life. What a waste! Unfortunately though, it’s our job to go out into the evil world and spread the good news of Jesus, and make believers of everyone. It’s not an easy task, but one that Jesus commanded us to do. So with the joy and thankfulness that comes from being justified before Almighty God, through belief in Jesus, let’s go out into the dark, evil world and brightly shine our light nuh.  Our renewed efforts to spread His Word will certainly please Jesus. Much LOVE!…without the light of Jesus…starting with His birth on Christmas Day…all mankind would have been convicted and sentenced …to eternal separation from God…to eternal death and darkness…

Seven more Friends! Yes, only one more week to the Big Day; Christmas Day, the beginning of the end of all our problems people! That was the start of the process whereby our tears and our sins would be washed white as snow, and our God would welcome us back to Him with open arms. Wow! Give the Lord some praise for that my people! Praise Him for being such a magnanimous and LOVING Deity, for caring so much about us that He devised a plan which on one level would cause Him great anguish, forsaking and sacrificing His only Son, but on another would execute justice and righteousness and release His fallen creations from the evil clutches of Beelzebub. And on Christmas Day, when our Saviour was born, that all knowing, far reaching plan was begun. So why shouldn’t we give thanks and praise to Almighty God, dance and sing and rejoice on the anniversary of such an auspicious occasion eh? No reason at all Friends, for without Christmas Day we would have no Easter, therefore no salvation and eternal life with Jesus, just death and eternal darkness with Lucifer. But thankfully our God is a good God, full of mercy, forgiveness and LOVING-kindness, and did not want to execute righteous judgement on us, as our evil behaviour called for. No wonder, Bruh David in this psalm titled, ‘Teach me to do thy will,’ cried out in anguish to the Father: ‘Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgement with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified (righteous).’ (Ps.143:1-2) And that’s the gospel truth mih breddren; no man can ever be truly justified in the eyes of God! Our basic sinful nature precludes it, regardless of how, good, faithful and true we are. For as Bildad the Shuhite said: ‘Dominion and fear are with him; he maketh peace in his high places. Is there any number of his armies? And upon whom doth not his light arise? How then can man be justified with (be righteous before) God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?’ (Job 25:2-4) Oh Friends, our innate rebellious nature prevents that from ever happening! And when Eliphaz rebukes Job, he asks: ‘Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his Maker?’ (Job 4:17) That’s impossible too Friends! And Job, though he was very anguished in his tribulation, still had enough good sense to realize man’s unrighteousness. ‘I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God (how can a man be righteous before God)? If he will contend (if one wished to argue) with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand (one time in a thousand). He (God) is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?’ (Job 9:2-4) Nobody! Yes my brethren, no one has ever hardened themselves against our God and prospered. Therefore it comes as no surprise when the psalmist reasons: ‘If thou, Lord, shouldest mark (take note of) iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?’ (Ps.130:3) Not a single soul mih friends! However, since our God is so magnanimous and kind hearted, the psalmist could continue: ‘But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (reverenced with awe). I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.’ (Ps.130:4-5) Yes Friends, there is forgiveness, not because of anything we have done, but through the Lord’s overwhelming grace and compassion. And we have to sincerely seek it, through hope, patience, faith and trust in His Word. And how could we ever earn righteousness when the Preacher so ominously declares: ‘For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.’ (Eccl.7:20) But fortunately my people, we worship a God of eternal wisdom, and His own time, He fixed that problem of man’s righteousness. And it all began with the birth of that baby boy, two thousand odd years ago, in that dingy, smelly stable in Bethlehem. And that’s why Christmas Day is so important to us Friends, because it ushered in a new beginning, a time when the darkness that enveloped our world, and the people struggling in it, beheld a light from on high, a light come to release them from their misery, from their drudgery, from their sins. Oh Friends, please let’s appreciate Christmas for the wonderful occasion it truly is. That first Christmas Day was like springtime to our world; bringing a promise of new life, light and growth to a cold, darkened, sinful land. So let’s make time this season, to sit down and contemplate all it truly means, having everything to do with our Saviour Jesus’ humble entrance into this sinful world to do a truly remarkable job, for which we’re all eternally grateful. Please put Christ first this Christmas, and relegate everything else to a distant second, for that’s how it ought to be. And Friends, if God’s in favour, we’ll continue this amazing discourse tomorrow. (smile)Till then, think on the things of Christ, not on those of the world. Much LOVE!…all journeys begin with the first step…Christmas Day was the first step…in our journey…to salvation and eternal life…