SCRIP-BITS

Jeremiah 1:5.    Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Aloha Friends, it’s Friday! TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Yes, I know some of you are just dying to finish work today, get home and just throw yourselves down in front of the tube or some such mindless form of relaxation. But please remember that the weekend is not just about that. So to remind us, let’s chant our Friday 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.’ Yes mih people, the weekend is for regrouping, but with fellowship a very important aspect, so that next week we can go back out strong and fight successfully again. Now this should be the last day for our current Bit, unless the Spirit throws a spanner in the works, (smile) but Friends, please, let’s keep it uppermost in our minds, hearts and souls, because the words our God spoke to Jeremiah so long ago, are the same ones He’s saying to each of us today. ‘Before I formed thee in the belly (womb) I knew thee; and before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee (set thee apart), and I ordained (appointed) thee a prophet unto the nations.’ Yes my brethren, the Lord made all of us with a particular task in mind, so that when carried out would lead to His glorification and the expansion of His kingdom. And over the last few days we’ve been through all the whys and wherefores of us not promptly answering God’s call, concluding that we’re still fearful, and don’t trust Him as we ought to. We’ve also been looking at people of faith, who either resisted or simply said, yes Lord, and did His bidding without hesitation. Today we’ll look at three more people. The first is Mary, Jesus’ mother. Friends, if you think we have it rough when God comes a calling, just check out Mary’s story. What would your reaction be, if in those unenlightened times, you’re a young, uneducated, working class girl, engaged to be married, and an angel suddenly shows up and says: ‘Hail (rejoice), thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind (considered) what manner of salutation (greeting) this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favour with God. And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:28-33) Ah mih people, I’m sure most of us would take a fit, considering that we’re only engaged to be married, and to end up pregnant out of wedlock in those olden times was real rough. Uppermost in our minds would be the haunting, troubling question: What will Joseph, my fiancé, and the world think? Obviously we’d be looked upon with plenty scorn and shame. But Friends, despite all the negative possibilities in her future, Mary simply said to the angel Gabriel: ‘How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (am still a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin (relative) Elisabeth, she hath also conceived in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maid servant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:34-38) Bravo Mary! Yuh see Friends, that’s how it should be done! You ask a couple of questions, if necessary, to clarify the matter, and once you get that clarification, away you go! And yuh know mih people, I think we do Mary a serious injustice by not giving her enough credit for her solid and steadfast faith. Just think of all the pain, heartache and trouble she went through from the day Gabriel informed her of the immaculate conception, till the day she saw her precious son hanging limply from an old rugged cross on Calvary Hill. Hn! People of much lesser faith and accomplishment are more esteemed than her. Is it because she was a woman, and women in those days, and to a lesser extent now, were looked upon as second-class citizens? It’s only the Catholic Church that really venerates Mary in a manner that she deserves. But then, the same Catholic Church bans, even refuses to consider making women priests. What a paradox eh! But my male brethren, it’s high time we give Mary, and women all around the world much more credit, respect and acclamation for all the hard, menial and unrewarding jobs they do and the ‘sufferation’ they still endure, many without complaining, in this still predominantly man’s world. Oh my male Friends, please let’s not forget, but proudly remember, those most august, most venerable, very true and meaningful words of Papa James (James Brown) in his long ago song, ‘A Man’s World,’ my favourite: ‘This is a man’s world! But it would be nothing…nothing, without a woman or a girl!’ Real gospel truth Friends! But like we got to close on that note yes, a most fitting one though. For it seems the Spirit intervened and added to my original plan. Like I’ve got to stop making those proud prognostications. (smile) Although looking at it now, from the very start, I was possibly wanting to say too much in too little time and space. That means we’ll continue this Bit tomorrow, God willing obviously. Till then my people, please walk safely with the Lord. Much LOVE!…with our God…all things are possible…only believe…only believe… 

Jeremiah 1:5.    Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
 
Oh Friends, I don’t know what’s happening, but all day in my area the wind’s been howling like mad. At about eight o’clock last night I went across the street to the mailbox, and would you believe it was so strong that it actually pushed me forward on my way back. But that’s one of the great things in being a believer; everything around us might seem abnormal and we can’t fathom head from tail or foot, but because of our sure trust and surrender in the Most High, we don’t need to be worried or overly concerned, for He is still in control of His creation, the universe; always was and always will be. Added to that is the awesome fact that all things work together for good to those who LOVE and sincerely revere Him. And all God’s people said a loud, and hearty: ‘Thank you Lord!’ And having said all of that, why then are we so reluctant and jittery to do the Lord’s will eh? We’ve theorized that there’s still some distrust and fear clouding our belief, which makes us somewhat leery of promptly and unquestioningly answering His call. But as He so succinctly and firmly informed Jeremiah: ‘Before I formed thee in the belly (womb) I knew thee: and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee (set thee apart), and I ordained (appointed) thee a prophet unto the nations.’ Oh Friends, those same words apply to each and every creature of God’s creation. He knew the who, what, why and when of everybody and everything before He even made them, which talks to His great planning. And since we’re supposed to trust Him unconditionally with our hearts, souls, minds and bodies, then there’s never a good excuse for us to hem and haw, dilly dally and balk at His call. It’s also universally known that He doesn’t assign tasks without giving the assignee the necessary tools to perform them, and if we encounter problems while doing them, then we know we can always cry out to Him for help and He will lend us His merciful assistance. So Friends, whichever way we turn, there’s absolutely no good reason to doubt or say no to the Lord if we’re truly faithful believers. Oh Friends, the Spirit’s working, I can feel it! (smile) Now over the last few days we’ve been looking at some great people who initially balked, and some who promptly did as asked. I want to continue that today. One of those that balked was Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father. His job as a priest was to burn incense at the altar in the temple, and one day while doing that an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared next to him: ‘And when Zechariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zechariah: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord; and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.’ (Luke 1:14-16) Wow! What a promise mih people! But Zechariah and Elisabeth were past normal childbearing age, and this unfortunately coloured Zechariah’s response. ‘And Zechariah said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken (advanced) in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee and to show thee these glad tidings (good news). And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words; which shall be fulfilled in their season (own time).’ (Luke 1:18-20) Yuh see what happens when we doubt Friends. Gabriel came to share glad tidings with Zechariah, a supposed man of God, but he didn’t have the required vision or faith to humbly accept them without question. And we all know that he remained dumb until John was about to be christened and the family queried Elisabeth’s choice of John, since that was not a family name. When they asked him, he had to write it down, and it’s only then that his speech returned. (Luke 1:57-66) Ah Friends, our God is too busy and full of integrity to make empty promises to His people. So if He comes to you with any task that seems ludicrous or impossible, please don’t shy or run away, like Jonah, because there’s good reason for His approach. That just got me chuckling about how I chuckled in amusement and disbelief when He approached me about writing the Bit. Although I considered myself a believer, and tried to live like one, I didn’t have that sure trust either, since my Bible knowledge, to my way of thinking, was insufficient to do what the Lord was asking, and so I hemmed and hawed, but He never gave up until I accepted His challenge. And we all know and see the results some three and a half years later. That’s another great thing about our God; He NEVER GIVES UP ON US, regardless of our frailties and weaknesses! We should never forget that my people. Anyway Friends, it’s closing time, not the way I planned it, I had much more to say, but that would have made it much too long. What else is new eh? (smile) But the Spirit is the boss. So like we’ll have to continue this topic for another day. And trust me, or rather trust the Lord through me, tomorrow’s Bit will be a dandy. Till then, if God’s agreeable, walk safely, in peace, LOVE and truth. Much LOVE!…a doubting heart…is not a completely trusting or trustworthy heart…
 

Jeremiah 1:5.    Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
 
Oh Friends, more natural disaster has struck again, this time closer to home. A violent storm and a tornado cut a vicious swath across several U.S Midwest States and portions of Ontario on Tuesday. I don’t know if there were any deaths, but the damage sure looked terrible and will add up to millions of dollars. Let’s pray for all those who suffered through the devastating storm, giving thanks that they came out alive, and with God’s help will satisfactorily rebuild their lives. Then there was another loss; another stalwart in the Entertainment Industry, Gregory Isaacs, Mr. Cool Ruler, passed on to the lush green fields of herb in the sky at age 59 on Monday. He died in England, from what else but the current dreaded scourge of mankind, cancer, lung cancer to be exact. Condolences go out to his friends and family, and to all who liked and enjoyed his cool, LOVER’S Rock style. Personally, I was not a big Gregory fan during the early years, and though I liked ‘Night Nurse’ his biggest hit, later on I discovered other songs that turned me on, and I began listening to him seriously, and eventually grew to appreciate his heavy, dark style. Now, every time I hear Mr. Isaacs, a little thrill runs through my soul, because I know I’ll hear some good, solid rocking riddims. We’ll certainly miss you Gregory, but we’ll always cherish and warmly remember you through your rich, vibrant music that’s still with us. Rest in peace, and now add some strong, dark riddim to the heavenly choir that you’ll certainly be singing with. Our loss is their gain. Ah mih people, when are these sudden, unexpected disasters going to stop eh? And when is cancer going to stop taking our brightest and best prematurely? I really don’t want to claim, when we return to the godly society we once were, but that seems to be the only logical conclusion. We’ve attained tremendous heights in education, technology, medicine and what have you, but we still can’t forecast the weather with sufficient accuracy or stop debilitating illness. So what’s left? Nothing but God, my people! NOTHING BUT GOD! That’s why I keep encouraging us to turn back to Him in a big way, just like we’ve seriously spurned Him over the last few decades. And it’s our job, the true believers, to get out into the evil, ungodly, corrupt, violent, hateful world and enlighten them about what needs to happen if our society is ever to return to some semblance of peace, joy, LOVE and prosperity. Our Bit boldly and clearly states God’s words and desires. ‘Before I formed thee in the belly (womb) I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee (set thee apart), and I ordained (appointed) thee a prophet unto the nations.’ The Lord knows everything about us because He created us, and has a special plan for each life He created. We’re not all prophets or some such glorified devotee, but whatever task He’s assigned us is very important and necessary in His sight, to the furthering of His glorious kingdom, bringing lost souls to repentance, so that they weren’t be wasted in purgatory with that renowned con-artist Lucifer. The problem though is getting the vast majority of supposed believers to actually do God’s bidding. And until there’s a huge groundswell of LOVE and action rising up from believers, nothing much is going to happen on a positive note my Friends. Until we have more people crossing over to Jesus than to the enemy, nothing will improve. And I’m sure that God is talking to all believers, giving each a task to perform, but as we noted yesterday, there’s still this sad blot of fear in too many of our souls that prevents us from carrying out God’s duties. That’s because we haven’t fully surrendered our souls to Him. We’ve seen how some great men balked at God’s calling, but my people this is no time for excuses, because it’s crucial that we turn around the nature of our society from evil and ungodly to good and godly, otherwise I fear we’re in for plenty more very rough times. And since we’ve seen some who balked at God’s calling, it’s only fair that we check out some who promptly answered in the affirmative. We’ll begin with Noah, who found grace in the Lord’s sight and when told that the earth would be destroyed and that he should build an ark to house his family and two of every living thing, he didn’t ask a question. The Good Book simply says: ‘Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.’ (Gen.6:22) Then there’s father Abraham, who when God called him: ‘Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.’ (Gen12:1-4) Yes my people, at seventy- five, Abraham got up and left his family and comfortable lifestyle simply on the Lord’s promises, to journey whither he knew not. Such was his faith in the Lord. And the great thing is that He had no heritage or history of the Lord to look to, like we have, and yet, most faithfully all those promises came through, because today we are considered the children, the spiritual descendants of Abraham. Note that Abraham never asked why or how, or any of those questions that we tend to ask. He just got up and left like the Lord asked. Why can’t we be like that eh mih breddren; just say yes Lord and do whatever He asks of us? And the sad fact is that He doesn’t ask most of us to do weighty, life changing matters like Abraham or Noah, just basics, like truly living our faith and spreading His Word. So Friends, I really can’t fathom our reluctance to do the Lord’s bidding when we know what’s at stake, the severe repercussions likely to both individuals and our society as a whole. Unfortunately mih people, time and tide have cornered us for today, but tomorrow, provided our Lord agrees, we’ll continue to look at some more valiant people of faith, who didn’t doubt, but said a prompt, ‘Yes Lord,’ when He came a calling. Please, I implore us, to seriously and enthusiastically LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith, and SPREAD His Word, because under God’s stellar authority is the only way our world will ever find peace and prosperity. Much LOVE!…it’s getting late…please don’t hesitate…for when you’re finally ready…it just might be TOO late…
 

Jeremiah 1:5.    Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
 
Ah Friends, it’s finally over; that’s the city council elections around the country that have caused such a stir in the local communities over the last few weeks. And though some things have changed, some remain the same. There’s a Muslim mayor in Calgary, the first in a Canadian city; a new mayor, Rob Ford in Toronto too. However in my fair city of Mississauga, Queen Hazel, Hazel McCallion, at eighty odd years of age, has been returned for the umpteenth time. I believe it’s her twelfth or thirteenth term as mayor, although she’s currently involved in a big breach of trust investigation over a multi-million dollar land deal between the city and her son that went awry. Only in Mississauga you say! (smile) It’s sad though that we’ve picked up so much of the American way of campaigning; spending a lot of money and more time badmouthing opponents than outlining one’s platform. But only time will tell if the new people will function better than the old. No doubt a whole host of new problems will arise, and many of the old ones will resurface, since they were never dealt with properly. The only unknown is whether there’ll be less dissatisfaction amongst the citizens this term, than there was in the last, though it seems that citizens all over the world are dissatisfied with their leaders. Anyway, let’s hope and pray that this group does a better job than the last. Remember Friends we’ve got to pray for our leaders, for the Lord to guide them in their efforts on our behalf. But enough ‘politricks’, time for our Bit, Jeremiah’s call from the Lord: ‘Before I formed thee in the belly (womb) I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee (set thee apart), and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.’ Yesterday we saw Jeremiah’s negative reaction to the Lord’s call, claiming that he was too young for such great responsibility, and also my response to His call to write the Bit, where I laughed, considered it a joke, since I didn’t think I knew enough about the Good Book to write competently on it. But as He’s wont to, the Lord pushed aside both our simple-minded arguments and guided us successfully. So Friends, if the Lord’s calling you to so something worthwhile for Him, be it big or small, don’t worry about if you are able to do it, because He’ll always help us. And as the Bit says, before we were even conceived, He knew all about us and had certain tasks and plans laid out for us. It’s just a matter of time before He calls every believer to perform their God-given tasks. And don’t feel badly if you balk at the task, because greater men than us balked at the Lord’s calling, then went on to do greater things than we’ll ever do. Consider Moses: He said that he stammered when the Lord sent him to talk to Pharaoh, forty years after he fled from a murder rap in Egypt. He was obviously afraid, and queried the Lord: ‘Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he (the Lord) said, certainly I will be with thee…’ (Ex.3:11-12) Apparently Moses never wondered why his life was saved when all the other Hebrew children were killed, and he had the good fortune to grow up as Pharaoh’s grandson. That’s because the Lord had planned it thus long before he was born. But Friends, please don’t worry, for the Lord will always be with us in whatever task He appoints us to do. And deep down we very well know this, but there’s this little negative grain of fear in our spirits that puts up a roadblock whenever the Lord calls. Interestingly enough though, that warning sign never rises as much when Lucifer calls. We seem more afraid to do the Lord’s calling than Lucifer’s. Consequently we can’t be surprised when Lucifer’s kingdom flourishes instead of the Lord’s. And even when Moses accepted the job, he still kept haggling with the Lord, constantly finding excuses. Listen to this one. ‘And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’ (Ex.33:12-14) Yes Friends, it never seems to be easy for us to simply agree to do the Lord’s bidding. But as He told Jeremiah, He knows who we are and what we’re going to do before we’re even conceived. Ah mih breddren, I know that the Lord doesn’t always call us to do easy things, more often than not they’re fairly difficult, but it’s His way of testing us, of seeing whether we truly have surrendered our all to Him to lead and guide us. And if we have, then when He directs us to do something, the appropriate answer is: ‘Yes Lord. When do I start?’ If we keep dragging up excuses about our inability, then we haven’t truly surrendered our lives to Him, we still have misgivings as to His ability to capably lead and guide us along life’s rough and rugged road. That further means, if we really want to be true believers, we have to search our hearts, minds and souls to find out what’s holding us back. Oh Friends, unfortunately, I know whereof I speak on this particular subject, so please let’s set our hearts and souls in order, so that when the Lord calls we’ll be able to promptly answer in the affirmative. Remember He’s promised never to leave or forsake us, and to be with us always. Let’s raise the level of our faith and accept Him on the basis of those faithful promises. More tomorrow on the topic, obviously if God’s willing. Till then, please walk safely and constantly commune with Him. Much LOVE!…to truly trust in the Lord…truly requires blind faith…
 

Jeremiah 1:5.    Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Psalm 86:8.    Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.

Oh Friends, it’s a rainy Sunday morning in my area of this northern paradise, but hopefully, wherever we are, regardless of the prevailing weather conditions and our individual circumstances, our hearts are full and brimming over with joy! And not only are they delirious with joy, but also bursting with LOVE and adoration for our heavenly Father! Yes my people, that should be the constant state of a true believer’s heart; unceasingly filled with joy and LOVE! Unfortunately, it’s not always an easy state to maintain, what with the manifold frustrations of life in this cruel and evil world. But if we’re a born again, redeemed child of the Most High, whose Leader and Saviour is Jesus, then we ought to have that joyful, LOVING heart as our goal, because that’s the very nature of our wonderful God. And we do have a wonderful God, as declared by Bruh David in Psalm 86: ‘Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.’ Now yesterday we looked at some examples of great men of faith extolling the might, wisdom and power of the Lord God Jehovah, as well as His wondrous works on man’s behalf. Today we’ll check out some more, beginning with the marvellous contemplation of Ethan the Ezrahite, upon God’s sure promises to Bruh David, better known as Psalm 89. ‘And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had (held) in reverence of all them that are about him. O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? Or to thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them. Thou hast broken Rahab (Egypt) in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm. The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fullness thereof, thou hast founded them.’ (Ps.89:5-11) Yes mih people, Ethan’s words are gospel! For who else is there like our God eh? NOBODY! There’s also none as worthy of reverence and adoration as Him! And the words of King Hezekiah, on hearing of the approaching Assyrian army, only serve to further prove that fact. ‘And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord, saying, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubim, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.’ (Is.37:15-16) That steadfast man of faith, Jeremiah, also gave forth on the subject when talking about God and idols. ‘Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? For to thee doth it appertain (it is fitting): forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee. But they are altogether brutish (dull-hearted) and foolish: the stock (wooden idol) is a doctrine of vanities (worthless teaching). Silver spread (beaten) into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman (craftsman), and of the hands of the founder (metal smith): blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning (skilful) men. But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.’ (Jer.10:6-10) True and faithful words my brethren! The idols we so glaringly and joyously worship today are all made by man, thus they shall eventually rot and rust, but the ONE, TRUE, LIVING God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, shall live and reign forever, as Jesus proclaimed in Mark 12:26-27. Then, when asked which is the greatest commandment, Jesus further enlightened them: ‘The first (foremost) of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.’ (Mark 12:29-30) Oh my Friends, I sincerely hope that at some time in all of our lives we have encountered, caught a glimpse, both a startling and long lasting glimpse of that mighty Deity we refer to as God, either though His awesome work in our lives, or His magnificent creations, for His wonder is truly amazing, truly something to behold. And if you have never experienced it personally, then an essential element of your life is missing. Please get alone with Him, open your heart and pour out your soul to Him. Then watch the wondrous work He’ll do in you. Hn, hn! Then life won’t be able to contain you, to keep you down, you’ll be high stepping with a heart full of joy and a soul ecstatically rocking and rolling in peace and LOVE! That’s what our God does for those who come to Him in sincere repentance, seeking to lighten their earthly yoke and burdens. And please remember Friends, that He, the Most High God Jehovah, is the only one who can bring long lasting peace, LOVE and joy to our beings. Everyone and everything else are mere shams, charlatans and pretenders, working under Lucifer’s evil guise. So please, let’s keep looking to our mighty and merciful God for lasting and LOVING guidance, wherein He shall grant all our hearts desires, both in this life and the next. He definitely will not disappoint us since he’s promised to do just that, and he faithfully keeps His promises. Till we talk again, God willing, take care and walk safely with Him. Much LOVE! …only when we know Jesus…will our heavy burdens be lifted…our restrictive yoke eased… and our souls filled with true LOVE…

Psalm 86:8.    Among the Gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.

Amos 5:24.    But let judgement run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
 
Well hello there my beautiful Friends in Christ! It’s Friday! But you must know, for that’s what all the ruckus is about; everybody’s mouthing ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ That means it’s time to chant our Friday Chant: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! Wow! It sure hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Thank you Lord! 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.’ Ah mih people, it’s so good to be alive! Let’s give our God some more glory nuh, for He certainly deserves it. ‘Thank you Lord for all you’re doing for your disobedient children. We don’t always show it, but deep down we do appreciate your mercy and LOVING kindness. For that we laud and magnify your glorious name. Amen!’ But wouldn’t it be nice if we could do all the things the Lord asks of us? Things like He desires in our Bit: ‘But let judgement (justice) run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.’ Oh Friends, what a wonderful world we’d inhabit if attributes like justice, righteousness, mercy, truth, kindness and LOVE to all humanity were the dominant players in our world, instead of their basic opposites; injustice, ungodliness, corruption, vengeance, lies, inhumanity, hatred, violence and oppression. Unfortunately though my brethren, the evil part of our nature currently rules our world. As the Lord said of the Israelites: ‘For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty (many) sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right (from justice at the gate). Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil and LOVE the good, and establish judgement in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. Therefore the Lord, the God of host, the Lord, saith thus: Wailing shall be in all the streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman (farmer) to mourning, and such as are skillful of lamentation to wailing. And in all the vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the Lord. Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you (for what good is it to you)? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.’ (Amos 5:12-18) Oh my people, we’re just like those Israelites now; corrupt and oppressive. But you noticed what the Lord advised? To seek good and not evil, so that we may live; establish justice and truth, so that He will be gracious to us. Otherwise, there’ll be wailing and mourning in the streets, lamentation evermore, people just holding their heads and bawling. For it will surely be a sad, dark and destructive day when the true wrath of Almighty God falls on us. There’s already more wailing and mourning in our society than normal, and this is just the edge of it. Can you imagine when the full force bursts? Hn! I sincerely hope I’m not around here on earth to witness it. As Micah asked his people, in the Lord’s name, and I’m asking us now: ‘O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.’ (Mic.6:3) But in truth Friends, we can’t answer that since the Lord’s done us nothing. We’ve turned against Him because of the sinful pride and arrogance that’s flooded our hearts over the great advances in living made in our generation. Mistakenly, we think we’ve made them in our own strength, but it’s really the Lord’s mercy and kindness that have inspired us to reach the great heights we’ve attained. Sadly though, because of that same pride and arrogance, plus our great lust for worldly things, our society is now going backwards, receding like the ebb tide. Because of our rampant ungodliness, as He warned, the Lord has withheld His mercy and kindness, and now we’re spiralling out of control to the bottom of the abyss, in close association with Lucifer. Oh Friends, it’s a crying shame, the way we’ve disassociated ourselves from the Living God to keep company with the evil prince of darkness! But while there’s life, there’s always hope! And if anybody is filled with hope, it’s us, the true believers in Christ. And all it takes to get back into the Lord’s good graces is sincere repentance and faithful obedience. Listen to the Lord’s requirements, as stated by Micah: ‘Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first born for my transgression, the fruit of my body (my own child) for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to LOVE mercy (LOVING kindness), and to walk humbly with thy God?’ (Mic.6:6-8)Yes my people, our God doesn’t want material possessions or sacrifices. All He wants from us is obedience, justice, truth, reverence and the glory He so richly deserves. Is that asking so much? I don’t think so, especially when the pros and cons of each line of action is considered. Please, I’m imploring us to work seriously and sincerely on those things, so that our children’s children will see the light of day. The world’s fate is truly in our hands. Let’s not disappoint our Saviour nuh. Much LOVE!…to turn our world around…we have to first turn our souls…back to God…
 

Amos 5:24.    But let judgement run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
 
Ah mih Friends, another day has dawned, with more tough rows to hoe. But thankfully, once we live under the protective umbrella of the Most High God Jehovah, then there’s no need to be unduly worried. We must be concerned, but not anguished or fearful, for He’s faithfully promised to look after all those who sincerely turn to Him for sustenance. Oh thank you Lord for being so merciful and forgiving to the sinful, undeserving children of men! And here’s a quote that should get our energy flowing. It’s attributed to Joshua J. Marine, born Stephen Joshua Solarz, a former U.S. Congress Rep. from New York. It says: ‘Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.’ And if you have a 2010 Arthritis Soc. Calendar, when you turn to November, in a week’s time, you’ll see it very appropriately and symbolically printed above a challenging mountain range. But it is the truth Friends, for without challenges, life would be flat, uninteresting and boring. And the second half is particularly true, because when we overcome those challenges, especially the hard, impossible looking ones, we derive a great sense of achievement, of pride, of pleasure in having tackled a hard job and overcome it. And that’s exactly what our Bit today throws at us; a hard, impossible looking challenge: ‘But let judgement (justice) run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.’ But Friends, can you imagine that happening in the evil, greedy, selfish, violence prone place our world has now become? Doubtful…but not impossible, if we have the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob on our side, and we the believers are seriously ready to throw down the gauntlet to Lucifer and his iniquity workers, and solemnly declare: ‘Enough is enough! We’re not going to stand for this ungodly wickedness no more! We’re turning our society back to the Living God, from whence you turned it with your evil influence, lustful idols and worldly desires!’ Wow mih people! Now that would sure make Lucifer and his cronies sit up and take notice! But only if we carried out the promise with alacrity and steadfastness. Our Bit comes from the prophet Amos, calling his people, Israel, to repentance in one of their evil, idol worshipping, depraved spells. And it’s no different to our society now, except that we beat and outdo them in all areas of evil and depravity. Hn! But isn’t it strange Friends, how throughout the Good Book there are so many resemblances to our current society? It sure is. However, as they say, though things change, basically, they remain much the same. Israel’s unfaithfulness to the Lord is widely known, but my brethren, if we survive this catastrophic time we’re now experiencing, so will our unfaithfulness to the Most High God also be widely noised abroad. Oh my people, we’re in a very delicate, sensitive and crucial time, because the Lord is saying the same things to us that Amos and his fellow prophets said to Israel. Hear Jeremiah: ‘Thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgement (dispense justice) and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled (plundered) out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. for if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people. But if ye will not hear (obey) these words, I swear by myself, saith the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.’ (Jer.22:3-5) Now listen to Ezekiel’s message: ‘Thus saith the Lord God; Let it suffice you (enough), O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil (plunder), and execute judgement and justice (justice and righteousness), take away your exactions from (stop dispossessing) my people, saith the Lord God. Ye shall have just balances, and a just epaph, and a just bath.’ (Ezek.45:9-10) And the prophet Hosea bewailed: ‘Oh Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness (faithfulness) is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets (hewn them in pieces); I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgements (the judgements on you) are as the light that goeth forth. For I desired mercy (faithfulness), and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But they like men (like Adam) have transgressed the covenant: there they have dealt treacherously against me.’ (Hos.6:4-7) Oh Friends, the Lord’s calling out for us to stop dealing treacherously with Him like the old Jewish kingdoms were. He’s crying out for mercy, justice, truth, human rights and an end to the inhumane oppression and the sadistic evil that’s currently holding our world hostage. I’m sure we don’t want to go through the same destruction that the Israelites went through, because it won’t be very pleasant. The Lord is very LOVING and patient, but His wrath is as terrible in its intensity. Oh my people, please look at our disaster plagued world and understand there’s much more going on than meets the eye. Look at France right now, all in an uproar over increasing the retirement age from 60-62. They’re in the grip of strikes, walk outs and curtailed economic activity which isn’t going to prove anything, except dig them deeper in the debt from which they’re unsuccessfully trying to climb out. Unfortunately we all want numerous benefits but aren’t willing to pay for them. Just like so many of us individuals are way over our heads in debt, so are many nations, and as the individuals need to curtail their spending and become more productive to get out of that debt, the nations have to do the same. Oh Friends, the economic problems that we think have subsided or are over, might possibly have only begun because of the closely knit global economy. That means when one large economy is beset by disaster, it sends tremendous shock waves and repercussions across the whole spectrum, unlike it’s ever done before. But Friends, there’s a safe and sure way to fight the impending doom. Listen to Hosea’s message: ‘Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten (stricken), and he will bind (bandage) us up. After two days he will revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.’ (Hos.6:1-2) Yes Friends, turning back to our God is the only sure way to avoid much of the disaster that’s forecasted for us, if we continue along the same evil, idolatrous road that we’re now heading down. So let’s consider our options seriously and do something about them nuh, because it’s only we, the true believers who can make it happen. Till tomorrow, God willing, when we’ll continue this topic, go safely with God. Much LOVE!…only by putting God back into our world…can we avoid His wrath…
 

Luke 11:28.    But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
 
Oh Friends, life certainly is strange and amusing yes! Remember the Peter Morgan song, ‘I’m so lost,’ that I mentioned yesterday? Well I’ve been singing and humming it all day long, in particular, the line, ‘Without you in my world.’ It’s a nice song. I like it a lot, and though I’ve only heard it two or three times, it’s stuck with me. And those who know me, know that once I really like a song, I keep humming or singing it for sometime, even if it’s only one line. Oh Friends, there’s nothing that warms the cockles of the ole fella’s heart like a sweet piece of music, because that’s really the big dream the Lord’s placed in my heart; making sweet music in His honour. And there’s so much music that’s currently percolating in my mind, heart and soul, plus a whole lot simply sitting down in various stages of composition and production, but unfortunately none being released to His glory. And everyday I pass by my open studio door, without entering to do anything, I plead and cry out to Him: ‘Oh Lord, when is the music time going to come eh?’ But like the kind and understanding Father that He is, He just smiles and says: ‘Be patient son. Bide your time. When the time’s right, it will happen.’ And deep down I know that, but sometimes the music is bubbling so powerfully in me, that impatience involuntarily rises to the top. I guess now is the Bit’s time, so I’m concentrating on that, trying my best to practice what I preach; not only hearing the Word, but also doing it. Ah mih people, everyday I put pen to paper to write the Bit, I chuckle at how something or things happen that I never planned. Today it was the intro. As usual, when I sat down to write, I asked for guidance. I’d just been singing the ‘I’m so lost’ song, and it just flowed naturally. ‘Thank you Lord for guiding the ole fella! I surely could not do it without your help.’ Oh Friends, I don’t know if you all really realize how true that is nuh. But if I ever doubted the saying that the Lord never gives you more than you can handle, or doesn’t provide the wherewithal for whatever He asks us to do, now I’m certainly a big believer, and can testify to that truth with great confidence. So please my brethren, if the Lord ever calls you to do something, a task that undoubtedly comes from Him, please don’t doubt, just confidently and enthusiastically pipe up and say: ‘Yes Lord. I will!’ because He’ll surely enable and empower you to do His bidding. And if anybody can tell me how I got to this rambling, I’d be very happy to hear it. (smile) But it all falls into line with our Bit: ‘Yea rather (but more than that), blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.’ Many of us hear it, but only a relatively small portion actually keeps it. And here Jesus is sombrely pointing out that the most important part of it all is doing the Word. Remember Friends, Christianity is an action based movement; visit the sick, help the poor, welcome the stranger, take care of the widows and orphans, not a stand still, turgid set of written beliefs. Jesus came and taught us His way because He wanted us to put it into practice, not simply mouth it. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Jesus, hopefully you’ll believe Him. Hear His reasoning on the seriousness of our Bit. ‘Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils (demons)? and in thy name done many wonderful works (miracles)? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.’ (Matt.7:21-24) Then He went on to tell the story which we all know about men building houses on stone and on sand, and when the rains came the one built on sand obviously was washed away because it didn’t have a solid foundation, wasn’t securely anchored. And if we hear His words and don’t do as He asks, then we’re likened to the fool who built his castle on the sinking sand. Now my brethren, would we want to be considered foolish by our Leader and Saviour? Of course not! So why then are we so reluctant to obey His will and do His work eh? I guess only the Lord knows for sure. But in the meanwhile, I’ll try to encourage us to change our wicked ways, with some wise and sensible words of help from James. ‘But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding (observing) his natural face in a glass (mirror): For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (what he does).’ (James 2:22-25) Oh my people, truer words were never spoken! So please, let’s get up off our fat, lazy, comfortable rear ends and do what we’re supposed to do as believers nuh; walk the talk of God’s Word, further His kingdom through the way we live our lives, and not merely spout a whole setta words that don’t mean anything unless backed up by action. Remember, if we do the deed, then we’ll be blessed indeed. All I can do is try to encourage us Friends, the actual doing is up to each and every individual, to share what they truly feel in their hearts, which is where the Lord looks. Till tomorrow then, if the Lord so desires, please, let’s all go safely talking and doing the Lord’s work. Much LOVE!…we can only further Christ’s kingdom…if we sincerely…LOVE our God…LIVE our Faith…and SPREAD His Word…  P.S. As I got up from writing this, the first words out of my mouth were: ‘Without you in my world…’ (smile). Oh my people, let’s put the Lord FRONT and CENTRE in our world nuh, because as our Creator, our God, our Strong Provider and Protector, that’s His rightful place. Much LOVE!