SCRIP-BITS

Ezekiel 18:20.    The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

Oh Friends, no wonder we love our leaders so! Hn! What’s the outcome of the Seoul G.20 Conference? Nada! Nothing! They agreed to disagree, so the good ship ‘Global Economy and Trade’ will continue to drift aimlessly, while seriously listing to starboard, until the proverbial heifer dust hits the fan, then we’ll belatedly rush into crisis mode. And the sad fact is that we all know what’s required to right the listing ship; the few haves have to come down a step or two, so that the many have not’s can move up a step or two. But it just goes to show that all the hogwash we talk about the global scale of things is just that, because when it comes down to the nitty gritty, our small minded, parochial national interests always come first. Just like so many of us believers, the world leaders talk a good global talk but refuse to walk it. And Friends, have you heard about the 97 thousand dollars that the U.S Government gypped their Canadian counterpart, for a second hand two-ring table seating sixty something that was previously used at the Pittsburgh G.20? Now the Canadian Government can’t even give it away. In the first place it was made of particleboard, and it’s simply too big for normal, everyday use, plus it’s going to cost an arm and a leg to store it. Not to mention a whole set of other stuff extravagantly bought for the conference that nobody wants to buy now.  Oh Friends, don’t even talk about some of the horror stories of police abuse and override of authority, and the ineptitude, incompetence and dictatorial behaviour of some government mandarins that’s coming out of the inquiries into Toronto’s G.20 fiasco. If only half of those stories are true, then several heads, from top to bottom deserve to roll. Unfortunately though, after spending much time and money on these inquiries, nothing much in the form of justice is going to happen. A few low station scapegoats might get their wrists slapped, but nowhere near the retribution that’s justified. And sadly, the 2010 G.20 Conference will forever be an indelible blot on Toronto and Canada’s human rights history. I guess we’ll just have to wait until the Lord administers His justice for the perpetrators to get their rightful comeuppance. For as our Bit clearly states: ‘The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity (guilt) of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. ‘Yes people, in the Lord’s good time, we shall all receive our just rewards. And today we’ll finish up with this Bit, where we were discussing the last parts. Listen to Bruh Paul on the subject: ‘Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious (self-seeking), and do not obey the truth, but obey unto unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. For there is no respect of persons with God.’ (Roman’s 2:4-11) And isn’t that the truth my brethren! The Lord doesn’t care who you are, if you disobey, then you’ll pay the price. Oh Friends, if those words didn’t touch your hearts and give you reason to pause and consider your own lives, then hear the definitive word on it all from Jesus. ‘For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he reward every man according to his works.’ (Matt.16:25:27) Oh my people, there’s nothing more that I can add to those words of the Master. I’ll simply close by pleading to us all to be very aware and very careful of our actions, for in due course, when the Master comes again, this time in unsurpassed glory, we shall have to answer to Him for every one of them. Till we talk again tomorrow then, God in agreement, walk safely under the shadow of His protective wings. Much LOVE!…when hard ears pickney doh hear…deh feel…and grievously too…

Ezekiel 18:20.    The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

Oh Friends, what’s happening with our leaders eh? Where are there minds at? While tension is thick around the whole world, with Christians being murdered in Baghdad for their faith, vicious criminals committing violent crimes worldwide under the guise of religion, a cholera epidemic in Haiti, etc. etc, 32 of them are meeting for two days in Seoul, South Korea, at another G20 conference, with a retinue of thousands, only to bicker and argue and come up with nothing concrete or practical to implement, causing more riots, demonstrations and police brutality, like recently happened in Toronto. Don’t even talk about that nuh, because we’re still suffering the backlash, the aftermath of that travesty, and will for some time to come. Can’t they understand that these high level meetings produce nothing worthwhile but are certainly a powerful magnet for those dissatisfied with any and everything and those solely interested in anarchy? Oh Friends, we’ve got to seriously pray that they come to their senses soon and make some right decisions yes, because the world is slipping back into a trade and monetary crisis. Debt is overwhelming all over, but nobody wants to band their jaw and tighten their belts and work to get it down. Let’s hope we all wake up soon and realize that our world has become a small global village, what with all the modern technology and communication, international trade and financial interconnectedness. That means, unless everyone pulls together, we’ll all go under together! As our Bit so tersely puts it: ‘The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity (guilt) of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.’ And that’s the awesome truth my people! Those are the Lord’s terms, and if we don’t abide by them, then death and destruction will be our lot. We’ve already looked at the first two parts, let’s look at the last two now: ‘the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.’ They mean exactly what they say my brethren. Both groups of people will receive rewards and /or punishment for their behaviour. Let’s check out some scriptures that paint a better overall picture, beginning with a passage from Cousin Sol’s awesome prayer at the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem. ‘Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.’ (1 Kin.8:32) Yes my people, it’s the basic law of our God; whatever we sow, we eventually reap. We can’t expect to sow peas and reap corn. Likewise we can’t sow evil and reap righteousness. Listen to Isaiah, re judgement on Judah: ‘For Jerusalem is ruined (has stumbled), and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke (rebel against) the eyes of his glory. The show of their countenance (the look on their faces) doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! For they have rewarded (brought) evil unto themselves. Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! It shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him (done to him).’ That picture is as clear as day Friends! Judah and Israel brought their calamity upon themselves through their sinfulness. And they were boldfaced enough to flaunt it. I’m sure you can see the tremendous similarities between Israel and Judah in Isaiah’s time and the wickedness that’s currently perverting our once godly society, with it being trumpeted just as blatantly all over God’s creation. And since God’s words and laws don’t change, what do you think will happen to our sick, lustful, evil, blasphemous, ungodly society? I won’t answer that, because it speaks for itself. But I was just reminded of something I read in the papers: ‘Amazon sells pedophile guide.’ That’s the headline in the Thursday Star Entertainment Section. The Book’s titled: ‘The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure: a Child-Lover’s Code of Conduct.’ Amazon is selling that self-published e-book on line through their Kindle department. How sick can we get eh? And hear the author’s argument, one Phillip R Greaves II, that pedophiles are misunderstood, as the word literally means to love a child. He says it’s only a crime to act on sexual impulses toward children, and offers advice that purportedly allows pedophiles to follow the law. Ah mih people, what is our world coming to eh? A book on how to abuse children! Then we wonder why our world is rapidly falling apart, being systemically destroyed. Really Friends, yuh think the good Lord going to sit on His throne and allow that nonsense for long? I doubt it. However, time and space have run out on us, so we’ll have to continue this Bit tomorrow, if God’s in agreement. Till then, please walk safely with Him and be very aware and careful of your acts, whether they are righteous or wicked. Much LOVE!…wickedness brings short term pleasure…but righteousness commands eternal joy…

Ezekiel 18:20.    The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
 
Oh Friends, I’m hearing more shouts of ‘Praise the Lord!’ than I’ve heard in a long while. Yes, I know it’s Friday, and everybody’s just dying to get home for a brief spell of down time. Well since it’s Friday, let’s chant our Friday Chant nuh! And people, we chanting with plenty vim and vigour to show our appreciation! (smile) ‘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.’ Ah mih breddren, every so often we need stuff like that to keep us going, to lift our spirits, add some much needed encouragement to our worn and tired souls, to put a smile on our faces and a little chuckle in our hearts, for without those things, our lives would be just one, long, dreary, drawn out negative process. And the seriousness of our Bit doesn’t help matters either. ‘The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity (guilt) of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.’ Wow! What a serious, no nonsense pronouncement! Ah mih people, our God is a good God, but sin just goes against the very grain of His nature,  thus He abhors it and those who are steeped in it. But He’s also a just and righteous God, so He won’t let one person suffer for the sins of another. Yesterday we looked a the first part of the Bit; ‘The soul that sinneth, it shall die.’ Today we’ll check out the second part; ‘The son shall not bear the iniquity (guilt) of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son.’ Now that’s a very important piece of scripture Friends, for it clearly states that every individual is totally responsible for the sinful acts they commit, and will have to pay the price themselves. Sin isn’t something we can shift from one person to another. That’s only happened once; when the Father weighed down Jesus, like Atlas, with the burdensome sins of the whole world, so that we could be redeemed and made right with Him. And all God’s people joyfully cried out: ‘Thank you Lord!’ Yes Friends, we should be eternally grateful for that vast outpouring of LOVE that the Father showed for us. So I don’t understand why we still go out of our way to sin and antagonize Him, when we know what’s He’s done for us, and His abhorrence of sinful behaviour. But as the Bit says, everybody will have to answer for their own wrongdoing. Now let’s look at some scripture that gives us practical insight into the topic. Remember, the Good Book is a practical tool for practical living. Almost all the answers for living a wise and sensible life are to be found in there, as either successfully lived or messed up by another living, breathing soul. It’s not rhetorical, fairy tale stuff, but real life occurrences from which we are expected to learn. Hear Moses on the subject while laying down the law of domestic relations, as dictated by the Father. ‘The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.’ (Deut.24:16) Nothing can be clearer than that Friends! We all have to individually pay the piper for the tunes we’ve danced to. Yesterday we saw the practical application of that principle when Amaziah, king of Judah slew the unfaithful servants who killed his father, but left their children alone, as it says in the Law of Moses. That story is also told in 2 Chronicles 25:3-4. Yes my people, all the principles in the Good Book have very practical applications. They haven’t been put there just for nice reading, but for our education, encouragement and guidance, as words to live by. And having tried to hammer home that point, successfully I hope, let’s check out this last passage on the guilt of sons and fathers. This time Jeremiah is the spokesman, expounding on Judah’s restoration. ‘And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the Lord. In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.’ (Jer.31:28-30) Oh my brethren, that scripture is so important that it’s written in several places of the Good Book, so please don’t ignore it, for you do so at your own peril, putting your salvation and everlasting life with Jesus in jeopardy. And we’ll end on a light note. Here ah talking to mih West Indian Friends in particular. That talk about setting teeth on edge, just reminded me that that hasn’t happened to me in many years. Remember in our youth how that happened all the time, because we’d be constantly eating sour fruits; like cherries, plums, green mangoes, tamarinds, golden apples (pommecytere, june plum) and a host of other teeth edging stuff. Now them was the days! Sin and ungodliness were mere figures of speech to us. Oh Friends, we can make it that way again if we’re seriously willing to try…for our children’s sake. But we all have to work together, if it’s going to happen. More tomorrow on this Bit. Till then go safely with God. Much LOVE!…at the end…Peter won’t be able to pay for Paul…Paul will have to pay for himself…

Matthew 5:2.    And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying…
 
Oh Friends, how I wish I could be like Jesus; pick up my pen and teach you all with the authority and calmness of spirit that He had. (smile) But unfortunately none of us can match His charisma and authority, which doesn’t mean we ought not to try and get ourselves as close as humanly possible, for that’s that whole raison d’être behind our Christian exercise; to become more like Jesus with each passing day. A fine Bruh Paulian sentence! (smile) And though it’s truly a huge undertaking, as followers of Jesus, we are duty bound to undertake it, and if we’re truly serious, then, with His help, we’ll be fairly successful. But to fulfill that role we need to do the things He did. And I’m still amazed every time I see how cool, calm and collected He was, though the outward pressure was mounting everyday as His time drew nearer. One of the things that made Him so calm and sure was His constant communication with His heavenly Father. Throughout the gospels we see Him taking time to be alone with the Father, to talk to Him and ask for much needed strength, vitality and guidance. Now if Jesus, the Son of God, could do that despite His own godly attributes, why can’t, or don’t we, mere mortals, do the same eh? Why do we feel we’re too big to talk to our Creator and God about our needs and problems? It’s just foolish pride, arrogance and stupidity on our part, my people! While on earth, Jesus made no attempt at self-aggrandizement, He gave all the glory to God, and so should we. And here’s a quote that I’ve intended to use for some time, but never did. I guess the Lord didn’t think it appropriate until now. It’s attributed to the 26th President of the U.S. the multi-faceted Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919): ‘It’s the little things well done that make up a truly good life.’ And that’s gospel mih brethren! We expect the big things to cause big problems, but it’s the little things that really frustrate us, and get our stress levels up. But when we get them right…ahhh! We experience such feelings of relief and worthiness. And yuh know Friends, doing the little things right was Jesus’ trademark. He was always kind, friendly, never condescending or patronizing, hobnobbed with rich and poor, saint and sinner, Jew and Gentile, but was never hypocritical either. He always called a spade a spade, though He’d try to do it in such a manner that you’d not take extreme umbrage at His remarks. Oh Friends, how many of us can say that we do the little things right eh? Not too many I estimate, if we’re truthful about it. For we bad-talk each other, gossip, are rude and unmannerly, look down on others not as wealthy or physically endowed as us, and a host of other small, seemingly insignificant things, which, when put into proper context are very significant, for they do cause a lot of strife and resentment amongst the human family. We’re all way too hypocritical. We dislike others and form negative opinions simply because of their differences in race, culture or creed. Sometimes we dislike and resent people on sight, without knowing a single thing about them. As the old people would say, ‘just because our blood didn’t take them.’ And because of that we treat them with less respect, kindness and LOVE than we should. And though some of these dislikes on sight turn out to be correct, in most cases the opposite is true; we end up liking these people very much. Oh my people, if there’s one thing Jesus never did was disrespect others. He might not like you, or what you stood for, but He always treated you as a child of His Father. And that’s the way we ought to treat each other! Some of you must be asking what has all of this got to do with our Bit: ‘And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying…’ because you haven’t heard Jesus open His mouth yet? And the answer is everything, for Jesus didn’t only teach by word of mouth, but more importantly by the way he conducted Himself, by His lifestyle, His Christ-like or Christian way of life. And that’s exactly how we His followers should be teaching too; by the way we live our everyday lives, more so than spouting a lot of scripture, then living a worldly, ungodly, lustful lifestyle. As I keep saying, that’s the main downfall of Christianity; the vast difference between what we say and what we do. Jesus showed us the perseverance and steadfastness we need to adopt in one particular example of His teaching; when He taught in His hometown of Nazareth. We’ll use Mark’s version. ‘And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought (performed) by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Judah, and Simon? are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin (relatives) and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save (except) that he laid his hands on a few sick folk (people), and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages teaching.’ (Mark 6:1-6) Oh Friends, I’m sure this hurt and disappointed Jesus more than any other rejection He received in His ministry, because it was His own people whose disbelief was so great. And though they were astonished at His wisdom, their inferiority complex did not allow them to belief that such a bright, shining diamond could have been mined in their area. Aren’t we all like that though, tending to reject the accomplishments of those close to us? We certainly are! Jesus’ people, according to Luke, were so angry, they ‘rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong (over the cliff). But he passing through the midst of them went his way.’ (Luke 4:29-30) Wow! What a reaction from your own people! Re the scholars, there are cliffs in Nazareth, which is some 1000 feet above sea level. They’re not sure though whether it was a miraculous deliverance, or Jesus just stared them down and with His overwhelming personality and presence, walked away untouched. And we’ll close with one last exclamation on Jesus’ teaching; when He went up to Jerusalem as a man to celebrate the Passover. The Pharisees sent some of their henchmen to arrest Him as He taught in the temple, but they did not do so because His time had not yet come, and they were afraid the people would riot. However, when they returned to their Pharisee masters, and were asked why? ‘The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.’ (John 7:46) And that’s the gospel truth my people! Let’s remember it and conduct our lives to suit. Till tomorrow then, God in favour, walk safely under His protective wings. Much LOVE!…a true Christian…one who not only talks…but also walks…like Christ did…
 

Matthew 5:2.    And he opened his mouth and taught them saying…
 
Oh Friends, I’m chuckling early tonight. Whenever I open the Good Book to seek a Bit, I usually scan the pages it opens at first, to see if it’s a sign, or if there’s anything worthwhile. Many times it’s been a sign, or I’ve found worthwhile stuff. Tonight I opened it at Jeremiah 16, and though there were useful passages, they were all negative; talking about death, destruction and captivity. I contemplated it for a minute or so, then shook my head and said, ‘No Lord, I can’t keep bombarding the people with negative stuff. They need something a little more encouraging and uplifting.’ Hn, hn!Thankfully, the Spirit didn’t seem to object, so I happily moved on, and was led to this Bit about Jesus. Oh Friends, I don’t know about you all nuh, but I just LOVE Jesus’ style; cool, suave, unflappable and somewhat reserved, never too high or too low. It reminds me of my father. In all the years I knew him, I never saw him angry and annoyed, or lose his cool. Whatever the problem, though he might not like it, he always seemed to deal with it in a calm, reasonable, sensible manner. I never truly appreciated his calm, impeccable, unflappable demeanour before, but these days, I often wish I could be like him. But I guess I was just born to be a brawling, angry, loudmouth, though the Lord’s working on me. Yes children, He is, though you all might not think so. (smile) And the amusing part of it all is that my wife claims when she first met me, she thought I was so sweet and quiet, never said much. Now, many years later, she’s constantly telling me to shut up. (smile) But getting back to El Numero Uno, Jesus. The Bit says: ‘And he opened his mouth and taught them saying…’ What did He say to them? ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.’ (Matt.5:3-4) And He went on to teach them the Beatitudes, which we all know is how He began the  famous Sermon on the Mount. But check this out mih people. When Jesus was finished with the Beatitudes, He went on to expound about; the salt of the earth, the light of the world, on the law, on anger, on adultery, on divorce, on oaths, on LOVE for enemies, on alms giving, on prayer, on fasting, on treasures in heaven, the light of the body, trusting one master, on judging others, the golden rule, the strait gate, false prophets, on turning away hypocrites at heaven’s gate, and on the two foundations, rock and sand. Wow! Friends, can you imagine any preacher today getting up and speaking so candidly and so authoritatively on all those topics in one sermon? Not on yuh life! Most of them can barely cover one topic, much less all those. But Jesus did it; in His inimitable teaching style too, thus the following reaction from the crowd. ‘And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine (teaching): For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.’ (Matt.7:28-29) Yes mih people, our Lord and Saviour just had a completely different style, one we’d all do well to try and imitate; cool, calm and comforting. And the fact of the matter is that wherever He went, people were astonished at His wisdom and His ability to clearly put over His thoughts and ideas. The first instance of this unbelievable poise and wisdom shows up when He’s just twelve. He went up to Jerusalem with His family for the Passover, but did not go back home with them. When His parents discovered He was missing, they returned to Jerusalem to look for Him, and three days after their initial departure, found Him in the temple ‘sitting in the midst of the doctors (teachers), both hearing and asking them questions.’ (Luke 2:46) Imagine that nuh people; at 12, Jesus was reasoning with the learned men in the synagogue. And what was their reaction? ‘And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.’ (Luke 2:47) So at 12, Jesus was indeed holding His own with the literati, the learned class. Now what would our reaction be to such an occasion or event eh? Here’s Jesus’ parents reaction. ‘And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us (done this to us)? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing (anxiously).’ (Luke 2:48) But by age 12 Friends, Jesus was already hot to trot on His avowed mission. ‘And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist (knew) ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?’ (Luke 2:49) Poor parents! Sounds like most of today’s children. ‘And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.’ (Luke 2:50-52) Oh Friends, most of us would want to knock His block off for telling us nonsense at 12, re being about his father’s business. Wasn’t I His father? You think I could have told my mother that, though she was so nice and sweet. No way! I’d possibly lose a couple teeth. But thankfully, the Lord gave Jesus’ parents, especially Mary, discernment to understand, well not really understand, but to realize that they had a unique child, and it was best to just keep their cool and take the matter in stride. I guess one could say that was Jesus’ coming out moment. Anyway, time and space are upon us. I do hope though that this gives us a little more insight into Jesus’ character and style, and that we’ll all try our best to emulate Him. As usual, the Spirit led the way, because I never planned to quote all those verses at the end. But His reasoning was sound, so like the obedient son that I am, I obeyed. (smile) We’ll continue this tomorrow, God willing of course, for both the Spirit and I have much more to say. Till then, please walk safely with the Lord. Much LOVE!…it would be so great…if all of us…could be cool like Jesus…
 

Psalm 48:1.     Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

Oh Friends, that dreaded day, Monday, has come around again to rudely interrupt our calm, peaceful, relaxing weekend. However, for us believers, it should not be a day to be feared, but one to embrace with wholehearted joy. Hn, hn! I know some of you are pouting and sarcastically mouthing; ‘Yeh, right!’(smile) In fact, each day the Lord grants us here on earth should be greeted as an undeserved blessing and treated as such. And Monday ought to be treasured because it’s when we get to go back out into the evil, ungodly, workday world and fight for our God and His righteousness. Enough talk though, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn: ‘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!’ Oh Friends, I hope that stirred us up enough to make us want to dash into battle on the Lord’s behalf!  But in your haste, please don’t forget your spiritual armour. And if it didn’t stir you up, then I’m sure our Bit will: ‘Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.’ Wow! Isn’t that empowering, encouraging, reassuring and comforting? It sure is! Oh mih people, knowing that we worship such a mighty and magnificent God is surely an awe-inspiring phenomenon, since there is NO OTHER like Him in the entire universe! The psalm from which our Bit’s taken is aptly titled; ‘God is our God.’ That certainly deserves another ‘Wow!’ for they are words of wisdom. It’s one of those Songs of Zion, describing the glory of Jerusalem, how God delivered her from her enemies. ‘Beautiful for situation (in elevation or height), the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge.’ (Ps.48:2-3) And in Psalm 46, ‘God is our refuge and strength,’ the psalmist proudly proclaims: ‘There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles (dwelling places) of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved (shaken): God shall help her, and that right early (at the break of dawn)…The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.’ (Ps.46:4-5,7) Yes Friends, Jerusalem and Mt. Zion, the city and haven of our great God and King, have successfully withstood its enemies during the years through God’s powerful machinations. Even when the city was reduced to ashes and rubble, He rebuilt it, and it will be highly exalted in the new kingdom, therefore His people do praise and worship Him for His LOVING-kindness. And it’s a theme found throughout the Psalms. Psalm 76, ‘The Victorious God,’ says it thus: ‘In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel. In Salem (Jerusalem) also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion. There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.’ (Ps.76:1-3) Meanwhile, Psalm 87 describes the glories of Zion: ‘His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord LOVETH the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.’ (Ps.87:1-3) Now listen to Jesus’ take on the subject in His talk on oaths. ‘But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.’ (Matt.5:34-35)Yes Friends, our God is great! There’s no doubt about that. We’ve seen it from the time of creation. But by the same token Him and His works are so great that they often overwhelm our puny minds and souls, either making us feel very inferior or making us fearful. But there’s really no need for either people because in His unrivalled wisdom and absolute faithfulness, He’s promised that whoever seeks Him, will find Him, and if we continually worship and adore Him, He’ll never leave nor forsake us. And all God’s people joyfully shouted, ‘Thank you Lord!’ because there’s no one else who can make such awesome, truthful claim but our God of grace, mercy, forgiveness and unconditional LOVE. And if we sincerely believe, and have surrendered total control of our lives and our destiny to Him, then it’s our bounden duty to get out into the evil, ungodly world in which we now live, and give it our all, to swing the pendulum back in His direction. Oh Friends, this is not really for or about us, but our children, whom we’ve done a great injustice by not imprinting the Word of God sufficiently in their souls, and allowing our world to become so evil that it swallows them up without even a fighting chance. But it’s not too late. We can still turn it around if we seriously want to. So let’s rump up that desire, get out there in our flaming chariots and ride…ride for God! Much LOVE! …while there’s life…there’s always hope…

Psalm 18:1.    I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength.

Oh Friends, you know I don’t like to dwell on the negatives, but when they happen, especially with some frequency, we must pay attention. Today though, we need to offer some praise and thanks to the Most High God that hurricane Tomas did not lash Haiti with its full force, but merely with some high winds and water that caused some property damage and flooding, but as far as I know, no loss of life. Thank you Lord! Thank you! The unfortunate people of that corrupt, poverty stricken country could not withstand another terrible disaster, not having really recovered from any of the many they sustained in the last few years. We ought to be also thankful that most of the other Caribbean islands only received high winds and rain. St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the surrounding small islands weren’t as lucky though. Neither were the people on Java, where the volcano on Mt. Merapi exploded again on Friday, more violently than it’s done in a century. Imagine the flames and other stuff it expels on explosion, shooting some ten thousand feet in the air nuh! Or the dust from it settling on cars over 400 kilometres away! The death toll has obviously risen, many from just inhaling the gas released by the volcanic explosion. Oh Friends, oh Friends, what’s happening? Why are these terrible disasters happening now, and with such frequency, and when are they going to end? ONLY the Most High God Jehovah has the answers to those very perplexing and troubling questions. We have to get down on our knees and pray my people! Call out to Almighty God for mercy, grace, forgiveness or whatever it is we need to staunch the flow of disasters! Though I guess we first have to live right, to live godly, or sincerely promise to do so and turn away from the sinful, ungodly life we’re currently living. That’s why Bruh David, in thanksgiving for deliverance from his numerous enemies, in particular his nemesis Saul, uttered these special words of wisdom, hope and faith. ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength.’ Oh Friends, I’m chuckling, for the Spirit is at work early tonight, at his mysterious best. Earlier on, I spent some time searching for a Bit, considered several, but rejected them all, including this one. But since I was going to begin with the disaster story, I decided to go ahead and start, then worry about a Bit after. Well lo and behold, in the middle of writing the intro, I glanced at the opened Bible next to me and was most surprised to find it opened at Psalm 18. I really don’t remember leaving it opened there, though I must have, but by the time I was done writing the intro, it certainly seemed to be the most appropriate Bit. Why? Because my people, when disasters and troubles rage all around us, the first, best and wisest place to look for help is to our God. For as Bruh David continues: ‘The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).’ (Ps.18:2) Yes Friends, only the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has all those attributes; attributes we can faithfully call on and rely upon in times of trouble, sorrow, pain and grief. No other animate or inanimate creation in this universe possesses all those qualities. Thus He is the right ONE to whom we should all flock, to whom we should all offer much praise, thanks and worship. Bruh David learned this through hard experience, and never forgot it, as he consequently proclaimed: ‘I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps.18:3) Ah my brethren, those are words and sentiments we should also loudly and sincerely proclaim, since they are the source of truth, peace, strength and righteousness. The psalm is basically a reworking of Bruh David’s Song in 2 Samuel 22, and he also sings the same sentiments in Psalm 144, titled, ‘I will sing a new song,’ which, re the scholars, is a compilation of several others. (8, 18, 33, 102-104) ‘Blessed be the Lord my strength (rock), which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight (battle). My goodness (LOVING-kindness), and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust (take refuge); who subdueth my people under me.’ (Ps.144:1-3) Oh my people, I know that life is rough, and though we sincerely try to live right, sometimes so much unfortunate, wrong stuff comes against us that our faith falters and we begin to question our beliefs and motives. But please don’t be afraid, and don’t worry unnecessarily because that’s a natural response to trouble and heartache, and it happens to all of us at some stage in our walk of faith. Friends, I beg of you, though we may falter, let us never fall, let us never give up, for it’s in those tough, desperate, disastrous times that we need the Lord God Jehovah the most. For, as I said above, He’s the only ONE with all the parts to make us whole and to lead us right. Remember we’re merely weak, frail, innately sinful beings, thus we tend to be contrary, fearful and double minded, but if we sincerely LOVE and trust the Lord, the most powerful and potent force in the universe, He has promised to make things right for us. And we know that He faithfully keeps all His promises. So in these very troubled times my brethren, the wisest thing we can do is listen to Bruh David, who certainly knew what he was talking about, and continue serving and worshipping the Most High God. Remember too, Jesus’ words: ‘The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt LOVE the Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:’ (Mark12:29-30) If we consider ourselves true believers, then let’s genuinely practice that command, for it will surely bring fulfillment to our lives. Till tomorrow then, God willing, walk with Him in peace and safety. Much LOVE!…Faith 101…LOVE THY GOD…

Proverbs 16:1.    The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.

Jeremiah 18:6.    O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
 
Oh Friends, I hear you crying out with joy: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ You’ve just been dying for the weekend to come, after an abnormally busy and trying week. Well if it’s Friday, then 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 Friends, go home and rest and recuperate, but don’t become couch potatoes. (smile) On another interesting note, last night I went into that wonderful city of Toronto to visit my mother and daughter…and there’s no sarcasm in that statement because I consider T.O. to be the best big city in the world. Anyway, along the highway there’s this big billboard which displays somebody’s advertising, I don’t remember whose, but at the bottom there’s usually a crawl with some worthwhile words. Today’s words were: ‘Leaders are those who empower others.’ Certainly words of wisdom! But they saddened me, because if they were true, then it reflected very badly on those in charge of our world. Which leaders are empowering us eh? The people of the world are being systematically stripped of what little power they have by the band of mostly incompetent, greedy, power hungry folks at the top. The other side of the equation declares then, that if the people are not being empowered by those in charge, then to all intents we have no leaders. And that’s a fact my people! Those at the top today are either weak, wishy-washy and corrupt, or too strong, domineering and corrupt, tending towards dictatorial powers. Where are those who truly have the people’s best interest at heart eh? I guess they don’t exist anymore, or they’re just not interested in playing the new politics. But fortunately Friends, there’s one leader who’s still interested in the people, and will always be; that’s the Lord God Almighty! He’s the only one we can trust to tell us like it is. That’s why He spoke our Bit to Jeremiah: ‘ O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.’ Oh my people, I sincerely believe this message is a serious warning we should be paying close attention to. Why? Because I can’t ever remember being so intense, so ardent and emotional when writing a Bit, like I was last night. As I said, I was most surprised to find myself so tightly wound up. Usually, once I decide what I’m going to write, I’m fairly loose and easy going. Hn! But not last night. And to top it all, not one of the scriptures that I’d researched and planned to use, made it into the Bit. It was all the Spirit’s leading and guidance. And my brethren the only reason I can come up with for such intensity is that the message has imminent meaning; it’s something we should carefully consider right now, for whatever it implies isn’t very far away. And having said that, I surely hope I’m only a voice crying in the wilderness. But let’s look at the scriptures I had planned for yesterday. And the first one comes from Isaiah, from his prayer for help, for God to come down and intervene in the affairs of the world. ‘And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us (caused us to melt), because of our iniquities. But now O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. Be not wroth very sore (furious), O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.’ (Is.64:7-9) Oh my people, it would do us all a wealth of good if we could all pray those words, since Isaiah’s situation back then certainly mirrors ours now. The Lord is far from us because we have forsaken Him. Calamity after calamity is raining down on our sinful, ungodly world through His direct direction or His not stopping them. But either way Friends, if we ever needed the Most High God, Infinitely Everything in our lives and our world, it’s right now, for we are definitely on the brink of the precipice, and it’s only His merciful hand that can stop us from going over. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Romans: ‘Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing (wanting) to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to (prepared for) destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore (beforehand) prepared unto glory. Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?’ (Rom.9:20-24) Oh my brethren, those are all very good questions, the answers we don’t know since we don’t know God’s plans for our world. However, we do know two things; it’s very evident that things are not right in our world, and are daily becoming worse, and the Lord’s certainly not happy with our sinful, disobedient behaviour. Oh sorry, we know three things! And the third is that in the Lord’s just sight, continued disobedience is usually met with suitable punishment, which can take any form He desires. And the only way to avoid that punishment is to return to Him, give up our lustful, fleshly desires, obey His will, serve and worship Him faithfully; for He’s promised those who sincerely do so will not be destroyed. Oh Friends, for our children’s sake, let’s wake up, let’s smarten up and diligently encourage our evil world to return to the God of our fathers, if we want to avoid certain destruction. Much LOVE!…if the evil nation repents…I will relent of the punishment…says the Lord God of Hosts…