SCRIP-BITS

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, today we’ll learn the Potter’s Lesson, like Jeremiah did when the Lord sent him down to the potter’s house to observe him at work. And it was a marvellous teaching tool! ‘The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the (Potter’s) wheels. And the vessel that he made (was making) of clay was marred (ruined) in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.’ (Jer.18:1-4) Yes my people, Jerry saw the potter at work. The first vessel he made was ruined, so he redid it into another vessel. Now note, he used the same clay, just moulded it into a different artefact. And therein lies the lesson Friends! For God’s next words to poor Jerry was our Bit: ‘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, O house of Israel.’ And my Friends, that’s the gospel truth! The Lord created us, and He can do with us as He likes, the same way the potter moulds the clay in whatever shape or form he desires. Remember how the Lord formed us? ‘And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ (Gen.2:7) So in effect He used the same clay-like dirt that a potter uses to form us, then He breathed life into that lifeless, inanimate body, so that it could breathe, move, talk, and above all, worship Him. But unfortunately, somewhere along the way we fell from grace, and sadly, are still falling today. Israel, the focus of the Lord’s attention, foolishly deserted the Lord for man-made gods and idols, the same insane road our lustful society is lurching down today. Oh mih people, are we so stupid and hard of heart not to understand what’s happening? We must be, otherwise we wouldn’t allow it to happen. Hear the Lord’s very significant statement to Jerry after our Bit: ‘At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it. If that nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.’ (Jer.18:7-8) Remember Nineveh? And believe me my people, the Lord has definitely pronounced against our society! However, because of the goodness of His heart and His great LOVE for us, He is willing to recant of the evil that He’s earmarked for us. And I say it again people; our society has been earmarked for destruction! If we don’t or can’t see that, then we’re surely in for a lot more pain and heartbreak. And the ONLY way to avoid that destruction is by turning back to the Lord God Jehovah from whom we unwisely turned to narcissism; to worship ourselves and the works of our hands. Oh Friends, if you don’t believe what I’m saying, just look around you, at our society, at the whole world. Everywhere, everything and everybody’s in a state of turmoil and utter confusion. There’s nowhere in this world today that you can find a society going along on a decent productive, relatively calm clip. Don’t be fooled and misled by the media and the governments about China, India and the South Asian countries who are supposedly riding high in economic terms. The question though Friends, is what price the supposed man-made success? Most of their large populations are still living in dire poverty with very poor or no human rights. And they have very little hope for it improving, because the greedy handful who are enjoying the outward success on the backs of their labour either do not intend to, or are very reluctant to share it with them. But Friends, we’re talking about the majority of a nation, not the wealthy, powerful few! Now listen as the Lord continues His conversation with Jerry: ‘At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent (relent) of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.’ (Jer.18:9-10) Oh Friends, please remember that our God doesn’t make empty promises, and that they last for generations. Now in the first section He promises that nations who turn from their evil ways to worship and serve Him, will not be destroyed. However, the nations that He’s shown favour to, or intend to prosper, if they turn to evil, they will be destroyed. Oh my people, our God is not doubled minded, please don’t ever forget that. If He goes to the trouble of saying something, then He most certainly means it. Now Israel was once greatly favoured, but foolishly revoked the Lord’s hold on their lives when they became prosperous. And what happened? Their society was overturned and their people taken away into captivity. But years later, when they awoke from their stupidity, the Lord, in His graciousness, restored their prosperity. Oh Friends, it’s the same scenario that’s been enacted today. After the calamity that was World War 11, our Western Civilization rose like a phoenix from its ashes on the strength of God’s Word, His awesome grace and mercy. Then, at some point in the last few decades, with the overwhelming increase in new technology, we suddenly got too big for our breeches, turned our backs on God, relegating Him to the nether reaches of our consciousness, while we embraced Beelzebub and his false, glittering, worldly lusts. But I’m here to tell us that there’s yet hope my people. Just as the Israelites woke up from their stupor and turned back to the God of their fathers and prospered, we can do likewise. So without further ado, let’s wake up from our Beelzebub induced stupor and reclaim the Lord God Jehovah as our God and Guiding Light! Oh Friends, it’s the only way! Otherwise, we’re marked for sure destruction. And though I’m ending with a chuckle, surprised at the intensity with which the Spirit moved me in writing the Bit, my people, it’s a very serious state of affairs. The whole world’s in an uproar, and we are in very grave danger unless we smarten up, for just like Israel, the Lord’s using our enemies to destroy us. Please, let’s wake up and intensify our fight against the evil that’s now so rampant. That’s if we want our progeny to enjoy any of the earth’s goodness. Till next time, whenever and wherever, go in LOVE and peace with the Lord. Much LOVE!…if yuh doh hear…yuh certainly going to feel…

Daniel 12:13.    But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
 
Oh Friends, I didn’t have any spellbinding, uplifting opening words for today, so I went looking for a worthwhile quote. (smile) And I found this interesting one attributed to C.H. Pearce in the Arthritis Calendar. It says: ‘The difference you make today counts in all our tomorrows.’ Now there’s much truth in that statement, since whatever we do today, regardless of its nature, will have consequences tomorrow for us, and also for many that depend on or are associated with us. Therefore it’s essential that before we do most things, we consider the consequences that will come forth from those actions. Unfortunately in our evil, ungodly, selfish, ‘doh care’ world today, many of us don’t consider the consequences of our actions, which then lead to a whole host of negative results. If you look around our world, a lot of the nonsense that’s happening is due to someone, somewhere not thinking their actions through before embarking on them. So Friends, we’re asking us all, from today and henceforth, to carefully consider our actions and the possible reactions and repercussions before we do them. It’s the only way to avoid a rash of negative consequences. And if we do that, while walking faithfully and steadfastly with the Lord, then at the end, we’ll also be considered worthy to be spoken to like Daniel was: ‘But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot (arise to thine inheritance) at the end of the days.’ Oh my people, that’s like Jesus greeting us at the pearly gates with a hug, a big smile and saying: ‘Welcome, thou good and faithful servant!’ Having been carried away captive as a youth from Jerusalem to Babylon, Daniel lived right amongst the heathen, though it wasn’t easy. But the Lord, in His great overall plan, had given him wisdom through the power of discernment, of prophecy and the interpretation of dreams. These talents enabled him to interpret the Babylonian kings’ dreams and also run the kingdom on an efficient basis, which somewhat lessened their anger when he refused to bow to their false gods and idols and accept their heathen culture. Ah Friends, even today that’s not an easy thing to do, so you can imagine the huge amount of backbone, belly and manly parts that Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, must have had to stand up to their conquerors and refuse to give up their Jewish faith or culture. Oh people, if we supposed believers had half the guts and true faith that those Jewish youths had, our world would be a much better place than it is. But sadly, too many of us are still too scared to really stand up for our faith, for what we believe in, for Jesus, although there’s no threat of persecution or imprisonment or death, as was the case back then, and still is in some countries. So, generally speaking, we have no one to blame but ourselves for the ungodly turn our world has taken, and it’s only through our standing strong and fighting for change will the pendulum swing back in favour of the Lord God Jehovah. But getting back to our Bit. Daniel lived a long life, saw several kings on Babylon’s throne, and made several prophecies about Christ’s kingdom to come. (Dan.10,11,12) And just as our quote stipulated, Daniel’s actions in his day, have made a lot of difference in the tomorrows of all the faithful that have come after him. Thus he was advised by the angel in his vision, to stop worrying and rest. Like Bruh Paul would later say, he’d run a good race and his reward would come eventually. Though he would not live to see his prophecies fulfilled, he was promised that when the time came, he would be resurrected to receive his reward; ‘for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.’ O my brethren, the same promise holds true for all those who trust in and walk faithfully with Daniel’s God. At the end time, we will all be resurrected to receive our rewards. Wow! Isaiah said it this way of the righteous man: ‘He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.’ (Is.57:2) And John in Revelations had this to say: ‘And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.’ (Rev.14:13) And all God’s people joyously shouted; ‘Thank you Lord! We praise and bless your Holy Name for your goodness to the sinful children of men!’ Oh my Friends, that ought to give us hope and faith to continue doing good works and living the life Christ died for us to have! Just knowing that at the end, all the hardship and pain we bare in doing good and living right will be rewarded ought to spur us on to bigger and better things in His name! And we’ll close with one more enticement to do good and live for the Lord. ‘Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.’ (Ps.1:5) Yes Friends, that’s certainly a telling tale. At the end, sinners will not mix with the righteous, so if we want to be amongst the latter, then we’ve got to get a move on NOW, change our evil ways and dwell righteously in Christ. Otherwise our lot will be cast amongst the dead and eternally damned, not a very nice scenario, however you look at it. Till we talk tomorrow, God in favour, please trust in the Lord, walk safely, and do good. Much LOVE!…the choices are twofold…eternal life and light…or eternal death and darkness…it’s your decision…
 

Romans 13:14.    But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.
 
Oh Friends, more disastrous happenings; Hurricane Tomas ripping up St. Lucia and flooding parts of Tobago. Ah Lord! When it going to finish eh? But yuh see, even God’s Little Acre, Sweet Tobago, isn’t immune from His wrath. (smile) Luckily, when Tomas passed by T&T it was still a tropical storm, else they would have been devastated too. Ah mih Friends, I don’t like harping on the disasters, but the reality is that they are increasing everyday, and unfortunately it’s not the virtual type we simulate on our modern technology, but the real reality that confuses, complicates and often destroys our lives and livelihood. That means we’ve got to pay serious attention to them. And it’s reached a stage where the most we can do is pray for the luckless ones who suffer the ravages of the disasters. I heard that Tomas was heading for the Dominican Republic, let’s hope it’s not true, or that it by passes the country, or that its power has been severely curtailed by the time it gets there. And above all Friends, pray that it doesn’t touch Haiti! I don’t think that they could withstand one more natural disaster. Please add these unfortunate people to our prayer list, which unfortunately is getting longer and longer with each passing day, partly because not many of the earlier disasters have been sufficiently cleaned up that they no longer need our prayers. Sometimes I just have to sadly sigh, shake my head and ask, ‘Why Lord?’ though I know I won’t get an answer. But as Bruh Paul says, the only way to handle this life and the unfortunate, incomprehensible things that happen in it, is to adopt Christ’s attitude: ‘But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.’ That basically means walking this earthly life in LOVE, faith and honesty with God and each other, as Christ would have us, for all believers belong to the same body, the One Church that bears His Holy Name. As he told the Galatians: ‘For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond (slave) nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.’ (Gal.3:27-29) Oh my people, we’re all one big family in Christ, regardless of our colour, creed or race, whether we’re free or enslaved, male or female, and should live as such. Consequently, ‘let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly (properly), as in the day; not in rioting (revelry) and drunkenness, not in chambering (licentiousness) and wantonness (lewdness), not in strife and envying.’ (Rom.13:12-13) Ah mih breddren, even in good times that’s a tough task to handle, much less in these rough economic and ungodly days. However, if we really want to be true followers of Christ, then we have to buckle down, put our whole hearts, souls, bodies and minds to the task and simply do it without any complaining or contention. Please realize this truth my people, for our world to have much of a future, or any future at all, we the believers have to make a valiant effort to improve its godly quotient. Why you ask? Because Lucifer’s followers won’t do it, since they like to wallow in the lusts of the flesh that currently dominate the ungodly landscape. Our Bit clearly spells it out: ‘and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.’  We shouldn’t be seeking occasion to satisfy the fleshly lusts of our inherently sinful nature, which only lead to death and eternal damnation. Instead, we should be looking for opportunities to do and show works that uphold the spiritual life we enjoy in Christ. And Bruh Paul’s talk of walking in the Spirit, admirably outlines this: ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.’ (Gal.5:16-18) Yes my Friends, it’s absolutely necessary that we concentrate on living a spiritual rather than a fleshly life, for it’s the only road that leads to true salvation. And if you’re not sure about the works of the flesh and the Spirit, you can read Bruh Paul’s list in Galatians 5:19-26. Now since we began on a sad, negative note, let’s end on a happy, positive one that shows God’s true faithfulness and His awesome timing. Recently, the last week or so, I’ve been wrestling with a problem, not a life changing one, but big enough for me to spend some time on it. For some reason, I just could not figure out how to solve it. Obviously I prayed and pondered, but no answers were forthcoming and I was starting to get a little frustrated. But lo and behold, I got a letter in the mail yesterday with no indication of where or whom it came from, however when I opened it, quite unexpectedly, the answer to my problem was revealed. Praise the Lord my people! It didn’t solve the problem, but it certainly showed me how to do so. And the timing couldn’t be better! Isn’t our God wonderful? For sure He is! With that said, Friends, let’s continue holding fast to our faith, seeking the Lord in all we do and waiting patiently for His answers and guidance. It’s the only way to lead a successful life on this planet Earth. Till we talk again tomorrow, God willing, please go safely to LOVE and serve the Lord. Much LOVE!…the things of the flesh gleam and glitter…but remember…all that glitters is not gold…
 

Psalm 36:7.    How excellent is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

Psalm 36:7.    How excellent is thy LOVING kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

Well Friends, today is the day we celebrate our fascination with the things of darkness, the dark side of life, otherwise called Halloween. I surely hope though that every believer gave sincere thanks to the Lord God Jehovah on opening their eyes this morning and beholding a bright, beautiful world. That’s because it’s the great Creator who originally gave us life, and who also released us from darkness, from the bondage of sin in which we were enveloped, by sending His innocent only Son, Jesus to suffer a horrific, shameful death on a wooden cross to pay for our disgusting sins. And though Jesus brought light to our darkened world, because of our inherently sinful nature, we’re still fascinated by the dark and its evil doings. Note the top grossing movies lately, some of the top selling books and video games; they all feature the occult, the darker side of life. But be that as it may Friends, there’s no doubt whatsoever that the light is stronger than darkness, and will prevail eventually. Why? Just listen to the words of our Bit: ‘How excellent (precious, wonderful, marvellous) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.’ Wow! What a confirmation of the Lord’s goodness from a man who certainly knew the Lord’s propensity for kindness, mercy, forgiveness, grace and LOVE! Oh mih people, can we say the same of Beelzebub? Of course not! For he’s just a selfish, self-centred, evil lout; whereas the Lord God our Creator, is selflessly interested in us, His sinful, but beautiful children. (smile) But we must be beautiful, since we’re made in the Lord’s image! Granted some of the sheen and shine have worn off because of our disobedient, ungodly behaviour, but underneath it all, the basic propensity to shine is still there. Like a dirty car, it just needs some soap and water to restore the brilliance. Yes Friends, the Spirit’s in full swing! (smile) Our Bit comes from Bruh David’s Psalm of adoration, titled, ‘The Steadfast LOVE of God!’ And isn’t that more awesome gospel mih people? For sure it is! The Lord must LOVE us a great deal if the psalmist unabashedly declares that man will put their trust under the wings of the Most High, like a mother hen shelters her chicks from the storms of life underneath her broad, safe wings. What a comparison Friends! I think it’s possibly the simplest, but also the best comparison we can have of protection and security, because only the birds of the air and fowls of the earth actually cover their young under their wings. No other animal that I’m aware of gives that kind of actual covering to their young. That’s why it’s such an appropriate description of the relationship between our God and us. And what wise man wouldn’t hasten under the Lord’s protective wings when the following comes forth from Him: ‘They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness (fullness) of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.’ (Ps.36:8-9) Yes Friends, that’s the reward for those who sincerely trust in the Lord. Remember over the last few days we’ve been talking about not promptly responding to God’s call because we don’t fully trust or LOVE Him? Well that’s why many of us are not enjoying the fullness of His grace and mercy, or drinking of the river of His pleasures….we haven’t put our full trust under the shadow of His wings. We’re still depending too much on our own, measly, insufficient human strength. Oh Friends, Bruh David knew exactly where to put his trust, knew with much surety on which side his bread was buttered. As he says in Psalm 17, ‘A prayer for protection against oppressors’: ‘Show thy marvellous LOVING-kindness, O thou that savest (delivers) by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them. Keep me as the apple (pupil) of the eye; hide me under the shadow of thy wings, From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about (surround me).’ (Ps.17:7-9) Oh my brethren, there’s certainly no safer, more secure or protective place for the Lord’s most excellent creation to rest, than right under the shadow of His mighty wings! Please remember that. Consequently, let’s all genuinely try to put our whole-hearted trust and LOVE in Him, so that when times get rough, as they are now, we’ll all run towards Him, like you see the young chicks (fowls, not females) (smile) running towards their mothers for protection when rain or storm threatens to envelop them. More on this tomorrow people, because the Spirit seems to deem it important to talk about now, in our current state of hard, ungodly times. Till tomorrow then, God in favour, please walk safely under the protective umbrella of His unconditional LOVE and faithful guidance. Much LOVE!…as young children run to their earthly parents in times of trouble…so ought we adults…to run to our Heavenly Father for solace…

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, everyday I’m reminded to be extremely thankful for being granted the mercy to see another day. We all should be because disasters are happening all over our beautiful world. Just think about Indonesia earlier this week; one day a 7.7 earthquake triggers a terrible tsunami on the island of Sumatra, while a day later, a volcano erupts a thousand miles away on the southern island of Java. Ah Lord eh! Can you imagine the economic toll, the loss of lives, the confusion, fear and dread amongst the unfortunate populace? Hn! The worst part though is that both disasters so close together in time, but so distant in miles severely curtailed the amount of help each could receive from the main source. Ah Friends, that just calls for more prayer on their behalf. Yuh know if these disasters keep happening as often as they are, we might just end up like Bruh Paul requested, praying without ceasing, since like everyday we’re praying for some disaster struck group. Although I seriously doubt that was the kind of praying he had in mind. Anyway Friends, we’ll continue with our Bit that tells us of Jeremiah’s call to work for God. And just to be on the safe side, I won’t make any rash prognostications, as to whether we’ll be done with it today. (smile)  ‘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.’ That was how the Lord invoked Jeremiah’s prophetic journey, and the same way He does for everyone who claims to believe in Him. He has a plan all mapped out for each life, it all depends on whether or not we accept His plan, and if we do, how promptly we react. Over the last few days we’ve been looking at people of great faith who fell into both categories, and will continue to do so today. First is Bruh Paul, one of the real stalwarts of the faith! I like his great work and everything, but I really don’t want to suffer the unfortunate vicissitudes of life that he endured in the Lord’s name. I guess the Lord figured that if he was so zealous in persecuting His followers, then the best way to change him and reap great rewards for His kingdom was to also make him zealous in spreading His Word. Consequently, after the Lord cornered Bruh Paul on the road to Damascus and floored him with a powerful right uppercut, he was never the same again. When he caught himself on the carpet, he heard a voice asking: ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (goads, like a rebellious beast resisting the prods of its master). And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.’ (Acts 9:4-6) Bravo Bruh Paul! Note the instantaneous change mih people! He went into the ring a battle scarred and hardened warrior against Jesus, but with one mighty blow, woke up a worthy warrior for Jesus instead. Wow! And please note too that he didn’t query anything, just asked who was speaking to him, and once he received an answer, simply enquired about his job. Oh Friends, none of us are as anti-Christ as Bruh Paul was, so we don’t need as mighty a wake up call, neither will the majority of us be sent to foreign lands to preach the gospel or any such hazardous task, and yet we too often hesitate or outright disobey God’s bidding. Why eh? And the Spirit just got in a nice jab by reminding me that I was one of those who balked. (smile) But Friends, we’re all human, thus imperfect specimens, so some things don’t come naturally or easy to us, especially when we‘re still fearful and unsure of putting our all in the hands of God. And I read something today that added another dimension to why we don’t obey God. The author stated that we don’t truly LOVE God, that’s why we run away from Him. In the perfect scenario, if we truly LOVED God, we’d run to Him, not from Him. That does seem to have some truth to it my people. And though the Lord might not like our wishy-washy attitude, He understands our doubts and fears. Oh Friends, even Jesus had a hard time coming to terms with His mission, as we see in the Garden of Gethsemane. But who wouldn’t, knowing the horrible, unjust fate that lay ahead of Him? Carefully remember though, His words of prayer: ‘O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt.26:39) And the second time He prayed: ‘O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me except (unless) I drink it, thy will be done.’ (Matt.26:42) Yes Friends, it’s never what we desire, but it’s always the Father’s will that is of paramount importance. So let’s go out now and obediently do His will, without any questioning, hesitating or complaining. And that ends this series of messages on being promptly obedient to God’s call. The Spirit obviously didn’t show me any new light or truth on the subject. (smile) So until we meet again tomorrow, God in favour, please walk in peace, LOVE, faith and truth. Much LOVE!…in response to the Father’s call…we should be prepared to jump the highest wall…because He will NEVER let His children fall…

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…