SCRIP-BITS

Oh Friends in Christ, it’s Monday! And some of you are saying, ‘Chuh! No need to remind me.’ Yes, we all know that it’s the start of another work week, and that means before we venture out to do battle with Beelzebub and his evil cohorts we must ensure that we’re fully dressed in all our spiritual armour, else the wicked will easily vanquish us. Only if we’re fully protected by the Lord’s armour are we able to fight the good fight successfully. And having provided that gentle reminder, (smile) let’s move on to our Bit. Today we’ll be continuing in the same vein as yesterday; that of God’s see all and know all ability, and what happens when we don’t turn to and trust Him, but instead seek the strength of man and false gods. And we have a very good example of that in Asa, king of Judah. In the beginning, his reign was beset by wars and much contention amongst the people, but once the prophet Azariah warned him about seeking God when he could be found and not forsaking Him, Asa took heart, got courage and put away all the abominable idols out of the land of Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim, and restored the altar of the Lord. Then he gathered the tribes under his rule, plus strangers from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, who flocked to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord was with him. They offered sacrifices and plunder to God and agreed to diligently seek the God of their fathers, even to the extent that whoever refused should be put to death. They swore allegiance to the Lord and rejoiced, for their hearts were right, and the Lord gave them peace. There was no more war until the35th year of Asa’s reign. That’s a brief synopsis of 2 Chronicles 15. However, in the thirty sixth year, Asa Baasha, king of Israel decides to build the city of Ramah up close to the border of Judah, which would effectively close the border between the two. And what does Asa, king of Judah do in response? He buys the services of Ben-hadad, king of Syria, to invade Israel. Hn! Ben-hadad agrees, invades Israel and causes much destruction. When Baasha hears about the destruction the Syrians have wrought amongst his subjects, he stops building Ramah. Then smart man Asa takes all the stuff Baasha’s left behind and he builds instead the cities of Geba and Mizpah. (2 Chr.16:1-6) And though on the surface everything seems hunky-dory, it’s not, for shortly thereafter, Hanani, the seer, comes and drapes up Asa in the Lord’s name. ‘Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host (army) of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand.’ (2 Chr.16:7-8) Oh Friends, that’s the message right there: Instead of relying on the Lord like he’d done before, this time Asa relied on the sons of men. And please note that our claiming to be loyal followers of the Lord, then relying on man in times of trouble, an act we’re very guilty of today, simply does not compute. It’s like a slap to God’s face; a hurtful rejection. And don’t forget, the Lord’s a jealous God. He made that quite clear very early on. It’s the FIRST commandment: ‘Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.’ (Ex.20:3) So there can be argument about that, for right up front He specifies that nobody or anything; man, beast or inanimate object, should ever be relied on before Him. But Asa obviously did not follow that commandment, especially after he’d sworn to seek the Lord and obey all His statutes. As Cousin Sol reminds us in Ecclesiastes: ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl.5:4-5) Oh Friends, I know the saying today is that promises are made to be broken, but our God doesn’t play that foolish game. He’s a man of His word, and expects His devotees to be the same. So anything we promise Him to do, we ought to do it. Just as we expect Him to keep His promises, He expects us to keep ours. Consequently, we can’t promise to follow His leading and commandments, then at the first sign of trouble or problems, run to men for help before even consulting God. No way Jose! As Hanani told Asa: ‘For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect (at peace with, loyal to) toward him.’ Yes Friends, that’s the Lord’s purpose and great desire; to look after his loyal followers. But if we don’t turn to Him and ask for help, but look to other avenues first, how can we consider ourselves His followers eh? Here’s how Job put it: ‘For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. There is no darkness or shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.’ (Job 34:21-22) Bruh David says the same thing, but he uses the positive approach: ‘The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off (destroy) the remembrance of them from the earth.’ (Ps.34:15-16) And the moral of the story my people is that we cannot play games with God. If we say we’re His followers then we have to behave and live like it. We can’t make promises then renege on them. Please remember that our God is the most powerful being in the universe, who sees all and knows all and doesn’t hold with the foolishness of the world. He has His own rules and regulations and if we choose to follow Him, fine, but we have to follow Him all the way, not halfway, or in the world’s wishy-washy manner. He’s a kind and wonderful Father, but like us earthly parents, He has laws that his children must obey, or they will pay the price. Nuff said for today! We’ll continue this tomorrow, God willing. Till then; Much LOVE!…truly following God…is an all the way…whole life gig…

   HAPPY 4th  JULY  U.S.A.

Yes Friends, it’s the 4^th of July, Independence Day in the U.S! A memorable day in the annals of its History, some two hundred and thirty four years ago, when they beat back their British masters and ancestors to win their freedom, and the ability to govern themselves without any outside interference. And they have lived up to that ideal in some respects. But Friends, that word Freedom; that idea, that common, heartfelt desire and yearning of man is a helluva thing! It sounds good and right, but it’s also a very hard taskmaster, bearing an awesome amount of responsibility, which not all of us are prepared for or qualified to handle. Then you are in total and complete control of yourself and your destiny. There’s no big brother, mother or father to look after you, and it’s never easy to look after yourself in a healthy and desirable fashion. That’s why all those wars over nation and statehood oftimes lead to the supposed winner’s lifestyle and livelihood decreasing rather than increasing in standard. The navel or apron string that once buoyed us up is no longer there to help keep our heads above water, and we then have to sink or swim on our own strength and ingenuity. And if you’ve never governed yourself before, that can be real difficult, for just like the freedom we long for, life is also a cruel taskmaster. Now the same principles apply to both individual and national freedom. That brings to mind young adult children chomping at the bit to leave home, frustrated and annoyed at their parents suffocating rules and regulations. However, when they do break away and gain the supposed freedom they longed for, they discover that it’s not all it was cracked up to be; it’s not a sweet and soft bed of roses. They’re now responsible for every aspect of their lives and it scares them, so they run back home to Mum and Dad, where they feel safe in the protective cocoon of the family unit. And Friends, so it is with all of us, individually as well as nationally. We all want to be free to do as we please, but unless we harness it all with a strong and solid sense of responsibility, anarchy will eventually rule. And we got a taste of that recently in Toronto and a little earlier on in Greece; a taste that not many of us liked at all. But just as we look at our fellow humans and nations to see how they’re conducting themselves, likewise the Lord looks critically upon us all; individuals and nations. That’s why in the section of Chap.5, titled, exhortation on fidelity in marriage, Cousin Sol asks this eternally important question: ‘And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished (enraptured) with a strange (an immoral) woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger (seductress)?’ (Prov.5:20) Now that’s an exceedingly good question Friends. Why indeed would we fall prey to seduction and sexual temptation eh? ‘For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth (observes) all his goings.’ Sadly my people, that statement doesn’t only hold true for illicit sexual affairs, but for all the affairs of men, from the basic individual right up to the affairs of the most powerful nations. Our Lord God Jehovah watches over it all. He sees, He ponders, contemplates and cogitates, and in His own good time He acts. So those of us, both nations and individuals who feel we can either run or hide from God are in for a sad awakening. Because, as Cousin Sol says: ‘His own iniquities shall take (entrap) the wicked himself, and he shall be holden (caught) with cords of his sin. He shall die without (for lack of) instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.’ (Prov.5:22-23) Oh Friends, though Cousin Sol was speaking here explicitly about the adulterer, the same conditions apply to all sin, to all nations and individuals. Remember Bruh Paul’s words to the Romans: ‘For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.’ (Rom.3:23) You also saw how the Lord punished Israel both individually and nationally for her wickedness and idolatry. So why would He be any different with us today eh? No reason whatsoever mih breddren! My people, our God is a Spirit; that means He has no physical body to restrain Him, consequently He can be all places at the same time. This gives Him the ability to also see everything that’s happening, wherever and whenever, as it happens. He’s also omnipotent: the most powerful Being in the universe. So if He knows all, sees all, is everywhere and is also powerful, why would we think that we can escape His constant surveillance of our actions eh? Only the wicked and foolish might be tempted to think that. At least I hope so. I hope the wise, the righteous, would be perceptive enough to know that we have to carefully mind our P’s and Q’s where the Lord God Jehovah is concerned. Unfortunately though, I think that some believers do believe that they can get away with constant wrongdoing, but that’s just not true. My people, our God is indeed a forgiving, merciful and LOVING God, but remember He’s also a just and righteous God, with an exemplary and complex character to maintain. So to be true to Himself, he must also execute the just and fair aspects of His character, which means punishing sin, redeeming the righteous, etc. So please don’t ever think that we can run and hide from Him, or get away Scot free from punishment for our sins. There’s always a price to be paid for ungodliness. And the thing we all need to realize is, that He misses nothing, for ‘The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and good.’  (Prov.15:3) Till we talk again tomorrow then Friends, God willing; Much LOVE!…you can’t run…neither can you hide…from an omnipotent, omniscient Spiritual God…

Oh Friends, Daniel is not here with us today, but his words of long ago still resonate loudly and clearly in terms of our current situation. In his prayer for his captive people, Israel, he bemoans: ‘O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face (shame), to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.’ (Dan.9:8) And of a truth my people, our lustful, cruel, ungodly, idolatrous situation certainly mirrors that of Daniel’s time. We have sinned so much against the Lord, that a less magnanimous God would have wiped us out long ago. Indeed my Friends, this is one of the most sinful generations in a long time. Those of recent times did sin, but at least they had some sense of God about them, at least the basics, to know right from wrong, but this generation doesn’t have a clue about God; what He considers good or bad, right or wrong. They just follow the worldly, lustful crowd in doing whatever feels good or right to them. It’s all a flesh based system. The spiritual part of their lives matters not, if they even know about it. But fortunately, or unfortunately, our God has showed and proven His largesse of heart time and time again in Israel’s case. This enabled Daniel to confidently say: ‘To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.’ And that, my people, is the living truth! There’s no other being in this world that’s as forgiving and merciful as the Lord God Jehovah! How many times could He have totally eradicated His chosen people Israel for their disobedience and rebellion eh? Numerous! But He did not. He allowed them to be captured, enslaved and to endure other forms of punishment, but never annihilation. Nehemiah, in his prayer for God’s mercy and help in his efforts to rebuild Jerusalem, shamefully confessed: ‘But they and our fathers dealt proudly (acted presumptuously or insolently), and hardened their necks (stiffened their necks, became stubborn) and hearkened not (did not heed) thy commandments. And refused to obey, neither were they mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them, but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.’ (Neh.9:16-17) Yes Friends, our God is magnanimous, merciful and forgiving, but we cannot afford to be continually flouting His laws, else someday He’ll just get fed up with our sinful, rebellious behaviour and cause us a whole lot of grief, pain and confusion. We’re already seeing a lot of that in our world today. And sadly, many of us believe that since our God is so nice, we can take advantage of His mercies and get away with it. But Friends, that’s a fallacy, for we’ll all pay, one way or another, sooner or later, for all those grievous hurts we’ve caused our God; the continuous humiliation and disgrace we’ve brought to His Holy Name. Bruh David got it right when he said: ‘But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.’ (Ps.130:4) And Friends, that’s not a scared, trembling in our boots kind of fear, but a healthy fear; one of wonder, astonishment, of respect, of reverential awe. But how many societies today hold the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in such awe and wonder eh? Not too many. Lucifer seems to be more their guiding light. But can Lucifer pardon, or show mercy, or bring lost souls to redemption? Not on yuh life! Why? Oh mih people, because Lucifer is just another fallen angel like us. All he has to offer are worthless earthly trinkets, then death and eternal damnation. However, as Bruh David proudly proclaims: ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps.130:7-8) And all God’s people gloriously proclaimed: ‘Praise the Lord God of Hosts for His goodness and mercy to the sinful children of men!’ But Friends, please note that though Bruh David says that the Lord will redeem Israel from all its wrongs, it by no means gives us license, or free rein to keep on doing wrong, for remember the wages of sin is death, and if we recklessly continue to do wrong, at some stage we will pay. Our God’s a great God, but He’s not a pushover. And we don’t call the shots, He does. And He’s decreed, that to get all those benefits, we need to concentrate on Him, not Lucifer; meaning that we seriously need to rein in our rebellious, disobedient attitude. As Isaiah declares: ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is.55:7) Yes Friends, to receive forgiveness and mercy we need to: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.’ (Is.55:6) My people, our God is always near, but He won’t intrude uninvited into our lives. We need to invite Him in. Bruh David knew this, that’s why he said it so often in his writings. ‘For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon thee.’ (Ps.86:5) Again Friends, the important part of it all is that we call on the Lord to come into our hearts.  And as we try to do whenever possible, we’ll close with the definitive statement on the subject from our Leader and Saviour Jesus Himself. ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup (dine) with him, and he with me.’ (Rev.3:20) There we have it Friends; to get all the good things the Lord has promised, we need to invite His Son Jesus into our hearts and live a life worthy and becoming of His Holy Name. So please, let’s try and improve the godliness quotient in our lives nuh, so that future generations won’t have to write such scathing, but true criticism of us, as Nehemiah and Daniel wrote about their forefathers. Much LOVE!…to know right and do wrong…is worse than doing wrong, not knowing right…

Oh Friends, the good news is that it’s over at last! Yeah! The G8 and G20 Summit meetings ended here yesterday amidst rain and the confusion that comes when many people gather to protest everything under the sun, under the watchful eye of numerous law enforcement personnel. Thankfully, I don’t think there were any serious clashes between police and protesters like on Saturday, but like there were several hundred arrests. The bad news though is two fold. First, remember today is Monday, which means work and your spiritual armour for protection against Lucifer and his evil cohorts. The second is that I don’t know if, when and how the best big city in the world, Toronto the Good, will ever recover from the nonsense that took place here this weekend. Steups! Oh Friends, the physical property damage will be replaced, possibly with better stuff too, but also with higher insurance premiums if the Federal Govt. keeps its promise not to reimburse property owners for any damage or loss they innocently suffered. Many businesses, employees and condo dwellers in the cordoned off area had already suffered economic loss and inconvenience even before the meetings began, can you imagine their consternation now, if they suffered further setbacks after the confrontations? Ah Lord eh! The biggest question though is how will it reflect in the city’s bruised and battered emotional state? How will it affect its overall psyche? The whole gamut of negative reactions are involved; from anger, to disappointment to betrayal. Not to mention accusations already being thrown back and forth by police, protesters, media and governmental agencies about who did what and how the whole thing was handled. Anger and resentment will surely simmer till God alone knows when, while questions will also be asked for a long time. Could the tragedy have been prevented? Should the Summits have been organized here in the first place? Who’s to blame for what? Which heads should roll? Who’s eventually going to pay for all the damage? How will it affect both the tourism and general business sectors, since riots usually bring lots of negative press? How will we be viewed by the international community and media; as world class, or also ran? All those are questions that will rear there ugly heads. But sadly, only time will bring answers. Some of the most interesting questions though will pertain to how all of this plays out on the political scene? What effect will it have on the Toronto Mayoral elections due sometime later this year? That was already a hotbed of contention before the meetings took place. Then, will it have any bearing on the results of the next Provincial Election, due within the next year or so? That leads us to the major question; how will it affect the minority Federal Conservative govt. now in power, who masterminded the whole fiasco? Will it bring the smaller parties together and initiate the vote of no confidence they have already threatened so many times, forcing an early Federal Election? Or will our wannabe dictator, Mr Harper, come out smelling like a rose, and continue to impose his singular will, to ride roughshod over the nation? As I said earlier, Friends, only time will give us the answers to the many questions we’ve posed. Now, having posted all those negatives, are there any positives to be taken from this most unfortunate incident? The only one I can think of is ‘DON’T DO IT AGAIN!’ Every year our leaders get together with a lot of huff and puff, but nothing concrete ever comes out of it. They put out communiqués that in essence say nothing, mean nothing to poor, suffering folks, and a few promises that never fully materialize, if they ever see the light of day. All it does is provide wonderful fodder every year for people with a destructive agenda, and inconvenience those who live in the meeting areas. So it’s a lot of taxpayers’ being money spent, inevitable destruction of property, much police presence and arrests, possible death and serious injury, then further bad blood between opposing sides and no real improvement in the world’s many ills. War, poverty, hunger, violence, oppression, greed, disease and sickness still rule the roost in the most technologically advanced and wealthy civilization mankind has ever seen. Chuh! Yes Friends, by now you understand my feelings on the subject. It was a sad waste of time, effort and money; all to satisfy the vast and still growing ego of one man who seeks to write his name large on the world stage. But unfortunately, when the history is written and told, the Summit Meetings in Toronto in June 2010 will only be remembered for the rioting, the widespread security barriers and overwhelming police presence. No one will be able to tell you what good came out of it. My people, when will we ever learn that no really important, far reaching or long lasting decisions are ever made by a large number of politicians meeting over two days. It’s hard enough to reach some consensus over difficult matters between a few, powerful and diverse entities in a short period of time, how can we ever hope to have much come out when so many are involved? Oh Friends, thankfully the nightmare in Toronto is over now. I’m sure we’ll bounce back, for we always do,  just not in what form and fashion. Let’s hope we bounce back in a much better and godlier way than we were before. And it’s very important to pray that we forget the unfortunate past, sooner rather than later, and for us to work seriously at becoming the vibrant, diverse, friendly, godly, world class city we’re destined to be. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen. Oh Friends, as Jesus said in our Bit; only some are given the understanding to know the veiled teachings of God’s kingdom. It sure seems that those who organized this disastrous incident weren’t among those lucky few. It also shows how desperately we need the LOVE Revolution we’ve been talking about, for it’s only LOVE that can conquer the evils of the world. Let’s seriously try moving it along nuh, else we’ll only have more, and possibly worse incidents than this. Much LOVE!…it’s becoming ever more important …to LOVE our God…SPREAD His Word…and LIVE our Faith…

Oh Friends, unfortunately the peace of Toronto has been shattered, and its safety greatly compromised. The first serious confrontation between security and a supposed group of anarchists occurred yesterday, Saturday. There were varied reports of whether the police used tear gas or not, but storefronts were destroyed and other property damage was sustained. Cars were also set on fire, with about 150 protesters arrested. I heard a news report that Police Chief Bill Blair was disappointed with the protesters’ behaviour. Well blow me down! What did he expect eh, with all the security measures, the extremely high number of police and their very visible presence? That everything would be hunky-dory, and it would be like a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park? He is the same one that called for more police powers. It’s sad, but with all the supposed expertise and knowledge we claim to have about human behaviour, we are either fooling ourselves, or in this case we blatantly chose to disregard it. Oh mih people, any elementary psychologist knows that if you wave a red flag in front of a bull, it’s going to come at you angrily snorting. Mankind is essentially the same, an animal with animal instincts; anything you tell him strongly enough not do, he will do. So if you put up all those fortress like barricades and trot out oodles of cops, what do you expect? You’re just thumbing your nose at the people. And even without the anarchists, there will always be some basically peaceful people with that overpowering animal instinct to test the security measures, or those who will take serious umbrage at the curtailment of their rights and privileges. And once that happens, if there’s a violent response, then all fall down. Steups! Ah Friends, I know that we’ve been guided to pray for the success of this overwhelming enterprise, but somehow, deep down, from a practical standpoint, I don’t see much good coming from it. It’s too short, too big and unwieldy. A couple days for so many people of such diverse backgrounds, wants and needs are not sufficient to make any inroads into the many ills of our world. And the large numbers of the entourages aren’t justified either for just a few days. It gives the impression that everybody is just here to have a good time junket, shopping, partying and glad-handing, all at taxpayer’s expense. However Friends, despite all the negative concerns, I’m still imploring us to pray that the senseless violence and wasteful destruction will be severely limited, and the positive outcome of the gathering will greatly outweigh the negative aspects. If we’re dreaming, we might as well dream big eh! (smile) But enough on the Summits now. I chose Today’s Bit because I wanted to share a surprising personal experience. In Psalm 4, ‘An evening prayer of trust in God,’ Bruh David ends with some powerful words of faith and trust. ‘I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’ Oh my brethren, I’m here to tell us that this past week has been one of, if not the most peaceful week in my life. Don’t ask me why, but for some reason, this week I experienced a tremendous feeling of peace and calm. Nothing spectacular or untoward happened. My life’s still the same. And though the lives of a couple of my few friends have improved considerably, for which I’m very happy and thankful, that still does not explain the eerie feeling of contentment and peace that washed over me this week. But ever since last Sunday, Father’s Day, when I went on that boat ride around the Toronto harbour with my young daughter, where I saw and reconnected with several old friends, and partied heartily to David Rudder and Dr.Jay, it seems like a heavy weight’s been lifted off my shoulders and inexplicably, but happily and blessedly replaced by an aura of peace and well-being. All I can say is ‘Thank you Lord!’ For it has to be His work. Nothing at all bothered me this week, even the couple of minor setbacks that occurred. I took it all in stride, reasoning that it was the Lord’s will, and He obviously had something better in mind than what I was focused on. I guess I found myself in that peace zone that Bruh David talks about. ‘I laid me down and slept; I awakened; for the Lord sustained me.’ (Ps.3:5) Or as when Job’s friend Zophar reproves him. ‘If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him…and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles (tents, (households) …yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and shall not fear: Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away. And thine age (life) shall be clearer (brighter) than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.’ (Job 11:13-18) Oh Friends, I don’t think the ole fella has scaled those great heights as yet, but he’s certainly on the right track. Hopefully that feeling of peace and calm will remain with me forever. I don’t know if it’s due to spiritual, mental or emotional maturity, or to all three of them, but it certainly feels good. And the moral of the story? Oh my people, it’s simply proven to me that though we’re surrounded by enemies and problems, it’s still possible to have peace and calm in the eye of the storm if we look to Jesus for help and guidance. From a practical and personal perspective, it surely corroborates all the Good Book says on the topic. So if I can achieve it, so can we all, if we focus steadfastly on the Lord and the TRUTH of His Word. Friends, it’s not rocket science, but just plain old fashioned hard work, accompanied by true faith, trust and surrender. Let’s all work seriously towards that most satisfying feeling of peace and contentment nuh! Much LOVE! …when we work through Jesus…all things are possible…

Oh Friends, the Summits have begun, and Fortress Toronto is in the world spotlight. So far there have been only a few minor skirmishes, no serious confrontations between protesters and the security forces, which are expected to number some 19,000 between the two venues. Wow! If that isn’t police overkill I don’t know what is. Our Provincial Govt. even passed a law secretly for the occasion, giving police the power to arrest anyone who comes within 5 metres of the perimeter and refuses to show identification. Hn! And we spout about democracy and freedom! Where is it eh? Only in our minds I guess, because since 9/11 the powers that be have used it and all the terrorism talk as an excuse to strengthen the military and police powers. Anyway Friends, the big 8, or however many they are up there, will finish in Huntsville today, and proceed to Toronto to become the big 20, or however many again. That’s when the fireworks, if any, are expected to begin. So my people, I urge, implore, plead and beg us to pray sincerely and diligently that no serious issues develop, and that our leaders make this a truly memorable occasion with lots of good stuff actually being done because of it. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Yesterday, we looked at our Bit from a positive context, today, we’ll look at it in the negative light which Cousin Sol apparently meant it. ‘A man that hath friends must show himself friendly:’ He was talking sort of tongue in cheek, making a positive statement but actually with a negative meaning; that those who have too many friends will very likely come to ruin. And that’s no lie! If we spread ourselves too thin with a lot of superficial relationships, improperly termed friendships, we will certainly rue the day of our birth. I don’t know how many times my mother cautioned me about particular friends and friends in general, saying that I have to be careful whom I consider friends, because it’s very easy for friends to lead you astray. And that’s the gospel truth my people! And I’m talking now from hard, personal experience, for though my mother’s warning rang in my ears, at each stage of my life I’ve been undone by so-called friends. In my youth, I felt the lash of her strap when I followed friends where I wasn’t supposed to, while later on the price was paid in money and emotional discomfort. Now it hasn’t been as bad as it sounds, but there have been some really unexpected friendship disappointments. But what hurt the most in those betrayals was not so much what they did, but more how they did it; in almost every case, behind my back with no warning whatsoever. With some we were involved in projects, quite closely in my opinion, but then they’d suddenly disappear, or stop calling, stop coming around, even stop accepting my calls. But you know what Friends? I finally realized that that was there loss, not mine, because none of them have risen to any better heights. In fact, all are doing worse. The Good Lord has looked after me through all the ups and downs. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m here to tell you the Lord indeed looks after His own. Not always the way we want, but when we look back, we’ll always discover that we’ve ended up better off than if the so-called friends had stuck around. We don’t realize it then, but the Lord’s actually weeding out the unreliable people from our lives. And I guess I have to shoulder some of the blame because I’m so open and easy going. My children might want to interject naïve and stupid too. (smile) That’s because if a stranger smiles at me and says hello today, and I meet them again tomorrow, I’ll consider them a friend. In hindsight, I can see that the Lord actually blessed me when He pared down my friends to a mere handful now. The few who remain will move hell and high-water for me, a couple have already done, and I try to reciprocate whenever I can. Remember, the definition of true friendship is standing up for and helping, both in good and bad times. We certainly don’t need people around like Job describes: ‘Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend.’ (Job 6:27) We definitely don’t need people close to us undermining us, though that’s what a lot of them who call themselves friends do. And I’m sure all of you my brethren have had the unfortunate experience of being betrayed by a person in a close relationship. But yuh know what mih people, our God is a GOOD God, and He won’t let the righteous suffer for no good reason. And here’s what often happens to those who betray us. Bruh David both knew it and felt it. ‘They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.’ (Ps.57:6) Yes Friends, those who betray us, often find themselves betrayed too. Their evil, ungodly plans usually backfire on them. It’s called poetic justice, but it’s from the Lord, who repays evil doers in His own time. So what’s the answer mih people? The first thing is to be very very careful of whom we allow to get close to us, whom we allow into our inner sanctum. Hopefully I’ve learned that lesson now. (smile) Don’t be too quick to share your innermost secrets or details of your life, for with the sad state of our society it can, and will be used against you more quickly, and with harsher consequences than ever before. In other words, play your cards close to your chest, for as the ole people would say; ‘Is not all skin teeth is smile.’ And that’s the God awesome truth! Not everyone who laughs or smiles with you can be trusted. And then Friends, only cultivate a few, a handful at most, of trusted, loyal people, who will genuinely stand beside you through thick and thin. Cousin Sol hit the nail on the head when he said: ‘A friend LOVETH at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.’ (Prov.17:17) Yes people, no man is an island, so we all need a genuine few who’ll become as family and behave responsibly, showing LOVE at all times. I like how Beres Hammond says it in his song Giving Thanks. ‘Right here now, the friends I’m surrounded, are but few. Glad I’m not crowed. Just enough, just enough for me to concentrate.’  Ah Friends, this friendship thing is like a sticky wicket to navigate, for we even have to be careful of those who claim to be our Friends in Christ. But if we’re careful, and stay in touch with the Father, though we may face some adversity through some unfaithful friendships, in the long run, we WILL end up with a handful of real, true Friends, who will make our lives so beautiful and fulfilled that we’ll wonder how we ever got along without them. So just keep smiling and being a true Friend in Christ. He will do the rest. Much LOVE!…if we are faithful…the Lord will surround us with faithful people…