Psalm 60:11. Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s under the weather this morning. A stubborn cold seems to have me in its grip. But only total incapacity or death can stop the Bit from going out. Ah better shut mih mouth here though, before the Lord decides to take me up on my boast, (smile) for He does delight in testing our bluster. Sadly, or rather luckily, I haven’t had a real cold for so long now that I’ve forgotten how lousy it can make you feel, as it drains, just saps the very energy from your lifeblood. And despite all the stuff I’m taking, it still has to run its course. It’s like fear in its workings, which saps the faith out of our souls and makes us wimpy, anxious and prone to worry. Unlike the normal cold though people, we cannot allow fear to run it’s course, otherwise it will stay with us permanently, and we’ll live a constantly fearful life. Fear has no natural stop time like the cold. We have to seriously and diligently work at eliminating it as soon as possible, nip it in the bud if we can. And how do we do that? By turning to Almighty God in faith, trust and total surrender! Note Bruh David’s plea in our Bit: ‘Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.’ Yes mih people, man’s help is very unreliable. Look at all the gated communities that have sprung up because of fear, with men guarding them. Unfortunately they are still liable to the evil that men do, because man is a finite, incomplete source of help and protection. Anything man-made can be unlocked or broken into by man. Look at all the security systems, dogs and otherwise that are supposed to protect our homes and businesses, yet they are still vandalized. The security guards with weapons on armoured trucks, they too have been robbed. So there’s no real help in man and his means. Oh Friends, it’s only in the presence of Almighty God, or His presence in our lives that a man can feel safe, and be guaranteed serious and sincere help in times of trouble. Bruh David ended Psalm 60, a prayer for help against the foe, with these words of assurance and comfort: ‘Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.’ (Ps.60:12) And that’s the undeniable truth my people! It is only with God’s help that we can overcome our enemies in this evil, oppressive world. Listen to what Bruh David says in Psalm 34, the Lord hears the righteous: ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing.’ (Ps.34:8-10) Then in Psalm 40, praise for answered prayer, he boldly proclaims: ‘Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust; and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ (Ps.40:4) Oh Friends, I do hope we’re getting the picture here, that it’s absolutely necessary to have faith and trust in the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob if we’re to live a fruitful, successful and prosperous earthly life. And if those scriptures haven’t convinced you, (smile) let’s try a few more, starting with Psalm 84, titled, blessed are they that dwell in thy house: The psalmist at the end, confidently declares: ‘For the Lord God is a sun and shield: The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (Ps.84:11-12) Moving on to Psalm 118, where the psalmist is giving thanks for the Lord’s salvation, he also stoutly declares: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps.118:8-9) And we’ll end with some inspiring and uplifting words from Psalm 146, the blessedness of trusting God. The psalmist truthfully states: ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man (human being), in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth (spirit departs), he returneth to his earth: in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.’ (Ps.146:3-5) And that Friends is the gospel truth! No ifs, ands or buts about it. The only being it makes sense to trust completely is the Most High God Jehovah, who made the universe and everything in it, and still controls what happens therein. Man’s help can indeed be useful at times, but in the long run, it will inevitably let you down. So let’s be wise nuh and trust in the one true source of help – Almighty God! Much LOVE!…man is quick to promise help…but when push comes to shove…it’s only God…who will not disappoint you…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 January 2012 Psalm 60:11
28 Jan 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: almighty god, bluster, gated communities, incapacity, stop time
Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 January 2012 Psalm 18:3
27 Jan 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: glorious kingdom, innocent prey, jehovah god, mighty god, psalm 18, roaring lion
Psalm 18:3. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, it’s Friday! The weekend is here at last! And all God’s hard working people boldly declared: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ Yes my brethren, we know you’re tired and all that, but the weekend is not simply a time to laze around and vegetate, we still need to keep in touch with Jehovah God and do His will, keep His earthly kingdom functioning properly. And to help us do that, to give us the motivation to keep on keeping on, let’s chant our Friday Chant in loud voice, with much enthusiasm. On three; one, two, three: ‘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.’ Yeh mih people, though there’s a time for rest and relaxation, we can never afford to shut down God’s kingdom work, it has to be kept going 24/7, because the enemy never sleeps, never let’s up. As Peter so rightly declares: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith…’ (1 Pet.5:8-9) And that’s the gospel truth Friends, for Beelzebub is always on the prowl, looking for innocent prey. And the best way to resist and/ or defeat the evil one is doing like Bruh David says in our Bit: ‘I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ That’s because our God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. He sees everything, is everywhere and can do anything. What a mighty God! So why do we refuse to sincerely call on Him in time of trouble eh? In Psalm 18, a prayer of thanksgiving and deliverance from all his enemies, especially the wicked, jealous Saul, Bruh David boldly and truthfully declares: ‘It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect…It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.’ (Ps.18:32,47) The writer of Psalm 91 also staunchly proclaimed: “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.’ (Ps.91:2) Yes Friends, we need to remember that without Jehovah God in our corner, we can do nothing much for ourselves. And right here, let’s note Jesus’ words to His disciples: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) Also Bruh Paul’s statement to the Philippians, where he humbly, but confidently proclaims: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:13) Yes my people, it is our great, wonderful. LOVING, and merciful God who gives us the wherewithal to do anything and everything. The sad fact though is that too many of us, believers included, pass it over, don’t take it seriously enough, thus the high state of fear, tension, worry and anxiety that exists in our world. Oh Friends, we have seen how fickle and faithless the souls and promises of our fellow man can be, so why do we still in many cases, turn to him first, rather than the most powerful and faithful Being in existence, Almighty God? I really don’t understand it. Theoretically it should be a no-brainer. Logic should dictate that we always go to the mightiest and most helpful when we need or seek help. The problem though is that we can’t just go to Almighty God for help without believing and trusting in Him, in His Son Jesus, and His Holy Spirit. and we have to believe with strong faith too, not just a wishy-washy attitude, with no real heart motive, for remember that’s where the Lord looks before considering our pleas. So Friends, as of today, let’s promise ourselves to faithfully work on increasing our faith in God, so that there’ll be absolutely no doubt in our hearts and minds as to our real Provider and Protector, and no hesitation to approach Him first, always, for help. And to end, let’s hear what the angels and elders, thousands of thousands, are saying in heaven with loud voices: ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory and blessing.’ (Rev.5:12) Oh Friends, we couldn’t find a better person to build a personal relationship with than Jesus. Please, I implore us to write that deep in our hearts, minds and souls, for it’s wisdom at its highest. Much LOVE!…in both good times and bad…my strong faith will keep my attention focused on Jesus…from who my life and my strength come…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 January 2012 Isaiah 43:13
26 Jan 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: dr robert schuller, isaiah 43, spirit shields, truthful answer, uplifting scriptures, workaday world
Isaiah 43:13. Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
Oh Friends, as I keep saying our Lord does indeed work in mysterious ways! And what made me say that this time? Well I’ve been reading this Devotional by Dr. Robert Schuller, Hours of Power, for a few years now, and most of the devotionals strike some familiar chord as I read them year after year, but this one, hn! Truthfully this is the first time I really noticed this one. Today it just jumped out at me, and I realized that I had to share it. The title is Begin Each Day With A Positive Seed Thought. And it says: ‘Dress your mind when you dress your body. No discreet person would go into the world half dressed. No wise person will consider himself well dressed unless his mind is wearing a “positive idea” as a shield against the negative forces that will strike him before his workday begins. Make a hobby of collecting “shields for the spirit” that can fortify your mind as you move into the workaday world. Try these spirit shields.’ Then he goes on to give a few uplifting scriptures that can be used as shields. I won’t include them because we can all find the ones that are most appropriate and helpful to us personally. But Friends, I daresay that’s a jolly good idea! It could be immensely helpful when we get dressed in the body in the morning to also dress our minds and souls with affirmations of scripture. It will surely boost our spirits, filling us with pride and courage to go out and further the Saviour’s kingdom. Now turning to our Bit, which I had no trouble finding today, for as I opened the Good Book, that was the first passage my eyes fell on. Oh thank you Lord! And our Bit says: ‘Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it (reverse it)?’ And the simple, obvious, truthful answer to that Friends is ‘NOBODY!’ For there’s nobody greater or higher than our God! He created the universe and all therein, and still controls it. He says, ‘before the day was I am he.’ And Moses concurs in Psalm 90 by enthusiastically declaring: ‘Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place (refuge) in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed (gave birth to) the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God.’ (Ps.90:1-2) And Moses should really know about our God, for he had so many miraculous dealings with Him. It therefore follows that if the first part of our Bit is true, then the next part ‘and there is none that can deliver out of my hand,’ must needs be also true, for if our God is the greatest and existed before the universe was created, then who can overpower Him? And the same answer applies: ‘NOBODY!’ Hear again what the Lord says through His prophet Isaiah: ‘Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and his Spirit hath sent me.’ (Is.48:16) Yes my people, our God has never spoken in secret, He’s always told it like it is right from the beginning with our forefather Adam. According to the scholars, many people have seen a reference to the Holy Trinity in that verse. It does sound plausible, if one asks the question, who is it that the Lord and His Spirit have sent? The last line of our Bit is also a powerful acclamation of our omnipotent God. He calmly but with great confidence says: ‘I will work, and who shall let it be (reverse it)?’ And that answer once again Friends is a resounding, ‘NOBODY!’ Job, who underwent a mighty test from God, said it this way: ‘He (God) is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?…Behold he taketh away, who can hinder him (turn him back)? Who will say unto him, What doest thou?’ (Job 9:4,12) And Isaiah concurs with: ‘This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?’ (Is.14:26-27) Ah Friends, as believers in the Most High God Jehovah, and followers of His most precious Son Jesus Christ, we know without a doubt that nobody or nothing in this universe is greater than, stronger, wiser, more LOVING, kind, merciful and forgiving than our heavenly Father. So let’s allow that to eliminate the fear in our souls nuh, the fear that this crazy, confused, unjust, evil world has caused to seep in there. Faith in the omnipotence of the Holy Trinity should make us unafraid of what the world can do. As Jesus warned: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt.10:28) And that’s how we ought to operate Friends! In this auspicious year then of 2012, please let it be said that believers in Jesus Christ threw fear out of their souls and increased their faith so much, that they made a meaningful difference in the ongoing LOVE Revolution, and thus brought a greater modicum of peace to God’s wonderful world. Much LOVE!…fear restricts true LOVE…but faith empowers it…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 January 2012 Matthew 6:33
25 Jan 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: everyday miracles, glorious god, loving god, surrogate sister, thanks and praise
Matthew 6:33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Morning Neighbuhs, morning! It’s a brand new day, and we’re alive and kicking! Wow! What a blessing! I sure hope that we all gave thanks and praise to our great and glorious God when we awoke to another eventful and exciting day, because that is absolutely necessary if we are to function well in these evil and turbulent times. Anyway, yuh know how I’m always telling us to look for and admire the small, simple, everyday miracles that God does in our lives? Well listen to this one that happened to me yesterday. You read how I was lost yesterday, not knowing what to write in the Bit, but I persevered, as I should, and eventually something decent came together. Now usually when I struggle with the Bit, it ends up wowing me, through God’s hand obviously. But for some reason yesterday’s Bit didn’t end up wowing me. Though I knew that it was decent enough, since the Lord would never allow me to put out something not worthy of His name, I still felt a strong thread of doubt running through my being. But lo and behold, I don’t even think it was quite ten minutes after sending out the Bit, that I got an e-mail from a friend, in fact a surrogate sister, telling me how the Bit was good, and how much she enjoyed and appreciated it. All I could say was ‘Wow! Thank you Lord!’ Thanks a whole lot too Cher! I’m glad that He used you as His messenger. Now Friends, tell me that that wasn’t the great, all knowing hand of our merciful, kind and LOVING God moving on my behalf. He knew that if I hadn’t gotten some affirmation regarding the Bit, I would be doubtful and not happy, so therefore He inspired someone whose opinion I trust to contact me and dispel my doubts. What really amazed me though was the speed with which that affirmation came. So Friends, if we want to be happy on a day to day basis, we have to be concerned about and pay attention to the small things in life, for oftimes that’s where the Lord works His wonders. That means we have to value the uneventful, everyday occurrences as well as the big, eventful occasions. And since we have so many more small matters to deal with, than large, if we don’t pay attention to them, we’re liable to not see a lot of God’s good hand working on our behalf. Oh Friends, other believers can give you all the glorious testimony they want, but until you try it and experience it for yourselves, you’ll never appreciate it as much. That’s exactly why Jesus says in our Bit: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ‘Yes mih people, God’s kingdom work, doing the things He desires, should always be first on our list! Granted we have other things to do on this earth, like work and look after our families; get clothes, food, and shelter for them, but the wonderful thing about all this is that Jesus explicitly promised that if we put the things of God first, our heavenly Father will ensure that whatever we need to live a successful, prosperous earthly life will be forthcoming to us in some way or other. And all we old fogeys saw it in action, because when we were growing up, many of us didn’t have much worldly possessions, but we never lacked the necessities of life, like food, clothing and shelter. That’s because our parents style of living was much simpler and godlier than today. Back then, people shared without having to be begged, beseeched and badgered. It just came naturally, in fact, was expected. Today though, that’s almost impossible for the young generation to fathom, and that’s the fault of us old fogeys, because we never taught them the unbelievable, intrinsic value of sharing. Now perhaps the best example of someone seeking God’s kingdom first, and then being overwhelmed by His blessings is Cousin Sol. When he became king of Israel, after Bruh David’s death, God asked him in a dream what he wanted. Cousin Sol asked for wisdom and understanding to rule God’s people. That pleased God so much that He granted him his wish: ‘Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.’ (1 Kin.3:12) Now it’s obviously great to have our wishes granted, but because Sol’s focus was on God, rather than earthly possessions, God was even more generous: ‘And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour: so that there shall not be any (anyone) among the kings like unto thee all thy days.’ (1 Kin.3:13) Oh Friends, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! I never tire of saying that because I see it everyday, and you can too, if you look for it. And the Lord further promised Cousin Sol: ‘ And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.’ (1 Kin.3:14) Now Friends, that’s the same basic thing Jesus is telling us today: If we walk in His ways, seek His kingdom first, then all our everyday needs will surely be met. And Cousin Sol did follow God’s way for most of his life, till today, thousands of years later, he’s still known as the wisest and richest man who ever lived. Those accolades came because he set his sights, his focus on God’s work above all else. Oh my people, in these uncertain and troubled times, we too need to focus ever so much on God’s work, the eternal things of heaven, rather than the passing fancies of this world, if we hope to be blessed and made to overcome life’s inevitable difficulties. That’s wisdom at it’s zenith! Much LOVE!…he who listens, will prosper…but he that is disobedient, will suffer great hardship and loss…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 January 2012 Isaiah 41:6
24 Jan 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: canaanite woman, fear mongering, good courage, isaiah 41, negative emotion, truthful statement
Isaiah 41:6. They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.
Oh Friends, this life can be so amusing and annoying at times eh! A few moments ago, I was sitting here at my desk, looking at all the stuff around me, lost, like in limbo – not the dance. (smile) The Good Book was opened in front of me and I had asked for guidance, but I still didn’t know what to write. I was there, like the Canaanite woman with the demon possessed daughter, who had come to Christ, saying ‘Lord, help me.’ (Matt.15:25) A little while later, in a moment of inspiration, I got up and went over to my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster, and began reading the quotes I had never used before in the Bit. Lo and behold, this one struck me as being very relevant. ‘Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers, why not gather your own bouquet.’ Now that’s both a very interesting and truthful statement. Sometimes we sit around waiting for others to bring or do stuff for us and end up waiting in vain, when it would be much easier and more productive if we just did it ourselves. This waiting for, or expecting others to do stuff is one of the bad habits our world has recently adopted. We all want the glory that can come from actually doing, but none of the hard work or the possible negative side effects. We see this especially in North American styled societies, where for example, we’re very reluctant to help someone in distress, afraid that later on, if something negative happens, they will turn around and sue us. Oh my people, these days basic fear and fear mongering are widespread in our society, and sadly, instead of the positive emotion of faith being the backbone of our society, it’s quickly moving to the negative emotion of fear. But we all know that’s not right, faith should be our most active and widespread emotion. Our great God explicitly states: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is.41:10) And we know that whatever Jehovah God proclaims is the living truth! So why my Friends are we still so afraid of life and the problems it brings eh? Why are we afraid, reluctant and too selfish to help others eh? Look at what our Bit says, when talking about the final restoration of Israel: ‘They helped every one his neighbour: and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage (Be strong).’ Unfortunately my brethren, we can’t afford to wait until the end times – though these might even be it – to start coming together and helping each other. We used to do it before when our society wasn’t as busy and self-centred as it now is. And we can certainly do it again, if we so desire, with the Lord’s help of course. The Psalms make it abundantly clear that our source of help comes from God. ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (mountains), from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.’ (Ps.121:1-2) ‘Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.’ (Ps.33:20) ‘God is our refuge and strength; a very present (an abundantly available) help in trouble. Therefore will we not fear…’ (Ps.46: 1-2) Ah Friends, that’s only a small sample of scriptures showing God to be our source of help, but what it all boils down to is that though these times are very troubled and worrisome, believers should not be afraid, for whatever happens, the Lord has promised to protect us, and we should be strong enough in faith to stand on His promise. That doesn’t mean we should sit and do nothing, but rather be more active than ever in His Name. We need to get up off our hefty rear ends and begin helping ourselves as well as others. Do consider the negative possibilities, but don’t let them intimidate you and drive you to inaction. Remember, Christianity is an action movement. Note the word play there: both action and movement. It’s not like a limpid, unmoving pool with no natural outlet, waiting there for someone to come and stir it up, but more like a strong flowing river, continuously moving towards its destination, in many cases, the open sea. That’s how Christianity ought to be my people; continuously moving towards the greater good, the way of Jesus, that leads to our eventual destination – heaven. Oh Friends, no true believer can be happy with the way Christianity is shaping up today. It needs to be much improved in all areas if we are to give the world a realistic and faithful image of what Jesus desires. So please, in this fateful year of 2012, let’s all get a move on and try to improve it, for time is running out, and Jesus is definitely not happy with our efforts. Much LOVE!…we’re all to blame…for we have all sinned…and come short of the glory of God… (Rom.3:23)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 January 2012 Romans 5:19
23 Jan 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: battle hymn, glorious kingdom, humble servants, steadfast faith, ungodly world, weary souls
Romans 5:19. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday! Yes you heard me right; it is Monday, so cut out the plaintive moaning, there’s no getting away from your duties. You chose to take up your cross and follow Christ, therefore rise and shine and prepare yourself for battle. Jesus has already issued His marching orders, so please shake off the sleep, tiredness, laziness, fear or whatever is holding you back, and get a move on. And to help us get in warrior mode, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great gusto. All together now: ‘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 incredible 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, what a wonderful opportunity it is to serve Jesus, the One who’s done so much for mankind, what no one else in all of creation could do! That’s being a worthy sacrifice for all of our sins from day one, right throughout eternity. As Bruh Paul so appropriately puts it to the Romans in our Bit: ‘For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.’ Yes mih people, from the day our forefather Adam disobeyed God and brought sin into the world, all of his descendants thereafter were tainted by sin; were born, lived in and died under the evil aura of sin. However, our wonderful God, in all His might, wisdom, LOVE, mercy and forgiveness, devised an ingenious plan to repatriate us to His side; the sending of His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross, to shed his precious, sinless blood as a one time sacrifice for the sins of the entire world. And all God’s people raised their hands, hearts, eyes and minds to heaven and gratefully declared: ‘Oh thank you Father for sending Jesus to reconcile us to You. We praise You and bless Your Holy Name, now and forever! Amen.’ Ah mih breddren, that reconciliation, with the consequent salvation and promise of eternal life are the greatest gifts ever bestowed on man. And Jesus was definitely obedient, as we can see from the gospels, where He constantly made obeisance to His heavenly Father, and gave Him all the glory for all the wondrous acts He, Jesus, did here on earth. Bruh Paul says it well to the Philippians, re Christ: ‘Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in the fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil.2:6-8) That is the epitome of obedience Friends! I’m sure that a mere handful of us, if so many, would even contemplate such obedience, much less follow through with it. So why are we so reluctant to be obedient to Jesus eh? And it’s not like He’s asking us to do anything even close to what His Father asked of Him. But yet we hem and haw over living a decent life in His name and telling people about Him, in fact denying them the opportunity to be saved and receive salvation and eternal life like us. Foolish fear about what the world will say and think about us makes us keep quiet or even like Peter, deny that we know Him. Oh Friends, how shameful that is; to claim that you’re a follower of the greatest person who ever lived, but then be ashamed or afraid to stand up for Him! Jesus didn’t want His living and dying to be kept a secret. He wanted it to be noised abroad to the whole world. People of other religions, none of which can hold a candle to ours, because it’s the living truth, are much more vocal and proud of theirs than we are of ours. Oh Friends, it’s time we stopped hiding our lights under bushel. Jesus said: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.5:16) And that is exactly what He did while here on earth. So Friends, if Jesus could be obedient to His Father, and we claim to be His followers, then shouldn’t we be obedient to Jesus too? I’ll leave that for each of us to ponder today, and pray that we all come to the right conclusion. This scripture should help us: ‘Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.’ (Heb.5:8-10) Yes Friends, obedience brings great rewards. Much LOVE!…oh how could believers not be wildly enthusiastic and excited about Jesus…after all He’s done for us…and not want to shout out the good news to the entire world as He asked us to do…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 January 2012 Titus 2:1
22 Jan 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: elderly men, false accusers, hearts and minds, moral fortitude, things which become sound doctrine
Titus 2:1. But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine.
Oh Friends, another week and January will be over. Can you believe it? This new year of 2012 is certainly moving along at a fast clip. That means we don’t have time to laze about or fool around, we have to get ourselves together asap, get our spirits properly aligned with that of Christ, so that we can work seriously and diligently on His behalf. And one of the ways we need to do that is through our general behaviour, especially in our domestic or home lives. As Bruh Paul wrote to his protégé Titus in our Bit, after leaving him on the island of Crete to establish and then nourish the churches: ‘But speak thou the things which become (are proper for) sound doctrine.’ Yes Friends, as the old folks constantly drilled in our ears and tried to instil in our hearts and minds: ‘charity (LOVE) begins at home.’ You can’t expect to go outside and preach Jesus, while at home you’re heartily entertaining Lucifer. We must first hone our Jesus skills at home before we go abroad with them. Consequently, Bruh Paul outlined to Titus: ‘That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.’ (Titus 2:2) That’s right my people, elderly men in the church ought to be sensible, as well as not drunkards, in the common use of the word sober, reverent and dignified too, not forgetting thoughtful and prudent, having a strong and healthy faith, also a strong LOVE walk, and be very steadfast and persevering. Wow! A lot’s sure expected of us Friends. In other words, we elderly men should lead by example, be pillars of godliness to the younger men. The same goes for the older women: ‘The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things.’ (Titus 2:3) They too should show godly behaviour, not be slanderers and gossip-mongers, or winebibbers, having the moral fortitude to teach others the right way. ‘That they may teach (admonish) the young women to be sober, to LOVE their husbands, to LOVE their children, To be discreet (modest and decent), chaste (sexually pure), keepers at home (homemakers not idle), good, obedient (submissive) to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.’ (Titus 2:4-5) That’s how older men and women ought to behave, teaching the young both by example and words. Unfortunately a lot of us do neither, while some say the words, but they’re totally opposite, at odds with the example they show in their lives. This particular verse where Bruh Paul tells Titus: ‘Young men likewise exhort to be soberminded,’ (Titus 2:6) is one that many of us flunk. Why? Because in many instances we’re afraid to talk to the proud, egotistic, worldly young men of today for fear of undesirable repercussions. It’s not like when we were growing up, where you could admonish a stranger for inappropriate behaviour and get away with it. Not in today’s lawless and ruthless society, for you can quite easily come to verbal abuse and even physical harm by talking to a young person you know, much less one you don’t know. Consequently, the gangs and other non-law abiding groups are causing many of us to live in fear, because if we criticize their behaviour they are liable to retaliate violently. But that doesn’t mean we have to stop trying, we just have to be more judicious about how we reprimand them. Then Bruh Paul further exhorts Titus: ‘In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness (integrity), gravity (reverence), sincerity (incorruptibility), Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part (an opponent) may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.’ (Titus 2:7-8) Ah Friends, like most things in this confused, strife-torn world, that directive is easier said than done. But as followers of Jesus that’s what is expected of us. Remember Jesus has high hopes and expectations of excellence from us, and though we’ll make mistakes along the way, with His help, we can certainly improve. However, we have to take the whole thing seriously, make a conscious decision to do it, then work diligently at it. This unfortunate contradiction between our words and our behaviour is what turns others off of believers. That’s why Jesus so often lambasted the scribes and Pharisees of His day, calling them hypocrites, because their pompous, highfalutin talk didn’t match their walk. Oh my people, please, I implore us, let’s not allow that to be said of us – at least not after today. (smile) Let us try our very best to bring the basic elements of Christianity to the forefront in all aspects of our lives, so that Jesus will be worthily glorified and His wonderful kingdom furthered. Much LOVE!…how can we call ourselves followers of Jesus…and not walk the way He walked…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 January 2012 Isaiah 43:19
21 Jan 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: amazing god, amazing stuff, everyday miracles, isaiah 43, israelites in the wilderness, rivers in the desert
Isaiah 43:19. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Oh Friends, this Saturday morning, as the universe unfurls as it should, let’s give our God a loud, hearty and grateful, ‘Thank You Lord!’ for safely bringing us through the long, dark night into a bright new day, filled with His blessings and unconditional LOVE. What an amazing God we serve! Unfortunately too many of us don’t see, understand and appreciate the amazing stuff He does in our lives every day. That’s because we’re always thinking in terms of big miracles, of selfish wants and needs. Meanwhile, His bounty is constantly being poured out in small amounts, on small problems, in so many different parts of our lives. Oh Friends, it’s the little things, the little everyday miracles that keep us so amazed by and enthralled with God, which keep us LOVING Him and wanting to give our all, do our best for Him. He’s faithfully kept all the promises He’s ever made, and in this YEAR OF JESUS, He’s reiterated one found in our Bit: ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ Oh my brethren, what an awesome promise! Now yesterday we looked at some of the scriptures pertaining to doing new things in the lives of believers, and there are more, but instead to day I want to check out some pertaining to the last part of our Bit: ‘I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ This is the practical application of the promise. First up is water being miraculously supplied for the Israelites in the wilderness to appease their whining and complaining and wanting to return to Egypt. ‘And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest (struck) the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah (Tempted), and Meribah (Contention), because of the chiding (contention) of the children of Israel, and because they tempted (tested) the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?’ (Ex.17:5-7) The second scripture also deals with the Israelites complaining about the lack of water. Moses and Aaron prayed to the Lord for guidance outside the tabernacle entrance. ‘And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth water to them out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify (hallow) me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.’ (Num.20:7-13) Now Friends, not only were the Israelites worrisome, but here Moses was also disobedient to God’s direction. In the first passage He told him to strike the rock with the rod, but in that last one he was supposed to speak to the rock. But in his anger he struck the rock twice instead, and by not carrying out God’s instruction, he failed to sanctify, elevate, honour Him in the Israelites eyes, and consequently forfeited the privilege of leading them into the Promised Land. Then later on, the Lord warned them to not get too big for their breeches and forget’ Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove (test) thee, to do thee good at thy latter end. And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.’ (Deut.8:15-17) Ah Friends, but the Israelites turned out to be a bunch of selfish, stubborn, ignorant people and did exactly what the Lord warned them not to do, several times too. And sadly we have followed in their foolish, selfish, egotistical footsteps and have thus found ourselves in the current mess we’re in. Please Friends, let’s not adopt the ‘what have you done for me lately credo’ that the Israelites had. The Lord is working for us everyday, and this year He wants to do many new things in our lives, set us up as never before, give us the wherewithal that we so badly need to further His glorious kingdom. So let’s be fully attentive and appreciative. Now let’s end with a most fitting ending: ‘And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst (who thirsts) of the fountain of the water of life freely.’ (Rev.21:5-6) Please Friends, let’s thirst for that water of life, let’s listen to what the Lord’s saying in our hearts today, and allow Him to uplift and enlighten us and bring us closer to Jesus. That’s wisdom at its highest. Much LOVE!…this year, let’s purposely…LOVE our God…SPREAD His Word…and LIVE our Faith…as diligently as we ought…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 January 2012 Isaiah 43:19
20 Jan 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: fiery darts, isaiah 43, new creature, obedient son, prayer praise, rivers in the desert
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, the start of the weekend, and I hear you rejoicing: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ Now nothing’s wrong with declaring TGIF, Thank God is Friday, but we have to be sober and sensible about our ensuing thoughts and actions. Please, let’s not fall back into the bad habits of yesteryear. The Good Book says; ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.’ (Is.43:18) And Bruh Paul righteously informed the Corinthians: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor.5:17) This is a new year my people, 2012, with new beginnings, and if we want to experience the Lord’s best, we have to step up to the plate and make improvements in our lives. The Lord’s plaintively beseeching us in our Bit: ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ Yes Friends, our God is doing, or wanting to do new things in all of our lives this year. So why don’t we listen to what He’s saying, then allow Him to do whatever new things He desires? Remember, whatever He does is always for our good, for our benefit, not His. Everyday He’s trying to mould us closer to the image of His wonderful, obedient Son, Jesus. Now who wouldn’t want to be like Jesus, even in some small way eh? Only the evil and foolish! It’s not an easy thing to do by any means, especially with all the fiery darts of the enemy being constantly let loose on us. But with our focus on Jehovah, the constant prayer, praise and reading of His Word, we can, and will come out victorious, if we stay the course. And here’s another scripture I want us to remember: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom.8:37) Friends that means that anytime we work sincerely and diligently with Jesus we’re assured of success. But without Him on our side, in our plans, be they big or small, our chance of success is drastically lessened. So to get us into the frame of mind where the Lord can work His miracle working powers on us, let’s chant our Friday Chant in strong unison: ‘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.’ And if we chanted that sincerely, gratefully and enthusiastically, then Friends, I believe we set the Holy Spirit of Jesus moving in our souls with purpose, presence and eventual prosperity in all aspects of our lives. Remember prosperity is not simply money, but encompasses everything that happens in both our private and public lives. It includes getting along with friends and family, as well as co-workers, having a job, having good health, doing good in our community, for whatever touches our lives can either be good or bad and make us happy or sad. And since one of the reasons Jesus died was that we could have joy, why foolishly choose sadness as a believer eh? ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.’ (John 15:11) Yes mih people, those are the words of Jesus. He knew that we would be afflicted here on earth, even persecuted for simply believing in Him and even worse for spreading the good news that He was alive and kicking and was the only way to get salvation, free and clear, and there was no earning it. Now let’s end with His promise of cheer and being able to handle the world with all its evil and ungodliness. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) What wonderful news Friends! We don’t have to fear what the world brings against us, once He’s safely ensconced in our hearts, for He’s already put the world at His feet, and therefore all who truly believe in Him should have peace, joy and contentment in their hearts, though the going be rough. Yes my brethren, let’s buckle down this new year and stir up a wild and crazy storm for Jesus, so that all we come into contact with will want to know where we found our strength and joy and want to partake of it with us. Remember Friends, THIS IS THE YEAR OF JESUS! This is the year that His LOVE Revolution takes off for soaring heights, and I’d like all of us to be a part of it. Much LOVE!…in the joy of Jesus…believers find their strength…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 January 2012 Psalm 27:4
19 Jan 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: david states, desire one, god dwelleth, joyful hearts, psalm 27
Psalm 27:4. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
Oh Friends, let’s praise the Lord for granting us yet another day on planet earth, filled with His awesome and unending mercies and blessings! And all God’s people cried out with joyful hearts: ‘Oh praise ye the name of the Lord, for He is indeed good to the undeserving children of men!’ Yes Friends, our God is good to us even though we’re not anywhere as good as we should be. But He LOVES with such a strong, unconditional LOVE that He can’t do otherwise but bless us. Now in the very first verse of Psalm 27, Bruh David states his case for worshipping the Lord with complete trust and confidence. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps.27:1) And as believers, the answer to those two questions my brethren is absolutely NOBODY! Then in our Bit, he goes on to voice his greatest desire: ‘One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (delightfulness) of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.’ What a fondness Bruh David had for the God of his fathers. Oh that we could be so fond of our Creator, Provider and Protector my people, that our fondest wish would be to seek Him out continually, to dwell in His house, to behold His delightfulness, His majesty and inquire after Him. Now obviously there wouldn’t be enough space in God’s physical house for all of us to dwell in at the same time, but as Bruh Paul declared to the Corinthians: ‘Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?’ (1 Cor.3:16) Therefore Friends, since our bodies are God’s temple, we can all have the opportunity to live with Him, observe His beauty and majesty, delight in His ways, and get to know Him intimately. Wow! What an exciting opportunity! And that’s what the Lord desires of us anyway. Then Bruh David goes on to state another of the many reasons why he LOVES the Lord God Jehovah: ‘For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me upon a rock.’ (Ps.27:5) And isn’t that the awesome truth my people! In times of trouble, like now, the safest place in the world is in the arms of Jesus; protection safe, sure and secure, way above the problems that are bombarding us from every side. So why aren’t more, or rather all of us flocking to the safety of Jesus in these difficult time eh? I guess it’s a matter of faith, of belief and of trust. We foolishly place more trust in the man made solutions, which are what caused our problems in the first place. We don’t really belief that Jesus is who He says He is, though there’s lots of proof to verify it. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) And until we each belief that with the utmost faith and sincerity my Friends, our lives will be forever troubled, in a troubled world of unbelief. We shall never have the peace, calm and contentedness, some of the things Jesus sacrificed His sinless life for us to have. Oh my brethren, let’s wake up and wise up this year of 2012 nuh, and truly come to realize that Jesus is the ONLY answer, the ONLY solution to the many serious problems currently facing our world. In the beauty of His Spirit we can find true rest and contentment. And we’re going to end today’s Bit with a rather appropriate poem from Dr. Robert Schuller’s Devotional titled Hours of Power. The name of the poem is BEAUTY: Thank you Father, for filling the world with beauty. I thank you for the beauty of life, the beauty of LOVE, the beauty of children, and the beauty of old people, (yes, old people are beautiful too – smile). I thank you for the beauty of Christ and for the beauty of any life when Christ is invited through the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Father, that you have made my life beautiful too. Oh Friends, when we put our sincere trust and faith in Christ, then we will see the beauty in all creation and glorify the Lord God with much enthusiasm and reverence. May all of us be able at some time soon to say those words and truly mean them. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. Much LOVE my beautiful people!…come to me…all ye that labour and are heavy laden…and I will give you rest…for my yoke is easy…and my burden is light… (Matt.11:28,30)
