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Ezekiel 36:24-28. For I shall take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I clean you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
What wonderful promises from Our Heavenly Father! But it’s truly surprising how many times He saved the Israelites from bondage and degradation, only for them to eventually spurn Him again. Guess that’s why they say He’s patient and long suffering. This time it was the Prophet Ezekiel he sent to lambaste them. However, on this particular occasion, He purposely noted that He was not doing it for them, but to restore the glory of His Holy Name which the Israelites had profaned amongst the heathen. Friends, the same things He did for the Israelites, He does for each of us individually: When we come to accept and trust Him, He takes us away from our former ungodly associates and makes us a part of His flock in the Church. Then He washes us clean as ever, absolves us of our sins, gives us a new heart of flesh after throwing out the old, hard, sinful one we previously had. And He doesn’t stop there; He fills us with a new spirit, His Holy Spirit that lives within us from that time henceforth, and guides us along the path He wants us to tread, a straight and narrow path of holiness, righteousness and LOVE. And then, to top it all, like icing on the cake, He causes us to dwell in the land of milk and honey, to become prosperous. This prosperity is not necessarily seen in material possessions, although it can be, there are lots of wealthy Christians, but we then lead a life filled with vitality, purpose and excitement, wanting to live for Him and share His word with the multitudes that have never heard it. The point is, that whenever we follow His dictates, our lives are vastly improved. Now, which other so called God, not only promises this to His unworthy children, much less puts it into practice eh? NONE! That’s why I LOVE Our Heavenly Father so! Much LOVE people…with plenty praise, glory and adulation to THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD: THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB! | |
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Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 October 2007 Ezekiel 36: 24-28.
21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment
Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 October 2007 John 1:47-50
21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment
John 1: 47-50. Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile. Nathaniel saith unto him, whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Phillip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathaniel answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
This was the period when J.C, in His earthly ministry, began putting His group of disciples together. One, bright, beautiful, sunshiny day, (smile) -who knows, it could have been- while He was out walking in Galilee, He saw Phillip and told him, ‘Follow me.’ I like J.C’s style. He comes straight to the point, using as few words as possible. Phillip planned to obey Him, but meanwhile he found Nathaniel and told him that they had found the Messiah; Jesus of Nazareth. Hn! Nathaniel scoffed at Phillip’s remark, then asked in a most derogatory manner if anything good could ever come out of Nazareth? Okay, Phillip replied, come and see for yourself. That’s when Today’s Bit kicks in. It show’s J.C at work. He handles Nathaniel with kid’s gloves. Oh, there goes a guile free Israelite, He says. Nathaniel is taken aback and asks J.C where He knows him from. Oh, I saw you sitting under the fig tree, J.C replies, just before Phillip called you. For some reason that answer spoke volumes to Nathaniel, for without any hesitation he acknowledged that J.C was indeed the son of God. My Friends, that’s the way we need to be; quick on the uptake, always ready to acknowledge J.C, His words and actions. There should be no doubt and hesitation on our part. If we genuinely believe in Him, then we should always be prepared to honour Him at a moment’s notice. You see what He told Nathaniel: Just because I said I saw you under the fig tree, you believed? Well you ain’t seen nothing yet! That’s for certain sure people, we ain’t seen nothing yet! It will be something else when He comes again in all His splendid glory. Much LOVE…as little guile as possible… and a plentiful, strong Faith.
This was the period when J.C, in His earthly ministry, began putting His group of disciples together. One, bright, beautiful, sunshiny day, (smile) -who knows, it could have been- while He was out walking in Galilee, He saw Phillip and told him, ‘Follow me.’ I like J.C’s style. He comes straight to the point, using as few words as possible. Phillip planned to obey Him, but meanwhile he found Nathaniel and told him that they had found the Messiah; Jesus of Nazareth. Hn! Nathaniel scoffed at Phillip’s remark, then asked in a most derogatory manner if anything good could ever come out of Nazareth? Okay, Phillip replied, come and see for yourself. That’s when Today’s Bit kicks in. It show’s J.C at work. He handles Nathaniel with kid’s gloves. Oh, there goes a guile free Israelite, He says. Nathaniel is taken aback and asks J.C where He knows him from. Oh, I saw you sitting under the fig tree, J.C replies, just before Phillip called you. For some reason that answer spoke volumes to Nathaniel, for without any hesitation he acknowledged that J.C was indeed the son of God. My Friends, that’s the way we need to be; quick on the uptake, always ready to acknowledge J.C, His words and actions. There should be no doubt and hesitation on our part. If we genuinely believe in Him, then we should always be prepared to honour Him at a moment’s notice. You see what He told Nathaniel: Just because I said I saw you under the fig tree, you believed? Well you ain’t seen nothing yet! That’s for certain sure people, we ain’t seen nothing yet! It will be something else when He comes again in all His splendid glory. Much LOVE…as little guile as possible… and a plentiful, strong Faith.
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 October 2007 Isaiah 30:18
21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment
Isaiah 30:18 And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement: blessed are all they that wait for him.
In the passage before Today’s Bit, Isaiah was chewing out the people of Israel for being rebellious and disobedient. The same can be said about us today. Isn’t it funny how History keeps on repeating itself, because we don’t pay attention to what’s gone on before us? Anyway, right in the middle of bawling out the Israelites, Isaiah suddenly changed gears and proclaimed that the Lord would wait, He would show patience, because He longs to be gracious to His children, even though they may be disobedient and unworthy. That’s the kind of God, He is; patient and long suffering. He wants nothing more than to shower us with His compassion and mercy. But for that to happen, we’ve got to come back to Him: praise Him; exalt His Holy Name; obey His commandments; follow His rules, of which there are only two basic ones; LOVE Him and LOVE our neighbour. If we do those two things, everything else will fall into place. But it seems that we get so wrapped up in all His goodness and mercy and all that generous stuff, that we tend to forget He is also a God of judgement. He will not let us carry on, be rebellious and disobedient forever. At some stage of the game He is going to get tired of our unholy shenanigans and mete out the appropriate justice. Sorry Friends, appropriate might be the wrong choice of word, because if He ever really dished out what we deserved…hn! We would really be in it. A more suitable term might be merciful justice. Like a good judge, he clothes His justice with mercy. And Isaiah ends by saying, blessed are all those who wait for Him. That’s our cue: we need to be patient too; we need to search for Him, seek Him out wherever He or us might be, we need to pay attention to His Holy Spirit that lives and works in us, and bide our time obediently, until whenever He is ready to reward us. Friends, we all know that it is not an easy path to tread, but if we do as He says, then He has promised that we’ll be all right. Much LOVE…Be strong in the faith…Salvation Day will make it all worthwhile!
In the passage before Today’s Bit, Isaiah was chewing out the people of Israel for being rebellious and disobedient. The same can be said about us today. Isn’t it funny how History keeps on repeating itself, because we don’t pay attention to what’s gone on before us? Anyway, right in the middle of bawling out the Israelites, Isaiah suddenly changed gears and proclaimed that the Lord would wait, He would show patience, because He longs to be gracious to His children, even though they may be disobedient and unworthy. That’s the kind of God, He is; patient and long suffering. He wants nothing more than to shower us with His compassion and mercy. But for that to happen, we’ve got to come back to Him: praise Him; exalt His Holy Name; obey His commandments; follow His rules, of which there are only two basic ones; LOVE Him and LOVE our neighbour. If we do those two things, everything else will fall into place. But it seems that we get so wrapped up in all His goodness and mercy and all that generous stuff, that we tend to forget He is also a God of judgement. He will not let us carry on, be rebellious and disobedient forever. At some stage of the game He is going to get tired of our unholy shenanigans and mete out the appropriate justice. Sorry Friends, appropriate might be the wrong choice of word, because if He ever really dished out what we deserved…hn! We would really be in it. A more suitable term might be merciful justice. Like a good judge, he clothes His justice with mercy. And Isaiah ends by saying, blessed are all those who wait for Him. That’s our cue: we need to be patient too; we need to search for Him, seek Him out wherever He or us might be, we need to pay attention to His Holy Spirit that lives and works in us, and bide our time obediently, until whenever He is ready to reward us. Friends, we all know that it is not an easy path to tread, but if we do as He says, then He has promised that we’ll be all right. Much LOVE…Be strong in the faith…Salvation Day will make it all worthwhile!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 October 2007 1 Chronicles 28:20
21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment
1 Chronicles 28:20 And David said to Solomon his son; Be strong and of a good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee: he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.
Okay, I know I use David’s words often as the Bit, but I don’t have a fixation, a hang up on him. I guess you would call it more of an affinity; we’re like kindred spirits, because I’ve faced some of the same adversity he did, but more so because I’m also into the writing and musical aspect of life. And who wrote more beautiful poetry or music than David eh? Anyway, now that we’ve set the record straight, in Today’s Bit, he’s told his son Solomon, that the Lord had chosen him, Solomon, to build His House. Remember Solomon was still young and inexperienced, and possibly scared out of his wits, having such awesome power and responsibility suddenly thrown upon his inexperienced shoulders. Not to mention the fact that he was not the eldest of David’s children by several women, which would surely cause much jealousy and sibling rivalry. But David had the utmost faith in Solomon’s ability to accomplish the task, not only because he knew Solomon’s own capabilities, but because God had explicitly instructed him to anoint Solomon for the job. Now, he’s giving him the ultimate encouragement: Be strong and courageous; pull up your bootstraps and just do it. Don’t be afraid or worried because the Lord, even his God, would be with him. Notice how David mentioned his personal God. I don’t know why, but that had to add to the encouragement, since everybody knew how tight David was with the Most High and how He had oft-times rescued and strengthened him over a lifetime filled with debauchery, wars and other mistakes. So David knew, from hard experience, what he was talking about when he told Solomon that the Lord would neither fail nor forsake him until he had finished building His Tabernacle. Friends, the same thing goes for us today: We’ve got to encourage each other with words of faith and strength, and keep on encouraging, because the race laid out for each of us is fraught with numerous difficulties and problems; some of which we can solve on our own, but many for which we need the help of Jehovah. But of one thing we are definitely certain; that wherever we are, in whatever situation, Our Heavenly Father wants us to stand strong and not be afraid, and trust in His everlasting promise that He will always be with us, neither will He ever forsake us. So let’s stand strong people! Let’s encourage ourselves and each other in the Lord! It’s only with that arsenal in our possession can we fight the good fight in His Honour! Much LOVE…plenty standing strong in faith…with plenty plenty encouraging!
Okay, I know I use David’s words often as the Bit, but I don’t have a fixation, a hang up on him. I guess you would call it more of an affinity; we’re like kindred spirits, because I’ve faced some of the same adversity he did, but more so because I’m also into the writing and musical aspect of life. And who wrote more beautiful poetry or music than David eh? Anyway, now that we’ve set the record straight, in Today’s Bit, he’s told his son Solomon, that the Lord had chosen him, Solomon, to build His House. Remember Solomon was still young and inexperienced, and possibly scared out of his wits, having such awesome power and responsibility suddenly thrown upon his inexperienced shoulders. Not to mention the fact that he was not the eldest of David’s children by several women, which would surely cause much jealousy and sibling rivalry. But David had the utmost faith in Solomon’s ability to accomplish the task, not only because he knew Solomon’s own capabilities, but because God had explicitly instructed him to anoint Solomon for the job. Now, he’s giving him the ultimate encouragement: Be strong and courageous; pull up your bootstraps and just do it. Don’t be afraid or worried because the Lord, even his God, would be with him. Notice how David mentioned his personal God. I don’t know why, but that had to add to the encouragement, since everybody knew how tight David was with the Most High and how He had oft-times rescued and strengthened him over a lifetime filled with debauchery, wars and other mistakes. So David knew, from hard experience, what he was talking about when he told Solomon that the Lord would neither fail nor forsake him until he had finished building His Tabernacle. Friends, the same thing goes for us today: We’ve got to encourage each other with words of faith and strength, and keep on encouraging, because the race laid out for each of us is fraught with numerous difficulties and problems; some of which we can solve on our own, but many for which we need the help of Jehovah. But of one thing we are definitely certain; that wherever we are, in whatever situation, Our Heavenly Father wants us to stand strong and not be afraid, and trust in His everlasting promise that He will always be with us, neither will He ever forsake us. So let’s stand strong people! Let’s encourage ourselves and each other in the Lord! It’s only with that arsenal in our possession can we fight the good fight in His Honour! Much LOVE…plenty standing strong in faith…with plenty plenty encouraging!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 October 2007 Psalm 121
21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment
Psalm 121: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
What beautiful sentiments from David again. I’m continually amazed at how he managed to write so much marvellous, touching stuff with all the warring and womanizing he did. Anyway, I guess you’re wondering why I used the whole Psalm as Today’s Bit. Well, the Most High was at it again tonight. I came home late tonight, tired and miserable, but eventually sat down to find a Bit. While looking through a book with some Bible verses, my eyes fell on one from Psalm 121, and it looked interesting. So I opened the Bible and read it, and it seemed to have possibilities. However, before writing anything, I had to read some prayers for my aged mother, Molly. We have a set routine everyday; reading from a few Devotionals and the Bible. And the Lord help me if I skip or miss anything. Anyway, tonight, when we were almost finished, she unexpectedly asked me to read Psalm 121. I was a little taken aback, since she’s never before asked me to read anything outside of our set stuff. But, like the obedient son I am (smile) I began finding Psalm 121, thinking that something about it sounded familiar, just goes to show where my brain was. I’m sure you got it before me. It was the same Psalm I’d just finished reading and considering for the Bit. As usual, I had to chuckle at the sublime machinations of Our Wonderful Creator. Later on, I asked my mother why she wanted me to read that particular Psalm. She replied that it had always been one of her favourites, one she used to know by heart, but now she feared she was forgetting it. I could not argue with her reasoning. So, with all those obvious signs, I came down here to write the Bit. Originally, I’d planned to only use the first two verses, but when I tried doing that, I just never achieved the comfort level you usually do when something is right.. This kept me going back to read the Psalm, until my dim wits finally got the message: You’ve got to use the whole thing. So there you have it; in all its simple, truthful splendour! And this one’s for you Molls sugar. For all the LOVING-KINDNESS you’ve shown me over the years. Keep on lifting up your eyes to the hills, for that’s where your help comes from…The One and Only True Lord; Our God and Heavenly Father! Much LOVE Friends…And please, pretty please, let’s all do likewise. That’s the only way to success and salvation!
What beautiful sentiments from David again. I’m continually amazed at how he managed to write so much marvellous, touching stuff with all the warring and womanizing he did. Anyway, I guess you’re wondering why I used the whole Psalm as Today’s Bit. Well, the Most High was at it again tonight. I came home late tonight, tired and miserable, but eventually sat down to find a Bit. While looking through a book with some Bible verses, my eyes fell on one from Psalm 121, and it looked interesting. So I opened the Bible and read it, and it seemed to have possibilities. However, before writing anything, I had to read some prayers for my aged mother, Molly. We have a set routine everyday; reading from a few Devotionals and the Bible. And the Lord help me if I skip or miss anything. Anyway, tonight, when we were almost finished, she unexpectedly asked me to read Psalm 121. I was a little taken aback, since she’s never before asked me to read anything outside of our set stuff. But, like the obedient son I am (smile) I began finding Psalm 121, thinking that something about it sounded familiar, just goes to show where my brain was. I’m sure you got it before me. It was the same Psalm I’d just finished reading and considering for the Bit. As usual, I had to chuckle at the sublime machinations of Our Wonderful Creator. Later on, I asked my mother why she wanted me to read that particular Psalm. She replied that it had always been one of her favourites, one she used to know by heart, but now she feared she was forgetting it. I could not argue with her reasoning. So, with all those obvious signs, I came down here to write the Bit. Originally, I’d planned to only use the first two verses, but when I tried doing that, I just never achieved the comfort level you usually do when something is right.. This kept me going back to read the Psalm, until my dim wits finally got the message: You’ve got to use the whole thing. So there you have it; in all its simple, truthful splendour! And this one’s for you Molls sugar. For all the LOVING-KINDNESS you’ve shown me over the years. Keep on lifting up your eyes to the hills, for that’s where your help comes from…The One and Only True Lord; Our God and Heavenly Father! Much LOVE Friends…And please, pretty please, let’s all do likewise. That’s the only way to success and salvation!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 October 2007 Isaiah 49:15-16
21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment
Isaiah 49:15-16. Can a woman forget her suckling child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands: thy walls are continually before me.
The greatest bond between any two animals is that between mother and child. And that’s the way it should be, since the mother carries the child within her womb for a fairly long period of time. During that period, the child is actually a physical part of the mother. It’s nourished by and shares whatever the mother ingests. As the mother goes, so does the child. Then, after the child is born, it’s the mother who nurses and nurtures it. Again, whatever she eats, comes to the child through her milk. In this manner, a super strong bond of loving and caring is formed. It’s the mother’s responsibility to bear and suckle the young of the species. That’s just how the Good Lord designed it. In Today’s Bit, Isaiah, speaking to the Israelites on God’s behalf, is commenting on that inherent bond between mother and son; questioning whether it’s possible for a woman to forget, to not have compassion for the child she went through so much discomfort, pain and sometimes agony to bear. The answer is yes. Not a large percentage, but nonetheless it’s possible. However, The Most High is saying that he will never forget us. He’s emphasizing that His bond to us is even greater and stronger than that between mother and child, because He’s engraved us in the palms of His hands, through the suffering and death of J.C on the cross. Friends, that is so true. What greater gift can one person give for another than their life eh? Especially under such unfair, unjust, disgusting, gory, agonizing circumstances as happened to J.C. This fact is stated so beautifully in the booklet, ‘A Journey of LOVE – walking with St. Therese of Liseux’ published by The Society of the Little Flower, as St. Therese is known. It says, ‘The beginning of the wisdom of LOVE is to acknowledge that God has first loved us. Jesus is the unsurpassable gift of God’s LOVE.’ How poignant and reassuring! Yes Friends, there is no LOVE as great as that of Our Heavenly Father. How can there be, when He’s the author, the originator, the epitome…. when He is LOVE! Much LOVE…and always remember that He LOVES us with such a deep, abiding affection, that He’ll never leave or forsake us.
The greatest bond between any two animals is that between mother and child. And that’s the way it should be, since the mother carries the child within her womb for a fairly long period of time. During that period, the child is actually a physical part of the mother. It’s nourished by and shares whatever the mother ingests. As the mother goes, so does the child. Then, after the child is born, it’s the mother who nurses and nurtures it. Again, whatever she eats, comes to the child through her milk. In this manner, a super strong bond of loving and caring is formed. It’s the mother’s responsibility to bear and suckle the young of the species. That’s just how the Good Lord designed it. In Today’s Bit, Isaiah, speaking to the Israelites on God’s behalf, is commenting on that inherent bond between mother and son; questioning whether it’s possible for a woman to forget, to not have compassion for the child she went through so much discomfort, pain and sometimes agony to bear. The answer is yes. Not a large percentage, but nonetheless it’s possible. However, The Most High is saying that he will never forget us. He’s emphasizing that His bond to us is even greater and stronger than that between mother and child, because He’s engraved us in the palms of His hands, through the suffering and death of J.C on the cross. Friends, that is so true. What greater gift can one person give for another than their life eh? Especially under such unfair, unjust, disgusting, gory, agonizing circumstances as happened to J.C. This fact is stated so beautifully in the booklet, ‘A Journey of LOVE – walking with St. Therese of Liseux’ published by The Society of the Little Flower, as St. Therese is known. It says, ‘The beginning of the wisdom of LOVE is to acknowledge that God has first loved us. Jesus is the unsurpassable gift of God’s LOVE.’ How poignant and reassuring! Yes Friends, there is no LOVE as great as that of Our Heavenly Father. How can there be, when He’s the author, the originator, the epitome…. when He is LOVE! Much LOVE…and always remember that He LOVES us with such a deep, abiding affection, that He’ll never leave or forsake us.
Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 October 2007 Psalm 34:4&6 Psalm 35:28.
21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment
Psalm 34:4&6, 35:28 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all day long.
Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord, thank you! Over the last couple weeks, the ole fella’s been struggling with a particular matter, very near and dear to his heart, and just could not figure out how to handle it. Of course I asked for Heavenly Guidance, and several sensible, workable options that seemed to come from up yonder registered on my mental network. Unfortunately though, when I tried putting them into effect, all of them eventually fell through, for one reason or another. I was getting more frustrated and irritable with each passing day that saw no progress. I didn’t seem to be getting any help from man nor God, and time was running out on me, the problem was getting worse. Finally, yesterday, I just threw up my hands in anguish and despair and said, that’s it yes Lord! I can’t do anymore. I don’t know how to handle this, because every time I think you’ve given me the answer, that solution falls apart. I’m just letting it go now, because it’s slowly killing me. Just leaving it up to you now, and whatever happens, happens. I obviously did not give up completely, but I relaxed a little. Lo and behold, today a small breakthrough occurred, a glimmer of hope surfaced. Now it’s only a glimmer, but at least this option seems to be telling me that I’m on the right track. And who says prayer doesn’t work eh? I guess I was just too impatient, I wanted immediate answers and solutions. But the Most High apparently wasn’t ready to grant them. As He says, our time is not necessarily His time. I can now understand how David felt when he claimed that he sought the Lord, and he delivered him from all his fears. This poor ole fella certainly cried out! And it seems as though Infinitely Everything heard him. However, I’m not going to get carried away just yet. I’m crossing my fingers, knocking on some wood and keeping on praying. And most definitely Friends, most definitely, my tongue shall speak of His righteousness and I shall give Him praise all day, as well as every day, for He is a most generous and loving God. Much LOVE…and keep on praying…it may take time, but keep on praying!
Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord, thank you! Over the last couple weeks, the ole fella’s been struggling with a particular matter, very near and dear to his heart, and just could not figure out how to handle it. Of course I asked for Heavenly Guidance, and several sensible, workable options that seemed to come from up yonder registered on my mental network. Unfortunately though, when I tried putting them into effect, all of them eventually fell through, for one reason or another. I was getting more frustrated and irritable with each passing day that saw no progress. I didn’t seem to be getting any help from man nor God, and time was running out on me, the problem was getting worse. Finally, yesterday, I just threw up my hands in anguish and despair and said, that’s it yes Lord! I can’t do anymore. I don’t know how to handle this, because every time I think you’ve given me the answer, that solution falls apart. I’m just letting it go now, because it’s slowly killing me. Just leaving it up to you now, and whatever happens, happens. I obviously did not give up completely, but I relaxed a little. Lo and behold, today a small breakthrough occurred, a glimmer of hope surfaced. Now it’s only a glimmer, but at least this option seems to be telling me that I’m on the right track. And who says prayer doesn’t work eh? I guess I was just too impatient, I wanted immediate answers and solutions. But the Most High apparently wasn’t ready to grant them. As He says, our time is not necessarily His time. I can now understand how David felt when he claimed that he sought the Lord, and he delivered him from all his fears. This poor ole fella certainly cried out! And it seems as though Infinitely Everything heard him. However, I’m not going to get carried away just yet. I’m crossing my fingers, knocking on some wood and keeping on praying. And most definitely Friends, most definitely, my tongue shall speak of His righteousness and I shall give Him praise all day, as well as every day, for He is a most generous and loving God. Much LOVE…and keep on praying…it may take time, but keep on praying!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 October 2007 Psalm 34:1-3
21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment
Psalm 34:1-3. I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name.
More poignant words from the Psalmist David. And believe me, he had plenty cause to sing the Lord’s praises, the numerous times The Most High saved his bacon. This Psalm was reputedly written after David, on Jonathan’s warning, fled from Saul to the priest Ahimelech.(1 Samuel 20, 21) David lied to him about having to leave in haste on a secret mission for Saul, that’s why he only had a few men, no food and no weapons. The poor, frightened priest, not knowing that his good deed would cost him and many of his fellow priests their lives, gave David hallowed bread and Goliath’s sword. Then David went to A’chish, King of Gath. But the king’s servants recognized David as a mighty warrior, this made him so afraid that he feigned madness, drooling spittle on his beard. But A’chish didn’t want a madman around him, so David then fled to the cave Adullam in the wilderness with his small band of followers. Hn,hn! David was surely a man of many parts and did plenty wrong stuff, but apparently throughout all his wrongdoings, he never seemed to have lost sight of his Protector; The Most High, and found time to sing His praises and give Him thanks. And whenever the Lord draped him up, called him to account for a particular sin, he seems to have admitted it without too much hemming and hawing, and paid whatever price the Lord deemed sufficient. Friends, that’s the way we need to be; admit our sins and pay the price without too much squawking, but also continuously give thanks and praise to Our God. We need to let our hearts be so full of Him, that when the humble hear about Him form us, they’ll be so glad, that they’ll jump for joy and shout with us, "Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name together!" Much LOVE…as little wrongdoing as possible…continuous praise and much exalting of his Holy Name.
More poignant words from the Psalmist David. And believe me, he had plenty cause to sing the Lord’s praises, the numerous times The Most High saved his bacon. This Psalm was reputedly written after David, on Jonathan’s warning, fled from Saul to the priest Ahimelech.(1 Samuel 20, 21) David lied to him about having to leave in haste on a secret mission for Saul, that’s why he only had a few men, no food and no weapons. The poor, frightened priest, not knowing that his good deed would cost him and many of his fellow priests their lives, gave David hallowed bread and Goliath’s sword. Then David went to A’chish, King of Gath. But the king’s servants recognized David as a mighty warrior, this made him so afraid that he feigned madness, drooling spittle on his beard. But A’chish didn’t want a madman around him, so David then fled to the cave Adullam in the wilderness with his small band of followers. Hn,hn! David was surely a man of many parts and did plenty wrong stuff, but apparently throughout all his wrongdoings, he never seemed to have lost sight of his Protector; The Most High, and found time to sing His praises and give Him thanks. And whenever the Lord draped him up, called him to account for a particular sin, he seems to have admitted it without too much hemming and hawing, and paid whatever price the Lord deemed sufficient. Friends, that’s the way we need to be; admit our sins and pay the price without too much squawking, but also continuously give thanks and praise to Our God. We need to let our hearts be so full of Him, that when the humble hear about Him form us, they’ll be so glad, that they’ll jump for joy and shout with us, "Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name together!" Much LOVE…as little wrongdoing as possible…continuous praise and much exalting of his Holy Name.
Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 October 2007 2nd Timothy 4:6-8
21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment
2nd Timothy 4: 6-8. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight. I have finished, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Paul was winding down his ministry when he wrote this second Epistle to Timothy. He knew that his mortal days were numbered and was trying to instil just a little more encouragement into his young protégé, Timothy. In yesterday’s Bit, Hebrews 12:1-2, Paul encouraged us to be hardy and persevering and run our race without too much complaining. Today, he’s saying that he did just that. He kept the faith, fought the good fight, and of the utmost importance, finished the race. Friends, it’s imperative that we finish our race. It doesn’t matter what position you are, first or last, but you must cross over that finish line. When you look at all these modern day marathons you’ll see that folks are just as happy to see the last person cross the line as they are the first…well that’s perhaps stretching it a bit, but people are always happy to see the runners finish. It just says some thing about them, about their ‘stick-to it-tiveness.’ The same goes for our race of life people. We show our heart, desire, perseverance and loyalty to J.C when we run to the finish. Paul then goes on to witness that a crown of righteousness had been put away for him by the Righteous Judge; The Most High, which he would receive on Judgement Day. He ends by saying that a crown of righteousness was not only in his future, but also for all of us Believers who LOVE J.C and look forward to His coming again in glory. Oh Friends, what a heart-warming promise, what a magnificent occasion to look forward to! Let’s hope, no forget the hope, let’s definitely, positively, assuredly, all work together, in faith, so that at the end of our earthly journey, we’ll be able to say, like Paul, I’ve run a good race, finished as high as I could, and am now awaiting the victor’s crown. Much LOVE…and again, plenty faith…with much needed perseverance to run a demanding but glorious race.
Paul was winding down his ministry when he wrote this second Epistle to Timothy. He knew that his mortal days were numbered and was trying to instil just a little more encouragement into his young protégé, Timothy. In yesterday’s Bit, Hebrews 12:1-2, Paul encouraged us to be hardy and persevering and run our race without too much complaining. Today, he’s saying that he did just that. He kept the faith, fought the good fight, and of the utmost importance, finished the race. Friends, it’s imperative that we finish our race. It doesn’t matter what position you are, first or last, but you must cross over that finish line. When you look at all these modern day marathons you’ll see that folks are just as happy to see the last person cross the line as they are the first…well that’s perhaps stretching it a bit, but people are always happy to see the runners finish. It just says some thing about them, about their ‘stick-to it-tiveness.’ The same goes for our race of life people. We show our heart, desire, perseverance and loyalty to J.C when we run to the finish. Paul then goes on to witness that a crown of righteousness had been put away for him by the Righteous Judge; The Most High, which he would receive on Judgement Day. He ends by saying that a crown of righteousness was not only in his future, but also for all of us Believers who LOVE J.C and look forward to His coming again in glory. Oh Friends, what a heart-warming promise, what a magnificent occasion to look forward to! Let’s hope, no forget the hope, let’s definitely, positively, assuredly, all work together, in faith, so that at the end of our earthly journey, we’ll be able to say, like Paul, I’ve run a good race, finished as high as I could, and am now awaiting the victor’s crown. Much LOVE…and again, plenty faith…with much needed perseverance to run a demanding but glorious race.
Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 October 2007 Hebrews 12:1-2.
21 Nov 2007 Leave a comment
Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
We all have an individual race to run, one that’s different from everybody else’s, and, as Believers, nobody’s race is easy. That’s just the way it is. We are surrounded by unbelievers living a worldly, lustful, attractive lifestyle that keeps on flashing and dangling its enticing bait before us, plus other believers, either checking us out to see if we’re walking our talk, or simply making life difficult for us, and a whole host of other things, some of which aren’t necessarily wrong, but just don’t fit the Christian mould. Paul is saying though, that we should set aside all the problems that burden us and just hold our heads high, shoulders back, and simply run our race. Easier said than done Paul mih son! And everybody doesn’t possess his fortitude and evangelical zeal. But in all fairness, he then shows us how to do it; by looking unto J.C, who’s already run the race, already blazed the trail for us and hit the finish line in a brilliant burst of glory. His Heavenly Father gave Him a difficult, agonizing race to run here on earth, but He buckled down, with the help of the Holy Spirit and endured the inhumane suffering of the cross, all for our sakes. So how can we now be ungrateful, fussing and complaining about the little He’s asked of us eh? It’s nothing compared to what He went through. Obviously we don’t have His righteousness, so we will make mistakes and falter every so often, but if we seriously buckle down to the task, with the help of the ever present Holy Spirit, and looking unto J.C as our Guiding Light, we can bear up under the pressure and turn in an excellent performance. Remember, Friends, although the road may be rough and rugged, He never sets us a task without giving us the tools to accomplish it. And as Paul pointed out, look at where J.C ended up after running His race without any complaining; at the right hand of the throne of God. Wow! And Friends, we can end up the same place if we persevere in doing his bidding. Much LOVE…careful running and plenty perseverance, until we meet at J.C’s right hand!
P.S. Our God is really something else yes! Just now, as I finished the rough draft of Today’s Bit, before coming over to the computer, I began cleaning up some stuff on my desk and muttering under my breath about the amount of things I had to do and when would I be finished. Then suddenly I burst out laughing, because I realized that that was exactly what I had just written about, and I needed to take that message to heart too, take my medicine like everybody else, just shut up, buckle down and do it! Isn’t He sweet, the way He gets our attention!
We all have an individual race to run, one that’s different from everybody else’s, and, as Believers, nobody’s race is easy. That’s just the way it is. We are surrounded by unbelievers living a worldly, lustful, attractive lifestyle that keeps on flashing and dangling its enticing bait before us, plus other believers, either checking us out to see if we’re walking our talk, or simply making life difficult for us, and a whole host of other things, some of which aren’t necessarily wrong, but just don’t fit the Christian mould. Paul is saying though, that we should set aside all the problems that burden us and just hold our heads high, shoulders back, and simply run our race. Easier said than done Paul mih son! And everybody doesn’t possess his fortitude and evangelical zeal. But in all fairness, he then shows us how to do it; by looking unto J.C, who’s already run the race, already blazed the trail for us and hit the finish line in a brilliant burst of glory. His Heavenly Father gave Him a difficult, agonizing race to run here on earth, but He buckled down, with the help of the Holy Spirit and endured the inhumane suffering of the cross, all for our sakes. So how can we now be ungrateful, fussing and complaining about the little He’s asked of us eh? It’s nothing compared to what He went through. Obviously we don’t have His righteousness, so we will make mistakes and falter every so often, but if we seriously buckle down to the task, with the help of the ever present Holy Spirit, and looking unto J.C as our Guiding Light, we can bear up under the pressure and turn in an excellent performance. Remember, Friends, although the road may be rough and rugged, He never sets us a task without giving us the tools to accomplish it. And as Paul pointed out, look at where J.C ended up after running His race without any complaining; at the right hand of the throne of God. Wow! And Friends, we can end up the same place if we persevere in doing his bidding. Much LOVE…careful running and plenty perseverance, until we meet at J.C’s right hand!
P.S. Our God is really something else yes! Just now, as I finished the rough draft of Today’s Bit, before coming over to the computer, I began cleaning up some stuff on my desk and muttering under my breath about the amount of things I had to do and when would I be finished. Then suddenly I burst out laughing, because I realized that that was exactly what I had just written about, and I needed to take that message to heart too, take my medicine like everybody else, just shut up, buckle down and do it! Isn’t He sweet, the way He gets our attention!
