Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 December 2023 Matthew 7:25.

Matthew 7:25.       And the rain descended, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a (the) rock.

Gather round friends, gather round! Let’s fill the Lord’s sanctuary this Sunday morning for fellowship and worship, to give Him the glory and honour He so assuredly deserves. It’s the best way to refresh and rejuvenate our souls, bodies and spirits at the end of another long and tiring week of work. There’s nothing like the gathering of the saints, as we mix and mingle and encourage each other in the Lord. 

As the scriptures tell us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised😉 And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:23-25) Oh my fellow believers, we need to keep meeting regularly, not like some others do, because Christian community and perseverance are of the utmost importance, as the writer of Hebrews stresses. 

And furthermore, we need to stand firm in our faith because God is faithful and needs us to encourage each other in LOVE and good works, even more as we see the day of Christ approaching. And believe me, that moment draws closer with each passing day. God does not expect or intend for Believers to stand alone. And having acknowledged the importance of fellowship, let’s break out in praise and worship, with this Christian hymn written by the British author Edward Mote around 1837, most appropriately titled ‘My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less.’ 

The story goes that apparently ‘Mote only wrote one hymn. And “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less” was just as much an anthem of his own testimony as it has become for believers all over the world. Having grown up knowing nothing of God or His existence, Mote first attended church and became a Christian as a young adult. While still a new believer, he was compelled to try his hand at hymn writing. Thus, Mote wrote from a basic, yet profound understanding of his salvation. 

Later that same week, he visited a married couple at the wife’s sickbed. Without a hymnal handy to lead them in a song of worship, Mote produced a folded-up piece of paper upon which he had worked out four verses and a chorus. Together, they sang the hymn now known as “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less” for the first time, blessed by the truths of God’s Word in the lyrics.’ And who says that our great God doesn’t move in mysterious and miraculous ways eh! Just imagine a new believer writing such a wonderful hymn! Only through the auspices of the Holy Spirit! 

And now, as we sing it, we’ll realize that it’s the gospel truth! So, let’s offer up sacrifices of praise in a rich, up-tempo, scintillating version showing our joyful sincerity, because it’s a song that’s meant to make us joyful. Singing: ‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. (Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.) When darkness veils his lovely face I rest on His unchanging grace In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil. 

(Refrain) His oath, his covenant, his blood Supports me in the ‘whelming flood When all around my soul gives way He then is all my hope and stay. (Refrain) Not earth, nor hell, my soul can move; I rest upon unchanging LOVE. I trust his righteous character, his counsel, promise, and his pow’r. [Refrain] When he shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in him be found, dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand. Oh thank You Lord…You solid rock…’ 

And is our God ever a great and immovable rock! That’s for sure! He’s solid, steadfast, faithful, unchanging with all the attributes we expect of a big rock! That’s why there are so many scriptures portraying Him as such. Listen to Moses, who should know that more than most, seeing that he had such a long and intimate experience with God. He writes in Deuteronomy: ‘He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement (justice): a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut. 32:4) You could not want or get, a better short description of our marvelous God. 

And Bruh David said it thus in Psalm 18: ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower.’ (Ps. 18:1-2) Wow! What a mighty God we serve my brethren! Any God who is all those things must be powerful, unmovable and a source of safety and refuge! That’s why Bruh David could say in the next verse: ‘I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:3) 

Now that’s exactly what we need to do with Jesus – call on Him to save us, for He is the ONLY ONE capable of doing that! His precious shed blood and righteousness are the only things that stand between us and hellfire and damnation! And that’s the major reason He came into the world. In His own words: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) That’s why He went to the cross and sacrificed His sinless life on our behalf. So that we could be saved, be reconciled back to the Father by accepting him as Lord and Saviour. 

Consequently, as he told the disciple Thomas: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) And if I were you, I wouldn’t try to prove Him wrong nuh. (smile) Oh friends, Jesus is the great pilot of our lives. He guides us through all the storms of life to safe shores, if we allow Him to. He is the epitome of all that’s true and wonderful and strong; a most fitting and worthy representative and representation of the Father! And since we’re running out of space and time, we can’t get into all the other rock references to Jesus, but we do know what He meant when He said in Matthew: 

‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house on a (the) rock: And the rain descended, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a (the) rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.’ (Matt. 7:24-27) 

Let’s hope we all recognize that Jesus was there talking about Himself as the Rock on which all wise people will build their lives! Much LOVE!

…Jesus is the ONLY safe, secure and steadfast place to build one’s life…all else is merely sinking sand… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ           

Today’s Scrip-Bit   7 May 2023   1 Corinthians 3:11.

1 Corinthians 3:11.         For other foundation can no man lay that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Gather round friends and neighbours, gather round, for it’s the big day of Sunday, when believers in Jesus Christ gather in the sanctuary to praise, worship and fellowship in His glorious name! And all God’s children said a loud and grateful: ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus, our King, our Prince of Peace and our heavenly Intercessor amongst other things. And today’s song of praise and worship is a marvellous ditty from the eighteen hundreds, most appropriately titled ‘My Hope is Built on Nothing Less.’ It was written by an Englishman, Edward Mote (1797-1874). 

Here’s a short commentary on Mote’s life and the writing of the Hymn. ‘Edward Mote wrote just one hymn in his lifetime. From what we know of his life, “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less” was just as much an anthem of his own testimony as it has become for believers all over the world. Having grown up knowing nothing of God or His existence, Mote first attended church and became a Christian as a young adult. While still a new believer, he was compelled to try his hand at hymn writing. Thus, Mote wrote from a basic, yet profound understanding of his salvation. 

Later that same week, he visited a married couple at the wife’s sickbed. Without a hymnal handy to lead them in a song of worship, Mote produced a folded-up piece of paper upon which he had worked out four verses and a chorus. Together, they sang the hymn now known as “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less” for the first time, blessed by the truths of God’s Word in the lyrics.’ 

And are those words ever gospel truth my brethren, providing assurance and refuge for all who believe in the holy name of Jesus. And it certainly seems to be a testimony to Mote’s own life as ‘Through the preaching of the Rev. J. Hyatt, of Tottenham Court Road Chapel, he underwent a great spiritual change; and ultimately he became a Baptist minister. For the last 26 years of his life, he was pastor at Horsham, Sussex, where he died Nov. 13, 1874.’ And who says our great God doesn’t move in mysterious ways eh! He certainly does! 

Now, let’s finally get to offering those sacrificial praises in a joyful, up-tempo, scintillating version of the song, showing our heartfelt sincerity. Singing: ‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. (Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.) When darkness veils his lovely face I rest on His unchanging grace In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil. (Refrain) 

His oath, his covenant, his blood Supports me in the ‘whelming flood When all around my soul gives way He then is all my hope and stay. (Refrain) Not earth, nor hell, my soul can move; I rest upon unchanging LOVE. I trust his righteous character, his counsel, promise, and his pow’r. (Refrain) When he shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in him be found, dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. (Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand… On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand… Oh thank You Lord…You solid rock…’  

That was wonderful friends, heaven felt it too!  (smile) And the indisputable truth is you simply cannot find a more solid rock than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to build your life on! Yes sir! That’s because Christ is the sole means of our salvation. Our hope is truly built on nothing less than Jesus. He is the foundation stone of our faith, it’s author and finisher! It all focuses on His death, His resurrection and ascension. Without Him and those three activities we’d still be headed straight for hellfire and damnation, with no other choice. 

But He, in His goodness and LOVE for sinful man, sacrificed His sinless life so that we could have another option; that of salvation and eternal life, instead of just eternal separation!  And these words of Moses’ song, for the people of Israel to remember their covenant with Almighty God, written and sung long before Jesus ever came to earth, testify to His rocklike greatness.

‘Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine (teaching) shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish (proclaim) the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut. 32:1-4) Yes my people, Moses went through so much with the Lord, had so much personal testimony with Him, that if he says the Lord is a Rock, then you’ve got to believe him. 

And Jesus Himself corroborated Moses’ words when He said: ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock:  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a (the) rock. And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.’ (Matt. 7:24-27) 

Oh my fellow saints, if we hear Jesus words and don’t do them, then we are indeed like the foolish man who built his house on the shifting, insecure and sinking sand. That’s why the song says, ALL other ground besides Jesus is sinking sand! Yes, the only wise and sensible place to build your eternal house is on the word of Jesus. For as the first sentence of the song says in no uncertain terms: ‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.’ 

And that’s where our hope ought to be friends, because it’s the shed blood of Jesus that washed away our sins, cleansed us and made us righteous in the Lord’s sight! Nothing else but the blood of Jesus was strong, powerful and clean enough to pay the enormous price for our abominable sins. That’s why we have to take our problems to the foot of the cross and lay them there, and accept the grace, mercy and LOVING-kindness that emanates and radiates from it. 

And we all can testify to the statements in the song; Christ’s unchanging grace and LOVE, His steadfast anchor in the storms of our lives. And nothing in earth or hell can break our trust in His character, His counsel, His promise and His awesome power. Oh friends, what more can I say eh…. Oh wait, there’s one last verse from Bruh Paul to the Corinthians, where he steadfastly proclaims: ‘For other foundation can no man lay that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor. 3:11) Yes, any other foundation that’s built upon beside Jesus, is doomed to destruction! Much LOVE!

…to know Jesus…is to LOVE Him…and realize that He’s our EVERYTHING… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ        

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 August 2020 Deuteronomy 32:4.

Deuteronomy 32:4.     He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
 

Time to gather once more friends…and still mostly technologically. (smile) But who cares how we gather, once we gather to praise and worship the Lord on His day, knowing that He will be amongst us wherever and however we come to Him in humble adoration! And today we begin worship with a real golden oldie, ‘Rock of Ages Cleft for Me.’ And before we go further, let’s talk about a cleft. It’s a space or opening in a rock where one can hide. And in the context of ‘Rock of Ages,’ it is a metaphor for God, used as such throughout the Bible. 

The hymn was written by the Reverend Augustus Toplady in the seventeen sixties, after supposedly finding shelter from a thunderstorm in a cleft of a rock in Somerset, England. And though there’s no proof to substantiate this story, the website Hynary.Org tells us that ‘it does provide a vivid image through which to understand the hymn. Christ and His redemptive work on the cross are like that cleft in the rock, where we can find shelter from the deluge of sin’s guilt and power.’  And this one’s for you Scottie mih brother, because I know you like these golden oldies. (smile) 

So let’s sing loud, proud, grateful, soulful and harmonious nuh. ‘Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee; let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure. Not the labours of my hands can fulfill thy law’s demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone. 

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Saviour, or I die. Wash me, Saviour or I die. While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee…Let me hide myself in thee…let me hide myself in thee….’ 

And believe me friends, there is no better place to hide than in the cleft of Rock that’s our God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Now let’s look at a few places in the Good Book where our God is referred to as a Rock. We’ll begin with Moses’ song: ‘Because I will publish (proclaim) the name of the Lord; ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut. 32:3-4) 

And the scholars explain: 32:4-9. A faithful God and a faithless people are pictured. The Rock: The word is placed first in the Hebrew for emphasis. It emphasizes the stability and permanence of the God of Israel. His unchanging nature is contrasted with the fickleness of the covenant people.’ And is that ever so true my brethren; our great God never changes. He is strong and steadfast, the same yesterday, today and forever. No wonder later on Moses could truthfully declare (yeahhh!) to the people of Israel. ‘The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.’ (Deut. 33:27) 

Mama Yo! What powerful scripture from our powerful God! And if you don’t want to believe it, that’s your business, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I will believe. And as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! Now please children, please don’t make me a liar. (smile) And I like how several of these acclamations that God is a rock are found in songs of praise. Listen to this one from Isaiah. 

‘Open ye the gates that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah (Yahweh) is everlasting strength (the Rock of Ages.’ (Is. 26:2-4) And we can’t end without this most appropriate scripture from Psalm 18 – Thanksgiving for deliverance. 

Hear Bruh David expatiate on his magnificent and magnanimous God nuh. ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (fortress, stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3) 

And that’s exactly what Bruh David did friends! And the Lord responded exactly as he said He would, saved him from his enemies. What does that tell us my people? That if we’re wise, we too will surrender our souls to Almighty God, put our most sincere trust in Him, then call on Him in faith to deliver us from our enemies and our problems. And we desperately need to do it right now, because our current problems are bamboozling us, we certainly can’t handle them on our own. Yes friends, our Creator and heavenly Father is the ONLY One who can help us in these perilous times. So let’s surrender and pray nuh. 

And we’ll go home with these beautiful and truthful words from the web site God tube. ‘Even when we may feel like we are all alone, Remember that God is always by our side and will never abandon us. (Heb. 13:5) He is truly our light in the dark and our rock that we can stand upon always. What an amazing feeling to be LOVED by such a kind Father and to give praise to His name with the beautiful hymn ‘Rock of Ages.’ Hearing the story behind the hymn made this classic song even more powerful. What a way to worship!’ My sentiments exactly! Much LOVE!

…oh the blood…the blood of Jesus…the only sure rock to stand on… 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 May 2020 Deuteronomy 32:4.

Deuteronomy 32:4.    ​He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
 

And so the confusion, the lies, disinformation, false news and whatever continues! I just saw a trailer video of a film supposedly released in 2003, 17 years ago, that talks about all the things that have happened and are happening today: the Coronavirus, lock down, quarantine, chloroquine, etc. etc. And rather astutely, the brown-skinned guy, dressed in a priest’s collar, does not say a word about it, except it was made in 2003 not today. He leaves you to draw your own conclusions. 

So what is one to make of that eh? Is it a man-made plan, an accident, or who knows what? And that is what’s driving the pandemonium in the pandemic – the absence of real truth, too much supposition and theories! But that shouldn’t surprise us when there are supposedly so many different kinds of truth around in these troubled times. I thought there was only one kind of truth; the truth, and there couldn’t be more than one kind, else one would be false, not the truth. If you follow my logic. (smile) 

As the old Oxford dictionary describes it: ‘Quality, state, of being true or accurate or honest or sincere or loyal or accurately shaped or adjusted… in accordance with fact or reality, not fake or erroneous.’ So, apparently, with all the varying info on the same subjects, one can theoretically have several different kinds of truth nowadays. But friends, I’m here to tell us that there is ONLY ONE PLACE one can find TRUTH; real and unvarnished TRUTH! That’s in the Good Book; the Lord’s Law, that was written ages ago and never changes. The Lord God of Israel is the embodiment of TRUTH! 

Moses said it in His song: ‘Because I will publish (proclaim) the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children (they are not his children because of their blemish): they are a perverse and crooked generation.’ (Deut. 32:3-5) 

And believe me, with all the current havoc and confusion, it’s only in the God of Israel, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that real truth can now be found, through the person of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! He said it as plain as day: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) Yes friends, no one comes to the Father, the One real, true and living God, but through the Son, Jesus Christ! 

And that’s where our truth begins! Anything else that doesn’t correlate with that is a lie! And it’s strange how down through the years many of the writers of the Bible spoke about truth, or even more about the lack of it. Cousin Sol in Proverbs advised us to: ‘Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.’ (Prov. 23:23) That’s how important those things are in our lives. We’ve got to get them and not lose them because they are the things that lead to a rich and fulfilling life. But our world, since way back when, has always seemed to resist truth. 

Hear Isaiah as he talks about national corruption and consequent suffering. ‘None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity (empty words), and speak lies; they conceive mischief (trouble or evil), and bring forth iniquity.’ (Is. 59:4) Oh my people, my people, is it possible that Isaiah is alive and well today? One could be led to think so since all those things he talks of in olden Israel are also rampant today. Injustice, corruption, lies, evil doing, as well as empty words and promises describe our world to a T! 

But please remember what Isaiah was talking about; national corruption, and consequent suffering. And if you don’t think the consequential suffering has begun with this pandemic thing affecting the whole corrupt world, then good for you. And if you don’t believe Isaiah, then perchance you might belief Jeremiah, as he declares (yeahh!) that disobedience brings God’s judgement… 

Ah Lord eh friends! The computer might be a God-send, but it’s also a tool of the enemy. Some forty five minutes ago, I was going along quite well and was typing Jeremiah’s opening statement when something made me look up. And lo and behold I saw just four inverted commas on the page and nothing I had typed about Jeremiah. Then I couldn’t delete them or type anything else. I called my young daughter for help, but she couldn’t help me either. She suggested shutting it down, but that didn’t work. And when I shut it down a second time I could not even type in the password to get on. Steups! 

So finally, I had to come up and resort to my lonely and hardly used laptop, so I could continue. Satan truly knows how to get under one’s skin yes. But thankfully I didn’t lose my cool. Yes, I was annoyed, but with God’s help, kept my peace, cause the devil’s purpose was obviously to steal my joy since I was talking about so much truth. (smile) So let’s hear, finally, what Jeremiah has to say nuh: ‘Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! For they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. 

And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord. Take ye heed every one of his neighbour (friend), and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour (friend) will walk with slanders. And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.’ (Jer. 9:2-5) 

And it is indeed sad that all that stuff is still happening in our world. Consequently, we have to be ever so careful of whom we associate with, what we watch and listen to. It’s a full time job just to winnow the chaff from the grain nowadays. Instead friends, we must do like the psalmist did in Psalm 119, cry out to God for help. 

‘My soul melteth (weeps) for heaviness (grief): strengthen thou me according unto thy word. Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgements have I laid before me. I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O Lord, put me not to shame. I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.’ (Ps. 119:28-32) And friends, if we’re sincere in all we say and do, then the Lord will help us, not put us to shame and enlarge our hearts! 

So let’s go home this Wednesday morning declaring (yeahh!) our Wednesday Wail nuh, letting all the doubters and unbelievers know of our safe, secure and truthful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong voice now; ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. 

My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And we know with indisputable truth, that if we persist and endure to the end, those words will indeed come true! Much LOVE!

…it cannot be truth…if it doesn’t agree with the Good Book…