Genesis 15:18. In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed, (descendants) have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.
Oh Friends, once more we’ve opened our bleary eyes to greet another God-given day! And all God’s people gratefully declared: ‘Praise the Lord! Give Him endless thanks for His goodness to the undeserving children of men!’
Yes my people, we do need to praise and give thanks to our wonderful God for His unending grace, which we certainly don’t deserve. But like we have a special place in our hearts for our children, the same way the Deity that created us has a special fondness for us. He LOVES us so much that He can’t help but lavish LOVE on us. (smile)
Now I never intended to stay this long on God’s promises to Abram, but everyday I see more stuff, and since Abram is considered the founding father of our faith, of Jehovah God’s people, I believe we should look at his life and His relationship with the Almighty in some detail, so that we can get a fuller understanding of how our great God works, of how the promises He made, have led to the world we know today.
And today in our Bit, we have yet another promise God made to Abram. ‘In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed, (descendants) have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.’
What’s interesting Friends, is that in every instance the Lord assures Abram that he will have an abundance of descendants, who will inherit a vast tract of land, from the river Nile to the Euphrates. The problem though is some ten years have passed since God first promised Abram a multitude of descendants, but nothing has so far happened to fulfill it.
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife is seventy something, way past normal childbearing age, so she takes it upon herself to play God. She has an Egyptian maid by the name of Hagar: ‘And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.’ (Gen.16:2-3)
And foolishly, like many other men over the years, Abram listened to her and knew Hagar, her Egyptian maid. But Friends, as it so often happens, our impatience comes back to haunt us in ways we never considered before making the original decisions.
The Good Book puts it this way: ‘And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes (sight). And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong (the wrong done to me) be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee (as you please). And when Sarai dealt hardly (harshly) with her, she fled from her face (presence).’ (Gen.16:4-6)
Ah mih breddren, Hagar must have preened and pranced around the household when she discovered she was pregnant with Abram’s first born and legal heir, considering the endless possibilities of wealth and power that would accrue to her and her son. What amazes and amuses me though is Sarai getting on Abram’s case because Hagar despised her for her barrenness. Wasn’t it she who came up with the idea in the first place?
Abram was simply foolish to listen to her. There his faith in God must have wilted somewhat. But you can’t blame him too much, when you’ve been promised a child for ten years, and you’re already eighty-five years old.
But right there and then the whole anger, bitterness, resentment, hatred, strife and warfare began, because one woman took it upon herself to play God, then another allowed foolish pride to warp her thinking. And as usual too, in between was a clueless man. (smile) And sadly, nothing much has changed to this day. Ah Lord eh!
So Hagar runs away from Sarai’s harsh treatment into the wilderness, where an angel of the Lord finds her sitting beside a well. ‘And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under hands…
I will multiply thy seed (descendants) exceedingly, that it should not be numbered for multitude… Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael (God hears); because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.’ (Gen.16:8-12)
Please note Friends, that God saw Hagar’s affliction and relieved her anxiety by promising that her son would be a father of many, though he would be wild and rash and have problems with mankind in general.
‘And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. And Abram was fourscore and six (86) years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.’ (Gen.16:15-16)
Ah mih people, yuh see how our thoughtless actions can cause endless problems, even down through the ages. Sarai couldn’t wait on the Lord’s promise, possibly her faith had not reached the level necessary to keep on waiting regardless of the fact that she was old and nothing was happening. And poor Abram, although his faith seemed exceedingly strong, like Adam in the Garden of Eden, he succumbed to a woman’s arguments and made a fatal error in judgement, which has plagued the world since then, even to this day.
So though it’s oftimes difficult to wait on God’s promises, as true believers, we need to learn that godly patience which comes with strong belief and great faith. We cannot afford to let the lusts of the flesh drive us to do stuff outside of God’s will. When we think we’re speeding up God’s will, we’re usually just creating more problems. God doesn’t need our help to fulfill His promises. Remember He’s omnipotent.
So today, let’s exhort ourselves to listen, believe and wait patiently. For then we endear ourselves to God in true wisdom, and cause ourselves less problems. Much LOVE!
…but if we hope for that we see not…then do we with patience (perseverance)…(eagerly) wait for it… (Rom.8:25)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 July 2013 Jeremiah 1:6
03 Jul 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a snowflake in hell, anxiety, anxiety and worry, awesome truth, compelling, dark and dismal, darkness, experiences to boggle your imagination, fear, foreboding, frightful, God is a good god, God's faithfulness, I am a child, I cannot speak, important decisions, insufficient knowledge, jean paul richter, light, negative emotions, negative response, one of those days, overwhelmed, perceived problems, perseverance, rain, reassurance, sanctified, send me, sorrows, struggle, sunshine, that's life, throes of indecision, thunderclouds, tools, under the influence, uneducated argument, wisdom, worry
Jeremiah 1:6. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
Oh Friends, today was one of those days when I had a hard time finding a Bit. I don’t know why, because all my senses were attuned and I felt physically fine. But I guess that’s life! We can’t always have it easy, otherwise we surely won’t appreciate it. A struggle seems necessary before we can enjoy any good times.
As they say, you can’t enjoy the sunshine until you’ve experienced the rain, neither light until you experience darkness, and we can continue with all the other positives, that we can’t truly appreciate until we go through the negatives.
Anyway, here’s an interesting quote from the German writer, Jean Paul Richter (1763-1825), which tells us that ‘Sorrows are like thunderclouds – in the distance they look black; over our heads scarcely gray.’
And isn’t that the awesome truth Friends? Like the thunderclouds that look dark, dismal and foreboding when they’re off in the distance, so too are many of our perceived problems. They seem frightful and compelling when they first appear, but usually when we truly get to dealing with them, we discover that they’re usually never as bad and fearful as they looked at the beginning.
That’s not to say that some of them can’t be truly loathsome and frightening, but generally most of our problems end up being not as bad as they first seem. That means we’re not to get frightened and overwhelmed when problems first appear.
We need to scrutinize them properly before doing anything, because if we get all anxious and worked up without knowing what they are really all about, then that anxiety and worry will most certainly prevent us from handling them properly.
Fear and other negative emotions detract from our ability to handle problems as well as life in general. That’s why we should try not to make any important decisions when we’re fearful, angry, or under the influence of any negative emotions.
Oh Friends, our God is really a good God yes! For up to just now, before that last sentence, I still didn’t have a Bit, but while thumbing through the Good Book, it opened at the beginning of Jeremiah, and these words called to me: ‘Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.’
And I had to laugh, because it reminded me of when the Lord put forward the Idea of the Bit to me, I gave a similar excuse. I chuckled and said I couldn’t do it because of my insufficient knowledge of His Word. But as we know, the Lord persisted and some seven years later, though I’m still not an expert on His Word, I’m much further ahead than I use to be.
Please note the Lord’s words to Jeremiah which brought forward his negative response. ‘Before I formed thee in the belly (womb) I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee (set thee apart), and I ordained (appointed) thee a prophet unto the nations.’ (Jer.1:5)
Yuh see that Friends, Jerry’s call had been planned long before His birth! Like wise, the Lord has plans for all of us before we’re even conceived, and trying to wiggle out of them is usually futile and hopeless.
Now hear how the Lord handled Jerry’s reluctance. ‘But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.’ (Jer.1:7)
The Lord was having none of Jerry’s fear and anxiety. And to assuage his fear, He reassures him. ‘Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.1:8)
That’s the greatness and faithfulness of our God my people! He doesn’t just send us to do a job without any reassurance; He’s constantly with us, He has our back all the time.
‘Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down (tear down), and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.’ (Jer.1:9-10)
Please note too that He gave Jerry the tools, the words, to do the job He was sending him to do. That’s another great aspect of our God. He’ll never send us to do a job without giving us the necessary tools to do it. I can personally attest to that.
So if you happen to find yourself in such a situation today, where the Lord is calling you to do something, which in the natural you don’t seem qualified or able to do, don’t worry, just step up boldly to the plate. Do like Isaiah did, when the Lord asked: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.’ (Is.6:8)
Ah Friends, I’ll let you into a little secret; if the Lord truly wants to conscript you into His army, then like a snowflake in hell, you don’t stand a chance of getting away! He will get you one way or another. I can personally attest to that too, because I kept putting forth my uneducated argument, but He kept persevering.
Hn! And yuh see who finally won! Well I won too, because it changed my whole life, brought me much closer to Him.
And the Lord has a plan for each and every one of His children, whether He’s made it clear to us or not. So whether we’re in the throes of indecision now, or haven’t clearly heard His plan for us, please bear in mind that working for Him is the most interesting job in the universe.
It’s not always going to be wine, roses and song, but along the way, you’ll experience some experiences, large, small and in-between, that will boggle your imagination and make you truly believe. That again I can attest to from personal experience.
So please answer God’s call today, or whenever He calls, with a bold and confident, ‘Yes Lord, I will go. Send me.’ That’s wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
…when the Lord says jump…our immediate response should be…how high Lord…
P.S. Sorry for the lateness of the Bit, but I was doing some other stuff on the computer that took me longer than I expected. But as usual, better late than never. (smile) Much LOVE!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 June 2013 Luke 1:27
25 Jun 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: anxiety, average rainfall, binding, Calgary, Christ, Christian faith, christianity, city of calgary, concept, disasters, drunk or sober, dumb, empowerment, engagement, enormous thanks, espousal, faithful, flood damage, flooding, God with us, gospel, human embodiment of God, Immanuel, incarnate, Jesus, mind your business, mislead, move mountains, negative news, omnipotence, prayer, progressive city, promises, prophecy, province of saskatchewan, relax, safety, Septuagint, son of god, thanks, trigger finger, true meaning, virgin, virgin birth, virginity, watered down, well-being
Luke 1:27: To a virgin espoused (engaged) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
Oh Friends, this really is the year of the flood yes! Look at the above average rainfall that’s caused terrible flooding and all the other inherent disasters that’s happened this past week in Northern India and also here at home in the Western Province of Alberta.
The city of Calgary, one of the five largest in Canada, and the surrounding areas of High River and Medicine Hat, were literally under water. The newspaper claims that Calgary, possibly the country’s most progressive city, has been left in shambles. River-like torrents of water have been running down the city’s streets, and thousands have been evacuated.
Add all of that to the wicked flooding we recently saw in much of Europe and in the Western Province of Saskatchewan, and we have to admit that flood damage seems to be this year’s chosen area of disaster. And the hurricane season is just starting, so who knows what’s going to happen eh. We just have to be prepared to face whatever disaster comes our way.
And Friends, despite all the negative news, as true believers in Jesus Christ, we can all relax – well not really relax, we still have to mind our business, drunk or sober, (smile) but we don’t have to go crazy with worry, anxiety and overwhelming concern, because our God has promised to look after us in whatever situation we may find ourselves. And we all know that He’s always faithful in keeping His promises.
Besides, worry and anxiety never fix anything, just cause more problems and negative consequences. And today, please let’s give God enormous thanks for our safety and well-being, and also pray for the thousands of unfortunates who are caught up in the numerous disasters around the world.
Individually, we may not be able to do much to help them, but together we can certainly move mountains on their behalf, with the help of Jesus. So please let’s remember them in our prayers, because the day will certainly come when we’re undergoing our own disasters and need them to pray for us.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is the same as yesterday. ‘To a virgin espoused (engaged) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.’
And according to the scholars: ‘Espousal (similar to our engagement period) was, under Jewish law as binding as marriage. It lasted about a year, during which time the woman’s purity was maintained.’
Yesterday we talked about the new Norwegian version of the Good Book changing the word ‘virgin’ in Mary’s case to that of ‘young woman,’ which entirely misses the point, and thus fails to convey the fundamental aspect that Mary’s virginity had and has on the Christian faith.
Today we’ll look at two other scriptures and hear from the scholars, per the great importance and relevance of Mary’s virginity to our beliefs. And the whole virginity business began with Isaiah’s prophecy to King Ahab at an upcoming Assyrian invasion of Israel.
‘Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.’ (Is.7:14)
Then Matthew, in his gospel, referring to Isaiah’s prophecy, declares: ‘Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted (translated) is, God with us.’ (Matt.1:23)
And the scholars tell us that: ‘A virgin relates Mary, the mother of Jesus, to the prediction found in Isaiah 7:14. Matthew used the Greek word, ‘parthenos’ to translate the Hebrew word ‘almah.’ His contextual usage of ‘fulfill’ is certainly indicative of his understanding the Isaiah passage to contain a definitely predictive element.
The quotation of Isaiah 7:14 follows the Septuagint (Old Testament in Greek) rendering where ‘parthenos’ is also used to translate the Hebrew ‘almah.’ There can be no doubt that the Greek term ‘parthenos’ is always to be translated ‘virgin.’
The Hebrew ‘almah’ is the most accurate and precise term for virgin used in the Old Testament. Therefore Matthew is clearly correct in quoting Isaiah 7:14 as being fulfilled in the virgin birth of Christ.
Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us: This is a title describing the deity of the person of the Son of God rather than a name actually used by Him. It implies God will come to dwell among His own people, which He did in the person of Christ.’
Ah Friends, some of that might be slightly confusing, but the scholars want to show how truly important the concept of Mary’s virginity and Christ’s virgin birth are to our Christian faith. And not totally acknowledging it as such, in essence denies the basic tenet of our faith; that of Christ being the incarnate (spiritually conceived) Son of God and not the physical conception of man.
In other words, Jesus was the human embodiment of God, God in the flesh of man. That means that if Mary wasn’t a virgin in the real and true sense of the word, then Jesus’ father had to be a human being, and that would totally negate all of the New Testament.
So please my brethren, let’s be careful to try and keep the true meaning of the Good Book in all we say and do, so that we don’t mislead others, or give them the wrong perspective on what our faith really is all about. And I daresay that in many modern translations that is already taking place.
But Friends and fellow believers, the Good Book MUST NOT be watered or dumbed down to meet the dumb and watered down minds of this current age. Instead we should concentrate on lifting, upgrading the minds of our young people to meet the understanding of the Good Book. Please, I implore us to make that a critical part of our outreach, our ministry.
And in closing, I’m asking us to float up a few words of prayer to heaven for the ole fella, who’s going to have some surgery this morning on his right hand to rectify a condition they call ‘trigger finger.’ Please pray for it to be successful, and that I can continue writing the Bit without missing any days, because that would be very disappointing.
I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but since our God is omnipotent, and we can do all things through His empowerment, I feel confident that He will help me find a way, even if in the natural, there seems to be none. Much LOVE!
…let’s remember that God’s Word never changes…so don’t go changing it on the whims and fancies of this fallen world…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 April 2013 Psalm 71:12
23 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: adversaries, afraid, anchor in the storm, anxiety, articles of faith, ashamed, be not far, christianity, confidence, cry out for help, defeating doubt, downward spiral, eternal life, evil, fear, God's faithfulness, gospel truth, great is thy faithfulness, Jesus, John Milton, make haste, maturity in Christ Jesus, mighty sword, morning by morning, new mercies, O God, optimum assurance, personal faith, positive assurance, praise, prime wisdom, reverence, righteousness., salvation, spiritual armour, spirituality, stand strong, strength of the Lord God, successful life, the Good Book, tools of truth, troubled world, true conquerors, ungodly world
Psalm 71:12. O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
Oh Friends, before we do anything else this Tuesday morning, let’s gratefully acknowledge the Lord’s goodness to us, the very undeserving children of men, by singing this old, but very true ditty: ‘Great is thy faithfulness O Lord. Morning by morning, new mercies I see. All that I needed, thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness Lord, unto me.’ And if that isn’t another gospel truth my people, then I don’t know what is! And talking about gospel truths, there are so many in our articles of faith, that we should never be without at least one, and often several, to hold on to, when our personal faith begins to weaken. In other words, with all the available truths from the Good Book and our own experiences to find strength from, there should never be any real cause for our faith to weaken when we’ve reached a certain level of maturity in Christ Jesus. However, with the crazy downward spiral of our currently confused and troubled world, that’s often easier said than done. But my Friends, today I’m advocating, reassuring, pleading with us to stand strong, to use all the tools of truth that our most excellent God has given or made available to us, so that we can remain steadfast in faith and do the job to which He’s called each and every one of His beautiful and much LOVED children, just like He called His first Son Jesus to sacrifice His sinless life for us. And just as Jesus was obedient to His calling, even unto death, I pray that we all will also be obedient to whatever we are called to do. Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name I pray this. And all God’s wonderful children said a loud and grateful, ‘Amen!’ Yeh mih people, this evil, ungodly world is indeed making it more difficult every day for us to truly embrace and live out our faith with joy and positive assurance. For as John Milton (1608-1671) the renowned English Poet is said to have declared: ‘To know that which lies before us in daily life, is the prime wisdom.’ Now that’s perfectly true, since we can only live one day at a time, and knowing where we’re headed each day is of the utmost importance, if we hope to lead a successful life. But by the same token friends, we can only do that successfully with the help of our heavenly Father. That’s exactly why we often need to do as the psalmist says in our Bit, cry out: ‘O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.’ Yes my fellow believers, be not ashamed, no, never be ashamed or afraid to cry out to our most LOVING, generous and omnipotent God when the pressures of life and this godless world seem to be wearing us down, for that’s what the Father wants and expects from us. Like the psalmist continues, let’s boldly and confidently, but with obvious reverence, entreat the Lord: ‘Let them be confounded (ashamed) and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.’ (Ps.71:13) Now it’s all well and good to cry out for help, but we must also play the part allotted to us. Again, as the psalmist declares: ‘But I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more. My mouth shall show forth (proclaim) thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers (limits) thereof. I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.’ (Ps.71:14-16) Ah mih breddren, it’s not easy in this life, and it’s daily getting harder too, but as believers in Christ Jesus, we have the optimum assurance possible that He will never leave or forsake us. He will always bring us through whatever trials He allows to come upon us, often stronger and better off than before. No weapon formed against us will ever prosper or cut us down, because we are true conquerors, especially when wearing His powerful spiritual armour, and wielding the mighty sword of His Word. Our God also promises to be our anchor in the time of storm. Though our ship be battered, our sails torn, our way blinded by darkness, He will be our helmsman and guide us to safety. And when we’re weary and tired of trudging through this life, like the compassionate Father that He is, the Lord will lift us on to His powerful, never weary, never tired shoulders and take us safely home. Oh my brethren, with all those faithful promises of our most wonderful God going for us, how can we not LOVE and worship Him with all our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits eh? And we haven’t even mentioned the two greatest promises; that of salvation and eternal life! So Friends, with such a barrage of promises and weapons available, it’s therefore unthinkable that a true believer should be ever defeated by this earthly life. And today I’m urging us to seriously ponder on all those wonderful promises our awesome God has made us, also on His faithfulness to keep them, and then bring them to work favourably in our lives, as He desires. In Jesus’ name we pray. And all God’s reverent children declared a loud, grateful and joyful, ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’ Let’s stand strong for Jesus today my fellow believers! Much LOVE!…truly accepting God’s promises…means truly defeating doubt, fear and the anxieties of this world…
Today’s Scrip-Bit October 28 2012 Deuteronomy 31:6
28 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: anxiety, be strong and courageous, beautiful believers, daily blessings, faithfulness, fear, fear not nor be dismayed, meditation, omnipotent god, overcome challenges, tension, the BIBLE, tragedy, trials, tribulations, unbreakable promise of God
Deuteronomy 31:6. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Oh Friends, a blessed Sunday morning to all you beautiful believers in Christ Jesus! I hope we all gave Him thanks for so kindly allowing us to experience another day on Planet Earth, for that’s His due. I also hope that we’re primed and ready to receive His daily blessings and to walk worthy of Him on this October day, regardless of the weather or our personal circumstances. But despite all the promises, blessings and assurances of our omnipotent God, a major portion of the world’s population is still living in dreadful fear because of the numerous negative problems we face. Tragedy and chaos abound all over; from wars to rumours of wars, oppression and suppression of all types, serious economic trials and setbacks, worldwide religious contention, plus natural, man-made and God-sent disasters, to name a little of the calamity that’s currently driving us to fear, death and destruction. Yes Friends, our world is now being run over and ruled by negative influences which unfortunately creates a lot of fear, tension and anxiety. And sadly, a lot of believers are caught up in that negative cycle. But though we need to be realistic about what’s happening in and around us, we don’t have to be overwhelmed or totally overcome by circumstances in general, or our particular problems, because we have the unbreakable promise of the Most High God Jehovah that He will look after those who accept His sovereignty through belief in His Most Wonderful Son Jesus. From way back when He adopted the children of Israel as His chosen people, He assured them with promises of strength, provision and faithfulness, if they would serve and worship Him with clean hearts and right spirits. Our Bit is one such promise reiterated by Moses to his people, just before his death. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ Oh my brethren, what greater assurance can we ask for eh? But how Moses must have sorrowed in his heart, knowing the people’s penchant for fear and fickleness. And right after our Bit: ‘Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut.31:7-8) Ah mih people, what encouragement and assurance Moses tried to give young Joshua as he passed the baton of leadership to him. But Joshua must have understood all that because he had been Moses’ second in command and no doubt had seen the great things the Lord had done. However, our God is so kind and considerate that after Moses died, He called Joshua aside and had a heart to heart chat with him, promising: ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance (you shall give as a possession) the land which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper (have success or act wisely) withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1:5-7) Wow! What powerful promises my brethren! But the Lord constantly warns Joshua to be strong and courageous; twice in the last two verses, and again in verse 9: ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ Oh my brethren, since neither our God or His dictates change, that means those powerful words of assurance are also part and parcel of our spiritual heritage, therefore we should also be strong and of a good courage, and not afraid nor dismayed, because our God goes with us wherever we go. So why are we still so fearful these days eh? Granted life is difficult, but if the Creator and Ruler of the universe tells us to have faith and courage in Him, and we’ve seen His faithfulness over the ages, why do we still falter and fear instead of standing strong and courageous as He instructs? Is it because our faith isn’t as strong as it should be and/or we’re just wallowing in self-pity, because it’s so much easier to hold our heads and wail, ‘Woe is me?’ I suspect though, that the real reason why we’re so scared of life and what it entails nowadays, is because we’re not following another of the direct commands that the Lord gave Joshua the day He anointed him leader. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall constantly be in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success.’ (Josh.1:8) Oh my people, it’s right there in black and white: obey the Lord and you’ll have success wherever you go. But we don’t do that, yet we still expect to be successful. That’s not how God’s universe works my brethren. Now hear some appropriate words on the subject from the scholars. ‘The Lord’s charge to Joshua is repeated from Deut.31:6-7, 23). The divine call is not only for manly courage but for a courageous faith centred in the word of God. (cf. 1 Chr.22:11-13; 28:20; Ps.27:13-14; 31;23-24) As the psalmist would later point out, true success comes from meditating deeply on God’s Word. (cf. Ps.1:2-3; 119:72, 97, 147, 148) Paul likewise encourages all believers to “quit you like men, be strong” (1 Cor.16:13) Oh Friends, I know that these are particularly rough and tough times, but that’s exactly why we need to get in agreement with God’s Word, so that we can be reassured of His faithful promises in our times of need. So please look up the scriptures noted above that they may help us to avoid the fear that’s so prevalent all over the world right now. Remember that Jesus said, though we’ll have trials and tribulation, we should not be afraid, but instead be of good cheer, because He has already overcome the world. (John 16:33) Well true believers, true followers of Christ, let’s take that advice and put it into action nuh! For then, and only then will be truly walking our faith. Much LOVE!…who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?… (1 John 5:5)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 September 2012 2 Samuel 23:3
11 Sep 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: 9/11, anxiety, conqueror, evil, fear God, holy spirit, ignorance, just rulers, out of sync, Rock, rough, slippery, ungodly schemes, withdrawal, World Trade Centre, worry
2 Samuel 23:3. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s shaking it a bit rough this morning. In fact he’s been shaking it rough all weekend. Hn! Ignorance really is a hell of a thing yes! Why do I say that? Because last week I saw that I was running out of my arthritic medication, but thinking that I had some in the bag I carry around, I didn’t contact my doctor for a refill. And as the Lord would have it, I ran out over the weekend. However, when I checked the bag, lo and behold, there were no arthritic pills. And though I took some other stuff, it just didn’t feel the same. Don’t know if I was suffering withdrawal symptoms or what, but my whole body just seemed more achy and out of sync than normal. And to make matters worse, my allergies are acting up this morning. Brother! The ole body is surely crying out for constant sunshine and warm seawater yes! (smile) Anyway, enough of my woes, they’re inconsequential to those of many others. Here’s a quote though, from American author Clarence Day (1874-1935) that we can all attest to. ‘The real world is not easy to live in. It is rough; it is slippery.’ And isn’t that the living truth Friends! In fact our world is getting rougher and more slippery everyday. That’s why we have to assume full responsibility for our health and strength with continuous positive action, and not wait until a crisis forces us to act. But as Christians, true followers of Jesus, we don’t have to get all flustered, anxious and worried over the world’s rough and slippery nature, for Jesus reassured us that He had already conquered the world, so we should be of good spirit, and do our best while abiding in Him. (John 16:33) Today is also the eleventh anniversary of the World Trade Centre bombing in New York City. You can imagine the emotions that will be fired up over that today. But you know what, our Bit today encapsulates what was wrong with that whole scenario. ‘The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.’ Obviously the rulers, or those who controlled the people who committed that heinous crime, weren’t just, or didn’t fear God. And sadly that’s a fact that’s happening all over the current world; rulers neither are afraid physically or emotionally of God, nor do they reverence Him. They just do as they please, or follow the evil, ungodly schemes laid down by their evil, ungodly masters. And it’s worthy to note that today we’re dealing with some of Bruh David’s last words. Before our Bit, he proudly proclaims: ‘The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue… Bit… And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.’ (2 Sam.23:2,4) As we said earlier, there are surely very few, if any rulers of that calibre existing today. Now here’s a brief explanation from the scholars. “David attests the divine inspiration of his psalm. Verses 2-7 contain a lovely testimony in song of David’s abiding trust in God and the unconditional covenant of God with the house of David.” Yes Friends, although Bruh David was far from perfect, he staunchly abided in the LOVE, power and trust of God, so that the Lord made an unconditional covenant with him. His name and his house would always be revered in the annals of Jewish history. It’s also interesting to see that the terminology used by Bruh David to describe his God was also used by a couple of other famous faithful followers in their songs of praise. In his song, Moses declares: ‘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 all God’s people declared a loud and grateful; ‘Praise the Lord, for He is indeed our Rock and our salvation!’ And Samuel’s mother, Hannah, after she had cried out to the Lord and He had filled her barren womb with the prophet, she also joyfully declared: ‘There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none besides thee: neither is there any rock like our God.’ (1 Sam.2:2) Ah mih people, the word ‘Rock’ emphasizes the stability, permanence and unchanging nature of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as a place of security, safety and rest, of hope and salvation! Where else can we find a God who truly possesses all those qualities eh? NOWHERE, my Friends, NOWHERE! And yuh know what? The Holy Spirit just advised me to stop here for today, because the rest of my message would be much too long for our busy, short attention spans. (smile) And since I try to be as obedient as possible, I’ll certainly bow to His greater wisdom. So Friends, please let’s ponder today’s message and allow it help us in our walk of faith through this rough and slippery world. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen. Much LOVE my brethren!…without the true rock…Almighty God…to lean upon…the human animal will flounder and die…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 August 2012 1 Peter 4:8
28 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: anger, anxiety, bitterness, charity, covers, earthquake, evil, flooding, good stewards, gossipmongers, Haiti, holy spirit, hurricane, Isaac, Jesus, LOVE, manifold grace of God, prayers, rejoice, relationships, resentment, sins, stress, tension
1 Peter 4:8. And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover the multitude of sins.
Oh Friends, we at last had a touch of rain in my area yesterday morning; first time in over a week. And I guess most people were pleased to receive it, but Friends, think about those rather unfortunate people in Haiti, where Hurricane Isaac brought an abnormal amount of rain, wind, flooding and destruction to their already bruised, battered and impoverished lives. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and they’ve now undergone what; two hurricanes and a massive earthquake in the last few years? Ah Lord eh! It’s one calamity after the other. Before they can recover from one, another strikes them! Please my people, let’s pray some serious and heart-rending prayers for them, and also help in whatever other way we can. Please ask the Lord to guide our thoughts and prayers too to those unfortunates in the Dominican Republic and Cuba who felt some of Isaac’s wrath, but certainly not as much as Haiti. And let’s also remember in our words to heaven the people in the Southern U.S. where Isaac is scheduled to do some serious damage. Let’s pray that it will extinguish itself out at sea, and leave the land and people unscathed, cause they already have enough calamity to deal with. And if that’s not in the Lord’s plan, then pray that it will do minimal damage. Can you imagine the suffering that will cause with the serious job and home losses, plus social upheaval, drought and economic decline that’s already plaguing the nation? All I can say my brethren, is that we look to our Bit for guidance in these really troubled times. ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover the multitude of sins.’ And that’s an undisputable fact Friends! LOVE does cover an amazing amount of troubles and wrongdoings. Hear how Cousin Sol says it in Proverbs 10. ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth ALL sins.’ (Prov.10:12) That’s why they say LOVE makes the world go round. It can surely handle all kinds of misfortune and negative circumstances. Peter further advises us: ‘Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling) As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.’ (1 Pet.4:9-10) And you know what happens when we don’t take that advice? Listen to Cousin Sol tell it. ‘He that covereth a transgression seeketh LOVE: but he that repeateth a matter separateth very (the best of) friends.’ (Prov.17:9) Gospel truth my brethren, to which many of us can personally attest! For we have all seen and experienced situations where friends keep their peace on certain things, relationships endure and often prosper because of that held tongue. But when the gossip-mongers spread their evil offering, it inevitably breaks up relationships, leaving in their wake, trails of bitterness, anger, resentment and strife. However, as Bruh Paul so wisely and truthfully tells the Corinthians: ‘Charity (LOVE) suffereth long, and is kind; charity (LOVE) envieth not; charity (LOVE) vaunteth not (does not brag) on itself, is not puffed up (arrogant). Doth not behave itself unseemly (rudely), seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no (keeps no accounts of) evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity (LOVE) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail (cease); whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away (cease).’ (1 Cor.13:4-8) Yes my people; LOVE NEVER FAILS! It is the great reliever of stress, tension, anxiety and all misfortune. Even in the most difficult of times, just a little show or act of LOVE can bring a smile and/or a sense of relief to the unfortunate person’s face and spirit. That’s because it’s the essential essence of our all-knowing, all-seeing and all-powerful God! And it’s why Bruh Paul thus admonished the Galatians. ‘And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections (its passions) and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory (conceited), provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal.5:24-26) My fellow believers, it’s only LOVE that’s given through the Holy Spirit that can cause unity among humans. No wonder Bruh Paul advised the Ephesians. ‘And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph.4:30-32) And therein lies the rub my brethren. That forgiveness of God came to us through His LOVE, otherwise we’d still be tightly enmeshed, wrapped up in sin and discarded unto death. But note, the LOVE of God, through the sacrifice of Jesus, covered not only a multitude of sins, but ALL of the sins of those who believe on His Son. And if you’re one of those fortunate people to have your sins covered by God’s LOVE through Jesus’ death, then please go out and tell and live it, so that the rest of the world can see the great benefits it provides, and come to know and LOVE Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, just like you. As James says: ‘Let him know, that he which converteth (turns) the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide (cover) a multitude of sins.’ (James 5:20) And all God’s people said a loud and sincere ‘Amen!’ Oh Friends, it’s our time to go out and spread some LOVE, if we want things to improve in our world. Let’s do it for Jesus nuh! Much LOVE!…LOVE…it’s the panacea for what ails our world…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 April 2012 Proverbs 23:7
02 Apr 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: anxiety, aura, complain, enthusiasm, hardship, heavenly Father, inconvenience, Jesus, LOVE, rejuvenation, trials, tribulations, whine, work
Proverbs 23:7. Let not thine heart envy sinners; but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday! Time for the lucky ones with a job to get out and labour another week for their pittance. But it’s also a sad week in the lives of believers, because it’s Holy Week; that time when Jesus agonized over His upcoming trials and tribulations, until He was crucified on Good Friday. We whine and complain about going to work, especially on a Monday morning, as though it’s such a terrible hardship. Yes, it can be inconvenient and difficult at times, but just consider Jesus’ plight, His anxiety level when He arose this Holy Week Monday morning, two thousand years ago, and realized that the hour for which He was born was only four short days away. Don’t you think He was anxious and apprehensive? Of course He was! For remember that though He was God, He was also man with lots of our feelings, both physical and emotional. So it was never going to be an easy walk in the park for Him. Friends, let’s take a Selah moment here and consider Jesus’ position, then our own, weigh them both, then truthfully decide if we have that much to complain about. If we’re honest, the answer for most of us would be a resounding NO! So please let’s stop whining and complaining as much as we do, over the truly petty, insignificant things that we make such a fuss over nowadays. Instead, today, and everyday of this Holy week, I want us to put ourselves in Jesus’ position, behave as though we were going to be crucified on Friday, then note our reactions. Let’s see how we behave each morning we arise, knowing that our terrible, painful, innocent demise is one day closer to becoming reality. Now to help us with that exercise, plus the normal ups and downs of everyday, workweek life, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with loud, truly thankful voices. Thought I’d forgotten it eh? (smile) 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!’ And having thus boosted our spirits my brethren, let’s go out into our evil, ungodly, troubled world and do as our Bit so wisely advises: ‘Let not thine heart envy sinners; but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.’ Now therein lies a WOW! factor Friends, for those are certainly Words Of Wisdom! And we have a perfect example of the stupidity of envying sinners from the psalmist Asaph, when he laments the prosperity of the wicked: ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone (had almost stumbled); my steps had well-nigh slipped. For I was envious of the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps.73:1-3) Now why would Asaph choose to do that eh? ‘For there are no bands (pangs or pain) in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain (serves as a necklace); violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness (bulge with abundance): they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt (scoff), and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily (proudly)….And they say, How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper (are always at ease) in the world; they increase in riches.’ (Ps.73:5-8, 11-12) Oh Friends, that’s a mirror image of our world today! And sadly, like Asaph, too many of us see the wicked prospering, are envious of them and unwisely buy into their evil schemes. They figure that Almighty God is not watching or doesn’t know their evil deeds. But He is watching and does know, because He is the ultimate controller of all things in our universe. So let them fool themselves into thinking that their ill-gotten riches and their wicked doings will serve them well, they are in for a rude awakening, because their day of judgement and tribulation will come, even though it may take a lifetime. Oh my brethren, let’s hope and pray that those of us who are jealous of the wicked and their earthly possessions wake up soon and realize our folly. Like Asaph, hopefully, we’ll soon be able to say: ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end…. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.’ (Ps.73:17, 26) And that’s the gospel truth my people! Much LOVE!…envy and jealousy are like blinders…they prevent us from seeing the truth…
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