Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 May 2012 Isaiah 40:28

Isaiah40:28.    Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

And it was Monday! Yes Friends, it’s Monday, a glorious day when all the worker bees come back out to labour. (smile) However, please remember that we’re no longer slaves to the world, but the eminent children of the Most High God Jehovah, and as such are worthy of respect and deference. So please, let’s hold our heads up high as we go out to work today, and don’t consider ourselves working for earthly, mortal man, but for our heavenly Father, to bring His righteous and godly kingdom to fruition. This will ease some of the difficulty and pain we suffer during the work day. And to help us do that, let’s come before the Father with confidence and proper humility and sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as loudly, enthusiastically and sincerely as we can. As one voice 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!’ Now that ought to set us on the right track Friends! So let’s turn to our Bit, one of the most encouraging pieces of scripture found in the Good Book: ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.’ That’s an undeniable fact my people! The words, tired and faint don’t exist in our God’s vocabulary. Instead He rejuvenates the faint and weary, giving them strength to carry on. We saw a perfect example of that yesterday in that my ebbed spirit was soon lifted up when I cried out for help and also persevered in my task. Now today I want us to look at some scriptures that pertain to the last part of our Bit: ‘there is no searching of his understanding.’ That’s also an undeniable fact my fellow believers! Try as we can, none of us mortals can unlock the secrets, the wisdom and understanding of our omnipotent Creator, because He is immortal, with ways and thoughts much higher than ours. (Is.55:8-9) From that we can rightly discern that we’re like in kindergarten, while the Lord already has His doctorate. That’s how far superior His intelligence is to ours. So it’s not surprising when Psalm 147, solemnly proclaims: ‘Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite (innumerable).’ (Ps.147:5) And trust the Preacher to hit the nail on the head: ‘As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit (wind), nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.’ (Eccl.11:5)  And that my brethren is a gospel truth, if ever there was one! Meanwhile the prophet Nahum dispenses this bit of wisdom: ‘The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked; the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet…The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies. (Nah.1:3,7-8) More gospel truth mih breddren! And we’ll end with wise words from Bruh Paul: ‘O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been His counselor? Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed (repaid) unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.’ (Rom.11:33-36) Oh Friends, none of those statements are open to argument, for they are all the unadulterated, unalterable truth! And we also see Bruh Paul’s brilliance with words, where in verses 34-35, he combines the words of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Job to further his argument. Oh that all believers could be so wise and learned in the scriptures! But that will come eventually my people as we read, study and meditate on the infallible Word of our God. Now that’s our task for today. Please carry it out without any murmuring or complaints, for it’s in our best interest to do so. Much LOVE!…can the clay tell the potter what to make…or how to make it…likewise we can’t tell our Creator what to do…or how to do it…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 April 2012 Psalm 146:5

Psalm 146:5.     Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.

Oh Friends, we’ve been mightily blessed to see the light of another glorious day on Planet Earth! Praise, the Lord, send joyful shouts up to heaven, thank Him for all His wonderful blessings and mercies! And some of you are looking askance at me, as though I’m crazy. No I’m not. I’m just happy in the Lord! Remember the joy of the Lord is our strength, (Neh.8:10) which means if we’re not joyful in the Lord, then we’ll be just a bunch of weaklings, unable to fight Lucifer. And it doesn’t matter either that it’s Monday and we’ve got to go and slave for Massa. That’s all part of God’s glorious plan for our lives, which we know will eventually turn out fine, because He’s promised it. (Rom.8:28) And for those of us who are still miserable and joyless, for whatever reason, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, which should put joy in our hearts, strength in our spirits and a smile on our faces, which in turn will have the enemy frustrated when we respond with LOVE and peace, rather than anger and resentment to their evil works. 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!’ Wow Friends, what a powerful anointing! Now let’s ride that Jesus high all the way to work and back, while thanking God for all the trials that come our way, with each one bringing us more like Jesus. Ah mih people, the ole fella’s on a roll this morning! That’s because I’m enthused and joyful, even though I’m being harassed by a cough and some asthma problems, for as our Bit so truthfully declares: ‘Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.’ The God of Jacob has become my help, and I’ve placed all my hope and trust in Him. So why shouldn’t I be happy eh? If you’ve claimed the Bit as yours and you’re not happy, then something’s wrong somewhere, and you need to evaluate your situation again. Now don’t think you’re alone in that respect, because many Christians are sad, joyless people, who unfortunately feel that’s the way believers ought to behave. But that mindset just makes these words of Jesus useless and of no account. ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.’ (John 15:11) And also: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Words to live and die by Friends! And please note, when we talk of joy here, it’s not necessarily being happy with our outward circumstances, but about an inner peace and contentment, knowing that our lives are in the faithful, trustworthy hands of Jesus. That therefore means our whole world could be crumbling around us, but we’ll still manage a smile and a kind word to someone else, putting our plight in the background. And coincidentally, there’s no better way to forget your problems than by helping someone else with theirs. Now enough of me, let’s listen to some scriptures that back up my contention and our Bit’s words. Psalm 125, with the superscription, God surrounds his people, is as good a place as any to begin. ‘They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed (moved), but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about (surround) Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.’ (Ps.125:1-2) What more can we ask eh mih breddren? Nothing really. It’s left up to us to accept His tender mercies and providence. And Isaiah, in his appeal to Israel to turn to the Lord for help, solemnly declares: ‘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 (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is.30:18) Oh my people, like Isaiah, I’m appealing to us, right now, to turn to the Lord God Jehovah for help, because our world is in a sorry state and only He can help us. Now hear God’s promise of deliverance to Ebed-melech through Jeremiah, in the face of Babylon’s attack. ‘But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey (as a prize) unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.39:17-18) And finally Friends, listen to Bruh David’s simple but eloquent declaration: ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him.’ (Ps.34:8-9) Oh fellow believers, it’s my sincere hope that all we’ve read and said here today will light a fire in and under us; will create such enthusiasm, such passion for Christ in our souls that we’ll just go out into the evil, ungodly world and overrun the enemy with LOVE! I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Much LOVE mih people!… no contest is ever won without…fervour, enthusiasm and passion…and that’s what’s sadly lacking in today’s believers…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 April 2012 Psalm 107:1

Psalm 107:1.       O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Aye mih Friends, another lovely Monday morning has rolled around! And I hear all sorts of grumbling and grousing. In answer to which I say; No, I am not crazy, just realistic. (smile)  So you have to get up and go to work? So what? We’re all alive and kicking, most of us have decent jobs in a somewhat free country, and most important of all, our magnificent God is constantly blessing us anew every day with mercy, LOVE, forgiveness, wisdom and understanding; just to name a few of His precious gifts. Now consider the alternative.  Selah. And all God’s people declared a loud and glorious: ‘Thank you Lord for being so good to us, the undeserving children of men! We bless and praise your Holy Name!’ Now that’s more like it my people, that’s the response followers of Jesus ought to have! And to raise that attitude of excellence, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with even more enthusiasm and sincerity. 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 now that we’re on a roll, I’ll like to give thanks for the showers of heavenly water that finally fell in my area yesterday. I don’t know if it was really sufficient to quench the thirst of the parched earth, but we’re certainly thankful for even the smallest of mercies. And that’s exactly what our Bit encourages us to do: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.’ Oh my people, that’s such an awesome truth, that when we truly believe it, it will revolutionize our lives for ever! And not believing it is also one reason why so many of us believers live less than peaceful, contented lives. Remember the most important part of Christianity is belief. Until we truly believe, then surrender our souls and our trust to God, nothing much will happen for us. The author of Psalm 106 corroborates our Bit in his opening verse: ‘Praise ye the Lord (Shout Hallelujah). O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (Ps.106:1) Now that Psalm deals with Israel sinning against God’s LOVE, while our Bit talks about God’s wonderful works to the children of men, but they both acknowledge God’s goodness and mercy towards us till eternity. Now which other faith can boast such a promise eh? NONE, my Friends, NONE! Although the children of Israel did not cling to Him like they ought, and though He punished them for their disobedience, He did not utterly consume them, and made a way for them to return to His fold because of His faithful promise to their forefather Abraham. ‘Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.’ (Gen.12:1-2) Yes my people, the Lord kept His covenant, even with all the negative actions of His chosen people. And yuh know what? He’s still doing it today; still blessing us, still protecting us, in spite of our disobedience. And that same avenue for conviction and repentance is still open to all who sincerely seek it. Which other god – well really supposed god, for there’s ONLY ONE TRUE GOD, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – is so generous, merciful and forgiving to His followers eh? Again my Friends, the answer is NONE! Now don’t think that we can live in constant disobedience and get away with it Scot free, for that’s not true. The Israelites were punished for turning against God and embracing Lucifer, and whether you want to believe it or not, we are now in the same boat, suffering all sorts of unusual stuff, for our wholesale embracing of the enemy. Now let’s end with some appropriate words of Bruh David from his psalm of thanksgiving when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory (triumph) in thy praise. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord.’ (1 Chr.16:34-36) Yes my brethren, let’s promise ourselves to practice that praiseworthy attitude towards our great and merciful God nuh, for it’s on His side, not Lucifer’s, that our bread is buttered. Much LOVE!…every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…and cometh down from the Father of lights…with whom is no variableness (variation, change)…neither shadow of turning… (James 1:17)

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 February 2012 Daniel 4:3‏

Daniel 4:3.    How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is and everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from  generation to generation.

Ah mih people, it’s that time again; Monday, when we have to get out and do the ‘cursed’ work of fallen man alongside the heathen, so that we can show them the right way and eventually bring them humbly to the footstool of Christ. So with that in mind, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and thus activate our less than active faith and spirituality. As one loud, praising and thankful voice 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!’ Yes Friends, regardless of how we feel, we need to get out and make a living, and it’s always easier with Jesus in and beside us. Hopefully this will be the last day of this Bit. Now don’t go thanking God, because if more of us would seek out His signs and wonders in His Word, in the world around us and in our own lives, we’d be more faithful and much happier. ‘How great are his signs! And how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation’ And we going to stick with Daniel because some significant signs and wonders went on his life, under several heathen kings. We know how Darius wanted to elevate him above all his courtiers ‘because an excellent spirit was in him.’ (Dan.6:3)  But as usual, greed and jealousy reared their ugly heads and the lesser lights plotted against Daniel. They knew though that the only place they would ever find occasion to bring him down was through his God. So they deceitfully talked Darius into signing a law, ‘that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save (except) of thee O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.’ (Dan.6:7) Now Daniel knew what was happening, but nonetheless, ‘he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a (that) day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did afore time (he usually did). Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.’ (Dan.6:10-11) That my Friends is how all believers ought to behave in this evil, ungodly day and age! Regardless of what comes against us, we should continue to praise and worship the ONE TRUE God, Jehovah! Obviously the plotters were in their glee and ran to Darius with the news. Poor Darius then realized the trap that he’d been inveigled to set for Daniel and was mad at himself, ‘and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him; (Dan.6:14) But because of the non-rescindable law, Darius had no choice but to put Daniel in the lion’s den. Here again though my brethren, our incomparable and unpredictable Lord, moving in one of His many mysterious ways, put some of the most prophetic words in the Good Book in the mouth of a heathen king. After Daniel was cast in to the den: ‘Now the king spake and said unto Daniel. Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.’ (Dan.6:16) Oh Friends, it would be so wonderful if many of us believers today could have as much faith in our God, as that heathen king had back then. Note, though he didn’t believe, he saw the fruits of righteousness in Daniel. And we’ll end here for today, hoping that this will in some form and fashion excite us and grow our faith in action, so that others will see the good fruits that we are bearing and so come to believe. More on this tomorrow, if we’re not pushing up daisies. I tried to finish it today, but it was just too long, and I didn’t want to exasperate our short attention span. (smile) Much LOVE!…how can one be called a believer…if one doesn’t act faithfully on one’s belief…and the operational word there is ACT…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 January 2012 Jeremiah 3:21‏

Jeremiah 3:21.     A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the Lord their God.
 
Spahnananananah! Spahnananananah! Oh Friends, it’s Monday, and the trumpet’s calling us to battle once again in this new workweek. Our world’s hurting, desperately crying out for peace and LOVE, and only we believers can grant that heartfelt desire, by riding out to battle, many millions strong, with our formidable General, Jesus at our helm. So please, let’s be up and at the evil minions of Lucifer. There’s no time to tarry, for the iniquity workers are already lining up for battle. And to help us get those lukewarm battle juices flowing, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with such verve and gusto, that just hearing our loud voices pouring forth in prayer and praise to Almighty God, will drive a wedge of fear into the enemy’s evil heart. As we all know from the example of Jericho, (Josh.6) songs of praise and worship can be just as powerful as man made weapons of war, when the battle is the Lord’s. So let’s sing. 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!’ Yes Friends, I’m sure that awesome entreaty to our God has the enemy shaking in their boots, so come on, let’s be up and at ’em, let’s put them to full flight, while taking many prisoners, who will thankfully bow before the cross of Christ, and tearfully accept Him as Lord and Saviour, so that there’ll be much joy in heaven today, over the many souls that have been saved. Hopefully Friends, at some stage of the game, and sooner rather than later, our world will wake up and emulate our Bit: ‘A voice was heard upon the high places (bare heights), weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the Lord their God.’ And isn’t that the awful truth! Our society has perverted all God’s statutes and commandments, and have turned away from Him, seeking to bow down to our own man made idols and evil schemes. Many have forgotten our God, who helped us to prosper, but an even sadder tale is that many of our young people don’t know God, have never heard of Him, because we have erased Him so successfully from our lives and our society. And for that Friends, we are paying a hefty price with the current state of confusion and troubles in our world. Remember what the Lord told Moses: ‘And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.’ (Deut.11:19) But have we done that? Not really. No wonder the Lord accuses us: ‘Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband (companion), so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.3:20) But yuh know what my brethren? Our God does not desire or take delight in our sufferings and death. He wants us all to live a life worthy of Him. So instead of totally wiping us out for our immeasurable iniquity, He gives us a second chance. As Jeremiah so ardently declares: ‘Return, ye backsliding children; and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.’ (Jer.3:22) My people, there’s ONLY One True God in the universe; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and luckily for us, He’s also a God of second chances, which He’s presenting to us right now. So please, I implore us, let’s grab whole of it nuh, so that our children and future generations will not have just cause to blame us for their misfortune, because we turned away from the Living God to follow our own evil dictates. And we’ll end with some words of truth, which we all know, but keep resisting, because we’re too taken up with the ways of the world. Hear Jeremiah tell it like it is: ‘Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.’ (Jer.3:23) Oh Friends, truer words were never spoken! Let’s take them to heart and keep on fighting the good fight here on earth to further Jesus’ kingdom, or else we’ll all end up in Hades with Lucifer. And I can assure us, that’s not a very pleasant or encouraging thought, but by then it will be too late to change our minds and our evil ways. So let’s be wise now, while there’s still time, take the evil bull by the horns and wrestle it to the ground. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Much LOVE!…the time to turn to God…is NOW…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 January 2012 Romans 5:19

Romans 5:19.  For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Oh Friends, it’s Monday! Yes you heard me right; it is Monday, so cut out the plaintive moaning, there’s no getting away from your duties. You chose to take up your cross and follow Christ, therefore rise and shine and prepare yourself for battle.  Jesus has already issued His marching orders, so please shake off the sleep, tiredness, laziness, fear or whatever is holding you back, and get a move on. And to help us get in warrior mode, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great gusto. All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Oh Friends, what a wonderful opportunity it is to serve Jesus, the One who’s done so much for mankind, what no one else in all of creation could do! That’s being a worthy sacrifice for all of our sins from day one, right throughout eternity. As Bruh Paul so appropriately puts it to the Romans in our Bit: ‘For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.’ Yes mih people, from the day our forefather Adam disobeyed God and brought sin into the world, all of his descendants thereafter were tainted by sin; were born, lived in and died under the evil aura of sin. However, our wonderful God, in all His might, wisdom, LOVE, mercy and forgiveness, devised an ingenious plan to repatriate us to His side; the sending of His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross, to shed his precious, sinless blood as a one time sacrifice for the sins of the entire world. And all God’s people raised their hands, hearts, eyes and minds to heaven and gratefully declared: ‘Oh thank you Father for sending Jesus to reconcile us to You. We praise You and bless Your Holy Name, now and forever! Amen.’ Ah mih breddren, that reconciliation, with the consequent salvation and promise of eternal life are the greatest gifts ever bestowed on man. And Jesus was definitely obedient, as we can see from the gospels, where He constantly made obeisance to His heavenly Father, and gave Him all the glory for all the wondrous acts He, Jesus, did here on earth. Bruh Paul says it well to the Philippians, re Christ: ‘Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in the fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil.2:6-8) That is the epitome of obedience Friends! I’m sure that a mere handful of us, if so many, would even contemplate such obedience, much less follow through with it. So why are we so reluctant to be obedient to Jesus eh? And it’s not like He’s asking us to do anything even close to what His Father asked of Him. But yet we hem and haw over living a decent life in His name and telling people about Him, in fact denying them the opportunity to be saved and receive salvation and eternal life like us. Foolish fear about what the world will say and think about us makes us keep quiet or even like Peter, deny that we know Him. Oh Friends, how shameful that is; to claim that you’re a follower of the greatest person who ever lived, but then be ashamed or afraid to stand up for Him! Jesus didn’t want His living and dying to be kept a secret. He wanted it to be noised abroad to the whole world. People of other religions, none of which can hold a candle to ours, because it’s the living truth, are much more vocal and proud of theirs than we are of ours. Oh Friends, it’s time we stopped hiding our lights under bushel. Jesus said: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.5:16) And that is exactly what He did while here on earth. So Friends, if Jesus could be obedient to His Father, and we claim to be His followers, then shouldn’t we be obedient to Jesus too? I’ll leave that for each of us to ponder today, and pray that we all come to the right conclusion. This scripture should help us: ‘Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.’ (Heb.5:8-10) Yes Friends, obedience brings great rewards. Much LOVE!…oh how could believers not be wildly enthusiastic and excited about Jesus…after all He’s done for us…and not want to shout out the good news to the entire world as He asked us to do…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 January 2012 Nehemiah 1:7

Nehemiah 1:7.     We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgements, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

Oh Friends, it’s Monday! Time to get up and get a move on, the workweek battle is about to begin. We can’t afford to rest on our laurels any longer because the enemy is already out in full force, and Jesus is at the front line waiting on us. So as the trumpet sounds the call to battle, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in loud, united voice. ‘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!’ Now let’s go into battle fresh and fiery, determined to bring the enemy to heel! But sadly people, we also need to pay attention to our Bit: ‘We have dealt (acted) very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgements (ordinances), which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.’ And that’s no lie Friends! We have behaved abominably towards the Lord who created us but still LOVES and cares for us. Now yesterday we read of two instances where that basic prayer was used by other men of faith, and also the warning that Moses gave the Israelites re turning away from God. Today we’ll look at two more instances where men of faith invoked the same prayer. The first one is from Jeremiah, re confession of Israel’s sins: ‘For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. We lie down in our shame, and our confusion (disgrace) covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.’ (Jer.3:24-25) Then there’s Daniel, also praying for his people: ‘O Lord, the great and dreadful (awesome) God, keeping the covenant and mercy (LOVING kindness) to them that LOVE him, and to them that keep his commandments; We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.’ (Dan.9:4-6) Oh my brethren, unfortunately those same words apply to us today, and possibly even more so, because we’ve reached a state of depravity previously unknown to mankind. And though I don’t have the calibre of faith and holiness that those men of olden times possessed, I still pray the prayer of Nehemiah everyday for our society and our world. I sure hope that men of greater faith and righteousness than me are also praying it, because we desperately need the help, mercy and forgiveness that only Almighty God can provide, if we’re going to right our evil, ungodly, confused, topsy-turvy world. And getting the Lord’s attention is not very hard to do my people. We just need to renew our faith and turn back to Him in conviction and repentance, remove the idols and fleshly lusts that now consume us, and begin serving and worshipping Him sincerely again, the way our fathers did. Now listen to some of Cousin Sol’s prayer when he dedicated the temple to the Lord. He’s just finished saying that if the people are disobedient and suffer the consequences: ‘Yet if they shall bethink (come to) themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely (wrong), we have committed wickedness; And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers…Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause (justice), And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them: for they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron.’ (1 Kin.8:47-51) Yes Friends, right there is the answer to all our problems. As I said before, all it takes is sincere repentance and a willingness to follow the Lord’s will. Anything less is of no use. Oh my people, time’s running out, we have to step up to the plate sooner rather than later, so let’s start today nuh, by going out and pondering and praying on these things. It’s in our best interest. And hopefully, we’ll come to the conclusion that we definitely want a better life than what we now have, and are absolutely willing to make the sacrifices necessary to do so. I pray this in Jesus Name. Amen. Much LOVE!…there’s no better way to live this earthly life…than to LOVE and serve the Lord God Jehovah.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 January 2012 John 16:1‏

John 16:1.    These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended (made to stumble).

Oh Friends, it’s Monday, time to rise and shine and be about your Father’s business! The holiday season is ended, the extended partying is done now! Time to return to the rough and tumble world of reality, which means getting up and going out to labour. It’s a rough life, but it’s the only one we have, therefore let’s make the best of it. And to help us do that, to put some passion in our souls and fire in our bellies, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great gusto. As one 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!’ Yes my people, that ought to get us moving, ready to battle the evil out there!  Now please note carefully Jesus’ words in our Bit. ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended (made to stumble).’ It was a warning to His disciples of the persecution to come for those who believed in Him. Having just told them of the hatred of the world: ‘If ye were of the world, the world would LOVE his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.’ (John 15:19) And it still hates us even till today Friends, and will continue to do so until we convert it all to Christ. And all God’s people said a loud and expectant ‘Hallelujah! Amen!’ Then after our Bit, Jesus continues His warning: ‘They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.’ (John 16:2-3) And that prophecy was fulfilled by Bruh Paul’s initial cruelty towards believers, beginning with the martyrdom of Stephen. (Acts 8:54-60) Ah mih people, the Christian life is not an easy one, especially living in such an evil world as this current incarnation. But lived right, with the Spirit of God leading and guiding us, following Jesus can be a wonderful, exciting and incredible journey! And that’s the crux of the whole situation Friends; the way we approach the Christian life. We first have to see it as an ongoing process, with many ruts and bumps along the way, mere annoyances, (smile) while remembering that we already have all the tools and promises through the Holy Spirit and the Word, to do a good job.  It’s just left for us to take them to heart and act on them diligently, enthusiastically, and urgently, all the time seeking excellence in Jesus’ Name. Now let’s hearken back to Jesus words when the disciples of John the Baptist came to ask if he was the Messiah. He ends with: ‘And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me (made to stumble because of me).’ (Matt.11:6) Yes my brethren, if we stand faithful and strong through our trials and tribulations caused by believing in Jesus, we will definitely be richly blessed. Not always in this earthly life, but for sure in the one to come. And what better way to end than with those promises from Jesus’ own lips. We know them as the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt.5:10-12) The definitive words on the subject Friends! So let’s grab a hold of them, and doh leggo, no, doh ever leggo, come what may! That’s wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!…the only way for believers to live successful lives…is by steadfastly holding on to the promises of God, found in His Word…and the guidance of His Spirit, found in their souls…

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