Psalm 21:13. Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength, so will we sing and praise thy power.
Oh Friends, I thought rest and sleep were supposed to be so good for the body and soul, to be refreshing and renewing. So how come I went to bed early last night, but got up this morning sneezing and sniffling, with my back aching, as though I’d done some back-breaking labour to bring on those woes? Ah Lord eh! Who knows the way their days and nights will go? Sadly, none of us. Only the great God who created us, and whom we serve and worship, who controls our going out and coming in. But the good thing about that Friends, is that once we surrender our lives to Him, we don’t need to worry about anything, just take everything to Him in prayer. And that’s exactly what I did this morning. I didn’t bother asking why, because I knew that most likely I wouldn’t get an answer. So I just asked for help and relief, then put on my back brace and took a tablet for the allergies. (smile) And now I’m ready to rumble! Who says our God isn’t a good God eh! Consequently, He led me to this most appropriate Bit: ‘Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength, so will we sing and praise thy power.’ Yes my brethren, our Lord is so mighty in power, strength and LOVING-kindness, that it’s only appropriate for us to sing and praise His awesome majesty! Bruh David apparently wrote this psalm after a victory over his enemies, as it’s subtitled – Praise for victory. And I like how he begins it: ‘The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden (withheld) the request of his lips. Selah.’ (Ps.21:1-2) Oh my people, that first verse, or something like it, should be on our lips every day – rejoicing in the strength, power and faithfulness of our omnipotent God, and the LOVING-kindness and mercy of His blessed salvation! And all God’s servants gave a joyful shout of, ‘Praise the Lord! Thank You Father for Your strength and glory in Jesus! Amen!’ And in Psalm 59 – A Prayer for deliverance – when Saul sent his henchmen to watch Bruh David’s house for an opportunity to kill him, he fervently declares: ‘Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah. And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Let them wander up and down for meat (food), and grudge (howl) if they be not satisfied. But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy.’ (Ps.59:13-17) Oh my people, do we have that solid faith and trust in the promises and faithfulness of our God? I surely hope so, because it’s only with that kind of unshakeable faith will we be able to handle the evil powers and people of this evil world. And that’s why Bruh David, despite all his problems and wrongdoings found such favour with God. He always looked to Him for support and guidance, revelled in His strength and LOVING-kindness. Listen to him as he continues in glorious adoration. ‘For thou preventest (meeteth) him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad (joyful with gladness) with thy countenance (presence). For the king trusteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved (shaken).’ (Ps.21:3-7) Ah Friends, there’s no feeling in this world that compares to praising our most wonderful and adorable God! Now listen to how the psalmist Asaph follows in like manner, as he opens in Psalm 81 – God’s goodness and Israel’s waywardness. ‘Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise (shout) unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm (raise a song), and bring hither (strike) the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery (lute or lyre). Blow up the trumpet in (at the time of) the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.’ (Ps.81:1-4) Now, though according to the scholars, ‘The background of the psalm appears to be the Feast of the Tabernacles (Lev.23:34-44) which reminded the people of God’s law and also constituted the feast of ingathering (Ex.23:16)’ that doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t sing and praise our most worthy God in full voice with instruments, each and every day, or whenever we feel like it. So my fellow believers, on this Wednesday morning, in the penultimate week of April, in the year 2013, I’m asking, or rather imploring us all to get ourselves together and shower the world with praise and glory, exaltation and joyfulness in the power and LOVE, mercy and forgiveness of our most amazing God! Please allow our joy to sing out over the land, let the heathen hear it, and see the wonders that He works in our lives, so that they too may come to learn about Him, then believe, LOVE, honour and glorify Him the way we do. That is my sincere prayer for all believers this chilly spring morning. In Jesus name. Amen. Much LOVE!…how can the unbeliever learn about God…unless the believer sings, shouts and lives a life…filled with His goodness, grace and mercy…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 April 2013 Psalm 21:13
24 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: back-breaking labour, christianity, exalt the Lord, exaltation, glory, God's favour, grace, heart's desire, honour, in prayer, joy in the Lord's strength, joyful noise, joyfulness, LOVE, loving kindness, majesty, omnipotent god, power, praise, Praise the Lord, psalmist asaph, raise a song, refreshing, renewing, request of his lips, rest and sleep, salvation, Selah, shower the world, sing of His mercy, sing of the Lord's power, sing praises, surrender, unshakeable faith, victory
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 22 April 2013 Isaiah 40:18
22 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: breatplate of righteousness, christianity, compare God to, deity, enthusiasm, helmet of salvation, holy spirit, humble servants, loving kindness, magnanimous god, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, renewed vitality, sandals of peace, shield of faith, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sure conquerors, sword of the Spirit, unknown God, workweek
Isaiah 40:18. To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 April 2013 Isaiah 40:18
21 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: christianity, compare God to, everyday things of life, exodus, fellowship, futures, girded with strength, Hannah's song of praise, holiness, isaiah 40, jehovah god, likeness of God, miracles, Moses, Pharoah, plagues, praise, preamble, Red Sea, rejuvenation of spirit, religion, Sabbath, salvation, Sunday, wisdom, worship
Isaiah 40:18. To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 April 2013 1 Corinthians 1:22
19 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: ask in faith, christianity, destroy this temple, divine interpretation, doubleminded man, enthusiasm, fellowship, flea market, Friday chant, fun, glorious kingdom, Good Book, gouging, helpmeet, illicit trade, Jesus, jesus name, manly parts, modicum of circumspection, raise it in three days, relaxation, rest, rise to the occasion, secret chamber, seek wisdom, signs, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, true wisdom, tumultuous times, vim and vigour, whip of cords, whooping and hollering, window of rest, without doubting
1 Corinthians 1:22. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.
And then it was Friday… And the whooping and hollering began: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! The weekend’s here at last! Thank God! Thank God! Thank God!’ Yeh Friends, that’s the kind of enthusiasm and relief that a Friday brings to our world. It’s a joy untold at a small window of rest from the rigours of the daily commute and other incidental headaches involved in labouring for massa. But that doesn’t mean we have to go overboard with the celebrations. Certainly not! We still need to control our lives with a modicum of circumspection, to keep it in line with the edicts of Jesus, our guide and helpmeet. And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant. And I don’t have to tell us to do it with vim and vigour, because that comes ever so naturally on a Friday, with the weekend in sight. (smile) Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And now that we have the right perspective on the use of the weekend, let’s turn to our Bit. ‘For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.’ Yes Friends, it’s the same one as the last few days, because there’s still one incident regarding signs with Jesus that I want to highlight. And that comes after He cleansed the temple, made a whip of cords and ran the ole crooks and them out of His Father’s house, which they had turned into a raucous flea market, carrying on illicit trade and unashamedly gouging the people. Actually not much different to today’s merchandising behaviour. Now I like that incident because it shows that Jesus wasn’t no soft touch, no mama’s boy, He had manly parts, and when the situation called for it, He also wasn’t afraid to use them. He could rise to the occasion and be as physically tough as anybody else. And after He’s scolded them about making His Father’s house, a house of merchandise, (John 2:16) the Good Book declares: ‘Then answered the Jews and said unto him, what sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear (raise) it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.’ (John 2:18-22) Oh my brethren, we’re certainly lucky that we were not amongst the first Christians, who understandably were scared and confused, and had to wait until Jesus rose from the dead, and the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost, to really understand and have a fairly clear picture of what Jesus was all about. Thankfully we now have the Good Book and all the heart-rending tales of our faith down through the ages to peruse and understand at our leisure. But there again, too many of us are not making good use of the materials and of the wisdom that’s been handed down to us. Now our Bit declares that the Greeks sought after wisdom in olden times, and everybody should do that. But unfortunately the wisdom the Greeks sought was the wisdom of man. However, the proper wisdom to seek is that of divine interpretation. And there’s only one single, solitary place to find true wisdom, as James so wisely advises us: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8) Yes my fellow believers, it’s only from our great God that true wisdom can be gained by man. But then we have to ask for it in faith, without any doubts, sincerely believing that He who has promised is faithful to deliver it all. (Heb.10:23) And also, as the scholars maintain, verse 5 ‘is not a blanket promise of wisdom for any situation. In the context of life’s trials, it probably speaks of the believer being granted (1) wisdom as to the reason for his trials and (2) wisdom to endure them.’ In any case, we still have to go to God and ask for whatever we need. So Friends, please let’s get ourselves together today and faithfully approach our wonderful, generous, kind and LOVING God, asking Him for truth and wisdom to guide us on our earthly journey in these tumultuous times. Now that my brethren, is indeed the wisdom of the wise. Much LOVE!…only when God fills the secret chamber of our souls…can true wisdom be obtained…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 April 2013 Malachi 3:10
03 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: christianity, controversial topic, correlation, Creator of the universe, defraud God, delightful land, disobedience, due portion, ears to hear, end of story, God doesn't change, God's right side, Good Book, grin and bear it, judgement day, logic, personal relationships, pour out a blessing, proper obedience, subjection to God, the Lord of hosts, the Lord will provide, theology, tithes, undeniable truth, unhappiness, windows of heaven, wisdom, worship Almighty God
Malachi 3:10. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Oh Friends, it’s Wednesday morning and I am very unhappy because I just opened my mailbox and found it had all been changed to the foolish, stupid looking and very inconvenient Outlook nonsense. I don’t know who designs these sites, but as far as I’m concerned they should be shot! It’s a very poor use of space and I can’t move anything the way I want to or am accustomed to doing. But I guess we’re at the mercy of the owners of the websites, unless we want to pay for it, so as I keep saying we just have to grin and bear it. I now have to develop a whole new way of working or move to a different provider, which will just be like starting over again. Okay, I’ve had my rant (smile) but I’m still not happy, and since I know the Lord will provide a way, where there seems to be no way, let’s forget them and move on to our Bit. ‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat (food) in mine house, and prove (test) me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’ Oh Friends, yesterday we saw where tithes first came into being; from Abram, to Jacob and then the official law through Moses. Today we’ll look at some more scripture dealing with that very contentious and controversial topic of tithes. First, let’s see how it cropped up in our Bit. The prophet Malachi was talking to his people about the approach of the day of judgement, (Mal.3:1-5) re who would survive it, and what the people needed to do to get on God’s right side. ‘Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein (in what way) shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. (Mal.3:7b-9) Then our Bit comes in, and the Lord continues. ‘And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field (fail to bear fruit), saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome (delightful) land, saith the Lord of hosts.’ (Mal.3:11-12) Now before we go any further, listen to the scholars on those verses (&-12). ‘These Israelites have done what no man should presume to attempt, namely, to defraud God in tithes and offerings. The payment of tithes and heave offerings was a recognition of their subjection to God and that He owned them and all that they had. To withhold the tithe is to renounce the sovereign authority of God and to be guilty of the same sin as Lucifer in the beginning. Pour you out a blessing: The blessings come not because God received His due portion, but because in giving the tithe the believers put themselves in the place of proper obedience and subjection to God. Tithing was clearly commanded in the Old Testament and served as the minimum standard for giving in the New Testament. See Matthew 6:1-4 in the Sermon on the Mount, where true spirituality exceeds the outward demands of the Law.’ Wow! What challenging words! Now here’s the billion dollar question my people. Having taken all that’s been said above, both by the scholars and the Good Book, can the fact that our land is not delightsome today be because of our robbing God, like the Israelites did way back then? Can it be because we’re not giving Him His rightful due, what’s lawfully His, that our countries and our world are plagued by such wide scale negativity and disasters, from economic to physical and spiritual? I want to strongly suggest that there is a direct correlation between our dealing with God and the sad state of our world. How can turning away from Him and desperately trying to eradicate Him from our society and our consciences not have a negative effect on us eh? As He says earlier: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them.’ (Mal.3:6-7a) And that’s the undeniable truth my brethren! So the logic here is really simple: If we want to have true prosperity, then we have to return to sincerely and diligently worshipping Almighty God, the Creator of the universe and all therein, paying whatever He requires of us from whatever He allows us to have. End of story Friends! If we continue with our current foolish attitude of ignoring God and trying to remove Him from our society, then we’re simply going to continue paying a serious and hefty price for that disobedience. Remember Friends, our God doesn’t change, neither do His laws. So basically all the stuff in the Good Book still pertains to us today, and we’ll be well advised to return to Him, rather than trying to get away from Him. That, my people, is wisdom at its very zenith. More on this tithing subject tomorrow, God in favour. Till then, please let’s all consider our situations, re our personal relationships with God and fellow believers, and try our best to work for a speedy return to worshipping and serving the Most High God Jehovah in truth and deed, per the LOVE Revolution, so that all may be well with our societies and our world, as true wisdom dictates. Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…else He will certainly feel…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 March 2013 Mark 16:6
31 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: Christian faith, christianity, conqueror of death and the grave, crucifixion, cruel cross, don't fear, earthly lusts, Easter Sunday, empty tomb, eternal life, fateful day, first fruits, glory, gratefulness, Hades, Hallelujah, honour, Jesus' resurrection, joy, judgement, kingdom of god, LOVE Revolution, LOVING Creator, praise, sacrifice, salvation, saviour jesus christ, spiritual things, swallow up death, thanks, theology, true fellowship, wipe away tears, wonderful god
Mark 16:6. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
HAPPY EASTER!
Oh Friends, it’s Easter morn! Arise and shout for joy because HE IS RISEN! Yes my people, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has been resurrected through the mighty power of His heavenly Father! He has forever conquered that evil Lucifer and his evil empire of darkness, destruction, death and the grave, thus guaranteeing salvation and perpetuating eternal life for all those who believe on His Holy Name! For as Bruh Paul boldly and truthfully declared to the Corinthians: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? Oh grave (Hades), where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor.15:54b-57) Oh my brethren, Beelzebub’s army has gone down to certain defeat, therefore let the heavens ring out with our joy, as we joyously sing: ‘Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelu… Hallelu… Hallelujah!’ Oh my fellow believers, since that first day of creation, there’s never been a better or more important day in man’s turbulent, rebellious history than this one, Easter Sunday! So let’s all give enormous and sincere thanks and praise to a most wonderful God, a most LOVING Creator, who LOVED His sinful, fallen creation so much, that He made His ONLY Son sacrifice Himself on that cruel cross to save us from the worse fate possible, eternal separation from Him. And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘All praise, thanks, honour and glory be unto thee Almighty God, who wanted to reconcile us to Yourself so badly, that You broke Your own heart, burdening Your Son Jesus Christ with our disgusting sins, to make us clean and whole again.’ And what’s so amazing about the whole thing Friends, is how seamlessly and truthfully Jesus’ life came together from the prophecy of Isaiah in chapter 53, to His resurrection hundreds of years later as recorded in our Bit, where the women of Jesus’ company came to anoint Him that first Easter morning and found an angel sitting inside an empty tomb, dressed in a long white robe, which obviously scared them half to death: ‘And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted (afraid): Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.’ We all know the Resurrection Story, so I won’t get into it, please read it on your own and refresh your hearts and minds with it. Now listen to Isaiah’s prophecy earlier on in chapter 25, in his song of praise by the redeemed. ‘He will swallow up death in victory (forever); and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is.25:8-9) Oh Friends, though that relates particularly to after the Great Tribulation, Christ’s resurrection was the first step on the road to salvation. Thus now is indeed the right time to rejoice in the salvation of our God, because He has done marvellous things for us, things we certainly don’t deserve, and couldn’t earn, even if we felt so inclined. As Bruh Paul assured the believers at Corinth. ‘But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept (have died). For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.’ (1 Cor.15:20-22) Wow! What a blessed day this Easter Sunday really is my people! It’s the strong, sure and certain foundation of our whole Christian faith, for without Jesus’ triumphant resurrection, come that fateful day of judgement, we would all have perished in Hades with the prince of darkness. But Jesus in His most LOVING-kindness and selflessness, through His sacrificial blood and victory over death, gave us the opportunity to move from darkness to light, from death to eternal life. Unfortunately though my brethren, today we’re joyous, celebrating this most important event, and full of Christian gung ho, but come tomorrow, or a few days hence, many of us will revert to walking in the lust of the flesh, craving, seeking and running down earthly things. As someone once said: ‘Oh, how soon we do forget!’ But please remember Friends, that the things of the world are fallible, deceitful and easily destroyed. However, the kingdom of God is infallible and indestructible, and will stand the test of time, long after this earth is no more. That’s why Jesus kept pounding the kingdom of God into our heads, hoping it would eventually percolate into our hearts and souls. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) Oh Friends, it’s so plain and simple: when we seek the spiritual things of God, all the material things of earth that we need, will be given to us by the Father. It seems though that we have to be continually reminded of that fact, since the pull of worldly things keep drawing us back to them like a magnet, like the earth and gravity. However, my beautiful fellow believers and followers of Jesus Christ, please let’s make this Easter Sunday of the year 2013 a most remarkable and memorable one, by faithfully pledging to our God, each other and ourselves to rise up higher, like Jesus, and also to remain faithful and true, showing the proper gratefulness and thanks for His awesome sacrifice and LOVE, by focussing steadfastly on His kingdom and doing the things necessary to further it. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Oh Friends, let’s celebrate our wonderful faith and glorious Saviour, Jesus Christ today in song, dance and true fellowship, and show the world by our deeds of LOVING-kindness in action, that we are indeed the salt of the earth and the light of the world, worthwhile leaders of the ongoing LOVE Revolution. That’s definitely wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!…to know, know, know Him…is certainly…to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…and after all He’s done for us…just to do His bidding…makes it all worthwhile…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 March 2013 Isaiah 53:10
29 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: affliction, atonement, burial, christianity, crucifixion, death, dehumanize, Easter morn, eternal life, exaltation, Friday chant, Good Friday, hopeless sinners, iniquities, innocent death, isaiah 53, Jesus Christ, Messiah, moral evils, oppression, oxymoron, religion, resurrection, righteous servant, salvation, sin offering, sinless sacrifice, sins, son of god, suffering, suffering servant, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, theology, transgressions, wages of sin
Isaiah 53:10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY!
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, Good Friday to boot! So here’s wishing us all a Happy Good Friday! And the usual response of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ are few and far between. Perhaps because it’s a holiday for most of us? Or more likely because this is the saddest day in the Christian calendar, when our Leader, our Messiah was horribly dehumanized, shamefully crucified on a wooden cross on that barren hill called Golgotha, or more nicely put, Calvary. And there are also those who wonder how could there ever be a happy Good Friday? To them it’s an oxymoron, composed of contradictory words. How could there be any happiness in the cruel, innocent death of a gentle, peaceful, LOVING man? The answer to that dear Friends, is that without that death, there would be no resurrection come Easter morn, no salvation, no eternal life with the heavenly Father for lost, hopeless sinners like you and I. That’s where the happiness lies my brethren. Like many things in life, especially seeds, we have to oftimes die, die to self, before we can sprout fully alive and victorious. And yes, today is indeed a very sad day; wherever death is, it’s usually sad. But this day of death is the saddest of them all! For in response to the one who came to help and save, look at the terrible treatment He was destined to face. Isaiah nails it in his prophecy of ‘The suffering Servant.’ ‘Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm (power) of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no (stately) form nor comeliness (splendour); and when we shall see him, there is no beauty (physical appearance) that we should desire him. He is despised (disdained, scorned) and rejected of (forsaken by) men; a man of sorrows (severe pains), and acquainted with grief (injuries): and (because of his severe personal suffering) we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs (spiritual sickness), and carried our sorrows: yet we (mankind) did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten of (struck down by) God, and afflicted. But he was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions (sins), he was bruised (utterly crushed) for our iniquities (moral evils): the chastisement of our peace was upon him (correction or discipline which procured our peace with God); and with his stripes (wounds) we (our spiritual condition) are healed (cured). All we like sheep have gone astray (desperately lost); we have turned everyone to his own way (totality of sinful humanity); and the Lord hath laid on (violently struck) him (with) the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought (was led) as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison (out of oppression) and from judgement (illegitimate trials): and who shall declare his generation (consider it among his generation, his potential life)? for he was cut off out of the land of the living (by a violent death) for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked (crucified between two thieves), and with the rich in his death (buried in the tomb of the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea); because he hath done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.’ (Is.53:1-9) Yes Friends, Jesus endured such inhumane ‘sufferation’ though he did no violence, nor any evil or deceit was ever found in Him. But as our Bit says: ‘Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise (crush) him; he hath put him to grief (pierced Him): when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin (guilt offering), he shall see his seed (future believers), he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.’ Oh my brethren, I know it sounds awfully cruel and unjust, especially when our God is supposed to be such a LOVING God. But the fact is that He’s first and foremost a just and righteous Deity. And without a sinless sacrifice, no reconciliation with the Almighty would be possible. For we had all fallen short of the glory of God in our sinful behaviour, and the wages of sin is ultimate death. And since Jesus was the only other sinless soul besides the Father, only His sacrifice would cleanse the slate. Anyway, the Good Book continues after our Bit: ‘He shall see of the travail (distress) of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil (plunder) with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered amongst the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.’ (Is.53:11-12) Ah mih people, there’s certainly method to our God’s supposed madness! Let’s see how the scholars describe it. ‘In these verses we see the personal Messiah, the Son of God, who alone can atone for sin. His message is rejected (v.1); His person is refused (v.2); and His mission is misunderstood (v.3). Nevertheless, His vicarious suffering, (delegated, done for another) provides atonement for our sins (vv.4-6), and though He suffers (v.7) death (v.8) and burial (v.9), He will ultimately be exalted (vv.10-12) To miss the fact that Jesus Christ is the central figure in this passage is to stumble in unbelief over the cornerstone and foundation of all the gospel.’ Now per our Bit in particular, they say: ‘The phrase he shall prolong his days indicates that the Servant’s ministry will not end with His violent death, and certainly implies His resurrection. The pleasure of the Lord refers to God’s ultimate purposes which will be accomplished by the atoning death and resurrection of the Servant. The chapter ends with the glorification and exaltation of the Servant of the Lord. His intercession refers to His priestly ministry, by which He makes intercession on the basis of His own substitutionary death.’ So Friends, though it all seems complicated, cruel and unjust, it was the only way out for God to reconcile us back to Himself, which He desperately wanted to do because of His great and unconditional LOVE for us, His most accomplished though most ungrateful creation. And though our hearts are sad today my brethren, we’ll end on an upbeat note, for we know that as Bruh David so rightly says: ‘weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’ (Ps.30:5b) Now let’s go home chanting our Friday Chant, to give us the right perspective on the day and this fabulous weekend. In one loud voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Much LOVE!…before a plant can sprout…a seed must die…likewise…before a great work can be accomplished…suffering must be endured…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 March 2013 Isaiah 51:12
25 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: aura of love, battle hymn, christianity, comfort, confession, enthusiasm, fear, glorious kingdom, god of all comfort, good tidings, holy spirit, Holy Trinity, hope, human anguish, human imagination, humble servants, invincible, jobs, Lent, lies, loving kindness, mercy, Monday Morning, purpose of living, rejuvenation of spirit, religion, renewed vitality, resurrection of christ, salvation, spiritual armour, spirituality, sure conquerors, surrender, tribulation, undeniable fact, ungodly world, useful purpose, weary souls, well rewarded, wicked taunts
Isaiah 51:12. I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday…! And there’s a half-hearted cheer reeking with sarcasm for that unwelcome information. (smile) This is also the last Monday in Lent, where many of us gave up stuff to spiritually make a connection with Jesus fasting forty days in the wilderness before His death. But come next Monday, after the amazing resurrection of Christ on Sunday, I guarantee that there will be a much louder cheer when I announce it’s time for work. That’s because our souls will be a tad more joyous having regained the pleasures we gave up for Lent. And let me apologize here for not mentioning that yesterday was Palm Sunday. I don’t know what came over me, but I totally forgot about it, until I went to church and saw the palms there. I really don’t know how I could have forgotten such an important day in the annals of Christianity; the only day during Jesus’ earthly sojourn that He was actually recognized and publicly acknowledged as the worthy King, the Son of God, the Messiah He truly is. Anyway Friends, please forgive the ole fella, his mind obviously isn’t what it used to be. And I promise it won’t happen again, though I may forget something else. (smile) Now let’s move on to more immediate matters, like singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get us in the right frame of mind to go out and labour. Altogether now, with as much heartfelt enthusiasm as we can muster. ‘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 mih people, that was only so so. We didn’t get a standing ‘O’ in heaven today, just some sporadic applause. But I’m sure by the time we hit the road, the enthusiasm, the flame of passion that burns deep in our hearts and souls for Jesus will have been reignited and we’ll be just rearing to get to the front lines of the battle and engage the evil enemy. (smile) And I’m not being overly optimistic here. One must have hope, loads of it. For if there’s no hope, what’s the purpose of living then? That brings us to our Bit: ‘I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a (mortal) man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass.’ It’s the same one as yesterday, and we’ll attempt to do what I’d planned to do back then, which is dissect it, before I was guided to talk about LOVE instead. There are three parts to it; basically comfort, fear and longevity. Let’s look at the first part; comfort. Our God says in no uncertain terms: ‘I, even I, am he that comforteth you.’ And that’s an undeniable fact my brethren! Our God is the greatest comforter in existence! He prides Himself in comforting His people. Now let’s check out a few of the many scriptures on the amazing comfort our God provides. And we’ll start with Isaiah, who offers comfort to Israel in several readings. First off is: ‘Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.’ (Is.40:1) That has to do with a day of salvation after Judah’s captivity in Babylon. Then in chapter 49, he exultantly declares: ‘Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.’ (Is.49:13) That’s regarding the Servant coming out of Israel, Jesus, the Messiah. He says basically the same thing in 52:9, re the Lord delivering His people from captivity. Meanwhile in chapter 61, proclaiming tidings of salvation to Zion, he boldly announces: ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek (poor); he hath sent me to bind up (heal) the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.’ (Is.61:1-2) And we all know Bruh Paul’s famous words to the Corinthians: ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor.1:3-4) Oh Friends, how could we ever doubt the healing and comforting nature of our wonderful God eh? Just like in all the other blessings He showers down on us, His comforting us is meant to be shared with others, not kept solely and selfishly for ourselves. That’s one of the reasons why our world is in such sad shape today; too many people not willing to share their abundance with the less fortunate. And we’ll end, as I like to when possible, with the words of Jesus. Listen to this pronouncement from the Sermon on the Mount, from the Beatitudes, which mirrors the end of Isaiah’s in 61:2. ‘Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.’ (Matt.5:4) What a promise my brethren! And we know it’s gospel truth if spoken by Jesus! And the scholars elaborate on that passage thus: ‘Those that mourn…shall be comforted. The depth of the promise of these statements is almost inexhaustible. Those who mourn for sin shall be comforted in confession. Those who mourn for the human anguish of the lost shall be comforted by the compassion of God.’ So Friends, in this crazy, confused, turbulent, evil, ungodly world, where we are constantly beset before and behind by problems and anxieties, let’s not lose hope, and consequently faith in our most awesome Holy Trinity, because we know of, and have personally experienced their comfort and LOVING-kindness. There’s NONE OTHER like them in existence. Hang tight with them and you’ll be well taken care of, rewarded far above and beyond your human imagination. Now isn’t that true wisdom? It sure is, my brethren! Much LOVE!…thy rod and thy staff…they comfort me… (Ps.23:4)
SCRIP-BITS 