Jude 3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.
A most passionate and joyful ‘top o’ the morn’ to all you faithful Friends and believers out there in Scrip-Bit Land! Yuh know that we Christians are the luckiest people in the entire world? Of course! That’s because we have an all-powerful God, who LOVES and cares for us and enriches us with new blessings everyday! And all God’s people sent a rousing ‘Praise the Lord!’ up to heaven. However my people, all the mercy, LOVE, blessings, forgiveness, compassion etc. are of no use unless we enjoy the earthly life that’s set before us, the race we were put here to run. Remember Jesus said that He came that we might have an abundant life. (John 10:10) So what’s the purpose of having abundance if you’re not enjoying it eh? None whatsoever my brethren! And I want to share an appropriate quote from the renowned German Reformed Theologian, Jurgen Moltman (1926-) which declares: ‘The more passionately we LOVE life, the more intensely we experience the joy of life.’ And that’s an undeniable truth Friends! When we choose to live life on its own terms, rather than our short-sighted, selfish ones, we experience and enthusiasm and passion that’s incomparable. Then we can enjoy the highs and lows of life without too much worry or anxiety, knowing that both are essential parts of life, and that the lows are only temporary setbacks. And if you’re a practicing Christian, then you can appreciate that fact even more, because we have the promise of our omnipotent, faithful God that He will work everything out for our good, and never leave nor forsake us, if we stick close to Him. We certainly can’t ask for more encouragement and confidence than that! However Friends, too many of us believers are still going around sad, despondent and worried, like ‘poor me ones’ without home or a future. Oh my people, Christians ought to be enthusiastic and passionate about life! In fact the MOST enthusiastic and passionate people on the face of God’s great earth should be Christians, since we have Jesus, our Lord and Saviour providing salvation, the Holy Spirit dwelling within us as a help-meet here on earth, and the Father to whom we’ve been reconciled through Jesus’ precious blood, thus forgiven and looking forward to everlasting life with the Holy Triumvirate. Now if that doesn’t make us ecstatic, causing us to just jump and shout it out loud, I don’t know what will. Oh fellow believers, I am trying to encourage us to be more enthusiastic and passionate about life in general and our faith in particular. But unfortunately, I suspect that my words are falling on deaf ears, because deep down we still don’t truly believe what we should. We hear it, and think we believe it, but putting it into serious action is another story, because we’re still running scared of the big, bad world and all its evil. And when we turn to our Bit, we find Jude also encouraging us to stand up passionately and earnestly for our wonderful, exceptional FAITH in Christ Jesus. ‘Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once (for all time) delivered to the saints.’ Now yesterday we promised to find out why Jude wrote that missive to his friends and fellow believers. And he clearly spells it out in the verse after our Bit: ‘For there are certain men crept in unawares (unnoticed), who were before of old ordained to (long ago marked out for) this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness (licentiousness), and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Jude 4) Ah mih people, that was a sad fact back then, and it’s an even bigger and sadder one today! But let’s hear the scholar’s opinion on that verse before we go any further. ‘Before of old ordained is probably not speaking of predestination in the sense of God deciding in advance that he would condemn these men and so seeing to it that they sinned. Rather Jude recognizes that Scripture often predicts the demise and judgement of any who flaunt God’s will. The men in question are wrongly assuming that grace means “no moral laws.” They thus effectively deny the sovereignty and eternal moral lordship of both the Father and the Son.’ And unfortunately Friends, today’s world is sadly beset with those false teachers and preachers, who unnoticed, are deceptively infiltrating Christ’s church and teaching stuff that’s not gospel truth. In this instance, they’re taking the liberty afforded us by the grace of God to cause His people to sin, to ignore His dictates, claiming or insinuating that it’s okay to go further than is really true. Yes my people, in this supposed modern and enlightened age, there are numerous people, groups, cults etc. who are going around spreading either completely false doctrine, or doctrine with a convenient spin on it to make it profitable for their own evil, sinister purposes. That’s why it’s so important for us to constantly talk, to communicate with each other about the TRUTH OF OUR FAITH. Without that constant communication, we’ll be left wide open for all sorts of false people and false info to invade our souls. And that’s definitely an unwelcome position. More on this tomorrow, if the Good Lord sees fit. Till then, please, let’s diligently LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith, and SPREAD His Word. Much LOVE!…believers beware…for evil doesn’t only lurk in dark corners…but also in wide open, bright places…and comes in all sorts of guises…like wolves in sheep’s clothing…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 October 2012 Jude 3
24 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: abundant life, blessed Christians, confidence, encouragement, enjoy life, enthusiasm, everlasting life, faith, false doctrine, false liberty, false teachers, fight for our faith, flaunt God's will, God's faithfulness, God's Sovereignty, immorality, passion, run the race of glory, salvation, sinister purposes
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 October 2012 Jude 3
23 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: Black Leaders, bravery, confidence, fight for one's faith, humility, leadership skills, Lincoln Alexander, LOVE, stand up and fight, visible minorities, West Indian parents
Jude 3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.
Oh my fabulous Friends in Christ, congrats are in order! I looked through the obits this morning and I didn’t see any of our names, that means we’re still alive and kicking! Praise the Lord! But unfortunately there was one name I knew; Lincoln Alexander, who died last Friday at the ripe old age of 90. And who was Lincoln Alexander, you ask? Well let’s see where to start? I guess the beginning is as good a place as any. He was born in 1922 in downtown Toronto of West Indian parents, in a time when racism was still rife in the country. However Lincoln Alexander grew up to be, not only one of the FIRST BLACK lawyers in the city, but also the FIRST BLACK Member of Canada’s Parliament, the FIRST BLACK Cabinet Minster in the Canadian Government, and finally, the FIRST BLACK Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Ontario. Wow! Imagine a poor BLACK man of West Indian parentage accomplishing all that in those racist times nuh! It seems like he was always chocked full of confidence, but like many truly confident people was still able to be very humble and approachable. I remember when he first became Lieutenant Governor, a lot of folks weren’t happy, but by the end of his term, many of the same ones were pleased with the way he handled himself in the mainly ceremonial post. I don’t know why, in this supposed modern day and age, when BLACK people are very prominent and successful in all walks of life, all over the world, the white populace still gets all up in arms over a BLACK leader. Take for example Barack Obama in the U.S. It doesn’t matter one iota that his mother’s family was and is white, the race card is still being strenuously played. It seems that a dollop of the tar brush is powerful enough to overcome any other colours. Before Obama, they had a fool who ruled for eight years, ran the country right into the ground. But his lack of brainpower and leadership skills didn’t matter because he was white. Then they’re all getting on Obama’s case because he didn’t fix all the wrongdoing in four years, especially with no meaningful cooperation from the other side. Chuh! Anyway, I want to end the comment on Lincoln Alexander with a statement from the current Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, David Onley, as posted in the Toronto Star newspaper “When racism was endemic in Canadian society, he broke through barriers that treated visible minorities as second-class citizens, strangers in their own land.’ And that’s the gospel truth Friends! Onley knows something about discrimination, because he has some physical movement problems and operates from a wheelchair. That was also a sticking point for some people when he was appointed to the post. Anyhow Linc -as he liked to be called- rest in peace my brother. You have been a shining beacon of light to ALL people in this dark world, and for that Jesus will reward you abundantly in the next life. And now, turning to our Bit: ‘Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once (for all time) delivered to the saints.’ I guess you can say Lincoln Alexander did that in his own way. He stood up for his rights and what he believed in, and didn’t let his racist enemies beat him down and give up the fight for a right and good life. Oh Friends, it’s the same way we believers need to stand up strong and fight for our belief in Jesus, because there’s a whole evil world out there trying to put Him down, make Him of no consequence. And sadly, through our less than sterling resistance, they have succeeded in curtailing His importance, position, and power in many aspects of our society and our lives. And if we don’t get serious and truly ramp up our fight against the powerful evildoers, Christ’s church will eventually be decimated and of no use. Now that’s something all of us claim we don’t want to happen, but it won’t be prevented by us merely sitting on our comfortable fat fannies and not putting up strong resistance, and fighting back too. Anyway, what I really wanted to talk about today, is why Jude thought it so very important to write to his friends and fellow believers about earnestly contending for their faith. However, because of time and space constraints, I’ll leave it for tomorrow, when hopefully I won’t have to eulogize anyone else, especially one of our Scrip-Bit family. And we’ll end with an appropriate exhortation on the subject from Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth. ‘Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men (be brave), be strong. Let all your things be done with charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor.16:13-14) And that’s as it should be my brethren! So let’s relight that fire, that flame of passion we once had for our faith nuh, and rise up in Jesus’ name, like the sure conquerors that we are and fight to the death for what we believe in. That’s the way true believers operate. Much LOVE!…if it’s not worth dying for…then it’s not worth fighting for…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 October 2012 Jude 3
22 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: common faith, confidence, contend for the faith, diligence, fight the good fight, joy of the lord, Jude, LOVE, mercy, Monday Battle Hymn, Monday Monday, peace, renewed vitality and enthusiasm, sure conquerors, taunts, wiles
Jude 3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Aye Friends, mercy, peace and LOVE be unto you this chilly, autumn, Monday morning, or whatever the weather is like in your area. The fact of the matter is that it’s time to go out and labour once again. And since our spirits are usually lethargic and full of rebellion on Monday mornings, we need to uplift them, so that we can fight a good fight in Jesus’ name, in the evil, ungodly world that constantly tries to batter and bully us and steal our joy. But since the JOY of the Lord is our strength (Neh.8:10) we certainly can’t afford to have that stolen. Therefore, in order to boost our tired, unenthusiastic, ebbing spirits, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in strong voice with sincere hearts. As one big, harmonious earthly choir 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 mih people! That was wonderful; definitely energetic and exhilarating! All the heavenly host stood with mouth-opened awe, then gave a rousing ovation of ‘Hallelujah!’ at the end. Now let’s carry that strong, enthusiastic, faithful, battle hardened attitude out into Lucifer’s domain, and let him and all his wicked cohorts sit up and take notice nuh. But please note, we can’t just run on adrenalin alone, we also have to be ‘wiswise’ (use wisdom), as we live in accordance with our Bit. ‘Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once (for all time) delivered unto the saints.’ Ah Friends, it’s what I’m also trying to get us to do, don’t know with how much success though. (smile) Jude here, is reputed to be Jesus’ half brother. ‘Is this not the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?’ (Matt.13:55) In Greek, Jude is really Judas, but it’s translated as Jude to avoid confusion with Judas Iscariot. And it’s interesting as one scholar notes, that instead of being a name dropper and saying he was Jesus’ brother, Jude instead opens his missive as ‘Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James…’ (Jude 1) He shows real humility. But I have to laugh at the mysterious ways in which our God certainly moves, re how Jesus’ family rejected Him when He walked on earth with them, but afterwards that same family, in particular James and Jude found the faith and had successful ministries. Just like Jesus said, two verses later, when the crowd in His hometown were offended by His Messianic claims. ‘A prophet is not without honour, save (except) in his own country, and in his own house.’ (Matt.13:57) And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! But getting back to our Bit, here’s the scholar’s general take on it. ‘Beloved indicates the close relationship between Jude and his readers. Jude was evidently planning to write a less urgent doctrinal letter but was forced by developments to pen this earnest exhortation. Jude conceives of Christian faith as having a definite, unchanging and unchangeable content.’ One scholar believes that Jude had intended to write about ‘common salvation,’ it’s joys and benefits, but was steered by the Holy Spirit towards the more pressing problem of believers diligently fighting to protect and further their faith. And that’s quite possible and very plausible, as I have received such change of direction many times over the years. And by the way, ‘common salvation’ doesn’t mean it’s common in a derogatory or negative sense, but rather that it was meant as a gift that could be received by everybody. As Bruh Paul greets Titus: ‘Titus, mine own (my true) son after (in our) common faith:’ (Titus.1:4a) Ah Friends, I sure hope that the Bit makes sense because I have so much information I want to share, but since you’re all wise believers, I know you’ll be able to fathom it all. (smile) Now let’s end with a similar exhortation from Bruh Paul to the Philippians. ‘Only let your conversation (conduct) be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or also be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing (no way) terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token (a proof) of perdition (destruction), but to you of salvation, and that of God.’ (Phil.1:27-28) Yes Friends, that’s the only way to go! More on this tomorrow, provided we’re still alive and kicking. Till then, may God bless and keep us, so that we can walk worthy of Him. Much LOVE!…a true believer’s earthly walk must show confidence…since he’s assured of salvation…through Jesus Christ…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 September 2012 Psalm 89:15
10 Sep 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: Amen, blessed, breath of life, children of light, confidence, faithful servants, favour, holy spirit, hymns, lies, Monday, Most High, psalms, righteous passion, sing a new song, sing unto the Lord, solidarity, spiritual songs, wicked taunts, wiles
Psalm 89:15. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.
And the Lord said: ‘Let the day dawn, let the SON shine forth His brilliant light so that my people will be released from the darkness of their evil ways and walk in the light. And they will no longer be called the children of darkness, but the children of LIGHT!’ And He called that day Monday. Yes Friends, it’s the beginning of the new work week, so let’s be up and at ’em! As the Father so graciously blessed us with favour and the breath of life, let’s rise up and walk in the all encompassing LIGHT of Jesus nuh, so that the whole world will know that we are His followers, His faithful servants. And all God’s children said a loud and glorious ‘Amen!’ Yeh, I know some Mondays it’s hard to get up and get going, but that’s exactly why Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in us; to help us accomplish those undesirable or difficult tasks. And the Father has said that in time of difficulty, really at any time at all, we’re very welcome to call on Him for assistance in His Son’s name. So Friends, let’s do that now by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in loud voice, with as much enthusiasm as we can muster. 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 my people, did you hear the angels applauding our song? And did you see the big smile on Jesus’ face, as He raised His right hand in solidarity with us, and proudly declared: ‘Way to go mih breddren!’ Yes, Friends, that’s the kind of stuff that happens in heaven when we come before the Lord with praise and thanks and asking for help in sweet song. Our Bit solemnly proclaims it: ‘Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.’ Now I definitely did not plan to spread this Bit over four days, but everyday I was guided to more stuff that I could not turn away. Yesterday we noted that a lot of advice re singing the praises of God was found in the Psalms, but we never got around to them. So let’s do that today, starting with Psalm 92, superscripted; Praises for the Lord’s goodness. And it opens thus: ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: To show forth (declare) thy LOVING-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lute or lyre); upon the harp with a solemn sound. For thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.’ (Ps.92:1-4) Now listen to Psalm 95, A psalm of praise to the great God: ‘O Come let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.’ Wow Friends, words of absolute truth and wisdom! And if you didn’t believe those, listen to Psalm 98; Praise to God for his salvation: ‘O Sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory…Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise (break forth in song), and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp and the voice of a psalm (sound of a song). With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord the King.’ (Ps.98:1,4-6) Yes my people, that’s how God’s children should praise Him. And there are many more Psalms that advise such action, but right now let’s turn to Bruh Paul’s strong advice to the Ephesians on musical worship. ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph.5:18-21) Wonderful advice! But do we do that my brethren? Yes, to a certain extent, but definitely not enough. Instead we sing a lot of the nonsense that the world considers music. Nothing’s wrong with singing some of that, but in many cases, those songs are derogatory towards God’s Word and His Will. And we’ll end appropriately with words from the Song of Solomon. ‘For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of the birds is come, and the voice of the turtle (dove) is heard in our land.’ (Song 1:11-12) Yes Friends, even the birds know that they ought to give thanks and praise to their creator in sweet song for all the wonderful blessings He’s lavished upon them, so how much more should we, His finest creation. Unfortunately though, our winter is about to start, so many people will soon be singing the winter blahs instead (smile). However my brethren, let’s contemplate all that we’ve read today, and with a righteous passion burning in us, go out into the evil, ungodly world and walk amongst the heathen hordes, as proud, dedicated and worthy followers of Jesus, loudly singing His praises, so that the unbelievers will soon be breaking down our doors to also find peace and prosperity, joy and harmony, salvation and eternal life with our Lord and Saviour. I pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen! Much LOVE my awesome Friends in Christ!…how can we truly LOVE Jesus…if we don’t sing His praises in joyful song eh…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 September 2012 Jeremiah 33:3
05 Sep 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: active, answer, call me, candle, confidence, deliverance, faithful, fear, generation, glorify, goodness, heart and soul, Jesus Christ, Jesus' words, life, passion, prosperity, sin, torch, tremble
Jeremiah 33:3. Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Oh my beautiful Friends, sincere and true believers in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, top o’ the morning to all of you! I hope that brought a chuckle to your hearts, but also a seriousness that underscores the life we live in and for Christ, since it’s the most important aspect of who and what we are. And to highlight that, let me share a most appropriate quote. I’m not sure if I’ve shared it before, but even if I have, it’s relevant enough to share it again. It’s one of those quotes we ought to bury deep in our consciousness and keep it always before us as a guiding light. It comes from the Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) and says: ‘Life is not a “brief candle.” It is a splendid torch that I want to make burn as brightly as possible before handing it over to future generations.’ And therein lies it’s importance my people; it describes our duty, our bounden duty to live faithful Christian lives, simultaneously teaching those that come after us, so that when we’re gone, like the passing of the Olympic torch, they can carry on the great Christian tradition and commission, then further pass it on those who come after them. Only in that way shall Jesus’ words stand the test of time in a physical, human context. ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’ (Matt.24:33) Spiritually speaking Jesus’ words will last forever, but if we don’t pass them down to the young generation, they will be lost to this world even before heaven and earth pass away. Unfortunately we have already done serious damage to Jesus’ words by not speaking them and living them enough before our children. We surely don’t want to erode it any further. And our Bit shows us one of the ways to help ensure that we do pass on the Word to our descendants. Note too that all this was passed on to Jeremiah while he was in prison. ‘Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord (Yahweh, Jehovah) is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty (inaccessible) things, which thou knowest not.’ We had to include the previous verse to keep the context. In this chapter, the Lord’s promising a glorious return of the Jewish captives in Babylon to their homeland. ‘And I will cause the captivity (captives) of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them (those places), as at first. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto (provide for) it.’ (Jer.33:7-9) Oh Friends, what a wonderful promise the Lord made to the Jewish captives that would be taken away to Babylon. But before any of that could even begin to take place, the Jewish remnant had to call sincerely on the Lord, and stay faithful to His Will and His Word. If we don’t seek Him, we’ll not find Him, consequently He won’t be able to answer us. I guess a good example of that was my serious drop off in confidence yesterday. Now I could have tried to resuscitate it on my own, but who knows if and when I’d be successful? However, because I’m trying to delight myself in the Lord, I did what He advised; I called out…hn, hn! It was more like I cried out to Him in utter despair! (smile) And knowing that I needed confidence to write the Bit, which is all about spreading His LOVE and His Word, He rejuvenated my ailing spirit. Remember He doesn’t give you a job to do without the help and necessary tools to do it. Hear how the Psalmist Asaph puts it in Psalm 50; God is the judge: ‘Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ (Ps.50:14-15) And that’s no lie my people! If we steadfastly offer thanks and praise to God and live as faithful a life as we can, He will hear us when we call on Him in troubled times, and will gladly deliver us, thus glorifying His holy, precious Name. Remember His main purpose for creating us was to glorify Him. However, I believe we’ve seriously fallen down on the job in that respect. We’re not active and passionate enough, don’t take the bull by the horns and wrestle the evil minions of Lucifer to the ground, so that God’s glory can rise up in our society, and men see His awesome power working in and through us. Anyway Friends, we’ll end with a beautiful scripture, from Zechariah, where he talks about the cleansing of Jerusalem and the smiting of the Lord’s shepherd, Jesus, our Messiah. And he ends by saying: ‘And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try (test) them as gold is tried (tested): and they shall call on my name, and I will hear (answer) them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.’ (Zech.13:9) Oh my brethren, what sweet words of encouragement! Please, let’s rise up and make ourselves worthy nuh to be amongst the third part that the Lord will save. Let’s rise up and be successfully tested, and call on His name so that He can hear us, and gladly declare that we are His people, and we can joyfully respond; ‘The Lord is my God!’ My Friends, that’s the only wise and sensible route to take in this turbulent and very troubled world of ours. Much LOVE!…but if from thence…thou shalt seek the Lord thy God…thou shalt find him…if thou seek him…with all thy heart…and with all thy soul… (Deut.4:29)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 September 2012 Habakkuk 1:2
04 Sep 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: anguish, blasphemy, confidence, cry out to God, destruction, evil, forgiveness, Glory Halleujah, god, God is good, hear, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, prayer, prophecy, punishment, save, surrender, violence, wisdom
Habakkuk 1:2. O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
Oh Friends, oh Friends, our God just proved to me once again what a wonderful and faithful God He is! Just now, when I came to write the Bit, my confidence seemed to be at a rather low ebb. I can’t say what really caused it, because when I came downstairs earlier on it was fine, but somewhere in between it faltered. And all I did was read a few e-mails, most of them to do with God too, including yesterday’s Bit, then played a set of games that purport to enhance my mental prowess (smile). And even though I didn’t do as well in some of the individual games as I usually do, my overall score was higher than yesterday. So I really can’t say what triggered this lack of confidence. But somehow or the other Lucifer got into my mind – yes that’s where it all begins, in the mind – and knocked me for an unhealthy six. (smile) But what he obviously didn’t consider Friends, is that I would cry out to my God in anguish and sincere surrender, and that being the True, Faithful and LOVING Father that He is, He would renew that confidence, through the gentle touch of His Holy Spirit, and my looking up some scriptures on confidence in His Word, in particular Proverbs 3:25-26; Proverbs 14:26; and 1 John 5:13-15. And now my brethren, I can truly say a very big and bold ‘THANK YOU FATHER FOR RENEWING MY CONFIDENCE!’ Wow Friends, what a great and mighty God, endowed with much mercy, forgiveness and LOVING-kindness we serve and worship! And all God’s people let forth a mighty shout of joy, boldly declaring: ‘Glory Hallelujah to the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE! Oh Friends, I’m chuckling here now as I consider God’s mysterious movement in my life this morning. Apparently He felt that I needed a testimony; I’ve been doing enough talking, and needed to walk some of that talk. So Friends, I can boldly testify now, that if your spirit is somewhat downcast and on the low side, you can successfully cry out to God, get in His Word and feel His Sprit work in you, to bring you back up to a decent level. And on another good note of God’s faithfulness, I read where an Imam was arrested in the last couple days for framing the young Christian girl being held in a Pakistani jail on blasphemy charges. Somebody apparently squealed on him. But what’s even more surprising and important is that they actually arrested him and took him away in chains and a white blindfold. That decree must have come from some real powerful person, cause when have you ever heard of an Imam’s word being doubted in a fanatical Muslim society, especially when it comes to the burning of a holy work by a Christian believer? God truly is good my people! Now let’s see if we can get some action on our Bit. (smile) ‘O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!’ Ah mih breddren, Habakkuk’s words on the state of his country Judah so long ago, so closely mirrors the state of our own society now that it’s not funny! Rather, it’s heartbreaking and unsettling. For it seems that severe punishment is also going to be meted out to us for our proud and obnoxious disobedience and rebellion towards Almighty God, Creator and Everlasting Ruler of our Universe. Habakkuk’s cry of unanswered prayer sounds like Jeremiah’s in his Lamentations for Judah’s fall. ‘He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. He hath hedged me about (walled me in), that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. Also when I cry out and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.’ (Lam.3:6-8) But what else did Jeremiah expect eh, when he himself had prophesied to Judah about their coming destruction, and they refused to listen to him? Oh my people, we are always declaring that our God doesn’t change; He’s the same yesterday, today and forever. So in light of that, let me ask a seemingly foolish question here. If God severely punished Israel so often, plus all those others who were supposed to believe in and worship Him faithfully, what do you think is going to happen to us, especially since we LOVE to claim that our society was founded on Christian principles? Oh my fellow believers, it doesn’t take the brains of a rocket scientist to understand God’s rules because they are quite simple: obey, or you pay! It’s the same thing our earthly parents taught us from a tender age, and we obeyed them lots of the time because of fear, fear of the punishment that would be meted out to us mostly in a physical manner. But Friends, our God doesn’t want us to obey Him because we’re afraid of His eventual punishment, but because we LOVE Him the way He LOVES us, and thus want to do His will. But we’ve gotten so big for out ‘britches’ these days that we only do what we think is right. Anyway mih people, the long and short of the story is that our world is in a despicable state, partly because of our wilful, blatant and stubborn disobedience to ALL the commandments of our Creator. And we’re already paying dearly for that disobedience. So let’s end with some wise words from the prophet Micah, re the terrible end of the oppressors of the poor. ‘Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work (plan) evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take (seize) them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage (inheritance). Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil (I am devising disaster), from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.’ (Mic.2:1-3) And this time is surely evil my people, so please let’s wake up and hear what God is saying to us nuh: repent, and come back to my fold, else it won’t be well with you. Friends and fellow believers, I implore us to listen and heed God’s advice. That’s wisdom at its zenith. Much LOVE!…there’s none so deaf…as he who refuses to hear…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 May 2012 Isaiah 40:28
07 May 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: aura of love, battle hymn, confidence, difficulty & pain, enthusiasm, godly kingdom, humble servants, humility, invincible, Monday, praise, renewed, sure conquerors, vitality, worker bees
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 19 April 2012 Proverbs 1:7
19 Apr 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: awe, boldness, confidence, fear the Lord, God's goodness, humilty, planet earth, respect, reverence, serve the Lord, understanding, wisdom
Proverbs 1:7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom.
Oh mih people, it’s a new day and we haven’t read our names in the obits, so that means we’re still alive and kicking! All praise and thanks be to God Almighty! Yes Friends, the Lord in His mercy saw it fit to gift us with another beautiful day on Planet Earth, filled with His goodness and blessings, so let’s enjoy it with a right heart and clean spirit as He desires nuh. By the way, I got my eaves trough fixed, now I’m praying for rain again to see how the new set up works. Hope when it does come I don’t have to pray for it to stop. (smile) Anyway, let’s get into our Bit without further ado. ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ Yesterday we heard from Dr. Samuel Shoemaker, re the only viable example to follow and bow down to is Jesus Christ – gospel truth – and from the scholars, who informed us that the fear of the Lord is the controlling principle in seeking wisdom – more gospel truth. Today we’ll get into some scriptures that corroborate our Bit. I’ve found so many, that I doubt we’ll get all in today. And to start, we’ll go all the way back to Moses’ exhortation to Israel. ‘ And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to LOVE him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good (benefit or welfare).’ (Deut.10:12-13) Please note Friends, that the first requirement is to fear the Lord. Yes my brethren, in any dealings with Jehovah God, the first and foremost provision is always to respect and revere Him. Admit His omnipotence and humble your spirit in His sight. Without that attitude all your prayers and pleadings will be in vain, for there’s nothing the Lord despises as foolish and arrogant pride. That doesn’t mean we’ve got to come to Him dragging in the dust, because through Jesus, ‘In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of (in) him.’ (Eph.3:12) And also because Jesus our high priest experienced temptations, but was without sin. ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb.4:16) So we can go confidently to the Lord, but not arrogantly. Then we need to serve and LOVE Him with every part of our being. And how do we do this? By acquiring, knowledge, wisdom and understanding, which all come from having a healthy respect and adoration for the Lord. Yuh see Friends, it’s an unbroken circle. You can’t LOVE the Lord and serve Him as you ought to, unless you’ve gained the wisdom and understanding it requires. But then you can’t get those last two requirements unless, or until, you develop a reverential awe and respect for Him. And that’s why so many of us are faltering today; we want to get the wisdom and understanding without acknowledging the Lord’s superiority. Unfortunately Friends, we can’t have the benefits without first paying our humble respects. And please note the end of Moses’ statement: ‘for thy good?’ That’s because all the things the Lord requires of us are not for His good, but for ours. And if we don’t do them, we are the ones who’ll suffer, not Him. And right now our world is a very good reflection of that, for all the societies, regardless of colour, creed or race are struggling mightily, suffering one calamity after the other. Why? It’s simply because we have turned away from God, turfed Him out, and trying to do our own thing, based on Lucifer’s evil principles. We have chosen to forget Jesus’ words: ‘for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) Oh my people, please realize that Lucifer knows God’s power better than us because he was once the first angel, but foolishly tried to overthrow the Father. So he knows exactly what’s happening, and he’s looking for others to keep him company in his long and lonely journey in hellfire, that’s why he assaults us with all his wiles and lies. Look at how our world is sinking in the bloody mire because we’ve accepted his wicked schemes to gain earthly power and wealth. This brings us to a rather apt and poignant scripture from Job, when he talks of wisdom being a gift from God. ‘And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. (Job 28:28) That’s the truth in spades my brethren! Wisdom comes from dealing faithfully with God, and that wisdom will teach us to refute evil, because we’ll only spoil the good thing we have going with the Father, if we engage in the evil deeds of Lucifer. And spoiling our good thing with our Creator can never be characterized as wisdom. That’s why those who choose to follow Lucifer are considered fools. So Friends, since we all want to be considered wise and understanding, we therefore have to overthrow Lucifer, relegate him to the dump heap, and bring back Jehovah God into our hearts, souls, minds, bodies and societies. It’s the only way our children’s children will ever live to see a glorious morn of peace and LOVE in our currently much troubled, wicked and calamitous world. Much LOVE!…the attributes of evil…eternal death and destruction…the attributes of wisdom…salvation and eternal life…so which will you choose…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 April 2012 Matthew 28:6
09 Apr 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: blessings, celebrations, confidence, Creator, enthusiasm, friends, Jesus Christ, lord god, passion, renewed vitality, resurrection, universe
Matthew 28:6. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come see the place where the Lord lay.
EASTER MONDAY
Ah mih people, it’s Easter Monday, and for those lucky ones who have the day off, the partying is still going strong. But unfortunately some working stiffs have to labour on what’s supposed to be a tremendously joyous occasion. That means we still need to sing our Monday Morning Battle hymn to help them on their way. That’s what good Friends are for! (smile) So with exceptionally loud and joyful voices that truly reflect Jesus’ resurrection, let’s belt it out in all faithfulness. On three now: one, two, three: ‘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 for those of you going to work, may the Lord bless and keep you safe as you battle the evil enemy in His Name. Meanwhile, those of you who are lucky to be at home, or out enjoying food, drink and good company, please remember the reason for the season and your celebrations. Somewhere in the festivities please spend some time contemplating Jesus’ passion, which resulted in your wonderful free gift of Salvation and Eternal Life, and whisper, or better yet, shout up some thanks to heaven, acknowledging your sincere gratitude for His selfless sacrifice. Now let’s look at our Bit. ‘He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come see the place where the Lord lay.’ That’s what the angel of the Lord told the women who came to visit Jesus’ tomb on Easter Sunday. They were obviously afraid when they saw the stone rolled back from the tomb’s mouth and the angel sitting on it. But he convinced them that everything was okay and they should go and tell the rest of the disciples that Jesus was risen. Here is some interesting info from the scholars, re Christ’s Resurrection: ‘The resurrection of Christ included five accomplishments: (1) the physical renewing of His life; (2) the reunion of His body and His Spirit; (3) the subjugation of death under Him; (4) the attachment of His new position; and (5) His receiving a transfigured body. Application: Because of the Resurrection, the Christian receives both eternal life (John 11:25) and spiritual power (Eph 1:19,20). Christ’s resurrection also provides for the future resurrection of the believer (1 Cor.15:20) and is the key to victory in the Christian life because of our union with Christ (Eph:2:6)’ And all God’s people raised a triumphant shout of joy to heaven: ‘Oh thank you Jesus for saving our sinful souls from the pangs of death and eternal separation from the Father. Without your obedient intercession it wouldn’t be possible. We therefore praise and bless Your Holy Name! Amen!’ Yes Friends, please read those scriptures listed above so you can better understand what they’re talking about, and every time we think about Jesus’ unselfish action on our behalf, we ought to offer up some sincere thanks and praise, then try to live a life worthy of him and His principles, for that’s all we can ever do to show our gratitude. Now here is a scripture I planned to share and it just turns out to be the scholars First Reference in their info above. It comes from Psalm 16, Bruh David’s Michtam (Contemplation) where he seeks preservation and blessing: ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer (allow) thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for ever more.’ (Ps.16:8-11) Oh my people the verse that the scholars talk about is (10) the one in bold lettering, but the whole passage was too appropriate to this Easter season with the promise of hope, joy and the Lord’s presence, that I had to include it all. The ole fella can get emotional! (smile) And here’s another verse that tells about resurrection and life after death from Psalm 49, Trust in God, not wealth: ‘They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him: For the redemption of their soul is precious (costly), and it ceaseth for ever: But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. (Ps.49:6-8,15) Ah Friends, that brings to mind some of Jesus words on the subject: ‘For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matt.17:26) And the answer to that Friends, is a big, fat NOTHING! Therefore let’s enjoy the Easter season, celebrate and rejoice that the triumvirate God we worship, LOVED us enough to pay such a hefty sacrifice to redeem our sinful souls. But now it’s time for us to go out and do our duty by spreading that good news to all the earth, so that all the earth can rejoice and be saved, thus glorifying God and furthering His glorious kingdom. Much LOVE!…when others get to hear about and know the real Jesus…they will accept and LOVE Him… just as much as we do… P.S. Ah Friends, I don’t know if the Bit is as cohesive and coherent as I’d like, because I struggled through some external distractions as well as my own mental insufficiency. But I’m not worried since I know that true believers have the God-given ability to pick sense from nonsense. (smile) Much LOVE!
SCRIP-BITS 