1 John 4:7. Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God.
Oh Friends, as the Sunday morning dawns, our world continues to be a totally messed up place. But today we’re going to try to improve it by talking about the most powerful and positive emotion in the universe – LOVE! Not the romantic thing that we call LOVE, though that does have its place, but LOVE on a higher level, the kind that stems from Almighty God, our Creator and Provider.
And we’ll set the stage by quoting a few verses of scripture, starting with our Bit: ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God. He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE. In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:7-11)
And that’s undeniable truth Friends! The reasons for LOVING each other are loud and clear. First, because God is LOVE; it’s an essential part of His nature, of who He is. Then He LOVED us so much that He sent His only Son, the only sin free person there was, to sacrifice Himself to pay for the dastardly sins of mankind.
Now if that isn’t the most powerful reason for us to LOVE each other, then I don’t know what is!
And Bruh Paul concurs with John when he declares to the Roman church. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrates) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom.5:8)
And the scholars explain that by saying: ‘His death was vicarious. That is, He did not die merely for our benefit but in our place. His was a substitutionary sacrifice.’
Now that we can never repay my people, and we should be forever grateful, but unfortunately too many of us are not, we only pay lip service to it, because we treat our fellow man so shabbily.
Earlier on, John also tells us: ‘He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that LOVETH his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of (no cause for) stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and knoweth not wither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.’ (1 John 2:9-11)
Yes Friends, once Jesus paid the price for our sins, because of His great LOVE for us, we were released from the bondage of darkness, the blinkers were taken off of our eyes, and we were able to see the bright light that’s Jesus. Now that means we should be showing LOVE to each other, not merely saying it, otherwise we’re still children of darkness and there’s no truth or light in us. We can’t say that we’re of Jesus and hate our brother.
As John says: ‘In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that LOVETH not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should LOVE one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew (murdered) his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.’ (1 John 3:10-12)
See Genesis 4:8 for Cain’s actions. Meanwhile the scholars inform us that ‘Cain killed Abel because their conflicting allegiances (Cain’s to Satan, Abel’s to God) were plain to see by their respective actions. John seems to be saying: “If even wicked Cain could see that a man’s character is revealed ultimately, not in what he says he believes, but in what he does, should not Christians be able to see this as well?’
And the answer to that is a resounding YES, my people!
Oh fellow believers, wickedness and darkness don’t go with, have no place with LOVE and light, they just don’t mix well at all.
Now listen to Bruh Paul talking to the Thessalonians on the subject. ‘But as touching (concerning) brotherly LOVE ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to LOVE one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more.’ (1 Thess.4:9-10)
Oh Friends, oh Friends, I implore us to take that last bit of Bruh Paul’s advice and implement it with all seriousness and action. I’m talking about increasing our brotherly LOVE more and more, because our screwed up world so desperately needs it, and only we believers are capable of working such a miracle, obviously in conjunction with Jesus Christ.
And we’ll close with a definition of LOVE from Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries). Some of you might have heard it before, but it will do you good to hear it again. (smile)
‘LOVE: A commitment to the satisfaction, security, and development of the one LOVED and a commitment to the fulfillment of their needs, whatever they are, always asking what’s best for the other person.’
Now that my Friends is gospel truth! And the most important word in that sentence is COMMITMENT! It’s what we are called on to have in following Jesus, and without it, we’re still being led by the forces of darkness, regardless of how much we protest to the contrary.
So let’s think on it and try our best to live it out nuh, because that’s what we need to do, if we want to be called true believers in Christ. Much LOVE!
…to walk in true LOVE…one must walk in lockstep with Christ in the light…which entails…LOVING one’s fellow man…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 July 2013 1 John 4:7
28 Jul 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: Abel, bondage, brotherly LOVE, Cain, character, children of darkness, children of light, christianity, commitment, conflicting allegiances, darkness, evil, forces of darkness, God is LOVE, hate, light, LOVE, LOVE is of God, LOVE one another, propitiation for sins, religion, righteousness., sacrifice, substitutionary sacrifice, theology, undeniable truth, walk with Christ
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 July 2013 Jeremiah 1:6
03 Jul 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a snowflake in hell, anxiety, anxiety and worry, awesome truth, compelling, dark and dismal, darkness, experiences to boggle your imagination, fear, foreboding, frightful, God is a good god, God's faithfulness, I am a child, I cannot speak, important decisions, insufficient knowledge, jean paul richter, light, negative emotions, negative response, one of those days, overwhelmed, perceived problems, perseverance, rain, reassurance, sanctified, send me, sorrows, struggle, sunshine, that's life, throes of indecision, thunderclouds, tools, under the influence, uneducated argument, wisdom, worry
Jeremiah 1:6. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
Oh Friends, today was one of those days when I had a hard time finding a Bit. I don’t know why, because all my senses were attuned and I felt physically fine. But I guess that’s life! We can’t always have it easy, otherwise we surely won’t appreciate it. A struggle seems necessary before we can enjoy any good times.
As they say, you can’t enjoy the sunshine until you’ve experienced the rain, neither light until you experience darkness, and we can continue with all the other positives, that we can’t truly appreciate until we go through the negatives.
Anyway, here’s an interesting quote from the German writer, Jean Paul Richter (1763-1825), which tells us that ‘Sorrows are like thunderclouds – in the distance they look black; over our heads scarcely gray.’
And isn’t that the awesome truth Friends? Like the thunderclouds that look dark, dismal and foreboding when they’re off in the distance, so too are many of our perceived problems. They seem frightful and compelling when they first appear, but usually when we truly get to dealing with them, we discover that they’re usually never as bad and fearful as they looked at the beginning.
That’s not to say that some of them can’t be truly loathsome and frightening, but generally most of our problems end up being not as bad as they first seem. That means we’re not to get frightened and overwhelmed when problems first appear.
We need to scrutinize them properly before doing anything, because if we get all anxious and worked up without knowing what they are really all about, then that anxiety and worry will most certainly prevent us from handling them properly.
Fear and other negative emotions detract from our ability to handle problems as well as life in general. That’s why we should try not to make any important decisions when we’re fearful, angry, or under the influence of any negative emotions.
Oh Friends, our God is really a good God yes! For up to just now, before that last sentence, I still didn’t have a Bit, but while thumbing through the Good Book, it opened at the beginning of Jeremiah, and these words called to me: ‘Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.’
And I had to laugh, because it reminded me of when the Lord put forward the Idea of the Bit to me, I gave a similar excuse. I chuckled and said I couldn’t do it because of my insufficient knowledge of His Word. But as we know, the Lord persisted and some seven years later, though I’m still not an expert on His Word, I’m much further ahead than I use to be.
Please note the Lord’s words to Jeremiah which brought forward his negative response. ‘Before I formed thee in the belly (womb) I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee (set thee apart), and I ordained (appointed) thee a prophet unto the nations.’ (Jer.1:5)
Yuh see that Friends, Jerry’s call had been planned long before His birth! Like wise, the Lord has plans for all of us before we’re even conceived, and trying to wiggle out of them is usually futile and hopeless.
Now hear how the Lord handled Jerry’s reluctance. ‘But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.’ (Jer.1:7)
The Lord was having none of Jerry’s fear and anxiety. And to assuage his fear, He reassures him. ‘Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.1:8)
That’s the greatness and faithfulness of our God my people! He doesn’t just send us to do a job without any reassurance; He’s constantly with us, He has our back all the time.
‘Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down (tear down), and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.’ (Jer.1:9-10)
Please note too that He gave Jerry the tools, the words, to do the job He was sending him to do. That’s another great aspect of our God. He’ll never send us to do a job without giving us the necessary tools to do it. I can personally attest to that.
So if you happen to find yourself in such a situation today, where the Lord is calling you to do something, which in the natural you don’t seem qualified or able to do, don’t worry, just step up boldly to the plate. Do like Isaiah did, when the Lord asked: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.’ (Is.6:8)
Ah Friends, I’ll let you into a little secret; if the Lord truly wants to conscript you into His army, then like a snowflake in hell, you don’t stand a chance of getting away! He will get you one way or another. I can personally attest to that too, because I kept putting forth my uneducated argument, but He kept persevering.
Hn! And yuh see who finally won! Well I won too, because it changed my whole life, brought me much closer to Him.
And the Lord has a plan for each and every one of His children, whether He’s made it clear to us or not. So whether we’re in the throes of indecision now, or haven’t clearly heard His plan for us, please bear in mind that working for Him is the most interesting job in the universe.
It’s not always going to be wine, roses and song, but along the way, you’ll experience some experiences, large, small and in-between, that will boggle your imagination and make you truly believe. That again I can attest to from personal experience.
So please answer God’s call today, or whenever He calls, with a bold and confident, ‘Yes Lord, I will go. Send me.’ That’s wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
…when the Lord says jump…our immediate response should be…how high Lord…
P.S. Sorry for the lateness of the Bit, but I was doing some other stuff on the computer that took me longer than I expected. But as usual, better late than never. (smile) Much LOVE!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 February 2013 Job 34:21
07 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: darkness, discernment, do right, evil minions, excited believers, eyes of God, fellow believers, God's infinite wisdom, gospel truth, grin and bear it, grow old together, light, LOVE Revolution, peace and LOVE of Jesus, repent, search our hearts, spirituality, surrendered to God, Thanks Lord, the best is yet to come, the living Word, wake up, wickedness, wise money, witness for Jesus
Job 34:21. For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
Oh my fellow believers, our great God in His infinite wisdom and mercy has done it again.! Yes Friends, He’s blessed us with another day of life on this earth. And though the earth’s a mess, we believers have been given the honourable task of fixing it in Jesus’ Name. Isn’t that wonderful? But mih people, like every other project in life, if we’re not excited to do it, then we won’t give of our best. The same goes for the work of Jesus. If we’re not excited to live a life of faith, and good works in action, backed up by the Word, then we’re wasting our time and Jesus’ too. In the first place, it’s not an easy job, with Lucifer and all his evil minions fighting against us. In the second, only as much as we put out, will we get back. It’s the old story of you reap what you sow. And Friends, I don’t have to tell us that in these trying times our witness for Jesus, both in words and deeds is certainly not good enough! So today, let’s each one of us, search our hearts and ways, and see where we’re falling down on the job, and sincerely try to improve it nuh. That’s the only way we’ll ever improve the situation, ever get the LOVE Revolution really ‘revoluting.’ (smile) Anyway, I have a serious invitation for you, from the famous British poet and playwright, Robert Browning (1812-1889). And the invitation is to ‘Grow old along with me! The best is yet to come.’ And that’s gospel Friends! I’m finding these latter days to be the best days of my life. I’ve done most of what I’ve always wanted to do. Not necessarily to the level I’d hoped, but I now know how to do all the things I’ve imagined. I’ve achieved a fair state of economic well-being. My children are grown and on their own, and I’ve found a peace so peaceful in Jesus, that in spite of the problems I still encounter, I don’t worry about them no more. I do the best I can, then leave the rest to the Lord. That doesn’t mean I agree with all God’s decisions, or don’t have concerns, and oftimes serious ones too, but the difference now is that I’ve found a level of faith to truly believe that the Lord will bring me out of them, sometimes battered and bruised, but usually better off and with stronger faith than before. Having surrendered my soul to Him, all I can do nowadays is say ‘Thanks Lord,’ then grin and bear it as best I can. So my brethren, I’m asking us to grow old together in the peace and LOVE of Jesus. It’s the greatest thing since sliced bread! (smile) And why shouldn’t we, since it’s the wisest choice in light of our Bit? ‘For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.’ If our God sees everything we do, then we’d be foolish to do stuff that doesn’t sit well with Him. For as Cousin Sol says in Proverbs 15: ‘The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.’ (Prov.15:3) It’s just like when we were young and wanted to do mischief, we’d try to hide from our parents. With them we could have been successful, because they couldn’t see us all the time. But even then, as they kept telling us, the things done in darkness usually come to light, and eventually they’d find out, and we’d pay the price. However Friends, the difference with our God is that we simply cannot hide from Him because He watches us ALL the time. So the wise money should be on doing good in His awesome, all seeing sight. Listen to how Jeremiah puts it in his prayer, re our God: ‘Great in counsel, and mighty in work (deeds): for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.’ (Jer.32:19) Oh my people, it couldn’t be any plainer than that. Yet we still insist on doing what we know is wrong, somehow hoping to get away with it. But hear how Hosea says it, re Israel’s rebellion against God. ‘When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered (uncovered), and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood (fraud); and the thief cometh in, and the troop (band) of robbers spoileth without (plunders outside). And they consider not (do not say) in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings (deeds) have beset (surrounded) them about; they are before my face.’ (Hos.7:1-2) And please remember Friends that the Lord has not changed, from day one to the end, He is and will be the same. So what makes us think that we’re so special eh, that our wrongdoings won’t be looked upon with judgement and justice like the Israelites of old? If the Lord can punish His chosen people, why would He spare us, some of the most ungodly and evil humans who ever walked the earth? And we’ll end with this poignant and powerful scripture that encapsulates all we’ve been talking about. It’s from Hebrews 4, re the present danger of unbelief. ‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight (hidden from Him): but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (must give account).’ (Heb.4:12-13) Now here’s the scholar’s explanation of those verses. ‘For the word of God: The reason given for one’s careful scrutiny of his life involves the reality that God is intently scrutinizing it. His word is quick (living). This word is first in the Greek and is the emphasis. God’s Word is not old or archaic; it is alive. It is not inept or inactive; it is powerful (active). It reaches into the inner secrets of man’s mind to discern even his thoughts and intents. Likewise, God’s eyes sees man as though he were naked, unable to hide behind excuses or pretense.’ Amen mih breddren! And if that doesn’t wise us up, then I really don’t know what will nuh. Much LOVE!…the awesome power of the Word…and the all seeing eyes of God…should cause us to wake up…repent…and do right…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 November 2012 Ephesians 5:14
27 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: awake, darkness, evil, faith, faithful efforts of believers, fight, fun, Gentiles, God's work, happy medium, hymn of praise, light of Christ, LOVE, make a difference, New Testament, Old Testament, opportunities, Paradise, prophecies, Redeem the time, relaxation, rest, spiritual enlightenment, teachings, time flies, walking carefully, walking foolishly, Word of God
Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 November 2012 Ephesians 5:8
26 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: battle hymn, children of darkness, children of light, darkness, healing, humble servants, light, LOVE, Monday Morning, moral purity, new creations, peace, renewed vitality, right direction, spiritual armour, strength, sure conqueror, Togetherness, work
Ephesians 5:8. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 November 2012 John 3:36
08 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: anger, believe in Jesus, Christians, darkness, eternal life, eternal separation from God, holiness, justice, light, living bread, natural disasters, reconciliation, resentment, revenge, suppression of truth, truth, ungodliness
John 3:36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s in somewhat of a sad state this cold, autumn morning because I heard about a real tragic situation last night, one that could have been prevented if some of the participants had acted as true Christian adults. Apparently the whole situation developed because of anger, resentment and a desire for revenge. But Friends, as the large black letters on a white background of paper, taped to the side of my filing cabinet so rightly says: ‘Anger slays the simple – And Resentment kills the fool.’ And that’s gospel my people! Consequently, that’s why Bruh Paul so fervently warns: ‘Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph.4:26-27) Our anger should not go to bed with us. We ought to get rid of it as quickly as possible, because holding on to it causes us to make wrong decisions, which gives Lucifer all kinds of opportunities to invade our souls and lay his evil eggs therein. These eggs can then stay and hatch into resentment and bitterness that just sours our souls and drives us away from the peaceful, LOVING arms of Almighty God. And that’s something we don’t ever want to do. I just hope and pray, that our kind and merciful God can comfort those involved in this unfortunate tragedy, in their time of grief and heartache. And that’s not all Friends, we have plenty more praying to do, for more natural disasters have struck on this side of the world. An earthquake of 6.3 magnitude occurred off Vancouver Island on Canada’s West Coast a couple days ago. Shocks were felt fairly far away, but thankfully no sizeable damage seems to have happened. But in Guatemala, an earthquake of 7.4 magnitude occurred yesterday, killing some 48 people so far. Then to make a bad situation even worse, it seems like a nor’easter storm blew over New York and New Jersey yesterday, bringing strong winds, rain and wet snow. That just plunged many people back into darkness and misery after Sandy’s terrible onslaught last week. Ah Friends, our God certainly seems to be telling us something. And that something might just be involved with our Bit: ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.’ Yes my people, He’s warning us to heed His call to conviction and repentance. This seems to be the only avenue left open to us, since we’ve tried everything else that we can in our own power, and it’s just not working. Yesterday we saw where Jesus solemnly declared that he had come to earth to save those who would believe in Him, and that those who didn’t believe were already condemned to eternal separation from the Father. He also stated that mankind LOVED darkness because their deeds were evil, and did not want those deeds exposed to the light that He brought. (John 3:16-21) And that’s the living truth my brethren! It couldn’t be any simpler Friends; you either believe in Jesus and live in the light, or don’t , and perish in the darkness. Now listen to Jesus again on the subject. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.’ (John 6:47-51) Oh my people, the Creator of the universe is still in control of His creation, and ALWAYS will be. So why are we so adamant and insistent on rebelling against His dictates eh, especially when we have no real power to control our own lives or circumstances? Look at Hurricane Sandy and all the other natural disasters that seem to be happening one after the other, we have no power whatsoever to stop or control any of them. And yet we foolishly refuse to bow to the great I AM. Oh my brethren, all these disasters are meant to be wake up calls for us, and we’re ignoring them at our own peril. No wonder John declares at the end of our Bit, that those who don’t believe in Jesus shall not see eternal life, but the wrath of God will fall upon them. Now hear Bruh Paul tell it to the church at Rome. ‘For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold (suppress) the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God is manifest (evident) in (among) them; for God hath shown it unto them.’ (Rom.1:18-19) Yes Friends, God has shown it to us, but we obstinately refuse to believe and follow it. Listen to the scholars on that scripture. ‘In order to express His nature (holiness, truth and justice), God must punish sin. Since sin personally offends God, no one should be surprised that sin makes God angry. To deny His anger is to reject the necessity of Christ’s reconciling work on the cross. God’s wrath is revealed both in nature and in the Scriptures. Illustration: The rage that today is vented against sin will someday be completely unleashed in hell against those who refuse to accept the satisfaction (propitiation) that Christ made on the cross for sin. Application: Since this propitiation by Christ suffices for the whole world, there is no reason anyone should spend eternity in hell unless he voluntarily rejects God’s truth. (First Ref. Gen.49:7; Primary Ref; Rom.1:18: cf. John 14:2)’ That tells the tale like it truly is my Friends. Now it’s up to us, individually, to either accept or reject it. Note though, the repercussions of either avenue. The smart money would be on accepting it. Much LOVE!…he who refuses to hear…shall surely feel…and feel plenty too…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 November 2012 1 Peter 2:9
02 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: darkness, expectant hope, Friday chant, intercessory prayers, Jesus, light, LOVE, man's humanity to man, mercy, opportune time for repentance, physical and emotional hurt, pray diligently, prayer of the righteous, proclaim God's praises, ravages of Sandy, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, wake up call, weekend
1 Peter 2:9. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, but unfortunately many of us in North America and the Caribbean are not as jolly as we usually are on a Friday. There are very few shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ and even the few that we’re hearing lack the usual joy and expectant hope that the weekend usually brings. And we can lay it all at the feet of super-storm Sandy, which has seriously ravaged us over the past week. Millions of people are seriously hurting, both physically and emotionally, without food and light. Some have no water, while others have too much, from the resultant flooding. Oh Friends, this is a very disastrous time in which man’s humanity to man needs to be shown, must take first place. So please, let’s concentrate on helping those in dire need now, and most importantly, let’s pray diligently for them. Remember the Lord heareth the prayer of the righteous (Prov.15:29), and also, as we saw yesterday, intercessory prayers are one of our major responsibilities. So let’s get seriously praying nuh Friends and fellow believers. This is also an excellent opportunity for all nations to come together in prayer to Almighty God. We need to use it as a wake up call, an opportune time for nations to repent and return to diligently worshipping and serving the Most High God Jehovah, Creator and Controller of us all. It’s time to return to His caring and LOVING confines, for who knows if He specifically designed Sandy as a means of drawing us closer to Him, since it’s mostly in times of dire need that many of us run to Him seeking His powerful help and fatherly mercy. Yes my brethren, it’s the opportune time to reinvigorate the LOVE Revolution we’ve been trying to forge without much success. But as everything to do with true (agape) LOVE, it must first start with believers. Why? Because God is LOVE, and we are His LOVING subjects. And as our Bit so rightly reminds us: ‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar (his own special) people; that ye should show forth (proclaim) the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.’ Yes Friends, as representatives of Christ here on earth, we need to be at the forefront of helping, giving, caring, sharing and LOVING, because that’s what Jesus is about. And though it’s never easy to walk in Jesus’ footsteps, as His loyal followers we have to at least attempt to do so. With that in mind, let’s boost our spirits some and remind ourselves of the true purpose of the weekend, by chanting our Friday Chant. As one 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.’ Ah my brethren, hopefully that gets us to stop for a moment and ponder our personal goals and directions in Jesus this weekend. Now let’s continue looking at some scripture that validates our Bit. Yesterday we looked at two passages from Isaiah, today we’ll continue with another from Chapter 42, re the Lord’s servant coming to glorify Him. ‘And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things (places) straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.’ (Is.42:16) Oh Friends, every time I read about God’s awesome promises, it makes me shake my head in wonder at our lukewarm acceptance of them, or our complete disbelief. No wonder our lives and our world are so messed up. Now hear this scripture from Acts, where Bruh Paul testifies of his conversion on the road to Damascus to king Agrippa. While lying flat on his back, having been blinded by a burst of heavenly light, Jesus informs him. ‘But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear (reveal) unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan into God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in me.’ (Acts 26:16-18) There we go Friends, from the very beginning, God’s purpose was definitely to take us out of the darkness of sin, by introducing us to the light found in His Son Jesus. Now why can’t we understand that and live by it eh? I really don’t know nuh. And we’ll end with some more energizing words from Bruh Paul, from his message to the Corinthians, re God’s power in the ministry. ‘For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’ (2 Cor.4:5-6) What an awesome and caring kindness on God’s part my people! Now let’s go and do our part by seriously and diligently living for Jesus. That’s the least we can do, after all the selfless sacrifices He’s made for us. Much LOVE!…to truly know Jesus…is to LOVE Him…and greatly desire to live your life for Him…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 November 2012 1 Peter 2:9
01 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: a special people, ambassadors of Christ, broken promises, chosen generation, Church of Christ, darkness, grace, intercessary prayers, light, mercy, New Testament, Old Testament, priesthood of believers, privilege, proclaim God's praises, resolutions, responsibility, save the lost, strong faith, truth
1 Peter 2:9. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
Oh Friends, it’s already the first day of November! Can you believe that? Soon it will be December, then January 2013! Wow! 2012 has sure passed quickly, and it’s time again to check on the resolutions we made at the start, to see if we really and truly kept them. I sure hope though that we kept the ones where we vowed to increase our LOVE for Jesus, thus becoming more like Him, as well as being more passionate in doing His work here on earth. Remember the Lord doesn’t take very kindly to broken promises. So we have two months left to ramp up that Christian faith in our hearts, and put it into serious action. And why do we need to do that? Because as our Bit explains, we are God’s own people. ‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar (his own special) people; that ye should show forth (proclaim) the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.’ Yes Friends, we have been chosen by God, through Jesus Christ to do His work, to be ambassadors on His behalf, to bring others to the knowledge of His TRUTH and LIGHT, out of the plague of darkness and sin. This New Testament Church of Christ, to which all believers belong, has a unique and special relationship with God, having been chosen to represent Him, like Israel did in the Old Testament. Now here’s some scholarly info on the Priesthood of believers. ‘Every believer has the privilege and responsibility of direct access to God. Illustration: In the Old Testament, the family of Aaron was designated as a priesthood to God. In the New Testament that priesthood becomes the birthright of every Christian. Like their Old Testament counterparts, believer-priests have the privilege of access to God. Application: With privilege comes a twofold responsibility – sacrifice and intercessory prayer. The sacrifices of the believer are his body (Rom.12:1-2), his praise to God (Heb.13:15), his substance (Rom.12:13), and his service (Heb.13:6) The Christian ought also to pray on behalf of others. (Col.4:12). (First Reference, Job 42:10) Primary Reference, 1 Pet.2:9; cf. 1 Cor.9:19)’ Please check out those scriptures Friends, for they will certainly enhance our understanding about our duties as a chosen people of God. But it’s also important that we note, as Peter continues after our Bit: ‘Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.’ (1 Pet.2:10) And all God’s people gave a mighty shout of ‘Thank You Jesus!’ Yes Friends, before Jesus came, Gentiles had no real relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, were not accounted as His people, only the Jewish nation. However, through God’s great LOVE and Jesus’ selfless sacrifice on the cross at Calvary, ALL peoples were given the opportunity to become truly associated with the Most High God Jehovah in a personal relationship. Mama Mia! What a great God we serve and worship Friends! For remember, it was nothing that we did or deserved, but the LOVING-kindness and grace of God that brought us out of darkness into the light. So we have no reason whatsoever to boast or beat our chests in self-satisfied pride. Don’t ever forget that it was through God’s undeserved mercy that we were made righteous and reconciled to Him, and not through our own efforts. We need to remember that, because we’re behaving just like the Israelites did on numerous occasions; when they got prosperous, they forgot who brought them to the dance, who allowed them to become prosperous. Yes my brethren, we’re seeing a lot of false pride and idol worship in our society right now, that’s why it’s so ungodly, so messed up and on the brink of destruction. Anyway, let’s look at some scriptures that validate our Bit. And we’ll start off way back when with Isaiah’s prophecy, re the Birth of the Prince of Peace. In strength and in truth, he dutifully proclaimed; ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is.9:2) Hallelujah! That’s us mih breddren! Can you imagine what we’d be like if Jesus had not come and shone His magnificent, majestic light on us? Hn! I refuse to even consider the negative ramifications of that! And we’ll continue with some more of Isaiah’s prophecy, for he was the prophet entrusted with the most info on the Messiah’s coming. In this section, he’s talking about the servant of the Lord, Jesus, coming to glorify the Lord. ‘I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.’ (Is.42:6-7) According to the scholars; ‘The ministry of the Messiah is described in verse 6 as a covenant to the Jews and a light to the Gentiles. It therefore foreshadows the twofold purpose of Christ’s ministry to both the Jews and the Gentiles.’ And that prophecy was borne out by the words of Jesus. ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt.18:11) Yes my people that was Jesus’ intent, and now He has passed the baton to us, to continue that work; saving lost souls in His Name. Please, let’s live our lives so that we may do justice to that great purpose of Jesus, thereby saving many from eternal separation from our Heavenly Father. More on this tomorrow, God in favour. Till then, let’s walk in the light, as the children of light that we’re supposed to be nuh. Much LOVE!…remember…we’re in partnership with God…therefore we need to do our part…
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