Deuteronomy 31:6. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.
Ah Friends, another chapter in our calamitous times is being written, thanks to ‘Frankenstorm’ Sandy. She’s had a hand in at least ten deaths in the U.S. and one so far in Canada, where in Toronto yesterday, a Staples sign blew down in the 60 kilometres per hour winds and struck her. What a sad way to go. Meanwhile Sandy came ashore in New Jersey yesterday, lashing the Eastern U.S. coast with merciless winds and rain. Millions of people are without power now, and flooding is escalating. And the sad part is that though Sandy has been downgraded to a Tropical Storm, she’s not done yet. To put it nicely, we still have a couple days of inclement weather left. Now can you imagine if Sandy had retained its hurricane status? The whole Eastern coast of North America is being lashed with powerful winds and much rain, snow is even predicted in some areas. That would just put the icing, both literally and figuratively on the cake. Thankfully, so far in my area it’s been mostly gusting wind since yesterday afternoon, though still at a level we can handle, and hopefully it won’t reach epic proportions. The wind seems to have been blowing away some of the rain. I went out on my porch around 4.30 a.m. and surprisingly found my Toronto Star newspaper out there as usual, though they had warned that it might be late because of the weather. But Friends, while we on the East Coast of the continent have been perplexed and perturbed by Sandy, the residents on the northern part of the West Coast have been worried about a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that took place some 40 kilometres off the coast of British Columbia on Saturday. A tsunami warning had been issued, but thankfully nothing came of it, except bickering and confusion in B.C. where it’s claimed the U.S. warning came a whole half an hour before the Canadian, although they knew about the earthquake and its possible repercussions at the same time as the U.S. Obviously the Provincial Government and its agencies claim that they acted responsibly, while the local governments and the people who would have been targeted by the tsunami, claim otherwise. Oh mih people, what’s happening to us eh? In these supposedly modern and revolutionary times, when we can do all sorts of technological wonders, we still can’t get together rationally and solve common problems. As someone told me last night, the Lord’s sending us a message, but we’re not listening. And that could certainly be gospel Friends! Times have become so fearful that many are afraid to walk the roads even in broad daylight, because evil is no longer hiding under the cover of darkness, but has become so emboldened that it’s operating openly in the light now. However my brethren, there’s ONE, and ONLY ONE antidote for Fear, that’s FAITH! FAITH IN ALMIGHTY GOD! As our Bit so encouragingly and appropriately declares: ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’ What part of that don’t we understand eh Friends? If we truly believe in the all-powerful, faithful God we profess to worship, then we should calmly accept such an awesome promise, and consequently there shouldn’t be any fear in our souls, for the Lord has proven His power and faithfulness time and time again. I guess the problem is that a majority of the population don’t believe in the Most High God Jehovah, and those who do, don’t have sufficient faith to stand the rigours of these troubled times. So without further ado, let’s check out some scriptures, re handling fear with faith building. And we’ll begin with Moses reminding the Israelites of their sad, fearful behaviour on their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. ‘Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bare (carried) thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came unto this place. Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God.’ (Deut.1:29-32) Oh Friends, that’s certainly a telling reproach against the Israelites! The Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt is possibly the greatest exhibition of our God’s great powers, His unending LOVE, and also His powerful anger at continual sin and disobedience. That’s shown in the wandering of Israel for forty years in the desert, culminating with the death of all but Caleb and Joshua of the old generation that came out of Egypt. If anybody in this entire world should have believed in Almighty God, it should have been them, having seen the mighty works He did on their behalf. But obviously they did not, and sadly today we are doing the same thing my people; living in fear, when we have God’s awesome promises to stand faithfully and secure on. We talk up a storm about God, but don’t reflect that talk in our actions, that’s why we’re still so fearful. Now listen to Bruh David’s advice to cousin Sol, when he handed over the throne of Israel to him. ‘Only the Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the Lord thy God. Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfill the statutes and judgements which the Lord charged (commanded) Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.’ (1 Chr.22:12-13) Oh Friends what absolutely wise words from a father to a son, especially from one who actually lived the words he spoke, under the calming umbrella of God’s faithfulness. And when Cousin Sol followed them, he became the greatest, wisest and richest king that ever lived! However, in his old age, when he strayed from his father’s words and rebelled against the Lord God of his fathers for the heathen gods of his wives, he lost God’s favour. It’s ever so simple and true Friends: stay faithful to God, and He will stay faithful to you, and under those circumstances, there’s no reason to be overwhelmed by fear. Please, let’s write that indelibly in our hearts, minds and spirits, so that we can continuously recall it, and thus not live in fear. Much LOVE!…we say again…the ONLY thing to conquer fear…is TRUE FAITH in Jehovah God…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 October 2012 Deuteronomy 31:6
30 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: calamity, courage, dismay, disobedience, dread, evil, faith, fear, God's faithfulness, Hurricane Sandy, Most High God Jehovah, obedience, the Exodus, the Promised Land, wilderness wandering
Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 October 2012 Deuteronomy 31:6
29 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: aura of love, disobedience, enthusiasm, faith, fear, God's assurance, Jesus Christ, miracles, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, prayer, Promised Land, renewed vitality, steadfast faith, wicked taunts, wiles of the devil
Deuteronomy 31:6. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Oh Friends, blessed greetings on this cold, wet, uninspiring Monday morning! (smile) And plenty thanks be to our wonderful God also, He who so LOVINGLY looks after all our needs! I do hope that all of us who are slated to receive some of ‘Frankenstorm’ Sandy’s wrath have battened down our hatches and made good preparations to withstand the onslaught. Meanwhile, for those of you who have already experienced its ravages, I hope and pray that you are being strong in faith and doing your best to get yourselves back together again. And the rest of you, please pray some righteous, earnest, heart-felt prayers that Sandy doesn’t do nearly as much damage as he or she is scheduled to do. Now Sandy hasn’t even gotten close to me as yet, and I’m already experiencing a bigger leak than normal in the laundry room of my basement. Ah Lord eh! And to make matters worse, the wind and rain is not allowing my fix-it-all guy to get up on the roof, where we suspect the problem lies. But if that’s the biggest damage I suffer, then I’ll gladly live with it. And remember Friends, in the simple, but oh so wise words of the old sage – this too shall pass. So let’s invoke our Bit right now to help us in our time of anxiety. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ Yes Friends, fear is a major factor in all of our lives these days, it’s just that some handle it better, through FAITH and PRAYER, than others. And with that in mind, this first day of our new workweek, when many are afraid of the pending calamity, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, so that our fearful, lazy, bluesy spirits can be lifted, that they may soar like eagles heavenwards together with our prayer, and embolden us, regardless of the circumstances we face, to go out into the unfriendly, ungodly world and make a significant mark for Jesus. All together now, as the harmonious earthly choir that we are. (smile) ‘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!’ There we go my People! All of heaven was pleased with our heady effort! No excuses now for not getting out in a good, strong, faithful, courageous frame of mind. Oh, before we go any further, let me apologize for a typo yesterday. When I quoted the Lord’s command to Joshua, that His Word should constantly be in his mouth, I associated it with Josh.1:9, instead of Josh.1:8. Mea Culpa! Ah Friends, when sin came into the world, it brought fear with it; a sad lack of confidence in many aspects of our lives. But the caring and understanding Deity we serve and worship, realized our human frailty and gave us an outlet to conquer fear through His Holy Word. And throughout the Good Book, especially in the Old Testament, there are numerous examples of God’s assurance to His chosen people. Possibly the most reassuring of all God’s assurances on fear is when Pharaoh’s army was about to overtake the Israelites as they approached the Red Sea, on their journey out of centuries of bondage in Egypt. Although they had witnessed the calamities that the Lord had rained down on Egypt because of Pharaoh’s refusal to let them go, they nonetheless cried out in great fear to Moses, saying it would have been better to remain in slavery in Egypt than to die in the wilderness, cruelly slaughtered in their helpless state by the Egyptian army. But what was Moses’ response? ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace (be quiet).’ (Ex.14:13-14) And we all know how the Lord instructed Moses to lift his rod over the Red Sea, and it was parted, allowing the Israelites to walk over on dry land. However, the Egyptian army was totally annihilated when they tried to cross over, as the Lord rejoined the waters. Up to this day Friends, I believe that’s the most awesome miracle the Lord’s ever done, both in terms of emotional drama as well as sheer physical size. I’ve forgotten the exact figures quoted by people who studied the situation, but it required several miles of space between the waters for some two million Israelites, plus all their animals and household belongings to cross in one night. Now Friends, if you had personally experienced such a miracle, would you have ever had any further doubts in the amazing power, strength and LOVING-kindness of the God of your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? I’d hope not. But unfortunately the Israelites were so fickle and faithless that they complained all the way to the Promised Land, even though the Lord miraculously led them by a pillar of fire at nights, and a cloud by day and also provided food (manna) and water for them along the way. Then when they finally arrived at the border of the Promised Land, they were too scared to go over the Jordan and fight for it, as the Lord instructed. They listened to ten of the twelve spies they sent to reconnoitre the land, who claimed that though the land was fruitful and prosperous, the inhabitants were too big for them to conquer. That’s why they wondered in the wilderness for forty years until all of the generation that had left Israel had died. ONLY Joshua and Caleb, the two spies who voted to go in and fight, ever set foot on the Promised Land. Even poor Moses, after so much struggle with the Israelites, was only allowed to see it from a far off hill, because of his disobeying God’s order to talk to the rock and not strike it at the waters of Meribah-kadesh. (Num. 20:11-13) Ah mih people, such is the negative effect of fear. Please, let’s not allow it to conquer us. Much LOVE!…the only thing that conquers fear…FAITH IN ALMIGHTY GOD…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 September 2012 Jeremiah 7:28
30 Sep 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: calamity, conviction, death, deceit, disaster, disobedience, drought, evil, false prophecy, foolish people, God's punishment, life, persecution, rebellion, repentance, repercussions, respect, reverence
Jeremiah 7:28. But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.
Oh Friends, one more day is dawning in our lives and in the annals of History. When this day is reviewed in our lives, what will it look like eh? And when it’s written in the historical records, what will be the overriding story? Right now only the Lord God Jehovah knows the answer to either question, which means that He is wiser and more knowledgeable that us. We can only make all sorts of guesses, but there is no guarantee that we will even come close to the truth. Meanwhile, the Most High God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has already planned what will happen all over His creation today. But yet still too many of us refuse to acknowledge His awesome power and wisdom. And Just like He told Jeremiah to warn Judah, re the punishment for their rebellion, I believe He’s telling us the very same thing now, as embodied in our Bit. ‘But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction (instruction): truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.’ Oh my people, I don’t know if at any time in the last few hundred years there’s been a generation that has ever repudiated and rebelled against our heavenly Father like this one. Our sinfulness and lust for earthly pleasure is overwhelming. In fact it knows no bounds. We are doing everything that the Good Book tells us not to do and not even considering the repercussions. The evildoers are trying every tack and trick to get rid of God completely from our society, and unfortunately are being comparatively successful. That means unless the Christian element reverses itself and stands up strong for what we’re supposed to believe in, God will eventually be removed or shunted off to some small, remote part of our society, with the possibility of persecution very likely. Oh Friends, when are we going to learn that rebellion against God, and disobedience to His Will and Word don’t pay, but always bring disastrous consequences eventually? Listen to the Lord’s directive to Jeremiah, re the spiritual and civil corruption amongst the Lord’s people. ‘Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish (proclaim) it in Judah, saying, Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not, which have ears and hear not: Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves (to and fro) yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?’ (Jer.5:20-22) Obviously this generation doesn’t fear the Lord, otherwise evil would not be as prevalent and pervasive. And if we continue with that telling passage from Jeremiah 5, the Lord continues: ‘But this people hath a revolting and rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone (departed). Neither say they in their heart, let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’ (Jer.5:23-24) And isn’t that the living truth Friends! Remember the extensive drought filled summer we’ve just recently experienced, and the poor harvest that we’re going to reap this year? Obviously not, because as far as most of us are concerned that has nothing to do with God. But are we ever so wrong my brethren. It has everything to do with God! And sadly, I’ve yet to see a time in my three decades of life, when there’s such little respect or fear of God, even with all the untimely and unnatural calamities that are currently and constantly befalling us. But listen to these next verses, as the Lord detailed Judah’s problems, and in this age, our own. ‘Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait (lie in wait), as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen (grown) rich. They are waxen (grown) fat, they shine (are sleek): yea, they overpass (surpass) the deeds of the wicked: they judge (plead) not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge (defend). Shall I not visit (punish) for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? A wonderful (an astonishing) and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means (own power); and my people LOVE to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?’ (Jer.5:25-31) Yes my people, that’s the billion dollar question; what will we do in the end? I don’t know, but my advice is for our society to turn back as quickly as possible to truly worshipping and serving the ONE TRUE GOD, who created and still controls this universe and everything in it. And I have to note the scholars’ explanation on the second to last verse above. ‘Judah’s sin is so exceedingly evil that it is described as being appallingly horrible and staggeringly wonderful (wondered at in shocked disbelief).’ Now doesn’t that sound just like our society? It sure does? And Friends if we don’t quickly clean up our act then in the Lord’s own words, here’s what’s liable to happen. ‘Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth: behold I will bring evil (calamity) upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.’ (Jer.6:18-19) Oh my people, it’s extremely urgent that we return to God’s path asap, because from Jesus’ description the end times are in the offing. Exactly when, only the Father knows. But there is certainly too much calamity in the world for it to just go away. Our world is like a smouldering volcano, just waiting for the right moment to erupt. So what will it be Friends; self-destruction, God’s punishment, or conviction and repentance? For our children’s sake, I urge us to choose the latter two options, and quickly too. That’s the true zenith of wisdom. Much LOVE!…I have set before you…life and death…blessing and cursing…therefore choose life…that both thou and thy seed may live… (Deut.30:19)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 September 2012 Psalm 120:1
28 Sep 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: affliction, cry out, deceitfulness, deliverance, disobedience, distress, fellowship, Friday chant, glorious kingdom, integrity, Jonah, refreshed soul, rejuvenation, right perspective, righteous, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, welfare
Psalm 120:1. In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.
Oh Friends, I must say that I’m not as bright and bubbly as I was yesterday because my allergies are acting up. They had me feeling real lousy earlier on with the sneezing and sniffling, but I eventually took some medication and they are settling down now. And though I’m still not 100 %, my heart is still encouraged in our God. Praise Him for His tender mercies! Nonetheless, today is Friday, and as my buddy James remarked when I asked how he was doing: ‘Rough mih brother. Ah work out mih soul case this week. But yuh know what… Thank God is Friday yes, and the weekend soon come!’ Yes Friends, the weekend is here for us to rest up and refocus ourselves. So as always, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much enthusiasm nuh, while eagerly looking forward to the couple of days off. All together as one voice 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 mih people, we have to keep our lives totally focused and in the right perspective at all times, otherwise we’re liable to fall prey to the evil of Beelzebub. But even when that happens, we ought not to fear, for as our Bit so faithfully declares: ‘In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.’ Yes my brethren, that’s exactly what we need to do when we’re under any stress or strain. The psalmist, befuddled by the wrong that was being done to him, continues: ‘Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.’ (Ps.120:2) Ah Friends, many of us have personally experienced the harsh and often wrong criticism, ridicule and deceitfulness cause by others spreading lies and false innuendo. And we know that it hurts a lot, for as Willie Shakespeare claims in one of his plays – I don’t remember which one – if you steal my purse, you’re stealing trash; but my good name, my integrity, now that’s a horse of a different colour. So our good name and integrity do mean a lot, especially to believers operating under Jesus’ triumphant banner. We cannot allow our character to be besmirched, because it reflects badly on our Saviour and our faith. But the wise thing to do, if and when that happens, or any calamity at all strikes us, is to first cry out to God for help. I can tell you that from personal experience, since there are many times I’ve cried out to Him for one reason or another, some of them when I couldn’t find a Bit or figure out what to write. And the good news Friends, is that our God has always helped me to come up over my problems. And on the matter of crying out to Him in distress, there’s no better example than Jonah in the belly of the great fish. Though Jonah was disobedient to God’s directive, spending some time in the fish’s stomach woke him up to the reality that his God was both powerful and merciful. ‘Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason (because) of my affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.’ (Jon.1:1-2) So Friends, if the Lord could forgive Jonah for his disobedience when he cried out in distress, why won’t He hear our cry when we’re wronged and persecuted eh? No reason whatsoever my people! Bruh David hit the nail on the head when he declared in Psalm 34, the Lord hears the righteous: ‘The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry…The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. (Ps.34:15,17) And nobody knew that better than Bruh David. Then again in Psalm 65 he’s correct, when he says: ‘O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.’ (Ps.65:2) And that’s the gospel truth Friends, as Isaiah proclaims on the Lord’s behalf. ‘For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.’ (Is.66:22-23) Oh my people, there’s our God talking, and He doesn’t talk simply for talk sake, but because He wants us to get to know Him and His ways. And one of the things He sincerely wants us to know and do is to come to Him in prayer; cry out to Him when disaster strikes, for He’s totally interested in our welfare, the way a good, kind and merciful God should be about His subjects. So Friends, please don’t be afraid or ashamed to call upon His Holy Name when things get rough, for that’s what He desires of us. Remember that even Jesus cried out to Him when the going got tough, so why shouldn’t we, mere mortals that we are. Much LOVE!…what’s the purpose of having a God…if you can’t cry out to Him for help in times of trouble…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 August 2012 1 John 4:16
22 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: attributes, begotten Son, Calvary, characteristics, cross, death, disobedience, eternal separation, everlasting life, friends, god, gospel truth, holy spirit, Jesus, LOVE, lusts, pleasure, rebellion, sacrifice, salvation, selfishness, selflessness, talk, unworthy sinners, walk
1 John 4:16. And we have known and believed the LOVE that God hath to us. God is LOVE; and he that dwelleth in LOVE dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Oh Friends, the word for today is LOVE! It is the supreme attribute and characteristic of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Therefore it should also be the supreme characteristic of those who claim to follow Him. And how do we know that LOVE is the major attribute of our God eh? Because His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ told us so. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) And Jesus later corroborates that feeling of LOVE by saying: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 15:13-14) And what did Jesus do shortly after that? He gave His sinless, holy life as a sacrifice on the cross at Calvary for His Friends, those who were doing as He instructed! Wow! What a champion my people! Just think about it nuh Friends, Jesus gave up His good life in heaven to come to earth and die for us, a bunch of unworthy sinners, so that we could be reconciled to The Father, and receive forgiveness of our sins, salvation and eternal life. Now if that isn’t the highest form of selflessness, which in this case denotes absolute LOVE, I don’t know what is. Jesus walked His talk! And so should we. But sadly Friends, our world is desperately lacking in that kind of selflessness. Instead everything begins and ends with ‘Me, My, I and Mine.’ In contrast to that, selflessness talks about ‘You and Yours,’ puts the other person’s welfare first. Can you imagine what our lives would be like if God, then Jesus, had said: ‘Chuh pool! They’re just a bunch of ignorant, disobedient, rebellious, lustful, fleshly, pleasure bound no goods. Leave them be, and let them fend for themselves. They think they know everything anyway. And if they want to follow that fool Lucifer, then let them. They’ll pay the price of death and eternal separation for their stupidity, just like he will.’ But no my brethren, the Lord God Jehovah made every one of us, and just like we LOVE even our most rebellious, disobedient children, He LOVES us the same way too! Please note when our children do wrong and end up in the courts, or prison, we still don’t give up on them, although they may justly deserve their punishment. No, we still pray for them, talk to them, and try to show them the error of their ways, notwithstanding that we’ve been preaching the same sermon to them from their youth. Friends, it’s the same way our great, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God felt, and still feels about us. As John says in our Bit: ‘And we have known and believed the LOVE that God hath to us. God is LOVE; and he that dwelleth (abides) in LOVE dwelleth in God, and God in him.’ Those are powerful words of truth my people! If God could do us such a great favour, we should also be able to do it to our fellow humans. And it doesn’t necessarily mean actually giving up one’s physical life, although in some cases it can, but it refers to more of a selfless attitude towards others, thinking about their well-being above ours, making sure they are well taken care of, helping them in any way we can. Oh my Friends, the basic premise of God’s LOVE is that we don’t only look out for ourselves, but also for others. As John asks earlier on: ‘But whoso hath this world’s good (goods), and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion (heart) from him, how dwelleth the LOVE of God in him?’ (1 John 3:17) It obviously doesn’t, my people! Now listen to Jesus, when Judas Iscariot asked how He would manifest Himself to the disciples and the world. ‘If a man LOVE me, he will keep my words; and my Father will LOVE him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode (home) with him.’ (John 14:23) It’s simple Friends, if we truly LOVE Jesus, we will keep His commandments. As the scholars say: ‘The divine indwelling (of the Holy Spirit) is conditional on LOVE, and obedience to Jesus’ words. The Word of the gospel is primarily (though not exclusively) in view here.’ And John tells it this way: ‘And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and LOVE one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.’ (1 John 3:23-24) Oh Friends, that’s the gospel truth! Please let’s ponder that scripture today and see how it works in our lives, so that we can better represent Jesus here on earth. More on this tomorrow, provided we’re still breathing. Till then, let’s all try and walk in as much LOVE as possible nuh. Much LOVE!…he who truly walks in LOVE…is a true reflection of Jesus…and truly pleases Him…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 August 2012 Exodus 20:3
07 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: anger, Caribana, commandments, deceitful, disobedience, god, graven image, idols, independence, Jamaica, Lucifer's lies, party time, punishment, Trinidad & Tobago
Exodus 20:3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Ah well, the party’s finally over my Friends. It’s time to call it a day. Yeah people, Caribana’s finished for another year. And thankfully it didn’t seem to have any serious negative consequences. But while the party has cooled down in T.O, it’s just beginning in J.A and T&T with the 50th anniversary of Independence celebrations. And where yuh see Usain Bolt retained his track crown, and also bettered his previous record, hn, I can assure you that Jamdown is in a thoroughly party going frame of mind. And T&T won’t be far behind. But as I keep reminding us, drunk or sober, we have to mind our business, so that the ole charlatan Lucifer doesn’t find a chink in our spiritual armour and invade our souls, cause we know that he’s always on the hunt, like a hungry lion, looking for whomever he could get his lying, deceitful claws into. And that’s exactly why the Lord warned us from day one, in our Bit: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ Oh Friends, because of our fallen, rebellious nature, He knew our susceptibility to things forbidden, to things of the flesh, to things that the tempter would throw up before us, things looking all nice and glittery, like they were the real McCoy, but in actual fact are all fake. They are all part of a facade, a false front that Lucifer puts up to cover the reprehensible doings he encourages in the back, where no one can see. But Friends God does, for He is all-seeing and all-knowing. Oh my people, why do you think the Lord got Moses to spell out these facts in detail eh? ‘Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to (worship) them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting (punishing) the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy to them that LOVE me, and keep my commandments.’ (Ex.20:4-6) The Lord laid down those rules because we’re His chosen people, and He doesn’t want us going astray, running foul of His law, so that He would be forced to punish us. But yuh know, even after He tore out His heart and sent His Son Jesus to pay for our disgusting sins, we continue to lust after other gods and worldly things. Until now, when we’ve reached the highest point of our evolution, with the most knowledge and technological skills ever seen on earth, where we should be endowed with godly wisdom, because of all the examples of disobedience and punishment that’s gone before us, yet we still running behind the fool fool boy Lucifer, who, if he was so smart, would still be running the angels in heaven and not walking the earth in shame for trying to overthrow the Lord God Jehovah. I mean how silly can you get eh? So my brethren, when are we going to learn that Lucifer really has nothing good to offer us eh? When the Lord destroys us for disobedience and we end up in blistering hot Hades with him? Lord forbid! How many times Friends, has the Lord warned us of this serious breach of His law? Too numerous to count! But let’s look at a couple of them, starting in Deuteronomy: ‘Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you. (For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.’ (Deut.6:13-15) Now doesn’t that spell it out ever so clearly that disobedience will bring punishment and eventual destruction? Now hear Jeremiah: ‘And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened (listened), nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, Turn ye again (repent now) every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever. And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt (harm). Yet ye have not hearkened (listened) unto me, saith the Lord; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt (harm).’ (Jer.25:4-7) And what happened after that Friends? Judah was invaded, Jerusalem destroyed, and the people taken captive to Babylon for seventy years. (Jer.6:8-14) So you think it will be any different now my people? Not one bit! God’s still sending his prophets, servants and teachers, like me, to warn us, and if we still continue to walk the path of disobedience, as we’re currently doing, we will be punished, as we’re currently experiencing. Oh Friends, please don’t believe that all the calamities and disastrous things that are happening in our world are simply happenstance, because they are not. A lot of it is being fuelled by the Lord’s anger. And if we don’t stop soon and turn back to Him, we will eventually be destroyed. That’s what the Good Book says…and the Good Book doesn’t lie. So please, I implore us, let’s wake up and start doing right by our Creator nuh, if not for our sakes, then for our children’s, or else crapaud surely going to smoke we pipe sometime soon. Much LOVE!…the wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way…but the folly of fools is deceit… (Prov.14:8)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 March 2012 Leviticus 19:18
30 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: commandments, disobedience, glorious kingdom, gratitude, hypocrites, jesus name, lessons, loving, loving others, peaceful calm, rejuvenation, renewed, revenge, spoiled brat, thanks and praise, vengeance, wisdom
Leviticus 19:18. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.
Oh Friends, it’s the big day, Friday! And all God’s people breathed a grateful sigh of relief and mouthed in true gratitude; ‘Oh, thank God it’s Friday!’ I know some of us have had a rougher week than others, but the beauty of having Jesus as our Saviour is that we can all lay down our burdens and rest in Him, in His peaceful, calm and caring personality. So let’s throw off that tiredness by now putting it in His hands, and also chanting our Friday Chant, to give us a better perspective on the upcoming weekend. As one loud and prayerful voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And with that perspective Friends, let’s see if we can’t do what our Bit commands us nuh: ‘Thou shalt not avenge (take vengeance), nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.’ Some of you are displeased because we’re still focused on this Bit, but that’s just a spoiled brat attitude. And furthermore, how can we move on when we haven’t learned all the lessons it teaches? It’s like repeating a year or semester of school because we have failed our exams. And believe you me people, we are definitely failing this lesson of LOVING our neighbours as ourselves, else our world would not be in such a troubled state. The truth is that we will never be calm, peaceful and filled with true joy until we truly begin LOVING others as ourselves. But perhaps I’m being a bit presumptuous here, because if we’re not carrying out the first and greatest command of our God; to LOVE Him wholeheartedly, how can we be expected to carry out the second one; to LOVE our neighbours as ourselves? As the scriptures ask, how can you LOVE a God you can’t see, and not a neighbour that you can see? It is somewhat confusing, but believe me, it’s often much easier to LOVE the God you can’t see than the neighbour whose behaviour rankles our very being. But as believers, that’s what we’re called to do, and we’ll continue with some scriptures on the topic that I never got to yesterday. And we can only be blessed by hearing Jesus’ words once more. When asked about the most important commandments, He declared that LOVING the Father was the first and most important: ‘And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.’ (Mark 12:31) Friends, those are words we ought to write indelibly in and on all parts of our beings to continually remind us of them. Then we ought to put them into sincere practice if we want to be seen as true Christians, and not the hypocrites that many, with good reason, take us to be. My brethren it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell us that we’re definitely not obeying the two most important commands of the ONE and ONLY TRUE God, Jehovah, and that if we continue this disobedience we’ll only end up in more hot water and greater calamity than we’re already facing. In Romans, Bruh Paul wisely advises us thus: ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.’ (Rom.12:9) That should be simple common sense, not only for believers, but for all those who wish to live calm and peaceful lives, since evil only brings strife and stress. Later on, to the same Roman church, Bruh Paul, in talking about our LOVE walk, tells them: ‘Owe no man anything, but to LOVE one another: for he that LOVETH another hath fulfilled the law….LOVE worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law.’ (Rom.13:8,10) James also weighs in on the problem with these words of wisdom: ‘If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.’ (James 2:8) Oh Friends, isn’t it very encouraging to know that we’re doing well if we LOVE our neighbours as ourselves? It should be, but unfortunately it isn’t to too many of us. However, let’s go home with a biting bit of scripture from Bruh Paul to the Galatians: ‘For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.’ (Gal.5:14-15) Oh my people, truer words were never spoken, because we can now see it taking place in our crazy world, where there’s little or no LOVE, and we’re consuming each other like gluttons. How sad! But that’s the current nature of the beast. I implore us though to make positive changes as soon as possible, or else with all the strife and anger, resentment and call for vengeance, the greed and jealousy, plus the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, we’ll eventually wipe ourselves off of Mother Earth. All that’s now left to say is let’s wake up and smell the fresh bread that Jesus is so LOVINGLY baking for us, if we only do as He asks. It would surely be a sin if we allow it to go to waste, just because we didn’t LOVE each other. Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…the consequences of disobedience is calamity…and ultimately death…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 March 2012 Numbers 23:19
22 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: attributes of God, calamity, disobedience, God's unchanging nature, negative, obedience, thanks and praises, true wisdom, ungodly
Numbers 23:19. God is not man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make good?
Aye mih breddren, we’ve been granted another day on beautiful planet earth! Praise the Lord! And in my neck of the woods, unbelievably, it’s summer! Hn! I’m still taking it with a grain of salt though, for when and where have you ever heard of twenty something degree temps in the middle of March in the northern climes eh? It seems we’ve just bypassed spring and gone straight into summer mode, as the trees are still brown, dry and brittle, with no leaves whatsoever, for there’s been no rain to talk about either. The birds are singing their thanks and praises to God early in the mornings though. (smile) And I surely hope that we believers are doing the same. Now let’s get straight into our Bit: ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ Yesterday we looked at its basic context; with Balak, king of Moab, hiring Balaam, a false prophet to curse the Israelites, who were coming close to his kingdom in their travel through the wilderness to the Promised Land, and since he’d heard of how they had annihilated other societies, he and his people were sore afraid. But Balaam kept saying, through God’s spiritual intervention, that he could not curse of defy Israel for God had them protected. We also saw how our Bit related to God’s unchanging nature, and His inability to lie since one of His many attributes was TRUTH. Then we began looking at scriptures that corroborated the first part of our Bit: ‘For God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent:’ Unfortunately we only got into one scripture; that where Samuel tells Saul that the Lord’s taken his kingship of Israel. (1 Sam.15:29) Now let’s continue with scriptures that pertain to the first part of our Bit. First up is Isaiah, when he tells the people, who were looking to Egypt for protection, that it’s God, not Egypt who will defend Judah: ‘Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil (disaster), and will not call back (retract) his words; but will arise against the house of evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.’ (Is.31:2) Then in Chapter 51, re the faithful being called to courage, Isaiah again speaks to God’s unchanging nature: ‘Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax (grow) old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished (broken).’ (Is.51:6) And Jeremiah, in lamenting over Judah, solemnly and sadly declares: ‘For this hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent (relent), neither will I turn back from it.’ (Jer.4:27-28) Oh Friends, what will it take for us to understand the great significance and importance of God’s Word, though spoken eons ago, to our current life in these wicked and ungodly times eh? Mankind has been living basically the same way since Adam and Even sinned, but the Lord God Jehovah in His utmost wisdom and great mercy spoke through His prophets, then sent His Only Son Jesus to earth to show us exactly what He desires of us. But sadly we’re still ignoring Him. And if His Word does not change, neither His personality, what can we expect from our disobedience but sorrow and calamity? It’s written right there in the Good Book which most of us acknowledge as being a guide for earthly living, but we mostly do so with our mouth, not with our actions. It traces centuries of time, and graphically shows that when societies are obedient to His will, they prosper, and when they’re not, they suffer. Yet we still choose to follow Beelzebub and his lying, deceitful ways. How wise is that eh? The prophet Malachi, when talking about the paying of tithes, which Israel weren’t doing at the time, said on God’s behalf: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not: therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein (in what way) shall we return?’ (Mal,3:6-7) Oh my people, it’s the same thing God’s saying to us today; return to me and I will return to you. But being foolish and pigheaded, we, like the Israelites before us, are asking in what way? In every way Friends! For it’s obvious that we’re disobedient, evil, ungodly, perverse and everything that’s dark and negative – a la Lucifer! Fellow believers, the times they are getting more calamitous every day, so let’s wake up and realize what’s happening nuh. Disobedience to the Creator of the universe is a patently stupid act! Let’s stop being deceived by the powers of darkness and instead look wisely to Jesus, in whom all our needs and desires can be fulfilled, in addition to His free gifts of salvation and eternal life. Now that’s indeed true wisdom! Much LOVE!…let him who has ears, hear…disobedience to God brings negative consequences…obedience to God, brings positive consequences…and that’s the gospel truth…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 March 2012 Obadiah 1:4
12 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: Christian soldiers, communing with God, compassion, disobedience, exalt thyself, glorious kingdom, godly confidence, invincible, mercy, power of Jesus, respect, reverence, saviour jesus, Sodom & Gomorrah, sure conquerors
Obadiah 1:4 Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.
Oh my fellow brethren in Christ, it’s Monday! The call to arms has already sounded, and our brilliant Field Marshall, Jesus, is already out surveying the battlefield, planning his strategy. You know He gets up early every morning to commune with the Father before tackling the day’s tasks. We can’t afford to be resting on our laurels, for while we’re doing that, the enemy is out there making hay in the sunshine. (smile) So let’s get up and get a move on. But first, let’s take a moment ourselves to commune with the Father by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one, heaven-reaching 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!’ And now Friends, with the Holy Spirit boldly coursing through us, and being safely ensconced in our spiritual armour, let’s hit the battlefield and show the evil enemy the might and power of Jesus and His righteous, upstanding soldiers, fearlessly singing: ‘Onward Christian soldiers, marching unto war, with the Cross of Jesus, going on before!’ And when we meet the brazen and bumptious enemy, please let them know that: ‘The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?’ (Obad.1:3) But they boldface eh! Who shall bring them down? Well the answer is in our Bit: ‘Though thou exalt thyself as (high as) the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.’ And to that, all God’s people shouted a deafening ‘Amen!’ Yes my people, our God will eventually humble all those who arrogantly and proudly exalt themselves, without taking His majesty into consideration! Obadiah’s prophecy was against Edom, the Edomites, descendants of Esau, who, according to the scholars, lived in a mountainous desert area of the Promised Land, and who felt they were safe and secure because of their mountain stronghold. They became prosperous by taxing caravans that passed through their territory. Apparently they helped Nebuchadrezzar invade Judah (Lam.4:21-22) and also expanded their own land into Judah, (Jacob’s descendants) forming the land of Idumea, and were then mostly known as Idumeans, but between wars, political machinations, and the coming of the Roman Empire, they eventually disappeared from history. Thus was the prophecy of Obadiah fulfilled on them, and also that of Jeremiah: ‘For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen (nations), and despised among men. Thy terribleness (fierceness) hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make they nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord. Also Edom shall be a desolation (an astonishment): everyone that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.’ (Jer.49:15-18) Oh Friends, when the Lord’s out to get you, it’s impossible to escape! That’s why our current ungodliness and sinful behaviour is a very vexing and truly foolish show of pride, idolatry and earthly lusts, the things which the Lord God Jehovah most detests, because they don’t give Him His proper reverence and respect. Remember His first commandments were to not have any other gods but Him, also not to make graven images of anything on earth, in heaven or the sea, nor bow down to them. But sadly, that’s what we’re doing right now; worshipping earthly treasures, placing them before Him. In fact we’re doing our best to get rid of Him altogether from our society. And do we expect to really live happily ever after by doing that? Oh Friends, that’s just Lucifer and his evil associates poisoning our minds against the Most High God, creator and ruler of the universe. It’s a most unwise decision, for if we read the Good Book we’ll see that every society which tried to get rid of Him or didn’t hold Him in proper reverence was eventually punished. What’s it going to take for us to wake up to that reality eh? We’re already being bombarded by all kinds of unusual calamities; wars and strife all over the world, financial and economic disasters, climate irregularities, poverty, sickness, oppression, homelessness, like we haven’t seen in ages, and with our world at the height of its evolution too. What explains it all? Only one thing Friends: disobedience to God’s Word. Please my people, we’ve tried all the man made solutions, and none have worked, they’ve only made matters worse. So let’s smarten up nuh, let’s turn back to the God of our fathers, it’s the only thing left for us to try. As I keep pleading, for our children’s sake let’s repent of our misdeeds and ask the Lord for forgiveness. You know He’ll be only too glad to comply, if we come to Him with truly repentant hearts, for He is indeed a God of compassion and mercy. That’s the only true wisdom of the ages my people! Let’s not go down in history as the generation that lost it all. Much LOVE!…though all seems lost…give God a chance…and He will surely save the day…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 February 2012 Job 11:6b
24 Feb 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: disobedience, LOVE Revolution, patience, price of sin, ungodliness
SCRIP-BITS 