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1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

Aye mih beauties, welcome to spring time in December! It’s raining outside, and they say it might go up to as much as ten degrees Celsius today! Brother! Imagine that scene at the end of December nuh! I feel sorry for the purists who did not get their white Christmas and might not even get to ski as they ring in the New Year. But what yuh going to do eh? Everything’s changing, and changing fast too! I remember the days when you could be assured of snow, and plenty too, for Christmas!

The duchess and I might even have wasted money paying for snow removal, since we can’t do it ourselves any longer, and there hasn’t been any to remove so far. But like my friend Scotty, I’m the eternal optimist! (smile) We will get snow, it’s only a matter of time…and then we’ll get so much, that we’ll all hold our heads and bawl! Matter fix!

Now let’s hear what the workingman is singing this spring-like Friday morning nuh: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! And another long weekend…in cool weather to boot, as New Year’s rolls on in! Wonder what 2019 going to hold for we eh? Most likely the same old slaving for the slave driver…but we going to cross that path when we come to it yes! Right now is celebration time, ringing out the Christmas season and ringing in the New Year!

And brother, what a Christmas we had; food and drinks and parties galore, though not as much presents under the tree as usual! But everybody was happy and had a good time. So we can say that Christmas 2018 was wonderful, as we thank the Lord for Fridays, weekends and Christmas time!’

Ah mih people, I do hope that we all had a good Christmas, and that unlike the workingman, we included Christ in it, because in spite of everything the unbelievers say and do, He is the reason for all this celebration, every year, in the month of December.

Let’s also hope that we didn’t overdo any aspect of the celebrations, kept Granny’s warning in mind: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’ And consequently, did not give the always lurking enemy a chance to get even a toehold in our souls, for we all know that’s his avowed purpose.

Now let’s sing our weekend song, our Friday Chant. It’s not as colourful as the workingman’s but it serves our purposes admirably. All together 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!’

Yeh friends, our song elicits a modicum of circumspection that’s absent from the workingman’s; we tend to keep narrower borders, so that the enemy isn’t given an open invitation to infiltrate our souls. That’s why Peter steadfastly warns us: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’

And that’s gospel truth friends! Satan is only interested in stealing our peace and joy found in Christ Jesus! When he has us low down and miserable and doubting then he laughs and believes he’s won. But the truth is he can NEVER WIN unless we allow him to, for Jesus has already won the battle for death, hell and the grave, He has the keys to eternity, and the prince of darkness is a defeated foe! He’s only trying to fool us into thinking that he has some sort of authority and power. But he’s actually a toothless tiger! (smile)

Nonetheless, we still need to follow Peter’s advice: ‘Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet.5:9) Yeh mih people, all of us experience some kind of affliction in this earthly life, because it’s a fallen world. Jesus said it clearly: ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33b)

Oh friends, I know that’s easier said than done, but Peter also has some advice for how we can best resist the adversary. Listen up: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet.5:6-7) Oh faithful believers, truer words were never spoken! Our heavenly Father cares for us more than we can ever imagine!

And He is the ONLY ONE who can help us to steadfastly resist the enemy! But we do need to acknowledge His supremacy, and humbly come to Him asking for His help. And please note, He will NEVER turn away anyone who comes to him sincerely and humbly asking for assistance. That’s his ever-faithful promise! So let’s not be proud and foolish nuh, thinking we can do it on our own, because we can’t.

But if we seek the Lord diligently, Peter promises: ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen and settle you.’ (1 Pet.5:10) Wow mih brethren, what a wonderful promise! We can’t expect life to be all wine, roses and song, there must be some tough times so that we can grow spiritually, become more Christ-like!

However, when we’ve valiantly withstood those times, with Christ’s help of course, then our wonderful God will indeed establish and strengthen us in His might and power. That’s why Peter ends thus: ‘To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen!’ (1 Pet.5:11) Oh what a great God we serve and worship my people! Let’s not forget that He is our Alpha and Omega, our First and Last, our Everything! Much LOVE!

…living for Jesus…is the ONLY sensible way…to live this earthly life…

Proverbs 10:2. Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Welcome to another glorious day on God’s great earth friends! Wow! They are happening so fast and furious that I don’t know what to do with them, especially in my recovery state. I certainly can’t go out and about as I’d like to, so I just have to enjoy them in and around my li’l area. And by the way, yesterday did turn out to be bright and sunshiny too, just a bit of a strong breeze in the afternoon.

And this beautiful spring weather is just falling right into the lap of the workingman this Friday morning, as he sings his song: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! The weekend is here at last mih people! And can you imagine the gorgeous weather, what that will do for our party scene? Brother! I can’t wait to get into the food and drinks and whatever else there is to get into! (smile) This will surely be one helluva weekend! Thank God for Fridays and weekends oui!’

And believe you me, not only the workingman is glad to see this glorious weather, we believers are equally as glad to see it, we just don’t plan on going to the extremes that he does – at least I hope so. (smile) And as we know, the major difference in our positions is one of extremes. We have tighter guidelines per Jesus’ standards than the workingman. And our Friday Chant certainly reflects it. So let’s chant up a storm now nuh:

‘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.’

Yeh friends, as believers and followers of Christ, we’re not allowed to get into the licentious behaviour that the workingman values. We have to keep our wits about us and prepare to go back out next week to work diligently for Christ again.

Now that doesn’t mean we can’t or don’t have enjoyment. It just means that we don’t go overboard with it and allow the enemy even a toehold in our souls, for then he’ll take a foothold and before you know it he’s developed a stronghold in our lives. As the old people would say, ‘you give him an inch, he’ll take a nail.’ And that’s the gospel truth! Haven’t heard that one in along while (smile)

That brings us to an interesting Bit. The wise words of Cousin Sol. ‘Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.’ More indisputable truth friends!

Stuff acquired through wickedness doesn’t give us any real benefit. We might be able to enjoy some of it down here, but in the long run, we’ll surely be left out of the kingdom of heaven. And as I keep saying, there’s no situation worse for a human being than to be left on the outside looking in when Jesus comes again.

However, when we aspire to be righteous, we’re assured of eternal life with Christ, the most blessed situation there is in all the world. Glory to God my people!

And we have a couple of examples to share. Listen to Jesus, as He tells the parable of the rich fool. This fellow had so much earthly possessions that he didn’t have space to store them. And his solution to the problem: ‘And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.’ (Luke 12:19)

Oh friends, that’s how too many of us behave! We consider the treasures of the world more important than they really are, and run behind them too much. But look what happens to this rich fool. ‘But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?’ (Luke 12:20)

Ah mih people, that happens all the time. We store up much earthly treasure, then we die and leave those behind to fight over them, and the shark-like lawyers end up getting most of it. Does that make sense? Certainly not! And what is Jesus’ solution to that problem? ‘So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:21) Yeh friends, believers cannot be covetous and greedy, for our lives aren’t only about possessions.

Now here is an example from the other side of the coin. Remember when King Nebuchadnezzar had this dream and Daniel eventually interpreted it for him? Hear Daniel’s advice: ‘Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness (being righteous), and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening (prolonging) of thy tranquility).’ (Dan.4:27)

But yuh think king Neb listened to Daniel? No way! Twelve months later while walking in the palace and admiring all that he had done, patting himself grandly on the back, the edict from heaven came down, and immediately, ‘he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like the birds’ claws.’ (Dan.4:33)

Yeh mih breddren, for seven years king Neb was a mad man! But our God is so great and merciful, that He eventually restored Neb to sanity. And finally Neb got it, as he declared: ‘Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the king of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgement (justice): and those that walk in pride he is able to abase (humble).’ (Dan.4:37)

Friends, please, let’s not forget who and whose we are, and take no great credit for our doings, because if we do, we will eventually suffer the ultimate in humiliation. Much LOVE!

…living right is the only sensible way to live…

SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 December 2018 1 Peter 5:8.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 May 2018 Proverbs 10:2.

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