Matthew 5:11. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Oh Friends, what a glorious day this Friday 1st of November 2013 will be…! Albeit possibly in other areas of the world, just not in my neck of the woods, because we’ve had rain since early yesterday morning. It’s not like we’ve been inundated with heavenly showers of blessings, but more like a steady diet of drizzle and wind, with the occasional heavy downpour.
That certainly put a damper on the Halloween celebrations yesterday! Now was that our God moving in one of His mysterious ways? Hn! Who knows? It makes me wonder though. (smile)
But yuh know what, I’m still going to join those shouting, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday,’ because Friday is the herald, the harbinger of those two momentous days known as the weekend, those days of no slaving for massa.
And you never know, what can happen, my area can be flooded later with sunshine and 15 degrees weather, if the weather people are right. And because we’re such strong prisoners of hope and faith, we will believe for good weather later on. (smile)
For now though, let’s celebrate Friday, by graciously chanting our Friday Chant, which gives us the right perspective on how to handle the weekend.
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.’
Yes mih people, on the weekend we need to get our lives in balance, in sync with both our worldly and godly obligations, so that we can be fully prepared to go back out on Monday and began the cycle all over again. I know it’s tedious and monotonous, but when we cheerfully bring God into the mix, we are able to handle it with NO PROBLEMS. (smile)
And I sincerely hope that we’ll still be smiling after reading today’s Bit: ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.’
Yeh mih breddren, just because we’re believers in Jesus Christ, we will be reviled, persecuted and have all manner of evil done to and against us!
The scholars explain it thus: ‘5:11. Again, Jesus warns that men shall revile you, and persecute you. This became true during His own ministry, in the lives of the apostles, and throughout the history of the church. The persecution spoken of here is twofold. First, it involves a physical pursuing of the persecuted, and second, a personal attack of slander against them.’
Oh Friends, being a Christian is often a rather heavy load, as we can see from all the persecution that fellow believers are suffering in other lands. Now we will suffer some here for calling Jesus our Lord and Saviour, but nothing like the ‘sufferation’ of those in the heathen lands.
So please let’s make it a daily matter to pray for those rather unfortunate brethren, pray that our merciful and healing God will both ease their suffering and give them the strength to stand steadfast and true in their belief in Jesus. As we said yesterday, that’s the least we can do for them.
And remember again that prayer is the greatest tool in God’s universe. So let’s not stop until all God’s children are free to serve and worship Him as they please, in their own lands.
And on a point of interest, here’s how Luke records that Beatitude. ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach (revile) you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.’ (Luke 6:22)
Yuh see Friends, it’s not only physical persecution that believers must suffer for Christ’s sake, but also things like alienation, and separation from other men’s company. And sometimes the mental and emotional persecution are worse than the physical kind.
But since we were all made by God with this great need to belong, Jesus has provided His holy church as a refuge for all those who believe in Him, to gather together as ONE, so that we can fellowship together and thus ease some of the pressure from our earthly trials and tribulations.
And though right now, that oneness is more like a pipe dream than a reality, taking into account all the divisions and divisiveness currently reigning in Christ’s church, we still have places where we can meet and talk, pray and worship and celebrate the goodness and LOVING-kindness of our great God.
So my people, I’m imploring us to hang in there when things get rough, as they oftimes do and certainly will. Please hold on tightly to all the wonderful promises that our ever-faithful God has given us. Remember too, that He is faithful, even when we are not.
Now here are some encouraging words from Peter, as he talks about us being good stewards of God’s grace. ‘If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified.’ (1 Pet.3:14)
And all God’s children gave a mighty shout of: ‘Let the name of our great God be praised and glorified!’
Yes my fellow believers, when we are persecuted for Christ’s sake, we need to take it in stride, for He’s suffered so much for our sake. And because He was obedient to the Father, He was lifted up, exalted above all else in the universe.
So ‘That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:10-11)
Likewise my believing brethren, when we stand strong in the face of all that Lucifer and his evil cohorts throw at us, the Lord God Almighty will also exalt us.
Please believe it today, and let’s write it deep in our hearts, minds and souls, let it strengthen our faith, for the days they are becoming more dangerous and desolate, as the Second Coming of Jesus approaches. Much LOVE!
…knowing Jesus…and living for Him…doesn’t necessarily make life easy or hard…but it surely makes it interesting…that’s my personal testimony…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 November 2013 Matthew 5:11
01 Nov 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living Tags: alienation, balanced lives, belief in Jesus, blasphemed, blessed, bring God into the mix, Christ's Second Coming, Christian, company, dangerous, desolate, divisions, divisiveness, ease the pressure, ever-faithful God, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, evil, evil cohorts, exalted, falsely, for Christ's sake, Friday chant, gather together as one, generous help, glorified, glorious kingdom, God's mysterious ways, God's promises, good weather, Halloween celebrations, harbinger, hate, heathen lands, heavy load, herald, interesting, Jesus Christ, Jesus is Lord, jesus name, Lord and Saviour, loving kindness, Lucifer, mental and emotional persecution, merciful and healing God, monotonous, need to belong, no problems, obedience, persecute, persecution, personal testimony, physical persecution, pipe dream, prayer, prisoners of hope and faith, reality, relaxation, reproach, rest, revile, right perspective, separate, showers of blessing, slander, slaving for massa, Son of man, spirit of glory, stand steadfast, steady diet, stewards of God's grace, suffering, sufficient fun, take it in stride, tedious, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the church's history, the greatest tool in the universe, the weekend, trials and tribulations, unfortunate brethren
Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 October 2013 Isaiah 42:5
20 Oct 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: believers getting together, Belshazzar, breath of life, breath of the Almighty, Darius the Mede, deliverance of Jerusalem, devotions, every living thing, exalted, foundation of the earth, fowls of the air, friends, glorify God, glory, God of Abraham, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, God's Spirit, gods of silver and gold, hallucinating, heavenly wisdom, humble heart, ignorantly worship, Isaiah, Israel, Israel's Redeemer, loving kindness, Mars Hill, men's hands, mercy, Nebuchadnezzar, omnipotent god, oracle, poignant scriptures, Praise the Lord, pride, prophecy, prophet Zechariah, singing songs of praise, songs of thanksgiving, speak to the earth, Spirit of God, Sunday, temples, the breath of all mankind, the dew of heaven, the hand of the Lord, the Lord of heaven and earth, the only true God, the spirit of man, the unknown God, time flies when you're having fun, time waits for no one, uprightness of heart, utter knowledge, worshipping
Isaiah 42:5. Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.
Oh Friends, I must be hallucinating yes, because it couldn’t be Sunday already. (smile) It was just Sunday a few days ago. True. But I guess that’s what they mean by time flies when you’re having fun, and also time waits for no one.
However, regardless of what day it is, we’re grateful to be alive and kicking due to the mercy and LOVING-kindness of our omnipotent God! And under any circumstances whatsoever, that calls for a mighty shout of ‘Praise the Lord!’
And what better way to praise Him than by getting together with other believers and worshipping Him; singing songs of praise and thanksgiving this Sunday morning to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD in this entire universe, who created it and all therein.
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to our Bit: ‘Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.’
Yes Friends, our wonderful and mighty God is responsible for creating the heavens and the earth; for giving life and spirit to all who walk thereon. Now let’s look at some scripture that heartily agrees with our Bit. Listen first to the prophet Zechariah, as he prophetically ruminates (smile) on the future deliverance of Jerusalem.
‘The burden (oracle or prophecy) of the word of the Lord for (against) Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.’ (Zech.12:1)
Now hear Isaiah as he talks about the Redeemer of Israel. ‘Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth (out) the heavens (all) alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself.’ (Is.44:24)
Please note people, how the Lord makes sure and specifies that He does all that stuff ‘alone, by myself.’ He does it all in His own omnipotence! He needs no help whatsoever to run His universe. So anyone who tries to lay claim to any part of His work is a total liar.
And as per the Lord’s claim to the breath of life and spirit given to mankind, hear these most beautiful and poignant scriptures.
Job in acknowledging God’s omnipotence, wisely declares: ‘But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul (life) of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind (flesh of man).’ (Job 12:7-10)
Yes Friends, everything that has life, owes that life to the Most High God Jehovah, our Creator, Controller and Provider!
Meanwhile, later on, when Elihu, Job’s friend, reasons with him, he too proclaims: ‘My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly (purely). The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.’ (Job 33:3-4)
There’s nothing to dispute there my people, since it’s the ultimate in truth! Then ever-faithful Daniel, in interpreting a dream for the Babylonian king Belshazzar, first tells him about his forefather, Nebuchadnezzar’s problems.
‘But when his heart was lifted up (made proud), and his mind (spirit) hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses (donkeys): they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew (recognized) that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointed over it whomsoever he will.
And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up (exalted) thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought thee the vessels of his house (the temple) before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass (bronze), iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.’ (Dan.5:20-23)
Yes my brethren, all that we are and have depend entirely on the Lord God Almighty, and when we don’t acknowledge Him, we pay a serious price. Yuh see what happened to Nebuchadnezzar; he ended up crazy and living like a wild animal until he recognised Almighty God. And then Belshazzar, the same night that Daniel scolded him and interpreted his dream, he was killed and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom. (Dan.5:30-31)
And last, but by no means least, hear Bruh Paul as he stood on Mars Hill and declared to the people of Athens: ‘For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions (objects of worship) I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship (worship without knowing), him declare I unto you.
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.’ (Acts.17:23-25)
Ah Friends, yuh see even if we don’t actually know God, like the Athenians, there’s a part of us that subconsciously knows of Him, and has us naturally gravitating towards Him. Therefore Friends, please let’s all join together and worship the ONLY TRUE GOD in existence nuh. It’s the only thing that makes sense, that smacks of true heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…every fibre of our being has been made by…and is controlled by God…so why are we all foolishly acting like…trying to be God eh…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 August 2013 Luke 18:14.
20 Aug 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: affliction, back to school, body, busy schedules, Cleanse your hands, divine guidance, draw near to God, exalted, exhortations, faithfulness, fear, flee from satan, followers of Jesus, following Jesus, gloom, God resists the proud, good works, grace, heart, humble, humble apologies, humble yourselves, humility, in the sight of the Lord, in vain, inner thoughts, jealousy, Jesus' teaching, joy, justified, lament, laughter, LOVE, LOVE for God, LOVING heart, lusts, man's envy, maturing, meek, mind, mourn, New Year's resolution, outward deeds, peace that transcends understanding, petty, pilgrim's path, pride, resist the devil, school of hard knocks, scowling faces, scriptures, self-aggrandisement, selfish, short attention spans, sinners, soul, sour taste, speak directly to our hearts, submit yourselves to God, the good work of God, true believers, unchristian things, ungodly world, weep, wonderful LOVE, worldliness
Luke 18:14. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Oh Friends, can you believe that we’re already closer to the end of August than to the beginning! Where does the time fly eh? Just the other day we were all excited about the upcoming Caribana celebrations, but now we’re thinking about schools opening in early September and all that that entails. Brother!
And please accept my most humble apologies for forgetting to remind us (smile) about our monthly check up on the state of our great New Year’s Resolution; that of following Jesus more closely, of becoming more like Him, of maturing in His school of hard-knocks, of humility, of good works, of faithfulness, and of LOVE for God and all His creation.
If you haven’t done that for this month on your own, then please do it now, since it’s always easier to do it in small bits than in big chunks.
And we’ll continue with our Bit of the last two days, because it is extremely important for us to understand the principle it details. ‘I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.’
I also have some scripture with which to try and impress the importance of that principle, humility, on us, meek and humble followers of Jesus. (smile)
Ah Friends, that smile is more one of heartache than happiness, because too many of Jesus’ supposed people are still too caught up in the petty, selfish, me and I stuff, the foolish self-aggrandisement that our ungodly world admires and does its best to encourage.
But true believers simply cannot afford to get caught up in that selfish system, where I, the first person, am always first. Instead we need to get into Jesus’ teaching, where I, always comes last.
Now I heard this story recently about a lady who went to church and saw the chairs in the sanctuary placed in a confirmation she didn’t like. Apparently they had been set that way for a few weeks. She then asked one of the ushers when the chairs would be replaced in their earlier configuration.
The usher replied that she didn’t know. And would you believe that fine, upstanding Christian lady walked out of the church and didn’t stay for the service!
Ah Lord eh! And then we wonder why unbelievers look at us with a scowl on their faces and a sour taste in their mouths. But it’s because of those stupid, selfish, very unchristian things that we do in front of them. Now was the position of the chairs so important to the conduct of the worshipping of God? Obviously she felt so.
Anyway Friends, enough of me. I’ll just let the scriptures speak directly to our hearts now. And we’ll begin with James talking about worldliness and pride. ‘Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy (yearns jealously)?
But he giveth more grace, wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:5-10)
Ah mih people, there’s nothing I can add to that, except clear up some uncertainty by giving us the scholars explanations.
Re verses 5 and 6: ‘Although many believe that verse 5 refers to the positive ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit, yearning jealously over the believer, the tenor of verse 4 and 5 is negative, speaking of man’s envy. The good work of God begins at verse 6 in contrast to 4 and 5 as the conjunction indicates.
But he giveth more grace is literally “greater grace” (Gr.meizona). God gives grace that is greater than the world’s attraction of verse 4 and the inner lust of verse 5 (cf. Rom. 5:20), and so can withstand both.’
Re verses 7-10: ‘Therefore: The exhortations that follow logically result from the conditions in verses 1-6. Resist the devil: Do not submit to fear, or flee from Satan, but stand against him (1 Pet. 5:8-10). Satan cannot lead into sin against one’s will.
Draw nigh: God will not be unmoved; His welcoming response is always near (cf. Deut. 4:7; Lam. 3:57; Luke 15:20). Hands and hearts: The cleansing of one’s life must involve both outward deeds and inner thoughts (cf. Ps.24:3-4).
And as always Friends, I encourage us to read the scriptures that the scholars recommend. They’re placed there for our benefit, because they do help us in understanding the Word.
And I guess that’s it for today mih breddren, because we already have a lot of stuff to ponder on, and what I still have to say will definitely make the Bit too long. Please note my conscious interest in our busy schedules and short attention spans. (smile)
We’ll just have to continue this topic tomorrow, God in favour. Till then faithful followers of Jesus, please, please let’s look to Him for divine guidance and counsel rather than to man.
And may He grant us the wisdom, strength and courage to tread the difficult pilgrim’s path He’s laid out for us, plus the peace that transcends all man’s understanding, and the wonderful LOVE that flows from the everlasting wellspring of His most generous and LOVING heart. Much LOVE!
…when a man truly knows Jesus…oh…he can’t help but LOVE Him…with all his heart, mind, body and soul…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 August 2013 Luke 18:14.
18 Aug 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: abased, arrogance, Bible Study, boastfulness, condemned, confession, contempt, contrition, corruption, dance, despicable, divisions, exalted, extolled, false accusation, fasting, fellow believers, fellowship, first shall be last, forgiveness, futile arguments, glorify God, God's mercy, haughtiness, high esteem, humble, hypocrite, justification, justified, last shall be first, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, motives of our heart, outward actions, outward religious expression, penitent heart, pharisee and the publican, Pharisees, piety, praise, pride, Pubilcans, rejoice, religion, repentance, resentment, restore fourfold, Sabbath Day, salvation, seat of sin, sing, sinner, son of Abraham, Son of man, sunday fellowship, superiority, tax collectors, the letter of the law, theology, tithes, true state of heart, true wisdom, undeniable truth, unworthiness, wonderful god
Luke 18:14. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Oh mih people, is Sunday; fellowship day for most of us! So please let’s get out there and gather with those of like minds, and sing and praise and glorify our great and wonderful God! Wow! What a privilege that is!
And all God’s people joyfully declared: ‘Yes, let’s fellowship in the name of the Most High God Jehovah! Let’s sing and dance and rejoice before Him, for His goodness, mercy and LOVING-kindness endures forever!’ And that’s certainly gospel truth!
By the way, for those of you who celebrate the Sabbath on Friday or Saturday, I surely hope that you got out and joined your fellow believers in giving thanks and praise and worship to our Creator, because one of His earliest commands was to keep the Sabbath Day holy. (Ex.20:8)
And we won’t argue about which day should be rightly considered the Sabbath Day, since that will only bring about more futile arguments and cause more resentment and divisions, of which we already have more than enough. Suffice it to say, that whatever day your denomination has chosen, just make sure you do as the Lord commands.
And today Friends, I want to again talk about the parable of the Pharisee and the publican or tax collector, but in a little more detail. I am also going to quote the verses again, because the scholars have some very interesting info on each of them, info I believe can be very useful in our Bible Study.
So here we go: ‘Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.’ (Luke 18:10)
The scholars say thus about that verse. ‘Publicans (tax collectors) were known for being corrupt. Pharisees on the other hand were held in high esteem by most. Listeners here would have expected the Pharisee to be extolled and the tax gatherer condemned.’
Yuh see that mih breddren, because we look up to outward religious expression, we’d be quick to condemn the corrupt tax collector, while raising up and praising the hypocrite Pharisee. So please don’t let outward expressions of piety fool us. That’s why God chooses to look at the motives of our heart and not outward actions.
Turning to the next verse: ‘The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.’ (vs.11)
And the scholars nail this: ‘Standing was a usual position for prayer, but here standing suggests a certain arrogance. (Compare the sinner’s hesitancy in vs.13) A sense of personal superiority is not a good reason for thanking God. It is rather in itself a cause for repentance.’
That’s undeniable truth Friends! Please remember that our God totally dislikes pride and arrogance.
Meanwhile, the ole hypocrite Pharisee continues: ‘I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all I possess.’ (vs.12)
And the scholars declare: ‘This is not exaggeration, but an example of how Pharisees truly exceed the letter of the law in their piety. But their pride and contempt for others reveals the true state of heart.’
No wonder Jesus was always on their case.
‘And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote (beat) upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.’ (vs.13)
To which the scholars note: ‘The heart was regarded as the seat of sin. The publican’s action implies acute contrition and a sense of personal unworthiness. To obtain forgiveness he thinks not of his own works but solely of God’s mercy.’
And that’s the way it ought to be my people! For as Jesus tells us in our Bit: ‘I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.’
And the scholars say of that verse: ‘The publican’s anguished confession would be followed by results in keeping with his repentance. (See 19:8.) But justification by faith comes independently of the works which that justification produces. Such works are the result and not the cause of God’s accepting the sinner.’
And we see this all borne out in Luke 19:8, where Zaccheus the tax collector, confesses in repentance after he associates with Jesus. ‘And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.’ (Luke 19:8)
To which the scholars add: ‘Zaccheus’s confession reveals a penitent heart. If does not suggest doubt that he is guilty of wrong doing; the only question is to what extent. Leviticus 6:1-5 stipulated that illegally gained money had to be returned, plus one-fifth. A fourfold return was legislated where livestock were concerned. (Ex.22:1, 2 Sam.12:6).’ Please read those scriptures.
And what was Jesus’ reply to Zaccheus’ contrition? ‘This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:9-10)
Oh Friends, let’s hope from all that, we gain the wisdom to do away with foolish pride, arrogance, haughtiness, boastfulness, superiority and all those similar things that the world cherishes, but which the Lord finds totally despicable! For that my brethren, is indeed true, true wisdom! Much LOVE!
…in the day of reckoning…he that is first (proud) on earth…shall be last in heaven…and he that is last (humble) on earth…shall be first in heaven…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 April 2013 Psalm 46:10
11 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: abomination, be still, Bless His Holy Name, courage, divine help, esteem, exalted, faith, glory hallelujah, glory of God's majesty, God of Abraham, gospel truth, heathen, hope, I am God, I am the vine, mysterious machinations, new blessings, new mercies, one and only true God, our refuge and strength, pilgrim's life, planet earth, Praise the Lord, promises fulfilled, psalm 46, rejoice and be glad in it, reverence, strength, the day the Lord has made, the haughty brought low, the proud humbled, undeniable truth, we will not fear, works of the Lord, write indelibly
Psalm 46:12. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Oh Friends, another day is dawning beautifully in many parts of God’s wonderful universe, and many new blessings and mercies are being made ready for distribution to God’s people down here on planet Earth! Wow! And just the thought of all that wonderful, divine, heavenly help drives God’s children to boldly declare: ‘Thank You Lord, thank You! You are so LOVING and generous to the undeserving children of men. We praise You and bless Your Holy Name, and promise to serve and worship You forever. Amen.’ Yes my people, this is indeed the day that our Lord God has made for us to enjoy, therefore let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad in it, for there’s no deity like the one we bow down to! That’s why the psalmist could confidently proclaim in our Bit: ‘Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.’ And that’s no lie Friends! The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob whom we worship, is the ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD IN ALL THE UNIVERSE! As the first few verses of the psalm declare: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present (abundantly available) help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (heart) of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps,46:1-3) Oh my fellow believers in Christ, those are very strong, reassuring words, based on God’s actual help to the Israelites, not simply the unrealized hopes and dreams of a troubled, enslaved people. Therefore, they are words that we should also hold on to, write indelibly in our hearts, minds and souls to give us the strength, faith and courage to live this difficult, but oh so interesting pilgrim’s life down here on Mother Earth. And even more importantly, through the Lord’s mysterious machinations, His Holy Name will eventually be exalted amongst the unbelievers. We obviously have a major part to play in that exaltation, but without God’s help we’re basically powerless to do much of anything. For as Jesus said: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) Words of undeniable truth my Friends! And though the heathen seems to be in control of the earth right now, there’s no doubt that in the Lord’s time, that evil and unworthy scenario will change. Listen as the psalmist continues: ‘There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles (dwelling places) of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved (shaken): God shall help her, and that right early (at the break of dawn). The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.’ (Ps.46:4-7) And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! And it encouraged all God’s people to declare a loud and grateful; ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Oh Friends, it’s so sad that so many of God’s human creation don’t know and don’t worship Him, for He is truly a most magnificent Deity! And the psalmist continues raving about his God: ‘Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in fire.’ (Ps.46:8-9) Yes my people, all of that is indeed possible with our God! And in His time, it will surely come to pass. As Isaiah prophesied, re the day of the Lord: ‘The lofty (proud) looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon everyone that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low.’ (Is.2:11-12) So please don’t join the ranks of the heathen, the unbeliever, the evil enemy, for as Isaiah continues: ‘And the loftiness (pride) of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear (from the terror) of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth (to make the earth tremble).’ (Is.2:17-19) Oh my brethren, on that fateful day, when the Lord decides to pronounce judgement on the sinful earth, there will be no escape for the heathen! And the scholars provide an interesting note. ‘The unshakeable confidence with which the psalm leaves the believer prompted Martin Luther, (the Protestant leader) to pen one of the great hymns of all time, ‘A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.’ Ah mih breddren, that bit of info should just boost our strength, faith, hope, trust, esteem, reverence and LOVE for our most worthy God! If the psalm was powerful enough to move the fiery Martin Luther a few centuries ago, when things were much rougher than now, then it certainly ought to move us too. And we’ll end with some wise words of Cousin Sol on the subject. ‘The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil (doom). Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged (atonement is provided for iniquity): and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.’ (Prov.16:4-6) Oh Friends, those verses cover it all; from the beginning to the end, so please take serious note of them, so that in that fateful day, you will not be numbered amongst the proud, haughty, evil heathen. That’s the ultimate in wisdom! Much LOVE!…it starts with a promise from Jehovah God…that leads to hope, faith, trust and surrender…then ends in the promise being fulfilled…becoming reality…for the Lord God is faithful…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 April 2012 Matthew 12:40
08 Apr 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: clean heart, crucified, exalted, glory hallelujah, grave, knee shall bend, prophet hosea, prophetic scripture, resurrection, right spirit, risen Christ. Easter Sunday
Matthew 12:40. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
HAPPY EASTER !
Oh Friends, oh Friends, it’s Easter Sunday Morning! That means Christ is risen! Yes he is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Glory Hallelujah! And that’s the best news a sad and sorrowful world can ever receive; that the crucified Messiah is now alive and kicking, having risen from the grave, thus defeating death and victoriously bringing us Salvation and Eternal Life! Wow! What excellent, life changing news! And all God’s children declared a sincere, heartfelt, ‘Thank You Jesus!’ And you’ll notice that I was guided to an offbeat scripture for today’s resurrection. I considered several, had even decided on one, but then saw this one and immediately felt the unequivocal pull of the Spirit. In fact the entire Bit looks like it will be offbeat, not getting in to all the usual scriptures and images of the resurrection, like visiting the tomb, etc. but more touching the fringes, trying to bring other insights to the normal ones we use every year. Read the gospels yourselves so you can get caught up on the good news. (smile) Now let’s turn to our Bit: ‘For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s (big fish’s) belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.’ Jesus was referring there to Jonah’s calamity when he disobeyed God. ‘Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.’ (Jon.1:17) And Jesus did fulfill those prophetic words of His on Easter Sunday, today. And seeing how prophecy is constantly fulfilled in the Good Book is one of the great joys of believers, which in turn leads us to confident trust and assurance in the Lord and His Word. Let’s slip in another prophetic scripture that was also satisfied today: It’s the prophet Hosea with God’s reply to Israel’s admonishment. ‘After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.’ (Hos.6:2) What gospel truth! Oh my people, Easter Sunday is surely one of, if not the most important day in the Christian calendar, because it’s the day that truly brought us hope and assurance of a faithful God, who LOVES us with such a deep, abiding LOVE, that He was willing to forsake, to burden His Son with our sins, so that we could be set free from Beelzebub’s lethal grasp. For that we should be eternally grateful. It’s when the light really came shining through the darkness to proclaim that there was a better way; one filled with peace, LOVE, comfort and faithfulness. We no longer had to be troubled about our daily lives but could now rest in the assurance of the risen Lord and Saviour, the ONE and ONLY Jesus Christ to safely lead and guide us. Who, for His unswerving obedience to sacrifice His holy, sinless life for undeserving sinners, the Father honoured and exalted to the highest position in the kingdom, before whom all heads must now bow and all knees bend. (Phil.2:10) Mark Jesus’ words to His disciples: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) And that’s exactly what He did people: lay down His life for us, His friends. What selflessness! Unfortunately though my brethren, there are still lots of people who don’t even know that Jesus exists. They still haven’t heard about His unusual birth, His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, news that enriches our lives like nothing else can. Jesus is our Lord, Saviour, Protector, Guide, Advocate… in fact our Everything. And the Holy Spirit just reminded me that I’ve been saving the next episode of My Jesus is…Everything from Anne Graham Lotz’s book of the same name for today, because this one is so appropriate to the Easter Season. Pay attention now and behold the wonder that’s Jesus! (smile) ‘My Jesus – His office is manifold, and His promise is sure. His life is matchless, and His goodness is limitless. His mercy is enough, and His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous, His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. He is indestructible. He is indescribable. He is incomprehensible. He is inescapable. He is invincible. He is irresistible. He is irrefutable. I can’t get Him out of my mind…And I can’t get Him out of my heart. I can’t outlive Him…And I can’t live without Him. The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but found they couldn’t stop Him. Satan tried to tempt Him, but found he couldn’t trip Him. Pilot examined Him on trial, but found he couldn’t fault Him. The Romans crucified Him, but found they couldn’t take His life. Death couldn’t handle Him, and the grave couldn’t hold Him. My Jesus…is Everything.’ Yes mih breddren, Jesus is all those things…and plenty plenty more. To be truthful, whatever you want Jesus to be, He can be. Your sincerely wanting it, with a clean heart and right spirit, will make it possible, provided it’s in tune with God’s will obviously. Ah Friends, with the wonder of Easter and Christ’s awesome resurrection bubbling joyfully in out hearts and souls, and being true and faithful disciples of Jesus, let’s do as He asks: ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) That means going out and bearing our crosses without whining and complaining, just relying on Jesus, like He staunchly and steadfastly bore His, relying on His Father. And if we do, Jesus will raise us up and exalt us, the same way His Father raised Him up and exalted Him. Oh Friends, what a wonderful life is to be found worshipping Jesus as our Lord and Saviour! Let’s stop being selfish and spread the glorious news all over the world as He desires, so that all the world will come to know, LOVE, abide in and live for Him, thus furthering His LOVE Revolution and tremendously glorifying the Father! It’s the only wise way to live. Have a happy and joyful Easter Friends, including fellowship with other believers, because that’s very important to our staying strong and faithful. But remember, drunk or sober, mind yuh business, so that the evil Lucifer won’t intrude and cause us to go astray. Much LOVE!…oh, if all the world could only know and accept Jesus…what a truly wonderful world this would be…let’s work seriously on it nuh people…
SCRIP-BITS 