Jude 3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! The day we all LOVE to see come around, because it heralds the weekend; two days of no labouring for Massa. But you know what’s already happening in T&T? Christmas Carols and Parang (local folk music with a Spanish influence) are already being played on the T&T radio stations. Wow! I was somewhat surprised to hear them being aired so early, 2 months before Christmas. And I haven’t heard any up here as yet. But as we all know, Christmas is a big time in the Twin Island Republic, especially in this 50th year of Independence. So you can imagine how the Parang sides are already lined up with their quatros (a small, guitar like instrument) to go out to sing and celebrate the wonderful birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And today, everybody’s singing to quatro accompaniment: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Work done for the week! Is my time now! Thank God is Friday!’ But Friends, to get the proper perspective for the weekend, we need to tone down the rhetoric and party time some, and ramp up the influence of Jesus. So let’s do that by chanting our Friday Chant nuh, with much spirit and enthusiasm. 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, the weekend isn’t for partying alone, it’s also a time to renew and refresh our sensibilities in Jesus, especially with fellowship on whatever day you celebrate the Sabbath. That’s one way to adhere to the advice of our Bit: ‘Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.’ When we renew our acquaintance with Christ, through study, prayer, meditation and fellowship, it enables us to better understand what we’re all about in Him, and thus to stand up stronger for the TRUTH of our FAITH. And some of you probably get a little miffed because I keep harping on TRUTH and standing strong in the FAITH, but Friends, there’s a very good reason for that, namely the falsehood, prevarication and all the other anomalies that are so prevalent in Christ’s church today, in all aspects of its being; from clergy to congregation, to doctrine and practices. And unless we know the TRUTH and stand up strong to protect it, then Christ’s church will eventually become even more divisive than it is now, and of even less positive repute. And that’s something I’m sure none of us want to happen, but it will unless WE ALL get actively involved in building and strengthening it. Now let’s get into some serious scripture on the subject, Listen to Peter, as he wisely warns of false prophets and teachers: ‘But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily (secretly) shall bring in damnable (destructive) heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious (destructive) ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of (blasphemed). And through covetousness shall they with feigned (deceptive) words make merchandise of (exploit) you: whose judgement now of a long time lingereth not (has not been idle), and their damnation (destruction) slumbereth not.’ (2 Pet.2:1-3) Yes Friends, it happened back then and it’s happening now too, more widespread, with even greater fervour because of the ease of communication, and numerous lost, anxious humans looking for, seeking some kind of healing balm for their emotional and spiritual wounds. Now we’ll end with some observations from the scholars on those verses. ‘The opposite of true revelation is the message of false prophets and false teachers who deceive God’s flock and bring in damnable heresies. These heresies (unorthodox teachings) include an open denial of Christ Himself. Denying the Lord that bought them indicates that Christ’s atonement potentially extends to all men, including those false teachers who reject Him. Therefore they will experience destruction because they themselves will be deceived by their own teaching and continue to reject the way of truth.’ Oh Friends, please take all this seriously, because it concerns each and every believer, and the TRUTH or falsehood we allow into our lives. Much LOVE!…beware of sweet-tongued teachers and preachers…for those with the gift of gab…can lead even the most faithful astray… P.S. It’s a good thing that I don’t have a sweet tongue or the gift of gab. (smile)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 October 2012 Jude 3
26 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: blasphemy, Christmas Carols, deception, destruction, exploitation, faith, false prophets, falsehood, fellowship, Friday chant, heresy, Jesus Christ, meditation, Parang, prayer, salvation, sensibilities in Jesus, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, truth, weekend
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 October 2012 Jude 3
24 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: abundant life, blessed Christians, confidence, encouragement, enjoy life, enthusiasm, everlasting life, faith, false doctrine, false liberty, false teachers, fight for our faith, flaunt God's will, God's faithfulness, God's Sovereignty, immorality, passion, run the race of glory, salvation, sinister purposes
Jude 3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.
A most passionate and joyful ‘top o’ the morn’ to all you faithful Friends and believers out there in Scrip-Bit Land! Yuh know that we Christians are the luckiest people in the entire world? Of course! That’s because we have an all-powerful God, who LOVES and cares for us and enriches us with new blessings everyday! And all God’s people sent a rousing ‘Praise the Lord!’ up to heaven. However my people, all the mercy, LOVE, blessings, forgiveness, compassion etc. are of no use unless we enjoy the earthly life that’s set before us, the race we were put here to run. Remember Jesus said that He came that we might have an abundant life. (John 10:10) So what’s the purpose of having abundance if you’re not enjoying it eh? None whatsoever my brethren! And I want to share an appropriate quote from the renowned German Reformed Theologian, Jurgen Moltman (1926-) which declares: ‘The more passionately we LOVE life, the more intensely we experience the joy of life.’ And that’s an undeniable truth Friends! When we choose to live life on its own terms, rather than our short-sighted, selfish ones, we experience and enthusiasm and passion that’s incomparable. Then we can enjoy the highs and lows of life without too much worry or anxiety, knowing that both are essential parts of life, and that the lows are only temporary setbacks. And if you’re a practicing Christian, then you can appreciate that fact even more, because we have the promise of our omnipotent, faithful God that He will work everything out for our good, and never leave nor forsake us, if we stick close to Him. We certainly can’t ask for more encouragement and confidence than that! However Friends, too many of us believers are still going around sad, despondent and worried, like ‘poor me ones’ without home or a future. Oh my people, Christians ought to be enthusiastic and passionate about life! In fact the MOST enthusiastic and passionate people on the face of God’s great earth should be Christians, since we have Jesus, our Lord and Saviour providing salvation, the Holy Spirit dwelling within us as a help-meet here on earth, and the Father to whom we’ve been reconciled through Jesus’ precious blood, thus forgiven and looking forward to everlasting life with the Holy Triumvirate. Now if that doesn’t make us ecstatic, causing us to just jump and shout it out loud, I don’t know what will. Oh fellow believers, I am trying to encourage us to be more enthusiastic and passionate about life in general and our faith in particular. But unfortunately, I suspect that my words are falling on deaf ears, because deep down we still don’t truly believe what we should. We hear it, and think we believe it, but putting it into serious action is another story, because we’re still running scared of the big, bad world and all its evil. And when we turn to our Bit, we find Jude also encouraging us to stand up passionately and earnestly for our wonderful, exceptional FAITH in Christ Jesus. ‘Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once (for all time) delivered to the saints.’ Now yesterday we promised to find out why Jude wrote that missive to his friends and fellow believers. And he clearly spells it out in the verse after our Bit: ‘For there are certain men crept in unawares (unnoticed), who were before of old ordained to (long ago marked out for) this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness (licentiousness), and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Jude 4) Ah mih people, that was a sad fact back then, and it’s an even bigger and sadder one today! But let’s hear the scholar’s opinion on that verse before we go any further. ‘Before of old ordained is probably not speaking of predestination in the sense of God deciding in advance that he would condemn these men and so seeing to it that they sinned. Rather Jude recognizes that Scripture often predicts the demise and judgement of any who flaunt God’s will. The men in question are wrongly assuming that grace means “no moral laws.” They thus effectively deny the sovereignty and eternal moral lordship of both the Father and the Son.’ And unfortunately Friends, today’s world is sadly beset with those false teachers and preachers, who unnoticed, are deceptively infiltrating Christ’s church and teaching stuff that’s not gospel truth. In this instance, they’re taking the liberty afforded us by the grace of God to cause His people to sin, to ignore His dictates, claiming or insinuating that it’s okay to go further than is really true. Yes my people, in this supposed modern and enlightened age, there are numerous people, groups, cults etc. who are going around spreading either completely false doctrine, or doctrine with a convenient spin on it to make it profitable for their own evil, sinister purposes. That’s why it’s so important for us to constantly talk, to communicate with each other about the TRUTH OF OUR FAITH. Without that constant communication, we’ll be left wide open for all sorts of false people and false info to invade our souls. And that’s definitely an unwelcome position. More on this tomorrow, if the Good Lord sees fit. Till then, please, let’s diligently LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith, and SPREAD His Word. Much LOVE!…believers beware…for evil doesn’t only lurk in dark corners…but also in wide open, bright places…and comes in all sorts of guises…like wolves in sheep’s clothing…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 October 2012 Romans 8:32
06 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: atonement, breath of life, christianity, faith, good morning, good news, gospel, grace, Jesus, justification, reconciliation, righteousness., sacrifice, salvation, the Life, the Light, the Truth, the Way
Romans 8:32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things.
Bonjour mes amis! (smile) That’s supposed to be the French equivalent of ‘Good morning my Friends.’ And though in my area it was a wet, rainy night, and the day has begun cloudy and damp, it is definitely a good morning! First of all because we’re alive and kicking, with the breath of life from God flowing generously and graciously through our bodies. Then, most importantly, we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour! Wow! So how could it be anything but a good morning eh my people? And I have a li’l something to share that helps make life even better. I don’t think I’ve shared it before, and it seems like something I’ve rustled up myself. It’s not earth shattering, but certainly enlightening and helpful. It says: ‘The Gospel is the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ and His offer of Salvation, through His Birth, Death, Burial and Resurrection, to be received by Faith!’ And without a doubt Friends, that’s indeed GOOD NEWS! In fact it’s the BEST NEWS available here on earth! And it blends in beautifully with our Bit: ‘He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things.’ That’s just simple logic and common sense my brethren. For if the Lord sacrificed the life of His ONLY Son Jesus for us, which is the greatest sacrifice that was ever made, why wouldn’t He give us the lesser things we need to live a righteous earthly life eh? No reason why not! And the verse that precedes our Bit, which we all know and like to quote conveniently, certainly enhances it. ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Rom.8:31) And the emphatic answer to that question my Friends, is a big NOBODY! I think we can best explain our Bit by turning to Romans 5, where Bruh Paul talks about the results of justification. Beginning in verse 6, he rightfully declares: ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time), Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his (demonstrates his own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now (having been) justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being (having been) reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (reconciliation).’ (Rom.5:6-11) Yes Friends, if while we were still abominable sinners, and thus enemies of the holy, righteous and just God, He allowed His Son to be sacrificed for us, then all things; joy, reconciliation, salvation, etc. etc. are now and forever more ours, if we believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. And the scholars add this colour commentary on our Bit. ‘For us all: This does not teach or necessitate limited atonement (the view that Christ died only for the elect), for Christ died for all the sins of all the world (2 Cor.5:19). His death is effective unto salvation, however, only for those who call upon the name of the Lord. (Rom.10:13,17).’ Yes my brethren, contrary to some opinions, Christ didn’t die for the elect few, but paid the price for ALL sin, for ALL time, for ANY INDIVIDUAL who acknowledges Him as the WAY, the TRUTH, the LIFE, and the LIGHT, and thus the ONLY MEANS by which Salvation can be had! And earlier on in Romans 4, where Bruh Paul talks about the promise realized through faith, and says of Abraham: ‘He staggered (wavered) not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong (strengthened) in the faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded (convinced) that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for (because of) our offenses, and was raised again for (because of) our justification.’ (Rom.4:20-25) Here’s the scholar’s commentary: ‘But for us also: The principle of justification valid for Abraham is valid for all believers. Raised again for our justification: Because Jesus was raised from the dead we know that His sacrifice on Calvary was accepted in God’s sight and Jesus’ righteousness is available to all.’ Yes Friends, ALL that Jesus did, is available to ALL who call on the Father through His Holy, glorious name. That’s what is so great about Christianity; it’s an all inclusive body, not exclusive like some other faiths. And all you need to do is to call on Jesus’ name in sincere repentance and receive salvation through the free gift of God’s wonderful grace! How can anything be better than that on this troubled planet earth eh? So my people, I implore us to remember our wonderful heritage as Christians, and the awesome price Jesus paid for our redemption. Consequently let’s do our best to use it wisely, and spread His Word as He commissioned us, (Matt.28:19-20) because it will be our great loss if we don’t. Much LOVE!…Christians should use the power of Christ to build His church…as He desires…not to tear it down…as some are doing…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 September 2012 3 John 4
18 Sep 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: compassion, disappointment, discouragement, eternal life, faith, forgiveness, glory, good news, gospel, honour, justice, LOVE, mercy, peace, power, salvation, steadfastness, thick skin, truth, understanding, winning, wisdom
3 John 4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
And a blessed good morning to all you beautiful people out there in Scrip-Bit Land! It’s supposed to be cool and rainy in my neck of the woods today, (it’s already raining) but that’s of no importance. Why, you ask? Because just like neither sleet nor snow stops the mail delivery, so nothing stops the followers of Jesus on their earthly mission to spread the good news of the gospel to all and sundry. And what’s the good news? The peace, LOVE, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, truth, justice, wisdom, understanding, salvation and eternal life that’s found in Jesus and His humble but ever so powerful way! And all God’s people shouted a joyous: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ But the truth of the matter my Friends is that it’s not always easy to follow in Jesus’ path, for Lucifer and his evil minions have made believers the number one target of their wicked and ungodly fiery darts. Today though, I have a few words to share from the Hour of Power Devotional by Robert H. Schuller which will help us in repelling Lucifer and his evil works. The words are: ‘If you will learn how to be disappointed without being discouraged, you need never be defeated.’ What an awesome truth Friends! And when I read them today, a flashlight just went off in my brain, and I knew I had to share them. It’s a simple but powerful strategy, for what’s the first thing or thought we embrace when we experience disappointment? It’s discouragement, oftimes laced with a strong desire to just give up, to let it all go to waste. But my people, that’s the wrong attitude to adopt, for disappointment doesn’t always mean failure or defeat, and if we truly learn to endure disappointment without it making us want to throw away all our hard work, then we’re winning. Believers need to have what the old people called ‘a thick skin.’ That means not letting unimportant things get us down or all worked up. I’m learning that with writing this Scrip-Bit, because not everybody agrees with or like what I write. And believe you me, supposed believers can be the nastiest critics when they’re ready. However, please remember that giving up on Jesus is NOT an option in a believer’s playbook! Those words don’t exist in Jesus’ vocabulary, which means we have to stand strong and steadfast regardless of what or who comes against us. That’s why John so happily declared in our Bit: ‘I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.’ He was exceedingly happy to hear that his buddy Gaius was standing strong and true in the faith. And he also expresses that joy in his second epistle, where he begins thus: ‘The elder unto the elect (chosen) lady and her children; whom I LOVE in the truth; and not I only, but also they that have known the truth. For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth (abides) in us, and shall be with us for ever.’ (2 John 1-2) Now the ‘elder’ there is John himself, and according to the scholars, the ‘elect (chosen) lady’ could either mean a personal friend and her family or a local church. Now, re the truth John speaks of, it will be helpful to have some explanation from the scholars. They declare that: ‘To LOVE in the truth means (1) truly, really to LOVE, and (2) to LOVE in a fashion consonant with the Christian meaning of that word. The truth which John and others have known is a combination of factual knowledge regarding the Word of God and personal knowledge of Jesus Christ.’ Also, ‘John LOVES his readers for the truth’s sake or “because of the truth,” which likely has reference to the personal presence of Christ (John 14:6) The cardinal fruit of the Spirit of Christ is LOVE (Gal..5:22)’ Then a couple verses later, John states: ‘I rejoiced greatly that I found (some) of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.’ (2 John 4) Listen to the scholars here again: ‘Walking is a Jewish idiom for “living.” John is saying that we should “live by the truth,” or in accordance with God’s revealed word and will.’ That’s gospel my brethren! How else can we live for God if we don’t live by His Word and His Will eh? It’s just like living in any group, be it two or more; certain rules and regulations must be laid down and followed, if there is to be harmony and not anarchy in the group. Likewise if there’s to be harmony amongst the followers of Jesus, then we all need to live in close agreement and joyful practice of His dictates. And not to be outdone, when Bruh Paul couldn’t go to visit the Thessalonians, he also told them of his happiness at their steadfastness in the faith. ‘For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.’ (1 Thess.2:19-20) Yes my brethren, all believers should be filled with unspeakable joy when they hear of others walking steadfastly in the LIGHT and LOVE of Jesus, for that’s what this life is all about. And what better way to end than with the words of Jesus. When Pilate asked Him if He was a king, Jesus answered: ‘Thou sayest (rightly) that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice.’ (John 18:37) End of story Friends! So now, if we have indeed heard Jesus’ voice, then let’s go out and sincerely and energetically live that truth nuh! Much LOVE!…to truly LOVE Jesus…we must walk steadfastly in His way…just like He walked steadfastly in His Father’s…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 September 2012 Proverbs 17:13
14 Sep 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: bless, blessed, curse, enthusiasm, evil, exuberance, faith, Friday chant, good, heritage, injustice, legacy, modicum of circumspection, perspective, revenge, righteous kingdom, suffering, TGIF!, trials, tribulations, weekend
Proverbs 17:13. Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 August 2012 1 John 4:16
23 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: blessings, conquer, day of life, eternal separation from God, eternity, faith, forgiveness, glory hallelujah, grateful, heartfelt, hope, hypocrites, LOVE, LOVE is of God, LOVE Revolution, mercy, miracle, more than conquerors, praise, selflessness, the second coming, True LOVE
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, another beautiful summer’s day is in the offing, and I didn’t see any of our names in the obits! Wow! That must mean we’ve found favour with our Creator and thus blessed with another awesome day on planet earth! And all God’s people shouted a grateful and heartfelt; ‘Glory Hallelujah! Thank You Father for another day of life, and the many other blessings You have prepared for us! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name!’ Ah Friends, you wouldn’t believe the ruckus that short but sincere prayer caused in heaven. (smile) Now that we have gratefully acknowledged our Creator and given thanks for our wonderful lives, the angels are busy getting ready to shower down upon us all the mercy and forgiveness that was planned to bless us with today. Mama Mia! And what’s the ONE word that encompasses all that? And all God’s children joyfully shout it out: ‘LOVE!’ Yes Friends, all that God’s ever done, is currently doing and has promised to do in the future stems from that magical, mysterious, miraculous, mystifying word, LOVE. Can you believe that those four lowly letters put together, can make such a powerful word, a word so omnipotent, that it makes the world go round? LOVE,properly spoken and practiced can overcome the greatest hate, anger and resentment. But strangely enough, it doesn’t work the other way. For hate, anger and resentment can NEVER CONQUER TRUE LOVE! And that’s the gospel truth Friends! I dare any of you to show me anywhere that TRUE LOVE ever existed, and then the negative emotions conquered it. If it ever happened, then TRUE LOVE NEVER existed there in the first place, cause if it did, it would surely have been victorious. That’s because, as our Bit so rightly declares, LOVE IS OF GOD! ‘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.’ That’s an indisputable fact Friends! TRUE LOVE is so strong my brethren, that Bruh Paul raved thus about it. ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom.8:35-39) Oh my brethren, what a powerful speech, one filled with gospel truth, on the strongest tie in God’s great universe – LOVE! And though nothing can separate us from God’s LOVE, there seems to be a problem with our LOVE,betwixt and between each other. We all know, if we’re truthful to ourselves, that the spirit of LOVE, togetherness and selflessness is nowhere near as prevalent and forthcoming as it should be either in Christ’s Church, or in the world at large. So how can we truly claim to be believers if we don’t have the spirit of oneness with each other, as part of Christ’s body? And if we don’t have that feeling of selflessness towards and care for others, how then can we truly LOVE our God, SPREAD His Word and LIVE our Faith as we’re supposed to do eh? It’s a very serious problem in Christ’s body, my people. That’s why so many unbelievers blatantly disregard and mock us, and call us hypocrites of the highest order. And oftimes they are right, because oftimes what we say and what we do, don’t coincide with each other or with God’s Word. Oh Friends, I’m tired saying it, but I guess I’ll have to continue saying it until it’s no longer true, or the breath of life goes out in me, which ever comes first, (smile) but the only way we’re going to improve relationships in this turbulent world of ours is by LOVE; talking LOVE, and even more importantly showing and practicing LOVE! Oh my brethren, the LOVE REVOLUTION which we believers are currently spearheading desperately needs to pick up steam, and quickly too, as it seems that Jesus’ second coming is imminent, and whoever is not aboard the LOVE TRAIN bound for glory, will be lost forever! Now the Father’s LOVE is so strong for His human creations, that He doesn’t even want to lose one single soul to Lucifer. And by the way, eternal separation from the Father, meaning eternity with Lucifer, is the worst thing that can ever happen to a human being! So please Friends, let’s get moving nuh, let’s get up off our comfortable derrières and seriously and sincerely begin preaching and practicing LOVE! As John so patiently and genuinely implores: ‘My little children, let us not LOVE in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.’ (1 John 3:18) Friends, let’s meditate on that scripture today and see how we can improve our LOVE WALK. Notice how God gave us two of almost all our appendages, that’s so we could help each other; the heart of Jesus’ teaching; the essence of LOVE! Much LOVE my brethren!…and now abideth, Faith, Hope, LOVE…these three…but the greatest of these is…LOVE… (1 Cor.13:13) ABSOLUTELY!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 August 2012 2 Corinthians 5:17
13 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: all God's children, aura of love, dissensions, divisions, earthly possessions, enthusiasm, faith, glory hallelujah, humble servants, Jesus, lies, Monday, money, passion, passion for Christ, power, praise, taunts, the Word, vitality, wiles
2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
‘Hip, Hip Hurrah!’ Monday’s here Friends! Wow! What an awesome day, since we get to go out into the evil workday world to talk about and live for Jesus! Now isn’t that a wonderful responsibility? And all God’s people shouted a great and moving ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ No Friends, I haven’t gone crazy, I’m just in an exultant mood. Just thinking about Jesus and all the good stuff we get to do today for Him has ignited my passion. And true passion for Jesus is something too many of us believers lack. Please remember my people that we’re in a spiritual battle with the powers of evil and darkness, and we can only fight competently if we are enthusiastic and gung ho about what we’re fighting for. And sadly, I know some non-believers who are more enthusiastic about Jesus and what He represents, than many supposed believers. Now that doesn’t speak very highly of us, does it? My personal feeling is that the body of Christ here on earth, His Church, is rather lethargic and sedentary. We tend to sit back and let everybody walk over us. We behave as though Jesus is expected to fix all our problems without us lifting a hand on our own behalf, but that’s never going to happen my people. Then again, we fight against each other too much. Jesus’ Church is supposed to be a unified body, not one of numerous dissensions and divisions. I know you’re going to say that other faiths fight amongst themselves too, but that’s their problem. And it’s why WE, believers in Christ, should be working together to provide the perfect example to the rest of the world. I don’t know the real root of the problem, but it seems that of all the well known faiths, Christianity is the least proactive. We don’t talk or walk our faith sufficiently. And it’s not like you have to be constantly up in everybody’s face with it either. A true Christian has it showing in his demeanour, his behaviour, his character, his integrity, and when the opportunity arises, he talks about it passionately. Oh Friends, even a subdued passion is better than no passion at all! So having said all of that, let’s see if we can’t raise our passion level in Jesus some nuh, by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as we get ready to go out and greet the world in Jesus’ name. All together now, with loud voices, filled with true praise: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Now if that doesn’t raise our passion level for Christ, then Friends, I don’t know what will. And before we get into our Bit, please let’s offer up some fervent, heartfelt prayers for the unfortunate people of Iran, who, over the weekend suffered two major earthquakes of over 6 on the Richter scale. They may be of a different faith than us, and consider us the infidel and thus want to destroy us, but they are still our brothers, descendants also of father Abraham, made in the image of Jehovah God. And Jesus teaches that we should show LOVE, mercy, kindness and forgiveness to all God’s children, regardless of their colour, creed, race or class. This is definitely one way we can test our faith, because it’s not easy to extend a hand of hope and help to someone who wants to do us harm. Now turning to our Bit at last. (smile) Oh my brethren, these are some of the most important words Bruh Paul ever wrote, for they reflect the very basic and fundamental principle on which our faith is based. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ Friends, many of us know that scripture and quote it, or some paraphrased version, quite often. But how true is it really of the majority of Christ’s Church eh? I believe in actual fact, in real reality, not the virtual reality we tend to worship these days, that it’s nowhere near the truth. That’s because in actual fact too many believers are still caught up in their old ways, still more interested in the things of the flesh and this world than the things of the Spirit and God’s kingdom. We’re still too much into the money and power for their own sakes, plus the frenetic acquisition and amassing of earthly possessions, wanting what others have, though not knowing they sold their souls to get it, being beguiled by the supposed glitz and glamour of a handful of mostly ignorant and unlearned people we term celebrities, who live very ungodly lives. Oh Friends, that’s definitely not the kind of life that Jesus sacrificed His sinless body, spilled His precious blood on the wooden cross at Calvary for us to live. So please, let’s get serious and improve our kingdom walk nuh. If not for our sakes, then for our children and grand children’s, so that they can still lead a fairly decent life in the future. It’s all a question of LOVE for Jesus and our fellow man; the two great commandments. And since we don’t know when Jesus is coming back to set up His kingdom, the best time to begin is RIGHT NOW! That’s wisdom at its zenith! More on this tomorrow Friends, provided Jesus doesn’t return before then and we’re still around, both of which are real possibilities. Till then, please let’s do as Jesus asks: Let’s LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith and SPREAD His Word! Much LOVE!…the wise man lives by the old adage…make hay while the sun shines…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 August 2012 Jeremiah 17:7
05 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: blessings, Caribana, comfort, communing with God, desires, drought, faith, hope, solace, Tobago, trust, wiping away tears and fears, wisdom
Jeremiah 17:7. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
Well mih people, the Caribana Parade for 2012 is history now! But plenty activities are still there for the taking. They’ll continue until Monday night, because Monday is a holiday in most of the provinces. Now don’t ask me what they are for they’re so plentiful, that I’m wondering how many are well attended. The only thing that I might check out is a Tobago Expo, all things Tobagonian, at Harbour Front this evening, provided the weather is good, since it’s supposed to rain, and the spirit takes me. (smile) By the way, I erred on the side of wisdom yesterday and didn’t go to the Caribana Parade, just stayed home by myself and rested. Oh sorry, sorry, the Lord God Jehovah stayed home with me too, and we spent a quiet but interesting afternoon, communing openly and frankly with each other. But that’s the only wise and sensible way to commune with our Maker! He showed me some insights into life and I opened up my heart and soul to Him, spilled every negative thing that was built up in me and was blocking our proper communication. Now the lines of our communication are wide open. Thank you Lord! Oh Friends, please remember, and also act on this principle, that Almighty God is the ONLY BEING in the universe who can offer us true solace and comfort, wiping away our tears, our fears and sins and bringing us back into a right relationship with Him thru the precious spilled blood of His Son Jesus. No wonder the prophet Jeremiah tells us about the blessedness of trusting the Lord in our Bit: ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.’ Yes mih people, that’s an indisputable fact! Now hear how Jeremiah continues to describe the blessedness of trusting Jehovah: ‘For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer.17:8) Wow! That’s certainly what you’d call blessedness Friends! But unfortunately we can’t get to the blessings until we first have the hope in God, then let it show forth as trust and faith. Yes my brethren, today we sticking with that awesome word HOPE and all it entails, for without it nothing’s really going to be accomplished in our lives, especially in the spiritual realm, since it all begins all right there with HOPE. The dictionary describes HOPE thus: ‘To look with expectation and desire for something, be it concrete or abstract; a feeling of trust; probability.’ And Friends, all three definitions lead us straight to our great and powerful God! For it’s only Him to whom we can look to with true expectation and desire for stuff within His Will, and who will faithfully fulfill those expectations and desires. Man cannot fulfill many of our desires, but the Eternal God can fulfill them ALL! And what does that faithful fulfilling of our expectations do? It breeds a feeling of supreme trust in us towards Almighty God! And there’s no better place to centre that trust my people! Now let’s look at some scriptures that boost our hope, faith and trust in the Lord, starting with words from Psalm 146, superscripted, the blessedness of trusting God. And the psalmist profoundly proclaims: ‘Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.’ (Ps.146:5) Words of awesome truth Friends! Now listen to Bruh David from Psalm 5, a prayer for protection: ‘But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that LOVE thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass (surround) him as with a shield.’ (Ps.5:11-12) And just in case you don’t believe either psalmist, then hear Isaiah tell it: ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is.30:18) And just suppose you don’t believe Isaiah either, remember is only suppose we supposing eh, (smile) then listen to Jeremiah declare it: ‘For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey (as a prize) unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.39:18) Ah mih people, I can only implore us to have hope, faith and trust in the Creator of the universe. It’s the best advice you can ever get in this world, but you still have to make the decision to surrender your all to Almighty God, then cling to Him for dear life. I sure hope you make that decision soon…like today, right now, because it will determine where you’ll spend eternity, and that’s of the utmost importance for your spiritual self. Much LOVE!…without Hope in God…life’s a disaster just waiting to happen… P.S. Please notice the new address for the Scrip-Bit Blog. I just discovered it myself tonight. Hope too many of you didn’t go looking for it on the old site, like I did. Much LOVE!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 August 2012 Jeremiah 17:7
04 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: beautiful scriptures, beginnings of pan, Bible, Caribana Saturday, confession, faith, hope, Hope in Jesus, music, repentance, stubborn, submission, surrender, trust, wisdom
Jeremiah 17:7. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
Aye Friends, it’s Caribana Saturday morning in T.O. the Good! Wow! It’s supposed to be hot, low thirties, and sunny. Just imagine nuh, that in a few hours, for the forty something time, rich, scintillating, pulsating West Indian riddims will be blasting out on the streets of this vibrant, cosmopolitan city! Unfortunately though, it seems that this will be the third or fourth Caribana Parade the ole fella’s going to miss in the forty years, he’s been here. I guess, as they say, all good things must end someday. But after the Pan Alive Competition last night, I believe the Lord’s saying; ‘Keep you peace, mih son! It’s not worth the pain that might ensue.’ However, with the natural stubbornness of man, (smile) I’m still not a hundred percent sure that I’m not going. We’ll see how the ole bod feels as the morning progresses. Anyway, for once the judges and the crowd seemed to agree on the winner of the Pan competition; Pan Fantasy. From the opening notes of their music, you heard something, a sort of brilliance that none of the other bands matched. But don’t fool yuh fat, as in every Pan competition in the world, there were cries of; ‘They robbed us!’ And you could find good arguments for disputing some of the lower placings. But last night Pan Fantasy definitely reigned supreme! All the bands played well though, especially some of the younger ones. And it warms the cockles of my heart every time I check out this competition to see the great amount of young people, of all colours, creeds and races who are beating pan now. Hn! If they only knew about the beginnings of pan and how it was totally frowned upon in it’s earliest years, they’d certainly be surprised to find themselves playing those instruments now. My Auntie Anne and Uncle John didn’t make it there till late, thus missed the first six bands, but a good time was eventually had by all though. Now let’s turn to our Bit: ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.’ That’s undoubtedly gospel truth mih Friends! You can see that although our Bit is new, our theme is still that nebulous, constantly ebbing and rising, but oh, ever so important emotion of HOPE! As we’ve been saying, it’s what every human being, and specifically Christians need in great amounts to be able to carry out any and all projects successfully. Yes Friends, if we’re not clothed in much hope, particularly in the hope of God Almighty, His enduring ability to run our lives, then we’re like a naked man out in the winter’s cold, unable to survive for any length of time. It’s the starting point of all our endeavours. And it follows logically that since the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is our Creator and the most powerful Being in the universe, then it’s only wise, the root of our wisdom, to place all our hope, trust and faith in Him. If no one can defeat Him, then why put any trust in the many pretenders currently floating around in our world eh? And if we check the Good Book, we’ll find a whole lot of beautiful scriptures that attest to that fact. Let’s look at some of them now, beginning obviously with words of Psalm 2, attributed to Bruh David (smile) and superscripted, Why the heathen rages. ‘Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.’ (Ps.2:12) Ah mih people, kissing the Son is an act of homage and submission, which all believers ought to do, for it’s wisdom at it’s highest, since the Good Book uncompromisingly declares: ‘For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ (Rom.14:11) There Bruh Paul’s confirming words first spoken by Isaiah in Chapter 45:23. So my brethren, if Jesus Christ is the ultimate ruler, then those who don’t believe in, trust and worship Him, need to have their heads and hearts thoroughly examined for the presence of that condition nicely termed foolish, stupid, or downright unwise. Hear how Cousin Sol puts it: ‘He that handleth a matter wisely (wisely heeds the Word) shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.’ (Prov.16:20) More gospel truth mih people, as no doubt many of us can testify to. And we’ll close with this edifying scripture from Psalm 125, God surrounds His people. And isn’t that the living truth Friends? ‘They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed (moved), but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about (surround) Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.’ (Ps.125:1-2) That my people, is the eternal truth, and as good as it gets! It certainly couldn’t get any better than that! So let’s take time today to ponder the state of our lives before Almighty God, then trust in His Word and renew the hope, the trust, the faith and final surrender and submission to His Holiness, as when we first believed. It’s the only sensible and wise stance to take in this evil, ungodly, troubled and fearful world. Much LOVE!…Hope is the seed…from which all good things grow… P.S. Sorry the Bit’s a bit late, but the ole fella didn’t get to bed until the wee hours of the morning, so he couldn’t get up any earlier. (smile) Much LOVE!
