Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 June 2017 Ephesians 6:11.

Ephesians 6:11.   Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.

Aye mih people, what a blessed joy it is to be able to sit down on my porch at minutes to four in the morning, without much clothes on, munching a corn on the cob and sipping a ting! 

Hn! And I see the furrowed brows on some of you, wondering, ‘what’s a ting, how can you sip a ting? Well friends, a ting is just the name of a carbonated, grapefruit based drink from T&T. 

Oh, I know some of you have the joy of doing that sort of thing all year round, but we in the north country don’t, so when we do have the opportunity, to us it’s a big deal. And the morning was nice and quiet and cool; just right for silently communicating with God and nature. 

That, to me, is the best time of the day; when most of the world is sleeping, and you can even hear yourself think. We’re talking about those quiet moments before the macho cock stridently crows ‘cock-a doodle-do, cock-a-doodle-do,’ and awakens the universe to another loud and stressful day. 

And believe you me, the days are getting louder and more stressful, as the strife and hatred and anger proliferate around our world. But here’s a li’l something from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU Poster that will help us defeat some of the negativity on our planet. 

It says: ‘Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.’ And surprisingly, my faithful brethren, there is a whole lot more truth in that statement than some of us are willing to believe. 

That’s because we’ve become such sour and negative people, and refuse to share even a simple pleasantry with another human being, and not only because of their race, creed, colour or class, but simply because of the stern, serious, keep away from me look that so many of us present to the world today, a lot of it simply rooted in fear. 

And all of that is simply the work of the enemy. That’s why, today, I believe it’s ever so necessary for us to consider the words of our Bit. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ 

Yeh mih people, as we read yesterday, without God’s strength and His protective armour, we are unable to resist the enemy’s negative fear-mongering schemes. Now it’s time we have a refresher course in what God’s armour consists of, and how to use it successfully. 

Firstly, let’s remember that as Christians, we are engaged in serious warfare, warfare of the spiritual kind. As Bruh Paul informed the Ephesians. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness (spiritual hosts of wickedness) in high places.’ (Eph.6:12) 

Yes friends, you’d be amazed to know the amount of spiritual wickedness that resides in the upper echelons of power in this world. And the scholars offer this explanation on that verse. 

‘6:12. Wrestle, used of hand-to-hand combat, emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refers to humanity. Such is not the church’s adversary. 

Instead she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is, fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself.’ 

So you see, precious people of God, it’s a mighty force of evil that is lined up against us, and it will take an even mightier force to defeat them. And that mightier force is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Glory to God! 

But friends, just like it would be foolish to go into flesh and blood warfare without some protective clothing or amour, likewise, we need protection in this spiritual war in which we’re currently engaged. 

Consequently, Bruh Paul has wisely advised us: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph.6:13) 

And what does all of that mean? Listen to the scholars. ‘6:13. Wherefore means “because of this,” that is, because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. 

The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’ 

Of that we can be sure my brethren! Lucifer will keep attacking us until Jesus returns and completely obliterates him. In the meanwhile though, we definitely need to be prepared; clothed in God’s protective armour and filled with His fighting strength so that we can STAND! 

And having decided to do just that, let’s go home now with joyful hearts and spirits, joyfully and sincerely declaring our Tuesday Mantra. 

‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen!’ 

And if we truly meant it, then let’s go out and share the beautiful, awesome, soul inspiring LOVE of Jesus with others, as He expects of us. Much LOVE!

…sharing the good news of Jesus’ LOVE…is what the Christian is all about…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 February 2017 Ephesians 6:11.

Ephesians 6:11.   Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.

Oh my beautiful fellow believers, please accept my heartfelt apologies, but it was just one of those days! 

Ah Lord eh! I had to go into the big city of T.O. for an early doctor’s appointment, and after handling the traffic and waiting for the doctors and waiting for unscheduled blood tests, I did not get back home until minutes to one. 

Obviously by then the ole bod was tired and crying out for rest and I did not get up until minutes to five. And it was only after about half an hour that it struck me that I had not yet written the Bit. 

The good thing about it all though is that we did make some headway in the medical realm today. At least the major problems have been sorted out under one team, and hopefully no more running from pillar to post. 

Enough about my woes though, let’s get straight to our Bit. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ 

And I’m chuckling here friends, because I must have had it on today, otherwise I would not have been able to successfully handle the slings and arrows that were thrown against me, especially in the patience realm. (smile) 

All praise and thanks be to our great and wonderful God! 

Now yesterday we had stopped where Bruh Paul was talking about ‘spiritual (hosts of) wickedness in high places,’ so let’s continue with his admonishment from there. ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph.6:13) 

Now this is a very important verse in the whole scenario, so let’s look at what the scholars have to say about it. ‘6:13. Wherefore means “because of this,” that is, because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. 

The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’ 

Yes friends, as a beautiful Christian soul the enemy will NOT stop attacking you, and the only way to resist Him is by being dressed in the total armour of God. 

Fellow believers, I can’t stress how important this aspect of our Christian walk is, for without God’s protective armour we don’t stand a chance against the enemy, or as they would say, a snowball’s chance in hell! 

So please, please, I’m imploring us to take this very seriously, especially with the crazy state of our world, which is apparently getting crazier everyday under the leadership of President Trump. 

Ah mih people, I don’t even pay much attention to his antics these days, but we have to be concerned because everything he does seems to just cause more strife, anger, resentment, fear and anxiety around the globe. 

As I said a few days ago, the Lord must have put him there to wake us up from our dreadful complacency. That’s why this message about putting on God’s total armour is so important at this particular period in time when the elements of evil are rising even higher than they were before. 

I won’t belabour the situation, but I’ll just remind us that we are Christ’s ambassadors down here on earth. He is depending on us to conduct His affairs with righteousness and justice, but we can’t do that until we wake up and get serious about His LOVE Revolution, and stop all the aimless talking and instead take some positive action. 

The enemy should never be where he’s at right now, and wouldn’t have been there without our lack of interest and complacency where we allowed him to remove things like prayer and the Ten Commandments from our schools, and put God on the back burner in most other parts of what was once a mostly godly scene. 

But it’s not too late to wrestle it all back from him if we COME TOGETHER and seriously start pushing back, let him know that we’ve finally woken up and now mean business. Yes friends, it’s time to start pushing back, if we ever hope to win this earthly battle for Jesus! 

Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings. Yuh see, we have so much good stuff in our arsenal, if we would only use them. The Lord’s already given us everything we need to battle the enemy and win, we only have to take them and put them to full use. 

Chuh man! What’s wrong with us eh? We’re letting the good earthly life spoil us. So let’s bless ourselves. And remember that a blessing isn’t a blessing until it’s been spoken over someone. 

All together now:  ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! 

I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’ 

What more can we ask than all that eh mih people? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! So let’s go out and bless others now nuh. Much LOVE!

…as true soldiers of Christ…we must first be dressed in battle gear…then stand up and fight bravely…right to the very end…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 September 2015 Ephesians 6:12

Ephesians 6:12.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of ) wickedness in high places.

Welcome to a terrific Thursday my brethren! The sun is shining brightly, though it’s still a tad cool in my area. And don’t even talk about the Son, the spiritual light of the world, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…Oh my people, His light is just a-blazing! It’s so brilliant that if you aren’t careful, it will blind you! (smile) 

But such is the amazing and awesome characteristic of the Son of God! And do we ever need the brilliant light of Jesus to shine in this dark and desperate world of ours Friends, because the powers of darkness are ramping up their activities to try and drive the Lord out. 

But fear not Friends, they are fighting a losing battle, since our Redeemer has already conquered death, hell and the grave. When He rose triumphant on that Easter morn, all hold that death held over us was simply blown away. But the problem is that we have to sincerely believe that and consequently fight the powers of darkness with all our might. 

Remember, if we let them into our souls at all, they will only cause chaos, destruction and death. And they will do anything at all to get a foothold in our souls; from simple lies to complex deceit. So we have to be very careful when we come into contact with them or their representatives. 

For just like we are ambassadors of Christ, the evil one also has his ambassadors, and they are just as ruthless and wicked as him, taking no prisoners, destroying everything that’s godly in their path. 

No wonder Bruh Paul in his message to the Ephesians, seriously warned them. ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (deceptive schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph.6:10-11) 

And my people that warning is still viable today, possibly more so, since the devil has grown stronger and more devious, deceitful and wicked over the years. Now let’s get some explanations from the scholars on those verses. 

‘6:10. Finally may be rendered “from now on” or “henceforth.” The spiritual battle Christians are engaged in exists “from now on” until the Lord’s return: there is no quarter given: no cease-fire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities. “From now on” till the end there is all-out war. 

The remainder of the verse may be paraphrased, “Let yourselves constantly be strengthened by the Lord, more precisely by His mighty power.’ Yes Friends, we are involved in a spiritual battle right to the end times. 

‘6:11. Put on (Greek ingressive aorist imperative) denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action. To stand has military overtones. This verb was used in classical Greek meaning to resist the enemy and hold a critical position in battle. The wiles of the devil (or, “the Devil’s strategy”): Satan carefully devises schemes and tactics against believers.’ 

But why do we need the armour of God? Because as our Bit informs us: ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of) wickedness in high places.’ Yes my people, we need God’s armour because we’re not in a fleshly but spiritual battle. 

‘6:12. Wrestle, used of hand to hand combat, emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refers to humanity. Such is not the church’s adversary. Instead she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world-rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is, fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself.’ 

Oh my fellow believers, from all of that we can obviously see that we’re in a serious spiritual battle of wits and wills with an enemy who is not going to easily give up, even though he knows that his defeat is imminent. 

‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph.6:13) 

Yes Friends in our own power we are helpless, we cannot withstand the forces of evil, that’s why we need to put on God’s protective armour, which enables us to stand; to stand up strong against the enemy. 

Hear this from the scholars. ‘6:13. Wherefore means “because of this,” that is, because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. 

The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan, Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’ 

Oh my people, those are words of indisputable truth, so please, let’s take them to heart and do what the Good Book says, that is if we want to resist the evil one and his evil cronies. The decision is up to each individual. Let’s hope we all make the right one. Much LOVE!

…it is not wise to go into any kind of battle… without good protective armour…

P.S. Sorry for the lateness of the Bit, but I just got up late and was a tad under the weather. Sister K, hope this epistle is short enough for you. (smile) Much LOVE!

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 October 2013 Ephesians 6:13

 Ephesians 6:13.  Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
 
Oh Friends, can you believe it’s already Wednesday, the middle of the week? And even more surprisingly, that we’re already in the middle of October, which just began the other day? (smile) It’ll soon be Halloween, then U.S. Thanksgiving, then Christmas and New Years.
 
Wow! 2013 has indeed flown by rather quickly! And as usual, the conniving merchants have found a way that every few weeks there’s some big occasion for us to spend money on, money that most of us don’t have, because we’re either not working, or because of the measly wages those same merchants are paying.
 
Steups! The shame of the whole matter though is that people who are working, sometimes even two jobs, still aren’t making enough money to look after their families and have to go to food banks for assistance. Ah Lord! What a crying shame in these rich countries!
 
Forty years ago, when I first came to Canada, I can’t remember ever hearing anything about food banks. If they existed, they were the exception. Today however, they are the rule; they’re all over the place. You also have food kitchens, where the down and out can go and get hot meals. The problem though is that there are too many who are down and out, many through no fault of their own. 
 
And my understanding re food banks and kitchens, was that those things only existed during times of war, when there’s usually a shortage of food. Hn! But I guess we’re at war right now. Steups!
 
Anyhow, the good thing about being a believer in Christ is that we also have another avenue for help, beside man, in this selfish, greedy, ungodly world. We have a heavenly Father who renews our spirit during sleep, then wakes us up with a wonderful perspective every morning, where He faithfully provides, daily manna, mercy and blessings to all who come to Him in sincere faith.
 
And all the God’s children gratefully declared: ‘Oh thank You, thank You Lord, for looking after us everyday! Thank you for Your mercy, blessings and guidance that keeps us on the straight and narrow path that leads straight to Your ever-LOVING heart! We bless and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
 
Yeh Friends, though life might be rough and tough, those are the times when believers hunker down and fight it, with God’s help. And please note that He doesn’t only look after our physical needs, but also our mental and spiritual, as our Bit boldly proclaims: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’
 
And how I LOVE that last part; ‘and having done all, to STAND.’ Oh my people, that’s exactly what all believers need to do in these wicked and ungodly times; put on God’s armour and STAND STRONG AGAINST THE ENEMY! 
 
Anyway, let’s get to what I couldn’t share yesterday, because of time and space commitments. Friends, for those of you who don’t have a Bible handy when you read the Bit, or are just too lazy to open it (smile)  – I refuse to believe that any follower of Jesus doesn’t have a Bible at all – I’ll just share the scripture that pertains to the different pieces of spiritual armour.
 
Please listen closely, because this could mean the difference between salvation and eternal life, or damnation and eternal separation from the Most High God Jehovah.
 
Bruh Paul tells the Ephesians after our Bit: ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (girded your waist) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one).
 
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph,6:14-18) 
 
Oh Friends, doesn’t that just grab you by the heart and transport you to a much better place? It surely does!
 
Now hear the scholars’ take on all that: ‘6:14-17. The whole armour of God consists of six pieces. (1) Truth (v.14a) is a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word (cf. 4:21). The ancient soldier’s loins (waist) were girt about with a leather belt which held most of the other pieces of his armour in place. Similarly, the other pieces of the Christian’s armour depend on, are held in place by his spiritual “belt” or his knowledge of the truth of scripture.
 
(2) The breastplate of righteousness (v.14b) may be read “the breastplate which is righteousness.” It represents a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the “truth” known produces a godly life (righteousness).
 
(3) Preparation of the gospel of peace (v.15) means “eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace.” That is, as the Roman soldier wore special shoes called ‘caligae’ on his feet, enabling him to advance against his enemy, so the Christian must have on his feet (possess) a sense of ‘eagerness’ or willingness to advance against the Devil and take the fight to him. Such ‘eagerness’ to contend with Satan “comes from the gospel of peace.” The gospel gives peace to the believer, freeing him from anxiety though he advances against such a powerful opponent.
 
(4) The shield of (which is) faith (v.16) means taking God at His word by believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from the doubts induced by Satan.
 
(5) The helmet of salvation (v.17a): Since the readers are already Christians (2:8), they are not here urged to be saved. First Thessalonians 5:8 describes this helmet as “the hope of salvation” that is, the certainty (assurance) of salvation.
 
(6) The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (v.17b): The Greek term rendered “word” is not ‘logos,’ referring to the whole Word of God, but ‘rhema,’ referring to certain portions or selected verses of Scripture.
 
6:18. Praying is grammatically linked to “stand” in verse 14. Without prayer, God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks. In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made.
 
Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’
 
Oh my brethren, I know that it’s long and heavy, but it’s all in a day’s understanding of the scriptures. We can’t always look for the short, easy stuff, else we won’t grow in Christ.
 
So please let’s take our time to read, study and inwardly digest all that we’ve said today. For if we sincerely do that, there’s no doubt whatsoever that our maturity level in Christ will rise. And that’s our goal; to mature some in Christ everyday. Much LOVE!
 
…oh what peace our souls derive…when we have the Word of God planted deep inside…
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 October 2013 Ephesians 6:13

Ephesians 6:13.    Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
 
Awright Friends, the Canadian Thanksgiving Party done now! It’s time to go back out and labour; to start clearing the land and planting more good seeds, so that, with God’s grace and mercy, we can reap another bumper harvest next year.
 
And all God’s people joyfully shouted: ‘Thank You Lord for this year’s bountiful harvest! Please give us the health, strength, perseverance and wisdom to sow good seeds on fertile soil, so that we can reap an even more bountiful harvest next year and further glorify Your glorious kingdom! This we pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen!’
 
Oh Friends, this morning my spirit is somewhat riled. Lucifer’s been getting to me through my printer. I put in a new ink cartridge, but it’s still telling me that the ink is low, and is printing stuff I can’t even make out. However, since the time for writing the Bit was imminent, I decided to leave the printer for later, when I had more time to fool with it. Please note that mih young D. (smile) 
 
And our God is so wonderful, that while going through some pieces of paper on which I have written possible stuff to share, I happened to come across this rather encouraging statement. I don’t know whether I’ve shared it before, or where I got it from, or who even said it – might even have been me (smile) – but it sure ‘deriled’ or ‘unriled’ my soul.
 
It says: ‘When a man or a woman has the conviction that he or she is doing the work God gave him or her to do, there’s a zeal and a courage in his or her soul that all the forces in this world cannot destroy.’
 
And that’s the God-awesome truth, my fellow believers, to which many of us can attest! For when we’re serious about doing God’s work, no power on this earth can stop us!
 
Right now I have to write God’s Bit, so I can’t allow Lucifer to mess with my mind, so to fight him off, I’ve put on all aspects of my spiritual armour, and now I’m ready for battle! Praise the Lord!
 
Ah Friends, I’m not joking. Most mornings before I begin writing the Bit, I ask the Lord to help me put on His spiritual armour, those fine accoutrements of spiritual battle… And He does. After that, I ‘m gung ho, and have the necessary resources to fight Lucifer to the death!
 
I’d strongly suggest that you all try it some time too. Go to Ephesians 6, and read from verses 10-20. But also write down the accoutrements of battle you need (vs.14-17) and keep it handy, so you can quickly refer to it in time of need. Better yet, learn it by heart!
 
And I think it’s much easier to learn if you start putting on your armour from the top. The helmet of salvation to guard your mind; the breastplate of righteousness to guard your inner man; the belt of truth so you can stay centred in the Word; the sandals of peace so you can go about in peace and tranquility; then take up that massive shield of faith to protect you from the fiery arrows of the enemy; and finally that magnificent sword of the Spirit, which brings man to his knees before Almighty God in conviction and repentance.
 
Wow Friends, what awesome battle gear! And would you believe that I don’t have a Bit as yet…
 
Ohhh! But I do now! Such is the mysterious and miraculous movement of our great God!
 
And out Bit so wisely and rightly says: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’
 
Now I believe we’ve used this scripture as a Bit before, but there’s nothing that says we can’t use it again, and as often as possible, especially when the time for it is ripe. And what I find most appealing about our Bit is the last portion: ‘and having done all, to stand.’
 
Yes my brethren, that’s what having on the spiritual armour of God allows us to do; to stand strong against the enemy.
 
Hear the scholars take on the Bit. ‘6:13. Wherefore means “because of this,” that is, because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry.
 
The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
 
Oh my fellow believers, that is one other thing that we can be sure of in this life, beside death and taxes. No matter how we parry and trust the enemy away, ole Beelzebub will keep attacking us right up to the very second that the Lord calls us home.
 
Right at that very moment, the lying, deceitful one will show up and try to tear us away from God, telling us that there’s no heaven, etc. etc. So even at the last moment of earthly life, we have to be very careful to have on that spiritual armour.
 
Oh Friends, there’s so much more I’d like to share with you, but time and space are running out, so we’ll leave that for tomorrow, God willing of course. In any case, we already have enough spiritual food on our plates to read and digest today. 
 
Therefore my people, let’s ponder and meditate on it all, and plant it deep in our souls nuh, so that when the enemy attacks, we can face up to him with supreme confidence, and in God’s Great Name, boldly STAND! Much LOVE my brethren!
 
…no wise warrior goes into battle without good protective armour…