Philippians 1:11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the praise and glory of God.
Oh my wonderful Friends, neighbours and co-workers, it’s Friday! And a joyous shout of ‘TGIM! Thank God is Friday yes!’ rises up to heaven as the words register. Yes mih people, we’ll soon be released from bondage for a couple of days. But by the same token, we have to use the short time off wisely. So let’s chant our Friday Chant, which helps us to keep the weekend in its proper perspective. With great joy, enthusiasm and sincere praise, let’s chant. ‘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.’ Now let’s settle down and try not to overdo anything over the weekend, but make sure we find time for the most important aspect; fellowship with other believers, regardless of what day you celebrate the Sabbath. And it’s certainly true that wonders never cease, but daily they increase, for when I looked outside awhile ago, the lane was snow-covered as well as all the driveways … except mine. It’s not plenty snow, but mine was pitch black, the asphalt totally bare. What’s amazing is that usually mine is the one that’s covered with either snow or leaves, or whatever is blowing around the neighbour hood. But we all know that our God moves in mysterious ways, too high for our simple brains to understand, and that’s why He IS God! And that finally brings us to our Bit. ‘Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the praise and glory of God.’ Now in Bruh Paul’s usual highfalutin style, that verse can be a challenge to understand, so we’ll use the simpler translation the scholars gave us. ‘Filled with the fruit that is righteousness, which comes through Jesus Christ for the purpose of glorifying and praising God.’ That should make it much easier for all of us to understand. Yesterday we ended by looking at corroborating scriptures, and today we’ll continue to do so. And believe me, there are quite a few. So let’s go way back to Moses, who, in the course of telling the Israelites about clean and unclean food, reminds them: ‘For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people (special treasure) unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.’ (Deut.14:2) Oh Friends, we need to remember that because as believers, followers of Jesus Christ, we also are a chosen gathering, a special treasure, blessed by Almighty God on Jesus’ behalf! That means we also have to behave as a specially chosen and blessed people. But that’s something I don’t think we’re doing too well, otherwise so many people wouldn’t have such a bad opinion of us as Christians, often considering us hypocrites, which is often true. And until we change our lifestyle, until we bring it into true accordance with God’s Word and the principles found therein, we’ll never be filled with that righteousness that sincerely causes us to praise and glorify the Most High God Jehovah. So that’s something we’ve seriously got to work on. Now we’ll turn to Colossians, where Bruh Paul is writing to them about his prayer for their spiritual wisdom. And for us to understand what’s happening, I’ll quote from the beginning of that passage to the verse that actually corroborates our Bit. ‘We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the LOVE which ye have to all the saints. For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth.’ (Col.1:3-6) And we’ll get some amplification from the scholars of most of it. According to them: ‘Evidence of a person’s faith in Christ Jesus is his LOVE…to all the saints. Hope is salvation, as it refers to the object for which one hopes. Word of the truth of the gospel could be rendered as “the message of the gospel which is true.” This is meant to contradict the Colossian heresy: unlike its false teaching, or “vain deceit” (2:8), the gospel is true indeed. The universal spread and effectiveness of the gospel verify the assertion in verse 5 that it is the truth. The Colossian heresy is merely local; while the gospel has come to the Colossians, it has gone beyond them in all the world. And it bringeth forth fruit; that is, when embraced by faith, the gospel produces godly character and noble conduct in its converts.’ There we have it my brethren; when through faith, we sincerely embrace the truth of the gospel, it leads us to right thoughts and actions in Christ. And we’ll end with some words from Psalm 100; A call to praise the Lord: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.’ (Ps.100:1-3) And that’s more gospel truth Friends! Now let’s read, mark and inwardly digest all those things, then go out and do what is right in the sight of God, as our Lord and Saviour, Jesus expects of us. That’s wisdom at its zenith! And only then can we be called true believers. Much LOVE!…to sin is human…but the righteousness of God is given to believers…to help us keep our transgressions to a minimum…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 March 2013 Philippians 1:11
08 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a holy people, believers, bondage, christianity, Christians, fellowship, fruits of righteousness, gladness, glorious kingdom, god moves in mysterious ways, God's people, God's Word, godly character, gospel truth, grace of God, hope, hypocrites, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mysterious ways, noble conduct, praise God, principles, religion, righteous fruit, Sabbath, salvation, serve the Lord, sheep of His pasture, sincere praise, sins, special treasure, spiritual wisdom, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, the glory of God, theology, transgressions
Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 February 2013 Psalm 21:6
27 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: absolute hope, actions, Bible Study, blessed, Christian beliefs, christianity, confidence, darkest hour, deceitful, earthly pilgrimage, evildoers, exceedingly glad, faith, footstools, God's Word, hearts, heavy load, joy, maturity, mercy, minds, pain, powers of darkness, praise, psalm 21, religion, roadblocks, saviour jesus christ, sliding, slipping, souls, spirituality, surrender, thankfulness, treacherous, true believers, true wisdom, trust, unfortunate experience, uptempo dance, victory, virgin snow, weather forecasters
Psalm 21:6. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 January 2013 Proverbs 1:10
17 Jan 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: cyberspace, duped, earthly pilgrimage, enticements, God's assurance, God's vision, God's Word, grossly mislead, idolaters, idols, LOVE Jesus, physical surroundings, power of grace, scammed, sinners, sure promises, the first commandment, true reflection, virtual reality
Proverbs 1:10. My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
Oh Friends, another day in our earthly pilgrimage is dawning, bright and beautiful in some physical locations, dark and dreary in others. But yuh know what; in all the hearts that know and LOVE Jesus, the day is dawning bright and beautiful with a sure promise of great things to come, regardless of the physical surroundings. Now today, I want to share a few quotes re virtual reality and the real reality, from this book I’ve been reading, ‘The Incredible Power of Grace – When God’s Assurance Becomes Your Own,’ by Roland R. Hegstad. Oh my brethren, in this modern age of almost instant communication, we’ve become so caught up in computers and all they represent, especially the chance to play in cyberspace and fantasize in what’s termed virtual reality. And as computers become more important, more invasive in our lives, unfortunately a by-product is that we tend to forget, lose sight or understand what is true reality. Author Hegstad advises that to truly understand what’s happening, we have to define our world in small frames of reference, like a photographer does when taking a picture. That frame can only hold so much information, but it’s invariably a true reflection of what’s there. He says: ‘In short, to define reality correctly, we must frame our world through the viewfinder of God’s Word – a viewfinder that reminds us that virtual reality is banishing face-to-face, heart-to-heart communication and friendship that God desires us to share.’ (Page 104) And isn’t that the REAL truth Friends? Virtual reality causes us to lose the reality of interacting with each other on a truly human, face to face basis. It’s become so silly and widespread now to see a group of supposed friends sitting together without any conversation between them, because they are all so busy texting or doing whatever on their communicating devices. Sometimes they can even be sitting together and texting each other rather than talking. How silly is that eh? And the sad part is that’s all most of our young people know and are accustomed to! Oh my people, I believe as author Hegstad does, that our world is quickly losing touch with the real reality and replacing it with the virtual stuff, which is not, and can never be the genuine article, but will always be a mere approximation. And do we want our lives to be ruled by mere approximations? I think not! So please, let’s not get so caught up in the cyberspace and the virtual realities of this world, that we lose sight of who and whose we are. As author Hegstad points out: ‘In God’s vision reality is something more than virtual: it’s a Person, a Person with nail-pierced hands: it’s adoption into the family of God, taking His name and becoming part of His own indestructible heredity.’ (Page 108) That therefore means, ‘Reality has a face! Reality is a person, the Lord Jesus Christ! And we are reality because we are created in His image. We are not just actors on a galaxy-sized Hollywood set. Here and now, we are God’s children. For the child of God, reality is never freedom from individuality, but freedom at last to be finally and fully oneself.’ (Page 114) And ‘When we lose touch with the reality that is Jesus Christ, we also lose self-identity – the concept of who we really are: here and now God’s son; here and now God’s daughter; here and now part of His own indestructible heredity; here and now LOVED beyond comprehension.’ (Page 106) Ah mih people, computers have their uses, as tools, but sadly, because of the world’s forceful push, we are allowing them to invade and control the very essence of our lives. In many ways, they are doing what our Bit so rightly advises against. ‘My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.’ Yes my brethren, this communication and information age is playing serious havoc with our lives. Granted, it gives us more opportunity to spread the Word, but by the same token it also provides more opportunity for us to be grossly mislead. And believe me, a lot of us are being seriously misled, duped and scammed by plenty of the stuff out there in the cyberspace and virtual reality worlds. We need to take much of it with plenty grains of salt. The most important thing in our lives is still, and will always be the WORD OF GOD! Now here’s a passage of scripture that describes God’s instruction to the Israelites, in terns of our Bit, re idolaters, way back when. ‘If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom (you cherish), or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou nor thy fathers; Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh (near) unto thee, or far off from thee, from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; Thou shalt not consent (yield) unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him. But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be the first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die, because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more such wickedness as this is among you.’ (Deut.13:6-11) Oh Friends, it does seem a bit harsh, but it’s God’s Word and shows how serious He is about His supremacy and enticements to sin, especially worshipping idols and other so-called gods. So my people, in this mad rush to cyberspace and virtual reality, let’s not forget what is truly important in our lives – the WORD OF GOD – for if we do, we’ll certainly pay a hefty penalty for it – eternal separation from Almighty God. Much LOVE!…remember the first Commandment…Thou shalt have no other gods before me… (Ex.20:3)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 December 2012 Ecclesiastes 5:13
06 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: accumulation of wealth, affliction, brought nothing, futility, God's Word, greed, hope, hurt, LOVE of Money, misfortune, old man, prayer of Hope, prosperity, robert h schuller, severe evil, spirituality, stored riches, strained muscles, truthful words, understanding, wasted lives, wealth, will take nothing, wisdom
Ecclesiastes 5:13. There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
Oh Friends, I thought I was improving on all fronts yes, but was I ever wrong, for yesterday I suddenly developed some pains in my left side. I believe they come from strained muscles, caused by lifting up our heavy suitcases several times on Monday, no doubt in the wrong manner, in the rush to get about. Then my ole back began to act up too. They have me walking like a true old man, with mincing steps and halting gait. (smile) The strange thing though is that this all happened almost two days after the travel, with no prior warning. But you know what Friends, I have the ‘rightest’ antidote for all those aches and pains right here, and I’m going to share it with you. It’s taken from the Hour of Power Devotional by Robert H Schuller, and titled, ‘A Prayer of Hope.’ Please pray it with me, because we all need that wonderful energizing emotion called HOPE. ‘I have a strong, serene feeling that God is planning something good for me today. I cannot explain it, but I have a deep feeling that wonderful things are in store for me. I am expecting God to surprise me with His tender mercy. He will turn my hurts into halos. He is guiding my life in such a way that whatever happens to me will prove to be a beautiful blessing. Thank you, Lord. Amen.’ Now doesn’t that make us feel better? It sure does, even by just lightening our emotional load a tad. That brings us to our Bit, taken from a passage called the vanity of life. ‘There is a sore (severe) evil which I have seen under the sun, namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.’ Oh my people, those are indeed wise and truthful words from Cousin Sol! And he continues to warn us thus: ‘But those riches perish by evil travail (misfortune): and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is a sore (severe) evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.’ (Eccl.5:14-17) Oh my brethren, we all know that we brought nothing in to this world and will take nothing with us when we leave, yet we continuously create this great desire to accumulate earthly wealth, too often just for the sake of accumulating wealth. But as the scholars wisely note: ‘Wealth is easily lost and is therefore an unsure foundation for life.’ How true that is fellow believers! And Cousin Sol wisely continues his warnings in the next chapter, the vanity of riches. ‘There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth (lacks) nothing for his soul (himself) of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity (futility), and it is an evil disease (affliction).’ (Eccl.6:1-2) That’s a situation we see everyday Friends, yet we still hunger and thirst to achieve those earthly showpieces of wealth. We even go to terrible lengths; kill, deceive, suppress and oppress to achieve them. All to what purpose eh? For as the scholars again so wisely point out: ‘Prosperity is not necessarily good. Accumulation of wealth does not always result in the use of it.’ Instead my people, we should be hungering and thirsting after the righteousness of God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, because that’s where true satisfaction, salvation and eternal life lies. Listen to Cousin Sol again: ‘If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good (satisfied with good things), and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth (a stillborn child) is better than he. For he cometh in with vanity (futility), and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.’ (Eccl.6:3-4) Ah mih breddren, if we do no good in this world, with or without riches, then our lives are wasted. An untimely birth is better than an unsatisfied life. So are we going to take these lessons to heart, and stop running down material wealth, earthly power and influence? I certainly hope so. And just as a gentle reminder, I’ll leave us with the wise words of Bruh Paul on the subject, written long after Cousin Sol’s warnings, but just as powerful and appropriate, especially in this crazy, troubled, evil and misguided world. ‘For the LOVE of money is the root of (all kinds of) evil; which while some coveted after, have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Tim.6:10) Undeniable words of truth and wisdom my Friends! So please pay attention, and today let’s turn our hearts and minds to considering how our personal attitude to the accumulation of earthly wealth fits in with God’s Word. And then, let’s truly try to make it fit better nuh, for from such things are wisdom and understanding acquired. Much LOVE!…at birth, we brought nothing…at death, we’ll carry nothing…so why the unwise desire for endless accumulation during life eh…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 November 2012 Psalm 18:30
19 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: aura of love, further God's kingdom, God's Word, great confidence, happiness, holy spirit, humble servants, lies, Monday Battle Hymn, Monday Morning, right perspective, sure conquerors, tested and true, wiles, work
Psalm 18:30. As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 August 2012 Galatians 5:1
30 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: blasphemy, calamity, circumcision, controversial, disasters, fellowship, freedom, God's Word, imprisonment, Jesus, knees bow, persecution, revenge, salvation, slaves
Galatians 5:1. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Oh Friends, our world’s a mess; man-made disasters as well as God sent calamity. You name it, and we’re suffering it. And on a more personal level, millions of Christians are still suffering persecution in numerous places, simply because they believe in Christ, talk about Him and try to live by His Word and His will. One extreme example of that is the Christian teenaged girl recently imprisoned in Pakistan for supposedly burning some pages of a holy book. Now you cannot get a straight story about her age, what she actually burnt, or how it all came about, cause all they have left is ashes, but the Muslim people are all up in arms calling for her death, due to some vague and unenlightened blasphemy law that’s only being used and abused to satisfy personal agendas, and vendettas, especially against Christians. Hundreds of believers had to flee their homes as the Muslim mobs cried out for vengeance. And there’s no justice to be had for God’s people! Ah Friends, it’s not fair, but unfortunately it’s part of being a believer in some places. But remember though, that the name of Jesus is the most powerful and controversial name on all the earth. It’s the name to which all knees shall eventually bow and all voices make confession to. So there will always be those who want to engage in some kind of controversy over it. However, here is the true insight on the matter: ‘The action of God is flowing through us, through all believers in a pattern of success right now!’ Yes my people, regardless of our troubles, the Lord’s blessing us all today with a strength of purpose that will inevitably bring success. Jesus had it and was able to overcome His problems and so will we. But that success doesn’t just come without any effort on our part. We need to be strong and keep living by faith to see that success. That’s why our Bit encourages, exhorts and admonishes us to: ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.’ Words of impeccable wisdom that all believers ought to live by! Here’s what the scholars have to say about it. ‘The verse can be rendered: “For freedom Christ freed us. Therefore stand fast and do not again be subject to a yoke of bondage.” The “freedom” in view is freedom from the law, here called “a yoke of bondage.” Paul wants the Galatians to “stand fast,” that is retain their spiritual freedom.’ Likewise my brethren, believers in these turbulent times need to stand fast in their faith, retain the spiritual freedom that Christ died to give us, and not to become slaves to the law again. And Bruh Paul uses as an example the Jewish law of circumcision, which at the time was causing much friction between the Jewish and Gentile believers. He says that circumcision will not provide any special benefits, or bring you any closer to Christ, but it will enslave you to the law. It’s an external ritual or symbol, showing that you accept the law, and therefore are dependent on man’s legality to provide salvation, rather than on God’s grace. But by the same token, being uncircumcised doesn’t profit you anything either. ‘For we through the Spirit (eagerly) wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by LOVE.’ (Gal.5:5-6) So whether we’re circumcised or not, we’ll not benefit spiritually from that physical state. Thus, if we try to be justified by the law, we will not have the favour, the grace of God that Jesus died for us to have. But through faith, instilled in and kept working in us by the Holy Spirit, believers can, and do find justification, and hope for the salvation promised by Jesus, in and through His sacrificial death. As the scholars declare: ‘Faith is man’s response to God who LOVES him, and this divine LOVE that produces human faith results in his justification.’ So my brethren, please let us not become too entangled with man’s law, which will only yoke us in slavery once again. Now listen to Bruh Paul’s exhortation to steadfastness to the church at Philippi: ‘Only let your conversation (conduct) be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing (no way) terrified by your adversaries: which is to them and evident token (a proof) of perdition (destruction), but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.’ (Phil.1:27-29) And the scholar’s give us a good explanation on the meaning of fellowship to believers. ‘Fellowship, one of the keys to spiritual growth, occurs when Christians share their walk with God in an atmosphere of LOVE and respect. Fellowship occurs when everyone communicates in LOVE with other believers, and the whole assembly becomes strengthened as a result. Sometimes fellowship requires confessing our faults (James 5:16) as we strive to develop a unity of spirit and mind. Those who work to hinder the fellowship of the brethren practice a sin that is hated by God (Prov. 6:19) Illustration: The church at Philippi was particularly noted for its spirit of fellowship, but Paul’s warning to two women in the church reminds how we must constantly work to maintain fellowship (4:1-3). Application: Fellowship is so vital that we cannot live for God by ourselves. As we develop deeper relationships with others, we should remember that we come to resemble those with whom we fellowship. (Matt.18:19). Now, sadly, true fellowship is something that’s missing from Christ’s church today. I’ll rephrase that, because there is some. Let’s say it’s not as strong and united as it ought to be, otherwise there wouldn’t be all the divisions and divisiveness found in Christ’s body. Friends, please realize that only in unity is there strength, and we believers are fighting an uphill battle against the spiritual forces of evil and bondage, so it’s absolutely necessary that we stick together if we want to be successful. And today, let’s pray for all those who are suffering disaster, or being unfairly persecuted. Let’s send up plenty prayers to heaven, for the Lord to assuage some of our problems down here on earth. Much LOVE!…if the Lord hears the prayer of one righteous person…won’t He pay more attention to the prayers of plenty righteous people…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 May 2012 Psalm 41:9
04 May 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: anointing, betrayal, calamity, chorus of thanks, fellowship, Friday, fun, God's Word, Jesus' glorious kingdom, like a burning fire, loving kindness, pesistence, relaxation, steadfast faith, storm of praise, thank God, trust
Psalm 41:9. Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
Aye mih Friends, can you hear the posse coming down the road happily chanting to the accompaniment of a lone banjo? ‘Oh people is Friday…Thank God is Friday! Yes is Friday! The weekend is here. Labour done for two days! Is we time now! Thank God is Friday!’ And soon the whole street is singing the chorus. Some are looking out their windows, some standing at the doors of their work places, possibly with uptight employers in the background, unable to stop it, while others are just hanging out on the corner. But a beautiful chorus of thanks is floating up to heaven from all the disparate voices. Now let us do the same with our Friday Chant. Let’s chant up a storm of praise and thanks to heaven. Altogether 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 Friends, there’s nothing like thanks and praise to our great and wonderful God! It brings a feeling of joy and peace to our worried souls, and also helps us to better deal with the troubles of this world, like betrayal, which our Bit highlights. ‘Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against (has betrayed) me.’ Yesterday we saw how friends, family and close working associates betrayed Bruh David and Job. Now that’s really the worst betrayal of all! As Bruh David laments in Psalm 55, if it was his enemy, he could handle it, by hiding from him, but when it’s your bosom buddy, it just hurts terribly. Today, let’s look at someone else of great faith who was also betrayed; poor Jeremiah. He really had it rough yes! First of all the Lord called him to speak on His behalf at a tender age, and despite his valid arguments, the Lord refused to take no for an answer. Ah mih breddren, that’s what happens when the Lord calls us. I can speak on that from personal experience, because when He first approached me about writing this Bit, I laughed and said I wasn’t capable, then hem and hawed until He wore me down with His persistence. So any time He calls you, it’s best to just accept His call right away, because He won’t stop until you do accept it. Regardless of your arguments and your running away or hiding, note Jonah, He will eventually get you to do His bidding. And so it was with Jeremiah. He spoke the Lord’s words to the people of Judah, but they didn’t believe him. They plotted against him and finally imprisoned him, simply for speaking what God had put in his heart. ‘Then Pashur smote (struck) Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord.’ (Jer.20:2) Oh Friends, do you see the irony there? They locked up poor Jerry right close to God’s house. It became so rough that he considered not speaking God’s Word anymore. ‘But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing (of holding back), and I could not stay (endure it).’ (Jer.20:9) Yuh see people, how powerful the Word can be when the Lord puts His anointing on us? Try as we can, we can’t get away from it. And Jeremiah continues: ‘For I heard the defaming of many (mocking or slander), fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars (acquaintances) watched for my halting (stumbling), saying, Peradventure (perhaps) he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him. But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible (awesome) one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.’ (Jer.20:10-11) Yes Friends, though others defame, betray and/or seek revenge on us, for speaking the Lord’s Word, we need not be afraid of them, for the Lord our ever-faithful God, will stand strong and steadfast beside us through our calamity. Remember that whatever He brings us to, He will also bring us through. It won’t always be easy, but with His ever-present help, we will come through it with flying colours. Note how Bruh David, Job and Jeremiah all suffered serious betrayals and calamities, but all three came out better than before. That’s the Lord rewarding them for their faithfulness, and He will do likewise for us. That I can also testify to through personal experience. So please let’s be careful with whom or what we associate ourselves, for the evil Beelzebub is out there constantly scouring the land for any bodies he can take advantage of. But just in case things do go wrong, we make a mistake or are betrayed, let’s not get too down on ourselves, simply turn to God, admit our problems and ask for His help. He will help us. If you don’t believe, try it, and you’ll see. More on this tomorrow, if the Lord feels so inclined. Till then, please walk safely with Him. Much LOVE!…though betrayals bring hurt and pain…the Lord’s LOVING-kindness and mercy…will surely help to salve them…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 March 2012 Proverbs 4:23
11 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: Bible, fountain of life., God's Word, gospel, jehovah god, moral consciousness, significant, spiritual life
Proverbs 4:23. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Ah Friends, working for the Lord God Jehovah is no easy task nuh. I just spent a good forty minutes looking for a Bit I could get my head and heart around. To make matters worse, the move back to Daylight Saving Time tonight, meant I had an hour less to play with. However, that time I spent poring over the Word was definitely not wasted, because I came across a lot of stuff that I either didn’t know before, or just never paid attention to, figuring it was not significant. But believer me brethren, EVERY WORD IN THE GOOD BOOK IS SIGNIFICANT! Every time you open it, you’ll see something that you’ve never seen or understood before. That’s the beauty of God’s Word! And though God’s work can be difficult, Friends, it’s always rewarding! I eventually came across a scripture verse that immediately spoke to my head and heart, saying; ‘I am Today’s Bit!’ (smile) It’s a rather timely verse too, words of wisdom from Cousin Sol: ‘Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.’ And that’s the gospel, gospel truth my people! Now I’ll let the scholars give us a brief dissertation on the subject, so that we can get the right perspective. (smile) ‘The Old Testament word heart often refers to the physical organ of the circulatory system. Both Testaments also see the heart figuratively as the centre of the personality or spiritual life. The heart is the seat of intellect, emotions, will, and moral consciousness. It is the personality which has that extraordinary ability to perceive itself. The heart is presented as the seat of conscious life and the fountainhead of life. Jesus taught that sin came out of the heart of people, thus defiling them. Yet after conversion, one of the characteristics of Christians is that they have the law of God written in their hearts (Heb-8:8-12)’ And the heart, my fellow believers, is indeed the fountain of life; for it keeps the blood pumping through our bodies, and thus the breath of life flowing within us, and it’s also the repository for our emotions, whether we do good or evil. No wonder Jesus placed so much emphasis on it in His teaching. Listen to some of His words on the subject. In talking about good and bad fruit, He staunchly declares: ‘O generation (brood, offspring) of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ (Matt.12:34-37) Oh Friends, we’ve all encountered problems in that respect. Then regarding things that defile, Jesus rebuked His listeners thus: ‘Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast (eliminated) out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.’ (Matt.15:17-20) Yes Friends, it’s not what we put into our inner man that really defile us, but what comes out of it. And when talking about a tree being known by its fruit, Jesus solemnly proclaims: ‘For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt (bad) tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.’ (Luke 6:43-45) Oh my people, Jesus left no doubt that what goes on in our hearts is of the utmost importance in our lives. And if we want to truly follow Him, we have to clean up our hearts. Now let’s end with His most significant pronouncement on the affairs of the heart, something that all Christians need to do, if they are serious about their faith. ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.’ (Matt.22:37-38) Ah mih breddren, we all know that in our minds, but how many of us truly follow it our hearts eh? Not nearly enough, otherwise our world would not be in such a sad state. I ask us today to sit down and explore our hearts, right down to the deepest regions, and see whether we’re harbouring any evil there, then ask the Lord to forgive us, so that He can make our faith strong and our way prosperous. Much LOVE!…the heart is the fountain of…wisdom, life, hope and faith…if it’s not right with God…then nothing in our lives will be right…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 March 2012 Psalm 119:89
04 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: God's Word, great commission, humility, teach all nations
Psalm 119:89. For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.
Oh Friends, ‘Do you want to know what is on the mind of God? Then look at Jesus! Do you want to know the will of God? Then Look at Jesus! Do you want to know what is in the heart of God? Then look at Jesus! Jesus is the exact revelation of what is on the mind and in the heart and in the will of God!’ Those are words of awesome truth from my current favourite book, ‘My Jesus is …Everything,’ by Anne Graham Lotz. She breaks down her topics so simply and nicely that I’m being led to share several of them with you. Yes my people, if you want to know anything about the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, LOVING, faithful, kind, merciful, forgiving God we worship, then all you have to do is look at Jesus! For He was and is the earthly incarnation of the Most High God Jehovah! Only because He came to earth in a body like ours and lived amongst us, do we have some true semblance of what our God is really like. Until that time, though God communicated with us through His prophets, no one had ever seen Him in living colour. And such is the human mind that it tends to believe only what it sees, stuff in the physical realm. However with Jesus’ coming, our spiritual dealings with God were now also made manifest in the flesh, and thus more understandable. It also gave greater meaning to the words of the psalmist in our Bit and the two verses that follow: ‘For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled (stands firm) in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth (endures). They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for they are all thy servants.’ (Ps.119:89-91) Without a doubt Friends, the heavens and earth work for the Lord and operate on the solid foundation of His Word! In Ethan the Ezrahite’s contemplation on God’s sure promises to Bruh David, he solemnly declares: ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall be built up for ever; thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.’ (Ps.89:1-2) Meanwhile, Isaiah gives it a more earthy feeling: ‘The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.’ And that’s the undeniable truth my brethren! The Lord’s Word is the solid, immovable, unchangeable rock upon which we can totally build our lives; both earthly and heavenly, without fear of ever being misled, misguided or deceived. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Jesus: ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’ (Matt.24:35) We couldn’t ask for it any plainer or simpler than that Friends. And that’s one of the things I admire about Jesus and His teaching; He never gets into any long discourse or diatribe, but breaks it down as simply and plainly as possible, so that even the dumbest of us can understand, (smile) except in some of the parables where He intentionally tries to confuse His listeners. Then we have Peter’s words on the subject, where he calls for Christian dedication: ‘Being born again, not of corruptible (perishable) seed, but of incorruptible (imperishable), by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. But the (spoken) Word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.’ (1 Pet.1:23-25) Yes Friends, strong, and true words from one who walked with Jesus! In verses 24 and 25, he even quotes Isaiah’s words on the subject, keeping that connection between the Old and New testaments that Jesus Himself forged. Now here’s the last word on the topic from the scholars: ‘Being born again (lit. having been born again) refers to all believers having been regenerated by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, which communicates His offer of salvation to mankind. Thus, our salvation rests, from the human perspective, upon our willing reception of that offer.’ Oh my brethren, have we willing received that free offer of salvation and eternal life from Jesus? I sure hope so. And if we have, then let’s go out and tell the many others who haven’t even heard about it, so that they too can hear the Word, believe it, and humbly bow before the cross of Christ, accepting Him as their ever-LOVING Lord and Saviour, for that’s what we’ve been called to do. Much LOVE!…our great commission…Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost…Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you… (Matt.28:19-20)
