Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 September 2013 Psalm 135:15

Psalm 135:15.    The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
 
Oh Friends, on this glorious, but a tad chilly morn, the last Sunday in September 2013, I think we should begin our message with a hymn of praise to our wonderful God, Jehovah. So please sing this old, but ever timely hymn with me.
 
‘Praise Him, praise Him, all ye little children, God is LOVE, God is LOVE; (repeat). LOVE Him, LOVE Him, all ye little children, God is LOVE, God is LOVE; (repeat). Thank Him, thank Him, all ye little children, God is LOVE, God is LOVE; (repeat) 
 
Oh yes my people, there’s no better way to start our day than with some thanks and praise to our ever-LOVING God! Now let’s hope that all of us who are able to, will get out some time today and fellowship with other believers, for we need that strength and reassurance that fellowshipping brings.
 
That’s why the Lord gave us ONE day each week, regardless of which one you choose, to get together and worship and celebrate His Holy Name. That’s a chance to get away from the evil world and all the ungodly things it has to offer and filter some godly stuff into our precious souls with praise and worship. And all of that fits in very nicely with our Bit: ‘The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.’
 
Ah mih Friends, during our work week, we’re constantly bombarded by all the idolatrous things the world has to offer, so we’ve got to make the most use of the opportunity on Sundays, or whenever you celebrate the Sabbath, to put replenish our souls by reasserting that the Lord God Almighty is the ultimate mover and shaker in our lives. 
 
Now for the last two days, we’ve been looking at scripture that supports our Bit, and today we’ll continue to do the same. There’s plenty scripture on idolatry my Friends, and we need to get it all into us, so that we can resist the attractive siren call of the idols of the world.
 
And we’ll begin with Moses’ warning the Israelites. In Deuteronomy Chap. 4, from verses 15-27, he warns them about turning to the worship of idols when they go into the Promised Land and become prosperous and successful.  Letting them know that it would provoke God to anger, and He would then scatter them amongst the heathen.
 
‘And there shall ye serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
 
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy father which he sware unto them.’ (Deut.4:28-31) 
 
And Friends, we all know that the Israelites did not heed Moses’ warning and eventually turned to idol worship, not once, but several times. And God, being the faithful keeper of His promises, dutifully scattered them amongst the heathen. But by the same token, each time they woke up from their stupidity and repented, He was also faithful and merciful to restore them to their land and prosperity.
 
Oh my people, please remember that our God doesn’t change, and like the Israelites, we have a covenant with Him, through Christ Jesus to stay away from idols and graven images. However, like the Israelites again, we’re not fulfilling our part of the contract, but instead are heavily into worshipping the things of the world. No wonder so much calamity and disaster are currently plaguing our world. 
 
So it’s obvious that if we want to eliminate the catastrophe in our world, then WE have to change. We have to get out of the worldly rat race, CUT OUT the pre-eminence of worldly things in our lives. We can see from the Israelites’ example that all is not lost, that while there’s life, there’s always hope, for our God is a most merciful and forgiving Deity.
 
Thus, if we sincerely repent and turn from our evil ways, He will once again, enfold us in His LOVING embrace, but it all depends on us my people. We hold the key to both our earthly and eternal destiny, and His name is Jesus!
 
So let’s use it to unlock the door to righteousness, salvation and eternal life, like we’ve been taught nuh. It’s the only wise, sane and sensible thing to do, provided we want to save and improve our world. You don’t have to be rocket scientist to figure that our Friends.
 
So, though I have more stuff to share, taking into consideration our busy schedules and already overworked mental systems, (smile) I’ll leave us to ponder on those things that make for a godly and righteous life. Much LOVE!
 
…God’s world doesn’t change…He who is disobedient….will ALWAYS pay a stiff price for their disobedience…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 September 2013 Psalm 135:15

Psalm 135:15.    The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
 
Hear ye, hear ye my people, the Lord our God is ONE God, powerful and mighty, ruling His universe from the beginning of time, even unto eternity! And those who worship Him, must do so in righteousness and truth. And furthermore, He DOESN’T need man, but man NEEDS Him!
 
Please note that we are the only one of His creations that has a brain, that can think and reason – although sometimes I wonder about that – all else moves by instinct. That means the Lord made us for a higher purpose than the other living, breathing and moving organisms.
 
He made us to have a relationship with Him; both individually and collectively, in the early days as the children of Israel, His chosen people, and in the latter days, as the body of Christ’s church. So how then can we refuse to serve and worship Him, although in His awesome generosity He’s granted us the freedom of choice?
 
As we noted yesterday, ALL good things flow from Him. And even the not so good things only happen because He allows them, since they suit His higher plans and purposes.
 
Remember His words: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is.55:8-9)
 
How then Friends, can we be so rebellious and stupid to even consider other supposed gods, much less bow down and worship them eh? Our Bit states it quite plainly: ‘The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.’
 
And isn’t it interesting that Psalm 115, Trust in God, not in idols, says the same thing. ‘Their idols (the heathen’s) are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
 
They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them. O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.’ (Ps.115:4-9)
 
And that’s truth in spades my brethren! Those verses today from Psalm 115 are just a tad more expansive than the ones we read yesterday, 15-18 from Psalm 135. But they surely do contain the same important information; that the work of man’s hands can NEVER be gods to be worshipped!
 
Oh my people, from the very beginning, our God warned against worshipping other deities. His first commandments to the Israelites, His chosen people, were: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
 
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to (worship) them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting (punishing) the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that LOVE me, and keep my commandments.’ (Ex.20:3-6)
 
Oh Friends, what’s in those commandments not to understand eh? As always, our God speaks in plain, simple, straightforward language. Therefore, if we consider ourselves true believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, how can we in all conscience then justify placing the things of the world before and above Him, as we so obviously do?
 
Many of us treat God as a footnote, an afterthought, instead of the main frame, the first and most important consideration, which is His rightful place. But when disaster suddenly befalls us – that includes the unbelievers, the agnostics, the don’t care and every other group – the first words to come flying out of our mouths are always: ‘Oh God!’
 
Now why do we naturally cry out to a God who either doesn’t exist, and/or we don’t believe in eh? That’s because we’ve been programmed from creation, in the depths of our souls that THERE IS A GOD!
 
Ah Friends, it’s a very unwise and foolish life we live when we don’t put Almighty God and His concerns first and foremost in our lives! There are just no other terms for it. We just have to call a spade, what it is, a spade. No dancing around the subject will change or make it better.
 
The only way to improve the situation is to turn away from the things that we consider more important than God, and put Him in His rightful spot; NUMBER ONE on the Hit Parade!
 
 It reminds me of back in the heydays of the Beatles. Every week they would have at least four or five songs in the Top Ten. Now our God is much greater than them, that’s why He deserves ALL TEN SPOTS on our Hit Parade, featuring His Ten Commandments! Anything les than that is idolatry, in other words pure foolishness! Nuff said, mih breddren!
 
Today, I’m therefore asking us all to please consider, seriously ponder our idolatrous ways, and ask the merciful and forgiving God we worship to help us bring them into line with His thinking. That’s heavenly wisdom, my people! Much LOVE!
 
…simple logic dictates that the Creator of the universe and all therein…is the undisputed Head Honcho of the universe and all things therein…NO ONE can usurp His rightful place…Elementary, my dear Watson…  (smile)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 August 2013 Matthew 8:26

Matthew 8:26.    And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was great calm.

Oh Friends, is Sunday morning, and all the hoopla about the Caribana Parade finish now! Thank the Lord! I don’t think any serious negative incidents occurred, for the duchess didn’t mention any. She just said that the bands didn’t start coming down the boulevard until around 4 p.m.
 
Now it’s been bad over the years, in terms of the bands heading out on the parade route, but I’ve never seen or heard it that bad. And it’s somewhat amusing now, because when the old Caribana group, which consisted mainly of immigrant West Indians, ran the show, the lateness of all the events was blamed on their West Indian mentality for not respecting time in a professional manner.
 
But it’s an entirely new set up now, with new and supposedly more time conscious people. So who or what is to blame for such a late start eh? (smile) Anyway, I won’t get into it, because I really don’t know what’s happening, and Caribana and all that it entails is just too confusing and controversial for my small mind to handle.
 
So this Sunday morning I’ll just stick with my Bit, which I do know a little about. (smile) ‘And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was great calm.’ 
 
Oh my brethren, fear is so rampant in all walks of life in our evil and godless society, that it’s not funny. Whether it’s fear of terrorism, the downturn of the economy, losing one’s job, one’s home, of physical attacks out on the streets in broad daylight, and even home invasions now, attacks right in your castle, fear is one of the common denominators of modern-day life.
 
But technically speaking, so much fear should not exist, because our society has achieved such a high level of technological innovation, with so much surveillance and supposed safety measures. But sadly, those same technological advances are cowing us for Big Brother is using them to scare us and enact controversial laws that deprive us of our privacy and other freedoms.
 
However Friends, true believers don’t need to be that worried. Yes, physical stuff happens to us, our privacy and privileges can be curtailed, or even taken away, but with Jesus Christ as our mind and body guard, we can still stand strong regardless of what comes against us. That’s because we can do ALL things through Christ, who strengthens us. (Phil.4:13)
 
Unfortunately though, that takes a fairly high level of faith, which seems to be sadly lacking in many Christians, for far too many of us are getting frantic and panicking as the world situation deteriorates. Now we do have to be concerned, but we don’t have to turn ourselves and our situations upside down.
 
Remember yesterday we quoted these words of Jesus: ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33b). Well Friends, that is a staple bit of scripture that we all should learn, believe and hold tightly to, otherwise all the negative happenings in the world today will just confuse, confuffle and eventually drive us crazy. It will only raise fear in our souls, rather than the powerful energizer, faith.
 
Remember we also said yesterday that the level of our faith will determine the level of our fear, and asked us to read Hebrews chapter 11, the chapter dedicated to faith and its rewards. I hope we all did, because it’s for our individual benefit and no one else’s. And if we did read it, we saw the numerous people who operated on faith in Almighty God, even though their individual circumstances cried out for fear.
 
Look at Abraham nuh. Imagine in his seventies, rich as ever, not wanting for anything material, the Lord told him to pack up and move away from his family. And though he didn’t know where the Lord was sending him, he obeyed God, and that was credited to Abraham for righteousness.
 
Today Friends, we have many more options and stuff than any of those people mentioned in the Good Book had, but our faith seems to be at a much lower level. Why? I really don’t know. Maybe life’s just become too easy and we take too many things for granted, like heat, light and water. And since we’re not accustomed to doing without the basic amenities, when something happens to any of them, we get all jittery and fearful.
 
And a good example of that loss of basic functions is when the Internet goes down. Wow! Our whole world stops and everybody gets jittery. That’s because too much of our lives now depend on computers and all the communication devices that are currently in use. Five or ten years ago, many fewer people would have been affected by such a breakdown, but unfortunately every day we’re becoming more and more linked to, and thus more affected by the technological revolution.
 
In many respects it’s a good thing, but there are also some serious drawbacks, as it’s also prone to criminal and fraudulent activities. And remember that anything a man builds, another man can break into or destroy. Man-made safe guards don’t always do the trick. Just look at all the successful hacker activities that are now taking place.
 
Oh my people, we have to use all this new-fangled stuff as mere tools, and stop allowing them to run and control our lives. In other words, stop bowing down to them, because we are certainly using them as idols, and they are taking away from our time with God.
 
Now do you think He appreciates that? No Way! Remember His first commandment is that we should have no other Gods before Him, and we should not bow to any graven images or idols.
 
Unfortunately though, in this crazy, confused world, there are all sorts of idols to worship, and unless we have a strong relationship with Jehovah God, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, we will easily get scared and afraid of stuff that’s not supposed to intimidate us.
 
Oh Friends, I implore us this Sunday morning to keep looking to our wonderful, omnipotent and magnanimous God for strength and courage to face the vicissitudes of this life. That’s because only in Him, His Word and His Son Jesus Christ can true strength be found through positive faith.
 
And that’s wisdom of the eternal kind! Much LOVE!
 
…courage doesn’t mean the absence of fear…but more the abundance of faith…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22July 2013 Psalm 102:12

Psalm 102:12.    But thou, O lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.
 
And the crier cried: ‘Lo, behold, it is Monday!’ And all God’s children responded with a joyful shout of  ‘Glory Hallelujah! Thank the Lord it is Monday, and we can go out to earn a living and win souls for Jesus! Amen.’
 
Now Friends, that’s the correct response to the notification that Monday’s rolled around once again. Look at it this way nuh, if there was no Monday, then there’d be no Friday for you to get all excited about. Elementary eh, my dear Watson!’  (smile)
 
Oh Friends, I just want us to get out of this ridiculous, negative and unproductive habit of being tired and blue and miserable on Mondays, because it just colours our entire week in negativity. Yuh know when you begin one way, it’s difficult to finish another, and all we’re doing here is falling prey to Lucifer’s guile and falsehood, which only keeps us in bondage and subservience.  
 
Anyway, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with passion and enthusiasm nuh, so that Jesus will know that at least we’re trying to get out of the slump that we’re in.
 
As one voice now: ‘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!’
 
Oh Friends, I hope that woke us up, and we’re now ready to join the battle with much gusto. And if that woke us up, then listen to our Bit, which will keep us strong and steadfast in faith. ‘But thou, O lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.’
 
And that my fellow believers is the truth in spades! Our God will certainly endure for evermore! Remember He’s declared that He’s Alpha and Omega, the FIRST and the LAST (Rev.1:11), and our God does not lie. That means He’s been eternally sovereign since the beginning of time, and will be till eternity.
 
He made this clear to Moses when He commissioned him at the burning bush (Ex.3). Moses claimed He didn’t know God’s name. ‘And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the Children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.’ (Ex.3:14-15)
 
And re the scholars: ‘The significance of the name of God given in verse 14, I AM THAT I AM, constitutes that idea that the ‘I AM” in Exodus 3 reveals God as the Being who is absolutely self-existent, and who, in Himself, possesses essential life and permanent existence.’
 
And with all the miracles He’s worked and the faithful promises He’s kept down through the ages, there’s no need for us to be afraid of anything or anyone, for our God has proven that He is alive and indeed mightier than all the idols and graven images mankind chooses to worship. And you’ll also notice the truth that the remembrance of the Lord God Jehovah has been passed down to every generation until now.
 
However my brethren, I am worried about that aspect of our Bit, because our generation has not done such a good job in educating our children about God and all that He stands for, being too busy to acquire the material things of the world. We’re also allowing the workers of iniquity to take God out of our schools and public places without a fight, more negative reinforcement for our children.
 
And sadly, if it keeps going like it is right now, in a couple of generations, the very memory of the ONE TRUE GOD might be lost forever. And that would certainly be a blight on our generation, because we would have been the ones who began the downfall.
 
Anyway Friends, enough for today. I’ll leave us to contemplate the unfortunate situation we find ourselves in, and hope that we’ll seriously consider improving our godly work, because it’s of the utmost importance in our lives and our legacy to those of future generations. Much LOVE!
 
…in every age…the current believers are responsible…for keeping God’s Word and His memory alive…  
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 July 2013 Psalm 99:1

Psalm 99:1.    The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubim; let the earth be moved.
 
Well hello there mih lovelies! Once again it’s Friday…  And everybody jumps up and shouts, ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! The workweek soon finish, and the weekend begins! Party time is here!’
 
Not so fast my people. It’s true the week is ending and we have some free time, but it should not all be devoted to partying, not even the greatest portion. So let’s chant our Friday Chant that gives us a better idea of how to use our weekend.
 
All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
 
Yes Friends, the weekend should be broken up into party time, relaxation and spiritual fellowship, because it’s only two lousy days off we have, then the whole work cycle begins again. And if we’re not well rested and spiritually refreshed, we’ll begin the week even more tired than we finished it, and won’t be good for anything, especially furthering Jesus’ kingdom.
 
So let’s have a little ‘modicum of circumspection’ this weekend nuh, especially since it’s summer and the urge to let loose and party is so great.
 
Anyway, my area was hit with another hot day, and another one is expected today. What amuses and amazes me though, is the wind behaviour. During the day yesterday, the wind was blowing strong. It even forced me back inside around 5.30 p.m when I went outside on my back deck to read the papers.
 
However, around 8.30 p.m. the sun was still up, I went out on the front porch, and surprise surprise, nary a breath of air was stirring. But then at around 1 a.m, the breeze was blowing fresh and strong again.
 
Hn! Who’s to understand it eh? Only the Lord God Jehovah! For as He says, His ways and thoughts are much higher than ours. (Is.55:9)
 
And in any case, He created the wind and all that there is in our universe. Not only that, but as the psalmist states in our Bit, which comes from Psalm 99, God has been faithful: ‘The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubim; let the earth be moved (shaken).’
 
Yes Friends, the divine kingdom of the Lord is at hand!
 
And the psalmist continues to talk about the greatness of the king. ‘The Lord is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.’ (Ps.99:2)
 
And as true believers, we know that it’s so. Therefore, ‘Let them praise thy great and terrible (awesome) name; for it (He) is holy.’ (Ps.99:3)
 
Ah my people, our mouths should be so filled with praise and thanksgiving to our great and mighty God and King, that we should have little time for anything else. But unfortunately, in this wicked, perverse and godless world, we seem to have time for everything else but God.
 
And the psalmist continues, telling us next about God’s justice. ‘The king’s strength also LOVETH judgement; thou doest establish equity (uprightness), thou executest judgement and righteousness in Jacob.’ (Ps.99:4)
 
Those are words of eternal truth my people! Therefore, ‘Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.’ (Ps.99:5)
 
Now worshipping and glorifying our magnificent God is exactly what we should be doing down here on earth my brethren! But are we doing that? Sadly, the answer is an unfortunate NO!
 
Compared to the level of exaltation and worship our wonderful God deserves, what we’re giving is like a drop in the bucket. Instead though, we’re worshipping, glorifying and bowing down to the things of the world. They have become more important to us than God.
 
But please remember Friends, our God doesn’t share His divinity kindly or otherwise with any other, be it beast, man or thing. And He makes this abundantly clear right from the very outset.
 
‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
 
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to (worship) them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous god, visiting (punishing) the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. And showing mercy to thousands of them that LOVE me, and keep my commandments.’ (Ex. 20:3-6)
 
Oh my people, it’s right there in black and white, simple and straightforward! So what is there that prevents us from doing as He says eh? Why is our world so ungodly, so evil, so full of idols and other graven images to which we are shamelessly bowing down to eh?
 
Yuh know, in one breath we declare how great our God is and all that, but then in the next, we magnify the things of the world above Him. That doesn’t make sense my people. In fact it’s utter stupidity, because we’ll never get away with it, for He’s told us so in no uncertain terms.
 
But like our forefathers, we’re just stubborn and rebellious, like to do our own thing, thinking we’re so great. I beseech us though fellow believers, to remember these momentous words of Jesus.
 
‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) 
 
More words of eternal truth Friends! Without Jesus we can do nothing worthwhile in our own strength. So please, let’s wake up and smell the roses nuh, cause our world is going to hell in a bucket. Let’s take Jesus and all He stands for seriously, or else we’ll live to regret it.
 
Let’s do instead as the psalmist wisely advises. ‘Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.’ (Ps.99:9)
 
Now that my brethren is the very pinnacle of wisdom! Let’s be wise and reach for it nuh. Much LOVE!
 
…he that hath ears to hear…let him hear…else he’ll be sorry…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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