Deuteronomy 31:6. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Oh Friends, blessed greetings on this cold, wet, uninspiring Monday morning! (smile) And plenty thanks be to our wonderful God also, He who so LOVINGLY looks after all our needs! I do hope that all of us who are slated to receive some of ‘Frankenstorm’ Sandy’s wrath have battened down our hatches and made good preparations to withstand the onslaught. Meanwhile, for those of you who have already experienced its ravages, I hope and pray that you are being strong in faith and doing your best to get yourselves back together again. And the rest of you, please pray some righteous, earnest, heart-felt prayers that Sandy doesn’t do nearly as much damage as he or she is scheduled to do. Now Sandy hasn’t even gotten close to me as yet, and I’m already experiencing a bigger leak than normal in the laundry room of my basement. Ah Lord eh! And to make matters worse, the wind and rain is not allowing my fix-it-all guy to get up on the roof, where we suspect the problem lies. But if that’s the biggest damage I suffer, then I’ll gladly live with it. And remember Friends, in the simple, but oh so wise words of the old sage – this too shall pass. So let’s invoke our Bit right now to help us in our time of anxiety. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ Yes Friends, fear is a major factor in all of our lives these days, it’s just that some handle it better, through FAITH and PRAYER, than others. And with that in mind, this first day of our new workweek, when many are afraid of the pending calamity, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, so that our fearful, lazy, bluesy spirits can be lifted, that they may soar like eagles heavenwards together with our prayer, and embolden us, regardless of the circumstances we face, to go out into the unfriendly, ungodly world and make a significant mark for Jesus. All together now, as the harmonious earthly choir that we are. (smile) ‘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!’ There we go my People! All of heaven was pleased with our heady effort! No excuses now for not getting out in a good, strong, faithful, courageous frame of mind. Oh, before we go any further, let me apologize for a typo yesterday. When I quoted the Lord’s command to Joshua, that His Word should constantly be in his mouth, I associated it with Josh.1:9, instead of Josh.1:8. Mea Culpa! Ah Friends, when sin came into the world, it brought fear with it; a sad lack of confidence in many aspects of our lives. But the caring and understanding Deity we serve and worship, realized our human frailty and gave us an outlet to conquer fear through His Holy Word. And throughout the Good Book, especially in the Old Testament, there are numerous examples of God’s assurance to His chosen people. Possibly the most reassuring of all God’s assurances on fear is when Pharaoh’s army was about to overtake the Israelites as they approached the Red Sea, on their journey out of centuries of bondage in Egypt. Although they had witnessed the calamities that the Lord had rained down on Egypt because of Pharaoh’s refusal to let them go, they nonetheless cried out in great fear to Moses, saying it would have been better to remain in slavery in Egypt than to die in the wilderness, cruelly slaughtered in their helpless state by the Egyptian army. But what was Moses’ response? ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace (be quiet).’ (Ex.14:13-14) And we all know how the Lord instructed Moses to lift his rod over the Red Sea, and it was parted, allowing the Israelites to walk over on dry land. However, the Egyptian army was totally annihilated when they tried to cross over, as the Lord rejoined the waters. Up to this day Friends, I believe that’s the most awesome miracle the Lord’s ever done, both in terms of emotional drama as well as sheer physical size. I’ve forgotten the exact figures quoted by people who studied the situation, but it required several miles of space between the waters for some two million Israelites, plus all their animals and household belongings to cross in one night. Now Friends, if you had personally experienced such a miracle, would you have ever had any further doubts in the amazing power, strength and LOVING-kindness of the God of your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? I’d hope not. But unfortunately the Israelites were so fickle and faithless that they complained all the way to the Promised Land, even though the Lord miraculously led them by a pillar of fire at nights, and a cloud by day and also provided food (manna) and water for them along the way. Then when they finally arrived at the border of the Promised Land, they were too scared to go over the Jordan and fight for it, as the Lord instructed. They listened to ten of the twelve spies they sent to reconnoitre the land, who claimed that though the land was fruitful and prosperous, the inhabitants were too big for them to conquer. That’s why they wondered in the wilderness for forty years until all of the generation that had left Israel had died. ONLY Joshua and Caleb, the two spies who voted to go in and fight, ever set foot on the Promised Land. Even poor Moses, after so much struggle with the Israelites, was only allowed to see it from a far off hill, because of his disobeying God’s order to talk to the rock and not strike it at the waters of Meribah-kadesh. (Num. 20:11-13) Ah mih people, such is the negative effect of fear. Please, let’s not allow it to conquer us. Much LOVE!…the only thing that conquers fear…FAITH IN ALMIGHTY GOD…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 October 2012 Deuteronomy 31:6
29 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: aura of love, disobedience, enthusiasm, faith, fear, God's assurance, Jesus Christ, miracles, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, prayer, Promised Land, renewed vitality, steadfast faith, wicked taunts, wiles of the devil
Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 October 2012 Jude 3
26 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: blasphemy, Christmas Carols, deception, destruction, exploitation, faith, false prophets, falsehood, fellowship, Friday chant, heresy, Jesus Christ, meditation, Parang, prayer, salvation, sensibilities in Jesus, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, truth, weekend
Jude 3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! The day we all LOVE to see come around, because it heralds the weekend; two days of no labouring for Massa. But you know what’s already happening in T&T? Christmas Carols and Parang (local folk music with a Spanish influence) are already being played on the T&T radio stations. Wow! I was somewhat surprised to hear them being aired so early, 2 months before Christmas. And I haven’t heard any up here as yet. But as we all know, Christmas is a big time in the Twin Island Republic, especially in this 50th year of Independence. So you can imagine how the Parang sides are already lined up with their quatros (a small, guitar like instrument) to go out to sing and celebrate the wonderful birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And today, everybody’s singing to quatro accompaniment: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Work done for the week! Is my time now! Thank God is Friday!’ But Friends, to get the proper perspective for the weekend, we need to tone down the rhetoric and party time some, and ramp up the influence of Jesus. So let’s do that by chanting our Friday Chant nuh, with much spirit and enthusiasm. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Yes mih people, the weekend isn’t for partying alone, it’s also a time to renew and refresh our sensibilities in Jesus, especially with fellowship on whatever day you celebrate the Sabbath. That’s one way to adhere to the advice of our Bit: ‘Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.’ When we renew our acquaintance with Christ, through study, prayer, meditation and fellowship, it enables us to better understand what we’re all about in Him, and thus to stand up stronger for the TRUTH of our FAITH. And some of you probably get a little miffed because I keep harping on TRUTH and standing strong in the FAITH, but Friends, there’s a very good reason for that, namely the falsehood, prevarication and all the other anomalies that are so prevalent in Christ’s church today, in all aspects of its being; from clergy to congregation, to doctrine and practices. And unless we know the TRUTH and stand up strong to protect it, then Christ’s church will eventually become even more divisive than it is now, and of even less positive repute. And that’s something I’m sure none of us want to happen, but it will unless WE ALL get actively involved in building and strengthening it. Now let’s get into some serious scripture on the subject, Listen to Peter, as he wisely warns of false prophets and teachers: ‘But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily (secretly) shall bring in damnable (destructive) heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious (destructive) ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of (blasphemed). And through covetousness shall they with feigned (deceptive) words make merchandise of (exploit) you: whose judgement now of a long time lingereth not (has not been idle), and their damnation (destruction) slumbereth not.’ (2 Pet.2:1-3) Yes Friends, it happened back then and it’s happening now too, more widespread, with even greater fervour because of the ease of communication, and numerous lost, anxious humans looking for, seeking some kind of healing balm for their emotional and spiritual wounds. Now we’ll end with some observations from the scholars on those verses. ‘The opposite of true revelation is the message of false prophets and false teachers who deceive God’s flock and bring in damnable heresies. These heresies (unorthodox teachings) include an open denial of Christ Himself. Denying the Lord that bought them indicates that Christ’s atonement potentially extends to all men, including those false teachers who reject Him. Therefore they will experience destruction because they themselves will be deceived by their own teaching and continue to reject the way of truth.’ Oh Friends, please take all this seriously, because it concerns each and every believer, and the TRUTH or falsehood we allow into our lives. Much LOVE!…beware of sweet-tongued teachers and preachers…for those with the gift of gab…can lead even the most faithful astray… P.S. It’s a good thing that I don’t have a sweet tongue or the gift of gab. (smile)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 October 2012 Revelation 4:9
09 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: appreciation, giving thanks always, glory, honour, Jesus Christ, joy, keys of hell and death, praise, thanks, the First and the Last, warriors for Jesus, wisdom, worship
Revelation 4:9. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever.
Well my people, the Thanksgiving Celebrations are over for another year!Now it’s back to the daily grind and common task. And sadly, I know that some of us are going to have a hard time getting up and going to work this Tuesday morning because of our over giving of thanks yesterday. (smile) But as they say, when the Piper plays, you’ve got to pay! So just suck it up now like real warriors and get out there and work for Jesus! You certainly weren’t complaining when you were feeding your face and carrying on yesterday, so please don’t complain now. Please note too, that though the official day for giving thanks as a nation has passed, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give thanks individually, as families and as fellow worshippers, because giving thanks is an integral part of who we are as believers. As Bruh Paul told the Ephesians, we should be ‘Giving thanks ALWAYS for ALL things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Eph.5:20) And that Friends is, or should be a major building block in our faith walk, since there are so many things in our everyday lives to give sincere thanks for. Then there’s the natural fact that when we tell each other thanks for whatever we’ve done for the other, it raises our level of joy and appreciation. In the same manner when we give God thanks for His goodness to us, it warms the cockles of His heart and makes Him want to bless us even more. Wow! I can’t get over it Friends; the awesome God we serve and worship! And don’t think that only on earth there’s thanks and praise. No way! There’s even more thanks and praise going on in heaven! As John describes in Revelation 4, around God’s throne is constant singing and giving of praise, honour and glory to the Most High! He saw four beasts around the throne; ‘And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest (cease) not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.’ (Rev.4:7-8) Yes Friends, a continual giving of thanks and praise to God goes on on high! Now here’s the scholars’ opinion on those verses: ‘The four beasts or living creatures (lit. “living ones”) are probably angels (cf. Ezekiel 10:15-22) who guard the throne of God. The eyes symbolize wisdom, and the wings depict movement. They worship God as did the seraphim in Isaiah’s vision (cf. Is.6:1-3). The lion represents strength (cf. Ps.103:20), and the calf service (cf. Heb.1:14), the face of a man intelligence (cf. Luke 2:52), and the eagle swiftness (cf. Dan.9:21). The angelic vision has a strong allusion to Ezekiel 1:4-14.’ Please take a moment and check out those scriptures Friends, for it will help you to understand where the scholars are coming from. Then we come to our Bit: ‘And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever.’ You know what happens when those beasts chant and sing my brethren? ‘The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (by your will they exist). (Rev.4:10-11) Words of awesome truth my people! The scholars explain it thus: ‘All of heaven worship the Father. The angels extol His character, and the elders (church) extol His creative powers. God has the right to rule and the sovereign authority to judge the earth, because He is both holy and the Creator of it all.’ That is also awesome truth Friends, as corroborated by the Son of Man when John saw Him in all His flaming glory. John solemnly declares: ‘And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Write these things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be (take place) hereafter.’ (Rev.1:17-19) Now who else has the power or authority to make such a definitive and powerful proclamation eh my brethren? NOBODY but our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! So please, let’s truly worship Him in spirit and in truth as He desires. Let’s show Him true appreciation for all that He so selflessly sacrificed for us, and the awesome plans He has for us with Him, after the demise of this earth. No greater words can be found in any earthly language than a sincere and heartfelt, ‘THANK YOU JESUS!’ Please, let’s remember that, and do accordingly. Much LOVE my people!…the giving of thanks…both to God and our fellow man…ought to be a continuous act…on the part of every believer…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 October 2012 Psalm 26:7
08 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: awesome planet, blessings, energizing, enthusiasm, free gift of God, grace, Jesus Christ, Monday, rejuvenation, salvation, selfless sacrifice, thanksgiving, things to be thankful for, vitality
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY CANADA!
Psalm 26:7. That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all your wonderful works.
Well a Happy Thanksgiving to all you beautiful people in the world of the Scrip-Bit! Yes Friends, it’s Thanksgiving Day in this wonderful land of Canada! And are there ever so many things for us to give thanks for? They certainly are too numerous to mention, including the things we take for granted, like food, clothing, shelter, jobs, good health, friends and families. Please Friends, I urge us to be very thankful for those basic necessities of life because a major portion of our world is sadly lacking in them. But to my mind, as I recently mentioned, the two most important things to be thankful for are firstly, the overwhelming fact that we are alive and in fairly good health! Yes my people, it deserves much thanks that the Good Lord saw it fit to allow the breath of life to continue flowing through our mortal bodies this Monday morning, so that we can enjoy another day of life on the awesome planet that’s He’s created for us to enjoy. Oh I know that some of us are shaking it a tad on the rough side, but even then, I don’t think we’re ready to be called home as yet. That brings me to the MOST important thing for which we need to be thankful: SALVATION, the free gift of God, earned by Jesus Christ for us through His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary! Now what can be more important than that eh mih breddren? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! For through Jesus’ selfless sacrifice, and God’s gift of grace, we’ve been washed clean of all our abominable sins for all time, and have also been guaranteed a place with Jesus through all eternity! Wow! And all God’s people gave a truly grateful shout of joy: ‘All praise to Jesus, our Lord and Saviour! For He is indeed worthy to be praised! Now since it’s Thanksgiving Day in Canada, that means it’s also a Public Holiday, so the majority of us don’t have to go out and labour today, ‘Praise the Lord!’ But unfortunately the majority of the world still has to. Consequently, we still have to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to energize those who have to go out into this ungodly world and face the heathen hordes. So, with exceptionally loud voice, and in sweet tune, (smile) let’s sing our fighting song: Let’s make it rock both the heavens and the earth with sincere thanks! All together 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!’ That was most excellent mih people! We were so believable that we even had all the heavenly host singing along with us. The Father’s face was glossed with a broad smile, and Jesus pumped His right hand in victory! Wow! So let’s go out now and put all that we just vocalized into solid, positive action, so that Jesus won’t be disappointed and become a laughingstock of the evil, ungodly felons of this fallen world, who are diligently seeking the demise of His church down here on earth. And that’s exactly what our Bit extols us to do: ‘That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all your wonderful works.’ Oh Friends, it’s becoming more important everyday for us to tell the world with heartfelt thanks what our Lord and Saviour has done for us, so that we can regain the ground recently lost to the infidel, and thus pull our very sick, confused and troubled world up out of the mire into which it is steadily descending. Psalm 26 is about Bruh David being falsely accused of some wrongdoing, but he refuses to give up, and wisely turns his face to the God of his fathers for help. Listen to his words before our Bit: ‘Judge (vindicate) me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide (trip). Examine me, O Lord, and prove (try) me; Try my reins (test my mind) and my heart. For thy LOVING-kindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth. I have not sat with vain (idolatrous) persons, neither will I go with dissemblers (hypocrites). I have hated the congregation of evildoers; and will not sit with the wicked. I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass (go about) thine altar, O Lord.’ (Ps.26:1-6) Oh my brethren, we also have to walk in integrity, and not frolic with nor follow the wicked, if we want to be considered good servants, stewards of God. Ah my people, the Lord will judge all our hearts individually, but on this Thanksgiving Day of 2012, please, let’s sit for a moment and ponder all that we have to give thanks for, which, compared to most of the world is plenty. Then, because of our abundant blessings, let’s get truly joyful in spirit and go out and share with the rest of the world, whether it be time, talents, treasure or simple advice. Let’s tell the world, loudly, boldly, joyfully and with much thanks, how the Lord God Jehovah has been exceedingly good to us! That’s the way true believers are supposed to behave. Much LOVE!…if we’re not generous…freely giving and sharing…then we’re not true followers of Christ… (P.S) All you Canadian thanks givers, please remember, that drunk or sober, you must mind your business, and don’t give Lucifer any chance to get into and disrupt your souls. That means go easy on the partying. (smile) Much LOVE!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 October 2012 Psalm 67:4
01 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: adrenalin, complaining, enthusiasm, evildoers, invincible, Jesus Christ, LOVE, majesty, Monday blues, praise God, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteousness., spiritual armour, strength, sure conquerors, whining
Psalm 67:4. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
Oh Friends, mankind is really something else yes! We’re like chameleons, constantly changing from one minute to the next, to suit our current desire. I’ve been thinking about how joyful most of us were on Friday, high-fiving each other and shouting ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ But today, on Monday, only a couple days later, all I can hear is a set of moaning and whining: ‘Yuh mean to say is really Monday already? Ah really have to go to work today boy? Ah wonder how much sick time I have left eh…or which of mih family hasn’t died yet…? And besides, just look at the rain pelting down out there nuh…or the snow and the sleet…Mama Yo! And yuh see how the wind blowing crazy out there? It must be a hurricane or something yes! And they want me to go out there in that kinda weather…Steups!’ Hn, hn, hn! Yes Friends, that’s the way many of us behave, come Monday morning. We’ll use every trick in the book, find every excuse not to go to work. But you know, as true followers of Jesus, we’re not supposed to do that, especially in these precarious times when jobs are scarce and hard to come by, plus many of us are in debt way above our heads. But to help us overcome our lack of enthusiasm for work this morning, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, loud and strong, as though we really mean it, and eventually it will become the reality. As one now, let’s make Jesus proud of us: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Now doesn’t that make us feel better? The natural adrenalin, plus the deep LOVE for Jesus has awakened the sleeping, tired tiger in us, so that we’re just rearing to get out into the evil world and clean up those evildoers! (smile) Ah mih people, I wish it was that easy, but we all know it’s not. However, to enable us to keep our light, enthusiastic frame of mind, I’ve found an uplifting, positive Bit, and some uplifting, positive scriptures to back it up. So let’s get into our Bit. ‘O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.’ Yes my brethren, let’s pause and consider that statement for a moment. It’s just chocked full of truth; all nations ought to sing and jump for joy because we have such a just and righteous leader in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or Elohim, the God of all people! Now hear these moving, positive and truthful words from Psalm 93. ‘The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself; the world also is stablished, that it can not be moved (shaken). Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.’ (Ps. 93:1-2) And if you don’t believe that, then listen to this from Psalm 96; A call to praise God. ‘O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear (tremble) before him, all the earth. Say among the heathen (Gentiles) that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be (is firmly) established that it shall not be moved (shaken): he shall judge the people righteously.’ (Ps.96:9-10) Now listen to this from Psalm 68, God has gone before his people. ‘Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol (praise) him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH (Lord), and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, and a judge (defender) of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.’ (Ps.68: 4-5) Words of absolute truth my people! And we’ll end appropriately with the words that follow our Bit. ‘Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase (give her produce); and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.’ (Ps.67:5-7) And that’s gospel my brethren! So please, I implore us to encourage ourselves and each other in our wonderful God, today and everyday, to do our best to sincerely live our faith in this evil world that surrounds us, so that the heathen will see our great joy in the Lord of Hosts, and thus desire to know and LOVE Him too. That’s our purpose down here on earth. Much LOVE!…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 September 2012 3 John 4
17 Sep 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: enthusiasm, evil, genuine faith, glorious kingdom, Jesus Christ, joy, Lucifer, Monday blues, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, positives, spiritual armour, spread the gospel, vitality, walk in truth, working for a living
3 John 4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 September 2012 Jeremiah 33:3
06 Sep 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: a future, ever-faithful God, gracious, hope, Jesus Christ, LOVE, manna, mercy, peace, prosperity, righteous, sacrificial lamb, titillate, truth
Jeremiah 33:3. Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Ah mih people, it’s a new day, but the ole fella doesn’t have anything new to titillate your senses with in my intro. (smile) Oh there’s lots of stuff I could write, but unfortunately it wouldn’t fit with the God-inspired theme that we want to perpetuate in the Scrip-Bit. So I guess I’ll just have to stick with the tried and true approach, telling you about giving thanks and praise to Almighty God for showing us the extraordinary favour of seeing another beautiful day on planet earth. And I don’t care how bad our problems might be down here on earth, none of us are really ready to go and join Him up there in the wild, blue yonder. And I would be certainly amiss in my duties if I didn’t remind us of all the wonderful blessings that the Lord’s prepared to shower down on us this balmy Thursday in September 2012. Remember too, that these mercies and blessings are new every single day. Our God is so great and generous that He insists on bestowing new stuff on us every day. No going back into yesterday’s bag of goodies. So you can be assured that every day you spend on this evil and troubled earth, you will be endowed with new favour, new manna from above. As they say, yesterday is past, tomorrow hasn’t yet arrived, but today, the present is here, so enjoy today’s presence and presents. No need to worry about tomorrow, for Jesus promised that tomorrow would look after itself. (Matt.6:34) A new batch of presents will arrive from our heavenly Father everyday, if we continuously seek to do His will. So let’s stop worrying and being anxious about out troubles, neither of those things will help, but instead make our situations worse. To solve our earthly problems, we need to do as our Bit says: ‘Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty (inaccessible) things, which thou knowest not.’ And Friends, that’s the gospel truth. Many of us can testify to that. And yuh know my people, our God is so wonderful that long before I began walking seriously with Him – though I didn’t live the way He wanted, I never forgot His Word – there are several occasions that I can remember where I was in a serious jam, from which I couldn’t extricate myself in my own strength, and I cried out to Him, and He did provide solutions to my problems. Yes Friends, we can all tell stories of crying out to our heavenly Father in times of dire need and having Him respond with LOVE and mercy. So why then are we still so reluctant to truly follow Him eh? I guess deep down, our basic human nature still desires the things of the world, the glitter and glamour still capture our fleshly senses, and with Lucifer’s able assistance and prodding, those fleshly lusts rise up above the spiritual common sense. But Friends, nobody knows our fallen nature better than the One who created us. And the wonderful thing about it all is that He doesn’t expect us to be perfect, but He does expect us to try and elevate ourselves in His Word and His Will, to try and become more like His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus, our shining example. So when we occasionally make a mess of things, we shouldn’t be too proud to call on Him for help, especially since He’s really the only one who can offer us lasting help. Listen to this wonderful promise He made to the people of Judah, through Jeremiah, after severely punishing them for their gross disobedience. ‘For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I have toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken (listen) unto you.’ (Jer.29:10-12) And my brethren, we all know that our ever-faithful God, faithfully fulfilled that promise. It’s also a promise that still stands and holds good for us today my people! Our amazing God only has good thoughts towards us; thoughts of peace and prosperity. But we first have to engage Him in conversation and communication. When we do our part, He will do His. Hear how Bruh David says it in Psalm 145, re the Lord is gracious. ‘The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy (gracious) in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.’ (Ps.145:17-19) And Bruh David certainly knew about the Lord’s goodness and graciousness from personal experience! So please Friends, let’s turn our thoughts and our hearts towards Almighty God nuh. He is the One who created us, and only in Him, through the sacrificial lamb, Jesus Christ, can we find that sense of true peace, LOVE and prosperity, for which all of us are seeking. That’s the ultimate wisdom for this, and every age! Much LOVE!…and ye shall seek me…and find me…when ye shall search for me…with all your heart… (Jer.29:13)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 September 2012 Jeremiah 33:3
05 Sep 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: active, answer, call me, candle, confidence, deliverance, faithful, fear, generation, glorify, goodness, heart and soul, Jesus Christ, Jesus' words, life, passion, prosperity, sin, torch, tremble
Jeremiah 33:3. Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Oh my beautiful Friends, sincere and true believers in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, top o’ the morning to all of you! I hope that brought a chuckle to your hearts, but also a seriousness that underscores the life we live in and for Christ, since it’s the most important aspect of who and what we are. And to highlight that, let me share a most appropriate quote. I’m not sure if I’ve shared it before, but even if I have, it’s relevant enough to share it again. It’s one of those quotes we ought to bury deep in our consciousness and keep it always before us as a guiding light. It comes from the Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) and says: ‘Life is not a “brief candle.” It is a splendid torch that I want to make burn as brightly as possible before handing it over to future generations.’ And therein lies it’s importance my people; it describes our duty, our bounden duty to live faithful Christian lives, simultaneously teaching those that come after us, so that when we’re gone, like the passing of the Olympic torch, they can carry on the great Christian tradition and commission, then further pass it on those who come after them. Only in that way shall Jesus’ words stand the test of time in a physical, human context. ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’ (Matt.24:33) Spiritually speaking Jesus’ words will last forever, but if we don’t pass them down to the young generation, they will be lost to this world even before heaven and earth pass away. Unfortunately we have already done serious damage to Jesus’ words by not speaking them and living them enough before our children. We surely don’t want to erode it any further. And our Bit shows us one of the ways to help ensure that we do pass on the Word to our descendants. Note too that all this was passed on to Jeremiah while he was in prison. ‘Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord (Yahweh, Jehovah) is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty (inaccessible) things, which thou knowest not.’ We had to include the previous verse to keep the context. In this chapter, the Lord’s promising a glorious return of the Jewish captives in Babylon to their homeland. ‘And I will cause the captivity (captives) of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them (those places), as at first. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto (provide for) it.’ (Jer.33:7-9) Oh Friends, what a wonderful promise the Lord made to the Jewish captives that would be taken away to Babylon. But before any of that could even begin to take place, the Jewish remnant had to call sincerely on the Lord, and stay faithful to His Will and His Word. If we don’t seek Him, we’ll not find Him, consequently He won’t be able to answer us. I guess a good example of that was my serious drop off in confidence yesterday. Now I could have tried to resuscitate it on my own, but who knows if and when I’d be successful? However, because I’m trying to delight myself in the Lord, I did what He advised; I called out…hn, hn! It was more like I cried out to Him in utter despair! (smile) And knowing that I needed confidence to write the Bit, which is all about spreading His LOVE and His Word, He rejuvenated my ailing spirit. Remember He doesn’t give you a job to do without the help and necessary tools to do it. Hear how the Psalmist Asaph puts it in Psalm 50; God is the judge: ‘Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ (Ps.50:14-15) And that’s no lie my people! If we steadfastly offer thanks and praise to God and live as faithful a life as we can, He will hear us when we call on Him in troubled times, and will gladly deliver us, thus glorifying His holy, precious Name. Remember His main purpose for creating us was to glorify Him. However, I believe we’ve seriously fallen down on the job in that respect. We’re not active and passionate enough, don’t take the bull by the horns and wrestle the evil minions of Lucifer to the ground, so that God’s glory can rise up in our society, and men see His awesome power working in and through us. Anyway Friends, we’ll end with a beautiful scripture, from Zechariah, where he talks about the cleansing of Jerusalem and the smiting of the Lord’s shepherd, Jesus, our Messiah. And he ends by saying: ‘And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try (test) them as gold is tried (tested): and they shall call on my name, and I will hear (answer) them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.’ (Zech.13:9) Oh my brethren, what sweet words of encouragement! Please, let’s rise up and make ourselves worthy nuh to be amongst the third part that the Lord will save. Let’s rise up and be successfully tested, and call on His name so that He can hear us, and gladly declare that we are His people, and we can joyfully respond; ‘The Lord is my God!’ My Friends, that’s the only wise and sensible route to take in this turbulent and very troubled world of ours. Much LOVE!…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… (Deut.4:29)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 September 2012 Habakkuk 1:2
03 Sep 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: believers, enthusiasm, glory hallelujah, heavy load, holy spirit, humble servants, iniquity, Jesus Christ, jobs, Labour Day, lies, Monday, praise and thanks, rejoice, rejuvenation, soul, spirituality, steadfast faith, taunts, wiles
Habakkuk 1:2. O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
Oh Friends, it’s Labour Day! And I hear a resounding shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ That’s because many of us don’t have to go to work this Monday morning. But since it’s also such a beautiful day, and the Lord has shown us special favour to see and enjoy it, please, my fellow believers, let’s rise and shine, offer Him a word of thanks and praise, then with a broad smile on our faces, boldly declare, as we raise our right hands in a tightly closed fist: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it, come what may!’ Now that might be very easy to do for those who are not going to work. But please, let’s remember those who have to go out and labour in this non-stop, 24/7 busy society. And in empathy with them, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty soul and enthusiasm, and wish them well on the start of their new work week. As one enchanting 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!’ Now that ought to wake us up and get us ready to face the ungodly world, even those who will stay at home partying. (smile) And Friends, though it’s good to party, of course in moderation, when I first read our Bit, it wrought a loud sigh of concern re our turbulent and troubled world. The prophet Habakkuk declared that his prophecy was a burden, (Hab.1:1) an heavy load placed on him by the Lord, to warn Judah of its upcoming punishment for their continued disobedience and rebellion toward Him. They would eventually be invaded and captured by the Chaldeans. According to the scholars, the name Habakkuk means “Embracer” or “A Wrestler” which provides the key to his prophecy. It’s a record of him wrestling with God on behalf of his people. Hence his heartfelt plea: ‘O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!’ Oh Friends, I’m sure that there are many of us believers who feel the same way about our current society as Habakkuk felt about his. We pray and cry out to God, but it seems as though He doesn’t hear us, or simply ignores our pleas to save us, because the violence and evil in which we are now mired grows worse every day. Habakkuk’s further description of Judah’s society appears to be an exact replica of ours. ‘Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance (trouble or toil)? for spoiling (plundering ) and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife (there is strife) and contention. Therefore the law is slacked (powerless) and judgement (justice) doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about (surround) the righteous; therefore wrong (perverse) judgement proceedeth.’ (Hab.1:3-4) Oh Friends, that could be any one of us writing about the disgraceful, disgusting society in which we now live, where things like greed, envy, injustice, lawlessness, legal theft, strife and confusion reign supreme. And it’s oh so sad, that on a Labour Day, where the celebration of gains in the working class should be happening, the Lord has guided me to a Bit that instead reminds us of the many gains we’ve lost and the rigid determination of the greedy, evil powers that be to take away even more. Oh my people, please, I implore you, don’t be fooled by the nice, sweet words of our leaders and their wealthy captains of industry, their sole aim is to take us back to the harrowing times of the Great Depression, where workers had no rights whatsoever and were treated worse than slaves or animals. And they’re slowly but surely doing it by breaking the Unions, which themselves have gotten too unwieldy and bureaucratic to fight back, and also by having workers fighting against each other; the old but ever so successful, divide and conquer tactic. It’s all about the bottom line now Friends. There’s not even a tad of a social conscience in the 99% now. Wherever the labour is cheapest, their capital flows without a note of concern for the poor, helpless, jobless workers they’re leaving behind. But you know what my people? We can’t afford to stop praying for the wickedness to cease, or at least be tightly reined in, while we continue doing the good works that God ordained us to do. As Bruh Paul exhorted the Ephesians: ‘I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation (calling) wherewith ye are called. With all lowliness and meekness (gentleness), with long-suffering, forbearing (bearing with) one another in LOVE; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’ (Eph.4:1-3) Yes my brethren, regardless of the Lord’s overall plans, we must endeavour to keep keeping on, doing what He desires us to do, remembering that His thoughts and wisdom are much greater than ours, and that He’s promised that everything will work out for good to those whom He’s called and respond to His call with LOVE! (Rom.8:28) And I sincerely pray that today, the Holy Spirit will rise up in every one of us and give us the strength, faith, hope, wisdom, understanding, peace and passion to do so in a most worthy manner. In Jesus’ Name. Amen! Much Much LOVE, my beautiful fellow believers in Jesus Christ, our wonderful Lord and Saviour!…a believer’s duty…to do God’s will for our lives…come what may…
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