Psalm 37:8. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Oh Friends, yesterday was one of the many perfect summer days we’ve recently experienced in the Greater Toronto Area; bright sunshine, a cool breeze and a multiplicity of (plenty, plenty) LOVE and JOY floating all around! (smile) And speaking of LOVE and JOY, I also discovered an amazing truth: nobody can party like Christians when they truly let their hair down and decide to party. In actual fact, logic dictates that by reason of our overwhelming LOVE for each other and the abundant JOY that dwells in our souls, both so freely granted by Christ, the Master of LOVE and JOY, we ought to be the heartiest partiers around, since partying is a direct derivative of those two outstanding emotions. ‘Elementary, my dear Watson!’ as the renowned British sleuth, Sherlock Holmes would say to his sidekick. (smile) And I proved it yesterday, when my local church had a boat cruise out on Lake Ontario. Oh Friends, a day cruise on a lovely summer’s day around Toronto’s harbour is a joy to experience. To the waterfront side, you have the daily increasing concrete jungle cluster of high-rise buildings lining it as far back as you can see, with the C.N. Tower, towering majestically above it all. Meanwhile, out on the water, the many sailboats and different kinds of watercraft dance all around on the beautiful but deceitful and treacherous waters of Lake Ontario, weaving in and around the outlying islands which all have their own activity. I even saw one lone, brave sailor paddling his little canoe over the swells, way outside. Better him than me yes! The only thing that possibly beats that sight is a night time cruise, which shows up the sparkling lights of the buildings and the outlying islands. And believe me, yesterday between 12 and 4 p.m. the St. Francis congregation, our friends and families, we mash up the T.O. harbour on the Riverboat Gambler, an old paddle wheel cruiser! Chuh mih people! I didn’t see any of the many other boats out there, big or small, with a party as hearty as ours! Even the broken and lame, like myself, were hopping and rocking! Ditto for several people who were in wheelchairs! To tell you how good it was, I sat next to a grandmother soon to be ninety seven years old. Yes Friends, 97 large ones, and she was as aware and sprightly as a young doe! (smile) Well just a little exaggeration really. She reminded me of my ole mother Mols, who’s partying somewhere up in heaven now. Anyway mih brethren, the food was good, the beverages wet and refreshing, and the music was most excellent! It was strictly ‘big people music,’ as Dr. Jay, a local D.J. calls it. None of the chupidness that the young people nowadays call music. Call it ole school, or whatever, but when the rockers, the soca and the funk cascaded across the deep, dark green waters of Lake Ontario there wasn’t a foot not tapping or a finger not drumming to the scintillating riddims! I never knew that some of those people who look so serious and sedate in church could step that well. And the best part is that it was all led by our partying leader, our very own Pastor Jeff. He definitely set the tone for the afternoon’s proceedings right from the very start. And it’s amusing that as we were leaving the boat, one of my faithful readers told me that he was sure to read about it in Today’s Bit. At the time though I wasn’t even thinking about the Bit, but concentrating on my aching knees and what the later hours would bring. But it seems like you were right Scottie. And James, you missed an excellent gathering of God’s people, dancing, singing and giving praise to their Creator. So yuh see Friends, that’s why people ought to come to know Jesus. Not so much for. the partying, which is surely interesting, but for the abundant LOVE and JOY He instils in the hearts, minds, bodies and spirits of His followers. And that’s exactly why Bruh David so strenuously and sincerely warns us about the true state of the wicked in our Bit: ‘Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm).’ Now that’s undoubtedly gospel truth mih breddren! And here’s why: ‘For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider (look diligently for) his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’ (Ps.37:9-11) Oh Friends what better life can you desire, and above all, also get on earth, than that which Jesus promises… no, not only promises, but also faithfully delivers to all those who wisely choose to put their belief, faith and trust in Him eh? NONE WHATSOEVER! So why are so many of us so reluctant to accept the abundance of LOVE, JOY and PEACE He offers here on earth, then SALVATION and ETERNAL LIFE with Him when we depart this evil and troubled earth? It surely boggles my mind. Many even become angry and violent, at the very mention of His Name. There must be something awfully powerful about Jesus yes, if He could bring out such contrasts in humans. No other name in history has ever caused, or will ever cause so much controversy. Oh Friends, just reading the gospel stories about Jesus, His humility, His LOVE for mankind, especially the poor, the downtrodden, sick and needy, His constant willingness to help, the way He bore His burdens, including the physical cross and the sacrifice of His sinless life on it without a whimper, how can you not feel close to Him, not LOVE him eh? Only if your heart, mind and spirit are wrapped up in evil, false pride, selfishness and greed could you fail to understand and comprehend His great gift and selflessness to mankind. And as we like to do whenever possible, we’ll end with some definitive words on the subject from Jesus. ‘The thief cometh not but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:10-11) Nuff said my people! More on this tomorrow if God favours us with the breath of life. Till then, please let’s seriously consider the true state of our lives nuh, ensuring that we embrace Jesus, so that it will be well with us. That is certainly wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!…as for me and mine…we’ll most definitely follow Jesus…hope you and yours…come to the same wise conclusion too…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 August 2012 Psalm 37:8
19 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: anger, controversy, downtrodden, eternal life, evil, evildoers, greed, humble, humility, Jesus, joy, Lake Ontario, LOVE, meek, needy, party, peace, poor, pride, resentment, salvation, selfishness, sick, Toronto, worry, wrath
Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 August 2012 Ecclesiastes 3:14
16 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: adoration, blessings, champions, dressed for success, eternal, faithful, forgiveness, God's work lasts forever, good gifts, Jesus, justice, loving kindness, mercy, reverence, righteousness., storm of passion, unchanging God, unfocused
Ecclesiastes 3:14. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
Oh Friends, I just got a zeppo, (smile) a brainwave, a message from on high, that the action of God is now flowing through us in a pattern of success! Wow! What a wonderful way to greet a new day, one already filled with blessings, LOVING-kindness, mercy and forgiveness! That means we’re certainly dressed for success my brethren! There’s no better way to ignite a storm of passion in our souls for Jesus! And that passion we badly need in these lean and mean times. What’s amusing here though is that the positive action statement I opened with, sits on my desk, right in front of me, printed in large white letters on a blue background, surrounded by several slips of small paper with fortune cookie sayings on them. That means it’s highly visible, and every time I sit at my desk, I ought to see it. But the reality is that very often I don’t notice it at all. I’ve grown so accustomed to it, that even if I see it with my eyes, it doesn’t register in my mind. And sadly Friends, that’s how a lot of things are in our too busy, not properly focused lives. We put up things to serve as reminders, activators and encouragers, but there comes a time when we just look right through them without them registering on our mental apparatus. And the only reason why I noticed that saying just now is because the action of God, His Holy Spirit was truly moving through me and pointed it out, no doubt bringing it to my attention so that I can bring it to yours. Besides being a wake up call for us my people, I believe God is here highlighting our less than stellar areas of reliability; of mental concentration, of self-discipline and self-control, of how we can’t stick to things for any length of time, but continually jump from one thing to another, of how quickly we tire of things that we so desperately wanted and had to have, and crave change just for the sake of change itself. Meanwhile, as Cousin Sol wisely says in our Bit: ‘I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put (added) to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.’ Now that’s all irrefutable truth my people! Our God doesn’t change, and whatever He does, lasts forever. We can’t add to, or subtract from it. Unfortunately though, we can’t say that about our sinful, wishy-washy human nature. And that my Friends is why we have to believe, trust, surrender and have faith in the Lord our God. We can’t do very much in our own strength, and the little we can do never lasts, as we’re always in some sort of quandary as to how to do it, or how it’s going to look. Our heavenly Father doesn’t have that problem, and consequently, we believers don’t need to worry or be anxious about our shortcomings, because our great God, in His awesome power and LOVE, has everything under control and keeps us together if we live in His will. He does all those things so that we can appreciate and reverence Him, truly behold His glorious majesty, and sincerely trust, worship, adore and serve Him. Now let’s listen to some scriptures that authenticate our Bit: We’ll start with words from James, Jesus’ half-brother. And he decisively tells us: ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.’ (James 1: 17-18) All of that is gospel truth my people! So let’s sow those seeds of God’s power, His unchanging nature, His goodness to us, whom He made to be champions, deep in our hearts and minds nuh mih breddren. For that in turn gives us the power to walk this evil earth unafraid of Beelzebub and all his evil cohorts. Now hear Bruh David from Psalm 9, Praise for God’s justice: ‘But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgement. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgement to the people in uprightness.’ (Ps.9:7-8) More confirmation of God’s eternal attributes, and His devotion to righteousness and justice. And from Psalm 102, a cry in distress, we hear the psalmist truthfully declare: ‘My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass. But thou, O Lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.’ (Ps.102:11-12) So why do we weak mortals, sculpted from the dust of the earth, continue to believe that we’re such hot shots eh, when in the twinkling of an eye, the Lord God Jehovah, Creator of this universe and all therein, can so easily snuff out the breath of life that He, first breathed into us? Now hear some more wise and applicable words from Psalm 102: ‘I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yea, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment; as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years have no end.’ (Ps.102:24-27) Oh Friends, that ought to wise us up and show us that the true and only way to find peace and prosperity on this earth is by faithfully worshipping and serving Jehovah God. By the way, the author of Hebrews repeats those same words as justification for his belief. (Heb.1:11-12) So my people, let’s end today just as we began nuh; by believing that the action of God is now flowing through us in a pattern of success. And that’s the living truth! Much LOVE!…Jesus Christ…the same …yesterday…and today…and for ever… (Heb.13:8)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 August 2012 2 Corinthians 5:17
15 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: beautiful, blessings, enticing, floods, God is always around, gospel truth, Helper, Jesus, new man, new things, old man, old things, perfect will of God, prayer, renewal of minds, spirituality
2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Oh Friends, praise the Lord and give Him much thanks that we didn’t read our names in the obits today! That means He still has work down here on earth for us to do. And today I want to remind us about looking for and seeing God not only in big, important and extraordinary situations, but also in the small, simple, everyday things of life. That’s how we truly know that He’s always there, always around us. The inspiration to remind us to seek God in small things came about when I looked at some of the sayings on the fortune cookies that I have on my desk, and was guided to share this one. ‘To overlook the little things in life is to miss the biggest part of life itself!’ Now that’s gospel truth Friends, and it’s one of the reasons why we believers don’t see as much of God as we ought. We have this idea that God only shows up in the big things, but that’s certainly not true. God shows up in everything we do, both big and small! And how many big things happen in our lives eh? Certainly not as many as the small things. That means if we only look for God in the big things, we’ll be missing so much of Him in the small things where He delights in showing up. So Friends, please remember that every step we take, every breath we breathe, every thought we think, every movement that we make, in fact whatever we do, Jehovah God is in it. It’s because of Him being in all we do, that we can do anything at all! We need to be in awe and wonder of His LOVE, mercy and kindness all the time. So please look for Him in all aspects of your life, and you’ll be surprised at how you’ll enjoy an even greater relationship with your Creator and Provider. And before we get to our Bit, I’m asking us to pray for the good folk in Western Trinidad, the Diego Martin and surrounding area, which was flooded by serious rain in the last couple of days. Ah Friends, wherever we turn these days, there’s some new natural disaster happening in our misguided, ungodly, troubled world. That’s why we need to get more people to come to the knowledge of Christ, then accept Him and change their ways as our Bit dictates. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ It is essential my brethren that we change our ways when we receive Christ, for we no longer live by the flesh, but by His Spirit. Listen to Bruh Paul on the topic: ‘For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.’ (Rom.8:5-6) Yes my brethren, kingdom people MUST LIVE by the dictates of God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in us, and not by the lusts of the flesh which we should crucify when we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Oh I know it’s easier said than done, especially when the things of the flesh and the world, which look so beautiful and enticing, surround us. But the truth is that they are not really half as nice as they seem. Ole smart-man Lucifer just puts that spin of glitz and glamour on them to fool us, and when we get caught in his carefully planned snare, it’s always so difficult to break out. That’s why we have to carefully look at the things we want to get involved with or in, and consult our Helper, the Holy Spirit, before actually getting involved, because in many, many cases they are just false fronts, covers for Lucifer’s snares. As believers in Christ, we need to do as Isaiah says: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.’ (Is.43:18) Now hear Bruh Paul again to the Roman church: ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom.12:2) Oh my people, the most important part of our transformation into a new man begins in our mind, our thoughts. Until we stop thinking like the world does, and begin thinking like Jesus, we won’t get very far in our spiritual transformation. And now, since I can’t muster any more good arguments, (smile) we’ll let Bruh Paul take us home with his much better explanation to the Ephesians, re the new life in Christ. ‘If so be that ye have heard him(Christ), and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph.4:21-27) Ah Friends, there’s no more to say, except that we believers need to seriously buckle down and follow the plan Jesus has for our lives here on earth. We’re not doing a good enough job that’s partly why our world is in such a mess. And it is our job to try and fix it. Much LOVE!…all that we are…arises with our thoughts… P.S. And just to prove that He is involved in everything in our lives, just as I was about to move from my desk to the computer, without an ending thought for the day, one of the fortune cookie sayings fell in front of me. And lo and behold, it was our ending thought for the day. Our God does move in simple though mysterious ways, His wonder for us to behold! Much LOVE!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 August 2012 2 Corinthians 5:17
13 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: all God's children, aura of love, dissensions, divisions, earthly possessions, enthusiasm, faith, glory hallelujah, humble servants, Jesus, lies, Monday, money, passion, passion for Christ, power, praise, taunts, the Word, vitality, wiles
2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
‘Hip, Hip Hurrah!’ Monday’s here Friends! Wow! What an awesome day, since we get to go out into the evil workday world to talk about and live for Jesus! Now isn’t that a wonderful responsibility? And all God’s people shouted a great and moving ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ No Friends, I haven’t gone crazy, I’m just in an exultant mood. Just thinking about Jesus and all the good stuff we get to do today for Him has ignited my passion. And true passion for Jesus is something too many of us believers lack. Please remember my people that we’re in a spiritual battle with the powers of evil and darkness, and we can only fight competently if we are enthusiastic and gung ho about what we’re fighting for. And sadly, I know some non-believers who are more enthusiastic about Jesus and what He represents, than many supposed believers. Now that doesn’t speak very highly of us, does it? My personal feeling is that the body of Christ here on earth, His Church, is rather lethargic and sedentary. We tend to sit back and let everybody walk over us. We behave as though Jesus is expected to fix all our problems without us lifting a hand on our own behalf, but that’s never going to happen my people. Then again, we fight against each other too much. Jesus’ Church is supposed to be a unified body, not one of numerous dissensions and divisions. I know you’re going to say that other faiths fight amongst themselves too, but that’s their problem. And it’s why WE, believers in Christ, should be working together to provide the perfect example to the rest of the world. I don’t know the real root of the problem, but it seems that of all the well known faiths, Christianity is the least proactive. We don’t talk or walk our faith sufficiently. And it’s not like you have to be constantly up in everybody’s face with it either. A true Christian has it showing in his demeanour, his behaviour, his character, his integrity, and when the opportunity arises, he talks about it passionately. Oh Friends, even a subdued passion is better than no passion at all! So having said all of that, let’s see if we can’t raise our passion level in Jesus some nuh, by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as we get ready to go out and greet the world in Jesus’ name. All together now, with loud voices, filled with true praise: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Now if that doesn’t raise our passion level for Christ, then Friends, I don’t know what will. And before we get into our Bit, please let’s offer up some fervent, heartfelt prayers for the unfortunate people of Iran, who, over the weekend suffered two major earthquakes of over 6 on the Richter scale. They may be of a different faith than us, and consider us the infidel and thus want to destroy us, but they are still our brothers, descendants also of father Abraham, made in the image of Jehovah God. And Jesus teaches that we should show LOVE, mercy, kindness and forgiveness to all God’s children, regardless of their colour, creed, race or class. This is definitely one way we can test our faith, because it’s not easy to extend a hand of hope and help to someone who wants to do us harm. Now turning to our Bit at last. (smile) Oh my brethren, these are some of the most important words Bruh Paul ever wrote, for they reflect the very basic and fundamental principle on which our faith is based. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ Friends, many of us know that scripture and quote it, or some paraphrased version, quite often. But how true is it really of the majority of Christ’s Church eh? I believe in actual fact, in real reality, not the virtual reality we tend to worship these days, that it’s nowhere near the truth. That’s because in actual fact too many believers are still caught up in their old ways, still more interested in the things of the flesh and this world than the things of the Spirit and God’s kingdom. We’re still too much into the money and power for their own sakes, plus the frenetic acquisition and amassing of earthly possessions, wanting what others have, though not knowing they sold their souls to get it, being beguiled by the supposed glitz and glamour of a handful of mostly ignorant and unlearned people we term celebrities, who live very ungodly lives. Oh Friends, that’s definitely not the kind of life that Jesus sacrificed His sinless body, spilled His precious blood on the wooden cross at Calvary for us to live. So please, let’s get serious and improve our kingdom walk nuh. If not for our sakes, then for our children and grand children’s, so that they can still lead a fairly decent life in the future. It’s all a question of LOVE for Jesus and our fellow man; the two great commandments. And since we don’t know when Jesus is coming back to set up His kingdom, the best time to begin is RIGHT NOW! That’s wisdom at its zenith! More on this tomorrow Friends, provided Jesus doesn’t return before then and we’re still around, both of which are real possibilities. Till then, please let’s do as Jesus asks: Let’s LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith and SPREAD His Word! Much LOVE!…the wise man lives by the old adage…make hay while the sun shines…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 August 2012 Jeremiah 24:10
11 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: calamity, corruption, drought, evil, famine, Jesus, natural disasters, political upheaval, strife, wars and rumours of wars
Jeremiah 24:10. And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.
Oh Friends, it’s good to see that we’ve had two wet days consecutively; Wednesday and Thursday! Wow! That hasn’t happened in my area for ages. And then it was only yesterday that we had what you’d truly call rain, not just a series of on and off drizzles. And it’s surely good to hear that some parts of the vast drought stricken areas in the U.S. have also gotten some rain, though still not enough to make any substantial difference. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, places like Manila, the capital of the Philippines and the surrounding area received a month’s worth of rain in just 24 hours this past week, causing the place to look like a vast wasteland. And sadly they’re soon expecting even more monsoon like weather. I believe North Korea and parts of China have also recently been seriously flooded. Oh Friends, let’s pray for them in their time of disaster, and hope too that the current flood waters will recede before the next bout of torrential rain comes. Ah mih people, that brings us to our Bit: ‘And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed (destroyed) from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.’ And I have to chuckle here as I verify that our Lord does move in mysterious ways. That’s because earlier on, when I opened the Good Book to look for a Bit, it opened at Jeremiah Chapter 24, and verse 10 was the first thing I read. I considered it for a Bit since it seemed so appropriate to what’s currently happening around our world. But then I decided I wanted something more positive and went looking for something else. However, after writing the intro, the Spirit sent me back to Jeremiah’s words. And they really are thought provoking Friends, for there’s never been a time when our world has been so rich, yet so poverty stricken; so healthy and medically capable, yet plagued by so much sickness and disease. Neither have we ever been so mentally brilliant, with so much possibility for wisdom to be far flung, yet our world is ruled by foolishness; the foolishness of Beelzebub, instead of the wisdom of God. The same goes for strife: our world is being torn apart by it. It’s much easier to name the few places where there’s little or no strife, than to name the many where strife has more or less become the norm. Floods and other natural disasters are causing havoc right around the world. And when we talk about famine and drought, they too are so widespread that even the rich, developed countries are not immune to them. Everywhere hunger and poverty are raising their cruel heads, while the rich and famous continue to live a dissolute lifestyle, which too many of us are hungering for and trying to imitate. So my brethren, what does all of that tell us eh? Something must be wrong somewhere, if our oh so highly evolved and developed world is so beset by calamity in all areas of life! And we won’t even talk of the political and economic upheavals that are plaguing us. The problem’s simple though Friends: we have foolishly turned away from serving and worshipping the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, our Creator, to the worshipping of idols, in particular things like money, pride, earthly possessions and power. They have now become our focus rather than Almighty God. But what else can you expect but calamity when the majority of society are just seeking their own good and don’t care about anyone else. A selfish and greedy society is obviously going to be plagued by serious problems like fraud, theft, murder, societal unrest and finally anarchy, because no one’s really interested in the overall society, only their personal aggrandisement. My brethren, please listen to these wise, truthful words of Bruh David from Psalm 37, re the true state of the wicked. ‘A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous. The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs (splendour of the meadows): they shall consume (vanish); into smoke shall they consume (vanish) away. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again (does not repay): but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth. For such as be blessed of him (The Lord) shall inherit the earth (land); and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off (destroyed).’ (Ps.37:16-22) Oh my people, why can’t we understand that wickedness and all that it connotes, might pay in the short term, but eventually it all falls apart, is consumed, vanishes like smoke in our God controlled universe? And the sad part is that many of our leaders – political, economic and religious – know these things, but yet they refuse to stand strong against the evildoers who only want to perpetrate Lucifer’s negative agenda. That brings us to this serious warning from Jesus: ‘Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers (various) places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.’ (Matt.24:4-8) Yes Friends, it is clearly the beginning of the end! But unfortunately only a handful is paying attention to the warning signs of the Saviour. How foolish can we really be eh, with our world crumbling around us, and we obviously unable to fix it in our own strength! Oh my brethren, there are not enough voices crying out in the wilderness of our world, re the second coming of Jesus in all His glory. That means we believers need to do a lot more than we’re currently doing to wake up and shake up an evil, sedentary world where the evildoers are ruling the roost. Please note my people, that though wickedness is in the ascendance, its perpetrators are not sitting on their laurels like we are. They are still working as hard as ever to achieve their evil goals. We have to do likewise Friends, otherwise we’re going to lose the war and bring disgrace to Jesus and His Church. And we certainly don’t want to do that! So please, let’s get real active nuh, and get as many people prepared as possible, for we don’t know when Jesus will come again. He might come tomorrow…or even TODAY! Much LOVE!…whoso readeth…let him understand… (Matt.24:15)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 August 2012 Exodus 20:3
10 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: celebrations, destruction, faithfullness, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, guilt, hope, Jesus, LOVE, mind your business, misery, nobody, Olympics, peace, put God first, relaxation, rest, righteousness., somebody, Thank God it's Friday
Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, the day when we all shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ because we’re headed for the weekend and a couple days off work. But yuh know the loudest thanks for today being Friday is going to be in J.A, where Usain Bolt won the 200 metres gold medal again! And not only that, Jamaicans also won the silver and bronze medals in that race. So Jamrock must be in a mess of celebrations now. But as I keep saying, please be careful to mind your business whether you’re drunk or sober, because it’s in those times of celebration that we’re most susceptible to the wiles and lies of Lucifer. So party on J.A. but be on your p’s and q’s for the enemy’s looking for any foothold he can get. And before we go further, let me share a quote from a kaiso by Shadow that I heard the other day that shows true wisdom and Christianity. I don’t know the song, but Shadow truthfully sings in it: ‘Everybody is a somebody. Nobody is a nobody.’ And Friends, that’s exactly the way Jesus looks at all of us! Whether we’re rich or poor, educated or not, sick or healthy; to Jesus we’re all somebodies. Please remember that and let’s act like it. And even more importantly, let’s treat others the same way, regardless of whether they’re considered the dregs of society or not, they’ve all been made in God’s great and LOVING image and deserve to be treated as such. Now let’s chant our Friday Chant with great enthusiasm, in loud voice and sincere hearts. 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.’ And now that we’ve reigned in some of our exuberance (smile) and set the parameters for the weekend, let’s look at our Bit: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ And we all know that if we’re to have a successful walk with Jesus that’s the number one rule. But I also hope that through reading it so often these last few days that it has been renewed in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, and we’ve truly realized that our Creator MUST ALWAYS TAKE FIRST PLACE IN OUR LIVES! There are absolutely no ifs and buts about that. And if you want to play the devil’s advocate and ask why, the answer’s very simple: Because we belong to Him. Hn! He created us, controls our lives, LOVES us so much that He sent His only Son Jesus to die for us, and wants us to LOVE Him too. There couldn’t be any better reasons than those my people. And wonder of wonders, as I’m writing this, I’m actually hearing the rain fall outside. It fell for a good part of yesterday, but mostly as a drizzle. Anyway, turning to the scriptures, listen to Bruh Paul’s take on the subject, where he concludes that there is none righteous. And he shows his vast knowledge of the Old Testament by extracting appropriate bits and putting them together as one. ‘As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre (grave); with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ (Rom.3:10-18) Now here’s a quick brief from the scholars: ‘Paul quotes scriptures to prove universal guilt. Scripture, not Paul, is the judge. See Psalm 5:9, 10:7, 14:1-3, 140:3; Isaiah 59:7,8).’ That’s the different places the foregoing scripture came from. And Friends, if you think that that was a damning situation in Bruh Paul’s time, believe me, it’s even worse in ours, for God has been legislated out of, relegated to the lowest rungs, and almost totally removed from our society. But fortunately, where there’s a warm body, there’s hope, and we have enough warm bodies rooting for Jesus that we can make a difference. But my people, all I can do is encourage us to follow and obey Almighty God. Each individual still has to make that decision seriously, and then diligently pursue it. And to try and solidify my case, I’ll leave us with the definitive word on the subject by our Lord, Saviour, Master, Leader, Brother and Friend, Jesus. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) Yes Friends, that’s gospel truth! If we seek God first in all we do, then all the things we need will be granted us. The Lord’s promised that, and we all know He faithfully keeps His promises. So please, lets get our act together and start making things happen nuh. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Much LOVE!…in God’s Book…obedience brings prosperity…disobedience brings destruction…it’s as simple as that…
Today’s Sccrip-Bit 27 April 2012 Proverbs 20:19
27 Apr 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: Christian principles, deceivers, deception, encouragement, false prophets, false teachers, flattery, gossip, great expections, Jesus, thanks, warnings, weekend
Proverbs 20:19. He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
Well Friends, that joyful harbinger of the weekend is here. It’s Friday once again! And all those who have the weekend off, emitted a tired but expectant shout: “Thank God is Friday yes! Ah don’t know if I could handle another day of this depressing, tiring work!’ But Friends, as the song I’m listening in the background is encouraging, let’s rejoice! Yes, rejoice, because Jesus is in our lives and that’s the BEST NEWS in all the world! It’s amusing though, how we die for Friday to come because we get a couple of days off, but intensely dislike Mondays, since we have to go back out to labour for the little pittance that most of us receive. I guess that’s only natural, but as always, to help us handle the situation, let’s chant our Friday Chant with great expectations. As one voice 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.’ Yeh mih breddren, that should put us in a more controlled and godly frame of mind. So now we can address our Bit without any of you throwing tantrums at my words, (smile) since some of you genuinely believe that some of the stuff you revel in is quite harmless. But our Bit begs to differ: ‘He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle (associate) not with him that flattereth with his lips.’ Oh my people, we know that to be very true, but refuse to believe it because we either engage in it ourselves or encourage others to do so. Yesterday we looked at a couple scriptures that dealt mainly with tale bearing, today we’ll look at some that deal mainly with the second half of our Bit: ‘therefore meddle (associate) not with him that flattereth with his lips.’ Now Friends, that’s excellent advice because some of us are quite prone to flattery; we so desire to hear nice and good things about ourselves that we make the cliché very true; flattery will get you any and everywhere. And there are plenty people out there quite willing to indulge us, so please don’t associate with that type, cause they will only take advantage of our weakness and lead us astray. Hear Bruh Paul’s warning to the Romans on the subject. ‘Now I beseech you, brethren, mark (note) them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good (smooth) words and fair (flattering) speeches deceive the hearts of the simple (innocent).’ (Rom.16:17-18) That’s gospel truth Friends! So please pay careful attention to it. Now listen to this other warning to the Colossians, re false teachings. ‘And this I say, lest any man should beguile (deceive) you with enticing (persuasive) words….As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you (plunder, or take you captive) through philosophy and vain (empty) deceit, after (according to) the tradition of men, after the rudiments (basic principles) of the world, and not after Christ.’ (Col.2:4,6-8) And if you don’t believe it happens, then here is an excellent example of it from Acts, in the days of the council of Jerusalem. ‘And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.’ (Acts.15:1) Now that’s totally false, but men were preaching that kind of falsehood back then, and plenty are still preaching all kinds of untrue stuff today. That’s why it’s so important that we be very careful with whom we associate and the tenor of their beliefs because once they get their hooks into us, they can very easily lead us astray. And here’s the final word from Peter, re 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) And believe me, Friends, obnoxious false teachers and teachings are still with us today, possibly even with greater deception. So I implore us to delve deep into the Good Book ourselves, and get proper instruction from reputable people, so that we can know these false teachers and meddlers who go around intentionally misleading the brethren. I pray that we can all stand on the true Word of God, and not be misled. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Much LOVE!…Lucifer’s deceivers are so good… that it takes a true Jesus believer to spot them… P.S. And as the rocking soca song in the background’s saying: ‘Thank God for Jesus, Thank God for Jesus, EVERYDAY. Thank God for Jesus, He is my Saviour, He is the Truth, He is the the Light, He is the Way…Thank God for Jesus…He is the truth, He is the Light, He is the Way.’ No doubt about that mih people! So let’s give Him the thanks He so rightly deserves! Much LOVE!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 April 2012 Proverbs 23:7
02 Apr 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: anxiety, aura, complain, enthusiasm, hardship, heavenly Father, inconvenience, Jesus, LOVE, rejuvenation, trials, tribulations, whine, work
Proverbs 23:7. Let not thine heart envy sinners; but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday! Time for the lucky ones with a job to get out and labour another week for their pittance. But it’s also a sad week in the lives of believers, because it’s Holy Week; that time when Jesus agonized over His upcoming trials and tribulations, until He was crucified on Good Friday. We whine and complain about going to work, especially on a Monday morning, as though it’s such a terrible hardship. Yes, it can be inconvenient and difficult at times, but just consider Jesus’ plight, His anxiety level when He arose this Holy Week Monday morning, two thousand years ago, and realized that the hour for which He was born was only four short days away. Don’t you think He was anxious and apprehensive? Of course He was! For remember that though He was God, He was also man with lots of our feelings, both physical and emotional. So it was never going to be an easy walk in the park for Him. Friends, let’s take a Selah moment here and consider Jesus’ position, then our own, weigh them both, then truthfully decide if we have that much to complain about. If we’re honest, the answer for most of us would be a resounding NO! So please let’s stop whining and complaining as much as we do, over the truly petty, insignificant things that we make such a fuss over nowadays. Instead, today, and everyday of this Holy week, I want us to put ourselves in Jesus’ position, behave as though we were going to be crucified on Friday, then note our reactions. Let’s see how we behave each morning we arise, knowing that our terrible, painful, innocent demise is one day closer to becoming reality. Now to help us with that exercise, plus the normal ups and downs of everyday, workweek life, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with loud, truly thankful voices. Thought I’d forgotten it eh? (smile) 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!’ And having thus boosted our spirits my brethren, let’s go out into our evil, ungodly, troubled world and do as our Bit so wisely advises: ‘Let not thine heart envy sinners; but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.’ Now therein lies a WOW! factor Friends, for those are certainly Words Of Wisdom! And we have a perfect example of the stupidity of envying sinners from the psalmist Asaph, when he laments the prosperity of the wicked: ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone (had almost stumbled); my steps had well-nigh slipped. For I was envious of the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps.73:1-3) Now why would Asaph choose to do that eh? ‘For there are no bands (pangs or pain) in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain (serves as a necklace); violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness (bulge with abundance): they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt (scoff), and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily (proudly)….And they say, How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper (are always at ease) in the world; they increase in riches.’ (Ps.73:5-8, 11-12) Oh Friends, that’s a mirror image of our world today! And sadly, like Asaph, too many of us see the wicked prospering, are envious of them and unwisely buy into their evil schemes. They figure that Almighty God is not watching or doesn’t know their evil deeds. But He is watching and does know, because He is the ultimate controller of all things in our universe. So let them fool themselves into thinking that their ill-gotten riches and their wicked doings will serve them well, they are in for a rude awakening, because their day of judgement and tribulation will come, even though it may take a lifetime. Oh my brethren, let’s hope and pray that those of us who are jealous of the wicked and their earthly possessions wake up soon and realize our folly. Like Asaph, hopefully, we’ll soon be able to say: ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end…. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.’ (Ps.73:17, 26) And that’s the gospel truth my people! Much LOVE!…envy and jealousy are like blinders…they prevent us from seeing the truth…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 March 2012 Ecclesiastes 3:8
31 Mar 2012 1 Comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: eternal life, fulfill promises, hate, Jesus, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, peace, salvation, soldiers, time, trust, utopia, war
Ecclesiastes 3:8, A time to LOVE, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Aye Friends, there’s a question I’ve been meaning to ask you all for some time, but I’ve never gotten around to it until now. If I’ve been amiss in my duty, please forgive me, because it’s a rather important question; possibly the most important question that each of us can ask ourselves right now. But then again, it might have simply been penciled in all along for today on the Lord’s calendar, so I’m right on time. (smile) However, before we get to the million-dollar question, let’s take a look at our Bit: ‘A time to LOVE, and a time of hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.’ We all know that comes from the famous chapter of Ecclesiastes on there being a time for every thing. And that’s the living truth Friends! And what time is this? The time for LOVE and PEACE! Oh my people the time for hate and war are over, long gone. It’s a new era now; one where peace and LOVE abound. That’s why this question is so important. And without further ado, here it is: Have you enlisted yet as a soldier in the LOVE Revolution of Jesus? Now the answer to that should ‘utopianly’ be a loud, unified, unanimous acclamation of YEAHHHHHHH!!! But unfortunately it’s not – far from it too. That’s why Jesus is now looking for soldiers, and in particular foot soldiers like Him, not those who want to sit in fancy offices in pretty uniforms with plenty medals covering their chests and give lots of orders, but soldiers who are ready and willing to go out into the field and make a difference by spreading LOVE! Oh Friends, how wonderful a job – no it’s not a job, neither a duty, but more…more of a calling, an enlightenment. So how wonderful that calling can be is something you’ll never truly comprehend from the outside looking in. You have to make a serious, conscious commitment to Jesus, to become involved in His LOVE Revolution before you can reap the benefits that are spread throughout the hard times. And believe you me, there will be hard times, I can testify to that from personal experience. But unless you get personally involved, neither will you ever know the refreshing, peaceful, exotic feeling you get when you suffer through those hard times without too much complaining, simply trusting in Jesus to fulfill the promises to see you through the difficult times, to never leave nor forsake you. Remember what Jesus said about simply working for Him. ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’ (Matt.10:22) But He also said ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Therefore people, in the midst of all the hate and war, anger and resentment that are currently plaguing our world, Jesus has given us the power to have peace and good cheer as well as the ability to LOVE those around us. Hn! I can’t get over it nuh. What a wonderful Lord and Saviour we have mih bredden! One who hides nothing from us, tells it like it is, and keeps all His promises too! Wow! There’s NONE else like Him in the world! So Friends, why don’t we appreciate Him much more than we do eh? It grieves Him. I know that for a fact, because He wants ALL His family to come home to Him. He doesn’t want to lose even a single one to Beelzebub. And that’s what His LOVE Revolution is all about; bringing all His Father’s children home, to live in salvation and everlasting peace. So won’t you join the fight today? Open your heart. Jesus is calling, inviting you to come to Him, right this moment. And if you can’t come, or won’t come, He will gladly and willingly come to you, for He’s not too proud to do so. All you have to do is ask, and He’ll be there instantly. So as the old people would say; put your money where your mouth is nuh! Join up and let’s shower the world with LOVE in a LOVE Revolution led by none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who gave His holy, innocent and sinless life so that we undeserving sinners could be saved. Oh Friends, too many people either have not had the opportunity to hear the good news of the gospel, or they are fighting it tooth and nail. But LOVE is what makes the world go round and round, up and down. However, before people can accept it, we have to put the concept of LOVE out there for them, first in words and then most importantly IN ACTION! And we’ll end with some stirring words of Jesus that explains the whole concept: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) Oh Friends, that’s so plain and simple, self-explanatory really, like most of Jesus’ sayings. How can we not take them to heart and join His earth-shaking LOVE Revolution, which aims to revolutionize this angry, hateful, bitter world with the most wonderful emotion in existence, LOVE! Please join us today. The rewards – salvation and eternal life – are incomparable, and cannot be gotten anywhere else but under the LOVING embrace of Jesus! So before it’s too late, and there will come a time when it is, I implore us to wise up and try Jesus – RIGHT NOW! Much LOVE my brethren!…only insomuch as one LOVES…can one understand the true meaning of life…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 March 2012 Leviticus 19:18
28 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: broken, defend, fear, find, guard, heal, humble, Jesus, prodigal, seek, sinner, strife, vengeance
Leviticus 19:18. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. I am the Lord.
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