Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 December 2018 Ezekiel 20:7.

Ezekiel 20:7.   ​Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abomination of his eyes (which are before his eyes), and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
 
And then it was Friday…a whole comedy of errors! The sun’s shining brightly, but I’m tired and listless… Why? Because I never truly got to bed until six o’clock this morning. I did something I haven’t done in ages; read a book through the night! Bubba! It was good, though I’m paying for it now. I went to bed around 12.30, woke up about two, and I’ve had this book on my small Kobo e-reader that I usually only use for doctor’s appointments and such, because it’s small and easy to carry around. 

But a few days ago I began this book and it piqued my interest, and I’ve been wanting to finish it ever since. So when I got up around two a.m to go the bathroom and feeling fresh, I just couldn’t resist the lure and the incessant mating call of the book siren. (smile) So I sat on the edge of my bed and just read until it was done. And I wasn’t disappointed either. Imagine my consternation though, when I looked at the clock and saw five fifty five. Hn, hn! 

Then when I got up just now, I thought I saw the clock saying 8 o’clock…so I thought fine. I’m okay. But just after making my coffee, I happened to look at the clock on the stove and saw it saying after nine. Obviously I was taken aback, and had to look at the clock on the microwave to confirm that it was really after nine. So obviously the Bit will be late… And that’s my story… And I’m sticking to it! (smile) 

But out there in the real world all the working people are smiling and jubilant, hugging and kissing and wishing each other Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays, as they write their Christmas lists or get to the stores to fill them! And there’s none more jubilant than the ordinary workingman as he sings his Friday song: 

‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday…and Christmas is on the way! The merchants will be smiling as their cash registers go …kaching…kaching! But I’ll be enjoying the best part of the season; eating and drinking and singing carols! Let them spend up the money that they don’t have on gifts and all the other trappings! 

Me, I’ll just be taking it easy, karaying mih body as the sweet Christmas music washes over me, and the waters flow like there was no tomorrow! And the eats! Mama Yo! Christmas holidays have the best eats ever; the black cake and the big Christmas ham and all them other fine West Indian delicacies!  Brother! I’m I ever thankful for Fridays and weekends, especially at Christmas time! That is the bestest!’ 

And I do have to agree with the workingman; Christmas time is the best time in terms of eats as well as celebrations. But please, let’s not forget the real reason for Christmas; the miraculous conception and virgin birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 

That’s what Christmas is supposed to be all about, although, like everything else we’ve turned it into one big shopping party and half of us don’t even know or remember the real reason for the supposed Christmas Holiday! Chuh Poole! That’s my own statement of disgust at that untenable situation! 

Anyway, our Friday Chant might not be as frivolous and celebration tinged as the workingman’s song, but it’s what we need to keep us on the straight and narrow. So let’s chant up a storm nuh, just like the workingman did. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. 

Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’ 

And not having a Bit for the day, I just opened the Good Book unto an interesting piece of scripture; the prophet Ezekiel chiding the rebellious people of Israel in the Lord’s name. ‘Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abomination of his eyes (which are before his eyes), and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.’ 

Oh my people, I believe the Lord is saying the same thing to us today, re all the idols we’re focused upon, especially in this festive Christmas season. Remember, whatever takes our attention away from God is an idol!

And you can’t doubt the fact that at Christmas time when we’re supposed to be wrapped up in the glorious birth of Christ, most of us are more wrapped up in the trappings and gift buying and the holiday time than that most auspicious occasion, the sacred birth of Jesus Christ, God’s greatest gift to man! 

And the sad part is that many of our homes don’t have the aura of Christ floating around as we prepare for this special occasion. Nothing’s wrong with all the celebrations and festivities, but please friends, please, I implore us, let’s put the horse before the cart nuh, let’s make Jesus the centre-piece of our Christmas activity, as it ought to be, so that we don’t incur the Lord’s wrath! 

Don’t fool yuh fat nuh, that wrath WILL come eventually, if we keep up the idol worship! The Lord might be long-suffering, but certainly not for ever! Much LOVE!

…remember…Jesus IS  the reason…for the Christmas season…let’s acknowledge it…with plenty pomp and pride nuh…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 November 2018 Hebrews 12:1.

Hebrews 12:1.   Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.
 

Well a Happy Cyber Monday to all you my wonderful friends and Scrip-Bit family out there in God’s great universe! It is a joy coming to you today in the name of the Lord, but not this early though. (smile) You can thank the medics again for that, because I have an early appointment for a vision test in the city. I’m tempted to cancel it, but the Lord’s telling me that wouldn’t be wise since it’s all for my benefit and no one else’s. 

So, ergo, I’m up and about His business this early in the morning. But when and where is it going to end eh? I’m talking about the mad rush for sales that are not really sales, only eye candy to draw you into these business places to spend what you don’t have on what you don’t need. Last Friday was called Black Friday; the day to do the rushing at the physical stores. Today has been aptly named, Cyber Monday; the day for online shopping! 

But how much shop can we shop eh people? I know I can’t afford to shop at all! (smile) And what do I really need that’s out there, that’s theoretically much cheaper than at other times eh? NOTHING! I have more stuff than I can already use. Right now I’m in the giving away mode rather than the acquiring one.

But the economic czars are not happy unless their cash machines are continually going, ‘kaching, kaching!’ And they will selfishly and greedily throw out all kinds of enticements to make it happen. But please don’t be taken in by their lures my friends. It’s just the devil’s work at hand in a different guise. 

Anyway, it’s Monday, and plenty of us are sad and miserable, so let’s invoke the grace and mercy of our great God Jehovah by declaring our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in strong voice with sincere hearts. 

As one 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!’ 

Yeh friends, that’s a powerful call to our omnipotent Creator! And I’m sure we’re all feeling a li’l lighter and brighter in our spirits now because He has allowed His Holy Spirit to work in us the way we asked. So now, let’s get on our horses and ride nuh, ride the good race for Jesus! 

As Bruh Paul says in our Bit: ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.’ 

Yes my believing brethren, we’re all in a race, and the heroes of faith, plus the basic and simple witnesses who have gone before us are looking down on us with great expectation that we should finish it like the champions we’re meant to be. It’s not an easy race to run, but we’ve been gifted with all that we need to successfully run it. 

And yuh see, we even different from Bruh Paul; he was running the race, but we’re riding the race, (smile) because we have much improved means of getting around than Bruh Paul had in his day. We can also get the message out further and faster than he could. So although our mode of living and spreading the good news gospel might be slightly different, our big job is still to live it as exemplarily as we can, and spread it as far and wide and forcibly as we have opportunity to. 

And the catalyst and example we have for doing all that is none other than our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Listen to Bruh Paul again: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of the God.’ (Heb.12:2) 

Yay mih breddren! Jesus set the course of faith and finished it with excellence, despising any shame and other negative stuff that was involved in it. And thus the Lord had Him sit at His right hand after enduring the cross on our behalf without any complaints. Likewise, we are expected to finish our earthly race without too much complaining, looking forward to the great rewards that have been laid up in heaven for those who finish the race successfully. 

Jesus is standing at the door to heaven to greet us with a big hug and a bright and exhilarating: ‘Welcome and well done, thou good and faithful servant!’ Just imagine that wonderful greeting in your mind’s eye nuh, and it will help you to keep on keeping on! Much LOVE!

…riding for Jesus…Wow…it’s the most exhilarating and exciting activity on earth…