Matthew 6:13. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one): For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella’s excited this morning! Why? I really don’t know, because there’s nothing to be really excited about except being alive and kicking!
The story though, is that I woke up sort of early this morning, feeling tired and not ready to face the day, so I went back to bed. I got up an hour or so later, still somewhat tired and grumpy – and don’t you dare say that’s normal (smile) – but I could not afford to give in to my tired feelings and go back to bed, for the Bit would be even later than it already was going to be.
But wonder of wonders, after spending some time in prayer with our heavenly Father, my spirit just came alive, and now I’m brimming with energy, enthusiasm, joy and LOVE, ready to face the evil world that we dwell in!
Now that rejuvenation could only have come through the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit. As I keep telling us, our God’s not foolish, His wisdom is immeasurable. He knew that I had to write the Bit, and couldn’t do a decent job if I was feeling low down and grumpy, so He rejuvenated my spirit!
And as Bruh Paul told the Corinthians: ‘Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to (leads us in) triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour (fragrance) of his knowledge by us in every place.’ (2 Cor.2:14)
Oh Friends, our God is such a wonderful Deity! Please don’t ever doubt it! He never leaves us in the lurch, especially when we cry out to Him in genuine faith. But the problem though my brethren is that we first have to BELIEVE; to BELIEVE that He is a helper of those who truly seek Him.
And that’s where a lot of us falter… we don’t truly BELIEVE.
Now do you think I could have been writing the Bit going on 8 years now on only my strength? No way Jose!
And you all know how I laughed in disbelief when the Lord first broached the idea, pleading my lack of knowledge etc. etc. But the Lord persisted, and I finally agreed to do His bidding.
And my people, over the years, as I have tried my best, I’ve seen the Lord’s faithfulness in helping me to do His bidding. And now, now I’ve reached a point where I have NO DOUBTS whatsoever as to the Lord’s faithfulness and LOVING-kindness to those who are willing to do His bidding!
But we first have to make that leap of faith. And I challenge us to wisely make that leap of faith today, RIGHT NOW, if you sincerely want to see God work wonders in your life!
Now one word of caution; don’t get the idea that it will be all wine and roses when the Lord begins to work in your life. Hn! On the contrary, it might get more difficult as He tests us to see if we truly want to be a part of His kingdom.
But please remember that He will NEVER give us more than we can bear, and WILL ALWAYS make a way for us to handle the situation, even when there seems to be no way. I can vouch for that.
And all this ties in quite nicely with our Bit, immortal words of Jesus on prayer: ‘And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one): For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’
Yes Friends, only if the kingdom, the power and the glory are truly the Lord’s, can He work marvels and miracles in our lives! So to see and experience one side of the equation, you must sincerely believe the other!
And nobody’s said it better than Bruh David, when he exhorted his people in thanksgiving and prayer. ‘Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.
Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.’ (1 Chr.29:10-14)
Oh mih people, mih people, could Bruh David excite a body and spirit with prayer or what! I guess that’s why the Lord called him a man after his own heart.
So even before Jesus, the Son of God declared it, Bruh David recognized that the universe, the power and the glory were all God’s, and penitently noised it abroad. So too my fellow believers, ought we to noise the kingdom of God abroad to all and sundry.
And fortunately it’s never been easier to do than in these times of modern technology, where information can be transferred and transmitted to those in faraway places in the blink of an eye. Yes my brethren, we are the first generation that’s physically able to comply with Jesus’ Great Commission and spread the Word to ‘ALL NATIONS.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
So please, let’s get ourselves together and joyfully spread the good news of Jesus’ wonderful gospel nuh; of His selfless sacrifice, His atonement for our sins, His enabling of reconciliation with the Father, and the wonderful promises of salvation and eternal life! Wow! Those are indeed the GREATEST BLESSINGS that the world has ever known!
And we’ll close with some appropriate words from Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the ONLY WISE GOD, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Tim.1:17)
And all God’s people gave a mighty shout of joy, which resounded across both heaven and earth. ‘Praise the Lord God Almighty! For His is indeed the kingdom, the power and the glory!’
Much, much LOVE, my fellow believers in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
…unless you truly believe in God’s power…you won’t ever see it working in your life…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 March 2014 Matthew 6:13
19 Mar 2014 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a man after God's heart, alive and kicking, atonement for sins, believe, believers in Jesus Christ, blessed the Lord, brimming with energy, Bruh David, Bruh Paul, disbelief, enthusiasm, eternal life, everything belongs to God, evil world, exalted, excited, exhortation, faithfulness, for ever and ever, fragance of God's knowledge, genuine faith, God will always make a way for us, God will never give us more than we can handle, God's power, God's wisdom, good news, greatest blessings, greatness, grumpy, head above all, heavenly Father, honour and glory, immeasurable, in god's hand is power and might, in the blink of an eye, Jesus, Jesus' gospel, joy, kingdom of god, leap of faith, Lord and Saviour, Lord god of Israel, LOVE, loving kindness, majesty, marvels and miracles, modern technology, my spirit came alive, noised abroad, not ready to face the day, only wise God, praise God's glorious name, Praise the Lord, prayer, reconciliation, rejuvenation, riches and honour come from God, salvation, see god work wonders, selfless sacrifice, Spread God's Word, tests, Thanks be to God, thanksgiving, the glory, the Great Commission, the kingdom, the Lord's faithfulness, the power, the Son of God, the work of the Holy Spirit, thine is the kingdom, time in prayer, tired, to all and sundry, triumph in Christ, victory, willing to do God's bidding, wine and roses, wisdom, wonder of wonders, word of caution
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 October 2013 Matthew 5:5
23 Oct 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a pleasant hello, a smile, Abraham, Abrahamic Covenant, abundance of peace, afraid, alleviate tragedies, almighty god, anger, balance, Beatitudes, blessed, blessed are the meek, blessedness of heaven, boast, church at Rome, delight, dictates of our Bit, diligently, divine wisdom, embrace Jesus, every day, faith, from the bottom of my heart, God's wisdom, greet with a smile, heartfelt feeling, heir of the world, humble, humility, inherit the earth, inner confidence, inner strength, Jesus, Jesus sojourn on earth, Johnny Reid, kingdom of god, live by faith, live by sight, LOVE, meek, meekness, memorable words, Mosaic Law, one day at a time, opened up my eyes, physical, ponder, positive difference, promise, promise of the kingdom, resolution, righteousness of faith, say hello to my neighbour, Sermon on the Mount, shake a stranger's hand, show off, simple things, sincerity, sit and talk awhile, solid truth, spiritual, steadfast faith, strong, surrender, tell someone I love them, the last trump, the law, the only way, the strength of our faith, tragedies, trust, truth, try and change the world, weak, wonderful project
Matthew 5:5. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (land).
Oh Friends, this is what I had planned for yesterday, until I read about the disastrous school shooting incident in Nevada. And in God’s everlasting wisdom, this project can, and will, definitely alleviate those kinds of tragedies, if we sincerely and seriously put our hands to the plough and furrow straight ahead without looking back.
Now it’s not a new project, but a very old one that we’re guilty of not doing properly. However, we’re starting over TODAY, in a more serious and sincere manner. So listen to the basic nature of the project, as Johnny Reid, in his drawling baritone, tells it to us in song.
‘Today I’m going to try and change the world. Gonna take it one day at a time. I’ve made my resolution, opened up my eyes. Today I’m going to try and change the world.’
That’s just the chorus people, but even that’s very eye opening and inspirational!
Now listen to the verse. ‘I’m gonna say hello to my neighbour. Going to greet him with a smile. And shake the hand of a stranger, sit and talk to him for a while. I’m gonna tell someone I LOVE them from the bottom of my heart. Today I’m going to try and change the world… Chorus’
Oh my brethren, isn’t that a wonderful project? It sure is! And the beauty is that we’ll just take it one day at a time, no rush, doing the simple things that Jesus did in his sojourn down here on earth, and now wants us to carry on in His name.
And the whole thing is very easy; greet our neighbours with a smile and a pleasant hello; shake a strangers hand, then spend a li’l time chatting with them; tell someone we LOVE them, with a sincere and heartfelt feeling of truth.
Oh my people, my people, that’s the only way we can ever change this world!
But to do it sincerely and successfully, we have to live according to the dictates of our Bit. ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (land).’
Yes Friends, we cannot do those things, or anything that Jesus requires of us, unless we’re meek, unless we’re humble. Now please remember that meek and humble don’t mean weak and afraid, like many people think, but rather strong, with an inner confidence in God, that you don’t have to huff and puff, get angry, or show off and boast.
Meekness and humility simple means we have a quiet, inner strength, steadfast faith, not afraid of the world or whatever it brings our way.
And this is the scholars’ take on our Bit. ‘5:5. The meek…shall inherit the earth refers again to those who have been humbled before God and will not only inherit the blessedness of heaven, but also will ultimately share in the kingdom of God on earth.
Here, in the opening statements of the Sermon on the Mount, is the balance between the physical and spiritual promise of the kingdom. The kingdom of which Jesus preached is both “in you” and is yet “to come.”
Solid truth that mih breddren!
And even before Jesus spoke those memorable words of our Bit in the Beatitudes, Bruh David solemnly declared in Psalm 37, The true state of the wicked: ‘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.37:10-11)
And as per inheriting the earth, Bruh Paul wrote this to the church at Rome. ‘For the promise that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.’ (Rom.4:13)
And the scholars’ explain that thus: ‘4:13. The promise: Many Jews thought that the privileges they enjoyed came from their adherence to the Mosaic Law. This is false. The promises were given to Abraham 430 years before the law was given, hence the law does not annul the Abrahamic covenant. It was merely added alongside until Christ should come to fulfill it. (cf. Gal.3:17-19)’
So we see Friends, it’s all based on faith, trust, and surrender to Almighty God; from the day Abraham received the promise, till the day the last trump sounds. Therefore let’s try and stop living by sight nuh, and instead live by faith, as we ought to, since it’s the ONLY WAY we can truly embrace Jesus and all that He stands for.
That means we continually need to ponder the strength of our faith and find ways to make it stronger. Now that’s where divine wisdom comes in. Much LOVE!
…if each believer tries to make a positive difference…each and every day…then we’ll soon change the world…as Jesus… so long ago, asked us to…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 March 2013 Mark 16:6
31 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: Christian faith, christianity, conqueror of death and the grave, crucifixion, cruel cross, don't fear, earthly lusts, Easter Sunday, empty tomb, eternal life, fateful day, first fruits, glory, gratefulness, Hades, Hallelujah, honour, Jesus' resurrection, joy, judgement, kingdom of god, LOVE Revolution, LOVING Creator, praise, sacrifice, salvation, saviour jesus christ, spiritual things, swallow up death, thanks, theology, true fellowship, wipe away tears, wonderful god
Mark 16:6. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
HAPPY EASTER!
Oh Friends, it’s Easter morn! Arise and shout for joy because HE IS RISEN! Yes my people, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has been resurrected through the mighty power of His heavenly Father! He has forever conquered that evil Lucifer and his evil empire of darkness, destruction, death and the grave, thus guaranteeing salvation and perpetuating eternal life for all those who believe on His Holy Name! For as Bruh Paul boldly and truthfully declared to the Corinthians: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? Oh grave (Hades), where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor.15:54b-57) Oh my brethren, Beelzebub’s army has gone down to certain defeat, therefore let the heavens ring out with our joy, as we joyously sing: ‘Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelu… Hallelu… Hallelujah!’ Oh my fellow believers, since that first day of creation, there’s never been a better or more important day in man’s turbulent, rebellious history than this one, Easter Sunday! So let’s all give enormous and sincere thanks and praise to a most wonderful God, a most LOVING Creator, who LOVED His sinful, fallen creation so much, that He made His ONLY Son sacrifice Himself on that cruel cross to save us from the worse fate possible, eternal separation from Him. And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘All praise, thanks, honour and glory be unto thee Almighty God, who wanted to reconcile us to Yourself so badly, that You broke Your own heart, burdening Your Son Jesus Christ with our disgusting sins, to make us clean and whole again.’ And what’s so amazing about the whole thing Friends, is how seamlessly and truthfully Jesus’ life came together from the prophecy of Isaiah in chapter 53, to His resurrection hundreds of years later as recorded in our Bit, where the women of Jesus’ company came to anoint Him that first Easter morning and found an angel sitting inside an empty tomb, dressed in a long white robe, which obviously scared them half to death: ‘And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted (afraid): Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.’ We all know the Resurrection Story, so I won’t get into it, please read it on your own and refresh your hearts and minds with it. Now listen to Isaiah’s prophecy earlier on in chapter 25, in his song of praise by the redeemed. ‘He will swallow up death in victory (forever); and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is.25:8-9) Oh Friends, though that relates particularly to after the Great Tribulation, Christ’s resurrection was the first step on the road to salvation. Thus now is indeed the right time to rejoice in the salvation of our God, because He has done marvellous things for us, things we certainly don’t deserve, and couldn’t earn, even if we felt so inclined. As Bruh Paul assured the believers at Corinth. ‘But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept (have died). For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.’ (1 Cor.15:20-22) Wow! What a blessed day this Easter Sunday really is my people! It’s the strong, sure and certain foundation of our whole Christian faith, for without Jesus’ triumphant resurrection, come that fateful day of judgement, we would all have perished in Hades with the prince of darkness. But Jesus in His most LOVING-kindness and selflessness, through His sacrificial blood and victory over death, gave us the opportunity to move from darkness to light, from death to eternal life. Unfortunately though my brethren, today we’re joyous, celebrating this most important event, and full of Christian gung ho, but come tomorrow, or a few days hence, many of us will revert to walking in the lust of the flesh, craving, seeking and running down earthly things. As someone once said: ‘Oh, how soon we do forget!’ But please remember Friends, that the things of the world are fallible, deceitful and easily destroyed. However, the kingdom of God is infallible and indestructible, and will stand the test of time, long after this earth is no more. That’s why Jesus kept pounding the kingdom of God into our heads, hoping it would eventually percolate into our hearts and souls. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) Oh Friends, it’s so plain and simple: when we seek the spiritual things of God, all the material things of earth that we need, will be given to us by the Father. It seems though that we have to be continually reminded of that fact, since the pull of worldly things keep drawing us back to them like a magnet, like the earth and gravity. However, my beautiful fellow believers and followers of Jesus Christ, please let’s make this Easter Sunday of the year 2013 a most remarkable and memorable one, by faithfully pledging to our God, each other and ourselves to rise up higher, like Jesus, and also to remain faithful and true, showing the proper gratefulness and thanks for His awesome sacrifice and LOVE, by focussing steadfastly on His kingdom and doing the things necessary to further it. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Oh Friends, let’s celebrate our wonderful faith and glorious Saviour, Jesus Christ today in song, dance and true fellowship, and show the world by our deeds of LOVING-kindness in action, that we are indeed the salt of the earth and the light of the world, worthwhile leaders of the ongoing LOVE Revolution. That’s definitely wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!…to know, know, know Him…is certainly…to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…and after all He’s done for us…just to do His bidding…makes it all worthwhile…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 January 2013 Romans 8:8
04 Jan 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: almighty god, closer walk with Jesus, Creator, Friday chant, gospel truth, heavenly Father, kingdom of god, lifeline of Jesus, new person in Christ, New Year's resolution, pleasing God, reconciliation, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, things of the flesh, things of the Spirit, walk with jesus, walking in the flesh, walking in the Spirit
Romans 8:8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Oh Friends, can you believe it is already the 4th day of this new year 2013? Brother! It’s already flying fast! That means we cannot afford to diddle daddle and procrastinate, if we truly want to seek a closer walk with Jesus, as our New Year’s resolution states. And wonder of wonders, today is also Friday… And a whooping shout of joy, accompanied by exclamations of ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ rises up to heaven on high. In particular from those who had partied heartily over the holidays and were still suffering the after effects, but had to go to work a few days this week. Yes Friends, the partying is always nice, but not always so the consequences. And that’s exactly what we’re trying to prevent, to curtail this year; the sad, devastating consequences of not walking with Jesus. Oh my people, that is definitely the height of foolishness because not walking in step with Jesus will only bring us pain and shame, death and eternal separation from our Heavenly Father, our Creator. And as I keep reminding us, that’s the worst possible scenario that could ever happen to a creation of Almighty God. So please take this message to heart, and even if you don’t believe me, still try it, since your current actions are all leading to dead ends and heartaches. Humour me and give Jesus a try. I guarantee you’ll never go back to Lucifer and your old ways, because when you turn to Jesus and sincerely accept Him as your Lord and Saviour, you become an entirely new person. You think differently, believe differently, feel better – physically, mentally and emotionally, your eyes are opened to things and subjects you never even knew or dreamed existed. Mama Mia! That’s how wonderful and marvellous a change Jesus brings into your life, when you decide to seriously follow Him. And Friends, I’m not talking about this merely from hearsay, but from personal experience. Now hear how Bruh Paul explains it to the Corinthians. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation)” old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation.’ (2 Cor.5:17-18) And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! We no longer live in the lusts of the flesh, but by the Holy Spirit of Christ that then indwells us. And please pay particular note to what our Bit states: ‘So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.’ And why is that you ask? ‘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. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.’ (Rom.8:5-7) Yes Friends, if we’re hooked up to the lifeline of Jesus, that means we’re living in the kingdom of heaven, that’s spiritually, joyfully looking forward to the day of His return, not according to the laws of the flesh and man, meaning simply for today, with material possessions being our mainstay. Remember again, that Jesus said, if we seek first God’s kingdom, then all our material needs will be met. (Matt.6:33) So there’s absolutely no reason to fear or worry about our earthly necessities if we put God’s will as our first priority. And what does embracing Christ and walking faithfully with Him through His indwelling Spirit do? Hear Bruh Paul tell it to the Roman church. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for (on account of) sin, condemned sin in the flesh. That the righteousness (righteous requirement) of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’ (Rom.8:1-4) Yes my people, as the scholars declare: ‘There is nothing inherently wrong with the law. (But) the presence of sin renders the believer powerless to do what the law demands.’ That’s all undeniable truth Friends! So please, let’s get spiritual, or more spiritual with Jesus this year nuh. You’ve already seen some of the wonderful benefits that momentous decision and daring action provides. And since today is Friday, and the work week’s done, let’s perk up even more, because that gives us rest from toil, as well as more time to spend with Jesus and His Holy Spirit. And believe me people, there’s nothing better than that on this evil, ungodly earth! However, since we still need to keep everything in the right perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much pomp and pleasure. Thought I’d forgotten eh? (smile) Now, as one powerful, sweet set of chanters, let’s chant: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Enjoy the weekend Friends, but remember to eschew the lusts of the flesh, and allow the wonderful Spirit of Christ that dwells in us, to lead and guide us to victory in His Holy Name. Much LOVE!…walking with Christ…both in our hearts and minds…makes our earthly journey…more wonderful with each passing day…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 November 2012 Ephesians 5:14
28 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: beautiful day, cold weather, consummate wisdom, deception, eccentric, fear of God, Jesus' sacrificial death, kingdom of god, light of jesus, Lucifer's lies, Messiah, Paradise, rain, rewards of salvation, righteousness., the straight and narrow, wake up, walk the talk
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 May 2012 Acts 10:38
17 May 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: anointing, blessed name of Jesus, born again, come from God, deep peace, earthly journey, Gaelic peace prayer, jesus of nazareth, kingdom of god, miracles, Nicodemus, oppression, prayer of peace, teacher, wonderful truths
Acts 10:38. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Oh Friends, the Lord has blessed us with another beautiful day on this bountiful earth! Praise and bless His Holy Name! Yeh, that’s something we ought to do, because it’s not everyone who was up and about yesterday that are up and about today. So if you’re one of the lucky, blessed ones; not one of those reading their names in the obits, please convey some thanks and praise to our heavenly Father for it. Now here’s a Gaelic Prayer of Peace that I got when I attended the St.Augustine Anglican Church last Sunday in J.A. It says, very wisely and comfortingly: ‘Deep peace of the running waves to you. Deep peace of the flowing air to you. Deep peace of the smiling stars to you. Deep peace of the watching shepherds to you. Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.’ Yes my Friends, I wish that deep peace to all of us today, and sincerely pray that our world will enjoy more peace today than it did yesterday, that war and strife will be less today, than they were yesterday, and our children’s children will enjoy a much more peaceful earthly journey than our generation has done. I pray this in the blessed name of Jesus. Amen. Now let’s engage our Bit for the last time today. And I sense a smile from those of you who don’t like to use a Bit for more than one day, but sometimes the Bits are just so full of wonderful truths and promises that we just have to keep at them until we exhaust all the wisdom they can provide. And this has certainly been one of those. ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’ Wow Friends! Doesn’t that just say plenty? It sure does: God anointing Jesus with His Holy Spirit; Jesus going about healing and doing good; and God being with Him while He did that. And it’s that last part; ‘for God was with him,’ that I want to look at today. And we’ll do so by first looking at a very important passage of scripture. It’s the eye opening conversation between Nicodemus, a Pharisee, and Jesus. ‘The same (Nicodemus) came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles (signs) that thou doest, except God be with him.’ (John 3:2) Now Friends, that’s a statement that both astounds and confuses me. It is indeed a truthful statement, for Jesus could not have done all those miracles without God’s help. So why then didn’t many more people believe in Him eh, especially when the Jewish nation was undergoing such horrendous oppression under Roman rule? I guess the Jews had been looking so long and hard for a war mongering Messiah, that when a peace-LOVING one came, they just could not fathom or accept it, plus the ruling class was genuinely afraid they’d lose their preferred status, and would do anything to protect it. But here’s Jesus’ answer to Nicodemus. And this is where it gets real interesting. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (or from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus (obviously confused) saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth (wishes); and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:3-8) Yes mih breddren, that’s the overwhelming importance of the Holy Spirit! Unless we have it, we can’t enter heaven. And we can only get it by being born again, believing and accepting with unswerving faith that Jesus is and was the Messiah, who died to pay for our sins. Notice that Jesus Himself was baptized and born again of the Holy Spirit. (Mark 1:9-11) And as Jesus later said unto a group in the temple: ‘I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.’ (John 8:24) Oh Friends, I surely hope that all of us, who say we believe, do indeed truly believe, so that we don’t die in our sins, for that would be a terrible outcome of this earthly life. At the same time, we should also be concentrating on getting others to truly believe so that they don’t die in their sins, for that was Jesus’ last directive to His disciples, (Matt. 28:19-20) and consequently to us. And we’ll end with the definitive words of Jesus on the topic. ‘When ye have lifted up (crucified) the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.’ (John 8:28-29) And all God’s people declared a loud ‘Amen!’ Yes my fellow believers, our God is always with us when we’re doing His will. Let’s never forget that. So let’s ponder today, whether we’re truly doing His will, and if not, try to bring ourselves in line with it, so that we might continually enjoy His awesome company, just like Jesus did. Much LOVE!…only if we sincerely seek the Lord…will we find Him…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 February 2012 Psalm 29:11
03 Feb 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: glorious kingdom, jesus name, kingdom of god, lord god, psalm 29, way to mars
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, it’s Friday! Thank God it’s Friday! At last the weekend’s come and the week of drudgery and slaving for massa for two measly pennies is almost done. Thank the Lord! Yes Friends, it often feels like the week will never finish, what with fighting the traffic two ways everyday, and fighting with all sorts of people otherwise. Then comes Friday, and our spirits soar like a rocket on it’s fiery way to Mars or some extra terrestrial destination. (smile) But a word of caution is necessary here, for the weekend is not supposed to be only for fun and games, some serious stuff still has to go on if the kingdom is to be kept alert and safe. And to remind us of that, let’s chant our Friday Chant, with as much, if not more verve than we did ‘Thank God, it’s Friday!’ 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.’ That brings us to our Bit: ‘The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.’ Oh my brethren, those are words of undeniable and infallible truth! The Lord God Jehovah does indeed strengthen His people and also blesses them with peace. Why do you think our world is in such turmoil eh? Because the majority of its inhabitants are not in partnership with God, they’re not His people. They are Beelzebub’s people, for they worship, idolize and greedily seek after the things of this world, rather than the things of heaven. Remember Jesus’ warning on that topic? ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) It’s only logical Friends, that if we’re in partnership with the Creator of the universe, the great Provider, Protector and the most powerful Being there is, that strength, LOVE, peace and prosperity will govern our lives. If we’re in cahoots with some lesser light, like Lucifer, then what do you expect but strife and turmoil, hatred and anger, greed and envy, and all sorts of backbiting, with feeding frenzies like piranhas let loose. Obviously those involved with the Most High God Jehovah do not behave in such negative fashion. That’s the beauty of harnessing your wagon to God’s powerful and peaceful engine! Now let’s hear some scriptures that corroborate our Bit, beginning of course with words of Bruh David, (smile) from Psalm 28; a prayer for God’s help: ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed (Messiah, commissioned one.’ (Ps.28:7-8) If anybody knew about God’s strengths and mercies, it was certainly Bruh David. Meanwhile, the teary eyed prophet, Jeremiah, in spite of his tears, was able to confidently declare in the Lord’s name: ‘For I have satiated (satisfied) the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul. Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.’ (Jer.31:25-26) Both Bruh David and Jeremiah knew without a doubt that their bread was buttered on the Lord’s side, so they had no problems in serving and worshipping Him. I only wish that the majority of earth’s inhabitants were as sure my Friends. And we’ll end fittingly with the words of the greatest of men, Jesus, who though He was God incarnate, still bowed and was obedient to His heavenly Father in all things while He sojourned here on earth. And these words are taken from His most famous sermon, that on the Mount: ‘Blessed are they which do thirst and hunger after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt.5:6) What more can we ask of our God eh Friends? If we seek after Him and His kingdom, we will want for nothing. So let’s be wise and sincerely, actively and diligently do that nuh. More on this tomorrow, if we’re still alive and kicking. Much LOVE!…to seek…to strive…but never to faint or give up…in Jesus name…Amen!
SCRIP-BITS 