Jeremiah 29:11. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Well hello there mih Lovelies! Rise and shine to greet a brand new beautiful day, full of joy and unconditional LOVE! Unfortunately it’s called Monday, (smile) which means that we have to go back out and labour for massa to earn a paltry living. Now that’s the bad news Friends. But here’s the good news, the gospel news: It’s simple, but oh so powerful! All of us who are staunch, true, faithful believers in Jesus Christ, the ONE and ONLY SUPERSTAR, have nothing whatsoever to worry about, because He’s already taken care of everything for us. He’s paid for our disgusting sins by sacrificing His holy, sinless life on the cross at Calvary, even though we didn’t, and will never deserve it! He’s promised us His perfect peace, very different and much more refreshing than that of man! He’s called us to lay down our heaven burdens at His nail scarred feet, and instead offers His easy yoke and light burden! He’s promised to be always with us, wherever we go, and to never leave or forsake us, which He’s faithfully done by sending His Holy Spirit, His Comforter to live within us, to lead and guide us along the straight, narrow, righteous but difficult way! And above all He’s promised the magnificent but free gift of grace through salvation and eternal life! Wow! A place where there’s no more pain, suffering, sorrow, darkness, hatred and tears, but till eternity, His brilliant light will light our golden paths, with joy, fellowship, and an exceedingly good life filled with LOVE! Mama Mia! And all we have to do to receive His generosity is believe in Him; believe that He is indeed the WAY, the TRUTH, the LIGHT and the LIFE, and that no one can come to Father God besides through Him, the SON, the SACRIFICIAL LAMB, our LORD and SAVIOUR, to whom ALL Power has been given, both on earth and in Heaven, and to whom ALL knees must eventually bow. And all God’s people raised a mighty shout to Heaven! ‘Praise be to Jesus Christ, who is indeed worthy to be praised!’ Yes Friends, what awesome promises, most of which have already been fulfilled and are continuously being fulfilled every single day in our lives! How much more do we need before we can trust Him, surrender our lives totally to Him eh? How much better can it get? The gospel truth is that it cannot get any better than that mih breddren! So with all those great things going for us, why are Christ’s people still so sad, miserable, scared, resentful and lacking true joy? Because we either don’t truly believe His Word, or we’re allowing the enemy, the evildoers to bamboozle us with false info. Anyway, on this historic Monday morning, let us all rise up and remember that the joy of the Lord God Jehovah is our strength! Yes, ALL God’s people, let’s rise up and reclaim that joy that so many believers have sadly lost, or simply set aside because of their rough and unfortunate circumstances! Let’s let the whole wide world know that Jesus’ people are ready to ride into battle, even to the death, for Him! And we can start the process by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with overwhelming exhilaration, in loud, tuneful, soaring voice. 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!’ Oh Friends, I was looking for something to stir up our spirits today, something to get us actively participating in the ongoing LOVE Revolution, and this is where the Spirit led me. I sure hope it has the desired effect, of encouragement, hope, trust and faith, and that we’ll readily and gladly accept, without any reservations, the awesome promised contained in our Bit: ‘ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (hope and a bright future).’ And I want to testify here Friends to the Lord’s true and awesome power, because I wrote all that stuff without a Bit in mind, then within a few seconds of contemplating what would be an appropriate one, the Spirit flashed that one in my mind, and not only that, I knew exactly where to find it. (smile) So please put all your trust and faith in Him, for He will NEVER LET YOU DOWN! Much LOVE mih beautiful people!…STAND UP, STAND UP FOR JESUS…THE TRUMPET SOUNDS OBEY…TILL EVERY FOE IS VANQUISHED…AND JESUS HOLDS ETERNAL SWAY…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 June 2012 Jeremiah 29:11
25 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: believe the awesome promises of Jesus, encouragement, faith, hope, humble servants, invincible, jeremiah 29 11, light burden, LOVE, sacrificial lamb, spiritual armour, stand up for Jesus, sure conquerors
Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 June 2012 1John 4:8
10 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: a new day, dimensions of God, distinctive peculiarities, diversity, God is LOVE, God's craftmanship, jehovah god, LOVE, manterial vs spiritual life, only begotten Son, substance or essence of God, thanks and praise
1 John 4:8. He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.
Oh Friends, please rise and greet another new and glorious day! There’s never been one quite like it before, and there’ll never be another quite like it again! That just shows the power, the skill and the craftsmanship of our mighty and wonderful God Jehovah. And the same way He crafts days that seem alike, but yet are different, in that same manner He crafts humans that may look alike, but each and every one has his or her own distinctive peculiarities; like how no two fingerprints are the same. What does that say about our God, besides His ingenuity eh? It says that He also likes diversity. That’s why there are so many different looking, speaking and thinking humans in the world. The same goes for the flora and fauna He created. But Friends, there’s one thing that’s inherent in all of God’s creations; that’s LOVE! His LOVE for all that He created, though not necessarily the other way around. However, to know God, we must know LOVE. As our Bit so rightly declares: ‘He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.’ And that’s the awesome truth my Friends! And how has that great LOVE of God been most amazingly and brilliantly shown? ‘In this was manifested the LOVE of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.’ (1 John 4:9) Yes my people, God proved His great LOVE for us by sending His sinless Son, Jesus to die, so that we might live! Wow! What a magnificent and caring Deity! And all God’s people gave Him a shout of thanks and praise for that marvellous gift of grace! But folks, the great thing about our God is that He’s not only a God of LOVE; a one dimension God, but also exhibits several other wonderful characteristics, included in which are holiness and justice, which need to be understood in relation to all the others. Now hear a scholarly explanation: ‘The nature of God is His “essence” or His “substance.” God’s nature includes all that He is that makes Him uniquely God. Any complete definition of God’s nature should include the following seven aspects: Spirit, person, life, self-existence, unchangeableness, infinitude, and unity. (See John 4:24 for a definition of God.) Without these things, God would not be God. Illustration: Because God is so difficult to comprehend, Jesus became a man revealing the essence of the Father and proclaiming truth concerning God. (John 1:14,18) As we read the gospel accounts of the ministry of Christ, it becomes easier for us to understand what God is like. Application: The first commandment of the law requires that we LOVE and worship God as He truly is, implying we should study the nature of God. (Ex.20:3; Matt.22:37-38) (First Reference, Gen.1:2; Primary Reference, 1 John 4:8; cf. John 4:24) And since I know that some of us are too lazy to look up the scripture references, I’ll spoil us (smile) by quoting a couple of them. Genesis 1:2 says: ‘And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon (was hovering over) the face of the waters.’ We already have 1 John 4:8, which is our Bit. And in John 4:24, Jesus tells us some important things about God: ‘God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.’ Oh Friends, I didn’t plan on including this next scholarly explanation, but it sort of explains some of the attributes they talk about above. ‘John gives three descriptions of God. He is Spirit (John 4:24), LOVE (1 John 4:8), and Light (1 John 1:5). God is a spiritual being who is invisible and without a body; He is a divine person who reveals Himself in perfect intellect, emotion and will; He is the source and personification of all material and spiritual life; He is self-existent; He is eternal in relationship to time; He is unlimited in relationship to the immensity of space; He is immutable (unchanging) in His nature; He is the unity of all existence; and He is consistent in His being – that is, He corresponds in actual fact to His nature and attributes as they are revealed to us.’ But Friends, here is an important distinction I want us to understand re LOVE and God. In the verse before our Bit, John declares: ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God.’ (1 John 4:7) However mih breddren, not everybody that LOVES is naturally of God, or even knows Him. The scholars explain it better than I can. ‘John returns to the theme of mutual LOVE. Perhaps the false teaching he felt compelled to combat had contributed to suspicion and contention in the fellowship. In context, John is not saying that everyone who LOVES is somehow a Christian, whether they trust in Christ or not. He makes it clear elsewhere that true knowledge of God entails right belief about Christ, as well as right response to God, including LOVE of others. Mere human LOVE apart from Christ’s redeeming presence and motivation falls short of LOVE in its fullest dimension as a human response to God’s perfect and infinite compassion. (cf. 1 Cor.13)’ That’s the LOVE Chapter people! So Friends, unless our LOVE is seated, is deeply rooted in the person of Jesus Christ, it falls short of the LOVE that God engenders. Thus it is certainly good to LOVE others without reference to God, but LOVE only reaches its highest point, its pinnacle, its true focus when Christ is involved. And hopefully, with all that scholarly knowledge under our belts, our passion and understanding is lifted, and we now can do a better job of bringing others to Christ, as we have been commissioned to do. Much LOVE!…to LOVE is good…but it’s not truly wonderful or true…unless it includes God…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 May 2012 Psalm 81:13
21 May 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: battle hymn, encouragement, enthusiasm, faith, LOVE, prosperity, Queen Victoria, renewed vitality, spirituality, stewardship
Psalm 81:13. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
Oh Friends, it’s Monday, that day we all LOVE to hate! And luckily, for many in the British Commonwealth of nations, it’s a public holiday, commemorating the birthday of that powerful, strong minded Queen Victoria, (1819-1901) whose rule over British territory has been the longest, 64 years (1837-1901) and under whose stewardship the Empire spread and prospered like never before, raising the claim of an empire on which the sun never set. However, many others around the world, and here too in our 24/7 society, still have to go out and labour to keep the wheels of commerce spinning. So to encourage and energize those folks, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much verve and enthusiasm. 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!’ Yes my people, today, we are placing our faith and trust in God’s hands, surrendering our bodies and souls to His wise guidance, unlike many others, both from this current age and of all those gone by. Of one thing we’re certain, God won’t be able to say of us, like the psalmist Asaph did of his people Israel in our Bit: ‘Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!’ Ah Friends, that comes from the psalm titled, God’s goodness and Israel’s waywardness. Now that was so silly of Israel, God’s chosen people, whom He had blessed above all other nations, to whom He had showed such signs and wonders, made such extraordinary promises to, and then faithfully fulfilled them! One would think that under those circumstances their way of life would have been one of integrity, one of walking steadfastly in God’s way. But unfortunately it was not so. As soon as they became prosperous, they forgot who brought them to the dance; the Lord God Jehovah, and turned away from Him. Neither is the majority of today’s world living a godly life, following the straight and narrow path that leads to salvation and eternal life, but are foolishly following the wide path designed by the liar and cheat Beelzebub, a path which leads directly to death, destruction and eternal damnation in Hades. Listen to the prophet Isaiah conveying the Lord’s rebuke to Israel: ‘Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to (heeded) my commandments! Then had thy peace been like a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea. Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels (body) like the gravel thereof (grains of sand); his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.’ (Is.48:17-19) Oh my people, it’s the same thing the Lord’s saying to this evil, ungodly, adulterous generation, who are bowing down to idols and other man made Gods, while doing their very best to eradicate the ONE TRUE GOD, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob from our society. But Friends, we, the united band of brothers and sisters in Christ cannot allow that to happen, for the tribulation, some of which is already befalling us, will be real terrible. We have to turn this thing around, by constantly promoting our LOVE Revolution and bringing the nations back to God, who is so wonderful that He’s offering us a second chance to return to His fold, just like He offered Israel another chance to do so. ‘I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.’ (Ps.81:14) But my brethren, if we don’t grab this chance to return to serving and worshipping our Creator, then: ‘There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.’ (Is.48:22) Oh Friends, our world is already consumed by much ungodly and ever increasing strife, and returning to God is the only way to reverse it. The choice is ours. Please, I implore us to choose wisely, for that decision between serving God and Lucifer will affect our lives from today, right through eternity. Much LOVE!…as for me and my house…we will definitely choose to follow Jesus…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 May 2012 Psalm 23:2
10 May 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: cleanse, feed the flock, giving thanks, green pastures, heal, LOVE, peace, rejuvenate the spirit, still waters, stress, sweet praises
Psalm 23:2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Oh Friends, from the balcony of the little mansion in Mo Bay, I write these words to you in the peace and LOVE of Jesus Christ! Praise His Holy Name! Yeh, it’s another beautiful day in Mo Bay, with the leaves of the trees swaying in the gentle breeze, with birds singing sweet praises, dogs barking and human voices rising to be lost in the atmosphere. My only regret is that it’s already Thursday; the week’s almost over. Wishing now that I’d taken at least two weeks off instead of one. But them’s the breaks! Got to be thankful for small mercies, cause it could have just as easily been no time at all. And the ole fella’s still giving thanks, still pinching myself to make sure it’s real! Oh mih breddren, the Lord’s been so good to me this week that there’s only one Bit suited to declare it: ‘ He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.’ The Lord truly has been my shepherd, for I have lacked nothing. Wherever I’ve gone, people have been happy to see me, even those who don’t know me, and have all treated me right royally. What more can I ask eh? NOTHING! Like Ezekiel conveyed the Lord’s promise to Israel: ‘I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat (rich) pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.’ (Ezek.34:14-15) The Lord sure has fed, and is still feeding me, in a rich green pasture here this week Friends, on the hillside of Mo Bay, and I am lying down in peace and comfort. I know that the problems of the world have not passed away, but I’m not watching any news or reading any papers this week, just letting it all go by without much personal involvement. I’m still praying and hoping for the best for one and all, but I’m certainly not allowing it to affect my soul. As it were, I’m just lying down in the pastures of green, resting my spirit beside the still, peaceful waters, letting my soul just concentrate and rejoice in the goodness of the God of my salvation! It’s a time out to rejuvenate the spirit, cause next week I’ll be back to the daily task and constant grind. My people, I’d strongly suggest that every so often we get away from the world and all its nonsense, just relax and fill our souls and minds with the wonder of our God. Just allow Him to come into us to cleanse and heal our stressed bodies and souls; revitalize them with His sure presence and power. We need time off from the troubles of daily life, so we can get refreshed and be able to adequately handle them again. We’re just like any mechanical device; every so often we need tuning up too, since the pressures and demands of our daily lives in the evermore confused and troubled world will eventually drain us of our godly power, if we don’t take the time to seriously address it. And Friends, it’s not like I’m not peaceful and strong back in the north country, but here I’m experiencing a different, higher level of peace, where the stress and strain of daily living are not as great, and personally I don’t have any serious decisions to make; except when and what to eat, when to sleep, when to go to beach etc. (smile) By the way, Sunset Beach (that’s the poor man’s beach) was nice yesterday evening, fully reflecting its name, as a beautiful sunset took place while I was there for a dip. In my realm, when you just want a dip, you go to Sunset. When you want a day at the beach, you go to Doctor’s Cave. Anyway, enough of my ramblings, let’s end by looking all the way forward to that final time when Jesus shall lead us to green pastures, beside still beautiful waters for eternity. ‘They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed (shepherd) them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears (every tear) from their eyes.’ (Rev.7.16-17) Oh Friends, that’s an everlasting, faithful promise! Let’s keep it in our vision; look towards its eventuality, and therefore set our compass, our life’s course in that direction. It’s the only way of living that’s wise and sensible! Much LOVE!…to live for Christ…is the wisdom of the ages…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 April 2012 Proverbs 1:7
18 Apr 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: blessings, Christ is the answer, devotion, faithful friends, forgiveness, LOVE, mercies, new day, new footing, praise, principles, religions of the world, robert h schuller, understanding, wisdom, worship
Proverbs 1:7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Well hello there all you fine, frolicking, fun-LOVING, faithful Friends in Christ Jesus! (smile) It’s a new day, and Christ is starting it off with new mercies, blessings, forgiveness etc. So let’s also start it off on a new footing nuh. Let’s wipe the slate clean of all and any worries, concerns, fears or anxieties that plagued us yesterday. And the best way to do that is by beginning our day with God. You’d be surprised how far a little praise and worship on your rising goes towards helping us have good, productive days. And I want to help us start today afresh with some truthful and encouraging words from Dr. Samuel Shoemaker, a prominent American churchman. I discovered them a few days ago in my Hour of Power Devotional by Robert H Schuller. What’s strange and interesting about the upcoming quote and the one I recently shared, ‘God Needs Us,’ is that I’ve been reading this devotional for several years now, but this is the first time I can ever remember seeing either of them. Hn! I guess the Lord just made me aware of them so I can share them. Anyway, here is the encouraging and uplifting exhortation of Dr. Shoemaker. ‘Religion can never be the answer to human problems. All of the religions of the world are inadequate. Christ alone is the answer. Christ alone understands. Christ alone forgives. Christ alone eliminates your guilt. Christ alone saves and then assures you that you are God’s child and the most wonderful person possible! Christ alone fills the human heart with LOVE – joy – peace – self-confidence. No wonder a genuine Christian really LOVES himself.’ And that’s all the gospel truth my people! Remember we ought to first LOVE our God, then our neighbours as ourselves. So it logically follows, that to fulfill the last part, we have to also LOVE ourselves, otherwise we’d not be in a position to LOVE our neighbours, and believing and trusting in Jesus gives us the ability to do it all. How wonderful is our Lord and Saviour eh! He is without comparison! And all God’s people let rise a joyful shout to heaven: ‘Oh bless you Lord Jesus! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’ Yes mih Friends, Jesus is our be all and end all! That brings us to our Bit, one of the most important verses in the entire Bible. ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ Wow! True Words of Wisdom my brethren! That’s where it all begins; everything in a believer’s life starts with a reverential fear of our omnipotent God. Now let’s hear some views on that from the scholars: ‘The fear of the Lord means submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view here. It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner. The beginning does not mean that the fear of the Lord is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but that it is the controlling principle of wisdom.’ So Friends, it’s not like we’re scared of God and thus need to run away from Him. But on the contrary, we’re scared in the sense that He’s all powerful and can save us from anything that comes against us, including ourselves. So instead we run to Him to gain all the good stuff He has set aside for those who truly LOVE, trust, believe and surrender their hearts, souls, minds and bodies to His wise, all-knowing, merciful, forgiving and ever-LOVING will. What can be better than that eh Friends? Absolutely NOTHING! Therefore, in light of that wise and glorious statement, for us to show true wisdom, we ought to bring our weak and sinful human selves under God’s protective umbrella, which will enable us to live godly, prosperous lives, both here on earth and in heaven above. It’s true that we’re supposed to learn from our mistakes, but my people, shunning the Lord God Jehovah is one mistake we can’t afford to make, because He can call us home or return in glory anytime, and if we’re not right with Him, then crapaud smoke we pipe. We’ll end up lost in Hades forever with Lucifer; eternally separated from Jesus. And my brethren, let me tell you, that’s the worst fate that can ever befall a human being! So let’s get smart nuh and turn to Jesus, dedicate our lives to Him, so that he can imbue us with His knowledge, understanding and LOVE, that will enable us to truly LOVE our God, LIVE our FAITH and SPREAD His wonderful Word as we ought to! More on this tomorrow, if we don’t read our names in the obits. So get right with Jesus today, just in case you read your name in the obits tomorrow. It’s very possible. Much LOVE!…we can’t ever say it too often…to know, know know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…just to know He cares…makes it all worthwhile…to know, know, know Him…is to truly LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…
Today”s Scrip-Bit 6 April 2012 Luke 26:46
06 Apr 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: cross, crucifixion, death and resurrection, excruciating death, forsaken, Good Friday, humiliation, LOVE, pain, pain and sorrow, sins, suffering
Luke 26:46. And (Jesus) said unto them. Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.
GOOD FRIDAY!
Ah Friends, it’s Friday; Good Friday, time for your sacrificial demise! How does it feel now that the moment is truly at hand eh? Many of us are off work today because it’s a public holiday in Christian societies, so there’s no need to shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ implying a grateful release from our weekly labours. In fact, I doubt that any of us would really be thanking God for this particular Friday, if it truly meant our sacrificial demise on a wooden cross, because we’re all afraid, not so much of dying per se, but dying such a horrible, excruciating death. Fear of the terrible pain, the endless humiliation, the hot sun beating down on our bruised and battered bodies, would bring immense concern to any normal human being. And Jesus was a normal human being in one sense; He felt pain and sorrow like us all, thus the thought of His sacrificial demise did affect Him, although He knew that was the major purpose for His birth. Now that ability to experience pain and suffering, and so understand ours, is just one more thing that enamours us to Him. Consequently, on the night prior to His crucifixion, Jesus went up into a spacious but quiet Garden, Gethsemane, along with His disciples. He left the majority at one spot, telling them: ‘Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder (over there).’ (Matt.26:36) Then He took Peter, James and John and went deeper into the garden, ‘and began to be sorrowful (deeply grieved) and very heavy (deeply distressed).’ (Matt.26:37) The pressure was getting to Him. And His next words to the three with Him, clearly manifests this. ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye (stay) here and watch with me. And he went a little further and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt.26:38-39) Note that Jesus desired His favourite trio to watch and pray with Him, but unfortunately they didn’t understand the true significance of His actions and fell asleep. None of them really believed that His crucifixion was imminent. Therefore, when Jesus came back and saw them sleeping, He scolded Peter: ‘What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt.26:49-41) Ah Friends, it’s the same way we often behave when others close to us are going through unfortunate situations, especially when we don’t truly know or understand what’s happening in their lives. What’s really important though, is Jesus asking the Father, if at all possible, to relieve Him of the upcoming adversity. However, He did acknowledge that the Father’s will was supreme. And so should we in times of adversity, if we’re faithful believers. Twice more did Jesus go and pray the same prayer: ‘O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except (unless) I drink it, thy will be done.’ (Matt.26:42) Though Jesus asked to be relieved of the obligation to save sinners by the painful shedding of His precious, innocent blood, like an obedient Son and Servant, He acquiesced to the Father’s will, knowing that it was the ONLY solution under God’s justice system. Now here’s an interesting observation from the scholars: ‘The prayer for the cup to pass is not due to Jesus fear of death. Jesus questions the will of the Father as to the necessity of drinking the cup. While this may refer to death (“he tasted death”) it is more likely that the cup represents the wrath of God against sin, the divine wrath Christ would incur on the cross as man’s sin-bearer. In the awful anguish of that moment, the sin of the world was poured on Christ and He became “sin for us” (2 Cor.5:21). Thus the Righteous One dies a substitutionary death for guilty mankind.’ Anyhow Friends, regardless of whether Jesus was afraid to die, or He just didn’t want the weight of all the world’s sins on His shoulders, yet He obediently sacrificed Himself on this Good Friday two thousand years ago to pay an extraordinary, exorbitant price with His sinless life, so that sinful souls like us could be rescued from the waiting depths of Hades. We call it Good Friday, but it was really a bitter-sweet day: bitter because Christ had to die such a cruel death, but sweet because it was only through His dying and rising again that we could ever receive the gracious promises of Salvation and Eternal Life. And All God’s people cried out in loud, unified voice: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Oh my brethren, we all know what happened after: Judas, comes to Gethsemane with a mob from the Jewish elders, betrays Jesus with an unholy kiss, and all His disciples run away and leave Him in the lurch. Then He is brought before the Jewish Council, the Sanhedrin, where He is cross examined and humiliated, with Peter denying Him three times. Then He’s taken before the Roman Governor Pilate, who finds Him innocent, but sends Him to Herod, because He’s under Herod’s jurisdiction. But Herod sends Him back, and Pilate finally washes his hands of the whole affair. Then, instead of releasing Jesus, as was expected, he bows to the demands of the crowd, stirred up by the elders, and releases Barabbas, a convicted murderer. Then comes the flogging and further humiliation, and finally the awful crucifixion. While hanging from the cross, Jesus is so concerned about us that He even asks for our forgiveness: ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ (Luke 23:34) Then just before His final moment, Jesus utters the words that we believe shows His greatest hurt or disappointment. ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt.27:46) Separation from His Father was the most acute hurt. There He uses the opening line of Psalm 22, Bruh David’s cry of anguish and song of praise. And after all that ‘sufferation’ He bore on our behalf, yet we don’t truly appreciate Him. How sad my people. This is not what I had planned to write, but it’s where the Holy Spirit led me, and trying to be obedient like Jesus, (smile) I complied. Tomorrow we’ll see my original plan. Till then my fellow believers, please spend some serious time contemplating what this day truly means to us, and hopefully we’ll all come to a greater appreciation of Jesus’ and LOVE Him even more than we now do. Much LOVE!…to know, know, know Him, is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…
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 27 March 2012 Leviticus 19:18
27 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: Christian denominations, helping others, hypocrites, LOVE, neighbours, parochial religions, practical faith, subservience
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.
Top o’ the morning to all you, my beautiful Friends in Christ Jesus! May He bless and keep you safe this day that He’s seen fit to breathe the breath of life into your temporal body. Hn! What a way the ole fella waxing preacher-like this morning. (smile) Ah Friends, we’re indeed quite lucky to be granted another day on this wonderful but very troubled planet. Now, originally I wasn’t planning to share this story, but the Spirit kept prodding me about it, so here it is. Last night I went to an Anglican Church Women’s Corporate Communion service, where, as is becoming the norm, the priest and I were the only two men amongst a bevy of women. Now whether that’s good or not, we won’t comment. (smile) However, the guest speaker, a female Anglican priest doing ministry in a lower class neighbourhood of Toronto, with a very diverse group of people and religions, told this story. To begin with, the two people who work for her are Muslims, but their religion doesn’t interfere with their daily roles of helping others who can’t help themselves. They don’t try to convert each other, although the Muslim and Christian faiths are the only two of the high profile ones that preach conversion. People of all different faiths and backgrounds, especially a lot of new immigrants come through their doors for help, and though they see her priest’s collar, know that she’s an Anglican minister, that doesn’t matter in the least, because life is not about religion, but about helping each other. And as she points out, that’s what Jesus was all about; helping others. And though He ostensibly came to save His people, Israel, He hobnobbed with all sorts of people; rich, poor, of different faiths, cultures and religions, sick, healthy, you name it and He stood up for them. But He never made conversion to His faith a basis for getting His help. Unfortunately though, in our selfish, small-minded, parochial religious world, lots of times, that’s often the case. The guest speaker gave a very telling example of this unchristian action. Recently her ministry was turfed out of their place in a neighbourhood Plaza and had to move into a condominium basement since there wasn’t enough funds to rent something more suitable. Anyhow, before it actually happened, a minister from another Christian denomination came to see how he could help, but unfortunately could not because his denomination didn’t offer help without efforts at conversion. How sad eh! She said she saw how broken up and disappointed the man was because his personal feelings were being forced aside by the foolish and selfish dictates of his denomination. Oh Friends, Christ never did, and never will turn anyone away, regardless of their personal faith, if they sincerely came to Him for practical, physical help in this sinful, ungodly world! His testimony was helping all those who needed help despite their personal beliefs. But hypocritical mankind in our subservience to Lucifer and his evil powers, seem to see it otherwise. That reminds me of some friends of my younger daughter who are of different faiths and ethnicity, but they associate very nicely together. They come to our house, eat, drink, sleep and converse without religion being a controversial topic, because we all respect the other’s faith. And that’s the way it ought to be! And isn’t it sad that the biggest players on the controversial religious stage, Muslims, Christians and Jews, are all the descendants of our father Abraham? He must be turning over in his grave, or very upset up in heaven, at the sordid mess his descendants are making of God’s beautiful planet Earth. Oh Friends, we all know that there’s ONLY ONE TRUE GOD, and that same God has seriously instructed and warned us that the most important thing in our lives after LOVING Him, is to LOVE our fellow man as ourselves, because we’re all made in His image, regardless of the faith we profess. I guess we’ll use that as our Bit, since I don’t have one as yet. ‘Thou shalt not avenge (take vengeance), nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.’ Oh my people the Lord gave us that directive thousands of years ago, and it still holds true, but it’s time for us to wake up and realize that religion should be a practical exercise, a practical challenge in LOVE and help, not merely a mental exercise that brings no true practicality to the basic, everyday needs of life, which Jesus was all about. Granted, He laid out doctrines, but the doctrines were never more important than the practical aspects of His ministry. So fine, the doctrine says you shouldn’t work on the Sabbath, but does that mean you shouldn’t help someone who’s suffering because it’s the Sabbath? Of course not! But unfortunately that’s the way we’re operating on too many levels. Remember religion is supposed to be the opiate of the people; something that eases pain, brings peace and calm to our souls and lives. But it’s definitely not doing that! How could it with all the divisions and divisiveness that are currently working in all the major faiths? Oh Friends, I don’t know if this Bit is cohesive and well written, because it comes from my heart and not my mind, but I implore us to get rid of our personal hang-ups, of those of our religious denominations, and to start living the practical life of LOVE that Jesus lived and died for. If we’re not living a practical life of LOVE, then we’re not walking in Jesus’ footsteps, for all He did, each and every day, was go out into the world and help whomever He could. Now that should also be our goal, both personally and as a part of His Church. As I keep telling my family, you can’t talk LOVE, you’ve got to walk it, live it out in your lives. Please, let’s concentrate on doing that nuh, rather than trying to tear each other up or down, simply because of the faith we belong to. Jesus came to unite, not separate us, so let’s concentrate on unity and not separation. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen! Much LOVE mih people!…LOVE means action…doing something to show you care…not a whole set of useless talk…
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