Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 January 2016 Psalm 146:1-2

Psalm 146:1-2.   Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

Ah Friends, the New Year’s celebrations are taking a toll on the ole fella. Chuh! I’m getting to bed late, so I can’t get up early. (smile) I had a hard time even getting up late this morning. But it’s not every day we ring in a New Year so it’s understandable. 

Anyway, here is an appropriate prayer that I found written at the back of my mother’s Bible. Please pray it with me. ‘Father in heaven, we thank you for your faithfulness during the past year. Help us to remember that your faithfulness will go with us into the New Year. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’ 

Yes my fellow believers in Christ, it’s ever so important to remember that the changing of the year makes no difference whatsoever to our God’s faithfulness. It will constantly be with us and consistently follow us wherever we go, on whatever day it may be, because it knows no bounds or limitations, we just have to remain faithful. 

And here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that will help us to do just that. It’s titled ‘Happy New Year.’ Let’s declare it together: ‘This very first (or second) day Of the fresh new year I sing a new song – A joyful, exalted song! 

With Israel’s sweet singer I exclaim: “How good it is to sing God’s praise How delightful and how right.” The volume increases The tempo accelerates. With glorious anticipation I shout a rousing welcome To the up-and-coming days. 

The future cannot daunt me Every inscrutable memory Becomes a consolation of joy For with You in control, dear God The worst may happen But the best is yet to come.’ 

Oh my people, the best is surely yet to come! Please believe that. We definitely have sot seen the best of our great and wonderful God as yet! So please stay strong and steadfast in this year of HOPE, for lots of exciting things are forecasted to happen, amongst them the great surging forward of Jesus’ LOVE Revolution as we serious believers give our all to recapture our lost world. 

Remember, if we don’t do it, nobody else will, and what kind of life is that going to entail for our descendants eh? Not a very nice one, I can assure you. 

So in this momentous year of 2016, it’s essential that we re-pledge our allegiance to Jesus Christ, pledging to sincerely follow Him, to grow and mature in our relationship with Him, for that’s the only resolution we need to make. Once we do that, everything else will fall into place. 

As Jesus so wisely and rightly stated in His Sermon on the Mount: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) 

Yeh mih people, following Jesus doesn’t entail any rocket science, just a whole lot of sincerity, perseverance, devotion and faithfulness, which all adds up to simple and true LOVE for Him. 

And quite appropriately, the verses to which our promise is attached will be our Bit for today. ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.’ 

Ah friends, that is only mete and right to do, because Almighty God, our Creator and Provider deserves our praises, for all that we are and have come directly from Him. And in any case, that’s one of the reasons He made us. Praise and honour and glory are expected of us. 

Hear how the psalmist continues. ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man (a human being), in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth (spirit departs), he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose HOPE is in the Lord his God.’ (Ps.146:3-5) 

And isn’t that the everlasting truth my people! Only in the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob is there any real help to be found for mankind! 

Now listen to how Bruh David puts it in Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s mercy. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps.103:1-5) 

Oh friends, how can we not praise and worship and glorify a Being who is so kind and generous to us eh? We ought not to forget who brought us to the dance. But sadly too many of us do, that’s why our lives and the state of our world are in such a desperate, dangerous and destructive state. 

And in this year of 2016 my brethren, we desperately need to turn that situation around, otherwise, crapaud smoke we pipe, the destruction and strife will just get worse, until it all goes up in one big fireball. And I’m sure that is not what we desire for our once beautiful world. 

So let’s end with these beautiful, uplifting and encouraging words of the psalmist. ‘I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah).’ (Ps.104:33-35) 

Now let’s go out and do all that my people, for it is indeed the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!

…Praise Him, praise Him…Glory Hallelujah…He is LOVE…He is LOVE…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 February 2014 Isaiah 9:16

Isaiah 9:16.   For the leaders of this people cause them to err: and they that are led of them are destroyed.

 
And now Friends, it’s another Monday morning, but one quite different to what I experienced and enjoyed last week. There is no open balcony, no more lush greenery overlooking a neatly coffered golf course, with cool sea breezes washing over me. Instead, it’s a closed basement, surrounded by mounds of snow, and cold winds blowing the down the avenue and the chimney. 
 
Ah Lord eh! What a bam, bam! And though my physical circumstances have changed for the worse, my spirit has to pick up the slack and keep me moving on, keep me excited about living with and working for Jesus. Yes my brethren, that’s a big problem in Christendom, for its members are not as excited as they should be to have Jesus in their lives. Most of us are tepid, lukewarm, like Jesus said of the church at Laodicea. (Rev.3:15-16)
 
But after all the wonderful things He’s done, and is still doing for us, we can certainly show a little more enthusiasm than we’re currently doing. We’re too listless and apathetic, fearful and anxious, and more concerned about what others will say and do if we show too much excitement and interest in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the one who selflessly sacrificed His holy, sinless life to pay our large and abominable sin debt. 
 
But Friends, when Jesus comes into our lives, excited is exactly how we ought to live, so that others can see, feel, and then greatly desire to catch the excitement we generate through Him. That’s the only way they will be convinced of His great importance in their lives. So this Monday morning, as the work week looms dark and threatening, let’s forget about that and concentrate solely on Jesus.
 
Let’s ratchet up the gratitude in our souls, and sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with a whole lot of spunk, harmony and sincere feeling. As one big, tuneful, earthly choir, let’s sing: ‘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!’
 
Bravo, mih breddren, Bravo! That was great! And it ought to raise our level of excitement for Jesus. So let’s endeavour to keep that fire burning brightly in our souls all day long nuh, so that we can exude confidence and also show others how refreshing and wonderful it feels to be a true friend and confidante of Jesus, for truly, there’s nothing else in the world like it.
 
It’s completely different to what our Bit so sadly offers. ‘For the leaders of this people cause them to err: and they that are led of them are destroyed.’ 
 
Oh my brethren, Jesus doesn’t lead people astray and cause them to be destroyed. But right now that statement is very, very true about our leaders, and it’s our bounden duty to help it become much less so. Our current leaders seem to be just a bunch of crooked, selfish schemers, and under their evil and corrupt schemes the majority of the planet is suffering and slowly being destroyed. That includes both human beings and nature.
 
But my fellow believers, hear the Lord’s stand on the situation, as He makes it known through Isaiah. ‘Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness (misfortune) which they have prescribed. To turn aside (deprive) the needy from judgement (justice), and to take away the right (what is right) from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!’ (Is.10:1-2) 
 
Oh Friends, we all see the great travesty of injustice and oppression being played out every day in our evil, unjust world! But rest assured it will not continue for ever, for the Lord has promised its destruction.
 
‘And what will ye do in the day of visitation (punishment), and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? Without me they shall bow down under (among) the prisoners, and they shall fall under (among) the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still (in judgement).’ (Is.10:3-4)
 
Ah mih people, have no fear, for justice from on high will eventually prevail. Our omnipotent God is not going to let Lucifer and his evil minions run roughshod over His beautiful creation for very long. So please be prepared. Get ready today, right now, for we know not when that justice will be delivered. But delivered it will be, through the Second Coming of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
 
And this time it won’t be as a  babe in swaddling bands, but as a full grown, fierce and powerful warrior king, coming to claim what is rightfully His. But until He returns, we His followers need to keep His faith and memory strong by living the way He desires, and causing others to want to accept Him as their Lord and Saviour too.
 
So let’s get to it this Monday morning nuh! Let’s show the world the power and majesty of Jesus, by allowing His Holy Spirit that dwells within us, to lead and guide us along the straight and narrow path that leads directly to heaven. That’s wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!
 
…to truly live for Jesus…is the most exciting thing a mortal man can do on this evil earth…