Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 March 2019 Matthew 6:33.

Matthew 6:33.   ​But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
 

And then it was Friday; the day so many of us look forward to because it signals the end of our hardy workweek in these rather trying times of humanity, where prosperity abounds in general, but poverty, sickness, strife and homelessness are more the order of the day. 

And to help us combat the greed and evil and selfishness that’s currently so prevalent in our world, listen to these winsome and wonderful words from a poem by one of Canada’s first female writers and composers; Eva Rose York (nee Fitch), composer, organist, editor, teacher (born 22 December 1858 in Norwich, Ontario; died 6 February in Toronto, Ontario.) 

In the third verse of her epic poem ‘I shall not pass this way again,’ she summarily declares (right ho) in a beautiful, humane, and very timely message to all humanity: ‘I shall not pass this way again; Then let me now relieve some pain, Remove some barrier from the road, Or brighten someone’s heavy load. A helping hand to this one lend, Then turn some other to befriend.’ 

Yes friends, it’s our duty to help each other, both as members of the human race and the Christian organization; the church of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!  He set the glorious example for all mankind to follow when He selflessly sacrificed His life on that old rugged cross at Calvary for sinful man. 

It behooves us therefore to carry on His work in our time by helping the less fortunate, of which there are so many in our current society, although this is one of the most prosperous and advanced periods in man’s history! And if we’d only put out a li’l effort to do that, then Christ’s church, and our world, would take on a much different hue, a much more enlightened and godly complexion. End of sermon! (smile) 

Yes my brethren, that’s what the Lord put in my to heart share with you this cold, winter’s Friday, the first day of March 2019. However, I know that since this Friday, many of you are more interested in hearing the workingman’s Friday song, as it tends more to our sinful and lustful nature. (smile) Well, I won’t disappoint you. Here’s what he’s singing this morning: 

 ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! But like this blooming cold weather not planning to go away anytime soon nuh! Brother! But wasn’t that a stellar snowfall earlier this week eh? I couldn’t even walk properly in the so many inches of snow…fell down in it numerous times…but just had to laugh and roll over and remember how we would play in it as young children growing up in the poor areas of Toronto! 

Yes, them was good days! We didn’t have a care in the world! Had food and everything ready for me by mother and father! Didn’t know where it came from, or how hard it was to earn it. Hn! But now I am mother and father and have to get out there everyday, come rain, snow or shine, and earn a pittance to support my brood…

And I’m doing it…without too much complaints too… But believe me, nothing, or nobody is going to take away my party time come Fridays and the weekends. I give all I have during the week, but the weekend is mine! And who doh like it, yuh know what they could do with it yes! Thank God for Fridays and weekends oui!’ 

Yes, the workingman was in full voice, but he certainly surprised us this morning nuh. (smile) It wasn’t all about partying, but more sensible stuff which all of us need to take very seriously in today’s crazy and misguided world. And to add to the seriousness of the workingman’s song, let’s chant our Friday Chant that’s somewhat more restrictive, but does not stop us from having fun and enjoying good times with friends and family. 

All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’ 

Yeh friends, instead of concentrating on the partying aspect of our lives, as believers we focus on the furthering of God’s kingdom! Glory to our great God! As Jesus so straightforwardly put it in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt.6:33-34) 

There it is right in a nutshell friends and fellow believers! God must be our NUMBER ONE PRIORITY! And if we do that, then things will be fine with us, we won’t lack anything, the Lord will take of all our earthly needs. Now listen to some explanations from the scholars: 

‘The disciples who have pledged their allegiance to the King must continue seeking the kingdom and it’s righteousness…The contrast between the spiritual and material is again emphasized. The believer is to seek first the righteousness that is characteristic of God’s kingdom and then all these things (material things) shall be added to him. When our priority is spiritual, God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides. (Now that’s gospel truth!) 

We need not even worry about tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’ 

So friends, having now heard this message for the umpteenth time (smile) let’s go out and see if we can’t put it into better action than we’ve done so far nuh? For Jesus’ sake nuh? And with God’s help we can certainly do it! Much LOVE!

…just think about what Jesus did for us…how then can we not want to do for others eh…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 September 2014 Psalm 67:1

Psalm 67:1.      God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us;   Selah.

Aye Friends, do you realize that we’re already in the middle of September…and it was just last week we celebrated Labour Day? (smile) Ah brother! The days they surely seem to be passing rather quickly. I don’t know if time is actually speeding up, or it’s simply our perception that it’s going by faster; just our imagination playing tricks on us. (smile)

If I were to guess though, I’d say that it’s our imagination playing tricks on us. Our days have become so busy with work and looking after home and family and the myriad of things those tasks entail, including the presence of worry and anxiety, that the time just speeds away on us before we even realize what’s really happening.

Even a generation ago, our lives weren’t so busy. What’s happened eh? Unlike what we were led to expect and believe, in spite of all the technological innovations and modern conveniences, we seem to have lees spare time, less down time where we can just sit and relax. It seems like we’re always on the go.

Now there’s no separation between work, home and play, they all seem to have morphed into one seamless continuum. With our wonderful technological devices we now work everywhere; at home, at work and at play. We’re now constantly at the beck and call of the technology monster and its feeding frenzy. If we’re not constantly in touch with the social happenings then we feel lost and behind the times, not in the swing of things. 

And sadly, that feeling is perpetrated by the greedy business people who are just out to grab whatever they can from us, without caring even one iota about our situations. It’s all about the money. That’s a big part of the reason for the unnecessary tension, frustration, resentment, anger, selfishness and rudeness in our current society.

Our standards, including morals, work ethic, dress, education and otherwise have fallen so low, that now we glorify as superior, of superstar status, what was once considered mediocre, and even of no account.  And yet we expect to flourish.

How foolish of us Friends, for societies only flourish when truly high standards are the norm, not the exception. As standards fall, so do the societies themselves. And if you don’t believe me, just check out man’s history that’s littered with so many examples.

And before we go any further my people, let me remind us that there’s ONLY ONE SUPERSTAR in this evil, ungodly world – that’s our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And don’t you forget it! Stop buying into the nonsense that the world is selling us; putting people on pedestals who can’t even run their lives properly.

Anyway, that’s enough pontification from me for today. (smile) Let’s see what our Bit has to say: ‘God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us;   Selah.’

And yuh better believe my brethren that we desperately need such godly attention today, right now, if we’re ever going to turn this wicked and ungodly society around. As the psalmist so wisely and truthfully continues: ‘That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health (salvation) among all nations.’ (Ps.67:2)

But for that to happen, the psalmist tells us: ‘Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth.   Selah.

Let all the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase (give her produce); and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.’ (Ps.67:3-7)

Yes Friends, without God’s blessings, we’re doomed, and we won’t get God’s blessings unless and until we praise and worship Him in faithful obedience and trust.

And according to the scholars: ‘Psalm 67. This national psalm of thanksgiving expresses the gratefulness of the people to their God and their confidence in His continued blessings. The point of the psalm seems to be that God’s blessing on Israel is only a harbinger of divine blessings for the entire world.

This universal outlook is revealed not only by the explicit statement of the final verse, but by the exclusive preference of the general word for God, Elohim, to the complete exclusion of the personal name of Israel’s God, Yahweh.’  

So you can see Friends, from early on, God planned to have the entire world, His entire creation, bowing at His feet, praising and worshipping Him, while He showers them with untold blessings and mercies. Unfortunately though, that plan has gone somewhat awry, because of our rebellious and disobedient nature.

But  He’s such a LOVING, generous and patient Father, that He gave us a second chance by sending Jesus to die on the old rugged cross at Calvary, so that we could be reconciled to Him. What a marvellous Deity!

That means  the ball is now in our court, my people. It’s now up to us to embrace the lifeline that He’s thrown out to us through His son Jesus. Please, let’s show heavenly wisdom and grab hold of the wonderful opportunity that has been presented to us.

And now, may the Lord bless and keep us and cause His face to shine upon us as we praise and worship Him in all truth and sincerity. Much LOVE!

…as the praise and worship of Almighty God increases…so will the blessings and mercies that are showered down upon earth…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 November 2013 Philippians 4:12

Philippians 4:12.   I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
 
And the band played, as the people lustily sang: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Work soon done, then it’s my time to play, my time to party! Yes work soon done, then is my time to play, my time to party!’
 
But hold on a minute Friends, please don’t jump off the deep end so fast. Now some partying is good for the soul, but like too much of anything, it can either get boring or too rip-roaring and thus cause us to go astray, consequently allowing the evil one to gain a foothold in our souls. And that my people we must try to avoid at all cost.
 
So let’s stop for a moment, let the euphoria of Friday simmer for a bit, while we put on our thinking caps and find some wisdom to lead and guide us successfully through the weekend. And we’ll start by sincerely chanting our Friday Chant, which gives us the right attitude for handling the weekend.
 
All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
 
Yes my brethren, that’s what we need when the weekend rolls around, a shot of circumspection, so that we don’t run lose like wild animals and lose our God-centred focus.
 
Now there’s one new disaster to contend with, as though we didn’t have enough worldwide. The super typhoon Haiyan apparently hit the Central Philippines this morning, with winds roaring up to 195 miles per hour. Mama Yo! A hundred and ninety five miles an hour!
 
Yuh know the amount of disaster and destruction that can cause mih Friends! There will most likely be plenty loss of lives and lots of physical destruction, so please, I implore us to pray for them in their time of dire need, and also help however else we can, for that’s our sure duty as true believers.
 
Ah Lord eh! There isn’t a day that passes by without some kind of bizarre catastrophe taking place in our world, either natural or man-made. But the good thing my people is that as followers of Christ we don’t have to get too low or too high about whatever happens, for we know that come what may, the Lord is firmly planted in our corner.
 
For as Bruh Paul tells the Philippians in our Bit: ‘I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.’
 
Now my brethren, that’s how the Christian ought to be able to live. And I daresay that I have reached a fairly mature point in that respect, because I’ve been around long enough – don’t read or think old – (smile) and have gone through enough ups and downs to appreciate both the rough times and the good ones.
 
As a lot of things in Christianity, it’s a learned behaviour; one you can only truly acquire through experience. And the one thing I have going for me in that regard is that though I like nice, expensive things, it doesn’t rile my soul if I don’t get them. I’ve been dirt poor and I’ve also hung out with some wealthy folks, but truthfully, I don’t like either end of the spectrum.
 
I have to thank the Lord that I’ve never been a greedy, ‘gravalicious’, ‘wanty-wanty’ person. My feet have always been firmly planted on solid ground, and at this stage of my life, I’ve done some of all that the Lord’s put in my heart, though not to the extent that I would have liked. But I’m a prisoner of hope, Glory Hallelujah! And I am still waiting patiently for Him to fulfill those desires to a greater degree. 
 
But Friends, I know the glitzy, glamorous things of the world, the lifestyles of the rich and famous are causing havoc in many believer’s lives today because they want to be able to live the same way. But as I keep saying, we don’t know what they’ve done to get what they have, they’ve most likely sold their soul to Beelzebub.
 
Now that’s something you surely don’t want to do. Unfortunately though, many of us are indeed doing it. We need to stand strong though and resist that temptation. Granted, none of us want to be poor, but being rich also has its inherent problems.
 
Oh I know you’re going to say, I’ll take the rich problems rather than the poor ones. But please remember that our God doesn’t judge us by our possessions or outwards actions, but by the motives of our hearts. So all the possessions and good deeds don’t mean a thing if you’ve sold your soul to Lucifer. 
 
For as Jesus asked of His disciples: ‘For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?’ (Matt.16:26)
 
Now that my Friends, is a question each individual has to answer for him or herself. But I just want to let you know that the correct answer to that is, NOTHING OF THE WORLD should be able to purchase our souls!
 
In fact they’re not for sale, because Jesus has already bought and paid for them with His selfless sacrifice upon that old rugged cross at Calvary some two thousand years ago!
 
And all God’s people shouted a most grateful, ‘Praise the Lord for His wonderful goodness to the undeserving children of men!’ And that’s as it should be my people!
 
We’ll end here for today, because it’s already long and I don’t want to tire us out by having to read too much heavy stuff. (smile) So we’ll continue this message tomorrow, obviously if the Lord’s in favour.
 
Till then, please let’s go safely, constantly walking and talking with God, so that He’ll bless and keep us and cause His wonderful countenance to shine upon us with peace, wisdom and LOVE! Much LOVE!
 
…it’s not easy…but Christians must learn to be satisfied…contented in whatever state or stage they’re currently at…because that’s exactly where the Father wants us…at that particular time…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 October 2013 Psalm 19:14

Psalm 19:14.    Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (my rock), and my redeemer. 
 
Oh my beautiful Friends in Christ, I’m here to remind us that this glorious, but somewhat chilly Tuesday autumn morn in early October, is being brought to us courtesy the Almighty God Jehovah; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
 
And furthermore, He’s also the God who causes His bright and shining light to surround us; His unconditional and everlasting LOVE to enfold us; His omnipotent power to protect us and His supernatural presence to keep careful watch over us.
 
So with all those important aspects of life being taken care of, there’s absolutely no need to fear what the evil Lucifer and his evil cohorts can do to us, for our great God is ALWAYS with us, and that means, all is well.
 
And all God’s grateful children shouted: ‘Thank You Lord! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
 
And remember too my people, that it’s the Lord God Jehovah who also gives us new mercies, blessings, forgiveness and manna every single day! He’s also the ONE who cause us to be prosperous, to get wealth, to beget children; children who will be strong in the land, children that will stand at one’s gate and rebuke and resist the enemy!
 
And above and beyond all that Friends, the Lord God Almighty is the ONE who created us, and also redeemed us from purgatory, where our abject sins had us headed, by sending His most holy and innocent Son, Jesus, to be sacrificed on that old, rugged cross at Calvary.
 
He selflessly and LOVINGLY did it all, so that we could be reconciled to Him, to be considered holy in his sight, worthy to come before Him, not of our own accord, or of our works, but because of the innocent blood of Jesus, shed at His crucifixion!
 
And all God’s people, all true believers in Jesus Christ, rose up, and boldly declared with a mighty shout of joy: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, we praise and worship You in sincerity and truth! We bless Your Holy Name, and give you eternal thanks for the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus Christ, to whom we bow in all honour and glory! Amen!’ 
 
Oh my fellow believers, it seems that this morning the Holy Spirit is intent on awakening us to all that our great and wonderful God and Creator has done for us since time immemorial, is still doing, and will continue to do throughout eternity.
 
So with all those things forthcoming from a gracious, merciful and ever-LOVING God, how can we, mere mortals that we are, not be overwhelmingly thankful and grateful eh? It’s impossible, if we truly believe in Jesus Christ!
 
And to show our true belief and gratefulness, let’s look at our Bit, which acts as a heavenly catalyst for our earthly endeavours. ‘Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (my rock), and my redeemer.’
 
Ah Friends, what positive, inspiring and encouraging words!
 
Remember we recently did some messages on meditation and found it extremely helpful, if not absolutely necessary, in our walk of faith and LOVE with Jesus? For it’s when we truly sow the Word of God in our hearts, and can bring it to mind in times of need, that we become real powerful, steadfast and true believers.
 
As we meditate on God’s Word, doing more time as prisoners of hope, we grow and mature in faith. And therefore, our words, which contain much power, either for good or evil, are wholly suitable for a believer to utter.
 
And throughout all of Bruh David’s writings, you’ll find him either alluding to, or asking God to enable him to have godly thoughts, and thus speak appropriate words. And as followers of Christ, we ought to do the same my brethren.
 
Now listen to this passage of scripture from Psalm 51, a prayer for cleansing, after the prophet Nathan nailed and chastised Bruh David for the murder of Uriah the Hittite, and then his unsavoury relationship with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba.
 
He pleads with heartfelt repentance: ‘Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.’ (Ps.51:14-15)
 
Yes Friends, we must ask the Lord to cleanse us of all unrighteousness, so that we can truly sing forth His praise, and with accompanying right actions, cause the unbeliever to come to Him.
 
For as Bruh David continues in Psalm 51: ‘For thou desirest not sacrifice; else I would give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.’ (Ps.51:16-17)
 
Oh my people, that’s the God-awesome truth! Our God doesn’t desire or delight in burnt offerings and other material sacrifices! What He needs from us is a truly repentant spirit and sorry heart! And once He sees that, He’ll be only too happy and willing to grant us the desires of our hearts.
 
We can’t find a better example of God’s largesse and forgiveness than with Bruh David. So today, please, let’s all open our hearts to Almighty God in prayerful and sincere contrition, so that our hearts, minds and spirits will be in agreement with His Word, and consequently the words that we speak, and the actions we do, will bring Him great glory, glory that He so rightfully deserves.
 
Yes my fellow believers, let us all go out today and be fruitful in God’s name, as is our bounden duty. Much LOVE!
 
…to obey is better than sacrifice…and to hearken than the fat of rams… (1 Sam.15:22b) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 February 2012 1 Corinthians 13:13‏

1 Corinthians 13:13.    But the greatest of these is LOVE!
                                                HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

Happy Valentine’s Day my beautiful Friends in Christ! It’s the LOVE Day, or Day of LOVE! Whichever way you choose it’s okay, because they both emote the same emotion – LOVE! LOVE, the greatest and most powerful emotion in the world! The one that makes the world go round. And don’t bother about the cliché style phrases, for those things usually become clichéd because they are true. We should indeed talk about and act in LOVE much more than we do. Why? Because the chief proponent of LOVE, in fact it’s originator, is none other than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And all God’s people exclaimed a heartfelt ‘Wow! Jesus sure is the greatest!’ There’s definitely no argument about that truth of that statement either, Friends! And since the ole fella’s been a LOVE man from way back when, (smile) then it’s only logical that I’d get in tight with Jesus, the original LOVE MAN. That’s because it’s only stupid people who don’t want to get in tight with Jesus. The wise are continually flocking around Him, like ants on a piece of meat. It’s the only sensible route to take because Jesus has everything any and every human wants and needs, and more importantly, He’s willing to give it to you, if you sincerely believe in, and faithfully follow Him. So why would you want to follow anybody else, who don’t even have half of what Jesus has to offer eh? I might be a bit crazy, but I’m certainly not stupid. Oh my fellow believers, Jesus is indeed the NUMBER ONE MAN! And if anybody says to the contrary, please tell them that they are lying, or drastically fooling themselves. Cause tell me Friends, who else was ever born of a virgin mother? NOBODY! Who else ever sacrificed them self on an old rugged cross for worthless, undeserving sinners eh? NOBODY! Who else ever died, was buried, then rose from the grave three days later? NOBODY! Who else ever offered mankind salvation and eternal life eh? NOBODY! Who else ever promised to come back and bring a new heaven and earth where there’s no pain, suffering or sorrow, but just peace, comfort and joy forever? NOBODY! Yes mih people, NOBODY but Jesus has ever done those things! So why would I want to go and follow some fool-fool, chupid boy called Lucifer eh? No way Jose! The boy has nothing solid to offer, just a pretty facade and enticing words to deceive you into thinking that there’s something nice behind the false front. And even on the odd occasion when there is something half decent behind the facade, it’s never something lasting or permanent, but stuff that withers and rots, stuff that moths and other insects eat. And besides, if you hang with Jesus, you can also get those non-lasting, perishable things, plus all the other permanent goodies He has to offer. So I ask you again my people, why would you want to follow a flim-flam man, a con artist like Lucifer, when you have the perfect and true gentleman, the author and dispenser of LOVE and everything that’s good and generous, namely Jesus? But all I can do is offer advice yes mih brethren, though for once in my life I’m sure I’m offering the most excellent advice possible. Yuh can’t lose on this one at all, because the only sure bet in this whole wide world is Jesus! Everything else is subject to change. But NEVER Jesus! Cause He’s the FIRST, the LAST, and EVERYTHING in between! Believe me people, that is the gospel truth! And I encourage you to go out and spread that good and great news all over the world, just as Jesus asked us to do. It’s  such wonderful news, and offers such wonderful opportunities for sick, lost, hurting and suffering people. Oh Friends, I forgot to enlighten you of Jesus’ great healing qualities amongst His many other attributes. Yes Friends, He’s also a doctor. The BEST M.D in the whole wide world too! Oh, He’s also the BEST Security Guard and the BEST Provider. in addition to all the other things that He is. In other words, Jesus is MISTER EVERYTHING! With Him in your corner, you don’t need anybody else. He’s the epitome of One Stop Shopping. So please tell Wall Mart and them other big name merchandisers about Him, so that they can try to copy His inimitable style. (smile) But seriously though Friends, it’s absolutely necessary, especially in what looks like the end times, that we all get out there and tell others about Him, advertise His wonderful wares! Yuh know the best advertising is word of mouth, so don’t be afraid or ashamed, be strong and very courageous and tell others about Him! Be happy and proud that you’re one of His followers, and do like He did; walk good, talk good and live good. That’s my wish for all of us this Valentine’s Day of 2012, the year when Jesus is going to make unsurpassable inroads into the evil kingdom of Lucifer and the world will become a much better place as His acolytes further His glorious kingdom. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen. Please have a beautiful Day of LOVE my people! Much LOVE!…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…just to see Him smile…makes my life worthwhile…cause to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…  P.S. Hope you enjoy this light-hearted Valentine’s Day LOVE Bit dedicated to Jesus, cause that’s how the Spirit led me. In any case, everything stated there is nothing but the living truth! Much LOVE!