Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 April 2016 Matthew 25:40‏

Matthew 25:40.   And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Aye mih people, the ole fella’s a tad under the weather this morning, having run around from pillar to post yesterday trying to accomplish some errands, then a meeting in the church in the evening just set back all my other stuff and made it a rather late night, or rather early morning. (smile) I’ve got to learn that I’m not as young and strong as I used to be. 

Hn! But talking about under the weather, that veritable element is being rather disgusting this April morning. When I went to bed, sometime after three, it was dry and beautiful outside. But when I get up at nine, it’s white as snow and that foolish stuff is pelting down like rain! 

Steups! What’s with that eh? That’s the second time in as many days. Chuh! I thought now was supposed to be spring. However, it seems that because we didn’t get our usual allotment during the winter months, we’re getting it during the springtime. 

But yuh know what friends?  All that stuff is immaterial when placed beside the LOVING care and compassion of our wonderful God! Glory Be! 

So to honour Him and get ourselves ready to hear his Word, let’s offer up the sacrifice of praise and worship by singing two verses of the old and glorious hymn, ‘At the Cross.’ 

Please sing with me. ‘Oh Lord You’ve searched me You know my way Even when I fail You I know You LOVE me Your holy presence Surrounding me In every season I know You LOVE me I know You LOVE me At the cross I bow my knee Where Your blood was shed for me There’s no greater LOVE than this 

You have overcome the grave Your glory fills the highest place What can separate me now You go before me You shield my way Your hand upholds me I know You LOVE me At the cross I bow my knee Where Your blood was shed for me There’s no greater LOVE  than this You have overcome the grave Your glory fills the highest place What can separate me now?’ 

And the answer to that poignant question my precious believers in Christ is as always: ‘ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!’ 

Yes my brethren, once we’re ensconced in the LOVING fold of God, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING can ever take us out or steal us away! That’s just the way it is! 

And since today is Wednesday, let’s do some wailing nuh. (smile) As one wailer now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! 

I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

Ah friends, I might be a tad under the weather, and the weather outside might be unkind, but I’m ever so glad to be alive this Wednesday morning, basking in the LOVE of my Saviour Jesus, holding steady to my furrow and looking forward to an even more wonderful future with my friend and brother. 

Oh glory to God! Nothing can be better than that my fellow believers! So please let’s grasp the eternal and everlasting lifeline that Jesus has thrown out to us, and hold on tightly to all that He has to offer! 

Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ 

Yes my fellow Christians, we need to render sincere service to the poor and needy as our Lord and Saviour did. 

I like how Mark puts it in his gospel. ‘For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. And whosoever shall offend (cause to stumble) one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.’ (Mark 9:41-42) 

Oh my people, yuh see what can, and will happen to us if we, through excessive pride and foolish thinking, refuse to serve our fellow man! 

Our God is not only concerned with the big things that impinge, that impact our lives, but also on the small and everyday matters that we have to deal with. In fact He’s concerned about EVERYTHING that concerns us. That’s just the kind of God He is. 

But we need to let Him into our lives before He can help us. And that’s the number ONE problem today! Too many people are running away from Jesus rather than into His ever-LOVING arms. That’s just not right or wise my brethren. But I digress. 

So let’s end with these wonderful words of encouragement from Bruh Paul in Hebrews. ‘But beloved, we are persuaded (confident of) better things of (concerning) you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of LOVE, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 

And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful (sluggish, lazy), but followers (imitators) of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.’ (Heb.6:9-12) 

And that my friends is my sincere wish and prayer for all of us today. Please, please, let’s passionately pick up the baton and run a good, steadfast and diligent race with it nuh. For that’s the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!

…one can’t win a race and get a reward…unless one runs in it…with diligence, steadfastness,  and a strong sense of purpose… 

P.S. It’s late and long, and I do hope it makes sense. But in any case, I know that my wise, wonderful and faithful Christian friends can pick sense from nonsense. (smile) Much LOVE!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 October 2014 Psalm 47:1-2‏

Psalm 47:1-2.    O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. for the Lord most high is terrible (awesome); he is a great King over all the earth.

It’s Sunday Friends, Sunday…the day of ‘gatheration!’ (smile) It’s that first day of the week when we gather to praise and worship our most wonderful God and fellowship with each other, offering encouragement, friendship, peace and LOVE!
 
Wow! What a great time will be had by all! Why is that you ask? Chuh!  Because there’s nothing, no celebration in this world that compares to true believers getting together to sing and praise and worship the ONE TRUE LIVING GOD of the Universe!
 
And that’s because the occasion is filled with that wonderful, adorable and heartwarming emotion of LOVE, which stems directly from Almighty God, and in turn, is His most marvellous and important attribute!
 
And all God’s children boldly proclaimed: ‘Thank You Lord for Your LOVE! Without it we couldn’t even begin to function in this ungodly and troubled world! Please keep on LOVING us, and help us to LOVE You too, as we ought to. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen!’
 
That brings me to an interesting quote I want to share again, on the subject of LOVE and LIFE. This comes from Jürgen Moltman, a German Theologian and Emeritus Professor, born in 1926, and noted as a proponent of his ‘Theology of Hope.’
 
And Jürgen wisely tells us that: ‘The more passionately we LOVE Life, the more intensely we experience the joy of Life!’
 
What wisdom my people! And to explain that, the One More Day Devotional for those with Chronic Illness says: ‘We can’t hide from the real-life drama around us, though we’d like to sometimes. We need to live the drama, LOVE it, cry with it, and at times even hate it. Choosing to live life on its terms brings enthusiasm and passion into our experience.’
 
And that’s no lie my Friends! For trying to avoid, to run from the pain and hurt inherent in life, only ‘blinds us to the joys and wonderment of living fully!’
 
Truer words were never spoken my people! That’s why the most joyful people are the ones who face life head on, who deal with the situations as they come up, without trying to avoid everything that’s painful, because life at its best is a combination of joy and sorrow.
 
Job recognized that most salient fact when he admonished his wife. ‘What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil (accept calamity)?’ (Job 2:10)
 
 Likewise Friends, until we also realize and accept that most salient fact, and stop trying to have no painful moments, we’ll never fully understand, appreciate and enjoy life! That’s why I want us to proclaim and acclaim today: ‘I choose to be enthusiastic about my life!’
 
Yes Friends, life was made for living, and you can’t live life fully unless you’re enthusiastic about it. And the  psalmist, writing Psalm 47, from which our Bit is taken, understood this principle.
 
Though life is sometimes difficult, he still oh so wisely advises: ‘O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible (awesome); he is a great King over all the earth.’
 
And make no mistake my brethren, that is indeed gospel truth!
 
And as the psalmist continues later on in full confidence: ‘God reigneth over the heathen (nations, Gentiles): God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shield of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.’ (Ps.47:8-9)
 
And that my fellow believers is exactly what we need to do today and every day; exalt our great God, because He reigns supreme, as King of Glory!
 
Yes my people, as we come together to praise and worship the omnipotent God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, let’s remember these true and moving words of Bruh David from Psalm 68, superscripted – God has gone before His people.
 
‘Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds. O God, thou art terrible (awesome) out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.’ (Ps.68:34-35)
 
And most important of all my brethren, let’s remember that when we leave God’s sanctuary today, be it a multi-million dollar building, or under a mango tree, we need to take the joy, the glory, the enthusiasm, encouragement, fellowship and LOVE that we receive there, out into the evil and ungodly world that surrounds us and share it with others who unfortunately don’t know Jesus.
 
Don’t hoard it, don’t try to save it all for yourself, because God blesses us so that we can also bless others. Jesus expects nothing less from us, that’s why He gave us the Great Commission before He ascended back to heaven.
 
‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
 
And all God’s children declared a loud, grateful and enthusiastic: ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’
 
Now Friends, let’s go out and do as Jesus asks, or as our Bishop recently quoted another clergy member: ‘Get up; get out, and get lost!’ That means, take our Christianity into the world and let it shine, with Jesus as our guide, mentor, Lord and Saviour. Much LOVE!
 
…to be really true believers…we must be truly seen…as the salt of the earth…and the light of the world…