Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 April 2014 Proverbs 3:23

Proverbs 3:23.  Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

And then it was Thursday… ‘Thursday,’ I asked myself? How could it be Thursday already eh? It was just Monday a couple days ago…  

And then I ask myself: ‘What have you done for the week?’ And myself truthfully replies: ‘Not a whole lot nuh.’  

And that’s the gospel truth Friends, because I can see the load of stuff sitting next to me, either to be read or actioned in some way. And it’s not like I’ve been watching a lot of television, playing computer games, or even sleeping. Hn!  

But some how or other, time has gotten away from me. Unfortunately though, time passes so quickly these days – that’s just our imagination yes, time’s been passing at the same speed all along (smile) – and once it’s passed, we can never recapture it. So it therefore behoves us to use it wisely and fruitfully while we have it.  

On the other hand though, once it has passed, we need to stop fretting and worrying over it, and just move on with whatever time we have left. Hopefully, I can begin doing that today, because there is a fair amount of stuff to be done. And it’s not difficult stuff either, just time consuming. And though the spirit is often willing, the flesh is too often weak. (smile)  

So Friends, let’s all try and pull up our socks today nuh, take the proverbial bull by the horns and simply buckle down to the tasks we need to accomplish. And that is all a part of our Christian ethic too – not to be lazy and waste our God-given time.  

And we’ll just quickly mention two of the latest disasters to hit the West; that of the 8.2 level earthquake that hit off Chile’s north coast yesterday. Let’s pray for all those involved and hope that there is no further loss of life or property damage, through tsunamis and after shocks.  

Now that natural disaster we can’t do much about, but the shooting in Fort Hood, the U.S. Army Base … Steups! When is the foolish shooting going to stop eh? So many people are killed everyday by guns, outside of war zones, totally unnecessary deaths, yet we still glorify the gun, even allowing it greater and freer use within our society nowadays, as well as making improvements, to make them even better killing machines.  

Ah Lord eh! We seem to have conveniently forgotten the old adage that he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword. That pertains to guns too my people.  

Anyway, despite all the negatives involved, let us send up heartfelt prayers to heaven, asking for the Lord’s grace, mercy, healing, comfort and forgiveness on all those involved.  

That brings us to our Bit: ‘Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.’  

Yes Friends, if more of us would put our lives in God’s hands, and try to live the way He desires of us, fewer of us would stumble and fall. But foolishly we seem to consider God as some nebulous being, way out there in the farthest reaches of the universe, either unconcerned about mankind, or simply unable to help him.  

Oh my people, that is a fallacy of enormous proportions! Our God is alive, in control, and right here with us – ALWAYS AND FOREVER!  

But until we truly believe that and consequently act on it, we’ll be forever lost, becalmed on an endless sea, just drifting, hither, thither and yon, with no solid foundation to anchor us.  

And we have the perfect scripture to back all of that up. It comes from Psalm 91, appropriately titled, ‘God is a refuge and fortress.’ Please listen closely to the psalmist as he declares his holy case.  

‘Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation (dwelling place); There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh (near) thy dwelling.

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear (lift) thee up in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder (cobra): the young lion and the dragon (serpent) shalt thou trample underfeet.

Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.   He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life (length of days) will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.’ (Ps.91:9-16)  

Oh Friends, what’s more to say eh? NOTHING! For that passage of scripture says it all!  

Oh mih breddren, it’s so simple and easy – just like the work I’ve been putting off. (smile) We just need to get serious and do it. If we make our way right with Almighty God, He will guide and protect us. If we don’t, then it’s cleaners for us; crapaud smoke we pipe; we’ll end up on the outside looking in, spending eternity with Lucifer rather than Jesus.  

Now that surely doesn’t sound like such a wonderful idea! So please, let’s mend our fences with our Creator as soon as possible nuh; preferably today, RIGHT NOW, so that we won’t be caught napping when the trumpet sounds up yonder, heralding Christ’s Second Coming. Much LOVE!  

…God has given us two choices…spend eternity with ME in heaven…or spend it in Hades with Lucifer…the choice is ours…wisdom though, strongly advises we pick the first option…  

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 December 2013 Matthew 6:25

Matthew 6:25.    Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink: nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body more than raiment (clothes)?

Oh Friends, at last Nelson Mandela, ‘the Son of Africa, father of freedom’ as the newspaper termed him, has gone home to be with his Maker. His early days on earth were filled with poverty and struggle in a racist, apartheid South Africa, then his middle years with lonely incarceration on a barren island, from which though he arose like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes to lead his nation to democracy.  

And although his last days on earth were filled with sickness and family dissension, he will always be remembered as a giant of a man in personality and decency, whom the whole world gathered around to fight poverty and racial injustice.

Oh my people, if our troubled world only had a few more decent, upstanding leaders like him, then it would be a much better place to dwell. And though his country, South Africa is still riddled with problems, his name will always stand at its masthead as being the one who finally set it on the right path.

Nelson Mandela, you will always be remembered as a statesman extraordinaire. We mourn your passing, but it was time for you to rest from the problems of this world, to finally go home.

We LOVE you, and will always think fondly of you, as we write your name indelibly in the history books of life.  And that’s as it should be Friends, because he gave people hope for a better future. Wish the same could be said of the leaders who remain.

Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink: nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food) and the body more than raiment (clothes)?’

Gospel truth my brethren! As Jesus proved to us yesterday, showing how nature is taken care of by our wonderful Creator, with the flowers of the fields even better dressed than Cousin Sol in his Sunday best. And since we’re much more important than they are, why wouldn’t He look after us in an even better manner eh?

Jesus then ended by pointing out that our problem stemmed from a lack of, or only a small amount of faith in our heavenly Father. (Matt.6;26-30) And we know if Jesus said that, then it must be true.

Today we’ll continue with Jesus’ discourse on the subject, where He sincerely advises us: ‘Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.’ (Matt.6:31-32)

And Friends, if the God that we serve and worship is truly our Creator, then we shouldn’t need Jesus to tell us that.  We claim that He’s omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, can do anything at all, and above all else, WE ARE His children. So what are we saying then when we don’t depend on Him, that He’s an absentee, unsupportive father, like so many of us mortal fathers?

It would seem so, by the way we try in our own strength, and that of our fellow man, to get the material things of life, idolizing them so much that we often suffer from debilitating stress and abnormal anxiety in our rush, our impatience, to acquire them. And though we know the pratfalls of running down material things, yet we still do it. That’s certainly not wisdom my people.

Now let’s hear the wise way as declared by Jesus. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) 

Wow Friends! That’s more plain, simple and straightforward talking by our Lord and Saviour! Again, to be considered His true followers, we need to live by His dictates, which unfortunately too many of us aren’t doing, and thus we are experiencing all kinds of problems in our lives.

And now that we know why we’re experiencing so many problems, (smile) let’s smarten up and take His divine advice nuh. ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (therefore 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.6:34)

More words of absolute truth from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! When are going to listen to Him eh, to take Him seriously?  When it’s too late? Oh my fellow believers, please let’s stop running down the material things of the world, especially if we can’t truly afford them and have to almost literally kill ourselves to get them!

Now let’s end with some thoughts form the scholars on those last two verses, perhaps something they say will get through to us. (smile) ‘6:33-34. This portion of the Sermon on the Mount is summarized by the statement seek ye first the kingdom of God. The disciples who have pledged their allegiance to the King must continue seeking the kingdom and its righteousness.

The present imperative form of the verb (Gr. zeteo) indicates a continual or constant seeking. The contrast between the spiritual and the 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.

We need not worry about tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof (v.34). 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 my people, having heard all the reasons for not worrying and truly depending on our magnanimous God to take care of our daily needs, let’s get serious and cut back on the worrying and running down the things of the world, for we can only use so much stuff at any one time, and even more exasperating is that we can’t take any of it with us.

Please, let’s ponder those words today, and ask God for His divine help. You know He will never say us nay. Much LOVE!

…the fear of man bringeth a snare (trap)…but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe …secure…set on high… (Prov.29:25)