Proverbs 13:12. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! Caribana Friday to boot! So you can imagine the numerous ‘TGIF’s!’ and ‘Thank God it’s Friday!’ that are reverberating around this wonderful city of Toronto. In fact, T.O has been hopping with Caribana fever for the past week. And the fever will only get hotter and sweatier (smile) as the days progress. Even the ole fella’s enthusiasm has risen a few notches, just knowing that my Auntie Anne and Uncle John will be in town from New York for the celebrations. Mamacita! Hope to play a mas with them tonight in the Pan Competition at Lamport Stadium. And since my Uncle John is an ole pan man from back in the days of Highlanders with their high pan, when plenty people ridiculed them, it’ll be interesting to hear his take on the quality of the pan up here. I remember liking Highlanders from day one, and every time I’d go down the Bay in Scarborough, I’d play their famous single ‘Let every valley be exalted’ on the jukebox in Scobie’s parlour. And I’ve lived to see the day when high pan is now the norm, rather than the exception. Just goes to show what hope and faith in your God-given desires can accomplish. The leaders of Highlanders could have just allowed it to die as so many people were against it. But they didn’t. I guess that’s the way we humans are; we resist change, resist getting out of our comfort zone, even if it’s for the better, because change is usually disruptive and disconcerting. However, on a personal level, it seems like the Good Lord might be putting a spoke in my wheel, or perchance issuing a warning, since my knees have been pain free all week, until last night when one of them began hurting. Hn! And if that continues, then there’s no way I’m going to the Caribana Parade on Saturday. But Friends, the good news is that our God’s a great, good-hearted, LOVING and healing God, and if He wants me to go, He can heal me in time to do so. Praise the Lord! That’s what Christianity is all about Friends; a strong hope, trust and faith in our Lord God Jehovah, Creator and Controller of the universe! Now to get a proper perspective on this celebratory weekend, let’s chant our Friday Chant in loud voice and most excellent enthusiasm. Thought I’d forgotten it nuh. (smile) As one divine choir 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 mih people, celebrate, but remember to mind yuh p’s and q’s, and also don’t forget, as Granny says, that drunk or sober to mind yuh business, because we don’t want to give the enemy even one iota of space to invade our souls. And as you can see from our Bit: ‘Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life,’ that we’re going to stick with the topic of Hope today, because it’s such an integral and vital part of our belief system and too many believers, for one reason or another are either losing hope completely or experiencing a sad lessening of it. And when the seed of hope doesn’t flourish in us Friends, it also means our trust and faith in God, as well as His joy are decreasing too, because they are all intertwined. And that’s never a good thing. Living for Jesus is not a one and done thing, but like plants and babies, our growth is a continuous process, where we move from strength to strength. It’s like going to school too, where we can’t move up to a higher grade until we pass the tests of the lower one. As Bruh Paul says, we first need to drink spiritual milk, before we can eat solid spiritual food. (Heb.5:11-14) And HOPE is the emotion that fuels all our spiritual endeavours. It’s like the gas that a car needs before it can run. Hope makes believers run. So let’s go home now with some scriptures that impart hope to our hopeful souls. And we’ll begin with words from a contemplation of Bruh David, where he’s seeking preservation and blessing. ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.’ (Ps.16:8-9) Yes Friends, if we set the Lord before us in all our doings, as our be all and end all, both our spirit and our flesh will experience oodles of hope. Then the author of Psalm 119 say is thus: ‘Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.’ (Ps.119:116) Oh my people, we’ll never be ashamed of our hope if it’s centred in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour! Meanwhile this verse on hope from Zechariah just thrills me. Talking about Zion’s future king, he solemnly proclaims: ‘Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’ (Zech.9:12) Oh Friends, I certainly hope that we all belong to that august group, ‘the prisoners of hope.’ For as I said yesterday, we’re lost and done like dinner without it. And finally Jeremiah, in his Lamentations, truthfully declares: ‘It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam.3:26) Please my brethren, let’s follow that sage advice of Jeremiah nuh, so that our lives will be greatly enriched with all the good things of God; hope, faith, trust, surrender, forgiveness, mercy, unconditional LOVE, salvation and eternal life. This I pray on the precious blood of Jesus spilled for us at Calvary! Amen. Much LOVE my people!…to hope…to hope…and yet to hope…that is the way of the true believer…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 August 2012 Proverbs 13:12
03 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: Caribana, change, christianity, enthusiasm, eternal life, faith, forgiveness, Friday chant, hope, hope flourishes, LOVE, mercy, prisoners of hope, rest and relaxation, salvation, TGIF!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 July 2012 Acts 5:29
27 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: constant pressure, don't give up, Friday chant, fun-fellowship, labour free weekend, mysterious movements of God, obey God not man, refreshed bodies, renewed minds, rest-relaxation, suffer the inevitable consequences, TGIF!
Acts 5:29. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! And all God’s people released a tired but grateful sigh as they mouthed: ‘Thank God is Friday yes!’ They have been looking forward to this day and the weekend of no labour, from since Monday morning as they left home to go to work. And unfortunately the constant mental, emotional and physical pressure of going to work for those five days has taken a toll on them. But Friends, I’m here to buoy and calm our spirits so that we don’t get too lethargic or too effervescent over the next couple of days. And we’ll start doing that by chanting our Friday Chant with as much gusto as we can muster. All together now, in one loud, prayerful voice: ‘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 Friends, I know that some of you have it fairly rough, having young children to look after before work, then fight the traffic to work and deal with all sorts of emotional and physical situations there, then fight the traffic back home and look after your families again. Some of you work even harder at home on the weekends, cleaning up and preparing for the following week, than you do at the job that hopefully pays you a living wage. But don’t worry my people, the Lord sees all your efforts and eventually you will be well rewarded, if you don’t give up. Just remember that living for Jesus is not an easy lifestyle, but it certainly is interesting and oftimes adventurous, cause we never know what’s the next situation He’s going to throw up before us. Remember too, that whatever He brings us to, He will also bring us through it, if we allow Him to lead and guide us. This brings us to our Bit: ‘Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.’ And that my friends is gospel, gospel truth! Believers ought to obey the dictates of God if they seriously conflict with the dictates of men. And why is that? Simply because the law of God is higher than that of men. God is our Creator, Controller and Provider, while man is merely flesh and bones and cannot create or control most of the stuff around him. Our Bit gives us a perfect example of upholding God’s law over man’s. The apostles had been preaching Christ crucified and risen in the temple at Jerusalem, with great crowds gathering to listen and many being saved. This obviously did not sit well with the Jewish leaders, so they dragged the apostles off to jail, warning them to stop preaching Christ. But please remember my brethren that our God is the greatest Being in the universe, and when you’re doing His work nothing is impossible. Consequently, as the Good Book notes: ‘But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught.’ (Acts 5:19-21a) Yes mih people, our God does move in mysterious ways, His sovereignty to show and glorify! So later on, when the elders, gathered together in the council chambers, sent for the apostles, they couldn’t be found in the prison, though all the gates and other security measures, including the keepers were perfectly all right and in place. And isn’t it strange that the elders who were supposed to be such godly and righteous beings doubted the situation. It just shows how little they really knew about or trusted God. But in the midst of their disbelief, someone came into the chamber and told them: ‘Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.’ (Acts 5:25) Now can you imagine the anger, rage and disbelief that must have gone through that hypocritical bunch of council members? But good for them, they were smart enough to tread softly: ‘Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them (the apostles) without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.’ (Acts 5:26) It makes me chuckle Friends, because in the final analysis, in spite of all their big talk, the council was afraid of the people, so they made sure that the apostles were taken without any fuss. And when they’re finally brought before the council, the high priest pompously declares: ‘Did we not straitly (strictly) command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ (Acts 5:28) That’s when the apostles put them in their place, told them where to get off. In the words of our Bit, they solemnly declared: ‘We ought to obey God rather than man.’ Oh Friends, that’s how we believers ought to act when we’re threatened or challenged by a secular power, or even a wrong, hypocritical religious one, re speaking the Word of God! And we’ll end with a brief explanation of our Bit by the scholars. ‘Peter is not sanctioning civil disobedience, as he makes clear in his first epistle (1 Pet.2:13-17; cf. Rom:13:1-7). We are to obey the civil government; but when it goes contrary to the explicit commands of God, we must obey God and be ready to suffer the consequences.’ Yes my people, if we’re to truly follow Jesus, then there will inevitably be consequences to pay, some light, but also harsh and difficult ones. However, we must always have that faith, that depth of feeling, that whatever the consequences, we will gladly pay them. In Jesus’ name. Amen. More on this tomorrow Friends, if God’s willing. Till then, please walk safely under His protective umbrella, proclaiming His holy name wherever we go, and willingly accepting whatever consequences come our way. Much LOVE!…whatever beliefs we hold…there will always be consequences to pay for holding them…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 July 2012 Psalm 115:1
06 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: batten down the hatches, Friday chant, furthering Jesus' kingdom, glorify God, our bounden duty, renewed and refreshed, rest and relaxation, soul body and mind, TGIF!, the Promised Land, the weekend
Psalm 115:1. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! The eve of two days of freedom, or as close as we’ll ever really get. That’s why everybody’s so happy, and joyfully declaring to each other: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Oh Friends, what would most of us do without the weekend to look forward to eh? And believe me, we have to be very careful, diligent and strong to protect it, because if the greedy, evil politicos and their wealthy evil counterparts get the chance, they will gladly even take those two semi-free days away from us. So let’s batten down the hatches, and prepare to fight tooth and nail for that privilege and many others they are either taking away or planning to take away. Our forefathers’ fought too hard, even giving up their lives for the few measly benefits workers now have. We can’t afford to let the evildoers come and retake them. In the meanwhile though, let’s enjoy the weekend, but with ‘a modicum of circumspection’ as Jeeves would say. And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much verve and gusto. All together now, as one glorious voice: ‘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 mih people, we have to be circumspect about how we use our days off. The Lord God Jehovah should always be front and centre in our consciousness. And our Bit today certainly highlights that sentiment. ‘Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy (LOVING-kindness), and for thy truth’s sake.’ What we have to remember Friends is that we’re made for God’s purpose(s), not Him for ours. Thus, whatever happens in our lives, on earth or in heaven, is supposed to be all for God’s glory, not ours, as so many of us wrongly believe. And the Lord has made it clear on several occasions in His Word, that what He does is not always for us, but because He wants His Name to be glorified and not polluted or profaned. The first good example of that is when Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt, and he tells them: ‘Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For (because of) my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land: but for (because of) the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee. Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform (fulfill) the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Understand therefore, that the Lord giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked (stubborn, rebellious) people.’ (Deut.9:4-6) So we see it’s not because the Israelites were so righteous that the Lord brought them out of slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land, because they were not, but because the inhabitants of the land were wicked and He had to keep His promise to their forefathers. Likewise Friends, many times what He does for us, is not because we’re so righteous either, but to protect His name and image or to keep some promise He’s made. Hear what He says about that through Isaiah: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is.42:8) Yes mih breddren, the Lord’s very jealous of His name and glory. He has an immaculate image to project and protect, therefore He will not allow anyone to besmirch them. Listen to Him again, this time through Ezekiel: ‘But I wrought (acted) for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted (profaned) before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.’ (Ezek.20:9) Oh my people, that just goes to show what lengths the Lord will go to protect His name and His majestic image. And He further reminded them when He promised the future restoration of Israel: ‘Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel…Then the heathen (nations) that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build (rebuilt) the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.’ (Ezek.36:32,36) Ah Friends, strong words from our God, words that still resonate with us today, since He or His Word changes. Therefore let’s do our best to uphold His righteousness and not to provoke His anger any more than we’re already doing with the sinful, ungodly, wicked lifestyle we’re currently promoting in our society. Remember the last days are on the horizon, and the unrighteous are still many, so let’s do our part in our little area to glorify His name and cut down on the numbers that will be destroyed on that fateful day nuh. It is our bounden duty. Much LOVE!…to help others come to Christ…that’s the believers’ main goal…
Todays Scrip-Bit 22 June 2012 Psalm141:3
22 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: fellowship, Friday chant, guard your mouth, human degradation, inhumane suffering, rest and relaxation, silence is golden, TGIF!, the tongue can no man tame
Psalm 141:3. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! The weekend’s here, bringing us a l’il rest from our weekly labour. Praise the Lord! Because if the enemy had his way, we’d all be working seven days a week, from sun-up to sundown, for a mere pittance. Thankfully though, the majority of us have gotten away from that, but there are still some folks – even one is too many – who have it worse than slaves. Please, let’s pray for them; pray that their situation improves, and quickly too, and also let’s do something to help remedy the untenable situation in whatever way we can; with our time, time, talents or financial resources, for the human being was not made in Almighty God’s image to suffer such horrible oppression and degradation. Oh my people, we really don’t know how good we have it nuh. And I’m not talking about some undeveloped, third world country where these atrocities are happening, but right here in our supposed first world societies. Oh Friends, if we only knew some of the brutal, inhumane stuff that goes on, not only on the underside of our society, but also within the hallowed halls of our wealthy and powerful, we’d be totally flabbergasted. So while many of us can gleefully shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ a sizeable portion of our society unfortunately can’t declare those glad tidings. So please, let’s remember them when we’re joyous over the two days off that we have, and do whatever we can to alleviate their sad and oh so wrong situation. Now let’s chant our Friday Chant that will give us the right perspective on how to use these valuable weekends. As one voice 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.’ And having read and digested all that, (smile) it’s time to look at our Bit: ‘Set a watch (guard), O Lord, before my mouth; keep (watch over) the door of my lips.’ Ah Friends, this mouth business is so important in a believer’s life, and sadly too many of us flunk it! And I suppose the first scripture we ought to contend with, is found in the immortal and true words of James, re the dangers of the tongue. He solemnly declares: ‘My brethren, be not many masters (let not many of you be teachers), knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation (stricter judgement). For in many things we offend all (stumble). If any man offend (stumble) not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm (rudder), whithersoever the governor listeth (pilot wants). Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth (sets on fire)! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity; so is the tongue (the tongue is so set) among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature (existence); and is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind. But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude (likeness) of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.’ (James 3:1-12) Oh Friends, I didn’t intend to write all of that, but after looking it over, the Spirit nudged me, and I realized that I would be doing us all a serious injustice if I tried to beak it up, because there are few other places in the Good Book where such an important topic is so extensively and well reasoned in such a short space. And I figured that though many of us have heard the particular part about the tongue, some might not have heard it in its proper context. I also highlighted that part because it’s so true and even more meaningful today than it was back in James’ time. What with the explosion of communication technology, talking and now texting have become such huge aspects in our society and are also beginning to cause huge problems. More and more people are getting in trouble for their words everyday! Now this passage was originally written to the early teachers in the church, whose primary tool was their tongue, and the source of their teaching, their wisdom. He’s warning them of the pitfalls of teaching. First, ‘the teacher will receive greater scrutiny from God, because the teacher often passes judgement upon his hearers, and secondly, the primary teaching tool is the tongue, which no one can control sufficiently.’ Now that’s an undeniable truth my Friends! However, as James reasons, we can’t use it to bless God and curse mankind, who’s made in His image. But such is the widespread use today. My people, we have to definitely control our tongues more carefully than we’re currently doing, or else we’ll find ourselves in serious trouble, both with man and God. So from today, let’s take these memorable words of Bruh David to heart and try and make them our individual goal. ‘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.’ (Ps.19:14) Oh Friends, if we all made that a habit, what a wonderful place our world would be! More on this tomorrow God willing. Till then, let’s go and practice taming our tongues nuh. Good luck with that! (smile) Much LOVE!…this generation needs to learn…that oftimes…silence is truly golden…
SCRIP-BITS 