the Lord shall endure for ever

Hebrews 13:8. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.

And so Wednesday has opened bright and sunny, though somewhat cool, because it’s still officially spring. The problem though is will it stay bright and sunshiny all day long? Unfortunately, these days of climate change have the days being very contrary, beginning one way, then changing to something else, sometimes even changing back and forth within the same day. So, you can never trust what you see when you open your eyes on a morning to be the same throughout the day. But praise the Lord that our great God is an unchanging God!

Yes friends, that’s one thing we’re very sure of! How do we know that? Because it says so in His Word, very often too. And His Word does not lie! Of course not! As explained in this scripture from the Book of Numbers. ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.’ (Num. 23:19-20) And that from the false prophet Balaam, whom Balak, the king of Moab, had hired to curse the Israelites.

So, let’s look at a few of the scriptures that talk about the unchanging nature of our God nuh. As one commentator says: ‘God does not change. Why would He? God is perfect in all His ways. You can’t get better than perfect! God’s laws don’t change, they are written in stone for a distinct purpose.’ And that’s so His people can have a strong and steadfast way of life, not one like the weather we’re currently having; wishy-washy, and constantly changing.

As James, Jesus’ brother writes: ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning.’ (James 1:17) And that’s the gospel truth! One translation puts it thus. ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.’

And per the Immutability of God, the scholars say: ‘Since all changes are either for the better or for the worse, God is unchanging because He is perfect and cannot get better nor become worse. The Scriptures describe God’s nature, will, and character as immutable or unchanging. Illustration: To be immutable, however, does not mean to be immobile. God also has the qualities of personality and can act, think, create, and make decision. Application: God is unchanging; therefore Christians can depend on His LOVE and power because God has not changed since biblical times. (First Ref. Ps. 9:7; Primary ref. James 1:17; cf. Lev. 19:2.)’

Yes my brethren, the Lord’s our Creator, thus He is much more stable than we could ever be. And as Bruh David declares in Psalm 9: ‘But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgement. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgement to the people in uprightness. The Lord also will be a refuge (stronghold) for the oppressed, and a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.’ (Ps. 9:7-10) Now, if our God can be all those things for those who seek Him, then He must be strong, stable, steadfast and just!

And I like this verse about God’s unchanging nature from the book of Malachi, when he talks about the nonpayment of tithes. He solemnly declares: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not: therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) And nothing has really changed since then, for many of today’s churchgoers are doing the same thing; not giving their tithes to God. We give money to all sorts of other worthless and fraudulent causes without a murmur, but to give a penny to God’s church it’s like pulling teeth without anesthetic.

As the scholars explain. ‘These Israelites have done what no man should presume to attempt, namely, to defraud God in tithes and offerings. The payment of tithes and heave offerings was a recognition of their subjection to God and that He owned them and all that they had. To withhold the tithe is to renounce the sovereign authority of God and to be guilty of the same sin as Lucifer in the beginning.’ And there’s no doubt that our current society has renounced the sovereignty of God over it, and thus are guilty of the same sin that Lucifer (Satan) was kicked out of heaven for; abominable pride which led to foolish rebellion!

But I’m getting off course here, (smile) so let’s move on to the next scripture on God’s unchanging nature, which comes from the book of Hebrews. And it simply but quite clearly and confidently states: ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’ (Heb. 13:8) And if all it says about Jesus in the Good Book is true, then He must be a stalwart, unbreakable, unchanging foundation for us to build on.

That’s why Jesus characterized Himself as the rock to build on when he told the people. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not: for it was founded upon a (the) rock.’ (Matt. 7:24-25) Oh my fellow saints, when we build our houses on the rock, the foundation that’s Jesus, nothing in this whole wide world can ever beat or break it down, for Jesus is the solid, rock-like foundation of the world! Give Him some much deserved thanks and praise!

And then there’s this marvellous scripture, the last one, we have time and space for. It comes from Psalm 102 – A cry in distress – and it declares: ‘Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yea, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment; as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and the years shall have no end.’ (Ps: 102:25-27) Now that’s the indisputable truth: the world will grow old and change, even be destroyed, but our God will last forever, because that’s his name and nature… an Everlasting God!

And for those of us who sincerely believe and are doing our best to live for Him, let’s go home declaring (yeah!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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!’

And a last word of encouragement and reassurance, (smile) please remember that if we endure to the very end, then that future will indeed be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…there is only one road to glory…that’s through Jesus…

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Psalm 9:10. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

Oh my people, I’m sorry, but I must let you know that today is Monday! Yes, unfortunately that much disliked day has come around again, as it does every seven days. (smile) And we know what that means for many of us, getting up from our warm and comfortable beds and going out to labour, so we can make a penny to keep a roof over our heads and food on our tables. For remember what Bruh Paul said to the Thessalonians; he who doesn’t work shouldn’t eat. ( 2 Thess. 3:10) And since we all like to eat, I think we should get a move on so we can further the process. (smile)

Sadly though, not much has changed for the better over the weekend. The pandemic is getting worse in several places. Some of them were never locked down, or did so, but opened too soon without enough safety precautions. And much to our chagrin, we still can’t agree on how best to handle it. Ah Lord eh! And who says mankind is the smartest animal on the planet eh? I beg to differ.

As for the racial protests, that’s still going strong, though some people are ignoring it and still doing their racially provoked thing. That’s something else that boggles the imagination. Yuh see certain actions stirring up the populace, and not only one set, but everybody, and yuh still going to do the same nonsense that stirred it up in the first place? Steups! Is either you don’t care, or you believe the racially biased system will take care of you. But either belief is foolish in these troubled times where accountability is uppermost in many minds.

And having said that, I guess you all are asking what’s next eh? Well my only suggestion, my best advice is for us to turn to the Creator and Controller of our great universe; the Supreme Being who created us from the dust of the earth, then breathed His Spirit of life into us. He has said that when problems overwhelm our finite minds, we should turn to Him to get His supreme wisdom and guidance. So let’s do that nuh; as one strong voice, with sincere hearts, let’s call out to Him right now, invoking our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for His mercy, grace and divine guidance in the worldwide problems that we’re now facing.

‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive, and hopefully haven’t contracted the virus that’s causing havoc around our world. And our anxieties have been recently deepened because some restrictions have been lifted in the lockdown, so more of us are going out to work now without any guarantees of safety. Then to complicate matters Father, suddenly, and unexpectedly, just like the virus, worldwide strife and protests have also struck us in this sad time of pandemic, and we don’t have a clue how to handle either situation properly.

Mass confusion is currently prevailing in our world, and we desperately need your help to solve both problems, as You are the ONLY One with the power and insight to successfully handle them. Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.

That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction. Please show us how to successfully handle these scourges that are currently plaguing Your beautiful earth. Please help our leaders to wisely quell the strife and protests, thus bringing unity and peaceful consensus, and the scientists to find a positive solution, a sure antidote to the virus as quickly as possible.

And for those who have already contracted the virus, or been injured in the strife, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’

Ah friends, we’ve prayed a humble but confident prayer, now we have to wait for the Lord’s answer. That includes releasing our faith, truly surrendering our lives to Him, and sincerely trusting in His goodness. Yes we know that all the current happenings don’t seem to make sense and are causing untold anxiety, but it’s in those uncertain and perilous times that we really need to buckle down and believe, and say ‘Your will be done Lord, not mine.’ Whatever the circumstances, we are called to trust in God’s LOVING-kindness! Remember, He who promised is faithful! (Heb. 10:23)

That brings us to these awesome words of Bruh David – In Praise of God’s Justice. ‘O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end (finished forever): and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them. But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgement. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgement to the people in uprightness. The Lord will also be a refuge (stronghold) for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.’ (Ps. 9:6-10)

Now that is the indisputable truth my brethren! The problem is for us to sincerely put our trust in the great God Jehovah! And if by chance, you didn’t believe Bruh David, then listen to his son, Cousin Sol (smile). ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:5-8)

Oh friends, if Cousin Sol had never written anything else, those verses would have been enough to set him up for posterity, because they are possibly the best verses in the Good Book, verses that lay bare the Christian principles, short and sweet! So let’s take them all to heart nuh, and do what we know we ought to do to glorify our heavenly Father. Much LOVE!

…trust and obey…for there’s no other way…to be happy in Jesus…than to trust and obey…

SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 June 2022 Hebrews 13:8.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 June 2020 Psalm 9:10.

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