Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 July 2016 Psalm 12:2

Psalm 12:2.     They speak vanity (idly, falsely) every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with double heart (an inconsistent mind) do they speak.

HAPPY  4TH  OF JULY  U. S. OF A!

Ah friends, as I was getting ready to write the Bit, the old Chicago tune popped into my head: ‘Does anybody really know what time it is…? Does anybody really care…?’ 

And it struck me that the majority of the world doesn’t seem know what time it is – THE LAST DAYS – and nobody really seems to care either, otherwise it wouldn’t be such a tragic, strife-filled, evil and unkind place.  

But thankfully, fortunately, we, this joyful band of Christians, fervent followers of and believers in Jesus Christ do know that we are in the end times and that we desperately need to get our houses in order if we want to be prepared when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ returns to earth in splendor and power, or calls us home first. 

Yes my people, we are the last bastion of faith, hope, LOVE and peace on the planet! That means we desperately need to come up much higher, ASAP, if we hope to save as many people, and as much of our world as we can. The clock’s a ticking, and Lucifer and his evil minions are working like mad to conquer as much as possible. Therefore the battle won’t be easy, but if we stick together and stand up strong with Jesus, then victory is assuredly ours. 

Consequently, on this Monday morning, the first in July 2016, we need to be up and about Christ’s business; no lollygagging and complaining about we tired etc. Yuh think Beelzebub’s people are resting on their laurels? Definitely not! They are already up and about the evil one’s business! So what are we waiting for eh? Let’s get a move on! 

And to help us rally round Jesus, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with a soulful explosion of power, harmony and sincerity. All together now! ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. 

We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. 

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. 

Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ 

Now that wasn’t too bad, but you can hear the loudest voices being those of our U.S. friends, because it’s their Independence Day celebration! They don’t have to work today, so they are obviously more exuberant than we Canadians who are now wrapping up our Canada Day celebrations. 

Anyway, Happy 4th of July my friends to the South! Enjoy it, but don’t overdo it. Remember Granny’s advice: ‘Mih son, please, ah beg yuh, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ 

And Granny knew what she was talking about, because when we get too celebratory, we tend to lose our sense of right and wrong, and that opens up a toehold for the enemy to get into our souls and create havoc. And that we definitely can’t allow.  

And that brings us to our Bit; truth of the indisputable kind! ‘They speak vanity (idly, falsely) every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with double heart (an inconsistent mind) do they speak.’ 

Yes friends, things like, truth, honesty and good neighbourly relations have gone the way of the dodo bird, have become extinct! Nowadays, it’s like every man for himself, the first person pronoun; ‘me, mine, myself and I,’ seem to be prevailing sentiment, as evil and evildoers run rampant across the earth.  

But it’s our job to stop them my fellow believers…and we can, if we’d only get serious about our bounden duty, and stop allowing them to cause dissension and divisions amongst God’s flock. For they are the past masters of the art of divide and conquer, and we are allowing them to do just that with Christ’s church. 

As Bruh David says in Psalm 41 – Abuse and assurance: ‘Mine enemies speak evil of me, when shall he die, and his name perish? And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity (empty words): his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.’ (Ps.41:5-6) 

But you know my brethren, times are so bad and deceitful now, that you need to be more wary of your friends because they now behave like enemies too. 

And we’ll end with this cry of Bruh David in Psalm 55, against deceitful friends. ‘For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him. But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide (companion), and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company (the throng)’ (Ps.55:12-14) 

Then he calls down a quick death upon them and their wickedness, and declares thus: ‘As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.’ (Ps.55:16-17) 

Oh my people, I can’t give you any better advice than that! So please, let’s keep calling on our great and ever-faithful God nuh, let’s keep looking to Him for salvation, for He is indeed the ONLY ONE able to grant it! Much LOVE!

…be very careful of whom you allow into your inner sanctum…for they might just turn out to be a Trojan horse…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 January 2014 1 John 4:4

1 John 4:4.   Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.  

And sadly my people, it’s Thursday. Steups! That means I only have one more week of this wonderful vacation left. Chuh! I can’t believe that two weeks in Paradise have already gone by. But it seems that even in Paradise, time passes quickly. (smile)

So what good memories did we make yesterday eh? Not many really nuh. I had my constitutional at Store Bay… and even that wasn’t so hot, because the water was a little choppy and I wasn’t feeling up to scratch. On the way home, we stopped for a brief chat with the Duchess’ old pen-pal at her business place.
 
But I wonder if the young people even know what a pen-pal is or was eh? Those were the long ago days of pen, paper, ink and writing, before the internet and all the other social media nonsense.
 
Oh, I just remembered that before going to Store Bay, we passed through Pigeon Point, another popular beach close to Store Bay, but I’ve been biased against Pigeon Point from my youth (smile) and it seems that nothing has changed in that respect.
 
For though the physical surroundings are better planned and more colourful and interesting than Store Bay, the beach itself still does nothing for me. And anyway, the Duchess would never be comfortable bathing there. End of Pigeon Point Story! (smile)
 
After leaving Rosalind, we came home and crashed, because we were both tired. We read and ate. I had my first roti in Tobago, which unfortunately had more potato than goat. That caused me to remark. ‘If I’d wanted so much potato, I would have both a potato roti yes!’
 
But that was really small potatoes (smile) in the grand scheme of things. And it helped support a British sister, who runs the Curry Shop on the road to Pigeon Point. When I first heard her British accent I was amazed at the connection between a ‘Britisher’ and curry, although curry is popular in Britain.
 
Anyway, I asked how she’d gotten from Britain to Tobago? She claimed that she wanted a change, and I believe that Tobago is all the better for it, because she seems to be providing a good service.
 
Anyhow, around 8 p.m. my body and soul being out of sync, I decided to rest for a spell. Hn! That spell lasted till after midnight, that’s why I’m writing a rough draft of the Bit at minutes after three in the morning. Don’t think I’ve been up at this ungodly hour since I got here.
 
And that’s basically what I saved in my memory bank yesterday. I have to chuckle here, because I just got up and reached for a piece of pawpaw, only to find the dish empty. Like I’d eaten it all with realizing it.
 
And we have a very interesting and helpful Bit today. As if they’re not all interesting and helpful eh? (smile) Listen up. This is John talking about trying spirits. ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’
 
And that Friends, is the undeniable, indisputable, recognizable, gospel truth! And if you don’t believe it, then your life will always be a mess! That’s because you’re allowing the evil rogue, Lucifer, who is in the world, to be stronger than the Holy Spirit of Almighty God that’s supposed to dwell in you.
 
And that makes no sense whatsoever my people. For why would a staunch believer in Jesus Christ, knowingly allow that cunning, deceitful villain Lucifer, to steal, to usurp the place of Christ’s Spirit in his soul and life eh? That’s total madness and undeniable stupidity! 
 
Now hear what the scholars have to say about our Bit. ‘4:4. Christ indwells believers. Satan is likewise the lord of his own followers. But Christ is greater than he who wreaks havoc in the world. Have overcome is in the perfect tense, stressing the abiding nature of their victory. Their strength lies in the fact that they are (born) of God.’
 
Yes my brethren, unless we are spiritually born of God, we lack the strength to overcome the enemy. And how does John arrive at this position? Because at the beginning of the chapter he tells us: ‘Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (test) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.’ (1 John 4:1)
 
And that’s no lie my people! There are even more false prophets today than in John’s time. He would certainly have held his head and wept sorely, if he saw what was happening in today’s false and crazy world.
 
Now listen carefully to the scholars’ note. ‘4:1. The Spirit gives assurance (3:24). But how do believers know it is God’s Spirit, and not a lying one, who is assuring them? John acknowledges the presence of numerous spirits. Christians must be wary that they be not misled. The Greek grammar here may indicate that John is calling for a halt to belief in spirits that was already in progress. This could have been a residual effect of those who had already left (2:19).’
 
And to complete the understanding of the scholars note, here is what 2:19 says. John’s here talking about the dangers of the antichrists. ‘They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all (none of them were) of us.’ (1 John 2:19)
 
And the scholars further explain: ‘2:19. Some in the church, but now departed, were never really part of it. Here is a clear distinction between those who merely appear to be Christians, based on outward affiliation, and those who really are, whom the Lord knows and claims as His own.(1 Cor.8:3; Gal.4:9; 2 Tim.2:19).’ 
 
Oh my fellow believers, please take a moment and read those scriptures, for they will enhance your understanding of the Word. And we’ll end there, for you have enough on your plate to ponder and rectify today.
 
So till we meet again tomorrow, God in favour, please let the peace of God rule in our hearts and minds, and let’s work diligently on behalf of Christ. Now that’s wisdom at its highest level! Much LOVE!
…where the LOVE of Christ rules…no evil spirit can ever enter there…