Psalm 145:8. The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s in a time of famine this Saturday autumn morn! Would you believe he has no words to utter? (smile) And I know some of you are in disbelief, a simple breeze could knock you over now. Yes, it’s strange but true! And please keep quiet in the background children, no smart aleck remarks from the penny section.
But Friends, I’m sure that situation won’t last for very long, because the Lord God Jehovah in His abundant grace and mercy will soon fill the void and guide me to what He wants me to write, since it’s His Word that I’m writing about. And mih Friends, when you talk about faithfulness…
Chuh! There’s NO ONE like our God in that department! As I keep saying, He’ll never give you a task to do without giving you the necessary tools and parts to perform it to His satisfaction. And I can attest to that from personal experience! How do you think I’ve been able to write the Bit everyday for almost seven years eh?
Even if I was exceedingly brilliant, and I’m certainly not that brilliant, it would have been impossible without the Lord’s help; His strength, guidance, wisdom, inspiration and faithfulness every single day! That’s what enables me to do a decent job in His glorious name!
‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise our great and wonderful God!’ Yes my brethren, that definitely called for some thanks and praise.
So my people, if today you’re suffering from doubts, anxieties, fear, insecurity, any negative emotions at all, just turn to the Lord in sincere faith, and He will most assuredly help you to overcome whatever negative thing(s) that’s holding you hostage. You have to come to Him sincerely though, with trust, reverence and total surrender. You can’t hold back any part of your being, for with the Lord it’s all or nothing at all!
And we have the memorable words of Bruh David from our Bit to prove my point. ‘The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.’
Oh my people, every true believer in Jesus ought to be able to testify to that statement, because it’s the backbone, the sure foundation of our faith! Without God’s grace, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and LOVE, where would we be eh? Confused and falling all over each other in the extreme darkness of evil Lucifer’s hell, damned, doomed and condemned to ‘sufferation’ and death.
But through God’s unconditional LOVE and all His other positive and winning attributes, He’s provided a way for us to escape Lucifer’s evil claws; to be saved through the sacrificial death of His one and only son Jesus, whose shed blood paid for all our abominable sins. And as believers we know all about that, but today I want us to look at some scriptures that corroborate Bruh David’s words in our Bit.
And the first passage comes, as we would say, straight from the horse’s mouth. Here God is talking to Moses, the second time he went up Mt. Sinai to renew the tablets with the Ten Commandments.
The Good Book describes it thus: ‘And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him (Moses) there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.’ (Ex.34:5-7)
Oh my fellow believers, yuh see all of that comes straight from the Most High God Himself, and not from man! And since we know now that He’s truthful and faithful to fulfill ALL His promises, we can rest assured that whatever He says and/or does, it’s the gospel truth!
Now hear Moses, when the Israelites rebelled against the Lord in the wilderness, and He was tempted to just obliterate them. But through Moses’ timely intercession, He stayed His hand.
‘And now, I beseech thee, let the power of the Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children of the third and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.’ (Num.14:17-19)
Ah mih Friends, Moses was smart, using God’s own declaration of His mercy, compassion, forgiveness and slow-burning fuse. And the Lord, true to His word, relented, but not before declaring that the old timers who had seen and experienced all the wonders that He did for them out of Egypt and in their travels through the wilderness, NONE of them would ever set foot in the Promised Land, excepting Caleb and Joshua. (Num.14:20-24)
And yuh better believe Friends, that’s exactly what happened, all because of their disobedience and rebellious attitude! Only Joshua and Caleb, of the multitude that came out of Egypt ever crossed the Jordan. That’s partly why they wandered in the wilderness for forty years too.
So my brethren, let us not be afraid to face our fears, doubts, anxieties and life in general, head on, because we serve and worship an omnipotent, kind, and LOVING Deity, who’s promised to ALWAYS be with, and help us throughout this difficult earthly life, right on to eternity. We can’t ask for more than that. Much LOVE!
…when you build your house on the Rock…the sturdy foundation that’s Jesus…it will never fall…in fact, it will last forever…
P.S. Yuh see Friends, I told you that in due time, the Lord would give me something to say. (smile) Oh thank Him for His faithfulness! Much LOVE!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 October 2013 Psalm 145:8
12 Oct 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: all or nothing at all, anxieties, Caleb, compassion, condemned, damned, death, disobedience, doomed, doubts, earthly life, faith, faithful, faithfulness, fears, forgiveness, foundation of faith, Glory Halleujah, God's attributes, God's strength, Good Book, goodness, gospel truth, grace, guidance, hell, holding you hostage, iniquity, insecurity, intercession, Israelites, Jesus, Joshua, long-suffering, LOVE, Loving Deity, mercy, Mt. Sinai, negative emotions, omnipotent god, pardon, personal experience, praise, promises, rebellious attitude, reverence, sacrificial death, shed blood, sins, straight from the horse's mouth, surrender, Ten Commandments, testify, thanks, the Most High God, the Promised Land, the Rock, time of famine, transgression, true believer, trust, truth, truthful, unconditional LOVE, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 October 2013 Proverbs 24:10
11 Oct 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: adversity, alleviate our problems, bastards, be of good cheer, blessed, champions, chasten, corporal punishment, day of adversity, despise not, discipline, discouraged, endure chastening, energy, exhortation, faint, faithful promise, Father of Spirits, fear, fellowship, first step, followers of Christ, forsake his inheritance, Friday chant, friends, fun, generous help, God's discipline, God's glorious kingdom, God's Law, God's principle of discipline, gospel truth, grievous, Helper, holiness, hostility, human practices, i have overcome the world, Jesus, joyous, jump for joy, just, LOVE, peace, peaceable fruit, pray in Jesus' Name, profit, Proverbs, rebuked, relaxation, renewed and refeshed, repent, respect, rest, reverence, righteous God, righteousness., scourge, sinners, soothing music, soul body and mind, spare the rod, spoil the child, stand strong in Faith, step out in faith, strength in the face of adversity, striving against sin, subjection to God, successful believers, supreme example of endurance, teach, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thank God, thanks and praise, the weekend, the wicked triumph, this too shall pass, thousand-mile journey, trials and tribluations, true perspective, true test of endurance, upright in heart, vision, wisdom, wonderful leader, your strength is small, zealous
Proverbs 24:10. If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
Oh Friends, please join me in singing: ‘It’s Friday, it’s Friday! Thank God it’s Friday, and the workweek soon finish! The weekend is here…but Chuh! I have to go home and do the laundry, clean the house, make the groceries, get the children ready for next week…
Oh Lord I can’t wait for Monday nuh, so I can once again sit in the traffic and listen to my soothing music. Then get to work and do the stuff that’s much easier than housework. But still, I thank God that it’s Friday! I thank God for every new day that I see, despite the many pressures of life. Thank You again God!’
Yes mih breddren, some of us have it easier at work than at home. But that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying our busy lives, and giving thanks and praise for all that God’s doing for us, because we’re still doing better than the vast majority of the world.
And since it’s Friday, let’s chant our Friday Chant which gives us a true perspective on how to handle the weekend. With 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.’
Ah my fellow believers, I surely hope that between our two songs, we’ve now got enough energy and vision on how to handle the weekend. (smile) And just in case you haven’t received it, please remember that the thousand-mile journey begins with the FIRST STEP.
So please step out in faith this weekend, while asking our wonderful leader, Jesus, to guide you as you perform your many tasks. You can be assured that He won’t say no. On the contrary, He’ll jump for joy to be your Helper!
And this is where our ever so appropriate Bit comes in: ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.’
And that’s gospel truth, my brethren! For as the scholars note: ’24:10. Strength in the face of adversity is the true test of one’s endurance.’
We can’t be successful believers, followers of Christ and faint and fall at the slightest appearance of adversity. Remember Jesus’ life was full of adversity, and if we want to walk in His footsteps, then we must be able to endure the trials and tribulations of this world.
Remember too His prophetic promise. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) So right there Friends, we have one less anxiety, one less thing to worry about, and one more faithful promise to stand strong on.
Now I will shut up… And I hear numerous shouts of: ‘Thank You Lord!’ (smile) Yes my beautiful followers of Christ, I will endeavour to shut up and just let the scripture do the talking. And we’ll open with Psalm 94 – How long shall the wicked triumph.
The psalmist wisely declares: ‘Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest (instructeth), O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest (relief) from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast of (abandon) his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. But judgement shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart will follow it.’ (Ps.94:12-15)
So Friends, though the Lord chastens us, or allows adversity to befall us, there is no need to fear. For once we stand strong in faith and accept whatever comes our way, the just and righteous God we serve will eventually alleviate our problems. As the saying goes, this too shall pass.
And this final passage of scripture comes from Hebrews 12, re God’s discipline. ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls). Ye have not yet resisted unto blood (bloodshed), striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as children (sons),
My son, despise not the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord LOVETH He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then ye are bastards (illegitimate), and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence (respect): shall we not rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure (as seemed best to them); but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ (Heb.12:3-11)
Yes Friends, that says it all! I’ll just add some notes from the scholars on the subject. ’12:3-4. Though chapter 11 provides many champions for believers to emulate, the supreme example of endurance is Jesus Himself.
12:6. Whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth: God’s principle of disciplining His own people is completely congruous (appropriate, fitting) with human practices. This quotation from Proverbs 3:12, stating God’s practice, corresponds to the commands God gave to the fathers:
“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him chasteneth him betimes (promptly)” (Prov.13:24; cf. 22:15; 23:13) LOVE and corporal punishment are not incongruous; they are two complementary and necessary aspects of training.’
There’s no more to say Friends! Now let’s take some time and ponder all that we’ve said, and see how it fits into our lives, for that’s true wisdom. Much LOVE!
…as many as I LOVE…I rebuke and chasten…be zealous therefore and repent… (Rev.3:19)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 October 2013 Psalm 135:15
02 Oct 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: afraid, alleviate, almighty god, Amen, cannot do evil, cannot do good, comforted, customs, dismayed, dr robert h schuller, encouragement, everlasting king, everything to God in prayer, false gods, false religion, foolish things of the world, foolishness, forgave, Friends in Christ, futile, Gentiles, God's character, God's reputation, God-awesome truth, guidance, heathen, hit the right spot, house of Israel, hymn of praise, idol worship, idols of the heathen, ineptitude, Jesus, king of the nations, lifted, living God, lonely, more important, move not, nails and hammers, never failed, never failed us, never will fail us., omnipotent Lord, one essential intimate Friend, pain we bear, palm tree, peace we forfeit, power, Praise the Lord, privilege, problems, reality of the world situation, refuse to believe, rejoiced, renewed, reticence, serving, signs of heaven, silver and gold, sinking, sinning, sins and griefs to bear, solace, speak not, struggling, succeeding, suffering, supported, Thank You Lord, the earth shall tremble, the heavens, things of heaven, time for God, truth, understanding the Word, uplifting scripture, vain, valueless, wake up and smell the roses, what a friend we have in Jesus, wisdom, words of wisdom, work of men's hands, worshipping idols, worthless, worthwhile, wrath
Psalm 135:15. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
Oh my wonderful Friends in Christ, in light of something I have to share, I thought it would be an excellent idea to open with this hymn of praise.
So please sing with me. ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry, Everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer.’
And yuh better believe my people, that that’s the God-awesome truth! We suffer so much pain and grief because of our reticence, for whatever reason to take our problems to the ONLY PERSON who can truly handle them – Almighty God.
And on reading this poem from Dr. Robert H. Schuller’s Hour of Power Devotional, I just had to share it. It’s titled, quite appropriately ‘What a Friend!’
And it so rightly and encouragingly declares: ‘You have never failed, Lord, to be my one, essential, intimate friend. When I was: Lonely in striving – you encouraged me. Lonely in struggling – you lifted me. Lonely in serving – you supported me.
Lonely in suffering – you comforted me. Lonely in sinning – you forgave me. Lonely in sinking – you renewed me. Lonely in succeeding – you rejoiced with me. What a friend I have in Jesus! Thank you, Lord. Amen.’
Oh mih people, mih people, doesn’t that just hit the right spot this morning! Because as Dr. Schuller so wisely and rightly says, Jesus is our one, essential, intimate Friend, who’s never yet failed us! And the glorious thing is that He never will!
The problem though is that too many of us refuse to believe it, and instead look to the foolish things of the world for guidance and solace. But Friends, please remember what our Bit so wisely says: ‘The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.’
And there is definitely no doubting that! For what can man do that God cannot change or do even better eh? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! So it’s quite time we wake up and smell the roses and stop allowing the things of the world to control our lives.
And I’m going to make some of us happy by announcing that this is definitely the last day for this particular Bit. (smile) And hopefully, by now, the truth contained therein, will have sunk into our hearts, heads and souls and brought us to the reality of the ineptitude of the world situation, and the fact that only Jesus can alleviate it.
So let’s get into this last scripture which comes from Jeremiah, as expected, speaking of God and the idols. ‘Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen (Gentiles), and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
For the customs of the people are vain (futile): for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck (decorate) it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and hammers, that it move not.
They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.’ (Jer.10:1-5)
Oh mih breddren, what invaluable words; words of wisdom, power and truth! Nothing that man makes can get us to heaven, not even close! So why do we insist on hankering and running after the worthless and valueless things of the world eh, when the things of heaven are so much more important and worthwhile?
Let’s hope that this series of messages on the foolishness of worshipping idols has really hit home, and has at least lessened, if not completely cut out our idol worship.
Now here’s a word from the scholars. ’10:1-16. Considering the impotence of the false gods and the emptiness of false religion, men surely ought to worship the omnipotent Lord and King of the nations. God’s name, which is great, reveals His character and reputation. The term ‘name’ became a title for God (cf. Dan. 9:18-19; Amos 2:7; 9:12) and was applied in the New Testament to Christ (Acts 4:12; 5:41; 3 John 7).’
And as always Friends, it’s in our best interest to check out the references provided by the scholars, since they only improve our understanding of the Word. And we’ll close with this invigorating and uplifting scripture, which ably supports the scholars’ note.
‘But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.
He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.’ (Jer.10:10-12)
And all God’s people declared a long, loud and sincere: ‘Praise the Lord! Amen! And again we say, Amen!’ Much, much LOVE, my fellow believers in Christ!
…please remember…whatever keeps us away from God…that’s an idol…and its influence should either be completely eliminated…or at least greatly reduced…so that we have more time for God…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 September 2013 1 John 5:14.
23 Sep 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: adrenalin, aura of love, autumn, blessed, chomping at the bit, christianity, circumcised of heart, circumcision, colourful hues, confidence, conquerors, death traps, disdain, earthly privileges, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil workers, eye candy, faithful, favour with God, fear of the Lord, foolish, fountain of life., Gentiles, glorious kingdom, glory, God's will, hibernation, holy spirit, human attainment, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jews, jobs, Judaizers, Law of Moses, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mutilation, panoramic scenes, place of refuge, pomp, praise, pressing towards the mark, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, reverence, righteousness., salvation, scavengers, snares of death, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, thanks, the enemy's ranks, the flesh, theology, true believers, truth, ungodly world, useful purpose, weary souls, wicked taunts, wiles, wisdom, wise, worthwhile inroads
1 John 5:14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday – officially the second day of autumn, that beautiful, unique season between summer and winter, when nature starts to go into hibernation mode, but before doing so, bathes us in bright, colourful hues and splendid, panoramic scenes. I guess you can call autumn (fall) the season of eye-candy! (smile)
Anyway Friends, the Lord, in His usual mysterious movements, wanted me to remind us that ‘We, we are blessed! If you’re a believer, then you, you are blessed. So let’s tell the world, that we, we are blessed!’ That’s a take on the song ‘I am Blessed,’ by I believe it’s sung by Kay Morris and her group. But my people, it’s ever so important that this Monday morning, as we get up to go back out to labour in God’s name, and it’s in His name that we’re working, not man’s, that we remember we’re BLESSED in all that we do. For without His blessing we can do very little.
And having brought that fact in to focus, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get us ready to go out and battle Lucifer and his evil cohorts. And since we’re not as tired as we usually are, because we’ve gotten some decent rest this weekend, let’s let it all hang out and sing with pomp and glory nuh. (smile)
As one voice 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!’
Awright mih people, the engine’s revving and the adrenalin’s flowing, so let’s get out there and be worthy soldiers in Jesus’ army. Remember, He’s already at the front lines, and, like His magnificent steed, He’s just chomping at the bit, waiting for us to arrive and engage the enemy.
Now let’s get to our Bit: ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.’ And that my Friends, is what’s called absolute truth!
That brings us to supporting scripture. And we’ll begin with some wise words from the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol, as he contrasts the wise and foolish. ‘In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence, and his children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart (turn one away) from the snares of death.’ (Prov.14:26-27).
Wow! Wise words indeed my brethren! When we have a proper reverence for Almighty God our confidence never wavers, always stays strong, because we know we can always turn to Him in times of need. There’s always a place of refuge for us under His wide and ever-LOVING wings. That reverence will also keep us alive and kicking, in that it will keep us from falling for, and into the death traps that the enemy lays for us.
Next we’ll turn to Bruh Paul, as he talks to the Ephesians about pressing towards the mark. ‘Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision (mutilation, circumcision). For we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.’ (Phil.3:2-3)
Ah mih people, Bruh Paul was here warning the Ephesians of the Judaizers, those supposed Christians who were preaching that you still need circumcision, per the Law of Moses to receive salvation, which was a total lie. He called them dogs, because dogs were regarded as shameful, despicable, creatures, just running around behaving like scavengers, and the Jews held the Gentiles in the same disdain that they held for stray dogs.
Bruh Paul even refuses to refer to them as ‘the circumcision’, instead using it for those circumcised of heart in Jesus, and not of the flesh. He turns the table on those false Christians, the Judaizers, and calls them ‘dogs’ instead.
And here’s what the scholars have to say about verse 3. ‘3:3. The circumcision or true people of God are described here in three ways. (1) They are those who worship God in the spirit. Their worship of God is prompted, directed, and enabled by the Holy Spirit. (2) Real Christians also rejoice in Christ. They boast and take pride in Him, not in themselves.
(3) They have no confidence in the flesh. “Flesh” here means one’s earthly privileges, human attainments, and religious accomplishments. God’s people refuse to depend on such things for their salvation; instead, they rely upon Christ to obtain favour with God.’
And that’s it for today Friends! As usual, I hope the message moves us further along the continuum to maturity in Christ Jesus, for that’s the ultimate purpose; to help us grow a little more each day, in wisdom, righteousness and LOVE. That’s God’s plan for us, so please, with His awesome help, let’s keep working faithfully towards it. Much LOVE!
…if our hearts aren’t truly circumcised in Christ…then we can’t really be true believers…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 September 2013 1 John 5:14.
22 Sep 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: challenges, clear conscience, confidence, desolation, difficult times, encouragement, eternal life, exhortation, faith, fear, fellowship, God is for me, God's will, holy spirit, hope, Jesus Christ, lead and guide, Lord's Day, LOVE, method to madness, mysterious ways, obedience, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, petitions, power of Jesus' name, prayer, problems, purpose, right decisions, royal diadem, salvation, scriptures, Spirit of God, strength, terror, thanksgiving, trouble, trust, trust in God, truth, unfaithful man, wisdom, worship
1 John 5:14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
Oh Friends, our wonderful God never ceases to amaze me with His mysterious ways! And the latest amazement is that yesterday, for some unknown reason, the old hymn, ‘All hail the power of Jesus’ name!’ suddenly flitted through my mind.
But as always, there’s method to God’s seeming madness, and today I found out the reason for that hymn coming to mind. Since today is Sunday, the Lord’s Day, a day of worship and fellowship, He wanted us to begin our message with some appropriate worship music.
So please sing with me, in strong, sweet, dulcet voices (smile). ‘All hail the power of Jesus’ name! Let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all. Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.’
Yes Friends, Jesus Christ is indeed Lord of ALL! He selflessly sacrificed His innocent life for us: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name’ (Phil.2:9) For that awesome show of obedience and immense ‘sufferation’ without complaint, the Father raised Him to a place of honour above all others in creation.
Thus, in Jesus, all our hope, strength, faith and confidence are assured! That’s why John could say so positively in our Bit: ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.’
But that’s not all, as John tells us in the next verse. ‘And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired (asked) of him.’ (1 John 5:15)
That’s gospel truth Friends! Whatever believers ask in His name, according to His will, we have the utmost confidence and assurance that He hears our petition and answers it as He sees fit. Now that last part is something ALL believers ought to fully understand. Not because our request, our petition is in God’s will, means that He will answer it right away. We will receive it when the Lord decides the time is right.
So many of us pray for stuff, and using those scriptures, expect to get them filled right away. Now sometimes, according to the emergency of our situations, that might happen, but generally speaking, the timing has to align with God’s plan.
The scholars have a short but interesting note on those scriptures. ‘5:14-15. Assurance of salvation (v.13) leads to confidence in petition. Effectual prayer is according to his will.’ No doubting any of that Friends!
Now let’s turn to some scriptures that support our Bit. And the first one is a well known quote from Psalm 118, Thanksgiving for the Lord’s salvation. ‘The psalmist boldly and wisely proclaims: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps.118:8-9)
Now that my brethren, is the undeniable truth! That’s why Cousin Sol could declare in Proverbs 3, Exhortations to obedience: ‘Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation of (trouble from) the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).’ (Prov.3:25-26)
And listen to his later statement. ‘Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken (bad) tooth, and a foot out of joint.’ (Prov.25:19)
And the scholars say this about that verse. ’25:19. Faith is only as good as its object, and an unfaithful man is useless.’
More undeniable truth my people! Anything that has to do with man in the flesh, cannot be trusted, much less taken for granted, for man has no real control over anything, not even over his own life. But when man is linked to, and aligned with the Spirit of God, well then Friends, the impossible things become possible!
And we’ll end with a most appropriate prayer from Dr. Robert H. Schuller’s Hour of Power Devotional. Obviously it’s titled: ‘A Prayer for Confidence.’
Let’s pray it together: ‘It is flowing into me now; for my conscience is clear. I have made the right decision. I am not afraid of problems. I will face challenges calmly and serenely, for God is behind me. He will help me. If I must go through difficult times, He will rescue me.
I feel His Spirit of confidence surging in my heart now. With Him I cannot possibly fail. If God is for me, who can be against me? I have a strong feeling that everything is going to work out just beautifully. Thank You, God. Amen.’
Oh my fellow believers, I sincerely hope that today’s message brings a great measure of encouragement and purpose to our strenuous and burdened lives. I also hope we experience a powerful surge in our hope, faith, strength and confidence in Almighty God, His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the amazing Holy Spirit that dwells within us to lead and guide us down the right path, the straight and narrow one that ultimately leads to heaven. For therein lies the ONE and ONLY true direction to wisdom, salvation and eternal life. Much LOVE!
…if you can’t trust an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God…then whom can you trust eh…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 September 2013 Joshua 1:8
17 Sep 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: always in thy mouth, anguish, apex, as long as I live, asaph, backward glance, be glad in the Lord, beautiful day, blessings, book of God's law, Christ-like behaviour, Christian, christianity, coched, day and night, deep down inside, do a better job, downtrodden, drive it home, earthly journey, encouraging words, ever-faithful promises, feel a feeling, fellow believers, forgiveness, God's people, God-inspired, good success, Hallelujah, hearts, helping the unfortunate, homeless, homeless person, hungry, In Touch Magazine, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, joyful, leading and guiding, life changing, loving character, manna, meditate, meditation on God's Word, minds, Most High, mouths of babes, needy, new mercies, no fixed place of abode, nobody, oppressed, orphans, physical appearance, poor, potent, powerful, Praise the Lord, precepts, proclaims, prosperous, psalms, reflection of Jesus, religion, righteous, scripture, selfless, sick, sing praise, sing unto the Lord, sinners, so great a God, souls, spirituality, steadfast faith, success, talk of God's works., testimonies, the Lord's judgements, truth, wealthy, wicked, widows, wisdom, words of wisdom
Joshua 1:8. This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall constantly be in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Oh Friends, it’s going to be a beautiful day, regardless of what the physical appearance might be! I just feel it in my spirit! (smile) Yuh know sometimes when you just feel something, you feel a feeling, you don’t understand why, but you feel it deep down inside?
Well that’s the way I feel this morning, as all the new mercies, manna, forgiveness and blessings begin to pour down on me! In fact, that’s how believers in Jesus Christ ought to feel EVERY DAY, since we have His ever-faithful promises to be with us always, leading and guiding us every step of our earthly journey.
Now here’s something I planned to write on a Monday morning, because it’s sort of more appropriate for that day. But all the Mondays seem so chocked full of other stuff, I decided to do it today, since it’s a rather important and useful observation, and I didn’t want to wait too long to bring it to our notice.
It’s taken from an article in the August issue of In Touch Magazine. A homeless, black, older man asks a wealthy, white, Christian man to explain how and why Christians could and do pray to and worship a homeless man on Sundays, then pass the first homeless person they meet on Mondays without even a backward glance, no acknowledgement whatsoever?
Wow! From the mouths of babes and the downtrodden often come undeniable words of wisdom!
Yuh see what I’m talking about mih breddren? When I read that, it just struck me as being so appropriate that I just had to share it. Remember Jesus had no fixed place of abode, just ‘coched’ (smile) by His friends, family and followers, or wherever the night found Him. So in essence, He was indeed a homeless person.
Now my fellow believers I wanted to draw that non Christ-like behaviour to our attention, because I know that TOO many of us do it, though we really shouldn’t. Anyway, now that it’s been pointed out to us, please let’s pay more attention to the homeless nuh, for in truth, they are a reflection of Jesus.
What did He say about that? ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ (Matt.25:40b) That’s the poor, the sick, the hungry, the needy, the oppressed, the widow, the orphan, and the homeless to whom Jesus is referring!
So Friends, let’s try, no, let’s DO a better job of helping the unfortunate amongst us, because then we’re in effect helping Jesus and being a true reflection of His wonderful, selfless, LOVING character!
And at long last, we come to our Bit: ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall constantly be in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’
And don’t blame me for it being the same over the last few days, but it’s such a powerful and potent bit of scripture, so life changing, that we need to drive it home deep in our hearts, minds and souls! For if we were truly observing it, our world would not be in half the mess that it’s currently in. There’s also plenty scripture, especially in the Psalms, dealing with Meditation on God’s Word, so let’s get to some.
And we’ll begin with the words of Asaph from Psalm 77, superscripted, ‘Who is a great God as our God?’ ‘And I said, This is my infirmity (anguish): but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God?’ (Ps.77:10-13)
And all God’s people immediately shouted the answer to that question: ‘NOBODY!’
Yes Friends, there’s NO Being, dead or alive, as great as Jehovah God! Now let’s delve into the longest chapter in the Good Book, that wonderful Bit of God-inspired writing, Psalm 119, ‘The Lord’s judgements are righteous.’ As indeed they are my brethren!
The psalmist unequivocally proclaims: ‘I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto (contemplate) thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.’ (Ps.119:14-16)
Oh my people, those are statements that ALL BELIEVERS ought also to unequivocally proclaim!
And we’ll end with some more joyful and encouraging words from Psalm 104, ‘God’s preservation of nature.’ Here, the psalmist delightfully declares: ‘I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord. (Shout Hallelujah!)’ (Ps.104:33-35).
Oh my fellow believers in Jesus Christ, let’s make that declaration loudly and seriously this fateful morning, then diligently put it into practice nuh! For that attitude in a believer’s life is the apex of steadfast faith, everlasting wisdom and gospel truth! Much LOVE!
…to faithfully contemplate God’s Word…oh what strength and energy it brings…
P.S. Told you all I was feeling the Spirit this morning! (smile)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 September 2013 Joshua 1:8
15 Sep 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: action, altar of stones, Amen, Ark of the Covenant, blessngs, Book of the Law, burnt offering, children of Israel, christianity, city of Ai, commonsense, cursing, dangers, darkness, death, destruction, education, faithfulness, father in heaven, fear, fellowship, good success, jehovah god, jesus name, Joshua, judges, knowledge, Law of Moses, levites, living our faith, logic, LOVE, loving god, make thy way prosperous, meditate on God's Word, meditation, Moses, Mt. Ebal, obedience, partnership, peace offering, physical numbers, plague, power, practice what you preach, presence, priests, Promised Land, prosperity, sacrifice, serve, sincere faith, spiritual strength, spreading God's Word, strangers, success, sunshine, thanks and praise, trust, wisdom, wise advice, wonderful god, worship
Joshua 1:8. This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Oh mih people, on this bright and beautiful, though somewhat chilly Sunday morning, let’s give our wonderful God a shout of thanks and praise nuh!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 September 2013 Habakkuk 2:4
13 Sep 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: almighty god, blessings, body, condemnation, confidence, daily bread, delay, demon worship, destruction, divine approval, doomed, endurance, eternal rewards, fails to obey, faith, fellowship, Friday 13th, Friday chant, generous help, glorious kingdom, God's wrath, habakkuk, heart-warming scripture, heaven, hot to trot, in the sight of God, jolt of pain, just shall live by faith, justification by faith, justified by the law, mercies, meritorious works, mind, Mosaic Law, New Testament, obedience, Old Testament, patience, perdition, Praise the Lord, principle of believing, principle of doing, receive the promise, refreshed, relaxation, rest, reward, right perspective, root canal, salvation, saving of the soul, secure salvation, sinful man, sinful souls, soft food, soul, steadfast faith, sufficent fun, tarry, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, the proud soul, the weekend, the will of God, unconditional LOVE, under the curse, wisdom, works of the law
Habakkuk 2:4. Behold, his soul which is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! Friday the 13th to boot! ‘So what?’ shout the believers in Jesus. ‘We don’t care because we don’t believe in that Friday the 13th nonsense. That’s just demon worship!’
Wow! Mih people hot to trot today sir! And that’s the way it should be Friends. As far as we are concerned, everyday is the same generally speaking, a special gift from Almighty God with new blessings, mercies, our daily bread and His unconditional LOVE!
We don’t need any satanic stuff to ‘confuffle’ our already ‘confuffled’ minds.’ We’re just glad that it’s Friday and we can shout out loud ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! The weekend’s here at last. Slaving for massa done for two days! Praise the Lord!’
And I’m also praising the Lord for getting me in to see my dentist yesterday evening to begin some work on a root canal, because the tooth was just paining everlasting over the last few days. Now it’s just sore, and every time my tongue or jaw touches it, or I try to blow my nose, I feel a jolt of pain. But it’s surely much better than the constant pain I was feeling before. I guess I’m also eating soft food for the next couple days, since I can’t chew on that side.
Ah Lord eh! When is not one thing, it’s always something else! Just hope I don’t do any further damage to it, before I go back to finish the work next Thursday. But whatever happens, I know I can count on the Lord to look after me. Steups! My bottom teeth just touched the top ones and a lovely pain was immediately generated. Let’s hope this ends by tomorrow yes.
And having said all of that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much gusto, so that we can remember and understand how to use the weekend.
Altogether 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 now that we have the right perspective in grasp, where we go out bright and fresh on Mondays, instead of tired and miserable, let’s turn to our Bit. ‘Behold, his soul which is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.’
Ah mih breddren, that’s such an encouraging and heart-warming scripture! And as we’ve seen, it’s been used quite a lot in the New Testament to prove the theory of justification by faith. Now yesterday I wasn’t able to wrap up the series as I’d planned because of some scholarly explanations that I thought important. Hope they help us to better understand the scripture, because that’s why I include them.
Now let’s continue with the scriptures that we didn’t get in yesterday. And we’re going to begin with some of Bruh Paul’s wise words to the Galatians. ‘For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
But that no man is justified (declared righteous) by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, the man that doeth them shall live in (by) them.’ (Gal.3:10-12)
Oh Friends, you can count on Bruh Paul to use the Old Testament to promote the New! In the above verses he first quotes, Deuteronomy 27:26. Then in the second, our Bit from Habakkuk. And in the third, Leviticus 18:5.
Now here are some explanations from the scholars. 3:10. As many as are of the works of the law refers to all who rely upon obedience to the Mosaic Law as the means of winning divine approval (salvation). To be under the curse is to be subject to God’s wrath and condemnation. Continueth is explained by to do, which means “to obey.”
The recipient of divine wrath is every one, who, believing salvation can be obtained by meritorious works, fails to obey the law perfectly. Complete obedience to the law is impossible for sinful man (Acts 15:10; James 2:10). All then, who attempt to secure salvation by this route are doomed.
3:11. The last part of this verse means, “He who is just because of his faith shall live,” that is, forever.
3:12. This verse declares that the law is a matter of performance, not of faith; it is a principle of doing, not believing.’
That’s a fact Friends, for we all know that mere doing, though good, without faith and belief in Jesus Christ, it is of no use in terms of salvation and escape from divine wrath.
And we’ll end with these wise and encouraging verses from Hebrews. ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry (delay). Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition (destruction); but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.’ (Heb.10:35-39)
Yes my people, it’s all about steadfast faith, enduring patience, unswerving belief in Jesus, and overwhelming confidence in Almighty God! Those are the basics for saving our sinful souls. And in sincerely seeking them, there’s wisdom here on earth, and eternal rewards in heaven.
Now who wouldn’t want those things eh? Only a fool! Much LOVE!
…the fool say’s there’s no God…but when life strikes him down…his first words are…Oh God…
