SCRIP-BITS

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Acts 28:15     And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and The Three Taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.

Ah mih Friends, we’ve been granted another day’s lease on life, so let’s be grateful and shout enthusiastically; ‘Thank you Lord for this day! We shall certainly be glad and rejoice in it! Amen.’ And we shall, despite the piles of garbage in T.O. due to the Public Workers strike and the many other problems we face. There’s also no better way to celebrate Canada Day than to be talking about courage, for that’s one thing our forefathers who began settling this rough and rugged, but rich and beautiful land some four hundred years ago possessed in great abundance, but which we’ve sadly lost as we’ve grown fat and soft in the pursuit of pleasure and the easy life. And we’re continuing to look at the principle of courage as particularly exemplified by Bruh Paul, who certainly showed plenty manly parts on his last trip from Jerusalem to Rome. We ended yesterday with the Roman soldiers about to take him up the steps of the castle, with the angry mob still following and shouting; ‘Away with him. (Acts 21:36) And what does Bruh Paul do? He stops and asks the captain to speak to those howling for his blood. ‘I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people. And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue…" (Acts 21:39-40) Yes my Friends, in spite of their blood lust, the frenzied mob became quiet when Bruh Paul turned to address them. And Bruh Paul was certainly nobody’s fool. He knew how to handle mobs, having created some in his time as a persecutor of the Church. When he spoke to them in Hebrew, their own language, they kept even quieter. Then the orator in Bruh Paul took over. He told them of his Jewish heritage: ‘a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.’ (Acts 22:3) Then he spoke of persecuting the Church, but was converted on his way to Damascus, being struck down and blinded by a bright light. How he was led to Damascus, where one Ananias, a well-respected Jew, healed him, and said, ‘The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.’ (Acts 22:14-15) But when he returned to Jerusalem, while praying in the temple, he fell into a trance and heard God telling him to leave Jerusalem because they wouldn’t receive his testimony there. He then told the Lord about the people there knowing of his persecution of the church, even his culpability in the stoning of Stephen. ‘And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee for hence unto the Gentiles.’ (Acts 22:21) Well mih Friends, up to then the crowd had remained silent, caught up in Bruh Paul’s persuasive narrative, but from the moment he mentioned God sending him to the Gentiles, their anger was stirred up again, while they shouted; ‘Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air.’ Acts 21:22-23) Now that was a serious but different kind of mob mentality than what we see today; casting off their clothes and throwing dust in the air. With that new uproar, the captain was even more intrigued about why the mob so badly wanted to lynch Bruh Paul, and told the soldiers to take him inside and beat the truth out of him. But they were no match for Bruh Paul, neither in courage or wisdom, for, ‘as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?’ (Acts 22:25) Now Bruh Paul surely knew the law. When the captain heard that, he came and asked him if he was Roman? ‘Yea. And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom: And Paul said, But I was free born.’ (Acts 22:27-28) Can you imagine the sudden fear factor? Those who were going to flog him, left immediately and the captain was scared caused he’d illegally restrained a freeborn Roman. Oh Friends, trust Bruh Paul to not only have courage, but also education and know- how to play the angles. But that’s what education does; it expands your horizons, giving you many more options. Now how many of us would beg our saviours to stop and let us talk to our pursuers? Or when about to be flogged, to use our knowledge of the law to scare off our abusers? We’d possibly be too scared to even talk. Bruh Paul’s mouth got him into trouble, but it also got him out. He didn’t seem to care, cause he was so into Jesus; like on a kamikaze mission for his Saviour. And though not many of us can have the same passion, zeal and self-denial in serving Christ, we can all look at Bruh Paul’s testimony with great pride, draw strength, courage and confidence from it, while trying to emulate it as much as possible. Whether or not you like Bruh Paul, you must admit that though he talked a lot, he also walked that talk. Can the same be said of us believers? Not as much as it should be. Oh Friends, if every believer walked and talked as they should, can you imagine the consternation we’d cause in Lucifer’s camp? And that is exactly what we need to reduce the violence and turmoil, while increasing the peace and LOVE in our teetering world. So I’m pleading with us today, to wake up, to start taking Jesus and the Word as seriously as we ought, and let the Holy Spirit strengthen and guide us. It worked for other ambassadors of the faith like Bruh Paul, and will for us too. Then we won’t be afraid to go out into the evil world and mix it up, scrap with the infidels of Lucifer, on behalf of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. That’s our life’s goal and job; bringing unbelievers to repentance and salvation in Jesus’ Name. More on Bruh Paul tomorrow, God willing. Enjoy the day, but don’t overdo. Much LOVE!…courage will open the door…to wisdom and peace of mind…