2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Oh Friends, it’s a new morn, with the chance of a new beginning; to faithfully serve our God, to live our lives as a winning testimony to His eternal LOVE, forgiveness and mercy. Therefore, I am encouraging us, in the words of Richard L. Evans: ‘Don’t let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is, had to begin where he was.’ So it’s not too late to start. Wherever you are at now, that’s your starting point; rev up your idling engines, then vroom! Blast off! Get a move on with the good things you have to do for Christ. No more laziness and/or procrastination, for if you’re a believer, which Bruh Paul in Today’s Bit terms, ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ,’ then it means you’ve undergone the transformation Jesus specified. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) And what happens then? The believer, ‘he is a new creature.’ Why? Because the Spirit of Christ now dwells within him. To quote Jesus again: ‘It is the Spirit that quickeneth (gives life) the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.’ (John 6:63) Yes Friends, Jesus’ words are spiritual; words that fill us with a new life, a new joy, and a new reason for living, and when we receive them, we consequently become a new, an entirely different person. Bruh Paul describes the transformation thus: ‘So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.’ (Rom.8:8-10) So mih people, once we get connected with Christ, it’s a whole new ball game: ‘old things are passed away.’ And Isaiah prophesied of the newness of things to come when talking about the Lord being the only Redeemer. ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Isa.43:18-19) He also promised on the Lord’s behalf: ‘For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind (nor come upon the heart) (Isa.65:17) And when this newness of Spirit comes upon us, Bruh Paul’s advice to the Ephesians, and also to us, is: ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts. And be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph.4:22-24) Then he lists a number of things the new believer should and should not do: No more lying, anger or stealing. Do honest work. No more swearing, but instead educational and encouraging words to uplift other believers. No more bitterness, malice, evil speaking etc. ‘And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph.4: 25-32) That to me is the most important verse Friends, for if we do those positive things, we won’t do the negative stuff that came before. But read it yourself to get the full benefit. Oh my people, Jesus’ coming to earth, and more specifically into our individual lives through His Holy Spirit, brought or promises to bring so much new stuff, that the only instance in mankind’s existence that’s been more monumental or revolutionary so far is the Creation itself. His coming changed things so much that we can almost call it a second Creation. The way we looked at everything; from birth to death, to sin, to laws, to salvation, changed drastically: ‘behold all things are become new.’ We received freedom from sin’s power, and instead came under grace, the Spirit’s law. (Rom.6) Salvation couldn’t be earned. It was now a free gift from God, due to His Son’s death and consequent payment for our sins. ‘For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.’ (Col.3:3) Yes mih Friends, our lives are now on deposit with Christ, who is intimately involved with the Father, so our lives are no longer considered flesh, but now belong in the spiritual realm, therefore we should seek the things that pertain to heaven and the Spirit rather than earth and the flesh. Oh people, it feels so good to be reborn, rejuvenated by the Holy Spirit, that we don’t have to worry no more about sin, death and eternal damnation, since our Lord and Saviour so graciously and selflessly paid the price for us. All we have to do now is believe in Him and follow in His footsteps to be assured of salvation and eternal life. Oh Friends, it’s hard not to get excited and energized when one reads the wonderful things promised in the Good Book. And the best is yet to come, for in John’s vision of the new heaven and earth, what happens? ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev.21:4) And all God’s people joyfully shouted: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ So with all of that in mind mih people, let’s buoy our spirits and go out into the dark, evil world and share the joy and good news we’ve found under Jesus’ all-forgiving, ever-LOVING, and ever-merciful umbrella of light and life. That’s what He expects of us, so none will be lost come the last day. Much LOVE!…oh what a Friend we have in Jesus…all our sins and grief to bear…
Oh Friends, it’s a new morn, with the chance of a new beginning; to faithfully serve our God, to live our lives as a winning testimony to His eternal LOVE, forgiveness and mercy. Therefore, I am encouraging us, in the words of Richard L. Evans: ‘Don’t let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is, had to begin where he was.’ So it’s not too late to start. Wherever you are at now, that’s your starting point; rev up your idling engines, then vroom! Blast off! Get a move on with the good things you have to do for Christ. No more laziness and/or procrastination, for if you’re a believer, which Bruh Paul in Today’s Bit terms, ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ,’ then it means you’ve undergone the transformation Jesus specified. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) And what happens then? The believer, ‘he is a new creature.’ Why? Because the Spirit of Christ now dwells within him. To quote Jesus again: ‘It is the Spirit that quickeneth (gives life) the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.’ (John 6:63) Yes Friends, Jesus’ words are spiritual; words that fill us with a new life, a new joy, and a new reason for living, and when we receive them, we consequently become a new, an entirely different person. Bruh Paul describes the transformation thus: ‘So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.’ (Rom.8:8-10) So mih people, once we get connected with Christ, it’s a whole new ball game: ‘old things are passed away.’ And Isaiah prophesied of the newness of things to come when talking about the Lord being the only Redeemer. ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Isa.43:18-19) He also promised on the Lord’s behalf: ‘For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind (nor come upon the heart) (Isa.65:17) And when this newness of Spirit comes upon us, Bruh Paul’s advice to the Ephesians, and also to us, is: ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts. And be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph.4:22-24) Then he lists a number of things the new believer should and should not do: No more lying, anger or stealing. Do honest work. No more swearing, but instead educational and encouraging words to uplift other believers. No more bitterness, malice, evil speaking etc. ‘And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph.4: 25-32) That to me is the most important verse Friends, for if we do those positive things, we won’t do the negative stuff that came before. But read it yourself to get the full benefit. Oh my people, Jesus’ coming to earth, and more specifically into our individual lives through His Holy Spirit, brought or promises to bring so much new stuff, that the only instance in mankind’s existence that’s been more monumental or revolutionary so far is the Creation itself. His coming changed things so much that we can almost call it a second Creation. The way we looked at everything; from birth to death, to sin, to laws, to salvation, changed drastically: ‘behold all things are become new.’ We received freedom from sin’s power, and instead came under grace, the Spirit’s law. (Rom.6) Salvation couldn’t be earned. It was now a free gift from God, due to His Son’s death and consequent payment for our sins. ‘For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.’ (Col.3:3) Yes mih Friends, our lives are now on deposit with Christ, who is intimately involved with the Father, so our lives are no longer considered flesh, but now belong in the spiritual realm, therefore we should seek the things that pertain to heaven and the Spirit rather than earth and the flesh. Oh people, it feels so good to be reborn, rejuvenated by the Holy Spirit, that we don’t have to worry no more about sin, death and eternal damnation, since our Lord and Saviour so graciously and selflessly paid the price for us. All we have to do now is believe in Him and follow in His footsteps to be assured of salvation and eternal life. Oh Friends, it’s hard not to get excited and energized when one reads the wonderful things promised in the Good Book. And the best is yet to come, for in John’s vision of the new heaven and earth, what happens? ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev.21:4) And all God’s people joyfully shouted: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ So with all of that in mind mih people, let’s buoy our spirits and go out into the dark, evil world and share the joy and good news we’ve found under Jesus’ all-forgiving, ever-LOVING, and ever-merciful umbrella of light and life. That’s what He expects of us, so none will be lost come the last day. Much LOVE!…oh what a Friend we have in Jesus…all our sins and grief to bear…
SCRIP-BITS 