1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand.
Oh Friends… Steups! Why can’t I spell that word right eh? Oh Friends…whoopee! It seems like winter is finally here to stay. The last couple days have certainly been cold, snowy, windy and icy. Oh for a bit of warmth; some sea, sun, sand and rum in the heat drenched south! Is okay mih people down there, you don’t need to rub it in. I can see the smirks on your faces. I know right now I’m only dreaming. However, dreams are born from hope, and hope makes one alive. So while I’m alive, there’s always hope that my dreams will come true, particularly this one for an extended stay in the sunny south. (smile) But just like the mail, neither sleet, snow, rain or shine can stop the gospel from being noised abroad. And that’s our job my people; to spread the gospel far and wide, over all God’s earth. And what’s the gospel about? Good News mih people, Good news! Oh Friends, it is the most important message in the Good Book! As the Lord planned, we fittingly have the Good Book bearing the Good News of Christ coming to earth as an ordinary human and interacting with us, showing us a better way to live, then sacrificing His innocent life on our behalf. Wow! And what better message can we receive during this season of Christmas when we celebrate our Lord and Saviour’s birth? None really! Now, per the scholars, the gospel is both a proposition and a person. As a proposition it includes Jesus’ death, His burial and resurrection, which Bruh Paul points out to the Corinthians. The first thing he tells them, as he’d been told, was ‘that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day…And that he was seen of Cephas (Peter), then of the twelve. After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep (died). After that he was seen of James; then all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as one born out of due time.’ (1 Cor.15:3-8) And that’s the gospel in a nutshell mih people. Christ, born of the virgin Mary in a manger in Bethlehem, lived an obscure life as a carpenter’s son, then around His thirtieth birthday, in the Lord’s good time, He blossomed into the teacher and healer He was meant to be. Sadly, He was persecuted by the same people He came to save, but LOVINGLY ransomed Himself on that old rugged cross for our disgusting sins. Then, on the third day after that horrific event, He triumphantly rose from the dead, successfully putting the lie to the thought that there was no life after death. And to make this factual, after His resurrection, Jesus was seen several times by many people, including Peter, Mary Magdalene, His disciples, and some five hundred others, most of whom were still alive when Bruh Paul preached to the Corinthians. Last of all, Bruh Paul himself saw Jesus, not in the flesh on earth, because he was born after the fact. But he surely saw Him on that road to Damascus when struck blind by the bright light from heaven. As he recounts, when he fell down, he heard this voice calling out to him, asking, ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, who art thou Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (goads) (Acts 9:4-5) That must have been a real eye opening (smile) for Bruh Paul, who hitherto was a great persecutor of believers. So that’s his testimony; a life changing experience which led to him becoming the most vocal, zealous and outspoken broadcaster of the gospel. What a man, Bruh Paul; from chief destroyer to chief defender of the faith! But remember Friends, the gospel is personally about Jesus too. As Mark declares: ‘The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.’ (Mark 1:1) Then he goes on to quote Isaiah re the messenger, John the Baptist, who would blaze the trail for Jesus’ coming. Also when Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan river: ‘And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him. And there came a voice from heaven saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ (Mark 1:10-11) Yes my people, outstanding moments like those are all part of the gospel, part of the Good News, though I think that Jesus’ entire earthly life should be considered gospel and so preached, not only after He begun His ministry, but also the little we know of His upbringing, since all that helped to form His adult character. Then Jesus Himself declared, after John was imprisoned, and He assumed the mantle of chief spokesperson: ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.’ (Mark 1:15) Oh Friends, (got yuh) what a brave, exciting, uplifting, redeeming story the gospel tells; re the Good News of Salvation and Eternal Life! There’s been no other story, true or false, that has so captivated the world. For over two thousand years it has seriously impacted man’s life, and it’s still going strong. But it needs to get even stronger to withstand the oncoming forces of Lucifer, whose avowed mission is to destroy Christ’s Church. Oh my people, we simply cannot allow that to happen, cause it would mean that we’ve been delinquent in our duty of building Christ’s Church and spreading His Holy Word. We definitely can’t allow the gospel to fall into disrepute, for as Bruh Paul reminds, it is, ‘By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory (hold fast) what (the Word) I have preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.’ (1 Cor.15:2) Yes Friends, (yeah) we need to hold fast to the gospel, for that’s how we’re saved, that’s how we receive the grace that brings salvation and everlasting life. So if we seriously believe, then let’s ramp up our activities to help spread the gospel and build Christ’s Church into a worldwide movement, as He desires of us. Much LOVE!…if you sincerely believe…then we need…much more walk…and plenty less talk…
Oh Friends… Steups! Why can’t I spell that word right eh? Oh Friends…whoopee! It seems like winter is finally here to stay. The last couple days have certainly been cold, snowy, windy and icy. Oh for a bit of warmth; some sea, sun, sand and rum in the heat drenched south! Is okay mih people down there, you don’t need to rub it in. I can see the smirks on your faces. I know right now I’m only dreaming. However, dreams are born from hope, and hope makes one alive. So while I’m alive, there’s always hope that my dreams will come true, particularly this one for an extended stay in the sunny south. (smile) But just like the mail, neither sleet, snow, rain or shine can stop the gospel from being noised abroad. And that’s our job my people; to spread the gospel far and wide, over all God’s earth. And what’s the gospel about? Good News mih people, Good news! Oh Friends, it is the most important message in the Good Book! As the Lord planned, we fittingly have the Good Book bearing the Good News of Christ coming to earth as an ordinary human and interacting with us, showing us a better way to live, then sacrificing His innocent life on our behalf. Wow! And what better message can we receive during this season of Christmas when we celebrate our Lord and Saviour’s birth? None really! Now, per the scholars, the gospel is both a proposition and a person. As a proposition it includes Jesus’ death, His burial and resurrection, which Bruh Paul points out to the Corinthians. The first thing he tells them, as he’d been told, was ‘that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day…And that he was seen of Cephas (Peter), then of the twelve. After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep (died). After that he was seen of James; then all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as one born out of due time.’ (1 Cor.15:3-8) And that’s the gospel in a nutshell mih people. Christ, born of the virgin Mary in a manger in Bethlehem, lived an obscure life as a carpenter’s son, then around His thirtieth birthday, in the Lord’s good time, He blossomed into the teacher and healer He was meant to be. Sadly, He was persecuted by the same people He came to save, but LOVINGLY ransomed Himself on that old rugged cross for our disgusting sins. Then, on the third day after that horrific event, He triumphantly rose from the dead, successfully putting the lie to the thought that there was no life after death. And to make this factual, after His resurrection, Jesus was seen several times by many people, including Peter, Mary Magdalene, His disciples, and some five hundred others, most of whom were still alive when Bruh Paul preached to the Corinthians. Last of all, Bruh Paul himself saw Jesus, not in the flesh on earth, because he was born after the fact. But he surely saw Him on that road to Damascus when struck blind by the bright light from heaven. As he recounts, when he fell down, he heard this voice calling out to him, asking, ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, who art thou Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (goads) (Acts 9:4-5) That must have been a real eye opening (smile) for Bruh Paul, who hitherto was a great persecutor of believers. So that’s his testimony; a life changing experience which led to him becoming the most vocal, zealous and outspoken broadcaster of the gospel. What a man, Bruh Paul; from chief destroyer to chief defender of the faith! But remember Friends, the gospel is personally about Jesus too. As Mark declares: ‘The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.’ (Mark 1:1) Then he goes on to quote Isaiah re the messenger, John the Baptist, who would blaze the trail for Jesus’ coming. Also when Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan river: ‘And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him. And there came a voice from heaven saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ (Mark 1:10-11) Yes my people, outstanding moments like those are all part of the gospel, part of the Good News, though I think that Jesus’ entire earthly life should be considered gospel and so preached, not only after He begun His ministry, but also the little we know of His upbringing, since all that helped to form His adult character. Then Jesus Himself declared, after John was imprisoned, and He assumed the mantle of chief spokesperson: ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.’ (Mark 1:15) Oh Friends, (got yuh) what a brave, exciting, uplifting, redeeming story the gospel tells; re the Good News of Salvation and Eternal Life! There’s been no other story, true or false, that has so captivated the world. For over two thousand years it has seriously impacted man’s life, and it’s still going strong. But it needs to get even stronger to withstand the oncoming forces of Lucifer, whose avowed mission is to destroy Christ’s Church. Oh my people, we simply cannot allow that to happen, cause it would mean that we’ve been delinquent in our duty of building Christ’s Church and spreading His Holy Word. We definitely can’t allow the gospel to fall into disrepute, for as Bruh Paul reminds, it is, ‘By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory (hold fast) what (the Word) I have preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.’ (1 Cor.15:2) Yes Friends, (yeah) we need to hold fast to the gospel, for that’s how we’re saved, that’s how we receive the grace that brings salvation and everlasting life. So if we seriously believe, then let’s ramp up our activities to help spread the gospel and build Christ’s Church into a worldwide movement, as He desires of us. Much LOVE!…if you sincerely believe…then we need…much more walk…and plenty less talk…
SCRIP-BITS 