Oh Friends, it’s the weekend, time for fun, frolic and fellowship! And make sure you don’t forget the fellowship part, because it’s the most important of those three F’s. Now yesterday we discussed the background to our Bit, where Bruh Paul was telling Timothy some of the things it took to be a good minister of Christ; being aware of the apostates with their deceptive lies and evil doctrines, having good doctrine himself and rejecting the false and profane myths which only lead to ungodliness. At the end though, before we could get into the Bit properly, I went off on a slight tangent, my spirit being awakened by the gross evil, greed and falsehood been perpetrated on our society by those in the top echelons, our political leaders and the captains of industry, commerce and finance. Today, we’ll get into the meat of the Bit which says: ‘For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things.’ And isn’t that the living truth my people! It’s similar to when Bruh Paul spoke to the Corinthians about food, re what is right to eat and whether there should be wrangling over it between believers. ‘But meat (food) commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.’ (1 Cor.8:8) Yes Friends, what we eat is not all that important to God, once it’s not offered to an idol. (1 Cor.8:7) If the Lord made it, then it’s clean, but we must be careful of leading others astray, setting bad examples of eating food offered to idols, for they might be weak in the faith, or just don’t understand and do the same simply because we did it. And likewise as Bruh Paul said to the Romans: ‘For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify (build up) another.’ (Rom.14:17-19) And my brethren, physical exercise surely isn’t important in creating peace or building up each other spiritually, mentally or emotionally, but spiritual exercises are the keys that unlock the portals of the good life, since they are the ones ‘having the promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come.’ Oh my people, godliness is the best remedy for anything that ails us! Meanwhile, physical exercise is only of limited value, even here on earth, for many times, especially in cases of ill health, we’re told to stay away from it. But not so with spiritual exercises that lead to godliness, we can never get too much of them in this life. My Friends those exercises of the spirit are priceless, invaluable, for they help us both here in this earthly life, as well as in that to come. Both Bruh David and Isaiah prophesied this long before Bruh Paul came along. Bruh David emphatically declared in Psalm 37, re the true state of the wicked: ‘Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only causes harm). For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:8-9) And Isaiah, in talking about the future glory of Zion, zealously proclaimed: ‘Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.’ (Is.60:21) Oh Friends, there should be no doubt whatsoever in the believer’s mind that spiritual exercises which lead to godliness are an essential part of their make up. Just like the human body needs food, air and water to survive, our spiritual being needs exercises in godliness to keep it well fed and going strong. If our spiritual being is not constantly fed and nurtured through prayer, worship, Bible Study and acts of service, it will surely die. We’ll lose the appetite, that hunger for God that we definitely need to help carry us through this rough and rugged earthly life and eventually bring us to the eternal and everlasting one in the very presence of Christ Himself. That’s why Bruh Paul could truthfully declare of our Bit: ‘This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.’ (1 Tim.4:9) Oh Friends, there’s absolutely no doubt about that; godliness that results from spiritual exercises is exceedingly profitable to us, it brings innumerable blessings upon our lives, both now and in the hereafter. So please, let’s remember that. And though many of us certainly need to catch up on our physical exercise, (smile) let it not be the overwhelming goal that it is to so many. Instead, let’s allow the exercises of our spirits and souls to predominate, so that we can be richly rewarded, both here on earth, and also throughout eternity with Christ. The whole point being Friends, that both our physical and spiritual beings require exercise to survive and thrive in their particular sphere, it’s just that the latter is more important and needs it more than the former to do so successfully. Hn, hn! There should be smiles on many faces today because our Bit is so short. (smile) Much LOVE!…exercise the soul…more than the body…for the rewards are much greater…
SCRIP-BITS 