SCRIP-BITS

Ah Friends, yesterday I declared that autumn was the most beautiful season, one of God’s finest expositions. Today I’ve found someone that agrees with me. Hear Grace Noll’s take on it. ‘God wrote His loveliest poem on the day He made the first tall, poplar tree, And set it high upon a pale-gold hill. For all the now enchanted earth to see.’ Unfortunately all the earth isn’t enchanted with God’s majesty. However, Grace’s statement is a simple but wonderful appreciation of God’s handiwork, something we should all cultivate. We’re not to just accept Jesus and relegate all God’s other creations to the dung heap, but to accept the entire wealth of His creations, for  it was meant to enlighten and brighten our mortal coil. For some though it’s much easier to accept the beauty of nature than to accept Jesus’ supremacy. Unfortunately for those doubters, but fortunately for us believers, that’s the way it is! Peter proclaims it in our Bit, loud and clear: ‘Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ And that’s the gospel truth; both literally and figuratively my people! Literally, because Jesus actually died a sacrificial death and was resurrected so that our sinful souls could be redeemed, that we’d have an escape hatch from sin back to the Father’s righteous fold. And figuratively, as Peter said, Jesus is the only one through whom salvation can be attained. Because He was raised from the dead, we too have hope of eternal spiritual life. And if you don’t believe Peter, then listen to Jesus Himself, speaking to Thomas: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) Oh Friends, that’s what the whole earth needs to hear, accept, and with joyful faith live by. Jesus is our only hope in this sinful, ungodly world! But just like we’re having trouble conveying the good news message of the gospel today, so did Peter and the other believers encounter many difficulties and hardship when they endeavoured to do the same in the early days of Christ’s Church. Our Bit emanates from a time when Peter and John were imprisoned for preaching Christ’s gospel. A few things  obviously rubbed the Jewish leaders wrong; namely the apostles presumptuous behaviour in teaching the people, like they were recognized rabbis, and worse, teaching the resurrection which those Sadducees denied. Then to further complicate matters, the Good Book says that some five thousand lost souls believed John and Peter’s words just before their arrest. Now when they were brought before Caiaphas, the high priest, his family and Annas the patriarch, they were asked: ‘By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of (are judged for) the good deed done to the impotent (helpless) man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of  Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of (rejected by) you builders, which is become the head of the corner (the chief cornerstone).’ (Acts 4:7-11) Yes my brethren, Peter, enabled and strengthened by the Holy Spirit, stood up strong and steadfast and proclaimed Jesus’ Name to the arrogant, hypocritical leaders, reminding them that they were the same ones who instigated the rabble to call for Jesus’ crucifixion. But who, by God’s saving grace was resurrected and made the number one man in both heaven and earth, the only way to the Father’s inner sanctum. Now Friends, are we as brave and bold as Peter to stand before others and unflinchingly testify that we believe in Jesus, are we ready to suffer whatever consequences that may result? That is the million dollar question, my people! Many of us claim to believe, but deep down we’re either ashamed, afraid, or not totally convinced, so we hem and haw and avoid any serious confrontation re our Saviour. But mih breddren that’s basically denying Christ, and remember He specifically said that anyone who denies Him, He will also deny. We must not go looking for confrontation, but we shouldn’t run from it either. Just like Peter, we believers have the immense power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us; guiding, protecting and enabling us, so we can do just like the early Church members; stand strong and steadfast and proclaim Jesus to the whole world. And luckily, unlike Peter and them, we don’t have to be afraid of serious persecution for our beliefs, though unfortunately in many other parts of the world, believers are still being hounded and persecuted and not allowed to freely worship their Saviour. We need to constantly pray for them my people. And I just got a little insight into a part of our problem; we have life a little too easy, meaning the ability to worship whoever, whenever and wherever we please, has made us placid and uninspired. There’s no fire, not enough passion, no urgency in our spiritual lives, because we don’t have to hide or meet in secret to worship, or be always on the lookout for the religious police or some informant ready, willing and able to betray us. Now I’m not calling for us to be persecuted, but we just seem to have that unappreciative, lackadaisical attitude when we’re not been pressured. Oh Friends, it’s imperative that we stand up strong and give voice to our faith and hope in Jesus, if we believe in Him. Any other action as a believer is tantamount to denying Him. But we’ll talk more on this subject tomorrow, God willing. Till then my brethren, please go safely and peacefully, exalting and glorifying the Lord through our Saviour Jesus Christ, for that’s our bounden duty. Much LOVE!…we’re either for Christ…or against Him…we can’t just sit on the fence…