SCRIP-BITS

Acts 4:12.    Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
 
Oh Friends, who ever says that Lord isn’t a good God, tell them I say deh lie! He’s truly a wonderful God! Yuh know with all the rain that’s been falling recently, He knew that I had a set of errands to run yesterday, so after mid-morning nary a drop of rain fell, enabling me to accomplish my tasks without the complications rain would have caused. Thank you Lord! Ah Friends, some people might consider that trivial and inconsequential, and it might well be that to them, but you better believe it wasn’t to me yesterday since the number of things I had to do, and the distances between the places I had to go, precipitation would definitely have made it difficult, if not impossible to accomplish them all. And besides, it’s the little things like that we must learn to be thankful for. Things like driving into a crowded parking lot and finding an empty spot right close to where you’re going. You’re late for an appointment, but the traffic that’s usually murderous is surprisingly free flowing and you make it on time. You suddenly get an unexpected phone call from a long lost friend when you’re feeling low, and your spirits are immediately lifted. Oh my people, those aren’t just mere coincidences; they’re God’s grace, His hand of mercy and blessing being laid on us. And when these supposedly small and inconsequential things happen that lighten and brighten our lives, we must remember to show our appreciation and give heartfelt thanks. Now here’s a quote from St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) that reminds us to also take care of ourselves. ‘Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself.’ Now that’s so true, and so appropriate in this crazy day and age when everything and everybody is in a rush, but really going nowhere fast. And in the mad rush to go nowhere, we become angry and impatient, both with others and ourselves. But though we’re often quick to forgive or apologize to others, we simply don’t offer ourselves the same understanding, which we need just as badly. Oh Friends, it’s very important that we learn to be forgiving and patient with ourselves, else we can never achieve that level of maturity, both in general and in Christ, that will bring long lasting peace. Maturity in all aspects of life is only achieved by having sensible balance; knowing when to let go and when to pick up. It’s not easy to achieve, but it’s extremely worthwhile and very possible when we look to Jesus for help. But we can’t do that unless we truly accept and believe in Him; believe the things the Good Book says of Him, especially these words: ‘Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ Oh my people, that’s the most important aspect of Jesus that we need to believe; that He alone can provide us with salvation. Why? Because without salvation that leads to eternal life, we’d be eternally lost, condemned to death and damnation for our dreadful sins. But since He paid for all our sins through His sacrificial death on the cross, then salvation is open to all and sundry…if we believe. It’s the only way! Now Friends, yesterday we talked about all the injustice and ‘downpression’ that Isaiah prophesied about and Jesus fulfilled without basically raising a finger to stop His ‘downpressors’. So let me ask a seemingly silly question here. If Jesus could do miracles and all that supernatural stuff, why didn’t He retaliate against His accusers, or simply stop them from railroading Him eh? He healed the ear of the servant that Peter cut off when they came to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. So why didn’t He save Himself as He obviously could? There’s only one logical answer Friends: that He had a higher purpose, a more important function to perform than merely saving His own skin. If He was truly God in man form, then what He said makes absolute sense, else there was no good reason for Him to put up with all the suffering. So why was it then, and now too, so difficult for people to believe eh? If you can believe He had the power to heal the sick and bring the dead back to life, then He must have had the power to save Himself from mere mortals, if He so desired. And as Peter, who walked with Jesus in His earthly ministry, told the Gentiles: ‘And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of the quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission (forgiveness) of sins.’ (Acts 4:42-43) Oh mih breddren, the people knew that Peter was one of His associates, and in concert with the other Apostles, was doing amazing, abnormal works, so there must have been something to what he was saying. Ah Friends, I simply can’t understand why it’s so hard to accept Jesus when there’s so much evidence to prove His testimony. Unfortunately we’ve got to end now, but we’ll give the final word on the subject to Bruh Paul, who, though he didn’t walk personally with Jesus on earth, was His biggest advocate, and suffered mightily for it. Bruh Paul is here writing to his young protégé Timothy, exhorting him to prayer. ‘For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have (desires) all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.’ (1 Tim.2:3-6) Yes Friends, everything in our lives, earthly and heavenly, revolves around Jesus, and if we don’t recognize and accept that irrefutable fact before it’s too late, then crapaud smoke we pipe! So please accept Him today as your personal Lord and Saviour…for tomorrow might just be too late. Much LOVE!…I am the way…the truth…and the life…no man cometh unto the Father…BUT BY ME…