SCRIP-BITS

Just five more days mih people and we’ll all be joyfully shouting: ‘Merry Christmas!’ while hugging and kissing friends and family we haven’t seen in a long while, and busy opening gifts. However Friends, let’s hope that we don’t spend the entire day only in riotous living, but do make some time to sit, stand or lie quietly and contemplate the true meaning of the day; Jesus giving up His heavenly home to become one of us. We also should offer God much praise, thanks and gratitude for being selfless and caring enough to send His only Son to redeem and reconcile us to Him. That’s the perfect example of TRUE LOVE my people! And Christmas Day should be celebrated as a day of LOVE; not merely talking it, but actively showing it to our God, our neighbours and ourselves, giving thanks for both earthly and heavenly blessings. Hn, hn!  Sorry Friends, but I’ve now got to burst that nice Christmas bubble and remind us that today is Monday, the start of a new workweek, which unfortunately means we have to go out and face the enemy forces anew. And though this week some of them might be a tad nicer because of the upcoming holidays, please be careful, for the enemy never truly let’s up and will use any occasion or trick to fool us into letting down our guard. So let’s sing our Monday Battle Hymn with some extra gusto. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ And now Friends, with the adrenalin pumping and being suitably attired spiritually, let’s go out and engage the enemy in Jesus’ Name. But please, in our haste and eagerness to overcome the enemy, let’s not forget the words of our Bit: ‘The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.’ It’s an inescapable fact my brethren that one day we’ll all answer for our lives before the Most High God, and there’ll be no room for excuses then. Therefore it’s a good idea, every so often, especially when we‘re undergoing adversity, to ask God to do some early judging to see if there’s anything wrong with us, which might or might not be the root cause of our adversity. Psalm 7 is one of Bruh David’s prayers for deliverance. He must have figured that he was doing okay in the righteousness and integrity department, but yet Cush the Benjamite, one of Saul’s most fearsome and ruthless relatives kept hunting him down like a wild animal. Unable to fathom the situation, as was his custom, he turned to the God of his fathers for enlightenment; to check out his heart and his conscience and let him know if he was guilty of some wrong doing unawares. Oh Friends, I can’t think of a better way to stay in God’s good grace than by appealing to Him for a regular righteousness and integrity check up, not just when adversity strikes. Just like our cars and other mechanical apparatus, as well as our physical bodies, need occasional check ups and refurbishment, so do our hearts, souls and consciences, since they are also continually working and being filled with all sorts of unwholesome stuff. Oh Friends, it’s so easy to walk outside of God’s will without realizing it, especially in these overly lax and ungodly times. So many things came against Bruh David, what with his many enemies, that it sure seems like he was continually asking the Lord to judge him. We’ll quote one instance here before closing, where it seems he was being falsely accused. ‘Judge (vindicate) me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide (slip). Examine me, O Lord, and prove (try) me; try my reins (test my mind) and my heart. For thy LOVING- kindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.’ (Ps.26:1-3) Oh Friends, can we come before the Lord God Almighty and truthfully pour out those words? Some of us can, and some can’t, though all believers ought to. So this Christmas season, let’s promise ourselves that we’ll make a serious effort towards accomplishing that goal nuh. We can’t always go to the Lord pleading for forgiveness without making some improvement along the way to our personal righteousness and integrity quotient. Let’s try and clean up our acts NOW, rather than later! Till tomorrow then, God willing, walk safely with Him. Much LOVE!…Now is the time to clean up our inner man…for it will be too late…come the judgement day…