SCRIP-BITS

 HAPPY  VALENTINE’S  DAY!

Oh Friends, here’s wishing us all a Happy Day of LOVE! Yes, for that’s what Valentine’s Day is supposed to be; a day of sharing, giving and receiving LOVE, although, like numerous other good and godly things, it’s become so crass and commercialized that now, like Christmas, we’ve forgotten it’s basic roots. However, I’m sure the Lord is still pleased with this one day in our year when there’s such a great outpouring of LOVE and LOVING sentiments. The problem though is that too little of the LOVE bandied about today goes any further. That leads to the question of why can’t more of the LOVE we show today, be shown throughout the entire year? I guess that’s because deep inside, many of us don’t really and truly feel the rich, warm feeling of LOVE that we outwardly profess. Oh Friends, what a truly wonderful place our world would be if we could significantly up the LOVE quotient, and our God would be so pleased that He’d be rocking and rolling with great joy in heaven! I know some of us only associate the term LOVE with mushy, romantic sentiment, but there are other types, and specifically we’re talking about just being kind, generous and caring to each other. As our Bit advises: ‘Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ And that’s the real and simple truth mih people! For as John takes great pains to point out in the previous three verses: ‘He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE. In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins.’ (1 John 4:8-10) It couldn’t be any more straightforward than that my brethren. If we don’t have LOVE in us, then we don’t have God in us, for Love is God’s greatest attribute, it’s who He is. And He showed His great affection for us by sending His only Son to die on the cross, as a living sacrifice, so that our sins could be redeemed, paid in full, thereby allowing us to once again have communion with the holy and righteous Deity that He is. Before Jesus came, as dyed-in-the-wool sinners that was impossible, so you can see how truly He cared for us, and still does. It’s the greatest outpouring of LOVE ever! And all God’s people fell on their knees, praising and thanking Him for sending His Son Jesus to save our sinful souls. However Friends, showing kindness and affection in an unkind, cruel, evil, vicious, greedy, selfish, inhumane, violent, crime-ridden, fearful world is often difficult, especially on a Monday morning. (smile) No mih breddren, I haven’t forgotten that it’s Monday, the most miserable and depressing day of the week in the Western world, because we have to leave our nice, cosy, comfortable homes and go out to work, so that we can afford to live in that self-same comfort. A vicious cycle you’d call it nuh! Thankfully though, we believers have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn that helps us break that cycle, and instead fills us with faith, hope, expectation and the joy of doing Jesus’ will. So let’s sing it nuh, with even more gusto than normal on this Valentine’s Day of 2011. All together now: ‘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 incredible 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!’ Ah Friends, through His Holy Spirit, our God imparts the will to LOVE in our hearts. Please, let’s go out and show the ungodly world what a rich, powerful, vibrant and effervescent feeling it is to give and receive LOVE; the healing power of nations. And believe me people, all the nations of our world desperately need healing right now. Much LOVE!…the Christian Motto…LOVE others…as God…through Christ’s sacrifice…first LOVED us…