SCRIP-BITS

Ah Friends, old man winter, having summarily knocked out the presumptuous upstart spring, continues his stranglehold over the land. Last week we were boasting of positive double-digit temps, today though, it’s a minus double-digit reality. And who say’s Mother Nature doesn’t have a sense of humour, corny though it may be? But who’s paying attention eh? Plenty winter-weary people! (smile) Anyway, since we’re believers, followers of Christ, what’s a little cold weather eh? For we’ve been endowed with the spiritual power to endure and persevere through hell and high water, to come out smiling and undaunted on the other side. Praise the Lord, my people! And that’s exactly what our Bit is all about. ‘And he departed, and began to publish (proclaim) in Decapolis (the ten cities) how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.’ Yes my brethren, the grateful man whom Jesus cleansed of the evil spirit broadcasted His goodness to all and sundry in the ten cities around his area. That’s how we ought to behave too. And as we noted yesterday, though Jesus told him to give Jehovah God the glory, the healed man recalled the acts of Jesus Himself, so that ‘all men did marvel.’ Now that’s our topic for today, and the Good Book is full of accounts of men marvelling over the works of Jesus, so let’s check out a few. First up is Jesus healing a paralyzed man, telling him: ‘Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.’ (Matt.9:6-8) After that, He healed a dumb man possessed with a demon: ‘And when the devil (demon) was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.’ (Matt.9:33) Obviously not, since the Son of God had never before been to Israel in human form. The ordinary folk recognized that there was something very special about Jesus, but the foolish, hypocritical Pharisees declared: ‘He casteth out devils (demons) through the prince (ruler) of the devils.’ (Matt.9:34) Now that makes no sense whatsoever. Why would an agent of Lucifer cast out his master’s evil, demonic nature from his people eh? It’s like accusing Jesus of casting out God from believers. But such was the Jewish leaders’ short-sighted, selfish thinking, as it needed to be, for the Lord’s plan of salvation to come to fruition. Our next example is of Jesus Himself bringing up the notion of marvels. Talking of the Son’s relationship with the Father, Jesus told the Jewish elders: ‘My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the Sabbath, (by healing on it) but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God (blasphemy). Then Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father LOVETH the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth (gives life to) them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.’(John 5:17-21) Yes Friends, if we think we’ve seen or heard of marvellous works, just wait until the Father shows Jesus His whole awesome repertoire! And not only did the people marvel at Jesus’ doings, but also those of His disciples after he ascended to heaven and the power of the Holy Spirit came upon them. Check out this story in Acts 3, after Peter and John healed a lame man begging in front of the temple. The people saw him leaping and jumping and praising God: ‘and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. And as the lame man which was healed held (on to) Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering (amazed). And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so earnestly (intently) on us, as though by our own power or holiness (godliness) we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our Fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus…’ (Acts 3:10-13) The Jewish leaders were no better, for though they imprisoned Peter and John for their preaching resurrection through Jesus, when they brought them before the high priest, the Good Book recounts: ‘Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant (uneducated and untrained) men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them (realized), that they had been with Jesus.’ (Acts 4:13) Yes my brethren, the miraculous works accomplished first by Jesus, then His disciples, made the people of olden times marvel, yet many still believed not. Unfortunately the same thing is happening today. Jesus is working fruitfully in so many lives, with people seeing the results, but still not believing. What’s it going to take for us to truly believe and appreciate the awesome power of our God eh? Friends, we don’t need any more miracles to show or tell us that God’s in total control of the universe, they’ve been enough of them down through the ages. It’s time to wake up my people and sincerely recognize God’s amazing power and truth for what it really is…the saga of His unconditional LOVE that begat Jesus, our salvation and eternal life in His company. Much LOVE!…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…