SCRIP-BITS

And a good Sunday morning to all you wonderful Friends in Christ! Or as 3 Canal would say: ‘Mornin’ Neighbuh, morning!’ (smile) Oh mih people, I read the obits today, and I didn’t see my name or picture…’Glory Hallelujah!’ Hope you have the same feeling of joy and contentment. Now to further make your day, here are nine requisites for contented living attributed to the German novelist, lawyer, playwright and poet, Goethe (1749-1832) ‘Health enough to make work a pleasure.’ Hn! ‘Wealth enough to support your needs.’ Of course! ‘Strength to battle with difficulties and overcome them.’ For sure! ‘Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them.’ O thank you Jesus! ‘Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished.’ Ah Lord eh! ‘Charity enough to see some good in your neighbour.’ Now that’s a hard one! ‘Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others.’ Well awright! ‘Faith enough to make real the things of God.’ True! ‘Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.’ But nuh must! Oh Friends, I couldn’t help putting in my own two cents comments, but if we can consistently meet those nine requirements, then we can confidently say we’re living the kind of life Jesus desires of us, for none of them are easy to come by, much less maintain in this evil, greedy, violent and stressful world. But I urge us to sincerely try and attain them. Make your own list, place it somewhere very visible, then check it every few days to see how you’re doing, concentrating on those areas in which you’re found wanting.  And as the Lord would have it, those 9 requisites do tie in rather nicely to our Bit. ‘Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip (drift away).’ Yes my people, we most definitely ought to pay diligent and sincere attention to those things we have heard, re the Good Book and the Word it contains, in case, through neglect or lack of use, we forget them and consequently stop living by them, an act with very disastrous consequences. Now though there is dissension amongst the scholars, as to who wrote Hebrews, when, where and to whom, there is general consensus as to its purpose. Its basic theme is one of comfort and encouragement, plus some warnings to those Christians living either in Jerusalem, the general Palestine area, or Rome, to stand steadfast and strong, despite the persecution they were facing from both Gentiles and other Jews, still attesting to Judaism. Some of these early Christians had either converted from Judaism, or were second-generation believers. However, everybody, family, friends and foes, seemed to be against them, for Judaism was sanctioned by Rome but not Christianity. And to make matters worse, the promises made in Christianity; that Christ would return and Israel would be saved, had not yet occurred and didn’t seem to be happening anytime soon. Those unfortunate circumstances were obviously causing them much strain and heartache. But two thousand years later Friends, Christ still has not returned, neither has Jerusalem been restored to its original glory. Now does that mean we should lose hope and give up? Absolutely not! ‘For if the word spoken by angels was (proved) steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward (penalty); How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;’ (Heb.2:2-3) Oh my people, those are all excellent questions! Before Christ came the law was given to us by angels. And we can hear this in Stephen’s monologue before he was martyred, accusing the Jews of persecuting the prophets and not keeping God’s law. ‘Who have received the law by the disposition (direction) of angels, and have not kept it.’ (Acts 7:53) Also, if every sin and act of disobedience was to be justly punished, (Num.15:30) then our only means of escape is by accepting the awesome salvation that Jesus first offered. ‘From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (near). (Matt.4:17) And luckily for the doubters amongst us, all that was confirmed by those who heard it. (Luke 1:1-4) There Luke states his purpose for writing to his associate Theophilus: ‘That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.’ (Luke 1:4) Luke plans to reinforce Theophilus’ knowledge by giving him, as it were, actual facts and figures for the things he’s been taught. Sadly my people, time and space have run out for today, but we’ll continue this topic tomorrow, if God sees fit to grant us another glorious day on planet earth. In the meantime, please pay much attention to the Word and please stand fast in your belief in Christ and the salvation His precious blood bought us, for without that surety in our hearts, we’re headed for eternal separation from the Father. Much LOVE!…I am the way, the truth, and the life…no man cometh unto the Father…but by me… (John 14:6)