SCRIP-BITS

Oh Friends, it’s Monday, the day we dislike so intensely. But this is a Monday with a difference; it’s Labour Day Monday, where most of us don’t have to go to work and will therefore use it to party hearty. But as usual, don’t forget that drunk or sober you must mind your business; mind your p’s and q’s, don’t give the enemy even one iota of space to break through your spiritual armour, because he’ll jump in there so quickly you won’t even notice. Then while your outer shell keeps looking good, he’ll eat away your soul, like wood ants invades wood, but you can’t see them until it’s too late. Likewise if you give the enemy an inch he’s going to take much more, until one day you suddenly realize that your inner man is rotten and corrupted. Anyway, I doubt that today’s Labour Day celebrations will be as big and enthusiastic as those of the recent past; what with hurricane Irene seriously damaging both New York state and city, I don’t know if there’ll be the usual celebration parade down the Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. Added to that is the serious lack of jobs in North America, with workers getting laid of in numbers everyday, in homage to cost cutting and thus greater profits. So what’s there to celebrate eh? But on the other hand, we need to keep the celebrations alive to remind us of the energy, tears and blood shed, plus the many lives lost in the struggle to get some decent work related benefits, and it’s only by workers coming together in great numbers, with a loud voice, can we ever hope to get our problems heard and receive some much needed redress from the greedy conscience-less capitalists, who are getting ever richer, but on the backs of fewer workers. Friends, I’m warning us that if we don’t stand up and fight NOW, those evil employers will take us right back to the days of working for a pittance under horrific conditions, as they are currently doing in so many developing countries. Unfortunately that trend has already begun, and the governments are also making laws that benefit the employer; in great part because of the social, economic and political association and interaction between both groups, especially through serious lobbying efforts by the employers; read legal bribery. That means workers have to unite, for there’s strength in numbers, and fight fire with fire. We can’t just sit back on the sidelines bemoaning our sorry fate and expect things to get better. We have to actively get involved and help produce positive change, if that’s what we want. Remember that capitalism doesn’t consider the social benefits of a society, but merely the enrichment of the owners of capital. The only difference between the old feudal societies and us is that our social benefits were forced on the feudal lords, otherwise we’d still be living under feudal conditions. And many employers, if they had their way, would gladly go back to those times. Please, let’s not allow it. Let’s stand up strong for our basic, inherent rights as workers; that is to earn a fair and decent wage we can live on, for a fair amount of labour, under humane conditions. And since many of us in our 24/7 society still have to go out and labour today, let’s vociferously sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get us energized. ‘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!’ That brings us to our Bit: ‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ Wow! Truly words of wisdom my people, and also of truth, for that’s the way our God operates! Be humble in word, deed and spirit, and He will magnify and exalt you. Be proud and arrogant, He will abase and tear you down from your lofty heights so quickly, you won’t know what hit you. And we’ll end with another definitive statement of Jesus on the subject. This pertains to the parable of the Pharisee and the publican, who both went up to the synagogue to pray. In typical proud, hypocritical fashion the Pharisee enlarged himself before God, while the ordinary man didn’t even lift up his eyes, ‘but smote (beat) upon his breast, saying, God be merciful unto me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.’ (Luke 18:13-14) Yes Friends, to be like Jesus, we must first acquire humility, for that’s the very foundation of His ministry. More on this tomorrow, if we don’t read our names in the obits. (smile)Till then, let’s faithfully LOVE our God, diligently SPREAD His Word and truly LIVE our Faith! Much LOVE!…the true believer…must be well grounded…in the subject of humility…