SCRIP-BITS

Oh Friends, our world is in a very calamitous state, but on this beautiful Sunday morning, millions of people around it, will be going to church to pray, praise and fellowship in the exalted name of Christ Jesus. Glory Hallelujah! The only problem though, is that not sufficient people will be worshipping to cause major positive change, because at this juncture in our evolution, unbelievers unfortunately outnumber believers. To make matters worse, the latter are not fully living up to their mandate in Christ, thus sabotaging Jesus’ righteous cause, while helping that of the evil enemy. However, in the immortal, encouraging and uplifting words of the famed British poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson, we can describe the believer’s motto as: ‘Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield.’ Yes Friends, that’s how Christians ought to be; though made physically weak through aging and cruel fate, yet our spirits grow stronger with each passing day, as we seek our God more often, more faithfully and with greater enthusiasm, thereby developing that fortitude of spirit characterized by Christ, where we simply refuse to give up regardless of what comes against us. That’s because ‘we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom.8:37) Now that brings us to our Bit: ‘I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong and show thyself a man.’ That’s the charge Bruh David gave to Cousin Sol when he was preparing to meet his Maker. I guess if I had spoken to my mother just before she died, I might have also gotten some such advice. Bruh David’s charge to Cousin Sol continued: ‘And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgements, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and withersoever thou turnest thyself  (wherever you turn). That the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.’ (1 Kin.2:3-4) Oh Friends, that’s a most worthwhile death-bed statement for believers to make to their children. But how many of us actually say something like that eh, to those we are leaving behind? I strongly suspect that not enough do. We don’t do it while we’re alive and raising them, else our world would not be in such a sad state of strife and confusion. So how can we suddenly charge them to seek God and stay with Him when we’re dying, if they haven’t heard it prior to that, or seen it by example in our lives? It’s the same way the Lord acted when Moses was about to die and the reins of leadership to be transferred to Joshua: ‘And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge (commission). And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation. And the Lord appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud: and the pillar of cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle.’ (Deut.31:14-15) The Lord then warned Moses and Joshua that the Israelites would go astray in the Promised Land and He would make them pay for their disobedience, so Moses was to write a song dealing with the laws of God and teach it to them. The song would testify against them when they broke the covenant between them and God. Moses, in obedience, wrote the song the same day and taught it to the Israelites. (Deut.31:16-22) ’And he (God) gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.’ (Deut.31:23) And people, nothing has changed from then till now, for the Lord and His Word are unchangeable. Therefore Friends, if we want to see good days and enjoy long life, we need to place our lives under the wise and faithful guidance of Jehovah God, our Creator, Protector and Provider. We also need to raise our children in His ways, so that they will continue to worship Him and prosper after He’s taken us home. If we don’t do that, then Christianity, instead of spreading across the entire world, as Jesus commissioned, will decrease and fade with each passing generation until it dies completely. Now we surely don’t want that, because it would only make a mockery of Jesus’ painful sacrifice, neither will our descendants end up in heaven with us when they die. But my brethren, we can only prevent that from happening, especially in these sorry, god-forsaken times, by making a conscious and sincere effort to live right and teach our children the right way. Please Friends, let’s not allow it to be said by future generations, that ours was the beginning of the end of Christianity. So let’s all therefore stand up tall, be strong and courageous, and both teach and live the Lord’s way, so that we may fulfill the great commission: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20) Much LOVE!…one cannot live for God…unless one is taught to do so…