SCRIP-BITS

Oh Friends, our world is so full of corruption and evil doing that it’s time Jesus came back and cleaned it up, like He did in the temple at Jerusalem that fateful day, some two thousand years ago. I like John’s description best. ‘And (Jesus) found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting. And when he had made a scourge (whip) of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew (overturned) the tables.’ (John 2:14-15) Wow! Just imagine the scene nuh: the sudden, unexpected panic, with Jesus, in His righteous anger, like a bull in a china shop, overturning tables with His left hand, while the whip of cords flashed back and forth in His right, as the wicked stumbled over each other to get out of the way. You definitely didn’t want to feel one of those lashes, because Jesus was strong and fit, what with doing manual labour all His life and walking everywhere He went. And as He drove them out of His Father’s house, these were His prophetic words: ‘It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves.’ (Matt.21:13) Oh Friends, that’s exactly what all the crooks, con artists and perpetrators of evil who currently run our broken, corrupt world need; somebody with might and right to slash and bash some sense into their evil heads and hearts. And no doubt the wicked will eventually receive their just desert, for the Lord has promised that the evil Jerusalem will be destroyed. (Jer.32:28-26) But He’s also promised that it will be restored. ‘Behold, I will gather them out of all the countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear (have reverential awe toward) me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them.’ (Jer.32:37-39) Yes people, the only way mankind can, or will ever give up his wicked ways is by the Lord removing his evil heart and replacing it with a new and godly one, as our Bit so rightly describes: ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.’ Right now my brethren, men’s hearts are as cold and hard like stone, and consequently they lack LOVE, compassion, mercy and forgiveness. But when God takes away that hard heart and replaces it with a soft, fleshly one, then all those godly emotions will automatically rise up from it and change and energize us. Remember Jesus’ words to Nicodemus, the Jewish ruler who came to Him under cover of darkness; ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) Poor Nicodemus didn’t understand, and Jesus further explained: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’ (John 3:5-6) And Bruh Paul said it this way: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor.5:17) And when that wonderful experience takes place Friends, God gives us that new heart and new Spirit, full of LOVE and compassion, to replace our previous cold, stone-like ones. Now we’ll end with some immortal words of Bruh David on the subject of cleansing, after the prophet Nathan confronted him re his sin with Bathsheba. ‘Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.’ (Ps.51:7-10) Oh my people, that’s a prayer we should all pray as often as possible, not just by rote, but sincerely, with focus, truly desiring God to cleanse our hearts and renew that right spirit with us, so that we can joyfully go out and LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith, and SPREAD His Word. In other words, do our bounden duty. Much LOVE!…unless the hearts and souls of man…be washed clean by the purifying blood of Jesus…he shall never attain unto righteousness…