SCRIP-BITS

Oh Friends, that beautiful day Monday is here again! (smile) No, I’m not wacko, for Monday is just as beautiful as any other day. We just don’t like it because we have to get up off of our fat fannies and go out and labour. And here’s the proof that Monday’s beautiful. It comes from the comic strip ‘Adam @ Home’ in the weekend papers.  Adam’s wife asks him: ‘Why do you read the obituaries? Don’t you get depressed?’ And Adam’s answer: ‘I don’t get depressed. I get inspired. Every day is a blessing. Every breath a gift.’ Oh Friends those are certainly words of immense truth! Everyday is truly a blessing from our wonderful God, and every breath a magnificent gift. So even if Monday is somewhat of a pain in the derrière, it’s still beautiful because it comes from God. As the hymn says: ‘All things bright and beautiful. All creatures great and small.’ And having established that Monday is not our enemy, but our friend, (smile) let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great gusto, as we get ready to go out and do battle with the evil powers of the world. All together now: ‘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: ‘Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.’ Oh Friends, yesterday we read how Moses instructed the Israelites, re the great commandment, (Deut.6) today we’ll look at some more warnings from Moses along the way to the Promised Land. ‘And now Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to LOVE him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good (benefit).’ (Deut.10:12-13) Oh my brethren, that directive hasn’t changed since Moses spoke it, and thus still applies to us, the descendants of Abraham and followers of Jesus Christ. And we have to give Moses credit for perseverance, for later on, in talking of the blessings of the Promised Land, he reiterates: ‘And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken (obey) diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to LOVE the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.’ (Deut.11:13) Then their land would be blessed and they would prosper. And finally, in warning them about idolaters, he declares: ‘If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth (is testing) you, to know whether ye LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after (follow) the Lord your God, and fear him, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave (hold fast to, cling) unto him.’ (Deut.13:1-4) But despite all these warnings, the Israelites soon forgot the God of their fathers, and paid a high price for their disobedience. Likewise Friends, our society has done the same thing, and I don’t have to point out the high price we’re currently paying for that disobedience. Oh my people, what’s wrong with us eh? Why are we allowing the idolaters among us to lead us astray and thus suffer the wrath and punishment of God? That doesn’t sound very wise, especially when we see the disastrous results it brought other societies. Please, let’s wake up and smell the roses nuh, and return to following the ONE TRUE God, Creator and omnipotent Ruler of the Universe; Yahweh. That’s the only way our society will survive. Much LOVE!…a word to the wise is sufficient…