SCRIP-BITS

Acts 10:38.      How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
 
Ah Friends, we back, back home to our cluttered basement office, in our medium sized house in the north country. (smile) No more balconies in little mansions atop high hills, with cool breezes and lush gardens to titivate the senses. Now it’s books, papers, pictures and all kinds of other stuff surrounding me. But yuh know what? It’s HOME! And I’m comfortable, like the old broom that knows all the corners. It also fits me like a hand in glove because it’s of my making. As the elderly limo driver that brought me home from the airport last night so wisely noted: ‘That’s why it’s called HOME SWEET HOME!’ And that’s the living truth mih people! Be it ever so humble or ever so grand, wherever your heart and soul are comfortable, wherever you lay your head most nights of the year, that’s HOME! One more thing mih people; please don’t expect any extraordinary revelations or words of untoward wisdom from me today, since the ole fella’s in somewhat rough shape. I had to go back to the airport at 2.30 this morning to meet the Duchess, so I didn’t get to bed until the wee hours. In fact I had to put in a most heroic effort to get up just now because I didn’t want any more complaints about the Bit arriving later and later. Hn, hn! Yuh see the sacrifices your ole father makes for you, mih big daughter! (smile) The caffeine hasn’t kicked in yet either. Instead I burned my mouth with the very first sip. And the strange thing about vacations is that when you get back, you’re as tired as ever. You went away to rest and relax, but you usually return home even more fatigued than when you left, and you now need some time to recover from the holiday. I can testify to that right now. But what a way we ‘funnicurious’ eh! But the worst part is all the stuff that’s piled up for you to do in the few days you’ve been away; the snail and e-mail, the bills, the phone calls… Chuh! This 21st century life too busy yes! Anyway, enough of my preamble, let’s see what our Bit has to say. And it’s the same one as yesterday: ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’ Those my Friends, were the truthful, factual words of Peter, when he preached to the amazingly receptive Gentiles at the house of Cornelius the centurion in Caesarea, explaining to them in a clear and concise manner how the whole scenario of Jesus, the gospel, salvation and eternal life came about. Yesterday we jumped the gun and looked at the middle section, how Jesus went about doing good and healing the sick and oppressed because it suited my immediate purpose. Today we’ll look at the first part: ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power:’ Oh Friends, we all know of that great moment in time when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the river Jordan: ‘And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened (torn open), and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ (Mark 1:10-11) That was effectively the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, where the Holy Spirit of His heavenly Father empowered Him to do the Father’s will. Without it, He would not have been able to do all those wonderful, miraculous things He did. Likewise Friends, without the marvellous Spirit of Jesus constantly coursing through our bodies and souls, we are unable to do much of anything. As Jesus so clearly stated to His disciples: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) And that’s the gospel truth Friends! Without the empowering Spirit of our Saviour flowing through us, we’re helpless! Unfortunately though, a lot of believers either don’t know, understand or accept this fundamental, foundational truth of the Christian life. And it’s of the utmost importance that we know, understand and accept it, because just like Jesus was relatively powerless without His Father’s Spirit, we can’t do anything without the Spirit of Jesus. It’s therefore very critical to our well-being my brethren that we allow the Spirit of Jesus, which comes to dwell in us when we believe in Him, to lead and guide us on our earthly pilgrimage. We have to consistently listen to and be led by it. And not only when it suits our individual purpose, but even more so when it doesn’t fit into our personal agenda. I’m chuckling as I realize that my writing this Bit right now is a very good example of that, because I certainly didn’t want to get up when I did, but the Lord woke me up when He thought it was time. Now though I could have gone back to bed, most likely I would have just tossed and turned because of my reluctance to follow the Spirit’s lead. As I keep saying Friends, working for Jesus is not a bed of roses, but it’s always interesting and adventuresome, and above all else, He ALWAYS empowers us to do whatever He asks of us. My writing this Bit this morning is a perfect example of that. Judging from the way I felt when I began, I never expected to write such a coherent Bit, but as I went along, the ideas began to flow in an exceedingly helpful manner. Do you think that was my brilliance? Definitely not, since my brain was all fuzzy with tiredness and sleep! So Friends, in closing, I just want to exhort, encourage, admonish, whatever the word that best conveys the extreme importance of living in harmony with the Spirit for all believers. That’s because the Spirit of Jesus is the true mover and shaker in the lives of all His followers, and without our submission to it, our faith is essentially useless. Consequently my brethren, please let our relationship with the Spirit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be the significant thought we ponder on today. More on this tomorrow, if Almighty God so favours. Till then, please walk safely, peacefully and LOVINGLY with Him and all those with whom we come into contact. Much LOVE!…the only way to truly fathom Jesus…is through the working of His Spirit which dwells in us… P.S. Hopefully it won’t be as late now that I’m back home daughter. (smile) Much LOVE!