SCRIP-BITS

2 Corinthians 5:17.    Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Oh Friends, it’s another beautiful day on planet earth, courtesy of our wonderful God! And all God’s people voiced a loud and grateful, ‘Thank you Father for allowing us to see another day! We praise and glorify your Holy Name! Amen.’ Yes my brethren, we need to give our God thanks every morning that we open our eyes to greet a new day. Now there will be blessings poured down on us from heaven above, but there will also be tests; evil doings that will come against us, so we also need to ask the Lord for strength and courage to face those rough times that try to break us every day. And just now, while weeding out some old pieces of paper that I use as bookmarks when writing the Bit, I came upon two definitions of courage which I was guided to share. I don’t know if I shared them before, but even if I did, it seems we need to hear them again, so that they will enable us to stand strong and courageous as the Good Book advises. (Josh. 1:7) The first quote come from Alicia Mckenzie Swain, who says: ‘Courage is not the towering oak tree that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.’ It certainly takes courage Friends, and plenty too, for a small, fragile blossom, which needs heat and warmth to survive, to rear its tender head in the cold uncaring snow. The next quote on courage comes from Dr. Robert H. Schuller, who declares: ‘Behold! Courage isn’t feeling free from fear; courage is facing fears you feel.’ And that’s gospel truth Friends! For if we waited to be free from fear before we felt courageous, we’d never be courageous, since we’re all constantly surrounded and consumed by some kind of fear each waking hour of each day. Fear is a normal part of our everyday lives, so to make it meaningful we have to constantly move forward, keep on keeping on, regardless of and in the face of any and all fear that tries to pull us down. And right there Friends is where the true Christian spirit rises way above every other philosophy, religion or faith in this world, for through the Holy Spirit of Almighty God, our Comforter and Helper, who dwells within all believers, we are able to successfully rise above all fear. And all God’s people said a loud and thankful: ‘Praise the Lord!’ But unfortunately that ability only comes when we believe in and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour, which means being BORN AGAIN. As Jesus said to Nicodemus, one of the Jewish rulers who suppressed his fear and came to Jesus by night seeking answers, re Jesus and His purpose. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) Obviously poor Nicodemus was shocked and confused by Jesus’ statement, asking how was it possible for a man to enter his mother’s womb again. But, as He was wont to do, Jesus patiently 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 that Friends, is the whole crux of the matter! Until we are born again of water (baptized) and of the Spirit, which entails believing that Jesus is truly the son of God, seeking repentance for our sins, and having the Holy Spirit come to live in us, we won’t be able to successfully communicate with our Creator, or after our mortal body dies, enter into His glorious kingdom. But once we’ve accepted Jesus, our Bit then comes into play. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ Yes my brethren, when we receive Jesus into our hearts and lives, we’re supposed to become new people; acquire new godly habits and desires, while throwing away the old lusts and fleshly desires that Lucifer had us falsely believing were the best things for us. But listen to the correct pronouncement on the subject – from Jesus of course: ‘It is the spirit that quickeneth (gives life); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.’ (John 6:63) Oh Friends, though we have fleshly bodies, through which a few good things are possible, please remember that we are first and foremost spiritual beings. Our fleshly body is only a temporary residence for our spirits. And since our fleshly body eventually dies and returns to the dust from which it was originally formed, the question is what then happens to our spirit? Some believe that the body is all there is, and after its death, everything’s finished. However, those of us who hold Jesus as our Lord and Saviour believe otherwise; namely that the spirit lives on, either in paradise with Him, or in a place of utter torment with Lucifer. And each individual must make a personal choice. But how is one to choose eh? Take it from me Friends, the smart money is on Jesus! And why not? Who in his right sense would prefer to live in a place of torment forever, just to satisfy a few earthly lusts and pleasures? Surprisingly though, a lot of people seem to feel that way! But it obviously follows that they are not in their right minds, because you can still enjoy earthly life through Jesus’ system, as well as enjoy an even better time in eternity with Him in paradise. So who’s the fool eh? My people, I’ll leave us to ponder that question to day. Please do so, and seriously too, because your place in eternity depends on the choice you make. As for me and mine though, we’ll definitely choose Jesus. More on this tomorrow, provided we don’t read our names in the obits. (smile) Much much LOVE, truly from the heart, my people!…if in doubt…give Jesus a try…He’s so wonderful…you’ll never want to leave Him…