SCRIP-BITS

Oh Friends, who says our world and weather aren’t shrouded in mystery and eccentricity these days eh? Two mornings ago, I woke up and it was raining. Yesterday morning it was snowing.  This morning it will possibly be frozen hard and cold like ice, with the only constant over those three days being the cold, blustery March winds. But please remember that since Jesus is our Leader, there’s no need to worry, for in His awesome power we can handle anything that comes against us. Now listen to some of what our Jesus is and does; from Anne Graham Lotz’s book, ‘My Jesus is…Everything.’ ‘My Jesus: He discharges the debtors. He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent. He beautifies the meek. He is the key to knowledge. He is the wellspring of wisdom. He is the foundation of faith. He is the doorway of deliverance. He is the pathway to peace. He is the roadway of righteousness. He is the gateway to glory. He is the highway to happiness. My Jesus is…Everything!’ Selah. Oh my people, please spend a few moments contemplating all those attributes of our Lord and Saviour. Then tell me if He isn’t the GREATEST! Without a doubt! And He hasn’t changed from DAY ONE! That’s why the Israelites’ behaviour through the wilderness en route to the Promised Land is so perplexing, as our Bit declares: ‘For all this they sinned still, and believed not on his wondrous works.’ Yesterday we saw them crying out for water in Rephidim, and the Lord had Moses smite the rock in front of the elders to give them water. So He gives them manna, heavenly food, and water, but they’re still not satisfied and cry out for meat. At that point Moses cries out to God, even to take his life, because the stress of leading the ingrates was telling on him. (Num.11:10-15) This kindled the Lord’s anger and He told Moses to get seventy of the elders and bring them with him before the tabernacle. ‘And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. And say thou unto the people, Sanctify, yourselves (set yourselves apart) against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh (meat); for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?’ (Num.11:17-20) Oh Friends, isn’t our God wonderful! Yuh want flesh eh, then you’ll get so much, so quickly, you soon won’t want it! I’m sure that will remind some of us of our youth, when we were overly greedy and our parents did likewise; gave us so much that we soon got tired of it. Moses himself questioned the Lord about providing meat for so many people, only to be rebuked: ‘Is the Lord’s hand waxed short (Is the Lord’s power limited)? Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.’ (Num11:23) Oh Friends, our God might be a sweetheart, but He’s definitely no pushover. And after the Lord came down and spoke to the elders and Moses outside the tabernacle, the elders began to prophesy as the Lord’s Spirit came upon them. Then they heard that two elders who had remained in the camp were also prophesying. Joshua told Moses to stop them, but Moses was so fed up, he wished that God would put His Spirit on everybody and let them all be prophets. Then they returned to the camp, and a wind came forth from the Lord, and it began raining quails; enough to fill a day’s journey on either side of the camp, and two cubits (36 inches, 3 feet) high. And the greedy Israelites gathered quails for two days and a night, then they began to feast. (Num.12:24-32) But sadly Friends, they didn’t understand the Lord’s motives: ‘And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people (the Lord’s anger was aroused), and the Lord smote (struck) the people with a very great plague. And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah (Graves of craving): because there they buried the people that lusted (yielded to craving).’ (Num.12:33-34) Ah Friends, one more indication that the Lord doesn’t speak in jest. And I don’t think that’s it’s the complaints themselves that really irked the Lord, because if you’re in the wilderness without food and water, it can be problematic. But what got Him angry were their short memories, their spirit of rebellion, their ungratefulness and lack of faith in His promises to lead and guide them safely. How quickly they forgot the many miracles He did on their behalf, invoking our present day mantra of, what have you done for me lately? It’s obvious they doubted His faithfulness in spite of all that He’d previously done. Unfortunately Friends, our current society is jut like that of the Israelites: we want and expect everything now for now, behaving as though life owes us a living, constantly wanting more, and sadly forgetting who brought us the prosperity we had; the Lord God Jehovah. My brethren, please let this be a lesson to us in these troubled times. We have not walked obediently before the Lord our God, therefore our society has been filled with much anguish, sorrow, disappointment and pain. Those things have not happened by chance, but through the Lord’s doings. And the only way to solve our problems is to return to God’s fold, as a nation, walking obediently to His dictates, otherwise our world will keep sinking deeper in the mire in which we’re now wallowing, until we’re completely swallowed up. Much LOVE!…history is a record of the past…and we study it…so that we can learn about the present…