SCRIP-BITS

Acts 20:24.    But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
 
Oh Friends, the Good Lord has finally blessed my area with a decent amount of heavenly blessings. Last evening we had a couple of half decent showers, but then at around 2 a.m, the fun began. The thunder rolled, the lightning flashed and the wind blew real strong. It was so strong that I had to get up and close my bedroom windows, blinds and curtains because it was blowing them all around like crazy. And even when I closed up everything, the lightning still flashed so brightly that it lit up the room. At 5.30 when I got up, the road and the land were still wet, meaning it was a good amount of heavenly blessing that fell. All I can say is a grateful, ‘Praise the Lord!’ Let’s hope He doesn’t give us too much now, so that it becomes a negative situation, moving from drought to flood. Anyway, I just got up from my desk and the Lord led my eyes to one of several fortune cookie edicts that I have strategically placed around it. The sad part is that though they’re right in front of me, I hardly notice them. And this one, though it brought a chuckle to my soul, I don’t even remember it being there. It says though, rightly and wisely that ‘Happiness is an attitude.’ And isn’t that the living truth Friends! For if we don’t make a conscious decision, then a conscious effort to be happy, we’ll never be. That’s because there will always be something that or someone who will negatively affect our emotional system if we allow it. Now there are two important points to consider here. The first is as I just alluded to; our allowing external forces to control our happiness. No one or nothing can do that unless we allow it. And have you ever noticed how the small, insignificant negative things can play and prey greatly on our emotions, while under those same circumstances, it takes a big, positive happening to make us feel happy? Now that’s the crux of the matter my people; feeling happy. We tend to allow situations, circumstance and even people to control our happiness because it depends on our feelings. That’s why so many of us are on what looks like a roller coaster ride; one minute up, next minute down, the next minute up again. However Friends, that’s not why Jesus sacrificed His precious life for us. He didn’t intend for us to live that kind of see-saw emotional life. Happiness in a believer should be a fairly constant emotion, given all the good promises that we have from our God and Creator. And it’s time we stop allowing outward stimuli to control our happiness factor. In fact Friends, we shouldn’t even be talking about happiness because that’s usually a fleeting, emotional state. What we should be really talking of is joy; the deep, eternal, everlasting state of contentment that’s only to be found in true association with Jesus. It’s the place where our soul just bubbles over with a rich, enervating, stable state of continual peace and satisfaction. Yes Friends, that perpetual state of elation can only be found in accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, then being obedient to His Word and Will. That’s why Bruh Paul in our Bit, although he was used and abused and suffered much calamity in his missionary travels, could say with such confidence to the Ephesian elders: ‘But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.’ Ah mih people, not all of us can be as stalwart and diligent in serving Jesus, but we can all make a serious effort to not let the fleeting things of the earth distract us from doing His work. Earlier on, Bruh Paul also draws attention to the race run by John the Baptist: ‘And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes (sandals) of his feet I am not worthy to loose.’ (Acts 13:25) Oh my brethren, we each have a race to run, one set out by the Lord as part of His Master Plan, and we cannot run it successfully unless and until we put aside the fleeting things of the world and embrace God’s will for our lives with a deep sense of commitment and expectation of the good things to come, just as those who’ve come to true faith before us did. And as Bruh Paul declares in his last testament to Timothy: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim.4:7-8) Yes mih people, that is what we should all aspire to say at the end of our earthly race, when we’ll also hear these soothing, joyful words from the lips of Jesus: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the Lord.’ (Matt.25:23) And all God’s children said a hale, hearty, joyful and grateful: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise the name of the Lord, for He is good to His children! Amen.’ Oh my brethren, please let’s glory in the joy of our God, for remember that’s where our true strength lies! Much LOVE!…as much as Jesus abides in us…thus shall be the level of our joy…  P.S. Sorry it’s late but I got up late, then couldn’t find or make up my mind on a Bit. Them’s the breaks sometimes. It’s not always fun and laughter and easy as pie. (smile) Much LOVE!