SCRIP-BITS

Well Friends, at last there’s a smattering of that much LOVED and hated white stuff on the ground in my area this Friday morning, the 2^nd day of 2015!

It’s been a while since we’ve seen snow around these parts, and though it’s not a lot, it’s enough to glaze the roads in a suit of white. So though it looks so virginal and harmless, it can still be dangerous. That means those who unluckily have to go to work today, will have to be cautious in their driving.

On the other side of the coin, there are those who haven’t worked much in the last two weeks because of the way the holidays have fallen. Consequently, we need to chant our Friday Chant even more than normal, to remind us of what is what in these times of celebration. (smile)

So let’s get the day started with a rousing and sincere chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.

Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’

Oh Friends, I do hope that we have been celebrating with a ‘modicum of circumspection,’ and not giving Lucifer any openings to creep into our souls, since it’s when we let our hair down that he usually finds a spot to invade our inner man.

And today I want to share an interesting and rather relevant New Year’s message I got from my friend Anselm yesterday, in his quotes to ‘Inspire us for a better tomorrow.’

It reads as follows: ‘We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential.’

Now that’s a new and different approach isn’t it? Instead of looking for negative things, things to fix, let’s look for the positive things that we can build on.

Then Anselm gives us a few  ‘Things to think about for 2015: 1. Talk less; listen more; 2. Remind yourself you are not the General Manager of the Universe; 3. Sit on your ego; 4. Take one day at a time; 5. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you to do and let go of the anxiety. If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it; 6. Pray.’ 

Oh my people, all of that stuff is so true, we can’t refute any of it! And please note his last bit of advice; ‘Pray.’

Ah my fellow believers, in these troubled and tremulous times, we do need to fill the atmosphere with prayer, for it’s the most important and most powerful force in the universe!

Remember, Jesus told us ‘that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) For it’s exactly when we’re tempted to give up, to lose heart, that we need to pray most fervently.

Then Bruh Paul told the Ephesians to pray always. (Eph.6:18); the Thessalonians to ‘pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess.6:17); and to Timothy he said ‘that men ought to pray everywhere.’ (1 Tim.2:8) So my brethren it’s rather obvious that prayer ought to be a very big and important part of a believer’s life!

That brings us to our Bit: ‘Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless (innocent) as doves.’

Yes Friends, Jesus is asking every one of His followers to go out into the evil, ungodly world, without malice and forethought, but with great wisdom and innocence. However, before we can even dream of doing that, we need to be aware of God’s faithful, and unchanging Word, else the world will just chew us up and spit us out like chewing tobacco.

That’s why I want to remind us today that ‘the Bible is God’s Word to us, still fresh through all the ages. And if we read it, we‘ll find God’s wisdom on its pages.’

Oh my people, it is ever so important for believers to read God’s Word, so that we can know what He is saying to us! The Bible is our Guidebook for life here on this earth, so we can’t get good and correct guidance and direction for our lives unless we read and study it.

You can’t be a true believer and not make reading the Good Book a habitual and integral part of your life. Remember too Friends, that we have resolved that in 2015 we will all endeavour to walk closer with Jesus, have a more personal and heart warming relationship with Him, than we’ve had before.

Now that means we have to read and study His Word more, pray more, fellowship more with other believers, and also do more good works in His name. That’s the only way we’ll ever increase our faith, grow and mature in our relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

Please remember too my people that we are basically a longing for God, cause that’s how He made us. There’s an little empty pocket of space in our souls, and until we fill it with Jehovah God, we’ll never be truly happy or peaceful.

Now time and space have run out on us, and I do hope that what’s turned out to be a sort of refresher course in Christianity (smile) will wake us up, and greatly benefit us all during this new year of 2015, as we sincerely endeavour to walk more closely with Christ and make a positive difference in our lost and greatly disturbed world.

So till we meet again tomorrow, God willing, please go safely, in peace, wisdom and LOVE! Much LOVE, my fellow believers in Christ!

…no human being is really at peace…until he has come to God by faith… (St. Augustine)