SCRIP-BITS

 Psalm 66:18.   If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.
 
Oh Friends, this leap year seems to be just leaping along on us. Imagine it’s already the leap day of February, when we just finished singing Auld Lang Syne! (smile) But seriously though, 2012 is really moving along at a fast clip. That means there’s no time for us to waste in being about our heavenly Father’s business. And here are five ways to stay securely and sincerely connected to Him. They are the Life Study Fellowship’s Five Golden Rules To Live By. I recently discovered them on a card in one of my mother’s devotionals, and though dated 1989, they are still excellent rules by which to pattern our lives. 1. Be Thankful Always! 2. Be Giving Always! 3. Be Forgiving Always! 4. Be Self-Helpful Always! 5. Be Faith-full Always! Oh my people, those are very simple, yet very powerful rules, and if each human being would only live by them, what a wonderful world this will be! Okay, so I’m dreaming some when I consider it possible for humans to live in Peace and LOVE, but that’s what dream are made of and for; to attain things which in the natural seem out of our reach, but are certainly doable with God’s help. And remember too, that it’s always better to dream big, rather than small, to give God a chance to show His real power and glory. Oh my brethren in Christ, I implore each of us now to dream this big dream; that our world will soon be stabilized, with the bitter strife and confusion gone, so that both our children and ourselves can live out our days in Peace and LOVE, for that’s the way the Lord desires it! Consequently, to achieve this humongous goal, we have to work diligently and wisely, successfully combining those five golden rules above into our everyday lives, cause as our Bit so rightly says: ‘If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.’ Yes Friends, those are words of absolute wisdom and truth. It’s highly illogical for a Holy and Righteous God to answer the prayer of a terribly unholy and unrighteous person. The two just don’t go together. How can the Lord genuinely answer us when He sees the iniquity and serious wrongdoing we have hidden in our hearts eh?  And remember He sees it, because it’s our hearts and not our outward actions that He monitors for right motive and sincerity before answering our prayers. So no wonder some of our prayers don’t get answered, since many a time we come to Him in prayer with evil purposes and intentions lurking in the depths of our souls. My Friends, we do need to seriously clean up our act, for our faith walk will not move ahead unless we approach the throne of grace with a right heart and clean spirit. Obviously the Lord doesn’t expect us to be perfect, since we’re imperfect beings, but He does expect us to be much better than our current state. Now let’s listen to some scriptures that corroborate our Bit. And we’ll begin with Job talking about the hypocrite’s hopelessness. And we all behave hypocritically at some time or other, so don’t get self-righteous and think that it doesn’t apply to us. (smile) ‘For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call upon God?’ (Job 27:8-10) The answer to all those questions is a definite NO! Now hear Cousin Sol’s take on the subject: ‘The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.’ (Prov.15:29) And also: ‘He that turneth away his ear from the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.’ (Prov.28:9) Certainly no mincing of words there my people! Meanwhile John says it thus: ‘Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.’ (John 9:31) Note the important proviso there Friends; not only do we have to worship God, but we also need to do His will. And James wisely declares: ‘Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.’ (James 4:3) Now why would the Lord grant us stuff when our intentions are to use it in evil, fleshly pleasures eh? And Isaiah will take us home with words from his call for repentance in Israel: ‘And when ye spread forth your hands (pray), I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgement (justice), relieve the oppressed (reprove the oppressor), judge (vindicate, defend) the fatherless, plead for the widow.’ (Is.1:15-17) Oh my people, those standards are just as important today as they were back in Isaiah’s day. And it’s full time that we rise up and meet them instead of holding on to Lucifer’s evil, lowly ones. It’s high time we meet the Lord’s call for cleansing, for without it, all our prayers are exercises in futility. So today let’s sit and sincerely search our hearts, minds and souls for any sinister and evil doings that lurk therein, and then sincerely ask the Lord to cleanse us of them. It’s the only wise approach for us to take in these troubled times. Much LOVE!…until we reach out in sincere repentance…the evil that taints us…will keep us from God…and God from us…