SCRIP-BITS

Oh Friends, our God is truly something else yes!  Remember yesterday I implored us to pray for rain to quench the parched earth? Well shortly after I sent out the Bit, I went outside and saw a hazy darkness hovering over the land. My passion rose immediately, and I went ‘Wow!’ I thought that it was surely a quick working of our prayers, even though some of us had not even yet read the Bit. However, a couple of hours later, not a drop of blessing had fallen and the sun was out big and bright and hot. Hn! Yeh, though our God is great and all that, in reality, it was a just little too good to be true. But hang on, in mid-afternoon, the skies again became dark, this time with Thor pounding some on his anvil with his hammer. Then around 5.30, wonder of wonders, the welcome noise of raindrops hitting my window began. It was one of those sounds that makes your heart lurch in thanksgiving, and brings a tear of gratitude to your eyes. However that feeling of thanksgiving and gratitude were short-lived, just like the rain, for in less than minutes, after a couple of scattered showers it was all over, and the mighty sun came shining through again. Chuh! I don’t know if the showers of blessing even made a dent in the parched land. It’s like when you’re dying of thirst and all you can get is a mere mouthful of water. That got me to wondering if enough righteous people didn’t pray, or that we just don’t have sufficient righteous people in the first place? (smile) But as the old people would advise, let’s just be thankful for small mercies. At least it rained some. And now after all that preamble, and possibly having said nothing therein, (smile) let’s get down to brass tacks nuh. It’s Monday my Friends, and many of us are singing the Monday Morning Blues because we have to get up and go out to make a living after a lazy weekend. But please remember people that we’re true followers of Jesus, and though He never took an easy step in His earthly life, He always went out with LOVE and joy in His heart and a big, beautiful smile on His face, because he knew that He had to go out and do the Father’s work, regardless of His feelings or opinions. The same applies to us Friends. We’re not going eat or have a roof over our heads unless we go out and labour. And in the course of that labouring, we’re also required to show our LOVE for God and our neighbour, as well as LIVE our Faith, and SPREAD the good news of Christ’s gospel. That means we have to be strong, faithful, diligent, fortitudinous, persevering and NEVER GIVE UP people! Oh my brethren, I know that living for Jesus is a tough row to hoe, but that’s just the way it is. Jesus doesn’t deal in mediocrity. He’s always in pursuit of excellence. So let’s chase away those vapid Monday Morning Blues and instead put on our spiritual armour, sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, then head out into the evil, ungodly world and win some souls for Christ. All together now Friends, in one loud, enthusiastic, meaningful voice: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ And now that Jesus is pulsating in our very souls Friends, let me go and find a suitable Bit, because this is one of those times where the Spirit just gave me a starting thought, then allowed me free rein to run with it. And you all know how I like that. (smile) Oh Friends, I’m back in less than two minutes! Our God is so good to me eh! The Good Book was already opened at Psalm 102, so I decided to peruse it, and voila there was our Bit! ‘So the heathen (nations, gentiles) shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.’ Now isn’t that exactly what we’re called to do my brethren; bring the Word of our God, His omnipotence, glory, mercy, forgiveness and LOVING-kindness to unbelievers?  Remember Jesus’ last command to the disciples was to spread the gospel to all the world, (Matt.28:19-20) and since we’re now the current disciples, that’s become our duty. Now listen to these wise words of Cousin Sol when he dedicated the temple. ‘Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake; (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.’ (1 Kin.8:41-43) Yes mih people, our duty is to go out into the highways and byways, wherever there are unsaved people and bring them to a knowledge of Jesus, of the Holy Spirit, and of the Father, so that the name of the Holy Trinity will become a household name in all the world and our wonderful Three In One God glorified. Please, let’s go out this Monday Morning full of vim and vigour, with hearts filled with a burning passion for Jesus, so that we can increase our efforts to do our bounden duty and bring untold glory to God’s kingdom. Much LOVE!…oh what joy there is in heaven…when even one sinner repents…and today there’ll be lots of joy up yonder…because many sinners shall repent…