SCRIP-BITS

Oh my people, it’s another wonderful day on the face of God’s beautiful earth, filled with bountiful mercies and blessings! Please give Him some thanks and praise for that! And what do we have planned for this wonderful day? It’s Sunday, so I surely hope that fellowship is in the offing for those who celebrate the Sabbath on Sundays. And for those who don’t, I’m taking it for granted that you’ve already fellowshipped on whatever day you celebrate your Sabbath. Don’t make me a liar now. (smile) Oh Friends, it’s so important for us to get together to praise and worship our amazing God because constant interaction with the enemy during the week tends to wear us down, and drain our faith. So at least once a week we need something to rejuvenate us, and there’s nothing like godly fellowship to strengthen and rebuild our trust in Almighty God. One of the principles of Christianity is that we encourage and build each other’s faith, but sadly I don’t think we do it sufficiently. It seems like we’re more intent on following the ways of the world and breaking down our brethren for any perceived wrongs, instead of trying to help them right the wrongs and stand strong in faith. But Friends, this is indeed a foolish and short-sighted behaviour, since the Christian fraternity is like a chain, where the weakest link will always be the first one attacked by the enemy, and if that link isn’t properly shored up and strengthened, then the whole chain will break apart, regardless of how strong the other links are. That’s why Bruh Paul warned the Thessalonians: ‘Wherefore comfort yourselves together (encourage each other), and edify (build up) one another, even as also ye do (are doing).’ (1 Thess.5:11) We’re not all at the same levels or stages of faith, which means that some are stronger than others and can withstand more temptation than others, but if we work together as one, helping and encouraging each other, as we’re supposed to, then the weaker links will be protected from the enemy and over time will grow stronger, as will the body of Christ, His Church. Please note that this is not a one and done occurrence, but must be a regular, constant and ongoing procedure until Christ comes back to claim His kingdom and clean up things. That’s because there will always be weak and weaker links as new believers come to Christ, and they will need their faith strengthened through encouragement and support from other believers. No wonder Jesus reprimanded his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane when He found them sleeping, while He was struggling to come to terms with His upcoming crucifixion. ‘What, could ye not watch with me one hour?’(Matt.26:40) In the true Spirit of Christ, they should have also been up and praying, trying to comfort and encourage Him in His time of difficulty. Consequently, He warned them in our Bit: ‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ And that’s the living truth Friends! Our flesh is so weak that it’s become a great liability, especially in these times of overwhelming glitter and glitz, and so often brings us such disastrous results that we swear to never live by it again. But unfortunately we do. That’s why we need to seriously adopt Bruh Paul’s advice to the Galatians: ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.’ (Gal.5:16-17) Yes Friends, our sinful human flesh and the Holy Spirit are on absolutely different wavelengths, they have contrary desires and yearnings, therefore never the twain shall meet, they shall always be adversaries. As the scholars describe it: ‘The Christian then is a battlefield, having desires to do good and evil. The outcome is that ye cannot do the things that ye would: the flesh seeks to thwart the Spirit who, in turn, attempts to frustrate the flesh’s evil desires.’ That we all know from hard experience my brethren is the gospel truth! So how do we eradicate, or at least alleviate this contrariness in our souls eh? By doing exactly what Jesus advises; watch and pray. We have to be exceedingly careful in these evil, ungodly times as to what’s happening in and around us, because there are so many wonderful looking and appetizing threats to our righteousness that we can easily get ‘confuffled’ and go the way of the flesh. Obviously we don’t want to do that too often, so we also have to stand steadfast in prayer, asking God for help to overcome the temptations that come against us. It’s no use asking Him not to send temptations, because they will come regardless. If Satan tempted Jesus, then who are we to escape it? So the best we can hope for is to not succumb to them. And we’ll conclude with Bruh Paul’s wisdom to the Corinthians on the topic. ‘Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor.10:12-13) And that He certainly will do! Oh Friends, let’s sincerely promise ourselves for this year of 2012, that we’ll upgrade our level of trust and belief, by diligently watching and praying and thus staying out of temptation, as well as helping and encouraging each other, for those are the basic dictates of our faith. Much LOVE!…believers must always be on the lookout…for the wily devil that’s the tempter…and endeavour not to let him in to our inner sanctums…