SCRIP-BITS

Luke 6:46.    And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
 
Oh Friends, I hear you rejoicing, loudly calling out: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ So let’s chant our Friday 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 body, soul 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.’ Yes my people, it’s sure good to welcome Friday! It’s possibly the most popular and looked forward to day in many places around the world because it’s a harbinger of two days of rest and hopefully peace, far away from the rush of bodies and vehicles in the daily maelstrom we’re forced to endure to earn our living. Today’s Bit is certainly interesting because it can be used to cover several different scenarios. Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount, candidly asks: ‘And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?’ Now that’s certainly a very good question my people. But before tackling it, let’s look at how it can also be generally used in our society. Parents can ask it of their disobedient children. So also can employers: ‘Why call me Boss, Boss, and not do the work, or not do it how I want it done?’ In fact, any authority figure can ask that of someone who’s responsible to them. And disobedience, unfaithfulness, or simple laziness in not doing what we’re supposed to is very important in all aspects of our society, for without general compliance, we’ll only breed anarchy. However Friends, compliance with the Lord’s wishes is of the utmost importance both in this life and the next, because if we don’t comply, we’re liable to suffer big time. If we don’t accept the fact that Jesus is Lord and Saviour, then our eternal destiny lies in Hades with the prince of darkness, Lucifer. But if we accept and believe that He is indeed the risen Christ, keeper of the gate to heaven, by whom all must go through to get to the Father, then salvation and eternal life dwelling with the Holy Trinity will be ours. However, like in all structured environments, there are certain rules and regulations to be followed. With God it was originally the Ten Commandments, which Jesus broke down to two simple ones: LOVE your God, and LOVE your neighbour as your self. Now Friends, that by no means negates the Ten Commandments. Jesus was only trying to make it easier for us to handle, breaking it down to one, simple word, but one conveying an overwhelming and awesome emotion; LOVE, which best describes our heavenly Father. All He’s saying is that when we LOVE our God and our neighbour, we won’t be tempted to commit the sins listed in the Ten Commandments, since true LOVE has nothing to do with them, it absolutely abhors them. And Bruh Paul in his famous treatise on ‘The way of LOVE’ (1 Cor.13) explains what LOVE is, and what it’s not. ‘LOVE suffereth long, and is kind, LOVE envieth not; LOVE vaunteth not (does not brag on) itself, is not arrogant.’ (1 Cor.13:4) Those are just a few of the things LOVE doesn’t do. You can read the rest for yourselves. But why should we do as Jesus says, once we’ve believed and accepted Him and heaven is assured? Oh my brethren because both our life on earth will be much more powerful and peaceful, plus our future rewards in heaven will be greater. We only need to believe to get into heaven, but once we sincerely believe we’re supposed to be changed people, born again spiritually. As Bruh Paul says: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become knew. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.’ (2 Cor.5:17-18) Yes Friends, once we accept Christ we’re supposed to put away the old stuff and strive to remake ourselves in Jesus’ image, living that life of LOVE He espouses. Now let’s hear Jesus’ take on the subject: ‘Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.’ (Luke 6:47-49) Oh my people, Jesus certainly put it better than I ever could. You do as He asks; your life will be built on a strong, rock-like foundation. You’ll be immune from Beelzebub and his iniquity workers since you’ll be walking the path that Jesus laid, leaning on His immense strength. But if you insist on being rebellious and disobedient, you’ll just be a weak, wishy-washy, unreliable, undependable, blown every which way kind of person, that Beelzebub and his evil cronies will take pleasure in using and abusing for their own greedy, evil purposes. Please note Jesus’ last words on that disobedient person: ‘and the ruin of that house was great.’  Yes Friends, if we don’t do as Jesus says, we’re liable to come to a very ruinous end, and sadly taking those associated with us along. My brethren, many of us today still do like the people in Jesus’ time; call Him Lord, Saviour, Master, My Jesus and all sorts of other glorious, adoring names, but don’t do His bidding. That’s not right mih people, because it not only displeases the Father, but also hinders our spiritual growth and detracts very seriously from our witness for Christ. Those who hear us claim to be believers, then see us do otherwise, will just lose any desire to join Jesus’ Church, and further categorize all believers as hypocrites. Now I’m sure we don’t want that to happen, so let’s all strive to practice what we preach nuh. It’s for the benefit of Christ’s whole Church which we’ve promised to uplift and build. Let’s not disappoint our Saviour nuh. Till tomorrow then, God willing, go safely, in peace with both God and man. Much LOVE!…examples work more forcibly on the mind than precepts…so let’s walk our talk…