SCRIP-BITS

1 John 5:3.     For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
 
Ah Friends, yuh see how the ole fella was so burnt out yesterday that he dated the Bit 8th of November instead of September? Hn, hn! I was two months ahead of everybody else. I hope that those of you who noticed it chuckled, then said a little prayer for me, because I need the prayers of many people right now, to help me through these trying times. Visitation for my mother is this evening, so you can imagine the hoopla and the hoops I will be required to jump through. But I’m really not worried about that, for I know the Good Lord will look after me. The problem is whether I can look after my part of the bargain; keep my peace when someone comes up with some nonsense, which is sure to happen. But be all of that as it may, today is Friday, the weekend is here, and we’re thankful for it, 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 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.’ And having set the right tone for the weekend, let’s go out and do what our Bit says: ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome).’ Those are certainly words of awesome truth my people! Indeed, when we keep God’s commandments, it shows that we truly LOVE Him. Jesus, in promising to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples after His ascension, put it plainly and simply, as was His wont. ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) Yes Friends, there’s nothing in that statement to cause uncertainty or confusion. If we LOVE Him, then we’ll do as He asks; no ifs ands and buts. Then John, in his second epistle, when talking about the commandment of LOVE, boldly declares: ‘I rejoiced greatly that I found (some) of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we LOVE one another. And this is LOVE, that we walk after (according) to his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.’ (2 John 4-6) Ah mih breddren, I know that walking in LOVE is much easier said than done, but if we consider ourselves to be true believers, loyal followers of Jesus Christ, then that’s the route we need to go. That entails making serious decisions regarding our basic lifestyle, our prayer time and our fellowship with other believers. For it’s only as we invest time and energy in those areas, that our faith will grow, and we’ll be able to walk a better walk than we were previously walking. It’s not going to happen overnight, for we are all works in progress at different stages in the building of our Jesus-like character. So we’ve got to be somewhat patient with ourselves. And as we’ve said so often, it’s only the emotion of LOVE that can save our world. But we also need to realize and remember that just talking LOVE doesn’t make it happen, because LOVE is an action word! And my people, we need to put it into action asap, without delay, if we want to improve our lot in life. So let’s sit down this Friday and examine ourselves nuh, find out where we’re falling down in our LOVE walk, and make every effort to correct it. That way, we will be true reflections of Jesus, like we ought to be. More on this tomorrow, if we don’t read our names in the obits. (smile) Much LOVE!…commandments are words…that require action to fulfill them…