SCRIP-BITS

Luke 6:43.     For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
 
Ah Friends, it seems like it’s going to be another wet and windy day in my area, with leaves blowing all around. Some people in Mexico and parts of Guatemala weren’t so lucky though as Hurricane Jova and a new tropical depression hit them forcefully yesterday. Ah Lord, when are all these natural disasters going to stop eh? Only you know that Lord, but we pray for those unfortunate people, pray that you’ll help them rebuild their lives as soon as possible. And we know that you’ll expedite our prayers because you’re a good, merciful and ever-LOVING God. Now that’s the infallible truth Friends! And as our Bit so rightly declares: ‘For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt (bad) fruit; neither doth a corrupt (bad) tree bring forth good fruit.’ More truth from Jesus my brethren, while admonishing the hypocritical leaders of Israel. The same tree or vessel can’t bring forth both bad and good stuff. It has to produce one or the other, according to its nature. ‘For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.’ (Luke 6:44-45) Irrefutable words of Jesus my Friends! And hear how He lambastes them in Matthew’s version: ‘O generation (brood, offspring) of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.’ (Matt.12:34) Now Friends, don’t go condemning those Jewish leaders because we’re just as bad today, if not worse than they were. Too many of us believers talk with forked tongues. We have much evil lurking in our hearts, but try to make what comes out of our mouths and souls seem good. But that’s not possible, at least not for very long, for the true nature of our hearts will eventually creep out into our words and actions. I don’t know if it’s simply because the population today is much greater than in Jesus’ time that we seem to have more hypocrites running around, or that our society has become so afraid, ungodly and two-faced that all of us have naturally become more hypocritical. Is the set up of our society forcing us to think or feel one way, but act and say another? Something is seriously wrong though, because as time goes by we’re finding the people around us; from family to friends, neighbours and coworkers, not to mention the wealthy and those in power, our leaders, less and less trustworthy. Unfortunately, the selfish, worldly motive seems to be uppermost in all aspects of our society. And we’ll conclude today with an appropriate discourse on the matter by James, when speaking of the evil, unruly, poisonous tongues of men. ‘Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude (likeness) of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.’ (James 3:9-12) Likewise Friends, believers should not be blessing and cursing from the same mouth since it shows that our hearts are not truly in sync with Jesus. That kind of behaviour only gives Christ and His Church a bad name. So please, let’s take a close look at ourselves today, at how we’re doing in that respect, and then make a serious, sincere promise to God and ourselves to improve the quality of our speech in accordance with the righteousness of our hearts. It’s only when those two things work in tandem that God is glorified and His kingdom furthered. Much LOVE!…it’s time believers stop talking…out of both sides of their mouths…