SCRIP-BITS

Romans 12:9.  Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good.
 
Oh Friends, oh Friends, I’m free…! Free at last! Thank God I’m free at last from that awful pain!
 
Wow! I certainly hope I never have to undergo such trauma again nuh people. It was indeed a nightmare, or rather a ‘daymare’ yesterday, (smile) because that pain raged for most of the day, despite my best human efforts to alleviate it, and my pleading to Almighty God.
 
Believe me, I don’t think I’ve ever pleaded for God’s mercy as I did yesterday. And to make matters worse, for once the weatherman’s forecast was correct; by mid-morning the snowstorm was in full swing. 
 
Thankfully though, the Lord never leaves us in the lurch, for my young daughter was at home and I enlisted, or rather conscripted her to drive me to the dentist, because with the pain shooting up every few seconds, I don’t know if my concentration would have been good enough to drive in those dangerous snowy conditions.
 
Thank you mih young D! Much rewards were surely deposited in your heavenly account yesterday. And I have to chuckle here, because she had great empathy for me, but not much sympathy, since she had the same kind of problem not too long ago, so she indeed knew what I was going through.
 
The long and short of the story though is that it wasn’t the tooth we had recently fixed, but the one directly behind it. My dentist wasn’t thrilled in having to do another root canal procedure. And in the thirty odd years I’ve been going to him, I’ve never seen him work so hard, both physically and mentally on one tooth, as there seemed to be some slight complications in the tooth’s structure.
 
Ah Friends, I wouldn’t wish that kind of pain on my worst enemy, and if I had had to endure it for another day, I would surely have ended up in the loony bin. And that’s no joke, because it’s the kind of pain that not only physically affects your face and your brain, but also has a big mental effect on your psyche. 
 
My mouth is still sore from all the pulling and prodding and needles, and I have to be careful and eat gingerly on the left side, but I can certainly live with that for a few days.
 
There’s one significant thing though I want to address here mih breddren, and it’s when we get all these terrible pains, do they ever put us in mind of Jesus? Meaning, that if our pains seem so severe and heartrending, do we ever consider what Jesus’ pain must have felt like?
 
The scourging, the whipping, the crown of thorns, the mental and psychological degradation he was forced to undergo from the Roman soldiers, then having to carry His cross and be nailed to it and hung up in the hot noonday sun to simply bleed and dehydrate to death!
 
Do we ever consider the real torture He went through for us, and then think how lucky we are, that most likely we will never have to suffer such inhumane treatment? I surely hope so.
 
Yuh better believe though Friends, the full measure of it all was certainly brought home to me in the last couple of days. And it makes me even more grateful for His reconciling sacrifice. I hope when you go through similar painful trials, that it will also bring you closer to Jesus.
 
And I guess that’s why the Lord allows us to go through such trials and tribulations, because it’s only with some serious suffering that we can ever truly realize and appreciate what Jesus endured for us. Enough ‘preachifying’ though. (smile)
 
Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good.’
 
Oh my fellow believers, that is such a rich and all-embracing statement, mirroring the basic properties of our faith: true LOVE and genuine goodness. That’s what Christ came to earth for, and died for; to instil those most worthy and God-like characteristics in us.
 
But do we truly appreciate them? Not nearly as much as we should, otherwise we wouldn’t be living the rat-race life, the overarching lustful desire for worldly things that’s so characteristic of today’s society. 
 
Anyway, let’s continue showcasing scriptures which reflect the absolute truth of our Bit. And we’ll begin with some immortalized words of Bruh David from Psalm 37; the true state of the wicked.
 
‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devises (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:7-9)
 
Oh my people, words of awesome truth, from someone who lived them!
 
And here are some more words of awesome truth, this time from Cousin Sol, as he contrasts the wise and the foolish in Proverbs Chapter 12. ‘He that speaketh truth showeth forth (declares) righteousness: but a false witness deceit. There is that (one who) speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is (promotes) health.
 
The lip of truth (truthful lip) shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine (devise) evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.’ (Prov.12:17-20)
 
And isn’t that an indisputable fact my fellow believers? Those who sow peace, do reap untold joy!
 
And we’ll conclude this series of messages on LOVE and goodness versus evil, with more immortalized words from Bruh David, from Psalm 34; the Lord hears the righteous.
 
‘Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear (reverence) of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and LOVETH many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit). Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.’ (Ps.34:11-14)
 
Yes mih Friends, if we desire to live a good and long life, as most of us do, then we need to stop doing evil, and instead do good and seek peace, human rights and justice!
 
Please, let’s take those words to heart today nuh, RIGHT NOW, for they are truly words of absolute, unadulterated wisdom! Much LOVE!
 
…to work for Jesus…the basic qualifications are TRUE LOVE…AND SINCERE, HEARTFELT GOODNESS…