SCRIP-BITS

And the working people joyfully declared: ‘Oh Friday, glorious Friday! Thank God for Fridays and the weekend! Imagine nuh, for two whole days, no massa and his economic slavery! We can do whatever we want. Party and lime as much as we want. No wonder we shout, TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ 

Oh friends, what can I say, it’s the basic truth. But then doing whatever we want, whenever we want, and as much as we want has never brought us anything but heartache and trouble. And continual partying and liming is definitely not the proper way to spend our weekends, though many of us seem to think so and thus perpetrate all sorts of misery on ourselves by wasting it in idle worldly pleasures. 

In total opposition to that way of thinking though is our Friday Chant, so let’s chant it with sincerity and godly understanding nuh. As one now: ‘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.’ 

Yes my fellow believers in Christ, that puts the weekend into a much better and wiser perspective! 

And today I want to share a few lines of a poem by one of Canada’s early female writers, Eva Rose York. The poem’s titled, ‘I shall not pass this way again.’

And the particular lines tell us. ‘I shall not pass this way again; Then let me now relieve some pain, Remove some barrier from the road, Or lighten someone’s heavy load, A helping hand to this one lend, Then turn to some other to befriend.’ 

Oh friends, what a telling description of our Christian faith! For that’s exactly what we are supposed to do as believers in Christ Jesus; HELP OTHERS! 

And it doesn’t matter whether we’re rich or poor, black or white, or of any particular creed, we all need help at some time or other, and it is our bounden duty to help the needy who come across our paths. 

And my One More Day Devotional for People with Chronic Illness, describes that help thus. ‘LOVING help is not prompted by pity or superiority, but by empathy and shared humanness.’ 

That’s the kind of help Jesus wants us to show and share my brethren, not the kind prompted by looking down our noses at others in worse situations than us. Unfortunately though, too may of us who are fairly well-off, tend to behave in the latter manner. 

But friends, I’m here to tell us that the Lord doesn’t welcome or accept that kind of prideful help, and He knows it, because He looks at the motives of our hearts, not our words or outward actions. 

So please, let’s stop allowing our pride, our material possessions, our place and power in the secular world from dominating the way we think, and therefore the reason and manner for the help we give to others and also accept, because help doesn’t mean only giving, but also receiving, and receiving in the right manner too. 

And that’s my sermon for today! (smile) I know it won’t resonate well with some, but them’s the breaks. 

Now let’s turn to our Bit: ‘A fool uttereth all his mind (vents all his feelings): but a wise man keepeth it in till afterward (holds it back).’ 

Ah mih people, we all know that to be gospel truth, but nonetheless we too often run off at the mouth and/or show our emotions without first thinking about the reactions that they will cause. And sadly it’s a phenomenon that causes a lot of the strife in our world. 

It’s ever so important that we, especially Christians, learn to listen and think seriously before we respond since our reactions can impact either negatively or positively for Christ. And remember, whatever we do is all about Jesus, so we definitely don’t need to create any negative images or reactions about Him and his great salvation. 

We need to speak words, do things and have reactions that will boost His LOVE Revolution, rather than stuff that will negate it. We already have too much negative stuff re our faith, we certainly don’t need anymore. 

And sadly too, in this dangerous and disgusting world, we tend to lash out at others more easily and quickly than we’ve hitherto done. I don’t know if it’s the more selfish nature that now pervades our society that causes it, but it has become a serious problem. 

Look at things like road rage, how at the drop of a hat, with very little provocation, someone is ready to pull and use a gun or a knife, plus the amount of verbal, physical and emotional abuse that’s been heaped on others daily. A lot of it stems from selfish behaviour and our refusal to accept responsibility for our actions. 

Now let’s check out some more scriptures on the subject from Cousin Sol, who deals with it a lot. Listen up: ‘A fool’s wrath is presently known (known at once): but a prudent man covereth shame.’ (Prov.12:16) Yes friends, wearing our emotions on our sleeves has its proper time and place. 

Hear Cousin Sol again: ‘A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.’ (Prov.11:13) Christians ought never to be gossipmongers or congregate too often with them! 

It’s all Cousin Sol today friends. ‘Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.’ (Prov.14:33) 

And we’ll end with this gem from the wisest man ever. ‘The discretion of a man deferreth his anger (makes him slow to anger); and it is his glory to pass over (overlook) a transgression.’ (Prov.19:11) 

So my fellow brethren in Christ, in conclusion, let’s be wise and go out today being slow to anger and overlook transgressions nuh, just as our God has so often done, and continues to do, in each of our lives. Much LOVE!

…Christians ought to be steeped in LOVE…and LOVE bears no ill-will to another…