SCRIP-BITS

 HAPPY  ST. PATRICK’S  DAY

Well ‘ello dere me Irish Friends! A Happy St. Paddy’s Day to you and yours! No matter that only my name is Irish, and I’ve never set foot on the Emerald Isle. (smile) But St. Paddy’s Day was always a special day in T&T during my youth, for it was the only day in Lent that you were allowed to party and hear calypsos on the radio. That means we always looked forward to that jubilant break in the middle of a rather austere Lenten season practiced back then. Hope you have a fine day celebrating the Patron Saint of Ireland, with all your green stuff, and enjoy your parades and whatnot. But please remember to be very careful, and drunk or sober, mind your business, for the evil one and his associates are always lurking around these celebrations hoping to entice us into their dark lairs of lust, debauchery and ungodliness. Those workers of iniquity walk around in sheep’s clothing, but on the inside they are really ravenous, voracious wolves disguised as sheep, and they can do untold damage to us and Christ’s Church, if we allow them access to our inner beings. Like Bruh Paul told Titus in our Bit, way back when: ‘They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate (disqualified).’ And that’s the living truth Friends! It’s amazing how plenty time passes in this world, but so many things remain the same, for we also have lots of that type of people circulating in our world, just like Bruh Paul’s day. And unfortunately they might be even more treacherous and devious today with all the new psychological warfare and technology. As Bruh Paul opens this warning passage on false teachers: ‘For there are many unruly (insubordinate) and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake (dishonest gains).’ (Titus 1:10-11) Yes Friends, a lot of fraudsters are running around the globe teaching false and/or subversive stuff solely for dishonest gain, whether it be power, money or some other earthly favour.  In this highly modernized world, all sorts of theories abound, some of which do sound good enough to be true, and the dishonest purveyors of these theories or slants, all claim that they are God driven; ‘they profess they know God.’ But listen to Jesus on the subject: ‘Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils (demons)? and in thy name done many wonderful works (miracles)? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt.7:20-23) Truly my people, all that glitters is not gold, likewise all that sounds like truth is not necessarily true, neither are all those who claim to preach God’s Word, true believers. And we certainly don’t want to get involved with that kind, for when Jesus comes again in glory, we’ll sadly discover that we’re on the outside with Lucifer and his evil workers, looking in at the good life taking place in Jesus’ domain. That would certainly be disastrous on all counts! And Jesus was so serious about that message, He reiterated it in the parable of the ten virgins. Re the foolish ones who did not bring extra oil to the wedding for their lamps, and weren’t there when the bridegroom finally arrived and shut his door. ‘Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt.25:11-13) It’s a rough life this Friends, but we just have to be very careful and concentrate on the eternal things of Jesus, rather than the exhaustible and temporal things of this evil world, for everybody has some wonderful scheme to offer us. Note the high amount of white-collar fraud that’s currently prevalent. And that’s because we’re greedy and thus easily taken in. The con artists feed on that undesirable trait of our character.  How can someone offer us 10 or 15% interest on our money, when the big moneyed people can barely get 5%, if so much? If it sounds too good to be true, then most likely it is a fraudulent deal. The same goes for those claiming to preach the Word. Now let’s end with some appropriate words from 1 John, re tests of true knowledge: ‘And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the LOVE of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.’ (1 John 2:3-6) More on this tomorrow, if we’re still alive and kicking. Till then, please be careful of those evil wolves masquerading as sheep. Stay close to Jesus, that’s where it’s safest! Much LOVE!…things that are eye-catching and ear-pleasing…are not always what they seem to be…often they are just façades for evil…