SCRIP-BITS

Jude 3.    Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
 
Ah mih Friends, yuh see why I’m not a big fan of this wireless communication revolution. I’ve been trying for about the last forty minutes to send a message to two friends in Jamaica, re how Hurricane Sandy was treating them. I seem to have gotten off the first one okay, but five minutes later the second one refused to go. They told me that the server was busy, then something went wrong, to check the service status of Hotmail. I did that, but they claimed it was working properly. Then I was advised to report the problem to Microsoft, which simply told me thanks for reporting it, but to click on to some user services advice site. Now why do I have to go to other users for advice with a Microsoft problem eh? Steups! I finally logged off of Internet Explorer – I started out with it, and I still prefer its set up to the other browsers – and logged into Firefox. At least there I was able to open the draft e-mail, but after that I still got the same run around, and finally another server busy notification. Now what’s happening at 3.30-4 in the morning that Hotmail’s server is so busy eh? Laugh at me, but I still like my telephone and my typewriter. Yes, they may be slow, but they always work, and I don’t lose valuable time and info. Believe me, if I wasn’t writing this Scrip-Bit, my computer would remain unused and unopened for several days. That reminds me of one time in the early days, before the Bit, Hotmail banned me for a month, because I had over 500 unopened e-mails. Hn, hn! Ah Lord, longing for the good, old days! When the wireless stuff works, it’s fine, but the slightest glitch causes untold headache, plus loss of time, money and info. So now I don’t know when I’ll be able to send out the Bit. It’s a good thing I usually do a rough copy by hand, then transfer it to the computer. I just seem to get my thoughts together better that way. Anyhow, I was planning to talk about Hurricane Sandy that seems to be cutting a dangerous path across my second home, the lovely island of Jamaica. And if you’re wondering why I call it my second home, it’s because I lived there from 1966-1969, attending the University of the West Indies on the Mona campus. Don’t ask me what I studied -partying, hanging out and beating pan. (smile) In fact that’s where I became a man, while suffering the first real hardships of life on my own. But you know what Friends, although those were possibly the roughest times I’ve ever been through, overall, I enjoyed it tremendously, because the people treated me like a million dollars, though they didn’t know me from Adam. I now realize that it was the hand of God moving on my behalf, amidst all the testing that He was putting me through, apparently priming me for this work, some thirty odd years later. Believe me Friends, there were a few times if the Lord hadn’t intervened, I wouldn’t be writing this Bit. But enough about me, let’s offer up some serious, heartfelt prayers for the wonderful, though currently down on its luck, island of Jamaica and its beautiful people, asking the Good Lord not to allow Sandy to do too much damage to the already suffering land. Oh fellow believers, I guess a loud ‘Praise the Lord’ is in order, because I just tried sending that message again (4.30) and it seems to have gone through. So, hopefully the Bit will go through too, when I’m finished writing it. And our Bit is the same as the last couple days: ‘Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye earnestly contend for the faith which was once (for all time) delivered unto the saints.’ Now yesterday we looked at why Jude felt it necessary to write the epistle, because of the false teachers who were slyly infiltrating the church of Jesus. We also saw that it’s now an even bigger problem in these current times with the availability of untold information and the ease of mass communication. That’s why brethren it’s becoming ever more important to closely watch, monitor and verify what we read, and whom we listen to. This also makes it extremely important for each of us to consistently read and become very familiar with the Good Book, so that we can at least ask questions as we seek the TRUTH. For if we personally don’t know what the Word says, then we can’t counter what anyone else tells us, which is absolutely necessary in these times of much false teaching and teachers. And before we go any further, please note, as one scholar, Bill Crowder, points out, in contending for the faith, we should not be contentious. (smile) That means we have to do it without too much fussing and fighting, quarrelling and belligerence. But instead, as Bruh Paul warns Timothy: ‘And the servant of the Lord must not strive (quarrel); but be gentle unto all men, apt (able) to teach, patient, In meekness, instructing (correcting) those that oppose themselves (are in opposition); if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of (so that they may know) the truth.’ (2 Tim.2:24-25) Ah Friends, that’s sometimes difficult to do, but if we are to be true followers of Jesus, we have to try and adopt His methods. And Jesus was never quarrelsome or argumentative. So I guess that’s one more facet of His Holy nature that we have to incorporate into our faith walk. Unfortunately space and time have run out on us, so, until tomorrow then, hasta manana, when we’ll resume this topic, provided that fits into God’s plans. And if it doesn’t, then we’ll be in an even better situation, in heaven, resting comfortably in the bosom of Jesus. (smile) Much LOVE!…believers MUST read, meditate on and understand the Good Book…so that they won’t be easily led astray…