Time with Jesus - Thursday, 05
January 2012
There’s
an old English proverb that states, “There’s many a true word spoken in jest.”
I don’t know where it originated. But it’s a fact. Sometimes, the only way to say
something is via humour. It’s a far better method than resorting to foul
language. Incidentally, it’s been suggested that foul language indicates a somewhat
limited vocabulary. That used to be true in the days when ladies behaved like
ladies and gentlemen behaved like gentlemen. Today it’s sometimes hard to
distinguish the one from the other. The language of both genders appears to be
equally foul.
Today’s
Scriptures focus on lies, lying and the tongue. These three are clearly
related. You cannot tell a lie without using the tongue. Not in the area of
speech. I suspect that this was one of the greatest motivations for men and
women to enter silent monastic orders.
Speaking
of silent monastic orders, there is a story about a young novice who joined one
of these orders. He was told not to speak to anyone for 5 years. After five
years the abbot called him in and asked if he had anything he wanted to say. He
said, “The rooms are draughty!” He then went out and carried on for another
five years. Once again the abbot called him in. This time he answered, “The
food’s cold!” Once again he went out for another five years. Again he appeared
before the abbot. This time he said, “The beds are hard!” At that the abbot
told him to leave the monastery and added. “All you do is complain!”
Telling
lies or being a liar is the norm today. Politicians seem to have the ability to
say nothing at all and lie about it. But they are not the only ones. Visit our
courts and you will find people blaming anyone and everything for what
happened. “Your honour, I got into bad company!” Not true. They chose bad
friends. “The devil made me do it!” Not true. They chose to do it themselves.
Everyone gets blamed for what happened. “My father was a bad example!” That may
be true. But they chose to do it. The mantra appears to be, I’m not
responsible. I need help because of my past history. Not true. They need to
learn to take responsibility.
I’m
told that if you are a liar, you need a good memory! You don’t need a good
memory if you tell the truth. This little bit of advice has greatly helped me.
When asked, “Who did this?” I’ve found that if I did it and said “I did!” the
problem vanishes.
Today’s
meditation looks at liars, lying and the tongue. We start by asking how Satan
can have a strong Kingdom if the truth is not in him. We then move on to a man
I knew who was an inveterate liar. Then we move on to the tongue and a novel
way to “crucify” this little uncontrollable part of our body. I’ve tried to do
all this in a humorous vein. Hopefully it will work for you.
Blessings
Jim & Phyllida Strickland.
Lies and Lying
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I’ve often wondered how the devil’s
forces can be strong.
They’re all a bunch of liars, so they
always get things wrong.
The devil is their father. The truth
is not in him.
He says that he is flying while he’s
going for a swim.
It’s terribly confusing. When he gives
a command,
They don’t know if it’s local, or in
some foreign land!
He tells them, “Go to Cape Town!” so
they go to Timbuktu.
They can’t obey his orders, ‘cause
they don’t know what to do!
While I was an apprentice, I met
someone from his gang.
He said that he was thirty and was
injured in a prang.
But everything we said, he told us he
had done before.
And from his great accomplishments we guessed
he was much more.
He’d seen so many places and done so
many things,
We thought he was a puppet that was
hanging by his strings.
If what he said was true, he was the
oldest man alive.
We stopped our calculations when we go
to ninety five.
The Lord has told us Satan is the
Father of all lies.
So everything he does, should never take
us by surprise.
Our children are his followers. They
have a bent that way.
When they have just been naughty you’ll
always hear them say,
“It wasn’t me that did it. I don’t
know who it was.
It must be mister nobody! I’m innocent
because,
I wasn’t even playing in that portion of
the house.
So if you heard a racket, it must have
been a mouse!”
We know that they are lying. They just
will not own up.
“It wasn’t me that did it. My sister
broke that cup!”
Now this was clearly mentioned by the
Master’s brother, James.
He said the tongue was wicked and it poisoned
people’s names.
He said no one can tame it and we know
that it is true.
And that is why the Spirit gave a
special gift to you.
This gift is often criticised, the
gift of “tongues” it’s named;
And every time you use it, the Lord is
not defamed.
You don’t know what you’re saying.
Your speaking to the Lord;
And everything you say declares the
Master is adored.
So if you have a problem and the devil’s
drawing near;
You really needn’t worry or start
trembling with fear.
Allow God’s special gift to flow from
deep within your lungs,
And Satan will freak out ‘cause he’s
not got this gift of tongues!
So now we have a weapon in our battle
for the truth,
From all of Satan’s minions and every
lying youth.
Let your spirit speak to them in
something that’s unique.
The only way we’re certain that it’s
only truth we speak.
Jim Strickland – Written 5th January 2012
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