SCRIP-BITS

Oh Friends, it seems that ole man winter is finally catching up to us with cold temps and flurries of snow in my neck of the woods. But that’s okay, we’ll ride it out like we always do because of our faith, hope, trust and surrender to Almighty God. We know He’s a good God, who will never leave nor forsake us, and will work out all things in His people’s favour eventually, so bring on the winter! And I hear a lot of ‘Steups’ and ‘Chuhs’ in the background from our readers in the northern climes, wondering if I’m crazy. (smile) Who knows? I just might be. But here’s an interesting quote taken from Real Estate Agent, Rob Kelly’s Christmas pamphlet. The quote’s attributed to Terri Guillemets, and it says: ‘The colour of springtime is in the flowers, the colour of winter is in the imagination.’ And that’s so true Friends, because in winter the land is mostly white, covered with snow, or simply dark and harsh, with only drab, dead colours. Thus to spruce it up some, we have to use our imaginations, fool ourselves into thinking it’s so beautiful, otherwise the drabness and/or the total whiteness will drive us crazy. Now today’s Bit is something we all know, but don’t truly believe, else we’d put it into practice more often. ‘And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.’ He had just told His listeners that ‘It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’ (Mark 10:25) Obviously they were all astonished and wondered who then could enter heaven. But our focus today is not on getting into heaven, but on all things being possible with God. And that’s because, as I said earlier, though we might think and talk it, deep down we don’t believe it, otherwise many of our decisions and actions would be entirely different. So let’s look at some scriptures that enhance or prove Jesus’ statement. And we’ll start way back when, with God promising Abraham and Sarah a son in their old age. Sarah laughed and Abraham, that man of great faith, was rather dubious. Hence the Lord’s admonition: ‘Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.’ (Gen.18:14) And when the time was ripe, Sarah, in her nineties, and Abraham, at one hundred, did have a son, Isaac, just as the Lord promised. (Gen.21) And if we turn to 2 Kings 19, when the Assyrians were threatening to overrun Judah, King Hezekiah made sincere obeisance to God. ‘And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubim, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth…Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.’ (2 Kin.19:14,19) And what happened? The Lord sent Isaiah to talk to him, promising to defend Judah. And so said, so done! During the night the angel of the Lord smote the Assyrians. (2 Kin.19:34-36) Isaiah himself famously proclaimed: ‘Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is.40:28-31) And why is that my people? Because our God is a great God, who can do all things! He made the heavens, the earth, and all therein and still controls everything that takes place in and around them, therefore nothing’s impossible to Him. Please let us believe that with all our heart, soul, body and mind, and also diligently act upon it, otherwise our faith will be seriously limited.  As Bruh Paul reassuringly declared: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:13) And that’s the gospel truth my people! More on this tomorrow, if we live to see another blessed day. Till then, please let’s LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith, and SPREAD His Word, as is our bounden duty. Much LOVE!…there’s only ONE God…who made everything…and can do anything…remember that…