Today’s Scrip-Bit   3 December 2022 Matthew 19:26.

03 Dec 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 19:26.        With men this is impossible; but with God ALL things are possible.

And is there ever good reason for today to be called a lazy day Saturday! Oh yes! The rain’s falling, the wind’s blowing, it’s dark, cloudy and fairly chilly! Great reasons all for staying in bed under the covers, just dozing in and out of consciousness, or lounging on the couch, mindlessly watching the boob-tube! (smile) 

Well, I’ve already done what lazing I could safely get away with, but unfortunately reality intervened, as it always does, letting me know that the Lord’s work was waiting to be done. And like the obedient follower I try to be, (smile) here I am considering, obviously with the Lord’s help, what to write about the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. 

And the first quote says: ‘I dwell in possibility.’ Now that’s definitely a good place to dwell because it opens a much wider variety of possibilities than if one dwelt in impossibility. (smile) But then, the question needs to be asked how much is really possible in man’s strength alone? And the answer comes, not a whole lot! However, when one has joined forces with the Lord God of the universe through His most august Son, Jesus Christ, then a whole new realm of possibility opens up to you. 

And how is that you ask? Well, it stems from Jesus’ conversation with His disciples about it being easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. Then He made this overwhelming, but ever so true statement: ‘With men this is impossible; but with God ALL things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) And that statement is totally supported by God’s creation of the universe and all therein, and His total control of everything and everyone that exists in it. That’s why it’s ever so important to stay in God’s good graces if one wants to have unlimited possibilities in this life. 

That brings us to this next interesting quote. ‘Inspiration comes from within yourself. One has to be positive. When you’re positive, good things happen.’ Now, there’s a lot of truth in those statements, but not the entire truth. First off, not all inspiration comes from within oneself because we can be inspired by things, places and people outside of ourselves. Although, in a way, you can argue that for that outside inspiration to move you, it must first get into you spirit, therefore the inspiration came from within. (smile) 

Yes, I am trying to be the devil’s advocate. And being positive is wisdom of the highest order, although it’s not only good things that happen when you have a positive mindset, but certainly more good things happen than bad when you are positively inclined. But in all of our positivity friends, we still need Jesus to get us through the storms of life that will bombard us, for He is the ONLY ONE who can calm storms and/or lead us safely through them. And He ALONE gives us the strength, energy, hope and faith to withstand whatever comes against in this world filled with tribulation. 

Remember His words of sincere and faithful assurance. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! Jesus by His death, resurrection and ascension has defeated the powers of darkness, took away the keys to Hades from Satan and set us captives of sin free. And Jesus corroborates that earlier on, when He says: ‘If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.’ (John 8:36)  

Now that’s why Bruh Paul could pen these marvellous words of encouragement to the church at Philippi after receiving a gift from them. ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:11-13) 

Yes friends, Bruh Paul was saying that though he appreciated their gift, he had learned to be content in whatever state he found himself. And that comes from his relationship with Christ, who through His spiritual strength and encouragement enables Bruh Paul to adapt to whatever circumstances he’s currently facing. And Christ will do the same thing for us if we put our sincere trust and faith in Him. 

That leads us to this next quote: ‘You do not find the happy life. You make it.’ And that’s no lie. Happiness doesn’t just fall from the sky on us, we have to do certain things to become happy and to stay happy, for happiness can be a very fleeting thing, based so much on our circumstances of the moment. The first thing to understand is that we need to make ourselves happy. Even if we are showered with all the wealth and power in the world, we still have to decide to be happy. 

And the next point is that we cannot depend on any one person for all of our happiness. It’s just not possible because of the way human relationships can be very topsy-turvy; fine one moment, then in total disarray the next. That’s why we believers in Christ Jesus talk about joy rather than happiness, because joy is something that’s deep-seated and stable and doesn’t change from one minute to the next. With Jesus as your Lord and Saviour you can go through tough times and still be joyful. That’s why Bruh Paul said he could handle any situation with Jesus in his life. That’s why the Bible tells us: ‘the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) Christ Jesus empowers us! 

And that’s nowhere more evident than in this last quote. ‘I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.’ Yes, whichever ball player said those words knew the secret of success; never give up. Just keep on trying. And failure is never failure until you stop trying. As Cousin Sol writes in Proverbs: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity). (Prov. 24:16) 

Yes, my fellow saints, the righteous man, the one who has Jesus as his guide and leader never gives up because in Jesus’ kingdom there’s no giving up, the word failure doesn’t exist! No matter how many times he may fail, with Jesus’ help, he gets back up again and keeps on trying until he succeeds! And that’s a very valuable lesson we badly need to renew in our souls and spirits this lazy Saturday morning. 

Why? Because in these recent times of much confusion and uncertainty, the body of Christ, His church, has been very frail and fragile, beset by way too much doubt, fear and lethargy. We have not been strong and steadfast as we were expected to be. But now it’s time for the body of Christ to rise up and show this evil world the true qualities of Christ, as we boldly shine our lights and spread our saltiness all over this turbulent globe! Much LOVE!

…I can do anything…that Christ asks of me… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ       

Today’s Scrip-Bit   9 July 2022 Matthew 19:26.

09 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 19:26.       With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Greetings my Scrip-Bit friends and family on this cool but sunshiny Saturday in early July. It’s our lazy day at last. And believe me, was I ever tempted to be lazy. (smile) Could have gotten up long ago because I went to bed at a rather early hour last night, an early hour for me that is, and stayed in bed all night. Consequently, it wasn’t easy getting out of bed because with that long amount of rest the ole back was obviously acting up. As they say, you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t! If I don’t lie down long enough, I don’t get sufficient rest, but if I lie down too long, my back acts up. 

Anyway, the Lord’s work had to be done, so here I am, obediently doing it, aching back and all. (smile) And, as always, on a Saturday we look at the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us in the week past, as he aspires to inspires us for a better tomorrow, and see how they interact with our Christian agenda. 

And the first one says: ‘There are far better things ahead than anything we leave behind.’ And that’s a wonderful truth friends, if you are a true believer in Christ, because with Him, your best days are always out ahead of you. Yes, when we come to Christ, we become new creations, are reconciled to God, and all the old sinful and ungodly things of our previous life are left behind, everything becomes new in Christ and we have a much better day to look forward to. (2 Cor. 5:17-18) 

Now that doesn’t mean that all our problems will just vanish into thin air, it’s possible that we might have even more and greater problems, because with greater responsibility comes greater problems, but we will be able to handle it all better through the help of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Before we come to Christ there is no true help, just Satan trying to drag us down with him, but when Christ enters our lives… oh my people, there is help everlasting! Remember God’s promise through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). (Jer. 29:11) 

The next quote tells us: ‘Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.’ And that’s very good advice, but we have to put it into our Christian context. That means first of all, as Bruh Paul said to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 5:7) So, with Christ in your life, fears don’t bog you down like they did before. 

However, those dreams must now also become aligned with the will for Christ in your new life. Here’s how Bruh David puts it in Psalm 37. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:4-5) Unfortunately, when we come to Christ, we must wait on His timing, which isn’t always easy to do, and also do the things that He desires of us. 

Now, I can tell you from personal experience that He will bring many of your heart’s desires to pass, once they align with His will for your life. I’ve wanted to do a lot of things in this life and faithfully, many times unexpectedly, He has allowed me to do them, though not always to the extent that I’ve desired. But my greatest desires are still out ahead of me, and I do hope that they will align with God’s will for my life, because I would be truly disappointed if some of those never came to fruition. 

But He’s the Boss, and I can only do what He allows. And the good thing is that I’m not worried, a tad concerned yes, (smile) because most of what I want to do is for His greater glory, so why wouldn’t He allow me to do them eh? That’s why you need plenty trust and faith. However, that kind of blind faith and trust don’t come overnight, but only with experience in God’s wonderful grace and mercy. 

Meanwhile, the next quote declares: ‘The only place where your dreams become impossible is in your own thinking.’ Now that might sound sort of contrary because we usually consider our minds to be the only place that all our dreams are possible. But I believe the quote is saying we are the ones who limit our dreams by our limited thinking. And if you are a true believer in Christ, you’ll know that nothing is impossible with Him. As He said to the disciples when they were amazed at His statement that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) 

And, unfortunately, when we limit our thinking, we also limit the power of God in our lives. For remember what Jesus said earlier on to the disciples. ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible to you.’ (Matt. 17:20) So, once we are in Christ, it’s essential to believe that all things are possible through Him who strengthens us. 

But then too, like the following quote advises: ‘You have to train your brain to be positive just like you work out your body.’ And that’s the gospel truth! We don’t get powerful and positive minds by simply believing in Christ. No, we have to train our minds, just like we train our bodies. And how do we do that? As believers we need to read and meditate on God’s Word, His Guidebook for Life, the Bible. Then talk to God through prayer, while listening to and obeying the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit that indwells all believers to lead and guide us in the right way, and also fellowshipping with other believers. 

Like everything else, we only grow through practice and experience…and it all takes time. So, please don’t be discouraged if you find yourself floundering, keep keeping on, because there is no giving up when you are in Christ. That brings us to our last quote: ‘You need to be able to manage stress because hard times will come, and a positive outlook is what gets you through.’ The first part is true, trials and tribulation will come, but a positive outlook ALONE, will not get you through. A positive outlook with Christ in your life is what will get you through! 

Please note the many people with only positive outlooks who didn’t get through the recent pandemic – sorry, it’s not done yet – the current pandemic, because it takes more than just a positive outlook. It takes strong belief, faith, trust and surrender to the power that’s greater than us, the power that created and controls the universe and all therein, and that’s Almighty God! That’s the backdrop, the foundation you need for your positive outlook! Much LOVE!

…only in Christ Jesus…will you find all that you need for living this life…as well as the next… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8​        

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 June 2022 Matthew 19:26.

04 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 19:26.        With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Oh mih people, our friend, lazy Saturday, is with us again. Thanks be to God! (smile) And Saturdays are important to our way of life because it gives us a chance to wind down from the exhaustive work week that most of us endure, with the endless running around to get to the babysitters and then to work on time, through traffic jams morning and evening. And the rushing about does take a toll on all our faculties; mental, physical and emotional. So, Saturday comes along like a breath of fresh, clean spring air, where we don’t need to rush out, and can mostly relax and ever so gratefully say ‘Thank the Lord! Blessed be His glorious Name!’ 

Now, having raised our hats to Saturday, (smile) let’s see what quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one says that ‘Positive anything is better than negative nothing.’ And I don’t think we can really find fault with that sentiment because positivity is always better than negativity. For even in times of negativity, in sad or unfortunate circumstances that we don’t cause or control, like the pandemic and unrest in our streets that we’ve been recently experiencing, it’s the positive thoughts and attitudes that help us to get through them in one piece. 

But to be positive about anything means that you must have a strong foundation, and an assured reason for that positive mindset. That’s why doubters are very seldom positive, they are unable to constantly visualize a good outcome. I guess we can liken positivity to our Christian faith, because that’s what it’s based on; the positive, reassuring and encouraging and solid foundation of Christ Jesus. As the Good Book tells us: ‘Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1) 

Yes friends, we are positive and have faith in Jesus although we’ve never seen Him in the flesh, but we’ve heard enough about Him and His marvellous works and have enough personal experience to know that He is faithful and true and that we can believe wholeheartedly in Him. So being positive is a good thing, because it usually draws positive stuff to you, but the best positive situation we can ever come into is belief and faith in Jesus Christ. 

Then the next quote solemnly declares: ‘Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.’ And that’s oh so true, because we can never accomplish anything until we take action, get moving with whatever it is we hope to accomplish. It’s like the saying; ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained.’ If you don’t get up off your fanny and begin working on your project, it will never be accomplished. 

The first thought should always be, ‘let’s do this, let me try,’ because it’s only your actual action or trying that will even get it started, much less accomplished. And the second thought should be, ‘I can do this!’ That positive mindset is necessary to stir up your passion and enthusiasm. And if you’re a Christian, then even better, you can say: ‘I can do this through Christ who strengthens me!’ Yes my fellow believers, we can do anything that’s within Christ’s will for us. 

And I think I might have gotten ahead of myself here, (smile) because the next quote deals with exactly what we just said. ‘Virtually nothing is impossible in this world if you just put your mind to it and maintain a positive attitude.’ There is one drawback to that quote though, it leaves Jesus out of the situation, and only if Jesus is involved is ALL things possible. There are some things you can put your mind to as much as possible and maintain as much of a positive attitude as you desire, but you still won’t do them, unless you are focused on Jesus, because it’s only through HIM, that ALL things are possible! 

As He said in Matthew 19, in answer to the disciples’ amazement, when talking to them about the difficulty of a rich person entering heaven, comparing it to a camel going through the eye of a needle. ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) And so it should be if God is the Creator and Controller of the universe! And if He is as omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present as we claim, then nothing should be impossible to Him! 

And just for our info, the prophet Jeremiah said it in his prayer, long before Jesus did. ‘Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard (difficult) for thee.’ (Jer. 32:17) And whether we believe it or not,  that’s the gospel truth my people! (smile) 

That brings us to the last quote for today, which wisely advises: ‘My dear friend, clear your mind of can’t.’ Yes mih bredrin, that’s indeed wise advice, especially if you are a believer in Christ Jesus, for remember what we just said, ‘All things are possible to and through Christ!’ But even if you are not a believer, you definitely don’t need the word ‘can’t’ in your vocabulary because it just wreaks of negativity and automatically introduces that negative tendency, that tendency to doubt, to be anxious and not believe that you can do what you are contemplating, or handle the situation before you. 

And once that negative connection of doubt is introduced, it begins eating up your passion and enthusiasm and your assurance that you are able. And without that positive thought, ‘I am well able,’ your ability to accomplish whatever it is will be compromised, because that terrible word ‘can’t’ has brought in thoughts of possible failure instead of success. 

And just one more thought before we go on this glorious, sunshiny but somewhat cool Saturday morning. (smile) Let’s all remember that failure is never failure, failure is never accomplished until we stop trying. So, the thought for today is to always keep on keeping on, to get back up every time you fall, never stop trying, for when you stop trying, that’s when you die, both spiritually and emotionally, and eventually physically! Much LOVE!

…life was meant to be lived positively…and you can’t get any more positive than…living for Christ…  

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8​       

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 July 2021 Matthew 19:26.

31 Jul 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 19:26.      With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Welcome to laziness day – Saturday! Yes, after a hard work week of slogging back and forth in the rush hour traffic, many of us just want to sleep in and get up leisurely, under our own steam, not to the maddening cry of some alarm clock or radio, as happens five days a week.

Now that was the pre-pandemic picture, but what’s happened or is currently happening eh? Are we seeing a different, or new normal? Many of us had no jobs to go to during the raging storm of the virus, so we got accustomed to sleeping in late several days of the week.

But since the lifting of most of the tougher lockdown regulations, some of us have gone back to the nine to five routine. I wonder how we are handling it, after all that free time at home? It must be taking some getting used to. (smile) It’s surprising how habits formed over many years, can be unlearned or cast aside in a short space of time. And how difficult it can be to relearn them. But fear not! We are the children of the Most High God Jehovah, that means we can do anything that’s within His will, for nothing is impossible to Him! All glory to God! 

That brings us to Jesus’ interaction with the rich young ruler who came seeking eternal life. When Jesus told him to keep the commandments, he said he was already doing that, but figured he lacked something. (Matt. 19:16-20) ‘Jesus then said unto him, If thou wilt be (want to be) perfect, go and sell (all) that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.’ (Matt. 19:21) 

Now that must have been like a powerful punch to the gut of the young man. For the Good Book continues: ‘But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.’ (Matt. 19:22) And many of us supposed believers scoff at the young man, but in his position all of us would have felt the same way, because it is indeed difficult to give up wealth. But Jesus was trying to show the man that although he did the outward duties, there was a problem with his inner nature. 

Yes friends, the worldly concern with wealth seriously affects our relationship with God. As Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy. ‘For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds of) evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Tim, 6:10) And is that ever the living truth my brethren! 

Money and wealth or material possessions in themselves are not terrible, but it’s the insatiable LOVE for them that gets us into trouble. So much so that our greed is usually our downfall. When we strive after the riches of this world, we usually end up in trouble, for they do not allow us to take God seriously or move in the direction of His august and awesome plan for our lives. 

No wonder Jesus made these eye-opening statements to the disciples. ‘Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 19:23) Meaning that it was, or is hard, extremely difficult, for a rich man to enter heaven. And the disciples most likely looked at Christ in amazement, with their tongues hanging out of their mouths, for back then it was generally understood that it was the rich who got to heaven easily because they were blessed by God and in some sense, automatically saved. 

But Jesus corrected that misunderstanding by telling them that it was very hard for the rich to be converted, born again and be saved, because of their innate affection for their material wealth, though it was not altogether hopeless. That led Him to make this statement which has caused controversy from the time He spoke it until now. ‘And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’ (Matt. 19:24) 

Mama Yo! What a statement! And ‘When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?’ (Matt. 19:25) Now that’s a very good question my brethren? But let’s focus for a moment on what Jesus meant when He said those controversial words. 

The scholars tell us thus: ‘The illustration of a camel going through the eye of a needle has been interpreted as a camel-hair rope going through a needle; or an actual camel squeezing through a small gate, in particular, the one called “The Eye of the Needle” next to the main gate at Jerusalem, or the absolute impossibility of a literal camel actually going through a tiny needle’s eye. This last usage is most likely.’ 

And, considering Jesus’ next pronouncement, that seems to make sense. ‘But Jesus beheld them (the disciples), and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) I guess He was trying to bring home to them, to open up their young minds to the true and awesome power that their God possessed. So powerful was He, that He could even make a large unwieldly and ungainly camel go through the small eye of a needle. And believe me friends, our God can do it! And until we truly believe that He has such awesome power, we will continue to sell Him, and consequently our faith and ourselves short! 

Oh precious people, if God could create this magnificent universe and all therein, then make Jesus come down to earth, be born of a virgin, with no man’s help, then do all kinds of miracles while being sinless here on earth. And eventually sacrifice His sinless life on the cross for us, pay for our sins and reconcile us to Himself, then have Him ascend back into heaven, and send His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, to lead and guide us, why can’t He do such a simple thing as make a camel go through the eye of a needle eh? (smile) 

Seriously though friends, in light of all we have heard and seen our God do, we still don’t believe His omnipotence as we ought to. I guess that’s because of our small, finite minds, they are simply unable to grasp the true magnitude of our great God. But please, let’s keep on trying. The worst thing we could ever do is to stop believing in Him, to give up on Him. Much LOVE!

..our God can do…whatever needs to be done…or undone…because He is the eternal Creator…                                  

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8