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   26 January 2022 Matthew 19:26.

26 Jan 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.

One more time around the block with the freezing temps! This Wednesday morning in late January it’s only about minus 12 Celsius. Not bad for a winter’s day, I’d say! (smile) Then there’s the mitigating factor of bright sunshine, so we’re not totally without hope. And when we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, then we’re filled with even more hope, not a worry on the horizon, because He washes away all our sins, our tears, our fears and foibles! Give Him some thanks and praise my brethren for the awesome help and hope He brings to those who truly believe in Him, and faithfully try to do His will!  

But yuh know, I personally prefer the cold, dry, bright weather, to the dark, damp, dreary cloudy type that just seeps into your very soul, dampens your spirit, and has you calling out even more urgently than usual to Jesus for help in handling it. (smile) And today is as good a day as any to remind ourselves of what Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) called ‘The Possibility Thinker’s Creed.’ Please pray with me: ‘When faced with a mountain, I will not quit. I will keep on striving until I climb over, find a pass through, tunnel underneath, or simply stay and turn the mountain into a gold mine – with God’s help!’ 

Yes friends, that’s how Possibility thinkers behave! That’s how those who believe in the biggest Possibility Thinker ever, Jesus Christ, live their lives; with a total sense of purpose, that has Him leading and guiding them, with no give up in their vocabulary, because give up doesn’t exist in Christ’s vocabulary! With Him, EVERYTHING, and ANYTHING is possible! Remember when He talked to the disciples about it being easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, and they were so amazed, wondering who then who could be saved? (Matt. 19:23-25) 

Then He spoke these memorable words: ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) Now my fellow believers, that’s something we should write indelibly in our hearts, souls and spirits; something we need to hold on to tightly, because that’s what gives us hope in the dark and troubled times. Certain things we want to happen might not happen, but once we believe that ALL things are possible with God, then we won’t give up or lose hope, because at any moment the Lord could reach out and touch us positively in our less than desired circumstances or situations. 

But if you don’t believe that God can do the impossible, then your hope will die as soon as all the man-made solutions are exhausted without a positive result. And long before Jesus ever came, the prophet Jeremiah begun praying thus for the safety and security of his people Israel: ‘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) 

That’s the gospel truth my faithful brethren! And we’ve lived to see it in so many instances, especially the most electrifying one, where the Lord God Almighty raised His crucified Son, Christ Jesus from the dead, with the awesome promise that those who believe in Him, will also see a marvellous day of resurrection in a wonderful time to come. It just takes believing, enduring, persevering, not giving up, and trying our best to do His will – and let’s not forget that He’s always there to help us! 

And we can go even further back to when the Lord promised that Sarah, Abraham’s wife would bear him, a son, an heir to his vast fortune, and Sarah laughed, though she later denied it, because she had been barren for so long, and was then in the downward spiral of her life, when that seemed impossible. And yuh better believe that raised the Lord’s ire, and He admonished Abraham, saying: ‘Is there 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) 

Yes my fellow saints, the Lord doesn’t take kindly to us doubting His promises. And to prove His awesome power, it wasn’t until some twenty-five years later, when Sarah was ninety, and Abraham one hundred, He fulfilled that promise, and Isaac was born to the supposed old folks! So please, let’s not ever doubt the power and might of our great God, we do so to our own detriment. And I like how, after Jeremiah’s prayer, the Good Book tells us: ‘Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh, is there any thing too hard for me?’ (Jer. 32:27) 

Oh my people, the Lord is LOVING and kind and all those wonderful things, but He certainly doesn’t take kindly to us doubting, or trying to take away His amazing power and glory. And I think He sent the definitive message on that through the prophet Isaiah, where He proclaims with the utmost certainty: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8) And all down through the ages, in His own way and time, He’s proven that, and will continue to do so until He finally destroys the wicked and creates the promised eternal home with Him as our light and God. (Rev. 21:3) 

Now it’s time for those of us who sincerely believe and sincerely try to do His will, to go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!  Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

Remember now, we are called on to endure, to persevere, and if we do, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So, let’s show Jesus’ awesome power to a disbelieving world by hanging in there steadfastly to the end nuh mih bredrin! Much LOVE!

…the One who created the universe and all therein…still is…and will always be in control of it… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   27 November 2021 Matthew 19:26.

27 Nov 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.

So what does Saturday have to say for itself eh? Nothing much nuh. Just a weary sigh, as it tries to recover from a rough work week. Unfortunately, that is made even more difficult when it looks outside and sees the sun and the dark clouds struggling to see who is going to rule the roost for the day. Ah Lord eh, it complains. It’s always a battle, always a struggle, always a fight to see who will rule. Why can’t we just live in simple peace and harmony eh? 

Then it sighs again, as the reality hits home. Apparently, that wasn’t meant to be until Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom. So, till then, like we have no choice but to keep up the good fight as we live for Jesus. And on Saturdays, we try to philosophize biblically (smile) on the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us in the past week as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. 

The first one says: ‘It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.’ And that’s fairly true. A bad, or ‘no can do’ attitude at the beginning of any task will just make it even more difficult than it is already. We have to inject some measure of positivity into our thinking if we even expect to accomplish the task, much less accomplish it with as little heartache as possible. 

That applies even more when you are a believer in Christ, because He has promised to strengthen and help you in everything you do, once it falls under His will. So, as a Christian, you must come to everything with a positive, I can do this though it seems difficult attitude, because your help comes from Christ, your Lord and Saviour, your Enabler. 

Meanwhile, the next quote tells us to ‘Limit your “always” and your “nevers.” Now that’s a very good idea. You know how we like to use those two words a lot; for example, we’ll ‘always do this or that,’ and we’ll ‘never do that or this.’ Well for our sake, it’s wise to cut down on the times we say always and never, since those absolute pronouncements have a habit of coming back to bite us in the butt, like a boomerang comes back to the one who throws it. And I can testify to that from personal experience, because in my younger years there were a couple of things I promised myself to never do, but, as life would have it, I ended up doing them. 

Then we come to this interesting quote. ‘What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.’ I believe that has a lot of truth to it, if your goals are worthwhile in the first place. That’s because to achieve your goal you have to work at it and while you are working you are also growing character wise. So, by the time you have reached your goal, you will be at a higher level of maturity than when you began. 

And growth in our earthly walk is as important a part of setting goals as achieving them. We have that picture laid out perfectly before us as believers, when we consider that we need to walk in the Spirit and at the same time, bear the fruit of the Spirit. Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Galatians. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.’ (Gal. 5:16-17) 

So friends, to achieve our goal of bearing good fruit, as Christ desires of us. ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) And what is the fruit of the Spirit that’s so important to us? 

Bruh Paul characterized it thus: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), Meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law… If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.’ (Gal. 5:22-23, 25) The goal is to bear good spiritual fruit, (those nine things listed above), but to do that we have to walk in the Spirit, and as we do both things, we will become more spiritually mature with each step we take. 

That brings us to this quote: ‘Believe you can and you’re halfway there.’ That’s oh so true, for without belief in the success of whatever you are planning to do, you will put a negative spin, or curse on it before you even begin. Jesus said it so often during His earthly sojourn. It’s a sister quote to the one we dealt with above:  ‘It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.’ Our prevailing attitude is always very important in whatever we do. With a good or positive attitude, we enhance the success of our project, while with a bad or negative attitude, we sort of jinx our project from the very start. 

Now here is our last quote, which says: ‘Nothing is impossible. The word itself says “I’m possible!” The play on the word ‘impossible’ is certainly interesting. But then again, as believers in Christ Jesus, we all know that nothing is impossible, because all things are possible with the Creator of the universe. 

Jesus Himself said so when talking to the disciples about it being easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. The Good Book tells us: ‘When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them and said unto them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:25-26) 

Oh my fellow saints, what a wonderful note to close on this cloudy Saturday morning. Please, let’s spend some time considering all the ramifications of that most encouraging statement. Much LOVE!

…Christians…the most optimistic people on planet earth…                                                                                                                                       

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 February 2015 Luke 1:37

21 Feb 2015 Leave a comment

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

Luke 1:37.       For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Well Friends it’s a bright and sunny Saturday in Paradise! However, the ole fella’s not so bright and sunny. I got up this morning feeling like I slept under the bed, (smile) just aching and under the weather. And I’ve been at a loss to understand why, because I was at home resting all day yesterday. I only went out in the evening to get something from the mall and buy some Chinese food. I was gone possibly about an hour at most.

So I can’t explain the unwelcome state of affairs. I even had to cut short my walk along the shoreline of the property this morning because the knees were acting up. So I just came back inside, took some pain medication, had breakfast, then went back to bed, and am only just getting up. And that’s why the Bit is this late.

I’m still not up feeling up to scratch, but God’s work has to be done, and I know that through His wonderful grace He will guide and enable me to write something sensible in His name. What a wonderful God we serve and worship my people! I can’t even begin to sing His praises and His goodness to the undeserving children of men.

Oh Friends, the best thing a human being can ever do is to surrender to Almighty God’s will, put their total trust and faith in Him, because He is the only Being who can truly help us with anything at all, in any kind of situation.

And we’ll go forward with a quote of a couple days ago from my Friend Anselm, Inspiring You For A Better Tomorrow  ‘A good life is when you assume nothing, do more, need less, smile often, dream big, laugh a lot, and realize how blessed you are.’

That’s ever so true my brethren! In other words we don’t let the cares of the world drive us under, but actually put Bruh Paul’s dictum of being content in whatever state we’re in, and putting God First in our lives. That’s the only way we can successfully do what Anselm advises!

And today Friends, we offer you two for the price of one! (smile) Here’s another bit of encouragement from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from His Hour of Power Devotional. Gramps says with wholehearted gratitude and appreciation.

‘Thank you, Father, for the beautiful surprises you are planning for me today. So often in my life, when it looked like the day would be dismal, depressing and dark, an unexpected burst of golden sunshine exploded through a black cloud sending inspiring shafts of warm, beautiful sunshine into my life. Father, it is happening now! I can already feel the power of your LOVE, through Christ my Lord. Amen.’

Oh Friends, are you feeling the power of God’s LOVE coming – no, not simply coming, but bursting through whatever dark cloud is in your life, in the form of bright and beautiful sunshine that is Jesus? I can surely feel it in mine, as I write here, for my mind is now focused on Almighty God, His Word and His Will, not the aches and pains of my body or the worldly cares that surround my life.

That’s the only sensible and successfully way to live my brethren; enveloped in the LOVE of our Creator and heavenly Father, our Controller and Provider. And that is so wonderfully underlined by our Bit: ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’

Gospel truth that my people! And in light of what we’ve just said, that is an entirely logical conclusion, for the creator is usually the controller. When we create things, we’re usually able to control them. So why should we expect anything less from our omnipotent God eh? No reason whatsoever my fellow believers!

And you remember when that rich young man came to Jesus seeking the way to eternal life and Jesus told him to sell all his possessions, give the resulting profits to the poor, them come and follow Him? Well the young man went away sad and downcast because he owned a lot of worldly possessions and he couldn’t conceive of selling it all and giving the rewards to the poor.

That led Jesus to make comments like: ‘Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 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.19:23-24)

Those statements obviously shocked the disciples, because back then, and even now too, it was thought that the rich were blessed of God and thus saved. But Jesus put that notion to rest with His words. And when the disciples wondered out loud about who could then be saved, Jesus declared: ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt.19:26)

Now note that there was no hesitation or doubt in Jesus’ statement, since He knew for a fact that the Godhead, the Holy Trinity, of which He was a substantial part, could do anything and everything; even squeeze a camel through the eye of a needle. So though it was difficult for a rich person to enter heaven, the Most High God could accomplish it, if He so desired.

Now that doesn’t mean that if you’re rich you won’t go to heaven. It all depends on how you acquired your riches and what you do with them, as well as the state of your heart towards Jesus. But all the riches in the world won’t get you into heaven unless you sincerely believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour!

And we’ll end with a most appropriate scripture that shows exactly how our belief system enables and empowers us in this evil and ungodly world. It focuses on our spiritual father Abraham, after the Lord promised him a child of his loins in his old age.

The Good Book relates it thus: ‘He staggered (wavered) not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded (convinced) that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.’ (Rom.4:20-22)

Yes Friends, it’s all about belief! And now that we have much more information about, and have seen the many mighty works of Almighty God, much more than Abraham ever did, we ought to believe much easier than we actually do. But that’s the choice each individual must make. Remember, our eternal life depends on it.

So let’s be wise and get on God’s right side before it’s too late nuh, because the son of Man can come in His glory at any time, and once He comes, then it will be too late to hang on to His coattails. Much LOVE!

…despite the many major developments of human beings…still, no man can work miracles in his own strength…only the power of Almighty God flowing through him…makes it possible…