Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 November 2022 Matthew 7:7.

12 Nov 2022 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 7:7.       Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

So, after our holiday Remembrance Friday, we come to lazy Saturday. And I’m sure many of us are glad that it’s Saturday since we had a rollicking good time yesterday. And why not, with no work and a long weekend ahead? But friends, let’s remember that too much of a good thing stops being good after a while, and can instead turn disastrously bad. And that applies to partying more than many other things. So, as we’ve recently said, it’s best to let Bruh Paul and Jeeves’ advice control our behaviour. The first says, moderation in all things; the second speaks of a modicum of circumspection in all we do. 

And we ought to get that fixed permanently in our souls, because today’s world is one of excess, we overdo everything, take everything to the limit. But that’s a certain formula for trouble. We therefore need to curtail some of our overboard behaviour, if we desire to stay out of trouble. End of Sermon! (smile) 

Now 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: ‘A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want.’ Oh, the basic idea might have some truth to it, but nowadays people aren’t afraid to say what they want. I think it’s the exact opposite; they are too quick and bold-faced to say what they want, and even what they are entitled to, because we live in a society that preaches entitlement instead of responsibility. 

But nonetheless, ofttimes we don’t get what we want, because we don’t ask for it. Jesus said to ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) And Jesus doesn’t lie, but there’s one moderator to those statements. You obviously have to be a born-again believer in Christ, but above all, you must ask what’s in the Father’s will. And James further enlightens us, that, ‘Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.’ (James 4:3) Now that’s no lie, since it’s what so many of us really do. 

Anyway, what Jesus is doing there is emphasizing the importance of prayer, which includes asking and getting answers from God. However, as the scholars inform us, ‘prayer is more than just asking; it is confession, adoration, thanksgiving, and fellowshipping with God. By its nature, prayer is talking with God. It is the basis of the successful Christian life, and is so important that not praying is considered a sin (1 Sam. 12:23). Illustration: Jesus pointed out that God heard the prayer of a humble publican (tax-collector) rather than that of a proud Pharisee (Luke 18:14). 

Application: God will answer our prayer when we obey Him (1 John 3:22), confess sin (Ps. 66:18), abide in Christ (John 15:7), ask according to the will of God (1 John 5:14), ask in faith (Mark 11:24), have pure motives (James 4:3), and live peaceably with our mate (1 Pet. 3:7).’ Oh my fellow believers, you see all the things that fall under the simple terms of asking, seeking and knocking! (smile) You’ve a lot of scriptures to look up today, and you can’t claim to not have time, because it’s lazy Saturday, and laziness here doesn’t mean not opening your Bible Library. (smile) I just did, and those reference scriptures are all spot on! 

That brings us to this quote. ‘Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.’ And that’s the gospel truth! Because the only perfect person is, was, and always will be Jesus Christ. And I don’t like the words chase or catch in that sentence, because they seem to give it a sense of rushing and trying to catch something unattainable, when excellence doesn’t need to be chased or caught. It needs to be worked towards and achieved. It’s a continual process, not a hurried action. 

And though Jesus doesn’t expect us to be perfect, since we were not created to be such, He does expect us to be excellent, and to be thus, requires diligence; that’s patience, hard-work, perseverance, strong faith and belief. So, excellence is an integral aspect of working for Jesus. That leads us to this next quote: ‘You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.’ Now that’s somewhat of a laugh, because since we are not perfect, it’s highly unlikely that nothing is impossible in our own strength. 

But there’s one to whom NOTHING is impossible, that’s Jesus Christ! And if we hook up with Him, then, and only then will all things be possible through us. Remember when Jesus spoke to the disciples about a camel passing through a needle’s eye? He told them: ‘With men this is impossible; but with God ALL things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) And that’s the truth in spades my brethren! With our Creator, ALL things are possible, and until we sincerely and truly believe that, we will not see the miracles and the goodness and mercies He wants to do in our lives. 

Then this last quote tells us: ‘When we let fear be our master, we cannot be happy and free as a butterfly. But when we choose to trust the journey and embrace LOVE and joy, we are free to fly.’ Now that is quite true, but the problem is how do we trust the journey and embrace LOVE and joy? And the answer is, ONLY in sincere belief and trust, full surrender to Jesus Christ! Yes, friends, that’s the only way we can ever be free to fly like a butterfly! Remember what the scriptures say in Nehemiah? ‘For the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) 

So, without the joy found in the Lord, you cannot have a strong spiritual life. And you can only get the joy of the Lord through Jesus Christ, for He made that quite clear, when He proclaimed: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) That tells us in no uncertain terms that if we want to fly free like a butterfly, we need to put our trust in Jesus, for Hs is the epitome, the personification of JOY and LOVE! You cannot get those two things in this evil and fallen world without having Jesus as the Lord and Master, the Leader, Provider and Guide of your life! 

That says it all my fellow saints. So please, let’s go out today and live for Jesus nuh. Our world is quickly and sadly falling apart and He’s expecting, trusting us to try and keep it together until He returns. Let’s not disappoint Him. Much LOVE!

…only in Jesus…can we be perfect… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 June 2020 Luke 9:23.

27 Jun 2020 Leave a comment

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

Luke 9:23.    ​If any man will (desires to) come after (follow) me, let him deny himself and take up his cross DAILY, and follow me.
 

Well thank the Lord, some early morning showers of blessings graced the parched earth in my area! And I’m sure the earth was mighty thankful for them because it has been a few dry and hot days since they were last watered. And now the earth looks nice and clean as the reflection of the shining sun sparkles the drops of water on the green leaves and green blades of grass. 

Oh friends, there’s nothing like being cleansed; and that in body, spirit, mind and soul, for it cleans, refreshes and brings a new perspective to our thinking, to our way of life!  That’s why Bruh David pleaded with God in his prayer for cleansing: ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps. 51:10) 

So let’s all send that prayer heavenward this bright, clean and beautiful Saturday morning nuh, as we take a gander at the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week, in his sincere aspiration to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first quote states: ‘Whether it’s forced or invited, change is inevitable.’ And that’s gospel truth my people! There are only three things in this world we’re very sure about; death, taxes and change! And the comforting thing about them all, (smile) is that they all often come at some unforeseen and unbidden times.

 But change is a must, if the human race expects to survive. And we’re going through such a time right now with the double situations of the Covid-virus pandemic and the protests in streets all over the world. Things are going to change before those two babies are put to bed, that’s for sure! And this next quote falls in line with what we’ve just been talking about. I also like its expansiveness. (smile) ‘The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.’ 

Now that might boggle some of our minds, but it really is true. And right now we’re seeing the perfect example of it; sickness all over the world and protests all over the world. Those things are not relegated to small pockets of our world, but the entire universe, where much change, much improvement is certainly needed! And when it’s all over, the entire earth will have effected some change(s) be they large or small, but hopefully good and necessary. 

Yes, nowadays, the whole world is our playground; it is indeed a global village, where most things affect everybody in every part of it. For example, even the dust from the Sahara Desert, thousands of miles away, is currently affecting the citizens of Jamaica. It’s really a small, small world! 

Now the next quote is especially significant to the Christian believer. ‘Don’t say it cannot be done, rather say, you don’t know how to do it yet.’ And I say that, not only because it’s a useful way to view life, but with Christ as Lord of our lives, there’s nothing we cannot do, since all things are possible with Him, because He is God incarnate. And remember, He strengthens us to do whatever He requires us to do. That leads us to this quote, a rather interesting one, and one that’s also significant to the believer. (smile) 

‘Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.’ And isn’t that the living truth friends? It surely is! And it’s also what Christ expects from His followers; steadfast diligence that nurtures an attitude of excellence. We know that we can’t be perfect, but if keep reaching for high levels, levels of excellence in all that we do, we will get as close to perfection as an imperfect being can get, and that’s what Jesus desires of us. But this last quote is the champion, (smile) and is again especially significant to believers in Christ Jesus. ‘If you believe in a cause, be willing to stand up for that cause with a million people or by yourself.’ 

Yes people, standing up for whatever we believe in is extremely important, whether it’s with a throng of millions, or by ourselves! If we don’t do that, then it says that we don’t truly believe what we profess. And standing up for our beliefs is NEVER easy, not even with millions involved, like the worldwide protests we’re now experiencing.  So you can imagine how difficult it can be when you’re standing up by yourself. But standing up is what we must always do, especially as faithful saints of Christ. 

And in these trying and troubling times it is even more important than ever for us to stand up for what we believe in, namely the gospel, the good news of Christ and His kingdom, which is at hand. This is a significant moment in time when the Lord our God is calling mankind to repent and return to His fold, and we are the workers on whom He is depending to get that job done. Remember Jesus words to His disciples when He saw the multitude that needed saving. ‘The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few: Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.’ (Matt. 9:37) 

Well friends, the good news is that we Christians are the labourers that the Lord is sending forth to reap the harvest of an unsaved and evil world. And no, it’s not easy, but I guess it’s time to remind us of the terms of discipleship which we agreed to. ‘If any man will (desires to) come after (follow) me, let him deny himself and take up his cross DAILY, and follow me.’ Now do you remember agreeing to that? If you consider yourself a follower of Christ, then you either explicitly or implicitly agreed to it. And you can’t complain that you didn’t read the fine print. (smile) Ignorance is no excuse!  

I’d also like to emphasize the point that taking up one’s cross and following Jesus is a DAILY exercise, not a once in a while, an occasional thing, as so many of us supposed Christians believe and do. Every day we need to get up and be counted; like soldiers, be prepared to stand our ground on matters of principle, in unity, on the true foundation of God’s Word which is our guidebook and lifeline. That is the only way Christ’s church will ever be successful! 

So let’s take some time today to ponder our walk with Christ nuh; let’s check out whether we’re really taking up our crosses DAILY and following Him, then, with the Lord’s help, make whatever changes are necessary. Much LOVE!

…stand up, stand up for Jesus…the trumpet calls obey…