Today’s Scrip-Bit   14 March 2024 Matthew 19:26.

14 Mar 2024 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 friends, it’s Thursday, but unfortunately there’s no bright sunshine, only cloudy skies. However, the sun hasn’t given up, you can see it fighting a valiant battle against the dark clouds, and we might yet see it shining in all its glory later on in the day. For anything is possible when we have our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father running things! (smile) So don’t give up hope, don’t ever give up hope if Jesus is in your heart, for with Him in the lead, ALL things are indeed possible! 

And not surprisingly, all through the Bible there are scriptures pertaining to that fact, with one of the best examples occurring after Jesus told the rich young man who wanted to be a disciple, to go and sell all his possessions and come back and follow Him. The young man went away sad for he was very wealthy. That led Jesus to say to the disciples: ‘Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly (it is hard for a rich man) to 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) 

On hearing that, the disciples were  amazed, and wondered who then could get into heaven, for at that time it was commonly understood that the rich were blessed and had a place reserved for them in heaven. But Jesus was obviously trying to correct that misunderstanding, by saying that it was extremely difficult, but not completely hopeless for a rich man to enter heaven. And as per the saying that it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven; the scholars explain. ‘That has been interpreted as a camel-hair rope going through a needle; or an actual camel squeezing through a small gate, “The Eye of the Needle,” next to the main gate of Jerusalem; or the absolute impossibility of a literal camel actually going through a tiny needle’s eye. This last usage is most likely.’ 

Consequently, the disciples in total amazement, asked, ‘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) Now, as true believers in Christ, we ought to have those memorable words indelibly written in our hearts and souls never to be removed; but always there to give us confidence in our great God, even in the most dire of situations. And since we said that there several other places in the Bible where God’s omnipotence was either questioned or proclaimed, let’s look at a few of those instances nuh. 

So, going right back to the earliest times, we have the Lord’s angel saying to Abraham that a child will be born to him and Sarah in their old age. But Sarah laughed because it was considered impossible to have a child at her advanced age. ‘And the Lord said unto Abraham, wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing 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. 18:13-14) Yes friends, Sarah’s unbelief made the Lord testy. (smile) And I’m wondering here if it wasn’t because of Sarah’s laughter and unbelief, that the Lord actually waited so long to fulfill the promise, some twenty five years later, when Sarah was ninety and Abraham one hundred, just to show His awesome power. Who knows? 

Then there’s this instance in Numbers 11, where the Lord promised that the Israelites who were clamouring for meat, would have so much meat: ‘That ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days: But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you, because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt.’ (Num. 11:19-20)  And when Moses himself questioned the Lord’s ability to provide food for so many Israelites in the wilderness, (Num. 11:21-22) it obviously raised the Lord’s anger. ‘And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord’s hand waxed short? Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.’ (Num. 11:23) 

And later, the Lord caused a wind to come forth which brought quails from the sea, and the Israelites had more than enough meat to eat; there were quails a day’s journey on either side of the camp, and piled two cubits high. And the greedy Israelites ploughed into the meat like there was no tomorrow. But while they were eating the meat, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote (struck down) the people with a great plague.’ (Num. 11:31-33) Oh my people, it doesn’t pay to doubt the Lord’s power, or be greedy when He is already looking after you.  

Then when Job repents of his audacity to question the Lord, and the Lord takes him to task, he finally says to Him: ‘I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee (no purpose of yours can be withheld).’ (Job 42:2) And that’s the gospel truth friends! Nothing the Lord desires can be thwarted by mankind! Next we turn to the prophet Isaiah, who in berating the Israelites for turning away from the God of their forefathers, calmly informed them: ‘Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:’ (Is. 59:1) 

Yes my fellow saints, the hand of our God is never beyond the reach of salvation! Wherever we are, in whatever situation we find ourselves, His saving hand can always reach out and pluck us from the mire. As the prophet Jeremiah so rightly and truthfully says: ‘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 lastly, the occasion when the angel Gabriel came to tell Mary, Jesus’ mother, the awesome but difficult purpose God had in store for her. And as we all know, this young, innocent girl accepted God’s purpose without batting and eyelash, quietly accepting the angel’s departing words: ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:37) And so it was; Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, just like the angel said! 

And in keeping with the Lord’s purposes, He’s bestowed on us undeserved blessings to further His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, but we need to declare them so they can be activated. So let’s do that right now nuh. As one sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

And having accepted those blessings, we’re now expected to go out into the world and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, Much LOVE!

…if the Lord created the universe and all therein…then obviously nothing is impossible to Him…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   5 July 2022 John 14:6.

05 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

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

John 14:6.       I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

Well, it’s Tuesday now, a wet, dark day, and all the Happy Canada Day and Fourth of July festivities are over! It’s back to the same ole, same ole, unappealing, unexciting, dreary, tiring working life. But isn’t it amazing that we can party all day and all night and not get tired, but work a couple of days, oh brother, and like we’re so tired, we can’t even move, we just ready for the grave. (smile) I guess that’s the difference between doing things we like and things we don’t like, and maybe it’s also why so many of us don’t read God’s word and then live by it; we simply don’t enjoy reading or living by it. (smile) 

But listen up here: we don’t like working but we go to work though, because we know that’s the source of our livelihood, the source of money or remuneration to put bread on our table, a roof over our head and clothes on our backs. Well reading and living by God’s word is even more important than that, because it’s the source of true peace, LOVE, joy, salvation, heaven and eternal life! And it’s quite okay not to read or live by it if you don’t desire those things…but if you do, then living for, with and in Christ is absolutely necessary. 

Now here are a couple of Bible verses which I think solidify that argument. (smile) The first one is what Jesus said to Thomas, the doubting disciple, when he proclaimed not knowing the way to where Jesus was headed, that’s back to heaven. Jesus solemnly informed him. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) So, right there we see that if we don’t embrace Jesus and all that He stands for, we will NEVER be seeing the Father or entering heaven, like a snowball’s chance of surviving in hell. (smile) 

And the next foundational scripture comes from The Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus pointed out how nature and its many creatures lived without having to worry about what to eat, drink or wear, neither where to lay their heads, because God knew exactly what they needed for their earthly sojourn. Then He told them, in very clear and explicit terms, what they needed to do. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:33-34) 

Oh my people, that is ever such an important aspect of our Christian faith. We must continually seek the spiritual side of life, and to a greater degree than the material aspect. As the scholars explain. ‘The believer is to seek first the righteousness that is characteristic of God’s kingdom and then all these things (material things) shall be added unto him.’ In other words: ‘When our priority is spiritual, God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides. We need not even worry about tomorrow for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (vs. 34) This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’ 

So friends, the two basic and fundamental aspects of the Christian life are first to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, the Way Maker and Light Bearer, the One who lights the way to heaven, and the second is to seek the spiritual righteousness of God. That means concentrate more on the spiritual aspects of our lives than the material because our God is a good, omnipotent, omniscient, all-knowing God, and therefore knows our every need and is very capable of providing them when we seek Him with our whole heart, body and soul. 

It’s a simple philosophy friends. However, the inherent sinful nature we possess, plus the rampant evil and evil doers in our world makes it somewhat difficult to action. But then again, with the help of the Holy Spirit of God which dwells within believers, and our own persistence and perseverance, we can fight off the enemy’s evil wiles and schemes and do what is required of us. We just have to want to do it. And that’s the problem so many of us supposed believers have right now: we don’t want to do what God desires of us…but we do want to get all the benefits He provides! 

Unfortunately though my people, it doesn’t work like that. In God’s kingdom, you reap what you sow. And as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) likes to add: ‘more than you sow and later than you sow.’ So, if you sow evil, down the road, you’ll get even more evil. And if you sow good, then down the road you’ll get even more good than you’ve sown. It’s like getting interest on your money. And believe me there’s nobody as generous as our great and faithful God! 

Listen to how He puts it in Malachi, re the payment of tithes. ‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat (food) in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shalt not be room enough to receive it.’ (Mal. 3:10) Yeh friends, that’s how generous our God can be. 

That reminds me of when the Israelites were in the desert on their way to the Promised Land and kept complaining about the bland tasting manna with which the Lord was feeding them and wanted meat. So what happened? The Good Book tells us: ‘And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.’ (Num. 11:31) Can you imagine how many dead birds that was? A day’s journey on either side of the camp and two cubits high! 

But greed is a hell of a thing my brethren, and the Lord doesn’t play that game at all, at all, at all. So, when the Israelites stood up all day and night and gathered the meat they had so craved and spread it around their tents, the Good Book declares (yesss!!!) ‘And while the flesh (meat) was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, (the anger of the Lord was aroused) and the Lord smote (struck down) the people with a very great plague.’ (Num. 11:33) 

Yuh see what happens when we too craven, too greedy and ‘gravalicious’ mih bredrin? Our God is sweet and long-suffering and all that good stuff, but there comes a time when He says enough is enough, and believe me, as we see from the many examples of Israelite folly, He is a serious God, He doesn’t make joke. When He says something, He means it. So, I would advise us all to take whatever He says in His Word very seriously and do our best to live by it, otherwise we will indeed pay the hefty price of disobedience and unbelief, when He is good and ready. And believe me, that time will surely come! 

Now for those of us who truly believe, and try our best to do His will, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. Altogether now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ 

And the corollary to that is for us to now go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…only a fool…will refuse the good life that Jesus offers… 

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