Today’s Scrip-Bit   26 April 2023 Psalm 119:105.

26 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 119:105.       Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

So it’s Wednesday and we’re catching our second wind of this work week. Let’s hope that we made a positive difference in the opening days, that we were salty and bright like Jesus desires us to be, and that today will reenergize us, refill us with the Holy Spirit, so that we can continue the good work we’re doing in Jesus’ name down here on this abused and degenerate planet Earth. 

And it’s of the utmost importance that we realize that if we ever hope to see positive changes in our world, that they will have to come from us, believers in Christ. It will have to be our elbow grease, belly and backbone that stands up against the very prevalent evil schemes and wiles of the devil and his evil cronies. No one else is going to want to, or be able to do it. But if we believe, with Jesus in our corner, then anything is possible, and if He wants us to take over the world then we can do so with His help. Yuh see how much success the first twelve disciples had in spreading the word. 

However, to do that, we need to have the courage and desire to do it, the courage and desire that they possessed. And right now, it’s obvious that not enough of us possess those necessary qualities. And with the total disunity in Christ’s supposed church, it’s becoming a cakewalk for the evildoers, as they divide and conquer us with impunity. Yes friends, as a body, we’re falling down on the job, but that doesn’t mean as individuals we can’t make a decent difference. 

And yes, it’s difficult when you’re fighting in your little corner of the world by yourself, but please, let’s not give up hope, because when Christ gave us the Great Commission, He promised in very positive and certain terms: ‘I am with you always, even until the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20) That means He is always with us when we are doing His work, so there’s no need to fear or lack courage when we sincerely and enthusiastically decide to get out there and witness for Christ. 

But enough of the negative aspects of our spiritual journey, let’s change the tempo. (smile) And I’ve found something in our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, that I don’t think I’ve ever shared before, but it’s truly interesting and rather appropriate in my life right now. It’s simply titled ‘New Bible!’ 

So please read with me: ‘This was an exciting day for me, Lord! This morning I opened my new Bible. Not a single word was circled Not a single phrase underlined. Now with each new day I can circle and underline again I can word-clutter the margins and I know what will happen. Lord – I’ll be asking as I read Why didn’t I see that before? 

But even with the joy of the new Bible I’m going to miss my old one with its tattered pages – Its creased and torn edges. Oh, how many personal notes Are jotted on the margins How many God-whispered secrets. Yes, Lord, I’ll miss it. But thank You for a friend’s reminder: “If your Bible is falling apart Chances are your life isn’t.” 

And that’s the gospel truth my brethren, because the falling apart of your Bible means that you’re in a lot, and thus the Word of the Lord is very prominent in your life, and you’re doing your best to be a good witness and disciple for Christ. And I can personally attest to what is written in the poem because my old Bible that I used to write the Bit, seven days a week for numerous years, was indeed falling apart on me at the end of last year, and I considered taking it to get it rebound because of the familiarity and ease of use. I even called up one binder about it, but never followed it up, and at the beginning of this year, simply bought a clean, brand new version of the old one instead. 

And was it ever strange opening the new one and not seeing any underlining or stuff written in a kaleidoscope of colours. But with the passage of time, I’m getting accustomed to this new one. And although they are the same King James version, just a newer printing, there was something about the old one that I miss. I knew where to find everything I wanted. This one though is set up in a slightly different manner, and I’m still learning how to use it. The old one was also solid and could take the rough handling, but in comparison, this new one seems somewhat flimsy, and I find myself treating it with kid’s gloves 

But I guess it’s like everything else nowadays, from humans to cars, to books, everything in these modern times is much more fragile, not as strong and sturdy, but they cost much more than the old versions though. (smile) And it all reminds me of the ole folks saying: ‘new broom sweep clean, but old broom know the corners.’ Yes, when you become accustomed to something, it’s hard to change to something newer, although the new thing might even function better. 

Anyway, it’s all history right now. I’m into the new Good Library, and it’s telling me the same thing the old one did; ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) And so it is indeed my fellow believers! Be it torn and tattered or brand new and unblemished, the Good Library contains the same wonderful information, yesterday, today and forever! It leads and guides us on our earthly journey. It’s the believer’s guidebook for living. And that lamp unto my feet and light unto my path scripture was the verse associated with our poem. 

Ah mih people, our world is slowly, but steadily falling apart, what with all the evil schemes and wiles being perpetrated in it each and every day, but as true believers, we just can’t sit around and allow it to happen. We need to make our voices heard and our actions felt, regardless of how small and infinitesimal they may be. That means continual reading and meditating on the Word, putting our Bibles to good use, letting them become torn and tattered by constant handling, and not allowing them to sit and gather dust, as so many are currently doing is so many Christian households. 

Now, for those of us who are trying our best to live for Jesus, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world 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!’ 

And it’s been promised that if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Wow! So, let’s use that as encouragement to endure to the very end nuh! Much LOVE!

…the Bible is God’s Word…and you can only learn about Him by reading it…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 January 2021 Romans 8:31.

26 Jan 2021 Leave a comment

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

Romans 8:31.     ​What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Oh chuh friends! Late risings and early morning chores certainly inhibit the doing of the Lord’s work yes! (smile) But what to do eh, better late than never on this snowy Tuesday morning. 

We can’t complain because we have not seen any real precipitation of any kind for a while now, so the white that’s beginning to cover the ground is a nice change from the dark, damp days we’ve recently been having, except for the few cold and sunny ones last week. 

Hope you can figure that one out. (smile) And thank the Lord I don’t have to go out in it! But whatever we have, nice or not, we still give our wonderful God much thanks because we know He’s promised to work everything out, both good and bad for our benefit if we keep LOVING, trusting and being faithful and obedient to Him! Glory to His precious name my brethren! 

And if you don’t believe me, then listen to this mighty piece of scripture that details it all. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) 

And according to the scholars’ explanation. ‘8:28. To them that LOVE God is the human perspective. God is working all things together for good, but those who LOVE God are best able to appreciate that fact because they LOVE Him no matter what (cf. Job 13:15). To them who are the called is the divine perspective. Scripture often refers to believers as “the called” or “the elect.” 

But we just got started with the whole contextual thing: ‘For whom He did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29) Yes friends, this foreknowing is a strong sense of knowing and being known, not merely an acquaintance kind of knowing! (smile) 

And the scholars tell us: ‘8:29. Foreknowledge is God’s determination from eternity to bring certain ones into a special relationship with Himself (see also 11:2). Predestinate: See Ephesians 1:5. (To mark off or choose before. God chooses those He knows will participate in His plan of salvation and extends it to all who respond in faith). 

To be conformed to the image of his Son: The goal of predestination is not to send some to hell and some to heaven, but is the believer’s glorification, to make every Christian increasingly more like His Son.’ 

Glory be mih people! As Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians: ‘But we all, with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (being transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’

Oh fellow saints of God, unlike Moses’ who had to put a veil over his face when the Lord’s glory shone through Him (2 Cor. 3:13) but which glory eventually faded, ‘under the New Covenant the believer is changed into the same image. This transformation takes place by the abiding presence of the Spirit of God.’ That means it’s a gradual process, so we have to keep on trusting and being faithful right to the very end. 

But getting back to our original topic, Bruh Paul declares (yeah!) ‘Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.’ (Rom. 8:30)Wow! What wonderful news! ‘Predestinated, called, justified, glorified!’ Brother only our wonderful God can make those things happen! 

As the scholars explain: ‘8:30. Called: The calling of 8:28 is pretemporal; it occurred before the creation of the world (Eph. 1:4). The calling here is temporal and refers to the effectual communication of the gospel, resulting in salvation. Justified: See 3:24. (And that says being justified means being declared righteous, signifies the believer’s judicial standing before God). 

Glorified: Glorification is God’s doing. While God’s foreknowledge and predestination take place in eternity, and while God’s calling and justification are realized in history, God’s glorifying is yet future. It is as certain, however, as the previous works. Hence glorified is in the past tense. From God’s point of view it is already accomplished.’ 

Oh Mama, Mama! How great is our God eh? What assurance we have, that although something, our glorifying, is not done yet, He talks of it in past tense, as though it has already been done! So how can we not LOVE and obey and trust and surrender our ALL to Him eh? I just can’t understand it. 

Consequently, as Bruh Paul continues: ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Rom. 8:31) And the loud and clear answer to that my precious people of God is ‘NOBODY! NOT A SINGLE SOUL!’ And you ask a doubting why? 

Bruh Paul also gives us the answer. ‘He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?’ (Rom. 8:32) Yes people, that makes mucho sense! If God gave up His sinless Son to save sinners, why would He then refuse to help us in time of need eh? No reason whatsoever! 

No wonder, Job in all his adversity could calmly and stoically proclaim: ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust him: but I will maintain (defend) mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for a hypocrite shall not come before him. Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.’ (Job 13:15-17) 

Powerful words of faith friends! But are we able to proclaim such words ourselves? Now that’s the ultimate question. But if we consider ourselves true and faithful believers, we should be able to declare (yesss!) them without a pause or doubt in our minds and speech. 

So let’s consider all that we’ve said today nuh…I know it’s plenty, but at this stage of our spiritual journey we should be eating meat and spuds, not still drinking milk, (smile) and thus be able to digest more scriptural technicalities and meanings than when we first came to Christ. 

Anyway, it’s all in the reading and learning and doing and persevering that we mature, and are raised from glory to glory; a lifelong process. So if you don’t get it all now, just keep on keeping on and eventually you will get it. That’s the Lord’s promise! 

And for those of us who are sincerely trying to keep on keeping on, let’s go home now declaring (oh yes! – three times I got it right today, on the first try) (big grin) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know WHO and WHOSE we are. 

In strong voice, as one 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 it follows that our task is to now go out and share Christ’s LOVE and friendship with others, as He so greatly desires! Much LOVE!

…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him….no doubt about it…

P.S. Yes, it’s long and late…but sweet! (smile) Much LOVE!