Acts 1:5. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
And a fine Sunday morning to all you believers in Jesus Christ, wherever you are! I hope you are excitedly looking forward to all the new blessings and mercies the Lord’s planned for us today. And if you celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday, that you intend to go and fellowship, celebrate the Lord’s Day with other believers; offer thanks and praise and receive encouragement that builds our faith. Let’s forget what happened yesterday and start a clean page today, with improvements in as many areas of our lives as possible, thus satisfying the Lord’s desire for us to reflect a little more of Jesus’ character each and every day. And we can’t do that without the power and guidance of His Holy Spirit that so conveniently indwells us, which Jesus so generously promised in our Bit, before His Ascension. ‘For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ Now today I want to look at another dramatic instance of the Spirit in operation. However, before doing that, let’s hear from the scholars, re the Personality of the Holy Spirit. ‘The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity – equal with the Father and Son in essence, separate in person, and submissive in duties. Since one major aspect of God’s nature is that He is a person, it follows that the Holy Spirit is a person. The Scriptures clarify this by ascribing the attributes of personality to the Holy Spirit, addressing Him as a person, describing the personal actions of the Holy Spirit, and ascribing masculine pronouns to the Holy Spirit (John 14:17; 16:13) Illustration: Ananias and Sapphira lost their lives in a foolish attempt to deceive the Holy Spirit. This was because He is a divine person who is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. Applications: Because He is God, the Holy Spirit is worthy of receiving believers’ adoration, LOVE, and worship; also the Christian can engage in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. (First Ref. Gen 1:2; Primary Ref. John 14-16) Oh Friends, please read the scriptures the scholars identify, so that you can better understand what they’re talking about. And if you don’t know the story of Ananias and Sapphira; they were a married couple in the early days when the church was becoming communal in all things. They sold their earthly possessions but under reported their gains, and both dropped down dead after lying to the apostles about it. ‘But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?’ (Acts 5:3) Then when Sapphira came up with the same story, he said: ‘How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt (test) the Spirit of the Lord? behold the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.’ (Acts 5:9) So said, so was it done! Please note whom Peter accused them of lying to; the Holy Spirit, because that’s the Person of the Trinity who deals with our everyday, earthly matters. Read the whole story in Acts 5:1-11. Now let’s turn to today’s main protagonist; Saul, -Saul of Tarsus. Remember we first came upon that name when they stoned Stephen to death in Jerusalem; ‘the witnesses laid their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.’ (Acts 7:58) Saul, the great persecutor of the brethren. ‘And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter (murder) against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired (asked) of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this (the)way (believers), whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.’ (Acts 9:1-2) But lo and behold, on his way to Damascus, he was suddenly blinded, both literally and figuratively by a brilliant light from heaven, which caused him to fall to the ground. Then he heard a voice saying to him: ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou Lord? and the Lord said, I am Jesus who thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (goads, prods). And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.’ (Acts 9:4-6) Ah mih breddren, yuh see how the big, bad, bully boy Saul was easily tamed by Jesus! And not even Jesus in the flesh, but Jesus in the Spirit! That just goes to show how powerful the Spirit is in its own right! So literally blinded by the light, Saul had to be led by his companions to Damascus. ‘And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.’ (Acts 9:9) Then the Lord, in His mighty and mysterious workings called upon a disciple in Damascus named Ananias (a common name among Jews, not to be confused with the Ananias and Sapphira story) and instructed him to go and meet Saul, who was expecting him to come and lay hands on him and restore his sight. But even Ananias queried the Lord because of Saul’s terrible reputation as a persecutor of the church. (Acts 9:10-14) ‘But the Lord said unto him, go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes (something) as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith (at once), and arose and was baptized.’ (Acts 9:15-18) Oh Friends, what else do we need to convince us of the Holy Spirit’s enormous power eh! If it could bring the mighty Saul to his knees so easily, how can we try to fight against it in our puny, less than stellar lives? So as I’ve been advocating all along, let’s get in touch with and stay intimately connected to the Spirit of Jesus that dwells within us. It’s wisdom to the wise! Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 June 2012 Acts 1:5
03 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: Ananias, baptism, fellowship, holy spirit, Lord's Day, mysterious workings of the Lord, new blessings and mercies, praise and thanks, Saul of Tarsus, why persecute you me
Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 June 2012 Acts 1:5
02 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: be careful what you ask for, Cornelius the centurion, ferocious winds, God- no respecter of persons, God-fearing men, Holy Ghost baptism, Holy spirit granted to the Gentiles, magnify God, ungratefulness, water baptism
Acts 1:5. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
And the rains fell, driven in big sheets of water by a ferocious wind, blowing wither and why, only the Lord knew! Yes Friends, that’s what happened in my area today. When I wrote yesterday’s Bit, the rain had petered out to a mere drizzle, but later on in the day it just poured down like crazy, accompanied by an angry wind that wanted to blow away everything in its path. So be careful what you wish or pray for, because it might come with such force or in such abundance that you can’t handle it. That brings to mind the time in the wilderness when the Israelites were tired of eating manna, morning, noon and night, and hungered for meat and food like back in Egypt. So they cried out to Moses, who in turn cried out to God. This ungratefulness so angered the Lord that He decided, yuh want meat, well take meat, and caused an enormous amount of quail to fall around the camp. He provided so much meat that they shouldn’t only eat it for a few days, ‘But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you…’ (Num.11:20) Shades of what some of our parents did when we wanted something too much. (smile) Thankfully though, it seems the wind and rain have gone back to wherever they came from and all God’s creations are happy that He blessed us with heavenly water. Just hope that there wasn’t too much wind or water damage. Anyway, it’s time for our Bit: ‘For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ Please bear with the ole fella Friends, for another day or two, cause it’s ever so important that we know as much as possible about the workings of the Holy Spirit, since it’s the prime mover and shaker in the lives of true believers. Without knowing what it is and how it works, you’ll be lost as a child of God. And today we’ll look at probably the second most important action of the Spirit in the early days of the church. In Acts 10, we read about Cornelius the centurion, a God-fearing man, having a dream to send for Peter in Joppa. At Joppa, Peter also had a dream telling him to go to Cornelius. (Acts 10:1-23) A day later, they got together in Caesarea, explaining to each other their dreams and reservations, and Peter went to Cornelius’ house, where he found many other God-fearing people. And though it was unlawful for a Jew to associate with Gentiles, Peter realized and said to Cornelius: ‘but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying (objection), as soon as I was sent for…’ (Acts 10:28-29) He was referring to the stuff God had showed him in the dream. Then Peter preached to the Gentiles, opening with these astute remarks, no doubt engendered by the power of the Spirit within him: ”Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons (is impartial): But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.’ (Acts 10:34-35) Then as Peter continued, an amazing thing happened: ‘While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision (the Jews) which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak in tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed (asked) they him to tarry (stay) certain days.’ (Acts 10:44-48) Ah Friends, the mysterious and amazing movements of our God! The promise of Jesus to bring all his sheep together, both Jews and Gentiles was begun right there in granting the power of the Holy Spirit unto the Gentiles too. But as always, when we step out to do God’s will, there’s backlash from supposed authorities. Sometime later, when Peter was back in Jerusalem, the other apostles chastised him for associating with Gentiles, saying, ‘Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. But Peter rehearsed (explained) the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by (in) order to them’ (Acts 11:3-4) He explained the dream to them, and the messengers that came for him. ‘And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house. and he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace (became silent), and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.’ (Acts 11:12-18) There my Friends, that’s how we Gentiles, non Jewish people received the Holy Spirit, and from then on became entitled to receive it, once we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ! How great and generous is our God eh? Impartial and caring to all and sundry. May we adopt that attitude, sharing the Word and all that we have with His children, regardless of race, colour, creed or class. That’s what Jesus died to promote! Much LOVE!…the Spirit which indwells a believer…can only do as much, or as little…as the believer allows Him to do…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 June 2012 Acts 1:5
01 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: appreciation, blasphemy, blessings of rain, bribery, enthusiasm, Friday, full of faith and power, fun and fellowship, God's creations, God's glorious kingdom, holy spirit, intimacy with Jesus, renewed and refreshed, thanks and praise
Acts 1:5. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many day hence.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! Friday June the 1st to boot! Another month has quickly come and gone! But today, instead of only singing ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ the people in my area are also shouting: ‘All praise to our heavenly Father, for He has finally sent some blessed heavenly water upon the earth!’ Yes Friends, some early morning rain has finally fallen around here. Not a whole lot, but all God’s creations; fauna, flora, earth and humans are indeed thankful for it. Thanks too for your prayers, which assuredly help. And for all His LOVING-kindness to undeserving man, let’s give our great God another shout of appreciation nuh! And all God’s people gratefully shouted: ‘Thank You Lord!’ Now since we’re in such a joyful frame of mind (smile) let’s chant our Friday Chant with much enthusiasm. As one voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Yes mih people, it’s the weekend, and we free from labour, at least outside labour, for two whole, big days. Wow! Please, let’s use that time wisely. Now turning to our Bit: ‘For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many day hence.’ Oh Friends, I know some of you are tired hearing about the Holy Spirit, but please don’t minimize its importance in our lives, because it is the engine of Jesus which works in us, drives us to live for and like Him. If we ignore the power of the Spirit, we’re also ignoring Jesus, and thus not receiving the full benefits of His sacrificial death. In fact, the more you become intimate with the Spirit, the more you become intimate with Jesus, and the better your life will be, for the Spirit was specifically granted to us as Jesus’ divine presence and guide for earthly living. Today I want to point out the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of one particular early believer – Stephen. We first read about him in Acts 6, where the apostles needed to get away from the everyday hustle and bustle of running a church and become more involved in actually spreading the gospel. In light of this, they chose seven men to look after the church’s administration. Stephen was one of them. ‘And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost…’ (Acts 6:5) At that time Jerusalem was awash with believers and much talk about the gospel, with the Holy Spirit playing a major role. The Good Book says: ‘And Stephen full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue…disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. (Acts 6:8-10) Note the importance of the Spirit in his preaching. Unable to reason successfully with Stephen, these evil men bribed others to say they had heard him blaspheme, and he was subsequently arrested. A trumped up charge of blasphemy seems to have been the only way to get a believer arrested in those days. But our God moves in such mysterious and amazing ways, that when Stephen was brought before the council, the Good Book says: ‘And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it has been the face of an angel.’ (Acts 6:15) Then Stephen rose up, and in his defence gave a marvellous speech outlining Jewish history and all it’s subsequent hypocrisy, corruption and atrocities down through the ages. He really lit into the council. (Acts 7:2-53) It’s a must read my people! But then, when the council couldn’t take his withering truth any longer, for ‘they were cut to the heart (furious) and they gnashed on (at) him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, (as he was) calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.’ (Acts 7:54-60) Oh Friends, that’s the enormous power the Holy Spirit can generate in a believer who is truly filled with it! Let’s pray and ponder today, that all believers will come to know and glorify the Holy Spirit as much as Stephen did, and thus be able to bring others to Christ through his personal testimony. Oh my brethren, it’s obvious that the evil, ungodly rulers of this sinful world cannot handle the power and truth of the gospel that’s preached through the hardworking Holy Spirit, so let’s keep on preaching it nuh! Much LOVE!…believers are only as powerful…as the intimacy they have…with the Holy Spirit…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 May 2012 Acts 1:5
31 May 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: blessed day, blessings of rain, Comforter, Day of Pentecost, emotion of LOVE, God's purpose, holy spirit, indwelling of the holy spirit, loving others, prosper and flourish, the God of All Comfort, to dwell with humanity
Acts 1:5. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Well a blessed day to all you fellow believers in Christ Jesus! Our God is on His throne, in full control of the universe, and we’re alive, gratefully ready to receive the new mercies and blessings He’s pouring down on us today. Just wish though, that He’d pour down some blessings of rain in my neck of the woods. The weather forecasters have been promising rain for ages, but despite the appearance of dark clouds every so often, nary a drop of heavenly water has fallen upon the land in at least a couple weeks. But as we just said, the Lord’s in control, so hopefully He has a higher plan in mind. It would be greatly appreciated though if we could pray for some rain. In the meanwhile, let’s hear this quote from a Joyce Meyer Devotional. It tells us: ‘That the best days you live are the ones you spend LOVING other people!’ And isn’t that the God-awesome truth mih breddren! That’s because there’s no higher emotion than LOVE! So let’s get out into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us and LOVE some body or bodies’ today nuh Friends! But one word of caution; we can’t do that unless the anointing of our Bit covers us: ‘For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ Yes mih people, we can’t truly LOVE others unless that wonderful Spirit of Jesus richly dwells in us. Now today I want to look at some other scriptures where Jesus promised the coming or sending of the Holy Spirit. But first let’s hear from the scholars, re the Spirit’s indwelling. ‘One of God’s purposes since the beginning has been to dwell with humanity and enjoy fellowship with us. He does it in this dispensation through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1) occurs automatically when a person is saved: (2) is not an ‘experience,’ but produces spiritual experiences: (3) remains permanently: (4) is the basis of all the other ministries of the Holy Spirit; and (5) is the source of new life in the believer. Illustration: When Paul met 12 disciples of John who did not know of the Holy Spirit, he knew they needed to be saved. So he preached the gospel to them (acts 19:1-5). Application: The Holy Spirit’s indwelling should motivate the believer to be careful not to harm his body nor indulge his body in sin (1 Cor.6:19-20).’ Yes Friends, that’s the basic working of the Holy Spirit. He’s the worker bee of the Trinity, as I recently termed Him. Now it’s time to hear directly from Jesus, re the provision of that Spirit. Listen to Him in John, where He tells the disciples: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you for ever, Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:15-18) Oh Friends, what a wonderful man and friend is our Jesus! Now here’s another word from the scholars, re the Comforter. ‘The Greek word parakletos literally means ‘one called alongside to help,’ hence the idea of a comforter. The Holy Spirit is called another comforter because this is also one of Christ’s title (1 John 2:1, transl, ‘advocate’) Illustration: The Father is also known as the God of All Comfort (2 Cor.1:3) Though those in the early church often endured persecutions, they found their comfort in the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31). Application: Today, Christians can find comfort in the Holy Spirit when trials come. (John 7:37-39)’ Oh my people, how great and considerate is our God! There’s none other like Him! Now listen to Jesus later on in the same conversation with the disciples: ‘These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter (Helper), which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.’ (John 14:25-26) Yes Friends, as the scholars explain; the Holy Spirit is a person, not a force, which will enable the apostles to remember all the words and works of Jesus when they were writing the New Testament. And finally, we’ll touch on the importance Jesus placed on the coming of the Comforter. Just before His ascension, He tells the disciples: ‘And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry (stay, wait) ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.’ (Luke 24:49) And the disciples heeded His advice and stayed in Jerusalem until that remarkable and memorable Day of Pentecost when the promise of the coming of the Comforter was fulfilled. Oh my brethren, as followers of, and believers in Jesus Christ, His indwelling Spirit is the most important thing we possess! It’s been given to lead and guide us safely through our earthly pilgrimage, but sadly, many of us aren’t as well acquainted with the remarkable inner Being as we should, which is why many of us are not getting His full benefits. Please, I strongly advise us, implore us, whatever, to get in touch, in close relationship with our indwelling Helpmeet, so that both our lives and God’s glorious kingdom can prosper and flourish right here on planet Earth. Much LOVE!…oh…to be walking in step with the Spirit of Christ…it’s the most wonderful thing in a believer’s life…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 May 2012 Acts 1:5
30 May 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: a new day, alive and kicking, close relationship, holy spirit, humility, Pentecost, pour out my Spirit, preparedness to do God's will, rebirth, reconciliation, restoration, start with prayer
Acts 1:5. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Oh Friends, it’s a new day and we’re still alive and kicking! Wow! Praise the Lord! Now here’s an interesting prayer to start our days, taken from Dr. Robert H Schuller’s Daily Devotional, attributed to Norman Grub (1895-1993) an American missionary, statesman, writer and theological teacher. It says: ‘Good morning Christ. I LOVE You! What are you up to today? I want to be part of it! Thank You God. Amen!’ Isn’t that nice Friends; simple and straightforward? For sure! I believe that’s the kind of prayer the Lord truly appreciates, because though it’s so short and simple, it still fulfills all the necessities. It glorifies Him with LOVE; is humble, yet confident, and displays a whole lot of enthusiasm and preparedness to do whatever Jesus desires. Oh my people, are we displaying those properties in our prayers to our ever-LOVING God? I sure hope so. Now let’s continue looking at the wonderful workings of the Holy Spirit, beginning with the heart warming promise of Jesus in our Bit: ‘For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ And even more compelling and heart warming was the fulfillment of that promise on the Day of Pentecost! Now today, I want to share two Old Testament examples of the Spirit being used on particular individuals, and also a couple more instances where the Lord promised it. And the first of those instances of the Holy Spirit on man that we want to share comes from the very important prophet Isaiah. In Chapter 61, where he’s bringing good tidings of salvation to Zion, he confidently declares: ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek (poor); he hath sent me to bind up (heal) the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.’ (Is.61:1) And the Spirit of God obviously had to be on him, especially in those olden times, for him to do such mighty deeds! Now hear Ezekiel after the Lord commissioned him to be a prophet: ‘So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat (anger) of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me.’ (Ezek. 3:14) But nuh must Friends! The Lord’s hand is strong upon all whom His Spirit indwells! Ezekiel, like Jeremiah, had a hard time accepting God’s commission, but as always, the Lord’s will prevailed. Please my people, when the Lord comes a calling on us to perform some particular work in His Holy Name, please, let’s not fight it, for we will only cause ourselves unnecessary trouble, grief and heartache, since the Lord will eventually prevail. And I can testify to that from personal experience, for when He approached me about writing the Bit, like Sara, I laughed. But here I am some six years later, writing it with pleasure. Yes Friends, when the Lord says jump, it’s best to ask right away, how high Lord? That’s because the longer you delay and complain, the higher you’ll eventually have to jump. Now here are two more instances from the Old Testament where the Lord promised to send His Spirit upon His people. Yesterday we heard from Joel (Joel 2:28-29) today, let’s listen first to Isaiah declare that the Spirit of God would be in Israel: ‘Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.’ (Is.44:2-4) Then Ezekiel proudly proclaims in his promise of restoration and renewal of Israel: ‘And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you (them); and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances (judgements), and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.’ (Ezek.11:19-20) Ah Friends, yuh see how our wise and mighty God works! Each prophet that arose in Israel, though they brought some sad tidings, they always brought that faithful and everlasting promise of rebirth, of restoration, reconciliation and salvation from the God of their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And note too, how it all dovetailed smoothly and was fulfilled by the coming of Jesus. That was God’s plan from day one! So in light of all those promises and their fulfillment in the earthly pilgrimage and person of Jesus, how can we ever doubt the authenticity and truth of the Good Book eh? Oh Friends, I’ll leave us to ponder that today, and also strongly advise us to get in touch, in close relationship with the Holy Spirit of Christ which indwells us, for He’s there to lead and guide us. However, since He’s not the pushy, aggressive type, if we don’t consciously seek Him out and ask for His wise and godly advice, then follow it, we’ll surely get lost on the highway to hell, taunted by, and falling for Lucifer’s evil wiles and lies. And we definitely don’t want that to happen! So please cozy up to the Holy Spirit today. It’s wisdom at it’s finest. Much LOVE! …we cannot stay on the straight and narrow path…without the Holy Spirit’s help… P.S. The Bit was late, partially because my young daughter called me on the phone this morning and had me gabbing instead of writing. (smile)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 May 2012 Acts 1:5
29 May 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: baptism with the Holy Spirit, bounden duty, concrete jungle, excitment, holy spirit, lead and guide, passion for Jesus, Pentecost, prophesy, prophetic promise, workings of the Spirit
Acts 1:5. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s a bit messed up this morning, both in body and mind, but thankfully all’s well with my basic soul! (smile) My messed up self was caused by having to go into Toronto yesterday on one of the hottest days on record, thirty some degrees. And sadly, my once beloved T.O. is daily becoming a true example of a concrete jungle. All over the city humongous towers of concrete and steel are rising up, to capture the condo market, which doesn’t seem to be slowing down, at exorbitant prices too. The poor already find it difficult to live in the crowded city, soon it will be impossible. This only makes for even more traffic jams, which I unfortunately got caught in on my way home. But you would have been proud of me; I kept my cool, although my right knee and ankle began aching from all the stop and go, brake and gas pedal movement, I listened to some tunes and finally got home about seventy five minutes after I hit the highway, which normally would only have taken about thirty minutes. Then last night my sleep wasn’t the greatest, and this morning my sinuses are acting up some. But all praise to the Good Lord Jehovah and the amazing power of His Holy Spirit, I’m still excited about the Word and the awesome workings of that Spirit which we’ll continue to talk about today! Let’s hope I can put some meaningful stuff together. But then why not, since one of the jobs of the Spirit is to lead and guide the Lord’s people in all activities. So Holy Spirit, I humbly ask You now to move in my lowly spirit, enlighten and enable me to write encouraging truth, so that all who read it will be encouraged in the faith and trust of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen! And what better way to start off than by sharing the wonderful promise of Christ enshrined in our Bit: ‘For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ And we saw that promise faithfully fulfilled on the miraculous Day of Pentecost, some fifty days after Jesus spoke it! Now since the Holy Spirit is like the worker bee in the Trinity, it’s very important that we understand what it’s all about, so I’ll attempt to give us a brief history and explanation of its workings. And the best way to begin seems to be by an explanation of how the Spirit worked before Pentecost. Hear the scholars: ‘Before Pentecost the Holy Spirit’s work had been (1) from without (‘Spirit came upon’); (2) temporary; and (3) exceptional. After Pentecost the Spirit’s work is (1) from within (He indwells – John 7:37-39; 14:17; 1 Cor. 6:19; 1 John 3:24; 4:13); (2) permanent (Rom. 8:9); and (3) normal, involving all (1 Cor.12:12) Under the Old (Mosaic) Covenant, God’s work with Israel had been external, but under the New Covenant, it is internal (Ezek. 36:26-27; Heb.8:9-10) All that simply means Friends, that before Pentecost not everybody was infused with the Holy Spirit. One either had to be exceptionally godly, like the prophets, or chosen to perform some specific task(s) which called for spiritual power. Please read all those scriptures given by the scholars, so that you can become better acquainted with the Spirit’s workings. However, after Pentecost, the Spirit was endowed upon every individual believer in Christ. It then became a universal adjunct to all followers, infusing each and everyone with Christ’s Spirit as He had promised. That brings us to a part of Peter’s great speech on Pentecost, where he quotes the prophet Joel, who prophetically promised the eventual outpouring on all believers. ‘And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the (men) servants and upon the handmaids (maid servants) in those days will I pour out my spirit.’ (Joel 2:28-29) And as all the promises of God, that one was faithfully fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost! Oh Friends, I just can’t help reminding us of what a generous and LOVING God we serve and worship! And all God’s people cried with a joyful voice: ‘Praise the Lord God of Israel, for His wonderful dealings with the undeserving children of men!’ And we’ll close with another prophetic promise re the Holy Spirit. This one from John the Baptist: ‘I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.’ (Matt.3:11) Yes mih people, let’s get excited about Jesus, let the passion for Him burn brightly in our daily lives through the workings of His Spirit, so that others can see Him just shining out of us and come to know and LOVE Him as we do. That’s our bounden duty. More on this tomorrow, if we’re alive and kicking. Till then please, let’s get and keep in touch with the Holy Spirit and let Him lead and guide us as He is supposed to. Much LOVE!…through His Holy Spirit…is Christ manifested in our lives… P.S. Better late than never, and hope it makes sense. (smile)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 May 2012 Acts 1:5
28 May 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: baptized with the Holy Spirit, cloven tongues like fire, incredible aura of LOVE, Memorial Day, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Pentecost, speaking in tongues, spiritual armour, total surrender
Acts 1:5. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday, that faithful day when we serfs have to go back out into the evil, cruel, ungodly world and labour for massa! Luckily though, not for all those in the U.S of A, where they are celebrating Memorial Day, supposedly in honour of those who died in the service of their country. That’s good and honourable, but in the meanwhile, why are those who are still alive, the veterans, especially the lame and maimed ones, celebrated on Veterans Day, suffering so much eh? Why do so many of them lack jobs, proper health care, proper pensions, while plenty families of those same heroes who died for the cause are also suffering so much want and deprivation? And the same thing is happening up here in good, upstanding Canada; the veterans are being shafted left, right and centre. Oh what a rotten and disgusting society we’ve become, with the seniors who built these countries on their sweat and blood, and the veterans who fought to protect our way of life, being systematically and callously cast aside by the greedy, uncaring, unscrupulous, corrupt politicians and warmongers! There should be a law entailing that in any war, the families and friends of the politicos and warmongers are the first to be sent to the front lines. That would soon stop the many useless, wasteful wars. However, that’s a debate for another time and place. Right now, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to put us into the right frame of mind to go out and labour. All together now, with much verve and panache: (smile) ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ And now that we’re suitably energized by the Holy Spirit, let me apologize for a shortcoming yesterday. Unfortunately, it was only after I’d sent out the Bit, I realized that it was the Day of Pentecost, one of the most important days in the Christian Heritage, that awesome and memorable day, fifty days after Christ’s Resurrection, when the Holy Spirit was sent to dwell in individual believers. And though we didn’t mention Pentecost specifically, we did talk about the wonderful, gentle, kind and hardworking Holy Sprit that was introduced on that day. That brings us to our Bit; the fateful words of Jesus: ‘For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ And as all God’s promises, it was faithfully fulfilled some fifty days later at Pentecost. Wow! And as I keep saying, there’s no better scriptwriter, producer or director than our marvellous God. Just check out the scene He devised and orchestrated for the original coming of His Holy Spirit as a universal Helpmeet to all believers. The Good Book describes it thus: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they (the disciples) were all with one accord (purpose or mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak in tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad (sound occurred), the multitude came together, and were confounded (confused), because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue (language or dialect), wherein we were born?’ (Acts 2:1-8) The answer’s simple Friends: through the awesome power of the Holy Spirit! But can you imagine the noisy, raucous reaction to hearing those uneducated, low social class Galileans speaking in so many different languages. Some even said that the disciples were drunk, until Peter stood up and explained, preached one of the most memorable sermons in the annals of Christianity, which we don’t have time or space for, but which you can and should read in Acts 2:14-47. Oh Friends, the ole fella’s excited! There’s so much stuff I want to share with you about the Holy Spirit, but not today. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s Bit! I might just get confused with so much info though. (smile) Anyway, that’s enough for today, and the homework is to ponder the operation of the Holy Spirit in our individual lives, whether we’re letting it lead and guide us along the right paths. And if not, why not? Till we talk again down here on earth, if the Lord so desires, please walk under the guidance and leadership of the ever true and faithful Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. Much LOVE!…oh where He leads me I will follow…the Spirit’s guidance will I always heed…cause He’s been sent…to fulfill my every need…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 May 2012 Isaiah 42:1
25 May 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: attitude of humility, awesome prophecy, euphoria, generous help, glorious kingdom, gospel truth, joy, my beloved son, set free, symbolic representation, true believers, witnesses
Isaiah 42:1. Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday once again! And I can just imagine the joy, the euphoria that’s bubbling up in some of us, so much so, that we’re jubilantly crying out: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Yes mih people, I know how it feels to be finally set free from a week of intensive labour, even though it’s only for a mere two days. And to help us handle those two days off properly, let’s chant our Friday Chant, with all the exuberance we can muster. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Now that ought to keep us enthused and help us use those two day off wisely. So then, let’s turn to our Bit, that awesome prophesy, foreseen so clearly by Isaiah: ‘Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect (my chosen one), in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgement (justice) to the Gentiles.’ Yesterday we looked at the servant aspect of the prophecy and clearly saw the servanthood brought by Jesus to His unenviable task. That same attitude of humility and helping others should also be found in true believers. We all know that, though we don’t always follow it. Right here however, I want to share a glorious scripture dealing partly with the servant aspect of our Bit, but even more strongly with the Word of God, re our creation and salvation. Isaiah here is talking about the Lord, the only Redeemer. ‘Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.’ (Is.43:10-11) Oh mih breddren, that’s gospel truth like nothing else! In those two verses, the Lord spells out His raison d’être, so that we can truly understand who He is, His power and purpose. Please, let’s take those words seriously, write them indelibly in our hearts, souls and minds, then genuinely live our lives with them being the foundation, the root of our earthly pilgrimage. Now let’s look at the second part of our Bit: ‘mine elect (my chosen one), in whom my soul delighteth;’ There again Friends, the prophecy of Isaiah was so prophetic that I don’t understand how people can doubt the Word. We have two perfect instances of the Father showing His great delight in His elect, His chosen one, Jesus. The first is when John the Baptist baptizes Jesus in the river Jordan. The Good Book describes it thus: ‘And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ (Matt.3:16-17) Isn’t that just a wonderful scene! Only God writes them like that! Now here’s some input on the matter from the scholars. ‘In the process of His baptism, Jesus went up…out of the water, the prepositions suggesting that He was completely in the water and came up out from it, again indicating immersion. The descending of the Spirit of God fulfilled the predicted sign to John in order to indicate the true Messiah (c.f. John 1:33, Is.11:2). The dove was a symbol of innocence and purity (c.f Matt.10:16) and served as an ideal symbolic representation of the Holy Spirit. The voice from heaven is that of the Father (see also Matt.17:5; John 12:28 where He speaks at the Transfiguration and just prior to the Crucifixion), giving His verbal approval to the ministry of His beloved Son. There can be no doubt that all three persons of the Trinity are actively involved here as distinct persons of the Godhead. The Father speaks, the Spirit descends, and the Son is baptized.’ And yet people don’t take the Good Book seriously. What a crying shame! Anyway Friends, enough for today. There’s lots of stuff there for us to ponder, so please do so, because it’s only by reading, pondering and understanding the Word, that we are able to live successful lives here on earth. More on this tomorrow, if God so desires. Till then, please, let’s try to be the true believers we ought to be nuh. Much LOVE!…to be a true follower…one must know the what, where, and when…of the leader’s plans…
