The Overwhelming Importance of UNITY in Christ’s Church if it is to have Victory in the World!

11 Jan 2026 Leave a comment

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

2 Timothy 2:3.        Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Grace and peace be unto you my Scrip-Bit friends and families this Sunday morning, the third one after Christmas. First of all, let me apologize for there being no Bit yesterday, as I spent the entire day within the confines of my local hospital trying to find out what was causing a most annoying pain in my stomach. It felt like a small rodent was just gnawing away at my insides. I got there around four thirty in the morning and did not leave until four forty-five in the evening under dark and rainy skies. So I don’t even know what kind of day our lazy-day Saturday was. (smile) 

Can you imagine that? I missed the entire day sitting in a hospital and after several tests, they still are not sure what’s causing my pain, although they do have suppositions and have given me some medication based on those suppositions. The pain is still there, though not as strong and persistent as it was before. Let’s hope with the medication they’ve given me, it will be totally gone within the next couple days or I might just go crazy. (smile) It’s that annoying. But enough of me, that’s my cross to bear, and I’m not so sure that I’m bearing it with as good an attitude as the Lord desires. (smile) But that’s for Him to decide. 

And today being Sunday, the Lord’s Day, we’ll sing a most appropriate hymn for these trying and evil times, titled ‘Onward Christian Soldiers.’  It’s a 19th century English hymn with words written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865, and the music composed by Arthur Sullivan in 1871. The lyric was written as a processional hymn for children walking from Horbury Bridge to Horbury St Peter’s Church near Wakefield, Yorkshire, at Whitsuntide in 1865, but as we all know the Salvation Army eventually adopted it as their favourite processional and the hymn became quite successful after that. 

And as the website Godtube tells us: ‘It was written to encourage Christians in their ongoing battles with temptations within themselves and the evil forces throughout the world.’ So let’s raise our voices in sweet sacrifices of praise in a scintillating, heartfelt, up-tempo rendition of this marvellous, reassuring and encouraging song. 

Singing: ‘Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go! (Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!) At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise! [Refrain] 

Like a mighty army moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod; We are not divided; all one body we, One in hope and doctrine, one in charity. [Refrain] Onward, then, ye people, join our happy throng, Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song; Glory, laud, and honor, unto Christ the King; This thro’ countless ages men and angels sing. [Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!… With the cross of Jesus going on before!…’ 

Yes friends, the cross of Jesus is exactly what should be leading us in this fight against the evil doers of this world, for it’s the symbol of Jesus’ power, of His truth, righteousness, and forgiveness of sins! It’s the cross of Jesus that reignited the world when it was going under from the preponderance of sin, and it’s the same power of the cross of Jesus that will reignite our world when we get together and fight like good soldiers on Jesus’ behalf. But it requires the faith and fortitude that Bruh Paul spoke of to Timothy. ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3) 

And that’s what we are all expected to be, soldiers in the victorious army of Jesus. But no army can be successful unless ALL of it’s members act together in unity under one banner, in this case, the cross of Jesus. For as Bruh Paul continues to Timothy: ‘No man entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.’ (2 Tim. 3:4) And we have two of the best examples of endurance in times of hardship; the first being the supreme example of Christ, and the second, the human example of Bruh Paul himself. 

Oh my fellow believers, the church of Christ is supposed to be His victorious army, but how can it ever be victorious when it’s terribly divided and filled with dissension, strife and petty squabbles? That’s why Satan’s army is in the ascendance right now. And we will never overturn it until and unless we come together as ONE and fight with all perseverance and fortitude as ONE body under the cross of Christ! 

And right now that is ever so necessary, for we have already seen in the first few days of this new year the numerous new evils, abuses and inhumanity that’s been carried out by the evil doers. And it’s only as ONE strong and united force for good, that we will ever be able to make any successful inroads into the evil doings of Satan. So despite all the wonderful things we sing, it all comes right back to the foundation of UNITY; unity of purpose and unity as one solid body of believers. 

That’s why this year it’s ever so important for us to concentrate on getting Christ’s body, the Church united and thinking as ONE, and moving forward as ONE under Christ, otherwise crapaud smoke we pipe. It’s as simple as that my people. The sad part of the situation though is that the enemy doesn’t even have to try and divide us to conquer us…no, we ourselves do the dividing, which makes it ever so easy for them. 

Let’s hope then that we’ll take these words of the hymn very seriously: ‘At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise!.. Like a mighty army moves the church of God;… We are not divided; all ONE body we, ONE in hope and doctrine, ONE in charity.’ And if we don’t, then as we said earlier…crapaud smoke we pipe. Much LOVE!

…until Christians truly get together and act as ONE…there’s little or no hope for us…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   26 June 2022   2 Timothy 2:4.

26 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

2 Timothy 2:4.      Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  ​​

Come Sunday morning, we’ll be singing and praising our wonderful God on His day! And that’s just the way it ought to be, believers gathered together, be it physically in a sanctuary, by technological means, or outdoors in the wilds of nature, as my church will be doing today at our annual outdoors church service and picnic in a nearby park, the first for about three years. Now that’s all predicated on the weather staying warm and sunny like it’s been for the last number of days. But knowing how persnickety and contrary the weather can be these days, nothing can be taken for granted. 

And for today’s song of praise, we have an oldie but goldie; one of our long time favourites, aptly titled ‘Onward Christian Soldiers,’ with lyric written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865, and the music by Arthur Sullivan in 1871. It’s become one of our ‘favouritest’ processional hymns, but underneath, it bears a strong incentive and encouragement to stand up strong and fight for Christ like we are in His army. So now, let’s raise our voices in sacrificial praise in a powerful, scintillating, sincere up-tempo version. 

‘Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go! (Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!) At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise! [Refrain] 

Like a mighty army moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod; We are not divided; all one body we, One in hope and doctrine, one in charity. [Refrain] Onward, then, ye people, join our happy throng, Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song; Glory, laud, and honor, unto Christ the King; This thro’ countless ages men and angels sing. [Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! With the cross of Jesus going on before!’ 

Yes friends, that was indeed rich and scintillating! And I do hope we truly meant every word we sang, and that those words will encourage us to go out today and in the upcoming week to stand strong and steadfast for Christ! Because we are in a war, a spiritual war, as Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians: ‘For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after (according) to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (of the flesh) but mighty through God (spiritual) to the pulling down of strongholds. Casting down imaginations (arguments, thoughts), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ (2 Cor. 10:3-5) 

It means, that anything that doesn’t coincide with God’s word, we have to take spiritual authority over it and cast it out with the Lord’s help, because our mind is the battlefield where the spiritual war is being fought. Satan wants to take control of it, but we must use Christ’s power to withstand his evil machinations. That’s why Bruh Paul advised the Ephesians thus: ‘Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11) 

Oh my brethren, we desperately need to be armoured up with God’s protection then stand up strong against Satan, for he carefully devises evil schemes and strategies against Christ’s people. And Bruh Paul continues to enlighten the Ephesians on the matter. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood (we don’t fight against human beings), but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual hosts of wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you (take up, put on) the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the day, and having done all to stand.’ (Eph. 6:12-13) 

Yes, my fellow saints without God’s armour, Christ’s church cannot fight the spiritual battle against the forces of evil that is currently being waged in our world. And some of you must be wondering what’s this armour of God. Well just like the battle we are fighting, the armour is spiritual. It consists of the loin cloth of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of the gospel peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And then praying always in the Spirit for all the saints. 

Now,  that’s basically God’s spiritual armour, but it’s very effective if we keep it on and use it right. And it’s the only way we are going to win the spiritual battle in which we are currently engaged. We must be good soldiers for Christ if we hope to make any headway against the enemy. 

It’s like Bruh Paul said to Timothy on the subject. ‘Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.’  (2 Tim. 2:3-4) 

There you have it friends! If we want to be good soldiers of Christ, we cannot afford to get tangled up with the affairs of this world. Remember Jesus expects us to be in the world, but not of the world. It’s not going to be easy, for the life of a soldier is never easy. In our personal discipleship we will suffer affliction and hardship which we need to overcome through the help of the Holy Spirit in conjunction with our spiritual armour and our own conviction in and LOVE for Jesus! And I do hope that our song today will indeed offer us some encouragement in our ongoing battles, both internally and against the evil forces of our evil world. Much LOVE!

… to fight to the death for Jesus…is the believer’s greatest joy…

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