Jude 3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! The day we all LOVE to see come around, because it heralds the weekend; two days of no labouring for Massa. But you know what’s already happening in T&T? Christmas Carols and Parang (local folk music with a Spanish influence) are already being played on the T&T radio stations. Wow! I was somewhat surprised to hear them being aired so early, 2 months before Christmas. And I haven’t heard any up here as yet. But as we all know, Christmas is a big time in the Twin Island Republic, especially in this 50th year of Independence. So you can imagine how the Parang sides are already lined up with their quatros (a small, guitar like instrument) to go out to sing and celebrate the wonderful birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And today, everybody’s singing to quatro accompaniment: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Work done for the week! Is my time now! Thank God is Friday!’ But Friends, to get the proper perspective for the weekend, we need to tone down the rhetoric and party time some, and ramp up the influence of Jesus. So let’s do that by chanting our Friday Chant nuh, with much spirit and enthusiasm. 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.’ Yes mih people, the weekend isn’t for partying alone, it’s also a time to renew and refresh our sensibilities in Jesus, especially with fellowship on whatever day you celebrate the Sabbath. That’s one way to adhere to the advice of our Bit: ‘Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.’ When we renew our acquaintance with Christ, through study, prayer, meditation and fellowship, it enables us to better understand what we’re all about in Him, and thus to stand up stronger for the TRUTH of our FAITH. And some of you probably get a little miffed because I keep harping on TRUTH and standing strong in the FAITH, but Friends, there’s a very good reason for that, namely the falsehood, prevarication and all the other anomalies that are so prevalent in Christ’s church today, in all aspects of its being; from clergy to congregation, to doctrine and practices. And unless we know the TRUTH and stand up strong to protect it, then Christ’s church will eventually become even more divisive than it is now, and of even less positive repute. And that’s something I’m sure none of us want to happen, but it will unless WE ALL get actively involved in building and strengthening it. Now let’s get into some serious scripture on the subject, Listen to Peter, as he wisely warns of false prophets and teachers: ‘But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily (secretly) shall bring in damnable (destructive) heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious (destructive) ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of (blasphemed). And through covetousness shall they with feigned (deceptive) words make merchandise of (exploit) you: whose judgement now of a long time lingereth not (has not been idle), and their damnation (destruction) slumbereth not.’ (2 Pet.2:1-3) Yes Friends, it happened back then and it’s happening now too, more widespread, with even greater fervour because of the ease of communication, and numerous lost, anxious humans looking for, seeking some kind of healing balm for their emotional and spiritual wounds. Now we’ll end with some observations from the scholars on those verses. ‘The opposite of true revelation is the message of false prophets and false teachers who deceive God’s flock and bring in damnable heresies. These heresies (unorthodox teachings) include an open denial of Christ Himself. Denying the Lord that bought them indicates that Christ’s atonement potentially extends to all men, including those false teachers who reject Him. Therefore they will experience destruction because they themselves will be deceived by their own teaching and continue to reject the way of truth.’ Oh Friends, please take all this seriously, because it concerns each and every believer, and the TRUTH or falsehood we allow into our lives. Much LOVE!…beware of sweet-tongued teachers and preachers…for those with the gift of gab…can lead even the most faithful astray… P.S. It’s a good thing that I don’t have a sweet tongue or the gift of gab. (smile)
Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 October 2012 Jude 3
26 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: blasphemy, Christmas Carols, deception, destruction, exploitation, faith, false prophets, falsehood, fellowship, Friday chant, heresy, Jesus Christ, meditation, Parang, prayer, salvation, sensibilities in Jesus, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, truth, weekend
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 September 2012 Habakkuk 1:2
04 Sep 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: anguish, blasphemy, confidence, cry out to God, destruction, evil, forgiveness, Glory Halleujah, god, God is good, hear, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, prayer, prophecy, punishment, save, surrender, violence, wisdom
Habakkuk 1:2. O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
Oh Friends, oh Friends, our God just proved to me once again what a wonderful and faithful God He is! Just now, when I came to write the Bit, my confidence seemed to be at a rather low ebb. I can’t say what really caused it, because when I came downstairs earlier on it was fine, but somewhere in between it faltered. And all I did was read a few e-mails, most of them to do with God too, including yesterday’s Bit, then played a set of games that purport to enhance my mental prowess (smile). And even though I didn’t do as well in some of the individual games as I usually do, my overall score was higher than yesterday. So I really can’t say what triggered this lack of confidence. But somehow or the other Lucifer got into my mind – yes that’s where it all begins, in the mind – and knocked me for an unhealthy six. (smile) But what he obviously didn’t consider Friends, is that I would cry out to my God in anguish and sincere surrender, and that being the True, Faithful and LOVING Father that He is, He would renew that confidence, through the gentle touch of His Holy Spirit, and my looking up some scriptures on confidence in His Word, in particular Proverbs 3:25-26; Proverbs 14:26; and 1 John 5:13-15. And now my brethren, I can truly say a very big and bold ‘THANK YOU FATHER FOR RENEWING MY CONFIDENCE!’ Wow Friends, what a great and mighty God, endowed with much mercy, forgiveness and LOVING-kindness we serve and worship! And all God’s people let forth a mighty shout of joy, boldly declaring: ‘Glory Hallelujah to the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE! Oh Friends, I’m chuckling here now as I consider God’s mysterious movement in my life this morning. Apparently He felt that I needed a testimony; I’ve been doing enough talking, and needed to walk some of that talk. So Friends, I can boldly testify now, that if your spirit is somewhat downcast and on the low side, you can successfully cry out to God, get in His Word and feel His Sprit work in you, to bring you back up to a decent level. And on another good note of God’s faithfulness, I read where an Imam was arrested in the last couple days for framing the young Christian girl being held in a Pakistani jail on blasphemy charges. Somebody apparently squealed on him. But what’s even more surprising and important is that they actually arrested him and took him away in chains and a white blindfold. That decree must have come from some real powerful person, cause when have you ever heard of an Imam’s word being doubted in a fanatical Muslim society, especially when it comes to the burning of a holy work by a Christian believer? God truly is good my people! Now let’s see if we can get some action on our Bit. (smile) ‘O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!’ Ah mih breddren, Habakkuk’s words on the state of his country Judah so long ago, so closely mirrors the state of our own society now that it’s not funny! Rather, it’s heartbreaking and unsettling. For it seems that severe punishment is also going to be meted out to us for our proud and obnoxious disobedience and rebellion towards Almighty God, Creator and Everlasting Ruler of our Universe. Habakkuk’s cry of unanswered prayer sounds like Jeremiah’s in his Lamentations for Judah’s fall. ‘He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. He hath hedged me about (walled me in), that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. Also when I cry out and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.’ (Lam.3:6-8) But what else did Jeremiah expect eh, when he himself had prophesied to Judah about their coming destruction, and they refused to listen to him? Oh my people, we are always declaring that our God doesn’t change; He’s the same yesterday, today and forever. So in light of that, let me ask a seemingly foolish question here. If God severely punished Israel so often, plus all those others who were supposed to believe in and worship Him faithfully, what do you think is going to happen to us, especially since we LOVE to claim that our society was founded on Christian principles? Oh my fellow believers, it doesn’t take the brains of a rocket scientist to understand God’s rules because they are quite simple: obey, or you pay! It’s the same thing our earthly parents taught us from a tender age, and we obeyed them lots of the time because of fear, fear of the punishment that would be meted out to us mostly in a physical manner. But Friends, our God doesn’t want us to obey Him because we’re afraid of His eventual punishment, but because we LOVE Him the way He LOVES us, and thus want to do His will. But we’ve gotten so big for out ‘britches’ these days that we only do what we think is right. Anyway mih people, the long and short of the story is that our world is in a despicable state, partly because of our wilful, blatant and stubborn disobedience to ALL the commandments of our Creator. And we’re already paying dearly for that disobedience. So let’s end with some wise words from the prophet Micah, re the terrible end of the oppressors of the poor. ‘Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work (plan) evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take (seize) them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage (inheritance). Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil (I am devising disaster), from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.’ (Mic.2:1-3) And this time is surely evil my people, so please let’s wake up and hear what God is saying to us nuh: repent, and come back to my fold, else it won’t be well with you. Friends and fellow believers, I implore us to listen and heed God’s advice. That’s wisdom at its zenith. Much LOVE!…there’s none so deaf…as he who refuses to hear…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 August 2012 Galatians 5:1
30 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: blasphemy, calamity, circumcision, controversial, disasters, fellowship, freedom, God's Word, imprisonment, Jesus, knees bow, persecution, revenge, salvation, slaves
Galatians 5:1. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Oh Friends, our world’s a mess; man-made disasters as well as God sent calamity. You name it, and we’re suffering it. And on a more personal level, millions of Christians are still suffering persecution in numerous places, simply because they believe in Christ, talk about Him and try to live by His Word and His will. One extreme example of that is the Christian teenaged girl recently imprisoned in Pakistan for supposedly burning some pages of a holy book. Now you cannot get a straight story about her age, what she actually burnt, or how it all came about, cause all they have left is ashes, but the Muslim people are all up in arms calling for her death, due to some vague and unenlightened blasphemy law that’s only being used and abused to satisfy personal agendas, and vendettas, especially against Christians. Hundreds of believers had to flee their homes as the Muslim mobs cried out for vengeance. And there’s no justice to be had for God’s people! Ah Friends, it’s not fair, but unfortunately it’s part of being a believer in some places. But remember though, that the name of Jesus is the most powerful and controversial name on all the earth. It’s the name to which all knees shall eventually bow and all voices make confession to. So there will always be those who want to engage in some kind of controversy over it. However, here is the true insight on the matter: ‘The action of God is flowing through us, through all believers in a pattern of success right now!’ Yes my people, regardless of our troubles, the Lord’s blessing us all today with a strength of purpose that will inevitably bring success. Jesus had it and was able to overcome His problems and so will we. But that success doesn’t just come without any effort on our part. We need to be strong and keep living by faith to see that success. That’s why our Bit encourages, exhorts and admonishes us to: ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.’ Words of impeccable wisdom that all believers ought to live by! Here’s what the scholars have to say about it. ‘The verse can be rendered: “For freedom Christ freed us. Therefore stand fast and do not again be subject to a yoke of bondage.” The “freedom” in view is freedom from the law, here called “a yoke of bondage.” Paul wants the Galatians to “stand fast,” that is retain their spiritual freedom.’ Likewise my brethren, believers in these turbulent times need to stand fast in their faith, retain the spiritual freedom that Christ died to give us, and not to become slaves to the law again. And Bruh Paul uses as an example the Jewish law of circumcision, which at the time was causing much friction between the Jewish and Gentile believers. He says that circumcision will not provide any special benefits, or bring you any closer to Christ, but it will enslave you to the law. It’s an external ritual or symbol, showing that you accept the law, and therefore are dependent on man’s legality to provide salvation, rather than on God’s grace. But by the same token, being uncircumcised doesn’t profit you anything either. ‘For we through the Spirit (eagerly) wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by LOVE.’ (Gal.5:5-6) So whether we’re circumcised or not, we’ll not benefit spiritually from that physical state. Thus, if we try to be justified by the law, we will not have the favour, the grace of God that Jesus died for us to have. But through faith, instilled in and kept working in us by the Holy Spirit, believers can, and do find justification, and hope for the salvation promised by Jesus, in and through His sacrificial death. As the scholars declare: ‘Faith is man’s response to God who LOVES him, and this divine LOVE that produces human faith results in his justification.’ So my brethren, please let us not become too entangled with man’s law, which will only yoke us in slavery once again. Now listen to Bruh Paul’s exhortation to steadfastness to the church at Philippi: ‘Only let your conversation (conduct) be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing (no way) terrified by your adversaries: which is to them and evident token (a proof) of perdition (destruction), but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.’ (Phil.1:27-29) And the scholar’s give us a good explanation on the meaning of fellowship to believers. ‘Fellowship, one of the keys to spiritual growth, occurs when Christians share their walk with God in an atmosphere of LOVE and respect. Fellowship occurs when everyone communicates in LOVE with other believers, and the whole assembly becomes strengthened as a result. Sometimes fellowship requires confessing our faults (James 5:16) as we strive to develop a unity of spirit and mind. Those who work to hinder the fellowship of the brethren practice a sin that is hated by God (Prov. 6:19) Illustration: The church at Philippi was particularly noted for its spirit of fellowship, but Paul’s warning to two women in the church reminds how we must constantly work to maintain fellowship (4:1-3). Application: Fellowship is so vital that we cannot live for God by ourselves. As we develop deeper relationships with others, we should remember that we come to resemble those with whom we fellowship. (Matt.18:19). Now, sadly, true fellowship is something that’s missing from Christ’s church today. I’ll rephrase that, because there is some. Let’s say it’s not as strong and united as it ought to be, otherwise there wouldn’t be all the divisions and divisiveness found in Christ’s body. Friends, please realize that only in unity is there strength, and we believers are fighting an uphill battle against the spiritual forces of evil and bondage, so it’s absolutely necessary that we stick together if we want to be successful. And today, let’s pray for all those who are suffering disaster, or being unfairly persecuted. Let’s send up plenty prayers to heaven, for the Lord to assuage some of our problems down here on earth. Much LOVE!…if the Lord hears the prayer of one righteous person…won’t He pay more attention to the prayers of plenty righteous people…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 July 2012 Proverbs 24:28
17 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: blasphemy, deceive not, don't think evil, false witness, gospel music, gossip, Hallelujah, lies, lightning strikes, renew your mind, slander, speak truth, Thank God for Jesus, what comes out defiles
Proverbs 24:28. Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.
Oh Friends, the hot times they continue! It’s supposed to be up to something like 35 today in my area, but with showers though. Hn! Showers eh! I’ll believe them when I see them. And talking about showers, yesterday I left out the length of time that the few scattered showers fell in my area. It was less than ten minutes. However, it seems that the City of Toronto itself, as well as its eastern environs had oodles of rain in a very short time period. So much that it caused power outages and flooding in several areas, and some people even got injured by lightning strikes. Let’s pray that they are okay. So while I was belly-aching about the little rain in my area on the western side of Toronto, those folks in the centre and on the other side were complaining about too much all at once. Anyway, here’s something, or rather someone, whom we can all be thankful for. It’s from the chorus of a Caribbean Gospel song I heard on Wack 90.1 FM yesterday morning, during their Gospel Time, between 4 and 6 a.m. Monday to Friday. If you LOVE West Indian Gospel, and to me it’s the BEST – so what if I’m biased about many things West Indian eh – (smile) then tune into Wack 90.1 on your computers in the early morning hours. I guarantee that you will get a wonderful treat of beautiful West Indian Gospel. And the chorus of the song I’m talking about says: ‘Thank God for Jesus! Thank God for Jesus! Thank God for Jesus – Everyday! Thank God for Jesus! He is my Saviour! He is the Truth! He is the Light! He is the Way!’ And all God’s people raised a loud shout of ‘Hallelujah! Amen!’ to heaven. Those are truly words of wisdom and truth mih breddren! And it segues in quite nicely to our Bit: ‘Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.’ Yes Friends, as followers of Jesus, the truth should be on our lips, emanate from our mouths at all times. And not only should it come out of our mouths, but also from our hearts. In fact, if there isn’t truth in our hearts, then how will it come from our lips eh? Remember Jesus’ words to the multitude re things that defile: ‘Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.’ (Matt.15:10-11) So my brethren, let’s work faithfully and diligently at getting truth rather than lies and evil into our souls and minds nuh, because only if we first put it in, can we later get it to come out. Then we have these fateful words of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians, re the new life in Christ: ‘But ye have not so learned Christ. If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; And be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.’ (Eph.4:21-25) Ah mih people, if we’re truly born again in Christ, then truth should be the only thing that comes out of us, because that’s what Christ is all about! Now listen to the Lord thy God, from way back when, speaking through the prophet Zechariah, re things that must be done when the promised restoration of Jerusalem occurs. ‘For thus saith the Lord of hosts; As I thought (determined) to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath…and I repented not (would not relent): So again have I thought (determined) in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not. These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgements of (for) truth and peace in your gates. And let none of you imagine (think) evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and LOVE no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.’ (Zech.8:14-17) Yes Friends, it’s all there, plain and simple in black and white. And by the way, that’s where Bruh Paul got his words to the Ephesians from, re speaking truth to one’s neighbour. So it’s obvious that things like outright lies, false accusations, slander and blasphemy should not be numbered amongst the traits of a true believer. And the Lord knows that it’s difficult to always stay on the straight and narrow path when such a conglomeration of evil and ungodliness surrounds us, where lies, gossip, half-truths and other erroneous messages proliferate, and can easily lead us astray. But as with everything else in our Christian walk my people, we need to make a conscious and diligent effort to remove the ungodly things from our lives, obviously with the help of the Lord. If we come to Him with transparent hearts and lay all our cards before Him, He will enable us to bear our burdens and resist the evil that’s tempting us. Oh Friends that’s the wise and ONLY way we’ll ever be able to resist and/or avoid some of the many problems that will surely invade our earthly lives! So till we meet again tomorrow, God willing, please go in Peace, Harmony and LOVE, to serve and bless our great and wonderful God! Much LOVE!…when problems bring us to our knees…run to the Lord…and with a sincere heart say…Father, help me please…
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…
