The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Being Continually Refilled by the Holy Spirit

15 Sep 2025 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 5:18.         And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Holy Spirit.

It’s Monday once again my people, time to get up and get going out into the world to do the Lord’s work! Let’s hope that we’re all refreshed and renewed with His Holy Spirit so that we can do good, efficient, excellent work on this sunshiny summer’s day. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians: ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ (Eph. 5:18).

And what does that mean? According to the scholars, ‘that basically means we’re not to get drunk on alcoholic beverages, because it leads to drunkenness and excessive behaviour causing moral intemperance, which is clearly contrary to God’s will. God’s will is that Christians be filled with (by) the Holy Spirit; that is, they are to allow Him to fill them with God’s own life, character and virtues. The analogy between these two moral states is this: a person filled with wine is under its influence; similarly, a Christian is filled with the Spirit when He (the Spirit) controls his thoughts.’

And I like how this commentary explains the situation. It says: ‘To be refilled with the Holy Spirit means to be continually yielded to God’s control and power, a state of ongoing submission and obedience to His will, rather than a one-time event. It is an intentional, active, and daily choice by believers to allow the Holy Spirit to empower them to live a victorious and fruitful Christian life by obeying God’s Word, committing to prayer and fellowship, and trusting in God’s sovereignty.’

Yes friends, being refilled with the Holy Spirit is not a one-time thing, but a continual filling, a repeated experience for believers. Where we actively submit our will to God’s control, thus ‘making a conscious decision to live under His constant direction and power, leading to a transformed character and priorities.’ And Bruh Paul, as is his wont, goes on to give us some practical advice on how to achieve those desires in real life.

He writes: ‘Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:19-21) What a great passage of scripture that is my brethren!

And the scholars break it down thus: ‘There are four results of being Spirit-filled. (1) believers speak to one another with psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs; that is, they exhort and instruct each other; (2) there is singing and the making of melody, of individual song and praise for the Lord; (3) there is giving thanks always – the Spirit enables the Christian to be grateful for all things divinely allowed to enter his life since they will be used for good; (4) there is mutual submission, that is, showing deference to the wishes of one another, as long as that to which the believer submits is in the fear of God, which is to say, in accord with what pleases Him.’ 

Then there’s an interesting addendum that the scholars add to their explanation, which says: ‘Because people are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at salvation, they do not need to get more of the Holy Spirit, but the filling of the Spirit occurs when the Holy Spirit gets more of the believer.’ Wow! That sounds right. Technically speaking, we already have the Holy Spirit dwelling with us, so we can’t get any more of it in the sense of receiving it, but instead we need to give more of ourselves to the Holy Spirit, that’s listening to Him more, so that He can lead, guide and comfort us in the manner our heavenly Father desires.

And all that practical advice that Bruh Paul gives back there can only be successfully accomplished if we have the fruit of the Spirit flourishing in us. And what’s the fruit of the Spirit? Bruh Paul explained it thus to the Galatians. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE (the willing sacrificial giving of oneself for the benefit of another without thought of return), joy (gladness of heart), peace (tranquility of mind, freeing one from worry and fear), longsuffering (patience with others).

Gentleness is kindness. Goodness is generosity. Faith here is dependability. Meekness is gentleness, that is, courtesy and consideration in one’s relations with others. Temperance is self-control, that is the ability to harness and control one’s passions and lusts.  (Gal. 5:22-23) And that’s the nine fruit of the Spirit (singular), unlike the gifts of the Spirit (plural).  And for this fruit to develop, all nine aspects must mature. In other words, we won’t grow spiritually unless all the fruit is maturing and growing. 

And having said all those things, it’s time now to go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid to put them into effect. (smile) Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And as we can see from our prayer certain things are necessary before we can receive divine aid; like humbling ourselves, praying, sincerely seeking God’s face and turning from our evil ways. So please, let’s concentrate on improving in those areas nuh, so that divine aid can begin flowing down to us. Remember, it’s all for our benefit!! Much LOVE!

…the Christian believer…is expected to bear much fruit…from seed planted and nourished by the Holy Spirit… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit    19 September 2023 Genesis 42:8.

19 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 42:8.       And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

Oh friends, how wonderful it is that we’ve been blessed to see another glorious day on God’s great earth! And yes, it’s been born of His daily mercies and compassions, but it also means that He still has work down here for us to do. So please, let’s get our Christlike selves together and do the Lord’s work nuh! What will it take for us to live up to our Christian responsibilities eh? Fire and brimstone? 

Our God has been so good to us down through the ages, that it’s only fair that we keep our part of the bargain, if we want the covenant to have a happy ending. Remember, we’re the ones who are suffering the hurts and pains of Satan’s evil doings, and everything the Lord has advised us to do is for OUR benefit, not His! Nuff said! 

Now, let’s turn once again to that intriguing story of Bruh Joseph. In our last go round, we saw where the famine was in full swing throughout all the lands, and his father Jacob sent his ten brothers down to Egypt to buy grain ‘that we may live, and not die.’ (Gen. 42:2) However, he refused to send his last child, Benjamin, fearing that some calamity might befall him, the way it had done Joseph, some twenty years before. 

The Bible then tells us: ‘And the sons of Israel (Jacob) came to buy corn (grain) among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan (where they lived). And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren (brothers) came and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.’ (Gen. 42:5-6) 

Oh my people how mighty are the ways of our God eh? Remember many years before when Bruh Joseph told his brothers that in his dream they were bowing down before Him? That was the very reason they had gone to so much trouble to get rid of Bruh Joseph in the first place. Well, it had taken almost two decades, but the Word of the Lord does not lie. It might tarry, take some time, but it always comes to pass! 

Then the Bible continues: ‘And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them (acted as a stranger to them), and spake roughly (harshly) unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said from the land of Canaan to buy food. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.’ (Gen. 42:7-8) And that was quite possible since Bruh Joseph was most likely dressed as an Egyptian nobleman, and possibly even spoke the Egyptian language after being in the country for so long. 

The Good Library then states: ‘And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness (exposed parts) of the land ye are come. And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man’s sons; we are true (honest) men, thy servants are no spies. And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren (brothers), the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not (no more).’ (Gen. 42:9-13) 

Now isn’t it strange that the brothers even mentioned that they had a sibling who was no longer alive. Or so they thought. But the interesting repartee between the brothers goes on: ‘And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies: Hereby ye shall be proved (tested): By the life of Pharoah ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved (tested), whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharoah surely ye are spies. And he put them all together in ward (prison) three days.’ (Gen. 42:14-17) 

Bubba! Bruh Joseph was really tough with his brethren. And this explanation from the scholars makes the whole thing even more interesting. They say: ‘It is hard to determine Joseph’s real motive for testing his brothers. Most scholars feel that Joseph was not being vindictive, but was engaged merely in official probing and testing. However, Joseph’s manner, coupled with the numerous tests through which he put his brothers, gives the distinct impression that he was humbling his previously arrogant brothers (vs. 6-14).’ 

And even if that’s true, why not eh? Bruh Joseph, though godly, was still only human, and they had put him through unnecessary hell simply because of their jealously and hatred. And it’s not strange that when we do evil and ungodly deeds, that at some stage of the game they rebound on us, like the famous Australian boomerang. That’s because the Lord God is our vindicator, and if we do not seek vengeance ourselves, He will eventually give us justice. Remember Bruh Paul’s words in Romans 12:19, as he quotes Deuteronomy 32:35. ‘Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.’ 

Yes my fellow saints, our God will make everything right, if we only believe Him and leave everything in His hand. And no, it’s not always easy to forgive or let wrong doings go by, especially when they cause much hurt and pain, but our ever-faithful God requires that we make such sacrifices, if we truly believe in Him. And now that it’s time to go home, let’s declare (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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 my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And now that we’ve made such a marvellous admission, it now behooves us to go out and share that wonderful LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…the Word of God…that is the standard to which we must always aspire… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ  

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 February 2018 Proverbs 14:23.

05 Feb 2018 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 14:23.   In all labour there is profit: but the talk (idle chatter) of the lips tendeth only to penury (poverty).

Yeh friends, it’s white and beautiful out there, but please don’t be fooled by that beauty, because it’s a deceitful beauty, worse than the hissing forked tongue of a viper! At least you can see and/or hear the viper, but one never knows what the snow has hidden underneath that beautiful appearance. 

So after all the white stuff that fell yesterday, please be careful on the roads this morning, because it’s definitely going to be a mess out there. The commute to work will be even longer and more dangerous than normal, so, if possible, please leave home earlier than usual, and be wary of the other drivers on the road. 

Now, to get some much needed adrenaline flowing through our body this cold and snowy Monday morning, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, which always works wonders on us. 

With plenty gusto now: ‘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!’ 

Wow! That surely lifts our spirits. But be careful now, don’t let that rush of adrenaline make us go overboard, become too self-confident and screw up on the other side of the ledger. (smile) Oh yes, we are indeed capable of moving swiftly from one end of the spectrum to the other with a burst of adrenaline; from being slothful and lethargic, to being swift and overconfident. 

That brings us to an interesting, but ever so true Bit, taken from the wise words of Cousin Sol.‘ In all labour there is profit: but the talk (idle chatter) of the lips tendeth only to penury (poverty).’ There is no doubt whatsoever my people, about the truth and wisdom in those few words. 

And there is no better example of it than our current society. I doubt that there has ever been an age of man’s evolution where there has been so little enthusiasm for work and so much idle chatter like there is right now. And we can lay it all at the feet of modern technology. 

We certainly have the ability to communicate better and faster, but the meat of the meal, the underlying substance of what we have to communicate has not improved or increased in like manner. We now talk more nonsense than we talked before, and too many of us just talk for talk sake. 

But an interesting side to all of that, another sad fall out from our increased power of communication, is that we might communicate more through technological devices, but we don’t actually talk to each other as much as we should. I’m sure you’ve seen a group of supposed friends, at say a restaurant together, but nobody is talking to nobody, because they are all busy doing whatever on their latest model of communication technology. 

I’ve even seen LOVERS, more engrossed in their tablet or I-phones than in their supposed LOVED one. Now that just boggles my imagination. Have things changed since my time? Am I missing something? I remember in my time, your full concentration would be on your LOVED one. You didn’t want to take your eyes off of them. You listened intently to every word they said. Steups! Now they don’t even seem to talk to each other. 

Ah mih people, NO talk is just as bad as TOO MUCH talk! It could even be worse, since you won’t even know what the other person is thinking. And please don’t tell me about communicating through the technological devices when you’re in the same space as the other person. 

And another anomaly that has arisen from this communication revolution is that what began as having a mobile phone, so you could talk anytime and anywhere, has now morphed into having a technological device to use for sending messages. Many people don’t even use the phone aspect of the device any more. 

Ah Lord eh! But who am I to fight it eh? All I know is that I won’t let it control me like it does so many of us. And we’ll end today with another interesting take on our Bit from Cousin Sol. ‘A fool uttereth all his mind (vents all his feelings): but a wise man keepeth it in (holds it back) till afterward.’ (Prov.29:11) 

Please friends, as we go out today, to do the Lord’s work, let’s ask Him to help us to be wise and not be foolish, and thus spoil our witness for Him. Much LOVE!

…there’s a fine balance between…what we talk…and how much we talk…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 September 2017 Luke 18:1.

26 Sep 2017 Leave a comment

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

Luke 18:1.   And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint. 

Behold friends, it’s another glorious Tuesday morning in my area! And as the old people would remark ‘heat for so!’ (smile) 

Don’t know when they’re going to end. But like all things, this current beautiful summer weather will eventually morph into the cold and gloomy weather of fall and then winter. 

It’s only a matter of time. So we had better enjoy it while it lasts. That’s why we can all shout, ‘this is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ 

Oh my people, I know that’s difficult for many of us to say and truly mean because we’re undergoing enormous stress and problems, but we just have to suck it up, raise our level of faith and carry on. 

Even me, right now, I’m having some painful hip problems, and it’s indeed a pain in the rear end, both literally and figuratively, (smile) I can’t walk properly, or sleep properly, or do any kind of physical movement without some sudden, unexpected pain in some area. 

Just coming down here to my basement office to write the Bit was a source of annoying pain. But I just have to do whatever it takes to keep on doing the Lord’s work. And from past experience, I know that He will enable me to do it, if I hang in there. 

That’s what our faith is all about friends! Let’s not forget the Lord’s goodness and mercy in our past. Remembering what He has done in the past for us, ought to make us stronger and help us to stick with His word, to keep believing and keep praying. 

And talking about praying, here is something I’ve shared before from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional, but it’s one of those inspiring prayers that we need to share over and over. It’s titled ‘A Prayer For Confidence.’ 

Please pray with me: ‘It is flowing into me now, for my conscience is clear. I have made the right decision. I am not afraid of problems. I will face challenges calmly and serenely for God is behind me. He will help me. If I must go through difficult times, He will rescue me. 

I feel His spirit of confidence surging in my heart now. With Him I cannot possibly fail. “If God is for me who can be against me?” I have a strong feeling that everything is going to work out just beautifully. Thank you, God. Amen!’ 

Ah mih people, what sincere words of reassurance! And I do hope that you feel the surging confidence, the ultimate and enormous power of our omnipotent and merciful God flowing through you right now! I do! 

It’s that spiritual power inspired by prayer and praise, worship and thanks that gets us moving despite all the negative aspects of our lives. We can’t give up friends, especially in these rough and devastating times. As I keep saying, right now we need prayer and faith more than ever, for our world is definitely in a dangerous tailspin. 

And there’s no better time than RIGHT NOW to invoke our Bit. ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.’ 

Remember that was Jesus’ advice to the throng that followed Him. And as faithful believers, we ought to take his advice seriously and do whatever He commands. 

So, please, I urge us, implore us, to keep on praying, to not give up, to not faint, even though the future seems dark and dreary because it’s often darkest just before the dawn, and with our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, on our side, anything can happen at any time. 

Now let’s look at a magnificent verse of scripture which totally shows us the importance of prayer. They are the awesome words of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians as he explains the putting on of God’s armour. 

At the end, he specifies: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:18) 

And the scholars offer this explanation of that verse. ‘6:18. Praying is grammatically linked to “stand” in verse 14. Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is when Satan attacks. 

In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made. Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’ 

Oh friends, I do hope that shows us how important and indispensable prayer is in our lives. Now, having read and inwardly digested all that, let’s go home joyfully declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know in no uncertain terms, who and whose we are. 

In unison now: 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!’ 

Glory to God my faithful brethren! Now let’s go out and share the LOVE, mercy and forgiveness of our Saviour, as He desires of us. Much LOVE!

…prayer is the believer’s lifeline…his umbilical cord to God…