The Overwhelming Importance of the Holy Spirit in the Lives of Believers!

18 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

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

John 16:13a.        Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:

Ah mih people, Monday has come, and gone and Tuesday is here, just like the Lord designed it. (smile) Let’s hope that your Monday was good, and that your Tuesday will be even better, since we’ve now gotten into the swing of things of this new work week. And if you’re not feeling comfortable with this new week as yet, then simply turn to the Holy Spirit and ask for help, because that’s what He’s there for; to help and guide and comfort us in our trying times. 

Yes friends, it’s just like Jesus said to 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. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:25-27) What a wonderful gift Jesus gave us when He returned to heaven! And since He could not be with us in person, He gave us the next best thing, His Spirit, to act just as He would, were He in the flesh with us. 

Now, to show how very important the Holy Spirit was in Christ’s eyes, listen again to what He tells the disciples about it. ‘But when the Comforter is come, whom I shall send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye shall also bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.’ (John 15:26-27) 

And the scholars offer an interesting explanation of that passage. They say: ‘The action of the word translated “proceedeth” is “in the process – “continually proceeds.” The eternal procession of the Spirit means that He continually proceeds from beside, not out of, the Father. If the Holy Spirit came out of God, He would be less than God. To be more specific, the Holy Spirit not only proceeds from the Father, but also from the Son. This means the Father and the Son continually send the Holy Spirit. 

This in no way suggests that the Spirit is less in deity than are the Father or Son. Instead it explains the relationship among the three eternal persons of the Trinity. Illustration: Just as Jesus came to do the will of His Father, so the Holy Spirit is sent to speak not of Himself, but of Jesus. (John 16:13) Application: In this sense the Holy Spirit is the Promise of the Father who has been given to every Christian. (Acts 1:4; 2:39).’ 

And I do hope that explanation clears up whatever misgivings we had about the relationships between the three figures of our Godhead. Sometimes I think about it with the Father as the General who gives the orders, then Christ comes and does the dirty work and the heavy lifting, and the Holy Spirit comes to clean up after Him. They all have their roles, but are separate persons. 

And Jesus continues talking to the disciples about the Holy Spirit, when He warns them of what would happen to them for His names’ sake. ‘I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority); but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine (what is mine), and shall shew (declare) it unto you. 

All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.’ (John 16:12-16)  Ah friends, Jesus’ “little while” is certainly a long one, for it’s been some two thousand years, and we still haven’t seen Him come again. I guess it’s like Peter says: ‘one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.’ (2 Pet. 3:8) 

And even right before Jesus returned to heaven, He again mentioned the importance of the Holy Spirit to the disciples. They wanted to know when he would restore the kingdom again to Israel. ‘And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power (authority). But ye shall receive power, after that (when) the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto then uttermost parts of the earth.’ (Acts. 1:7-8) 

And we all know that that happened on the Pentecost Day after Jesus’ departure. The Bible tells us: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord (purpose, 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 with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts. 2:1-4) 

And from that day to this one, every believer is filled with the Holy Spirit when they receive Christ as Lord and Saviour. So the Holy Spirit is no joke; He is the One who acts on behalf of Jesus in our lives, and we ought to listen to His guidance very carefully if we want to live for Jesus. Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world 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 having said that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…three in one…and one in three…that’s our Godhead…the Trinity…

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

The Importance of Believers understanding and appreciating God’s Breath of Life, and the Power of the Holy Spirit

06 Jul 2025 Leave a comment

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

Job 33:4.       The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

Now, after a scorching Saturday, with a big shower of rain in the evening that cooled the place down some, Sunday, the Lord’s Day, has opened bright and sunshiny with another scorcher in the offing. And if it’s the Lord’s Day, then we should be saying like Bruh David says in the opening verse of Psalm 122: ‘I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ (Ps. 122:1)

And I like how this commentary explains the verse. It says: ‘It was not a burden, not a duty, alone to worship the Lord. It was a joy because that’s where God was in His mercy and His grace to His people.’ Now that’s how we also ought to feel when we go to church, or wherever two or three of us are gathered in Christ’s name. It’s not a duty or a burden to gather to worship Christ. No, sir! It ought to be a joy and a pleasure because we know we’re going where God’s LOVE, mercy and grace are found!

And as we gather today, I want us to sing this marvellous Christian hymn, ‘Breathe on Me , Breath of God,’ authored by Edwin Hatch in 1878. Hatch was a Church of England vicar and the Professor of Classics at the University of Trinity College in Canada. It’s a short and simple but oh so powerful hymn.

One commentary describes it thus: “The simplicity of this profound hymn belies the education and knowledge of its author.” But isn’t that the way it often is, although we have a great education, we can write very simple but powerful stuff. So enough talk. Let’s get to offering up our sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, soulful, scintillating and heartfelt version.

Singing: ‘Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may LOVE the way you LOVE, and do what you would do. Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until my will is one with yours, to do and to endure. Breathe on me, Breath of God Till I am earthly thine Until this earthly part of me, Glows with thy fire divine. Breathe on me, Breath of God, So that I may be free, so shall I never die, but live with you the perfect life for all eternity. Ohh breathe on me!’

And isn’t it wonderful when we feel the Lord’s presence upon us, like He’s breathing on us? It certainly is! And when we sing ‘Breathe on me,’ this commentary tells us we’re relating ‘directly to the biblical imagery of God breathing life into Adam in Genesis 2:7 and Jesus breathing on the apostles in John 20:22. Both passages emphasize God’s active role in imparting life and the Holy Spirit.’

So, here are those two passages. ‘The first says: ‘And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ (Gen. 2:7) Yes friends, man only came to life when God breathed His breath of life into Him. And the next passage deals with when Jesus first appears to the disciples, after His resurrection. Jesus greets them thus: ‘Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.’ (John 20:22)

That describes Jesus breathing on the apostles, anointing them with a temporary dose of the Holy Spirit, working on the outside, like it was given in the Old Testament for special ministries or tasks. But we see the marvellous moving of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, when it finally came to dwell on the inside of Believers on that fateful Pentecost Day.

The Bible recounts that the early believers were  all in one place, when ‘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 with other tongues (in other languages), as the Spirit gave them utterance (enabled them).’ (Acts 2:2-4)

And that’s a very special moment in the church’s life, for it highlights the gift of God’s Spirit, His Breath of Life or ‘Ruach’ the Hebrew name for the Holy Spirit, to empower believers. Now, I guess these words of the hymn, ‘Breathe on me, Breath of God Till I am earthly thine Until this earthly part of me, Glows with thy fire divine.,’ refers to the miraculous fire of cloven tongues that fell on the believers on that Pentecost Day.

Meanwhile, this commentary tells us that the words ‘Breathe on Me, breath of God, expresses the hymn’s desire for the Holy Spirit to fill and transform the individual, bringing new life, purity, and a deeper relationship with God.’ And friends, do we all ever need that new life, purity and deeper relationship with Almighty God in these disastrous and ungodly times. We need the Holy Spirit to breathe on us, to set us free from all the sin and ungodliness that’s currently wreaking havoc in our world.

We need that Ruach, that Breath of God, so that we can be transformed, with obedience and surrender, and never die, but live with him eternally. It’s like Job’s friend Elihu says; ‘The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.’ (Job 33:4)

Oh my people, no matter how godly and religious we might feel, or be, let’s not fool ourselves, we all need to pray for the renewal and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. So let’s seriously contemplate the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives  today, and then make the necessary changes so that our lives can be uplifted in Jesus’ name, and we can make a real difference here on earth. That’s my prayer for us this Sunday morning! Much LOVE!

…mankind cannot survive…without the infusion of God’s Breath of Life…so why are we so disobedient and ungodly…taking advantage of His LOVE…

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

The Baptism of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost!

08 Jun 2025 Leave a comment

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

Acts 2:3.        And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

And then it was Pentecost Sunday, when we celebrate the day the early church was baptized with the Holy Ghost! But, as this commentary tells us, ‘in the Old Testament, Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot, was a celebration commemorating the harvest of wheat and barley, as well as the anniversary of God giving the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. It was a time of thanksgiving for God’s provision and a reaffirmation of the covenant between God and Israel.’ 

And, as we all know, Jesus ascended back to heaven forty days after His resurrection. However, before He left, He commanded the disciples and the other followers to remain in Jerusalem and ‘wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ (Acts 1:4-5) So, being obedient to His desire, they stayed in Jerusalem. And this is the amazing and mind boggling scenario the Lord contrived, some two thousand years ago on the Pentecost Sunday, that fell ten days after Jesus ascended to heaven. 

The Bible tells us: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they (the followers) were all with one accord (one 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 with other tongues (other languages), as the Spirit gave them utterance (enabled them to do).’ (Acts. 2:1-4) 

Yes friends, on that day the Christian church was officially born, with the Holy Spirit alighting on each of the believers, showing that the Spirit’s baptism included them all. This spiritual baptism also fulfilled the promise of a New Covenant between God and Israel, as prophesied by Ezekiel 36: 26-27: ‘A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements and do them.’ 

Meanwhile, the author of Hebrews records it thus: ‘For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man their neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me. From the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities (lawless deed) will I remember no more.’ (Heb. 8:10-13) 

And did He ever do all of that in a majestic and breath-taking manner! First, sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, then filling every believer after that with the promise of the Holy Spirit, as Guide, Comforter and Helper. And also fulfilling another Old Testament promise as prophesied by Isaiah. ‘I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.’ (Is. 43:25) Wow! What a great and faithful God we serve my brethren! Who calls things as though they were, (Rom. 4:17) then turns around and fulfills them. 

Now, having opened up our spirits, hearts and minds with scripture and understanding of it, this warm, bright and sunny Pentecost Sunday, let’s raise the roof of the Lord’s sanctuary with sweet sacrifices of praise as we offer up a mid-tempo, soulful and scintillating version of a hymn that’s usually sung at this time. It’s aptly titled, ‘Breathe on Me , Breath of God, an English Christian Hymn, written by Edwin Hatch, a Church of England vicar and the Professor of Classics at the University of Trinity College in Canada. It was first published privately in 1878 and publicly published in 1886. 

It’s a short and simple, but very meaningful hymn. One commentary says: ‘The hymn expresses a desire for the Holy Spirit to fill and transform the individual, bringing new life, purity, and a deeper relationship with God.’ While another describes it thus: ‘The author invokes the Holy Spirit to come into his life and transform it. Using the first-person perspective throughout the hymn adds to the hymn’s power as the singer seeks the breath of God (Genesis 2:7) as a source for renewal.’ 

But enough talk, let’s do exactly as those commentaries say; seeking a more meaningful and intimate relationship with God through the power of the Holy Spirit as we sing this marvellous hymn. But wait, before we begin, let’s note that one video version had this most appropriate scripture from Job 33:4, as a prologue, and I want it to be our prologue too. So let’s declare it:  ‘The Spirit of God has made me, And the Breath of the Almighty gives me life.’ That’s the gospel truth friends!  

So, finally singing: ‘Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may LOVE the way you LOVE, and do what you would do. Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until my will is one with yours, to do and to endure. Breathe on me, Breath of God Till I am earthly thine Until this earthly part of me, Glows with thy fire divine. Breathe on me, Breath of God, So that I may be free, so shall I never die, but live with you the perfect life for all eternity. Ohh Lord… breathe on me! Yes Lord…breathe your ever-LOVING, life giving breath on me…’

Oh my people, what an outstanding rendition! All heaven was moved by our heartfelt, soulful sacrifices of praise! And as this commentary expresses: ‘The hymn’s request to “breathe on me” directly relates to the biblical imagery of God breathing life into Adam in Genesis 2:7 and Jesus breathing on the apostles in John 20:22. Both passages emphasize God’s active role in imparting life and the Holy Spirit.’

 Now, nuff said, let’s go home, with hearts rejoicing after much praise and thanksgiving in the Lord’s house, hopefully, with all of our spiritual tanks refilled to overflowing with God’s Holy Spirit, this Pentecost Day of 2025. Much LOVE!

… And the Lord God…formed man of the of the dust of the ground…and breathed into his nostrils…the breath of life…and man became a living soul…  (Gen. 2:7) 

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