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 6 January 2019 2 Timothy 2:3.

06 Jan 2019 Leave a comment

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

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

And then it was the first Sunday of the New Year! Glory Be! And all the devoted followers of Christ flocked to His sanctuary to hear His Word, to give Him the praise and worship He so obviously deserves, as well as to mix and mingle and to encourage and edify and uplift their fellow believers. And for this first Sunday in 2019, we have an awesome and most appropriate song of worship to open the proceedings. 

It’s an old 19th century British hymn whose lyrics were written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865 as a processional hymn for children walking from Horbury Bridge to Horbury St Peter’s Church near Wakefield, Yorkshire, at Whitsuntide in 1865. It was originally entitled, “Hymn for Procession with Cross and Banners.”  

 Then Arthur Sullivan composed the accompanying music in 1871. They say that Sullivan first named the tune “St. Gertrude,” after the wife of his friend Ernest Clay Ker Seymer, at whose home he composed it. But eventually the Salvation Army adopted it as one of their favourite processional hymns …and the rest is history! 

Oh friends, let’s belt out that well known and greatly LOVED tune that calls us to be strong and steadfast soldiers in Christ’s Name. As one great army now, marching into battle, letting the enemy know that we’re coming…and coming for only one thing; victory! 

‘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 honour, 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!)’ 

Oh my fellow believers if that doesn’t stir up the LOVE for Christ in your hearts, then something’s seriously wrong with you! It’s exactly the kind of battle cry Christians need in these turbulent, decadent and evil times! And that’s why it was written; ‘to encourage Christians in their ongoing battles with temptations within themselves and the evil forces throughout the world.’ 

And there’s been no other time like now, when evil is running rampant all over and the heathen seems to be winning the battle! But friends, that’s only in their imagination, because we believers are coming out loud, proud and strong this year of 2019! We’re going to mightily embrace those rich and encouraging words of Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ!’ 

Wow mih people! What better words to frame our year than with those eh? We are in Christ’s army, and as good soldiers do, we WILL endure hardship for Him, and in His name! That’s our faithful promise! For as Bruh Paul continues to Timothy: ‘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.2:4) 

Yeh friends, if we are soldiers for Christ, we can’t afford to get entangled in the affairs of this world. We have to keep our hands and hearts clean of the evil that surrounds us, so that we can please Christ who has called us, who has enlisted us in His LOVE Revolution, to fight the good fight in His name! 

As Bruh Paul told Timothy earlier on: ‘This charge I commit unto (command) thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee (previously made concerning you), that thou by them mightest war a good warfare. Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away (rejected) concerning the faith have made (suffered) shipwreck.’ (1 Tim.1:18-19) 

Oh my brethren, we need to be ever so faithful having personal confidence in God, as well as the word, the gospel that’s been handed down to us by the saints. For if we reject those things, then we’ll surely become shipwrecked, lost and left on the outside looking in; the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul!

And later on, Bruh Paul again gets on poor Timothy’s case. After warning him of the deterioration of the church in years to come, (2 Tim.4:2-4) he declares: 

‘But watch thou in all things. Endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist (preach the gospel of Christ), make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand.

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim.4:5-8) 

Yes my believing brethren, we ALL ought to be able to say that at end of our lives. But for that to happen, we have to begin being good, strong and steadfast soldiers of Christ, RIGHT NOW! So let’s get to it nuh! We have a crown of righteousness to win! Much LOVE!

…to win any race…especially the race of life…one needs to have commitment…courage…perseverance…endurance…and faith…and ONLY in Christ…can one find all those attributes… 

P.S. Yes, it’s late, but church had to come first…and anyway I likes it…hope you do too! (smile) Much LOVE!