Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 March 2021 Galatians 5:25.

24 Mar 2021 Leave a comment

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

Galatians 5:25.     ​If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Well, a blessed Wednesday to all you wonderful believers out there in Scrip-Bit land! I do hope that Jesus is shining brightly in all our hearts like the sun is shining in my neighbourhood. And if it isn’t right now, I pray that as the day progresses, it will certainly rise up and bring you His awesome peace and LOVE, despite all the negative activity that’s currently taking place in our sinful and evil world! 

Because that’s the magic, well not really magic, because Jesus doesn’t do magic, but right now I can’t think of the appropriate word for it, (smile) so let’s just say that’s the beauty of Jesus; He allows us to have peace and LOVE in our souls and spirits, even in times of dire hardship! Praise His holy name my people, for there’s NO ONE else who can achieve such a wondrous work in us! 

And all God’s children said, in loud and proud gratitude: ‘Praise the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Emmanuel, our Lord and Saviour, the majestic One who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross of Calvary for us sinners! Bless His name! Bless His holy name, for He truly deserves all of our praise and glory!’ 

And no one can find fault with those statements friends, for Jesus did put His life on the line for us, before we even knew Him. And yuh better believe, that bearing the sins of the whole world on one’s shoulders, even if you are the Son of God, is no easy feat to accomplish. It takes oodles of strength, will power, obedience and above all, LOVE! And those are the things , the awesome characteristics that the world needs to see from us believers in Christ, from us Christians in these calamitous times. 

Christ desires us to be strong leaders and good ambassadors in this world. That’s why He called us the salt of the earth and the light of the world. People are supposed to follow our lead. But if we aren’t coming up strong, then how are they supposed to follow us eh? Oh friends, Christians are supposed to be the happiest, most joyful and most LOVING people on the face of the earth because we have all that Jesus is, dwelling within us, namely His Holy Spirit. 

And what does that Holy Spirit do, that is, if we allow it? It causes us to walk in obedience to God’s law and word, and produces fruit, godly fruit from the seeds planted in us. What we call the fruit of the Spirit. And those are the things the world needs to see in great abundance in the lives of believers right now, so that they can take heart and know that all is not lost, and that Jesus is the way to salvation! 

Bruh Paul called it walking in the Spirit. As he wrote to the Galatians: ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would do. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.’ (Gal. 5:16-18) 

Oh my people, our natural nature leads us to sin. Yes, we are born with a sinful nature, but we can overcome those strong desires of our flesh by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in all our earthly doings. In fact, that’s exactly what He’s been placed in us for: wise guidance and counsel, as well as comfort and security. And yuh better believe that the Spirit’s job is a tough one because we do like the things of the world, fleshly lusts, strong sinful desires, a lot. In fact, we are quite fascinated by them. (smile) 

And if you’re wondering what those things of the world, those fleshly lusts or strong sinful desires are, listen to Bruh Paul as he enunciates some of them. ‘Now the works of the flesh are manifest (evident), which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness (licentiousness), Idolatry, witchcraft (sorcery), hatred, variance (contentions), emulations (jealousies), wrath, strife (selfish ambitions),seditions (dissensions), heresies (organized divisions or cliques), Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.’ (Gal. 5:19-21) 

Wow mih bredrin! Yuh see how many things the Spirit needs to overcome in our sinful nature. But it’s not impossible, because it’s the Spirit of Christ, and NOTHING is impossible with Him. Remember that popular acclamation we all mouth: ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13) Well it’s in walking with the Spirit that that scripture is ever so important. 

So now that we’ve seen what the lusts of the flesh are, let’s take a gander at the fruit of the Spirit. Bruh Paul describes them thus: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness),goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections (its passions) and lusts.’ (Gal. 5:22-24) Yes friends, the latter characteristics are what should be pouring out of believers and not the former. 

And I like this explanation of verse 24 by the scholars. ‘5:24. At conversion every believer crucified the flesh, that is, in repentance he turned from and renounced his life of sin and all its wicked passions. This verse, then, implies that the virtues of verses 22-23, rather than the vices of verses 19-21, should characterize them that are Christ’s.’ And so it should be my fellow saints! 

And Bruh Paul ends this passage on the flesh versus the Spirit thus: ‘If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory (conceited), provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal. 5:25-26) How else can it be eh friends, if we’re truly living in and walking with the Holy Spirit of Christ? So for those of us who are sincerely trying to do all that, let’s go home now declaring (steups!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

As one strong and sincere voice now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And as we all know, if we endure to the end, that life will be even more glorious than we can even ask or imagine! So let’s hang in there and endure and persevere nuh my brethren! Much LOVE!

…walking in and with the Spirit of Christ is not easy…but it certainly is amazing and very beneficial… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 December 2015 Luke 1:38

24 Dec 2015 Leave a comment

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

Luke 1:38. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Oh Friends, oh Friends, it’s Christmas Eve; just one more day to that wonderful occasion, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Glory to God! So in celebration let’s begin with some soulful singing of this famous carol, ‘Hark! The Herald angels sing.’ 

With all the gusto and enthusiasm we can muster now. ‘Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King. Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. Joyful all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies, With angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem. Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King. 

Christ by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord. Late in time behold He’ll come. Offspring of a Virgin’s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see. Hail the incarnate deity,.Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel. Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King. 

Hail, the heaven born Prince of Peace, Hail, the Son of Righteousness. Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings. Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth. Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.’ 

Yes my brethren, our Jesus, our Lord and Saviour is all those things: our Emmanuel, God with us; the Prince of Peace, the Son of Righteousness; Light and Life to all; Our Redeemer, so that we won’t face or fear death anymore; the One who causes us to be spiritually born again, plus several more like King of Kings and Lord of Lords! 

Oh what a blessed privilege it is to serve such a mighty, but gracious and merciful King! 

And all God’s children triumphantly shouted: ‘Blessed is His Name, Jesus! The Name above all names! To whom every knee shall bow and declare that He is Lord indeed, all to the glory of God!’ 

Mama Mia! The most superlative blessing ever bestowed on man; the birth and subsequent death and rising up again of Jesus Christ! Glory Hallelujah! 

That brings us hope…and joy…and faith for all eternity! No other supposed God can offer those things, ONLY the ONE, TRUE and LIVING GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! 

So why do we not appreciate them as we should eh? Why are we allowing the evil minions of Lucifer to deprive us, to take away our Christian heritage? 

Just sit for a moment and imagine what this Christmas season means to us all nuh; a bright and bold and confident future, filled with the faith of all God’s promises. 

So please let’s stop giving in so easily to the evil nature of our society, and instead stand up strong for our beliefs nuh, because that’s why Jesus sacrificed His sinless life; so that we won’t be kicked around like footballs anymore. 

And if we don’t stand up strong, we’ll just be making a mockery of His selfless sacrifice and show that our faith is mere thought and talk, but severely lacking in action. 

And talking about faith, faith in action, our Bit describes, to my mind, the greatest faith, beside that of Jesus shown in the bible; that of His mother, Mary. ‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’  

Oh my people, just imagine yourselves a most likely uneducated teenaged girl in the backwater town of Nazareth, in the backwater province of Galilee, just betrothed, engaged to be married, and suddenly one day, out of the blue an angel, a supernatural being, suddenly appears and says to you. ‘Hail (rejoice), thou art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ (Luke 1:28) 

Obviously, like Mary, we would have been surprised, taken aback by such an unusual exalted greeting. ‘And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.’(Luke 1:30-31) 

Most of us would have stopped the angel right there. ‘Whoa, brother whoa! What yuh talking about eh? How am I going to bear a child when I’ve just been engaged, and won’t know my husband for a while yet?’ 

But Mary kept silent and allowed the angel to continue. ‘He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): And the Lord shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:32-33) 

Only then did Mary question the angel. ‘How shall this be seeing I know not a man (am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall over-shadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:34-35) 

Even today Friends, knowing what we know, most of us would certainly be afraid and shaking in our figurative boots. First of all, just talking to an angel would have frightened us. Then the seemingly impossible things he said would just make our fear worst, or we might just burst out laughing figuring that he must be joking. 

But Mary, who most likely had some biblical knowledge about the Messiah, did none of these things. And after that, the angel also told her that her cousin Elisabeth, previously considered barren, was pregnant (with John the Baptist), ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:37) 

Then having heard it all, Mary calmly made her decision and spoke the immortal words of our Bit. ‘Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word.’ 

And the whole history of the world was changed by her calm acceptance of the angel’s words. Oh my fellow believers, would we be able to calmly accept those words from a spiritual being so easily. I very much doubt it. But Mary did! And that’s what I consider faith in true action! 

Oh, how I wish that we could be so faithful in this evil day and age! Oh I know too friends that that kind of faith is not easy to come by, but please, beginning right now, on this Christmas Eve day, let’s work on improving ours nuh, growing daily in the trust and promises of our great and wonderful God. For that is indeed the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!

…according to your faith…be it unto you…(Matt.9:29) 

P.S. More late night, or rather early morning celebrations friends, simply lead to late Bits. (smile) Much LOVE!