The Overwhelming Importance of the Day of Pentecost to Christ’s Church and His Followers!

24 May 2026 Leave a comment

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 May 2026   John 20:22.

John 20:22.        And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

And after a rainy Pentecost Saturday, came a rainy Pentecost Sunday morning! But thankfully by midday the rain has stopped and a glimmer of sunshine has appeared, for how long though, no one knows. (smile) Now, today’s a rather important day in the annals of the Christian faith, for it’s on this Day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit began indwelling believers. And we all know the story, as the Good Book tells it.

‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all (that’s the apostles) with one accord (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 (different languages), as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:1-4)

Yes friends, that’s the day Christ’s Church was officially born under His New Covenant. For as this commentary tells us: ‘Originally, Pentecost was the Jewish festival of Shavuot, which commemorated God giving the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. At Christian Pentecost, the Spirit descends as “tongues of fire”. Rather than laws written on tablets of stone, the Holy Spirit writes God’s law of LOVE directly onto the human heart.’

It reminds us of God’s promise to Israel through the prophet Ezekiel: ‘A new heart also 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.’ (Ezek. 36:26-27)

And today we’ll sing a beautiful hymn, written especially to commemorate and celebrate that most auspicious occasion. It was written in 1876 by Edwin Hatch, an Anglican Minster and Professor of Classics at the University of Trinity College in Canada. The song’s titled ‘Breathe on Me, Breath of God.’   Yes, it’s simple, but straight to the point, as this commentary claims: ‘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.’

So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, sincere, mid-tempo version, one so heartfelt that the Holy Spirit would have no choice but to do as we ask. 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!’

Wonderful my people, wonderful! The Holy Spirit could never refuse such a touching and heartwarming request! (smile) Yes, the song might sound simple, but it’s rather profound in its imagery and scriptural authenticity, referring first to God’s creation of man in the beginning, then to His giving His spiritual breath to sinful man through the finished work of Jesus at Pentecost.

The Bible tells us in Genesis: ‘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) Then we have the situation after Jesus’ resurrection, where He appears to the disciples behind closed doors, says to them: ‘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: Whose soever sins ye remit (forgive), they are remitted (forgiven) unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.’ (John 20:21-23)

And that’s the scripture verse in there that connects to the hymn ‘Breathe on Me Breath of God.’ And this commentary explains it thus. ‘This verse is often used as a theological foundation for the hymn, which prays for the renewal and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. It describes Jesus breathing on the apostles after his resurrection, symbolizing the giving of the Holy Spirit. It’s a key moment in the New Testament, highlighting the gift of the Spirit to empower believers.’ And that’s the incredible truth … and made even more incredible by the actual dramatic indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers on the Day of Pentecost!

And Jesus’ last directive to the disciples before His ascension was to stay in Jerusalem: ‘But ye shall receive power, after that (when) the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’ (Acts 1:8) I’m sure that none of the apostles even dreamed that the Lord would stage such a dramatic scene. But He is God, and every so often he likes to remind us of His omnipotence and flair for the dramatic.

And Job’s friend Elihu, said it perfectly in his challenge to Job. ‘The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.’ (Job 33:4) More incredible truth my fellow believers. And what more can we ask in this life eh, than to have the awesome breath of God fill us with new life, so that we could LOVE the way He does, surrender our will to Him and have His divine fire burning brightly in us as we do His earthly work, to be free and never die, but live with Him through all eternity! Yes friends, those are some of the thoughts that ought to be filling our hearts and minds this Day of Pentecost as we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit into our souls! Much LOVE!

…the Holy Spirit…Comforter…Helper…Guide…Robinson Crusoe’s man Friday to all believers…

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

The Importance of Understanding that God Created the World and that ALL We are and have, Originates with Him!

18 Oct 2025 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 16:33.        But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

And then it was our lazy-day Saturday…another beautiful sunshiny day! Bless the Lord oh my soul! No work today; that means no bosses telling us what to do, no sitting in traffic twice a day tired and frustrated with life. No sir! Today, we, or at least some of us (smile) can just laze around and do nothing all day, if we so desire! And yes, it’s tough on those with young children and household chores to do that cannot be done during the work week. But that’s just life, and the more we desire to have, be it children or material things, the more we will have to do, because children and things need looking after. 

Enough of that negative perspective though, let’s take a break from it all and simply offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, seeking greater intimacy with our EVER-LOVING God. So, in all sincerity and truth: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

And as we keep saying, there’s nothing better than growing intimacy with our God, for it not only reassures us of His great LOVE for us, but it also enlivens and encourages us to be our best; to surrender our will to His and do His work with obedience and excellence. In other words, it helps us to be better followers of Christ! And let’s not forget that one of God’s reasons for creating us was that we could share a reciprocal LOVE; He LOVING us, and we LOVING Him in return. 

But unfortunately, down through the years, the scales have become unevenly balanced, and God has done most of the LOVING, while we’ve been rebellious and disobedient. And though He sent Jesus to try and bring us back into balance, the scales are still a long way from being balanced, because too many of us like the sinful lusts and pleasures of the world. We’re too caught up in acquiring the material things it proclaims that are so important. And in a lot of cases they might be important, but NOTHING is as important as seeking Almighty God! 

And whenever the things of the world threaten to overwhelm us, these wise words of Jesus ought to rise up in our hearts, mind and spirits, and make us think before we react. He says; ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Yes friends, the Lord knows all that we need, and when we place Him first in our lives, He’s promised to meet all our needs. Listen as Bruh Paul tells the Philippians. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) 

Now what part of that don’t you understand? And if you’re a believer, that ought to be one of the many scriptures you have at the ready when the enemy intrudes into your life. Please also remember the Bible tells us that ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1) And according to this commentary, ‘It means that God is the creator and owner of the entire world, including all of its inhabitants and everything within it. This concept establishes God’s ultimate authority over creation and is often cited to explain that all of humanity and the natural world belong to him.’ 

Then there’s this other most important scripture, as Moses warned the Israelites long ago: ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee the power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:18) And that has not changed my people. Today, we still need to be reminded that our prosperity comes from God and not from our own might, and consider it as confirmation of a divine covenant. 

And all of that was practically proven when Cousin Sol ascended his Father Bruh David’s throne and the Lord asked him what he desired, and he asked for ‘an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?’ (1 Kin. 3:9) And the Lord was pleased that Cousin Sol did not ask for riches, or long life or his enemies lives. 

Consequently, He told him: ‘Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any (anyone) among the kings like unto thee all thy days.’ (1 Kin. 3:12-13) Yes my brethren, because of Cousin Sol’s humility, the Lord made him the wisest and richest man the world has ever seen! 

However, there was one caveat to God’s goodness. ‘And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen (prolong) thy days.’ (1 Kin. 3:14) Unfortunately though, in Cousin Sol’s old age, he allowed his many foreign wives to turn him away from the Lord to their worthless gods and idols. The Bible tells us: ‘And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after (did not fully follow) the Lord, as did his father David.’ (1 Kin. 11:5) 

He built high places for the gods of his wives, and burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods. Therefore the Lord stirred up several enemies against Cousin Sol, but even then, for Bruh David’s sake, the Lord did not take away all he had, or dethrone him, but allowed him to die as king. However, because of his turning to foreign gods, his house lost the rule of most of the tribes of Israel. (1 Kin. 11) 

Ah mih people, let’s hope that all we’ve said and read today will powerfully resonate in our hearts, and thus cause us to stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to Christ, with salvation and eternal life as our rewards! Much LOVE!

…how often must we hear and see the omnipotence of Jehovah God…before we believe…and become obedient to His will…

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