The Overwhelming Importance of Christians NOT Behaving like the World, but as God Desires!

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 November 2026   Romans 12:2a.

Romans 12:2a.       And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,

More sunny skies on this autumn Tuesday in early November my people! Oh it’s somewhat windy, but the basic temperature in the mid-teens is excellent. I don’t remember when last we’ve seen the sun so regularly as in these past few weeks, and the temperature has also been mostly in our favour. And for that, we give much thanks and praise to Almighty God! Now, today we’re going to look at one of the Prayer Cards recently put out by the In Touch Ministry; this one titled, ‘Growth In Christ.’

So please pray with me: ‘Father, I praise You for giving me new life in Christ. What a joy it is to become more like Your Son! Help me stay focused on Your Word as I learn to follow Him. When my heart begins to drift, lead me gently back. Show me how to let go of old ways, even as I rely on Your grace to transform me. Thank You for helping me grow every day.’

Yes friends, it’s only with the Lord’s awesome help that we can ever seek to grow in Christ, and it’s something we need to concentrate on and action EVERY DAY of our lives. We can’t afford to take a break, otherwise we’ll keep sliding back and not make any real progress. As Jesus says, we need to take up our cross EVERY DAY and follow Him. (Luke 9:23) And the Prayer Card further advises: ‘It’s easy to be conformed to the world. But you can resist. Seek to be like Christ instead.’ Now that’s a great desire and purpose, but it’s definitely not as easy as it sounds, however, as with everything else, with God’s help it is doable.

And how do we do it? By doing as Bruh Paul exhorted the church at Rome. ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.’ (Rom. 12:1-3)

Oh my people, it all begins with understanding that our bodies are a holy temple to the Lord, since His Holy Spirit dwells within us. Bruh Paul says it thus to the Corinthians. ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods.’ (1 Cor. 6:19-20) Yes my brethren, we do not belong to ourselves, but to God Almighty, who paid the price for us by sacrificing His Son Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

Therefore we ought to behave in a manner that both pleases and glorifies God. And once we understand that, it leads us to not conforming to this world, but being transformed by the renewing of our minds. Another important point to note is that all changes or decisions begin in our minds, for it’s the director of our actions and bodies. That’s why it’s claimed that the mind is a battlefield, for everything passes through it, including Satan’s attempts at temptation, as he plays mind games with us. So in actual fact both Satan and the Lord are fighting to get control of our minds.

And the first step in giving control of our minds to God is to stop conforming to the ungodly and evil things of the world. As the scholars explain: ‘Resist being poured into the mold of the present thinking, value systems, and conduct of the world.’ Now that’s not easy to do, especially in today’s busy and coercive society, filled with numerous eye and mind pleasing distractions. And it’s only through the righteousness and mercies of our wonderful God can we ever hope to make such a change, and even more importantly, stay changed. For the devil is always tempting us to change our thinking back to his ways.

And Bruh Pail further elucidates his exhortation to be transformed, when He says  to the Ephesians. ‘This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity (futility) of their mind. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through (because of) the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness (hardening) of their heart. Who being past feeling (becoming calloused, insensitive) have given themselves over unto lasciviousness (licentiousness), to work all uncleanness with greediness.

But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph. 4:17-24)

Yes my people, Christian teaching desires us to put off the old man, to renounce our old conduct of a sinful and ungodly life, and put on the new man, by the renewing of our minds, or by changing our minds about our lifestyle, and keeping them constantly changed, on a course that will bring us more and more into line with God’s viewpoint. So, in other words, at conversion, when we accept Christ as Lord and Saviour, we must assume a new nature or character and conduct that’s moral and godly. And if you’re wondering how in heaven’s name can you do that, then tune in tomorrow, if God spares life, and we’ll look at some of the many practical bits of advice Bruh Paul gives for changing one’s mind and moral behaviour, and furthermore staying changed.

Now, let’s go home declaring 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!’

That means, we now have 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!

…to live for Jesus…one must live like Jesus…moral and godly…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 July 2023   2 Peter 3:9b.

2 Peter 3:9b.      God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Thank the Lord for lazy-day Saturdays! Yes, without them we’d be totally flummoxed; confused and perplexed about this life we’re living. But these lazy-day Saturdays give us a chance to sit back and relax, to think and reason, as well as to do nothing, to just allow the senses and the body to drift wherever they may desire. (smile) And that’s why they say B.S baffles brains! 

Anyway, I’ve already used up most of my lazy-day time, so let’s get back to reality. It’s nice to be lazy, and the Father does give us some leeway for it, but the facts be known, without exception, He still expects us to take up our cross every day and follow Him. So let’s get down to the Father’s business. And we’ll begin by declaring (yesss!) our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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!’ 

Oh my fellow believers, that’s such a beautiful and heartfelt prayer; just wishing us closer to our great God, our Comforter, our Provider and Place of Refuge! And there’s nothing that we can ever desire that’s more useful and beautiful than getting closer to God! In fact, that’s one of the main reasons He created us; for close and intimate communion with Him. But unfortunately, for whatever reason, many of us have unwisely decided to turn away from Him, and that hurts His heart and seriously disappoints Him. 

And wouldn’t it hurt your heart too if after your children went astray, you gave up your best possession, your only Son, to offer them an olive branch, an offering of forgiveness, peace and reconciliation and they totally refuse your offer? Oh, you most certainly would! So let’s put that in our pipe and smoke it nuh, and consider how God feels after He sacrificed His one Son Jesus, for a bunch of ungrateful sinners, who are now blaspheming His holy name and trying to kick Him out of the universe that He created. 

And the sad part of the whole situation is that our reluctance to accept God’s grace and mercy,  seems to hurt Him more than it does us. He has nothing to lose by our unwise actions, and we have so much to gain, but because of His abiding great and unconditional LOVE for us, it breaks His heart when we turn down His offer of salvation and eternal life. The Bible tells us: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)  

And remember what we read in the scriptures yesterday? That God is ‘not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:5b) Yes my friends, the Lord doesn’t want any of His most wonderful but ungrateful creation to perish in hellfire with Satan and thus be eternally separated from Him. It’s just like when our children choose an unwise path to tread, we feel sad and distraught, because we know that that path can only lead to heartache and destruction. 

And it’s even more heartbreaking when we offer our sincere help and it’s refused. Just think how that makes us feel, and multiply that terrible feeling several times, and it might just give us a li’l insight into how our heavenly Father feels about our turning away from His overtures of grace and mercy. And it’s not only with the coming of Jesus that the Lord was unhappy with our behaviour and desired eternal life for us. 

No, from way back in the time of the prophet Ezekiel, He also made clear His express desire on the subject, when He said to Ezekiel: ‘Say unto them, as I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked: but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?’ (Ezek. 33:11) 

Oh my people, it’s the very same question the Lord is putting to us today; why should we die when we can live eternally with Him in paradise? It makes no sense whatsoever! And how often has this same question been posed to us eh? Moses posed it to the children of Israel, when he said: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) 

That obviously didn’t hold the Israelites for long because they continued with their rebellious behaviour and complaining, never contented attitudes. Then later on, Joshua in his last years again warned the Israelites: ‘And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood (the Euphrates river), or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other Gods.’ (Josh. 24:15-16) 

But they did forsake the Lord, all down through the ages, for which they suffered serious consequences. Now friends, our situation is very similar to theirs; we have the option of choosing to live for Jesus or to go down the destructive path that Beelzebub has set before us. And the latter option is fraught with danger and destruction, not to mention eternal separation from God, the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul. 

It’s like Joshua said to his people. ‘If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt (harm), and consume you, after that he hath done you good.’ (Josh. 24:20) And that’s exactly what happened to them on several occasions, and what will happen to us if we forsake the Lord and serve Satan. All throughout the Bible the Lord warns about the destruction of the wicked. 

Psalm 37 tells us: ‘Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps. 37:37-40) 

That says a whole lot friends, re the ends of the wicked and the righteous. And in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Himself warned: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow (difficult, confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14) 

Now, in light of all we’ve said, the best and wisest option we have here on earth is obviously living for Jesus, following the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life. And as for me and my house…we will serve the Lord! Much LOVE!

…to live for now…or to live for the hereafter…that is the question… 

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