Today’s Scrip-Bit   5 June 2022 Acts 2:4.

05 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Acts 2:4.      And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.​

​Sunday oh Sunday! The Lord’s Day! A day of praise and worship, rejuvenation and reassurance! What a blessed day! Especially this Pentecost Sunday when we remember the birth of our church, the memorable day when the Holy Spirit descended from on high and entered the souls of the disciples and other followers of Jesus who were celebrating the Feast of Weeks in Jerusalem. That fulfilled Jesus’ promise to the disciples before He ascended into heaven, that they should not depart from Jerusalem, ‘For John (the Baptist) truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ (Acts 1:5) 

Then they wanted to know if Jesus would be coming back then to set up His kingdom. ‘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 in the uttermost parts of the world.’ (Acts1:7-8) Then He was taken up from them. But some fifty days later, in Jerusalem, on this day, two thousand years ago, Christ’s promises were fulfilled. 

The Good Book describes the amazing happening thus: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord (one purpose in 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) 

Yes friends, that was the pivotal day when the Holy Spirit began dwelling within each believer. Hitherto, the Spirit acted externally, and was only temporary, and for exceptional circumstances. But after that great show of firepower, where it baptized the followers, it moved to an internal position, and once a person receives Christ as Lord and Saviour, he or she is immediately filled with the Holy Spirt, to lead, guide and comfort them. Glory Hallelujah! And who says we don’t worship a most wonderful God eh? Tell them for me, that they don’t know what they’re talking about, and they shouldn’t knock it until they try it. (smile) 

And I believe that one of the reasons why some people refuse to come to Christ is because they are afraid they’ll discover that everything we say about Him is true, and then they’ll be hooked and can’t go back to their old ungodly lifestyle. So they stay away and talk all sorts of nonsense, about things they really know nothing about. Anyhow, on that memorable day, after the Holy Spirit baptized the believers, they came out speaking of Christ in various languages to the many visitors in Jerusalem celebrating the feast. 

They thought that the believers were drunk, but Peter got up and with a loud voice informed them that they were not drunk, but it was simply the fulfillment of the prophecy of the prophet Joel about the outpouring of the Lord’s Spirit. ‘And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.’ (Joel 2:28) Then Peter went on to preach a mighty sermon, and at the end they had some three thousand converts. Wow! What a day! And you can read all about it in Acts 2:14-42. (smile) 

And like that day, today we doing things different from normal, meaning we usually have the worship first and then the sermon after, but today the Holy Spirit decided to change it up, (smile) in celebration of that great Pentecost Day that He came to begin dwelling in the hearts of believers in Christ. And to celebrate this Pentecost day, our song of worship is very appropriate. It’s done by the Jamaican Gospel singer Jabez, and it’s aptly titled ‘Drinking from My Saucer.’ Yes friends, our cups are so overflowing with Christ’s LOVE and amazing blessings that our cups are overflowing and we have to drink from our saucers. How many of us remember doing that when we were young eh? Drinking from the saucer to cool the tea. But that was when they used saucers. (smile) 

Enough talk though, let’s open with these words of praise. ‘We Worship You Lord, we worship You with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds.’ Now, it’s time to raise our soulful voices in sweet sacrificial praise: ‘I’ve Never Made A Fortune, And It’s Probably Too Late Now, Oh but I Don’t Worry About That Much, Cause I’m Happy Anyhow. And As I Go Along Life’s Journey, I’m Reaping Better Than I Sow. I’m Drinking From My Saucer, Because My Cup Has Overflowed. I haven’t Got A Lot Of Riches, And Sometimes The Going’s Rough, But I’ve Got a friend in Jesus, And That Makes Me Rich Enough. 

I Thank God For all His Blessings on me, And The Mercies He’s Bestowed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. I Remember Times When Things went Wrong, And my Faith Wore Somewhat Thin, But All At Once The Dark Clouds Broke, And the Sun Peeped Through Again,’ And right here, there’s a monologue: ‘You know, right now you may be going through some rough times in your life, but I’m here to encourage you today, not to give up. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP! I pronounce a blessing upon your life, upon your family. You must prosper and be in good health in the name of Jesus. I believe it with all my heart.’ 

And we sing: ‘So Lord, Help Me Not To Grumble and complain About The Tough Rows That I’ve Hoed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. And If God Gives Me Strength And Courage to go on living, When The Way Grows Steep And Rough I’ll Not Ask For Other Blessings Jesus, For I’m Already Blessed Enough, And May I Never Be Too Busy, To Help Others Bear Their Loads, Then I’ll Keep Drinking From My Saucer Lord, Because My Cup Has Overflowed! Yes, I’ll keep drinking from my saucer Lord, Cause my cup has overflowed, Oh my cup has overflowed…. Yes My cup has overflowed…’ 

Mama oh Mama! And isn’t that the gospel truth! Our cups have certainly overflowed since we’ve placed out trust in Christ Jesus! And if yours haven’t overflowed, then you must be doing something wrong! And it doesn’t mean that there are no problems, or will never be any, but there is assurance that the Lord will work them all out for our good, and will eventually bring us through them safe and sound, in better shape than when we began! 

Oh praise His mighty and compassionate name my people! Now let’s go home with a passion and enthusiasm for Christ, with a fire in our bellies, like the fire that came down from heaven on that Pentecost Day, so long ago! (smile) Much LOVE!

…God’s LOVE and promises…never fail… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8​      

Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 October 2021 John 14:16.

20 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

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

John 14:16.     And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide in you for ever. 

Another good-looking autumn day in my area! It’s so good when we wake up and see the sun shining along with the spiritual light that we get from Jesus. That just gives us a full house! (smile) So let’s hope that your house is also filled with light this Wednesday morning in the latter part of October, in this crazy year of 2021. And even if you don’t have physical sunlight, just remember that the light from Jesus is more than enough to quell all our darkness, all our fears and anxieties. 

And if you don’t believe me, then listen to this overwhelming story from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, which I believe proves our point. It is titled ‘It Happened to Me.’ Please read with me: ‘It may be a question you’d rather not face. You’ve struggled with it for so long. A resentment perhaps, or a seething rebellion…or an ugly jealousy that keeps churning. There may be someone you haven’t forgiven, despite a whole string of resolutions. Day after day, in fact week after week, you live with no sense of fulfillment, no recharge of joy, no happy expectations. You long for a deeper understanding of God’s will for your life. 

Your heart feels empty, your soul feels weary. Do you wonder if there is a way out? If other Christians have found the secret? Oh yes! Assuredly YES! Let me tell you when! When they were desperate enough to trust the Holy Spirit to do what they could not do. When they were simple enough to trust God’s promise. “I will put my Spirit within you.” When they were willing enough to open their hearts and give it all over to God. Do you wonder why I am so joyfully sure? It happened to me!’ 

Oh friends, what a true and wonderful story! And I hope it soon happens to you if you are suffering from any of the frustrations and human limitations listed above. I can understand, because it also happened to me. But it’s oh so true that when you give it all up to the Holy Spirt, which is in you, if you are a Christian, then the load, whatever it is becomes bearable, because you don’t have to carry it all by yourself. 

Remember, the Lord promised this way back in the Old Testament to the children of Israel through the prophet Ezekiel, saying: ‘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 a heart of flesh (take out your stony heart of sin, and give you a new, obedient heart). (Ezek. 36:26) 

And we know that the Lord keeps ALL of His promises, and after Jesus came, He kept that one. We know that on the first Pentecost day after Jesus ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit descended upon the believers seated in the upper room in Jerusalem. The Good Book describes it thus: ‘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 filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:2-4) 

The scholars explain: 2:2-3. On the Day of Pentecost God provided two symbols of the Spirit’s presence, the wind, which was associated by the Jews with the Spirit (Ezek. 37:9-14; John 3:8) , and the fiery tongues which divided and rested upon each one, showing that the Spirit’s baptism included ALL. The purpose here for the sign gift of tongues was not to make possible the hearing of the gospel but to seize the attention of all, so they would listen.’ And from that time forth, all those who believe and place their trust in Christ Jesus are imbued with the Holy Spirit to lead, guide and comfort them. 

Yes friends, those are some of the things the Holy Spirit of Christ is supposed to do in our lives, but as with everything else, we do have to LISTEN to Him, if we are to receive the benefits He has to offer. And that’s where so many believers fall down. We either don’t listen to the Spirit’s guidance, or we hear it and don’t follow it, then wonder why our lives are so miserable and muddled. 

Let’s remember some of Jesus words re the Holy Spirit nuh. First, He promised it. ‘If you LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide in you for ever. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive , because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him:  but ye know him; for he dwelleth in you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:15-18) 

Yes my brethren, the Holy Spirit is another comforter, just like Jesus is and was. And unlike the Old Testament, where the Spirit occasionally fell on believers, after Jesus, He indwells ALL believers. He is a constant companion. That’s the Spirit of Jesus in us working on our behalf. And hear Jesus again on the Holy Spirit. ‘But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.’ (John 15:26-27) 

And this note from the scholars follow those verses. ‘15:26-27. The Comforter refers to the Advocate beside us as we bear witness to Christ (cf. 14:15-16) (which we spoke of earlier). 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 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 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 the Father, so the Holy Spirit is sent to speak not of Himself, but of Christ (cf. 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).’ 

In plain and simple everyday language, I like to say that the Holy Spirit is the work horse of the Holy Trinity! (smile) He actions the promises and intents of the Father and the Son. So friends, it’s ever important that we consider the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives, if we claim to be believers in Christ Jesus. You can’t be a true believer without engaging with Him. So hopefully from now on, since we have a better understanding of what He’s all about, we will embrace Him more faithfully and consistently. 

Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our most wonderful position in Jesus Christ. Altogether 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 let’s not forget, that if we endure to the very end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. Much LOVE!

…to live a full Christian life…one must engage wholeheartedly and faithfully with the Holy Spirit… 

P.S. Sorry the Bit’s so late, but you know…life happens. (smile) Much LOVE!                                                                                                       

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8