The Overwhelming Importance of Believers Understanding what is the Good Life and How to Live It!

12 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   12 May 2026   John 10:10b.

John 10:10b.        I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

So, we’ve gotten through Monday with flying colours, and now come to this sunshiny day called Tuesday. Well what’s in for us we wander? Is it more heartache, more trials and tribulations or the Good Life? Now all of us pant for the Good Life, but what exactly is it? Today, we’ll look at what Dr. Robert H Schuller wrote about it in his Hours of Power, Daily Book of Motivation and Inspiration. He wrote thus about the Good Life.

‘If you want to know what is meant by the good life, direct your attention to Jesus Christ. This was the good life incarnate.’ Oh, for sure! None of us would ever doubt that Jesus’ life was indeed the good life, but what was it all about eh? Dr. Schuller continues: ‘What was life like for Him? Take a look at His last days on earth and you will see the secret of His satisfying life. Shortly before He died he said to his apostles, “I would that my joy might be in you and that your joy might be complete” (John 15:11). The good life, then, is a life that has an inner joy.

Then hear this: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). The good life is a life that has a deep undercurrent of profound peace. The last words to fall from Christ’s lips, as he hung and died under the Jerusalem sky, were short and simple, but triumphant: It is finished” (John 19:30). He had carried out His divine mission. The good life is the awareness of fulfilment. For “every man’s life is a plan of God.” God has a plan for you. And the good life is the deep feeling that we are fulfilling God’s plan and purpose in our life.’ 

Yes friends, that’s the basics of the good life! Doing what God desires us to do, while doing it with a sense of joy and inner peace. And to help us find those things, we need to remember these reassuring words of Jesus, as he talks about the good shepherd in the gospel of John. ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) That was certainly Jesus’ purpose for coming to earth, so that we could have the abundant life of being saved, taken from darkness into the light, not be overwhelmed by our trials and tribulations, have joy and peace, with the eventual action of eternal life in His wonderful presence!

Wow! Who would not want that sort of life eh? But it doesn’t just fall in our laps, no, we have to get up and live it; live it sincerely and seriously by the rules set out by Christ for His church; the people who truly believe in Him and follow Him. On the other hand though, the devil will fight us tooth and nail to not do what Jesus desires, but to succumb to his evil and ungodly will. That’s why it takes a lot of belly and backbone, a lot of gumption and perseverance to live the good and abundant life.

And one of the first steps in living that life, is found in these words of Paul. ‘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.’ (Rom. 12:2) And you might ask, why do we need to do that? James answers that question thus: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will (wants to) be a friend of the world is (makes himself) the enemy of God?’ (James 4:4)  

And you might want to delve further in the reason for that. John explains it this way in his first epistle. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him.’ (1 John 2:15) Basically, it means that living as the world dictates is living by the flesh, by our feelings, carnally minded, while living for Christ is done through the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word, found in the Bible, and these two ways of living are totally different and thus cannot exist together in the same body. It’s either one or the other.

But listen to this more in depth explanation from Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for (on account of) sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness (righteous requirements) of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For they that are after flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.’ (Rom. 8:1-9)

That’s the technical reasoning for the differences in the two ways of earthly living; one by what the world desires, or fleshly living, and living by the Spirit of Christ which dwells within believers. So you have to be a believer if you want to live by the Spirit, because that’s the only way to receive the Holy Spirit. So yes, it is possible to live the good life, the abundantly life that Christ died for us to have, but it must begin with an individual decision, and then lots of perseverance, study, prayer and fellowship.

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 now makes us duty bound 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!

…living the good life…begins and ends with living for Christ…

Visit the Scrip-Bit Blog at https://randyobrien50.com

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The Overwhelming Importance Of Keeping Our Bodies Clean And Holy…Because Holy God Resides There!

17 Feb 2025 Leave a comment

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

1 Corinthians 3:16.       Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

And the great deluge of snow has finally stopped. It did so sometime during the evening hours…and now it’s clean up time! And to enable us to do that in a somewhat easy manner, the Lord has seen fit to gift us with a bright and sunshiny Family Day Provincial Holiday Monday! Isn’t He a good God? For sure He is! Remember too that after the last snowstorm on Thursday, we also had a bright and sunshiny Friday to clean up. (smile) The problem today though is that there’s a strong wind that’s causing some havoc, blowing the snow all about the place, so that as soon as you’ve finished cleaning one spot, it’s very likely for the wind to blow more snow back there. But it’s a matter of simply pressing forward, until you’ve done all you can. 

By the way, here’s another reason that our God is good: He chose the Family Day long weekend to aggravate our souls bodies and minds. Can you imagine if this was a regular Monday and everybody needed to go to work. There would be even more chaos than we already have. But the Lord in His LOVING-KINDNESS chose a day when most of us would be at home celebrating Family Day, which is a public holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February, that gives people a day off to spend with their families. It was introduced in 2008 to give provincially regulated workers a long weekend in February and most provincially regulated employees receive the day off with pay. 

Many of the other Provinces have the same holiday, but not all call it Family Day. For example in Manitoba it’s Louis Riel Day, named after a Métis (Indigenous) leader who fought to protect French and aboriginal rights. Meanwhile, in the Province of Nova Scotia, it’s called Heritage Day. Unfortunately, Family Day is not a federally mandated holiday, so federal workers, such as post office employees and public servants, work on Family Day. So please don’t say our God is not good, for even in the midst of chaos and disaster, He still eases our path with His awesome grace and undeserving mercy. 

And having said all of that, what shall we talk about scripturally today eh? (smile) Soon come. Let me check the Good Library…. And we’re back, a minute later. The Good Book opened to 1 Corinthians Chapter 3, where we find these interesting and rather appropriate words for these decadent and sinful times. Bruh Paul writes: ‘Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile (destroys) the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.’ (1 Cor. 3:16-17) 

And truthfully, many of us know that we are supposed to be God’s temple, because His Holy Spirit dwells within us, therefore we ought to keep our bodies as holy and clean from sin and it’s associates. However, with the busyness of our society and the many distractions steadily hurled at us, it becomes somewhat difficult to do, even if we remember it. But remember it we must my faithful brethren, for it affects our very lives, our cordial relationship with Almighty God. 

Now, Bruh Paul also wrote something similar to the Roman church, where he proclaims: ‘For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.’ (Rom. 8:5-8) 

 And that’s the gospel truth my people! If we’re living carnally, for and in our flesh, then we certainly cannot please God. However, here’s the good news as Bruh Paul continues: ‘But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit if life because of righteousness.’ (Rom. 8:9-10) Yes friends, let’s praise the Lord that the Spirit of His Son Jesus Christ does dwell in us, and we are going to do our best to live by it’s guidance. 

But here’s one more interesting scripture we ought to pay attention to today, that’s this one from Bruh Paul to the Galatians: ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.’ (Gal. 6:7-8) Now that’s a scripture we should always keep front and centre in our lives: God sees it all because He looks at our hearts and not our outward doings, therefore we cannot fool Him, by saying one thing while doing another, as so many of us still foolishly try to do. 

So, let’s go now to the throne of grace in confident humility, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us with our many earthly problems. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And it’s all well and good to pray, but if we do not make changes in our lives in accordance with God’s will, then no divine aid will be forthcoming. Let’s remember that and act accordingly. Much LOVE!

…the Spirit of God lives in His temple…our bodies…therefore we need to keep them as clean and holy as possible…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   22 May 2023 Romans 8:6.

22 May 2023 Leave a comment

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

Romans 8:6.         For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

And this Monday has turned out to be a tad cool, but mainly sunshiny with a li’l overhead cloud. However, it most definitely has not spoiled or quelled the celebration of the Victoria Day holiday, in honour of the long reigning British monarch, Queen Victoria. And I’m chickling here because many of us don’t like the monarchy, especially with the recent crowing of King Charles 111, but just try and take away the holiday named after a British monarch nuh, and see how they rebel. 

But that’s just our human nature; we might dislike something strongly, but once it benefits us, it’s not easy to take it away. Our fleshly lusts always seem to outweigh our emotional or spiritual convictions. (smile) That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus to church at Rome. ‘For they that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh (set their minds on fleshly things); but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.’ (Rom. 8:5-8) 

That says a whole lot there friends! But before delving deeper into the subject, let’s first clarify what we mean by carnal or fleshly lusts. One commentary explains it thus: ‘Carnal feelings and desires are sexual and physical, without any spiritual element. Their ruling passion is that of carnal LOVE.’ Yes, and for our scriptural purposes the scholars explain: ‘To be carnally minded means to have one’s life dominated by the sin nature, (our inherent human instincts and desires). To be spiritual minded is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit.’ 

‘For he that soweth to his flesh of the flesh shall reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.’ (Gal. 6:8) And that’s why, if we live by our human instincts and desires, we cannot please God, because God wants us being guided by His Holy Spirit, in reverence, obedience, faithfulness and trust in Him. That’s what He desires of Christians, that’s us, the followers of Jesus Christ. 

And if we are Christians, then according to Bruh Paul: ‘But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.’ (Rom. 8:9-10) The scholars explain that our bodies are still mortal and are subject not only to death, but also to temptation of sin. While the Spirit of life anticipates verse 11, which speaks of being resurrected in a new body with Christ, if you belong to Him.

 And in his letter to the Galatians, Bruh Paul spells it out in a little more detail, getting down to the practical side of things. ‘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. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 

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, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revilings and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.’ (Gal. 5:16-21) 

And what does all of that mean? Let’s hear from the scholars. Walking in the Spirit means ‘That Christians are to live with the Spirit’s help. How does one “live by the Spirit?’ (1) The Christian must believe that the Spirit is with him, having been sent by God into his heart (4:6). (2) In every spiritual confrontation the believer must yield to the Spirit, that is, submit his own desires to those of the Spirit. (3) One must depend on the Spirit for help, enabling him to live a God-pleasing life (vs. 5) (4) The believer should anticipate the effects of the Spirit’s help in his daily life. Thus the believer who “lives by the Spirit,” will not fulfill (accomplish, carry out) the lust (strong desires) of the flesh (sinful nature).’ 

Ah friends, it’s not easy living by the Spirit when the devil and his evil cronies are always on our case, trying to drag us down, but as in most things, we can only get better and stronger by experience, that’s by being patient and persevering in living sincerely for Christ. As our time under the rule of the Spirit grows, then so will our faith and ability to live for Christ grow. So, let’s not ever give up. And to help us do that, let’s go right now to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for help to keep walking in the Spirit. 

As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

Now, let’s go out and do what we know we need to do nuh, so that the heavenly grace and mercy, which our world needs so badly, can flow down to us! Much LOVE!

… the true believer need not fear the lusts of the flesh…for God has given us a spirit of power, LOVE and a disciplined mind… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   28 May 2022 Mark 5:36.

28 May 2022 Leave a comment

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

Mark 5:36.        Be not afraid, only believe.

And then it was lazing around Saturday… How nice it is to have one day in the week to just do as one pleases; to do nothing, or to do a lot, but it’s all up to you, with no boss constantly hanging around, watching to see how many breaks you take, or how much work you are actually doing. Now, sometimes, especially in our current society with little or no integrity or work ethic, it’s necessary for the boss to keep a close eye on us, but it’s still uncomfortable to have someone always watching your movements. That won’t happen today…unless it’s your spouse praying that you would get your lazy self, up off the couch and go do the household chores you’ve been putting off for so long. (smile) 

And our Saturday chore is to look at the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, and see how they interact with our Christian walk. And the first one says: ‘You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.’ Now that’s gospel truth! Those two polar opposites together will never create something beautiful. It’s like God and Satan, sin and grace, or oil and water. They just don’t mix in a pleasurable way. And it’s obvious that a positive mindset, one that keeps God first place, that concentrates on building, is always better than the negative opposite, where Satan is simply intent on destroying anything that we build. 

It’s like walking in the flesh, or carnality, and walking after the Holy Spirit, like Bruh Paul talks about in his letter to the Roman church. ‘For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.’ (Rom. 8:5-8) 

Yes friends, it’s the same way with a positive and negative mindset, it’s either one or the other, for never the twain shall ever meet successfully. That segues very nicely into this next quote. ‘One small positive thought can change your whole day.’ More wonderful truth my people. That’s the power of positive thinking, as opposed to negative thinking. One good and positive thought early in the morning can brighten up our entire day. Likewise, one negative thought can ruin our whole day if we allow it to, it can steal our wonderful joy. 

And that’s exactly what the enemy tries to do when he comes storming into our minds with his negative, ungodly and sinful ideas. But we need to be like seed that’s sown on good and fertile soil and reject them as soon as possible. That’s why Peter sternly warns us to ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (being experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet. 5:8-9) 

Ah mih people, the vengeful enemy is all over, trying to bring down the people of faith with the same basic temptations, so nothing that we are going through is new, or unique to any of us. Remember, he has no real power over us, unless we give it to him. For he’s just a toothless lion with a big roar. But we cannot afford to give the enemy even one small toehold in our lives, otherwise he will turn it into a stronghold, and have us eating out of his hand in that matter. That brings us to this quote: ‘Believe you can and you’re halfway there.’ 

Now, I don’t know if simple belief will get you halfway to your destiny, (smile) but it will certainly give you the right beginning, the right start, because if you don’t believe you can complete or achieve whatever you have in mind, you most certainly won’t succeed. Belief is indeed the most important aspect of any project or programme. Like we said above, it’s the positive mindset that engenders faith and hope in whatever we desire to do. 

What did Jesus say to Jairus, one of the synagogue rulers, when they came and told him his daughter was dead? Just these simple words: ‘Be not afraid, only believe.’ (Mark 5:36) And when Martha hesitated over rolling away the stone from the grave of her brother Lazarus, Jesus told her: ‘Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe , thou shouldest see the glory of God?’ (John 11:40) So friends, belief might not get us halfway to the end, but it will most definitely create the right and necessary attitude that will put us on the path to victory! 

Consequently, the following quote also becomes important in our faith walk. ‘Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.’ Yes, it all has to do with positivity, hope, faith and belief in God Almighty! When we look forward to good things and tidings, with a strong faith, they tend to happen. That’s why the psalmist declared…ah Lord eh! Would you believe I spelled that wrong? I don’t know what it is with me and that word nuh, in all its forms too. I even refuse to try and write it again now. (smile) But like the psalmist said, and we should always say: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) 

Now that gives us a positive, faithful expectation that each day will be good! Oh, we do know that every day will not really be good, because that’s just the nature of life with its up and downs, but more often than not, when we expect it to be good, it will turn out that way. Like Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say: ‘Something good is going to happen to me today. And something good is going to happen through me today!’ There’s just something about faithful expectations that put us in a better frame of mind, even when the circumstances aren’t favourable. 

And the last quote says: ‘I will go anywhere as long as it’s forward.’ Now it’s very important to go forward and not backward in life. However, anywhere forward is not the best place, because that could also mean forward with the devil and his satanic cohorts. What we should be saying is that we would go anywhere forward with Jesus as our guide and leader! That’s because we need to end up like Bruh Paul said to Timothy. ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim.4:7) 

Yes, my fellow saints in Christ, the only true way forward is with our Lord and Saviour! Any other way leads only to destruction and damnation! Therefore, let’s spend some time on this lazy Saturday pondering the state of our race nuh. Are we fighting a good fight, running strongly in our race, keeping the faith like we ought to? Or do we need to pick it up some? I believe that we can ALL come up somewhat higher and better than we’re currently doing because the world desperately needs us right now. So please, let’s ask the Lord to help us do just that nuh. Once it’s for His glory, we know He’ll never refuse to help. Much LOVE!

…true belief in Christ…creates miraculous doings in our spirit… 

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