The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Being Continually Refilled by the Holy Spirit

15 Sep 2025 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 5:18.         And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Holy Spirit.

It’s Monday once again my people, time to get up and get going out into the world to do the Lord’s work! Let’s hope that we’re all refreshed and renewed with His Holy Spirit so that we can do good, efficient, excellent work on this sunshiny summer’s day. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians: ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ (Eph. 5:18).

And what does that mean? According to the scholars, ‘that basically means we’re not to get drunk on alcoholic beverages, because it leads to drunkenness and excessive behaviour causing moral intemperance, which is clearly contrary to God’s will. God’s will is that Christians be filled with (by) the Holy Spirit; that is, they are to allow Him to fill them with God’s own life, character and virtues. The analogy between these two moral states is this: a person filled with wine is under its influence; similarly, a Christian is filled with the Spirit when He (the Spirit) controls his thoughts.’

And I like how this commentary explains the situation. It says: ‘To be refilled with the Holy Spirit means to be continually yielded to God’s control and power, a state of ongoing submission and obedience to His will, rather than a one-time event. It is an intentional, active, and daily choice by believers to allow the Holy Spirit to empower them to live a victorious and fruitful Christian life by obeying God’s Word, committing to prayer and fellowship, and trusting in God’s sovereignty.’

Yes friends, being refilled with the Holy Spirit is not a one-time thing, but a continual filling, a repeated experience for believers. Where we actively submit our will to God’s control, thus ‘making a conscious decision to live under His constant direction and power, leading to a transformed character and priorities.’ And Bruh Paul, as is his wont, goes on to give us some practical advice on how to achieve those desires in real life.

He writes: ‘Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:19-21) What a great passage of scripture that is my brethren!

And the scholars break it down thus: ‘There are four results of being Spirit-filled. (1) believers speak to one another with psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs; that is, they exhort and instruct each other; (2) there is singing and the making of melody, of individual song and praise for the Lord; (3) there is giving thanks always – the Spirit enables the Christian to be grateful for all things divinely allowed to enter his life since they will be used for good; (4) there is mutual submission, that is, showing deference to the wishes of one another, as long as that to which the believer submits is in the fear of God, which is to say, in accord with what pleases Him.’ 

Then there’s an interesting addendum that the scholars add to their explanation, which says: ‘Because people are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at salvation, they do not need to get more of the Holy Spirit, but the filling of the Spirit occurs when the Holy Spirit gets more of the believer.’ Wow! That sounds right. Technically speaking, we already have the Holy Spirit dwelling with us, so we can’t get any more of it in the sense of receiving it, but instead we need to give more of ourselves to the Holy Spirit, that’s listening to Him more, so that He can lead, guide and comfort us in the manner our heavenly Father desires.

And all that practical advice that Bruh Paul gives back there can only be successfully accomplished if we have the fruit of the Spirit flourishing in us. And what’s the fruit of the Spirit? Bruh Paul explained it thus to the Galatians. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE (the willing sacrificial giving of oneself for the benefit of another without thought of return), joy (gladness of heart), peace (tranquility of mind, freeing one from worry and fear), longsuffering (patience with others).

Gentleness is kindness. Goodness is generosity. Faith here is dependability. Meekness is gentleness, that is, courtesy and consideration in one’s relations with others. Temperance is self-control, that is the ability to harness and control one’s passions and lusts.  (Gal. 5:22-23) And that’s the nine fruit of the Spirit (singular), unlike the gifts of the Spirit (plural).  And for this fruit to develop, all nine aspects must mature. In other words, we won’t grow spiritually unless all the fruit is maturing and growing. 

And having said all those things, it’s time now to go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid to put them into effect. (smile) 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 as we can see from our prayer certain things are necessary before we can receive divine aid; like humbling ourselves, praying, sincerely seeking God’s face and turning from our evil ways. So please, let’s concentrate on improving in those areas nuh, so that divine aid can begin flowing down to us. Remember, it’s all for our benefit!! Much LOVE!

…the Christian believer…is expected to bear much fruit…from seed planted and nourished by the Holy Spirit… 

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Prayer, Thanks and Gratitude in a Believer’s Life!

20 Jan 2025 Leave a comment

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

1 Thessalonians 5:18.       In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Come on down Monday, we’re ready and waiting for you! Hit us with your best shot! But it won’t work, for we have all the tools and promises of Jesus, at the ready, waiting to shoot you down. Therefore, we have taken this scripture from the pen of Bruh Paul to heart. ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18) 

Ah friends, that’s a tough scripture, but one we definitely need to know and totally embrace. And what does it mean? The scholars say that ‘In every event or circumstance (thing) the Christian is to give thanks to God for the good He can bring out of the event, even should the event be unpleasant. The constant attitude of prayer, mentioned in verse 17 –  ‘Pray without ceasing,’ will help the believer to maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.’ 

And if that scripture doesn’t catch your fancy, (smile) then try this one from Bruh Paul’s missive to the Philippians. ‘Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:5-7) 

And I must admit that one seems a tad easier than the first one, although they both basically mean the same thing. Instead of worrying about anything, we are to take every situation, be it pleasant or unpleasant and present it to God through prayer, supplication and thanksgiving. 

The scholars advise: ‘The Lord’s nearness (vs. 5b) leads Paul to forbid his readers from worrying. This is no summons to irresponsibility or an invitation to dismiss legitimate concern. The solution to undue anxiety is prayer in every thing, “in any matter of life.” The way to be free of anxiety is to be prayerful about everything. While God is eager to hear our requests, they are to be accompanied by thanksgiving.’ 

Now, that seems easier said than done, but like all things we need to get good at, it requires continuous practice until it becomes a habit. And what’s the benefit of that exercise, you ask? ‘The peace of God which passes all understanding.’ Wow! Isn’t that important enough to make the effort worthwhile? It surely is! 

Because as the scholars tell us, ‘The peace of God is that tranquility of mind freeing the believer from fear and worry. “Peace” which passeth all understanding means (1) peace divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, so wonderful that it exceeds one’s ability to understand it; (2) God’s peace far surpasses one’s own understanding of the problem, and his ability to cope with and solve it.’ 

That brings to mind this most important scripture from the prophet Isaiah, where he speaks on God’s behalf. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) That says it all my people. And so it should be, if He is God! 

Therefore, when we take our problems to Him in prayer, with thanksgiving, He gives us His unsurpassable peace that guards our hearts and minds from the enemies attempts to cause us worry and anxiety. And that dovetails very nicely with Jesus words on the subject to the disciples, and consequently to us. ‘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) 

Oh my people, what a marvellous gift is the peace of Jesus! It’s unlike any other that the world knows, and surpasses any other kind. It’s the amazing kind of peace that causes us not to worry or be afraid. Where else can you find that kind of peace eh? Only in and from Jesus! Then later on, He tells us again about the kind of peace we can have if we accept Him as Lord and Saviour. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) 

Wow! What can we say to that most expressive statement eh? Not much really, but accept it for what it is: Jesus’ faithful promise! There’s no doubt whatsoever that in the world we will have trials and tribulations, but since Jesus has already overcome the world, that’s hell, death and the grave, if we stay entwined with Jesus, then we will have His awesome protection against the world and it’s ungodly masses. You can’t ask for anything more than that friends. 

However, Jesus has already done His work, it’s now our turn to live up to our promise when we accepted Him as Lord and Saviour. That’s take up our cross daily and follow Him, even if it calls for personal sacrifice. And sometimes that’s difficult to do, but through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving we can do it. So let’s go to the throne of grace right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us in this our great time of need. 

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!’ 

In closing though, please remember that divine aid is not doled out willy-nilly, but for obedience, repentance, sincerely seeking God’s face and a change in our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…He who has ears to hear…let Him hear…otherwise…He will feel…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 October 2016 Psalm 105:1.

11 Oct 2016 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 105:1.   O Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. 

Aye friends, it’s Tuesday; Thanksgiving weekend finish now, which means you have to get up and go back to the daily grind and common task; something called work. Hn! 

And I know that many of us are feeling like we usually do on a Monday morning, possibly worse, because of all the Thanksgiving celebrations, but as the man says, them’s the breaks! As the Good Book says, if you want to eat, you have to work. (2 Thess.3:10) 

But don’t worry my fellow believers, just as we have an antidote for Monday’s problems, we also have one for Tuesday’s. So without further ado, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with the enthusiasm, belief and sense of purpose that it deserves. 

As one now: ‘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 the world.  Amen!’ 

Glory be, my people! What a bonanza of godly faith, favour and blessings! Just imagine nuh, we are beloved children of Almighty God, the Creator and Controller of this great and magnificent universe! Mama Mia! 

You’d think it couldn’t get any better than that. But it does get better. We are also not defined by what the evil, ungodly world says and/or thinks of us. 

And now here’s the crowning glory: we are friends of the ONE and ONLY Son of God; Jesus, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End! 

And that’s not all: He’a also the Lamb that was led to the slaughter for our abominable sins, who once and for all paid the sin debt in full for all those who believe in Him, thus making reconciliation with our heavenly Father possible! 

Now when we put all of that together, there’s indeed nothing better on the face of God’s great planet earth! 

And all of God’s people loudly, proudly and gratefully declared: ‘All praise be to the name of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; the Holy Trinity, who blesses and looks after us with everlasting care, compassion and LOVE!’ 

Yes my faithful brethren, we are indeed the cat’s pajamas! (smile) But we also need to remember that there are two parts to everything; the blessing and then the responsibility. We have already received the blessing; God’s favour and grace, now we need to accept the responsibility which those awesome blessings bring. 

And what’s that responsibility you ask? It’s simple, just like our Messiah, our Friend Jesus; go out and share His LOVE with the rest of humankind. Tell others about Him, the good news of salvation and eternal life that He has bought for us with His sinless sacrifice on the cross at Calvary. 

Now that’s certainly not too much to ask eh, after all that He has done for us? So why then do so many of us cower, are ashamed of and refuse to acknowledge our Friend and Saviour Jesus before the heathen eh? 

I don’t know all the reasons why, but I do know that we’re not keeping our part of the bargain, shirking our responsibility, when we don’t spread the wonderful news of Jesus’ gospel. 

And I do hope that the Holy Spirit, which dwells within us, convicts us each and every time we shirk that responsibility, until we are mature and faithful enough to stand strong and steadfast, proud and true in the name of Jesus. 

Now here is how the psalmist quotes that responsibility in our Bit. ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.’ 

Yes friends, it’s all one big smorgasbord that’s termed life; giving thanks for our blessings, calling upon Him for faith and favour in a wonderful relationship, and letting others know about His mighty deeds down throughout the ages! 

Ah mih people, as we said yesterday, thanksgiving is not  a one time thing; simply the act of bringing the first fruits of our harvest to God on a particular day, but something that should be an integral part of our lives, each and every day. 

And I don’t think anyone puts it better than Bruh Paul in his missive to the Philippians. He declares: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (graciousness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. (His return is imminent). 

Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God (the tranquility of mind) which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ. 

Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), what soever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things.’ (Phil.4:4-8) 

Oh my fellow believers, Bruh Paul has laid it all out on a golden platter for us! It’s not always easy to live a Christian life, but we can certainly try by occupying our minds with the right things and busying ourselves with the right activities. That’s the motto for Christian success.  Much LOVE!

…if we truly want to know and LOVE Jesus…then we first have to get to know Him…by studying and meditating on His Word…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 September 2016 Galatians 5:16.

19 Sep 2016 Leave a comment

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

Galatians 5:16.    This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

‘Monday, oh Monday! Oh how do I LOVE thee? Let me count the ways…’ (smile) 

Ah friends, so many of us dislike Monday, and it’s such a wonderful day… And I hear all the steupsing and complaining of those who disagree with my praise of Monday. That’s because we haven’t handled the weekend right, or we just blooming lazy and don’t want to go to work, but yet still expect to enjoy all the perks of working. 

Anyway, the long and short of the story is if you expect to eat, then you must work, as per Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians. (2 Thess.3:10) Too many of us nowadays, including supposed Christians, feel entitled, are expecting hand outs and believe that the world owes them a living. 

But the truth is my brethren, the world owes us nothing whatsoever! We owe the world, to try and make it a better place than how we found it. How did John Kennedy, the U.S President put it? ‘Consider not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’ And that’s how it ought to be! 

Enough palaver though, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and get ourselves together to go out and make the world a better place. 

All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. 

We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. 

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. 

Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ 

That wasn’t bad at all my people, somewhat raspy, but it put a smile on the face of our choirmaster Jesus. And that’s the important thing; keeping Jesus happy with our earthly doings. And the very best way to do that is by being obedient to our Bit. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.’ 

Now yesterday we looked at what basically constituted walking in the flesh, today we’ll check out what it means by walking in the Spirit. Listen to Bruh Paul expatiate to the Galatians. (smile)  

‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), Meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’ (Gal.5:22-23) 

Yes friends, those are the attributes that a Christian is supposed to show when walking in the Spirit. And the scholars give us a lengthy explanation, which I feel compelled to share, since it will help our understanding of the situation. 

‘5:22. The word fruit is significant for three reasons. (1) It means the result, product, outcome or effect produced by the Spirit in the believer’s life. (2) Unlike “the gifts of the Spirit” (plural), only some of which are given to a Christian, each believer is to have all nine virtues composing “the fruit of the Spirit” (singular). (3) As fruit on a tree takes time to grow and mature, so the Spirit does not cultivate these virtues in the believer’s life overnight. 

LOVE is the willing, sacrificial giving of oneself for the benefit of another without thought of return. Joy is the gladness of heart. Peace is tranquility of mind, freeing one from worry and fear. Long-suffering is patience with others, the opposite of a short temper, a disposition quietly bearing injury. Gentleness is kindness. Goodness is generosity. Faith is dependability.’  

‘5:23. Meekness is gentleness, that is courtesy and consideration in one’s relations with others. Temperance is self-control, that is, the ability to harness and control one’s passions and lusts.’  

There we have it my people, a breakdown of the nine virtues that are associated with the fruit of the Spirit. Yuh see, a lot is expected of us Christians, because our Lord and Saviour, our indisputable Leader, Jesus Christ, expects excellence from His followers, not some wishy-washy, leggo-beast, compromising, sitting on the fence behaviour. 

And we all know it’s not easy to come up higher in this evil world, but it doesn’t happen overnight. As the scholars remind us these virtues take time to grow and mature, as the Holy Spirit that dwells within us nurtures them. 

So please, let’s not beat up ourselves if we are falling down in any virtue(s), because that does not help the situation. When we find we’re not measuring up to our true potential, let’s turn to God in prayer and ask Him for help in whatever area we’re lacking in. 

You know He’ll never refuse us anything that makes us more like His wonderful Son, Jesus Christ. So let’s sincerely and faithfully work at those virtues as we go out and face the enemy today and everyday of our earthly lives. It’s oh so necessary, if we are to spread the gospel to the whole world and fulfill Jesus’ LOVE Revolution. Much LOVE!

…Christians ought to be fertile ground…so that the Holy Spirit can grow good fruit within them…