30 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominable transgressions, alive and kicking, all the gods of the nations are idols, and on my worst, as far as the east is from the west, as the heaven is high above the earth, believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, divine aid, every hour you watch over me, eyes have they but they see not, faith, Father You see me on my best days, Friday chant, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, give our leaders wise guidance, God commendeth his love toward us, God demonstrated his LOVE for us.', God gives us new grace and mercy every morning, God is LOVE, God so loved the world, God's generous help, God's heartfelt love and compassion for humanity, great is thy faithfulness, have ears but hear not, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he hath not dealt with us after our sins, he the loveth not knoweth not God, help us to be responsible, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, human flaw, I want my life to show others the great love you shown me, in Jesus' name, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, neither is there any breath in their mouths, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, plenteous in mercy, real love and compassion, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rewarded us according to our iniquities, salvation, scriptures that proclaim God's undying love for man, serious problems are escalating, slow to anger, smell it sweet and strong, so far hath he removed our transgressions, so great is his mercy to them that fear him, stand strong and steadfast, take time from our busy schedules to communicate with God, teach me to reflect your faithfulness, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the beginning of the weekend, the breath of life only comes from God, the gifts of salvation and eternal life, the gospel truth, the idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the joyful shout, the judgemental hand of God, the Lord is merciful and gracious, the Lord made the heavens, the prayer from the October In Touch Devotional, the supreme sacrifice of both Father and Son, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, the work of men's hands, therefore have I hope, they are new every morning, they have mouths but speak not, this I recall to mind, to handle these unexpected storms properly, trusting faith, truth, two dyas to do what we want, unconditional LOVE, went up to heaven, what a wonderful God we serve, when I stumble you don't condemn me, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, with your omnipotent help, worthwhile ambassadors for Christ, you love me the same through it all, you reach out your hand and lift me up, you see my victories and my failures
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 October 2026 John 3:16.
John 3:16. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
‘It’s Friday, it’s Friday! TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ Yes mih bredrin, that was the joyful shout that went up to heaven from numerous workers this last Friday morning in October 2026. And why not eh? We’re alive and kicking, it’s a warm, sunshiny, autumn day, and much to our surprise, the cold weather has not seriously weighed in on us as yet. And above all, it’s the beginning of the weekend, when we get two whole days to do whatever we want to do, not what some fuddy-duddy old boss tells us to do! No wonder we’re so excited that it’s Friday! (smile)
Anyhow, despite all the happiness we’re currently experiencing, we still need to take some time from our busy schedules to communicate with Almighty God, our Creator and Controller. And today we’ll do that through the prayer from the October In Touch Devotional. So please pray with me: ‘Father, You see me on my best days – and on my worst. And You LOVE me the same through it all. Every hour You watch over me. You see my victories and my failures. When I stumble, You don’t condemn me. You reach out Your hand and lift me up. Teach me to reflect Your faithfulness. I want my life to show others the great LOVE You’ve shown me. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
What a wonderful God we serve my fellow believers! He’s constantly watching over us, so He knows all about us; both the good and the bad, but yet He still LOVES us with a fiery, undeniable, unalterable LOVE! And there are so many scriptures that proclaim God’s undying LOVE for us, that we can spend the whole day looking at them, and still not cover them all. (smile) But let’s cover a few of the more well known ones, to stir up our own LOVE. And I have to put my favourite here first, as stated in the words of Bruh Paul. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Now if that doesn’t show real LOVE and compassion, I don’t know what does. As one overviews explains: ‘It highlights unconditional LOVE given even before human flaw was removed.’ And that’s the gospel truth, because the Lord didn’t wait for us to become as sin free as possible under our own strength, He went right ahead and gave us the opportunity to do so through His awesome LOVE and power. That brings us to this next awesome scripture that emphasizes God’s great LOVE for His human creation.
Words from the mouth of Jesus Himself, the one who put the Father’s amazing LOVE into action. He said to Nicodemus the Jewish leader who came to him by night seeking answers. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Ah friends, that shows the supreme sacrifice of both the Father and the Son, who were willing to forego their own pleasure to enable us to have the gifts of salvation and eternal life.
Now it could be nothing else but LOVE that caused them to make such an amazing, very much needed sacrifice. For as John says in his first epistle: ‘He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.’ (1 John 4:8) And that’s the glorious truth! If you don’t know LOVE, you cannot know God, because that’s His major attribute! Now listen to these verses which show that although we are not perfect and make mistakes, ofttimes too many unnecessary ones, the Lord doesn’t denigrate or belittle us for them, but instead helps us to get up and do better the next time around.
The prophet Jeremiah, remembering the tough times he faced under the judgemental hand of God, (Jer. 3:1-20) solemnly declares in his Lamentations. ‘This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:21-23) Yes friends, if the Lord so desired, He could wipe us out every day for our abominable transgressions, but because of His compassion and overwhelming faithfulness, we’re still around. Instead, He gives us new grace, and mercy ever morning that we are alive.
As Bruh David says in Psalm 103: ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS)… He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-KIDNESS) toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.’ (Ps. 103:8, 10-12) Wow! What other God have you ever heard about that’s so generous to his subjects like ours eh?
There’s none! For as the psalmist says in Psalm 96 – God’s Greatness: ‘For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.’ (Ps. 96:5) That’s for sure! And as it so rightly says in Psalm 135 -Praise the Lord. ‘The idols (gods) of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.’ (Ps. 135: 15-17) And how could they ever have breath eh, when they are made by human hands, and the breath of life ONLY comes from Jehovah God?
And although many of us desire to show or reflect that amazing faithfulness of God in our lives, it’s not an easy task, but we can certainly do better than we’re currently doing, by going to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, for divine aid to do it. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land.
So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, please note that it’s not only the heathen, but also we believers, who need to wake up and smell the coffee, if we want to be worthwhile witnesses and ambassadors for Christ! Much LOVE!
…there is nothing greater in this world…than God’s heartfelt LOVE and compassion for humanity…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as I have seen in the sanctuary, be renewed and refreshed, because thou hast been my help, become too self-righteous, blessed is the man that trusteth in him, Christians, dark clouds fighting the sunshine for supremacy, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, delivered me from all my fears, despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, early will I seek thee, encampeth round about them that fear him, endure the trials and tribulations of this world, eternal life, faith, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, give our leaders the wise guidance, glorifying our heavenly Father, God delivers them, God is a refuge for us, God's omnipotent help, help us to be responsible, his praise shall continually be in my mouth, holy spirit, hope thou in God, I shall yet praise him, I sought the Lord and he heard me, I will bless the Lord at all times, in a dry and thirsty land where no water is, in all sincerity and truth, In God is my salvation and my glory, in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ will eventually reign supreme, Jesus is the best thing that's ever happened to mankind, let us exalt His name together, lift up my hands in thy name, LOVE, meditate on thee in the night watches, mercy, my flesh longeth for thee, my lips shall praise thee, my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips, my refuge is in God, my soul followeth hard after thee, my soul shall be satisfied, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, my soul thirsteth for thee, O God thou art my God, o magnify the Lord with me, O taste and see that the Lord is good, O thou that hearest prayer, our serious problems are escalating, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, our witness for Christ has been unsatisfactory, pour out your heart before him, praise the Lord for His goodness to the children of men, remember thee upon my bed, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, saved him out of all his troubles, Selah, so have I looked for thee, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the angel of the Lord, the BIBLE, the fool says in his heart there is no God, the good example that we your faithful believers set, the health of my countenance and my God, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad, the living truth, the Lord heard him, the rock of my strength, the sacrifice of Jesus, the sunshine will eventually reign supreme, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, the wise man continually seeks god, their faces were not ashamed, they looked unto him and were lightened, they were radiant, this poor man cried, thus will I bless thee while I live, thy loving-kindness is better than life, thy right hand upholdeth me, time to wake up and do better, to handle these unexpected storms properly, to see thy power and thy glory, tough and turbulent times, trust him at all times, trusting faith, truth, unto thee shall all flesh come, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, wisdom, with marrow and fatness, with your generous help
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 October 2026 Psalm 34:8.
Psalm 34:8. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
And then it was Friday, the day we all look forward to, so we can send up our Friday Mantra to high heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ Unfortunately though, today is not as bright and sunshiny as the last few days, because there are some dark clouds fighting the sunshine for supremacy, but we are not perturbed or concerned, because we all believe that the sunshine, like our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, will eventually reign supreme. (smile)
And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord God Almighty for His goodness to the children of men, so generously giving us His Only Son Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Saviour!’ And my faithful brethren, that’s the best thing that’s ever happened to mankind, because it’s only through the sacrifice, strength and grace of Christ that we can endure the trials and tribulations of this evil and ungodly world, and then with salvation, enter eternal life with Him. That means Jesus deserves all the praise, honour and glory we can ever bestow on Him, for He’s definitely earned it several times over!
And that’s why these verses from various psalms encourage us to turn to God in each and every situation. Like this one from Psalm 42, when sadness fills our hearts, and the Sons of Korah question: ‘Why art thou cast (bowed) down, O my soul? why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health (help, salvation) of my countenance, and my God.’ (Ps. 42:11) Turning to God in times of sorrow, certainly lifts our spirits.
Then listen to these verses from Psalm 62, as Bruh David confidently announces: ‘In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust him at all times; ye people, pour our your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62: 7-8) And isn’t that the glorious truth? It certainly is! Therefore, Bruh David could also say in Psalm 63, when he was in the wilderness of Judah, running from his enemies: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary (so have I looked for thee). Because thy LOVING-KINDNESS is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard (close) after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.’ (Ps. 63:1-8)
Oh my people, can we long for the Lord and sing His praises so confidently if we were hiding out in a dry and thirsty land? I doubt it. We can’t even do it when we have all the advantages of this easy life, so how will we when we don’t have them eh? Or is it because we have all these advantages that we believe there’s no need to long for God and praise Him, but when we are disadvantaged we will be quick to seek Him? Either way friends, we ought to long for God, to seek and praise Him! As Bruh David says in Psalm 65: ‘O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.’ (Ps; 65:2)
And that’s how it ought to be. As we see in Psalm 34,where Bruh David ardently declares: ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened (radiant): and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’ (Ps. 34: 1-8)
Now that’s the living truth my people! But the problem is you’ll never know it, unless you turn to the Lord in all sincerity and truth and discover the truth of those words for yourself. And to help us do just that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant for divine aid in these tough and turbulent times. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them.
Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And before we get too self-righteous, let’s understand that we believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, strong and sweet, because our witness for Christ so far has been rather unsatisfactory, and it’s one of the reasons why our world is in such an angry and strife-filled state. So it’s high time we wake up and do better! Much LOVE!
…the wise man continually seeks God…while the fool says in his heart…there is no God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a legend of West Indian culture, ambassadors of Christ, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, are not able to kill the soul, are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, be renewed and refreshed, be witnesses unto me, believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, Calypso Rose, Caribbean culture, carnival celebrations, Christ employs us to spread His gospel around the world, claypso rivalry, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine help, do a better job of witnessing for Christ, even the smallest most insignficant details, faith, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell, fear not them which kill the body, fear ye not therefore, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, give our leaders wise guidance, God takes an interest in everything in our lives, God watches over us with tender loving care, God's omnipotent help, gone home to be with the Lord, grateful for the two day work break, help us to be responsible, him will I confess before my Father in heaven, holy spirit, iin soul body and mind, Jesus Christ, keep God first place in our lives, legacy of calypso, Lord Kitchener, Lord Melody, Lord we desperately need your help, LOVE, mercy, no place in a Christian's life, one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, put calypso on the world stage, recuperate from the Thanksgiving celebrations, salvation, serious problems are escalating, Slinger Francisco, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Birdie, the Calypso King of the World, the good example that we your faithful believers set, the good outweighed the bad, the Mighty Sparrow, the social conscience of the nation, the throne of grace, the very hairs of your head are all numbered, the weekend's here at last, to handle these unexpected storms properly, took politicians to task, trusting faith, truth, unto the uttermost part of the earth, whosoever shall confess me before men, wisdom, with your generaous help, ye shall receive power when the Holy ghost is come upon you
Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 October 2026 Matthew 10:31.
Matthew 10:31. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
And yes, it’s truly Friday, so although it’s a wet, cloudy, windy, chilly day, our Friday Mantra was still offered up with a loud, thankful voice: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ We’re all grateful for the two day break from work, but some of us badly need it to recuperate from all the Thanksgiving celebrations at the beginning of the week, and then the horror of work right on top of it. (smile)
And today I want to offer a short tribute to one of the world’s greatest entertainers, Slinger Francisco (1935-1926); better known as the Mighty Sparrow, who recently died in New York, the place he’s called home for several years now. Sparrow was one of the men who put Calypso on the world stage, along with other performers like Kitchener, Melody, and Calypso Rose. What’s not as widely known though is that Sparrow was also a wonderful balladeer as his album of ballads proves. Sparrow was indeed an all-round performer, who kept the legacy of Calypso alive for some seven decades.
Born in Grenada, Sparrow grew up in Trinidad and did the country proud. He wasn’t an angel, and there are numerous stories about his bad side. But I believe the good outweighed the bad, and that’s about all any of us can ask for in this complicated and oftentimes tough life. However, I remember the days of the rivalry between himself, Kitchener and Melody, always fighting to win the Road March, the most popular tune played on the road at the Carnival celebrations, while constantly provoking each other in song.
Those were the days when the calypsonians were the social conscience of the nation, because they sang about the problems of the nation, took politicians to task, and generally kept the nation alive to some of the things that were happening, be they good, bad or indifferent. Sadly, today that social consciousness has been lost, as the young performers don’t seem to care about what’s happening in their country, their songs are now about sex, alcohol and having a good time, while the nation flounders under poor governments. But I guess I’m just an ole fogey, as one friend would call that progress.
Anyhow, Sparrow, Dr. Slinger Francisco, the Birdie, the Calypso King of the World, the Supreme Serenader, amongst his many names, was given a major send off today in Trinidad, on the road obviously, as only Trinidadians can do, and his awesome legacy to Caribbean Culture will live on forever. Yes friends, one of the legends of West Indian culture has gone home to be with the Lord, for he was not only a singer of Calypso, but I believed he found religion in his later life and also has a compilation of religious songs in his wide and amazing repertoire. Rest in peace Sparrow.
Now let’s look at an interesting scripture where Jesus teaches about fear and worry, and just happens to talk about sparrows. (smile) He warns: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him (God) which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.’ (Matt. 10:28-31)
Oh my people isn’t that ever so reassuring to know that our God watches over us with tender, LOVING care. And though sparrows were sold for only a small price, making them insignificant in the market place, God still sees and knows when they fall, and we are valued much more than many sparrows. So much so that even the hairs on our heads are numbered. (smile) Therefore we don’t need to live in fear or anxiety because our marvelous God takes an interest in every single thing that happens in our lives; yes even the smallest and most insignificant details.
The problem though is that we need to keep God first place in our lives, if we expect Him to pay serious attention to all that happens to us and then help us solve whatever problems we encounter. Jesus addressed that situation right after making the above statements. He said; ‘Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 10:32-33)
There we have it my brethren, accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour doesn’t mean just doing so and then keeping quiet about it. No! It means talking to others about Jesus, because we are in effect His ambassadors, His representatives, His disciples on the earth, the means He employs to spread His gospel around the world. As he said to the disciples before His ascension: ‘But ye shall receive power, after 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 unto the uttermost part of the earth.’ (Acts. 1:8)
And it’s obvious that we’re not doing a very good job of being His witnesses all over the world, because the world is now in such an uproar of hate and strife, that would not be happening if we were better ambassadors. But all is not lost, we can still go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, to obtain divine help to do a better job.
Altogether: Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Let’s remember though, that we believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, so that we can do a better job of witnessing for Christ! Much LOVE!
…with God closely watching over us…constant fear and anxiety…have no place in a Christian’s life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a thousand shall fall at thy side, a very present help in trouble, an abundantly available help, be a refuge for those caught, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be renewed and refreshed, beyond their control, Blessed are the peacemakers, blessed be God, by day in a pillar of cloud, by night in a pillar of fire, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, called the children of God, caught between nations and forces, children of God must stand up now and make peace, Christians, Christians must play their part, comfort the grieving, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, established it upon the floods, faith, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, from the noiseome pestilence, further your glorious kingdom, God is a refuge for us, God is indeed our help and refuge in troubled times, God is our refuge and strength, God provides a safe shelter in difficult times, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, guding those fleeing violence, guide those who are fleeing, he hath founded it upon the seas, he is my defence, he is my refuge and my fortress, He only is my rock and my salvation, He shall cover thee with his feathers, he took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, hear my prayer, help us to be responsible, his truth shall be thy shield and buckler, holy spirit, I shall not be moved, I will say of the Lord, In God is my salvation and my glory, in him will I trust, inner power, it shall not come nigh thee, Jesus Christ, lack of proper witness for Christ, Lord you reign over all things, LOVE, may I rest in your care, mercy, most need divine aid, move in the hearts, my expectation is from him, my god, my refuge is in God, my soul silently wait thou upon God, not be afraid of the terror by night, our evil and ungodly world, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, our world will continue sinking, pour out your heart before him, protect the innocent, protection, remind me that nations rise and fall, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rest and relaxation, Selah, Septemebr In Touch Devotional Prayer, shall not come near to you, sinking into the mire of evil and ungodliness, stand strong and steadfast, ten thousand at thy right hand, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the arrow that flieth by day, the BIBLE, the destruction that wasteth at noonday, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the good example that we your faithful believers set, the Lord went before them, the pestilence that walketh in darkness, the rock of my strength, the weekend is here at last, the world and they that dwell therein, therefore will we not fear, those empowered to bring peace, though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the mountains share with the swelling thereof, though the waters roar and be troubled, to give them light, to go by day and night, trust in him at all times, trusting faith, truth, under his wings shall thou take refuge, under the mighty wings of God, wars and rumours of wars, when the news is heavy, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, wisdom, wise guidance, wonderful protection
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 September 2026 Psalm 62:8.
Psalm 62:8. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
It’s Friday friends, that day we all look forward to, and it’s another beautiful sunshiny day, without the brisk breeze of the last few days. But the best news is that not all of the sun’s heat has already migrated to the south. No! Because just now I went outside and felt it flush and wonderful on my face. That’s why our Friday Mantra was possibly so loud and sincere this first Friday of autumn! ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ Who wouldn’t be overjoyed at the prospect of a warm and sunshiny weekend in the last week of September eh? (smile) And with all the joy of the expected warm and sunshiny weekend, let’s offer up the prayer from this month’s In Touch Devotional.
Please pray with me: ‘Lord, when the news is heavy, I turn to You. Hear my prayer: Be a refuge for those caught between nations and forces beyond their control. Protect the innocent. Comfort the grieving. Guide those who are fleeing. Move in the hearts of those empowered to bring peace. And through it all, remind me that nations rise and fall, but You reign over all things. Lord, I entrust this to You. May I rest in Your care. In Jesus’ name, amen.’ Oh my people, that is certainly a prayer that we need today, with all the wars and rumours of wars that are being fought and heard around our evil and ungodly world.
And there is no one better to put our total trust and confidence in when bad tidings befall us than Almighty God, who created the universe and all therein and still rules it from His heavenly throne. Remember these marvellous words of Bruh David from Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2)
Then, talking about a place of refuge, there’s also no place better to run to and hide than under the mighty wings of our God. As Bruh David again points out in Psalm 46. ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (heart) of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountain shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:1) Yes friends, God provides a safe shelter, protection, and inner power when we face difficult or frightening times.
As Bruh David further says in Psalm 62: ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62:5-8) Oh my people, it could not be put any clearer than that! God is indeed our refuge and help in troubled times!
And as per protection for the innocent, I like this verse from Isaiah. ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:11) Where else can we get such protection? Nowhere else! But listen as the psalmist further informs us: ‘I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler (bird trapper), and from the noisome pestilence (perilous or deadly forces).
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shall thou trust (take refuge): his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (small shield).Thou shalt not be afraid for (of) the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth (lays waste) at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.’ (Ps. 91: 2-7) Ah mih bredrin, if that isn’t wonderful protection, then I don’t know what is!
And when talking about comfort, there’s certainly none better than our God, as Bruh Paul writes to the Corinthians. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all out tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4) Wow! What comfort can be better than that eh? God comforts us so that we can comfort others with that same comfort we receive from Him!
And as per guiding those who are fleeing violence, we know the Lord is the best at that, as He proved when the Israelites fled from slavery in Egypt. The Bible tells us: ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.’ (Ex. 13:21-22) That’s what you call godly guidance! (smile)
But what we need most of all today my fellow believers is as the prayer says, for God to ‘Move in the hearts of those empowered to bring peace.’ Yes, that is today’s most needed divine aid, for there is way too much unnecessary suffering, killing, oppression, poverty, evil and ungodliness in our world right now! We need as Jesus says in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.’ (Matt. 5:9) Oh my people do we ever need those peacemakers, those children of God to stand up right now and make peace, because our world is dying from lack of it!
And to help us do our small part, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And friends, it’s also time for us to wake up and smell the coffee, because our lack of proper witness for Christ has contributed greatly to our world’s current ungodly and evil state! Much LOVE!
…if Christians don’t play their part…our world will continue sinking…into the mire of evil and ungodliness…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Theophany, artificial intelligence, be renewed and refreshed, be they sinners or siaints, bring thy seed from the east, by grace are ye saved through faith, by the example your faithful believers set, called thee by name, Chrisitanity, Chrisitans, conserve our energy for actual work, created him for my glory, created in christ Jesus unto good works, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, disgruntled employees, don't seem interested, end of sermon, every one that is called by my name, face commuting twice a day, face the consequences, faith, fear not, five days a week, for God so loved the world, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, Gentiles also offered salvation through the coming of Jesus, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, give our leaders the wise guidance, glad to see the weekend, glorify God in your body and spirit, go where you can get a job, God loves all his creation, God wants all to come to salvation, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, Gord loves us with an unending love, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, hebrew teenagers thrown into the fire, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, I am the Lord thy God, I am with thee, I gave Egypt for thy ransom, i have loved thee, I have redeemed thee, I will be with thee, it is the gift of God, Jesus Christ, Jesus died on the cross for us, keepin the plebs in their place, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, lest any man should boast, LOVE, make a productive impact on our world, mercy, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee, never ending traffic jams, new found miracle-worker, not a hair of their head was singed, not of works, not of yourselves, O Israel fear not, our indebtedness to God, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, parted the Jordan, people for thy life, precious in my sight, refused to bow down to an idol, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, serious problems are escalating, serves their shortsighted purposes, Shadrach Meshach Abednego, stand strong and steadfast, take the pressure off from commuting, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the form of the fourth, the fourth is like the son of God, the greatest news, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord parted the Red Sea, the powers that be, the protection of our great God, the weekend is here at last, there must be a better way, therefore will I give men for thee, they did not even smell of smoke, they saw four walking loose unhurt in the fire, they shall not overflow thee, thou art mine, thou hast been honoured, thou shalt not be burned, through the rivers, thus saith the Lord that created thee, thy Saviour, to come up with a solution, trusting faith, truth, uplifting Old Testament Scripture, we are his workmanship, when thou passest through the waters, when thou walkest through the fire, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, wise guidance, witness for Christ is insuffcient, ye are bought with a price, ye are not your own
Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 September 2026 Isaiah 43:1b.
Isaiah 43:1b. O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by name; thou art mine.
So we’ve finally arrived at Friday, and today’s Mantra was floated up to heaven loud and clear on this warm, sunshiny day: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ And people must be glad to see the weekend, when they have to face commuting twice a day, five days a week, in never-ending traffic jams on some of the worst roads around. Thankfully, I don’t believe it was this bad in my day, and the roads were better kept, although I complained some in my time too. (smile) But unfortunately, if you want to make a living and thus support yourself and your family, you have to go where you can get a job, and face the consequences of getting to and from there.
As I keep saying, there must be a better way to take the enormous pressure of from the disgusting spectacle that commuting has become, so we can conserve our energy for the actual work we’re supposed to do. But the powers that be don’t seem interested in doing so, because it serves their shortsighted purposes, while keeping the plebs in their place. Apparently they don’t care that it also causes inferior work because of tired and disgruntled employees. I guess we will have to turn to our new-found miracle worker, Artificial Intelligence (AI) to come up with a solution to this world wide problem. (smile) End of Sermon!
And to help us handle these tiresome problems, let’s look at some encouraging and uplifting Old Testament scripture, beginning with these marvellous words from the prophet Isaiah, per Israel’s redemption. ‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee.
For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place). Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable (honoured), and I have LOVED thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give (them) up; and to the south, Keep not back (keep them not): bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.’ (Is. 43:1-7)
Now everything the Lord says in that scripture is true my fellow believers. He made us, created us for his glory, and LOVES us with an unending LOVE, and He showed it all to Israel in the early days. The Lord parted the Red Sea so the Israelites could get away from the Egyptians and cross on dry land. (Ex. 14:21-31). Then He did the same when they tried to cross the Jordan River during the flood season. (Josh. 3) Then when the three Hebrew teenagers, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were cast into the fire, in Babylon because they refused to bow down to an idol, what did the Lord do eh?
They threw three men in, but then they saw four walking loose unhurt in the fire, and ‘the form of the fourth is like the Son of God (a son of the gods).’ (Dan. 3:25) And most likely it was the Son of God, Jesus Christ in one of His several appearances in the Old Testament, called a Theophany – a visible appearance of a divine being. And furthermore when the teenagers came out of the oven, the fire had not had any power over them, not a hair of their head was singed, nor their coats affected, and they didn’t even smell of smoke. (Dan. 3:27)
Wow! Such was the protection of our great God! But the greatest news though friends is that the Lord didn’t do it only for the Israelites, but for everybody, by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross of Calvary for us. Why? It’s as Jesus said: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’(John 3:16) Just like the Jews were offered salvation in the early days, we Gentiles were also offered it with the coming of Jesus.
And the Lord is calling all those who are called by His name and thus belong to Him, to come unto Him and be saved. As Bruh Paul says: ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared) that we should walk in.’ (Eph. 2:8-10)
And one last New Testament Scripture friends to show our indebtedness to God. Bruh Paul declares 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 God’s.’ (1 Cor. 6:19-20) So let’s concentrate on doing just that nuh. And to help us do so, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And it’s not only the sinful world that needs to wake up and smell the coffee, but also we Christians, for our current witness for Christ is most definitely insufficient. We need to do better, if we’re to make a productive impact on our world! So let’s get with it nuh! Much LOVE!
…God LOVES all His creation…be they sinners or saints…and wants all to come to salvation…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a daunting battle, a modicum of circumspection, a right to fight to protect what is yours, a scourge of small cords, a whip of small cords, an house of prayer for all people, atmosphere like a public bazaar, be repudiated on our watch, become a den of robbers in your eyes, believers must also wake up and smell the coffee, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord, burn incense unto Baal, burnt offerings and sacrifices, by the good example we your faithful believers set, christianity, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, employers stranglehold on workers, end of summer vacation, faith, fighting for our rights, fraught with bloodshed and suffering, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, generous help, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, greedy clutches, gross perversion of the temple, hard fought for rights, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna to the son of David, inconsiderate, influence, it is written, Jesus Christ, Jesus drove out all that bought and sold in the temple, Jesus drove them out of the temple, Jesus healed the blind and lame ce, Jesus turned water into wine, Jesus went up to Jerusalem, Jesus' disdain for the corruption of organized religion, Jesus' first miracle, labour day weekend, lack of the purity of life and power of God, leverage, LOVE, made it into a den of thieves, make not my Father's house an house of merchandise, make them joyful in my house of prayer, mercy, my house shall be called the house of prayer, omnipotent help, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, our witness for Christ is not good enough, overthrew the tables, overthrew the tables of the money changers, passover was at hand, poured out the changer's money, problems are escalating, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, selling animals in the temple, smell it sweet and strong, stand before me in this house which is called by name, stand strong and steadfast, take these things hence, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the temple of God, the weekend is here at last, throne of grace, trusting faith, truth, uncompassionate, unexpected storms, we are delivered to do all these abominations, wisdom, wise guidance
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 September 2026 Matthew 21:13.
Matthew 21:13. It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
And then it was Friday, and our Friday Mantra rose up to high heaven with a glorious shout: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ And though the day is not as beautiful as yesterday, with only a sprinkling of sunshine and some cloud cover, no one really cares because this is the start of the long, Labour Day weekend. Unfortunately it means the end of the summer vacation for the school children and some adults, but the cottage country will be busy with end of summer festivities this weekend, while the Canadian National Exhibition, the CNE, our grand summer fair, down at the shores of Lake Ontario, (not Lake America) (smile) will be doing a brisk business before it closes on Monday for another year.
And all around the world, there will be marches and parties to celebrate the lessening of the employers’ stranglehold on workers down through the last few generations. Oh, it’s been a daunting battle, fraught with much bloodshed and suffering, and the employers’ would be only too glad to get us back under their greedy, inconsiderate, uncompassionate clutches, and they are constantly trying to do so, willing to grab whatever bit of influence and leverage they can. But please, let’s not relax and allow our hard earned, hard fought for rights to be repudiated on our watch. End of the Sermon! (smile)
And I guess the Lord desires to reinforce our fighting for our rights with the scriptures because the Good Book just opened to that interesting situation where Jesus was fighting for His and His Father’s rights. That’s on Palm Sunday, the day of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the multitudes hailed Him with cries of ‘Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.’ (Matt. 21:9)
Soon thereafter, the Bible tells us: ‘And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast (drove) out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew (overturned) the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves. And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.’ (Matt. 21:12-14) Now that’s fighting for you and your Father’s rights!
Yes friends, as the scholars explain, in reality, the atmosphere around the temple amounted to a public bazaar. And apparently this was not the first or only time Jesus cleansed the temple of the wrongdoers. But only John tells us this story. According to John, after Jesus performed His first miracle, turning water into wine at the marriage festival in Cana, ‘He went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
And the Jews Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen, and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge (whip) of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew (overturned) the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.’ (John 2:12-16)
Yuh see friends, Jesus was not afraid to fight for what was rightfully His, and so should we. And the scholars explain that Jesus’ display of anger indicated ‘His disdain for the corruption of organized religion which lacked purity of life and the power of God. In light of the seriousness of what He had come to do, Jesus could not tolerate such gross perversion of the temple, meaning the whole temple area on Mount Moriah including all the precincts and courts.’ And we could expect no less from Him.
And I like how Jesus just LOVES to quote scripture to bolster His actions. In the Palm Sunday instance, where He claims, ‘It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.’ He’s most likely quoting from Isaiah and Jeremiah. Isaiah, in talking about God’s salvation and righteousness, says of the Lord: ‘Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.’ (Is. 56:7)
Then as per Jeremiah, where the Lord is telling the people to amend their ways. ‘Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it saith the Lord.’ (Jer. 7:9-11)
Unfortunately today also, many churches are run like business places more than houses of prayer and worship. But be that as it may, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help us handle all the stuff that’s coming against us. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land.
So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now two words of warning: remember to have a modicum of circumspection in your partying this weekend, and we believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, because our witness for Christ is certainly not good enough! Much LOVE!
…you have a right to fight…to protect what is yours…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name written that no man knew except himself, a seven day work week, a twoedged sword in their hand, addicted to the weekend, be renewed and refreshed, beautify the meek with salvation, become too self-righteous, believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, by the good example we your faithful believers set, christianity, clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine help, efforts for Christ are inadequate, faith, faithful and true, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, glorification of the righteous, God is indeed worthy of our praise, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, help us to be responsible, his eyes were as a flame of fire, his name is called the word of God, his praise in the congregation of saints, holy spirit, in righteousness he doth judge and make war, Jesus Christ, judgement of the wicked, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, let Israel rejoice in him that made him, let Israel rejoice in his maker, let the children of Zion be joyful in their king, let the high praises of God be in their mouth, let the saints be joyful in glory, LOVE, mercy, numbered amongst the righteous, on his head were many crowns, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, praise his name in the dance, praise is related to the kingdom of God, Praise ye the Lord, punishments upon the people, Rejoice in the King, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, righteousness will triumph over wickedness, rule the nations with a rod of iron, salvation, serious problems are escalating, shout Hallelujah, sing aloud upon their beds, sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp, sing unto the Lord a new song, sitting on a white horse, stand strong and steadfast, taken in a prophetic sense, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the Lord intends to establish His kingdom on the earth, the Lord taketh pleasure in his people, the righteous judge, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, the wrath of Almighty God, their nobles with fetters of iron, this age of grace, this honour have all the saints, thy kinkdom come, to bind their kings with chains, to execute upon them the judgement written, to execute vengeance upon the heathen, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, wisdom, wise guidance, your livelihood
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 August 2026 Psalm 149:1.
Psalm 149:1. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
And this last Friday in August has opened bright and sunshiny, although the computer is promising rain for later in the day. Let’s hope that they are wrong though. In any case it did not stop our Friday Mantra from joyfully rising to the heavens earlier this morning: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ We’re so addicted to the weekend that I don’t know what we’d do without it. We’d be totally lost. What would have happened to some of us in the time when a seven day work week was the norm?
I can remember doing that with a mere two days off after the seven long night shifts. But you got accustomed to it, and didn’t complain, because it was your livelihood. Now we’re so pampered that just the very thought of working five consecutive days, much less seven, drives many of us crazy. But as one friend would say; that’s progress! And in some respects it is, though the entitlement aspects we’re now becoming accustomed to is not helping anyone, and is in fact a step backward. But who am I to question it eh? (smile) End of Sermon!
Now, let’s do our duty as Psalm 149 – Rejoice in the King – advises us. Please read with me: ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him (their maker): let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek (humble) with salvation.
Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgement written: this honour have all the saints. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah).’ (Ps. 149:1-9)
Yes friends, praise should always be forthcoming from our mouths to our great God Jehovah, both in song and dance, privately and publicly, for He is indeed worthy of our praise, as so many scriptures declare. However, as the scholars explain, this psalm is not a straightforward one. They say: ‘The unique aspect of praise highlighted in this psalm is that praise is related to the kingdom of the Lord. Though the psalm begins with the normal call to praise (vs. 1-3), the cause for the praise (vs. 4-9) is quite unexpected; it is because the Lord intends to establish His kingdom on the earth. This kingdom includes both glorification of the righteous (vs. 4-6) and the judgement of the wicked (vs. 7-9).
This aspect of judgement is apparently to be carried out by the righteous (vs. 6-9). This passage should be taken in a prophetic sense to refer to the time when God will in fact establish His kingdom on the earth with His glorified saints right behind Him (Rev. 19:11-21). Even in this age of grace, believers are instructed to pray “Thy Kingdom come” (Matt. 6:10), a petition that includes not only the glorification of the righteous but the destruction of the wicked.’
Oh my people, the Lord has indeed promised to set up His kingdom on earth with His saints around Him, while He destroys the wicked. And you can read more about that situation in Rev. 19:11-21, when Jesus comes, sitting on a white horse, as the Righteous Judge. He’s ‘called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture (robe) dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite (strike) the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture (robe) and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’ (Rev. 19:11-16)
Yes my brethren, that’s how Jesus is coming back to judge and do battle against the wicked, with the armies of the righteous zealously behind Him. Let’s sincerely hope, pray and do whatever we need to do, to be numbered amongst the last group and not the first. And for divine help to do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And before we get too self-righteous, let’s acknowledge that we believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, because our efforts for Christ are totally inadequate! Much LOVE!
…in the end…righteousness will triumph over wickedness…through the person of Jesus Christ…that’s the Lord’s promise…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a frightening sea storm, a mixture of reverential awe and real fright, a raging tempest, a wake up call, all my heart to him I give, an integral part of church going, an invitation to church, attend church regularly, be not afraid, be of good cheer it is I, be saved today, bid me come unto thee on the water, billows his will obey, carest thou not that we perish, chillingly eerie to witness, church bells are ringing, confidence, cried out for fear, cry out to Jesus for help, enjoy the company of other believers, even the wind and the sea obey him, ever his praises sing, ever to him i'll cling, faith, faithful loving service too, far from the peaceful shore, fellowship, five loaves of bread, focusing on our circumstances, from the waters lifted me, guilty of the same thing, he your saviour wants to be, heard my despairing cry, holy spirit, how is it that ye have no faith, imagines sinking in water to sinking in sin, Immediately, In his blessed presence live, in the fourth watch of the night, into the well being of his grace, it is a spirit, it's all for our benefit, James Rowe, Jesus asleep in the stern of the boat, Jesus Christ, Jesus completely saves, Jesus fed five thousand men, Jesus lifts us up, Jesus rebuked the wind, Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him, Jesus went unto them, Jesus went up into a mountain to pray, lift you by his love, likely to go under, Lord if it be thou, lose all sense of courage and faith, LOVE, love lifted me, love so mighty and so true, master of the sea, mercy, merits my soul's best songs, negative situations, never take your eyes off Jesus, no shame to cry out to Jesus, nothing is impossible to Jesus, now safe am I, o thou of little faith, of a truth, out of the angry waves, peace be still, Peter answered him, Peter walked on the water, receiving God's grace and mercy, refocused his attention, required in the Lord's sanctuary, said unto the sea, salvation, sinking deep in sin, sinking to rise no more, sould in danger, souls in danger look above, straightway Jesus spake unto them, sweet sacrifices of praise, take courage, the BIBLE, the Crown Prince of heaven, the disciples were troubled, the disciples worshipped Jesus, the instantaneous dissipation of a violent storm, the Master of the sea, the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes, the one who created the wind and the sea, the wind ceased and there was a great calm, they feared exceedingly, thou art the Son of God, to him belongs, to praise worship and fellowship, took his eyes off Jesus, trusting faith, truth, twelve baskets of leftovers, two small fishes, very deeply stained within, walking on the sea, what manner of man is this, when nothing else could help, wherefore didst thou doubt, why are ye so fearful, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 August 2026 Matthew 14:31.
Matthew 14:31. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Come on friends, the church bells are ringing, letting us know that it’s Sunday and we’re therefore required in the Lord’s sanctuary to praise, worship, fellowship, encourage and enjoy the company of other believers, while receiving God’s grace and mercy to enable us to go out into the new week of work with confidence and trusting faith. And this past week when I was in Toronto, I heard church bells ringing, and was I ever surprised and delighted because I hadn’t heard church bells ringing in a long while.
I remember church bells being such an integral part of church going. They would ring every Sunday morning, inviting you to come to church. Oftentimes too it was a wakeup call, after a late night out on Saturday. But for whatever reason, the practice was abandoned. I don’t even remember when that happened, possibly during a period when I stopped going to church. (smile) But with or without bells ringing an invitation or a wakeup call, we’re still required to attend church regularly and on this Sunday morning we’re going to open the celebrations with a wonderful hymn we all know, simply titled, ‘LOVE LIFTED ME.’
It was written in 1912 by Irish immigrant to the U.S James Rowe (1865-1933). He was a railroad worker for ten years in New York before becoming an inspector for the Hudson River Humane Society. The lyrics draw from the gospel stories of Jesus and His disciples at sea. Rowe imagines sinking in water to sinking in sin and that Jesus can lift us out of despair to salvation. And is that ever a wonderful notion to consider! So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt, mid-tempo version that truly reflects our sentiments.
Singing: ‘I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more; But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me, now safe am I. (Refrain: LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me. LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me.) All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling, In his blessed presence live, ever his praises sing. LOVE so mighty and so true merits my soul’s best songs; Faithful LOVING service, too, to Him belongs.
[Refrain] Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves; He will lift you by His LOVE out of the angry waves; He’s the master of the sea, billows His will obey; He your Savior wants to be, be saved today. [Refrain: LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me. LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me…. Yes, When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me….’ Oh, that was beautiful my brethren! And as so often happens, we had heaven singing along with us, because it’s such a sweet, truthful hymn about their Crown Prince! (smile)
Now, although most of us know the stories behind the song, it’s always helpful to review them for whatever information and inspiration they might provide. The first incident occurred after Jesus fed the five thousand men, beside women and children with five loaves of bread and two small fishes, and they collected twelve baskets of leftovers afterwards. Then right after the feeding, Jesus compelled the disciples to get into a boat and sail to the other side, while He sent the crowd away, then went up into a mountain by Himself to pray, where evening found Him up there alone. (Matt. 14:14-23)
However, the boat with the disciples was then in the middle of the sea in a frightening storm. The Bible recounts: ‘And in the fourth watch of the night (between 3 and 6 a.m.) Jesus went unto them walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit (ghost); and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer (take courage); it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come.
And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous (violent), he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ (Matt. 14:25-31)
Ah mih people, that’s the same question Jesus asks many of us today, when we allow fear to overcome our Christ-inspired faith and courage. Now Peter had the parts to at least come down and begin walking on the water, but in the midst of it, He unwisely refocused His attention from Jesus to the violent wind blowing around Him. But we are also guilty of the same thing; taking our eyes off of Jesus and focusing them on our circumstances, when we quickly lose all sense of courage and faith. It’s therefore essential to never take our eyes off Jesus when confronted with any disadvantageous situations, because then we’re likely to go under.
But, as with Peter, it’s necessary to cry out to Jesus for help in negative situations, so that His LOVE can lift us up. And when it was all over, the disciples worshipped Jesus saying, ‘Of a truth thou art the Son of God.’ (Matt. 14:33) And though it seems sort of late for them to be doing that, I’m sure Jesus understood their fragility, just like He understands ours today.
And the second story is another incident where Jesus and the disciples are crossing the sea and a raging tempest blows up, with the waves washing over the sides of the boat filling it with water. Meanwhile Jesus is asleep on a pillow in the stern of the boat, and the disciples wake him, saying, ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he (Jesus) said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, what manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:38-41)
That man was only the One who created the wind and the sea, so they obviously obeyed Him. And I like how the scholars put it about the disciples’ fear, saying that ‘it must have been a mixture of reverential awe and real fright – it would be chillingly eerie to witness the instantaneous dissipation of a violent storm.’ And so it would be, but we still need to remember that it’s Jesus we’re dealing with, to whom nothing is impossible. And as one commentary puts it: ‘Rowe’s hymn masterfully incorporates both stories, using sinking or being swamped into the sea as an illustration for “sinking deep in sin…sinking to rise no more.” Jesus, “Master of the sea,” hears our pleas for help, reaches out to us in LOVE, and lifts us up into the well-being of grace.’
And that is exactly what He does! But we must have the faith and the courage to call out to Him for help, when we find ourselves in negative situations. Remember, it’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…it’s no shame…to cry out to Jesus for help…any time at all…under whatever circumstances…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: a common denominator, a fine summer's day, a real late bus, appear beautiful outward, at the least convenient time, being honest, beleivers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Christ demands integrity from His followers, christianity, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, derogatory remarks, diligence, divine help, do our best to make our actions match our words, doing the right thing, doing the right thing even when no one's watching, don't get too self-righteous, enjoying the weekend, faith, for Christ's sake, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, full of dead men's bones, full of hypocrisy and iniquity, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool, he that is perverse in his ways, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, hypocrites, iin soul body and mind, incorruptible, integrity, Jesus Christ, Jesus was a perfect example of integrity, like unto whited sepulchres, LOVE, mercy, never too late to share God's word, no internet connection, of all uncleanness, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, people who don't do what they say, perverse in his ways though he is rich, renewed and refreshed, salvation, serious problems are escalating, sincerity, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, strong mral prinicples, technology can nake and break you, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the gospel truth, the weekend is here at last, to handle unexpected storms properly, trusting faith, truth, ungodly times, wisdom, wise guidance, woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, ye outwardly appear righteous unto men
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 August 2026 Proverbs 19:1.
Proverbs 19:1. ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’
Ah friends, we’re on a real late bus today. At one stage I wondered if it would even come. But it did come eventually, and it’s not too late to write a short sweet Friday Bit, because I hate missing any days, unless I’m too sick to do so. (smile) And this lateness stems from the fact that I have had no internet connection for the last 24 hours. Technology, technology, technology! It can make you, but it can also break you, and at a time when it’s least convenient.
I won’t even bother to explain what I’ve been going through for the last two days with my internet service provider. Trying to fix one problem caused a whole black out of internet and TV service, and it was only late this afternoon that a technician came and fixed it. The problem though is that all of them have problems, and getting them fixed in a timely and unstressed manner seems to be a common denominator, so moving from to another doesn’t make much sense, for you’ll be only faced with a different kind of problem and go through the same stress to have it fixed. End of my complaining! (smile)
Oh, by now, everybody will have already shouted up their Friday mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ gone to work on a fine summer’s day and be enjoying the weekend activities, after a long and tiring five days of consecutive work. But it’s never too late to share the Word of God. So let’s delve in and come up with a short, sweet Friday Bit! (smile)
And here is the perfect scripture to titillate us today. It comes from the Proverbs of Cousin Sol, and warns: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’ (Prov. 19:1) And isn’t that the gospel truth my faithful brethren, for if it’s one thing Christ desires from His followers is integrity. And what’s integrity eh?
Basically, it’s like this overview describes. ‘Integrity means being honest. It means having strong moral principles. A person with integrity does the right thing. They do this even when no one is watching. The word also means being whole, complete, or undivided, as well as incorruptible. Small examples are like returning extra change given to you by a cashier by mistake, or keeping a promise even when it is hard to do.’
And our Lord and Saviour Jesus was the perfect example of integrity! Now, following Him is not always easy for us, but we must always do the best we can, especially in respect of things like integrity, sincerity and diligence. That’s because those around us might not hear what we say about the gospel, but they will certainly see it from our lifestyle. And remember examples speak for forcibly than words. So although others may not remember what you say, they’ll certainly remember what you do, how you behave in certain situations.
Now that’s one of the big problems in Christ’s church today. Too many of us supposed Christians say one thing and then do something entirely different, something that does not jive with our words. It’s why Jesus made these derogatory remarks about the Jewish leaders of His day. ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres (whitewashed tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt. 23:27-28)
And that my friends is one of the reasons why the unbeliever doesn’t pay much attention to supposed Christians; because many of us are simply a bunch of hypocrites! And why would you knowingly want to mix with a bunch of people who don’t do what they say, keep promises, or show true integrity eh? And integrity was so important that Cousin Sol wrote about it twice: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse in his ways, though he is rich.’ (Prov. 28:6) That just goes to show that neither wealth, power or any other earthly trapping ought to make us lose or lack integrity!
So, to get divine help in that most important aspect of our Christian lives, lets’ go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And remember, let’s not get too self-righteous, because we too need to wake up and smell the coffee, so that we can do a better job for Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
for Christ’s sake…let’s do our best…to make our actions match our words…and vice versa…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a splendiferous weekend, addicition, alcoholism has both physical and psychological effects, allow things to get out of hand, an uncontrollable urge, arouses brawling, at the last, be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, be filled with the Spirit, be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, behold strange things, booze, brown girl in the bottle, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Caribana weekend, Christians, Civic holiday, criminal activity, death-provoking waters, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, delusion, divine aid, enslavement, excess libation, exercise a modicum of circumspection, faith, fallen into similar traps, family upheaval, firewater, Friday chant, further your glorious kingdom, get moving for Christ, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, glorious weather, goes down smoothyly, he that lieth on the top of a mast, help the rest of us to be responsible, help those who are floundering, holy spirit, I felt it not, I was not sick, I will seek it yet again, in these trying times, intoxication doesn't count as wise living, it biteth like a serpent, Jesus Christ, look not thou upon the wine when it is red, Lord we desperately need your help, lose our sense of equilibrium, LOVE, mercy, moderate drinking, omnipotent help, our minds playing tricks on us, our sinful world, problems are escalating, Prohibition in the U.S, recreational drugs, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, seek another drink, self-control, self-discipline, sky high addictions, stand strong and steadfast, stingeth like an adder, strong drink is raging, stumbling, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the intoxicating liquid, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, they have beaten me, they have stricken me, they that go to seek mixed wine, they that tarry long at the wine, thine eyes behold strange women, thine heart shall utter perverse things, to fix our problems, trusting faith, truth, unconscious wounds, unexpected storms, wake up and and smell the coffee, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright, when it sparkles in the cup, when shall I awake, who hath babbling, who hath contentions, who hath redness of eyes, who hath sorrow, who hath woe, who hath wounds without cause, whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise, wine is a mocker, wisdom, wise guidance, witness for Christ, your generous help
Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 July 2026 Ephesians 5:18.
Ephesians 5:18. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation), but be filled with the Spirit;
And the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ were even more boisterous than normal because this last day of July begins the Civic Holiday long weekend with Caribana and all the other festivities taking place, in Toronto and neighbouring cities. And with the glorious weather we’ve been having over this past week, hopes are at the maximum for a splendiferous weekend!
But as always, please, let’s remember that modicum of circumspection in all our activities, because you know the dire consequences that can occur when we lose that sense of equilibrium and allow things to get out of hand. So let’s enjoy the weekend, but as Bruh Paul warned the Ephesians, ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation), but be filled with the Spirit;’ (Eph. 5:18) (smile)
And as I was chuckling at that last sentence, I was led to some more scripture that advise against excess libation. And who do you think is at the top of the list on the subject? None other than Cousin Sol, the wisest and richest man ever, who had many opportunities to test his theories. In chapter 20 of Proverbs, he solemnly declares: ‘Wine is a mocker, strong (intoxicating) drink is raging (arouses brawling): and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.’ (Prov. 20:1) Yes friends, wine is indeed a mocker because it deceives those who imbibe it, and that doesn’t count as wise living.
But the passage I like on the subject is this from Proverbs 23, where Cousin Sol really gets into it. He says: ‘Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry (linger) long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour (sparkles) in the cup, when it moveth itself aright (goes down smoothly). At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder (viper).Thine eyes behold strange women (strange things), and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick (hurt); they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it (another drink) yet again.’ (Prov. 23:29-35) And does Cousin Sol ever know what he’s talking about, for any of us who has imbibed too much have fallen into similar traps, with our minds playing tricks on us, because that’s how alcohol affects the human body.
And the scholars offer these explanations of the passage. ‘Six rhetorical questions drive home the fact that alcoholism has both physical and psychological effects (vs.29) These effects are further specified: physical and psychological poisoning (vs.32); delusion (vs.33, strange women should be translated “strange things”); stumbling (vs.34); unconscious wounds (vs.35a)); and enslavement (35b).’ That last one we would now couch in nicer terms, calling it ‘addiction’ rather than ‘enslavement’, but the effects are all the same, a very strong, uncontrollable urge to imbibe the dangerous liquid.
And the sad part is that alcohol has become one of the biggest businesses in our society today, with the resultant addictions running sky high. Unfortunately too, it’s the source of much family and relational upheaval, as well as criminal activity, both in an attempt to get the alcohol or to get funds to purchase it. It’s one of the worse products that our society produces and embraces, but it also brings great wealth and fortune to those who produce and sell it. And nothing’s wrong with a drink of alcohol now and then, but the problem is that many of us don’t have the self-control or self-discipline to moderate ourselves when imbibing it, so we go on imbibing until it’s too late.
And what’s the first question we’re asked when we visit somebody: ‘Yuh want a drink?’ Ah mih people, firewater, the brown girl in the bottle, booze, and the many other names by which we call it, is the devil’s own concoction, for I’ve seen family and friends reduced to absolutely nothing by being addicted to the drink. And there’s nothing sadder than seeing a well-educated, once prosperous person, wandering the streets in an alcoholic daze begging for money to buy the stuff.
But the people who prosper from it don’t really care. In fact many of them are alcoholics themselves, only thing is they don’t have to go around begging for money to buy it, and they can hide behind their wealth and power and ease of getting the intoxicating liquid. And there’s no sense in prohibiting it’s production and sale either, for look at what happened during the period called Prohibition in the U.S in the early part of the last century. Alcohol flourished underground more than ever, and criminal activity increased severely over it’s sale and acquisition.
The problem is that whatever mankind truly desires, it will get one way or the other. Just look at all the prohibiting laws on the other kinds of recreational drugs, yet they still are out there in vast quantities, making money for some, as well as causing criminal activities over them. Who knows the answer my fellow believers? I certainly don’t. But we must make sure we help those who might be floundering in those kinds of murky and death-provoking waters. And to help us help them, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these troubled times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And having said all of that, we believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, because our witness for Christ in these trying times is certainly not good enough. So let’s wake up and get moving for Christ! Much LOVE!
…if you can’t control your imbibing…then don’t imbibe…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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