If you have followed my blog posts, this one “Godspattern” or “moreaboutHisWord”, then you will know and understand that I am a firm believer in prayer. In fact , I think that somewhere in the distant past I did submit one or more posts concerning importunate prayer, or persistent praying. Memory has a way of distorting things sometimes. Of course I could look it up in the archives. To illustrate my blog point, my topic for today, I would like to tell you of a couple of situations that are very close to my heart. The first one took place several months ago now. Our organization felt led approximately five years ago, to take on a couple with two teenage children as missionaries to Mindanao in the Philippines. A few months ago, perhaps it was six months , Gwen was stricken with a terrible fever and also her daughter Erica. As I understand it the fever was very similar to dengue fever, in fact it may well have been that horrid disease. None the less it would and did require a miracle. I Had heard about Gwen’s condition through an e-mail, probably her husband Dale sent it, not sure now. However we were aware of the need and one evening a few nights later I felt a sudden impression to call her and pray for her, which we did agreeing together as the Bible instructs us to. After we exchanged pleasantry’s and hung up the phone. within the half hour she called to say the fever has gone and I feel much better as well as her daughter, Erica. God healed them both in a moment of time! To God be all the glory! NOTE TO Gwen You may verify this if you will…
We didn’t pray long nor did we lay hands on the sick, we did not offer much prayers, although others may have, we did not pray importunate prayers, it was just obeying God’s Word…the prayer of faith shall save the sick. Sometimes we labour in prayer, the Bible commends it, but sometimes we do not but if our prayer is the prayer of faith, God will heal, all it takes is one prayer of faith.
The second instance that I alluded to in my opening remarks happens to be a good friend as well and he happens to be a pastor in Montreal, he has been diagnosed with a terminal disease. The other night we agreed in prayer for his healing. There are many people doing much praying for him and whether by many or few, the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up and out of his sickness . Unto Him we give praise and thanksgiving today..(Scripture reference is in James chapter five)
About Me
Monday, December 20, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
The preaching of the cross
In my previous blog i poured my heart out to anyone and every one who took the time to read it. I remenber a time in my life when people were interested, greatly interested in the things of God, in fact to the extent of putting these things first and foremost in their particular set of priorities. My good friend Dr. O.G. KUTTY, missionary to India has sent me this exhortation and graciously allowed me to print it. Thank you Dr. Kutty. Here is what he e-mailed me with today.
Dearly Beloved Brother Randall and Sister Judy,Loving Greetings!Thank you so much for your kind words about our preaching ministry at the Atlantic Mission Convention in St. Stephen. It was a double blessing for Kamala and I having both of you at our home here in Rhode Island on October 26, 2010. Thank you for visiting with us and for encouraging us in the Lord's work. You are genuinely desiring to see a fresh visitation of God in Canada. I could feel the throbbing of your heart in your recent blog.Through the years, I am convinced of one thing - that is, authoritative preaching is Biblical preaching. Our authority does not come by our gifting, talents, degrees, titles, or even by our calling. But our authority comes only through the WORD preached. That is why Paul urged Timothy "Preach the Word...." (2 Timothy 4:2). When we abandon God's word in our preaching (substituting with monkey tricks and dummy shows), we are abandoning the very authority in our preaching. God's Word Creates (Genesis 1;3), Controls (Psalms 147:15-18), Convicts (Jeremiah 23:28-29), and Performs His Purpose (Isaiah 55:10-11).In my forty years of preaching, I am thoroughly convinced that the greatest need of the hour in our Pentecostal Churches is the Biblical (expository) preaching under the unction of the Holy Spirit. That will recover our sick, weak, and anemic conditions and resurrect our churches with the end time revival, ushering millions into the Kingdom of God.
Dearly Beloved Brother Randall and Sister Judy,Loving Greetings!Thank you so much for your kind words about our preaching ministry at the Atlantic Mission Convention in St. Stephen. It was a double blessing for Kamala and I having both of you at our home here in Rhode Island on October 26, 2010. Thank you for visiting with us and for encouraging us in the Lord's work. You are genuinely desiring to see a fresh visitation of God in Canada. I could feel the throbbing of your heart in your recent blog.Through the years, I am convinced of one thing - that is, authoritative preaching is Biblical preaching. Our authority does not come by our gifting, talents, degrees, titles, or even by our calling. But our authority comes only through the WORD preached. That is why Paul urged Timothy "Preach the Word...." (2 Timothy 4:2). When we abandon God's word in our preaching (substituting with monkey tricks and dummy shows), we are abandoning the very authority in our preaching. God's Word Creates (Genesis 1;3), Controls (Psalms 147:15-18), Convicts (Jeremiah 23:28-29), and Performs His Purpose (Isaiah 55:10-11).In my forty years of preaching, I am thoroughly convinced that the greatest need of the hour in our Pentecostal Churches is the Biblical (expository) preaching under the unction of the Holy Spirit. That will recover our sick, weak, and anemic conditions and resurrect our churches with the end time revival, ushering millions into the Kingdom of God.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
That which threatens us most of all
Just a few days short of a month ago the missions organization that I chair held a convention in the town of St.Stephen. It had been 10 years since our last one and God said it was time to reinstae this time of renewal. These conventions are a time to get together and worship God in a manner that focuses on world missions. And for three days and five services that is exactly what we did. The highlite of these sevices is of course the preaching of God's Word, the Bible. And what preaching we heard delivered to us by Dr. O. George Kutty the keynote speaker and his wife Kamala who delivered a wonderful message from the Word on Saturday morning. Dr. Kutty's mission field is the world with a focus especially to India. Dr. Kutty is a preacher's preacher. When Judy and I visited with them in their home only two days ago in R.I. he was preparing a dissertation for his second doctorate degree in theology. He is second to none and he preached our convention, a powerful exposition on the infilling of the Spirit of God the first night, given to us to be His witnesses and finalizing with a message called "Hallelujah! the key to revival and spiritual breakthrough" and what a message it was. It was a wonderful weekend and everyone that I talked with agreed that this was a wonderful convention. But so many people did not take advantage of this refreshing time of fellowship. We sent out many invitations to various churches and pastors, many of them said yes they would be there. However for various reasons of which I am not aware they did not make it. And for their sake I feel sorry. As I said I am sure that they all had their reasons, and I respect that. I remember a time when world communism for instance threatened our security similar to terrorism does today, false teaching was also a threat and still is. We had a pastor who warned us that there could come a time when the authorities might come and put a lock on the church house door and we would not be able to worship in freedom any longer and it stirred us and motivated us to fall on our knees before God and pray. However, I believe that the thing that is the greatest threat to our churches, that which threatens us most of all, that threatens to shut us down is not any outside force, but rather it comes from within and it is this lack of passion for the things of God and it is called "apathy". The Bible clearly speaks of a great falling away just before the coming of Christ back to this earth, in fact Jesus Himself asked the question, " nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith in the earth?" Do we have to settle for this question that Jesus asks? Throughout the Bible we see that God postponed judgement when His people repented. There is a great promise found in the book of 2nd. Chronicles 7:14, "If My people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." The next verse goes on, " Now My eyes shall be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place." The word "apathy" means an absence of passion, emotion or excitement. It is a lack of interest in things that others found moving or exciting. Do not misinterpret what I am saying here, I don't know nor am I professing to know why many did not come to the missions convention, they could all have a good reason. I do know that there were many who wanted to be there but it was not possible to come. I think of some ladies from Montreal who wanted to come but could not make it. There were others whose health prevented them from being there. I am not accusing anyone of complacency but I am convinced that it is our greatest threat to our churches existence today and all you have to do is look around the next time you are in church. God is calling us to prayer. There is an old song that says, "do not despair for the Lord still answers prayer, for those who endure the vict'ry is sure, keep praising the Lord."I believe it!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Satisfaction gauranteed
Satisfaction guaranteed
An old Gospel song says,” Only Jesus can satisfy your soul1
Only He can change your life and make you whole.”
As a person who accepted Jesus as my Savior at the tender age of eleven(going on twelve ) and now I am a senior of seventy, I can say without hesitation on my part that I have proven the words of that old song to be true. Jesus satisfies the deepest longing of my soul. A neighbor of my family used to stand in the testimony time in our little country church and he would say, “I find joy and peace and happiness in serving Him.” I agree with what Will said way back then, I too have found that joy there is in living the Christian life. Living a life that is centered in Jesus. Does that mean that I have achieved perfection as one commentator sarcastically suggested? Not by a long shot for I find many failures in my life I fail and stumble and fall just like everyone else does, the difference being I have found the Advocate with the Father, the Man Christ Jesus and He tonight ever lives to make intercession for us that whatever we bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, material things may have a certain satisfying feeling but they do not bring that true satisfying peace that Jesus gives.
The great Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ whose name was
Paul said “if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” You might be tempted to say “that doesn’t sound like satisfaction”….but then in the next verse Paul says “But now is Christ risen from the dead”. Then he says “For since by man came death, by man also the resurrection from the dead.”(1 Cor. 15:19-21) The next verse “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” In so many words he was saying that, because of Adam’s sin the whole human race was condemned to die, but because Jesus died and rose again we also shall llive if we place our lives IN His hands. That is the best guarantee of satisfaction I know.
An old Gospel song says,” Only Jesus can satisfy your soul1
Only He can change your life and make you whole.”
As a person who accepted Jesus as my Savior at the tender age of eleven(going on twelve ) and now I am a senior of seventy, I can say without hesitation on my part that I have proven the words of that old song to be true. Jesus satisfies the deepest longing of my soul. A neighbor of my family used to stand in the testimony time in our little country church and he would say, “I find joy and peace and happiness in serving Him.” I agree with what Will said way back then, I too have found that joy there is in living the Christian life. Living a life that is centered in Jesus. Does that mean that I have achieved perfection as one commentator sarcastically suggested? Not by a long shot for I find many failures in my life I fail and stumble and fall just like everyone else does, the difference being I have found the Advocate with the Father, the Man Christ Jesus and He tonight ever lives to make intercession for us that whatever we bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, material things may have a certain satisfying feeling but they do not bring that true satisfying peace that Jesus gives.
The great Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ whose name was
Paul said “if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” You might be tempted to say “that doesn’t sound like satisfaction”….but then in the next verse Paul says “But now is Christ risen from the dead”. Then he says “For since by man came death, by man also the resurrection from the dead.”(1 Cor. 15:19-21) The next verse “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” In so many words he was saying that, because of Adam’s sin the whole human race was condemned to die, but because Jesus died and rose again we also shall llive if we place our lives IN His hands. That is the best guarantee of satisfaction I know.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Good advice
Saturday, September 11, 2010 How well we shall remember this date in history from 2001. Recently we revisited that site in New York City referred to as “Ground Zero.” And the individual who inspired that heinous crime perhaps more than any other person is still at large or at least that is what they tell us or want us to believe. I saw a glimpse of that individual on a news report via television and underneath his picture was a caption of something he was saying and at the end he said, “if God wills.”
He was not talking about the God I serve. My God came to save, not to destroy. The psalmist said in Psalm 1 and verse 1, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly ,NKJV. In the Amplified version it is expanded somewhat in order to enlighten the reader and gives a little more insight….(happy, fortunate, prosperous and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly (following their advice, their plans and purposes)…it is not for a Christian to walk in these paths. A Christian should be careful who he/she spends most of their time with and from whom they take counsel or advice. Jesus said, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Some people never grow up. They are still living out some childhood dream, fancying themselves as someone or something they always admired and
In so doing somehow escape reality. When you do that, you neglect God’s plan for your life. When that becomes one’s lifestyle, then they find themselves as the rest of this first verse says in Psalm 1,”submissive and active in the path where sinners walk” and the last part of that verse, and still quoting the Amplified Bible,…”sitting down to relax and rest where the scornful and the mockers gather.” It brings back the old adage to mind; “birds of a feather, flock together.
All this may have nothing to do with 9/11 but it has everything to do with our walk with God. And the second verse of Psalm 1 gives a snapshot of what the godly individual does to achieve such blessedness,…but his delight is in the law of the LORD , and in His law he meditates day and night.” You cannot do anything better with your time….it is the lifestyle that guarantees success, true success. God told Joshua in His charge to him after the death of Moses , when He commissioned him to be the next leader in Israel, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
What better advice can a person receive than God’s Word?
He was not talking about the God I serve. My God came to save, not to destroy. The psalmist said in Psalm 1 and verse 1, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly ,NKJV. In the Amplified version it is expanded somewhat in order to enlighten the reader and gives a little more insight….(happy, fortunate, prosperous and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly (following their advice, their plans and purposes)…it is not for a Christian to walk in these paths. A Christian should be careful who he/she spends most of their time with and from whom they take counsel or advice. Jesus said, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Some people never grow up. They are still living out some childhood dream, fancying themselves as someone or something they always admired and
In so doing somehow escape reality. When you do that, you neglect God’s plan for your life. When that becomes one’s lifestyle, then they find themselves as the rest of this first verse says in Psalm 1,”submissive and active in the path where sinners walk” and the last part of that verse, and still quoting the Amplified Bible,…”sitting down to relax and rest where the scornful and the mockers gather.” It brings back the old adage to mind; “birds of a feather, flock together.
All this may have nothing to do with 9/11 but it has everything to do with our walk with God. And the second verse of Psalm 1 gives a snapshot of what the godly individual does to achieve such blessedness,…but his delight is in the law of the LORD , and in His law he meditates day and night.” You cannot do anything better with your time….it is the lifestyle that guarantees success, true success. God told Joshua in His charge to him after the death of Moses , when He commissioned him to be the next leader in Israel, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
What better advice can a person receive than God’s Word?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Sweet hour of prayer
It was while I was making a sandwich, one of the Dagwood type, that the old hymn
"Sweet hour of prayer came to mind, prompted by the Holy Ghost and I stopped doing what I was doing and began to meditate on the words of that old hymn. As I meditated on them a Psalm also came to mind, in fact several Psalms came to my mind. Psalm 63:3&4 says "Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee.4/ Thus will I bless Thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in Thy name." Another passage that was so beautiful to me because it was evening comes from the 141st. Psalm, "2/ Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." As I meditated on all of this, the Presence of God began to surround me and made me realize as I surrendered my heart to Him that the sacrifices of God "are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O GOD, YOU WILL NOT DESPISE." That quote from psalm 51:17. As I lifted my hands to worship Him , I was aware that the lifting of my hands was as the evening sacrifice and I wondered if when those priests like Aaron had the same sense of His Presence that I was feeling. My prayer last evening was as incense...tyhat is what the Bible says. It is a sacrifice of praise...an offering of praise.
The prayer thatDavid prayed that day was for God to set a watch over his tongue and to keep the door of his lips. O Lord .....keep us from evil, I pray today.
"Sweet hour of prayer came to mind, prompted by the Holy Ghost and I stopped doing what I was doing and began to meditate on the words of that old hymn. As I meditated on them a Psalm also came to mind, in fact several Psalms came to my mind. Psalm 63:3&4 says "Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee.4/ Thus will I bless Thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in Thy name." Another passage that was so beautiful to me because it was evening comes from the 141st. Psalm, "2/ Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." As I meditated on all of this, the Presence of God began to surround me and made me realize as I surrendered my heart to Him that the sacrifices of God "are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O GOD, YOU WILL NOT DESPISE." That quote from psalm 51:17. As I lifted my hands to worship Him , I was aware that the lifting of my hands was as the evening sacrifice and I wondered if when those priests like Aaron had the same sense of His Presence that I was feeling. My prayer last evening was as incense...tyhat is what the Bible says. It is a sacrifice of praise...an offering of praise.
The prayer thatDavid prayed that day was for God to set a watch over his tongue and to keep the door of his lips. O Lord .....keep us from evil, I pray today.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
When all else fails ...believe anyway
I must admit there have been times in my life when I have had doubts; doubts about whether or not God was really real....especially to me in my life. But then my mind goes back to the times in my life when I have been in an impossible situation and my only hope was in this God of Whom I speak. An impossible situation, no road map to guide me so to speak, and yet I do have a road map and it is called the Word of God For those times when all else fails, there is the written Word of God. Now I don't mean to imply that God has failed in any way...He never fails, but our feelings will fail us, and our logic will fail us and when that happens doubt comes in. Has that happened to you recently? Then get into the written word and stop trying to figure it out. Just like a will that you may have written on paper by a human lawyer and you have been given power of attorney, so is the written Word of God, the Bible.....trust it even though your logic may fail The old hymn writer said "put your trust in Jesus, He will take you through" Don't always trust your feelings and when the Bible doesn't seem to be logical to you.....trust it anyway. He will see you through. Been there and done that. RC
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Peace like a river
"There's a deep settled peace in my soul", these words from an old hymn speak volumes to me as I realize just where this peace comes from. Jesus said in the 14th. chapter of the Gospel of John, " M y peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives." When Jesus comes into a person's life He brings peace, and if we walk in His ways and live the way that He wants us to, then we will always have that peace. It's the peace that surpasses all understanding the apostle Paul said in his letter to the church at Phillippi. Let me show you where he said it and how he said it' " Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God . And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."These words of the great apostle found in Phillipians 4:4-6. What a promise! What a peace that God gives as we cast all our cares on Him 1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you."It is like dwelling in the secret place of the most high God, where there is an abundance of peace. You can have that peace...just cast your care on Him.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The Choice
The Choice…loving the world or loving the Father
One of the most disturbing and sad statements in holy writ is the one that comes from the dictation of the apostle Paul where he writes to Timothy in 2nd. Timothy 4:10 and said, “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world.” What a sad statement for the apostle to have to make.
Sad that he was left alone, you might wonder? No, for he wasn’t alone, for his old friend and personal physician, Dr. Luke was there with him and even greater than that he had Jesus through His Holy Spirit living within. It is sad that Demas, who had tasted of the good things of God and who, according to the letter to Philemon, verse 24 was a fellow laborer in the gospel. He was a help in the spreading of the gospel…that’s all we know about him, yet this verse speaks volumes in it’s implication. What would it be like to be a fellow laborer of Paul? It would not be easy, maybe you may have to experience a shipwreck, or maybe you might get run out of town.
Maybe you would have to spend a night or two in stocks. You would be ridiculed for sure…made fun of. We do not know what Demas personally went through. Perhaps ….not perhaps but for sure, you(if you were Demas) would have known what it meant to see souls set free from sin. You would have undoubtedly have seen miracles and/or heard first hand of how God had delivered Paul and Silas from prison as they prayed and sang praises to God at midnight. You would be there to see and hear the great heart of a man as he wept for the lost and there would have been a great bond of love between you and him.
But the lure of the world…there must have been a chink in the armor of Demas. Could it be that he was not putting on the whole armor of God every day as prescribed by Paul in Ephesians chapter 6? But the lure of the world…there is so much to lure us away. I am so susceptible to this myself, I HAVE TO EXAMINE MY OWN HEART EVEN AS I WRITE THESE WORDS TO YOU. You see Demas wasn’t too high on suffering; the Bible says that if we suffer with Him that we shall also reign with Him.
In Philippians 2:29”But to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him
, but also to suffer for His sake.” And Demas would have known this.
What about those you spend your time with? Are you an influence to them or is it the other way around?
Maybe Demas had some unsaved friends too besides his Christian friends and he saw how well they were doing and he envied them. The Bible says that evil associations corrupt good manners. Or maybe in Demas’ case, he just liked the bright lights. Whatever it was that lured him to forsake the apostle and eventually the Gospel, we need to be aware that if we are not careful, if we don’t read God’s Word on any consistent basis, or if we do not seek His face and if we are not careful in our relationships with others, there is danger. 1John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16/For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. (and this) verse 17, And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of My Father abides forever.” Demas……only three references to him in the Bible and the one I referred to earlier in Philemon vs 24 is the only place that spells out his relationship to Paul. Nowhere in scripture will we find his history as a staunch believer or any other outstanding ministry. However, the very fact that he is recorded to be a fellow laborer with Paul would seem to indicate that he loved God completely.
You can’t tell a book by it’s cover, an old saying but still relevant. we never hear of Demas again, did he like the prodigal son return to Father and home? Did he like John Mark whom Paul had to dismiss from travelling with him mature, and become useful to the ministry again? There is nothing to indicate that he did. Like the church at Ephesus….he left his first love, like Esau he sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. I cannot imagine how God must feel when He sees one of His children forsaking the Gospel for the love of this world. Let us examine our own hearts. Let us determine to live for Jesus each and every day.
One of the most disturbing and sad statements in holy writ is the one that comes from the dictation of the apostle Paul where he writes to Timothy in 2nd. Timothy 4:10 and said, “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world.” What a sad statement for the apostle to have to make.
Sad that he was left alone, you might wonder? No, for he wasn’t alone, for his old friend and personal physician, Dr. Luke was there with him and even greater than that he had Jesus through His Holy Spirit living within. It is sad that Demas, who had tasted of the good things of God and who, according to the letter to Philemon, verse 24 was a fellow laborer in the gospel. He was a help in the spreading of the gospel…that’s all we know about him, yet this verse speaks volumes in it’s implication. What would it be like to be a fellow laborer of Paul? It would not be easy, maybe you may have to experience a shipwreck, or maybe you might get run out of town.
Maybe you would have to spend a night or two in stocks. You would be ridiculed for sure…made fun of. We do not know what Demas personally went through. Perhaps ….not perhaps but for sure, you(if you were Demas) would have known what it meant to see souls set free from sin. You would have undoubtedly have seen miracles and/or heard first hand of how God had delivered Paul and Silas from prison as they prayed and sang praises to God at midnight. You would be there to see and hear the great heart of a man as he wept for the lost and there would have been a great bond of love between you and him.
But the lure of the world…there must have been a chink in the armor of Demas. Could it be that he was not putting on the whole armor of God every day as prescribed by Paul in Ephesians chapter 6? But the lure of the world…there is so much to lure us away. I am so susceptible to this myself, I HAVE TO EXAMINE MY OWN HEART EVEN AS I WRITE THESE WORDS TO YOU. You see Demas wasn’t too high on suffering; the Bible says that if we suffer with Him that we shall also reign with Him.
In Philippians 2:29”But to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him
, but also to suffer for His sake.” And Demas would have known this.
What about those you spend your time with? Are you an influence to them or is it the other way around?
Maybe Demas had some unsaved friends too besides his Christian friends and he saw how well they were doing and he envied them. The Bible says that evil associations corrupt good manners. Or maybe in Demas’ case, he just liked the bright lights. Whatever it was that lured him to forsake the apostle and eventually the Gospel, we need to be aware that if we are not careful, if we don’t read God’s Word on any consistent basis, or if we do not seek His face and if we are not careful in our relationships with others, there is danger. 1John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16/For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. (and this) verse 17, And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of My Father abides forever.” Demas……only three references to him in the Bible and the one I referred to earlier in Philemon vs 24 is the only place that spells out his relationship to Paul. Nowhere in scripture will we find his history as a staunch believer or any other outstanding ministry. However, the very fact that he is recorded to be a fellow laborer with Paul would seem to indicate that he loved God completely.
You can’t tell a book by it’s cover, an old saying but still relevant. we never hear of Demas again, did he like the prodigal son return to Father and home? Did he like John Mark whom Paul had to dismiss from travelling with him mature, and become useful to the ministry again? There is nothing to indicate that he did. Like the church at Ephesus….he left his first love, like Esau he sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. I cannot imagine how God must feel when He sees one of His children forsaking the Gospel for the love of this world. Let us examine our own hearts. Let us determine to live for Jesus each and every day.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Ahiding place
A hiding place
Have you ever felt like running away and find a hiding place somewhere? The cares of life have piled up against you and you have just got too much on your plate….to use the modern vernacular. Well you are not alone and while we like to look back and remember a kinder, gentler time , to borrow a term from the first Pres. George Bush, it wasn’t always easy then either. In fact King David of Israel(now I’m really going back) found himself in such a disastrous condition
That he cried out to God “Oh, that I had wings of a dove
I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off and remain in the wilderness. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.” Psalm 55 verses 6-8. Elijah was another man who ran away to escape the wicked murderous queen Jezebel. This was after he had single-handedly defeated the prophets of Baal on top of Mt. Carmel and had actually called down fire from heaven and proved to Israel that day that Jehovah God was God alone. It’s a fascinating story that you will find in 1st. Kings chapters 17-19 to read the whole thing. When Jezebel heard what Elijah had done she vowed to kill him, so he ran for his life. But in the end it was Jezebel who died and Elijah was raptured to heaven…a fascinating story as I said. Maybe you are facing a battle in your life. Just as God vindicated David and Elijah, He will vindicate you too, if you are dwelling in the secret place of the most High God.In Psalm 27 David again says, “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle. He shall hide me: He shall set me high upon a rock…” And that Rock today is Christ.
Have you ever felt like running away and find a hiding place somewhere? The cares of life have piled up against you and you have just got too much on your plate….to use the modern vernacular. Well you are not alone and while we like to look back and remember a kinder, gentler time , to borrow a term from the first Pres. George Bush, it wasn’t always easy then either. In fact King David of Israel(now I’m really going back) found himself in such a disastrous condition
That he cried out to God “Oh, that I had wings of a dove
I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off and remain in the wilderness. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.” Psalm 55 verses 6-8. Elijah was another man who ran away to escape the wicked murderous queen Jezebel. This was after he had single-handedly defeated the prophets of Baal on top of Mt. Carmel and had actually called down fire from heaven and proved to Israel that day that Jehovah God was God alone. It’s a fascinating story that you will find in 1st. Kings chapters 17-19 to read the whole thing. When Jezebel heard what Elijah had done she vowed to kill him, so he ran for his life. But in the end it was Jezebel who died and Elijah was raptured to heaven…a fascinating story as I said. Maybe you are facing a battle in your life. Just as God vindicated David and Elijah, He will vindicate you too, if you are dwelling in the secret place of the most High God.In Psalm 27 David again says, “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle. He shall hide me: He shall set me high upon a rock…” And that Rock today is Christ.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
The Dwelling place, part two Psalm 91
. The Dwelling place of Psalm 91 In the previous blog I mentioned the benefits; deliverance from the enemies traps, vs. 3 snares and pestilence, divine protection vs. 4, refuge is found under His wings …His truth shall be our shield and buckler…a small shield. The weapons come from God. I received an e-mail that talked about some ladies in a Bible Study group in N.S., a request for prayer for some ladies whose lives were a mess. It said “we are at war” This surely is a warfare and Jesus has provided us with weapons only they are not carnal weapons, they are spiritual”.
You can’t fight the enemy without the truth. We have the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. If you are sitting at His feet and listening to His Words, then you will know how to use the sword, not carnally like Peter did and cut off the guys ear.Verse 5 says, “You shall not be afraid”…not be afraid of what? …..terror by night, arrows in the day time, pestilence that walks in darkness, destruction at noon time…that pretty well covers a 24/7 don’t you think? THIS IS A WAR ZONE! You can have a peace in your heart when in a war zone…if you are dwelling in the secret place of the most high God. Our warfare is a spiritual one and must be fought there. Not with flesh and blood….but on our knees. There will be casualties; a thousand may very well fall at your side. How many who once were on fire for God have fallen , turned back, become discouraged, maybe we were partly to blame because we didn’t visit them when we should have….in the hospital or the nursing home, even in their own place. Have you ever felt the prompting of the Spirit telling you to go and pray for someone who is sick perhaps and you failed to do it? For whatever reason? Maybe to invest some time in a young person's life? I am afraid that I am guilty of this sin….A thousand may fall at your side..not talking about an enemy here….talking about somebody who is on your side.
Ten thousand at your right hand….but you will be alright because you are dwelling in the secret place of the most high God. And because you have made Him your dwelling place, no plague will come near you. Where is thus dwelling place and how do you find it? In the computer age, you would do a search…..well it’s the same with the spiritual, only instead of typing in a question and clicking on search, you get on your knees and you storm heaven. You don’t hear much about storming heaven these days, do you? “Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High YOUR DWELLING PLACE, NO EVIL SHALL BEFALL YOU. What a promise!...and no plague can come near the place of your dwelling. There are some questions that we all no doubt have, questions regarding these promises, maybe even some doubts
How come if I am dwelling in the secret place, I am having all this Trouble?
Perhaps contrary to what we think, that being our works are so important, we need just to turn aside from our works and just sit at Jesus feet like Mary did. Perhaps when we get together and
We may even be in the church setting instead of talking about the church and what we are doing there we should be talking about Jesus and what He has done for us. The church at Ephesus had once been found out to be a church dwelling in the secret place of the most high but by the time that Jesus visited them in Revelation CH 2….THEY HAD LEFT THEIRFIRST LOVE …..THE SECRET PLACE OF ThE MOST HIGH GOD. It means an intimate relationship to dwell in the secret place of the most high God. To abide under the shadow of thy wings. That should be our chief aim, should it not? To be covered like young chicks are under the mother hen’s feathers.
The promises of God are manifold …..to those who dwell and continue to dwell in the secret place of the Most High God!!!
A little while back, I asked the question where is the dwelling place of the Most High God? Some would say in heaven and they would be correct, Others would say within the human heart and that would be correct also. By the way when the Bibie refers to the heart of man, it is not referring to a muscle but it is referring to the innermost part of our being, that part that reasons and thinks and makes decisions, that part that never dies…the soul, you cannot see it but it is a part of you that will never die! And God dwells there, as a matter of fact He dwells everywhere. And He dwells in the Christian, that one who has been born again by the Spirit of GOD.. And there is a secret place within the heart and soul of man where God can and will meet man. He will meet the hungry heart, those who seek Him with their whole being.
Judy and I were in Alaska staying in a lodge near Denali
Park , it was September of last year. We walked into one of the foyers of the main building and some people were gathered around a concert grand piano singing, “in the sweet bye and bye, we shall meet on that beautiful shore.” The VERSE goes thusly…”There’s a land that is fairer than day, and by faith we can see it afar, And the Father waits over the way,To prepare us a dwelling place there.” We were invited to join in with this group of fellow Christian brothers and sisters who just happened to be people of another racial origin, oriental, probably American by citizenship and birth, it matters not but I was reminded of that scripture in the book of Revelation chapter
7 verse 9,”After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, verse 10/ and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”These are the tribulation saints but my point is in that part that tells us that there will be peoples from every nation and every tribe and every language in heaven and that means that we have brothers and sisters in every corner of the globe and while we sang a few words of that old hymn together that day in Alaska, I felt that we were dwelling together in that secret place of the most high God. May these words encourage you today to seek the Lord and find the secret place He has prepared for you…Randall
You can’t fight the enemy without the truth. We have the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. If you are sitting at His feet and listening to His Words, then you will know how to use the sword, not carnally like Peter did and cut off the guys ear.Verse 5 says, “You shall not be afraid”…not be afraid of what? …..terror by night, arrows in the day time, pestilence that walks in darkness, destruction at noon time…that pretty well covers a 24/7 don’t you think? THIS IS A WAR ZONE! You can have a peace in your heart when in a war zone…if you are dwelling in the secret place of the most high God. Our warfare is a spiritual one and must be fought there. Not with flesh and blood….but on our knees. There will be casualties; a thousand may very well fall at your side. How many who once were on fire for God have fallen , turned back, become discouraged, maybe we were partly to blame because we didn’t visit them when we should have….in the hospital or the nursing home, even in their own place. Have you ever felt the prompting of the Spirit telling you to go and pray for someone who is sick perhaps and you failed to do it? For whatever reason? Maybe to invest some time in a young person's life? I am afraid that I am guilty of this sin….A thousand may fall at your side..not talking about an enemy here….talking about somebody who is on your side.
Ten thousand at your right hand….but you will be alright because you are dwelling in the secret place of the most high God. And because you have made Him your dwelling place, no plague will come near you. Where is thus dwelling place and how do you find it? In the computer age, you would do a search…..well it’s the same with the spiritual, only instead of typing in a question and clicking on search, you get on your knees and you storm heaven. You don’t hear much about storming heaven these days, do you? “Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High YOUR DWELLING PLACE, NO EVIL SHALL BEFALL YOU. What a promise!...and no plague can come near the place of your dwelling. There are some questions that we all no doubt have, questions regarding these promises, maybe even some doubts
How come if I am dwelling in the secret place, I am having all this Trouble?
Perhaps contrary to what we think, that being our works are so important, we need just to turn aside from our works and just sit at Jesus feet like Mary did. Perhaps when we get together and
We may even be in the church setting instead of talking about the church and what we are doing there we should be talking about Jesus and what He has done for us. The church at Ephesus had once been found out to be a church dwelling in the secret place of the most high but by the time that Jesus visited them in Revelation CH 2….THEY HAD LEFT THEIRFIRST LOVE …..THE SECRET PLACE OF ThE MOST HIGH GOD. It means an intimate relationship to dwell in the secret place of the most high God. To abide under the shadow of thy wings. That should be our chief aim, should it not? To be covered like young chicks are under the mother hen’s feathers.
The promises of God are manifold …..to those who dwell and continue to dwell in the secret place of the Most High God!!!
A little while back, I asked the question where is the dwelling place of the Most High God? Some would say in heaven and they would be correct, Others would say within the human heart and that would be correct also. By the way when the Bibie refers to the heart of man, it is not referring to a muscle but it is referring to the innermost part of our being, that part that reasons and thinks and makes decisions, that part that never dies…the soul, you cannot see it but it is a part of you that will never die! And God dwells there, as a matter of fact He dwells everywhere. And He dwells in the Christian, that one who has been born again by the Spirit of GOD.. And there is a secret place within the heart and soul of man where God can and will meet man. He will meet the hungry heart, those who seek Him with their whole being.
Judy and I were in Alaska staying in a lodge near Denali
Park , it was September of last year. We walked into one of the foyers of the main building and some people were gathered around a concert grand piano singing, “in the sweet bye and bye, we shall meet on that beautiful shore.” The VERSE goes thusly…”There’s a land that is fairer than day, and by faith we can see it afar, And the Father waits over the way,To prepare us a dwelling place there.” We were invited to join in with this group of fellow Christian brothers and sisters who just happened to be people of another racial origin, oriental, probably American by citizenship and birth, it matters not but I was reminded of that scripture in the book of Revelation chapter
7 verse 9,”After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, verse 10/ and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”These are the tribulation saints but my point is in that part that tells us that there will be peoples from every nation and every tribe and every language in heaven and that means that we have brothers and sisters in every corner of the globe and while we sang a few words of that old hymn together that day in Alaska, I felt that we were dwelling together in that secret place of the most high God. May these words encourage you today to seek the Lord and find the secret place He has prepared for you…Randall
Monday, July 12, 2010
"My only heart cry for this Mission Convention is, 'Lord send us to Canada in the Power of the Holy Spirit.'
I am going to India to fast and pray for Canada."
These words are from a Christian evangelist and missionary to India. He will be coming to New Brunswick Canada in October of this year to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a missions convention, "Mission 2010"
Canada, "our home and native land", our national anthem declares. Canada needs a Divine and Sovereign move of God if we are to survive as a free nation, we have long since lost our status as a Christian nation and this is a call to pray for Canada...if you love our nation then I ask you to join us as
we pray for this missions convention and the focus is on Canada This nation was once a Christian nation and it can and will be again if we give ourselves as Christians should to fasting and prayer. We will be in St.Stephen in October 1,2,3 and so will be our speaker for those three days Dr. O.G.Kutty, a Spirit filled anointed man of God. If you cannot be there, please pray for each service that revival will come to Canada!
I am going to India to fast and pray for Canada."
These words are from a Christian evangelist and missionary to India. He will be coming to New Brunswick Canada in October of this year to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a missions convention, "Mission 2010"
Canada, "our home and native land", our national anthem declares. Canada needs a Divine and Sovereign move of God if we are to survive as a free nation, we have long since lost our status as a Christian nation and this is a call to pray for Canada...if you love our nation then I ask you to join us as
we pray for this missions convention and the focus is on Canada This nation was once a Christian nation and it can and will be again if we give ourselves as Christians should to fasting and prayer. We will be in St.Stephen in October 1,2,3 and so will be our speaker for those three days Dr. O.G.Kutty, a Spirit filled anointed man of God. If you cannot be there, please pray for each service that revival will come to Canada!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
A DWELLING PLACE
A Dwelling place....In God..." He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of th Almighty.I’m quoting Psalm 91 verse 1. The Psalmist goes a little bit farther with his declaration and says “ I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in Him, I will trust.” What About this living on the edge that some folks do? The edge, the cutting edge it’s sometimes called. The cutting edge of technology. That is speaking about so much of what occupies our time nowadays.You can’t keep up with the changes and while that may be good for competition it will keep you poor if you try to stay caught up. Trying to stay caught up with the latest computer equipment for example..or the latest camera…maybe the most advanced new car…now that will cost you. Psalm 90 verse 12 tells us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Do the math. How much time do we have left? (SEE Psalm 39:4&5) Are we going to let our life count for God or not? Take stock and if need be repent, repent from being too occupied with the cares , legitimate or otherwise And the best way and the best place for doing that is here in the secret place of the most high God. It’s the place of safety, the place of refuge. Another place in the Proverbs says,” The name of the LORD is a strong tower Prov 18:10 , a place of refuge a place we can run to and be safe…one of the most dangerous places is on that cutting edge.
How many fatalities have occurred in driving because people stop their cars on the edge or the shoulder? Living on the edge is a dangerous practice. Remember Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha? (She seemed to have found that secret place) and Martha…Jesus loved Martha just as much, I’m sure as He did Mary. Martha got flustered easily, it seems. Over many things, Jesus said. But Mary hath chosen that good part. Learning to dwell in the secret place of the most high…Mary sat at Jesus feet and heard His WORD. Martha was distracted with much serving, it is recorded for us in the gospel of Luke ch 10 verses 38-42. Now Martha welcomed Him to her house, but got distracted….with much serving. The cares of life require much serving. don’t they?. What or where is the focal point in our church? Is it the kitchen or is It the sanctuary?The Lord of glory comes to your house….what do you do? Get distracted and flustered over much serving, or sit at His feet and hear His Word? And abide under the shadow of the Almighty. It’s a choice that we make, sometimes consciously and sometimes not. Where is that place? It’s a place near to the heart of God,; it’s a place of quiet rest, a place where sin can not molest, the old hymn tells it. It is that place where Mary was found, sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening…..listening to His words. Have you ever done that, or have you been to busy talking or distracted over what needs to be done, the serving, etc., etc. Now let’s get this straight , Martha was a good woman who loved her Lord too. But she just had this thing about…..well…neatness. She she couldn’t stand clutter and she could not stand serving…She had to have everything in place, after all Jesus was coming for a visit and He would see if anything was out of place, wouldn’t He? You know what? I don’t think He would really care, ….really? Really. He was too intent on looking at hearts to notice if the sugar bowl was full or not. His focus was on people who needed Him in their lives to notice that dirty tumbler in the sink.Living under the shadow of the Almighty is the highest position a person can attain to in this life or in the next. Back in Psalm 27, starting with verse 4, the Psalmist was David, he said, “ One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to inquire in His temple. 5/ F For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me: He shall set me high upon a rock.” In Psalm 91 and verse 14 it says,” Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.” “The secret place of the most High”, where can I find it ? how do I get there? So many benefits are found in the secret place of God
The world that we live in is in trouble tonight…..big trouble.And sometimes it seems overwhelming….oil in the Gulf earthquakes in many places, volcanoes, the stock market…..it just gets worse. And it ain’t gonna get better, but yet the Christian, the one who has found the secret place in God has a peace and an assurance that the world cannot know. Put God first….there is no other way to say it…you gotta put God first. Time spent with Him is not wasted time. It is the best possible use of our time.
How many fatalities have occurred in driving because people stop their cars on the edge or the shoulder? Living on the edge is a dangerous practice. Remember Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha? (She seemed to have found that secret place) and Martha…Jesus loved Martha just as much, I’m sure as He did Mary. Martha got flustered easily, it seems. Over many things, Jesus said. But Mary hath chosen that good part. Learning to dwell in the secret place of the most high…Mary sat at Jesus feet and heard His WORD. Martha was distracted with much serving, it is recorded for us in the gospel of Luke ch 10 verses 38-42. Now Martha welcomed Him to her house, but got distracted….with much serving. The cares of life require much serving. don’t they?. What or where is the focal point in our church? Is it the kitchen or is It the sanctuary?The Lord of glory comes to your house….what do you do? Get distracted and flustered over much serving, or sit at His feet and hear His Word? And abide under the shadow of the Almighty. It’s a choice that we make, sometimes consciously and sometimes not. Where is that place? It’s a place near to the heart of God,; it’s a place of quiet rest, a place where sin can not molest, the old hymn tells it. It is that place where Mary was found, sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening…..listening to His words. Have you ever done that, or have you been to busy talking or distracted over what needs to be done, the serving, etc., etc. Now let’s get this straight , Martha was a good woman who loved her Lord too. But she just had this thing about…..well…neatness. She she couldn’t stand clutter and she could not stand serving…She had to have everything in place, after all Jesus was coming for a visit and He would see if anything was out of place, wouldn’t He? You know what? I don’t think He would really care, ….really? Really. He was too intent on looking at hearts to notice if the sugar bowl was full or not. His focus was on people who needed Him in their lives to notice that dirty tumbler in the sink.Living under the shadow of the Almighty is the highest position a person can attain to in this life or in the next. Back in Psalm 27, starting with verse 4, the Psalmist was David, he said, “ One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to inquire in His temple. 5/ F For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me: He shall set me high upon a rock.” In Psalm 91 and verse 14 it says,” Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.” “The secret place of the most High”, where can I find it ? how do I get there? So many benefits are found in the secret place of God
The world that we live in is in trouble tonight…..big trouble.And sometimes it seems overwhelming….oil in the Gulf earthquakes in many places, volcanoes, the stock market…..it just gets worse. And it ain’t gonna get better, but yet the Christian, the one who has found the secret place in God has a peace and an assurance that the world cannot know. Put God first….there is no other way to say it…you gotta put God first. Time spent with Him is not wasted time. It is the best possible use of our time.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
A Divine impulse or urging
Philip was a disciple of the Lord and was also appointed as a deacon along with Stephen and five others. But these two I named , Stephen and Philip were not content to just stand around and serve tables to a bunch of widows. They had a Divine impulse, a Divine urging, there was a fire burning in their souls. It was the call of God to bear witness to the gospel, the Word of truth.
The call got Stephen in a lot of trouble....he lost his life for preaching the truth. Philip on the other hand was called to go preach a campaign in Samaria. Now one would think Philip would have waited awhile but if you read Acts 8:1-8 you will see that the persecution that Saul(later he was renamed Paul)was mounting against the church only causedc men like Philip to scatter and as they did they were spreading the good news of Jesus Christ everywhere. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and the result was, many got saved and healed and there was great joy in that city. The other day I felt an urging of the Holy Ghost to do something and to call certain persons and we have made plans for the near future, plans for the work of the Lord. And my urgings were confirmed by others. So if you have a relationshiop with the Lord and you know when it is He that is urging you to do a certain thing, then be like Philip and obey the leading of the Spirit. You will be glad you did.
The call got Stephen in a lot of trouble....he lost his life for preaching the truth. Philip on the other hand was called to go preach a campaign in Samaria. Now one would think Philip would have waited awhile but if you read Acts 8:1-8 you will see that the persecution that Saul(later he was renamed Paul)was mounting against the church only causedc men like Philip to scatter and as they did they were spreading the good news of Jesus Christ everywhere. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and the result was, many got saved and healed and there was great joy in that city. The other day I felt an urging of the Holy Ghost to do something and to call certain persons and we have made plans for the near future, plans for the work of the Lord. And my urgings were confirmed by others. So if you have a relationshiop with the Lord and you know when it is He that is urging you to do a certain thing, then be like Philip and obey the leading of the Spirit. You will be glad you did.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
A lesson from Ephesus
It has been some time since I have submitted a posting to this blog, as I looked back to the last posting the date was March 8. At least that is what I found and interestingly enough the subject for today is on the same thing I wrote about then and the Lord prompted me before I looked back to share on this theme.
In our Tuesday evening Bible study we have been looking into Paul's epistle (letter to the unlearned). It is a wonderful letter, full of commendation for a church that loves each other. In fact Paul says in the 1st. chapter and verses 15 & 16, "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love to all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you inmy prayers." This church was full of love for all saints everywhere Jews loving Gentiles and Gentiles loving Jews thropugh Christ and because He made the sacrifice for all men and women, boys and girls. Now you have to take a look at the time frame. This book was probably written around 60-64 a.d. And John who wrote down and recorded the Revalation of Jesus , did this work around 96 A.D. A MAXIMUM OF 36 YEARS. How soon we forget and revert back to trying to work our way to heaven. Read the epistle to the Ephesians and then read Revelation ch.2 verses 1-7. It parallels our times today. How quickly the church of today has fallen from its fire and enthusiasm for God but not just 40 years ago, more like 75 -100 when revival fires burned across this continent. How we need men and women of prayer and return to our first love. As C.M. said in the last blog in her comment, we need to repent...after all that is what Jesus requires of us. It is not too late.
In our Tuesday evening Bible study we have been looking into Paul's epistle (letter to the unlearned). It is a wonderful letter, full of commendation for a church that loves each other. In fact Paul says in the 1st. chapter and verses 15 & 16, "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love to all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you inmy prayers." This church was full of love for all saints everywhere Jews loving Gentiles and Gentiles loving Jews thropugh Christ and because He made the sacrifice for all men and women, boys and girls. Now you have to take a look at the time frame. This book was probably written around 60-64 a.d. And John who wrote down and recorded the Revalation of Jesus , did this work around 96 A.D. A MAXIMUM OF 36 YEARS. How soon we forget and revert back to trying to work our way to heaven. Read the epistle to the Ephesians and then read Revelation ch.2 verses 1-7. It parallels our times today. How quickly the church of today has fallen from its fire and enthusiasm for God but not just 40 years ago, more like 75 -100 when revival fires burned across this continent. How we need men and women of prayer and return to our first love. As C.M. said in the last blog in her comment, we need to repent...after all that is what Jesus requires of us. It is not too late.
Monday, March 8, 2010
A missing element
A short time ago I wrote about the three"p"'s...perseverance, patience and prayer. And I made reference to a ship named perseverance which to me exemplified many trials that we face from time to time which leave us weather beaten and broken at times but if we persevere in prayer God will see us through. But there is an element missing. Take for instance the parable of the prodigal son. I am sure that his father persevered in prayer and showed great patience. An d it was Jesus who related that story as well as the story of the friend who came at midnight looking for bread. He also told the parable of the widow who sot justice from an unjust judge. There again we saw these three elements in action.
But Jesus again refers to these three ingredients when He delivers through the Apostle John a message to the church located in Ephesus. And He says, It's not enough, a nominal Christian life is not enough! Even a hard working good living Christian life is not enough...He said to the church in Ephesus, "I know your works, your labour, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil"...Rev. 2:2 verse 3, "and you have persevered and have patience, and have laboured for My names sake, and have not become weary." But in verse four, we see a real CRY FROM THE HEART OF JESUS. He says to the church of the Ephesians"Nevertheless I have this against you.........that you have left your first love." AS I MEDITATED ON THIS WORD TODAY I HAVE COME TO The conclusion that if we do not have an up to date love affair with Jesus then all of our goodness is just filthy rags. He says, "Repent and do the first works."....when you first accepted Jesus in your heart. and if you have never done so, I urge
you to accept Him know. Love, the missing ingredient.
But Jesus again refers to these three ingredients when He delivers through the Apostle John a message to the church located in Ephesus. And He says, It's not enough, a nominal Christian life is not enough! Even a hard working good living Christian life is not enough...He said to the church in Ephesus, "I know your works, your labour, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil"...Rev. 2:2 verse 3, "and you have persevered and have patience, and have laboured for My names sake, and have not become weary." But in verse four, we see a real CRY FROM THE HEART OF JESUS. He says to the church of the Ephesians"Nevertheless I have this against you.........that you have left your first love." AS I MEDITATED ON THIS WORD TODAY I HAVE COME TO The conclusion that if we do not have an up to date love affair with Jesus then all of our goodness is just filthy rags. He says, "Repent and do the first works."....when you first accepted Jesus in your heart. and if you have never done so, I urge
you to accept Him know. Love, the missing ingredient.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Lavish grace of God
This is a blessing bestowed upon my wife and I by our missionary friends in Rhode Island,"we are praying daily for God to bless you with His lavish grace." I don't think I ever heard it put that way before and it went to the very innermost resources of my soul and got down into my spirit. And I receive it in JESUS NAME. It fascinated my thinking so I went to the dictionary to see if I understood the meaning of "lavish" correctly.LAvish: to expend or give in great amounts or without limit; i.e. to lavish gifts on a person. Now I know grace is the unmerited favour of God and I know He has enough grace to cover all my sins, but this lavish grace seems to take it to a newer greater dimension for my thinking than ever before. He has given us of His lavish grace, grace without limits.....thank you Dr. and Sister Kutty for this blessing.
So you think that God cannot forgive your sins, that you have gone too far.....He has grace greater than all your sins. Accept Him today and you will experience grace without limits.
So you think that God cannot forgive your sins, that you have gone too far.....He has grace greater than all your sins. Accept Him today and you will experience grace without limits.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
In due season
Have you ever felt like "throwing in the towel?" I believe it is an expression that comes from the sport of boxing....when a fighter is beaten so badly that his trainer or manager will literally throw his towel in the ring to signal the referee to stop the fight.I don't know if they still do it or not. But you may hear that expression yet, when someone has had it so to speak, becomes tired of fighting and throws in the towel.
In Galatians's 6:9, the great Apostle Paul wrote the following to the church he had established in Galatia and said, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." In the previous blog to this one, I wrote about the 3 "P's". PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE AND PRAYER. It is with that blog in mind that I submit these thoughts. The modern version says "So let's not get tired of doing what is good.At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up."Sometimes even doing good things can become overwhelming and you feel like "throwing in the towel" Especially when your life style contains a lot of stress and there are so many demands on your time.But the scripture promises a harvest of blessing if.....we don't give up. So I want to encourage you to do those things that the Lord Jesus has called you to and not to grow weary in doing it...and trust Him for the grace to do it. You will not regret it.
In Galatians's 6:9, the great Apostle Paul wrote the following to the church he had established in Galatia and said, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." In the previous blog to this one, I wrote about the 3 "P's". PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE AND PRAYER. It is with that blog in mind that I submit these thoughts. The modern version says "So let's not get tired of doing what is good.At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up."Sometimes even doing good things can become overwhelming and you feel like "throwing in the towel" Especially when your life style contains a lot of stress and there are so many demands on your time.But the scripture promises a harvest of blessing if.....we don't give up. So I want to encourage you to do those things that the Lord Jesus has called you to and not to grow weary in doing it...and trust Him for the grace to do it. You will not regret it.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Three "P's"
Patience, perseverance, prayer...We have been studying the epistle of James on Tuesday nights at the church house.It is a very practical book , a manual for the Christian. And in chapter five it speaks of patience and perseverance and prayers. Ch. 5, verses 7-18 read: Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another brethren, lest you be condemned. "Behold the Judge is standing at the door!
My brethren, take the prophets , who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful."Skip down to verses 13-18, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing songs." Look at these next verses starting with verse 14, "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up." Verse 16 says "The effective fervent prayer of a righteous availeth much."
To get an answer to your prayer you will need to be persevering and have patience while you are waiting,
In my mind I can picture a time when I too was seeking an answer to a specific prayer that I was praying. On this particular day I was driving my old pickup truck and talking out loud to God and I was somewhat distressed over a situation and of course being an impatient soul, I wanted Him to answer immediately, but it did not happen that way. In fact it still hasn't completely taken place yet. But on that day which has been some years now, I WAS TAUGHT A MOST VALUABLE LESSON.
I was driving past a marine oil terminal where some large oil tankers dock to load petroleum products for the eastern seaboard of the United States. It was a route that I drove almost every day and I seldom bothered to notice any one or several of these ships, but on this day I looked up to notice an old rusting tanker. It was the prompting of the Holy Spirit that caused me to take notice.This ship was a rather large vessel well capable of weathering storms and it looked like it had weathered many storms in it's life time. It had huge blotches of rust where the paint was missing, but on the bow was the name of the ship and all the letters in the name were intact and in real good condition. PERSEVERANCE was the name of this vessel and I thought how appropriate of the owner to name her such. I also thought how appropriate God was and is to remind me that I need to continue in persevering prayer. Remember " The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." By the way, although the complete answer has not fully arrived just yet, nevertheless I have seen great improvement and gtreat gains have been made toward complete and total victory. I want to go on record and thank my Saviour for answering my prayer today. You can call on Him today...RC
My brethren, take the prophets , who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful."Skip down to verses 13-18, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing songs." Look at these next verses starting with verse 14, "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up." Verse 16 says "The effective fervent prayer of a righteous availeth much."
To get an answer to your prayer you will need to be persevering and have patience while you are waiting,
In my mind I can picture a time when I too was seeking an answer to a specific prayer that I was praying. On this particular day I was driving my old pickup truck and talking out loud to God and I was somewhat distressed over a situation and of course being an impatient soul, I wanted Him to answer immediately, but it did not happen that way. In fact it still hasn't completely taken place yet. But on that day which has been some years now, I WAS TAUGHT A MOST VALUABLE LESSON.
I was driving past a marine oil terminal where some large oil tankers dock to load petroleum products for the eastern seaboard of the United States. It was a route that I drove almost every day and I seldom bothered to notice any one or several of these ships, but on this day I looked up to notice an old rusting tanker. It was the prompting of the Holy Spirit that caused me to take notice.This ship was a rather large vessel well capable of weathering storms and it looked like it had weathered many storms in it's life time. It had huge blotches of rust where the paint was missing, but on the bow was the name of the ship and all the letters in the name were intact and in real good condition. PERSEVERANCE was the name of this vessel and I thought how appropriate of the owner to name her such. I also thought how appropriate God was and is to remind me that I need to continue in persevering prayer. Remember " The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." By the way, although the complete answer has not fully arrived just yet, nevertheless I have seen great improvement and gtreat gains have been made toward complete and total victory. I want to go on record and thank my Saviour for answering my prayer today. You can call on Him today...RC
Monday, January 11, 2010
priorities
According to the online dictionary that I use, to prioritize means "to give the highest or higher importance, rank, privilege, etc." To make it real simple...first things first. Like Jesus said in Matthew's gospel account, ch 6, vs. 33, "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." quote is from the NKJV, the NRSV says "strive first for the kingdom of God." A few blog postings ago I talked about the preaching of the cross and I referred to a medical team going to Mali in Africa and ministering medical help to some people there. Last evening I witnessed a special power point presentation of that mission and I realized what priority really means.
These women who left our city and paid their own expenses as well as paying for much of the mission expense were doing something that was higher in rank than business as usual. They were putting the kingdom of God first, because that is what Jesus came to do. Matt. 11:4-6, "Go and tell John the things you hear and see . The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended in Me." Last evening's power point was an up to date version of what Jesus was talking about. It was a challenge to all who witnessed it; oh yes and not many dry eyes.... including mine.
These women who left our city and paid their own expenses as well as paying for much of the mission expense were doing something that was higher in rank than business as usual. They were putting the kingdom of God first, because that is what Jesus came to do. Matt. 11:4-6, "Go and tell John the things you hear and see . The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended in Me." Last evening's power point was an up to date version of what Jesus was talking about. It was a challenge to all who witnessed it; oh yes and not many dry eyes.... including mine.
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