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.
About Me
Thursday, September 2, 2010
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!
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