VISIONARY

Howdy-Doody all of you VISIONARIES. How is it looking out there in the darkness of night?

The darker the night...the brighter the light? I hope so...but sometimes walking in this old world gets weary...when on the surface it looks like the darkness... and yes...the prince of darkness rules. Sometimes we forget that "...the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." (I John 5:19) We need to be reminded...

"You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because GREATER IS HE WHO IS IN YOU THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD." (I John 4:4)

I wonder...that someone gets up one morning...and says to themselves... I think I will ruin my life and become a child molester?!? Does anyone sit down and right out a list of goals...and at the top of the list is...I think I will become an alcoholic and loose my family, my job, my self-respect?!? I do believe that I will set as one of my primary goals to die in a bathroom with a band wrapped around my arm so I can get a more clear shot of my vein so I can stick a needle in it and inject myself with some drug and die as I inhale my own vomit. I believe that I will have sex outside of marriage and end up either pregnant or some "social" disease. Hmmmm....I believe that I will start to overeat...and have a heart attack...become diabetic...feel miserable. I think I will start to smoke... and get lung cancer and die like those tough guys Humphrey Bogart and John Wayne...now those are real men...dead but real men. I DON'T THINK SO. Our self-inflicted problems...are more SUBTLE than pre-meditated destruction. They are like the unique bird. You know how you catch a unique bird? U neek upon it. You know how you catch a tame bird? The tame way.

The problem lies with our lack of VISION. The flesh (the carnal nature that draws us away from God)...must be RESTRAINED. In the King James Version... Proverbs 29:18...states, "Where there is no VISION, the people PERISH; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."

The New American Standard Bible says, "Where there is no VISION, the people are UNRESTRAINED, but happy is he who keeps the law."

NOTE: I highly recommend you to get a copy of this book by Kenneth Copeland called HOW TO DISCIPLINE YOUR FLESH. Good stuff.

There are a couple of words that we don't hear to often in this day and age. Lasciviousness and Licentiousness. They both kind of slid of of the tongue and make you feel as if you need to take a shower. I can almost here them oozing out of the serpents/devils mouth...with a hiss. Lassssssssssssssssiviousness and Licssssssssentiousnesssss,

LASCIVIOUS: Wantonness characterized by lust or lewdness. Need to excite lustful desires.

LICENTIOUS: Disregarding accepted rules and standards. Morally UNRESTRAINED, especially in sexual activity; lascivious, libertine.
These words reflects the deeds of the flesh found in Galatians 5:19-21.

The VISION in Proverbs 29:18 is in reference of the law/the Word of God. Without insight into the Word of God (God's heartbeat, his wish, his desires, his will)...we are UNRESTRAINED (with the cause and effect being that we perish). I know in my life...all of my sin issues (and believe me, I've got issues...that I deal with on a regular basis)...are rooted in my past where I have not RESTRAINED myself. They may start off with little acts of unrestraint...but before I know it...as I yield one little thing.. it leads to another little thing...that leads to a bigger thing...and before I know it...BLAM! Oh...I can get sanctimonious about it...and thank God I'm not like a mass murderer...or a drunk laying in the gutter...or a sexual pervert like a child molester or committing adultery...YET. I become NUMB to my condition...because I surround myself with people who do the same or worse things that I do...and justify myself.


Well...Rod...Oh Prophet of Gloom and Doom...why don't you lighten up a little or at least tell us what we can do about these little foxes that spoil the vineyard (Song of Solomon 2:15).

Notice the picture of the man with the Cross. His name is Kolchak from the T.V. show the NIGHTSTALKER. He is played by one of my favorite character actors named Darren McGavin. His character was a reported who reported on the supernatural...and was faced with creatures of the night. Remember we started off this Rambling talking about NIGHT VISION...and to need to SEE. The only way to deal with the flesh...is to rely on what Jesus did for us. We yield our will to Him...and accept what God says is the satisfaction for Him. This takes and act of faith...that is then walked out in the physical.

Again in Proverbs...is some advice that I give to my son over and over again. "My son...if sinners entice you...DO NOT CONSENT." (Proverbs 1:10)
The advice is not just for punks who try to get him to do wrong...it is also good advice for the desires of the flesh. My son...if your flesh tries to get you to do drugs...DO NOT CONSENT. My son..If your flesh tries to get you to have sex outside of marriage..DO NOT CONSENT. My son...if your flesh tries to get you to hate someone...DO NOT CONSENT.

Proverbs goes on to say..."My son, DO NOT WALK in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path. For their feet run to evil..."

We have taught him the principle of CAUSE AND EFFECT...and CONSEQUENCE...and yes...he has learned some hard lessons personally and...by observation of friends, family, and yes...even dear old Dad. I have been very open with him from an early age of my stupidity, my sins, my fleshly habits including, drugs and sniffing chemicals...BUT not only my stupidity...but the SAVING GRACE AND REDEMPTION of God that delivers me our of my self-inflicted pit...and how he can use my sinful past as stepping stones.


How can we DISCIPLINE OUR FLESH? By becoming a VISIONARY. By looking intently at the Word of God...and then with the help of the Holy Spirit DO THE WORD.

Galatians 2:20..."I have been crucified with Christ...and it is no longer I who lives...but CHRIST (Jesus with the yoke breaking, burden lifting, devil oppression removing power of God)...lives in me...and the life which I NOW live...I live by FAITH in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself up for me."

Galatians 5:16..."But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will NOT carry out the DESIRE OF THE FLESH."

Galatians 5:24..."Now those who belongs to Christ Jesus...have CRUCIFIED the FLESH...with it's PASSIONS AND DESIRES.

NOTE: This Rambling is not necessarily for the Non-Christian. These verses are written to true believers...who not only have the opportunity to walk in the FLESH...the were doing it.

Pull in the reins on your flesh...before it's to late. Whoooooaaaaa flesh... get back into line with the Word of God.

Love and Humble Kisses
Rodney "Jesus Hung Up For Our Hangups" Boyd

EBENEZER VERSUS ICHABOD

Greetings literature fans...or as Billy Graham would say it...
LIT..era..ture.

Meet Ebenezer Scrooge. He is the brainchild of good old Charles Dickens who wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843. He describes Ebenezer..."The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, made his eyes red, his thin lips blue, and he spoke shrewdly in his grating voice." Aaaaahhh...just the type of man that you would want to know...or maybe be. Of course the story is a familiar one that has been reduced to celluloid impressions with various movies, T.V. shows and retellings. He is visited by the 3 Ghosts of Christmas (Past, Present, and Yet To Come). As a result he has a life changing experience...as he went from Bah Humbug...to being giddy.

Meet Ichabod Crane... the brainchild of Washington Irving who wrote the short story...The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in 1820. Ichabod is described as having big ears, big nose and a long frame. Irving is also famous for his character Rip Van Winkle.. but that is another Rambling in the making. Ichabod also has been immortalized in the celluloid with everything from Disney remakes to Johnny Deep as a detective investigating the Sleepy Hollow shenanigans.

Ebenezer and Ichabod were mentioned centuries before Dickens and Irving penned their masterpieces. The Dickens you say? Yes and the Irving also.

One mention is redemptive and the other tragic...much like the two stories.

In The Christmas Carol... Mr. Scrooge went from being a miserable...chain forging...prisoner of his own past...who when he experienced his visitations...REPENTED...had a change of heart and became a changed man. For the rest of his life...he was able to look back at that fateful night...and walk out his present that not only changed his future...but all the people that he came into contact with in his world.

Ichabod on the other hand...motivated by his anxiety, worry, and tension...and mostly his fear of the unknown, superstition...and probable harassment by his rival Brom Bones (both had a thang for Katrina van Tassel)...had a dubious end...with either an attach by an apparition...or run out of Sleepy Hollow...NEVER TO BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.

Well...come on Ramblin' Rod...we are waiting. How are you gonna bring this back around to the D.B.R. nothing more...nothing less. How are you gonna make the Bible Connection with Eb and Ich? I'm glad you asked. Let's check out the two references in the Word of God.


Ichabod is mention in I Samuel 4:21,22..."And she named the child ICHABOD...saying, "THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED; because the Ark of God (aka Ark of the Covenant) was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED from Israel, for the ARK OF GOD WAS TAKEN."

The ark represented the presence of God...the place where the GLORY would rest. The name Ichabod became synonymous with DEPARTED GLORY. Much like the fate of Ichabod Crane. No glory...no Katriana van Tassel...only shame, possible death, and disgrace.
We see in Acts 3:19 what happens in the presence of the Lord...and how we get there..."Repent (change of heart, mind, direction, actions)...and return (come back)...that your sins may be WIPED AWAY...in order that TIMES OF REFRESHING may come from THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD." Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh...now that's refreshing. A lot better than having a Jack-O-Lantern hurled at your cranium from a ghostly figure. Glory may have been departed from your life...but you can RETURN...and become REFRESHED again.

Ebenezer is found in I Samuel 7:12..."Then Samuel took a STONE (stone of help)...and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it (the stone) EBENEZER,saying, THUS FAR THE LORD HAS HELPED US."

The Ebenezer Stone was a touchstone...for Samuel and the people of God...to look back to as a stone of REMEMBRANCE...that the event in which God moved on their behalf BACK THEN...is a reminder that He can move on our behalf NOW...and in the FUTURE. Scrooge... after a night of introspection...REPENTED...had a change of direction...and now EBENEZER...had an EBENEZER...that would remind him of where he was...and where he is...and where he is going. The EBENEZER STONE keeps us focusing on the FAITHFULNESS OF GOD.

So...what do you want...departed glory or a reminder that GOD IS FAITHFUL?

It was the best of times...and the worst of times...but with JESUS...the worst of times...keep on gettin' better.

Love and Ebenezer Kisses (you must REMEMBER this)
Rodney "Duck" Boyd

CREEPS

Hello all of you Non-Creeps.

This first picture is a character that appeared in multiple horror flicks in the 40's and 50's. He was known as The Creeper. If you saw this guy come on the screen...creeping around...you knew that someone was about to get strangled and die.

I was watching the news last night and this morning...and I was overwhelmed by the EVIL...and the CREEPS that are delivering this evil on planet earth. I am watching an 18 year old kid that grew up before my eyes...played football with my son...being charged with attempted murder by putting a girl in a coma, drinking, having weapons on campus. I see a supposed generous man...bilking multiple millions of dollars from citizens of Tennessee...and then commit suicide. I'm watching reports of a little girl held captive in the desert of Nevada who is being sexually abused and 3-4 years later may still be held captive. One story after another...washing over me like waves of sewage...leaving me feeling dirty and unclean. WHY? CREEPS!

CREEPS (1) To move along with the body close to the ground, as on hands and knees (2) To come on gradually and almost unnoticed (3) A person regarded as very annoying, disgusting (4) To give one a feeling of fear or repugnance ie. He/She gives me the CREEPS.

With all of the scientific breakthroughs...with all of the existential enlightenment..with all of the politically correct posturing...with all of the watered down religion...we are NOT evolving into a better society. If anything where grace abounds...sin abounds much more. (Roman 5:19-21).

NOTE: Don't get me wrong...there are good things happening...but they are more like streams of light into darkened corners.

Well Rod...what do you think the problem is? I think the instigator of the world full of creeps is...the devil (little). Notice that if you put in a space between the d and the e...it is d...evil (the evil).

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your ADVERSARY...the devil...prowls about LIKE a roaring lion...seeking someone to devour." (I Peter 5:8). What is the solution for the devil? "But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world." (I Peter 5:9).

As believers we are called into a Resistance Force...resisting the devil. (I Peter 5:9/Ephesians 6:1-6)

What are the ROOTS OF THE CREEPS. The roots run deep into disobedience...and have grown throughout the ages bearing fruit and entangling mankind. (Genesis 3:1-24) "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men...because all sinned." (Romans 5:12)

A CREEP PROFILE (II Timothy 3:1--9)But realize this, that in the LAST DAYS difficult times will come:

a. Lovers of self
b. Lovers of money
c. Boastful
d. Arrogant
e. Revilers
f. Disobedient to parents
g. Ungrateful
h. Unholy
i. Unloving
j. Irreconcilable
k. Malicious gossips
l. Without Self-Control
m. Brutal
n. Haters of good
o. Treacherous
p. Reckless
q. Conceited
r. Lovers of Pleasure rather than lover of God
s. Holding to a form of godliness...although they denied its power.
t. Enter into households and captivate weak women weight down by sins
u. Led on by various impulses
v. Always learning...and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
w. Evil men and impostors...proceed from bad to worse
x. Deceiving and being deceived

Combine this with a list of the deeds of the FLESH: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery (enchantment with drugs), enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envyings, drunkenness, carousings and things like these...You have a pretty good profile of the CREEPS.
(Galatians 5:19-21) The only problem is that this is not necessarily...NON-CHRISTIANS...but people who say they are Christians. As I read the profile...I cringe because as I point my finger and shake my head at the news reports on television...I see glimpses of ME. At times I identify with the CREEPS.

Well...Ain't God in control of this world...and if He is..then why does he allow bad things to happen to little girls in the desert...and 18 year old boys...and drunk drivers killing innocent people...and wars...and pornography...and drug addictions...and murders...bigotry and racism (black, white, oriental, and any other color/race you add into the mix)?

"We know that we are of God..and THE WHOLE WORLD...lies in the POWER OF THE EVIL ONE." (I John 5:19). Quit blaming God for the bad...like the insurance companies do when any storm, flood, hurricane, explosion, etc....is called an ACT OF GOD. Hey God can do anything He wants to do...but give credit where credit is due.

What are we suppose to do...roll over and die or stick our heads in the sands as evil runs rampant. NEVER!!! We are called to resist...we are called to NOT fight flesh and blood but to first attack the root of the problem (Ephesians 6)...and then take a stand in the physical.

JESUS HUNG UP FOR OUR HANGUPS (II Corinthians 5:7-21/I Corinthians 15:1-6)

For some unexplainable reason...Jesus gave us authority...to be the BODY OF CHRIST...to break down the gates of hell...and bring the WILL OF GOD on EARTH as it is in HEAVEN.

R.L. Boyd

THE NAME GAME

Greetings (fill in the blank with your NAME)...how ya doin'?

Do you remember the song THE NAME GAME by Shirley Ellis?

Shirley!...Shirley, Shirley, bo Birely Bonana fanna fo Firley...Fee fy mo Mirley, Shirely.

Rodney! Rodney, Rodney, Bo Bodney, Bonana fanno bo Bodney...Fee fy mo Modney, Modney!

A name is a representation of who you are...and how people identify with you. If you mention the name ELVIS...you will most likely think of Presley...or Costello.
Mention the name Madonna and you will either think of an 80's pop icon or the mother of Jesus. Mention the name Rodney and you immediately think of a good looking, manly stud...or not.

Mention the name of JESUS and you have a diversity of thoughts. To some a prophet...to some a nut...to some just another word in the arsenal of curse words to use. To some a blessing to be embraced to some a revulsion to be shunned. Barry McGuire (see the photo)...was a 60's icon. He was mention in the Mama and Papa's song Creque Alley along with Roger McQuinn who "couldn't get much higher." He was in the original Broadway production of Hair, in the movie The President's Analysis starring that British Bulldog lookalike James Coburn...and was with the Christy Minstrels and had a big hit with the song EVE OF DESTRUCTION (that is more relevant today than when it was first recorded). Barry was on a quest for truth that ended at JESUS. After searching for truth in everything from drugs, alcohol, multiple sex partners, fame and fortune, Eastern religions, philosophy, humanism... he accepted the D.B.R. of Jesus Christ. It took him a while because as he put it, he loved this cat Jesus...but could not stand his followers.

Barry's music took rock and roll and expressed his Christianity. He still had extremely long hair...sang songs of social relevance...but spoke of solutions instead of just protesting the problems. On one album...called TO THE BRIDE...along with The 2nd Chapter of Acts, and a Band Called David...Barry asked a question. Why do people always attack the NAME OF JESUS. You never here someone drop a rock on their toe and then begin to curse using the name of Buddha...or Mohammad. Curse words always involve and invoke the NAME of Jesus and the NAME of God. People are always asking God to damn something or someone...or using exclamations of Jesus H. Christ...or for Christ sake. They do it so often... that we become numb to the context...and it deflects off of us like Teflon.

Jesus' name is a derivative of the name Joshua...and means God is Salvation. We see in the genealogy found in Matthew 1:16 that Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom was born JESUS who is called CHRIST.

NOTE: Jesus' last name was not CHRIST. The mail box at Mary and Joseph's did not read Joseph Christ...Mary Christ...and all the little Christs. Christ is the Greek word for Messiah... which means ANOINTED ONE. Jesus (God is Salvation) was anointed with the Holy Spirit and Power and went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)
As a matter of fact another name that Jesus was given was Immanuel.
"And she will bear a Son and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will SAVE His people from their sins....Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son and they shall call His name IMMANUEL
which translated means GOD WITH US. (Matthew 1:21,23/Isaiah 7:14)

NOTE: The anointing that Jesus was anointed with means yoke destroying, burden lifting, devil oppression removing power. The NAME represents the authority (exousia) of the power (dunamis) to accomplish this mission.


If I was the devil (the name means accuser, liar, thief, deceiver, destroyer, etc.) and I knew that there was saving power in the NAME OF JESUS...I would do everything I could do to discredit it. I would try to make it common and tarnish it and make people numb to it. The name itself has no magical powers in it. In the "Bible days"...the name Joshua or Jesus was like a popular baby name is today. There were at least 5 people with the name Jesus in the New Testament. It is the anointing and purpose of God that elevates the name of JESUS. Jesus (God is Salvation) The Christ (the anointed one anointed with yoke destroying, burden lifting, oppression removing power)...to a place where people are SAVED. It's not just using the name for a cuss word that is using the name of the Lord in VAIN...it is decreasing it to just another name and using it recklessly.

WHY IS THE NAME OF JESUS THE CHRIST AND/OR GOD USED IN A DEROGATORY MANNER?

"And it shall be that every one who calls on the NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVE."
(Acts 2:21)

"And there is salvation in NO ONE ELSE; for there is no other NAME under heaven that has been given among men, by which we MUST BE SAVED." Acts 4:12

NOTE: The boys (aka the disciples, apostles, followers of Jesus...were beaten and commanded not to speak that name. The name was OFFENSIVE. Let's just call Him Christ...or let's just call Him the man upstairs...but don't mention JESUS) Just mention Jesus in a crowd and see the silence or the mocking or the shift in conversation.

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus (read Philippians 2:1-4 for the attitude that Jesus had and the attitude that we are to have)... who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

NOTE: Notice that Jesus had an attitude...in the good sense. He was God in the flesh..had equality with God...but did not consider this something to grasp. Why do we...when we become Christians...start to think we are better than other people and begin to grasp onto our spiritual gifts...that we did not earn...to be a thing to grasp?

THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF PROPER ATTITUDE

"Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME...that at the NAME OF JESUS every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, an on earth, and under the earth...and that every tongue should confess that Jesus (the name) Christ (the anointing) is LORD (kurios=boss), to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

NOTE: As a Speech Pathologist...we know that everything has a name. We attach meaning to every object, thing, thought, disease, good, bad and ugly. Language is merely the agreed upon code of the name of something. The NAME OF JESUS is above EVERY NAME. (Fill in the blank of anything you want)...and then place the NAME OF JESUS above that THING. Notice also that every knee should bow or yield their will to that name. You either will now by your own choice...or later by demand. Either way you will bow.

Well...are you ready to quit playing THE NAME GAME?

Love and Namely Kisses
Rodney "Bodney Bo Bodney" Boyd

AIN'T NUTTIN' BUT A THANG

Hello friends...how's life? Are you going through a THANG (that's slang for thing). If you are breathing...then most likely you (1) have gone through a thing (2) are going through a thing (3) or are smack dab in the middle of a thing currently. The key is...you will GO THROUGH IT. The old saying goes..."If you are going THROUGH hell...DON'T STOP...keep going until you come out the other side."

Notice the first picture. If you ever saw the Addams Family.. you will recognize the hand with the finger pointing up. That is THING. He would make various appearances around the house when you would least expect him. As with the rest of the family... he was "creepy and spooky...all together ooky."

If you have been reading these Ramblings long...you know that I like old movies...and especially those sci-fi movies...that are not necessarily the quality of STAR WARS...to the point that I like seeing the strings attached to the monsters. This picture has something in common with Gunsmoke and Matt Dillion. Yes...this movie starred James Arness as THE THING.

THING DEFINED: (1) Any matter, circumstance, affair, or concern (2) That which is done, has been done, or is to be done; happening, act, deed, incident, event, etc. (3) That which constitutes an end to be achieved, a step in a process, etc. (4) A being, object, or concept the exact term for which is not known or recalled or is avoided (5) A point of contention (6) A complex, often neurotic liking, fear, aversion, etc, with regard to some person, thing, or activity

A THING can be (1) NOthing (2) SOMEthing (3) EVERYthing. A thing can be real or imagined. A thing can be (1) Good (2) Bad (3) Ugly

Ain't that how life is...good, bad, ugly...on any given day. Stuff Happens. Some of it within our control...the majority, out of our control. Some is a direct result of the sowing and reaping principle...the cause and effect laws...the Barney Fife Syndrome (where Andy told us to keep our bullet in our pocket...but we loaded up anyway). Some things are as the insurance company says...ACTS OF the devil. NOTE: The insurance company does not ever call something bad and act of the devil...it is always called an act of God.

"We know that we are of God, and THE WHOLE WORLD... LIES IN THE POWER OF THE EVIL ONE." I John 5:19

QUESTION: What's a person to do...when bad and ugly stuff happens to us? ANSWER: The exact same thing that you do when good stuff happens.

Above my computer desk...there is a print by an artist named Jim Harrison. It is a picture of a barn with the Morton Salt girl/logo painted on it. The line "When It Rains...It Pours is underneath the pictures. The girl is smiling...the umbrella is out...and the rain is pouring.

It's how we handle THINGS...that determines the levels of righteousness, peace and joy in our lives (Romans 14:16,17)

As believers...we believe that God...is in control of our lives...as we yield everyTHING to Him. This does not mean that we adopt a Que Sera Sera...Doris Day type of faith...that just accepts everyTHING that comes down the pike as God's will (wish/desire) for our lives. But we do...acknowledge that God is our help in the (1) Good
(2) Bad (3) Ugly.

"And in the same way the Spirit also HELPS our WEAKNESS; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the WILL OF GOD. And we KNOW that God causes all THINGS to work together for good those those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:26-28)

When it RAINS...we will either REACT in the flesh...or RESPOND in the Spirit. The circumstances may be the same...on the believer and the non-believer...but how we react or respond will determine levels of peace and joy.

"For those who according to the FLESH...set their minds on the THINGS of the flesh, but those who are according to the SPIRIT, the THINGS of the SPIRIT. For the mind set on the flesh is DEATH...but the mind set on the SPIRIT is LIFE and PEACE, because the mind set on the flesh is HOSTILE TOWARDS GOD...for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh CANNOT PLEASE GOD." (Romans 8:5-8) NOTE: See Hebrews 11:6 on how to please God.

I started thinking about this Rambling about THINGS...as I read in I Thessalonians 5:16-28. Back in the early 70's...we use to sing this passage. It is an encouragement to speak, act a certain way in the face of THANGS. (1) Rejoice always (2) Pray without ceasing (3) In everyTHING (not just the good...but the bad and the ugly also) give thanks.

In the midst of everyTHING...we are told to GIVE THANKS...and then Paul underscores that THIS is God's WILL (wish/desire) for you in Christ Jesus. NOTE: This does not mean that when you are IN the middle of cancer...that you thank God for the cancer...because sickness and disease are NOT the will of God for you...HOWEVER...Giving thanks to God in the middle of the UGLY...IS the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. You fill in the blank for whatever you have, will be, or are going through...and it is always appropriate to thank and praise Him for being your Rock, Deliverer, Healer, Shepherd, Provider, Peace, etc.

Paul also underscores in Philippians 4:4 that we are to rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS...and again I say REJOICE. He goes on in the same book on how we are to respond to ANXIETY...as he tells us to, "Be anxious for noTHING (that would be NO thang)...but (in contrast) in everyTHING (that would be all in the nothing column)...by (1) pray (2) supplication (3) with thanksgiving...allow/let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6,7) The cause and effect of taking this approach to the THINGS in our lives...is a PEACE THAT PASSES ALL COMPREHENSION/UNDERSTANDING. He then goes on to outline what we should allow our minds to DWELL on versus dwelling on the THINGS.

When we take this approach...then we can be assured that..."I can do all THINGS through Him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)

What is going to get you through the THINGS? ANSWER: The Love of Christ.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? NOTE: The answer to all of these bad and ugly THINGS...NO!

Just as it is written, For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered. BUT in all these THINGS we OVERWHELMINGLY CONQUER through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, not THINGS present, nor THINGS to come, nor powers nor height, nor depth, nor any other created THING, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE OF GOD, which is in CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD." (Romans 8:35-39).

After all...when you factor God into the good, the bad, and the ugly...IT AIN'T NUTTIN' BUT A THANG!

Love and Nuttin' Honey Kisses
Rodney "Ain't Nuttin' Like The Real Thang Baby"Boyd

I DID IT MY WAY...OOPS!!!!

Greetings Oh Ye Independent beings. We love our INDEPENDENCE. We love it so much...we even make DECLARATIONS of it. We view DEPENDENCY on anything or anybody as a point of WEAKNESS. We believe that the excuses that people use for dependency on anything or anybody...is using a crutch. We believe in the survival of the fittest...and that the weak ones will be weeded out...and we will EVOLVE into a planet of SUPERMEN AND WOMEN...who are STRONG...and INDEPENDENT. In nature we see...that if a baby chick...begins to spread out within the confines of a shell...the chick will begin to peck on the shell. It is a struggle...as the chick breaks through. Did you know that if you circumvent the struggle to be free...the chick will never develop the muscles to survive. If you go ahead and crack open the shell before the chick is ready...the chick will die. The chick has to do it MY WAY...or die. The word talks about...the kingdom of God suffering violence and violent men taking it by FORCE. We are also told that we enter into the kingdom by much tribulation. Trials come to test our faith...and we come out the other side stronger...ready to minister to others by the struggles that we overcame by faith.

Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley were known as the dream team back in the early 60's. They had a few things in common. Both were teen idols...girls would scream and swoon at both...both were singers, both had money, both had fame and fortune...and both sang the song MY WAY. When Elvis came home from his stint in the army...Timex had a special with Mr. Elvis the Pelvis and Mr. Ring-A-Ding-
Ding. Elvis sang Fame and Fortune, Stuck on You, and a duet with Frank...a combination of Love Me Tender and Witchcraft. This was great T.V.

Elvis was being transformed from a rocker to a crooner (what he really wanted to be in the first place.) Frank went on to be the king of Vegas...and Elvis took the crown in the late 60's and 70's. NOTE: There is a special on T.V. tonight at 8:00 Central Standard Time about Elvis and Las Vegas.

Both of these guys did it THEIR WAY.

And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain

I've lived a life that's full
I've traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this
I DID IT MY WAY.


Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway,
But more, much more than this
I DID IT MY WAY


You know...I can sit back and judge Frankie and Elvis...shake my head...and point my religious finger at them...and cluck my tongue...tsk, tsk, tsk...BUT I am no better than them. I find myself...more often than not...trying to do it MY WAY. I know what God's way says...but I believe that I am like FORD...I have a BETTER IDEA.

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall
AND DID IT MY WAY

For what is a man...what has he got?
If not HIMSELF, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of ONE WHO KNEELS
The record shows...I took the blows
AND DID IT MY WAY

The Word of God is very specific about MY WAY. "There is a way which seems RIGHT to a man...but its end is the WAY OF DEATH/DESTRUCTION." (Proverbs 16:25)

NOTE: My way...seems like the right way...at least to me...at the time...but over and over again...I have found that my way...versus HIS WAY...ends up null and void.

"PRIDE goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before STUMBLING." (Proverbs 16:18)

NOTE: Elvis sang...I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell in the movie Wild In The Country. I find myself stumbling quite often as I pridefully do it my way...versus...HIS WAY.


"You younger men...likewise...be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with HUMILITY toward one another...for GOD IS OPPOSED to the PROUD...but gives GRACE to the HUMBLE. Humble yourselves...therefore...under the mighty hand of God...that he may EXALT you at the PROPER TIME...casting all of your anxiety on Him , because He cares for you." (I Peter 5:5-7)

NOTE: So many times...I feel as if God is against me...but I am coming to realize that He is not against me personally...as much as He is against my pride. My pride...my way...my anxiety...is met with resistance...but when I YIELD my will to HIS WILL...I find grace...favor...free gift...divine influence in my heart, manifested in my life. I choose to humble myself...He chooses to lift me up at the PROPER TIME.. and timing is everything. When I don't do it HIS WAY...I am anxious. When I humble myself...I can cast my anxieties on Him...because...HE CARES FOR ME.

Well...I'm glad I got MY WAY off of my chest..again. Thanks for listening.

Love and His Way Kisses
Rodney "Lord Help Me" Boyd

THE ART OF BIBLICAL MEMORY CLASS

Greetings and Salutations to all of you Word Hungry Believers. This first picture is on my first trip to Kenya...as I was honored to be able teach at a Youth With A Mission Discipleship Training School (DTS). The people (an eclectic gathering of believers) were hungry for the Word. NOTE: You should of seen the size of those Hippo Back Ribs.

Around 16 years ago...I had determined that I would NEVER teach the Word of God again. I was tired, burned out, disappointed, weary in well doing...and was determined to hide out at Smyrna Assembly on the back pew...incognito. God had other plans.

After licking my wounds for a season...the desire to teach the Word began to burn deep within me. I was graciously allowed to step back up to chalkboard (currently a dry erase board)...and teach THE TOPICAL MEMORY SYSTEM (Ruminator Style). The TMS is from the NAVIGATORS...and is a tool of Scripture memorization.

It is (1) TOPICAL because it is divided in to topics and sub-topics. (2)It is MEMORY because it helps you to store information with the ability to retrieve it in the absence of the original stimulus. (3) It is SYSTEM because it is an ordered, systematic, approach to the collection of the information to be memorized.

Our brain is a highly complex computer...that boggles my MIND. I can remember details of my early childhood...but at times cannot remember what I ate for lunch. Over the years...I have input multiple MEGABYTES of information into my computer (good, bad and ugly). The same storage chamber of information can be used to store in images of pornography...or Scriptures. It is how we utilize this amazing created mass of gyrus, convolutions, and grey matter. We are called to as believers...to RENEW OUR MINDS. We are not to be CONFORMED to the world...but be TRANSFORMED...metamorphised (Rom. 12:1,2) In Ephesians we are called on to be "renewed in the spirit of our mind."

SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION TIME: Starting on Wednesday night, October 3rd, 2007...I will be teaching a class called THE ART OF BIBLICAL MEMORY (Scripture Memorization...Ruminator Style). It will be a revamp of the class that I taught 16 years ago. Here are some of the particulars:

WHO: You...whosoever...new believer...seasoned saint.
WHAT: The Art of Biblical Memory. A class to give you the tools to memorize and recall scriptures and the ability to study the surrounding context...and then begin to apply what you learn in practical application in this nitty gritty world.
WHEN: Wednesday nights...Starting October 3rd 2007...at 7:00 P.M...
extending through October, November, December
WHERE: Smyrna Assembly (S.A.) in Ruminator Central (aka Fellowship Hall)
WHY: Why not? An opportunity to renew your mind, change your stinkin'
thinkin'...begin to pray the Word versus you will....get to know some people
you don't know...Why not?
HOW: Determine to do it...and then do it. Turn off the T.V...get up off of the
couch...get in your car...drive to church...and DO IT.

"The grass withers...the flower fades...but the WORD OF OUR GOD...shall STAND FOREVER." (Isaiah 40:8)

"If you abide in ME...and My WORDS abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you." (John 15:7)

"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success." (Joshua 1:8)

"For the WORD OF GOD is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)


"For you have been born again, not of SEED which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the LIVING and ABIDING WORD OF GOD, for all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers...and the flower falls of...but THE WORD OF THE LORD ABIDES FOREVER...and this is the WORD which was preached to you." (I Peter 1:24,25)

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to THY WORD. THY WORD have I hid in my heart...that I might not sin against Thee." (Psalm 119: 9,11)

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

If you are in the Nashville/Smyrna/Murfreesboro area...I look forward to seeing you in class.

Love and Wordy Kisses
Rodney "Chewing On The WORD of GOD...Like A Cow Chews On The Cud" Boyd
Keep Mooooooooooooving in the Spirit

OH OPERATOR

One ringy dingy....two ringy dingys...Hello...is this the party of to whom I am speaking? So began the comedy sketch with Lily Tomlin. Not since the team of Bell and Watson...has there been such an explosion of vocal communication across the world.

With the advent of the telephone...Christian music has been on the cutting edge with songs like Oh Operator...and Jesus On The Main Line.

Oh, operator...information...give me Jesus on the line
Oh, operator...information...let me speak to a friend of mine
Prayer is the number...faith is the exchange
Heaven is the street and Jesus is His holy name
Oh, operator...information...give me Jesus on the line.


Oh, operator,...information...please help me if you can
Oh, operator...information can you tell me about God's plan
It ain't the money, 'cus I know...I know that there's a cost
But my Jesus paid the price when He died on the cross

Back in my youth...I had a telephone that I would pretend that I was talking to someone. A simple toy...that in the hand of a cute littel boy (and some still thing that I am still...Cute Little Rodney aka CLR)...could open the door of the world of imagination. You could talk to anyone in the world...and have the other party on the line...answer back with anything that you wanted them to say.

Wow! My friend The British Bulldog...has a company he uses called Vonage...where he can call anywhere in the world via his computer program. He can call England (pip pip...cheerio) and talk to his sister or up in the cold and frosty Canada...to talk to his warm and toasty Red...eh.

Little did I know...that in 1968...that I would be making a phone call that would CHANGE MY LIFE. It would be a Sunday afternoon...after practicing with that dynamic rock and roll band THE BLIND DISTORTION...that I would stand outside a local eatery on a pay phone...and dial up Sweet Brenda Sue Williams...and believe me Sweet Sue was my Dumpling...minus the chicken. The only thing that was chicken...was ME...because...I was not only CLR....I was SLR...Shy Little Rodney. She was not home...but was at church for "training union". I called her again...on Wednesday night...and she was...you guessed it at church. My friend Dan...used an expletative deleted....and aske the question..."Who ya trying to date...a missionary." Little did I know...that this powerhouse Baptist girl...would not only change my life by marrying me...but change my life by leading me to the Lord.

Who would have ever guessed...that when someone was taking a picture of me...gabbing on a toy phone...that across the town...there was a little girl...having her picture taken. Not only that...but that this little girl and her family...use to live on the same street that I use to live on with my family. And not only that...but that we would be DESTINED to begin to date...and eventually get married...and STAY MARRIED for 35 plus years.

Take a look at that face. She is saying..."Hello Rodney...I was hoping that you would call. I can't wait wait until we grow up, met and get married. Rodney...you as soooooooooo cute." NOTE: Remember, I did say that you could open the door of imagination and create your own phone conversation.

"Why thank you Brenda baby...you are pretty spiffy yourself." He Brenda...I've got an idea. When we get married...we can have a cute little baby boy...and call him Phillip Stephen Boyd. "

And sure enough....we did...and he too loved to talk on his toy telephone. Little did we know that the advent of the cell phone was upon us...and that the cell phone would have to be surgically removed from his ear...and that He would developed muscular fingers with callouses on his fingertips from texting.

"Hello...Mom and Dad...This is Sugar Bear...I love you...and by the way...can I borrow the keys to the car?"

Well...I thank God...that I was able to establish contact with two of my favorite people in the whole, wide, world. But the only reason that I can enjoy Brenda and Phillip so much...is because of the call that I made to the Father via Jesus...and became a child of God.

The song Jesus on the Main Line...asks the questions..."Why don't you call Him up...call Him up...tell Him what you want...call Him up....call Him up...tell Him what you want...Why don't you call Him up... call Him up...tell Him what you want...JESUS ON THE MAIN LINE NOW. Then it would say...IF you want SALVATION...tell Him what you want... As the song continues...IF you want (fill in the blank) deliverance, Holy Ghost, etc....tell Him what you want.

Phone calls...are representative of PRAYER...as we contact God. NOTE: If you call God from America... it is a LONG DISTANCE call...but if you call from ISRAEL...it is a LOCAL CALL.

"If you abide in me and My words abide in you...ASK whatever you wish and it will be done unto you."
(John 15:7)

"CALL to Me...and I will ANSWER you, and I will TELL you great and mighty things...which you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3)

" Oh give thanks to the Lord, CALL upon His name; MAKE KNOWN His deeds among the peoples. SING to Him...SING praises to Him...SPEAK of ALL His wonders." (Psalm 105:1,2)

Well...it's time to HANG UP. Be sure to give me a CALL...but more than that...give God a Holy Buzz...He is waiting to here from you.

Love and Ringy Dingy Kisses
Rodney "Why Don't You Call Him Up" Boyd

MORNING CONFESSIONS

Greetings those who take showers in the morning. There is nothing like getting rid of the cobwebs in your head...by letting the hot, steaming water of your shower...cascade down upon you...and then lathering up for a little rub-a-dub-dub action. There is just something invigorating about this morning ritual. My Canadian friend...Red...really gets to enjoy it in her newly remodeled bathroom. I saw a video of it...and it is NICE.

I like to utilize the shower time...for a little spiritual rub-a-dub-dub time. What a good time to get not only physically prepared and invigorated for the coming day...but also to get spiritually prepared and invigorated for the day.

The first picture (click on the picture for a large view)...are some MORNING CONFESSIONS that I typed out and had laminated...and taped to the tub in my bathroom. They are wonderful verses...that help me to regain my focus on who He is...and who I am in Him.

Now for those of you who are getting upset because...I am using my shower as a SANCTUARY...to meet with God...get over it. I have had some of my most intimate times behind closed doors and drawn shower curtains. There have been times...where I have FELT (and you can't go by feelings)...but yes... I have FELT the presences of God...more in my shower than in the confines of structural edifice that we call CHURCH.

DISCLAIMER: I really do like to go to the structural edifice..and I have also FELT his presence in these places also.

I like to take a verse...as the WATERS are cascading down around me... and PRAY them. For example..."Lord...September 7th...2007...is the day that you have made...and Lord...I choose to REJOICE...and to be GLAD in it (the day). Lord...I don't care what is going on around me on this day...but I choose to be glad..not sad." That is just an exampled. I may stop after I read the word REJOICE...and then stop...and actually start REJOICING over all He has done in my life.

I then go on to the next verse..."Blessed be the Lord...who DAILY bears my burdens." Hmmmmmmmm....Lord if you did it yesterday...when yesterday was a day...that means that today...you will bear my burdens again...because you said you would do it DAILY...not weekly...not monthly...not yearly...but DAILY. Believe me...I got some burdens that need to be bore...and He promises to bear them for me... DAILY.

I don't have to wait until I can go thorough an open door into a nice church like this one that is pictured. It is nice to do that...but I DON'T HAVE TO WAIT until Sunday or Wednesday rolls around...I can do it DAILY...in my SHOWER...because my God is PRESENT.

Our bodies are called the TEMPLE OF GOD. We are made up of body (the housing), the soul (the mind the will and emotions), and the spirit (the inner sanctuary where the Spirit of God dwells) (I Thessalonians 5:23)

Wherever we go...He is...if we are in Him and He is in us. Not only that but He is Omnipresent. If I really believe this...I can worship Him everywhere I am...and when you get a collective group of saints...with the same God dwelling in them...look out.


I encourage you...to transform you vehicles...into rolling sanctuaries and your showers in to confessional booths...and your homes into points of outreach into your "personal" worlds.

Type out some scriptures...that really have meaning for you...laminate them...and hang them in your showers...and have a rub-a-dub-dub good time in the Lord.

Love and Clean Kisses
Rodney "Showers of Blessings" Boyd

P.S.
Look out for the mercy drops

FREE

Greetings free friends...and bound buddies. Do you ever feel like you've been Houdinized? Do you feel like you've got more chains and locks than old Marley in an Ebenezer nightmare. Have you been forging your chain over the years...and it is weighing you down like a 100 pound Albatross...where the Ancient Mariner does not rhyme anymore. Guess what. That is NOT the will of God for you.

Many people pray to know what the WILL OF GOD is for their lives. The seek, they agonize, they wonder, they get discouraged about God's plan for them. I...the Ruminator...will tell you exactly...what God's will is for you. Are you ready?

FREEDOM! SAY WHAT?!?
You heard me...I don't stuttered...and in the words of Earnest T. Bass...I don't chew my cabbage twice.

Jesus stated..."If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth... and the TRUTH shall make you FREE." (John 8:31,32) Of course, this is one of the most misquoted verses in the Bible. People love to quote this verse as an excuse to "speak their minds"...and then when they do speak their minds...they say...I'm only speaking the TRUTH...and you know that the TRUTH shall set you FREE. Christians and non-Christians use this convoluted logic...missing out on the abiding in Jesus' word part... and becoming true disciples of Him...and then coming into a position of knowing the truth...and THEN the TRUTH shall make you FREE.

The people that Jesus was talking to, had a great religious heritage...and they had come to believe in the things he spoke. (John 8:30) The problem for them...was that being made free comment. They reflect many of us...as we enter into the CLEOPATRA SYNDROME...as we become the Queen of DE-NILE (denial).

"They answered Him, We are Abraham's offspring (religious heritage).. and have never yet been ENSLAVED to anyone..how is it that You say YOU SHALL BECOME FREE?" (John 8:33). In their logical minds... this was true. They had read stories of enslavement in the past...in their history books...but they were about to be face to face with HISstory (Jesus' Story).

"Jesus answered them, Truly, truly (look out when He gives you a double truly...or a double verily...he's about to make a big point)...I say to you, everyone who COMMITS SIN...is the SLAVE OF SIN, and the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever."
(John 8:34,35) OUCH!

The first step to being set free...is to admit that you are NOT FREE. We cover up our bondage well. We sugar coat our sins...we rationalize our trespasses...we justify our iniquities. We get religious about it...we point our fingers to others and compare ourselves to others...because at least I am not as bad as so and so...or at least I'm not like that religious hypocrite in the organized religion. I do not break the 10 commandments...or at least I keep 6 out of 10 of them...so I am only 60% in bondage.

Jesus then underscores what he plainly stated in the first place..."If therefore the SON shall make you free...you shall be FREE INDEED."
(John 8:36) Read the rest of John 8 for the exciting conclusion of this discussion on freedom.

William Wallace...cried out for FREEEEEEEEEEEDOMMM!!!!!

Before William Wallace...there was Moses. The children of Israel...were in the land of Egypt... with their brother Joseph...who had influence in the land...BUT there came a day when a king arose... who did not know Joseph.
The king...saw how powerful the people of the sons of Israel were... and appointed TASKMASTERS over them to afflict them with HARD LABOR. They once were FREE...now they were ENSLAVED. (Exodus 7:1-22)

The slaves came to a point...to where their desire for FREEDOM was heard by God. "Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel SIGHED because of the BONDAGE...and they CRIED OUT...and their CRY for HELP because of their BONDAGE...rose up to God. So God heard their GROANING; and God REMEMBERED his COVENANT with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And God SAW the sons of Israel, and God TOOK NOTICE. (Exodus 2:23-25)

NOTE: God...had not forgotten...God does not have Alzheimer's Disease...and does not just arbitrarily ignore His children...however he does allow us to do what we want. I sense...that their was something about their sighings, cryings, and groanings...that indicated they were ready...to trust God. They must have been sighing, crying and groaning before this event. The bottom line is...this time...it set into motion a DELIVERER...aka MOSES...aka a type of JESUS.

After God calls Moses...to be His representative...and after Moses argued with all of the reasons that he could not...he went..."And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord...the God of Israel...LET MY PEOPLE GO..." (Exodus 5:1) In other words...
Freeeeeeeeeeeeedoooooooooooommmm!!!

What was the PURPOSE for this RELEASE? "...that they may CELEBRATE...a feast to Me in the wilderness. (Exodus 5:1). Fast forward...to September 5th 2007. The purpose for release has not changed. Celebration, praise, worship in the midst of this wilderness that we call earth...to be given to Him. (Again, Read Exodus for the exciting details of this DELIVERANCE).

As believers in the Death, Burial, Resurrection (D.B.R.)...we have been DELIVERED from the domain/authority of darkness and TRANSFERRED into the kingdom of His beloved Son.
(Colossians 1:13)

As time passes...we get a sense of heritage...and the further we get from our pass...we tend to forget where we came from...and how we were set free in the first place. We let our guard down...with our freedom...and before we knew it... we find ourselves back into bondage...BUT we tend to deny that we are bound...after all...we HAVE BEEN (past tense) SET FREE.

The book SCOTT FREE chronicles the life of Scott Ross...a former New York Disc Jockey...who rubbed elbows with The Beatles, Rollings Stones and you name it. He returned to roots of his childhood and became a Spirit-filled follower/disciple of Jesus Christ. His journey is chronicled in the book...and as the blurb on the cover states, "Even AFTER he found Jesus, he could not escape from Himself. What was the secret that set him: SCOTT FREE?" This is Ruminator Recommended Reading (RRR)


Remember that will of God that I told you about. This is underscored in Galatians. "It was for FREEDOM that Christ SET US FREE (past tense)...therefore...KEEP STANDING FIRM...and do not be SUBJECT AGAIN...to a YOKE OF SLAVERY." (Galatians 5:1). As Jesus stated to those who were denying the fact that they were enslaved...these things that can make us subject again to a yoke of slavery...is SIN. The will of God is not to be bound by SIN...but to keep standing firm...against sin in our lives.

Again...just like people are constantly seeking some cosmic will for their lives...to rescue from their mundane...everyday...living out day by day, lives...so it is with the CALLING on their lives. Well...I am about to tell you what your CALLING is. "For you were CALLED...to FREEDOM."
(Galatians 5:13). There ya go...the will of God is the same thing that your calling is...FREEDOM.

The problem is...that if we are not careful...this thing called FREEDOM...
can take a bad turn. "...only do not turn your freedom into an OPPORTUNITY for the FLESH, but through LOVE....SERVE one another." (Galatians 5:13) NOTE: This re-bondage is manifested in how you relate to others. The desires of the flesh...trump the desire to follow Jesus as a servant/lover. (Galatians 5:13-15)

This thing called the FLESH...where your bondage is manifested...sets it's desire...against..the Spirit. Now...I AM NOT...talking about someone who does not know Jesus...or someone who pretends to be religious.. I am talking about bonafide...blood washed...Bible believing Christians. These people are SET FREE...but are not continuing in Jesus Words... and the cause and effect is walking in the deeds of the FLESH...which are evident. Galatians 5:19-21 gives a sampling...not a conclusive list of deeds of the flesh...that Christians can be bound with...even after they were set free. I know from personal experience...because after I was saved in 1970, baptized in the Holy Spirit in 1972...became REBOUND in sin...and smoked more dope, drank more booze, huffed more chemicals, and did more stupid stuff under the influence...than I did before I was a Christian. Here's a partial list: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envyings, drunkenness, carousings, and things LIKE these. NOTE: Again, I am not talking about NON-CHRISTIANS or people with religious facades...I'm talking about BELIEVERS. We can fall out of the WILL OF GOD...by being bound again with sin.

HOW CAN WE STAND AGAINST THIS HAPPENING? I'm glad you asked.

"But I say WALK BY THE SPIRIT...and you WILL NOT carry out the desire of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16)

The problem is stated in Galatians 5:17..."For the FLESH sets its desire against the SPIRIT, and the SPIRIT against the FLESH...for these are in OPPOSITION to one another...so that you may not do the things that you PLEASE."

The fruit (or outworking) of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, SELF-CONTROL, against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22,23).

HOW DO WE GET FROM DEEDS OF THE FLESH TO FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT? HOW DO WE STAY FREE VERSUS BEING BOUND AGAIN. I'm glad you asked.

"Now...those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Freed)...have CRUCIFIED (put to death) the FLESH...with its passions and desires. If we live by the SPIRIT...let us also WALK by the Spirit." (Galatians 5:24,25)

Houdini knew how to manipulate handcuffs, create illusion, escape from impossible situations with physical, explainable tricks. Our escapes are not based on deception...but on TRUTH. Jesus is the way, THE TRUTH and the life...no one comes to the Father but through Him...and no one stays FREE...except by continuing in His Word.

Love and FREE kisses
Rodney "William Wallace Ain't Got Nothing On Me" Boyd