IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE???? OH REALLY!?!

Hello movie fans. It's that time of year when the seasonal holiday movies are rolled out for us to enjoy...and I do enjoy them. Oh a lot of them have nothing to do with what CHRIST-mass is all about...but they do give us some "sentimental hogwash" to tear up and wish our lives could be like that. One of my favorite movies is IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. It is the story of George Bailey...who is brought to the brink of suicide...by his circumstances and dashed dreams to leave Bedford Falls and fulfill his life long desire to see the world.

It speaks of people like the Psalmist David as he plucks his blues song..."O Lord how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, THERE IS NO HELP FOR HIM IN GOD." Psalm 3:1,2

It speaks of the despair that Elisha's servant had when all he saw who was surrounding him and Elisha. "Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold AN ARMY WITH HORSES AND CHARIOTS WAS CIRCLING THE CITY. And his servant said to him, ALAS, my master...what shall we do?
(II Kings 6:15)
It's like the Psalmist laments in Psalm 37...where evildoers and wrongdoers seem to prosper while you are doing all the right things and can't get a break.
(Psalm 37:1)

It's like you and me...as our worlds falls apart, our economy crashes, the cold, hard circumstances of life slaps us in the face. WHAT CAN WE DO. Well the answer is the same as it was for David, Elisha's servant, and the Psalmist. God, faith, hope, love, tenacity, don't give up, press into God.

In George Bailey's case...what set his answered prayer into motion was many, many friends, neighbors, family members on there knees praying for George Baily. The movie opens with an overview of the Bailey household and you see the camera drawing back and upward as the prayers are being shot out like arrows on a mission. The prayers swirl in the cosmos and hits it's target...and an angel is dispatched to help George through the rough times.

For David surrounded by enemies...after stating his problem...he declared the answer to his problem. "But though O Lord are a shield about me, my glory and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the Lord with my voice and He answered me from His holy mountain. I lay down and slept; I awoke for the Lord sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about." (Psalm 3:3-6)

Elisha's servant had a master who saw beyond what was obvious and prayed for the servants eyes to be open to reality...spiritual that is..."Se he answered, Do not FEAR, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. Then Elisha prayed and said, O Lord I pray, OPEN HIS EYES that he may SEE. And the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he say; and behold, the mountain was FULL OF HORSES AND CHARIOTS OF FIRE ALL AROUND ELISHA." (II Kings 6:16,17)

The Psalmist in Psalm 37 was given practical things to do in the face of overwhelming odds. He says get proactive and: do not FRET, TRUST in the Lord, DO good, DWELL in the land, CULTIVATE faithfulness, DELIGHT yourself in the Lord, COMMIT your way to Him, REST in the Lord, CEASE from anger. Instead of worrying about evildoers and wrong doers who will be withering like grass and fading like the green herb under the sun anyway...get PROACTIVE IN YOUR FAITH.

TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND DO NOT LEAN ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT. (Proverbs 3:5,6)

Hmmmmm....it really is a WONderful life...when the ONE you trust is GOD...so you will have a ONEderful life in HIM.

Love and Standing Kisses
Rodney "Is That A Bell I Hear" Boyd

CHEERS

Cheers and Cherrio to you my friends. When you lift a cup of kindness to someone, you are wishing them well.

CHEERS: (1) state of mind or of feeling; mood; spirit; now usually in such phrases as be of good cheer, with good cheer (2) gaiety; gladness; joy; a source of encouragement (3) festive food or entertainment
(4) anything that makes one happy; encouragement (5) a glad, excited shout used to urge on, welcome, approved, etc. (Webster's)

CHEERIO: (1) goodbye (2) good health; used as a toast

CHEERS: A situation comedy television show of the 80's...1980's that is. The story of an ex-baseball player who is a recovering alcoholic who also happens to run a bar that caters to a variety of characters each week.

The theme song is a catchy little diddie written by Judy Hart Angelo and Gary Portnoy...and goes a little something like this (sing along if you know it):

Making you way in the world
takes everything you've got,
Taking a break from all your
worries , sure would help a lot...Wouldn't you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go...Where everybody knows your name...and they're always GLAD you came...you wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same...you wanna go where everybody knows your name.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm....sounds like a church...but it's not...it is that Boston bar called cheers. One of the characters that walks in is a man named Norm Peterson (played by George Wendt). As he enters in... the entire bar shouts out his name...NORM!!! Then whoever is behind the bar would ask him various questions at which time he would come back with a funny little saying.

Here's some examples:

What's new Norm? Terrorists, Sam...they've taken over my stomach and they're demanding beer.

Hey Norm...how's the WORLD been treating you? Like a baby treats a diaper.

Women...can't live with 'em...pass the beer nuts.

What's the story Mr. Peterson? Boy meets beer..boy drinks beer...boy meets another beer.

What's happening Mr. Peterson? The question Wood, WHY is it happening to me.

Well..you get the idea. His answers are reflections and mini-commentaries on his pathetic life...and his need for beer to numb the pain.

My favorite comment is as Woody asks him..."How's it going Mr. Peterson? Norm responds..."Its a dog eat dog WORLD...and I'm wearing Milk Bone underwear."

The WORLD is just not treating Norm Peterson very nice. And guess what...the WORLD ain't treating you very nice. Do you feel the nipping teeth of the dogs of this world snapping at your Milk Bone underwear. In the words of the drill Sgt. who had the privilege of training the Three Stooges... "Why does everything always have to happen to me?!?!

Like the Morton Salt slogan states..."WHEN IT RAINS...IT POURS. It seems like you receive the punch of one fist...and the second one sneaks in on you.

What's a person to do? Well...instead of doing like Norm Peterson...and complain and drink... as a believer in Jesus Christ...the anointed one with an anointing to do good and heal all who were oppressed by the devil...for God was with Him (Acts 10:38)...who had an anointing of the Holy Ghost and Power...with an anointing that was yoke destroying, burden lifting, oppression removing dunamis (explosive, dynamic ability) power...we might ought to correct our speaking by renewing the mind.

Usually what we speak is what we think. The Bible states that out of the abundance of the heart...the mouth speaks.

There is power in the words that we speak.. and they can bring life or death..."Death and life are in the power of the TONGUE and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." (Proverbs 18:21)

"O generation of vipers...how can you being evil...speak good things? For out of the ABUNDANCE of the HEART...the MOUTH SPEAKS." (Matthew 12:34)

"A good man...out of the good treasure of his HEART brings forth that which is good...and an evil man...of of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of his HEART his MOUTH SPEAKS." (Luke 6:45)

In the Ruminator Sunday School class...we periodically use and example of our HEART/MOUTH connection by going to someone in class (usually someone new to the class) and have them shake their cup of coffee until it spills over onto the table (if they don't shake hard enough...I give them a hand). The question is then posed: "Why did coffee come out of that cup?" They usually answer because it was shaken." Of course...that is the wrong answer. "The reason coffee came out of that cup because... that is what was IN THE CUP. The shaking was only the thing that revealed what was IN THE CUP."

The same thing with our WORDS. When the world shakes you up...when the dog eat dog world is nipping at your milkbone underwear...when situations, circumstances, world events, personal issues take place... the question is...what is coming of your mouth via your heart.

The key to changing the heart content...is changing the mind content. The old computer programming saying still rings true..."garbage in... garbage out." We need a reprogramming of our MIND SET. As believers in the D.B.R...death, burial, resurrection of Jesus the Anointed One...we RENEW OUR MINDS.

Romans 12:1,2 speaks of a WORLD MINDSET versus a RENEWED MINDSET..."I urge you therefore brethren...by the mercies of God...to present you bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your reasonable/spiritual service of worship. And do not be CONFORMED to the WORLD but be TRANSFORMED by the RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, that you may PROVE what the WILL OF GOD is...that which is GOOD...ACCEPTABLE...AND PERFECT."

Conformed means to be shaped into the box of thinking of the world. Transformed means to metamorphose into something different under pressure much like a butterfly breaking through the coccoon. This is done by taking the WORD OF GOD...and changing your way of thinking...or as Zig Ziglar calls it...STINKIN' THINKIN'... where you are dead from the neck up. This in effect changes our heart thinking...which in turn changes our mouth speaking.

It is all about our MIND SET...that reflects in our MOUTH SET. One give out life and peace...the other gives out death.

"For those who are according tot the flesh SET THEIR MINDS ON 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 (See Heb. 11:6)
(Romans 8:5-8)

Today...stop and listen...really listen to people around you. What's coming out of their mouths. Then stop and listen to yourself. What's coming out of your mouth. Are you sounding like the conformed world or are you sounding like a transformed mind. What's in your cup when it is shaken?

Love and Renewed Kisses
Rodney "Hey...who put this coffee in my cup" Boyd

SEVEN WORDS

Howdy-do y'all. QUESTION: What were the last 7 things that you have said? We speak thousands of words a day...some important...some prolific...some downright stupid. If you are like me...my mouth starts working before my brain kicks in... and I say some pretty inane comments. Art Linkletter use to have a show called KIDS SAY THE DARNEDEST THINGS. It was Art interviewing kids...and they just honestly say whats on their minds...with some pretty funny insights.

This first picture is one of the first Christian rock and roll albums that I ever purchased. I found it back int he 70's at a Christian Bookstore/Coffeehouse in Nashville called KOINONIA. It is by a guy named RANDY MATTHEWS. He is one of the pioneers of Christian rock and roll. He hails from Cincinnati and his father was one of the original Jordanairres that was the backup singers for Elvis Presley. His album called SON OF DUST...had a song on it called DIDN'T HE. To this day...the song sends chills up and down my spine...as Randy strikes his guitar with a closed fist and utter the words..."And the hammer fell (thud)...on the wooden nail (thud)...through His flesh into the tree...and they laughed at Him...as He died for them..." Throughout the song...under the radar...you can hear the softly whispered last words of Jesus. They are called the SEVEN WORDS FROM THE CROSS. They were actually more than words...more like seven statements.

You always hear of peoples LAST WORDS...thinking that as they take their dying breath...that they want to express last wishes, last regrets, last instructions. In the movie Citizen Kane...the classic Orson Wells movie...the last word was ROSEBUD...the name of a toy sled.

Jesus' last words were recorded throughout the gospel in Luke 23:34;John 19:26,27; Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34; John 19:28; John 19:30; Luke 23:46

Let's listen in on this Holy Conversation...as the Saviour of the world... took on the sins of the world...to be the propitiation (substitute and satisfaction) for the debt that we owed...that we could not pay.

FIRST WORD: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) The rabble was hostile that day. They demanded the release of a criminal (Barabbas)...they demanded death for the sinless man as the beat Him, mocked Him, shamed Him, railroaded Him with trumped up charges...and they did it not knowing what they were doing. Jesus response was..."...forgive them." The Father calls on us to forgive others like Christ forgave us. Next time someone does you wrong...ask yourself it was paramount to what Jesus went through and still forgave.

SECOND WORD: "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43). As He "hung up for our hangups", He was joined on separate crosses by two thieves. One mocked Him...the other cried out for help. Can you imagine...as Jesus was getting ready to embark for Paradise...that the humble criminal...would be right there with Jesus in Paradise? Once again, Jesus in pain, suffering, agony and shame...was forgiving the unforgivable.

THIRD WORD: "Jesus said to his mother, Woman, this is your son. Then He said to the disciple, this is your mother."
(John 19:26,27) Jesus was taking care of business as He made sure His mother would not be left alone in her darkest hour. Tradition states that Jesus place the beloved disciple, John, in charge of the care of Mother Mary.

FOURTH WORD: "And about 3 o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice Eli, Eli, lema sabackthani? which means My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34) Usually we see those nice pictures painted of Jesus hanging on the cross...with cloth strategically draped to cover His private parts...a minimal amount of blood, a calm...cool...collected Saviour that took it like a man, with a stiff upper lip as he was crucified. The reality is...He was naked totally, beaten to a bloody pulp, a crown of thorns with large, sharp, pointed thrones digging into His brow. He had been in the Garden previously agonizing over his moment to the point of sweating blood droplets...but those blood droplets of prayer were minuscule compared to what he was bleeding now. Emotionally...he felt forsaken. Sometimes when I don't feel God around as my world is falling apart...I am aloud to feel a small touch of what Jesus was feeling as He died for me.

FIFTH WORD: "I thirst." (John 19:28) "A jar full of sour wine/vinegar was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop, and broth it up to His mouth." I don't know about you...but sour wine is really not my thirst quencher of choice. Have you ever been so thirsty...that you grab a bottle of Gatorade...and put the bottle up to your parched lips...and began to drink freely. As you drink you can feel the cooling liquid thirst quencher going over you lips, the tongue, down your throat, into your esophagus and into the stomach. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah....you can almost feel it touching every parched area of your body. Now imagine someone putting vinegar into the Gatorade and drinking freely. NOTE: Some say that the sour wine was used to numb the pain. Whatever it was...Jesus thirsted...and sour wine does not seem like much of a thirst quencher.

SIXTH WORD: "It is finished" (John 19:30) There is a song that really speaks to me..."It is finished...the battle is over, it is finished...there will be no more war...it is finished.. the end of the conflict...it is finished...and JESUS IS LORD.
Jesus has purpose when He left heaven and took on the form of man. That purpose...in obedience to the Father was to be the substitute for man. In John 13:3...we see how Jesus could become a servant of man..."Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hand, and that He had come forth from God, and was GOING BACK TO GOD...rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, girded Himself about. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to WASH THE DISCIPLES FEET, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded." This is a picture of Jesus leaving heaven, serving by dying to self and then returning to the Father. The CROSS was the last piece of the puzzle. Mission accomplished! He completed what was the original plan...and IT WAS FINISHED...COMPLETED... ACCOMPLISHED.

SEVENTH WORD: "Jesus, cried out in a loud voice...Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." (Luke 23:46) The cause and effect of Jesus' declaration..."And having said this, HE BREATHED HIS LAST." (Luke 23:46) Oh, to slip into the arms and presence of the Father. I remember so well... as I was with my Dad...as he was in the throes of death...and he was struggling with every breath to hold on to life. As I write this...the tears are welling up in my eyes with emotion of the moment...as I leaned down to my Dad...and whispered into his ears..."Dad, it's OK to let go...go to Mom...Jesus is waiting." A strange peace came over him, me, the room...and "HE BREATHED HIS LAST"...and his spirit slipped into the hands of the Father.

I know for a fact...that as Jesus was whispering his last SEVEN WORDS...He was pointing us to THE way...into the presence of the Father. The starting point of our entrance into the presence of the Father starts with forgiveness, with assurance that we will be with Him in paradise, with taking care of business in this world, with as sense of being forsaken, with a thirst for Him, and at some point we will be finished with our journey (this world is not my home...I'm just passing through)...and finally we can commend our spirits into the hands of the Father. Allstate Insurance ain't got nothing on my Father's hands.

Love and Spoken Kisses
Rod "Didn't He Die...and Doesn't He Live For You And Me" Boyd

FROM CHAOS TO ORDER

Happy Day After Thanksgiving. I hope you had a day to rest, relax, enjoy friends, over eat, repented for overeating, watched some football, sleep, eat some more food, made room for desert, reflected on the faithfulness of God as He has blessed you over the past year, and thanked Him in the hard times...knowing that He will get you through the hard times.

Sometimes when our lives appear to be OUT OF CONTROL.. in a CHAOTIC PRIMORDIAL SWIRLING BALL OF CONFUSION...we need to step back and realize that our lives are a series of TRANSITIONS...from CHAOS TO ORDER.

Yesterday I went out on my deck in the cold 45 degree weather...that came in on the coattails of rain and a cold front...that was in a shark contrast from the previous 70 degree weather. There was a transition.

As I stood on my deck I noted a tree that is behind the deck...that was so stark...so naked...so devoid of previous life...that it took me aback. I had to take a picture of it...and then looked at a previous picture where it was full of leaves, life, lack of nakedness. It dawned on me that this tree had entered into a dormant place from a place of activity. Even in the dormant place...this tree still has life. It has not died. It is in a new phase and transition in preparation for it to come back into full leaf... in the proper timing.

I then began to dwell upon my life. There are areas in my life...where it appears there are no leaves. Too the naked eye...there appears to be no life. There appears to be no order...only chaos. Things in my life are OUT OF MY CONTROL. Things are cold, devoid of activity, de-leafed in my life...and I don't like it. I had to admitted it...but I am a CONTROL FREAK...when it comes to things in my life.

I have come to...and am still coming to...a place in my life where I have to take a cue from The United State government's stance on separation of church and state (which is really a misnomer since there is NO separation of church and state). That government stamp of approval is simply this....IN GOD WE TRUST. We may worship what those 4 words are printed on...our money...but it is still a fact...IN GOD ROD TRUSTS.

Oh I don't act like all the time...but no matter how the leaves looks..or doesn't look on my tree...IN GOD I TRUST.


When God was in the first baseball game mentioned in the Bible (In The Big Inning..aka beginning)...God (along with the Holy Spirit and Jesus)...took something that was formless and void...waste and emptiness...CHAOTIC...and CREATED...ORDER. There was a darkness over the surface of the deep...much like the cold, dark, leafless tree in my back yard. The creative process did not balk at the impossibility...by God CALLED THINGS THAT ARE NOT AS THOUGH THEY WERE (Romans 4:17). God took a thought...and used WORDS...and SPOKE...not what there was...but what He WANTED.


"In the beginning god created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was MOVING over the surface of the waters. Then God SAID, Let there be light (LIGHT BE)...and there WAS LIGHT (cause and effect).

When Jesus was walking back to Jerusalem to cause a little trouble in the temple (Read Mark 11:1-33)...
He saw a fig tree that was in leaf...so he went over to see if it had any figs on it...because he BECAME HUNGRY. When He saw it did not have any figs...just leaves...he used the tree as an object lesson...and spoke a curse on the tree and said, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again.!" He then went on to Jerusalem...and dealt with robbers...by turning over the source of their thievery. His posse returned back to Bethany...and passed by the fruitless fig tree (some say an analogy to the fruitless religious people)...and His boys were amazed. Peter piped up (he was always piping)...and reminded Jesus (as if Jesus had forgotten)..."Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which You cursed has withered." Jesus response to "THEM" (not just Peter)..."HAVE FAITH IN GOD."

Jesus then began to teach on PRAYER AND FAITH..."Truly I say to you, whoever says to this MOUNTAIN (the one that they could see), Be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is GOING TO HAPPEN (there may be a time lapse like the fig tree), it SHALL BE GRANTED HIM. Therefore (refers back to what you just read)...I say to you, all things for which you PRAY and ASK...BELIEVE that you HAVE RECEIVED (even when it looks like there are no leaves...or there is no answer to be seen), and they SHALL BE GRANTED YOU." (Mark 11:12-24)

No matter how bleak it looks...no matter how fruitless the moment may be...no matter how CHAOTIC you life may be...pull out your Bible...or at least pull out your DOLLAR BILL...and say HAVE FAITH IN GOD...IN GOD I TRUST.

As the season go from SPRING...where things are in full bloom...to SUMMER...where things get hot...to
AUTUMN...where the leaves start to fall...to WINTER...where there is bleakness and cold...focus on the GOD OF THE SEASONS.

Wait a minute...is that a glimmer of light I see in the darkness swirling?

Love and Warm and Toasty Kisses
Rodney "devil...make like a tree and leaf" Boyd

THANKSGIVING OF THE YET PRINCIPLE

Happy Thanksgiving all of you wonderful Ruminators. Today is a National Holiday in the United States where we come together as friends and families to stuff ourselves with a stuffed turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, (fill in this space with your favorites). At our house this year we will have various people from various walks of life, from various countries (ie. Ethiopia)...converge for some tasty deep fried turkey, ham, etc. Hopefully...at some point we will reflect of what we have to be thankful for in our collective and individual lives.

As I was reflecting on what I was thankful for this year...I began to think of various relatives, friends, brothers and sisters in the Lord...who have been going through some hard times. And then my thoughts went out to other countries where the poorest in this country look like kings compared to those who have nothing.

It is easy to give THANKS when we HAVE. The song encourages us to COUNT OUR BLESSINGS one by one...and we usually count the GOOD stuff and things that happens to us or what we have...BUT... the rubber meets the road...when we are able to THANK GOD in the face of NOT HAVING...or as we GO THROUGH bad and ugly stuff. I Thessalonians 5:18 encourages us to give thanks in EVERYTHING...for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. NOT giving thanks FOR everything...but IN everything. The bad stuff and junk you are going through is not the WILL OF GOD...but the GIVING OF THANKS in the middle of it is the WILL OF GOD.

Enter the THANKSGIVING OF THE YET PRINCIPLE.

Habakkuk declared that the righteous shall LIVE BY FAITH. (Habakkuk 2:4) In Habakkuk chapter 3 he fleshes out what hit means to life by FAITH.

"Though the fig tree should NOT BLOSSOM, and there be NO FRUIT on the vines, though the yield of the olive should FAIL, and the fields produce NO food, though the flock should be CUT OFF from the fold, and there be NO cattle in the stalls...

YET (in the face of nothing working)

I WILL (my personal choice to do something in the face of NOT seeing what I need)

EXULT (jump up, spin around, get clamorously foolish, rave on)

IN THE LORD (not in my circumstance)


I WILL (my choice)

REJOICE (in the Lord always and again I will rejoice)

IN THE GOD OF MY SALVATION (not the lack of my condition)

THE LORD GOD IS MY STRENGTH (my declaration of faith in the face of not seeing it)

AND HE HAS MADE MY FEET LIKE HINDS FEET (able to climb the rocky rough places that this world and the devil has thrown at me)

AND HE MAKES ME WALK ON MY HIGH PLACES (places high above the rabble of life)

This is FAITH.

Psalm 100 is a PSALM OF THANKSGIVING where all men are EXHORTED to Praise God. It was a Psalm sung as they were entering to give sacra fices to the Lord...for the forgiveness of sins. It was a Psalm that was to be sung BEFORE THE SACRIFICES WAS MADE...in ANTICIPATION of the FORGIVENESS. Verse 4 of Psalm 100 implores the people to enter His gates with THANKSGIVING...and His COURTS with PRAISE...GIVE THANKS to Him...

THANKSGIVING= todah (to-daw): properly, an extension of the hand, that adoration; a choir of worshippers, confession (sacrifice of praise) thanksgiving, offering.

GIVE THANKS= yadah (ya-daw) to hold out the hand; to physically throw, to revere or worship with extended hands--intensively to bemoan by wringing of hands.

These acts of pre-forgiveness in the face of not yet having what we desire as we enter by faith...are active, physical acts of worship.

So.............as you enter into this day of THANKSGIVING...don't base your thanks on JUST what you have...but take it up a notch with an anticipation of what God is GOING TO DO IN YOUR LIFE. Do a
pre-emptive strike on fear, doubt, depression, unbelief...and start thanking Him for meeting your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (and there ain't no shortage in Christ Jesus).

Love and very thankful kisses
Rodney "Exulting and Rejoicing" Boyd

IT'S A CRYING SHAME

Greetings and Salutations to all of you Cud-Chewers. Have you ever done anything in your life that you are ashamed of...and every time it arises you go deeper into shame. Or have you seared your conscience enough that you become immune to the voice of shame...and current morals convince you that what you should be ashamed of is not really that bad?

SHAME: (1) a painful feeling of having lost the respect of others because of the improper behavior, incompetence, etc. of oneself or another (2) a tendency to have feelings of this kind, or a capacity for such feeling (3) dishonor or disgrace (4) a person or thing that brings shame, dishonor or disgrace (5) something regrettable, unfortunate, or outrageous

ASHAMED: (1) feeling shame because something bad, wrong, or foolish was done. (2) feeling humiliated or embarrassed as from a sense of inadequacy or inferiority (3) reluctant because fearing shame beforehand.

I found my original Bible that I bought in 1970 after I became a Christian. It was a big, old hawking Bible called The Scofield Reference Bible. This was the Bible of choice of any good Independent Baptist. As I flipped through this tattered Testament (Old and New)...I saw the genesis of my Christian life. I saw things I underlined...notes written out in the margins....and a flood of memories rushed into my mind.

I came across a verse that I had underlined and written in the margin at Romans 1:16..."For I am NOT ASHAMED of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

In the margin I wrote two words next to that verse. Those two words were LIFE VERSE. That meant that I would carry this verse with me and before me the rest of my life. In the margin I also wrote..."I don't care who ridicules me for preaching the Gospel. I will live for the Lord always. Power is taken from the Greek word that we get dynamite from. That's power for the world." (Rodney Boyd 1970) NOTE: This picture of the cross was drawn by my son Phillip at my request.

Well...here it is the fall of 2007...37 years since I pinned those words. I had a theology teacher (Dr. John McCray) tell us once that we need to write and underline things in the Word with a pencil...because over a period of time...our insights may change...and we may need to erase. Well...these margin notes were written in ink...and after 37 years they have not changed. Oh...I've been up and done over the years like a roller coaster ride...but the truth does not change. I AM ashamed of my inconsistency of living my life out loud for Jesus...but the GOSPEL OF CHRIST...is alive and well. Death, Burial, and Resurrection...nothing more...nothing less does not change with passing whims and fads of the populace. The Gospel in a NUTSHELL is defined in I Corinthian 15:1-5. Paul wrote it...and then underscored it in his letter to the Galatians who were being troubled by people who wanted to ADD TO the GOSPEL. They wanted D.B.R.+ circumcision, eating certain types of food, festivals, etc. Paul wanted to know..."Oh foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, CRUCIFIED AMONG YOU. This only would I learn of you, received you the Spirit by the works of the law...or by the hearing of faith (answer=hearing by faith). Are you so foolish...having begun in the Spirit, are you NOW made perfect by the flesh (answer NO). Paul was NOT ASHAMED of the simplicity of the GOSPEL...but he was ashamed of adding to anything...any work...any thing that you could add to enhance the salvation experience. In Titus 3:5 he wrote..."He SAVED us...not on the basis of DEEDS which we have done in righteousness...but according to his MERCY...by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit." D.B.R...NOTHING MORE...NOTHING LESS.

I am not ashamed: Paul held his head high

Of the Gospel/Good News...D.B.R....nothing more nothing less

Of Christ: The anointed one with the anointing of the Holy Ghost and Power (Acts 10:38) Anointing=yoke destroying, burden lifting, oppression removing power (Luke 4/Isaiah 61)

For it: The Gospel/Good News/D.B.R
Is the POWER of God: Dunamis (dynamic ability) that is God's power not our power/dynamic ability to save us.

Unto SALVATION: Greek word (so-tay-ree-ah): The Hebrew and Greek word for salvation imply the idea of deliverance, safety, preservation, healing, and soundness. Salvation is the great inclusive word of the Gospel, gathering into itself all the redemptive acts and processes: as justification, redemption, grace, propitiation, imputation, forgiveness, sanctification, and glorification. Salvation is in three tenses (1) has been saved from guilt and penalty of sin and is safe (2) is being saved from the habit and dominion of sin (3) is to be saved in the sense of entire conformity to Christ. Salvation is by grace through faith, is a free gift, and wholly without works. The divine order is: first salvation, then works (The Scofield Reference Bible notes on Romans 1:16)

To EVERY ONE that believeth (in the D.B.R.): Salvation is opened to everyone...but everyone will not take the step of belief in the D.B.R. They would rather take a chance on their own goodness, their works, anything but the PROPITIATION (substitute/satisfaction for God)...the D.B.R...the blood of Jesus Christ that redeems us from sin.

To the Jew first: God's chosen covenant people

And also to the Greek (gentile) (this opens the door to WHOSOEVER

"For I am NOT ASHAMED of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to EVERY ONE that BELIEVES...to the Jew first...and also to the Greek...for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from FAITH...to...FAITH...as it is written, the just...shall LIVE BY FAITH (in the D.B.R.)"
(Romans 1:16,17)

As my Dad use to say when he was frustrated with things I would do or with the way things were going in his life..."It's A Crying Shame." Well...it is a crying shame if you miss out on the abundant life of Jesus... because of a bad choice.

Love and Non-Ashamed Kisses
Rodney "Written In The Margin Of My Heart" Boyd

FAILURE...TO COMMUNICATE

Hello friends and neighbors...how's your communication skills? As I am writing this Rambling...I am listening to the Theme to the movie Cool Hand Luke. A very soothing, calming, picking of the guitar with a wave of strings drawing you into a peaceful setting that was anything but peaceful.

In 1967 there was a movie released that quickly became one of my favorite movies.. by the name of COOL HAND LUKE starring Paul Newman. It is a movie about conformity and submitting to the system personified in the character of Lucas Jackson. It opens with Lucas cutting the heads off of parking meters on one drunken night. He was arrested...and when asked why he did such a thing...his answer was...
"Small town, not much to do in the evening. Mostly just evening up scores." He was sent to a prison camp...where it was expected that he would conform...one way or the other.

The Warden/Captain was played by a wonderful character actor named Strother Martin. He has been in many T.V. shows and movies including.. the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

In this one he played a southern warden of the prison camp...who was in charge of taking non-conformist and conforming them the easy way or the hard way. Lucas Jackson chose the hard way.

Luke...became a hero in the eyes of a lot of the prisoners...and became almost a religious icon as someone who would not conform to the chains that were to remind him of what the Captain was saying. Instead they reminded him of why he wanted to break free from those chains and not conforming to prison life. The name Cool Hand Luke came after he won a five card stud game on a stone cold bluff. Luke states..."Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a REAL COOL HAND." Many reviewers of the movie noted the religious context of Luke being a "Christ-like" character with his martyrdom by authorities. Even in the closing shoot of the movie they indicate that in the closing pullback shot of roads...there forms a distinct cross.

One of the most famous lines...that was repeated 2 times in the movie with a slight variation was found in this dialogue after Luke attempted on of his escapes:

CAPTAIN: You gonna get used to wearin' them chains after awhile, Luke. Don't you never stop listenin' to them clinking, cause they gonna remind you of what I've been saying.... for your own good.

LUKE" I wish you'd stop being so good to me, Cap'm.

CAPTAIN: Don't you ever talk that way to me. Never! Never!

(addressing the rest of the prisoners)

What we've got here...is FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE. Some men, you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week--which is the way he wants it. Well...he gets it. And I don't like it anymore than you men.

NOTE: He makes the statement again later...and adds...A failure to communicate.

Communication Breakdown is at the core of a lot of the problems in world relationships and in inter personal relationships. We have a FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE.

The heartbeat of God is COMMUNICATION. He is a revealer, discloser, a manifester of mysteries and secret things. The Greek word KOINONIA...has many meanings. On aspect of koinonia is to have FELLOWSHIP. It speaks of an intimacy going beyond surface relationships. It speaks of having something in common with someone. The root of the word is KOINE' which means common. There is the classical Greek language...and then there is the street language of the koine'...or common man. This is what the New Testament is written...to communicate with the common man. Another meaning of koinonia is communion...COMMUNICATION... and sharing.
I'm convinced that God's heartbeat is to COMMUNICATE with us. I believe that the core of many of our problems as Christians is based on our having a FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE.

"For the crooked man is an abomination to the Lord; BUT He is intimate with the upright." (Proverbs 3:32)

The Amplified Bible puts it this way..."For the perverse are an abomination--extremely disgusting and detestable---to the Lord; BUT His confidential communion and secret counsel are with the uncompromisingly righteous--those who are upright and in right standing with Him."

Note that the FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE is not on God's end of the communication process...it is on my end. The ONLY way to get into a position of being upright and in right standing with Him...is JESUS CHRIST...and the D.B.R...nothing more...nothing less. Every time I move from the cross...and into righteousness based on my goodness...and what I can do or not do...I immediately go in to COMMUNICATION FAILURE. The only way to relink back into favor...is the way I got there in the first place...grace, mercy, yielding my will to His will by the BLOOD of Jesus (I John 1:1-10) This is where the word...KOINONIA is found in reference to our standing with Him.

One of my favorite scriptures to fall back on when I don't understand something is Deuteronomy 29:29..."The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the THINGS REVEALED belongs to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law."

As in the movie Cool Hand Luke...the chains that bind us can remind us to conform to this world and remain prisoners...or they can remind us that IT WAS FOR FREEDOM THAT CHRIST SET US FREE... THEREFORE KEEP STANDING FIRM...AND DO NOT BE SUBJECT AGAIN TO A YOKE OF SLAVERY. (Galatians 5:1).

For Luke...the freedom that he sought was found in death. For us... the freedom that we seek is found in death....and resurrection. When we die to our SELF...our wishes...our desires...and then allow God to breath His Spirit on us...we really begin to LIVE. Sometimes I find my self walking around with the chains of the flesh...like a zombie or the living dead... when I could be set free. What I have is FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE... with the Creator of Communication.

Love and NON-FAILURED Kisses
Rodney " I'm Shaking It Boss" Boyd

UTILITY BELT PART DEUCE

Well...here we are..same Bat Time...Same Bat Channel.. with the continuation of our SPIRITUAL UTILITY BELT. We have seen that we are in a war...we have identified the enemy...we have seen our armor...and we have under girded our efforts with prayer. Now...lets check out some things that we have as our disposal in our belt to fight the enemy.

The enemy uses fear, doubt, unbelief, hopelessness, anxiety, worry, tension, frustration, feelings...to cloud our minds...or jam our communication system. The enemy enters into what Joyce Myers calls...the BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND...and plants bombs of confusion and unrest in our lives...BUT we do not have to sit around and take it.

Whenever the Joker would be running wild...or the Penguin, the Riddler, Clayface, would be on the loose...Commissioner Gorden would get up on the roof and shine the BATSIGNAL on the passing clouds. Somehow this would get the attention of Bruce Wayne (Batman's secret identity) and He would contact the Commissioner. Or the Commissioner would call Bats up on the BATPHONE.
The first thing we have at our disposal...is a COMMUNICATION SYSTEM with God. We have a little thing called PRAYER. "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done unto you." (John 15:7) "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request which we have asked from Him." (I John :14,15) "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) "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted to you." (Mark 11:24) " Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by PRAYER and SUPPLICATION with THANKSGIVING, let/allow your request to be made known to God,. And the peace of God, which surpasses ALL COMPREHENSION shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6,7) "Keep on asking and it will be given to you...Keep on seeking and you shall find...keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds and to him who keeps on knocking it shall be opened to you. Or what man is there among you, when his son shall keep on asking for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he shall keep on asking for a fish, he will not give him a snake will he? If you then being evil,know how to give good gifts to your children...HOW MUCH MORE shall your Father who is in heaven GIVE what is good to those who KEEP ON ASKING HIM? (Matthew 7:7-11 with the verb tense added).

Our first line of defense is our COMMUNICATION SYSTEM with the Father. We are praying that the WILL OF GOD be manifested in our lives. We are praying that His kingdom come...His will be done... on earth (the location of our war) as it is in heaven (location of the victory and His will).

This prayer weapon is linked closely to the next item in our utility belt...THE WORD OF GOD. Remember that John 15:7 linked the two together..."If you abide in my Words and my Words abide in you... ASK whatever you wish and it shall BE DONE unto you." Prayer and the Word/Will of God goes hand in hand. "He who has my commandments/word...and keeps them...he it is who loves me...and he who loves Me...shall be loved by My Father and I will love him...and MANIFEST/REVEAL/DISCLOSE Myself to him." (John 14:21) "This book of the Law/Word...shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate/ruminate on it day and night SO that you may be careful to DO according to all that is written in it; for THEN (cause and effect of meditating on the Word) you will make your way prosperous (have enough to meet your needs and an overflow to help others)...and then you will have success (accomplishing the purposes of God in your life). (Joshua 1:8 with my commentary) "All SCRIPTURE is inspired (God breathed) by God and PROFITABLE for (1) teaching (2) reproof (3) correction
(4) for training in righteousness; that the man/woman of God may be ADEQUATE...EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK." (II Timothy 3:16,17) "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)

When Joshua took up the mandate from God that God had given Moses...to go over the Jordan River...and POSSESS the PROMISED LAND...he was told multiple times to be STRONG AND VERY COURAGEOUS...because he would have the opportunity to be WEAK AND VERY FEARFUL. The link to victory...prosperity...success...was THE WORD OF GOD. Joshua was promised..."Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! DO NOT TREMBLE...OR BE DISMAYED...for THE LORD YOU GOD IS WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO." (Joshua 1:9) This promise is for us also as we go out to POSSESS THE LAND of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost and as we bring the WILL OF GOD IN HEAVEN TO THIS EARTH...that God will be with us WHEREVER WE GO.

Joshua...with this in mind...RALLIED THE TROOPS for WARFARE. "Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying...Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people saying, PREPARE PROVISIONS for yourselves, for within THREE DAYS you are to CROSS THIS JORDAN, to go in to POSSESS THE LAND which the Lord your God is GIVING YOU, TO POSSESS IT."
(Joshua 1:10,11)

Our PREPARATION is to stock our UTILITY BELTS. We will be going over...there will be war...BUT there will be POSSESSION AND VICTORY.

NEXT TIME: UTILITY BELT PREPARATION

Love and Bat Kisses
Rod "More Than A Conqueror" Boyd

HOLY BARACUDA BATMAN

Greetings Batfriends. As super heroes go...I lean more toward the mortal. Don't get me wrong...I love Superman, Spiderman, The Flash, Green Lantern...but Batman was... and is my favorite.

Batman has morphed into various incarnations via the comic books, the 1940's movie serials, the camp T.V. show, and various stars as the Caped Crusader in the movies...but I liked the more human Crusader...without armour plated suits. One thing I liked was Batman's UTILITY BELT.

That utility contained everything from a Bat-a-Rang to Bat Shark Repellent. Everything he needed when crimefighting got rough...when you least expected it...Bats would pull out in the nick of time. Now I know that you must suspend you mind when you are reading or watching about Batman...but I don't mind doing that. I was with someone once at the premiere of the movie SUPERMAN..(You will believe a man can fly). As I was engrossed in the movie...a friend leaned over and whispered into my ear..."You know a man can't really fly?" I pity those who have to reason through fiction. I don't want reality in the movie. I want to enjoy myself.

The same thing with Batman and his gadgets. There is no way that everything that is in that utility belt...could fit into that utility belt...but I still like to see him whip it out and beat the bad guys...not with superpowers...but with muscle, brains, and brawn.
As a Christian...sometimes I wish I could have a God Utility Belt where when I am under attack by the devil...that I could whip out some tangible gadget...and beat the devil back...but I don't. But that does not mean that I am left defenseless against the evil one.

We have at our command an arsenal of weaponry that will get the job done. They are weapons of faith...that we must wield or we will be destroyed


"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not WAR ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, for the WEAPONS of our WARFARE are NOT of the FLESH, but DIVINELY POWERFUL for the DESTRUCT IONS of FORTRESSES. We are DESTROYING SPECULATIONS and every LOFTY THING raise up against the KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, and we are TAKING CAPTIVE to the OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete."
(II Corinthians 10:3-6)

"Finally, be strong IN THE LORD, and in the STRENGTH OF HIS MIGHT. Put on the FULL ARMOR OF GOD, that you may be able to STAND FIRM against the SCHEMES OF THE devil. For our STRUGGLE is not against FLESH and BLOOD, but against (1) rulers (2) against the powers (3) against the world forces of this darkness (4) against the spiritual forces of wickedness...IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES. (Ephesians 6:10-12)

This is the ENEMY identified...the nature of the struggle...and the battlefield identified. The next word in this Ephesians passage is THEREFORE...which means it refers to what we just read...

"Therefore (because we are in this battle)...TAKE UP THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD..that you may be able to RESIST in the evil day...and having done everything to STAND FIRM." (Ephesians 6:13,14)

Because of this attack...we are called to take up the armor. If we don't take it up...we leave ourselves open to the attacks of the enemy. We are called to STAND FIRM...BE STRONG...STAND FIRM.

"STAND FIRM therefore...(1) Having girded your loins with truth (2) Having put on the breastplate of righteousness (3) Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace (4) Taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. (5) And take the helmet of salvation (6) and the sword of the Spirit...which is the WORD OF GOD.

Once the armor is in place we now must activate with...ALL PRAYER AND PETITION...PRAY AT ALL TIMES IN THE SPIRIT (Ephesians 6:18) Prayer does change things...and it is a tool/weapon at our disposal...but for prayer to work...we must WORK THE PRAYER. As we PRAY...we are told that with this in view...BE ON THE ALERT WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE AND PETITION OF ALL THE SAINTS. (Ephesians 6:18) We are not in this battle alone...so pray for your fellow warriors. Paul requested that a focus of the prayer should be utterances given to him in the OPENING OF HIS MOUTH...to MAKE KNOWN with BOLDNESS...THE MYSTERY OF THE DEATH, BURIAL, RESURRECTIONS (the Gospel)...nothing more, nothing less. (Ephesians 6:19)

In this battle...we are not called to a passive stance. We are called to ADVANCE THE KINGDOM.

"And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time...the KINGDOM of HEAVEN has endured VIOLENT ASSAULT and VIOLENT MEN SEIZE IT BY FORCE [as a precious prize]..a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought for with most ardent zeal and intense exertion." (Matthew 11:12)

When Peter (petros...little stone...piece of the rock) received the revelation for the Father that Jesus was the Christ (the one with the yoke breaking, burden lifting, oppression removing power)...the Son of the Living God...Jesus replied...that Peter (petros..little stone...piece of the rock)...and that on the ROCK (petra...a huge rock) that he would build My church. The church is built on the massive rock revelation that Jesus is the Christ. The cause and effect of this is that the gates of hades (the power of the infernal region)shall not overpower it (the church) or be strong to its detriment, or HOLD OUT AGAINST IT.
(Matthew 16:18).

Well...that is just a taste of how we are to stand...the weaponry at our disposal. Next time we will look at some of the things we have in our UTILITY BELT to help us in this warfare.

Love and Advancing Kisses
Rod