HOW TO DEAL WITH IMPOSSIBILITY

Greetings fellow believers of the possibility. If you are like me...when you are faced with IMPOSSIBILITY...you scratch your head and wonder...HOW CAN THIS BE? Don't worry...you are in good company. Many moons ago...there was a young lady...who had the same question...HOW CAN THIS BE? She was presented with some news...good news...BUT...the POSSIBILITY of that good news...was overshadowed...by the IMPOSSIBILITY of the situation.

Our first picture is one that my son Phillip drew on the computer. It is a picture of the title of a book that he read called...THE ROSE THAT GREW FROM CONCRETE. I always liked this picture because it speaks to me about the nature of POSSIBILITIES. Things may look like solid concrete...no chance of anything growing...but in the middle of the city of IMPOSSIBILITIES...in the smallest crack...a ROSE can grow. So it is with our lives...where we are face with IMPOSSIBILITIES...with concrete in our lives...all things are impossible...but with GOD...all things are possible.


The cover of The Saturday Evening Post by Norman Rockwell is one of my favorites because...this side profile of this kid...with a dream of possibilities...looks amazingly like I looked (in my face...and my body). This kid had a dream...and he was putting into action his dream...by working out. We have to have a vision...a dream...a word...a goal...but if we don't put things into action...that is all we will have...visions, dreams, a word, a goal.

That young girl that we were talking about was named Mary. Her husband to be was Joseph...and she had a visit from God via an angel named Gabriel. I believe that there is a valuable lesson for us to learn...as we read the Word of God...His Holy Spirit speaks to us...and we are faced with the IMPOSSIBILITY of our own strengths and abilities to bring the Word about in our lives. We experience the same things that Mary experienced. Let us see how she handled the situation...and see if it can apply to our lives.


STEP #1 God sends a Word: Luke 1:26-27 God sent Gabriel...an angel...to a young girl...who never had been married...but was engaged...who WAS A VIRGIN. This represents the IMPOSSIBILITY

STEP #2 Luke 1:28 Gabriel approaches the girl with a spiritual fact..."And he came to her and said, Hail, O favored one (endued with grace), the Lord is with you! Blessed--favored of God--are you before all other women." Grace means unmerited favor, free gift, the divine influence in the heart, manifested in the life of the believer.

STEP #3 Luke 1:29 The initial response to this visitation of God via Gabriel was FEAR. "But when she saw him, she was GREATLY TROUBLED and DISTURBED and CONFUSED at what he said, and kept REVOLVING IN HER MIND what such a greeting might mean." She was trying to wrap her mind around the greeting. She had not even received the word yet.


STEP #4 Luke 1:30 Gabriel recognized her problem and spoke a word to her...before he could speak a Word to her. Sometimes we cannot hear God speak...because of fear. "And the angel said to her...DO NOT BE AFRAID, Mary, for you have found GRACE--free, spontaneous, absolute favor and loving kindness--with God.

STEP #5 Luke 1:31-33 Now she was ready to LISTEN! Gabriel laid out the IMPOSSIBILITY THAT WAS POSSIBLE. (a) You will become pregnant (b) You will give birth to a Son (c) You shall call His name Jesus (d) He will be great (eminent) (e) He will be called the Son of the Most High (aka God) (f) God will give to Him the throne of His forefather David (g) He will reign over the house of Jacob throughout the ages (h) There will be no end to His reign (Isaiah 9:6,7 Daniel 2:44)

STEP #6 Luke 1:34 Mary now showed no fear...but did approach what the angel had told here with her mind...with logic. NOTE: God is not afraid of our honest questions and doubts. "And Mary said to the angel...HOW CAN THIS BE...since I HAVE NO INTIMACY WITH ANY MAN AS A HUSBAND.

STEP #7 Luke 1:35 Gabriel answers her question with the HOW of the POSSIBILITY. " Then the angel said to her...the HOLY SPIRIT WILL COME UPON YOU...and OVERSHADOW YOU (as a shining cloud); and so the holy (pure, sinless) Thing WHICH SHALL BE BORN OF YOU...will be called THE SON OF GOD."

STEP #8 Luke 1:36 The angel...told her the 2nd time to LISTEN. "And listen! Your relative Elizabeth in HER OLD AGE (impossibility) HAS ALSO CONCEIVED a son...and this is not the sixth month with her who WAS CALLED BARREN (impossibility). NOTE: The angel speaks of a natural birth that included a human father...but was still supernatural in nature...still an impossibility...that became possible.

STEP #9 Luke 1:37 This is the KEY to every situation that looks IMPOSSIBLE. FOR WITH GOD...NOTHING...NO THING...ZILCH... NADA...ZIP...NO THANG...and NO WORD FROM GOD SHALL BE WITHOUT POWER OR IMPOSSIBLE OF FULFILLMENT."

STEP #10 Luke 1:38 Mary has gone from being greatly troubled...disturbed and confused with a revolving mind...to questioning how THIS CAN BE....to realizing the impossibility can be possible. Mary now steps up to the plate...and DECLARES...."Then Mary said, Behold, I am the HANDMAIDEN/SERVANT of the Lord...LET IT BE DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU HAVE SAID...ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD."

At this point the angel left her...and because of her saying YES LORD...the POSSIBILITY BEGAN TO UNFOLD.


FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY!

The picture of the man...kneeling with outstretched arms...and eyes to the sky is of Elijah. In the book of James...verses 17-18 we see that Elijah was a human being...with a nature like you and me. He had feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours. He PRAYED in the face of impossibilities. (See I Kings 17:1 and I Kings 18:42-45 for full details). His impossibility was praying for rain to start up again after a three years six month dry spell (that he had prayed). The word says in James 5:18...that he prayed again and the heavens supplied rain and the land produced its crops. When you read the I Kings passage...you see that it was not an IMMEDIATE result of prayer. It took effectual, earnest, heartfelt, CONTINUED prayer that manifested TREMENDOUS POWER...DYNAMIC IN IT'S WORKING... before the IMPOSSIBILITY was dispelled by POSSIBILITY. He prayed and sent his servant 7 times to look for some sign of the POSSIBILITY...but each time the servant came back with a report of the IMPOSSIBILITY. This speaks of getting a word from God...and hanging on to that word...until you see something happens. The final result was...the servant came back with a word of a CLOUD the size of a fist...and that was enough for Elijah.

I pray that the RAIN OF POSSIBILITY will flood your lives with grace, favor, mercy and loving kindness...will and give you relief from the IMPOSSIBILITY.

In the word of God to Roger Kaputnik..."take these two tablets and call me in the morning."



Love and Kisses of Possibility in the face of Impossibility
Rodney "Be It Done To Me According To Your Word" Boyd

DAY OF THE FATHER

Happy Father's Day to all of you men...who have experienced that status of Daddyhood. For those who have not yet entered into that category...lean into some Father that you trust...and learn the art of Fatherhood.

Take time and click your mouse on my collage...and get a good glimpse of Ruminatin' Rod's Roots. It all began...from the earthly, chronological, space-time continuum perspective in around...November 1950. Lonnie Louis Boyd had survived World War II...came home with 4 toes blown off of his left foot...just missed a bullet to his heart (that was stopped by a government issued New Testament). His last stop before seeing combat was in London England where he won a Jitterbug Contest at a local club. He married Elizabeth Webb...and in November 1950...he had a gleam in his eye...and 9 months later...
Rodney Lewis Boyd was born in Murfreesboro Tennessee at Allen Clinic on East Main Street. As my Mom told me...they decided not to have any more children... because when you hit perfection the first time...why try for anymore.

Well...over the years I grew up...in good, bad, ugly times...and over those years my Dad...grew up also. It is really hard at times to realize that you Dad...had a spirit...had a soul (mind, free will, and emotions)...and had a body that grew just like me. Every year that passed in his life...also passed in my life.

I never knew my Dad's dad...aka my Grandfather...or my mother's Father. They both died. I understand that they were hard men...and there was an edge of hardness that was passed down the generational line. My Grandfather on my Dad's side...was a card carrying, hood wearing, horse riding member of the Ku Klux Klan. My Dad was not...but as with many of his generation grew up in what was white in a black and white world...which was colored gray by racism. My Dad was a hard drinker...who would go out to the bars...spend money and borrowed more money (without my moms knowledge)...BUT even with all of this...I craved his love...and when he was at home...and not drinking or at least not drinking to the point of being drunk...it was good. My Dad worked at the VA Hospital (retired from there)...came home...gave his check to Mom and in general day by day...supplied for his family. Thanks to my Dad...I have an eclectic taste for music from Big Band, Elvis Presley, R and B, etc.

On June 10th 1989...I went from not being a Dad...to being a Dad...when Phillip Stephen Boyd entered our lives. By this time...Dad had stopped drinking...and entered into the joy of Grandfatherhood. He loved Phillip...and when Mom died...he stepped up to the plate to spoil Phillip. 20 years have passed by...my Dad has died...Phillip has grown to a young man...and I am now 58 years old.

This thing called Fatherhood...has been...and continues to be a wild ride. Over the years...I have tried to be a good Dad...but know that at times I fell short. Over the years...I have seen Phillip get saved, get baptized, play football, baseball, rugby, get his drivers license, have wrecks (but spared from injury...even being hit and spun around interstate traffic by an 18 Wheeler)...suck the heads off of crawfish with his old dad...and in general grow up and live life. His Mom (Brenda) and me (Rodney)...have tried to instill the principles of God by living them out loud by example...and teaching him. We have seen him manifest these qualities as he goes out on missions and serves others.

The hardest part of this thing called Fatherhood...is letting go...as he steps into his own future. The hardest part of letting go of my Dad was at his death. I had the honor of being with Dad at home (with Hospice)...and watching him struggle to shed this mortal coil. I was able to hold his hand...lean down to his ear and whisper that it was OK to let go...it was time to go met with mom on the other side...and Jesus was waiting. To watch him stop struggling...to sense and see the peace come over him...and to breath his last breath was bittersweet. I cry as I write this...because I still miss him.

The hardest thing about this continued Fatherhood...is letting go of Phillip. As the song by The Lost Dog on their Mutt album... I'm setting your FREE...but I'm not letting you go. In this case...like my Father who was struggling...I am the one who is struggling...and my Heavenly Father is leaning down to my ear and whispering...it's OK to let go...I will never leave or forsake him...you have planted My Word in him and it will bear much fruit.

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

As I approach this Day of the Father (aka Father's Day)...I appreciate the honor of my Heavenly Father...entrusting me with the care of my son Phillip. Thank God for a wonderful wife and mother...to come along side of me...to raise our son...and to set him free...but tethering Phillip with our prayers.

Love and Fatherly Kisses
Rodney "I like the gifts, food, and honor of being a dad" Boyd

WILDERNESS PRAISE

Howdy do...hungry and thirsty Kingdom Seekers....have ya been in the wilderness? Have ya been hiding out in the wilderness from your own personal Absalom's....(see II Samuel 15 and Psalm 3 and Psalm 63 for insights into David's wilderness experience). The question is...what do you do in a dry and thirsty land where no water is?

The first collage represents my connection to PSALM 63. I read the book SCOTT FREE...by Scott Ross (you can go to the CBN website and read the chapters on line). It was the Scott Ross connection where I first heard about a guitar player named PHIL KEAGGY. Phil was in a group called GLASS HARP... and had left that group after a commitment to Jesus and ended up in Freeville New York at a Christian community called LOVE INN. Scott Ross was a New York disk jockey who ran in the circle with recording stars of the 60's (he married Nedra Talley one of the Ronnettes). Scott became a Christian and worked with Pat Robertson to spread the Word of God to the youth via radio and Jesus music interspersed with music of the times on THE SCOTT ROSS SHOW. In this community...Phil was discipled by a man named TED SANDQUIST...and also played in THE PHIL KEAGGY BAND (aka PKB). Scott and Ted did a teaching called A NEW SONG FOR A NEW AGE (also another life changing teaching for me was MAKING MEN OF GOD). Ted and Scott were teaching and during the teaching they would take time to teach the students songs that were being created at LOVE INN...that were more than just 3 chords and a rhyme. They were songs that were thought out...intricate at time...and were vertical more than horizontal (this was before the worship genre of today). The album featured the musicians, singers, worshippers at LOVE INN...including Phil, Nedra, Ted, etc. The teaching series also had the words and chords to the music. At that time I was a "song leader" (this was before the term worship leader, creative arts, etc was utilized)...at a church called NEW LIFE CHAPEL. I introduced songs like LION OF JUDAH...YOUR STEADFAST LOVE...HE IS MY LIGHT (Psalm 27)... ALL THAT I CAN DO...SELAH (an instrumental by Phil that I could not play)....COURTS OF THE KING...and the song that this Rambling is about...PSALM 63.

This was a Psalm that David wrote when he was in the wilderness of Judah... hiding out from his rebellious son Absalom. (Read II Samuel 15 and Psalm 3 for more details). This place called the wilderness always has a special place for God's people...it was a route to the promised land...it was a place of rebellion and 40 years of circles...it was a place where the Spirit led Jesus to be tempted by the devil...and come out the other side full of the Spirit to begin his ministry... and for David it was a refuge from his enemies. Whatever it is...in it's loneliness it can be a place of divine intervention and supply...IF...I said IF...you choose to make it that place.

WILDERNESS: (1) eremos=lonesome, waste, desert, desolate, solitary
(2) midbar=the sense of driving...a pasture that is an open field where cattle are driven...a desert.

NOTE: An interesting meaning for me as a Speech Pathologist is...speech including it's organ. It is this part of the wilderness definition that David will utilize as he was in this lonely place.


This next collection of pictures are from my first trip to Kenya Africa. The first two pictures are cisterns for fresh water in the midst of a dry place...and the next one is me refreshed in the Lord with Lake Victoria. Water was everywhere but you still had to make sure it was drinkable. When I was flying over Kenya in a propeller plane...we were low enough to see the land...the animals...the people... and the Lord spoke to me that the brown, dry land...interspersed with lush, green, foliage...was the condition of Africa...the people of Africa...the people of the world...and last by not least...MY CONDITION. He spoke that PEOPLE NEED THE LORD...to be refreshed in the dry land. The last picture in this collage is a storefront church that I saw. It was in a city...that had sorrow surrounding it...and was like an oasis...a place where people could be refreshed.

David's Psalm 63 has a subtitle of Joy In The Fellowship of God (A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah).

David first states his problem/condition and then continues on with the solutions by making declarations of faith...and utilizes his body parts...to make these PRAISES (shabach/shah=vahch)= To commend, praise, to adore; to glory in something; to be still or quiet, or pacify someone. Shaback goes in two directions (1) praising (2) calming. The other 3 references speak either about calming the tumultuous sea (Psalm 65:7; Psalm 89:9) or about hushing up things within one's heart (Proverbs 29:11) There appears to be a connection between praising with words and soothing with words). [The Spirit-Filled Bible notes)

Note...this principle is very pivotal about how...your internal...influences your external. That is why David would tell his internal (his soul) to bless the Lord (Psalm 103:1-5). There is and can be a dynamic shift in the atmosphere/environment around you by what is going on within your heart. If you are not at peace...then you will stir things up around you...but that's for another Rambling at another time.

David begins Psalm 63 with a declaration of who God is to him...O GOD YOU ARE MY GOD. Not a god...but my God. David makes the choice of not dragging himself out of bed at 10 or 11 o'clock...or if he does get up earlier...does not turn on the T.V. to check the latest bad news about the world...EARLY WILL I SEEK YOUR FACE. David choose to SEEK God...in the middle of a dry place...when he did not see...or have things revealed to his senses (Hebrews 11:1 The Amplified Bible).

David's internal and external...his soul and his flesh...desired God. MY SOUL THIRSTS FOR YOU AND MY FLESH LONGS FOR YOU. I think that sometimes...I don't drink water...and don't realize that I am getting dehydrated. Sometimes...I may go for days with out realizing that I have not been drinking from the living waters...but from the soda pop of the world...and I am not getting quenched. Oh that I would hunger and thirst after righteousness and be filled. (Matthew 5:6)

David speaks of the condition of the land he is in...where is thirsty and longing...IN A DRY AND THIRSTY LAND...WHERE THERE IS NO WATER. We know that even in our wilderness...where there is no water...there is a rock...and that rock is called the ANOINTING.
(I Corinthians 10:1-4). You can either dry up in the wilderness...or stay hydrated by the anointed rock.

SO....David looks for provision in the proper place...SO I HAVE LOOKED FOR YOU IN THE SANCTUARY...TO SEE YOUR POWER AND YOUR GLORY. What will get you through your WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE is...(1) His Power (2) His Glory.

Now...we have shifted from the PROBLEM and begin to press into the SOLUTION. David now is taking his faith...his desires...his needs and using his body as an instrument of righteousness (Romans 6:13; Romans 12:1,2)

David declares...the reason why he looks for Him in the sanctuary...for the purpose of seeing His power and glory...BECAUSE YOUR LOVINGKINDNESS IS BETTER THAN LIFE. The cause and effect of this is by faith utilizing his BODY to change his external. Remember...everything of the kingdom on our part starts within. With the Holy Spirit inside of us...we begin to worship. If you try to change situations and circumstances FIRST from the outside...in hopes that your inward condition will change...you are in the realm of works and not grace (Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5) The definition of grace is (1) free gift (2) unmerited favor (3) the divine influence in the heart...manifested in the life.

BODY WORSHIP

1. LIPS: My LIPS shall PRAISE you. By doing this...David acknowledges the cause and effect of this act of faith...thus I will bless you WHILE I LIVE

2. HANDS: I will LIFT UP MY HANDS in Your name. "They won't break..." (Wayne Berry). The lifting of hands is liberating from cold religion. It is a sign of surrender...a sign of reaching up to our solutions...signs of wanting to climb into the lap of Daddy (Abba Father) and a sign of receiving from the Father.

3. SOUL: The seat of our emotions...the totality of who we are...our minds (what we think and reason with), our will/volition/free choice (what we choose based on what we think), and our emotions (the barometer of our internal...but that's for another Rambling). My SOUL SHALL BE SATISFIED WITH MARROW (fat) and FATNESS (abundance). David speaks of provision where there is no physical visible provision.

4. MOUTH: The place of articulation, release of thoughts, verbal expression of inward thoughts. NOTE: Remember the definition of wilderness at the beginning of this Rambling. The last one was ...SPEECH...including it's organs. This is where David is at now with his declarations of faith. AND MY MOUTH SHALL PRAISE YOU...

5. LIPS: Connected to the mouth...the launching pad of praise...and my MOUTH shall PRAISE you WITH JOYFUL LIPS. Not pity party lips...not lips based on the condition of the situation...but JOYFUL LIPS.

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

Well there is more to the Psalm...but that's enough for now. Just know that the enemies will be dealt with and the wilderness experience will come to an end. The desired results will be manifested...but before the manifestation there has to be a shift and change in the external manifested with your spirit (little s), soul, and your body.

Love and WET Kisses
Rodney "Delivered From My Enemies" Boyd

LETHAL WEAPONS: THE FINGER AND THE MOUTH

Greetings O Ye Holders of Lethal Weapons...where are you fingers pointed...and who are you shooting your mouth off to today?

Our first picture is one of my favorite preachers on the planet...the Reverend Will B. Dunn. He is a character from the comic strip Kudzu by the recently deceased creator of the strip...Doug Marlette. The Reverend goes about...doing the work of the Lord...oblivious that the things that he stands for and fight against...are the same things that he has in his life. When we begin to walk in the light as (Jesus) he is in the light...we suddenly become aware...that our pants are down... and our dignity goes out the window.

So it is with our fingers and our mouths. We tend to point at the other person...with accusations and blame...and then as we have the "other person" in our finger scope...we then shoot off our mouths (the gun) with the bullets (our words). Some of our mouths (guns) are derringers...that are easily concealed but still can do maximum damage...while others have the Clint Eastwood Specials...a 44 Magnum Mouth. Some of the damage that is done with our weaponry...is accidental like Dick Cheney on a hunting trip. Oooops...sorry...didn't mean to shoot you....while other damage is sprayed out of anger that appears in the moment of passion and once the passion subsides you are truly sorry for what you have done. Other damage is pre-meditated...well thought out...festering, brewing, revenge...that you have been thinking about for days...months... even years...and then "suddenly" you explode with a shotgun blast from your lips. There can even be a Valentines Day Massacre mob hit...as you gather with others...and machine gun your words...leaving people in bloody pile.


I know for a fact...that when I begin loading up my mouth (gun) by thinking about how wrong the other person is...I am very justified in my feelings. I am right...they are wrong... end of story. They deserve what they get...I am the executioner...they are the guilty.

Pogo...the comic strip by Walt Kelly...is the tale of the critters in the Okefenokee Swamp. The most quoted line from the strip is when Pogo and Porkypine are lamenting the trashing of the swamp...and Pogo sighs out..."Yep, son...WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY...AND HE IS US."

Other people may be in the WRONG...there "ain't" no doubt about that...but just because they are WRONG...does not mean we are RIGHT..or at the very least...that we have the RIGHT...to lower ourselves to their VERBAL LEVEL...and SHOOT OFF OUR MOUTH in SELF-ish DEFENSE.

When a cold front meets a warm front....there will be a STORM. The old saying is ..."Fight fire with fire." That may be true in firefighting...but in interpersonal relationships...it does not work.

As the old song goes..."It's not my brother or my sister but me O Lord...standing in the need of prayer...It's not my husband or my wife but me O Lord...standing in the need of prayer." We have met the enemy...and it is not the other guy...it is ME. What I do with the attack...the offense...will determine my level of righteousness, peace and joy."



The question is...(1) how can I handle my mouth (gun) (2) How can avoid the other guys mouth (gun)? Well...you can either have Gunfight At The Ain't O.K. Corral...or you can us a deflection method that is better than Wonder Woman's bracelets.

The mouth is an amazing piece of work. We use it for (A) chewing (mastication) of food that (1) place food in the mouth (2) masticate (3) form the food into a ball (bolus)
(4) propel the food back with our tongue in set up for the swallow (5) Swallow the food that will then be digested and nutrients will be extracted and the unnecessary will be excreted in the form of fecal matter.

(B) Expressing love by utilizing the obicularis oris muscle (aka The Kissing Muscle).

(C) The verbal expression of our thoughts (good, bad, or ugly). This is where it gets tricky and dangerous.

With our mouths (our guns)...we can shoot bullets of bitterness, hate, resentment, frustration, fear, doubt, unbelief, anxiety, curses or blessings. The same mouth can be a healing agent...or an agent of death.. You can be the MOUTHPIECE OF GOD...or the mouthpiece for your self-interests. IT IS YOUR CHOICE. The question now is...HOW CAN I LOAD MY MOUTH...and once it is LOADED what are the proper MOUTH SAFETY RULES?



The Bible speaks of "tongues of fire"...but our volatile blowtorches do more damage than those God sent tongues.

There is no magical formula or step by step answer to the problem of our tongues...our thoughts or words or our deeds. In the Ruminator Class...we say it over and over and over again...UNRESTRAINED THOUGHTS (what we think)..produces in UNRESTRAINED WORDS (what we say)...resulting in UNRESTRAINED ACTIONS (what we do). Without restraint...we don't care what we say...we don't care who we hurt...as long as it makes us feel better about how we got even with the offender. We need to place a RESTRAINING ORDER on our guns (mouth).

Part of the RESTRAINING ORDER...is RENEWING OUR MINDS. We choose what BULLETS (our words) we load in our MINDS (the chamber for the bullets)...that we shoot off with our GUN (our mouths). Also in the RUMINATOR SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS (that meets every Sunday at Smyrna Assembly in Smyrna Tennessee at (9:00 for food, fellowship, and the Word)...we use our object lesson of shaking a cup of coffee until coffee comes out of the cup. The question is...why did coffee come out of the cup? The answer is usually given...because coffee is in the cup. That would be the wrong answer. The reason coffee came out of the cup...is because that is what is in the cup....the shaking only revealed what was in there. As Bruce Lee has said..."You must first empty your cup of tea...before you can taste my tea." As long as you are FULL OF YOURSELF...you will never experience what God has for you. That is what renewing the mind is all about (Romans 12:1,2,; Ephesians 4:17-32) As Bob Dylan came to realize..."Changed my way of thinkin'...found myself a brand new set of rules."

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

Bishop Joseph Garlington has taught..."Would you rather be RIGHT...or RECONCILED." I have taught before you can either be RIGHT or you can have a RELATIONSHIP." What is more precious to us...getting even...shooting off our mouths...killing someone else...and having our BULLETS ricochet...and wound us also?

Paul Clark as a song on his AIM FOR THE HEART album called ANOTHER VICTIM. It speaks of the words that "come blastin through the wall"...that people thought was a gunshot...but turned out to be..."the words from a tongue cut the heart of ANOTHER VICTIM." He ends the song with these words of wisdom...

Somebody tell me where the problem lies
Somebody tell me what's the deal
Somebody tel me when they'll draw the line
'Cause far too many people are needin' to be healed
The time has come...to lay down the GUN in your TONGUE
Pull the ROOT from your PRIDE
And ABIDE in THE LOVE OF GOD.

Love and Sharp Shooter Kisses of Love
Rodney "Forgive Me If I Ever Wounded Any Of You With My Bullets" Boyd

THE ISSUE: HYMN + HEM= HIM

Greetings and Salutations dear HEM-TOUCHERS. Clean...or unclean...that is the question. Religious people use the excuse of someone being unclean as an opportunity to ISOLATE them. In the book of Leviticus...chapter 15...the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about when a man or woman has a discharge from his/her body...resulting in them being UNCLEAN. The focus is (1) who and what becomes unclean from a bodily discharge from a man or woman (2) what happens when coming into contact (3) HOW TO GET CLEAN AGAIN (water, turtledoves, pigeons for sin and burnt offerings, time lapse (ie. until evening), etc.

By the time the law hit Jesus' day..."the religious community had used various Leviticus laws to so ISOLATE people that they felt estranged from God Himself. Jesus countered this...demonstrating God's desire to DRAW NEAR TO THE UNCLEAN AND MAKE THEM WHOLE" (The Spirit Filled Bible notes)

ENTER THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD (Mark 5:21-43; Matthew 9:18-26) NOTE: This is a story of 2 SETS OF TWELVE YEARS...
(1) a sick and dying twelve year old girl (2) a woman with a medical problem for twelve years.



Jesus was doing what He does...(1) teaching (2) proclaiming the Kingdom
(3) Healing the oppressed and sick.

"You know of Jesus of Nazareth...how God ANOINTED (with yoke destroying, burden lifting, oppression removing, healing power, devil work destroying) Him with (1) The Holy Ghost (2) and Power...and how He went about (1) doing good (2) and healing ALL who were OPPRESSED by the devil...for GOD WAS WITH HIM." (Acts 10:38)

Jesus was healing and putting people in their right mind as He released people from oppression by the devil. NOTE: In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John... Jesus touched and healed and delivered 40 different times. He used 10 different methods (touching, healing, spitting, speaking, etc.) In each of these incidents...it was not God's punishment, God's discipline, the person's sins...it was THE WORKS OF THE devil...oppression by the devil.


Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.."He who sins is of the devil...for the devil has sinned from the beginning. FOR THIS PURPOSE...the Son of God was MANIFESTED...that He might DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE devil." (I John 3:8)

Jairus...a ruler of the synagogue...fell at Jesus' feet and begged Him earnestly to come and lay His hands on her (one of the methods of healing)...that she may be healed...and live. Jesus set out to do this...and a GREAT MULTITUDE followed Him and thronged Him. (Mark 5:21-24)

THE WOMAN WITH A LEVITICUS 15 PROBLEM...FOR TWELVE YEARS

Jesus was walking along with a purpose...to heal the little girl. Many people were around Him. Let's take a journey in this woman's sandals...put you in her place. What was her mind set, what was her hope level, what was her faith level. What were the obstacles in her way of getting a healing.

So....you have been hearing this teacher...and seeing this prophet...and observing how He is setting people in their right minds...and healing their physical being. You are but one in a crowd of hundreds...thousands...but to you...you feel like one in a million. You have been living in the shame of Leviticus 15 for twelve...long...years. You have suffered many things from many physician's. You have exhausted all of your insurance with the Jerusalem division of AFLAC... you have empty you bank accounts from the Ist National Hebrew Bank...and not only have you NOT got better...but the flow of blood and the associated shame...is growing worse. You know that the Law has declared you as unclean...but you also know that the same Law made provisions for cleansing...but the religious community has ISOLATED you as if you were a leper. Over the years you have grown weary of the religious practice and the religious hypocrisy. Now...you have heard and see...someone who is more than religious...He is kind and was going about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. He was someone who did not CONDEMN people but SET THEM FREE. This man was not afraid to touch lepers, cross racial lines by going into Samaria and crossing cultural lines and talk to women. Something was growing in you...something you have not felt in twelve long years...you have felt HOPE...confident expectation...that you could be healed. You begin to think about it...and begin to say it out loud..."IF ONLY I MAY TOUCH HIS CLOTHES...I SHALL BE MADE WELL." (Mark 5:25-28)

You could see Him walking along to Jairus' house to touch his daughter who was twelve years old. Isn't it strange that you have been unclean for twelve years with this issue/flow of blood...and a twelve year old is at the point of death. You don't want to stop Jesus from going to heal her...BUT...if you just touch His clothes...you know that you know that you know...that you will be healed.

Now your HOPE (confident expectation)...is turning into faith as you put feet to your hope. You begin to press in through the crowd...if you could just touch His clothes...the issue of blood would STOP. If you could just touch His clothes... the shame and finger pointing would stop. If you could just touch His clothes...you might be able to save a little money in the bank account instead of giving it all away to the physicians with no physical return.

Many people are surrounding Him...touching Him...and you are fighting through the crowd. You are fighting through the doubt, the unbelief, the religious piety. You keep getting pushed back because you are unclean and you are a woman. Then you see an open door. You realize that you can't get to Jesus from the front or the side...but if you BOW DOWN REAL LOW...you can reach the hem of His clothes. Hey...clothes are clothes...whether the full cloak...or the fringes of the hem...now you are saying...IF I CAN JUST TOUCH THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT...I WILL BE HEALED.

Your fingers are within inches...you miracle is a fingertip away...and you muster up all the mustard seed faith that you have and stretch out...an TOUCHED THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT.

IMMEDIATELY...not twelve years...but IMMEDIATELY...the fountain of blood flow...was DRIED UP. You FELT IN YOUR BODY...that you were HEALED OF YOU AFFLICTION and SUFFERING. Just ONE TOUCH...just ONE WORD...was all you needed.

Jesus...IMMEDIATELY KNEW...that someone had touched Him. Your healing was IMMEDIATE...and Jesus sensed it IMMEDIATELY.
Jesus knew that POWER...HEALING VIRTUE had gone out of Him. You see Him turning around...you hear Him ask who touched Him. Fear grips your heart...you begin to tremble. He was quizzing His disciples..."Who touched my clothes?" How could he have known...it was only the hem?

His disciples tried to reason with Him..."You see the multitude thronging You...and You say...who touched me? Now you see Him looking around...scanning the crowd. You think maybe you can hide in the multitude. You finally realize that you might as well come clean...since you have literally become clean. You fall down before Him...and told Him the whole truth (as if He didn't know the whole truth...He is the truth...His Word is truth).

He looked at me...with those gentle, tender, loving and forgiving eyes...and He spoke to me. There were thousands gathered around trying to get His attention...and He was looking and talking to me. "Daughter...your FAITH has made you well. God in peace...and be healed of your affliction." The flow had already stopped...but He was speaking to me about this affliction...not ever coming back again.

Someone came up to Him and informed Jairus that his twelve year old daughter had died. If I had not stopped Him maybe He could have got there in time. Jesus heard the word spoken...and began to speak peace and not fear into the situation. Jesus said...DO NOT BE AFRAID...ONLY BELIEVE. That is what I had done...I believed more in Jesus than what I had believed for twelve years...I guess that's what is called FAITH. Jesus went on and the little girl arose and walked...HEALED. The people were like me...overcome and had great amazement at what He had done.

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

God is speaking to me about PRESSING THROUGH the doubt, the naysayers, speaking forth desired results than what my have been persistent for twelve years. Even when it looks like the promise has died like that little twelve year old girl...Jesus speaks away fear and encourages me to continue to believe...not what my eyes see...not what the doctors say...not what the circumstance screams...but to believe...to have FAITH.

"Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title-deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] DO NOT SEE and the conviction of their reality---faith perceiving as REAL FACT what is NOT REVEALED TO THE SENSES." (Hebrews 11:1)

Love and Believing Kisses
Rodney "If He Can Do It For A Twelve Year Old Disease...and A Twelve Year Old Girl...He Can Do It For Me" Boyd

HAND TO THE PLOW...AGAIN

Greetings Plowboys and Plowgirls...how's the furrow?

One of my FAV albums...in the top five of FAV albums of all time would be HAND TO THE PLOW by Paul Clark. The picture on the front of the album is a picture that Paul took of his Grandfather...with his hand....not to the proverbial plow...but to the real plow. Of course for us believers...the analogy is not lost... as we plow along in this walk that we are in...keep focused...don't look back... don't give up...KEEP YOUR HAND TO THE PLOW.

If you look back...the straight furrows...turn crooked...If you take your hand of the plow...you are no longer in control of the mules/horses...and your life goes willly-nilly.

The title song of the album is a mixture of jazz and rock...which turns into funk.
Mmmmmmmmmm quite tasty.

Over the years...since 1970 (the year when I first started plowing this field)... many times I have taken my hand off of the plow. I took my hands off the plow for many different reasons (some, in my mind ligit). Temptation, sin, the flesh, discouragement, hopelessness...all resulting from letting my guard down...not disciplining my self for the purpose of godliness...letting up on reading the Word.. allowing my prayer life to dry up...not dying to myself and living to Him daily (usually dying to myself every week or so or as the my needs arise)...not taking up my cross (yielding my will to His will)...ALL reasons/excuses...with the same result...NO RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE AND JOY IN THE HOLY GHOST (Romans 14:17).

The first verse states:

I've felt the pressures of temptation...I've heard the breathing lies of ac--u--sa---tion...
I know the world can be distracting...but if I keep on foot there I'm--just--acting
Well, I can't think of a reason why I should look back...and I don't intend to start now
Gonna set my face LIKE FLINT TO JESUS AND HIS WORD
Yes...I'm KEEPING MY HAND TO THE PLOW

NOTE: WOW...when I first heard those words...I was infused with the hope that I can make it...I can keep on...no matter how many times I fail... I can get up again. The second verse continues:

I've felt the weight of condemnation...And how the dEVIL TWISTS MY SITUATION
My brother...if you feel defeated...let me remind you friend that YOU'VE BEEN CHEATED
Well...I can't think of a reason why I should look back...and I don't intend to start now
Gonna set my face LIKE FLINT TO JESUS AND HIS WORD
Yes...I'm KEEPING MY HAND TO THE PLOW

NOTE: Whenever I would sin...succumb to temptation and walk in the flesh...CONDEMNATION would be heaped on me...and my reasoning would be...well...I've screwed up again...why even try. The condemnation did not come from God...He convicts...with the outstretched hand of redemption. "There is NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 7:25) We have been given the ministry of reconciliation... "Now all these things are from God...who RECONCILED us to Himself through CHRIST, and gave us the MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION." (II Corinthians 2:18) This ministry is defined in the very next verse..."namely, that God was in Christ RECONCILING THE WORLD to Himself...NOT COUNTING THEIR TRESPASSES AGAINST THEM...and He has committed to us the WORD OF RECONCILIATION." (II Corinthians 5:19)

The devil (little d...he does not deserve a capital d) really does twist our situations...giving us a feeling of defeat...all the while being cheated.
Notice how the word devil says it all...d-evil.


Another great song that speaks to me...about walking out his walk is Bob Dylan's Got To Serve Somebody. Dylan lists multiple people from all walks and lifestyles...and makes the statement..."You got to SERVE SOMEBODY...it may be the devil...it may be the Lord...but you got to SERVE SOMEBODY."

You are either plowing the fields of the Kingdom of God (righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost)...or you are sowing the fields of the devil (unrighteousness, unrest, and sadness).

This picture show two of my favorite artists...Phil Keaggy and Paul Clark rocking out to Dylan's GOT TO SERVE SOMEBODY. For my money...it just don't get no better than this.

Put your hand to the plow...and serve the Lord.



FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY...

I close with how I opened...PLOWBOYS AND PLOWGIRLS...how's your FURROW. The furrow is a narrow groove made in the ground by a plow...plowed land. The plowing preceded the planting....which proceeds to growth...which results in harvest. It's all about preparation in the Kingdom of God. Sometimes...the ground becomes fallow. Fallow ground is ground that was plowed but not seeded for one or more growing seasons to kill weeds or make the soil richer...OR just left unattended. The ground develops a hardness and must be broken up again, de-weeded...etc. Either way...THE PLOW must be administered before THE PLANTING...with growth that may need PRUNING... but that's another Rambling for another time.

Love and Plowed Kisses
Rodney "Hand Back On The Plow...Again" Boyd

HOW TO PREPARE AND DEAL WITH STUFF

Hello fellow believers. How's it going? Are you frustrated, depressed, filled with doubt, stagnant, overwhelmed, anxious (pulled in 20 different directions and not able to focus on anything)? If so...then take a quick test to examine/test yourself and see if you are still in the faith.

"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless you fail the test." (II Corinthians 13:5)

Test your: (1) Hearing (2) Mind (3) Heart (4) Speech (5) Actions

These five interconnected areas...can be a place of breakdown in your faith...that will in turn open the door for anxiety, worry, tension, doubt, unbelief, fear, etc.

In the Ruminator Sunday School class (meets 9:00 A.M. Sunday mornings at Smyrna Assembly of God in Ruminator Central aka Fellowship Hall)...we frequently use an example of THE COFFEE CUP. We usually select a new student and clear out an area where their Bible will not get baptized in coffee. I then take their coffee cup and shake it until the liquid caffeine spills out of the cup. We then ask the question..."Why did coffee come out of the cup?" The answer is usually because you shook the cup. The true answer is...the reason coffee came out of the cup...is because that's what is in the cup. The shaking only revealed what was inside.

The same way with anxiety, worry, tension, fear, doubt, unbelief, negative words, negative actions is manifested in our lives in the middle of a shaking world. When the stock market crashes...when you lose your job...when your car falls apart...when your interpersonal relationships crumble...when your boss does not recognize your greatness...etc. These things will be manifested usually in your countenance (facial expression/body language)...your mouth...and your actions. During the shaking...we will either REACT IN THE FLESH...resulting in death (Romans 8:6)...or RESPOND IN THE SPIRIT...resulting in life and peace (Romans 8:6).

Before you get into a CRISIS situation...it is good to be checked up...and know where you need to tighten up...SO...when STUFF happens... you will be moved by FAITH...and not FEAR. Your negative coffee will not spill out of your mouth, body language and actions...but positive coffee will come spilling out during the shaking.

The main principle that ties all of these together is...UNRESTRAINED THOUGHT (what we think as a result of what we see and what we hear)...produces UNRESTRAINED WORDS (what we say)...resulting in UNRESTRAINED ACTIONS (what we do...how we act...our body language). In Proverbs it states that without a VISION...the people PERISH. The word is translated UNRESTRAINED. Without a VISION the people are UNRESTRAINED. The vision is the WORD...insight...that will help us to RESTRAIN our thoughts.

EXAMINATION POINTS

1. HEARING

Your ears are the entrance points for faith to come. "So faith comes by HEARING and HEARING by the WORD OF GOD."
(Romans 10:17) Doubt and unbelief and fear also comes by what you hear. Hear a constant barrage of negative...and it will be stored in your heart...and when the shaking comes...there will be spewing out over your lips...what you say.

2. MIND

The mind...will absorb what we hear and say. From the time you are born until the time you die...your mind is formed and shaped by what you see, hear, do, meditate upon. This can be good, bad, or ugly...all the mind knows is...here is information...store it. As believers...when we become born again...we have the option to start a new filter process called RENEWING THE MIND. For some reason...we think that we can tell our children..."be careful little ears what you ear...be careful little eyes what you see"...BUT when we become adults...we think we are too mature to BE CAREFUL with our mind. We develop MIND SETS...what we think that will either result in DEATH...or LIFE AND PEACE (Romans 8:5-9)

Paul speaks of this with an uuuuuurrrrrrrrrgency when he states...

"I urrrrrrrrrrggggggge you therefore brethren...by the mercies of God...to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice...acceptable to God...which is your spiritual/reasonable service of worship. And do not be CONFORMED to this world...but be TRANSFORMED by the RENEWING OF YOUR MIND...that you may prove what the will of God is...that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:1,2)

"...and that you BE RENEWED in the SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND." (Ephesians 4:23)

3. HEART

Not the blood pump...but the core...the center...the human spirit. Like the blood pump...that pumps oxygen to the parts of the body...so it is with our spiritual heart pump. If the pump is bad...parts of you will not receive what is needed to live. The heart is also know as the treasure chest...where precious things are stored.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS...THERE WILL BE YOUR HEART ALSO." (Matthew 6:20-21)


"The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright [honorable and intrinsically good]; and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil), FOR OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE (overflow) OF THE HEART HIS MOUTH SPEAKS." (Luke 6:45 THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE)

"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)

4. SPEECH

Thoughts are manifested on your lips. Lips are the direct link to the heart and mind. God speaks to us through His Word...by His Spirit. As we renew our minds with what we hear...and store this in our treasure chest/heart...and we begin to SPEAK forth what we hear.
What we hear...we speak. We can either be the mouthpiece for the devil...OR...we can speak forth what God speaks. Whichever one you listen to...you WILL SPEAK WHAT YOU BELIEVE...especially when the pressure is on. You can mask, pretend, hide what you really believe...but when the shaking comes...what you really believe will spew out of your pie hole.

"But haveing the same spirit of faith...according to what is written...I BELIEVED...THEREFORE I SPOKE...we also BELIEVE...therefore also WE SPEAK." (II Corinthians 4:13)

Restrained thoughs will produce restrained words.

5. ACTIONS

You can talk a good talk...but can you walk a good talk? You can say you believe (even demons believe and tremble)...you can stand in a garage and call yourself a car (but you are not a car)...you can even go to an altar and cry Jimmy Swaggart size tears...BUT unless you put feet on your faith...then all you have done is believed something (and it could be the wrong thing you are believing)

"What use is it my brethren...if a man says he HAS FAITH...but he HAS NO WORKS? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and on of you says to them...Go in peace, be warmed and be filled, and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say...you have faith and I have works show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believ that God is one...You do well...THE DEMONS ALSO BELIEVE...and shudder/tremble." (James 2:14-19)

Of course...it is never your actions that SAVES you...but your actions are an outward manifestation of an inward experience.

"He saved us NOT ON THE BASIS OF DEEDS WHICH WE HAVE DONE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS...but according to His MERCY...and the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5)

"For BY GRACE are you saved...through FAITH...and that NOT OF YOURSELVES...it is the gift of God...NOT AS A RESULT OF WORKS that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus...FOR GOOD WORKS...which God has prepared beforehand...that we SHOULD WALK IN THEM." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Actions follow salvation. Works don't save...but we do work. We have to work out our own salvation...live it...put our faith into actions.

"So then my beloved, just a you have always obeyed not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence...WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING...for it is God who IS AT WORK in you...bot to will and to WORK FOR HIS GOOD PLEASURE." (Philippians 2:12,13)

NOTE: This not mean that you can design your own salvation like a cafeteria plan for benefits. You do not choose and pick how you get saved. It is Death, Burial, Resurrection...nothing more...nothing less...as Jesus became the substitiute, propitiation, satisfaction...by faith not by works or Law. It ain't what you do or don't do that gets you in...it's all about Him baby...all about Him...HOWEVER once you get saved...roll up the sleeves and work it out...let it be manifested.

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

Well that's it. Examine/test yourself to see if one, any, or all of these areas needs some fine tuning. Repent...have a change of heart, mind, attitude and direction...and continue on walking by faith. The next time the cup is shaken...something other than what has been coming out will come out.

Love and Examined Kisses
Rodney "Tested and Tried" Boyd

FOOLS WISDOM

VERSE 1
Got myself some wisdom from a leather back book Got myself a Saviour when I took a second look
I opened up the pages and what did I find
A black and white portrait of a King who's a friend of mine

NOTE: So opens the song Fool's Wisdom by Malcom and Alywn...two "Jesus Freaks" from England. In a world where there is a plethora of religious materials to read...after much searching they came to the conclusion to listen to the advice of FOOLS.

VERSE 2
Funny how when you think you're right...everybody else must be wrong
Till someone with fool's wisdom...somehow comes along
His voice was strange and the words he said...I didn't quite understand
Yet I knew that He was speaking right...by the leather back book in his hand

NOTE: In a world filled with various -isms...each with proponents of the -isms...and each with documents of their -isms...Fool's Wisdom speaks of a God who not only reaches down to mankind...but came in the flesh in the form of Jesus to become the sacrifice, substitute and propitiation (satisfaction) for us.
People who believe this purported fairy tale...are aka FOOLS.

CHORUS
Hey...Hey...what a day...Foooools Wisdom
Hey...Hey...what a day...Foooools Wisdom
Got myself some wisdom froma leather backed book
Got myself a Saviour when I took a second look.

NOTE: I have been a FOOL for 58 YEARS. For the first 19 years of my life from 1951 to 1970 I was a FOOL because I either said or acted like there was no God. "The fool has said in his heart...there is no God." (Psalm 14:1) From 1970 unitl now...I became like Paul who was a FOOL FOR CHRIST..."We are FOOLS FOR CHRIST'S sake...but you are prudent in Christ...we are weak, but you are strong, you are distinguished, but we are without honor." It's sad to say...but sometimes...I act like "there is no God." (I Corinthians 4:10) In the words of Gary S. Paxton..."I am a FOOL for Christ...tell me...whose FOOL are you." Either way...you're gonna be a FOOL.

Jesus...who was the LIVING WORD...the LIVING EXPRESSION of God on planet earth...dealt with people and their scripture interpretations...

"But the witness which I have is greater than that of John, for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father who sent Me to accomplish the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent me.. And the Father who sent Me, He has borne witness of Me, You have neither heard His voice at any time,nor seen His form. An you do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. YOUR SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES, because you think that IN THEM you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me...and you are UNWILLING TO COME TO ME...that you may have life." (John 5:36-40)

There is NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN...including man's reasoning's. Paul Little who was a Christian apologist for Inter-Varsity...would hold "rap sessions" back when rap was talking in small groups. He would gather at fraternity houses...and discuss religion, Christianity and Jesus. His philosophy for sharing Jesus was..."Put the cookies on the lower shelf." Get down to the peoples level. Mr. Little found that people's reasons and excuses for not accepting the Bible or Jesus was a SMOKE SCREEN versus INTELLECTUAL DIFFERENCES. In his book KNOW WHY YOU BELIEVE, he tells of holding a session in a fraternity house...

"A student once told me I had satisfactorily answered ALL HIS QUESTIONS. 'Are you going to become a Christian?' I asked. "No"...he replied. Puzzled, I asked..."Why not?" He ADMITTED...Frankly, because IT WOULD MESS UP THE WAY I'M LIVING." He realized that the REAL ISSUE for him was not intellectual but moral." (Know Why You Believe: Is Christianity Rational Paul Little)

Little continues..."The question is often asked..."If Christianity is rational and true...why is it that most EDUCATED people don't believe it? The answer is simple. They DON'T BELIEVE it...for the same reason that most UNEDUCATED people don't believe it...THEY DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE IT. It is not a matter of brain power...for there are outstanding Christians in every field of the arts and sciences. It is primarily a matter of the WILL/CHOICE/VOLITION. John Stott struck a balance when he said...We cannot pander to a man's INTELLECTUAL ARROGANCE...but we must cater to his INTELLECTUAL INTEGRITY." (Know Why You Believe: Is Christianity Rational?)

RUMINATIN' ROD'S RECOMMENDED READIN' (For Christian Apologetics) NOTE: Not apologizing for your faith...but apologia...defending your faith.

1. Know What and Why You Believe: Paul Little

2. The Case For Fair and The Case for Christ (2 books): Lee Strobel

3. Who Moved The Stone: Frank Morrison

4. Mere Christianity: C.S. Lewis

5. Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Josh McDowell

6. Youth Aflame: Winkey Pratney

7. Jesus Outside the New Testament: F.F. Bruce

8. Renewal Theology (Volumes 1, 2, 3) J. Rodman Williams

9. God Doesn't Believe in Atheist: Ray Comfort

10. The Bible (66 books)...aka FOOL'S WISDOM...aka...MANUFACTURER'S HANDBOOK

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

Paul gave his testimony...King Agrippa heard Paul's defense (apologia)...and stated this..."Then King Agrippa said unto Paul...ALMOST thou PERSUADEST me to become a CHRISTIAN." (Acts 26:28 Read Acts 26 for full details).

Almost...in Christianity and Horseshoes is the same thing...close...but no cigar. You can assimilate all of the facts...but the choice is still yours... and God allows us to choose hell or heaven...life or death...blessing or curse. I am convinced that if I can talk someone into their faith...then someone can talk them out of it. Only God can change a heart...and we are called to (1) defend our faith...what we believe (I Peter 3:14,15) (2) Plant and water the seed of faith (I Corinthians 3:5,6) (3) God gives the increase (I Corinthians 3:6-9)

Love and Apologetic Kisses
Rodney "Fool For Christ" Boyd