THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WILDERNESS

Greetings Sojourners...how's the sojourn? Does this thing called the wilderness appear to be your FINAL DESTINATION? Are you stalled out in the dry places? Have you set up camp in the valley...of the shadow... of death...and you are fearing evil all over the place?

Well...there is hope (confident expectation). Your time in this thing called the wilderness is temporal... time sensitive...temporary.

When Jesus...had been dipped into the Jordan River by John the Dipper...and He came up out of the waters...the heavens were opened... a dove descended down and lighted on Him...and a voice out of the heavens affirmed pleasure in the Son's obedience. "This is My (the Father's) beloved Son (Jesus...in whom I AM WELL PLEASED." (Matthew 3:15-17)

At the point of Jesus' spiritual high...came a crashing low. Jesus was led up by the Spirit INTO THE WILDERNESS. The purpose...TO BE TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL. It was in this dry, barren, lonely place...that Jesus would rely on the Holy Spirit and the Word of God...to met the challenge. The good news is...that JESUS DID NOT STAY IN THE WILDERNESS. It was merely a stopping point...on the journey into His ministry.

The "tempter" (little t)...tempted Jesus. Temptation is not designed to pull us into something as much as it is designed to pull us away from who we really are. Jesus met each temptation with the Word of God...quoting the Old Testament...which at that time was not old...but THE Testament. It seems that these temptations mirrored Adam and Eve's temptation...the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life...and mirrors what we go through. (Matthew 4:1-9) At the end...Jesus told the tempter (aka satan...little s) where to go. "GO satan!) Matthew 4:10) The reaction of little s/t..."...the devil left Him..." (Matthew 4:11)

The cause and effect of this thing called the wilderness experience...after 40 days of relying on the Spirit and the Word..."And Jesus returned to Galilee in the POWER OF THE SPIRIT...and new about Him spread through all the surrounding district." (Luke 4:14)

From that point Jesus began to preach and say..."Repent (change of heart, mind, attitude, direction)...for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus began to (1) teaching in their synagogues (2) proclaiming the good news/gospel of the kingdom (3) healing every kind of sickness among the people. This was His M.O...modus operandi.

IF Jesus camped in the wilderness...and did not come out the other side...of His experience...He could not do what He was sent to do. So it is with us. There may be TIMES OF TESTING (T.O.T.)...but the expectation in these times of weakness...that we come out FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT...walking in the authority over the tempter/satan...and proclaim the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

In this time of Lent...I am drawing away...for time alone...not in the Wilderness...but in the Presence of the Lord. I have great expectancy to come out the other side of these 40 days... FULL OF THE SPIRIT...knowing my authority...receiving a touch in my spirit (intimacy with God), my soul (mind/what I think....will/choices of my free will....and emotions/feeling control).

FINAL THOUGHT FINALLY...AT LEAST UNTIL AFTER RESURRECTION DAY (aka Easter)

I will be praying for you during this time...among other things.

Love and Fat Tuesday Kisses
Rodney "See Ya On The Other Side" Boyd

The Impossiblity Possibility Factor

Greetings and salutations all of you Possibility People. How's the impossibilities in your life? Do the odds just seem overwhelming.

Sure there are some things that we can do without God in our lives (though not really) Jesus said apart from Him you could do nothing...no thing...zilch...zip...nada... nuttin' honey...zero)....but there are things on the surface that we can do. This first picture is a Norman Rockwell classic of a kid with a dream...and putting his faith in action by lifting those weights. I love this picture...because from the profile...this kid looks like me in my teens...glasses, hair, facial proportion. When I see it...I see me.

Mastercard...encourages us to MASTER THE POSSIBILITIES...by getting into debt. After all...when you can call out...Master...Master...Mastercard...who needs God...right?

Well...what got me to thinking about the Impossibility Possibility factor was communion at my church S.A. This is my month to lead in communion...where various people throughout the year...have some comment to focus us on the bread and the wine.

As I was meditating on this the night before...I cam up with Luke 18:27..."But He said...the things that are IMPOSSIBLE with people/man...are POSSIBLE with God." I begin to think about what the table represents...our impossibility to save ourselves...and the possibility of Jesus.

The word IMPOSSIBLE means: unable, weak, impossible, could not do, impotent, not possible.

The word POSSIBLE means: powerful or capable, possible, could do, mighty, power, strong.

The bread and the wine become touchstones...where we can take our impossibilities...and remember that with the Death, Burial, and Resurrection...ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. The blood of bulls and goats...and even a rabbit crucified on a cross (Easter)...cannot save our souls, forgive our sins, heal our bodies, break the curse of poverty...BUT Jesus...the PROPITIATION (substitute/satisfaction for God)...can take what is impossible...and make it possible.

Cue the music...light the fuse...and get ready for all of the possibilities in your life.

The MASTER...not the card...will be the one who will meet your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)...as we realize that we can do ALL THINGS... through Christ who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13)

FINAL THOUGHTS FINALLY

Starting on February 17th....I will be entering Lent with great anticipation of God doing a work in my spirit (my place of intimacy with Him), my soul (my mind, my will, my emotions) and my body (the overall physical parts of me). During that time there will be no Facebook writings or Ruminator Ramblings. I will be teaching on Sunday mornings in the Ruminator Sunday School class on The Gospel of John Ruminator Style...and will still be sending our RUMINATOR UPDATES to those who are attending class. You can still contact me via e-mail
I will be praying for you during this time.

Love...and Possible Kisses
Rodney "Luke 18:26" Boyd

THE CONE OF SILENCE

Hello friends and neighbors...are ya ready to GET SMART. This is one of my favorite shows that first appeared back on April 12, 1969. This show was an answer to the James Bond craze that was sweeping the nation. Buck Henry and Mel Brooks took note at the success of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command of Law and Enforcement.)

When ever the Chief of CONTROL (who are fighting the bad guys of CHAOS) wanted to talk to Agent 86...aka Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) and he wanted to make sure it was just between him and Agent 86...he would bring down the CONE OF SILENCE. Of course there would always be some type of comic interaction or something would go wrong with the CONE OF SILENCE. Well...I am ready to pull down my personal CONE OF SILENCE where it will be me and God...without the distractions of the world. I am about to enter THE LENTEN SEASON.


Lent...is a time within the Christian community around the world where there is time set aside to seek God. Usually it is found within the liturgical community in churches like the Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Greek Orthodox, etc...but it is not exclusive to these types of churches.

NOTE: First...let me state...that observing Lent does not make someone a more superior Christian compared to someone who does not observe Lent. Secondly...It is not Death, Burial, Resurrection PLUS Lent.

LENT: The period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. The word Lent means the lengthening of season.

PURPOSE: The preparation of the believer through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self denial. Usually it is 40 days long from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The 40 days represent the 40 days of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness...where the end is coming out of the wilderness filled with the Spirit.

This year Fat Tuesday (the last day of indulgence/feasting)...aka Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Tuesday...which falls on February 16th...followed by Ash Wednesday on February 17th...ending on April 3rd...the day before Easter...aka...Resurrection Sunday.

Usually...people in preparation for Lent...commit to "give up something for Lent". For example...they may give up chocolate, or meat, or whatever.

This year...I am pressing into God...with a focus on (1) my spirit (2) my soul (3) my body (I Thessalonians 5:23).

NOTE: I know that we are "suppose" to being doing this 24/7...365 days a year...however...in my life...it does not happen this way. There are times throughout the year (separate from Lent)...that I must withdraw away...seek God's face...be restored and refreshed...and Lent is just one of those times.

One of the things that I will be giving up for Lent (there are many things that you will never know about)...is writing online. That means from Wednesday February 17th to Saturday April 13th...I will not be on FACEBOOK or writing the RUMINATOR RAMBLINGS. Hopefully...under the CONE OF SILENCE...I will attune my ears to the voice of God...and come out on Resurrection Sunday refreshed and renewed with more stuff to Ramble on.

I will still be teaching the Ruminator Sunday School class...and will be sending out the Ruminator Class Updates...but again no Ramblings and no Facebook.

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY...no really...FINALLY

I covet your prayers during this time...and I will be praying for you during this time.

Love and Lenten Kisses
Rodney "Get Smart" Boyd