STREAMS OF LIGHT IN DARKENED CORNERS

Greetings Children of the Light...

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was formless and void (waste and empty) and DARKNESS was over the surface of the deep; and the SPIRIT OF GOD was moving (hovering) over the surface of the waters.  Then God said...LET THERE BE LIGHT...and there WAS LIGHT.  And God saw that the LIGHT was good; and God separated the LIGHT from the DARKNESS."  (Genesis 1:1-5)

NOTE:  The first picture of the bright orb is one I took in a photography class at Smyrna Assembly (now Springhouse). It is a macro shot of a paperweight on my desk... and I framed it and called it...FROM CHAOS TO ORDER...LIGHT BE.
"Therefore..if any man/woman/human is in Christ, they are NEW (light)  creations.. the OLD(dark)  things past away...behold NEW (light )things have come."  (II Corinthians 5:17)

When I read this verse I thing of my life B.C. (before Christ) and my life A.D. (Anno Domina Nostri Iesu Christi...aka In the year of the Lord Jesus Christ).  God looked down upon my sinful life...and as I received, accepted, believed, confessed Jesus as Lord and believed in my heart that God raised Him from the dead...that God said..."LIGHT BE!"  Back in the fall of 1970...I stepped from DARKNESS into the LIGHT...from CHAOS to ORDER.  Larry Norman has an album entitled...STREAMS OF LIGHT IN DARKENED CORNERS...and I think about Jesus coming into a dark world...needing a Saviour...needing a light.

"In Him (Jesus...the Word) was life; and the life was the LIGHT of men...and the LIGHT SHINES in the DARKNESS; and the DARKNESS did not comprehend it.  There came a man , sent from God, whose name was John.  He came for a witness, that he might bear witness of THE LIGHT, that all might believe through him.  He was NOT THE LIGHT...but came that he might BEAR WITNESS OF THE LIFE." (John 1:4-5)

As Adam and Eve fell in the Garden (Genesis 3:1-24) and sin/darkness was introduced into the world and throughout the ages up until this current writing (Romans 2:10; 3:23; 5:12)...we see more and more the need for a LIGHT.  Jesus came to be a LIGHT in the DARKNESS...and then take us from the DARKNESS INTO THE LIGHT. "For He (Jesus) delivered us from the DOMAIN (authority) of DARKNESS...and TRANSFERRED us to the KINGDOM OF HIS BELOVED SON (a kingdom of light)...in whom we have REDEMPTION...the FORGIVENESS OF SINS."  (Colossians 1:13-14)


We are living in what some call "The End Times"  We have Mayan keepers of time with their calendar that is coming to and end in December 21, 2012...on top of over the years since the days of Jesus...that the end of the world is coming and people with all kinds of time lines and predictive dates for this end to take place.  Back in the day...people were so sure the Lord was coming back...they would stop living and just wait.  One thing for sure...He is coming back...and the world as we know it will come to an end...but this Rambling is not going set a timeline for this to take place.

I know this...these are the LAST DAYS...and people (not all) will be acting a certain way.  In I Timothy Chapter 3 Paul warns Timothy of certain people in the last days filled with difficulty time.

"But realize this, that IN THE LAST DAYS....DIFFICULT TIMES WILL COME." (I Timothy 3:1)  What follows is a litany of those characteristics of "last days...difficult times"...people. 

-lovers of self
-lovers of money
-boastful
-arrogant
-revilers
-disobedient to parents
-ungrateful
-unholy
-unloving
-irreconcilable
-malicious gossips
-without self-control
-brutal
-haters of good
-treacherous
-reckless
-conceited
-lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
-holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power
-entering into households and captivate weak women weight down with sins
-led on by various impulses
-always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of truth
-opposers of truth
-men of depraved mind
-rejected as regards to the faith
-not making progress
-their folly obvious to all
-evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse
-deceiving and being deceived

The world is falling apart...it is getting worse and worse...evil is rising...and the only option is either give up...or turn into the very evil that we are worried about.  What are we to do in this DARK world.  We are called to WALK IN THE LIGHT...as HE IS IN THE LIGHT.

"An this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you that GOD IS LIGHT and in Him there is NO DARKNESS at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet WALK IN THE DARKNESS...we lie and do not practice TRUTH; but if we WALK IN THE LIGHT...as He Himself is IN THE LIGHT...we have fellowship with one another, and the BLOOD OF JESUS HIS SON...CLEANSES US FROM ALL SIN." (I John 1:5-7)

In these DARK DAYS...we as believers in the D.B.R. of Jesus...can let/allow the DARKNESS to overwhelm us...or...LET OUR LIGHTS SHINE EVEN BRIGHTER.

"You are the LIGHT OF THE WORLD.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do men LIGHT A LAMP, and put it under the peck measure, but on the LAMPSTAND...and it gives LIGHT to all who are in the house...LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE before men in such a way that they may see your good works...and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

Evil and unrighteousness just keep getting worse and worse....but FEAR NOT.

"For if by the transgress of the one (Adam), death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of GRACE and of the GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS will reign in life through the One...Jesus Christ.  So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.  For through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of The One Man were made righteous.  And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased...even so...GRACE MIGHT REIGN THROUGH RIGHTEOUSNESS to eternal life...JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD." (Romans 5:17-21)

"The darker the night...the brighter the light." (R.L.B.)

"But nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight...got to kick at the DARKNESS 'til it bleeds DAYLIGHT." (Lovers In A Dangerous Time by Bruce Cockburn)

Love and Brighter Kisses
Rodney "Kickin' It" Boyd

PEACE BEYOND WHAT I CAN COMPREHEND OR UNDERSTAND

 Greetings Peaceful Ones...in the midst of chaos.

As of this writing...we have just experienced ANOTHER national tragedy...where 28 children and adults were gunned down in Connecticut.  They outcry is WHY!  You watched the news...you read the newspapers...you view the various Facebook posts and you see a common statement..."I just don't understand..."  When things like senseless killings, terrorists attacks...unexplainable accidents, sober drivers killed by drunk drivers while the drunk does not even have a scar...we question ourselves, our faith, our God...and at times...either lose our faith or even give up trying.

Usually the debate turns away from the victims and turns to the cause and if guns are involved...the gun control debate heats up with a swirling mix of emotions, facts, misinformation bandied about.  People get political and begin to bring out the constitution...Bill of Rights...Declaration of Independence and begins to pick out the parts that would support their beliefs.  On one side people in the extreme declare getting rid of ALL hand guns, automatic weapons, etc...and echo what the group Steppenwolfe sang back in the late 60's..."fire ALL of our guns at once...explode into space..."  The other side of the debate argues that we need to enforce current gun control laws...and cry out we have  a "right to bear arms" (2nd Amendment).  They state that..."if you OUTLAW guns...only OUTLAWS will have guns."...or "guns don't kill people...it's people that kills people."  The bottom line is...no one can comprehend or understand WHY.  We all agree it is a tragedy.


The problem on the surface of course is people.   According to the U.S. and World Population Clock the count of human beings (people) is currently as of this writing on December 17th 2012 at 7:07 A.M Central Standard Time is:

U.S.=314,956,018

WORLD=7,059,133,260

With that many people on this swirling, whirling, 3rd Rock from the Sun...Planet Earth...I can see where Linus is coming from.  I mean..."For God so loved the world...but the best I can do is tolerate some people in the world." (R.L.B.)


In this land...this world...in our class we call it the Land Called Nitty Gritty.  This is where real life happens with real joy and real sadness, with real victory and real defeat, with real success and real failure, with real happiness and real tragedy.  People live...people die. 

Whatever happens...the good, bad or ugly... many times I find myself unable to comprehend or understand why things happen.  It is just happenstance is it an uncaring God, or is there a devil...who manifests evil through people.  This picture of a house from superior view is from the movie IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE...where the opening is people praying...and those prayers for a man named George Baily who is in dire straits...begins to swirl upward and are joined by many other prayers in Bedford Falls

How can I get comprehension of unexplainable events.  How can I simply not fall apart in the face of tragedy?  In the Bible...there is a promise of a PEACE that surpasses/passes ALL COMPREHENSION or UNDERSTANDING.  The kind of peace that I CAN understand or comprehend is the absence of conflict.  When things are going well...when there are peace treaties written and cease fires are actually adhered to...the is peace.  When my job is going good...when I have money in my bank account, when there is food on the table, when I am healthy and physically fit, when I read the paper, listen to the news, read my Facebook...and there is no negative news or sentiments written about..I am at REST...in a position of WHOLENESS...I can comprehend and understand PEACE.  But guess what.  That is NOT reality.  Life is filled with good, bad and ugly and it is constantly in FLUX and change.

I like Bruce Cockburn's song THE WHOLE NIGHT SKY from The Charity of Night project.

THE WHOLE NIGHT SKY (Bruce Cockburn)

They turned their backs...I made it too hard
Every place they touched me...is a laceration now

Sometimes a wind comes OUT OF NOWHERE...and knocks you off your feet
And look...see my TEARS...They fill the whole night sky...the whole night sky

Derailed and Desperate...how did I get here?
Hanging from this high wire...by the TATTERS OF MY FAITH

Sometimes a wind comes OUT OF NOWHERE...and knocks you off your feet
And look, see my TEARS...they fill the whole night sky...the whole night sky


This song speaks to me of the various tragedies that takes place in the world and in our personal lives.
Of course...as I sit in my warm home, with my belly filled with food, with no current tragedy taking place in my own personal life...I can sit back like an arm chair quarterback and second guess how people should react, what should take place, and how people should feel.  What can I do...to at least bring some kind of understanding and comprehension and understanding to this madness.

1.  Pray for the victims and there families and don't turn it into a political or religious debate. Don't point a finger as they grieve and begin to tell them what they need to do or how they should feel.

2.  Implement Philippians 4:6-7 for your own personal life...pray, supplicate, and thank God in the face of anxiety...with the cause and effect of a PEACE that surpasses ALL comprehension and understanding.

3.  Don't allow your mind to be scattered on a thousand thought...get your focus back as you walk out Isaiah 26:3...as "steadfast of mind...thou will keep in perfect peace (shalom shalom) because it is stayed on you."

4.  Absorb Psalm 37 and see how you need to deal with evildoers and wrongdoers. 

5.  Be SALT and LIGHT in a dark world.  "Darker the world...the brighter the light."  Be available to introduce others to the God of Comfort (II Corinthians 1:3-7)

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

Many years ago...when our Saviour entered this world...the devil...wanted to end His life before He was able to grow up...and fulfill His destiny as the Saviour of the World. The devil utilized a human being to set things into motion to seek Him out and kill Him...and in the wake of this searched killed many innocent children.

"Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi; he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from TWO YEARS OLD AND UNDER, according to the time which he had ascertained from the magi. Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled saying...A voice was heard in Rama...weeping and great morning...Rachel weeping for her children and she refused to be comforted...because they were no more." (Matthew 2:16-18)

There is nothing new under the sun...the devil has no new tactics...evil is still evil and manifested through human beings...and the pain of parents suffering is still real...and only God can take a tragic event...and turn it around..somehow...and take...what the devil meant for harm...and turn it into God.

"We know that ALL THINGS (the good, the bad, the ugly) works together for good to them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28)

FINAL THOUGHT FINALLY...PART 2

I still don't UNDERSTAND or COMPREHEND...but I cling to His peace to get me through these things.

Rodney

TOP TEN REASONS THAT I DON'T CELEBRATE THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

 Happy (fill in the blank of your special day)...Let the season of complaining begin. 

Tis da season for those who believe that Christ is the reason for the season...and those who think otherwise.  With that in mind...here are the TOP TEN REASONS THAT I DON'T CELEBRATE THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.

DISCLAIMER:  I personally enjoy all aspects of the holiday from mistletoe to chestnuts roasting on the open fire...to glitz and gifts...to Blue Christmas to White Christmas dreams. 

#10:  I don't want to make anyone...un..comfortable.

#09:  I would hate to offend agnostic, atheist, pagans, Muslims, any other religious or non religious sect or cult by mentioning the name of Jesus Immanuel the Christ.

#08:  "Why can't we just all get along?" (Rodney King)

#07:  How boring would holiday movies be with just Jesus?

#06:  How do you expect me to feed my greed...thinking about the ultimate gift from God?

NOTE:  This first picture is from the early days of dating of my favorite Christmas gift...Brenda Sue Williams.

#05:  Because I look so good in red and white.

#04: I like Christmas music...that has nothing to do with Christ-mas.

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR:  Are you feeling guilty for leaving someone off of your gift list?  Do you fell the need to compete with friends and family to see who can give the most expensive gift?  Is your reason for the season to get...and to get you must sow so you can reap a good gift?  The solution is simple.  Reach into your back pocket or in your purse...pull out the credit card of your choice and max out those cards boys and girls and go deep into debt to show and buy your love.  Join millions for true reason of the season...CONSUMERISM.  And now back to our Rambling.

NOTE:  My friend and confidant...Alfred E. Neuman.  What...Me Worry about Christmas?

#03:  We have got to keep separation of Church and State which means a separation of Church from every area of life as we know it. 

#02:  I can't taint myself with anything that is not Christian in origin...even though I don't mind tainting myself 364 other days of the year.  The concept of Christians taking back or redeeming the devil stuff can't be Biblical or can it? 

NOTE:  This is a picture of the Nativity Scene that Harvey's Department Store would set up in Centennial Park in Nashville Tennessee back in simpler times.

AND THE #1 REASON THAT I DON'T CELEBRATE THE REASON FOR THE SEASON:

IT'S ALL ABOUT ME BABY...IT'S ALL ABOUT ME. 

NOTE: The story of Advent...is laid out in the art work of Rufus Walsh.

"Now it came about in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.  This was the first census taken while Quirinius was Governor of Syria.  And all were proceeding to register for the census, everyone to His own city.  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.  And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.  And she gave birth to her first born son,; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night.  and an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.  And the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been BORN FOR YOU A SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD." (Luke 2:1-11)

NOTE:  For full details read Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 2:1-23; Luke 1:1-80; Luke 2:1-52. 

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

Well there ya have it...my tongue in cheek gift to you.  To all the readers of the Ruminator Ramblings...I want to wish you...a Very Mooey CHRIST-mas...Merry CHRIST-mas and Happy HOLY-days.

Love and Gift Wrapped Kisses
Rodney "I Do Look Good In Red and White" Boyd

P.S.

Ho-Ho-Ho Hosanna