I NEVER PROMISED YOU A ROSE GARDEN

Hello Kingdom Warriors. How's the battle, the skirmish, the tussle, the war going? Pretty EASY...huh!?!

Lynn Anderson had her big hit...as she sang...I beg your pardon...I never promised you a rose garden. Sometimes...as we approach our Christianity...we have an expectancy of EASY STREET. The life we left behind was hell on earth...and once we accepted Jesus as our Saviour...or took a step in our Christian walk closer to Him...we expect a little heaven on earth...HOWEVER...more times than not...it gets worse.

One comment that I hear a lot...when I write these Ramblings...or as I teach the Ruminator Sunday School Class is..."that's EASY to say...but it is HARD to do." I agree. It is EASY for me to PONTIFICATE about the various principles of God...as I sit in my comfortable office...surrounded by my wall of books and research materials, listening to music on my computer...sipping on my hot cup of coffee. It is especially EASY when I am not going through what others are going through. I guess that would be the next thing I hear a lot..."You don't know what I am going through." "IT'S HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!"

It could be anything from forgiving the unforgivable to disciplining yourself for the purpose of godliness.

The word EASY means (a) causing or involving LITTLE DIFFICULTY or DISCOMFORT (b) requiring or indicating LITTLE EFFORT, THOUGHT, or DISCOMFORT.



HARD...would mean...(a) causing or involving DIFFICULTY or DISCOMFORT and requiring or indicating EFFORT, THOUGHT, or DISCOMFORT.

If you are attempting to apply the principles of God in your life...and it AIN'T EASY...that does not mean that the principle is wrong or not worth pursuing. It does not mean that because you are experiencing resistance to your effort that you are OUT OF THE WILL OF GOD.

"And from the days of John the Baptist until NOW the kingdom of heaven suffers VIOLENCE...and the VIOLENT take it by FORCE." (Matthew 11:12)

"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 The Amplified Bible)

Pursuing the kingdom...in the natural...appears to be a hard thing...but Jesus does promise that if we follow Him his yoke is EASY...His burden is LIGHT.

"Come to Me...all you who labour and are heavy laden...and I will give you REST. Take My yoke upon you and LEARN FROM ME...for I am GENTLE...and LOWLY in heart...and you will find REST for your souls. For My yoke is EASY...and my burden is LIGHT." (Matthew 12:28-30)


In the words of Michael Buffer...."LEEEEEEEEET'S GET READY TO
RUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMBBBBBBBBBBBLE!!!!!" In our last collage...I have place pictures of various rumblers. It ranges from a lion (representing the Lion of the tribe of Judah...aka Jesus), Billy Jack...kicking with Hapkido...Sumo wrestlers...Michael Buffer, Walker Texas Ranger...Paul McCartney's album cover for Run devil Run...Bill Taylor smashing boards...Elvis as boxer Kid Galahad...William Wallace declaring freeeeeeeeeedommm....Old Style Batman fighting the darkness of Gotham city...the boys of Bonanza...the Incredible Hulk....Smith Wigglesworth (a plumber in England filled with the Spirit of God)...Billy Graham with a simple message that changes lives.... Hopalong Cassidy (aka William Boyd)...Hulk/Thunderlips and Rocky getting ready to rock...Chuck Conners as the Rifleman...The Man From Uncle (Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuriaken fighting the forces of evil)...King Creole standing up against the mob and Maxie Fields...Flash Gordon against the evil Ming...Petra album cover with flaming sword...Tojo Yamamoto with his deadly wooden shoe... a Ruminator Cow ready for action...Barney Fife and Sgt. Friday...Rowdy Roddy Piper ready to fight the aliens forces....kingdom warfare...and a Black Belt Cow.

You can put your picture in here...because if you are a follower...you are a warrior.

The things that I write about...are not EASY...but they are WORTH FIGHTING FOR.

In the last Rambling I mention Bruce Cockburn and his song...THE WHOLE NIGHT SKY. Another song that speaks to me about this subject...is LOVERS IN A DANGEROUS TIME. We are living in DANGEROUS TIMES.

When you're lovers in a dangerous time
Sometimes you're made to feel as if your love's a crime
But NOTHING WORTH HAVING COMES WITH OUT SOME KIND OF FIGHT
Got to KICK at the DARKNESS...
'Til it BLEEDS DAYLIGHT.

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY!!!!

Remember that in this fight...this spiritual wrestling match...that:

"For we are not WRESTLING with flesh and blood--CONTENDING only with physical opponents--but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of THIS PRESENT DARKNESS...against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere." (Ephesians 6:12) NOTE: Read Ephesians 6:10-20 for full details of battle armour and strategies.

Instead of responding to opposition in your walk like a newspaper man who would yell out...STOP THE PRESSES...I would encourage you to continue to PRESS ON...AND IN...THE LORD.

Love and Rumbling Kisses
Rodney "I Ain't Gonna Stop Proclaiming The Principles of God" Boyd

THE CHUMP TO CHAMP CONNECTION

Greetings fellow Chumps....or is that Champs. It's like the difference between the good looking, muscular, bronzed keg-packed ideal of a real man...and me. One is a HUNK...the other is a CHUNK. I'll let you be the judge.

In the movie O Brother Where Art Thou?...you had three escapees from a road gang in Mississippi who were on an ODDESSY in search of a TREASURE. This movie is loosely based on the writings of Homer...as they encounter various things that keep them from accomplishing their goal.

The treasure seekers (which turned out to be a hoax) consisted of Pete Hogwallop, Delmar O'Donnell, and their leader Ulysses Everett McGill.

At one point in their journey...they encountered a church singing and walking into the water to be baptized...dipped wholly into the waters of the river. They were singing and being dipped. Delmar...surprises Pete and Everett as he runs into the waters to be baptized. Pete also joins the baptism but Everett...who considers himself an intellectual and above religious superstition. The times for this baptism was in Mississippi during the Great Depression of 1937. Here's Everett's observation on the event:




EVERETT: Well, I guess HARD TIMES FLUSH THE CHUMPS. Everybody's looking for ANSWERS. (He then asks Pete where Delmar is going as Delmar runs into the waters)

PETE: Well I'll be an S.O.B...Delmar's been SAVED!

DELMAR: Well that's it boys. I've been REDEEMED. The preacher's done warshed away all my sins and transgressions. It's the straight and narrow from here on out, and heaven everlasting's my reward.

EVERETT: Delmar...what are you talking about? We've got BIGGER FISH TO FRY.

DELMAR: The preacher says all my sins are warshed away...including that Piggly Wiggly I knocked over in Yazoo.

EVERETT: I thought you said you was Innocent of those charges?

DELMAR: Well...I was lyin'. And the preacher says that that sin's been warshed away too. Neither God nor man's got nothin' on me now. C'MON IN BOYS...THE WATER IS FINE.

Another viewpoint by Everett as he pontificates on spiritual things is:

EVERETT: Baptism! You two are just dumber than a bag of hammers. Well, any human being will CAST ABOUT in a MOMENT OF STRESS. No, the fact is...they're flooding this valley so they can hydroelectric up the whole durn state. Yes sir...the South is gonna change. Everything's gonna be put on electricity and run on a paying basis. Out with the OLD SPIRITUAL MUMBO JUMBO...the SUPERSTITIONS...the BACKWARD WAYS. We're gonna see a brave new world where they run everybody with a wire and hook us all up to a grid. Yes sire...a veritable AGE OF REASON. Like the one they had in France. Not a moment too soon.

In their travels they run across a young black man (at that time a colored)...named Tommy Johnson (based on real life blues man Robert Johnson who wrote the song Crossroads Blues made famous by Eric Clapton and Cream). Tommy had just sold his soul to the devil:

TOMMY: I had to be up a that there CROSSROADS last midnight, to sell my soul to the devil.

EVERETT: Well...ain't it a small world...SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING. Pete and Delmar just BEEN BAPTIZED and SAVED. I guess I'm the only one that remains UNAFFILIATED.

PETE: I've always wondered...what's the devil look like?

EVERETT: Well...there are all manner of lesser imps and demons, Pete, but the great satan hisself is red and scaly with a bifurcated tail, and he carries a hay fork.

TOMMY: Oh, no. NO, sir. He's white, as white as you folks, with empty eyes and a big hollow voice. He loves to travel around with a mean old hound. That's right.

EVERETT: What'd you SELL YOU SOUL FOR Tommy?

TOMMY: Well...he taught me how to play this here guitar real good.

DELMAR: Oh, son...for that...you sold your EVERLASTIN' SOUL?

TOMMY: Well..I wasn't usin' it.

What got me to ruminating about his rambling...was the phrase...HARD TIMES FLUSH THE CHUMPS. A CHUMP is defined as:

1. A stupid person; a dolt
2. A short, thick piece of wood (think blockhead)
3. The thick, blunt end of anything
4. The head
5. Crazy (off one's chump)

NOTE: I have a friend who has gone on to be with the Lord...who responded to someone calling him CRAZY..."I would rather be crazy the way I am...than sane the way you are."

6. A person who is GULLIBLE and EASY to take advantage of.
7. The thick end as the chump end of a joint of meat ie. chump chop
8. Insignificant, insultingly small ie. chump change.

Ulyssess Everett McGill is not alone in his assessment of people who choose to become Christians. Christians are viewed as stupid, ignorant, weak, gullible, blockheads, meatheads, dolts, crazy, insignificant, insulting small...in the eyes of NON-CHRISTIANS. They don't mind if you are a Christian...BUT heaven forbid that you bring your Christianity out of the four walls of your Chump Church building...and mention it in a conversation. Those who view us a CHUMPS...don't mind talking about how drunk they got the night before...or who they have been sleeping with...or yada yada, bla bla, woop woop....but don't mention Jesus. It's O.K. if you mention God...or the man upstairs...or the Good Lord....but when you start talking that Jesus crap...you have entered into the realm of OFFENDING.

NOTE: Not all non-Christians are like this...but there are militant Christian haters out there.

I am a proud CHUMP. As Paul said...I am NOT ASHAMED of the Gospel of Christ...for it is the POWER OF GOD...for SALVATION to everyone who BELIEVES...to the Jew first...and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16) Gospel=Good News=Death, Burial, Resurrection... nothing more...nothing less.

"For God so love the CHUMPS...that He gave His only begotten Son...that whatever CHUMP believes in Him...the CHUMP shall not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16...Ruminator Style)

It appears to be God's Modus Operandi...to use the CHUMPS.

"But we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a STUMBLING BLOCK and to the Greeks FOOLISHNESS...but to those who are called, to the Jews and Greeks, CHRIST...THE POWER OF GOD...and the WISDOM OF GOD. Because the FOOLISHNESS OF GOD...is wiser than men...and the WEAKNESS OF GOD is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that NOT MANY WISE according to the flesh...not many MIGHTY...not many NOBLE are called. BUT...............................................................

GOD HAS CHOSEN THE FOOLISH THINGS OF THE WORLD TO PUT TO SHAME THE WISE, AND GOD HAS CHOSEN THE WEAK THINGS OF THE WORLD TO PUT TO SHAME THE THINGS WHICH ARE MIGHTY...AND THE BASE THINGS OF THE WORLD AND THE THINGS WHICH ARE DESPISED...God has chosen...and the things which are not...to bring to nothing the things that are...that NO FLESH...should glory in His presence. But of Him you ARE IN CHRIST JESUS...who became FOR US wisdom from God...and righteousness...and sanctification....and redemption...that as it is written...HE WHO GLORIES...LET HIM GLORY IN THE LORD."
(I Corinthians 1:23-31)

Only CHUMPS can experience this. Non-Chumps are too smart...too strong...too prideful to experience the foolishness of God.

NOTE: I have been educated with and undergraduate degree and a Master's degree in Education....but like the Apostel Paul...I count all things that I have gained as loss compared to KNOWING HIM. As the song DENOMINATION BLUES declares..."You can go to your college...you can go to your schools...but if you don't know Jesus...you're an EDUCATED FOOL...that's all...I tell you that's all...you better know Jesus...I tell ya that's all."

The last picture collage that you see...are Delmar...and Rodney...saying...COME ON IN BOYS...and GIRLS...THE WATER IS FINE. If you need refreshing from the HARD TIMES...if you need relief from the casting around in the MOMENTS OF STRESS. The next two pictures in the collage are a few of my CHUMP FRIENDS...and I have many.

Love and Chump Kisses
Rodney "The Water Really Is Fine" Boyd