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 RUMBLE

Hello friends and Struggling Rumblers...as Dean Martin sings..."Ain't That A Kick In The Head."

Do you ever feel like Chuck Norris on the receiving end of a right cross from Bill "Superfoot" Wallace? You are walking along...minding your own business... when WHAM!!!! Your head is snapped around...you feel the connection of the leather glove on your chin...the electric sensation goes to your brain...the idea of laying down and saying, NO MAS, NO MAS...NO MORE, NO MORE." In the movie A FORCE OF ONE...after Chuck received this devastating blow...he rallied...and ended up the winner by Superfoots default...Superfoot died. Of course...it is a movie...and the bad guy did lose...and the good guy did win...because that is how it is written in the script...and the Director...Producer... wanted the movie to end that way.


Well...chicky...life hurts. There ain't no script...and there ain't no one to yell cut when life gets tough. You have to play with the cards that are dealt ya...you have to lay down and just accept whatever comes your way...and their ain't nuttin' that you can do about it...OR is there? There just might be an ACE up the sleeve to pull out at the last minute.

We may not have a SCRIPT...but we do have SCRIPT-ture...and we many not have a DIRECTOR...but we do have some one who can DIRECT or steps...and we may not have a PRODUCER...but we do have a CREATOR...who has a destiny and purpose for our lives...IF we do not give up...just because we are on the receiving end of a hard...knockout... punch. When the going gets tough...this is where the TOUGH get going... straight to the Word of God. Take the bullet out of your pocket...and load up.


When Billy Jack is facing the odds against him...he does the only thing that he can do...take off his boots...and start KICKIN'

Bruce Cockburn waxes poetic...in his song LOVERS IN A DANGEROUS TIME...when he states, "Nothing worth having comes without some kind of FIGHT...Got to KICK at the DARKNESS...until it BLEEDS DAYLIGHT."

Billy Jack relied on Hapkido...Old Reliable Barney Fife relies on his bullet (singular)...Chuck Norris relied on a Script...but we rely on The Word of God.

In 1957...just before Elvis was shipped off to Germany as he answered the call of Uncle Sam... he filmed what I consider to be his best movie...KING CREOLE. Multiple times...Danny Fisher (Elvis)...protected Ronnie (Carolyn Jones aka Morticia on the Addams Family)...the girlfriend of mobster Maxie Fields (Walter Mathau of the Odd Couple fame). Danny saw something in Ronnie...that made him think that she was worth fighting...and yes maybe dying for...so he would use whatever was at his disposal...to protect what he felt was worth protecting.


As Michael Buffer announces............

Leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttssssssssss get ready to RUUUUUMMMMBBBLLLE!!!!

The question is...are you willing to take a STAND...and FIGHT...for what satan/devil (little s and d) are trying to take away from you? Are righteousness...peace...and joy worth the RUMBLE?

Gather round children...and let Uncle Rod tell you a story. There once was a young lad...who accepted Jesus as his personal Saviour...and everything was lovely for the next 37 years...and the young lad and his lovely lady lived HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

Wasn't that a nice story boys and girls? Well...it is only partially true. There was a remarkable change in the life of the young lad and his lady...but just because they accepted Jesus did NOT mean that they were immune from trouble...in some ways...it intensified.

Hardships...produced character. To walk in the Kingdom of God...be ready for battles, warfare, trials, troubles, tribulations, afflictions, persecutions...but at the same time be ready for victories, deliverance, provision, maturity, etc.

"And from the days of John the Baptist (the big dipper) until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence (is forcefully entered)...and violent men take it (seize it for themselves) by force." Matthew 11:12 To me this speaks of a hunger and tenacity for the kingdom in the face of hardships...and not giving up.

"And after they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, STRENGTHENING the souls of the disciples, ENCOURAGING them to CONTINUE (not give up) in FAITH...and saying...Through many TRIBULATIONS we must enter the kingdom of God." Acts 14:21,22)
Again...in the face of TROUBLE...DON'T GIVE UP.

We live in a CURSED and FALLEN world...and DARKNESS engulfs the souls of mankind...with us with the responsibility of being STREAMS OF LIGHT INTO DARKENED CORNERS.

There is method to this madness of tribulations in our lives. There is process in the maturity mambo.

"Therefore, having been justified by FAITH, we have PEACE WITH GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1) Everyone can give a big AMEN to the PEACE OF GOD....but we must read on.

"...though whom also we have obtained our introduction by FAITH into this GRACE...in which we STAND...and we exult (jump up and spin around)...in HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD." (Romans 5:2) Again...I would like to stand up and give a great big HALLELUJAH for the HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD...YES...AND AMEN!!!!!! ...but we must read on.

"And not only this, but we also exult (jump up and spin around) in our TRIBULATIONS...knowing that TRIBULATION brings about PERSEVERANCE; and PERSEVERANCE....PROVEN CHARACTER.... and PROVEN CHARACTER ...HOPE...and HOPE does not disappoint, because the LOVE OF GOD...has been poured out within our hearts THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT. who was give to us." (Romans 5:1)

I don't know what you are going through...and I don't know how long you have been going through it...BUT I do know...that IF you are a believer...versus a nominal Christian...or a religious person...that God has purpose and plan...and you will come out the other side of the RUMBLE intact...with maybe a little limp like Jacob did when he RUMBLED with God...and had not only a name change...but a legacy change. (Genesis 32:24-32)

Ladies and Gentlemen...in this corner...wearing the white trunks...weighing in...well let's not weigh in on that subject...ROD THE BOD BOYD...and in the other corner...wearing the dark trunks...weighing in with the WEIGHT OF THE WORLD...trials, troubles, and tribulations.

Leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeets get ready to RUUUUUUMMMMBLE!!!!

Love and Victorious Kisses
Rod "And The Winner Is" Boyd