Tuesday, January 31, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Out of adversity comes opportunity.”
BEN FRANKLIN
“Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established.”
PROVERBS 4:26 NASB
You’ve got to watch where you step. I live in a rural area of southern Missouri and this is one of the lessons that we learn quickly. I used to work cattle for two brothers, one was a beef cattleman and the other was a dairy farmer. Whenever we would get the cattle up to doctor them, or move them, you always had to watch where you stepped. Not only did you have to watch to keep from being stepped on by a fifteen hundred pound cow, but also you had to watch where you yourself stepped. Any time you have several cattle penned up, many will give you the gift of cow pies. Of course stepping in one does no real damage; it’s just that sometimes it’s hard to get back into the house without taking off your boots. I just threw this in for a little humor, and to give a different perspective of watching your path. Solomon in this proverb is giving instruction to his son and he mentions prior to this how his father David had also instructed him. His instruction was to “watch the path,” not necessarily to watch where your feet step. As I study the Hebrew word used for path in this instance, I find some interesting facts. The word is ma`gal and means a track or a circular rampart. It comes from the root word `agol which means revolve, circular or round. Solomon is saying to watch the path of your feet, because you will revolve around this way again and again. Just because I have traveled down a path before does not mean that I can assume that I will not fall. I must continue to watch the path so that any unexpected obstacle can be avoided or dealt with properly. I have found that I don’t travel a brand new path every day. At times I find myself on a new path, but most of the time I am traveling a path that I have traveled before. Being complacent and comfortable is the easiest way to not see some obstacle the enemy has laid in my path. I was a “ground pounder” in Vietnam. I was in an airborne infantry unit and when we were on the ground, we traveled by foot. It was of vital importance, a life or death situation, to watch the path of your feet. And so it is in everyday life. “Watch the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established.” Today just because I travel a path I have been on before, I know that I must keep my eyes open, watch, and trust in the Lord. Then God will do for me what I could not do for myself…………………JRE
“Tonight I will sleep beneath Your feet, O Lord of the mountains and valleys, ruler of the trees and vines. I will rest in Your love, with You protecting me as a father protects his children, with You watching over me as a mother watching over her children. Then tomorrow the sun will rise and I will not know where I am; but I know that You will guide my footsteps.”
ROBERT VAN DE WEYER
“Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon.
“Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery………”
Alcoholics Anonymous, page 59
A circular path
Thought for the day: “Out of adversity comes opportunity.”
BEN FRANKLIN
“Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established.”
PROVERBS 4:26 NASB
You’ve got to watch where you step. I live in a rural area of southern Missouri and this is one of the lessons that we learn quickly. I used to work cattle for two brothers, one was a beef cattleman and the other was a dairy farmer. Whenever we would get the cattle up to doctor them, or move them, you always had to watch where you stepped. Not only did you have to watch to keep from being stepped on by a fifteen hundred pound cow, but also you had to watch where you yourself stepped. Any time you have several cattle penned up, many will give you the gift of cow pies. Of course stepping in one does no real damage; it’s just that sometimes it’s hard to get back into the house without taking off your boots. I just threw this in for a little humor, and to give a different perspective of watching your path. Solomon in this proverb is giving instruction to his son and he mentions prior to this how his father David had also instructed him. His instruction was to “watch the path,” not necessarily to watch where your feet step. As I study the Hebrew word used for path in this instance, I find some interesting facts. The word is ma`gal and means a track or a circular rampart. It comes from the root word `agol which means revolve, circular or round. Solomon is saying to watch the path of your feet, because you will revolve around this way again and again. Just because I have traveled down a path before does not mean that I can assume that I will not fall. I must continue to watch the path so that any unexpected obstacle can be avoided or dealt with properly. I have found that I don’t travel a brand new path every day. At times I find myself on a new path, but most of the time I am traveling a path that I have traveled before. Being complacent and comfortable is the easiest way to not see some obstacle the enemy has laid in my path. I was a “ground pounder” in Vietnam. I was in an airborne infantry unit and when we were on the ground, we traveled by foot. It was of vital importance, a life or death situation, to watch the path of your feet. And so it is in everyday life. “Watch the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established.” Today just because I travel a path I have been on before, I know that I must keep my eyes open, watch, and trust in the Lord. Then God will do for me what I could not do for myself…………………JRE
“Tonight I will sleep beneath Your feet, O Lord of the mountains and valleys, ruler of the trees and vines. I will rest in Your love, with You protecting me as a father protects his children, with You watching over me as a mother watching over her children. Then tomorrow the sun will rise and I will not know where I am; but I know that You will guide my footsteps.”
ROBERT VAN DE WEYER
“Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon.
“Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery………”
Alcoholics Anonymous, page 59
Monday, January 30, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Know which side your bread is buttered on.”
JOHN HEYWOOD
Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce not food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in the LORD,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength,
And has made my feet like hinds’ feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.
HABAKKUK 3:17-19 NASB
The way it was, what happened, and the way it is now. The prophet Habakkuk knew which side his bread was buttered on. I am able to use this example of Scripture and apply it to my everyday life. Regardless of how my situation may appear as I observe it through my senses, I must realize that the Lord God is my strength and I will walk above the situation. Many times we who are members of Alcoholics Anonymous (there are no dues or fees for AA membership, some say we have paid the highest dues in the world to belong), many times we are called upon to share our story with others to give them encouragement. I recall times when I was asked to share my story, that I would go to my sponsor and complain that I was somewhat nervous about speaking. He would reassure me that there was nothing to fear, that I only had one story. How true this is, on the medallion we receive for yearly progress in the program of AA, it says, “To Thine Own Self Be True.” If I’m honest with myself and honest to you, I will only have one story. Basically my sponsor was giving me advice to just be honest. I can only share the way it was, what happened, and the way it is now, or as we sum it up in three words, my experience, strength and hope. One lesson I have learned after many unsuccessful attempts at turning my life around was to know which side my bread is buttered on. A life run on self-will run riot leaves a life that is dry and hardened. A life giving glory to God in all things and that knows where inner strength comes from, is a life that is not stale and flexible. You got to know which side your bread is buttered on. The way I look at it there are only two sides to a piece of bread and there are only two sides to life. One side with God; the other side without God. I choose the side with God’s butter, the anointed side. This way God continues to do for me what I could not do for myself………..JRE
“Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
NEHEMIAH 8:10 NASB
“If our hearts have been attuned to God through an abiding faith in Christ, the results will be joyous optimism and good cheer. The reason? Because we know He loves us, and nothing ‘shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:39).
When our confidence is in Him, discouragement gets crowed out. May that be true in your life today!”
BILLY GRAHAM
The way it was, what happened, the way it is now.
Thought for the day: “Know which side your bread is buttered on.”
JOHN HEYWOOD
Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce not food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in the LORD,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength,
And has made my feet like hinds’ feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.
HABAKKUK 3:17-19 NASB
The way it was, what happened, and the way it is now. The prophet Habakkuk knew which side his bread was buttered on. I am able to use this example of Scripture and apply it to my everyday life. Regardless of how my situation may appear as I observe it through my senses, I must realize that the Lord God is my strength and I will walk above the situation. Many times we who are members of Alcoholics Anonymous (there are no dues or fees for AA membership, some say we have paid the highest dues in the world to belong), many times we are called upon to share our story with others to give them encouragement. I recall times when I was asked to share my story, that I would go to my sponsor and complain that I was somewhat nervous about speaking. He would reassure me that there was nothing to fear, that I only had one story. How true this is, on the medallion we receive for yearly progress in the program of AA, it says, “To Thine Own Self Be True.” If I’m honest with myself and honest to you, I will only have one story. Basically my sponsor was giving me advice to just be honest. I can only share the way it was, what happened, and the way it is now, or as we sum it up in three words, my experience, strength and hope. One lesson I have learned after many unsuccessful attempts at turning my life around was to know which side my bread is buttered on. A life run on self-will run riot leaves a life that is dry and hardened. A life giving glory to God in all things and that knows where inner strength comes from, is a life that is not stale and flexible. You got to know which side your bread is buttered on. The way I look at it there are only two sides to a piece of bread and there are only two sides to life. One side with God; the other side without God. I choose the side with God’s butter, the anointed side. This way God continues to do for me what I could not do for myself………..JRE
“Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
NEHEMIAH 8:10 NASB
“If our hearts have been attuned to God through an abiding faith in Christ, the results will be joyous optimism and good cheer. The reason? Because we know He loves us, and nothing ‘shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:39).
When our confidence is in Him, discouragement gets crowed out. May that be true in your life today!”
BILLY GRAHAM
Friday, January 27, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
thought for the day: “Everyone is ignorant only on different subjects.”
WILL ROGERS
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,
Reprove a wise man and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.
PROVERBS 9:8-9 NASB
I’ve heard it said that Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived. That must mean that he was able to receive instruction and also be reproved. I have met some very wise people, only you couldn’t tell them anything. They knew that they knew more than me and therefore wouldn’t listen to what my pea brain had to say. How arrogant. Of course when I honestly take a look at myself I see where I have been guilty of the same arrogance. I can remember times when my path has crossed the paths of other people who didn’t have all their lights shinning real bright. No fault of their own, they just seem to have been born that way. And I recall from my own experience how I didn’t put as much value on what they had to say as I did someone who I considered wise, successful, and educated. As I get older I find the truth is, that everyone has something to offer. Everyone! Will Rogers hit the nail on the head when he made the statement that “everyone is ignorant only on different subjects.” Solomon also hit the same nail when he said “give instruction to a wise man and he will be wiser.” It’s all about being teachable and staying flexible. To be flexible you must stay green and continue to grow. This morning as I look out my window at this January day I notice all the trees are absent of their leaves. This allows me to see the structure of the trees. I also notice that there is a slight breeze which moves the limbs of the trees in a swaying motion from side to side and up and down. All the trees move and give some with blowing of the breeze. All accept the old dead oak over by the old outhouse. It does not move and most days as I pass that way I have to pick up small limbs that the wind has blown to the ground. My conclusion today is if I stay flexible and keep an open mind to instruction, stay grounded in the Word of God for nourishment, and be willing to bend to help others, then I will be able to demonstrate the life and love of God in my life. If I ever become an old dead stick in the mud, then that is exactly what I will be. Today I chose instruction, and God will do for me what I could not do for myself…………………JRE
The pride of righteousness of “good people” may often be just as destructive as the glaring sins of those who are supposedly not so good.
BILL W. ……………………. Grapevine, August 1961
Be teachable and stay flexible
thought for the day: “Everyone is ignorant only on different subjects.”
WILL ROGERS
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,
Reprove a wise man and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.
PROVERBS 9:8-9 NASB
I’ve heard it said that Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived. That must mean that he was able to receive instruction and also be reproved. I have met some very wise people, only you couldn’t tell them anything. They knew that they knew more than me and therefore wouldn’t listen to what my pea brain had to say. How arrogant. Of course when I honestly take a look at myself I see where I have been guilty of the same arrogance. I can remember times when my path has crossed the paths of other people who didn’t have all their lights shinning real bright. No fault of their own, they just seem to have been born that way. And I recall from my own experience how I didn’t put as much value on what they had to say as I did someone who I considered wise, successful, and educated. As I get older I find the truth is, that everyone has something to offer. Everyone! Will Rogers hit the nail on the head when he made the statement that “everyone is ignorant only on different subjects.” Solomon also hit the same nail when he said “give instruction to a wise man and he will be wiser.” It’s all about being teachable and staying flexible. To be flexible you must stay green and continue to grow. This morning as I look out my window at this January day I notice all the trees are absent of their leaves. This allows me to see the structure of the trees. I also notice that there is a slight breeze which moves the limbs of the trees in a swaying motion from side to side and up and down. All the trees move and give some with blowing of the breeze. All accept the old dead oak over by the old outhouse. It does not move and most days as I pass that way I have to pick up small limbs that the wind has blown to the ground. My conclusion today is if I stay flexible and keep an open mind to instruction, stay grounded in the Word of God for nourishment, and be willing to bend to help others, then I will be able to demonstrate the life and love of God in my life. If I ever become an old dead stick in the mud, then that is exactly what I will be. Today I chose instruction, and God will do for me what I could not do for myself…………………JRE
The pride of righteousness of “good people” may often be just as destructive as the glaring sins of those who are supposedly not so good.
BILL W. ……………………. Grapevine, August 1961
Thursday, January 26, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Exaggeration is hating snakes and giving them legs.”
Heard repeated by Chuck Swindoll, actual author is unknown.
“Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.”
ISAIAH 50:11
Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall come with singing, everlasting joy, and shall obtain gladness. How true this is. The word redeemed means to purchase. I can relate it to a couple of days ago when I went to Wal-Mart for my grocery shopping. I like Land-0-Lakes butter and in the top of each container is a coupon for sixty cents of the next purchase of two containers. I took that coupon and redeemed it for a discount on my next purchase. It’s as good as money, but if I don’t redeem it, it’s worthless. The same way with my life, my freedom, my peace and serenity, my joy and gladness, they have all been paid for and I have a coupon. The coupon is called faith in Jesus and the finished work of the cross. Unless I believe and redeem the coupon, it is worthless. I praise God that twenty-three years ago in the Kansas City Municipal Corrections Institute, as I sat on a steel bunk reading for the first time the Bible, I came to the understanding that for my whole life, I had had in my possession a coupon to be set free. But I had never cashed it in. My heart changed by hearing testimonies and reading the Word of God. Somewhere in the process and I let the love of God enter. As God’s love came into my life my fears, resentments, anger, and self-centeredness did not seem so important. I was being set free from my own prison that I had built up around me. I don’t remember the exact time, but I remember the first few days that I experienced this new spiritual freedom. I can remember calling friends and telling them of my new freedom. They thought I was plum loco, after all, I was locked up in an institution. How wrong they were, I had actually been restored to sanity, true sanity. I was actually freer than some of them and I was the one wearing the chains. I must continually work at tearing down the prison walls of self that try and close me in. I find that I must daily have an attitude of gratitude that I have been redeemed and set free. This redemptive work of god in my life makes me sing and shout because I have obtained everlasting joy and gladness. God did for me what I could not do for myself…….JRE
“You do not know what you are going to do; the only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing….It is this attitude that keeps you in perpetual wonder. You do not know what God is going to do next.”
OSWALD CHAMBERS
I don’t know what God is going to do next, but I know something about it. God is Love. So therefore whatever God does it will be of the essence of Love. “All you need is love” John and Paul (the Beatles). Thanks for letting me share……….jre
Attitude of gratitude
Thought for the day: “Exaggeration is hating snakes and giving them legs.”
Heard repeated by Chuck Swindoll, actual author is unknown.
“Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.”
ISAIAH 50:11
Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall come with singing, everlasting joy, and shall obtain gladness. How true this is. The word redeemed means to purchase. I can relate it to a couple of days ago when I went to Wal-Mart for my grocery shopping. I like Land-0-Lakes butter and in the top of each container is a coupon for sixty cents of the next purchase of two containers. I took that coupon and redeemed it for a discount on my next purchase. It’s as good as money, but if I don’t redeem it, it’s worthless. The same way with my life, my freedom, my peace and serenity, my joy and gladness, they have all been paid for and I have a coupon. The coupon is called faith in Jesus and the finished work of the cross. Unless I believe and redeem the coupon, it is worthless. I praise God that twenty-three years ago in the Kansas City Municipal Corrections Institute, as I sat on a steel bunk reading for the first time the Bible, I came to the understanding that for my whole life, I had had in my possession a coupon to be set free. But I had never cashed it in. My heart changed by hearing testimonies and reading the Word of God. Somewhere in the process and I let the love of God enter. As God’s love came into my life my fears, resentments, anger, and self-centeredness did not seem so important. I was being set free from my own prison that I had built up around me. I don’t remember the exact time, but I remember the first few days that I experienced this new spiritual freedom. I can remember calling friends and telling them of my new freedom. They thought I was plum loco, after all, I was locked up in an institution. How wrong they were, I had actually been restored to sanity, true sanity. I was actually freer than some of them and I was the one wearing the chains. I must continually work at tearing down the prison walls of self that try and close me in. I find that I must daily have an attitude of gratitude that I have been redeemed and set free. This redemptive work of god in my life makes me sing and shout because I have obtained everlasting joy and gladness. God did for me what I could not do for myself…….JRE
“You do not know what you are going to do; the only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing….It is this attitude that keeps you in perpetual wonder. You do not know what God is going to do next.”
OSWALD CHAMBERS
I don’t know what God is going to do next, but I know something about it. God is Love. So therefore whatever God does it will be of the essence of Love. “All you need is love” John and Paul (the Beatles). Thanks for letting me share……….jre
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” MOTHER TERESA
The apostle Paul in writing to the church at Corinth speaks of the light of God shinning in our hearts. He calls it the “Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). He then goes on to speak of this treasure as it abides in us. Share this with me…………
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:7-9 NASB)
The Light of the knowledge of the glory of God, the apostle Paul referred to this as a light shinning out of darkness. The Dake Bible has a commentary that says, “It is like the bursting forth of the sun out of darkness.” Most of us have watched the sunrise at different times in our lives. The heavens will lighten up slowly from the night sky, but when the sun itself rises above the horizon light will burst forth in all directions. Years ago I used to work for the Kansas City Water Department. I worked at the treatment plant, which was located down by the Missouri River. I can remember climbing to the top of the storage towers that we called elevators, they held tons and tons of pulverized lime. They were probably two hundred feet tall. I would go up just a few minutes before the sun would peek from beneath the horizon, and wait and watch, as the golden globe that sustains natural life would burst forth with beams and rays of its life giving substance. That is exactly what happened in my heart when I realized that I could not live without God in my life. “The Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ,” shinned out of my darkened heart and brought me light and life. The awesome fact about all of this is that nothing can put out the Light that shines within my heart. No situation, no thing, or no man can separate me from the love of God. Only by my own decisions can the Light be darkened, and I don’t want to go back to living in darkness. God has done for me what I could not do for myself………………JRE
“Into a world like this the sound of Jesus’ words comes wonderful and strange, a visitation from above. It is well that He spoke, for no one else could have done it as well; and it is good that we listen. His words are the essence of truth. He is not offering a opinion; Jesus never uttered opinions. He never guessed; He knew, and He knows. His words are not as Solomon’s were, the sum of sound wisdom or the results of keen observation. He spoke out of the fullness of His Godhead, and His words are very Truth itself. He is the only one who could say ‘blessed’ with complete authority, for He is the Blessed One come from the world above to confer blessedness upon mankind. And His words were supported by deeds mightier than any performed on this earth by any other man. It is wisdom for us to listen.”
A. W. TOZER…………… The Pursuit Of God, pages 104-105
Watching the Son rise
Thought for the day: “Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” MOTHER TERESA
The apostle Paul in writing to the church at Corinth speaks of the light of God shinning in our hearts. He calls it the “Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). He then goes on to speak of this treasure as it abides in us. Share this with me…………
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:7-9 NASB)
The Light of the knowledge of the glory of God, the apostle Paul referred to this as a light shinning out of darkness. The Dake Bible has a commentary that says, “It is like the bursting forth of the sun out of darkness.” Most of us have watched the sunrise at different times in our lives. The heavens will lighten up slowly from the night sky, but when the sun itself rises above the horizon light will burst forth in all directions. Years ago I used to work for the Kansas City Water Department. I worked at the treatment plant, which was located down by the Missouri River. I can remember climbing to the top of the storage towers that we called elevators, they held tons and tons of pulverized lime. They were probably two hundred feet tall. I would go up just a few minutes before the sun would peek from beneath the horizon, and wait and watch, as the golden globe that sustains natural life would burst forth with beams and rays of its life giving substance. That is exactly what happened in my heart when I realized that I could not live without God in my life. “The Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ,” shinned out of my darkened heart and brought me light and life. The awesome fact about all of this is that nothing can put out the Light that shines within my heart. No situation, no thing, or no man can separate me from the love of God. Only by my own decisions can the Light be darkened, and I don’t want to go back to living in darkness. God has done for me what I could not do for myself………………JRE
“Into a world like this the sound of Jesus’ words comes wonderful and strange, a visitation from above. It is well that He spoke, for no one else could have done it as well; and it is good that we listen. His words are the essence of truth. He is not offering a opinion; Jesus never uttered opinions. He never guessed; He knew, and He knows. His words are not as Solomon’s were, the sum of sound wisdom or the results of keen observation. He spoke out of the fullness of His Godhead, and His words are very Truth itself. He is the only one who could say ‘blessed’ with complete authority, for He is the Blessed One come from the world above to confer blessedness upon mankind. And His words were supported by deeds mightier than any performed on this earth by any other man. It is wisdom for us to listen.”
A. W. TOZER…………… The Pursuit Of God, pages 104-105
Monday, January 23, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “If we can see that it was through the anointing of the Spirit that Jesus did His works and not by being God manifest in the flesh, then we can easily see how believers may do the works of Christ as He promised.”
FENNIS JENNINGS DAKE
“Most assuredly, I say to you he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified.”
JOHN 14:12-13 NKJV
“Whatever you ask in My name,” just what does that mean? It means that we have the authority to use the name of Jesus of Nazareth the Holy and anointed One. You must trust someone to allow them to use your name. We don’t give just anybody the right to use our name, and today if someone uses your name without your permission they will put them in prison! They call it identity theft, fraud, and they consider it as stealing. But in the Book of John we have it recorded in Jesus own words that we have permission and the authority to use His name. What an honor it is for me to be able to use the name of Jesus. In life we all seem to fall into some sort of pecking order. I know that God is no respecter of any one person over another. We are all His children and are equal in God’s eyes, but man seems to have certain orders, offices, and chains of command that must be obeyed in order to progress. In the government all the way from the President to the average citizen there is a chain of command. The military uses the chain of command, a private cannot just walk into the office of a general, he, must go through channels. Access is there, but it may take some time to navigate through the different layers of people. Most churches also have some order; even though we all have access to the pastor and board members, when it comes to business there is a certain order. Even in the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous we have orders. We have elected individuals at the level of groups, districts and areas, regional, national, and world. These examples are all in the natural, but in the spiritual we believers have direct access to the Throne Room of God, and we have the authority to use the name of Jesus in whatever we ask. There is no distance between my heart to God. If there is any distance it is only because I have put it there. Hey, my name is Jerry, but Jesus said I could use His name! What a privilege.
I remember a time in 1972 when I came to the family farm to visit my Granny and Papa, Papa was working drilling a water well somewhere. Granny needed some chicken feed, and she ask me to go up to Richards Feed Store and get the chicken feed. She told me to tell them it was for Ben Dake. You know they didn’t hesitate a bit to give me the chicken feed. I had come in the name and authority of Ben Dake. Today I can relate this experience to the words of Jesus, “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do.” Use the name of Jesus; we have permission to do so. Father, today I ask in the name of Jesus that this Scripture reaches all who may read this small page, amen. This is one example of God doing for me what I could not do for myself…………….JRE
“One of the most wonderful things about knowing God is that there’s always so much more to know, so much more to discover. Just when we least expect it, He intrudes into our neat and tidy notions about who He is and how He works.”
JONI EARECKSON TADA
We have authority
Thought for the day: “If we can see that it was through the anointing of the Spirit that Jesus did His works and not by being God manifest in the flesh, then we can easily see how believers may do the works of Christ as He promised.”
FENNIS JENNINGS DAKE
“Most assuredly, I say to you he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified.”
JOHN 14:12-13 NKJV
“Whatever you ask in My name,” just what does that mean? It means that we have the authority to use the name of Jesus of Nazareth the Holy and anointed One. You must trust someone to allow them to use your name. We don’t give just anybody the right to use our name, and today if someone uses your name without your permission they will put them in prison! They call it identity theft, fraud, and they consider it as stealing. But in the Book of John we have it recorded in Jesus own words that we have permission and the authority to use His name. What an honor it is for me to be able to use the name of Jesus. In life we all seem to fall into some sort of pecking order. I know that God is no respecter of any one person over another. We are all His children and are equal in God’s eyes, but man seems to have certain orders, offices, and chains of command that must be obeyed in order to progress. In the government all the way from the President to the average citizen there is a chain of command. The military uses the chain of command, a private cannot just walk into the office of a general, he, must go through channels. Access is there, but it may take some time to navigate through the different layers of people. Most churches also have some order; even though we all have access to the pastor and board members, when it comes to business there is a certain order. Even in the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous we have orders. We have elected individuals at the level of groups, districts and areas, regional, national, and world. These examples are all in the natural, but in the spiritual we believers have direct access to the Throne Room of God, and we have the authority to use the name of Jesus in whatever we ask. There is no distance between my heart to God. If there is any distance it is only because I have put it there. Hey, my name is Jerry, but Jesus said I could use His name! What a privilege.
I remember a time in 1972 when I came to the family farm to visit my Granny and Papa, Papa was working drilling a water well somewhere. Granny needed some chicken feed, and she ask me to go up to Richards Feed Store and get the chicken feed. She told me to tell them it was for Ben Dake. You know they didn’t hesitate a bit to give me the chicken feed. I had come in the name and authority of Ben Dake. Today I can relate this experience to the words of Jesus, “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do.” Use the name of Jesus; we have permission to do so. Father, today I ask in the name of Jesus that this Scripture reaches all who may read this small page, amen. This is one example of God doing for me what I could not do for myself…………….JRE
“One of the most wonderful things about knowing God is that there’s always so much more to know, so much more to discover. Just when we least expect it, He intrudes into our neat and tidy notions about who He is and how He works.”
JONI EARECKSON TADA
Thursday, January 19, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “God grant me a good sword and no use for it.”
POLISH PROVERB
“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”
EPHESIANS 6:18 NASB
Pray at all times in the Spirit. Now there’s a full time job. Do you ever get bored? Does it ever seem like life is the same old routine over and over? Or maybe it’s just the opposite, life might at times be too exciting, and it might seem like it’s one thing after another with no rest in between. Which ever way life may vary, from one extreme to the other, or maybe it’s level and constant, my question to myself this day is how do I pray “at all times” in the Spirit? Maintaining a constant spiritual contact with God is the answer to praying at all times. I find this to be a very difficult task in my own life. It seems like the voice inside of me that I hear most of the time is louder than the still small voice that God uses many times to get my attention. How do I control this conflict of interest in my soul? As I ponder the idea of praying at all times I realize that it is possible to do two things at once. Multi-tasking is what they call it today. I can do many things at once if I just set myself to try it. I am able to draw from an experience in my own life that happened forty years ago. In January 1966 I worked for a meat company in Kansas City. I did some delivery work supplying the downtown restaurants with their meats. I also worked in the production end of the business by cutting meats, tenderizing, grinding meats, and running various machines that made hamburger patties. In those days the machines did not count the patties, but the operator kept track so that each box would have an equal amount. The amount in each box depended on the weight of the patties. Some boxes had five, ten, fifteen, twenty and so on. At first I had to concentrate all the time to just operate one machine. Later I got to the point where I could run two machines at the same time with different counts going on. I could also carry on a conversation at the same time. I even amazed myself. Of course I wasn’t the only one who could do it. Most of the workers could do it after a little time running the machines. Also I once heard of a story of a man, he might have been a monk, who said a simple prayer all the time. I am not sure exactly what it was, but it was something like, “Lord forgive me, and let me be of service to others.” After years of saying this simple prayer all the time the man could pray and carry on a conversation with someone else. I know that Jesus spoke of repetition in our prayers, but this is just an example of praying at all times. For me, my desire is to improve and maintain a conscious contact with God. I don’t always know what to pray for, but God know my needs all the time anyway. If I maintain contact, God will do for me what I could not do for myself…………………………. JRE
“Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.”
Step 11, Alcoholics Anonymous, page 59
Spiritual multi-tasking
Thought for the day: “God grant me a good sword and no use for it.”
POLISH PROVERB
“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”
EPHESIANS 6:18 NASB
Pray at all times in the Spirit. Now there’s a full time job. Do you ever get bored? Does it ever seem like life is the same old routine over and over? Or maybe it’s just the opposite, life might at times be too exciting, and it might seem like it’s one thing after another with no rest in between. Which ever way life may vary, from one extreme to the other, or maybe it’s level and constant, my question to myself this day is how do I pray “at all times” in the Spirit? Maintaining a constant spiritual contact with God is the answer to praying at all times. I find this to be a very difficult task in my own life. It seems like the voice inside of me that I hear most of the time is louder than the still small voice that God uses many times to get my attention. How do I control this conflict of interest in my soul? As I ponder the idea of praying at all times I realize that it is possible to do two things at once. Multi-tasking is what they call it today. I can do many things at once if I just set myself to try it. I am able to draw from an experience in my own life that happened forty years ago. In January 1966 I worked for a meat company in Kansas City. I did some delivery work supplying the downtown restaurants with their meats. I also worked in the production end of the business by cutting meats, tenderizing, grinding meats, and running various machines that made hamburger patties. In those days the machines did not count the patties, but the operator kept track so that each box would have an equal amount. The amount in each box depended on the weight of the patties. Some boxes had five, ten, fifteen, twenty and so on. At first I had to concentrate all the time to just operate one machine. Later I got to the point where I could run two machines at the same time with different counts going on. I could also carry on a conversation at the same time. I even amazed myself. Of course I wasn’t the only one who could do it. Most of the workers could do it after a little time running the machines. Also I once heard of a story of a man, he might have been a monk, who said a simple prayer all the time. I am not sure exactly what it was, but it was something like, “Lord forgive me, and let me be of service to others.” After years of saying this simple prayer all the time the man could pray and carry on a conversation with someone else. I know that Jesus spoke of repetition in our prayers, but this is just an example of praying at all times. For me, my desire is to improve and maintain a conscious contact with God. I don’t always know what to pray for, but God know my needs all the time anyway. If I maintain contact, God will do for me what I could not do for myself…………………………. JRE
“Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.”
Step 11, Alcoholics Anonymous, page 59
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “A turtle travels only when it sticks its neck out.”
KOREAN PROVERB
I lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From whence shall my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
PSALM 121:1-2 NASB
I was born in the house I live in. My great-grandparents, grandparents, and my mother all lived here. You might say that this apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. Although I have lived in several countries and many different states, the course of events in my life have brought me back to where it all began. My Granny and Papa lived here for seventy years. What a heritage I find here. My great grandfathers, great uncles, and my Grandfather built many of the buildings. I see their work in the barn, chicken house, the shop, smoke house, outhouse, and a garage that has all but melted into the ground. Twenty years ago my granny sold me some land and I moved from a major metropolitan city to the family farm in rural southern Missouri. I had always wanted to live in the country, and this was my opportunity to fulfill that dream. I was so happy at first, but I soon found myself homesick for the city. I can remember the first year that I lived in the country how I would drive down my lane to where I could see the highway, and sit and watch as the cars went by. Homesick for the hustle of the city. After some time I adjusted, and now I cannot think of any place where I would rather be. The reason I am telling all of this is to paint a picture of where I live and to relate it to the scripture I have chosen this day. Twenty years ago when I first moved to the farm, I was a new baby Christian. I had read and studied the Bible for a couple of years, and everything spiritual I found to be brand new. In those days I worked in town, and I would come on my lunch hour to visit with my Granny. On one occasion I recall sitting in the room that I am presently sitting in, and asking Granny, “What is your favorite scripture verse?” She looked out the window where my desk now sits, pointed to the hill across the creek and said, “I lift up mine eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my strength? My strength cometh from the Lord.” This morning as my devotional reading brought me to the 121st Psalm, I myself look out that same window with the same question and the same answer is to be found. “My strength comes from the Lord.” My strength or my fears are not found in the hills or the mountains, but only in knowing my Lord, my God, my Friend, my All. When I keep my eyes on the Lord, God is able to do for me what I could not do for myself…………………..JRE
“The man who had God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever.”
A. W. TOZER……………… The Pursuit Of God, pages 19 and 20
“Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish.”
Alcoholics Anonymous page 16
The hill
Thought for the day: “A turtle travels only when it sticks its neck out.”
KOREAN PROVERB
I lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From whence shall my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
PSALM 121:1-2 NASB
I was born in the house I live in. My great-grandparents, grandparents, and my mother all lived here. You might say that this apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. Although I have lived in several countries and many different states, the course of events in my life have brought me back to where it all began. My Granny and Papa lived here for seventy years. What a heritage I find here. My great grandfathers, great uncles, and my Grandfather built many of the buildings. I see their work in the barn, chicken house, the shop, smoke house, outhouse, and a garage that has all but melted into the ground. Twenty years ago my granny sold me some land and I moved from a major metropolitan city to the family farm in rural southern Missouri. I had always wanted to live in the country, and this was my opportunity to fulfill that dream. I was so happy at first, but I soon found myself homesick for the city. I can remember the first year that I lived in the country how I would drive down my lane to where I could see the highway, and sit and watch as the cars went by. Homesick for the hustle of the city. After some time I adjusted, and now I cannot think of any place where I would rather be. The reason I am telling all of this is to paint a picture of where I live and to relate it to the scripture I have chosen this day. Twenty years ago when I first moved to the farm, I was a new baby Christian. I had read and studied the Bible for a couple of years, and everything spiritual I found to be brand new. In those days I worked in town, and I would come on my lunch hour to visit with my Granny. On one occasion I recall sitting in the room that I am presently sitting in, and asking Granny, “What is your favorite scripture verse?” She looked out the window where my desk now sits, pointed to the hill across the creek and said, “I lift up mine eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my strength? My strength cometh from the Lord.” This morning as my devotional reading brought me to the 121st Psalm, I myself look out that same window with the same question and the same answer is to be found. “My strength comes from the Lord.” My strength or my fears are not found in the hills or the mountains, but only in knowing my Lord, my God, my Friend, my All. When I keep my eyes on the Lord, God is able to do for me what I could not do for myself…………………..JRE
“The man who had God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever.”
A. W. TOZER……………… The Pursuit Of God, pages 19 and 20
“Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish.”
Alcoholics Anonymous page 16
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Justice is truth in action.”
BENJAMIN DISRAELI
And He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
Words of Jesus found in Mark 4:24-25 NKJV
The fourth chapter of the Book of Mark is one of my favorite sections of the New Testament. It rates right up there with some of my other favorites, The Sermon on the Mount in the Book of Matthew, Paul’s chapter on love in 1 Corinthians, and the compete Book of James. From what I understand from Mark as he recorded the words of Jesus, I find His words to be the key to understanding the Bible. In the parable of the sower, Jesus tells us of the Word of God and of how it is sown everywhere, but only one of the four types of hearts, or in other words, people, receive the word. And not everyone that receives it will bring forth one hundred fold. It is hard for the Word of God to grow in our spirit when we are surrounded by cares of this world, anxieties, jealousies, resentments, self-centeredness, envy, and any kind of substance that seems so vitally important to our natural way of life. The Word of God cannot take hold in our lives when it is thrown in on top of a bunch of garbage. This spring when I plant my vegetable garden I must first remove any old growth that is dead from last year, I must remove the sticks that have blown in, and I must remove any rocks that have worked their way to the top. I must also remove any trash that might have blown there. I would not throw my trash, my glass products, cans, plastic, and paper products, on my garden spot and plow them into the soil. Some of that stuff would take centuries to break down and the quality of my soil would be poor. Likewise when I read the Word of God, I must remove any distractions. I find that for me, I must concentrate and meditate on God and the spiritual words that I receive. Anytime my mind is pulled away from the Word even for a second, when I come back I seem to have lost some of the communication. I speak of myself, and my experience only in this. This morning as I was getting around and getting ready for the day, I happened to turn the TV on to the national news. What a bunch of trash. I’m not saying that what I saw and heard was not important, it’s just that spiritually it was not being received well, it was all and I mean all negative. I quickly turned it off, and decided if I needed to hear the news, it could wait till this evening. As I started reading the Word of God, my daily reading brought me to the book of Mark and I was able to receive the Word without an abundance of trash first thrown into my spirit. This has just been an observation of the working of the Word in myself. I know that some people like to read and study the Word in the middle of the day, and some prefer the evening and late evening. However you do it works for me, but as for myself, I know that it helps not to have a bunch of trash littering my spirit when I read. This has been an observation of how the Word of God is received into my spirit, thanks for letting me share. When I remove the trash, God is able to do for me what I could not do for myself………….JRE
Share this with me……………
“It must be settled once and forever that the Bible does not contradict itself and all scriptures on a subject must be harmonized. It has a way of confusing its enemies and blessing its friends. The only thing difficult about the Bible is that it is a very large book and it will take time to master its contents enough to get a general understand of it. Read it over and over and practice its teachings and it will soon become a very simple and practical book.”
FINIS JENNINGS DAKE
Preparing my garden
Thought for the day: “Justice is truth in action.”
BENJAMIN DISRAELI
And He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
Words of Jesus found in Mark 4:24-25 NKJV
The fourth chapter of the Book of Mark is one of my favorite sections of the New Testament. It rates right up there with some of my other favorites, The Sermon on the Mount in the Book of Matthew, Paul’s chapter on love in 1 Corinthians, and the compete Book of James. From what I understand from Mark as he recorded the words of Jesus, I find His words to be the key to understanding the Bible. In the parable of the sower, Jesus tells us of the Word of God and of how it is sown everywhere, but only one of the four types of hearts, or in other words, people, receive the word. And not everyone that receives it will bring forth one hundred fold. It is hard for the Word of God to grow in our spirit when we are surrounded by cares of this world, anxieties, jealousies, resentments, self-centeredness, envy, and any kind of substance that seems so vitally important to our natural way of life. The Word of God cannot take hold in our lives when it is thrown in on top of a bunch of garbage. This spring when I plant my vegetable garden I must first remove any old growth that is dead from last year, I must remove the sticks that have blown in, and I must remove any rocks that have worked their way to the top. I must also remove any trash that might have blown there. I would not throw my trash, my glass products, cans, plastic, and paper products, on my garden spot and plow them into the soil. Some of that stuff would take centuries to break down and the quality of my soil would be poor. Likewise when I read the Word of God, I must remove any distractions. I find that for me, I must concentrate and meditate on God and the spiritual words that I receive. Anytime my mind is pulled away from the Word even for a second, when I come back I seem to have lost some of the communication. I speak of myself, and my experience only in this. This morning as I was getting around and getting ready for the day, I happened to turn the TV on to the national news. What a bunch of trash. I’m not saying that what I saw and heard was not important, it’s just that spiritually it was not being received well, it was all and I mean all negative. I quickly turned it off, and decided if I needed to hear the news, it could wait till this evening. As I started reading the Word of God, my daily reading brought me to the book of Mark and I was able to receive the Word without an abundance of trash first thrown into my spirit. This has just been an observation of the working of the Word in myself. I know that some people like to read and study the Word in the middle of the day, and some prefer the evening and late evening. However you do it works for me, but as for myself, I know that it helps not to have a bunch of trash littering my spirit when I read. This has been an observation of how the Word of God is received into my spirit, thanks for letting me share. When I remove the trash, God is able to do for me what I could not do for myself………….JRE
Share this with me……………
“It must be settled once and forever that the Bible does not contradict itself and all scriptures on a subject must be harmonized. It has a way of confusing its enemies and blessing its friends. The only thing difficult about the Bible is that it is a very large book and it will take time to master its contents enough to get a general understand of it. Read it over and over and practice its teachings and it will soon become a very simple and practical book.”
FINIS JENNINGS DAKE
Thursday, January 12, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “He who cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself.” GEORGE HERBERT
“And they come to Jesus and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.”
MARK 5:15 KJV
The southern gospel group, know as the Isaac’s, have a song that they sing. It say’s “only God can rebuild bridges that we burn.” I have experienced this in my life. There was a time when my self-centeredness and thinking only of myself burned many bridges, bridges that connected me to loved ones, friends, jobs, and what social life I had. Without God in my life it was all about me. And when I would develop some resentment against a person, place, situation, or thing, I would say things that started fires. I found myself running across burning bridges many times to get away. After sometime when I had cooled down, I would look back and see that there was no way to say that I was sorry. The one and only bridge between the relationships was destroyed by the fire caused by a spark from my tongue. In the Book of Mark is recorded the story of the maniac of Gadara. This man was possessed and suffered from mental illness. He had burned the bridges between himself and the people of the town he lived in. He was forced to live in the cemetery and the tombs. After spending time with Jesus, he was relieved of his demons, restored to right thinking, and clothed himself. The man had a complete make over inside and out. There was an outward sign of the inward change. He then desired to accompany Jesus, who wouldn’t after being healed? But Jesus told him to go back home to his friends and tell them what great things the Lord had done for him, and of the love of God that had been demonstrated in his life. To go back home there must have been some bridges rebuilt. God rebuilt the bridges in that man’s life and sowed him as seed in his community. I can just imagine the revival that took place after this insane madman showed up at home, fully clothed and in his right mind, and telling of the wonders of God. Today I have many strong bridges in my life that allow relationships to travel both ways. They are strong and will stand as long as I continue to put God first in my life, forgive others, ask for forgiveness of myself, and watch the sparks that could fly from my tongue. The rebuilding of the bridges in my life was God doing for me what I could not do for myself……………….JRE
“God looks at the world through the eyes of love. If we, therefore, as human beings made in the image of God also want to see reality rationally, that is, as it truly is, then we, too, must learn to look at what we see with love.”
ROBERTA BONDI
“On going recovery is dependent on our relationship with a loving God who cares for us and will do for us what we find impossible to do for ourselves.”
Narcotics Anonymous basic text page 96
Fully clothed and in his right mind
Thought for the day: “He who cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself.” GEORGE HERBERT
“And they come to Jesus and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.”
MARK 5:15 KJV
The southern gospel group, know as the Isaac’s, have a song that they sing. It say’s “only God can rebuild bridges that we burn.” I have experienced this in my life. There was a time when my self-centeredness and thinking only of myself burned many bridges, bridges that connected me to loved ones, friends, jobs, and what social life I had. Without God in my life it was all about me. And when I would develop some resentment against a person, place, situation, or thing, I would say things that started fires. I found myself running across burning bridges many times to get away. After sometime when I had cooled down, I would look back and see that there was no way to say that I was sorry. The one and only bridge between the relationships was destroyed by the fire caused by a spark from my tongue. In the Book of Mark is recorded the story of the maniac of Gadara. This man was possessed and suffered from mental illness. He had burned the bridges between himself and the people of the town he lived in. He was forced to live in the cemetery and the tombs. After spending time with Jesus, he was relieved of his demons, restored to right thinking, and clothed himself. The man had a complete make over inside and out. There was an outward sign of the inward change. He then desired to accompany Jesus, who wouldn’t after being healed? But Jesus told him to go back home to his friends and tell them what great things the Lord had done for him, and of the love of God that had been demonstrated in his life. To go back home there must have been some bridges rebuilt. God rebuilt the bridges in that man’s life and sowed him as seed in his community. I can just imagine the revival that took place after this insane madman showed up at home, fully clothed and in his right mind, and telling of the wonders of God. Today I have many strong bridges in my life that allow relationships to travel both ways. They are strong and will stand as long as I continue to put God first in my life, forgive others, ask for forgiveness of myself, and watch the sparks that could fly from my tongue. The rebuilding of the bridges in my life was God doing for me what I could not do for myself……………….JRE
“God looks at the world through the eyes of love. If we, therefore, as human beings made in the image of God also want to see reality rationally, that is, as it truly is, then we, too, must learn to look at what we see with love.”
ROBERTA BONDI
“On going recovery is dependent on our relationship with a loving God who cares for us and will do for us what we find impossible to do for ourselves.”
Narcotics Anonymous basic text page 96
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Every adversity carries with it the seed of equal or greater benefit.”
NAPOLEAN HILL
“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
1 CORINTHIANS 10:13 NASB
What a promise. The Scripture quote from the apostle Paul gives us a way of escape for any temptation that has overtaken us. The Ryrie Study Bible says, “Not necessarily relief but the power to be able to bear the testing.” In other words, you might not be able to get away from the temptation, but you will be able to stand and not give into whatever it is. Jesus gave us the same promise that once we receive the Holy Spirit, we will have power. You can find this promise in Acts 1:8. I know from personal experience that God will not only give power to endure temptations, but many times there is an avenue of escape, there is an alternate route. Sometimes the signs that point to the alternate escape route are hidden and not easily seen, we must know this Scripture in our heart and be trained to look for these escape routes. I find that God will always use people, and many times our escape route may be the companionship and encourage of a fellow believer. Solomon said, “Two is better than one, for they have a good reward for their labor.” And so it is with temptation, if at all possible if you know that you might be headed toward some temptation in your life, take someone with you. Jesus sent the disciples out two by two, we should learn from this. In AA when we make calls on alcoholics, that are in the grips of a continuing and progressive addiction, we recommend that we never go alone. Why? Because our only way of escape might just be the God given support we get from our fellow worker. I find the whole program of Alcoholics Anonymous to fulfill the Scripture by the apostle Paul. For me and in my life, the avenue of escape provided for by God, has been centered in fellowship. Fellowship that provides encouragement from those who have walked this way before, and have learned to overcome. I am also very grateful for the Holy Spirit that gives me power to stand alone with the Armor of God. When I have to, I will and do stand upon the promises, and just knowing this Scripture gives me strength. The truth is that I am never alone spiritually, and when I find myself alone physically I know that I know that God will do for me what I could not do for myself. Thanks for letting me share………………….JRE
“God is always ready to pour His blessings into our hearts in generous measure. But like the seed sowing, the ground must be prepared before the seed is dropped in. It is our task to prepare the soil. It is God’s to drop the seed. This preparation of the soil means many days of right living, choosing the right and avoiding the wrong. As you go along, each day you are better prepared for God’s planting, until you reach the time of harvest. Then you share the harvest with God, the harvest of a useful and more abundant life.”
HAZELDEN…………Twenty-Four Hours A Day
There is a solution. Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation. But we saw that it really worked in others, and we had come to believe in the hopelessness and futility of life as we had been living it. When therefore, we were approached by those in whom the problem had been solved, there was nothing left for us but to pick up the simple kit spiritual tools laid at our feet. We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed.”
Alcoholics Anonymous page 25
Escape routes
Thought for the day: “Every adversity carries with it the seed of equal or greater benefit.”
NAPOLEAN HILL
“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
1 CORINTHIANS 10:13 NASB
What a promise. The Scripture quote from the apostle Paul gives us a way of escape for any temptation that has overtaken us. The Ryrie Study Bible says, “Not necessarily relief but the power to be able to bear the testing.” In other words, you might not be able to get away from the temptation, but you will be able to stand and not give into whatever it is. Jesus gave us the same promise that once we receive the Holy Spirit, we will have power. You can find this promise in Acts 1:8. I know from personal experience that God will not only give power to endure temptations, but many times there is an avenue of escape, there is an alternate route. Sometimes the signs that point to the alternate escape route are hidden and not easily seen, we must know this Scripture in our heart and be trained to look for these escape routes. I find that God will always use people, and many times our escape route may be the companionship and encourage of a fellow believer. Solomon said, “Two is better than one, for they have a good reward for their labor.” And so it is with temptation, if at all possible if you know that you might be headed toward some temptation in your life, take someone with you. Jesus sent the disciples out two by two, we should learn from this. In AA when we make calls on alcoholics, that are in the grips of a continuing and progressive addiction, we recommend that we never go alone. Why? Because our only way of escape might just be the God given support we get from our fellow worker. I find the whole program of Alcoholics Anonymous to fulfill the Scripture by the apostle Paul. For me and in my life, the avenue of escape provided for by God, has been centered in fellowship. Fellowship that provides encouragement from those who have walked this way before, and have learned to overcome. I am also very grateful for the Holy Spirit that gives me power to stand alone with the Armor of God. When I have to, I will and do stand upon the promises, and just knowing this Scripture gives me strength. The truth is that I am never alone spiritually, and when I find myself alone physically I know that I know that God will do for me what I could not do for myself. Thanks for letting me share………………….JRE
“God is always ready to pour His blessings into our hearts in generous measure. But like the seed sowing, the ground must be prepared before the seed is dropped in. It is our task to prepare the soil. It is God’s to drop the seed. This preparation of the soil means many days of right living, choosing the right and avoiding the wrong. As you go along, each day you are better prepared for God’s planting, until you reach the time of harvest. Then you share the harvest with God, the harvest of a useful and more abundant life.”
HAZELDEN…………Twenty-Four Hours A Day
There is a solution. Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation. But we saw that it really worked in others, and we had come to believe in the hopelessness and futility of life as we had been living it. When therefore, we were approached by those in whom the problem had been solved, there was nothing left for us but to pick up the simple kit spiritual tools laid at our feet. We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed.”
Alcoholics Anonymous page 25
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Life is a promise, fulfill it.”
MOTHER TERESA
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary
And gathered from the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.
PSALM 107:1-3 NASB
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary. Have you ever been redeemed from the hand of the adversary? I’m not talking about the major spiritual redemption of Salvation, but about the little everyday redemption from adversity. Did your car ever brake down and someone came along and gave you a hand? How about running out of gas and the closest house just happened to have a can of gas. Maybe you’ve had a flat tire and someone came along and helped you change it. How about if you’ve ever had to walk somewhere and someone gives you a ride? Boy, I can relate to that one. I have been redeemed from everyday adversity so many times that I can’t remember them all. That’s what we do as people; we like to help each other when possible. And always when someone comes along and helps us out of a situation, we are so grateful, and we usually share it with the first person we run into. This is what the psalmist was getting across to us when they said, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” It sort of reminds me of the Sunday school song that the little kids sing, “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.” Whenever God help us, we should be willing to share it with others. I don’t think it is so much a fact that God wants us to brag on what has been done for us, but that others need to hear that there is a way out. Even in what seems like the most hopeless of situations there is help and therefore hope. In my personal life I have been redeemed from a hopeless state of mind, body and spirit. A condition caused by abuse of alcohol and drugs. No human power could relieve my pain. My help had to come from a Power greater than myself. Only when I became broken was I able to receive help. This reminds me of an illustration that my pastor uses. If a man is drowning and needs rescuing it is very difficult to give them help as long as they are struggling. If you’re not careful they will latch on to you and take you down with them. You must wait until they become tired, and reach a point where they offer no resistance, only then can they be helped. I could only be redeemed from my hopeless condition of mind and body when I surrendered to self. After I exhausted all of my own strength and will, only then could I be rescued. When I gave up, God was able to do for me what I could not do for myself. I have been redeemed from a life of misery, and today I am “Saying so.” Gratitude for having a loving God in my life keeps me headed in the right direction. Gratitude is the essence of “Saying so.” Thanks for letting me share……………….JRE
“Aware of our inbuilt resistance to grace, Jesus talked about it often. He described a world suffused with God’s grace: where the sun shines on people good and bad; where birds gather seed gratis, neither plowing nor harvesting to earn them; where unintended wildflowers burst into bloom on the rocky hillsides.”
PHILIP YANCEY
Saying so
Thought for the day: “Life is a promise, fulfill it.”
MOTHER TERESA
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary
And gathered from the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.
PSALM 107:1-3 NASB
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary. Have you ever been redeemed from the hand of the adversary? I’m not talking about the major spiritual redemption of Salvation, but about the little everyday redemption from adversity. Did your car ever brake down and someone came along and gave you a hand? How about running out of gas and the closest house just happened to have a can of gas. Maybe you’ve had a flat tire and someone came along and helped you change it. How about if you’ve ever had to walk somewhere and someone gives you a ride? Boy, I can relate to that one. I have been redeemed from everyday adversity so many times that I can’t remember them all. That’s what we do as people; we like to help each other when possible. And always when someone comes along and helps us out of a situation, we are so grateful, and we usually share it with the first person we run into. This is what the psalmist was getting across to us when they said, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” It sort of reminds me of the Sunday school song that the little kids sing, “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.” Whenever God help us, we should be willing to share it with others. I don’t think it is so much a fact that God wants us to brag on what has been done for us, but that others need to hear that there is a way out. Even in what seems like the most hopeless of situations there is help and therefore hope. In my personal life I have been redeemed from a hopeless state of mind, body and spirit. A condition caused by abuse of alcohol and drugs. No human power could relieve my pain. My help had to come from a Power greater than myself. Only when I became broken was I able to receive help. This reminds me of an illustration that my pastor uses. If a man is drowning and needs rescuing it is very difficult to give them help as long as they are struggling. If you’re not careful they will latch on to you and take you down with them. You must wait until they become tired, and reach a point where they offer no resistance, only then can they be helped. I could only be redeemed from my hopeless condition of mind and body when I surrendered to self. After I exhausted all of my own strength and will, only then could I be rescued. When I gave up, God was able to do for me what I could not do for myself. I have been redeemed from a life of misery, and today I am “Saying so.” Gratitude for having a loving God in my life keeps me headed in the right direction. Gratitude is the essence of “Saying so.” Thanks for letting me share……………….JRE
“Aware of our inbuilt resistance to grace, Jesus talked about it often. He described a world suffused with God’s grace: where the sun shines on people good and bad; where birds gather seed gratis, neither plowing nor harvesting to earn them; where unintended wildflowers burst into bloom on the rocky hillsides.”
PHILIP YANCEY
Monday, January 09, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Give assistance not advice in a crisis.”
AESOP 620-560 BC
“……..in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
PHILIPPIANS 3:11-14 NASB
As the apostle Paul sat in prison and penned these words, exactly what was he reaching forward to? What was lying ahead? Was he not in prison? He was not going anywhere quick, but still he was reaching forward toward the goal, he had his eyes on the prize. The upward call of God. I looked up the Greek word that Paul used for upward and it is ano. It doesn’t mean moving up, heading in that direction, progressive climbing or anything like that. It means on the top, the brim, nothing any higher. Psychologist will tell us that we need to set goals in our lives. They will say that we need to set short-term goals and long-term goals. They also will tell us that our goals must be obtainable. To set a goal that is impossible to obtain would only bring discouragement and frustration. The apostle Paul transcends all that psychological advice and says to shoot for the top, head for the brim, strive to be right in the place where God calls us to be. In the natural and material world it is probably wise to set goals that are attainable. A guy wouldn’t want to plow up two thousand acres to plant and only have seed for two acres. But in the spiritual, shoot for the top, go ahead and plow up two thousand acres, and if you don’t have seed enough for it all, God has unlimited seeds in His Word, and He has many other workers who sow daily. Paul was telling us to be willing to press toward the goal, the top, the brim. Even in chains, Paul was still climbing, he might have been tied down but he was soaring toward the top. This reminds me of a story I heard about a little boy who was standing up in church. His mama said, “Sit down!” He sat down, but soon was standing again. She told him, “I told you to sit down!” He sat down again, but was soon standing once more. His mama became stern and told him “You better sit down.” He sat down and said, “I might be sitting down on the outside, but I’m standing up on the inside.” The apostle Paul while in chains was not only standing up on the inside, he was climbing and pressing on toward the high and upward call of God. Regardless of where I am, when I become willing to stand up on the inside, I find that God will do for me what I could not do for myself……………..JRE
“Looking up to heaven, he blessed and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples.” (Matthew 14:19) Indeed Jesus taught that He wrought His works by always keeping His inward eyes upon His Father. His power lay in His continuous look at God.
A.W. TOZER…………….The Pursuit Of God, page 83
“Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon.”
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS page 59
Standing up on the inside
Thought for the day: “Give assistance not advice in a crisis.”
AESOP 620-560 BC
“……..in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
PHILIPPIANS 3:11-14 NASB
As the apostle Paul sat in prison and penned these words, exactly what was he reaching forward to? What was lying ahead? Was he not in prison? He was not going anywhere quick, but still he was reaching forward toward the goal, he had his eyes on the prize. The upward call of God. I looked up the Greek word that Paul used for upward and it is ano. It doesn’t mean moving up, heading in that direction, progressive climbing or anything like that. It means on the top, the brim, nothing any higher. Psychologist will tell us that we need to set goals in our lives. They will say that we need to set short-term goals and long-term goals. They also will tell us that our goals must be obtainable. To set a goal that is impossible to obtain would only bring discouragement and frustration. The apostle Paul transcends all that psychological advice and says to shoot for the top, head for the brim, strive to be right in the place where God calls us to be. In the natural and material world it is probably wise to set goals that are attainable. A guy wouldn’t want to plow up two thousand acres to plant and only have seed for two acres. But in the spiritual, shoot for the top, go ahead and plow up two thousand acres, and if you don’t have seed enough for it all, God has unlimited seeds in His Word, and He has many other workers who sow daily. Paul was telling us to be willing to press toward the goal, the top, the brim. Even in chains, Paul was still climbing, he might have been tied down but he was soaring toward the top. This reminds me of a story I heard about a little boy who was standing up in church. His mama said, “Sit down!” He sat down, but soon was standing again. She told him, “I told you to sit down!” He sat down again, but was soon standing once more. His mama became stern and told him “You better sit down.” He sat down and said, “I might be sitting down on the outside, but I’m standing up on the inside.” The apostle Paul while in chains was not only standing up on the inside, he was climbing and pressing on toward the high and upward call of God. Regardless of where I am, when I become willing to stand up on the inside, I find that God will do for me what I could not do for myself……………..JRE
“Looking up to heaven, he blessed and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples.” (Matthew 14:19) Indeed Jesus taught that He wrought His works by always keeping His inward eyes upon His Father. His power lay in His continuous look at God.
A.W. TOZER…………….The Pursuit Of God, page 83
“Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon.”
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS page 59
Friday, January 06, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “The remarkable truth is that our choices matter, not just to us and our own destiny but, amazingly, to God Himself and the universe He rules.”
PHILIP YANCEY
If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve……….but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and we will obey His voice.” So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
JOSHUA 24 part of verse 15 and verses 25 and 26
Famous last words. Joshua died soon after having recorded these words. He was 110 years old and was one of the great warriors of all time. He kept his eyes on the prize that lay ahead, not to be swayed by the negative influences of those around him. Joshua knew about choices, he had observed as the people choose not to enter the Promise Land because of fear, and the result was that they held back from many of God’s blessings of health and prosperity. Many times the choices that we make have a lasting effect on our lives. In 1967 I volunteered for Vietnam. That choice changed my life forever. In 1968 I choose to experiment with drugs, and for the next thirty years I wandered in my own self-made wilderness. That choice changed my life forever. In 1983 I made a decision to read the Bible and to allow Jesus to work in and through my life, that choice changed my life forever. My AA sponsor works with wood and he asked me what Scripture I wanted carved out and place on a plaque. This was a gift from him to me. I did not have to think too long about what I wanted the wall plaque to say. I chose “But as for me and my house we will serve the LORD.” It hangs on my living room wall reminding me that the choice is mine, and that the decisions that I made have a lasting effect on everything around me. Today may I choose God, and God will do for me what I could not do for myself…..JRE
I CHOOSE GENTLENESS…….
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle
If I raise my voice may it be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
MAX LUCADO
I choose
Thought for the day: “The remarkable truth is that our choices matter, not just to us and our own destiny but, amazingly, to God Himself and the universe He rules.”
PHILIP YANCEY
If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve……….but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and we will obey His voice.” So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
JOSHUA 24 part of verse 15 and verses 25 and 26
Famous last words. Joshua died soon after having recorded these words. He was 110 years old and was one of the great warriors of all time. He kept his eyes on the prize that lay ahead, not to be swayed by the negative influences of those around him. Joshua knew about choices, he had observed as the people choose not to enter the Promise Land because of fear, and the result was that they held back from many of God’s blessings of health and prosperity. Many times the choices that we make have a lasting effect on our lives. In 1967 I volunteered for Vietnam. That choice changed my life forever. In 1968 I choose to experiment with drugs, and for the next thirty years I wandered in my own self-made wilderness. That choice changed my life forever. In 1983 I made a decision to read the Bible and to allow Jesus to work in and through my life, that choice changed my life forever. My AA sponsor works with wood and he asked me what Scripture I wanted carved out and place on a plaque. This was a gift from him to me. I did not have to think too long about what I wanted the wall plaque to say. I chose “But as for me and my house we will serve the LORD.” It hangs on my living room wall reminding me that the choice is mine, and that the decisions that I made have a lasting effect on everything around me. Today may I choose God, and God will do for me what I could not do for myself…..JRE
I CHOOSE GENTLENESS…….
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle
If I raise my voice may it be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
MAX LUCADO
Thursday, January 05, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Keep your eyes on the sun and you will not see the shadows.”
Australian Aborigine Saying
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
COLOSSIANS 3:15-17
When I came across the Aborigine saying “keep your eyes on the sun and you will not see the shadows,” I quickly thought of the Son Jesus and the light that has been brought into my life through belief and faith in the finished work of the cross. You cannot stand in the shadows and see the sun. Shadows are evidence of something blocking out the rays of the sun. And so it was in my life before I came to know Jesus. I lived in the shadows. My life of fulfilling self-centered desires kept the Light of God from shinning on me. Many times God would send someone with a candle of Light into the shadows where I lived, and I would turn my back on it. The reason I believe that I feared the Light was that it exposed me and allowed others to see me for what I was. I was selfish. One of the major obstacles that blocked out the Light of God in my life was my continued use and abuse of alcohol and drugs. I can remember being stoned and hiding behind sunglasses. I can remember getting up early and drinking, and spending all day in the house because I didn’t want to stumble around outside at an early hour. After the sun went down I considered it all right to stumble around. I can remember pulling all the curtains and shades to create what I called atmosphere, but the truth was that the light even exposed me to myself. I could hide in the recesses of my mind, in the shadows of reality, and pretend that everything was going to be all right. In 1983 a prison guard at Leeds Farm brought a candle of Light into the dungeon that was my life. I saw the light he brought clearer, as it was magnified through the tears he shed as he spoke of the “word of Christ which richly dwelt within him.” For the first time in my life I allowed the Light to shine. For the next fifteen years, many times I made the decision to step back into the shadows. It took many experiences of wilting and withering to come to the realization that things don’t grow well in the shadows. Today I look to the Son; I must come out of the shadows of life to look to the Son. I am exposed here in the Light and at times that causes some pain, but I grow, and God I find, will do for me what I could not do for myself… JRE
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
JOHN 1:1-5 KJV
“We have found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us the realm of spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive, never exclusive or for bidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men.”
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS page 46
The light even exposed me to myself
Thought for the day: “Keep your eyes on the sun and you will not see the shadows.”
Australian Aborigine Saying
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
COLOSSIANS 3:15-17
When I came across the Aborigine saying “keep your eyes on the sun and you will not see the shadows,” I quickly thought of the Son Jesus and the light that has been brought into my life through belief and faith in the finished work of the cross. You cannot stand in the shadows and see the sun. Shadows are evidence of something blocking out the rays of the sun. And so it was in my life before I came to know Jesus. I lived in the shadows. My life of fulfilling self-centered desires kept the Light of God from shinning on me. Many times God would send someone with a candle of Light into the shadows where I lived, and I would turn my back on it. The reason I believe that I feared the Light was that it exposed me and allowed others to see me for what I was. I was selfish. One of the major obstacles that blocked out the Light of God in my life was my continued use and abuse of alcohol and drugs. I can remember being stoned and hiding behind sunglasses. I can remember getting up early and drinking, and spending all day in the house because I didn’t want to stumble around outside at an early hour. After the sun went down I considered it all right to stumble around. I can remember pulling all the curtains and shades to create what I called atmosphere, but the truth was that the light even exposed me to myself. I could hide in the recesses of my mind, in the shadows of reality, and pretend that everything was going to be all right. In 1983 a prison guard at Leeds Farm brought a candle of Light into the dungeon that was my life. I saw the light he brought clearer, as it was magnified through the tears he shed as he spoke of the “word of Christ which richly dwelt within him.” For the first time in my life I allowed the Light to shine. For the next fifteen years, many times I made the decision to step back into the shadows. It took many experiences of wilting and withering to come to the realization that things don’t grow well in the shadows. Today I look to the Son; I must come out of the shadows of life to look to the Son. I am exposed here in the Light and at times that causes some pain, but I grow, and God I find, will do for me what I could not do for myself… JRE
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
JOHN 1:1-5 KJV
“We have found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us the realm of spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive, never exclusive or for bidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men.”
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS page 46
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.” CHINESE PROVERB
For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
PSALM 91:11-12 NASB
God will give His angles charge concerning you. We often pray this in our prayers as we pray for God’s protection over us. I have trouble with the word charge. It seems to go against me. Today as I again study the Ninety-first Psalm, a psalm I consider to be the theme song of warriors, I find that I need to go deeper into the word that has been translated into the English as charge. We are all warriors in God’s Army, some are on the front line and do battle in the trenches with the enemy. Some are the support troops, a very important job because no army can fight with out good support. Some are leaders that develop battle plans and have the gift of seeing the big picture. Some are inspirational leaders that keep the troops strong spiritually, because not only is there an overall battle going on, there is an individual battle taking place in the mind of each soldier. Regardless of where you are in the Army of God, your job is an important part, and your job can be done successfully only by you. Our Commander in Chief is the Father, Jesus is our leader into battle, and the Holy Spirit works in each one of us to give us power beyond our own abilities. The kind of Power that you only see in combat. That brings me back to the word charge, with the Father as my commander, why would angels have charge over me? As I study the Hebrew word Tsavah, pronounce Tsaw-vaw’ I find the meaning to go deeper than just having charge over. Share with me this definition from Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary, “to constitute, enjoin, appoint, forbid, give a charge, give in command, give with command, send with command, send a messenger, put, and set in order.” I like enjoining and sending with a command. The angels do not have charge over me, but have been charged to fight along side with me. They are an army within themselves, and they are our allies in this battle. By accepting the charge or command that has been given them, God does for me what I could not do for myself…………JRE
“Of the heavenly things, God has shown me, I can speak but a little word, no more than a honeybee can carry away on its foot an overflowing jar.”
MECHTILD OF MAGDEBURG
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”
ROMANS 11:33 NASB
Charge concerning you
Thought for the day: “If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.” CHINESE PROVERB
For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
PSALM 91:11-12 NASB
God will give His angles charge concerning you. We often pray this in our prayers as we pray for God’s protection over us. I have trouble with the word charge. It seems to go against me. Today as I again study the Ninety-first Psalm, a psalm I consider to be the theme song of warriors, I find that I need to go deeper into the word that has been translated into the English as charge. We are all warriors in God’s Army, some are on the front line and do battle in the trenches with the enemy. Some are the support troops, a very important job because no army can fight with out good support. Some are leaders that develop battle plans and have the gift of seeing the big picture. Some are inspirational leaders that keep the troops strong spiritually, because not only is there an overall battle going on, there is an individual battle taking place in the mind of each soldier. Regardless of where you are in the Army of God, your job is an important part, and your job can be done successfully only by you. Our Commander in Chief is the Father, Jesus is our leader into battle, and the Holy Spirit works in each one of us to give us power beyond our own abilities. The kind of Power that you only see in combat. That brings me back to the word charge, with the Father as my commander, why would angels have charge over me? As I study the Hebrew word Tsavah, pronounce Tsaw-vaw’ I find the meaning to go deeper than just having charge over. Share with me this definition from Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary, “to constitute, enjoin, appoint, forbid, give a charge, give in command, give with command, send with command, send a messenger, put, and set in order.” I like enjoining and sending with a command. The angels do not have charge over me, but have been charged to fight along side with me. They are an army within themselves, and they are our allies in this battle. By accepting the charge or command that has been given them, God does for me what I could not do for myself…………JRE
“Of the heavenly things, God has shown me, I can speak but a little word, no more than a honeybee can carry away on its foot an overflowing jar.”
MECHTILD OF MAGDEBURG
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”
ROMANS 11:33 NASB
Monday, January 02, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Don't sail out farther than you can row back.”
DANISH PROVERB
Let Your work appear to Your servants
And Your majesty to their children.
Let the favor of the LORD our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the works of our hands;
Yes, confirm for us the work of our hands.
PSALM 90:16-17 NASB
Two of my favorite Psalms are the 90th and the 91st. The 90th is the oldest of all the Psalms and is a prayer of Moses. It ends by repeating a thought, “confirm for us the works of our hands.” Moses is asking God to continue to let the favor be upon them and to confirm, some how, that what they are doing is right. God will confirm what we are doing, or the work of our hands, if we open the spiritual ears and eyes of our hearts and look and listen for confirmation. At times in my life I find this confirmation to be the work of the Holy Spirit. I find it to be an awakening spiritually, when I go against my self-centered will and conform to God’s will. There is an instantaneous awareness of knowing that what has happened is good. It’s like as if the Spirit whispers in my ear “atta boy.” I can relate to the opposite also. There are times when I say something, look at something, think something, or do something that I know is not in God’s will, and immediately I find that check in my spiritual heart. A knowing that this is not well with God. When I worked for the county maintaining the rural roads, I remember how we used to joke around about building up “atta boys.” We would strive for confirmation of our good work, this is part of being a good worker and taking pride in a job well done. When we would have some flaw in our work, or possibly not do a job as well as it should have been done, we would say to each other something like, “That’ll cost you about ten atta boys.” The point was to build up an abundance of atta boys to keep the scale tipped to the positive side. I am so thankful that in this Day of Grace, I don’t have to build up atta boys, if I take each day as it comes and try to turn my will and my life over to the care of God, then God will confirm the work of my hands. God will do for me what I could not do for myself……………….JRE
“Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, page 59
Look to this day,
For it is life,
The very life of life
In its brief course lie all
The realities and verities of existence,
The bliss of growth,
The splendor of action,
The glory of power.
For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is only a vision,
But today, well lived,
Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.
SANSKRIT PROVERB Author unknown
atta boys
Thought for the day: “Don't sail out farther than you can row back.”
DANISH PROVERB
Let Your work appear to Your servants
And Your majesty to their children.
Let the favor of the LORD our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the works of our hands;
Yes, confirm for us the work of our hands.
PSALM 90:16-17 NASB
Two of my favorite Psalms are the 90th and the 91st. The 90th is the oldest of all the Psalms and is a prayer of Moses. It ends by repeating a thought, “confirm for us the works of our hands.” Moses is asking God to continue to let the favor be upon them and to confirm, some how, that what they are doing is right. God will confirm what we are doing, or the work of our hands, if we open the spiritual ears and eyes of our hearts and look and listen for confirmation. At times in my life I find this confirmation to be the work of the Holy Spirit. I find it to be an awakening spiritually, when I go against my self-centered will and conform to God’s will. There is an instantaneous awareness of knowing that what has happened is good. It’s like as if the Spirit whispers in my ear “atta boy.” I can relate to the opposite also. There are times when I say something, look at something, think something, or do something that I know is not in God’s will, and immediately I find that check in my spiritual heart. A knowing that this is not well with God. When I worked for the county maintaining the rural roads, I remember how we used to joke around about building up “atta boys.” We would strive for confirmation of our good work, this is part of being a good worker and taking pride in a job well done. When we would have some flaw in our work, or possibly not do a job as well as it should have been done, we would say to each other something like, “That’ll cost you about ten atta boys.” The point was to build up an abundance of atta boys to keep the scale tipped to the positive side. I am so thankful that in this Day of Grace, I don’t have to build up atta boys, if I take each day as it comes and try to turn my will and my life over to the care of God, then God will confirm the work of my hands. God will do for me what I could not do for myself……………….JRE
“Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, page 59
Look to this day,
For it is life,
The very life of life
In its brief course lie all
The realities and verities of existence,
The bliss of growth,
The splendor of action,
The glory of power.
For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is only a vision,
But today, well lived,
Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.
SANSKRIT PROVERB Author unknown
