How Interesting!
by Barbara Henderson
In the days of Ezra the scribe, there were those who did not want to see either Ezra or the people he led to prosper. In fact, they wanted him to fail. (As you probably already know Ezra had led a band of Jews to return to Jerusalem and live in the land of their ancestors. This was with the king’s permission.)
As Ezra attempted to accomplish what he had set out to do, those who wanted him to fail set out to stop him. They eventually wrote a letter to the king explaining what was going on with the Jews rebuilding and what they thought would happen if the Jews did actually rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and settle in to live there. Of course the concern of the writers was for the king instead of themselves. They really weren’t even thinking of themselves at all. They were just thinking of the good of the kingdom. Here is verse taken from the letter they sent to the king.
‘Now because we have maintenance from the king’s palace and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonor therefore have we sent and certified the king.’ (Ezra 4:14)
My thoughts about that verse have always been ‘sneaky dishonest self-serving politicians of that day are just like the ones we have today!’ However, I recently read a sermon by Spurgeon that looked at it differently. I am sure he saw the politicians about like I see them, but he had a different take on the application of the verse. Spurgeon said that believers:
Receive our maintenance from our King – God!
As receiving our lives and the things with which our lives are maintained from the King, we owe Him everything.
And, it is not right that we would allow our King to be dishonored!
So, we should take the things that dishonor our King directly to Him in prayer.
Of course taking the things that dishonor God to Him prayer is a wonderful solution. What Christian cannot sincerely pray for new converts or the safety of the unborn? Or, for the working family to be able to keep the things for which they have labored. It is a good thing to pray for our leaders to turn to God, or for politicians to be elected who love our God in the first place. It is a good thing to pray something like, ‘let evil policies come to nothing.’ Or ‘Build up the family and the church.’
It is harder to pray, ‘Forgive me for the sin in my life. Don’t let me dishonor You, my God, by my actions.’ I wonder if we as Christians are somewhat distracted by the evils we see around us to the point that we don’t see the sins in our own lives.
Proverbs 16:7 says, ‘When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.’
Now don’t you find that very interesting? Doesn’t it make you wonder, ‘What if the individual Christian set out daily to please God with what he or she does that day?’ No one can make others set out to please God by their actions, but we can set out to please God with our own actions. We can seek to please Him by the thoughts in our hearts as well as the things we do throughout the day.
Just suppose for an instant that all true believers, starting with you and me, followed the instructions in Ephesians 5:30-32. ‘And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (31) Let all bitterness and wrath, and anger and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: (32) and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’
What can we do for Christ’s sake, considering all that He has done for our sake? It would be pretty interesting to see what big changes would occur in our own lives if each of us set out to live our lives for Christ’s sake. We do many things for the sake of those we love. We work and sacrifice in order to do right by those who depend on us, and to make life better for them. We set aside our own desires in order to do more than our duty to those we love and whose care is our responsibility. Shouldn’t we at least do the same for Christ’s sake?
What interesting changes would come into our lives and those around us if we were begin forgiving as we have been forgiven. I personally find that forgiveness is first a decision and then a progressive action. If we don’t decide to forgive then we wind up with bitterness. As usual with the things Christ requires of us, forgiveness is far more for our own benefit than the benefit of the one being forgiven.
Here is another interesting item to consider. According to biblegateway.com the word ‘thanksgiving’ is used 27 times in the King James Version of the Bible. You should look them up and read all of them. Of course the verse that is probably best known to most of us is Philippians 4:6 which says, ‘Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’
If each of us began to follow this pattern in prayer, it would be very interesting to see the increase in answered prayers. What if we took the time we spend being anxious (filled with care and worry) and spent that same time giving thanks to God for the good things He has already given to us? In thanking Him for His wonderful goodness to the children of men, we are reminded that God gives good things to His children. This encourages us to present our requests knowing that God has answered prayers in the past. We have a written record telling us how God saved the Children of Israel from the Egyptians and continued to save them from the perils they encountered in the wilderness. His mercies fail not. Our God will not forsake us! Furthermore, we have written instruction to ‘boldly approach the throne of grace’! (Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.)
‘May you live in interesting times’ is a phrase commonly quoted as a Chinese curse. However, if the ‘interesting times’ were due to your personal decision to follow the instructions in Psalm 34:8 which says, ‘O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’, then any curse this world has would be turned to blessings.
The third chapter of Colossians is a very interesting chapter in the Bible. It speaks of ‘putting off’ the evil things of life before salvation, and putting on the better things of life as a Christian. I will give you a few verses here, but you should read the entire chapter. ‘ But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath malice, blasphemy filthy communication out of your mouth. (9) Lie not one to another seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; (10) And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:’. Take a few minutes to see if you have truly put off the old things of your life before Christ and put on the new and better things of Christ.
Honestly, ‘interesting times’ are coming. The economy is in turmoil. Governments around the globe are scrambling to just survive. We really don’t have much input in how world affairs are being handled. Too much time spent considering the possible scenarios of the current political and economic situations can lead to anxiety, worry, and fear. It is better to do what you are able to prepare for an uncertain future, and then set your interests on doing the things that please Christ. So much is out of your control. Why not concentrate on something that is within your control? Concentrate on pleasing Christ, and see just how interesting your life will be.
By the way, something I find especially interesting is this. Are there problems in your family that you would like to see resolved? Is there a family member or close friend you are separated from by some evil action on his or her part? Do you want to make peace with them, but simply cannot? Read proverbs 16:7 again. ‘When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.’ If God will make even your enemies to be at peace with you, don’t you think He will make those you love to be at peace with you as well? I just love that verse.
The song that seems to fit this article is ‘Jesus Paid it All’.
Jesus paid it all – all to Him I owe! Spurgeon was right. Our maintenance comes from God, and we owe Him everything.
Jesus Paid it All
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/p/jpaidall.htm
I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Refrain
And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.
Refrain
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
Refrain
When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.
Refrain
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet.
Barbara@askbh.com
http://ourhomeschoolideas.com
http://chirpyscats.com
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
You Cannot Compromise Your core Values
No Compromise
by Barbara Henderson
Today in America there is renewed talk of ‘bipartisanship’ in the halls of government. Control of the US House of Representatives was won by the conservatives by a remarkably large turnover. The senate was very nearly lost by the liberals as well. Prior to this election, the liberal Democrats controlled both the house and senate, and they pushed through evil legislation that caused America to basically vomit out many of the elected liberals. The current president actually called conservatives ‘enemies’, and said that if conservatives wanted to get on board with his liberal agenda they would be allowed on board, but they would have to sit at the back of the bus. He clearly sees conservatives as a bunch of ignoramuses unworthy of being given serious consideration. Now the tide has turned to a large degree. So, the liberals now are considering bipartisanship as a way to go forward with their agenda. You see, right and wrong have nothing in common. There is no middle ground. Liberals know that any compromise on the part of conservatives is a win for them.
So, what I would like to see congress do is absolutely deadlock any legislation proposed by the liberals and make repealing greedy intrusive legislation that has already been passed a priority. There is no room for compromise. To compromise is to lose.
HOWEVER:
Even more important than anything done in the United States Government, or any other government for that matter, is for Christians to clearly define the areas in which there can be no compromise. Then Christians who take their faith seriously must set their hearts and minds on never compromising these principles.
Now, I am sure that most of our readers already know these things, but we will go over them just as a refresher and in case there are some new Christians who have not clearly defined things yet.
First there are what is commonly called the Fundamentals of the Faith. Christians must understand these fundamentals, and understand their importance. When doing a search on the fundamentals of the Christian faith, you will find that wording varies and the number of fundamentals may vary, but the crux of the matter is the same.
Inerrancy of scripture – the Bible is without error. When placing one’s eternal destination on the line, it is important to know that you can rely on the source of your information. The source is God Almighty. God, who spoke the world into place and made man out of dirt certainly can have his Word recorded in a book exactly as He wants it recorded.
Pre-existence of Christ – Deity of Christ - He is of the Trinity.
Virgin Birth – Jesus was born of a virgin. Why do people wonder about that? God made the first man and woman without a father or mother.
Death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ – Jesus Christ has power over death.
Blood atonement – without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin
Another way, or additional way, of explaining fundamental Christianity is to say that it is:
Without Error – that means from the first word to the last word there are no mistakes. It is truth. There are many people who claim to accept the Bible as true, but then they turn around and begin to twist scripture, or allegorize it, or give it a meaning that is more acceptable in the society of the moment. Genesis 1:1 is true. From that point forward, you cannot escape that God has the power and authority to make and sustain the world. He is also the ultimate judge. Attempting to de-throne God Almighty is futile, so people imagine other ways ‘it might have happened’. Then, they believe their imaginations. Then they offer their imaginations to others as truth. Then, more people like that option better than the option offered by God. Thus, they can live in their imperfection, and still be acceptable for a candidate into a perfect heaven. A prime example of this is the Darwinian theory of evolution. Darwin, like many others, would rather have followed a cunningly devised fable than to do what was required to make peace with God. It is very simple. God made everything. God owns it. He gets to say who lives where. He lives in a perfect place. Imperfect beings are not fit to live in God’s home. It would no longer be perfect if even one speck of tainted matter entered into it – much less an entire imperfect human being. To be fit for the heaven of God Almighty, the individual must be made perfect. That is only done through Jesus Christ. Replacing God with manmade theology does not replace the truth. Those adoring creation instead of the Creator will still face the judgment. They will still be judged by the Creator. Neither creation nor any other man made philosophy will be able to keep its followers from the final judgment when God Almighty will sit as the judge. Only those who have Jesus Christ as their advocate will be allowed to enter heaven.
Sufficient – it tells us all we need to know to understand the way to God the Father. There is no need for additional revelation. The Bible is not set up to satisfy our curiosity. It is set up to give us the way to make peace with God, and give instructions on how to live a life that is pleasing to God. Things about which we are curious may be revealed when we reach heaven. I think they will be, but regardless, we will still have sufficient information available to live and enjoy
Relevant – the Bible has the words of life. The Bible is the book by which any person born in any era should live. People want to act as though the Bible is no longer relevant in today’s modern world. But in truth, the Bible is relevant and where applied, has a dramatic effect on the population of creation.
These are things on which there can be no compromise. But now what? It is one thing to understand the importance of these tenants of the faith intellectually, but it is another thing entirely to live as though you actually believe them. Do not trade the truth for a lie set up by intentional deceivers, or self deceivers.
If you accept Genesis 1:1, why would you have any problem with the entire rest of the book? Do not be one of those people who claims to accept the Bible as God’s word, but throws out any part of it in an attempt to stay in synchronization with the current wisdom of the day. I am sure you know someone who says they believe the Bible, but they also believe that theistic evolution is actually what happened. Or they believe the Bible, but not that Jesus died and rose again. Or they believe the Bible, but homosexuality is an acceptable life style. God made it all just like the Bible says. He has control over it all, just like the Bible says.
And, there are people who believe the earth was created by God, but that we have to sustain it ourselves through conservation and lifestyle changes.
And there are other people who claim to believe the Bible, but not the part that says it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment. After all, they reason, a merciful God wouldn’t really send anyone to hell.
And there are other people who claim to believe the Bible, but they add things to it. For instance, they know it says we are saved by grace through faith, but they can’t get past the prideful idea that they have to add personal works to the work of Christ on Calvary.
Honestly, it is time for those who really are Christians to truly give God the glory. The way we do that (at least in part) is to worship Him in how we live our lives. We should act as though we believe God. If God says something happened in a certain way, then true believers don’t try to adjust what God said to suit what current wisdom/folly says happened.
If God says to do something a certain way, then that is the way Christians should do it!
If God says not to do something in certain way, or at all, then we should take obeying our God seriously.
I think it boils down to this.
If God IS God – then follow Him!
If the gods of this world are god – then follow them!
It is time for the individual Christian to make up his/her mind.
If you are having trouble determining if some particular teaching is of this world or of God, then remember the rule of thumbs Evangelist Evan New used to use. He said, ‘If it’s doubtful, then it’s dirty.’ And that is really the truth. You can take the time to trace the origins of yoga, spiritualism, mindless meditation (not meditation on the scripture), materialism, witchcraft, manipulation of god/God through rituals (the health wealth gospel) and so on. But, if you don’t have the time or the inclination to do that, just toss it out with the trash. The more you know about God, the more you are able to spot false teaching from the first time you hear it.
So, remember the fundamentals of the faith.
Include in that these three – inerrant – sufficient – relevant.
These things are the launching pad for your Christian growth. You can’t step outside these boundaries and stay within the teachings of the Bible.
No compromise on Biblical accuracy and authority is the right way for Christians.
Of course these things are not the sum of Christianity, or Baptist teaching, or the teachings of any other traditional Christian organization or denomination. They are just the frame work on which other doctrines stand. Understanding the foundations of the faith is the starting point for anyone seeking to know and interpret rightly the doctrine of the Bible.
And, by the way, I do know that ‘inerrancy of scripture’ is the starting point for both the lists I gave you. It is just THE starting point for all Bible study. Some would probably debate me on this, but I think Genesis 1:1 is the key verse. It gives God the power and authority to manage creation and its inhabitants the way He does it. I think that first verse is the verse that gives credibility to the rest of the Bible. It gives us the power and authority backing up John 3:16.
The Bible tells us that God created the world and everything in it perfect in the beginning.
It tells us that man sinned, fell from grace, became imperfect.
It tells us that ‘un-regenerated’ man is separated from God by sin. (That means ‘you ain’t perfect’. In fact, nobody is perfect.)
Then it gives us John 3:16. But until someone understands they are separated from God by their sin, they don’t understand the need to be reconciled to God.
We cannot fulfill the ‘Great Commission’ if we don’t even know what the gospel that we are attempting to take to unbelievers actually contains.
There is a song titled, ‘Win the Lost at Any Cost’. The first cost to the individual Christian is to study and know what the Bible says. This is of course an ongoing leaning process. You don’t have to complete a Bible theology degree to be able to effectively tell others the way of salvation. You do need to work at knowing enough to be able to tell the truth and answer questions.
Here is a youtube link to ‘Win the Lost at Any Cost’.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv8IWtydbCg
There is a line that says ‘Souls are crying – men are dying’…. It is important that we get busy today.
Barbara
by Barbara Henderson
Today in America there is renewed talk of ‘bipartisanship’ in the halls of government. Control of the US House of Representatives was won by the conservatives by a remarkably large turnover. The senate was very nearly lost by the liberals as well. Prior to this election, the liberal Democrats controlled both the house and senate, and they pushed through evil legislation that caused America to basically vomit out many of the elected liberals. The current president actually called conservatives ‘enemies’, and said that if conservatives wanted to get on board with his liberal agenda they would be allowed on board, but they would have to sit at the back of the bus. He clearly sees conservatives as a bunch of ignoramuses unworthy of being given serious consideration. Now the tide has turned to a large degree. So, the liberals now are considering bipartisanship as a way to go forward with their agenda. You see, right and wrong have nothing in common. There is no middle ground. Liberals know that any compromise on the part of conservatives is a win for them.
So, what I would like to see congress do is absolutely deadlock any legislation proposed by the liberals and make repealing greedy intrusive legislation that has already been passed a priority. There is no room for compromise. To compromise is to lose.
HOWEVER:
Even more important than anything done in the United States Government, or any other government for that matter, is for Christians to clearly define the areas in which there can be no compromise. Then Christians who take their faith seriously must set their hearts and minds on never compromising these principles.
Now, I am sure that most of our readers already know these things, but we will go over them just as a refresher and in case there are some new Christians who have not clearly defined things yet.
First there are what is commonly called the Fundamentals of the Faith. Christians must understand these fundamentals, and understand their importance. When doing a search on the fundamentals of the Christian faith, you will find that wording varies and the number of fundamentals may vary, but the crux of the matter is the same.
Inerrancy of scripture – the Bible is without error. When placing one’s eternal destination on the line, it is important to know that you can rely on the source of your information. The source is God Almighty. God, who spoke the world into place and made man out of dirt certainly can have his Word recorded in a book exactly as He wants it recorded.
Pre-existence of Christ – Deity of Christ - He is of the Trinity.
Virgin Birth – Jesus was born of a virgin. Why do people wonder about that? God made the first man and woman without a father or mother.
Death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ – Jesus Christ has power over death.
Blood atonement – without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin
Another way, or additional way, of explaining fundamental Christianity is to say that it is:
Without Error – that means from the first word to the last word there are no mistakes. It is truth. There are many people who claim to accept the Bible as true, but then they turn around and begin to twist scripture, or allegorize it, or give it a meaning that is more acceptable in the society of the moment. Genesis 1:1 is true. From that point forward, you cannot escape that God has the power and authority to make and sustain the world. He is also the ultimate judge. Attempting to de-throne God Almighty is futile, so people imagine other ways ‘it might have happened’. Then, they believe their imaginations. Then they offer their imaginations to others as truth. Then, more people like that option better than the option offered by God. Thus, they can live in their imperfection, and still be acceptable for a candidate into a perfect heaven. A prime example of this is the Darwinian theory of evolution. Darwin, like many others, would rather have followed a cunningly devised fable than to do what was required to make peace with God. It is very simple. God made everything. God owns it. He gets to say who lives where. He lives in a perfect place. Imperfect beings are not fit to live in God’s home. It would no longer be perfect if even one speck of tainted matter entered into it – much less an entire imperfect human being. To be fit for the heaven of God Almighty, the individual must be made perfect. That is only done through Jesus Christ. Replacing God with manmade theology does not replace the truth. Those adoring creation instead of the Creator will still face the judgment. They will still be judged by the Creator. Neither creation nor any other man made philosophy will be able to keep its followers from the final judgment when God Almighty will sit as the judge. Only those who have Jesus Christ as their advocate will be allowed to enter heaven.
Sufficient – it tells us all we need to know to understand the way to God the Father. There is no need for additional revelation. The Bible is not set up to satisfy our curiosity. It is set up to give us the way to make peace with God, and give instructions on how to live a life that is pleasing to God. Things about which we are curious may be revealed when we reach heaven. I think they will be, but regardless, we will still have sufficient information available to live and enjoy
Relevant – the Bible has the words of life. The Bible is the book by which any person born in any era should live. People want to act as though the Bible is no longer relevant in today’s modern world. But in truth, the Bible is relevant and where applied, has a dramatic effect on the population of creation.
These are things on which there can be no compromise. But now what? It is one thing to understand the importance of these tenants of the faith intellectually, but it is another thing entirely to live as though you actually believe them. Do not trade the truth for a lie set up by intentional deceivers, or self deceivers.
If you accept Genesis 1:1, why would you have any problem with the entire rest of the book? Do not be one of those people who claims to accept the Bible as God’s word, but throws out any part of it in an attempt to stay in synchronization with the current wisdom of the day. I am sure you know someone who says they believe the Bible, but they also believe that theistic evolution is actually what happened. Or they believe the Bible, but not that Jesus died and rose again. Or they believe the Bible, but homosexuality is an acceptable life style. God made it all just like the Bible says. He has control over it all, just like the Bible says.
And, there are people who believe the earth was created by God, but that we have to sustain it ourselves through conservation and lifestyle changes.
And there are other people who claim to believe the Bible, but not the part that says it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment. After all, they reason, a merciful God wouldn’t really send anyone to hell.
And there are other people who claim to believe the Bible, but they add things to it. For instance, they know it says we are saved by grace through faith, but they can’t get past the prideful idea that they have to add personal works to the work of Christ on Calvary.
Honestly, it is time for those who really are Christians to truly give God the glory. The way we do that (at least in part) is to worship Him in how we live our lives. We should act as though we believe God. If God says something happened in a certain way, then true believers don’t try to adjust what God said to suit what current wisdom/folly says happened.
If God says to do something a certain way, then that is the way Christians should do it!
If God says not to do something in certain way, or at all, then we should take obeying our God seriously.
I think it boils down to this.
If God IS God – then follow Him!
If the gods of this world are god – then follow them!
It is time for the individual Christian to make up his/her mind.
If you are having trouble determining if some particular teaching is of this world or of God, then remember the rule of thumbs Evangelist Evan New used to use. He said, ‘If it’s doubtful, then it’s dirty.’ And that is really the truth. You can take the time to trace the origins of yoga, spiritualism, mindless meditation (not meditation on the scripture), materialism, witchcraft, manipulation of god/God through rituals (the health wealth gospel) and so on. But, if you don’t have the time or the inclination to do that, just toss it out with the trash. The more you know about God, the more you are able to spot false teaching from the first time you hear it.
So, remember the fundamentals of the faith.
Include in that these three – inerrant – sufficient – relevant.
These things are the launching pad for your Christian growth. You can’t step outside these boundaries and stay within the teachings of the Bible.
No compromise on Biblical accuracy and authority is the right way for Christians.
Of course these things are not the sum of Christianity, or Baptist teaching, or the teachings of any other traditional Christian organization or denomination. They are just the frame work on which other doctrines stand. Understanding the foundations of the faith is the starting point for anyone seeking to know and interpret rightly the doctrine of the Bible.
And, by the way, I do know that ‘inerrancy of scripture’ is the starting point for both the lists I gave you. It is just THE starting point for all Bible study. Some would probably debate me on this, but I think Genesis 1:1 is the key verse. It gives God the power and authority to manage creation and its inhabitants the way He does it. I think that first verse is the verse that gives credibility to the rest of the Bible. It gives us the power and authority backing up John 3:16.
The Bible tells us that God created the world and everything in it perfect in the beginning.
It tells us that man sinned, fell from grace, became imperfect.
It tells us that ‘un-regenerated’ man is separated from God by sin. (That means ‘you ain’t perfect’. In fact, nobody is perfect.)
Then it gives us John 3:16. But until someone understands they are separated from God by their sin, they don’t understand the need to be reconciled to God.
We cannot fulfill the ‘Great Commission’ if we don’t even know what the gospel that we are attempting to take to unbelievers actually contains.
There is a song titled, ‘Win the Lost at Any Cost’. The first cost to the individual Christian is to study and know what the Bible says. This is of course an ongoing leaning process. You don’t have to complete a Bible theology degree to be able to effectively tell others the way of salvation. You do need to work at knowing enough to be able to tell the truth and answer questions.
Here is a youtube link to ‘Win the Lost at Any Cost’.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv8IWtydbCg
There is a line that says ‘Souls are crying – men are dying’…. It is important that we get busy today.
Barbara
Monday, November 15, 2010
A River Runs Through It -
Down on the Farm - A River Runs Through It
by Barbara Henderson
There we were, strolling through a garden like version of a primitive farm. All the animals were there, housed in modern pens. There were even special rooms for the older animals who might feel a bit of discomfort at the chilly fall weather. From my somewhat experienced eye, I noticed that the pens for the chickens and rabbits were virtually varmint proof. I think a grizzly bear could have broken in, but not likely anything else. (Of course on a REAL farm, there wouldn’t be any animals old enough to feel discomfort by the chilly fall air. They would have been eaten before they got that old!)
The gardens were without weeds.
The large animals out in the weather all had on weather proof wool blankets to keep them warm.
The flowers, while native species, were pretty obviously grown in a nursery and transplanted in the gardens. A few extra pumpkins were sprinkled through the pumpkin patch to give the impression of bounty.
And, there was a creek running through all of it. It was just gorgeous.
The creek was really in a boggy swamp. To walk the banks of that creek would have been impossible without getting wet at least knee deep. However, there was a nice boardwalk, so we strolled along and stayed nice and dry at the same time.
And, my thoughts began to wander. I imagined a place I would like to live. It is always about the same. I don’t know exactly where on earth it is, but it is a lovely place. There is a reasonable home on it, set up just like I want it. It definitely has a wood burning heater near a large glass wall that overlooks a small valley with a lovely creek winding through it. There is usually a nice spring running straight out of the hill by the house. The importance of a water source near the house cannot be overstated. That spring fills a little fish pond right by the window, and then the water spills over and runs down the hill to the bigger creek. While the view of the creek is spectacular, the house is well above any possibility of being flooded when the creek overflows during heavy rains.
Most people who think of living in the country think of some sort of farm land with its own water source. A beautiful babbling brook is necessary at the very least to make the picture complete. Of course there would be an absolutely huge porch. Part of the porch would be more enclosed more like a sun room. I could sit there in cooler weather, and still have the feeling of being outdoors. It could be sort of a solar collector on cool days. That would make the cost worth it. The rest of the porch would be used for sitting on balmy evenings. We would sip tea and watch for fire flies. I think we would also independently wealthy. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about any of the bills.
Actually living on a farm would be a hard life. The work would simply never get done. You wouldn’t have a lot of time to really enjoy the scenery. It could be a good life, filled with satisfaction and family love; but, it would still be a hard life. To make extra money, the ‘wanna be’ farmers would probably have some sort of exotic animal like llamas. They would plan to sell the wool, which might or might not work out. The llamas would definitely spit every time anyone got near them, and eat year round whether or not any wool was ever actually sold..
Then, I thought of something. Here on earth most people have some sort of dream idea of where they want to live, what sort of house, and how much land they want. Some of us will get pretty close to our dreams. Some of us will never even come close. For those who achieve their dream living place, it will only be a temporary place. Everyone will eventually leave their earthly home and go on to their eternal home. For those who have answered the call of the Holy Spirit to repent and turn to Christ, there is a wonderful future beyond this life. There is a real place called heaven, and that place will be the home of all Christians. I think all the inhabitants of heaven will have view property. There won’t be a place there that isn’t beyond anything we have seen, or heard about, or conceived in our wildest thoughts. The very last chapter of the last book of the Bible tells some of the details of that wonderful place.
If you are weary today, or just a little tired, open the Bible and read the last chapter of the last book. I love a happy ending.
Revelation 22
1And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
4And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
6And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
7Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
8And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
9Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
10And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
11He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
12And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
17And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
18For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
20He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Don’t you just love it? But if you need a little more cheer, listen to this Gospel Medley on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAFQbuAvH58
I’ll Fly Away and several other songs.
Barbara
by Barbara Henderson
There we were, strolling through a garden like version of a primitive farm. All the animals were there, housed in modern pens. There were even special rooms for the older animals who might feel a bit of discomfort at the chilly fall weather. From my somewhat experienced eye, I noticed that the pens for the chickens and rabbits were virtually varmint proof. I think a grizzly bear could have broken in, but not likely anything else. (Of course on a REAL farm, there wouldn’t be any animals old enough to feel discomfort by the chilly fall air. They would have been eaten before they got that old!)
The gardens were without weeds.
The large animals out in the weather all had on weather proof wool blankets to keep them warm.
The flowers, while native species, were pretty obviously grown in a nursery and transplanted in the gardens. A few extra pumpkins were sprinkled through the pumpkin patch to give the impression of bounty.
And, there was a creek running through all of it. It was just gorgeous.
The creek was really in a boggy swamp. To walk the banks of that creek would have been impossible without getting wet at least knee deep. However, there was a nice boardwalk, so we strolled along and stayed nice and dry at the same time.
And, my thoughts began to wander. I imagined a place I would like to live. It is always about the same. I don’t know exactly where on earth it is, but it is a lovely place. There is a reasonable home on it, set up just like I want it. It definitely has a wood burning heater near a large glass wall that overlooks a small valley with a lovely creek winding through it. There is usually a nice spring running straight out of the hill by the house. The importance of a water source near the house cannot be overstated. That spring fills a little fish pond right by the window, and then the water spills over and runs down the hill to the bigger creek. While the view of the creek is spectacular, the house is well above any possibility of being flooded when the creek overflows during heavy rains.
Most people who think of living in the country think of some sort of farm land with its own water source. A beautiful babbling brook is necessary at the very least to make the picture complete. Of course there would be an absolutely huge porch. Part of the porch would be more enclosed more like a sun room. I could sit there in cooler weather, and still have the feeling of being outdoors. It could be sort of a solar collector on cool days. That would make the cost worth it. The rest of the porch would be used for sitting on balmy evenings. We would sip tea and watch for fire flies. I think we would also independently wealthy. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about any of the bills.
Actually living on a farm would be a hard life. The work would simply never get done. You wouldn’t have a lot of time to really enjoy the scenery. It could be a good life, filled with satisfaction and family love; but, it would still be a hard life. To make extra money, the ‘wanna be’ farmers would probably have some sort of exotic animal like llamas. They would plan to sell the wool, which might or might not work out. The llamas would definitely spit every time anyone got near them, and eat year round whether or not any wool was ever actually sold..
Then, I thought of something. Here on earth most people have some sort of dream idea of where they want to live, what sort of house, and how much land they want. Some of us will get pretty close to our dreams. Some of us will never even come close. For those who achieve their dream living place, it will only be a temporary place. Everyone will eventually leave their earthly home and go on to their eternal home. For those who have answered the call of the Holy Spirit to repent and turn to Christ, there is a wonderful future beyond this life. There is a real place called heaven, and that place will be the home of all Christians. I think all the inhabitants of heaven will have view property. There won’t be a place there that isn’t beyond anything we have seen, or heard about, or conceived in our wildest thoughts. The very last chapter of the last book of the Bible tells some of the details of that wonderful place.
If you are weary today, or just a little tired, open the Bible and read the last chapter of the last book. I love a happy ending.
Revelation 22
1And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
4And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
6And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
7Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
8And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
9Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
10And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
11He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
12And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
17And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
18For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
20He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Don’t you just love it? But if you need a little more cheer, listen to this Gospel Medley on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAFQbuAvH58
I’ll Fly Away and several other songs.
Barbara
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