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NOW THAT IS GOOD NEWS! FOR IT’S A TRUTH, YOU CAN NOT KEEP A GOD MAN DOWN!
A View from the NestRandom Ramblings from the Resident Raptor
Insight from the Journey across the Sky
25 You are the descendants of the prophets and the heirs of the promise that God made to our ancestors when he said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendant all people on earth will be blessed.’ Acts 3:25 (GW)
9 So people who believe are blessed together with Abraham, the man of faith. Gal 3:9 (GW)
Although I am half Irish I have to admit I am not what you would consider lucky. I do not recall ever winning a game of chance and do not even think about betting on a race or playing the lottery. If there is some sort of magic to luck then I am certainly no magician. Perhaps luck is a state of mind. If you think you are lucky does that help make you lucky? Do thoughts of winning games of chance improve your odds of actually winning? Can you ’Think and Grow Rich’ like the book title would indicate? Is there something magical about the Emerald Isle that translates into the Irish being lucky?
Perhaps, because I am not a full bloodied Irishman, my luck has yet to manifest. Perhaps I am only half lucky because I am only half Irish. I guess I should blame my mother for not marrying an Irish gentleman. Yeah that’s it blame it on genes. You would think it should be my heritage to be lucky like the Irish, considering I am part Irish. But alas the only thing Irish about me would seem to be my gift of gab, which I gather one gets from kissing the "Blarney Stone" which I really do not recall ever having done. Oh well, I am still partly Irish and that must count for something.
To be an Irishman one has to be born of Irish ancestry. To inherit Irish genes you must have Irish blood running through your family tree. Just by donning green apparel on St Patrick’s day does not make you Irish anymore than wearing a cross around your neck makes you a Christian. You have to be born Irish, and you must be born again to be a true heavenly citizen.
There are advantages to being a natural born citizen. I am a natural citizen of the United States but not a natural born citizen of Ireland. Although I have Irish blood running through my family tree I did not inherit the rights and privileges of a naturally born Irish citizen. I could not therefore go to Ireland and be treated like a citizen. I would have to apply for citizenship to the Emerald Isle in order to be eligible for the benefits afforded citizens. It is the same with my heavenly citizenship. I had to make an appeal, I had to follow the citizenship rules in order to be adopted into my heavenly family. Now since I have been adopted I can claim benefits afforded family.
My citizenship papers have been signed by the King of King and Lord of Lords. He has written my name in the membership list of all those who applied for citizenship into Heaven. I now belong to two worlds, this one and the one to come. DUAL citizenship! WOW I am a citizen of two worlds. I have two homelands, my current one and the one I will be traveling to one day.
Just like I am part Irish and part German, I can also say I am part sinner and part saint. I have sinners blood running through my veins but also the blood of Christ and the saints of old as well. I am both mortal and immortal because I have the promise of eternal life with my citizenship papers from Heaven. While here on earth I am only mortal. Not lucky perhaps. Not too bright perhaps. Not wealthy perhaps. But blessed none the less, because my new home is awaiting my arrival. It is a place where there is no need for luck, nor any need for wealth. I do not have to chase after the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow because the one who placed the rainbow in the sky has promised me a home on golden streets. Now that is some POT OF GOLD wouldn’t you say?
I may not be considered lucky like some would call lucky, but I can truly say my life has been blessed since leaving behind my natural birthright and trading it for a new heavenly birthright.
So this St Patrick’s day I shall wear green for my Irish ancestry but I shall also wear the scars and stripes of my Lord and Savior who died for me so that I could become a citizen of the new earth. I may not be a lucky Irishman but I am surely a blessed man thanks to Jesus Christ.
But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)
Along for the journey
Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor
Insight from the Journey across the Sky
>Pr 1 (RSV) My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;2 for length of days and years of life and abundant welfare will they give you. Proverbs 3:1-2
Ah yes, spring is in the air. The days are starting to get longer and the sound of the song birds are again gracing the air. Flowers are starting to sprout everywhere I look, and dark threatening storm clouds are being replaced with the lazy fluffy-white clouds of spring.
I am so glad each year when spring rolls around. The dark grey nights of winter so dampen my spirit that I can hardly wait for spring’s arrival, when those dark nights give way to the much brighter spring days. The icy cold winter air is gradually replaced with warm spring-time breezes. Ah yes, springtime!
I guess the thing I like most about springtime is the longer days. I could not imagine living in a place that got less than eight hours of daylight each day. I can not imagine how those who live way up north can handle long periods of darkness. I enjoy the sun. I enjoy the warmth of it, the brightness of it, the glow it gives the earth. I am not a sun worshipper but I surely do prefer daylight to nighttime. I guess you could say I am a child of the light. J
Anyway while driving the other day I came to realize that the days were getting longer and I thought of this verse from Proverbs that speaks to length of days. I do not know about you but I really like long summer days when the sun remains in the sky ‘til way past eight o’clock in the evening. To be able to come home from work and still have several hours of daylight left to enjoy before night sets in, is a real treat.
The “spring time” of life should be relished and enjoyed because the darkness of old age moves fast upon us. When we remember to put God first in our life, and to honor His word and His ways, He promises us ‘length of days’. I am not saying it will be endless “springtime” but it surely sounds like the long, cold, dark, nights of winter will be kept at bay, at least in a spiritual sense.
I like taking God at His word. I have read and heard of the wonderful things he has done for those who put their full trust in Him. Therefore, I am claiming my extended spring time and the abundant welfare he promises. There is only one catch. I have to keep His commandments. With my whole heart, I have to obey His word. Then I will be able to see the length of days, full of the sunshine He promises in his word.
God causes the sun to rise and He surely can extend the daylight hours in our lives if we let him by adhering to His commands. If you take time to stop to think about what His word commands us to abstain from, they are all things we should avoid because they bring about a shortening of life. Wisdom dictates then if we obey the Lord’s commands things should go well with our life.
Of course even during the summer we have the occasional summer storm, but it is still nice to know that the sun will remain in the evening sky far later then it will during the wintertime. That is comforting. Let the length of days begin. J
But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)
Along for the journey
Length of our days: Focus on Judaism and the personal life
Insight for your “Journey across the Sky”
A View from the Nest www.eagleviews.org
At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord obeyed the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel. Josh 10:12-14 (ESV)
Take care then how you are living, not as unwise, but as wise; Making good use of the time, because the days are evil. Eph 5:15-16 (BBE)
“There is an old tale of a village that bought a fancy tower clock. Some time after it was installed, a visitor to the town discovered that all the people were sleeping during the day and working at night. When he questioned them about this, they answered, “We have the most unique town in America. After we got our new clock, we began to notice that the sun kept rising earlier and earlier every morning. Finally the daytime hours were dark and the night hours were light. We are petitioning the President for special recognition as the only town in America with such a situation.”
As it turned out, of course, the new clock had been running slower and slower, all because sparrows were roosting inside it. The people allowed themselves to be controlled by this manmade device. The tyranny of the clock robs us of our enjoyment of life and sometimes makes us tyrants over others. Daily hassles become the norm “Hurry or we’ll be late! You’ve only got five minutes!” Is this the abundant life Christ offers?” Ruth Ann Ridley, “Learning to Live in the Limits,” Discipleship Journal (Jan/Feb 1983)
Tomorrow night we turn our clocks ahead to accommodate Daylight saving time. I really do not fully understand why we mess with the clocks. I mean does the sun follow our foolish attempts at regulating time? Are our attempts to elongate our lives
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changed by manipulating a clock? I mean- for real. Does our changing of the clocks have any affect on life at all? I know this for sure, when the clocks spring ahead one hour I sure could use the hour I lost sleeping. In the fall it is not so bad because turning them back an hour affords me an additional hour to sleep. I am well aware of the fact that there are more important things in life than sleeping, but it still does not change my point. I see no real benefit, nor detriment, to just leave the clocks alone and go with the flow. In fact some reporter somewhere, says the time we waste setting all our clocks back and forth has an adverse effect on the economy. I do not know about all that, but I sure do know it has an adverse effect on my body when it does not get enough rest. Can we not get along just fine by leaving the clocks alone? But what do I know, I do not get paid big bucks to make major life decisions so I will just turn my clock back and forth and deal with it.
Daylight saving time may not be a big deal but time is marching on. No attempts on our part can stop the clock totally. One could argue that Daylight saving time is a biblical mandate considering God made the sun stand still for one whole day after Joshua prayed. Now that my friends is real daylight savings time. At that time in Israeli history the Amorites gathered to
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battle Gibeon which had made a peace treaty with Joshua. Coming to their rescue, Joshua prayed that the daylight would not falter until they were able to defeat the enemy. God honored that prayer. Our feeble attempts to replicate that miracle, results in, well, nothing really changing. We may feel better because we adjusted our clocks but in the end, time still marches on.
I do not know about you but my internal clock gets all mixed up during the spring ahead- fall back cycle. I no sooner get all set with the time shift in the fall then I have to readjust my eternal clock to the new time shift in the spring. Back and forth I go, resetting the old internal clock. Getting regulated to know just when it is time to arise from sleep and get about the day’s business. This constant setting and resetting seems to be more bother than it is worth. I fail to see any real benefit to all this time shifting.
“No one knows when that day or hour will come. Even the angels in heaven and the Son don’t know. Only the Father knows. Matt 24:36 (GW)
“Therefore, be alert, because you don’t know on what day your Lord will return. Matt 24:42 (GW)
As bothersome as it may be to readjust my internal clock, there is a more important clock ticking. God’s eternal clock measures how much time
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remains until the end. At the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, when asked when the end time would come, Jesus answered and said that no one knows that day or hour. He went on to say that you must be ready at all times because you do not know when it will be. God is surely keeping track of all things going on upon the earth. He is watching as the eternal clock is approaching the midnight hour. He and He alone is able to reset the clock to advance the time or delay His coming, but in no way do we have any control over the only clock that matters. Some of us may fall asleep before that time comes. Some of us reading this article may still be alive when He returns but all of us need to be ready, for we do not know when that time will be.
So, last night I reset my clock to give me an additional hour of sunlight this evening. If I am still around come fall I shall advance the clock an hour forward to regain the hour I lost. Perhaps I should pray like Joshua prayed, that time would just stand still until everyone had a chance to get saved. I think that may be something worth fighting for. Don’t you think? Resetting that clock may be of more importance than saving an hour of daylight.
Tick tock goes the eternal clock, Will you be ready when the alarm sounds?
But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 (GW)Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence. God has done all this. He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships. In other words, God was using Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn’t hold people’s faults against them, and he has given us this message of restored relationships to tell others.
In the Harold Ramis film “Groundhog Day”, TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is forced to cover the “Groundhog Day” ceremonies in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, for the fifth year in a row. It is an assignment he truly despises, but this year something truly bizarre happens: When he awakens the next morning, eager to leave, he discovers it’s “Groundhog Day” all over again.
When the same thing happens the next morning, he thinks he’s going insane and wreaks havoc throughout the town. More mornings pass, all of them “Groundhog Day”, and with each, Phil grows angrier. Desperate to escape, Phil attempts suicide, but yet another “Groundhog Day” dawns.
As Phil starts realizing that his exploits are not making time march on any quicker, he begins to change his behavior. By observing life around him, Phil becomes aware of the needs of others and along the way learns more about himself than he ever thought possible.
Although a lighthearted film, “Groundhog Day” offers the viewer opportunities to look deeper into the meaning of life. Punxsutawney Phil, not the groundhog, has become trapped in a prison of his own making. After four trips to this tiny, western Pennsylvania town, Phil has had enough. He feels that his talents could be better utilized in a larger more prestigious station or network. Instead he is stuck in a tiny station, in a tiny market, covering a tiny animal, coming out of a tiny hole in the ground. By diminishing himself through the belittlement of others and his surroundings, Phil gets to relive his worst nightmare-“Groundhog Day”. Phil Connor’s life became what he disliked the most.
Imagine having to live the worst day of your life over and over and over again. What if no matter what you did you could not change the outcome of that day. How would you handle it?
Romans 7:24 (BBE)
How unhappy am I! who will make me free from the body of this death?
"...that where I am you may be also." Jn.14:3
Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. (Matthew 6:33)
Daily Bible verse plus a picture of God's creation following Wayne Cordeiro's "The Divine Mentor" format.
"Come and hear, all you who fear God. Let me tell you what he has done for me." - Psalm 66:16
Daily Thoughts and Meditations as we journey together with our Lord.
Sermons and Devotions
Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor
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