YOU HAVE TO BE CRAZY!

Insanity is preferring to believe a lie because you think it sounds less crazy than the truth!

We gather each week as fellow believers ... but believers in what? A particular "worldview" and lifestyle? A doctrine? The ideals and teachings of a man who lived around 2,000 years ago?

If we believe these things we are doing better than many. But if this is the extent of our belief, if we have put "realistic" limits and boundaries on our beliefs, if we have settled for living a different ideology but not a different REALITY we have not understood the mind boggling truth Jesus has revealed to us about the actual reality in which we live and the amazing destiny for which we were created.

To be a true follower and believer of Christ you HAVE to be as "crazy" as He was. You cannot escape being regarded as totally bonkers and nuts by non-believers. You have to believe crazy things are actually real and true AND you actually have to live and act as if they are.

Here are some of the crazy things I, as a follower of Christ, believe are actually real and true.

I believe the Earth and the universe were created by a being who exists outside of and independent from both time and space. That very dead people can be raised up bodily and restored back to life. I believe in non-terrestrial, non-human, beings who have invited me to join them. AND I actually look forward to them literally "coming to take me away".

I believe it is possible to walk on water unaided, to turn water into wine, to divide the waters of seas and rivers without mechanical intervention, that all medical conditions, disabilities, and injuries can be totally cured without medical intervention SHOULD The Lord will it. And many even crazier things.

In short I live with Christ Jesus as the CREATOR, REVEALER, and CONTROLLER of the REALITY I live in, and as if, by HIS will, all things really are possible even when science and "realistic common sense" want me to believe they are not.

After all, if everything the Bible says is actually true you'd be crazy NOT to ..... Right?

With Love from Christ in IslandBard

Provided it is done freely and without charge

"You Have To Be Crazy!" may be copied, used and distributed

(in its entirety only, including this notice)

by brothers and sisters in Christ

to the profit and glory of The Lord alone (ttpagoTLa)

By special permission of 

D.J. Ludlow copyright 2014

#smallgiftsministries #ttpagoTLa

THE GOOD GUYS COME LAST!

If you browse around YouTube and the Internet you will find an ever increasing plethora of alien invasion, alien visitation, and " they're already here" conspiracy theories. Should we believe them? Well ... generally I would say no. But if you ask me should we ignore them I will say emphatically not!

Your first thought would be "didn't he just contradict himself?” Rest assured I haven't. You see what is important to note is not the individual reports but the overall pattern of the reports. If I were not a follower of Christ I might surmise that it COULD appear that MAYBE the mindset of the population of the world MAY be getting groomed and prepared to accept the idea of non-terrestrial beings as a reality. However, being a follower of Christ means I am almost certain they are. You see Dawkins may think that the world is dancing to its own DNA. The truth is it is dancing to the tune of the very Biblical prophecy it claims not to believe in. The irony is that more often than not nothing proves the truth of the Bible more than the words, actions and behaviour of those who claim not to believe it. Even they fulfil the very prophesies they do not believe in.

I have been casually observing this increasing focus on things non-terrestrial for some time, noting the interesting patterns and trends in it. For instance have you ever noticed that in Sci-Fi movies involving aliens it use to be that anything coming from space was bad news for the Earth. Yet somehow, against vastly superior technology, strength, size, numbers, etc. the good people of Earth always won because somehow they were always deemed more worthy of winning and more noble and good than the aliens.

But in more recent times there has been a subtle shift and it is that the FIRST aliens to arrive or are already here (usually because they were kicked out of "there") turn out to be the good guys who help to defend earth and defeat the aliens who come next who, not surprisingly, turn out to be the real bad guys. More recent and noticeable are the movie "Thor" in which Thor is first exiled to Earth and then helps to defend it against the imperious "baddie" Loki who comes later (and later again in a sequel of similar pattern). Also very noticeable (if you are expecting it and keeping an eye out for it) is the recent TV Sci-Fi series simplycalled "V". In this show the aliens are actually reptilian but disguised as human-like good-guys but secretly with evil intentions. But wait there are already some of them secretly on Earth already and surprise surprise, they are rebels and enemies of those who arrive later and, yes you guessed it, they join forces with the Earth people to valiantly defend the Earth against the secret evil of the SECOND arrivers. But more on that shortly.

While I have been casually watching this expected pattern emerging slowly for some time now my ears really pricked up recently when I came across a whole lot of internet discussion about the “real reason” the Vatican is running a highly advanced deep space observatory on Mount Graham in Arizona, USA. The pattern, it seems, is much more advanced than I thought.

There is a well known and used ploy when politicians want to test and perhaps mold the public reaction to a plan before officially announcing it. It is called “leaking”. Significantly in this case, it usually means the plan is not inevitable or unavoidable but rather an optional choice based on the perceived public reaction to the “leaked” idea. If the public don't like it the politician can always deny it was ever their plan. Merely some story cooked up by some unknown, unnamed, "person or persons" with an over active imagination.

While I would not declare it to be true or to be totally believed on current information this Mt Graham, Vatican observatory story does bear all the hallmarks of a skillfully leaked story. There is just enough factual evidence to make it believable, and yet at the same time a sufficient lack of facts and confirmations to make it deniable and instantly "killable" as nothing more than yet another "conspiracy theory" if the need arises.

If you watched my Reality Bender. video No. 11 "Renaming TheElephant" you will understand that what the Bible calls "Heaven" science calls "the Universe". In addition if you are familiar with the Bible you will also appreciate that Jesus never claimed to be FROM the Earth, but from HEAVEN. He was always making it clear that He came TO the Earth FROM Heaven (aka the universe.). What's more He made it abundantly clear that that is where He returned to. Not only by declaring it but by the very visible ascension UP into the atmosphere until hidden by the cloud layer. Jesus could have chosen to simply vanish as if into another dimension. However I believe He wanted His disciple to be in no uncertainty as to WHERE Heaven is and where He was going. He was leaving Earth and returning to Heaven by going UP. And as science is now able to tell you the only thing UP THERE is .... the rest of the Universe. But only the name of the destination has been changed (hence "Renaming The Elephant"). The Universe is just Heaven by another name. The Bible is very clear that in the beginning The Lord created the Heavens and the Earth, not the Heavens, the Universe, and the Earth. Just the Heavens ... and the Earth. The Lord called EVERYTHING above the surface of the Earth "Heaven". Even the earth's atmosphere.

So how does this all relate to all this increasing talk and speculation about aliens both already here and coming that is filling the internet, the airwaves, and TV and movie screens more and more these days? And why is this talk about the Vatican, the Mt Graham observatory, and the need to "revise" and alter the Bible such a significant development?

ALL the mass of accumulated evidence points undoubtedly to the Bible being true which means Satan has a huge problem if he is going to try and pull off a powerful deception to deceive vast portions of the Earth's population as the Bible warns he will try to do. When Jesus ascended back UP into Heaven (aka the rest of the universe) angels ( who are also non-terrestrial) told His disciples that when Jesus returns to the Earth it will be in the same way He left it. In other words, having gone UP into the rest of the universe, He will, in like manner, come DOWN to the earth from " up there" where He went . Only next time He will not be alone. I also strongly suspect from what I read in the Bible,that hovering somewhere above the Earth will be a massive object roughly the size of the moon called the "New Jerusalem". If you watch my Reality Bender No.7 you will begin to appreciate the significance of why Revelation is careful to explain just how long, wide AND high the New Jerusalem is. John never saw it land on THIS earth, only on the NEW Earth.

Why is this a problem for Satan? Well he wants people to worship him and not The Lord, and especially not Jesus. That means He is going to have to pull off a pretty spectacular non-terrestrial stage show AND do it BEFORE the real Jesus returns to totally upstage him. His only hope in deceiving large portions of the world's population is to cause havoc throughout the world until it is so desperate for a Saviour that it will jump at the first non-terrestrial to arrive with what seems to be all the answers to Earth's problems and seemingly restore order and "re-educate" the world away from the revelations and warnings of the Bible, and give the world an excuse to divest itself of the Bible's God given commands and instructions . Like any good illusionist Satan will show the people what they want to see and hear, and in their eagerness to believe it they will ask few, if any questions.

Of course, knowing it is only a matter of time until the real Saviour arrives, the only thing left for Satan to do is try and convince everybody that the next one to arrive is the real baddie who is going to destroy the Earth and the only hope for mankind is to help him defend it. But, of course, Jesus never hid the truth that the Earth will not survive His return. Jesus returns to rescue those who are to be saved FROM the destruction of the Earth not to save the Earth itself. That is why Satan has to convince people that what is clearly written in the Bible is somehow not true or not inescapable

It is significant therefore that not only are we hearing these stories about the Vatican monitoring and expecting non-terrestrial visitors who somehow must automatically be considered less "fallen" than man and should therefore be revered as closer to God, but also speculation that their arrival will somehow necessitate a reappraisal and revision of what is written in the Bible and what we believe it teaches to be true.

It could miraculously all be merely coincidental of course. But as a believer in Christ I believe in miracles but place little credence in miraculous coincidences. I am way too skeptical for that. I will continue to watch what happens, but I already know the One who will be the last to arrive, in who I believe and who is able to save me from EVERYTHING else that is coming before AND after then.

And because I know Him NOW I will know Him THEN. But even more importantly I will also know when it is somebody just pretending to be Him.

With the love of Christ in IslandBard

Glad To Be of Service!

There is this myth that following Christ Jesus is all about denying oneself pleasure. "Thou shalt not have a good time". "If it feels good thou shalt not do it."

But the truth is that those who follow Christ do not give up one single good thing in life. They do not sacrifice one single pleasure. Ask me if there is anything I miss from before I committed my life to Jesus and I can quite honestly and truthfully tell you - "not a single thing".

There was a time I did take pleasure in sinful things - or at least what I thought was pleasure ... what everybody (mates, media, movies, etc.) TOLD me was pleasure. But the truth is that I found no real joy in it all. It's like scratching an itch. It feels good to scratch .... but you'd much prefer not to itch in the first place.

But now I find I have no pleasure whatsoever in sinful things. I have as much desire to sin as I would have swimming in a sewage pond. Neither holds ANY attraction for me whatsoever - I have no itch to scratch.

But let's be clear on what sin is, and what it is not. It is not sin to enjoy having a wife ... it is sin to enjoy having somebody else's wife. It is not a sin to drink alcohol (even though I personally choose not to - but that is just my personal choice and not a command from the Lord) but it is a sin to get drunk. It is not a sin to have stuff that belongs to you - it is a sin to have stuff that belongs to somebody else (without their permission). It is not a sin to have a good job - it is a sin not to do a good job of the one you have. The list goes on but you get the idea.

What most people lose sight of is that "pleasure" is not about what you do or don't do ... it is about HOW YOU FEEL about what you do and what you don't do. MY pleasure is to do the will of the Lord and to follow the word and command of Jesus. MY pleasure is to NOT sin. MY pleasure is to serve my Lord and my Saviour King, Jesus. THESE things are not burdensome to me, rather they bring me joy and pleasure.

Nor do they prevent me from enjoying the company of a beautiful and loving wife, enjoyment of the things I lawfully and legally have, the pleasure of  the good and wholesome food I prefer. I also drink and enjoy what I PREFER to drink, listen to and watch and read and enjoy the things I prefer to listen to and watch and read, etc. AND I can do it all without sinning.

To me being able to serve and be with the Lord IS having a good time. To disobey the Lord or to be separated from Him would be the most miserable and crushing experience I could think of. To me it "feels good" to NOT sin. In following Christ I have denied myself NOTHING - except that which I do not want any part of anyway. In truth I could look the Lord and Jesus in the eye and in all honesty say "I am truly GLAD to be of service ... to YOU!

With Love From Christ in IslandBard.

Provided it is done freely and without charge
"Glad To Be of Service!"" may be copied, used and distributed
(In its entirety only including this notice)

by brothers and sisters in Christ

to the profit and glory of The Lord alone (ttpagoTLa)

By special permission of 

D.J. Ludlow copyright  2014.

#smallgiftsministries #ttpagoTLa 

CIRCLES IN MY BIBLE - The Chinese Water Puzzle

OK I confess ... I'm a circler and an underliner. As I read my Bible I tend to underline or circle interesting or important passages to make them stand out for easier reference. As I'm reading I often come across fascinating little discoveries and out comes the pen. Consequently my Bible is full of circles and squiggly lines for me to ponder the implications of what lies within them.

I thought I might share a few of these rather intriguing little references with you now and then.

The latest circle to appear in my Bible popped up today in my daily reading as I pondered the words of Amos, a humble herdsman and keeper of sycamore fig trees chosen by the Lord to be one of His prophets. Amos wrote his prophecy during the reign of Uzziah king of Judah somewhere between 810 and 759BC (remember those dates).

Now for a little lesson in how much credence one should put on the "official" verson of history and science and the pronouncement of "experts".

This is the "official" version of the history of our knowledge of the "water Cycle". It is taken directly from the website:- http://www.unesco.org.uy/phi/libros/histwater/1history.html

"I) HISTORY:


understanding the water cycle


Only in the late seventeenth century did European scientists reach a clear understanding of the origin of water and its natural cycle. This cycle has three components: (a) the sea, and to a very small extent, vegetation (evaporation and evapotranspiration driven by solar energy); (b) the clouds (transfer, condensation, precipitation); and (c) continental surface water (springs, rivers, lakes) and groundwater which, with the exception of fossil water, run into the sea after a certain period of time.

The first book on scientific hydrology in the Western world was De l'origine des fontaines (On the origin of springs), written by Pierre Perrault and published in 1674 in Paris by Pierre Le Petit. Perrault created a water balance in a basin located in the upper section of the Seine River. In 1687 the Englishman Edmond Halley calculated the evaporation rate of the Mediterranean and then compared that figure with the contributions of the rivers flowing into the sea. To measure the evapotranspiration of plants the French mathematician de la Hire built three lysimeters in 1688.

Outside Europe, however, the Chinese had understood the water cycle 500 years before the birth of Christ, and in India, Kautilya, a minister of the Maurya dynasty (321-185 BC), had rain measured in pails placed in front of rural stores. In terms of public services, the first flood-warning system, set up by the Chinese in 1574 on the Yellow River, used horseback riders who travelled faster than the water. Owing nothing to the West, the Koreans started taking regular, systematic rainfall measurements in 1441 and have continued doing so ever since."

Therefore I thought the following words of Amos written some 760 to 810 years before Christ and some 260-300 years before the Chinese worthy of a circle:-

Amos 5:8  "Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name"

I also put another circle in that equally (if not more) ancient book of the OLD Testament, Job.

Job 36: 27-28 "He draws up (IE evaporates) the drops of water, which distil (IE. condenses) as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind"

If nobody back then knew about the water cycle who (other than the Lord Himself) told this humble herdsman and keeper of Sycamore fig trees?? And the equally ancient man from the land of UZ (thought to be somewhere in what is now the Arabian Desert)??  Just as intriguing is the question WHY does the "official" record not acknowledge that Amos and Job BOTH knew about the water cycle, and documented it before even the Chinese?? The "books" of Amos and Job have been part of the official Jewish records since at least 759 to 810 years before Christ. Surely you can't just conveniently ignore the FACT that they clearly RECORDED their knowledge of the water cycle 260-300 years BEFORE the Chinese supposedly were the first to discover it! After all if your aim really is to ACCURATELY record world history why would you?

Perhaps they found the question of WHO told Amos and Job about the water cycle a bit too uncomfortable to face?

More circles later ...

Extraordinary Indeed Diognetus

It is extraordinary for a Christian to remain a "normal" person because Christians are normal people EMPOWERED and intended by Christ to be .... Extraordinary!

To my mind this extract From The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus (circa AD 130) should be required reading for all followers of Christ, new and old alike. It seems that somewhere along the nearly 2 millennia since Mathetes wrote to Diognetus many of today's Christians have forgotten their ..... manners!

("Mathetes" is not thought to be the writer's actual name but rather a title meaning disciple of the Apostles. This was a time of great persecution of church leaders and use of a non-de-plume was frequently employed to protect the identity of the writer.)

(An extract from ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.iii.ii.v.html )

"Chapter V.—The manners of the Christians.

For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.

Chapter VI.—The relation of Christians to the world.

To sum up all in one word— what the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the world. The invisible soul is guarded by the visible body, and Christians are known indeed to be in the world, but their godliness remains invisible. The flesh hates the soul, and wars against it, though itself suffering no injury, because it is prevented from enjoying pleasures; the world also hates the Christians, though in nowise injured, because they abjure pleasures. The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and [loves also] the members; Christians likewise love those that hate them. The soul is imprisoned in the body, yet preserves that very body; and Christians are confined in the world as in a prison, and yet they are the preservers of the world. The immortal soul dwells in a mortal tabernacle; and Christians dwell as sojourners in corruptible [bodies], looking for an incorruptible dwelling in the heavens. The soul, when but ill-provided with food and drink, becomes better; in like manner, the Christians, though subjected day by day to punishment, increase the more in number. God has assigned them this illustrious position, which it were unlawful for them to forsake."

NO SAFE PLACE .... EXCEPT ONE!

Throughout history Christians have been looking for a safe place to meet. A safe place to talk, worship, fellowship. Some sought it in monasteries and nunneries. Some in segregated communities and compounds Even on the internet I have seen people expressing the desire for a "safe place" to interact with other Christians.

The truth is there is no safe place on Earth for followers of Christ and few of those seeking one have understood that while we are told Satan has been confined TO this world (that is - Earth), the Bible tells us he is not confined ON the Earth. Rather that he "as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8)

Satan is the Prince of THIS world and there is no place he cannot be on it ..... except one. The only place Satan cannot be is ... in Christ. This is why Jesus could say: "These things I have spoken unto you, that IN ME ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

What then does this mean for us? Firstly it means we cannot make A VENUE a safe place for Christians. Make no mistake Satan has been here a long time already and we know he can masquerade as an angel of light. Masquerading as a good and devout Christian is something he has had a lot of practice at. Do not be deceived, he is among us in many guises, indistinguishable from anybody else - to the human eye. He roams as free here as anywhere on earth. Indeed the internet is probably among his most favorite playgrounds these days. But like elsewhere there is only one place he cannot be even on the Internet and that is, in Christ.

There is only ONE safe place for Christians to be no matter where in the world (and cyber world) they may find themselves, and that is to remain in the will and in the word of God - for that is where Christ is and will always be.

But what IS the will and word of God? It is what is WRITTEN in the Bible. It is what the words of the Bible themselves say and mean for the Lord means what HE has said and has said what HE means. No matter how learned or knowledgeable they may be no man's or woman's, or church's interpretation of the Bible is the word of God. The world's foremost authority on the Bible is the Bible itself. But so many want you to give more authority to what THEY say the Bible says, than what the Bible says for itself. But no man is an authority on the Bible, rather the Bible is an authority OVER all men.

Want to know about Revelation? The world's foremost authority on Revelation is the Apostle John - LISTEN to him. Want to understand the book of Daniel? The world's foremost authority on the prophecies of Daniel is ... Daniel - note carefully what HE says.

The foremost expert on the letters of Paul is Paul. On the book of Isaiah it's Isaiah, etc., etc.. Understand for WHO God wrote the Bible. He did not write it for theologians, or church leaderships, or commentators. He wrote it for ... YOU AND I.

The Bible itself there in YOUR hand is the fulfillment of a prophecy.

"And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."  (Jeremiah 31:34)

If you want to make wherever and whenever you meet a safe place for Christians let every conversation remain in the word and will of God. Let God Himself teach you through HIS word. The Lord Himself has promised you He will. That is why He wrote it all down - for YOU!

Satan CANNOT preach and teach or allow to be preached and taught, the word of God truthfully and correctly for then he would serve Christ. He can only preach and teach falsely and do whatever he can to discourage or prevent people from turning to and invoking the actual word of God Himself. BUT the Lord has given YOU His word in writing in your very own hands. Pay careful attention, in the counsel of the Holy Spirit that dwells within you, whether or not any man's words agree with the actual words the Lord has WRITTEN down for you Himself and you will remain safe in the word and will of the Lord for that is where you will find yourself in Christ, a place Satan cannot enter. For God has written His word so that YOU will be able to read AND understand it for yourself and not be deceived.

There, and there alone, will you find the safe place for Christians that you seek. Let no man prevent you from invoking and declaring the authority of the WRITTEN word of God Himself. Rest assured it will soon reveal to you the true nature of all present.

"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name." (Malachi 3:16 KJV)

Provided it is done freely and without charge
"No Safe Place .... Except One!" may be copied, used and distributed
(in its entirety only including this notice)

by brothers and sisters in Christ

to the profit and glory of The Lord alone (ttpagoTLa)

By special permission of 

D.J. Ludlow copyright  2014.

#smallgiftsministries #ttpagoTLa 

DOUBLE OR NOTHING

Matthew 22:37-40 "Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.""

Sitting there by the door of our local church listening to the sermon the other week The Lord turned on another lightbulb somewhere in the dimmer recesses of my mind (Hope He's got a lot of light bulbs :-). It never ceases to amaze me how many times I can read a passage and still miss some of the most important stuff.

Why does it take two laws to sum up everything in the Law of God? Surely if we love God will not EVERYTHING ELSE flow from that one single law to love our God with all our hearts and souls and minds? Why TWO laws? Then came the lightbulb.

We are called to have two loves, not one. If we do not have two loves we have none. It's double or nothing.

How often do we hear, or even say ourselves, " It is because I love Christ that I do this for you." Or perhaps "It is the love of Christ that leads me to do this for you." Or something else similar. But this misses the point of why the Law of God is summed up in two laws, not one. The Law speaks of OUR love. WE are to have two loves. If we do not serve our neighbors out of our OWN love for them we do not do as The Lord has asked.

We cannot love God and also speak evil of, criticise, or gossip about, one another. We cannot love God and also treat each other harshly or unkindly. We cannot love God and yet do nothing for the needs of others. The Good Samaritan could not meet all the needs of the stranger - but he ensured all his needs were met nonetheless' even in his absence. But the parable does not speak of the relationship of the Samaritan with The Lord, that was not the point Jesus was making. The parable says "when he saw him, he (the Samaritan) took pity on him. (Luke 10:33). The important message Jesus was getting across was the relationship the Samaritan himself had with his neighbour as an example of what it means for us to love our neighbour as ourselves.

If you are sitting in church reading this, look around you. These are not your only neighbours ... BUT they are your closest neighbours. Love each and every one of them dearly, love them deeply. It may not always be easy, but it will always be necessary.

John 13:35 "By THIS all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Provided it is done freely and without charge
"Double or Nothing" may be copied, used and distributed
(In its entirety only including this notice)

by brothers and sisters in Christ

to the profit and glory of The Lord alone (ttpagoTLa)

By special permission of 

D.J. Ludlow copyright 2013.

#smallgiftsministries #ttpagoTLa

A NEW THING UNDER THE SON!

Easter is the time we remember the day Jesus triumphed over even death itself. The day The Lord revealed to mankind the biggest surprise of all. For those who believe in Christ Jesus, death is only the beginning of an incredible new life.

When speaking of the ministry of Jesus many are tempted to focus on the three years up to His crucifixion, but that misses the whole point of the resurrection and ascension. In one very important way the ministry of Jesus did not begin until Pentacost. Up until then it had in many ways been preparation for that ministry to mankind. It was at Pentacost, beginning with those in the upper room, that men began to be born again in the power of the Holy Spirit.

I did not fully appreciate the meaning in Rev 21:5 when it says "And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new." . That is until I was reading Ecclesiastes the other day and Solomon's conclusion that "there is no new thing under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9) .

At Pentecost Jesus ushered in something "never before seen" new and incredible.  If we but lay down our "same old, same old" lives under the sun, Jesus, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit is able to recreate in us a new life, a new creature unlike mankind had ever before witnessed. No longer confined to, or conformed by, this tiny, same old, same old, world under the sun we become sons of God Himself under HIS Son. 

John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God

But the incredible magnitude and miracle of what it means to be truly born again as "Sons of God" is only fully appreciated if you understand WHO the Bible refers to whenever it speaks of the "Sons of God". When the Bible speaks of the "Sons of God" it is not speaking of man or mankind but of the angels of the Lord, the "elohiym".

But as I look around today it saddens me to see so many "same old, same old" churches and Christians doing the "same old, same old" things everybody else is doing. Trying to gain popularity and members by meeting the community's expectations instead of by meeting its needs. Jesus came, not doing what was "expected", but doing what was needed, regardless of what the world "expected" of Him. We are called to continue what He began.

I see so many who, in truth, are only half dead to the world and only half alive in Christ. That will just tear a person apart. Half and half does not mean we have a foot in both. It means we are, like the Church at Laodicea, not really a part of either and Jesus died for us in vain.

Christ is risen, behold there is now a new and very different thing under the sun - the question we must each ask ourselves is ..... Have I become that new thing under the Son?

Provided it is done freely and without charge

"A New Thing Under The Son" may be copied, used and distributed

(in its entirety only, including this notice)

by brothers and sisters in Christ

to the profit and glory of The Lord alone (ttpagoTLa)

By special permission of 

D.J. Ludlow copyright  2013.

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THE WORTHSHIP OF THE LORD

No it's not a spelling mistake in the title. We make much of "worship" but do we really understand what it is ... and what it is not? For instance worship is not the music we play and the songs we sing nor is it the Sunday morning rituals they are part of. It is not the ministries we do although it is to be found  - or not found - in the way, the why and the attitude in which they are done.

To worship is to ascribe worth. How much you worship is measured by how much worth you ascribe. But how do you measure ascribed worth? In accounting there is a way to measure the ascribed worth of investment possibilities, that is, where best to invest your limited finances and resources. It is called " Opportunity Cost". Basically it is the value of the investment you would have to forego if you spent your limited resources on the one planned.

The point behind "Opportunity Cost" is, when you can't do both (limited time, energy, finances, etc.) you ascribe "worthship" to whatever you choose to do by the sacrifice of what ever else you might have been able to do with that time, energy and effort. Worship is measured by the VALUE to you, of the time, energy, effort, and resources ( including heart, mind, and soul) you are prepared to sacrifice to a thing or person. Some people worship their cars, some their professions or jobs. Others worship their chosen sport. Some worship the maximisation of fitness, wealth, possessions, and other material goals. The list is endless.

But The Lord has commanded that we love and worship HIM with ALL our heart, mind, soul and life. The good news is that He has provided endless ways in which to express that worship so that none of us should feel unable to obey Him in this, the most important commandment of all. When we sacrifice time and energy and effort in fulfilling our marital vows it is an act of worship because we made those vows to The Lord Himself. When we love and care for our children and make sure they are raised in a loving and godly home that too is a command of The Lord to which we ascribe worth in the obeying and doing. If we actively choose to love and do only good, not only to those who love us but also to those who do not, this too is an act of worship.

How much time, energy and effort we choose to sacrifice to the use of our God given gifts, talents and abilities, and in the undertaking of our various ministries is also a measure of worship. Especially if we compare it to how much care and effort we put into our everyday workplaces and professions. It must always be remembered that The Lord's commandment that we work for our employers as if we were working for Him (Colossians 3:22-23)  is a call to greater care, effort and application, not less care, effort and application.

We all have many opportunities daily, in our life and ministry choices to ascribe worth to The Lord above all that is in Heaven and Earth. Are you making the most of your opportunities?

Matthew 13: 44-46 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."

Provided it is done freely and without charge

"The Worthship of The Lord" may be copied, used and distributed

(in its entirety only, including this notice)

by brothers and sisters in Christ

to the profit and glory of The Lord alone (ttpagoTLa)

By special permission of 

D.J. Ludlow copyright 2014.

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A PECULIAR PEOPLE

1 Peter 2:9-10 (KJV) "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God:"

I think one of the saddest things about churches today is they no longer want to be considered "peculiar". Like the Israelites of Samuel's time they no longer want to be a peculiar people but "normal" people, just like the Israelites wanted to be a "normal" nation and have a real flesh and blood king they could parade around like all the other nations. But we are called to be a peculiar people, a people like no other on Earth. Indeed a people  so peculiar they live their lives as citizens of Heaven who are visitors and strangers upon the Earth. 

An early writer (130AD) who called himself "Mathetes" (meaning "The Disciple") gives a beautiful description of the unashamedly peculiar manners of those first Christians who are also our brothers and sisters in Christ. You can read it at  ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.iii.ii.v.html . 

We are to be a people who do not hold any one of us to be more, or less, important than any other of us but equally united in a peculiar love found nowhere else but in Christ. We are not a people bound by a common purpose as "normal" groups and associations are, we are a people in-dwelt and empowered by a single Spirit, who serve a single master and are the beloved children of a single God.

We are a peculiar people who do not plan for the future so much as seek to discover and  follow the plan that we know has already been laid out before us. A peculiar people with a peculiar destiny. To be as ONE in complete unity with Christ Jesus just as He is one with our Father (John 17:20-23).

A people who do not so much believe in life after death ( for on the last day some will not die but be changed in the twinkling of an eye), but rather a people who believe in life beyond Earth.

The Apostle Peter asks us a question we must each decide the answer to when he said: 

2 Peter 3:10-11 "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?"

I and my brothers and sisters in Christ are a peculiar people, and for that I give thanks to The Lord.

Provided it is done freely and without charge

"A Peculiar People" may be copied, used and distributed

(in its entirety only including this notice)

by brothers and sisters in Christ

to the profit and glory of The Lord alone (ttpagoTLa)

By special permission of 

D.J. Ludlow copyright  2013.

#smallgiftsministries #ttpagoTLa